About MKHort

My current work focuses on creating sustainable communities of technology integration.

I am not teaching specific programs or platforms; rather, I tend to the humans that are

running the technologies and devices. I focus on the sustainable societal characteristics

that make technology users become comfortable in exploring and trying new things

and spaces. I am currently working as technology integration training consultant in the

K-12 system, however, sustainable technology skills are very transferable to corporate,

professional, and military settings. The focus is to create an infrastructure of experts in

specific areas so that collaboration and sharing may occur, giving purpose, responsibility,

and recognition to all community members. This in turn creates loyal committed parti-

cipants in the technology community. Research tells us that the adult learner of

technology adaptations, learns best with access to a technology facilitator (Reinhart,

Thomas, and Toriskie, 2011), adequate time and speed with which to develop their

newfound skills (Antonia, and Tuffley, 2015), and peer collaboration (Hartshorne,

Ferdig, and Dawson, 2005). Technology integration trainings should be shared in small

ingestible bites.

A disorienting dilemma may occur when technological skill level does not match

academic knowledge and intellectual ability (Hoggan, Malkki, and Finnegan, 2017).

“Although providing internet access may help alleviate some problems of the digital

divide,” according to Hargittai, technology users “may still continue to lack effective

access in that they may not know how to extract information for their needs from the

Web” (2002, Conclusion section, para. 2). A second-level digital divide is formed

(Hargittai, 2002; Reinhart, Thomas, & Toriskie, 2011). The divide in technology

skills creates “disturbances in communication” (Habermas, 1981, p. 139). This

disturbance generates hesitant technology users.

Prior to this consultation work, I worked as a teacher leader at large Missouri K-12,

100% free-and-reduced lunch school. I collaborated with teachers, and taught

teachers technology integration educational platforms and cultivated their sustain-

able technology skills. Along with this collaborative training, I served as sight test

coordinator for two separate state testing platforms for middle and high school. It was

my job to aggregate data from test scores and classroom grades to direct curriculum

choices and populate remedial services for during and after school. I was involved

with creating, dispersing, training, and implementing district and school curriculum.

As teacher coach, I encouraged, challenged, taught, co-created, held accountable,

and prepped for administrative evaluations, following up with struggling teachers and

improvement plans.

As a middle and high school teacher in urban Oklahoma, I taught reading, English,

Language Arts, speech, drama, debate, and dance. I served as department chair for

two departments simultaneously. I co-initialized a remedial READ 180 program for

the middle school. During this time I created a living Success Zone that ran like an

online social platform, for students to encourage one another and celebrate in

successes. Ninety-six percent of the students were at or above grade level by end

of year, many moving multiple grades to catch up to their peer reading accomplish-

ments. As co-initializing agent of  the pilot program for college credit for high

School students, Advanced Placement Capstone Seminar and Research  I lead

students in community symposiums that were comprised of influential members

of the community such as leaders of diversity, state department of education

representative: Tulsa Students Ask Tough Questions at Police Tactics Symposium

and Tulsa Students Question Experts on Education funding Crisis. I served as team

member on two accreditation programs, one each for middle and high schools.

While teaching in the classroom, I served as choreographer for student plays and

presentations.

I was adjunct professor and guest speaker at colleges and universities. As adjunct

professor I taught teacher candidates and freshman orientation. As guest speaker

I presented curriculum for teacher candidates based on the mind-body connection

and movement notation. I have been a member of the National Writing Project

and have co-led a local affiliate.  

Habermas, J. (1981). The theory of communicative action [Kindle version].

Retrieved

from Amazon.com

Hargittai, E. (2002). Second-level digital divide: Differences in people's online skills.

First Monday, 7(4).

Hartshorne, R., Ferdig, R. E., & Dawson, K. (2005). Preparing current and future

teachers to teach with technology: An examination of school-university

collaborations. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education 21(3), 77-85.

Hoggan, C., Malkki, K., & Finnegan, F. (2017). Developing the theory of

perspective transformation: Continuity, intersubjectivity, and emancipatory praxis.

Adult Education Quarterly, 67(1), 48-61.

Reinhart, J. M., Thomas, E., & Toriskie, J. M. (2011). K-12 teachers: Technology

use and the second level digital divide. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 38(3),

181-193.