I designed this page as a tool for teaching the graduate level course, EDU 501 Technology in the Classroom at the College of Saint Mary. In this class students construct a digital portfolio using the web editors Microsoft FrontPage or the newer Microsoft editor Expressions. They use this web portfolio to post assignments for other classes they are taking or will be taking in the future. However, in this course, in addition to other activities and setting up their web structure, they are required to complete and post, to their site, nine technology projects. The projects are learning activities that teachers can use to integrate technology into any curriculum. They include: Graphic Organizer, Favorite Links, Treasure Hunt, Spreadsheet, Interactive PowerPoint, WebQuest, Newsletter, Video, Lesson Plan Integrating Technology.

Up until December of 2008, I worked with my husband, John Lortz, at the Senior Health Foundation. We developed curriculum, wrote training manuals, set up computer labs, trained instructors, and taught senior citizens on how to use the computer. We self-published 9 training manuals  and numerous handouts to accompany our classes. Many of these are listed under the Books section.

After teaching digital media classes for several years, and wanting to learn more myself, I took many of the courses for a Video/Audio Communications Arts associate degree at Metropolitan Community College. At the Senior Health Foundation, I have utilized the skills and knowledge acquired from those classes to produce videos for other nonprofit organizations and for profit organizations. Some of our work is available in the Video section of this web site.

Another duty at the Senior Health Foundation is the creation and maintenance of our organization's web site: www.shf.org, as well as the web site for our parent organization Midwest Geriatrics. We also have our own person web site Two Dogs. We have used various web editors, but I am most familiar with Dreamweaver and Net Objects.

John and I have also served as a freelance writers for the Smart Computing, PC Today,  and CPU (Computer Power User) magazines and we have co-written over 30 articles on a wide range of computer related topics. See the Article section of this website for a list of our articles.

In addition to teaching for the Education Department at the College of Saint Mary , I also teach as adjunct faculty in the Business Information Systems Department. I worked in this department for two years as full time faculty before taking the position at the Senior Health Foundation. I teach classes in the regular classroom setting as well as an online format and independent study. I have developed web pages to supplement the the following classes:  "Introduction to Computers", Advanced Business Application, and An Introduction to Basic Programming. In the past I have also taught introductory classes in C++ programming language.

I have a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in Elementary Education with a Specialization in Math and Computer Science, and I have a Masters in Education Degree from Lesley College in Computers in Education. At the College of Saint Mary, I have completed my course work and submitted application for Middle School Endorsement in Math and Language Arts, and  K - 12 Endorsement in Information Technology. And, for fun, I have taken most of the course work in the Video/Audio Production department at Metropolitan Community College.

I taught fifth and sixth grades for seven and a half years in the Omaha Public Schools District, and I have many fond memories from those years of teaching. Currently, I teach second grade Sunday School for Bethany Lutheran Church in Elkhorn, Nebraska.

I left teaching after the sudden illness and death of my father in 1997. I went to work for his company, General Service Bureau, Inc. to help stabilize the organization. There I worked as a System Manager. This required a great deal of technical skills from maintenance of a Unix mainframe computer, technical support for specialized system software as well as personal computers, and working with data files. After working there a year, I missed teaching so I hired a very skilled replacement who is still with the company today, and left to pursue corporate and college instruction.

I became a corporate trainer for CompUSA, and  trained on both the Macintosh and IBM Compatible computers. I conducted classes on Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Levels of all Microsoft Office products (Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint), Microsoft Publisher , Introductory and Advanced levels of Windows, Introductory levels of Adobe PageMaker, Photoshop, Quark Express, Introductory and Advanced levels of FrontPage, and Introductory and Advanced levels of HTML. I have also developed my own training materials and I have independently contracted to trained for local businesses.

I have three sons: Kurt age 38, Brian age 35, and Jack age 8.

I also have six grandchildren. My two oldest granddaughters, Madison and Morgan, are twins and they live in Kansas City. They are 7 years old.  They have a little sister named Olivia who just turned 4. My three grandsons live in Omaha. Landon is 6 years old and Cole is 4, and McCorter almost 2 years old. I also have two wonderful daughters-in-law, Julee who is married to Kurt and Brandi who is married to Brian.

Yes, that is not a typing error above; Jack is only 8. He is in the second grade this year at Skinner Magnet Center and fortunately for us, he really loves school. As a family, we all enjoy watching a good game of baseball, reading and photography.  However, while John and Jack enjoy playing baseball, I enjoy cooking and gardening.