The "Subject"

I realized that I do not know many 8-18 year olds.  There are a couple that come to mind, but after consideration I realized that I have an excellent young person to work with.

"Annette" is a recent high school graduate.  She was raised in a suburban area near Akron, Ohio until the age of 12.  Her family, which consists of her mother, father, two brothers and a sister (all younger), relocated to rural Lewis County, WV.

I first met Annette a few months after she turned 15.  She struck me as a sweet, innocent, farm girl with a deep love for her horses.  Today, she is a mature young woman who is embarking on a great adventure.  On May 25 she graduated from high school and on May 27 she married the love of her life (my son).  Today, June 11 they are settling into a new life together at Schofield Barracks, HI.

I will be interviewing Annette via Skype and Facebook messenger.  She will be accessing both interview modes from both a traditional laptop and her IPhone.

Annette is a very talented artist.  She has God given talent that allows her to create pictures from her mind and nature on paper and canvas.  Her portraiture is phenomenal and she hopes to learn to work with Photoshop and other graphics programs to develop her artwork further.  She understands that while she is fortunate in her talent, she needs to be comfortable with technology as well.

During their courtship, the couple faced challenges of distance as he was stationed in HI and did a one year deployment in Afghanistan.  It was a vast array of electronics that enabled them to stay in touch.  Their technology use was challenged from a variety of ways including technology black outs and computers being damaged during a bombing.

The easy access to social media created a set of challenges for the young couple and I plan to discuss the pros and cons of social media both in a academic and social setting.  Annette, as the oldest, is very close to her mother, and it will be interesting to get feedback on how she is using social media and other technologies to remain connected to her family.

She will begin college coursework in the fall at AP, which is an online school for military personnel and dependents.  She will rely totally on technology to complete her coursework.

I hope to be able to record a portion of our Skype interview and include it in a future post.

First Dance

May 27, 2012.