Just welcome my classmate and my teacher.

Hi Everyone,

My name is Kim Spiegel and I am majoring in Education with an emphasis on Higher Education.  I am taking this course because it is one of the requirements for my education degree.  One thing that I know about higher education is that students are able to think on a higher level.  What i mean by that is older students have the ability to analyze and think critically about the material given to them, which is one of the reasons I am interested in teaching at a higher level.  One thing that I would like to learn about teaching at a higher level is how to motivate students and get them engaged in learning.  I am married with two small children ages 7 and 9 that keep me pretty busy.  We have a cat, and are currently looking at adopting a puppy.  I love traveling and being outdoors when the Wisconsin weather allows me to do so.

Hello Amazing Students!

It is great to welcome you to Ashford University. I trust you will find it a good community of learners. I am honored to be your Professor.

My name is Dr. Val Margarit (if you prefer, you may call me Val or Instructor/Professor Val) and I facilitate leadership education and sociology courses, which I am very passionate about. I hold a Doctorate degree in higher education leadership, an Education Specialist degree in education administration, and a Masters, Bachelors and Associates degrees in Sociology with a minor in political science. I am a lifelong learner, a coach and trainer and  look forward to working with all of you.

I have been an Educator for over 16 years in various capacities and at different levels. As an Educator, I taught at various higher education institutions courses such as Educational Policy and Administration, Curriculum & Assessment in Higher Education, Introductory Sociology, Cultural Anthropology, Social Problems, Racial, and Ethnic Groups, Public Policy and Social Services and Family and Marriage. At the secondary level, I served as social studies teacher, department head, teacher leader, mock trial coordinator, and debate coach. I am also certified in both, social sciences and administration leadership, all levels, have been Teacher of the Year, and received the David and Annette Jorgensen Award for Excellence in Education. At the college level I have been a Chair and Professor for over 15 years and particularly, I love teaching at Ashford helping future leaders like yourselves achieve their dreams. Yes, if you work hard enough anything is possible and I am here for you every step of the way.

I am highly student-centered and will work hard to help you be successful in this class and beyond. I take very seriously the responsibility of developing your critical/analytical thinking and writing skills and your content knowledge base. I am passionate about the field of Education and Sociology and expect that you will leave this class with a broader knowledge of teacher education, how ot teach successfully as well as develop a set of skills that will help you create opportunities for yourself, and your students and achieve your personal and professional goals.

I love to travel and have been to about 40 countries, including France, Italy, Greece, Costa Rica, Mexico, Guatemala, UK, Turkey, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Ireland, and the Czech Republic. I also love sports such as tennis, basketball (Go Heat), soccer (world cup), track & field. I ran the 2007 New York City Marathon and many other races in support of various causes such as education equality and kids living in poverty. I advocate a holistic lifestyle and love practicing yoga, meditating, running, strength training, reading, the beach, and spending quality time with family and friends. After all, if we don’t have our health we do not have anything.

Health is wealth!

I love writings about topics I am passionate about and empower people like YOU to achieve their dreams. From education to self-development, personal success, health and so much more you’ll find on my website.

Finally, I will always do my best to positively facilitate student learning and skill development. I expect students to always put forth their personal best. YOU are a professional and a role model. The way we behave, our attitude, the quality of our work, the way we communicate with others will demonstrate our professional level and often others will inform their decision about us. It is important to know how others perceive us because that is their reality.

I sincerely enjoy online teaching and I trust that you will find this course interesting, challenging, and fun. I look forward to working with all of you and believe that together we will have an amazing learning experience. Good luck.