We invited alumni of the Departments of Learning Technologies and Information Science who graduated in 2008, the year the college was formed, and 2014, the year the Linguistics Program joined the college, to recount their memories of COI’s formative years. Here are their stories:
Ann Blackman ‘11, M.S. in Computer Education and Cognitive Systems (now M.S. in Learning Technologies)
Collin College, Executive Director of Technology Support In 2008, Ann Blackman had a conversation with a colleague that would change the course of her career. Prior to this discussion, Ann had spent six years searching for an educational technology graduate program, but it felt like finding a needle in a haystack. Ann’s colleague shared their plans to pursue the Master of Science program in Learning Technologies at UNT (formerly CECS, Computer Education and Cognitive Systems), which was a light bulb moment. Ann’s six-year search was finally over. At the time, Ann was the Convergence Technology Center Program Manager (now she is Executive Director of Technology Support) at Collin College, and educational technology was a relatively new field. Ann wanted to connect the praxis of learning theory to her work and was accepted into the CECS graduate program. She found herself using the skills she gained from this program every day, explaining that the program not only validated her instincts about the best way for people to learn but also equipped her with solid learning theory. The combination of tech knowledge and learning theory gave Ann the confidence and opportunities she needed to become a leader in her field. She fondly remembers how the program was instrumental in rebranding the college to the “College of Information.” It seamlessly merged the realms of information science and learning technologies, creating a unique interdisciplinary approach. Ann praises her advisors and mentors, Drs. Scott Warren and Cathie Norris, for their unwavering support and personalized guidance. They helped her navigate the program’s early days when there were no set procedures. But Ann’s story doesn’t end with her own success. She has given back to the college in remarkable ways. She founded the COI Alumni Club, established the COI Alumni Society Scholarship for COI graduate students, and served as a chair on the college leadership board for years. Her motivations were twofold: she wanted to help the Learning Technologies department grow by providing feedback in its early stages, and she empathized with the challenges faced by graduate students juggling work, family, and education. Today, Ann continues to share her knowledge as an adjunct instructor. Her favorite students to teach are incoming freshmen, whom she reminds that the career she enjoys today didn’t even exist when she was in their shoes. She encourages them to pursue their passions and envision their future careers, even if those careers haven’t been invented yet. Ann’s story is one of resilience, adaptability, and the power of education to transform lives.
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