My name is Gilbert J Palomino and I was born in a small village called San Pedro de Cajas in the very heart of Andes of Peru at 14,000 feet sea level. Here in my hometown I attended a small public elementary school from where I graduated in 1976. My high school years were the most memorable; I still remember my class mates by names and also my wonderful teachers, because it was a very small school with approximately 150 students in total. I graduated from this high school in 1981 among twenty students. After I graduated from high school I applied to several national universities in Peru, and I was accepted at the National University of Daniel Alcides Carrion to become a math and science teacher. However, I had to give up before graduating from the university because the lack of financial support until I came to the United States. I moved to the U.S in 1994 with the hopes to achieve a new dream. Although I was not too sure what I wanted to achieve because I was uncertain how to make it happen or if it would happen.
In 1996, I applied to the Community College of Denver to learn English; I still remember when I took the placement exam to determine what level of classes I should take. I got the lowest score in mathematics and English. I expected the English score—I barely knew the language but I was shocked with the very low mathematics score. Why? I was surprised because I was in advanced mathematics back in Peru. So, what went wrong? What was the problem? The problem was that I had never touched a computer in my life. The placement test was a computer based test, and I did not know what the keys were for. However, this very situation helped direct my decision to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Mathematics which I accomplished in 2002 from the University of Colorado at Denver. Along the way, my vocation for teaching was stronger than my desire to work in the corporate world. I started teaching mathematics at Abraham Lincoln high school in the Denver Public School (DPS) District in 2003. In 2005 I obtained my teaching license to teach mathematics K-12; later in 2007 I achieved a Master’s degree of Arts in Instructional Design and e-Learning from the University of Colorado at Denver. Technology is changing rapidly, the same way that learning and teaching using technology is rapidly changing. The skills that I have gained from this program enable me to fulfill my current role as an e-teacher at an e-high school. I look forward to exploring and expanding the world of the e-learning environment. In my current position as a virtual math teacher at Denver Online High School, I am shaping the frontier of e-learning by teaching using technology.I love teaching because it is one of the most beautiful and caring vocations.
I can’t see myself doing anything else other than teaching. I care for my students and I believe that I can make a difference in each of my student’s lives. I believe to be a teacher one has to have the knowledge and the passion. My motto is that “Teaching is more than a science, it is an art”. You can have the knowledge of the world, but if you don’t know how to teach it will be difficult to make a connection with the students.Who would have believed just ten years ago that a computer illiterate is now teaching at one of only a few e-high schools in Colorado?
In 1996, I applied to the Community College of Denver to learn English; I still remember when I took the placement exam to determine what level of classes I should take. I got the lowest score in mathematics and English. I expected the English score—I barely knew the language but I was shocked with the very low mathematics score. Why? I was surprised because I was in advanced mathematics back in Peru. So, what went wrong? What was the problem? The problem was that I had never touched a computer in my life. The placement test was a computer based test, and I did not know what the keys were for. However, this very situation helped direct my decision to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Mathematics which I accomplished in 2002 from the University of Colorado at Denver. Along the way, my vocation for teaching was stronger than my desire to work in the corporate world. I started teaching mathematics at Abraham Lincoln high school in the Denver Public School (DPS) District in 2003. In 2005 I obtained my teaching license to teach mathematics K-12; later in 2007 I achieved a Master’s degree of Arts in Instructional Design and e-Learning from the University of Colorado at Denver. Technology is changing rapidly, the same way that learning and teaching using technology is rapidly changing. The skills that I have gained from this program enable me to fulfill my current role as an e-teacher at an e-high school. I look forward to exploring and expanding the world of the e-learning environment. In my current position as a virtual math teacher at Denver Online High School, I am shaping the frontier of e-learning by teaching using technology.I love teaching because it is one of the most beautiful and caring vocations.
I can’t see myself doing anything else other than teaching. I care for my students and I believe that I can make a difference in each of my student’s lives. I believe to be a teacher one has to have the knowledge and the passion. My motto is that “Teaching is more than a science, it is an art”. You can have the knowledge of the world, but if you don’t know how to teach it will be difficult to make a connection with the students.Who would have believed just ten years ago that a computer illiterate is now teaching at one of only a few e-high schools in Colorado?