Nancy Ribak Altadonna - A Short Bio and Memories of Innovation

I grew up in San Antonio; have lived in San Francisco, Israel, and Miami Beach before relocating to NYC 13 years ago. In 2009 I "found my calling" as a career-changing NYC Teaching Fellow. Before education, I worked in media; individually, public relations and advertising and spent over a decade deejaying in student radio, dance parties, and clubs. I earned my Bachelors in Radio-Television-Film from UT Austin, M.S.Ed from LIU, and I am working towards a Ph.D. with a focus on Learning, Instruction, & Innovation which should combine my academic and personal passions. I teach 9^th Grade World History in a large public high school also in Brooklyn. 

I am a digital immigrant, I was not born before the widespread adoption of digital technology. I have vivid memories of adopting technology ever since my big brother brought home Pong on Atari. It was mesmerizing. My tape recorder was my favorite toy as a child. My first paid internship was at the defunct peer-to-peer FTP site called Audiogalaxy. I remember how I explained what an ‘MP3’ was to record labels before Napster existed. My first job out of college was based in San Francisco where I worked on this new thing called the Internet. I became a teacher as a second career 9 years ago, and part of the reason I’m focusing on Innovation is that I want to meld my original media focus and educational career together.

I believe that the best educators are forward-thinking and adaptive to new technologies. Digitial Natives will enter a workforce of less traditional occupations; they will need to be motivated, entrepreneurial and techno-literate to compete in this world. I want to play a relevant role in that future which is why I'm pursuing this path.

Please feel free to add me to your PLN (Professional Learning Network) 

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sorrybusytakecare

Instagram: www.instagram.com/nancella/