Sandy_Wagner

William (Sandy) Wagner

April 2014 Delia Caban's contribution to Sandy Wagner's story.

William (Sandy) Wagner Computers came to transform all areas of daily life, but in its beginning brought much confusion, fear and questions that required an intervention and a helping hand. Seeing this need many voices were raised as a guide to many people who wanted to learn and explore accepting the challenge of this new technology, to incorporate it to the classroom and other work places. One of these voices was William (Sandy) Wagner.

For over 20 years Dr. William (Sandy) Wagner taught mathematics, science, computer science, and teacher education from 7th grade through college. His other careers have included software manager, mathematics textbook author, and designer of online classes.

Sandy Wagner was one of the founders and first president of the organization California Computer Using Educators (CUE). . By the fall of 1977, Mountain View High School in California, approved his proposal to invest in an instructional computing program. He began teaching programming in the BASIC language with five microcomputers and printer at the cost of $14,000. He soon realized the desperate need to find other teachers with the same interest to learn and teach, using computers. He knows that teachers had certain expectations for curricular support: professional organizations with local affiliates, conferences and journals; published textbooks; quality staff development; older teachers who know the ropes; district or county office expertise; university research, courses, and professional degrees; and state curriculum guidelines. When they looked around in 1978, they found almost none of these resources in place.

He coordinated a first meeting with others teachers at the famous Homebrew Computer Club at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Auditorium and after a talk he gave at the Second West Coast Computer Faire in San José many teachers agreed to meet again. This group was stated with about 15 teachers and this meeting was the first step of what became CUE later. By the fall they had a name, officers and a plan for the first conference at Alhambra High School in Martinez in the spring of 1979. CUE actually is established like a support group organized for K-12 teacher to sharing experiences with computers and their use in education. It has membership in 48 states and foreign countries. Not only did the present CUE organization emerge in those first few years, but also the direction of computer education in California was established by this group.

The group infiltrated many areas. Teachers, librarians, administrators and others found time to build a state organization and regional affiliates (CUE); teach university courses; write newspapers; organize conferences; create educational software and establish a method of sharing that software; apply for grant, and support each other.

CUE members also originated and support the Microcomputer Center and SOFTSWAP LibraryStart of an Organization. SOFTSWAP is public domain software exchange, teacher contributed software and successful classroom computer lessons. It was proposed by Ann Lathrop in January 1980 to the board of CUE. To look at the software, public domain and commercial the Microcomputer Center in the San Mateo Office was born.

In 1980 Wagner received the Gold Disk award from CUE. Gold Disks are CUE's oldest recognition program is recognition of the recipients’ contributions to CUE and to technology in learning. CUE members who have made a significant long-term commitment to CUE and its programs can be nominated to receive the Gold Disk. Gold Disks are intended to celebrate member contributions of time and talent to CUE. Since that time many members of the organization have received this honor.

He achieved so much but is not finished, in his own worlds: “Don’t daydream about the future; work with what you have. CUE meeting has featured the miracles created by teachers and students with the equipment and support they had at the time. My first lesson from the past is that our job is not done. Keep focusing on helping teachers and schools make the most of their limited space, time and resources; help them identify quality products; and show them models of productive implementation and classroom organization. And we should especially focus on the staff development that will be necessary for all the new teachers we can expect in the next five years, as my generation retires.” (October 2001)

He returned in 2009 to mathematics (Geometry, Probability and Statistics (Advanced Placement, Math Analysis and Calculus) working in CK-12 Foundation, his first true love, and to helping teachers explore ways to improve teaching and learning with technology. CK-12 provides open-source content and technology tools to help teachers provide learning opportunities for students globally. Free access to high-quality, customizable educational content in multiple modalities suited to multiple student learning styles and levels will allow teachers, students and others to innovate and experiment with new models of learning. CK-12 helps students and teachers alike by enabling rapid customization and experimentation of teaching and learning styles. It is a nonprofit organization.

Some of his writings and lectures are:

Through all his life William Sandy Wagner has maintained an active and tireless career to continue to keep informed and trained all educators about the new changes and challenges that technology constantly face. What was a dream became one of the most prestigious organizations in the Internet (CUE) that still is very active offering guidance, training, conferences and awards to support who has already made a noteworthy contribution to educational technology. Through his lectures, books, essays, conferences his voice still it rising and leading these new professionals who are born and are accepting the challenge of this new technology in constantly change.
 * 1) Electronic Village Fair, Teaching with PowerPoint, presentation together with Sandy Wagner, Paula Emmert, and Roger Drury, at the 41 TESOL Convention and Exhibition, Seattle, Washington, March 2007.
 * 2) CUE's Future: Informed by the Past – October 2001
 * 3) The story of Computer-Using Educators, Recreational Computing, Issue 48.
 * 4) Computer-Using Educators, Newsletter, vol. 3, No. 6, May 15, 1981: vol. 4, no 2, 3, Oct. 23, 1981 and vol.4, No1, Aug, 15, 1981.
 * 5) Emerging Technologies: Managing a changing landscape with mobile technologies: International Convention and English Language Expo March 26-29, 2014.

References: __ http://books.google.com.pr/books?id=D6iiZ1WAo-MC&pg=PA202&lpg=PA202&dq=William+(Sandy)+Wagner+and+California+Computer+Using+Educators&source=bl&ots=ON_h-jejBX&sig=XjU2fF9R-uZEY4iAd50S8EDSQKM&hl=es&sa=X&ei=QVzcUun6O82LkAfTkoGABw&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=William%20(Sandy)%20Wagner%20and%20California%20Computer%20Using%20Educators&f=false __ Electronic Village Fair, Teaching with PowerPoint, presentation together with Sandy Wagner, Paula Emmert, and Roger Drury, at the 41 TESOL Convention and Exhibition, Seattle, Washington, March 2007 @http://academics.smcvt.edu/cbauer-ramazani/pres.htm > by Sandy Wagner @http://www.cue.org/oncuearchive2001october @http://www.tesol.org/ @http://www.ck12.org/about/domain-experts/ > 3430 W. Bayshore Rd., Suite 101 > Palo Alto, CA 94303 > USA tel. 650.494.1302 > fax 650.494.1313 @http://www.ck12.org/about/our-vision/ contact at info@ck12.org 7) From Bobby Goodson and Sandy Wagner @http://iae-pedia.org/Ann_Lathrop
 * 1) Informational technology and its impact on American education.
 * 1) William (Sandy) Wagner and California Computer Using Educators
 * 1)  CUE's Future: Informed by the Past – October 2001
 * 1) Emerging Technologies: Managing a changing landscape with mobile technologies: International Convention and English Language Expo March 26-29, 2014.
 * 1) CK-12 Foundation in May 15, 2009
 * 1)  CK-12 Foundation

For now, check out Sandy's entry on IAEPedia. Sandy is one of the venerable founders of Computer Using Educators (CUE) and a serious contributor to the use of computing in math education. He is too modest to toot his own horn so we will do it for him. Come back to this page in a month or two for more.