Kathryn Wetmore-Komlo graduated in 2005 from Central Georgia Technical College's (CGTC) Associate degree program in Computer Information Systems. She majored in Networking Specialist with an option in Cisco Certified Networking Associate Specialist (CCNA). She chose to attend CGTC because of its reputation, state-of-the-art labs, class offerings, and instructors.

In January 2003, Mrs. Wetmore-Komlo's husband was deployed to Saudi Arabia for an undetermined tour length. During the time of his deployment, Mrs. Wetmore-Komlo was pursuing classes on campus but had to withdraw because of her commitment to her kids and the need to be at home to support the family. At the time she withdrew from classes, she was in the midst of completing her internship but wondered if there was a way she could complete her degree within the timeframe she planned. Online learning was an option Kathryn never considered until the situation arose with her husband's deployment. "It was the perfect way for me to stay connected to school and balance my first priority; my family", states Kathryn. She admits that taking online classes is not easy. "You have to work, be self-disciplined and motivated." For Kathryn, online learning turned out to be a good solution for her and her family. Months before she graduated, Kathryn was awarded a silver medal in the Skills USA Internetworking competition. She went on to complete the associate degree in Computer Information Systems and was offered a position in Information Systems Security Services at Marriott International Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Marriott International is the ninth largest enterprise network in the world.

Kathryn is currently enrolled as an online student at Colorado Technical University pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Software Engineering. She credits Central Georgia Technical College for empowering her with the skills she needed to work in a profession she enjoys.

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Program Spotlight

Cisco Certified Networking Associate Specialist (CCNA)
The Cisco Certified Networking Associate Specialist program trains students in the skills needed to design, build, and maintain small to medium-sized networks. The training will allow students the opportunity to enter the workforce and/or further their education and training in the computer networking field. The program leads to the Cisco Certified Networking Associate (CCNA) certification. Additional program offerings prepare students for the CCNP (Cisco Certified Networking Professional), and CCSP (Cisco Certified Security Professional) certifications.

Central Georgia Technical College has been the Blended Distance Learning Pilot for Cisco Networking Academy for school years 2003 through 2004. The college has also partnered with BellSouth to train their employees online in the CISCO CCNA Specialist program.

Career Outlook
As computers become an increasingly vital part of virtually every kind of business, the evolving technologies and the people who understand them take on even greater importance. Cisco routers and switches are the products most widely used to send information from one network to another. As the demand for networked computer systems grows, so does the demand for CCNAs and CCNPs, who understand how to configure, maintain, and support Cisco routers and switches.

To discover more about the program, link to http://www.centralgatech.edu/catalog/section6/it/ciscoccnaspecialist.htm.

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Instructor Spotlight

Jackie Turner, CIS Instructor
Department Chairperson

Jackie has served as CGTC's CIS Department Chairperson and Instructor since 1992. She received a M.A. in Education with a concentration in Educational Leadership from Argosy University in Sarasota, Florida. Jackie's undergraduate study took place at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Georgia, where she earned a BBA with a concentration in Business Information.

Jackie has earned certifications in Cisco Certified Networking Professional, Cisco Certified Academy Instructor (CCAI), Network+, and Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP).

Joni Johnson, CIS Instructor
Cisco Regional Academy Trainer

Joni Johnson has been a CIS instructor with CGTC since July 1, 2000. She has earned certifications in Cisco Certified Academy Instructor (CCAI), Cisco Certified Networking Professional (CCNP), and the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer for NT (MSCE).

Joni received her BBA from Georgia State University in 1994, being honored as a Summa Cum Laude graduate. She is the Cisco Regional Academy main contact and certified and qualified to teach CISCO to students and instructors.

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GVTC Coordinator Spotlight

Coordinator Spotlight, Jody Dixon

Mrs. Jody Dixon graduated in 2003 from CGTC's AAT in Computer Information Systems with a concentration in Web Design. During her time at CGTC as a work study student, Jody was involved in building the first GVTC online course. After graduation, Jody was offered the Distance Education Specialist (GVTC Coordinator's) position at CGTC. At the time, CGTC's online enrollment was around 250 students. Currently, the online enrollment is fast approaching 2,000 students. Jody was a catalyst in the development of ten degree programs, ten diploma programs, and 31 technical certificates of credit.

A typical day for Jody varies depending on whether she's working on campus or from home. When she's on campus, she spends most of her days working with faculty and administration. Jody trains experienced faculty in new software and features that are available for use in Blackboard. When she works from home, she provides customer service and tech support to students and faculty. Jody spends her time at home updating CGTC's information on the GVTC Website, and the CGTC Blackboard Portal page. Time is also devoted to developing tutorials and instructional pages for the online learning websites for faculty and students. Jody also provides assistance to faculty who are developing courses.

Jody's hobbies and interests involve bowling, sitting by the neighborhood pool with family and friends, and watching the Auburn Tigers play during football season.

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Student Scene

Register for Fall Quarter 2006
Apply now for fall quarter! Check out the GVTC Course Catalog, talk with your advisor, and apply through the GVTC website for your course(s). Our Fall Quarter Deadline Calendar will assist you with important application and registration dates.New Blackboard Backpack 2.5

Georgia Virtual Technical College students can now download the new and improved Blackboard Backpack 2.5.
Blackboard Backpack is a companion to the Blackboard Learning SystemTM and works on a student or instructor's personal computer. Backpack improves availability and productivity as it downloads courses to the student's personal computer for anytime use, keeps everything organized in one place, and allows students to annotate and search course materials.

Backpack was enhanced to match the requests and feedback from students, instructors, and Blackboard® administrators. The result is Blackboard Backpack 2.5, an entirely new Backpack that delivers:

• A streamlined user interface
• Built-in multimedia tutorials
• Lighting-fast performance
• Course Download Wizard
• Faster download times (in some cases 100 times faster than Blackboard Backpack 2.0)
• Automatic synchronization of course updates
• Enhanced “What's New” page with links to new items
• Visual notification of new course content in the system tray
• Integrated search with more user-friendly results
• Enhanced note taking with a full complement of text and Digital Ink tools-pens, highlighters, rich text formatting, etc.
• Easier calendaring to manage busy school and personal schedules
• Enhanced search results, so you can archive and find answers in Blackboard courses, internet research, your own notes and more in class or on the job.

If you'd like to try the new Blackboard Backpack 2.5 free for 30 days, go to http://backpack.blackboard.com/campus/GVTC/.
See how Blackboard Backpack can help students and faculty stay organized and work more efficiently.

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Faculty Focus

Blackboard 6.3 New Navigation Controls

	This image shows the new navigation controls in Blackboard 6.3. If you need training on the new features of Blackboard, please contact Ruth Manns at rmanns@gvtc.org.
	The communication area will contain the available communication tools.	Email/Messages Discussion Board Eluminate Live!
How do I use these?	The course tools will contain the available student tools.	My Grades Personal Information Drop Box Student Manual
	The course map is a collapsible tree directory that is used for navigation within a course. Click the Detail View option and note the changes to the navigation area.
What is detail view?	In Detail View, items that reside in an area of Blackboard can be seen by clicking the plus sign next to that area name. For example, if the plus sign next to Syllabus is clicked, all syllabi in the Syllabus area will be listed. Clicking on one of the listed syllabi will open the entire Syllabus area of Blackboard. Click Quick View to once again see the navigation buttons or navigation links.	An instructor can hide this area and limit you to quick view by default if desired.

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