Mary Fran Anderson

My name is Mary Fran Anderson. I have been a teacher of the visually impaired and blind for many years. As a teacher of the blind and visually impaired I have witnessed the struggles that this population faces accessing the computer. That led me to learn about assistive technology and eventually I became an assistive technology specialist working with a wide range of students with disabilities including visual impairments and blindness.
In the private sector I have worked as a technology trainer for two companies. I was able to teach a class on-line for one of the companies where I worked so I became interested in eLearning.

When I am not working, I am an artist who paints using watercolors. I am an active member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon and the Oregon Society of Artists. I display my work in juried shows and in galleries in the Portland area.

My main reason for enrolling in this class is to obtain an idea of what comprises eLearning and what tools are available to build classes in this format. Another question I have is when eLearning should be implemented in place of blended learning or traditional face to face learning. I am particularly interested in how eLearning might benefit people with disabilities and how to make the classes accessible to this population.