Introduction Letter

My name is Grant Taylor. I was born in upstate New York in the city of Syracuse. Eisenhower was the President way back then. George Bush is the President now. I had a good childhood with lots of neighborhood kids to hang out with. At that time parents didn't seem to worry if you were gone all day, in fact, they insisted that you be gone all day. I went to public school and was an o.k. student. Long after my parents broke-up I moved to Las Vegas(not the one in New Mexico) to live with my mother and went to Valley High school.

In the 70's we did not get much in the way of technology. Since then I have done all I can do to maintain a high level of ignorance when it comes to technology. My wife handles all things related to the television in our house. I am able to do simple tasks on the computer. I use Word and Outlook. Excel is still a complete mystery. I can use most of the software related to my mortgage business. I like to download CDs and play games on my PC. I love my ipod.

As I read through the CSUSM/COE mission statement the phrase that speaks loudest to me is 'life-long learning.' I had decided many years ago that a commitment to constant learning and understanding would play a key role in my life. It has developed into a major part of my identity and I consider it the greatest gift a teacher can give a student.