Cynthia J. O'Hora is a graduate
of State
College Area High School, State College,
PA. and a graduate of the Pennsylvania State
University with a BS in Nursing.
She worked seventeen years primarily in Emergency
Nursing. She was the first nurse in her hospital to earn
certification as an Emergency Nurse. This was accomplished at her own initiative and expense. She studied all the material on her own. She then founded the Seven Mountains
Chapter of the Emergency Nurses Association and served as a delegate in the state wide organization. She was ACLS certified and became a CPR and ACLS certified trainer. In addition to Emergency
Nursing, she worked as a nurse educator: to patients, community members, and to other
health care professionals. She served as an inservice coordinator for three
years. She taught several continuing education classes for the Pennsylvania State University.
Eventually, she held the position of Nurse Manager of the Emergency
Department, ICU and Step Down Units of a hospital in a suburb of
Philadelphia. She lead the ER through a successful certification by the national Osteopathic organization. She implemented a highly successful cost savings program for supplies and medications. She conducted a department run staff development program that had a better than 95% participation rate. The program targeted QI identified issues. Significant improvements in the quality of documentation and care were realized. She also implemented her passion, a patient education program that was developed in concert with the professional nursing staff .
In 1993 Cindy left nursing, moved to Conestoga, PA
and chose to redirect her energies to her family and her children's elementary
school. She founded and chaired for five
years the school's Computer Committee. The group purchased 13
Macs, got over twenty Apples donated, and contributed thousands of
dollars in educational software and hardware to the school. Cindy
also provided several after-school computer classes for the
students.
Cindy created two large HyperStudio projects for
the students. One is all about Pennsylvania. It uses a multimedia
format to teach students about: the symbols, the geography, the natural
resources and over sixty famous Pennsylvanians. The other project is
about the Solar System. It was made specifically to meet the needs of
the third grade's solar system studies.
Mrs. O'Hora provided volunteer tech support and training
to the school's staff. She set up and maintained the AppleTalk LAN's of Macs
and printers, as well as, the school library's Internet access. She founded
and worked with the students on the school's fourth grade Tech Team. She worked
with the fifth graders to create
Ulysses
S. Grant, the school's first educational web project. It is part of a
national project about the U. S. Presidents.
In addition, Cindy served as Vice President and
then President of the PTO. She chaired the major fund raising auction
for two years. She ran four book fairs to build the resources of the school's
library. She contributed many hours as an assistant in the
classrooms.
She designed and acted as webmaster for the school's
web site for four years. She collaborated
with the teachers to create Internet integrated lesson
plans. She also provided the desktop
publishing of her son's middle school's newsletter. Her contributions
were recognized in the school district's Above and Beyond
publication. She was nominated for the Jefferson Award for Excellence
in Public Service.
Cindy's article on parent volunteering has been
published at WWW4Teachers and the Well Connected Educator site.
In 1997, Mrs. O'Hora began to share her tips
through her web site Macintosh Tips and Tutorials. The site offered
over 200 tips. There were many handy templates which teachers could use
to integrate AppleWorks/ClarisWorks into their classroom. Several of
her fun tips are posted in the AppleWorks
site at Apple Computer, Inc.
Cindy was also the webmaster for the Lancaster
County Apple Corps the local Macintosh user group. She wrote reviews
and new
user how to articles as well as serving as
editor for the club's monthly newsletter, Peelings. She offers
private tutoring on ClarisWorks and helps many new Macintosh users
improve their computing skills. She was also a User Group Network
Affiliate.
For eighteen months, Mrs. O'Hora was employed at a
local middle school. She provided 1 to 1 support to a blind, disabled
student and to several other learning support students.
1999 -2000
Cindy collaborated with the principal
of the elementary school to initiate the principal's reading program called
"Baggy Books to Go". Cindy used her tech skills to create
databases, solicitation letter templates, and contents lists. She is
sending out donation solicitation letters. She teamed up with her
daughter to contribute a butterfly themed bag.
She is also running the Cans for Computers,
Scholastic Software, and Cartridges for kids fund raisers. She
continues to build the school's web site in concert with the teachers
and PTO. She is providing monthly
Internet scavenger hunts to help the
students gain experience with the net. She also helps the students
build their tech skills. She provides support to students and
teachers using the computers or Internet.
Her favorite project this year is the nature showcase she
creates monthly at Conestoga Elementary School. Called "Outside
- In", it is based on one or two nature topics like seeds, monarch butterflies,
owls and bats, fungus, butterflies, or bluebirds. The students and teachers
look forward to checking out the facts. Cindy also makes a crossword
puzzle or word search to compliment the topic of the month. The subjects
are preparing the students to participate in the Lancaster County Envirothon
2000 in May. ( I was not associated with the LCEE organization when I made
these projects.) Habitat tour.
2000 - 2001
Due to my spouse's employment goals I have moved to Central
Pa. My time is currently devoted to web site development, gardening, and unpacking.
The house we purchased is a fixer upper. I'm fixin. I volunteer two times
a week as a Helping Hand at the Selinsgrove Area Middle School. I work with
students who are struggling with language arts or social studies. I also developed
a web site for my son's
wrestling team.
I am writing Macintosh articles for a professional
education publication called MasterTeacher. I'm making new monthly
Internet scavenger hunts. I am offering
workshops to teachers about harnessing and creating their own
hunts.
2001 - 2002
My time is currently devoted to web site development, gardening,
and family. The house we purchased is a fixer upper. I'm still fixin. I volunteer
as a web developer and writer for the Selinsgrove Area School District. I
developed a web site for my son's football team. I continue to grow the wrestling
one. I also developed online educational resources for the Lancaster County
Envirothon 2002.
I worked with a group of eighth graders to make their own Internet hunts
based on literature they had read.
My husband helped me build bluebird houses.
I got permission from SASD to mount them around the campus. They hosted several
bluebird families the first spring! I developed a web site about the bluebird project complete with a peek inside an occupied box. I am responsible
for maintaining the trail.
When I'm not working with Macs or kids, you will
find me in a garden. I am establishing a new habitat garden at our
home.
2002 - 2003
I continue to volunteer as the volunteer web site developer
for the SASD. I write news articles about the educational program and students.
I also maintain the menus, the board agendas and minutes, the calendar, and
many other online resources. I developed the online resources for kindergarten
registration. I have just completed developing the High School's Course list
web pages.
Penn State did a feature article on my web
site volunteer efforts. WBRE did a feature on the hunts.
I developed the web site for my son's football team. I continue
to grow the wrestling one. My daughter's
Forensics Team also now has a web site.
I am continuing to develop new Internet Hunts and maintain current ones. I have been restoring some of
my AppleWorks
lessons to the site. I am adding new online crossword
puzzles that compliment areas of the
site.
2003-2004
Milkweed & Monarch Butterfly Mania goes online
along with Make your Own Database.
I continue to do wrestling team's site.
I am currently collaborating with an outstanding local teacher to put his
entire physics
course online. We are both excited about the project. I also sit on several
committees in the school district.
Check out the site's newest area Problem based Learning.
2004-2005
I worked with two outstanding high school science teachers
to put their course resources online. physics / biology
I am the volunteer webmaster for the Friends
of the Selinsgrove Community Library I am also a member of the Friends
Board.
I am continuing to develop new Internet Hunts and maintain current ones. I have been restoring some of my AppleWorks lessons to the site.
I am adding new online
crossword puzzles that compliment areas of the
site.
My special project for this year is Prominent
Pennsylvanians.
On March 3rd, I officially became a candidate
for the local school board.
2005
I developed a web based project called Plants
and People. I am continuing to develop new Internet Hunts and maintain current ones.
I am serving on the local school board. I am on the Policy & Education, Technology & Extracurricular Committees
2006 - 2007
I am working on a special project called Plants
and People. I developed a Water study unit that includes a Lentic and Lotic Ecosystem project
I am continuing to develop new Internet Hunts and maintain current ones. I developed resources for Problem based learning activities
I developed resources for study units relevant to Pennsylvania. I developed resources for Civics studies with a focus on primary documents and current events
I am serving on the local school board.
2008
School Board service continues. I am the Chair the of the Extracurricular Committee. I actively participated in the Strategic Planning process and the Wellness Committee. I chair the Dual Enrollment program and am the board rep. in the annual Professional Growth Incentive process.
Milkweed and Monarch Butterfly Mania - math & science lessons build
Energy & Alternative Renewable Energy studies and lessons
2009
School Board Service continues. I am the Chair the of the School Board's Extracurricular Committee. I chair the Dual Enrollment program and am the board rep. in the annual Professional Growth Incentive process.
Fields, Meadows and Fencerows EcoStudy Unit extensive resources and rigor raised
Wetlands EcoStudy Units | Bluebirds Project an EcoStudy Unit - higher order thinking skills and problem based learning focus.
Developed - Science Observation Skill Builders activites .
December 2009 - My 4 year term on school board is over. I am not seeking reelection.
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