Date: Fri 13-Feb-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Kathleen-Beals-BPW-Careerist

Full Text:

BPW Young Careerist Is Excited About Learning And Technology

(with cut)

BY KAAREN VALENTA

Kathleen Beals, the Newtown Business & Professional Woman's Young Careerist of

the Year, describes herself as a technogeek -- and laughs.

"I love working with computers. To me it is exciting to learn new software,"

she explains. "I am a technogeek."

Kathy Beals is a developer of technology-based learning, or TBL, computer

programs that try to do what instructor-led training used to accomplish.

"Technology is everywhere," she said in a recent interview. "Even phones have

computer chips in them today. Technology can be VCRs, TV, ATMs. At its most

simple, learning to use an ATM could be technology-based learning."

Companies and schools see the advantage of using TBL, she said.

"Many companies today recognize the need to transform themselves into

`learning organizations' which continually update the skills of their members

and, in the process, are themselves transformed. Technology is a driving force

in this transformation," she said.

Last November she joined Excel Partnership, Inc, in Sandy Hook, where her job

description is "instructional designer/digital tools" in the company's product

development process. Since August 1996 she also has operated her own digital

media consulting firm, Keystone Technologies, from her home in Sandy Hook.

"Having my own company was a dream of mine for a good three years before I did

it," she said. At both jobs, she designs software tools and systems that

facilitate the creation, tracking, storage and sharing of information.

"Companies and schools are investing millions in computer technology," she

said. "I'm talking to clients on how to use their existing infrastructure to

deliver training to every desktop computer, and not have to send employees

away for training, or fly a trainer in and pay travel and entertainment

expenses."

Excel Partnership previously focused on instructor-led training, she said.

Last year the company acquired a firm that provides video-based training. One

of the goals for 1998 is to convert video-based learning to computers.

Before she joined Excel, she worked for Silvermine Consulting Group in

Westport, and Neo, Inc, and Unisoft Corporation, both in Shelton.

How We Learn

Kathy Beals also is a student at Fairfield University, where she is completing

a master's degree in media/educational technology with a focus on

instructional design. Her bachelor's degree, earned at the University of

Connecticut, was in psychology. For while she loves working with computers, it

was her desire to help others learn that led her into the field.

"It's very important to understand how people process information, how we

learn," she explained. "Lois Gardner (the Newtown BPW member who recently won

the National Science Foundation's Presidential Award as the nation's top

secondary math teacher) and I have lots of talks about learning. The challenge

of trying to translate the magic Lois has when teaching into computer

based-training is what I do.

"My goal is to create accessible, easy-to-use technology-based learning tools

that employees can use to further their career aspirations and support their

lifelong learning goals."

For one project, Kathy Beals put together a computer-based career planning

guide for a corporation. "It provided one central location for an employee's

job description, career path, and learning resources, in a digital format so

it could be viewed on a laptop computer," she explained. "There also were

templates so you could use spreadsheets and other tools to record your own

data."

In another project, she created a learning tool that explains Geometric

Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GDT), a universal language used by engineers.

While designing computer-based learning seems straightforward, Kathy Beals

admits there is also a social component to learning.

"The ability to talk to your peers or to mentor can help learning really take

place," she said. "Learning is (1) an opportunity to experience something new,

and (2) an opportunity to reflect and integrate it into your internal map of

the world."

"The social component is one of the challenges of TBL. You can use e-mail and

conference calls. TBL is not a replacement for instructor-led learning; it

complements it."

Meeting those challenges keeps her excited about her career.

"I'm in the middle of a really exciting time. Technology has reached the point

-- the tipping point -- where there is no turning back," she said.

Young Careerist Award

The intent of the BPW's Young Careerist Award is to recognize leadership

skills in young professional women and promote public awareness of BPW and its

roles as advocate for working women and mentor for young professional women.

For Kathy Beals, elimination of the wage gap and enforcement of the Equal Pay

Act is her top focus of concern.

"We need more advocates like Rep Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who introduced the

Paycheck Fairness Act in June of 1997 to strengthen enforcement of the Equal

Pay Act," she said in the BPW award questionnaire. "Wage discrimination

remains one of the most serious barriers to the achievement of true equality

for working women despite the passage of the Equal Pay Act 34 years ago."

The workplace isn't family friendly, she said.

"We ask women to juggle too many things. The United States is unique in that

respect. In Europe they are much more understanding of working women who have

families -- vacations are longer, there are more childcare facilities. I think

we can do a better job of it so women could contribute more in the workplace."

Kathy Beals and her husband, Scott, a hydrogeologist for an environmental

consulting firm, Land Tech Remedial, Inc, in Monroe, have lived in Sandy Hook

for the past three years. Kathy also is a volunteer at the Faith Food Pantry

in Sandy Hook and a co-second vice president of membership for Newtown BPW.

"We all struggle to balance work and personal life, regardless of our life

stage or family situation," she said. "It's vital employers recognize the

importance of helping employees deal with work-family conflict."

Kathleen Beals will attend the BPW District II Young Careerists' speakoff on

March 4 at the Villa Bianca in Seymour. Representatives from the Newtown,

Bethel, and Litchfield clubs will compete for the chance to represent the

district in the statewide competition.

Newtown BPW meets at 6 pm on the first Monday of the month at the Fireside

Inn. For more information about the organization, contact co-presidents Diana

Johnson (426-5418) or Joan Murcko (426-0291).