Home Page

The Paul Pair Endowed Chair Award

Paul M. Pair, Sc.D.

The Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation

Recipients of the Paul Pair Endowed Chair Award

About Glendale Community College

Marla DeSoto's use of the World Wide Web and related technologies to develop instructional methods and materials focused upon the student learner has earned her the committee's choice for the Paul Pair Endowed Chair award for the year 1999-2000.

Marla earned her BA and MS degrees in English/Secondary Education from ASU. She spent most of 20 years teaching English and reading to middle school and college students prior to becoming a full-time English instructor at GCC in 1992.

Throughout her career at GCC, Marla has helped expand the use of network tools such as the text-based Electronic Forum. She models communication strategies, writes documentation, and helps faculty and students to build their on-line skills. Since her introduction to the World Wide Web in 1995, Marla has created thousands of web pages. "Gradually, as I wrote and designed, I came to a conscious understanding of my own learning process," she explains. "The teacher evolved into a learner, and this completely changed my perception of how to best teach my students." Marla's classes integrate technology into the assignments, requiring students to use word processing, e-mail, discussion groups, and web sites to complete their course work.

In addition to her contributions to campus technology committees and numerous national conferences, Marla has also authored and maintained web sites for the English Department, the Honors Program, Link Up!), and her guide to web publishing, Department Web Sites: an Educational Tool for Faculty, Staff and Students.