Baldwin Wallace University

It is with great pleasure that I write a letter of recommendation for Ms. Stephanie Ohtola. Stephanie has
been a student of mine in several courses as part of the Educational Technology Masters Program at Baldwin
Wallace University. In that time, I have witnessed both her ability to effectively integrate technology into
curriculum as well as her creative abilities to design dynamic and interactive lessons for students.
Stephanies work ethic and the exceptional completion of each assignment led her to excel in each of my
courses. She often arrived to class early and spent many an extra day in the computer lab perfecting projects for this,
and several other courses, as part of her License +Masters studies. Stephanies grasp of tech-integration is
impressive. It was a pleasure to watch her take each new technology tool presented and carefully blend it with sound
pedagogy and content.
Highlighting some of Stephanies many successful projects would include her thematic webpage on
Feudalism & Manorialism. She far exceeded expectations not only in the layout and flow of ideas but also in the
sound content and interesting material designed to motivate students! In our Instruction Design Course, Stephanie
produced many quality artifacts using digital storyboards, video editing, podcasting, and a variety of multimedia
tools, which culminated into her outstanding final Tech Toolbox!
The field experiences in the Ed Tech Program consist of classroom and school system- based activities that
allow candidates to integrate coursework and apply their knowledge and skills in educational settings. Activities are
designed by candidates and supervised by university or school personnel to meet three major components of the ISTE
standards: Leadership in Technology, Workplace Applications, and Instructional Design and Development. The goal
of field experience is to allow candidates to further their understanding of educational technology theory and practice
and to experience the practical aspects of technology acquisition and facilitation. I am happy to share that Stephanie
surpassed expectations in meeting all of these objectives in her iPad project. This project consisted of sorting
through a myriad of applications and choosing those that are most suited for major educational content areas &
learner needs. The website she created, which compiled for her best picks, was beautifully organized and
represented much of her hard work!
Stephanie also went above and beyond requirements when she voluntarily asked to teach an iPad lesson to
our class that followed Gagnes 9 Events of Instruction. The lesson was both informative and engaging. Stephanie
clearly demonstrated her ability to motivate students in learning content and acquiring new technology skills. I was
greatly impressed with her comfortable demeanor with peers. Stephanies technical skills are strong, yet she is able
to share information in a manner that is easy for educators to understand.
I believe that Ms. Stephanie Ohtala would be an asset to any educational setting that was lucky enough to
hire her. I would be happy to answer any additional questions regarding my recommendation at any time.
Sincerely,
Dr. Susan Finelli, Assistant Professor
Leadership in Technology MAEd Program Coordinator
sfinelli@bw.edu
440-241-3140