My name is Jeff Pool, and I'm so glad to be learning alongside all of you. I work at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and have been in higher education for almost twenty years in various roles and at various institutions. I grew up in South Dakota and managed to land all the way across the border to Minnesota, where I currently live. I've been in the greater Minneapolis area most of my adult life and love how rural and urban collide here. 

I'm currently finishing my EdD in Educational Leadership, as well as a graduate certificate in Communication Education. I really want to transition to a teaching role, particularly one that works in remote or hybrid learning environments. I have experience as an e-learner and have taught graduate classes in a synchronous format.I love the integration of technology in the classroom and am an advocate for the continued growth and investment in new delivery methods because it allows schools to bring education to place-bound students who wouldn't have had access to it otherwise. 

I'm an old Millenial, so my whole life has evolved with the evolution of the Internet and I tend to jump on new trends as they come out. I'm trying to wean myself off of social media because it has become a pretty toxic place in the past few years, but it is sometimes easier said than done.