WiRED Salutes Volunteer Ann Mangold
BY ALLISON KOZICHAROW; EDITED BY BERNICE BORN
I
n the 1980s the clothing company Hanes launched an ad campaign featuring commercials with the now iconic Inspector 12. The idea was that no Hanes product could be released to the public without being scrutinized by tough Inspector 12. WiRED International boasts its own Inspector 12 for its Health Learning Modules: volunteer Ann Mangold.
WiRED Director Gary Selnow, Ph.D., says, “No module leaves WiRED before it has passed a rigorous review from Ann Mangold, our Inspector 12. Her simultaneous ground-level and bird’s-eye views of these modules, before they go out the door, are critical to ensuring that WiRED provides the best possible presentation of our medical and health information.
“Along with the doctors and editors, imagers and computer technicians, Ann is critical to the production of training materials, enabling WiRED to provide high-quality, interactive health programs for low-resource communities around the world.”
Ms. Mangold began her volunteer work with WiRED in 2011 after she attended a presentation given by Dr. Selnow. She said, “I was fascinated by WiRED, and the idea of working to benefit underserved communities was right up my alley.”
Ms. Mangold reviews each new module in various stages for mechanical errors such as spelling and punctuation but also to make sure that information is clearly presented. She said, “I always learn interesting, wonderful things. The work is very stimulating. I gain a sense of satisfaction after cleaning up a module.”
In addition to carrying out Inspector 12 duties with the modules, Ms. Mangold has written articles for the WiRED website, helped out at annual board meetings and performed web searches for potential donors, contacts and connections.
Most of WiRED’s staff are talented volunteers like Ms. Mangold. With the support of these dedicated volunteers and the generosity of individuals and small foundations, WiRED is able to spend around 95% of its funds directly on programs.
Ms. Mangold said, “WiRED modules offer important and valuable material that is created and being used to help people worldwide to improve their health. I am so pleased to volunteer for WiRED!”
Bio on Ann Mangold
Ann Mangold was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She was graduated from Carleton College, in Northfield, Minnesota, with a bachelor’s degree in the philosophy of religion and a minor in Asian studies. During her senior year Ms. Mangold lived with a family in Japan for a semester and studied Shintoism and Zen Buddhism. After college she moved to San Francisco where she met her husband Keith, a computer software consultant. They settled in San Mateo County where they raised their three sons.
In the early 1980s Ms. Mangold began working for the University of California Cooperative Extension in its Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, which was created to inspire and empower families and individuals to lead healthier lives by teaching them to eat well, stretch their food dollars and handle food safely.
In 1991 Ms. Mangold began teaching fourth grade in a school with a large community that spoke mainly Portuguese and then, over the years, with changing populations, shifted to Spanish. She taught in English using training she received in special techniques suited to her classroom. Ms. Mangold employed a hands-on, visual philosophy and “affective filter” educational approach in order to make students feel
comfortable and gain confidence.
Ms. Mangold retired from teaching in 2011. Today she not only volunteers for WiRED but tutors non-English-speaking adults and knits clothing for causes. She and her husband also enjoy time with their children and four grandchildren and hiking in the Sierras.
WiRED Inspector 12 Duties
Ms. Mangold, WiRED’s Inspector 12, verifies the integrity of each module before it leaves WiRED’s production shop. Even though the module at that point has received input from no fewer than five people, including a vigorous review from medical professionals, she looks at everything in a single frame, with all module components in place. She
- Considers each component of an intact module
- Looks carefully at grammar, punctuation and spacing
- Reviews all images and sounds and each question and answer in the embedded and final quizzes for relevance and suitability
- Checks the additional resources and the proper functioning of the interactive features of each module
- Ensures that all information is clearly presented
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