Osayma’s Flight Path..

You are going to read now about someone who you will never forget her story.

I am a mother of three kids in Damascus, Syria. I have a BA degree in Psychology from Damascus University. My city is the oldest capital in the world, and my university was one of the ancients’ universities too. When I graduated in 2010, I was living in a quiet, peaceful city and I had two kids then. I wanted a flourish educated future for my kids and I have had always passion with technology and learning. I used to buy them the “Learning Company” and “Lakeshore” cds and downloaded educational applications for them. I had a dream to create an  educational Arabic content for my country kids and to integrate technology with the educational systems, especially that my husband own a specialized IT company in the educational field “TeachArabia” that develops educational solutions for schools, universities and ministries.

After three months from my first MET course the crisis begun. Our peaceful, ancient country turned to a “battlefield”. Military borders are separating city apart, and preventing rural areas from getting food. Everyday many people die of hunger!! Except who are dying of bombs, explosions, mortars and missiles. Our currency lost more than half of its value. Toward the ESKO, our country now lost 38 years of development.

When I see and live this present, I rethink in my dreams. Sometimes I surrender to this status and other times I look through the eyes of my kids and my country’s kids, and I feel the hope sneaking again to my heart.

My MET flight path..

When I registered in the MET program, it was my first foreign course. I chose it because it is a fully online program from a high rank university. I was afraid if my choice was right but I wanted to go for this experiment and to fulfill my dream. My view of point have changed after couple of days of ETEC 510; my first course. I recognized that it was the best decision I take after graduating. The course is richer than what I thought; the educational process is so attractive and beneficial. Toward my situation that I don’t have a big work experience and being novice in this area, I find new ideas in every part of every course.

My goal of this course changed from developing educational software to a having a leadership role in the educational development in my country. Now I am thinking how to use technology to deliver curriculum to the refugees who are increasing every day, how to upgrade our educational systems in schools to be the “twenty first century” schools. Unlike many of my colleagues, we don’t have enough resources and expertise and our educational system is controlled under very strict laws. Despite all the obstacles in the current situation, the future of our country depends on what we offer to our students.

Therefore, I am very interested in learning about all the content of my fourth stop in my flight path; ETEC 565.

LMS, assessment, social software and media all are the tools of the 21^st century schools and parts of every development in the educational systems.

I am very happy that I have the chance to learn with well educated, expertise, professional people like you, and I am ready to corporate with all of you to gain the best of this interesting course!