Flight Path
Date of entry: May 20, 2011
Word count: 500 (not including references)
“Hold fast to your dreams, for without them life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.”
– Langston Hughes
My name is Diana Bang and I completed my B.Sc. (Hons) in Psychology and Biology from York University and MLIS from the University of Western Ontario. Most notably, my teaching experiences have included being a Library Assistant teaching newcomers computer skills as part of the Working Together project, a Children’s Librarian providing children and youth library programs, and currently as a Medical Librarian teaching information literacy skills to health region staff. I’m pursuing my MET degree at the University of British Columbia to combine my passion for teaching by leveraging the advantages of evolving technologies.
My goals for this course and program are to obtain a solid foundation in teaching methodologies and learning technologies. It is my utmost belief that obtaining further graduate studies will help me refine and develop my skills in curricular design, instruction, evaluation and management of education services. My professional objective is to deliver innovative library instructional programs by incorporating web-based software. My areas of interest include: computer-based learning, knowledge utilization, evidence-based practice, learning styles and teaching strategies. By completing this degree, I strive to build on my work experiences, incorporate the latest multimedia tools and attain the pedagogical expertise to address information technology in a teaching and learning situation. Furthermore, I am interested in seeking ways to utilize new technologies such as social media and handheld communications in educational contexts.
Specifically, to achieve my goals I will focus on the following aspects this semester:
1. Learning Management Systems- Although I have some experience using WebCT to create online quizzes, I have not used Moodle. I aim to learn how to use Moodle effectively to set up an e-learning platform, create interactive modules and assessment tools that staff can access to learn at their own pace and time.
2. Social software- In ETEC 510, I gained experience creating a wiki entry using MediaWiki and in library school I learned how to use Wikispaces. My current experience includes using Blogger for work however through the use of my WordPress e-portfolio I will gain greater expertise using blogs and posting regularly to keep content up-to-date.
3. Multimedia- One of the resources I plan to use include Audacity to record and mix audio, and to find other relevant media to develop content for the Moodle site and the digital story assignment. In ETEC 510, I learned to develop online tutorials using Camtasia, text-to-speech avatars using Voki, and audio clips using Free Sound Recorder.
Overall, it is without question that I will require additional resources to enable me to achieve my goals in mastering the aforementioned technologies as a novice professional. This will include obtaining a solid foundation and understanding in the areas of designing and teaching in an online learning environment, interaction and assessment tools, and learning to integrate social media effectively. Thus, I have compiled below a brief list of references which will help guide my learning journey.
References
Anderson, T. (2004). Teaching in an online learning context. In T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.), Theory and practice of online learning (pp. 273-294). Athabasca, AB.: Athabasca University. Retrieved May 19, 2011 from: http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/
Bates, A. W., and Poole, G. (2003). Effective teaching with technology in higher education: Foundations for success. New York: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated.
boyd, danah. (2008). Why youth love social network sites: The role of networked publics in teenage social life. In D. Buckinghham (Ed.), Youth, Identity, and Digital Media (pp. 119-142). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
Gibbs, G., and Simpson, C. (2004). Conditions under which assessment supports students’ learning. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 1, 3- 31.
Halavais, A. (2006). Weblogs and collaborative web publishing as learning spaces. In J. Weiss et al. (Eds.), The International Handbook of Virtual Learning Environments (pp. 1215-1235). Netherlands: Springer.
Jenkins, M. (2004). Unfulfilled promise: Formative assessment using computer-aided assessment. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 1, 67-80.
Jonassen, D. H. (1999). Designing constructivist learning environments. In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional design theories and models: A new paradigm of instructional theory, Volume II, (pp. 215-239). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Lax, L., Taylor, I., Wilson-Pauwels, L., & Scardamalia, M. (2004). Dynamic curriculum design in biomedical communications: Integrating a knowledge building approach and a knowledge forum learning environment in a medical legal visualization course. The Journal of Biocommunication, 30(1), 1-10.
The New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66(1), 60-92.