What are my learning goals for ETEC 565A?
As an educator, I am extremely interested in learning how to create and design a pedagogically sound course that is suitable for online delivery. I really want to expand my pr
ofessional skill-set and be able to possibly teach online courses within my current position. At the moment, I teach a district program for students who are gifted or need enrichment. In this program, select students from various schools within the district are invited to attend a four day intensive workshop that tap into their special area of interest. As the district is very large, many students are unable to attend due to the lack of transportation. For a few years now, I have grappled with the idea of providing an online course for those students who have difficulty travelling to the school in which I am stationed. I feel that ETEC 565A is an excellent start in providing me with the knowledge and skills necessary to make this proposition a reality. I feel that this course will help me gain insight into how I can create a pilot course that is designed appropriately and uses technology effectively to ultimately transform the learning experience.
What is my experience with instructional tools and technology?
Professionally, I have not yet experimented with online instructional tools and technology but I am extremely eager to learn. As a student, I have used a variety of Learning Management Systems while studying in the higher education system. The programs I have used include: BlackBoard, Connect and WordPress. Interestingly, I enrolled in one of the first fully online courses offered by my university. I loved the flexibility of the schedule but remember the experience as being quite unengaging and isolating. The online courses at this time simply substituted the oral lecture for written text. As the years have progressed, I have personally experienced the shift in pedagogical thinking around the design, development and implementation of online courses. The difference between the first online Psychology course I took and ETEC 522 is astounding. ETEC 522 was engaging, collaborative and emphasized the acquisition of skill development. The activities in this course allowed for deep understanding and genuinely transformed student learning. I would like to learn the necessary knowledge and skills to create an online course of this calibre.