Great to get back into the swing of things this fall – I am quite keen to participate in the blog environment that frameworks this course. My name is Patricia and I live on the shores of Okanagan lake in the beautiful Sylix traditional territory. I am a Geology/Aboriginal teacher by trade but dabble a […]
Continue reading Great to get back into the swing of thin… Posted in: Week 01: IntroductionsPage 13 RSS Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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pcollins
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Shaun Pepper
Hello from Europe.
Hi, My name is Shaun. I am currently travelling and taking 3 MET courses. This will be my second, third, and fourth courses of the program. I enjoy songwriting, music composition, sports and travel. I will be teaching english in Shanghai starting in October and have previously taught at an Island Pacific School on Bowen […]
Continue reading Hello from Europe. Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
sonofpat
HI Shaun,
All I can say is that this is the right place and time for someone like you.
I look forward to working with you.Patason
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tomwhyte1
Sounds like a busy schedule of learning and traveling (which will most likely expand your understanding of technology and society by viewing it from a more global sense). Can’t wait to reflect on your insights.
Tom
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C. Ranson
Hi Shaun,
You seem to have the right idea, travel & online education is a great combination.
Catherine
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rebeccaharrison
Hello from Powell River
Hello all, This is one of my first MET courses and I’m excited to get started. My name is Rebecca and I am writing to you from the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia! I’ve been teaching for about 4 years, 2 of which have been here in Powell River, 1 in Australia and the rest on Pender […]
Continue reading Hello from Powell River Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
jenbarker
Hi Rebecca,
I am glad to see there is another “newbee” to MET in this class. Are you taking any other courses this term? I am also taking ETEC 511, which I haven’t had time to delve into yet. Thank goodness the weekend is fast approaching when I will have more time! I hope you have a had a great first week back at school and are enjoying all of your new roles. Best, Jen-
rebecca42
Hey Jen,
Yes, I am taking 511, 512 and 521. I, too, am looking forward to having more time to devote to the readings now that my bulletin boards are all sorted at the school 😉 Regards, Rebecca-
sonofpat
Hi Rebecca
Welcome to MET and good luck to you with your courses, You seem so well rounded that I have no doubt that you will have fun as you succeed at your MET endeavors.
See you around.
Patason
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jbrown5
We spent a week and a bit on the Sunshine Coast last summer and absolutely loved it, especially Powell River and then our time exploring the waters/marine life in Desolation Sound.
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joeltremblay
Hi there Rebecca,
My uncle and aunt actually teach in Powell River so I’m curious as to how many schools there are up there as if there are as many as I think, it’s possible you might know them? Don and Anne Nelson? Anyways, take care and good luck with the course.
Joel
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cunnian
Hello from the island!
Hello, My name is John Cunnian and I am a science and French teacher at an independent IB school on Vancouver Island. This is my 8th course in the MET program and I plan on finishing by August of next year. Between teaching and my Masters program, I am also into running and rock climbing. […]
Continue reading Hello from the island! Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
rebecca42
Hey John,
I would love to pick your brain about IB schools. I’ve been interested in them for some time. I’m currently working in a public school in bc, but have always wanted to do more teaching internationally and have heard good things about IB schools in general.
Cheers,
Rebecca -
cunnian
Hi Rebecca,
I just made the move to this school after teaching in the public system for the last 7 years. So far the learning curve (whatever that is) is quite steep, but I can already see the value of it. Please feel free to pick my brain, but maybe wait a couple moths for things to ‘congeal’ in my mind a little more.John
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jenbarker
Hi John,
As a parent of two kids myself, I was wondering if you could share some advice on how you have handled your previous MET classes. Last year I spent one or two nights doing my readings and then on the weekend I attended my six hour Masters class every other Saturday (if you read my intro you will see I wasn’t in MET but another department). The “off” Saturday I would do my Master’s work and spent Sunday with my family. Understanding that this online platform is quite different than attending a class, do you find it is better to do some work each night? Or can I check in each night and then do the majority of work/study/readings on the weekends? I am just a bit worried as this week once I have put my kids to bed and completed necessary work for my daytime job, I have not had much time left. Any advice would be appreciated… Thanks, Jen-
cunnian
I have no real method… I work on it when I have any spare time; usually after the kids are in bed. I usually check in on some postings during the day and kind of mull them over until the evening. The asynchronous nature of this program, to me, makes it much more manageable. That said, there have been many late night along the way. You’ll find a rhythm soon.
Hope that helps!
John
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Suhayl Patel
I’m reposting this as I think it went to the wrong place the first time: Hi, My name is Suhayl Patel and currently reside in Calgary Alberta. This is my 6th course in the MET program and am looking forward to working and learning through out this term. I have never taken a course that […]
Continue reading I’m reposting this as I think it went t… Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
tomwhyte1
Welcome fellow Albertan. Sounds like an interesting role you have in the CBE. Hope we could share some idea’s.
Tom
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supatel
Hi Tom,
This is absoutely an amazing role. A lot of work that I currently do is directly related to new initiatives that we are trying to implement as a board and a lot of it requires us dealing with corporate partners like Microsoft, Apple, Google, etc. I am definitely gaining a more corporate/business experience as opposed to the classroom experience that i’ve had in the past.
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C. Ranson
Hi Suhayl,
I think we were in ETEC 530 together. I haven’t taken a course that is offered from a weblog but have created sites on this weblog in a few other courses. Gives you an opportunity to go back and re-visit some of your old work and look at it with a fresh view and edit.
Catherine
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supatel
I’m almost certain we have take 530 together. Welcome to the course. I look forward to working with you again!
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Jenny Brown
Greetings from Calgary and ALGC
Hi everyone, I’m Jenny living in Calgary, AB. I am actually a student with the Adult Learning and Global Change Masters and am taking this course as one of my electives (it is going to be a busy fall). This is my second MET course and I am excited to dive in as I really […]
Continue reading Greetings from Calgary and ALGC Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
jhodi
Hi Jenny,
It is nice to meet a fellow Calgarian! Your work sounds very interesting! How nice it is to live so close to the moutains, biking in the summer and skiing in the winter. I also frequently take trips to the mountains for hiking excursions in the summer and snowboarding in the winter.
I look forward to working with you,
Jhodi
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Doug Connery
Hi Jenny and Jhodi:
Hello from another fellow Calgarian. I too live for activities in the mountains both summer and winter. I have never been in a MET course with so many from Calgary, I see there are others as well.
Jenny are you the Jennifer Brown from Health and Public Safety at SAIT from a few years back?
Doug.
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jbrown5
Hi my fellow Calgarians 🙂 It sounds like you are both enjoying the mountains as well.Doug, I am pretty sure that I’m not the Health and Public Safety person from SAIT you are thinking of, the only involvement I have had there was assisting another inspector with a special project (Serving Safer Food) related to their commercial kitchen.
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Pat A Son
Hello from Tobago
Hi everyone, This is my sixth ETEC course so I am passed the halfway mark and it has been great so far. I am of the opinion that this will be a different experience to the others since it is geared towards ‘selling’ rather than the theories of learning and teaching. In a way I […]
Continue reading Hello from Tobago Posted in: General-
kstackhouse
Good to see you Patason. I forget now which course we took together. I look forward to hearing more of your insight. Have a great term.
Ken
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sophiabb
Hi Patason,
Great to see another person from the Caribbean here. Looking forward to learning with you.
Sophia
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teacherben
Hi from Hong Kong
My name is Ben Cooperman and I am currently working at an international school in Hong Kong as a Technology Integration specialist. I teach a few Design & Tech classes as well. It’s a pretty fun job, since I get all over the school and have a chance to work with most of the teachers […]
Continue reading Hi from Hong Kong Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
jkotler
Hi Ben,
Sounds like a great job! How long have you been working there? I’m also curious if you have taught anywhere else and if so, how it compares?
Julie
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teacherben
Hi Julie,
This is my second year in Hong Kong. I spent 6 years at a school in Beijing before this and 5 in Taiwan before that. I did a semester at a school in India before that, but negotiated my way out of what was a pretty bad contract and situation there. I taught in Toronto for a couple of years after I finished my teacher training.i have specifically targeted IB schools because, for the most part, I like the structure of their curriculum. It’s one of the better examples of Constructivist pedagogy in practice on a large scale–particularly the approach they take to teaching Technology. i spent most of my career with little ones though. I just made the jump to secondary a few years ago for a change.
Beijing was a good place to live a very comfortable life and save a bunch of money. Hong Kong allows for a better lifestyle (except that you live in a shoebox-sized apartment) but it’s tougher to save.
I have a knack for selecting the sorts of schools where you get to go out on a limb a bit, which is certainly more fun, but it also usually means that they are still working out the kinks and don’t really have their curriculum in order. I always seem to find myself writing curriculum from scratch. Good PD I suppose, but I think I might go for a big school that is better established for my next post. (In fact, I would love to return to Canada at this point, but the job market isn’t looking good from what I hear. Perhaps this course will inspire me to try a different path!)
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kstackhouse
Welcome Ben. It sounds as though your background and approach to teaching will be well suited for this course. Have a great term!
Ken
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Jonathan
Hi Ben —
I vividly recall a conversation with several architects and engineering friends speaking about the upcoming promise of 3D printers. Is your school planning to purchase one? Are you seeing them in more schools?
— Jonathan
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teacherben
My school is dragging its feet over the 3D printer. I put one in the budget for 1200 bucks but they turned it down and asked me to wait a year. I decided to start teaching towards that anyways, so I have students doing a unit where they produce the model and i will get someone else to print it for us. In the meantime, I am also doing a unit where they design and create a model in SketchUp and using a plugin I found, will be able to ‘unfold’ their 3D models flat so they can be printed on paper, cut out and refolded up into 3D paper models. I’m just starting to flesh out the unit, but you are welcome to see it here:
http://wiki.teacherben.net/3d-paper-model-toddler-toy
And I met a guy here in HK that, after trying to build a 3D printer from a kit and getting very frustrated, decided to invent his own, better one. He started his own company and has shared every step of the way on his blog, including the 3D designs. I guess the product will be open source in the end, but I’m not sure. In any case, he figures it should retail for only 350 USD! I will grab one of these as soon as I can.
Here’s the step-by-step of his process:
http://www.makible.com/products/makibox-a6-1and here’s the main site for the product:
http://makibox.com/
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jameschen
Hi Ben, it’s great to see you again! I would love to learn more about your experience teaching with 3D printers and microcontroller boards. Looking forward to the things we’ll be learning together this term!
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Mike Rae
Hello from China!
Hey everyone! Very interesting reading about all of you…quite a diverse group. My story is that I am from Richmond (noticed that a couple people teach there) and went to UBC where I studied Geography and International Relations. After about 4 years of work and travel I decided to get into education and have thoroughly […]
Continue reading Hello from China! Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
teacherben
Hi Mike! I’m in Hong Kong–not too far away. I’ve been in the area for a while–Beijing before this and Taiwan before that. Has Wuhan been a good experience for you? I just Googled your name and Wuhan out of curiosity (hope that wasn’t prying too much) and it looks as though your school is somehow accredited by the BC Ministry of Education or something like that. What’s that all about?
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mikerae
yah its not a bad deal. they pay BC salary and cost of living is pretty low. we deliver a bc curriculum and at the end of grade 12 the kids get a bc diploma which obviously helps them do post secondary over seas (mostly in Canada). Wuhan is kind of a dump, nothing compared to HK. your gig sounds pretty good too. You guys get holidays off like mainland China? I love the holiday structure, it sucks working over xmas, but it rocks having 5 weeks off in february and january.
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jkotler
Hi Mike,
Interesting story about how you got into education; I actually have a similar one in that I was working as an event planner for a few years but after a while the hardships in the industry got the better of me and I decided to back to education; since then I too have been happy with it.
I am always interested to hear about teachers experiences abroad and would like to hear more about what its been like for you in China.
Julie
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mikerae
Yah Julie, sometimes you just gotta go with what works. Event planning is a very cyclical type of business too. when the economy is down, they tend to throw less parties. It is frustrating with the lack of upside economic rewards in education, but there sure are a lot of other rewards. China is kinda crazy, tonnes of people, tonnes of cars, all that. The language is super tough to pick up compared to other ones. The school I am at is a BC school with about 70 western teachers so I am certainly not lonely over here. I was just back in Canada for the summer which was great and we get a holiday over chinese new year where we gallivant around asia for 5 weeks, which of course is great. Students are very different as a whole compared to Canada, in good ways and bad too.
Im gonna creep on your intro now to learn a little more about you!
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kstackhouse
Hi Mike. That is an interesting story. I did a round about way into education…but all during my undergrad. Started in Science, then Psychology, then a BA in Arts, to then take my BEd at Queen’s. How far are you in the MET program? Best of luck this term.
Ken
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Doug Connery
Hi Mike I too fell into education as one of many side tracks in my career. This is my third time at post secondary: first as a lab tech, second as a remote sensing scientist through geography and now working in education and taking MET as an educational catch-up to the position.
Doug.
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jenbarker
Hi Mike,
I’m Jen and have just begun my first year as an FA at UBC. I was happy to read your story because today when I met my group of Teacher Candidates that I will be supervising they asked if any of last year’s group had been hired. Unfortunately none were… not because of lack of skills but lack of jobs. Our CITE cohort mentioned to them that there are many opportunities abroad so I will be happy to report back to them next week that there are some BC run schools in China that have hired many Westerners. Do you use the BC IRP’s? Best, Jen-
Jonathan
Jen —
I graduated from the CITE cohort! You’ll have to say hello to Steve for me. Catching up with graduates in the past 4-5 years has been a bit depressing. I know there are great candidates going through the program but I know that the hiring rate has been less and less. Those that have been unsuccessful have definitely gone abroad to find other opportunities and have been successful in their endeavours.
— Jonathan
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manny
Hello and greetings from Surrey, B.C. This is now my 6th MET course and it feels great to be past the half way point. I currently teach at an alternate secondary school in the Surrey school district with ‘at risk’ youth who range from 15 -19 years of age. I have been teaching here for […]
Continue reading Hello and greetings from Surrey, B.C. Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
kstackhouse
Welcome Manny,
Congrats at being past the half-way point. A class set of iPads, that will be interesting. For some reason in our district the head IT guy really does not like Apple products and it is a fight to get any approved. I do have 6 Macs in my classroom but that is rare. My wife is an OT in the elementary schools and there are times when she will encourage the use of iPads and other devices to improve accessibility to learning. Have a great term.
Ken
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manny
Hi Ken,
Macs definitely posit their own set of challenges as they are not friendly when it comes to cross platform applications. I was always more of a PC guy myself but our district seems to be taking the Mac direction right now. I guess it’s all personal preference at the end of the day. iPads are of course new and exciting but also have their limitations. I wish you the best of luck this term and look forward to working with you.
Manny -
Colin
Hi Manny, I work over at CLC I believe you work at one of the other learning centers in Surrey?
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manny
Hi Colin,
I’m over at the GLC. It’s nice to have someone who shares similar experiences in the same course. Look forward to working with you and I’m sure our paths will cross soon.
Manny
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Jonathan
Hi Manny —
Fantastic and exciting opportunity for you to deploy iPads into the classroom. You’ll have to keep me posted on the progress. While I am an Apple guy in my respects, I have found the limitations within the lab (with regards to some of the applications) to be quite frustrating. I’ve used one (personal) in my classroom for a few years, but this year I will have an extra to give to the students as well. What apps have you loaded onto the ipad or how do you plan to use them?
Cheers,
— Jonathan-
manny
I would agree with you John in that it can become quite frustrating. This biggest problem I face is that it is a personal mobile device and the problem occurs when you try to share it between students in different classes. Furthermore, it is so difficult to find effective educational apps. I would be more than happy to share my list of apps that have worked for me thus far, just send me your email addy and I will compile a list.
Manny-
Jonathan
Frustrations — I can probably add to it –>
keeping the students on task with the iPad when there is so much to do. They are so comfortable with the platform that they know how to head out to the main screen, play with Photo Booth, and amuse their friends. At the same time is this because the task isn’t interesting enough? I’ll be excited to see what the new iOS feature will be, to allow us to control the experience some more (shudder, sounds so Apple).
Email.. thanks for sending the list along: jtang@sd38.bc.ca
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bryan
Hi Manny,
Nice to meet another Surrey teacher! I look forward to working with you.
Bryan
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jenbarker
Nice to meet you…
Good evening new friends! I am Jen and live in a lovely, quaint little village called Ladner. It is located 30 minutes outside of Vancouver. My journey to MET is likely much different than many of yours. Last September I began my Masters in Language and Literacy in a Surrey Cohort. I […]
Continue reading Nice to meet you… Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
kstackhouse
Welcome Jen,
Thanks for sharing your story. It sounds like you will have a very busy term. Have you taken ETEC 540 (Text Technologies: The Changing Spaces of Reading and Writing)? I am just starting in now. It sounds like you might be interested in the topics covered there. Although I am just beginning I have found it very interesting. Best of luck this term.
Ken
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jenbarker
Hi Ken,
No I haven’t taken ETEC 540. Currently I am taking ETEC 511. This week there was a lot of theory and I have been struggling to unpack the articles. I do hope to take 540 as an elective in the spring/summer or the other class that is connected to math and science. I see you are taking three course… brave! Best, Jen
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Doug Connery
Hi Jen:
I have heard of Ladner, My Wife’s Aunt and Uncle live there. Great story about your transition into MET and quick adoption of technology into your life. Look forward to working with you.
Doug.
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cunnian
HI Jen,
We met briefly at the RQT summer institute. Glad to hear that you’ve made the switch and I look forward to working with you again!John
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jenbarker
Hi John,
Yes, I took the plunge. My stress levels hit the roof on Thursday when I was trying to navigate ETEC 511 on Connect. It is going to be a busy term but am glad I have a few people I can call on for help. Talk soon, Jen
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Jonathan
Hi Jen —
Good luck in your new role and good for you for switching to a newly found passion. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time as a faculty advisor! Look forward to working with you!
Jonathan
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sonofpat
Hi Jen,
I love your story. It seems that you have awaken the ‘techo-geek ‘ in you.
I know it would be fun having you here.Patason
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sophiabb
Hi Jen,
Great story! Thanks for sharing. I look forward to learning with you.
Sophia
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Eva Ziemsen
Hi Jen,
Nice to see you again. We shared a table in the summer course, if you remember. Great hat! Eva
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Jonathan
Hello from Richmond!
Hello all — I’m going to give a good sigh of relief (like Ken). Got the first full day of teaching out of the way, now I can settle down to a little quiet with MET. My name is Jonathan Tang and I’m currently teaching a Grade 2/3 classroom in Richmond, BC. This is my […]
Continue reading Hello from Richmond! Posted in: General-
grzesko
I agree with you Jonathan on how hectic it can be teaching and studying. I too use my class for tech experiments which haven’t always been successful. My latest is creating a virtual world for them to perform tasks in, I will have to see how that one turns out. What were some of your “experiments”?
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Jonathan
Wikis have been my greatest experiments to date. The success has varied and I’m currently trying to use it as a language development tool in primary classes. I’ve had some success but I’ll give it another shot this year. I’m also dabbling with Mindcraft. I’ve sen a lot of stuff online and have spoken with quite a few people in MET that have used it, but I’m still wrapping my head around the game. I’m not sure I totally enjoy the game (which is a shame) but I do appreciate the creative aspect of the game.
What about your tech experiments?
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jenbarker
Hi Jonathan! I also teach in Richmond. Which school are you at? What other MET classes have you taken? I am breathing sigh of relief knowing that i have a real person I can connect with should I have difficulties in MET. Did you know that the District will begin loaning iPad2’s this year. My school is scheduled to get them next month. I only work on Fridays but am excited to use them with my primary class to document their mathematical understandings.
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Jonathan
Jen! A friend in the district? That is great news! I’m over at Whiteside. Yourself?
I’ve taken three to date (500, 511, 512). Let me know if you need course material from those classes (although I believe a lot of the reading material was online). I didn’t know that the district was loaning out iPad 2’s this year, I’ll have to get my school into it. Our school has recently acquired two of the iPads and I’ll be curious to use them with the students. I’ve had one (personal) in my classroom for a few years and have found opportunities to use them.You’ll have to keep me updated on what you think about it for student use!
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kstackhouse
Welcome to the course Jonathan. My students have also had to deal with my attempts at using technology to enhance OUR learning (theirs and mine). That was part of the reason why I selected the MET over other Master’s programs. It just seemed to fit my needs. 🙂 Best of luck this term.
Ken
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Jonathan
“enhance OUR learning”
Nothing wrong with learning together right? 😉
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Patrick Pichette
Bonjour from Ottawa
Good evening everyone. My name is Patrick and I live in the Ottawa region. ETEC522 and ETEC565 will be my 7th and 8th courses in a thrilling ride across the MET program. I am a high school information technology teacher and run a specialized focus program where students from the Ottawa region come to our […]
Continue reading Bonjour from Ottawa Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
kstackhouse
Welcome to the course. I was in Ottawa a few weeks ago. My wife’s family lives about an hour from there (Westport-a small cottage/farm town). We spend a couple of weeks there each summer. The three points you listed are very important. Good luck this term.
Ken
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sonofpat
Hi Patrick,
You are two courses ahead of me in MET. You seem to have your hands full both at school and at home.With your experience I know I can learn an lot from you and I look forward to working with you.
Patason
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visramn
Hi Patrick,
What beautiful children. 🙂 I bet a few minutes with them makes you forget about all the other work you do. Sounds like you have your hands full with work.
I look forward to working with you this term.
Nureen
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Peggy Lawson
Peggy, from Saskatchewan
Greetings everyone! I always love this 1st week of a new course, meeting everyone for the first, or 2nd or 3rd time. One of the greatest things of MET is getting the chance to work with people from all over the world. I’m Peggy Lawson, and this is my 9th class. Like Doug & others […]
Continue reading Peggy, from Saskatchewan Posted in: General-
Doug Connery
Hi Peggy:
Welcome aboard. Your name sounds familiar but I can’t recall if we have been in a course before. Maybe a sign we have been in the program long enough!
Doug.
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Jonathan
Hi Peggy —
Which part of Saskatchewan are you from? I was born and raised in Saskatoon until I moved out to the West Coast!
Cheers,
Jonathan -
kstackhouse
Welcome Peggy. Congrats on being near the completion of MET. I also love meeting so many people from around the world. I am always interested to see what technologies are being used and how they are being implemented in other places. It is also striking that the problems I face in NB are often similar to those that others are facing across the Globe. 🙂 Have a great term.
Ken
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jameschen
Great seeing you again, Peggy! I see that you are taking on more responsibilities at work, but the experience must be very rewarding. Looking forward to learning from the contributions that you and everyone else will be making in this course!
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C. Ranson
Hi Peggy, Great to meet up with you again. You were a wealth of knowledge for many of us in ETEC 565 when we were developing our Moodle Course. Look forward to learning together again.
Catherine
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Eva Ziemsen
Hello from Toronto
Hi Everyone! I’m Eva, from Toronto. I’m working towards my PhD in the ISGP program at UBC and many of my courses are in MET. This will be my second MET course. My research interests are “Developing a Learning Model for Online Film Education.” I am also very interested in using Machinima as a learning […]
Continue reading Hello from Toronto Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
kstackhouse
Welcome Eva. You have a very interesting background. Your current work sounds fascinating. I agree with your position that an online film education is something that could be marketed. Teaching Media Studies (having never worked in media) has been very challenging. I look forward to learning from you. I love film and television and had I not chosen education I think I would have loved a career in media. Have a great term.
Ken
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Eva Ziemsen
Hi Ken,
Thanks for the response and your kind words. I return the comments – your work sounds very interesting too. It’s nice to find people with similar passions in the course. Perhaps we will be able to collaborate on something film/media related in this course. That would be great. Have you ever worked with Machinima? I have not, but would like to try very soon. I’m sure we’ll connect again soon, Eva -
kstackhouse
That sounds great! I have not heard of Machinima. It sounds very interesting. I will be sure to check it out. 🙂
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C. Ranson
Hi Eva,
Nice to meet you. Film industry, very interesting! I am sure you are attending the Toronto Film Festival this week-end, any suggestions?
Catherine
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jenbarker
Hi Eva,
So nice to see a familiar face! I remember our week long course well. I assume you are back in Toronto. How many courses are required for a Ph.D? I am also taking ETEC 511. Have you taken that one before? I am struggling a bit with all the theory. I find I have to read and re-read the articles to unpack them. Anyway, great to talk to you again, Jen -
Eva Ziemsen
Nice to hear from you, Jen! ETEC 511 is a tough one, but very rewarding in the end. Keep at it.
Hi Catherine, sorry, I did not get back to you, as I was likely in the midst of taking care of start up at the college where I work also. Are you in Toronto I guess? Did you see any films?
Ken, if you want more info on machinima, please email me and I will give you lots of links. I posted my essay on it on http://www.evaziemsen.com (under UBC etec 511). Check it out if you like.
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visramn
Hello from Calgary
Hello, My name is Nureen. I live in Calgary, Alberta. This is my 10th and final course in the MET program. I am currently working as a special needs teacher in a Paced Learning Program. This is my 6th year working in Special Ed. I tend to use different technological tools to help with individualization of […]
Continue reading Hello from Calgary Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
Peggy Lawson
Hi Nureen – Congrats on starting your last class! It will be an honour to help you finish your journey. I believe we’ve met in an earlier course? I would love to hear of some of the assistive technology tools you’ve found helpful – we are always looking for good first-hand experience with what works, and what doesn’t.
Peggy
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visramn
Hi Peggy,
I believe you are right we have taken a class together before. I look forward to working with you also and sharing some of our experiences.
Nureen
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Jonathan
Nureen/Peggy —
I’ll have to second Peggy’s comments on a lot of this. Finish strong on this last course and congrats! I’m really curious to hear what types of tools you have found to be especially effective (say top 3?). I would say every other year a student on the Autistic spectrum is part of my classroom. While I have found successful strategies it would be great to hear from someone that is working directly with the students everyday.
Jonathan
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visramn
Hi Jonathan,
In all honesty I find that any tool that is interactive and very visual is fantastic with kids on the spectrum. Anything that will keep them engaged and that will help them to explore and express their ideas. Learning in the age old manner is very daunting for a lot of these kids because they are not able to express themselves that is why visual tools provide them with more avenues to communicate.
I look forward to interacting with you this semester.Nureen
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Jonathan
Couldn’t agree more with your perspective. What’s a favourite right now? Trying to populate the school’s iPad apps with good ones.
Jonathan
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kstackhouse
Welcome Nureen. My wife is an OT in the elementary schools and she is often advocating for the use of various technologies to help students engage in their learning. I look forward to hearing more from your experience. Congrats on being near the end.
Ken
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visramn
Thank you Ken. I would love to hear about some of her experiences as well. It is great to exchange such learning experiences.
Thank you so much. I am looking forward to some down time once I am done.Nureen
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jhodi
Hi,
Congratulations on your last course! How nice it must be to think of all the free time you are about to open up. It is always nice to meet a fellow Calgarian and I look very forward to working with you this term. Your work sounds fascinating and like you have been able to make the most of your technological skills.
Jhodi
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visramn
Hi Jhodi,
Thank you so much fellow Calgarian. 🙂 I am looking forward to being able to start doing some leisure activities again once I am done.
I look forward to working with you.Nureen
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rebecca42
Hey Nureen,
Sounds like you have some great information on effective technology. The district that I work in is very supportive of new ideas in technology and I would also love to hear what has worked well for you. My class last year had about 6 students with written output difficulties and they are still in our school. Have you tried any good speech to text, or alternative, programs? We’ve found Dragon Naturally Speaking to the be the best for the kids but still have difficulties getting it to be effective.
Glad to have you in the group!
Rebecca
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visramn
Hi Rebecca,
I have found Audacity to be helpful when working on literacy skills with my students. I have also used tool such as kidspiration, etc, that would allow for them to use other modes of communication rather than written text.
I look forward to working with you this term.Nureen
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supatel
Hi Nureen. Welcome to the course. I see that you mentioned that you work with students in the Paced Learning Program, that seems like an interesting experience. I’ve never worked with special needs students and as a result, I know very little about what it must be like.
I also live in Calgary and work for the public board. Do you work for the public system or is it private?
Last class!!! Wow that’s exciting.
Look forward to working with you.
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jhodi
Hello from Calgary!
Hello Everyone! A little bit about me- I am currently a high school teacher in Calgary, AB and this is my fourth MET course. I am currently in my second year of teaching and I am loving my job! I love to run in the summer and practice hot yoga and snowboard in the winter. […]
Continue reading Hello from Calgary! Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
kstackhouse
Welcome jhodi (I didn’t see your name in the post). 🙂 I agree that this course will provide some interesting background on what makes an idea “successful”. There are lots of great ideas, but not all of them make it big in the markets. Have a great term.
Ken
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sonofpat
Hi again Jhodi,
I share yours and Ken’s sentiment that this will be an interesting course and I look forward to working with you.
Patason
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supatel
Welcome fellow Calgarian. What courses do you teach? Is it for the public system?
Suhayl
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Kent Jamieson
Hello from West Van
Ahhh, the day is done and the first day of school is over! A hectic and exciting day of Grade 4 is behind me and I now focus my attention on MET. Hi, I’m Kent Jamieson and this is my 3rd course and i’m looking forward to what ‘Ventures’ has to offer. I see some […]
Continue reading Hello from West Van Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
Jonathan
Kent —
Sounds like you have a really interesting role in West Vancouver. I’ve only heard good things about the district with regards to tech when Chris Kennedy moved in. My colleagues tell me of a time when he was in Richmond, but wasn’t able to implement his vision as successfully as he is able to do in your area. You’ll have to keep me a float of all the ideas that are going on with the iPad rollout. I’m doing some testing in my school with it, but it is very limited and in a trial phase.
— Jonathan
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grzesko
Hi Kent, glad to see someone else only on their 3rd course and taking 1 at a time. It will take me longer to finish but it is more manageable. I have a three year old and a 1 year old so they take a lot of my energy as well.
cheers, Colin
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kstackhouse
Welcome Kent. I am sure that our names will get mixed up often in this course. I am taking three courses right now, but only because I was granted an ed. leave. Otherwise I have been taking two and teaching. Many late nights, especially due to timezones. MET has been great. Have a great term.
Ken
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sonofpat
Hi Kent.
You have an interesting role at school. This is something I wouldn’t mind doing and I am sure that you have a lot to share with us .
I look forward to working with you.
Patason
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Suhayl Patel
Hi, My name is Suhayl Patel and currently reside in Calgary Alberta. This is my 6th course in the MET program and am looking forward to working and learning through out this term. I have never taken a course that was located on a blog and am interested in this first-time experience. Currently I work […]
Continue reading Hi, My name is Suhayl Patel and currentl… Posted in: General-
kstackhouse
Welcome Suhayl. Sounds like an interesting position that you have begun. It is nice to know that there are positions out there focusing on Learning and Innovation. I am sure that this course and the other MET courses will help you. Best of luck this term.
Ken
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jenbarker
Define a week
Silly question, but here goes… When does Week One end and Week Two begin? Is the end of the week considered Sunday and therefore all assignments for that week due by midnight on each Sunday? I don’t plan to be last minute with my assignments or posts but just want to be clear […]
Continue reading Define a week Posted in: Questions & Answers-
Doug Connery
Hi Jen:
Based on previous courses, Sunday is the end of the week, however David has the final say and the final hour/minute when things are due!
Doug.
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jenbarker
Thanks Doug! Also, I am correct that there are no assigned reading this week? We just have the introduction and poll to do?
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manny
Hi Jen, In past courses I have noticed that week 1 is usually introductions. The course usually kicks off in week 2 and you will soon hope it was week 1 again. hehehe
Manny -
David Vogt
Thanks for your help on this, guys. Each week formally ends at 12 midnight Sunday (Pacific time zone)…
David
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Scott
Hello from TO
Hello, my name is Scott Tammik. I am a member of the Ontario College of Teachers and presently teaching on contract in the communications technology and visual arts departments at Bayview Secondary School, in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. My education and professional background includes undergraduate degrees in psychology, image arts and education. Prior to teaching, […]
Continue reading Hello from TO Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
kstackhouse
Welcome Scott. Like you I am teaching Communication and visual Arts (or Media Studies). I was a member of the OTC briefly…I had to pay to join them so they would send a letter to my current province stating I was a member in good standing. 🙂 I went to Queen’s instead of UNB. You have an advantage in your teaching though as you have the practical knowledge and experience. I am sure I can learn a lot from you. Have a great term.
Ken
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Lisa Nevoral
Hey Scott, guess we’re doing another course together! Looking forwards to working with you again. Hope you enjoyed your August off.
Lisa
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stammik
Thanks Lisa, its great to see a familiar name again! August was relaxing, but zipped by a bit too quickly and after being back teaching for only a week, it seems too distant already 😐
Regardless, I’m ready to dive into this course and it seems we will be working together for project 2. See you online soon.
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melissaayers
Hi Scott,
You have an interesting background, I will be interested to hear how your previous experiences bring perspective to our course work in ETEC 522
Melissa
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adi
Hi from Mexico City!
Hi, my name’s Adriana. I am from Mexico and a recently landed immigrant in Canada; however, I still come and go between both countries due to my job. I have worked in ELT (English Language Teaching) since 1984 in teacher training, coordination posts, materials design, and teaching. I have also co-authored several textbooks for the […]
Continue reading Hi from Mexico City! Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
Peggy Lawson
Hello Adriana – Wow! 3 classes at once will definitely keep you very very busy. But congrats on being on your last leg of your MET journey. I’ll look forward to working with you in 522! Peggy
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adi
Hi Peggy. Most of this week was spent sussing out how to use a new LMS ‘Connect’ that we’re using in ETEC 512 :-{ At least it keeps my brain ticking. Have a nice week.
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Doug Connery
Hi Adriana:
Good luck taking 3 classes! When you are in Canada where do you live?
I can appreciate your final comment about staying up late finishing assignments with your adult kids. I did that for a couple of years with my older son, then he graduated and left the nest.. I miss my “school buddy”.
Doug.
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adi
Hi Doug,
When in Canada I live in Vancouver. I love it! It’s a beautiful city, with great outdoor activities, amazing places to go nearby, and the best hockey team 🙂
Adriana
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kstackhouse
Welcome Adriana. We are in the same crazy boat (3 courses this term). We can try to keep each other sane. Your experience and background sound very interesting. Best of luck this term.
Ken
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adi
Hi Ken.. I didn’t get off to a great start, but I hope to organize my time better this week. The first week is always confusing, trying to navigate your way around different course structures, schedules and activities.
Best of luck to you, too.
Adriana
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jameschen
I couldn’t agree more when you said “we learn by trying things out, by making mistakes, and by embracing change.” Looking forward to the learning we’ll be learning together in this course, Adriana!
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adi
Thanks James. I must admit it’s often a challenge, but a gratifying one. We appreciate more what we don’t come by easily.
Have a great week!
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Paula Poodwan
Hi Adriana,
Nice to meet you here. I love Mexico and their people, I went to Guadalajara quite often and I love it there. I always want to pursue an MA in Applied Linguistics as I love language teaching and learning. Looking forward to getting to know you.
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adi
Nice to hear you liked Guadalajara. I go there often because my parents live there. If ever you’re around this side of the continent, let me know 🙂
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jkotler
Hi everyone!
My name is Julie Kotler and I am originally from Montreal, Quebec, but now live in Tel Aviv, Israel. This is my 4th MET course, but I am also taking two others this semester too. In addition to this program, I was recently working part time as an assistant program developer for a center that […]
Continue reading Hi everyone! Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
kstackhouse
Hi Julie,
You have an interesting and diverse background. I am also taking three courses right now…Yikes! Best of luck this term.Ken
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jkotler
Hi Ken,
I am also a little bit nervous about taking three courses at once, but hopefully we will both make it through! Good luck to you too.
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jameschen
Hello from Vancouver!
Hi everyone. My name is James, and this is my 5/6th course in the MET program. I have a B.A. in Philosophy, a diploma in TESL, and a B.Ed. in Elementary Education at the intermediate level. I have worked with students from K to adults as an EFL instructor for 5 years in Taiwan, and […]
Continue reading Hello from Vancouver! Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
kstackhouse
Welcome James,
Your motivation to help students selecting technology is similar to mine. I have wanted to help students and my colleagues with this, which lead to my joining the MET program. Pitching to policy/decision makers is an important skill. Have you taken ETEC 520? I found that to be a helpful course related to decision making. All the best.
Ken
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jameschen
I’m going to take 520 next term. Can’t wait! I’ve watched Dragon’s Den, and seeing people pitch their ideas to the big companies really got me thinking about the skills I need to have in order to navigate through a tech driven economy. Looking forward to learning with you and everyone else in this course!
James
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adi
Hi James,
I’m also in EFL and have found it’s not that easy to get fellow colleagues to use technology unless management is onboard; however, sometimes it’s management that is onboard, but teachers aren’t because of the time it implies to learn to use the tool in question. Perhaps creating and OER aimed at getting teachers onboard would be good.
I look forward to sharing our experiences in EFL.
Good luck,
Adriana-
jameschen
I think so too. Since technology is evolving at such a rapid pace, it can be intimidating for teachers to step out of their comfort zones and into the zone of proximal development in terms of technology integration using unfamiliar technology. An OER targeted to help educators and management streamline this process sounds interesting!
James
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Peggy Lawson
James! We meet again, after just finishing 530 this summer. I enjoyed, as always, the month long break. I’m looking forward to more of your great insight this semester.
Peggy
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jameschen
Great to see you again, Peggy! Looking forward to the things I’ll be learning from you and everyone else in this course!
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teacherben
Hey, buddy! It’s great to see you again. I was wondering when we would share another class.
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jameschen
Good to see you again too, Ben! I was wondering about that too. I am with Sheza and Rose in 512 this term. Looking forward to the things we’ll be learning together this term!
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kstackhouse
Ken in NB
I am very excited to see what this course will bring. Currently I am working on courses 8,9, & 10 of this crazy thing called MET! Some of you might think I am crazy for taking three courses right now…maybe I am. I am actually enjoying an education leave that is allowing me to focus […]
Continue reading Ken in NB Posted in: Week 01: Introductions-
jameschen
Nice meeting you, Ken! Three grad courses in one term is not an easy task, but I wouldn’t say that you’re crazy. Well, maybe a bit. But that’s what we need to make it in this crazy world!
James -
avninder
Great to meet you Ken. I have found that the MET program has opened doors for me even though I have not completed it yet. Good luck with your course load.
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adi
Hi Ken,
It appears there are two of us ‘crazy’ people; I’m taking 3 courses, too!! I have a lighter work load for the upcoming months, so I’m hoping I will survive. The subjects you teach are ones where many technological tools can be incorporated; I look forward to learning from how you have integrate them.
Best of luck with your three courses! Here’s to finally graduating!!
Adriana -
Jonathan
Hi Ken,
Good to share another course with you again. I felt like I was crazy for trying to take on 2 courses with work, but maybe 3 courses is a bit crazier. Kudos to you. Looks like this is the homestretch for you!
Jonathan
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sonofpat
Nice to meet you again Ken,
I believe that we did ETEC 565 together and I was impressed by your work. I know that if anyone can handle three courses and excel it would be you.
I wish you the best and look forward to working with you.Patason
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Mike Rae
dude…looks like you got it good.
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kstackhouse
My apologies for not writing back to your welcome messages…I have checked back here today but have only just seen the replies at the bottom, I’m not sure why they weren’t visible before. I am glad that I see them now. I was beginning to feel like nobody was reading them. 🙂
Ken
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bryan 10:26 am on September 8, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hello, I look forward to working with you in this course.
Bryan
Lisa Nevoral 11:42 am on September 8, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Patricia, I see we’re in another course together. I hope you enjoyed your time off in August. I know I did. Looking forwards to working with you again in this course.
Lisa
pcollins 3:56 pm on September 8, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Great to be back with you too Lisa. August was busy but great. Are you taking two courses this semester? It will be my first time trying on a second course… should be interesting.
Take care,
PC