I spent twelve years as a field geologist, using only very specific technology, and often not in places where we could get strong internet connections. One update that I needed to send to my husband was that “jackals ate my internet” (when I worked in Eritrea). This is my now my fourth year of teaching, which I switched to as a career following a motor vehicle crash that has left me injured, and unable to carry out all of the duties of a field geologist. I often talk about my experiences working in various parts of this country and my travels, and weave them into the subject we are discussing, in order to try to enrich the lesson.
My primary goal in the MET program is to find and implement more interactive technologies to enhance learning; tech that isn’t simply digital text. I have a difficult time with absorbing digital text, so I’m sure that my students experience the same. With each new course, I hope to find a way to incorporate the First Peoples Principles of Learning that focus on experiential and place based learning. Sometimes, having a computer simulation is the best way to get this across to students, like showing them what our area likely looked like millions of years ago. I also hope to find ways to be more collaborative with colleagues, and students as well as create opportunities for students to really take charge of their learning, as the ISTE describes the facilitator role. Ideally, I will end up somewhere between a designer and a facilitator, where I can design great lessons and provide expansion opportunities for students.
The following photos represent the most important beings in my life:
Hi there,
You have led an amazing life and it looks like you have been to some awesome places! I’m sorry to hear about your car crash but impressed to that you have able to recover, pivot and continue on in a different and pretty exciting field! I love that you gave us a photo-journalistic introduction, images are powerful and can convey so much. I have two girls who are younger than your boys but I’m sure, like you, they are my whole world. I am also dog lover and am planning to get our family its first dog this summer which is very exciting for us!!
Hello,
Wow, from the sounds of things, I’m sure you have some very interesting field geologist stories. I’m sorry to hear that an injury led to having to change course. I’m curious, how have you found the adjustment to teaching? I think it’s great that you are able to use your previous experiences to help enrich your teaching. What grade/age do you teach?
I teach secondary, 10-12. The transition was stressful, but has become easier as I find my stride in teaching. Luckily, I get to teach about things I’m passionate about, like Earth Science and Environmental Science. My first year of teaching was so incredibly draining, and then it was COVID, so the world shut down briefly. That was actually what started me on my MET path, as I realized how bad I was at online teaching. Things are going more smoothly now as we settle into more “normal” delivery, but I find that I am relying on technology far more than I ever did in geology.
That’s definitely a challenging time to come into teaching! Glad things are starting to normalize as you’re getting more comfortable. I’ve found that teaching is quite a steep learning curve, and that a few years of teaching the same subject can make such a big difference! Hopefully the challenges that lead you towards the MET program will end up being a positive that came out COVID-19.
It has been such a boon, and I feel like my online portion is so much stronger and more accessible now than it was. And, yeah, definitely one of the positives…