Good morning from beautiful Blueberry, BC, the traditional unceded lands of the Sinixt, Ktunaxa, Salish and Shuswap Peoples. My name is Kirsten Gear, this is my 9th MET course and I am grateful to call this land ‘home’ for the past 7 years. I was born and raised in rural northern Ontario, home of the Anishnabe Peoples, and where I was blessed to acquire an early appreciation of the teachings of nature, community and ritual.
Prior to my arrival in BC where I currently work at Selkirk College as TESOL Program Coordinator (seen below with picture of 2024 graduating class!), I earned an undergrad from Trent University, my first Masters degree from Tel Aviv University in Applied Linguistics and TESOL and multiple certifications before spending 20 years working, studying, and traveling abroad, most prominently in the GCC, MENA and Palestine. I have also been working online with Laureate Education via Blackboard since 2009 in a variety of lucrative academic and supportive capacities.
I am thrilled to be here studying mobile and open education with Dr Vogt guiding such an esteemed group. I am fascinated by 523 and am already sharing resources with my networks, both on and offline. Looking forward to collaborating and creating with you all on WordPress!
In Solidarity,
Kirsten
Kirsten,
I appreciate you sharing those details about your work and life experience. As someone who works with Additional Language Learners every day in my work, I would be curious to learn more about your experiences especially as they relate to your work outside of Canada.
As it pertains to this course, I’m very curious to learn more about the implications of mobile learning and artificial intelligence on language training and relationships between groups do not share a common language. I look forward to hearing your insights and knowledge!
Hi, Kirsten!
It’s wonderful to hear about your deep connection to both the land and your community. Your journey from northern Ontario to Blueberry, BC, and your extensive experience in TESOL is truly inspiring. I’m also fascinated by mobile and open education and look forward to exchanging ideas and resources. Looking forward to collaborating on WordPress!
– Pankaj