Of Two Minds
I chose this image* because I am still relatively new to the MET Program (My second and third courses this semester) and while I am fascinated by what we are learning, I am still getting used to all the platforms, skills and time management needed to learn in this environment. I really what to learn the what, why and how of digital education but I am so far behind on the tools and skills that it has been challenging to just fit the readings and and assignments into a busy personal and professional life–never mind learn how to use video editing software etc!. Spending an evening watching videos about how to post on WordPress after 10 hours of work makes the learning feel like medicine instead of a nourishing meal. This struggle between what I want to do and investing the time to get there has been a challenge all my life (in sports, music, language learning and teaching) so I suppose it shouldn’t be news to me.
Work is teaching French, Science and PE at the junior high level in Vancouver, BC. It is my 10th year teaching. I only began using digital tools (electronic submission of assignments and drafts thorough google docs and Moodle) this year because I have believed that students needed more social interaction, debate and discussion and less screen time (this is another thing I am still of two minds about!). Play is guitar and upright bass in Bluegrass and Cover Band contexts as well as endurance cycling events with my wife on another tandem bicycle. My initial interest in this course was to see how Twitter and the small screens of phones are changing the way we write and by extension the way we think. After reading the preparatory materials and the first module I am excited about learning more about the greater history of printed language. My favourite undergrad course (even though I was a Kinesiology Major) was “The History of the French Language” so I look forward to looking backward again.
*Note: The photo I tried to upload from my Mac is a broken image in the wordpress media folder. I did a quick google search and there is something about file permissions. I am going to bed. If anyone can advise on what to try, let me know.
Welcome John!