When I think of my professional life – I like to think of it as a series of chapters.
Chapter 1: Becoming a Teacher
Before discovering that I was meant to be a teacher, I spent my first few years of post-secondary education studying to become an architect. It was during this time that one of my professors told me that I would make a better educator then architect because I was more interested in what they were trying to teach then the actual content. It was with this ‘push’ that I left architecture, changed universities and began to study education. Deciding on teachable subjects was not difficult – I took the two things that I was good at and loved and declared them the focus of my studies. What I didn’t realize was that I would be the only person in my graduating year to have a double major in Mathematics and Visual Arts (I later found out that in the 15 years before me, no one had those two teachable subjects together – something about right-brain, left-brain).
Chapter 2: Going Home
After graduating, I was fortunate to get an Long-Term Occasional position at my own high school, St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) in Toronto to teach art. SMCS is a private, all-boys catholic high school that has been around since 1852 (yes we are older then Canada). The school is rich in both academic and athletic tradition and excellence (over 100 of our graduates have gone on to have successful careers in the NHL). Returning to SMCS was like going home again. I was able to work with my older art teacher and began to re-develop the curriculum. Our goal became to offer students a curriculum that was based on actual careers in the arts – we began to include elements of graphic design and architecture. Technology, always one of my interests, became an integral part of this new curriculum. After about 7 years we developed a very successful arts curriculum, rich in meaningful learning experiences that blend both traditional and modern assessments for students. It was at this time that I began to lose interest in the day-to-day occurrences of teaching. I found it difficult to see myself in my current position when I began to look 10 to 15 years ahead. I began to question what was to come next.
Chapter 3: Changing of the Guard.
It was at this time that there was a dramatic change in my administrative team – with three new administrators being appointed. All three were colleagues of mine and shared a similar interest in changing the culture of the school. I have come to realize that ‘culture’ is a very important part of Ed. Tech. My new principal encouraged me and supported ideas that I had regarding Ed. Tech. in ways that the formal administrative team did not. It was with his encouragement that I enrolled in the MET and began the next phase of my teaching career.
Chapter 4: Teaching 2.0
Using what I was learning in my MET courses, I developed a 1:1 iPad program for our junior school (grade 7-8) and have begun to develop a culture of technological use amongst staff. It is at this point that I was fortunate enough to enroll in ETEC 565A. My role as Educational Technology Integration Leader means that I no longer and working with just students, but also teachers, parents and administrators. Through the MET and this course I hope to become an expert in Educational Technology and curriculum design. I want to become the resource for teachers and students when it comes to integrating technology into the classroom. Currently I am charged with providing a lot of the professional development with respect to technology – and have focussed a lot of my course work on providing successful and meaningful professional development. I have an vested stake in the future of my school – I am an alumni and I have a strong desire that my sons attend this school too. TO that end I want my school to offer an education that I am proud of – one that challenges students and prepares them for the future.
Recently I have begun to look at how to use LMS systems to expand ‘teaching’ at our school. I am currently proposing to develop a blended senior arts photography course. ETEC 565 will provide me with exposure to Moodle and the possibilities that this platform could have for online courses at my school. I believe that all students should have some exposure to online learning before graduating high school. There are very different types of skills that are required to be successful in learning environment with both synchronous and asynchronous communication.
Mobile learning and social media tools are the other areas that I have find myself drawn too. Using mobile devices allows more users the opportunity to access information. While social media opens learning up to so many new possibilities. Concepts of time and location become arbitrary when using technology to learn.
The next chapters remain unwritten, but I am excited to find out what is in store. Readings like Bates’ SECTIONS framework and Chickering and Ehrmann’s Seven Principles have already proven to be valuable resources as I begin discussions with administration for next year. I am looking forward to what comes next.
Cheers,
Mark
Chickering, A. W., & Ehrmann, S., C. (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as lever. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 49(2), 3-6. Retrieved from http://www.aahea.org/articles/sevenprinciples.htm
Bates, T. (2014). Teaching in digital age http://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/(Chapter 8 on SECTIONS framework)