Who Am I?
I came to my education practice through my role as a Practice Leader working within the setting of a provincial government organization. My role is to provide training and mentorship to learning staff, design and build digital learning resources, and maintain an understanding and connection with current departmental practices to be able to edit and rework policies and procedures as required. My regular work week contains a combination of synchronous training sessions with a group of staff – usually via videoconference, one-on-one mentorship sessions, response to practice inquiries through multiple mediums (in person, email, direct message, phone, or videoconference), project work such as writing new procedures or creating digital content, and other tasks aimed at managing and directing the flow of incoming work. To summarize, my work is split between direct training and mentorship and work that results in creating better tools and documentation to support learning and daily practices.
In contrast to my work as a public servant, I have a background in fine arts, with an undergrad degree from Emily Carr University. I like the tactile aspect of making things with my hands, and I like working conceptually. My focus was in printmaking and book media. I draw on this same creativity in my role as an educator: I’m interested in trying new and experimental approaches. Learning should be fun! Learning should be well-designed, both from a usability perspective and an aesthetic perspective. When things look good and function well, people want to use them.
Goals
My goal for the MET program as a whole is to gain a deeper understand of teaching practices to inform my work and to build an enriched personal pedagogy, while also developing strategies to incorporate and make use of technology in an increasingly digital world. For several years now, I have been steadily working on building a web-based resource centre for my department using our internal portal system (that operates on Microsoft SharePoint). It is an iterative process, that is continually improved as our resources change, as technology advances, or as I learn new skills or develop my design knowledge. My goal in this course is to glean the knowledge and experience to push me forward with this project. Although my goals might evolve and expand throughout the course, currently I am thinking about the following:
- New & Different Tools
This is my ninth MET course, so I have engaged with various web-based content creation tools, yet there are still many I have not yet tried – and I am sure, many I am not aware of. I noticed the Pot of gold section in Canvas and am interested in exploring the various apps, articles and other resources collected there.
- Design of Learning Environments
I mentioned above my interest in ‘good design’, and I want to learn the ideas and principles that inform a well-designed learning management system. What frameworks can be applied? What key concepts should be considered throughout the design process? I have a bit of an obsession with ‘good design’ – this could be anything from clothing and apparel, to architecture and industrial design, or interior or graphic design. I think some the key design elements that are evident in these topics (e.g., high functionality, intuitive, minimal yet meaningful aesthetics) are also evident in a well-designed learning environment.
- Are there technologies or practices I could advocate for within my work place?
Working within a government organization means that access to digital tools and resources is restricted. That being said, I question whether there are essential/beneficial technologies we do not currently employ that we could gain permission to use – currently not having access to tools or resources does not mean that we never should. Alternatively, are there tools or resources I could be using with the technology currently supported in my workplace that I simply am not aware of?
Building a Community
A particular principle within the First Peoples Principles of Learning struck me, “learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place)” (FNESC, 2015). I wonder, can there be a centralized digital space (a learning management system, or a portal) that encompasses this principle? I want to create a digital learning space that acts as a hub of engagement, a place where individuals come to interact, gather information, and to feel a sense of community that they are an active part of. A space that I may initiate and build the shell for, but that the users will develop through their interaction with it.
References:
FNESC (2015). The First Peoples principles of learning. Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teaching-tools/aboriginal-education/principles_of_learning.pdf