Flight Path
I have been teacher Information Technology for the past five years at Mission Secondary School and prior to that I taught Math in Abbotsford for five years. The reason I changed course subjects and districts is that I’m fascinated with technology; technology is constantly changing in today’s society and the changes are at such a rapid pace, it forces teachers to be constantly learning. As a life-long learner, I relish this challenge in trying to keep up-to-date with the latest and greatest trends in technology. I am also enjoy the fact that in some of my courses and units, the students have much more experience and knowledge than I, therefore sometimes the learning is reciprocated; not too many subjects in high school can offer and boast that this type of learning environment exists.

LMS
The area that I really want to focus on is using a Learning Management System to enhance students learning. With the rapid expansion of online learning, this is a career path that I would like to follow someday. In my school district, many senior students are choosing to take at least one course via online learning for a variety of reasons; one in three Grade 11 or 12 students at MSS are enrolled in one or more online courses for the 2010/2011 school year. Some reason for this are; their timetable does not allow them to take the course, the course is not offered in their school or they want a chance to set their own pace. I have used Moodle in the past but I would like to better understand how I can make the course more interactive as well as offering more room for student collaboration using Moodle; two areas that I felt were lacking in my first attempt at setting up a Moodle Course. Bates and Pool (2003) suggest that interface design is an important factor for making software easier to use. So I would like to create a Moodle that is easy to use by creating an aesthetically pleasing interface that offers chances for student collaboration.

Social Software
As Bates and Pool (2003) outline, although it is very simplistic to view computers as an interactive device, it is the quality of interaction and feedback that is critical to learning. With that in mind, I’d like to learn how to use Moodle in collaboration with a social network (Facebook, YouTube) to raise the level of interaction to an appropriate level so that the quality is conducive to positive learning environment for the students.

Multimedia
An area that I’d like to improve would be in using multimedia (primarily audio and video) to allow students to showcase their work as well as communicate with other students. One of Chickering and Gamson’s “Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education” (1987) states that good practice encourages contacts between students and faculty. In the modern times, these contacts could be done via multimedia and still have the same effect as if it were done in a classroom setting.

Resources Needed
ETEC 565a offers a chance for students to use Moodle 1.9.8. Facebook and YouTube are available worldwide and Skype offers a medium for bother video and audio conferencing.

References
Bates, A.W. & Poole, G. (2003). Chapter 4: a Framework for Selecting and Using Technology. In Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success. (pp. 77-105). San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers

Chickering, A.W. and Gamson, Z.F. (1987). Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 39 (7), p. 3-7.