As this was my fifth course within the Masters in Educational Technology (MET) program I had grown accustomed to specific routine for the flow of courses. Every course would follow a somewhat similar routine of course readings, followed by course postings and assignments that encouraged students to write about different theories and educational technology applications. Continue reading

The creation of an online learning space is not a relatively easy task. Selecting the most effective activity, tool or device for learning can be a very daunting task. Falling victim to flashy yet less efficient means of knowledge building can be a common mistake made by an instructor designing a learning space.

Personally, I have always struggled with this as I have always managed to get caught up chasing the rabbit down the rabbit hole on many new technological devices and software offerings that promise to improve learning. Continue reading

Storytelling is something that I have always enjoyed. Whether it is reading a novel to elementary students, or crafting a narrative of events that I have been part of, I have always found it useful. It is one of the oldest methods for educators, and is one that I feel is often forgot or under utilized within classrooms. Malcolm Gladwell has to be the pre-eminent example that exemplifies how teaching through stories makes learning more meaningful. When you can provide a real life example of your concept or theory in action, it makes it more tangible and allows the audience to become invested in the material presented. Continue reading

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565A Assignment #3: Quiz making

Designing assessments is no easy task and more often then not it seems as if it is viewed as the new form of Scantron. Computer aided assessment (CMA) offers many new opportunities and provides limitless ways for teachers to gauge whether or not their students are both engaged in the content as well as understanding it. Continue reading

Developing an activity for a Moodle course site is hard due to very the nature of all the choices. Different forms of communication facilitate different types of learning, and have the capacity to foster convergent, in depth thinking, or lead to more divergent thinking and promote creativity. I personally prefer, especially given the content but I’m presenting, to use screen recording and video recording of lessons to close on the site.  Continue reading

My journey as an educator over the past couple years has been the most rewarding and enjoyable of my career. Three years ago I was seconded as a Technology Mentor for the Southern Anglophone District in New Brunswick. In that role I was a part of numerous initiatives, most notable was the development and retrofit of a middle school library learning commons. Continue reading