Greetings from Calgary, Alberta! Etec 533 will be my 10th and final course in the MET program. In terms of electives I have completed:
- Ventures in Learning Technology, project focus on tele-presence
- Text Technologies – The Changing Spaces of Reading and Writing, project focus on African drum languages
- Special Course in Subject Matter Field: learning technologies – selection, design and application, project focus on using google classroom and google sites for facilitating a Science 6 course
- Planning and Managing Learning Technologies in Higher Education, project focus on insitutional readiness for e-learning and e-learning challenges in rural/remote areas
- Technology in the Arts and Humanities Classroom, project focus on virtual field trips
In the core course I have also had an opportunity to complete work involving augmented reality, social cognitive theory, and computer based assessment of rhythm skills.
Having most recently completed ETEC 565A where I focused on creating an online course for a unit of Science 6, I am hoping to continue to flesh this out with 1 (or more) new units. In the previous term, the focus was on tools, techniques, and design. This term, I am hoping to change my point of view to incorporate technology based pedagogy that is specific to science.
I currently teach just outside of Calgary in a K-8 school of about 600 students. Though I am teaching a Science 6 course this year, my training was in music education (at U Vic) and general music and concert band course make up the majority of my time table. I also have the opportunity to teach outdoor education, programming, and robotics. My technology skills have mostly revolved around creating efficiencies in my teach due to the massive number of different students I see each week (14 course a term, ~375 unique student enrollments). I have also had the opportunity to work with feedback/coaching programs in music that allow me to spend more time helping students find ways to improve and less on assessment and error recognition.
As far as work history goes, I am still at the school I began at and they will probably have to wheel me out on a stretcher some day before I give it up. I’m very fortunate to work with some great kids and family’s in a very well supported program and school.
Outside of my work life, I spend a lot of time outdoors hiking and camping. My wife and I also ballroom dance as often as we can get out.