My name is Samia Khan and I am your course facilitator for ETEC 533. I’m thrilled to be teaching this course again this year, and as one of the course designers, it is especially exciting to see how the course evolves from year to year as new digital technologies and platforms are included in the revised versions. We’ve made every effort in this course to focus on digital technologies that are freely available so that you can use them independently of the course when it is done.
As a bit of background, I used to be a working scientist before embarking upon a career as a school teacher. I enjoyed teaching science and did so from Grades 7-12 (science, biology, and chemistry), during which time I implemented several programs for marginalized youth living in troubled urban parts of the city. I decided to do a Masters because I wished to have some protected time to reflect on my teaching practice. Drawing upon some early teaching experiences with digital technology, I discovered in during my doctorate that certain teaching approaches and strategies coupled with appropriate uses of digital technology promoted very powerful learning for students, in comparison to some of the other teaching approaches I studied. The use of digital technology to teach science in classrooms became the topic for my dissertation.
Now, my related interests are in the development of technology-enhanced learning environments to support knowledge generation and mobilization among teachers. It has resulted in the publication of a new book on mobile apps for teacher education. I also design new digital technologies, such as computer simulations, for use with children and young adults. This work has resulted in the release of another book with colleagues on teaching with computer simulations. Last November, it was also wonderful for me to share some of this research and reflections on the recent Nobel Prizes awarded in Chemistry during my keynote address at an international conference on virtual worlds and simulations. My current research projects also involves working closely in teacher education on STEM for children who need help. Our partnerships among various groups, such as teacher education, NGOs, working teachers, schools, and community coordinators has been fulfilling. I enjoy working closely with my graduate and undergraduate student team to support their projects, and I volunteer in schools to work with teachers and children. This last term, I volunteered to teach in a kindergarten/grade 1 class for their astronomy unit. It was wonderful to hear children’s perspectives on Earth and its position in space as well as to use digital technology to explore their helio and geocentric views. There is more written about my area of research in the About Your instructor Page in the General Introductions to the Course.
Your insights, expertise, and prior experience will be important in charting your own path for professional development. They will also be vital to lesson activities (c.f. your autobiographical experiences with technology; MAL1:Auto e-ography). I look forward to this course and being with you on your journey in educational technology.
Samia