Flight Path
A Little About Myself
I’ve been employed by Regina Public Schools for nearly nine years now. Half of those years were spent teaching Kindergarten, the other teaching grade eight. I cherish my work and the relationships I have managed to create with students, staff, and community members.
Personally, I’m a pretty busy guy with work and grad studies, but I do manage to do some of my favorite activities now and then. If I’m not hanging out watching sports, you can find me wandering around the great outdoors or swimming a few laps (Phelps’ records are very safe).
My Experience
I began tinkering around with computers at a young age, but I never have, and likely never will, describe myself as a “computer guy”. I use computers the way many others use computers, for convenience and fun. A few years ago, however, it became apparent to me that technology and education were converging at a rapid rate and I knew that I had better invest some time and effort into the field of educational technology. After making an attempt to understand how to integrate technology into my teaching practices, I realized that I would need some outside help. This is when I decided that the MET program would be a good choice for me. I’m really hoping that completing the MET will help open some doors for me in terms of career opportunities.
On ETEC 565
I was very excited to see ETEC 565 added to the list of MET electives because, as a middle years teacher on the front line, I am always looking for new ways to use technology to engage my students, improve teaching and learning, and open connections to the real world. I know firsthand that mastering new tools and learning to leverage them in an appropriate way is difficult and takes time. ETEC 565 just might be the perfect course for me then because I’ll be introduced to some new tools that I can add to my kit and receive credit towards my degree as I invest the time required to familiarize myself with new technologies.
What I Want to Know
The ETEC 565 course introduction includes a quote that resonates with me,
“…teachers or educational administrators making decisions about educational technology should have some theoretical model or framework that guides the choice of media and technology. If not, they will be constantly driven by the latest technology development, whether or not they are appropriate” (Bates & Poole, 2003, p. 80).
I have to admit that I am somewhat guilty of diving headfirst into new web 2.0 tools without really evaluating the technologies using a theoretical model or framework. For this reason, my first goal is to develop skills in evaluating technology tools and media and assessing their potential benefits. This will help me to make informed decisions about which tools, of a virtual buffet, to select and implement in my classroom. Although ETEC 565 has only just begun, I have already been introduced to two frameworks that will help me to accomplish my goal.
My second goal is to learn how to develop courses or units of study using LMS. I know very little about using Moodle for example, but I recognize that many teachers are using it in f2f environments like mine and swear by it. Why? I’d like to find out. For me, learning to use LMS or CMS will allow me to shell my learning designs and make them usable from year to year.
Lastly, I really want to discover how to incorporate video-conferencing into my lessons. I have played around with Skype and Ustream, but not enough to say I have mastered the tools. Perhaps they are not even the tools I should be using. I want to significantly increase the amount of class visitors and presenters to my classroom and I need to be prepared to make this easy for them to do so.
What Resources Will I Need?
Inside ETEC 565, I know I’ll be provided with support and expertise of and my instructor and my fellow students. I’m hoping that the course readings and activities will also help me. Outside of the course, I’ll likely have to modify my PLN by adding some RSS feeds and by following other teachers and experts with similar interests and knowledge. Some resources that provide technical help will also be valuable here. I’m sure I’ll park myself on a Chapters couch now and then in order to skim some tech guides relating to LMS and CMS.
Reference
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.