Who I Am

My name is Diana Wilkes.  I am originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario and spent a few years in BC studying and working.  I met my husband in Korea, we married in Thailand, moved to New Zealand so he could retrain and have now been in the Middle East for the last 3 years.  We love to SCUBA dive, travel and sample various vinos:) I have completed ETEC 500,510,511,512,565 and am taking this course concurrently with 532 (only becuase 533 was cancelled- grrr.).  I am really enjoying the MET courses and have gained invaluable information and skills that I have been able to apply to my personal and professional life.

What I have learned…

I began my post secondary education at Confederation College and graduated with a 3 year Environmental Engineering and Technology Diploma in 1997- then went on the then newly public Royal Roads University to get my Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science.  I worked as a Fisheries Observer and an Analytical Chemist before I went back to uni to get my BEd at Lakehead University in 2000.  Since then I have taught in Canada, Korea, New Zealand, the UAE and Qatar.  I have also gained a TEFL Diploma and LiLAC Diploma along the way…

Where I have been…

Canada, USA, Mexico, NZ, Australia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Brunei, Borneo, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy/Siciliy, Greece, Tunisia, Malta, Belize, Honduras, Cayman Islands, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Philippines, Turkey and the Saudi Arabian border

I love to travel!

What I do…

I have had a variety of jobs in my lifetime- from pumping gas, to waitressing, to lab tech, to teacher.  I am currently working for a Kiwi company called Cognition Education.  We are actively involved in Education Reform in the Middle East- particularly the UAE and Qatar.  My job involves me working in a local school with the local teachers in an effort to raise their pedagogy and ‘Emiratize’ the profession.  The Muslim culture is fascinating but poses a variety of challenges when attempting to move education into the 21st century.  Some families simply will not allow their children on the internet.  It is a land of incredible contrasts.

Why I’m here…

I am enrolled in the MET program at UBC for a variety of reasons:

• I am committed to lifelong learning

• I find that the use of ICT in classrooms provides a richer learning experience for students- especially when combined with Constructivist strategies and inquiry learning

• I believe that the information age needs to be embraced and this is my effort at doing so

• I want to learn new skills, tools and tricks!

• Of course, it’s always good to have a masters degree on the CV!

What I Believe…

The teaching and learning process must encompass learner engagement, authentic tasks and constant support ideally utilizing the affordances of educational technology.

Although, all of the learning theories can incorporate elements of technology, I believe the pedagogical framework of the future will manifest intensely under the diverse, networked Connectivist (some say this should be called Social Constructivism) umbrella.  Personally, I embrace the Connectivist paradigm because learners can interact in a safe and supported environment where they will be encouraged to think critically and to communicate through the affordances of the semantic web.  For me, this embodies quality, progressive and interactive learning that increases knowledge building capacity.