Where Have I Been?
I have been teaching for 25 years and am most engaged by the face to face interaction with students. For most of that time I have believed that I am enough, that my face to face teaching with students meets their learning needs. And I have received plenty of feedback from students and colleagues over the years that supports my belief. However, in the last few years, I have begun to understand that effective use of media and technology enhances the students’ experiences, and that I can’t know everything there is to know about my subject matter so it’s beneficial to bring other expertise into the classroom through the use of media. The tools are complementary to my engagement with students. My fear with the use of technology has been multi-levelled. First of all, I like to control the environment I teach in. I plan well. I like to be very prepared. When you start to bring in projectors and on-line components, you risk being let down by the technology. I have avoided learning about educational technology; therefore, I would be lost if a technical difficult arose. I have also feared being expected to be “available” all the time to on-line students. Other aspects of my life are also priorities. However, what has begun to appeal to me about on-line teaching is that on-line teaching can be practiced from anywhere. If I am to consider it as part of my career, though, I want some confidence and competence in the practice of it. This is what has brought me to OLTD at VIU.
I have been teaching for 25 years and am most engaged by the face to face interaction with students. For most of that time I have believed that I am enough, that my face to face teaching with students meets their learning needs. And I have received plenty of feedback from students and colleagues over the years that supports my belief. However, in the last few years, I have begun to understand that effective use of media and technology enhances the students’ experiences, and that I can’t know everything there is to know about my subject matter so it’s beneficial to bring other expertise into the classroom through the use of media. The tools are complementary to my engagement with students. My fear with the use of technology has been multi-levelled. First of all, I like to control the environment I teach in. I plan well. I like to be very prepared. When you start to bring in projectors and on-line components, you risk being let down by the technology. I have avoided learning about educational technology; therefore, I would be lost if a technical difficult arose. I have also feared being expected to be “available” all the time to on-line students. Other aspects of my life are also priorities. However, what has begun to appeal to me about on-line teaching is that on-line teaching can be practiced from anywhere. If I am to consider it as part of my career, though, I want some confidence and competence in the practice of it. This is what has brought me to OLTD at VIU.