Okay so this is my first time blogging. My first blog. I should probably give you a bit of background first. Why am I starting to blog and what am I going to blog about? Well, in response to the first question, I'll first direct you to my "About me" section on my blog. There you'll note that I am working towards my degree in adult education at Brock University . I completed all of my core courses nearly 7 years ago. Then, a little more than a year ago I decided to finally complete the rest of my requirements. Well, a lot had changed in my life during my time away from my studies - marriage, mortgage, kids.... And a lot had changed in adult education as well. In particular, distance education had become more accessible and the options more abundant.
Case in point: when I took my core courses, the university offered them at a satellite campus close to where I live. I took all of my courses with the same cohort of learners, meeting every Saturday over a period of more than two years. When I decided to start working on my electives, the university didn’t have much to choose from in my neck of the woods so, with direction from the academic advisor, I researched my options viaCanadian Virtual University . I ended up taking a traditional distance ed course from Thompson Rivers University . Fast forward 18 months and now the university offers a number of electives in the adult education stream that are available online. So, I can sit in the comfort of my own home at in the morning enjoying my cup of joe and plug away at my coursework while the kids are happily entertained by the latest exploits of Handy Manny and Dora the Explorer.
I am currently enrolled in two online courses this fall, having taken my first online course this past spring. As you can tell, I enjoy the online format. And it’s not just for the convenience of working in my pj’s. I also find it more challenging than face-to-face learning. I can’t just read a bit of the chapter, show up to class and fake it. I actually have to read, reflect, and formulate coherent and credible thoughts before posting them online. However, my experience with online learning has also highlighted my dismal understanding of the role of technology in adult education. So, after my last online course, I started on a quest to learn more about the technological tools that are out there to facilitate learning. This (finally) leads me to why I am starting this blog.
One of the courses that I am currently taking has given us the option of recording our learning journals (if any of you have read anything about adult education, you’ll know we love our journals) in a blog format. One of the issues that I have had with journaling is having the discipline to persist with it after I finish a course. My hope is that having a journal that is viewed by others will keep my feet to the fire, so to speak.
So what will I blog about? Again, if you are familiar with adult education you know we love critical reflection even more than journaling about it. So, this blog will often be about my reflections on my course readings and other learning that I experience. But I expect that it will be more than just my musings about adult education in the global context or power and pedagogy. As a neophyte to technological tools such as blogging, podcasts and the like, I’ll likely be reflecting upon my experience as an adult learner, exploring these new ways of teaching and learning. And, if all goes well and I begin to get some feedback, sorry, comments, on my blog, I’ll likely reflect on those as well.
Case in point: when I took my core courses, the university offered them at a satellite campus close to where I live. I took all of my courses with the same cohort of learners, meeting every Saturday over a period of more than two years. When I decided to start working on my electives, the university didn’t have much to choose from in my neck of the woods so, with direction from the academic advisor, I researched my options via
I am currently enrolled in two online courses this fall, having taken my first online course this past spring. As you can tell, I enjoy the online format. And it’s not just for the convenience of working in my pj’s. I also find it more challenging than face-to-face learning. I can’t just read a bit of the chapter, show up to class and fake it. I actually have to read, reflect, and formulate coherent and credible thoughts before posting them online. However, my experience with online learning has also highlighted my dismal understanding of the role of technology in adult education. So, after my last online course, I started on a quest to learn more about the technological tools that are out there to facilitate learning. This (finally) leads me to why I am starting this blog.
One of the courses that I am currently taking has given us the option of recording our learning journals (if any of you have read anything about adult education, you’ll know we love our journals) in a blog format. One of the issues that I have had with journaling is having the discipline to persist with it after I finish a course. My hope is that having a journal that is viewed by others will keep my feet to the fire, so to speak.
So what will I blog about? Again, if you are familiar with adult education you know we love critical reflection even more than journaling about it. So, this blog will often be about my reflections on my course readings and other learning that I experience. But I expect that it will be more than just my musings about adult education in the global context or power and pedagogy. As a neophyte to technological tools such as blogging, podcasts and the like, I’ll likely be reflecting upon my experience as an adult learner, exploring these new ways of teaching and learning. And, if all goes well and I begin to get some feedback, sorry, comments, on my blog, I’ll likely reflect on those as well.
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