Over the last seven weeks, my life can be summarized in one word: change. Like many of my peers, every aspect of my life changed, dramatically. The Covid-19 pandemic brought new challenges we have never experienced in education. Even those who are well-versed in educational technology had to transform their thinking about pedagogical practices for distance learning.
My first day of CEP 811 was the last day I saw my students face-to-face. I had no idea at that time the knowledge gained through this course would provide me the insight and abilities to adapt to the new ways of life during quarantine, both in and beyond the classroom. All ideas acquired have proven invaluable, including Ken Robinson’s Changing Education Paradigms and Robert Culatta’s Reimagining Learning. According to Robinson, to change education, we must think divergently and utilize innovative thinking to envision possible solutions. There are many solutions to challenges, and to transform the paradigm, we cannot think in a linear way (RSA, 2010). Robert Culatta, says teachers today should utilize technology to reimagine education and encourage students to be creators (Culatta, 2013). This is challenging, but when implemented purposefully, allows for innovative methods and endless possibilities.
With these ideas in mind, I reimagined myself as an innovator and maker. What kind of maker am I? I learned that I innovate by taking chances and recognizing the power of iteration. I search for solutions by using multiple lenses to rethink all possibilities. I use tools to share my experiences, including the recent life changes while in quarantine. In the video below, I captured daily moments from the last seven weeks to tell my story, reimagining life, one short video clip at a time.