Embedded Files
Rarotonga was the first stop on my New Zealand & Australian adventure in 1998 & 1999 and it was also the eighth country I have visited overseas. Similarly, ETEC 532: Technology in the Arts and Humanities Classroom was my eighth course in the MET program.
Although Rarotonga is the largest Island of the Cook Islands, you can still walk around the entire island in a few hours. I wasn’t sure what this place would have to offer as it seemed so ‘ghetto’ when we arrived at 2am tired and hungry. We found our temporary room for the night until we could be taken to our cottage that we had rented in the morning. Oh my, our cottage was infested with foot long centipedes, spiders and millions of cockroaches. Yikes – what had we signed up for? After two nights of terror living with the bugs we decided to move into a motel. From then on the experience was amazing. We walked around the island exploring. We found the one computer on the island (this was back in 1998), the grocery store and the bank – we were set! We met some Maori locals who were absolutely amazing. I even taught one how to drive the little Jeep we had rented (most rode scooters). Rarotonga remains to be one of my favourite places and I can’t wait to go back and visit the friends (locals) I met years ago!
Rarotonga
Google Maps Images 2011
Similarly, ETEC 532 was not on my initial plan but ETEC 533: Technology in the Math & Science Classroom was cancelled I had no choice but to take ETEC 532 as I had already taken every other course being offered at that time and there was nothing else left to choose from. So, a High School Math teacher ended up taking an Arts & Humanities course. What had I gotten myself into? I really wasn’t sure what 532 would have to offer me, as a Math teacher but I thought I would view it through a different lens.
Courtesy of my skills attained through MET, in the fall of 2010 I was asked to take on the responsibility of Technology Integration Leader (TI Leader) for my school. I was flattered and accepted immediately envisioning ways I could help my colleagues with their tech skills and purposeful and pedagogically sound technology integration (Anderson, 2008; Andresen, 2009 & Bates & Poole, 2003). I had no idea how much work this would be but I was ready for the challenge: creating tutorials, attending meetings at division office with the other TI Leaders in our school division, collaborating, planning and hosting technology in-services, workshops, quick tip lunch hours for my school staff and Division Professional Development workshops. But what an experience! MET has prepared me well for this new TI Leader role. I can’t wait to see what’s in store this year as the TI Leader role is evolving into joining our AISI team which I am already a part of so it works out perfectly!
So, through the lens of a TI Leader needing to acquire fluency in the Arts & Humanities so that I can effectively guide the Arts & Humanities teachers in my school and school division, this Arts & Humanities course all of a sudden was a perfect fit to fill in the gaps of my pedagogical and theoretical knowledge in the Arts & Humanities. As a result, ETEC 532 became a very applicable course for me and I was thoroughly engaged!
As I have three favourite memories from The Cook Island of Rarotonga: the beach, the locals and the flower festival, accordingly I have selected three artifacts from this course:
1. The Beach - Lit Review & Annotated Bibliography
2. The Flower Festival - Final paper – e-Portfolios
3. The Locals - Final Visual Course Reflection
References
Anderson, T. (2008). Toward a theory of online learning. In T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.) Theory and Practice of Online Learning, Chapter 2 (pp. 45-74). Available online at: http://www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/02_Anderson_2008_Anderson-Online_Learning.pdf
Bates, A.W. & Poole, G. (2003). Chapter 4: A framework for selecting and using technology. Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success. New York: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated.
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