This collaborative blog has been quiet for quite some time now. Devon and I have continued to work together, but recently we’ve both been focused on post-secondary studies and haven’t dedicated time to this platform for sharing our ideas. Since September 2016, I have been working on my Master’s Degree in Education part time, while also working full time. It has been an incredible learning journey and I’m pleased to say that I’ll be graduating from the University of Saskatchewan’s Educational Technology and Design program in June 2019! Meanwhile, Devon began her PhD studies in Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Victoria. Since we’ve been concentrating on our studies, our collaboration has largely involved discussing research, editing each other’s papers and supporting each other through the challenges of student life! Now we’re ready to get back to sharing here and I thought a good way to start would be to share with you some of the insights I’ve gained from being a student again!
- As a student, I’ve had the opportunity to read and review a lot of research. I’ve grown to (mostly) enjoy this process and it has been valuable to explore research in order to further my professional growth and to reinforce some of the ideas I’ve developed about teaching through my classroom practice.
INSIGHT: Reading research is valuable (if we can just make time for it!)
- Being a student again has given me great perspective. It’s reminded me about the things I appreciate as a student and the things I find frustrating (like only getting feedback once my product was completed and given a final grade). I’m going to try hard to remember these student perspectives more when I’m teaching 😉
INSIGHT: Remember to consider students’ perspectives.
- Regularly engaging in academic thought and academic writing has stretched me to grow and change. I’ve come to appreciate the value of these activities for educators and I hope to continue to “make time” for these activities, even when not engaged in a formal program.
INSIGHT: Academic work, including research, is a useful professional learning exercise (again, if we can make time for it!)