My Journey
It is a new learning curve for me to go back to school in my
early 50's with my keen mind to understand how adult learning feels like,
and what methodologies are used now-a-days in adult learning so that I can
enhance my professional skills with the changing trends and prepare myself to
go back to teaching after a 10 year gap. I used Google search to
explore which course will be best suited for me. I saw a link of Vancouver
Career College, School of Instructor website and their Facebook page, and
my curious mind forced me to click those links spontaneously to get some idea
if there is something which matches my desires, if there is something for
me or not, who takes these courses, and where this course will take me? The
Facebook cover photo and the profile picture were very inviting which says
"Keep Educating Yourself". https://www.facebook.com/VCCSchoolOfInstructorEducation
So,
I got interested to enroll myself in Provincial Instructor Diploma Program, in
the fall of 2014 with Vancouver Career College, PIDP 3100 online
course, which is my first online course that I have ever taken. Initially,
I was nervous but my friend eased me out and said "this is very common
trend these days to study online while you are working full time or part-time,
it saves time and it is very interesting to learn new stuff". http://instructordiploma.com/
Months went by and my friend sent me this video after few days checking how I was doing with my course. She didn't ask me if I have any challenges or if I am enjoying it; she asked me to watch this video. She didn't know that I was struggling with my blog as I learned to make a blog for the first time and I took help from a student whom I supervised at University of the Fraser Valley. It was tough for me to understand how the technicalities of blogs work, how to create links and resource pages etc. At the same time, I was building some thoughts about the role of educators to keep the adult students engaged and motivated; but I clicked on this video leaving aside my assignment for a moment:
Months went by and my friend sent me this video after few days checking how I was doing with my course. She didn't ask me if I have any challenges or if I am enjoying it; she asked me to watch this video. She didn't know that I was struggling with my blog as I learned to make a blog for the first time and I took help from a student whom I supervised at University of the Fraser Valley. It was tough for me to understand how the technicalities of blogs work, how to create links and resource pages etc. At the same time, I was building some thoughts about the role of educators to keep the adult students engaged and motivated; but I clicked on this video leaving aside my assignment for a moment:
I got motivated again after watching this video and I felt energized
enough to start my new journey. I got ready to explore new learning theories
for adult learners how educators play a role in increasing motivation in
students; and how the students' engagement can be improved in newly
emerging trends of teaching and learning especially in this new normal of Covid19,
racial challenges in professional development and personal lives of every
individual whether we are students or instructors. When we are all in a state
of lockdown state the mental and spiritual health is facing bigger challenges
such as; fear of death, economic crisis, labour-market taking a new shift, increased
domestic violence and racial hate crimes on its rise, overdose deaths. Being a student
myself of PIDP and currently enrolled in a very important course 3260 –
Professional Strategies, I have realized that teaching and learning styles are
also changing with this new normal.
I am a life-long
learner, and I like to experience life through self-empowerment, by sharing
knowledge and skills with others. Technology is playing an important part
which is also a new learning curve for some of us; for example, zoom meetings,
sharing lessons through WhatsApp groups, Moodle and blackboard are becoming
day-today practice.
I immigrated
from India in 2003 where I was an instructor in a reputed Medical School where
I used chalk and real blackboard teaching and then I started using overhead
projector and then power points in late 90’s and early 2000. I am enjoying my
personal transformation in this whole journey of doing PIDP course and working
with non-profits as a workshop facilitator on various topics.
It is not only
the shift from classroom to online teaching and learning in this current crisis
of Covid19 but the scope learning due to systemic racism has impacted
significantly in the past couple of months. Racism was always there but it came
on the surface with Mr. Floyd’s tragic death and then followed by emotional re-churning
of the communities. I came across this Mindshift blog which, I thought, will be
a thought provoking for our group learning.
What is your understanding
about equity and equitability?
I am looking
forward to learn from you all in the coming weeks through this discussion forum.
Please share your views through comments.
To know more
about me and my professional experiences so far, here I feel comfortable to
share my LinkedIn profile. Please feel encouraged to connect with me and know
me more. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kusum-soni-ph-d-477b6937/
Kind regards
Kusum Soni
I salute the spirit in you to continue to learn and teach concurrently. I feel inspired from you Kusum ma'am as I am enroute to adult learning too with my Masters Degree in Dentistry. I wish you good luck in your academic pursuits.
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