Hello and welcome to my learner profile for EDCI 339: Distributed and Open Learning!
My name is Ben Sheppard-Reid, and what my resume won’t tell you is that I have a whole lot going on (in a good way). I get to pursue my passion of working with youth just about every day, either managing Learn to Swim lessons, leading recreational swim practices for teenagers, or introducing new athletes to the sport of water polo. My favourite part of working with so many athletes is getting to see them achieve so many firsts–the first time they catch a ball with one hand, the first time they jump in on their own, or their first time beating their personal best time–watching my athletes accomplish their goals and be successful is one of the most rewarding things I do. When I’m not on deck, you can find me at home watching niche documentaries on random topics, figuring out how cameras work (I just got into photography and have no clue what all the buttons do), or trying to keep up with my 13-year strong passion of playing the cello. Lastly, I am a professional bacon cooker! (yes, that’s my official job title) So if you’ve ever put bacon in your sandwich at Red Barn- you’re welcome!
I’m just about to enter my fourth and final year in the Bachelor of Education, Elementary program, and I couldn’t be more excited! With two years of teacher training, and a couple hundred hours spent in classrooms K-7, I know for sure that teaching and learning from elementary and middle aged learners is the career for me. I am taking EDCI 339 as a part of a Professional Specialization Certificate from the Faculty of Education at UVic, in Information Communication Technology. Using technology effectively in the classroom has always been something that’s interested me, and I’m loving how much I’ve learned so far on how I can use it to enhance learning outcomes in any classroom I may teach in. I love the format that the teacher ed office has created for the BEd programs and how we take all our classes in cohorts for most of the program. Doing so for the past 2-years has helped me build some incredible relationships with future teachers just like me, as well as some fantastic professors to act as mentors for my career. Because of this, I work best in in-person classes where I can build strong relationships with the professor, as well as my peers. Although me entire first year was online due to COVID, I’m really not the biggest fan of the online asynchronous course format as I find it tough to build those meaningful connections that help me thrive in my learning.
To me, education is inspiring. Inspiring learners to be curious, and inquire into the world around us. Not only is the public education system constructed to supports learners in their development as the future of society, but I believe it is also to to support them in their development as curious people, who wonder who, what, where, when, and why? as much as possible. I hope to create a community of wonderers that are able to discover their passions at home, at school, and everywhere in between.
In this course, I hope to learn:
How can open learning work effectively for primary aged learners (K-3)?
How can open learning be used to support Social Emotional Learning (SEL)?
How can Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines be applied to open learning?
Thanks for reading and take care!
