Today, I have started on a new journey in my academic and professional career; I have decided to start a blog to reflect as well as share my learning with others. This step was prompted by a course requirement to keep a journal. As I thought about it, I realized that the majority of my learning was social in that I shared and learned from others. I feel it would be uncharacteristic of me to keep my learning growth to myself, and since I already share in other formats, I felt sharing in a blog would be a natural extension.
In this first post, I would like to set the stage and let you know what I am involved in and perhaps point out how my involvement will shape this blog.
Presently, I am taking two courses through the University of Wyoming:
ADED 5240 – Teaching Adults: This course is developed on the premise that individuals teach as they would expect to be taught. It focuses on methods for teaching adults in a formal as well as informal settings. The learning styles literature is reviewed and implications for instructional settings are analyzed. Participants also critique their teaching performance through videotaped sessions.
ITEC 5070 – Trends in Ethical, Legal and Social Issues: This course focuses on selected issues with special ethical, legal, and social significance for professionals working in postsecondary education.
For my day job, I work as an instructional technology educational specialist for Cooperative Extension Service. In short, I work with Extension educators by identifying technologies and education applications that may help them provide better service to their clients throughout the state of Wyoming.
When I am not studying or working, I am actively involved in the Civil Air Patrol where I just recently stepped down as wing commander for Wyoming. I am also involved with teaching a martial arts group; it Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu.
Each of these activities has shaped my thoughts on learning and education in general. In the days to follow, I will share some of those ideas. Additionally, I will weave in other observations as I see them.
Update
It has been many years since I wrote this blog post. First of all, I finished my course work at the University of Wyoming. They awarded me with a Doctorate in Education in 2013. With that degree, I left the University of Wyoming and currently work as the Director of Technology-Enhanced Instruction for Jamestown Community College in western New York.
I have also retired from the Civil Air Patrol and have decreased my training time with the Bujinkan. In their place, I have written a book called Read to Succeed. I have been busy promoting the book. Additionally, in January 2019, I started a podcast, In the Classroom with Stan Skrabut. The podcast focuses on course development from and instructional technologists point of view.
My learning journey continues…
