In the beginning...
The day that my daughter started Kindergarten was my first day in ETAD. It was fitting we both went back to school at the same time.
I've always loved technology, but it was early in my career when I worked on a couple Web Based Learning Resource Development (WBLRD) projects for then Sask Ed. when I learned more about publishing in the digital world. And that was it, I was hooked. Every chance that I've had to integrate technology into my classroom I did. My Biology students learned a lot about the tech tools that they could use and we've had all sorts of digital citizenship discussions. Upon returning from my mat leave in the fall of 2009, I responded to the increasing absences caused by H1N1 by moving my face to face class into the cyberworld. It was my first try at blending the two. What started as blogging and sharing resources about what we did in classe evolved into a 1:1 learning environment in which the students built their own webpages and collaborated with other classrooms. I recorded parts of my live classes and posted them on YouTube for students that missed. My Bio 30 class partnered with a Grade 5 class in a neighboring town and the students learned about body systems together. They chatted daily and built their projects through Skype. My Bio 30 students joined me on the journey into social media and we would Facebook and Tweet about our learning during class. Along the way I worked closely with my digital learning consultants Thad Swidinski, Kirk Kezema and Robert Nysteun. We Skyped in with experts including Dr. David Butler-Jones - Canada's then head of Public Health.
All along I've always loved learning about technology and different digital tools whethere that's devices or cameras. I love to learn and I think I'm what a TED Talk referred to as a "Civil Hacker". If there's a way to make something better, I'm likely trying to make a tool or the process work better for us. Not because someone asked me to but rather because I love the challenge.
Finding my way into ETAD happened because I was surrounded by ETAD graduates. It was a program that was close to home and was available online. It was just a matter of finding the right time...turns out there's never a right time to add more to your plate.
You just have to have faith and "take the first step even when you
don't see the whole staircase" (Martin Luther King Jr.).
So I applied to the program, but what I didn't know was that a brand new home based business was about to find it's way into Canada. Color By Amber, a eco-friendly, socially responsible jewelry company, made it's way into Canada in July of 2014. Brought here by a Diversity Education teacher that I worked with, I was drawn in when my close friend Tracy said it's a groundfloor opportunity how often does that happen. I have to admit the eco-friendly part made the Bio teacher in me happy and the Full Circle stories of supporting female artisans in imporverished nations around the world and giving back 10% to them made my heart happy. I thought why not check it out! I never thought that I would be selling jewelry, but I loved the story and what it stood for. So I thought why not leap into an amazing ground floor business opportunity because not only can I do good but what if I could pay for my Master's program. And what a journey it's been! It's inspired me to challenge myself, do more personal development than ever before and taken me to rural Mexico to meet the artisans all in a year and a half. I've met amazingly talented women from across Canada and the US and have the amazing opportunity to work with a team of 90 talented women nationwide! You can check out the our Color By Amber jewelry and the stories of our artisans at stephanie.mycolorbyamber.com.
So how does ETAD fit with Color By Amber.....
Interestingly enough, CBA has provided a entirely new way for me to teach. As my team grew, so did the need for training, especially in the online realm. Leading a large cross country team means you face the fun geographical time zone challenge. There's several hour difference so trying to do live traning calls doesn't work! So CBA provided a perfect connection to ETAD - why not challenge myself to design resources and materials to support adult learners in the business world. It also provided a way to pay for masters classes, so it was a nice complement that two could weave together to enrich the learning experience.
Special thanks to my supportive professors who have encouraged me to think critically and design online training for my growing team. It's given a whole new perspective to education technology and design!
