Hello! My name is Tegan Clarke and Iām really excited to be taking this course!
Hereās a little background about me:
Iām 25 years old and Iām in my āfourthā year here at UVIC. Iāve changed my program a couple of times and even took a break from school for a little while, but Iāve been back at it since the summer of 2020! It took me a while to find my niche, but Iāve finally found it and Iām majoring in Applied Linguistics and minoring in French. After I graduate, Iād like to enroll in the elementary post-degree professional program (PDPP) so that I can teach in a French immersion environment and/or assist with other language needs. I love working with children and I find language learning/acquisition incredibly fascinating, so Iām happy I can combine these interests.
I was born and raised in the Comox Valley, which is just a couple of hours north of Victoria, where I’ve been for the last 6 years. While I do consider Victoria my home, I still like to visit up island to see my family and friends.
I donāt have too much free time between classes and working but I love the outdoors. I love to go hiking, camping, rollerblading, just about anything, you name it! When Iām inside, I like to spend my time reading, watching films, and listening to music. Iām an avid vinyl record collector and I love to host album release parties whenever I can.
I’m taking this course to learn more about ādistributed learningā and āopen learningā! Before this week, I thought my understanding of these terms were pretty good but perhaps Iāve been using these terms interchangeably and a tad bit incorrectly. What immediately comes to mind upon hearing these words are things like online/distance learning, the integration of various sources of technology, as well as the accessibility and affordability of learning materials. Iāve had several experiences with these types of education formats, the first of which being in high school when we partnered with an online school called N.I.D.E.S. I took several online asynchronous classes to fit around my regular school timetable and work schedule. I’ve also taken many online classes at UVIC, pre and āpostā pandemic. Many of these courses have offered free access to readings and videos so that we students didnāt have to purchase textbooks, which I love! In addition to this, many of these courses were semi-self-paced and often student-led rather than instructor-focused. My ultimate goal for taking this course is to learn more about the intricate differences and similarities between these two concepts so that I can apply and integrate them into my own teaching once I receive my certificate.