Profile information
I am a Métis student living in Southern Alberta, and excited to complete my Master's program at Athabasca University. I started this program when my first child was 18 months old to stay relevant and build my skills while I was on leave from my work as a secondary high school teacher. Throughout the program I had a second child and slowly but consistently worked my way though each course. As I complete my last two courses, I'm sending my kids off to school and daycare for the first time, and I am confident in my abilities as an educator and academic and am looking forward to applying my skills in a new career.
I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Lethbridge as well as a Bachelor of Education degree in Secondary Mathematics from Simon Fraser University. I have also completed a TESOL certificate and have taught a wide range of courses including math, pre-calculus, chemistry, physics, biology, economics, ESL math and science, and also enjoyed time working as a support teacher. While I loved the connection and relationships with my secondary students, I am now eager to find a place that values work-life balance, and am considering instructional design, distance education, and adult education as future areas to move my career.
When I'm not working on school or raising my family, I enjoy yoga, working with plants, playing piano, and a vegetarian diet.
Courses
The courses I completed throughout my program are as follows:
| Summer 2020 | MDDE 601 Introduction to Distance Education |
| Spring 2020 | MDDE 602 Research Methods in Distance Education |
| Fall 2020 | MDDE 603 Foundations of Instructional Design |
| Fall 2021 | MDDE 604 Instructional Design in Distance Education |
| Winter 2022 | MMDE 618 Instructional Project Management |
| Spring 2022 | MDDE 610 Survey of Educational Technology Applications |
| Fall 2022 | MDDE 619 Trends and Issues in Instructional Design |
| Winter 2023 | MDDE 617 Program Evaluation in Distance Education |
| Spring 2023 | MDDE 621 Online Teaching in Distance Education and Training |
| Fall 2023 | MDDE 611 Foundations of Adult Education |
| Fall 2023 | MDDE 694 Capstone E-portfolio |
Original Program Goals
When I first applied to the MDDE program I had an 18 month old and had decided not to return to work as a secondary teacher. In the midst of the Covid pandemic, I was going a bit stir crazy and felt a pull to do something professional that didn't involve full time teaching or part time subbing. I applied to this program because it offered so much flexibility with timelines and asynchronous classes that I could complete during my son's nap time or after bedtime or whenever I could fit it in. I had also realized that teaching was going to be too rigid for me down the road, as my husband travels for work making me the default parent. I already knew I was going to need a more flexible career, and I hoped that the skills gained in the program would open those doors for me and help me hone in the skills necessary to navigate a career shift. I was already interested in the fields of adult education and how that differs from K-12 education, distance education and how to manage teaching at a distance, and instructional or curricular design. I have always loved the instructional design aspect of my teaching job, but it was more so a 'pro-bono' approach, as teachers do not get paid for the amount of preparatory time it takes to run a classroom and plan to teach a course. Finding a career where I could work with the educational technology I loved and get paid for that part of my work has been on my mind since I started teaching.
Artifact Rationale
Artifact 1: I chose this assignment because it was the most enjoyable assignment in my program. It gave me motivation and ownership of my learning. At the conclusion of the assignment, I felt more confident in my professional abilities.
Artifact 2: I chose this assignment because it was one of the areas in the program where my group work and communication skills were challenged. My partner did not have a good grasp of the assignment and we didn't realize that until it was time to put our work together and we had to do a lot more work at the end.
Artifact 3: I chose this assignment because although I am a systematic and logical thinker, I have always felt more comfortable with quantitative data. This assignment was a lengthy analysis of a transcript from in person meetings and also involved my first required journaling throughout this program. While not my favourite activity, I have realized that journaling professionally, especially throughout a project is an excellent way to navigate your thought process, problem solve, and reflect on your methods.
Artifact 4: I chose this assignment because it was mentally a challenge for me and I felt under equipped generally in this course. While I certainly exercised project management skills as a teacher, I had no formal project management experience. Creating a proper schedule and work breakdown structure was a challenge but in the end, I felt accomplished and as though I explored skills that would be beneficial for me in a future career.
Artifact 5: This course and assignment were the places where I really made a breakthrough with my understanding of the importance of digital accessibility and some of the issues around that topic. Overall I enjoyed creating the module in Canvas and gaining skills using an educational technology tool, but moreover there were some communication blunders and my perspective had to shift somewhat in order to be successful with this assignment. I would say this is one of the times in the program that my perspective changed quite dynamically.
Comments
Tamara O'Brien
20 September 2023, 2:00 PM
This is an interesting introduction!
I like the use of images and the layout that you chose for this page. It is eye-catching and engaging. How you describe your journey through the program is personally meaningful and is one that I identify with as well. You have stated your goals well and your reasons for engaging in this program are clear.
Suggestions:
-One suggestion that I would put forward would be to introduce yourself by name in your introduction.
-The image that you chose (quoting Buddha) breaks the word "shortcomings" over two lines leaving the last "s" on the next line. The rest of your page is beautifully "readable" and this quote/image made me "look twice" whereas the rest of your page did not.
Thanks for sharing this!
Tamara
Meghan Hann
20 September 2023, 4:41 PM
Kim- This looks really great!
I think the use of a table for your course list is clean and a good idea.
Who you are and your choices are shared clearly and it is an authentic introduction to you.
BonnieM
20 September 2023, 7:43 PM
Hello Kimberly,
You have made a great start to this introduction. I have a few minor suggestions for improvement. Consider moving your learning goals closer to your original learning goals after your profile. Also, could you please explain what you expected to learn specifically in the field of adult education, distance education, and curriculum design? Do you mean curriculum design or instructional design? Also, your artifact selection is not complete and will need a brief explanation of why you chose them. (You can change them afterwards if you need to. Your images and your quote are lovely.
Bonnie
BonnieM
25 September 2023, 1:10 PM
Hello Kimberly,
Could you please provide an explanation of why you chose the artifacts you chose? You can do this in one of two ways. You can provide a sentence or two to each artifact or write a small paragraph regarding your rationale. I also agree that teachers never get paid for the design aspect of their classes. Great insight!
Thanks
Bonnie
K Hansen
25 September 2023, 1:13 PM
Bonnie,
I think I did this already, each Artifact should be linked under the navigation heading with a few sentences. Do you need the reasoning listed on this page as well?
BonnieM
25 September 2023, 3:11 PM
Excellent, your introduction is complete.
Bonnie