When you are not scramming your brain in class, you are:
*writing, reading, cooking, doing housing chores, and exploring (Welcome to explore/ invite me to explore what's new in neighborhoods/the world together)
*(hope exercising could be added soon)

Last thing you learned:
Salsa dancing, and machine learning basics


 

Current Location: Vicksburg, MI 

Current Occupation: College professor (small, rural community college): Southwestern Michigan College 

Habits, Hobbies, Hangups and Have-to-Have: 

Caffeine, exercise, timeliness, die hard sports mom 

Fictional Academic: 

Michelle Pfifer in Dangerous minds because art imitates life. I was a young underpaid professor who dealt with a diverse group of students, and I found a way to help them believe in themselves and encourage them to be successful. (Sidenote: I am a rule follower, so making up some of my questions, following another students’ lead, and still answering some of Beau’s here, feels like I am breaking them. I will add to my comments if I figure out my alternative universe.) 

Last thing I learned/How I learn: 

Padlet; I have never used it; I have heard good things and I am learning it exactly how I learn—by doing. In that spirit, sorry the pic is so big! So far, so good. I have one of those fun combo learning styles: visual, kinesthetic, and auditory. E-books, while I read along, and walk on the treadmill. 

What do I hope to learn in this class? 

To begin with, I am so excited to take a class with Dr. Bonk. He is my advisor and I have been waiting for this. Reading his course materials, I see some similarities to how I construct my courses. So, just learning through his style will be beneficial. One thing I really hope to learn is how to motivate my students to attend something synchronous. 😊  

 

Hometown: Atlanta, GA 

 

Current Location: Fort Worth, TX 

 

Current Occupation: Instructional Technologist 

 

Alternate Universe Expertise: If I were in an alternate universe, I would be a neurologist. I have learned bits and pieces about the brain as an educator and found it fascinating. I didn't choose this route because I don't handle the sight of blood well. 

 

The last thing you learned: I learned that when you have an iPad opened to Safari and in guided access, students can still open another tab even if the address bar is greyed out. Students are always keeping us on our toes. :)

 

Favorite piece of educational technology:  This one is tough but if I have to choose one, it would have to be Nearpod because of the versatility. Nearpod is an interactive lesson platform that allows teachers to create engaging, interactive lessons as teacher-paced, student-paced, or both. 

 

What you hope to learn while in this course: I hope to learn more about how to design learning environments that promote learning so that I can further support teachers and also improve my professional development. 

If I were in an alternative universe, I would be a Japanese Art Collector.

I did my undergrad in East Asia Studies with an emphasis on art. In my free time, I go to art museums, exhibitions, and galleries in Kyoto and in Osaka.

Favorite piece of educational technology: This might be an unpopular answer, but I like MS Teams. Even after the pandemic, I am still using it as a LMS for students and for my personal use (like parceling out this class’s readings). In February 2023, I signed an NDA to be part of a Microsoft focus group and cautiously await the full integration of AI into their existing and upcoming products.

Second, I teach architecture and comp sci majors and do VR projects using Frame - Immersive Meetings, Classes, Events (framevr.io) Frame is a VR platform for students to create amazing VR environments using 360 images, links, 3D objects, and audio. I am interested in exploring other platforms as well for student projects and for my dream of having a virtual reality art gallery.

I started watching Ethan Mollick’s YouTube series called Practical AI for Instructors and Students: Introduction to AI for Teachers and Students. https://youtu.be/t9gmyvf7JYo

I had some hits-and-misses with an open tech policy last semester, so I am trying to find or design a learning module, so students and I are all on the same page. 

One thing you hope to learn in the course:
I am excited to be part of a learning community with like-minded people and to deepen and question some of my ideas about learning environments. 

(Last answer ChatGPT edited version) One thing you hope to learn in the course: Anticipation bubbles within me as I embark on this journey, for within this course, I aspire to cultivate a harmonious learning community brimming with kindred spirits. My goal is to delve deeper into the realm of learning environments, questioning and enriching the very foundations of my educational beliefs. This opportunity promises growth, collaboration, and the chance to refine my pedagogical approach in ways that will undoubtedly resonate with my innate passion for cultivating knowledge. 

An interesting fact about me is that even though I am attending IU and pursuing a "secondary" career path within IST and the USCG. For the past 13 years my primary career specialty has been as an Afloat Officer, where I have served in numerous roles working at sea aboard USCG ships navigating through the Southern Pacific Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and the eastern U.S. enforcing federal laws and treaties.  

Looking forward to meeting everyone and go Hoosiers!

School of Foreign Languages of Hefei Normal University; Now a visiting scholar in IU
 
 What I do all day (at work): teaching (blended teaching and teaching based on technologies), meetings, lectures, writing, and advising 
 
 

What I do when I am not working: reading, listen to the music, watch movies, drink coffee\tea\wine, blogging, chatting online, take care of my daughter, doing housework

 Hobbies: fitness, blogging, reading, watching movies, traveling, dancing, wine tasting

Last thing I learned: How to use Canvas and Padlet; Never say “I’m too busy” (Quoted from Professor Bonk’s suggestion)

What I hope to learn in this course: To read more academic papers, do more research and ultimately producing a paper relevant to AI based language teaching and learning; Learn more about how to design a creative syllabus for an online course and motivate students.

What I do all day: Develop curriculum and training content for in-person and online learning.

Hobbies: Training for and competing in triathlons (full distance Ironmans, half Ironmans, and other distances too)

Alternate Universe Experience:
I would be a 2D/3D cartoon animator!

The Last Think I Learned:
Dave Merrill's First Principles of Instruction (R547 summer class)

What I hope to Learn in this Course:
I'm looking forward to learning from Dr. Bonk, my advisor! I'm also looking for strategies, tips, techniques, and resources on building effective learning environments.

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