With a wealth of information and ideas presented during the 2022 Virtual Symposium, I am left with feelings of excitement, opportunity and gratitude for the journey through the MALAT program that I am embarking on. This post will focus on three major areas of learning from the symposium that I want to lean into and be mindful of during the course of this program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Open Education <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dave Cormier’s (2017) presentation on open education really opened my eyes to the value and importance of open learning. I came into this session with the mindset that the \u201cbest\u201d knowledge is paid for, coveted, and closed, although I didn\u2019t necessarily agree that this was right. Cormier (2017) explains that the exploratory journey of open learning resulting from the access to open content builds community and contributes to the greater good through the education of more people. During a different session in the symposium, Elizabeth Childs (2022) is quoted saying \u201cnone of us is as smart as all of us\u201d and to me, this speaks to the importance of open access to quality education and the value of community and collective learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Indigenous Knowledge Systems\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Earl Einarson\u2019s (2022) session on designing from a place of Indigenous knowledge systems was insightful. His conviction and bluntness about the need for authentic (Indigenous) voices present and engaged in the design and learning process was powerful. We cannot take Indigenous knowledge systems and simply insert them into a eurocentric or western framework as this act is still rooted in colonial ways – even if the intention is good, Einarson (2022) explains, it is still wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Earl\u2019s session left me wondering what the future of education will look like with the successful and meaningful inclusion of Indigenous knowledge systems and pedagogies. Land-based education is of particular importance and I am left feeling curious about the intersection of land-based learning and technology – is there a place for technology in land-based education? I suspect that there is and I look forward to exploring that possibility further. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Quality Online Education <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the session, \u201cWhat is Online Learning Post-Pandemic?\u201d (Royal Roads University, 2022) there was great discussion on the future of online learning and how that might look in both the K-12 and higher education settings. Designing for online learning was brought up and discussed as an important element to improve the quality of online learning, which is often seen as \u201csecond tier\u201d to traditional face to face learning as indicated by Liddy (Royal Roads University, 2022). I believe that online learning can be a first class learning experience if approached with purposeful and thoughtful design practices paired with the extension of learning into the community where social emotional learning and development can take place as proposed by Bates (Royal Roads University, 2022). This is why I am in this program and where I really want to grow in knowledge and practice.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Final Thoughts <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This symposium gave me much to think about and consider as I begin the MALAT Program. I can say that I have experienced a shift in mindset towards a place of endless possibilities and I am ready to begin this learning journey with an open mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n References\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cromier, D. (2017, April 18). Intentional messiness of online communities. <\/em>[Video]. Royal Roads University. https:\/\/malat-coursesite.royalroads.ca\/lrnt521\/recordings\/dave-cormier-virtual-symposium-presentation\/<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Einarson, E. (2022, April 12). Designing from a place of Indigenous knowledge systems.<\/em> [Video]. Zoom. https:\/\/royalroads.zoom.us\/rec\/play\/PLhxBQOims_TV2LtkEio-B5hTTav0MCQ5XcIHqI3hzMs-VNyCzKQxisySHwF3JMm9SbpEQbojKZxSag.dSzK190hfrsMLuo8?continueMode=true<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Royal Roads University. (2022, February 3). What is online learning post-pandemic?<\/em> [Video]. YouTube. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SxazQ6a-WwQ<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With a wealth of information and ideas presented during the 2022 Virtual Symposium, I am left with feelings of excitement, opportunity and gratitude for the journey through the MALAT program that I am embarking on. This post will focus on three major areas of learning from the symposium that I want to lean into and… Continue reading 3 Things I learned during the 2022 MALAT Virtual Symposium<\/span>