Having the virtual symposium as our first official week of the MALAT program is a wonderful way to begin this process. It was a way to learn a little bit, about several subject areas, topics, and future courses, and get to meet a few of the instructors. This was a very calm and structured start to the next two years, and since a variety of sessions were offered it forced us as a cohort to share what we learned with one another.

I chose to follow “The End in Mind” stream for the symposium. I selected this because the sessions sounded interesting, but also because I could attend more of the live sessions. I started by attending the session by Dr. Loni Davis and Dr. Elizabeth Childs on Writing and receiving at the graduate level (Childs & Davis, 2022). As someone who has not written at the graduate level before and has not written academic content for a while, this was a very helpful session. It was also lovely to get to learn more about one of the upcoming courses and instructors.

The most useful session I participated in was the MALAT cross-cohort social (MALAT, 2024). I found this particular session to be so useful as I could better understand what to expect in the next two years. We also were able to ask high-interest questions, which helped to put many of us at ease. Having the opportunity to look at past class projects on Padlet was also incredibly helpful as I was able to see what areas of interest are supported and what previous students chose to research.

I am fortunate that I have been exposed to multiple forms and formats of technology, which made it so I at least had heard of several of the platforms, formats, and ideas that were discussed at the symposium. I was, however, surprised to hear about others experiences with technology and what areas of interest that they had. This showed me that although I might have a specific area of interest at this point, it does not necessarily mean that is where my research will end.

I entered this program with a general question of how generative AI can support learners with different learning needs or exceptionalities. Having looked at the research done by current and previous MALAT students I can see that this is an area of interest for others as well. This excites me as I feel that throughout the program, more options will be developed and additional research will be done that will help drive my research even more. Most of the work already done by MALAT students is not tailored for students in our K-12 system, so it is not directly transferable to my area of interest. But it will at least give me a reference point where I can see what ideas are out there and where I may choose to take my research.

Overall, I felt that the symposium was incredibly helpful and a wonderful way to begin the MALAT program. It has left me feeling both excited and slightly scared of what is to come, but regardless I am ready for the next two years.

References:

Childs, E (2022, April) Writing and Giving and Receiving Feedback at the Graduate Level https://mediaspace.royalroads.ca/media/DavisChildsMALATVS2022/0_ruc6rk81

MALAT 2nd year Students (2024, April) MALAT Cross Cohort Social https://mediaspace.royalroads.ca/media/Cross+Cohort+Conversation+April+11+2024/0_bsn8vgw3