Corinne Hamel-Taylor, Educational Resource Developer and OLTD Student
In elementary school, my teacher asked us to create a time capsule letter to ourselves. He gave us various prompts as to what to include in the letter. One of the prompts was to tell what we wanted to be when we grew up. I was a huge admirer of a very special teacher I had in primary school. She nurtured me and protected me. She encouraged me and gave me a voice. Ever since, I knew I wanted to do the same for others. In my letter I told myself that I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. (No, I don't have this letter anymore.)
As I transitioned from elementary to middle, my passion shifted. I developed a love of reading and writing. In middle school, we were asked to develop our own magazine as a collaborative language arts project. My best friend and I loved fashion magazines at the time. We used our 'expertise' to write articles featuring famous people, fashion trends and comic relief. (Yes, I still have it! Kirk Cameron with his, then fiancee)
Entering high school was a challenge for me, as it is with many. I lost the voice I was given in primary school and became very inward-focused. My social capital was limited to a few close knit friends and I spent most of my free-time devouring books and writing in my journals.
After high school graduation, however, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. I knew I still wanted to go to university, but the demands of publishing and editing would keep me from spending time with my daughter. It was after got married and gave birth to my second child, a son, that I went back to my roots and began exploring options for teaching. I completed a BA in English and TESL Linguistics Certificate at SFU and went on to teach until I became a coordinator at a non-profit language and settlement services provider and found myself back in writing curriculum. Along with administrative duties, I worked with a team to develop curriculum and instructional materials.
In 2015, we were just starting to integrate online programming when my husband accepted an employment transfer to Florida. I resigned from my day job, but continued to work remotely on curriculum development and instructional design projects, contributing resources for both online and face-to-face courses. Working from home has given me the opportunity to return to school and take the much needed OLTD at VIU in this rapidly developing, technologically inclined, online world of education. My vision for online education has morphed and developed every step of the way.
Corinne Hamel-Taylor, Educational Resource Developer and OLTD Student
In elementary school, my teacher asked us to create a time capsule letter to ourselves. He gave us various prompts as to what to include in the letter. One of the prompts was to tell what we wanted to be when we grew up. I was a huge admirer of a very special teacher I had in primary school. She nurtured me and protected me. She encouraged me and gave me a voice. Ever since, I knew I wanted to do the same for others. In my letter I told myself that I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. (No, I don't have this letter anymore.)
As I transitioned from elementary to middle, my passion shifted. I developed a love of reading and writing. In middle school, we were asked to develop our own magazine as a collaborative language arts project. My best friend and I loved fashion magazines at the time. We used our 'expertise' to write articles featuring famous people, fashion trends and comic relief. (Yes, I still have it! Kirk Cameron with his, then fiancee)
Entering high school was a challenge for me, as it is with many. I lost the voice I was given in primary school and became very inward-focused. My social capital was limited to a few close knit friends and I spent most of my free-time devouring books and writing in my journals.
After high school graduation, however, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. I knew I still wanted to go to university, but the demands of publishing and editing would keep me from spending time with my daughter. It was after got married and gave birth to my second child, a son, that I went back to my roots and began exploring options for teaching. I completed a BA in English and TESL Linguistics Certificate at SFU and went on to teach until I became a coordinator at a non-profit language and settlement services provider and found myself back in writing curriculum. Along with administrative duties, I worked with a team to develop curriculum and instructional materials.
In 2015, we were just starting to integrate online programming when my husband accepted an employment transfer to Florida. I resigned from my day job, but continued to work remotely on curriculum development and instructional design projects, contributing resources for both online and face-to-face courses. Working from home has given me the opportunity to return to school and take the much needed OLTD at VIU in this rapidly developing, technologically inclined, online world of education. My vision for online education has morphed and developed every step of the way.
Visit my blogto follow my journey.