Why I am interested in distance education

     Technology is not only invading our everyday and professional lives, but it is becoming a necessity in our classrooms as well. It is extremely important to be versed in technology as a teacher, because in today's world children are more experienced in technology than most adults, every generation has more technology surrounding them as they grow than the previous generation. It is hard to keep up, but that is a teacher's job because they are dealing with students every year that are more technologically versed than the year before. Although online courses and distance learning has been around for years, it is always improving and being enhanced. It is not enough to simply know that distance learning is a possibility or that it is available, teachers should be experienced with the latest options. 

     I expect to learn a lot from this course because I have already learned so much just from last week's class. I expect to learn about the endless possibilities and the differences we can make through distance education. Before I knew about this class, I honestly had not given teaching through video feeds or online classes in elementary and secondary schools much thought, I did not know online classes were even available for students other than those at the college level. Unfortunately, it is natural to teach the way you were taught, and I did not have those experiences, so I suppose that is why I did not previously think about it. 

     I am looking forward to learning about the possibilities I can take advantage of in my future classroom. After I become settled in my first year or two of teaching, I predict I will experiment with distance education. I would love to collaborate with neighboring schools in the district to start, and it would be fascinating to then communicate with other classrooms around the world. I would prepare and experiment before implementing this of course, and I am confident that the students learning experiences would truly be unforgettable as a result of it. 

     Currently I am still waitressing and hosting at two different restaurants in Pacific Beach. I plan on looking for part time teaching and substituting jobs in the near future. I aspire to be a middle school or high school art teacher, possibly specifically in sculpture. Even though I am certified K-12, I would rather teach secondary. 

     Although I have taken an online seminar before, I have not take an online course. I am specifically interested in designing online courses for my future students, I believe it is extremely important in involve technology in a classroom, other than simply searching on the internet for documents or images. There are so many other possibilities that I need to learn and master so I can share them with my future students.