Inquiry | Margaret A. Powers

Category Archives: Inquiry

Joining #etmooc to Connect and Learn

Posted on January 18, 2013 | 2 comments

I finally took the plunge and joined #etmooc! I have been watching the course grow and evolve online for a few years now but I had never actually jumped in and signed up. I was always worried that I didn’t have the time (still a bit worried about that) but after successfully completing my first MOOC in 2012, I feel like it’s time to give this a try. I’m particularly excited because this is a “Connectivist” MOOC, compared to the content-based one I took in the fall. I have found that connecting with other educators and technologists who are similarly passionate about using technology as a tool for meaningful learning, creation, and collaboration is the best part of having a PLN. Through #etmooc I hope to grow that network and connect with even more great minds and innovative practitioners.

Our first assignment was to create a quick introduction to ourselves using some type of media. I decided to test out Haiku Deck because I have heard great things about the app and saw some cool presentations from other participants in the course. My first attempt at it is linked above. It was very user-friendly and easy to get started. The only challenge I encountered was not getting stuck searching forever to find the “perfect” image for each of my slides. Being a photographer who loves to take, look at, and enjoy images makes that tough.

I’m looking forward to learning and trying a number of new tools during the course and connecting with others who are doing the same. It’s always nice to have company when you embark on a learning journey and now I have the privilege of traveling with people from all over the world as we engage in 11 weeks of ed tech explorations.

2 Comments

Posted in Inquiry

Tagged #edtech, #etmooc, Alec Couros, app, Arts, community, connectivist, Distance Learning, education, Educational technology, explore, haiku deck, IPad, learn, Massive open online course, MOOC, network, PLN, Professional development, technology, Twitter, world

How do you find a good professional mentor?

Posted on April 28, 2012 | 3 comments

Some rights reserved by Peter Guthrie

Tonight, my post is really more of a question: How do you find a good professional mentor?

The importance of mentors for one’s professional growth and guidance has been emphasized to me repeatedly over the years but recently the reminders have been even more prevalent. With the ending of my master’s program and the beginning of the next phase in my career, I have been attending a number of professional networking events, including a recent conference at American University. Like the other events I have attended, the Women in Business Conference reiterated the value of having a mentor but when I sat down at the “mentoring” table during lunch, there were no clear answers about how to find a mentor. I heard warnings about the political and professional complications that can arise from having a mentor in your workplace (e.g., a boss or colleague) and I heard the age old advice of reaching out to everyone you possibly can to connect with potential future mentors. I also heard comments about the added-value of mentors for women and young professionals. I’m curious to learn if there is research behind those ideas but I’m even more curious to discover why mentoring can be such a “hot topic” at networking events yet rarely have any clear actions steps associated with it. I have discovered that finding a mentor is not as easy as simply contacting as many people as you can or crossing your fingers and hoping that one will magically appear (I’ve tried).

Given the crossroads I am currently at professionally (i.e., selecting a career path to build upon my new master’s degree, one that ideally combines some or all of my interests in early childhood education, global education, and educational technology) it seems like the perfect time to search for a professional mentor. It would be amazing to have guidance about various professional paths, such as working as an independent consultant versus a full-time employee, or to to learn more about the best ways to find a career that will allow me to continue to grow professionally. I’m interested to hear another person’s professional perspective about each of the career fields I am exploring and the ideal way to set myself up to achieve my professional goals.

So with all of those questions in mind, I ultimately come back to the first question, how do you find a good professional mentor? I’d love to hear others’ ideas and experiences with answering this question!