September 11, 2016
Greetings!
Welcome to my personal online adventure detailing my pursuit of an online teaching certification. Currently, I have four degrees, I have two bachelor degrees and two master degrees. So you may be wondering, “Why would she want to spend more time in school?”
Sharing knowledge with others has always been profoundly fulfilling for me. I love sharing my experiences with others. It doesn’t matter if those experiences were mistakes or successes. I guess that is a trait that helps keep me sane as a Registered Nurse. Nurses are always learning. So when I was offered a Clinical Educator position for a pharmaceutical company a few years ago, I didn’t hesitate to accept the new position! I mean “learning” is my thing!
For the last six years I have enjoyed being a Clinical Educator. I have learned a lot of things about myself as a Clinical Educator and as a person without any prior experience in classroom instruction. I have become extremely flexible in my teaching style. I have mastered the ability to gauge my students’ comprehension of the material being taught by their body language, facial expression, and verbal cues. I’ve studied the best ways to teach adult learners and how to keep control of the classroom on a warm summer day! Finally (and most importantly), I have acquired the critical skill of accepting constructive criticism from others whether it was deserved or not :-). Through this journey from the bedside to Clinical Educator, I discovered that I enjoyed teaching and wanted an additional skill set that could expand my horizon as a classroom teacher but also reward me with future opportunities to take my skills beyond the traditional classroom setting.
After reading about the future of online teaching in higher education, my perception of this growing field molded into something positive, constructive, and a necessary additional skill I feel that will make me a more well-rounded Clinical Educator. I feel that this certification will give me the flexibility I enjoy as a Clinical Educator, diversify my skills as a classroom educator, and help me to gain access to future opportunities.
This online teaching certification is my first experience with a fully online program. Classes have only begun one week ago, and I have already noticed differences from the traditional classroom setting. First, my overall impression is that my current online class is more organized and task oriented. I have been pleasantly surprised of my feeling of "community" when responding to posts or participating in various online activities. I enjoy that my professor provides checklists for upcoming assignments, quizzes, and projects for the entire sixteen weeks. I also like that the material is presented as mini lectures or “small chunks” that aren’t overwhelming. Finally, the convenience of learning 24/7 is right up my alley! I am looking forward to becoming more technologically savvy, gaining the necessary knowledge to assist me in meeting the challenges of pursuing this certification, and experiencing the reward of teaching others from all over the world!
