About Me!
Hi everyone! Thanks for visiting my e-portfolio. My name is Jessica O'Hanley and I am really proud of everything that went into making this site, including the journey over the past 4 years of being in the MET program. Outside of my studies, I am an elementary school teacher. More specifically, I am an international school teacher who has worked in 4 different countries over the past 12 years (Canada, Kenya, Japan and China). I am so thankful that a career exists that allows me to do what I love (teaching) while doing what I love (traveling). I hope to continue doing this for many more years, in at least a few more countries. My other hobbies include snowboarding (hence the metaphor), cooking and eating, photography, design and anything animal related.
I have a passion for inquiry based education, and believe that technology is a beautiful tool that literally brings learning to life. I have had wonderful opportunities to work alongside amazing colleagues and fellow teachers working hard to provide students with authentic learning opportunities supported by the use of technology. Technology has provided our students with opportunities to be creative, collaborative, globally minded, thinkers and action takers.
I am currently on a short term leave from the teaching profession, because how often in your life do you have the opportunity to stop and smell the roses? This year I am living life to the fullest by spending copious amounts of time with my family (in PEI Canada), reading books, making art, re-connecting with friends, walking my dog and traveling to new places around the world. The time off is wonderful (#adultgapyear), but I do look forward to returning to teaching next year.
For me, this portfolio is purely personal. It is possible that someone or some future employer could come across this page one day. But for now, this page is for me, and has been created as a reflection tool and a place where I can come and visit when looking for inspiration and to just generally articulate what I’ve learned throughout my journey as a student in the Master of Educational Technology program at UBC.
I have a passion for inquiry based education, and believe that technology is a beautiful tool that literally brings learning to life. I have had wonderful opportunities to work alongside amazing colleagues and fellow teachers working hard to provide students with authentic learning opportunities supported by the use of technology. Technology has provided our students with opportunities to be creative, collaborative, globally minded, thinkers and action takers.
I am currently on a short term leave from the teaching profession, because how often in your life do you have the opportunity to stop and smell the roses? This year I am living life to the fullest by spending copious amounts of time with my family (in PEI Canada), reading books, making art, re-connecting with friends, walking my dog and traveling to new places around the world. The time off is wonderful (#adultgapyear), but I do look forward to returning to teaching next year.
For me, this portfolio is purely personal. It is possible that someone or some future employer could come across this page one day. But for now, this page is for me, and has been created as a reflection tool and a place where I can come and visit when looking for inspiration and to just generally articulate what I’ve learned throughout my journey as a student in the Master of Educational Technology program at UBC.
The Metaphor
The metaphor I've chosen to represent my MET journey is called " A Day on the Mountain". I chose this metaphor because there are honestly so many similarities between the two. The first time I ever went snowboarding in Japan, I stood at the bottom of the mountain looking up (1831 meters), with all my gear in my hands and thought, it's huge, there is no way I can get down this mountain in one piece. This is exactly the way I remember feeling when I first started my academic journey, especially in the beginning when scholarly articles literally felt like an avalanche falling over me. The writing back then was no easier. In those days I honestly felt like the end was nowhere in sight, and often wondered, would I even make it to where I stand today?
Another similarity between the mountain and the MET program is the courses you can choose to take, literally. On the mountain, there are a variety of different types of trails, all presenting varying degrees of difficulty. Green runs are typically for beginners or those who prefer a more leisure experience, blue runs pose a bit more challenge and require a bit more skill and black diamond runs, well they are the most challenging trails on the mountain. These are the runs where you truly test your skill level. There are trees, cliffs and moguls. You definitely feel like an accomplished rider when you make it to the bottom. These different types of runs are so similar to the course options you take in any master's level program. You can't forget about the terrain park, the place where many riders go to play around and have a bit of fun. On my academic journey, I've likened the terrain park, and all of its fun to the tools I've learned about, and plan to use in my own classroom. It's the place where you can take the theories and the skills you've learned and apply them in your own context for the benefit of learning. Finally, I guess there is also the obvious connection that both the University of British Columbia and snowboarding in Japan are considered to be world class in their own leagues. Aren't I lucky to have the opportunity to do both! |
e-Portfolio Walk-Through
Check out the video below to find out a little bit about this website and how to best navigate it!
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