Welcome!

Mike’s Education Portfolio

Thoughts / Design by Mike Simpson

 

Learn, Teach

Welcome to My Education Blog and Portfolio

Design and Writing by Mike Simpson

 

My Skills and Experience

Teaching and Training

I’m a teacher and trainer. I’ve designed learning in higher ed, created workshops and training materials for non-profits, and built online courses and communities.

Web and E-Learning

Creating websites, e-learning and digital communications is a key focus, along with building and managing social media channels and blogs.

Design and Media

Bringing an artistic touch is important to my work in graphics, video and media production. I work as a writer, editor, curator and digital publisher

Bio of a Learner

I’m a life-long learner – I’m always asking “What’s next?”

I started teaching in 2002, after I graduated with a TESL Diploma from CCLCS (Canadian Centre for Language and Cultural Studies). I have taught English privately, and for colleges and LINC schools in Greater Toronto.

I’m also a trainer and I teach Design – Media at the college level. Schools I’ve worked at include Centennial College, George Brown College, CCLCS, St. Stephen’s and PLI (Pacific Language Institute). I offer tutoring freelance via my site CanadaTutor.ca.

Recent courses or programs I’ve undertaken:

  • 2021-present – Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Certificate, Centennial College
  • 2016-2017 – E-Learning Certificate, University of Toronto
  • 2015 – Post-TESL Certificate, ELT/OSLT course, Humber College 

What’s next now? I’m interested in topics such as andragogy (adult learning) and UX design (user experience). Keeping up with new ideas is important to me.  Read on to view articles I’ve written on topics across the realms of culture, tech, and education.

 

Blog and Publications

Interview with Yuliya Desyatova from EnglishLanguageBits.com (Audio Resource Site for Teachers and Students)

Interview with Yuliya Desyatova from EnglishLanguageBits.com (Audio Resource Site for Teachers and Students)

Interview and photo by Mike Simpson It's my pleasure to introduce you to one of my colleagues and clients, Yulliya Desyatova. We talked about englishlanguagebits.com, Yuliya's new website for teachers and students looking for audio listening resources to practice and...

Awards

Ancestry Project logo

AncestryProject.ca

My site, Ancestry Project, won the “Digital Innovation” award for “Teaching or Learning Resource” from TESL Canada at their annual conference in 2017, 

My work involved building a membership-based website, researching topics, and writing and designing the teacher resources. Educators have access to PDFs for print or digital use, and registration is free. This work involved collaboration with other creators, including a Toronto based ESL publisher.

Inspiration and Dedication

Why Learn Teach as a philosophy?

Since about 2016, when I started using “Learn” or “Learn Teach” as my education portfolio name, I have wanted to share my thoughts about learning, teaching, culture, design and education. My education-themed blog posts arrived after I completed the most recent certificate in my learning journey: “E-Learning” at the U of T. That was an inspirational program, as the courses fostered in me a recognition that “education tech” is a valid skill for a teacher to have in the 21st century.

Originally I founded the mikesimpson.ms site to be a portfolio and blog. As time passed I have developed interests in photography and web design, which I apply toward education development. I’ve built multiple sites, designed courses and taught them, in person and online.

This site permits me to humbly share my discoveries with the world, and I’m grateful you could stop by and spend some time here.

Dedication: About my first teacher

My mother, and my first teacher, passed in 2003. Sadly she was just 58 years old. She was a school teacher before giving up her career to become a homemaker. I am grateful for everything she gave me and my brothers and our family. I dedicate this site and portfolio to Margaret “Peggy” Simpson. 

Current Work and Projects

Where I work and what I’m working on (e-learning and lifelong learning)

I am now working as an ESL teacher, design instructor, and freelance designer / e-learning developer. I have worked at schools like U of T, CCLCS, George Brown and Centennial College in Toronto. I freelance from my home office.

Last year, I completed my second course in the TLHE or “Teaching and Learning in Higher Education” certificate program at Centennial. In the new year I look forward to taking a third course. Taking courses is part of my mission to keep up to date with best practises and current educational theory.

I am not new to continuing education, as I completed the E-Learning certificate at U of T just a few years ago. Speaking of which, applying all my learning into the practice of developing courses and digital learning materials is one of my goals. I have my own Moodle and WordPress sites where I’ll be developing course materials with various interactive and assessment tools.

Big thanks for reading this far! Appreciate your visit and please be sure to get in touch!

 

Please reach out – I’d love to hear from you!