Well it’s been a few years now but I am back to the Avenue.ca / LearnIT2Teach.ca program to catch up with the Canadian educators in this summer course called “Leadership Intro Summer 25.” Like some of the other teachers it’s been about five years or more since I took my last course for LINC (ESL English) teachers and I’m excited to see what current technology and best practices we will discuss in the course.
the last time I wrote a “Back to School” themed post was in early 2016. So almost ten years ago, I registered for the E-Learning Certificate program at the University of Toronto. That program really inspired me and I worked hard on all the assignments. It was at that time I decided my interest in tech and education could lead to new opportunities and expand my career.
Read the post.
Now I have taken some courses since then, particularly as I work toward to teaching certificate “Teaching and Learning in Higher Education” at Centennial College but starting this course in 2025 feels a little like a capstone on my education exploration.
Additionally, as I first started TESL courses back in 2001 and we’re nearing twenty five years for me in teaching and learning about teaching (pedagogy). Some amazing milestones. Where will I be in this journey in another five years?
What is pedagogy?
In my mind, pedagogy is “learning about learning and how we learn” but formally pedagogy can be described as learning about the art, science, and profession of teaching. It is in this spirit of duality that some of us call ourselves “Learning Designers” rather than “Instructional Designers.”
Pedagogy encompasses the study of teaching methods, educational theories, and how knowledge and skills are imparted in an educational context. as I mentioned, pedagogy also considers the interactions that take place during learning. For me this latter aspect is a prime motivation and part of my approach to teaching is guiding students through self-directed learning.
About Me
If you are new to this blog welcome. I write from the perspective of a long-term teacher with an interest in design, media, e-learning and language instruction. As a hybrid teacher I welcome new tech and I try to make my classes informative and interesting in an audio-visual emphasis. Working with online courses or face-to-face with young learners I make ever attempt to connect, engage and guide my learners toward self-sufficiency. My philosophy is rooted in my blog title “Learn Teach.” Learning is the primary focus, teaching supports that.
Overview of their course and topics
Avenue Course title: – “Leadership Intro Summer 25”
In summary, the course provides a comprehensive introduction to leadership and relevant pedagogical approaches (like TELL, CALL, and Blended Learning) within the Canadian ESL education context, with a particular focus on technology integration and navigating change. there are opportunities for discussion and the last module titled “Applying your Learning: Reflecting on Leadership” looks very interesting. I appreciate opportunities to reflect on what I’ve learned, where I stand, and where the teaching profession industry is headed.
Topics in the course:
- TELL and CALL
- Blended Language Teaching and Learning
- Artificial Intelligence Introduction
- Avenue Standards for TELL
- Leadership and Innovation Theories
- Navigating Change
- Applying your Learning: Reflecting on Leadership
This looks to be a great variety of modules and I look forward to seeing and engaging in the topics.
Blog post about launch of the course
My Thoughts, Reflections and Looking Forward
Wrapping up this post let me state that I’m grateful to the organizers including John Allan for this opportunity to brush up on the Avenue platform and learn about ed tech and current educational practices and theories with my colleagues.
As I branch out into the hybrid world of teaching and design for education, I welcome new opportunities at work, school and play, so I am ready to take on new challenges.
It is important for educators and designers to stay on top of theories, practices and trends in their respective industries, and for those of us interested in teaching, training and design this is especially relevant. I am constantly evaluating new ideas for courses and working on improving my knowledge, whether that’s in a subject area like assessment and evaluation or designing courses for web and LMS platforms.
Thanks for reading and if you are in this course with me please drop me a line inside the website or discussions. 😀
Links and Resources
Avenue.ca Learning Leadership course for Summer 2025
Teaching and Learning in Higher Education certificate program at Centennial College
Learning Design at University of Toronto
Tdot.co aka Tdot Connect – my own platform for courses and portfolio sites