I love a MOOC, but I start a lot more than I finish. Although with my mindfullness hat on "thats OK, just notice". I guess I get out what I need and then I move on to something else. Thats only partially to do with the over scheduling of my life because as I have come to realise recently, although I over schedule and try and fit too many things into too little time I also crush an awful lot of candies!
Me and the MOOC
I work in an area that doesn't stand still. I often envy people teaching other subjects like history, maths etc because for all they complain about changing syllabuses and changing curriculum these changes surely are just reinventions of the wheel. In the subjects I teach the changes are to the materials as new technologies become more prominent. I'm an ICT teacher so the software gets updated. I'm a Computer Science teacher so new languages get introduced (and being NO programmer I have a LOT of learning to do!). I'm a media studies teacher and that doesn't stand still for a second - in fact its a bugger to teach given that social media is increasingly important and banned in school! I'm a business studies teacher - another fast paced, ever changing environment the small businesses we look at used to be a lot of white van men and now include a huge variety of mumtrepreneurs.
So the MOOC is my friend. I can learn a new language (last year Python). I can learn a new skill, I can keep up with changes in SEO and developments in software and I can even get myself certified (have I mentioned that I'm a Google Certified Educator lately?) yes I used Google's MOOC and paid extra for the certification. I also learn about pedagogy, classroom management, a new tool every week and so much more. All using MOOC's and a raft of OER.
I also keep running away from teaching and doing supply. Believe me OER is my friend here - and I love the challenge but when I take a medium/long term role I will nip on a MOOC to bring my skills up to date.
As for my personal life, I run a small business or two, do social media marketing for another business and I'm busy busy with Rotary. All of which require learning, developing, growing and moving ever forward. Rotary being a prime example - the typical Rotarian is seen as "Male, pale & stale" and this is a stereotype we are trying to break - through our marketing and social media presence. Another area I look to MOOC's for information on.
My Learners & the MOOC
I have had to teach coding in the past year as I was learning it myself. So I directed my learners to codeacademy where I directed them through the Python course and I am pleased not only with their progress but with the extra work some have done outside of my classroom. In fact a few learners have also learned additional languages from this MOOC. A real success and it has saved me from having to teach a language which I am still learning.
