Welcome
My name is Jennifer Long (Bos) and this ePortfolio is a culminating project for my Masters of Educational Technology through the University of British Columbia. This program has served to reshape and deepen my understanding of how technology can and should be used in the classroom.
My journey through the MET program has been unique, in that I took a two-year leave in the middle of it in order to move to Monteverde, Costa Rica and teach at a small environmental school. When I made the decision to move I did not realize how much it would impact my perspective of technology and thus my learning within the MET program. However, I think it would be nearly impossible not to have your perspective change when moving from a Canadian school in which technology is ubiquitous, to a school in the cloud forest where I didn't even have internet for the first six months. Things that I had taken for granted in Canada suddenly became a challenge and I had to reshape the way I approached teaching. Through these experiences I have developed a more complex understanding of technology in the classroom, and I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to grow this understanding within the MET community for my final five courses. My time in Costa Rica has had such a strong influence on the teacher/person that I am today that I wanted to have a strong presence from that time evident within my eP, which is why most of the pictures that I have used in the construction of this site are ones that I took while living in Monteverde.
I would suggest that you start your exploration of this site by first watching the video posted below in order to get a clear view of how it has been organized. Following that, the metaphor will provide a more in-depth explanation of why I have arranged my pages in the way that I have.
References
© Long, J., (2011). My Backyard [photograph].
© Long, J., (2010). Students at work [photograph].
© Long, J., (2014). Volunteering [photograph].
Britannica (2014). Succession [Image] Retrieved from http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-90130/Secondary-succession-takes-place-following-a-major-disturbance-such-as
© Long, J., (2011). My Backyard [photograph].
© Long, J., (2010). Students at work [photograph].
© Long, J., (2014). Volunteering [photograph].
Britannica (2014). Succession [Image] Retrieved from http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-90130/Secondary-succession-takes-place-following-a-major-disturbance-such-as