INSTRUCTORS: Catch the Learning “Bug!”

Do you remember learning how to ride a two-wheel bike instead of a tricycle?  At first, you were probably scared because you were doing something unknown and didn’t want to get hurt (it’s a long way down to the ground!).  But once you sat on the seat, put your foot to the pedal, and gave it a push, you were on your way!  Even if you fell or crashed, you got back on and started all over again.  Before you knew it, riding that two-wheel bike was as natural as breathing.  It was exhilarating, and it gave you more freedom than you had before!  Learning new things can provide those same emotions and more.  You gain pride in knowing something you didn’t before and build confidence to continue to learn new things.  You’ve now caught the learning “bug!”

As a member of the Online Learning Department at Moraine Park Technical College, I’ve experienced the anxiety of learning something new and all the questions that come with it.  Will I be able to grasp this concept? Will I be able share what I’ve learned with others so they understand it?  Can I fit this into my schedule and be successful?  Once I got beyond all the “unknowns,” I was excited about the knowledge I gained and looked forward to learning more!  I caught the “learning bug!”  Honing your skills is worth the anxiety, and the end result is rewarding.  Plus, learning new things keeps you up-to-date with what’s happening in the world around us.

To keep our instructors infected with the “learning bug,” three online professional development courses are being offered in the upcoming months: June 2017, January 2018, and June 2018.  These one-month, online courses provide instruction on each of the following topics:  Instructional Design, Online and Blended Delivery Strategies, and Using Technology in Learning.  The courses can be taken in any order, and you can complete one or all three.  To learn more about this training, please visit Cultivate U on the Professional Development tab of myMPTC.

Written by Cathy Werner, Instructional Delivery Technologies Specialist