MOOCS!

Besides sounding like a fool when you pronounce them, MOOCS are pretty much the coolest things out there. MOOCS stands for Massive Online Open Courses aka democratic education. I absolutely love the concept of MOOCS because it brings education to anyone who has access to the Internet (which is not enough, but is definitely the right step towards free public-access education). These online courses come in many shapes in sizes, dealing with subjects across the globe. Students get to choose what they want to partake in instead of taking classes to fulfill degree requirements. This concept is almost threatening as a future teacher as it gives students access to skilled professionals who have perfected their courses over many many years. Of course, nothing quite beats the one-on-one interaction that teachers can offer, but technology is quickly changing that as programs like Skype and FaceTime grant that face-to-face interaction.

I love that MOOCS can be seen as a professional development tool as well. Here is a link for some great teacher-related MOOCS that could be used to improve yourself as an educator. As the end of my university career draws to a close I am already dreading not having the constant input of knowledge that classes can supply, but MOOCS help ease this. If you have the dedication and the time, there is no end of subjects that you can learn from bright and talented individuals.

While slightly different than your typical MOOC, I can't help but use this opportunity to plug one of my favourite learning tools, TED talks. TED, found here, is a free website that hosts hundreds of great speeches done by inspirational speakers all over the world. The subjects range from science to humanities, from art to innovation, from humour to inspiration. There is something for every type of learner on TED and the speakers are always interesting. It is a personal goal of mine to be asked to give a TED talk as some of my own personal heroes have had the honour to do so. I strongly encourage you to check the site out and use it as a tool for your own professional development. You can start with one of my favourite talks, found below.