I graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. After graduation, I have been working both as a self-employed tutor and as an instructor in private schools where I was responsible for teaching multiple subjects. Since many students had to travel long distances to my classes, I decided to use Skype to deliver courses by video chatting, to spare those who live far away from the school the time and energy required by coming to it. This advantageous feature permitted by online education received a tremendous popularity among them. It also allowed students from the U.S. and China to learn with me. However, Skype does not come without disadvantages. For example, communication may pose a challenge when a group of students took Skype courses at the same time, especially when several students attempted to voice their own opinions. Designing and planning for an online course were difficult. For such subjects as mathematics and physics, showing works to students through video was an ordeal for both parties. Venturing into various educational web tools and software such as Prezi and Google Drive did not yield outstanding outcomes.
I have been desperate to master both theoretical knowledge on educational technology and practical course designs and delivery tools since I stepped into the sea of online education. The Master’s degree in educational technology blazes out as a beacon of hope across the dark sea of finding a perfect education delivery system. After research, the Master of Educational Technology (MET) at UBC was found to be my best choice.
First, MET at UBC is an online course, which allows me to attend this program while applying the knowledge learned and sharing my experiences for in-class discussions. In addition, a significant amount of time and energy spared from traveling to school will be a boon for me to continue my career. Second, practicing the skills newly learned will not only enhance my teaching at work but will facilitate my studying by discussing the immediate feedback from students with professors as well. I believe that sharing the feedback will benefit other students and I will, in turn, benefit from others’ experiences too. Third, the culminating project of this program, creating an ePortfolio, enables me to synthesize, integrate, and demonstrate my knowledge acquired through the program. Finally, studying ETEC 522 will hopefully expand my horizon on education, technology, and business since I have no clue how they may be integrated.
I’m an ardent soccer player and an explorative, curious person. The two pictures below were taken during the past week when I took part in a soccer game in Richmond League and went to downhill mountain biking in Whistler. 
