I have been a Senior High English teacher at Alberta Distance Learning Center for three (nearly four) years. We are a distance learning school operating out of Alberta with a student population that ranges province-wide, nation-wide and globally.

Our enrollments are high, our content is traditionally strong, and we are constantly pushing the envelope to develop content that is going to meet the needs of the 21st Century learner. It may sound like a buzzword (because it is), but there is some credence to this concept when thinking about the differences in student learning today.

I’m currently embarking on my first journey to create a new course to replace our currently 7 year old course. I’ve always had a particular affinity for the English 20-2 students, so I am quite excited and optimistic about creating a valuable learning experience for them. This will document the trials, tribulations, moments of sheer unadulterated panic, and the like, and hopefully prove to be a valuable resource for future development.

Some of the things I am encompassing in my course development are guaranteed to make it interesting:

Understanding by Design Principles

Universal Design for Learning Principles

Multiple Intelligences

Learning Styles