SCOTAY, A Flexible Learning Path
By Gwen Saando
My name is Gwendolyne Saando, and I am a third-year practicum student with SCOTAY (Student Consultants on Teaching at York) program in the Teaching Commons. I am pursing my BA, Educational Studies and am privileged to be part of the welcoming “SCOTAY” Teaching Commons family. I didn’t know what to expect, but one thing I was sure about is my eagerness to learn new things with an open mind. During orientation, our instructor informed us that we shall be working with different stakeholders such as faculty members (Professors). I was nervous about these interactions (“Fear of the unknown”) and little did I know that this experience was a sign /journey of experiential growth for me. I do testify that It has turned out to be an amazing and ongoing learning process for my intended career profession (Educational Consultant, Student Advisor, Coach/Facilitator). One of my personal SCOTAY goals was to acquire skills that will prepare me for the future. With no doubt I came to the right place.
With the SCOTAY learning experience, I now know that for education/learning to happen, there has to be a close relationship between an Educator and a student. I have learnt about Universal Design for Learning and how it is important in supporting student learning. As students, we have different needs, backgrounds, language abilities, and cultures, and as an immigrant student on an educational journey, I have faced challenges that affected my learning process and I didn’t have a voice to advocate for myself to the instructors. I felt marginalized, but because of my resilience, I was able to succeed. Let us take a minute to think about those that are not resilient enough? Where are they now? Was it by choice or circumstances? So, what can we do to accommodate everyone’s learning journey despite the differences?
Through the SCOTAY experience, I have learnt about the different multiple means of Representation, Action and Expression & multiple means of Engagement and I am now able to engage with different forms of learning thanks to SCOTAY. This personalizes my learning experience to better meet the unique needs of individual professors and students. The SCOTAY platform has presented me with an opportunity of working with & supporting different professors that are on the Universal Design of Learning journey. Individual professors and I have been able to have meaningful discussions of how she/he can explore multi means of representation that can accommodate all students in the classroom regardless of their learning abilities. For example , I attend and observe their lectures and provide constructive feedback such as to increase use the of digital platforms such as fully utilizing the features of Moodle, incorporating multiple uses of case studies, videos, audio, PowerPoint, glossaries, and so many others. Supporting professors with their individual development goals has also handed me key career skills such as communication, attentive listening, confidence, providing constructive feedback, & teamwork.
My key learning take away is Rethinking Learner-Teacher Relationships as being a two way -communication model whereby instructors have to embrace new learner-centered models to address this concern. Also, I would like to recognize the tireless efforts of my SCOTAY practicum instructor who has worked with us above and beyond. She has supported our learning process, goals in addition to provide shadow support in our meetings with the respective faculty members assigned. I must commend that she has done an amazing job in supporting me and my colleagues towards achieving our future learning goals.
Well, I made the right practicum choice – I feel a sense of belonging and am having a productive learning experience.
Our SCOTAY students are ready to visit your classroom and engage with you in a reflective discussion and offer feedback based on an observation of a lecture of your choice. If you are interested in learning more about our SCOTAY program, or if you would like to request a visit from one of our students, here is the link to learn more. Questions can be directed to Lisa Endersby, Educational Developer, lendersb@yorku.ca
About the Author
Gwendolyne Saando is a third-year student in the Faculty of Education pursuing her BA in Educational Studies. As a SCOTAY student, her work helps the Teaching Commons support faculty in engaging in reflective professional development. Her professional goals include working as an educational consultant, student advisor, or coach/facilitator.