If we’ve met, you’ve been reading my blog or following me online, you may know that I helped develop and teach the Digital Strategy and Communications Management certificate program at University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies.
I’ve been teaching the Foundations in Digital Strategy and Social Media course* for about two years and love teaching in a classroom setting. The students are incredibly engaged, bright, full of interesting stories and relevant experiences to share.
This past semester, I was somewhat reluctant about going back to the classroom. My health hadn’t been great over the summer and I was run down but I’m happy I persevered. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to teach and grow with each and every student. I’ve been fortunate to work with fabulous groups semester after semester. Every class is different and has a unique culture. This semester was somewhat different. They were unusually social – they organized their own social gatherings after class (#digitalbeers), not just at the end of the semester with some prodding from their instructors (there were four classes that participated this time around) – but there was an unusually high number of people new to Toronto (including many new to Canada.) Several attended extracurricular events we recommended and even won great prizes! This group was uncharacteristic in the way they bonded and how each member was immensely supportive of one another.
I can’t thank them enough for the wonderful journey we shared together this past fall. I also want to thank all of our guest speakers and technicians, the team at the School of Continuing Studies and my instructor colleagues Diane Bégin, Alison Garwood-Jones, Andrew Jenkins, Cyrus Mavalwala, Donna Papacosta and lead instructor, Martin Waxman for making the teaching team such a pleasure.
For your reading pleasure
For the Foundations course, each student is required to create a blog (or enhance an existing one) and publish at least 15 original blog posts over a 15-week period. This past semester, most people began blogging for the first time. Their topics are as wide-ranging as their personalities and backgrounds. And boy, do their personalities shine through.
It has been a while since I’ve shared student blogs here – I’ve got some catching up to do over the holidays and will share past ones with you soon – I hope you’ll get to know some of them and enjoy reading them as much as I do.
Life Coincidences
Career Closet
Trying to Impress My Wife
Fresh Off ZeBoat
MODUS Pwnage
Grettisgata
Fashion Studio Magazine
Brazil Beyond Clichés
Maple Syrup and Chocolate
Trashbloid
Heyuna!
Hidden Places, Public Spaces
Rags & Pieces
The Life + Times of Taylor
Toronto Raptors
A Political Virgin
Diggin’ the Dirt
Hermit Media
Maz Osman
Trevor Parker – Writer
Thrown in Head First
Steaks + Dates
Power of Positive Thinking
Randomizer
T.O. Unlimited
No Waves No Good
Check out some of the blogs from a past semester of our program too.
Let us know which ones you’ll add to your reading list and why.
