Bio
Erna Kucanin is currently undertaking the Master of Arts in Curriculum and Pedagogy at OISE with a collaborative specialization in Knowledge Media Design. Being a student in the CTL department, over the past year, has most certainly provided her with the opportunity to dig deeper into her research interest (immersive technologies and second language learning) and apply her knowledge, creativity and experience within the courses she has accomplished. Apart from her studies, she have been teaching in the field of second language learning in Toronto for a little over 12 years now – this professional experience has undeniably provided for a solid practical insight into the complex process of second language learning and teaching, more so in the last four months than ever before. And most importantly on a personal note, she is also a fitness enthusiast and a mother of two beautiful and determined girls.
Questionaire
Why did you get involved in this project?
This project was part of a methods course (KMD1001: Methods in Knowledge Media Design) that I was enrolled in for my M.A in Education at OISE.
Did the one week turn-around for the work help or hinder your creativity?
Both in some way. At first, I felt a bit pressured to complete the video footage in a week’s time as I generally need time to reflect upon my work before submitting it, but on the contrary it truly brought forward authentic unedited pieces of work representing the current state of mind.
How did you feel about working on a project where you didn’t know who you were collaborating with?
Great! Although I am a big fan of collaborative tasks, working in a team can sometimes become exhausting in terms of constantly having to be vigilant of our own opinions, behaviours and ideas towards others. By contributing to a group project anonymously, it truly helped me bring forth my ideas without having to consider others’ opinions or remarks. I felt that each person received an equal voice in this process.
Has being involved in the project changed your thoughts on creativity?
Yes. Collaborative creativity consists of equal space for individual creativity.