Your+Instructor

D ean Shareski (that would be me) is a Digital Learning Consultant with the [|Prairie South School Division] in Moose Jaw, SK, Canada. I specialize in the use of technology in the classroom. I hold a Masters of Education in Communications and Technology through the [|University of Saskatchewan]. I also am a sessional lecturer for the [|University of Regina]. I have taught ECMP 355 and 455 for the past 3 years for 5 terms. I relish the opportunity to work with pre-service teachers and have learned a great deal in teaching this course. I'm a learner first, a teacher second.

I consider myself a digital learning specialist. Since late 2004 I’ve been immersed in understanding what the Read/Write Web is all about and how the new shape of knowledge changes how we all learn. I believe teachers and students ought to use technology to connect ideas and learners in safe, relevant, authentic ways to answer questions, share ideas and develop community. Learning can be fun and personal.

More important than any of that is my [|family]. I’ve been married for 25 years to my lovely wife Paula. She’s a teacher-librarian and [|part time quilter]. We have 4 children ages 22,19,17 and 11, one son-in-law and two dog named Rudy (Jack Russell Terrier) and Charlotte (Chinese Shar pei). They are all very different and yet all amazing. Thank goodness for their mother. I developed a strong interest in [|videography]. I run a small business on the side that includes developing video for businesses and personal requests as well such as weddings and funerals and special projects. I’ve also designed and manage a number of websites.

Other than technology, my passions include golf, music, travel and my faith. I write out of a strong belief that school and learning must be different. My personal growth as a learner has been exponential as a result of my exploration of technology and connectivity to some of the best and brightest in education today. I’m discovering that great minds and ideas exist locally and also through personal, virtual connections. You can find most of my ramblings [|here] and [|here].