Shannon Horne

Certificate in Adult Learning specializing in Adult and Community Education (2011)

"There I was—on holidays in Florida—doing my coursework by the pool..."

"...Learning just doesn't get any better than that," says Shannon Horne, who just a few years ago was tentative about taking her first course online. Today, having just completed the Adult Learning Certificate—a program delivered entirely online—Shannon not only raves about the knowledge and confidence she gained, but also about her new appreciation for e-learning.

"Online learning was fantastic. I loved the freedom," she says. "When I had large chunks of time, I could dive in. The technology was frightening at first, but it is so user friendly, you really can't mess it up."

When Shannon enrolled in her first course, she was looking for help in her new role as a facilitator of in-service training at The City of Calgary. Along with that guidance came a revelation.

"I come from a family of teachers, but I never believed that I could be a teacher," says Shannon. "So, stumbling onto facilitating for adults was a bit of a gold mine for me. I've discovered I really love it."

"When I enrolled in my first course, I just wanted to know if my students were understanding what I was trying to teach," explains Shannon. "That's all I was looking for... but I went on to learn so much more."

"The program has made me much more confident than I was. Before my courses, I wasn't sure about my methods. I was just winging it. The program reinforced what I was doing right and that there are good reasons for doing much of what I was doing. That was very, very helpful to me."

When Shannon first researched adult learning programs, she discovered University of Calgary's program to be the most in-depth. "I decided if I was going to do it, I was going to do it right." Looking back at her Continuing Education experience, Shannon—who is also a U of C alumnus with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology—says: "I really feel that I've learned so much in the last few years and I believe this could open a lot of doors for me.

"It's been a very positive experience...the instructors were very good... the staff in the Continuing Education office were always accessible and helpful...It really has been such an amazing learning experience."

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