03 Nov November Feature Facilitator – Ms. Annabella Ta

We are continuing our feature facilitator starting this month! Kicking off this academic year, we have Ms. Annabella Ta.  Ms. Ta has been at Xspace since since 2017.

Ms. Annabella Ta

Thinking back to her own experiences with technology as a student, Ms. Ta says that technology only became a large element of her education in university. She appreciates the old style of lecture or textbook-centered learning, but thinks that technology has made learning more diverse now than it was before. Technology allows for learning to occur anywhere, to be about anything, and to be in any medium (as long as you had access to the internet). For Ms. Ta, the best teaching and learning practices, especially in the 21st century classroom, is one that is able to blend traditional practices with modern technology. One of her dreams as a teacher is to explore the world of storytelling and social issues in video games with her students one day.

Getting to know the students is the most enjoyable part about teaching online and at Xspace. Being online in a one-on-one setting allows for flexibility in time to have fun and engaging discussions about life experience, real life events, and hobbies and interests—especially when students can connect with the learning material.

Ms. Ta has learned many interesting things from students such as the differences between national military uniforms during WWI and WWII are, and the common themes and methods of Chinese poetry. One of the most important lesson she has learned from students is that learning is a process, and it takes as long as one needs it to, as long as we get where we want to be!

Ms Ta’s advice for students taking online courses: Try to balance your life and time well. Academics is important, but being in a good and rested mindset is equally important! That doesn’t mean to relax and have fun all the time. If you leave your assignments and studies to accumulate, you’ll only create more stress and unhappiness for yourself. As the saying goes: “Play hard, study hard!”

Other interesting questions for Ms. Ta:

If you could have a super power, what would it be?

Creation! 😀

What is one food you cannot live without?

Eggs

One more random fact about you:

I love cats, but they don’t love me ☹

Written by: Karen Chu