David's Story

David’s Distance Education Story.
David’s distance education story began when he immigrated to Canada from his country of origin. David says, “before I came in Canada, I was in Dubai for two years and I didn't finish my college degree in [his country of origin]. That's why when I got my opportunity to study here in [the] Northwest Territory, I [took] the chance to finish my study.” David says, “I want[ed] to get at least certification here in Canada.” David’s desire to become a Personal Support Worker began while he was working in housekeeping in his local long term care facility. David says, “when I was in housekeeping, when I'm cleaning the rooms and seeing [the elders] sad” David tried “to connect with them like… a family member.” David wanted to provide comfort and care for elders and recognized that being in care is “hard for them … I'm seeing the elders, that they have their struggle[s] staying on long term [care units].” David took the time to talk and dance with the elders in his care, trying to improve their lives and to make them happy. During this time David says he thought, “why… don’t I take the PSW [Personal Support Worker program] first instead and work with the elders?” Looking from the outside in, David says, “they are in long term [care] and everything that [I see about the elder’s needs] makes me motivated to take this course and finish this course.” These thoughts for the elders made David “motivated to succeed” in his program.
Supportive Relationships.
David attributes his success to the people who supported him in the Personal Support Worker certificate program including the Program Head, the instructors, and his wife. David says that completing the program would have been difficult “without the[se] people, [they were] patient to help us.” When speaking about the Program Head David says, “I try to always mention Wanda because yah she is one of the reasons I finished the course … she not just an instructor, she's like a friend … she’s a motivator … [to] motivate me well to finish the course.” Although David says that “doing my study, it's kind of hard because I'm working at the same time, part-time, and doing school,” he also acknowledges the importance of his wife in his educational journey saying, a “good thing … was my wife, she helped me to finish the study.” David reflects and says, “I almost quit and then my wife and my instructor motivate[d] me… and then I finished the course… [and] I feel really happy.”
David continues to give credit to the Program Head, instructors, and his wife through their supportive relationships and says, “Wanda [is a really big help. She] motivate[s] you [and asks us students] ‘what’s your goals?’ [She] remind[s] you [about] everything. [She reminds students by saying things like] ‘do [you know] what you’re going to have when you finish the course?’ She is always reminding us that when you finish these course[s] you're gonna get more…” David also says that the Program Head and instructors are “a big help … reminding us, and motivating us, one more month, two more months, just the practicum.” David is aware that all of the work done by the program team “is a really big job” and that he appreciates and values these supports. David emphasizes the importance of his wife again in his educational journey saying, “especially my wife, like she's the number one… supporter that I have.”
Course Content and Resources.
David talks about the books and resources the program teams send to him and says, “the books that they send us … will guide you to learn the course.” David also talks about the weekly lecture recordings and their importance. He says, “they recorded everything for us so even [if] we can’t join the class we can still watch the class, what they did for that day. You will not miss anything because of their effort.” David says that the “videos and the supports are a really big help. Without them I don’t think that I [could] finish the course.” David also stressed the importance of the pedagogical approaches instructors use to ensure students learn and says, “and yeah, the way they teach us you will learn.”
Course Content and Resources - Benefits of Technology and Distance Education.
David says, “we can’t stop the technology anymore” and provides an example: “Like back before when I was in [his country of origin], even if it is raining and there is a thunderstorm or whatever you need to show up in the class. Now it’s windy, I don't want to go out, you can stay home and you can do all that [schooling using technology].” David also says, “Sometimes … course[s] are made easier for us because of the technology …. [We can connect] through Microsoft Teams, … [the instructors] used Moodle as well … [to] connect with us.” There is “more [course] support there … because of that technology” [my program uses]. David recognizes that technology-enabled learning can happen anywhere and that it has become very significant in his program. David contemplates that if his program hadn’t been offered at a distance he would have had to travel to Yellowknife to become a PSW. David shares that if he moved to Yellowknife for courses, “I’m going to miss my family” and considers his studies “would take more time for school,” create a financial burden on his family, and concludes that “I don’t think I’ll do that … course.”
Challenges.
When speaking about the challenges of learning at a distance, David reflects on his personal challenges and also those of the institution. Personally, David says, “Yah, I would prefer to be in class [face-to-face].” David also found it hard to get into the program because of technical issues, David says, “for me, it's really hard to enroll, check this account … forget my password and everything.” In addition, David shares his challenges balancing work, school, and family, David says, “the challenges as I said I’m working as a full time, as housekeeping, besides that I'm doing [a] part-time job and doing school. At the same time, I have two kids that they are doing what they call ‘home school’ [and they need to be taught].” David also became ill and talks about the experience as a “really big struggle” and about how he had to manage his work, school, and family-life balance while “doing all that kind of stuff, while doing school.” David explains, “First I'm just doing the part-time course and then I stopped for a while and then they open[ed] another full time [cohort] and I took the year and a half like that.” David says, “I almost [gave] up, I almost quit, but because of my instructor and my wife [they kept pushing me to] just finish it. ‘It's just three months, its just four months, finish this, David.’”
David also acknowledges institutional challenges and says, “sometimes, at the beginning it's hard because [of the effort required by college] … just starting the long-distance course sometimes.” David remembers the institutional IT challenges and says that by “the middle of the course they improve[d] the technology, the IT did well.” David was also not aware of other students studying in his community and program. “There are other students studying here but at the time we didn’t know each other.”
One Word to Describe Why You are Successful.
David chose two words, “happy family,” to describe his success, and explains his choice. David says, “As a father, [I am] what they call …[a] motivator for my kids… I need to give them wherever they want. [This doesn’t] mean that you're gonna spoil them or whatever. But if you haven't finished this [program then maybe] … you can’t get a full time job, you will be stressed. [If you’re] less stressed [you are more available] and [have] more time with your kids. Yeah, yes and at the same time you… [are more] focus[ed] on your family because you're not thinking about losing your job. You're not thinking about tomorrow [and needing to find a job to provide for your family] … I'm just a high school graduate [but] now I can say… I'm a PSW and everything makes my family happy.”
Most Important Thoughts from the Interview.
When David was asked what he wanted to be remembered for from his interview, his first point was that taking the PSW program has “given him confidence.” Second, David says, “I say… [that] I'm happier now with my life now because I can say now, I’m a confident person.” David is grateful that “they launched this long distance” program. David also recognizes that creating a distance program was difficult for the Program Head and instructors; he says, “although its hard for them, they still tried their best to launch this kind of long distance [program] and it’s really … help[ed] us [students], thank you.”
Final Thoughts.
David says, “I just wanted to add like I just took this course because I see people in long-term [and recognize] how they need a person, [how they] need … personal care.” The needs David speaks of include every “aspect of their life, like emotional, physical, mentally, illness, that they have right now in long-term [care].” David says that those of “us that have [an] education… [need to] help to at least less their pain on their life.” David says, “I care for them because I feel their pain … I don’t know … their background and everything but for me I prefer to make them happy.” David explains, “I know some of them they do not want to be in long term, they want to stay in their family.” David emphasises, “We are the replacement as their family. We need to give the care that they need. [It’s] not all about money.” David concludes saying, “Like you going to be older one day as well… we’re going on this kind of stage [of life] one day… and then we [will] need that care as well. We need to start humanity now … Paying it forward… that's what I believe. My mom will be there for sure, I need good care for her as well.”
“When I finished the program, it opened a lot [of opportunities] for me.” Currently David isn’t working as a PSW; he says, “now, I’m working as rehab. They hired me as rehab because I had certification as a PSW. Then they send me on training instead of hiring someone outside from [his northern community] … and then when they need people to help in as Healthcare Aide or RCA, we call it RCA here, in [his northern community]. They pull me to help them especially in pandemic times, like when the elder gets … COVID.” Taking the PSW program opened up opportunities above and beyond what David thought was possible.