Edith Cowan University

This might be the one.

Edith Cowan University (ECU) is located in Perth, Western Australia. It is one of the most innovative universities in Australia, with many research centres and connections to industry in various fields, including education. Programs are professional and technical in nature. The university is named for Australia's first woman Member of Parliament, similar to Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario. Interestingly, ECU has an exchange program with my alma mater in Canada, the University of Guelph, which is also an innovative and research-focused university.

I see two attractive options, and frankly, I want to do both of them in time.

First, there is the Master of Professional Communications (Interactive Multimedia Technologies) program. This course is 1.5 years, and provides employment opportunities in management in interactive multimedia industries. Like the UTS program, I feel this would be an excellent compliment to the M.A. I already possess.

Second, there is the doctoral research program in the Centre of Schooling and Learning Technologies. I have already been in contact with the director of the centre, Dr. Paul Newhouse, about my interests in the field, and he has responded favorably to my study inquiries. Dr. Newhouse happens to be doing research into the use of portable computing devices in schools, which is very similar to my interest in mobile e-learning solutions.

And don't forget the added bonus of free schooling for my kids while I'm studying (if I go there).

In writing this post, I just get the feeling that ECU could be the exact opportunity that I've been looking for in my desire to move to Australia. Excellent programs, beautiful city, great climate, healthy lifestyle, all in an English-speaking country.

:-)

The education fair

Earlier today, I attended the Australia-New Zealand Education Fair at COEX in Seoul. It turned out to be very productive, as I learned about a few other schools that offer programs that interest me, with the added bonus of cheaper cost of living.

I'm talking mainly about the city of Perth, which is on the west coast of Australia. Perth is the fourth largest city in Australia, but it is isolated from most other urban centres in the country. I think this makes the state of Western Australia a little more forgiving for foreign residents than, say New South Wales; the cost of living is apparently much less than in Sydney, and the kids might even be able to attend school for free while I do a degree program. I still need to look into the particulars on that last part, but that savings of close to $16 000 suddenly moves Perth to the top of my destinations list.

I spoke with representatives from the University of Western Australia (in Perth), University of Sydney, Queensland University of Technology, University of Melbourne, Swinburne University of Technology, and Edith Cowan University (which also happens to be located in Perth). So I opened my mind to other possible locations in Australia that have equally top-notch programs, and this made the fair completely worthwhile for me.

Edit: Ah, yes... here it is: fee information for dependants of post-graduate students.

Finding a home in Sydney

One of the most important decisions we will have to make is where to live when we are ready to go to Australia. I've been told that Sydney is an expensive city, and the renting method is different from either Canada or Korea.

For example, Heather's friend Rosa lives in the Sydney area with her husband and two children. As per Australian custom, they are paying rent on a weekly basis. They have found it necessary to rent one room in their apartment out to another couple in order to afford the rent.

I've said before that one of the reasons for my trip to Sydney this winter is to get a feel for the city: how big and sprawling is it, how much does it cost to live there, and is it worthwhile to consider living far out in the suburbs? What is the transportation system like for commuting?

We'll also have to consider school locations since the girls will be getting to school age at that time.

It'll be interesting to see what kind of accommodation we have when we first go to Australia. "Interesting" can of course be good or bad. I hope it is more good and less bad.

New choices: Information Technology and Interactive Multimedia

In recognizing that perhaps I want to do a program that is more technically-oriented, I am now considering the post-graduate information technology programs at UTS.

The Master of Information Technology program is 2 years of full-time study. This might be the perfect compliment to what I have already studied (my M.A. in Education/Curriculum and Technology). My first M.A. dealt mainly with the application of technologies in educational settings, whereas this program would give me more direct experience in developing technology-based solutions that could be applied to education (or elsewhere).

Another possibility is the Master of Interactive Multimedia program, which runs for 1.5 years fulltime. It is a little bit shorter and cheaper that the M.I.T. degree. Definitely worth looking at.

Sydney vacation

I've got my flight booked for Sydney.

On Christmas day, I'll be flying to Tokyo first, then going to Sydney overnight to arrive the next morning. That'll give me about 5 days to explore the city and get a feel for what life will be like when we move down there.

I'll also visit the universities to see what the campuses look like, and hopefully talk to some people about programs. Just as importantly, I'll see how expensive things are, how big the city is, and maybe even get a chance to do some swimming.

I will be returning to the northern hemisphere on New Year's Eve day. I'll stay in Tokyo New Year's Eve, and then get home the next day.

Awesome.

Other program options

When completing an application for post-graduate study at UTS and USydney, one can apply for two programs. If the first program isn't available, then you are considered for the second choice.

I've been trying to determine what my second choices would be, and I've decided that TESOL should be my other option (in addition to the E-learning programs). After all, I've been teaching ESL/EFL for 10 years now without official qualifications. It couldn't hurt to have the certification in my back pocket.

University of Sydney has a Master of Education/TESOL that can be completed in one year.

UTS similarly offers the Master of Arts in TESOL that can be completed in one to one-and-a-half years.

In fact, I might do a reverse course application at the two schools: At UTS, I might apply for e-learning first, while at USydney, I might apply for TESOL first. Then I'll have a choice of programs if I'm accepted at both.

A number of updates

The other day, I received an email regarding the Australia - New Zealand Education Fair at COEX in Seoul. I can apply to UTS and U of Sydney there and save the application fee.

This morning, I went to the Australian Embassy, but I got few solid answers about anything I didn't already know.

This afternoon, I called my Uncle Allan in New Zealand. I am strongly considering a vacation in Australia this December, and I wanted to find out if it would be worthwhile to go to New Zealand, as well. Alas, Allan and Joy are planning a trip to Antartica.

Anyway, I want to go to Sydney and get a feel for the city. I think that having a mental image of the city will motivate me to do whatever possible to move down there.

I probably should say that living there permanently is no guarantee at this point. Australia can be a tough nut to crack as far as getting permanent residence. And we will probably spend most of our savings living there that first year. But after I went through that moment of worry a couple days ago, Heather made it very clear that she wants to live there. She's willing to risk starting all over. I must admit that I admire her fortitude.

How to apply for school

Here are two links I will need to refer to when I apply:

University of Sydney

University of Technology, Sydney

Post-graduate courses

Right now, I am focusing on two programs for studying in Australia.

University of Technology, Sydney: Graduate Diploma in E-learning

University of Sydney: Graduate Diploma Program - Information Technology in Education

Steps leading to Australia

In my ongoing search for relevant information, I found the Study in Australia web site. A good resource to follow is the Steps leading to Australia.

I've sent a request for information to the University of Sydney, which offers a similar graduate diploma program to the one offered at the University of Technology, Sydney. At least I have two potential schools to attend. The more options, the better.

I suspect that I should pay a visit to the Australian Embassy in Seoul.

Worries about moving to Australia?

Of course, we are not looking at this planned move with blinders on. I specifically asked Heather to think of arguments against going to Australia, and I did the same. We couldn't think of too many insurmountable issues to keep us from wanting to go there.

I guess it would be wise to avoid swimming in the ocean - you know, SHARKS! And it is recommended that you wear sunscreen regularly in the summer months. Okay, fine. These are fairly minor issues in the grand scheme of things... certainly nothing to suggest we not go to Australia.

But what if I don't get accepted into the program I will apply for? It shouldn't be a problem, but I won't know until the time comes to apply (about a year from now). Will it be difficult for me to get a job? Money will definitely be an issue that determines if we can stay there for the long term. We originally left Canada in 2000 because of money - my job didn't pay enough of it to cover all the bills. Now, we no longer have student loan payments to make, but we do have kids who will have to go to school. Being foreigners, I'd imagine we'll have to pay a lot for the privilege of sending our kids to school.

I think, though, that my plan this time will help us to deal with these issues. When Heather and I moved back to Canada in 1998, I had no plan. As a result, I did nothing for 4 months, and then I found a job through an internship program that paid peanuts. Even a second job as a teacher at Seneca College only brought in a little extra. This time, I have an advanced degree in education, and I plan to further my education in the hopes of getting a high-paying job.

One more issue is dealing with immigration. Australia gets many more applications each year than it grants, so there is no guarantee of being accepted as permanent residents when we apply. I can place my faith, however, in knowing that I will have completed a post-graduate program in Australia. This should give me an advantage.

We know that this won't be totally easy. With proper planning, however, we can make this work.

Map of Australia

A nice simple map to look at.

Why Australia?

Heather and I agree on many things in life, which has made it fairly easy to come to some important decisions over the years. In this case, we both love the idea of going to Australia, and there are practical reasons for the optimism.

For Heather, this is an opportunity to visit her family (aunt, uncle, cousins) and a close friend who all live there. For me, Australia offers the opportunity to continue my education at the graduate level in the field of instructional technology (there are two excellent universities in Sydney with the programs I like; none in Canada).

Both of us love the idea of living in a country that values "the good life" - which is to say we want to avoid high-tension lifestyles like one experiences in a country such as Korea. Australians are famous for laid-back living, although I do not doubt life can get hectic there. We also like the weather, as winters in Sydney do not get anywhere near as cold as in Canada. Australia is regularly selected as one of the best countries in the world in which to live.

Australia is an English-speaking country. We want our children to go to English-language schools, which is why we wish to leave Korea sooner rather than later.

These are the most important factors that have gone into our decision to move to Australia. Considering these reasons, it was a relatively easy choice to move down under.

The Decision Made

I am starting this new blog to document our expected move to Australia in 2007. I will be doing a lot of research about Australia in the coming year and a half in the hopes of preparing for a new life in this country.

Perhaps I am assuming too much. Maybe my wife and I are getting ahead of ourselves by committing ourselves like this. Nevertheless, we have many good reasons for going there, including the opportunity to go to school again (hopefully resulting in a professor's job or something in the educational technology industry). I will talk about these reasons and other sources of inspiration in this blog.

Also, for the first time, I hope to get other people to contribute to this journal. I know of a few people who live there who could maybe give us some answers to the biggest questions we have about Australia. And if they would like to pass this blog address to any other people who could help, that would be great.

The decision to go to Australia has been made, and that is the first step. Now comes the research and planning for our actual move. Then, hopefully in early 2007, we will go there and begin the next step in our lives. If any family or friends have thoughts about our move, I hope they contribute, as well. So here goes.

No worries, right, mate?