No pain no gain!

Online certification, module 2... wait! did I pass Web 2.0 already? Yes, I did..... and just when I thought I had passed the most challenging course, an even more challenging one arises.
Yes, I am a material creator and designer, an editor, among other things in my current job. I thought, okay, now I have to create a syllabus with activities and assessment methods for this online English course of mine. I thought: great, this is my thing... this is what I do all the time! Wrong!! With backwards design, we have to come up with enduring understanding, which is going beyond Ss' desired proficiency, but rather focus on how this whole learning they will acquire will be relevant to their own life and to the global community around them. What a challenge! My academic world shook completely!!! And I am so glad it did. I am guessing tyhis is the feeling I have to produce in my students to make them come up with essential questions which will assist their learning. I am really glad to be pulled out of my comfort zone and being forced to think out of the box in order to make learning a long lasting, meaningful experience for my future students.