Category: Weekly Reflections

According to BC’s Ministry of Education, digital literacy is “the interest, attitude and ability of individuals to appropriately use digital technology and communication tools to access, manage, integrate, analyze and evaluate information, construct new knowledge, create and communicate with others”. Additionally, the curriculum sets out a specific framework used to “provide a clearer, more detailed sense of what digitally literate students should understand and be able to do at various levels of their development.” This framework is listed below (taken from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/teach/resources-for-teachers/digital-literacy)

1. Research and Information Literacy: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information
2. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources
3. Creativity and Innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology
4. Digital Citizenship: Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behaviour
5. Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others
6. Technology Operations and Concepts: Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. 

I thought that today’s class was really interesting. Taking time to think about how much we rely on tech is so eye-opening! The biggest thing I realized was that it’s so easy to take AI technology for granted. One of my goals on my blog was taking more time away from technology but in all honesty, it has been pretty hard! When I have spare time it is so easy to pick up my phone to do mindless scrolling or get on my computer to get ahead on school. I think my biggest takeaway today is taking time to reflect on what you are doing on the internet and how it’s impacting you. Spending hours on social media and always feeling behind in everything else is an easy fix but finding balance in taking time away from the screen between school and free time is something I still am working on. 

Sources:

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/teach/resources-for-teachers/digital-literacy

Gamification is the integration of game elements like point systems, leaderboards, badges, or other elements related to games into “conventional” learning activities in order to increase engagement and motivation.

University of Waterloo

Game-based learning, in contrast, involves designing learning activities so that game characteristics and game principles inhere within the learning activities themselves.

University of Waterloo

Why incorporate game elements in the classroom?

According to the University of Waterloo, “Games can introduce goals, interaction, feedback, problem-solving, competition, narrative, and fun learning environments, elements that can increase learner engagement and sustain motivation.” Like grades and rewards for completing assignments and work, games offer a similar system in the form of points. In the classroom, game points can possibly be seen as an academic award. Like points, badges and leaderboard positions can also be looked at from an academic point of view.

As it’s explained by the University of Waterloo later in the article “gamification applies game elements or a game framework to existing learning activities,” whereas “game-based learning designs learning activities that are intrinsically game-like”Week 10 Gaming in the Classroom

As discussed in class, we are seeing technology in EVERY classroom! From apple products and Chromebooks to text to speech converters and reader pens, technology’s presence is extremely large in today’s society. Interactive gaming was something I found super interesting today. I feel like I am a bit out of the loop on the usage of technology in the classroom and exploring the benefits really opened my eyes!

Ideas for games in the classroom:

https://jeopardylabs.com/ (for creating jeopardy games)

https://kahoot.it/ (quizzes)

https://wordwall.net/ (quizzes and games)

https://quizlet.com/en-gb (quizzes and games)

https://www.socrative.com/ (quizzes and grades)

https://education.minecraft.net/es-es/resources/explore-lessons (lesson plans)

Sources:

https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/educational-technologies/all/gamification-and-game-based-learning

This week we talked about Inclusion in BC K-12 Schools. Chantelle Morvay-Adams, our guest speaker, from BCEdAccess was able to join our class via zoom. Together we discussed what inclusion can look like in school as well as the role technology plays in supporting inclusion.

The first thing we talked about was BCEdAccess! According to their website, “BCEdAccess Society is an entirely volunteer-run organization serving families of students with disabilities and complex learners all over the province of British Columbia.” The biggest discussion that stuck out to me was about views on technology. Specifically, for parents, there’s a denial of tech, personal tech may be outdated, access to tech can be difficult, and lastly, there’s no support for parents to learn how to use the tech. For students, lack of tech can lead to exclusion in class. It’s interesting to think about covid and remote learning in the past few years and how this can majorly affect a student’s learning.

We champion and support children and youth who have disabilities and who are complex learners to reach their full potential in BC education, and in all aspects of their lives. This is achieved through supporting families, sharing information, providing education to families, allies, professionals and students, providing community engagement and awareness, and other activities to promote equitable access to education and inclusion for all.

BCEdAccess

I thought the discussion “using technology that honours their strengths and challenges” was really interesting. Coming from a school where technology wasn’t really an opportunity for learning, it was interesting to see on my Wednesday visits how technology can open up worlds for certain students. The topic of “withholding tech because it might make other kids jealous” was definitely something I didn’t think about before. I really liked Chantelle’s quote that technology is not a toy it’s a tool.

Thinking about normalizing technology in the classroom is something we as new teachers will have to really work with and continue to work with in our future classrooms. An interesting topic that keeps coming up in our class is how we are preparing the future generation for jobs that don’t even exist yet! I believe that technology plays a major role in this because, as we said in class, technology can honour students’ strengths. As teachers, we want to foster life-long learners and set our students up for success and technology can help do that.

Sources:
https://bcedaccess.com/

This week was a really great recap. I feel like because we haven’t had a ‘normal’ class in two weeks, a semester recap was much needed. Next, we covered the topic of technology integration!

Here we were introduced to the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, or Redefinition Model. This model analyzes the impact of technology on both teaching and learning. SAMR can be a guide for teachers to assess how they are integrating technology in learning. Here teachers can ask themselves if the technology they are using in the classroom allows for enhanced learning or transformative learning. Here we discussed what ‘teaching above the line’ can look like, which essentially means how we, as educators, use media to transform our student’s learning experiences? Below I’ll break down some examples of how this can be used in the classroom.

ENHANCEMENT:

Substitution: Typing vs writing a paragraph response. In this example, we are dealing with the same assignment but one uses technology.

Augmentation: Like substitution, tech acts as a tool that substitutes. Only this time around, this substitution has a functional improvement. Google Docs for example allows students to work on formatting and spell-check. Something they didn’t have access to before with pen and paper.

TRANSFORMATION:

Modification: This is a complete redesign! In this new realm, it opens up different ways to approach assessment (e.x. collaboration and personal expression). Students can connect online and work collaboratively on assignments whether it’s peer editing or even group work via google docs and Word.

Redefinition: Here, tech allows for the creation of a new task. This is a great zone of focus as a future educator because it means we don’t have to continuously repeat the same assignment. Here we can re-conceive the same base idea. 

The other model we focused on today was The technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) model. This combines what teachers know, how they teach, and the role technology plays in impacting teaching. As explained by Schoology, “TPACK is a technology integration framework that identifies three types of knowledge instructors need to combine for successful edtech integration—technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge.” TPACK is a great way for educators to better understand the integrated relationship between pedagogy, content, and technology.

I thought that these models were both really cool concepts because they got me thinking about different ways I can use technology to meet the needs of every student. Technology, as I have learned over the past few weeks, opens up so many possibilities within the classroom! These models are both great ways that I can challenge my own understanding and push myself to find new ways to teach. Breaking this process down by understanding that I can integrate Content Knowledge (CK) (what I know), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK) (how do students learn best), and Technological Knowledge (TK) (what digital tools are available to me) is somewhat simpler than I had imagined in my head. I am excited to use these models in my future lesson planning and teaching. Especially when looking into different elementary grades! 

Sources:

Schoology. (n.d.). The TPACK Framework explained (with classroom examples). Schoology. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.schoology.com/blog/tpack-framework-explained

Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_SAMR_Model.jpg

Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/geographypages/8280963584

This week was somewhat unlike the rest. Since we weren’t in person this week we were tasked with watching some videos about Edcamp as well as communicating with our pods. As a pod, we were able to start talking about ideas for our project as well as think about when we meant to start meeting to complete it. Since this semester is quite loaded at the moment, we decided it would be best to do this project in the latter weeks of this course. As for weekly communication, I think it’s going really well! My pod group has made a great social space where we can talk about whose blog we are commenting on that week and ask questions about course material.

I thought this week’s material on Edcamp was really interesting! I loved how at these events, people are pushed to ask questions, communicate about topics they feel are close to them, as well as learn about new topics. I like the idea that it’s completely driven by participants. Because it’s personal, one can vote for what they want to experience that day. This is so cool because the possibilities of that day are endless and the choice is in your hands. I am excited for the day that COVID allows for opportunities like this again. I feel like an experience like this would be so beneficial for student candidates going into the school system! Hearing from other teachers and their experiences is something I feel like I can never get enough of. I feel like in this environment, teacher candidates would get opportunities like that so they can start to grow, learn, and develop as an educator too.

Sources:

Wikimedia Commons: Edcamp logo

Edcamp Twitter: post-it board

This week we focused on what creating resources and graphics look like. In class, I learned about the importance of creating and curating graphics and how it will be a permanent part of my practice as an educator. One of the first things discussed this week was modality in education. Modality refers to how one communicates in terms of timing and location. Reflecting on these past two years, my eyes have been opened to many different types of modalities. From graduating in a semi-online format to completing my first year of university both synchronously and asynchronously from home, and now being back in person in a face-to-face synchronous lecture format, I feel like I have experienced many forms of communication! Education is constantly changing and modality is a big portion of this! One example we discussed in class was the flipped method of education is a perfect example of new ways of integrating technology into our classrooms. 

The other topic discussed this week was addressing the question: who is the learner? In class we watched the youtube video “meet generation alpha” to answer the question who is it that we are teaching and who are our learners? This is such an interesting topic to think about because it’s crazy to think that the workforce these students are going into doesn’t even exist yet! Looking at the year 2038, for example, and realizing that that’s the year kids born in 2016 will graduate is insane. The world we are living in right now in 2022 will be entirely different in just over a decade which has made me realize the importance of looking into what these jobs students might lead in. Our cohort recently completed a project called an “Identity map” in our EDCI 306 class. The purpose of this project was to get us to realize the biases and communities we, as future teachers, bring into our classrooms. This project directly parallels what we learned today in terms of asking the question ‘why are we teaching this way’ in our practices. Moreover, going back to the demographic of generation alpha, we discussed how they were raised with technology in their hands (for the most part). Looking at this statement alone, there are so many factors to consider about their education and the world they are being raised in. Looking back on our growth from the 1880s (when the 20th-century school system was created) to today’s day and age, it’s easy to see the astronomical differences between these periods. Simply looking at the question “who did it serve then and who does it serve now” is so interesting, especially as a future educator. Canada’s formalized western education school system is a topic I will never get tired of discussing. 

Above is an example using graphic design 

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Sources:

Photo 1: Marvin Meyer Unsplash)

Photo 2: Carl Jorgensen (Unsplash)

This week we discussed our citizenship online. With Jesse Miller, we covered privacy & safety, bullying, consent, professionalism, digital footprints, and social media.

I found that this lecture was so informative! Like many of my other classmates, I have a presence on social media and have had it for years. It’s interesting to talk about our generation and our connections (and/or addictions) to our phones.

I feel today’s class got me to think about social media in another light. I was raised in a household where I was always informed about safety and social media and my parents and I were super open with what I was doing on my phone/ computer. Same with my school, we had a no-phone policy and all students obeyed and respected those rules. In the grand scheme of things, however, I know that these instances are not the case for most people. Today, I learned a lot about what is considered ‘safe’ for me and my friends online. Looking through some of the examples of inappropriate usages of social media completely shocked me that someone would do those things! I feel like it’s so important for everyone to understand their presence on social media and learn about appropriate usages of apps online. I’m happy we were able to go through what social media looks like in schools from a teacher’s perspective! Especially how we as teachers have resources that can help keep students safe online.

One of my goals for this year, which I mention in further detail in my free inquiry, was spending less time on my phone, specifically on social media. I feel like with covid and online school last year, I’m not proud of my screen time and it’s something I want to work on. My 3 hours of daily screen time can be used in much better ways and that’s what I’ve been exploring. Though it’s only been a month, I feel like I have gained a lot of insight into how I view social media. My biggest takeaway from this month at least is how I feel about social media. Most days, I feel like I’m on a fence about how important I view it. For example, I feel like using my phone to stay in contact with family through I-message as well as emails are fine. On the other hand, other texting apps change my mind and I am unsure how to feel about it. Often I feel like I need to check Snapchat to stay in contact with my friends because it’s simpler to communicate there. For example, I am in a cohort group chat and I don’t want to miss what’s happening so I check Snapchat often because I feel like I need to. I feel like I often question how bad that ‘need’ is and will a few hours change anything. Once I’m on those apps, however, it’s hard to not get sucked in and feel the need to check up on everything. It’s crazy to see how dependent I became on those apps and now, trying to step away is hard because I built it into my main methods to communicate with friends. Over that past month, I’m proud of my process of being able to just put my phone down after doing the ‘necessary’ things to catch myself up and stay in the loop.

Sources:

Photo 1: Adem AY (unsplash)

Photo 2: Georgia de Lotz (unspash)

Finally being back in a classroom this week feels so great! This week we learned about screen recording and interactive videos! I found this to be super informative and I can definitely see how these skills will benefit me in the future. I have always wondered how professors made videos interactive. What I never thought about was how hard it is to find the exact timing and allowed time for the question. 

I filmed a video of me selecting a video from unsplash and how I uploaded it to my website. After some editing on both open portfolio as well as windows video editor, BOOM! All done! 

The video is attached below:

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Sources:

Photo by Samuel Ferrara on Unsplash

I feel like I have learned so much since last week! I suddenly have a functioning website (how cool is that!) and have realized that there are a lot of rules that come along with that. One of these topics was copyright. From what I understand, having a copyright on something means that you have the power to authorize who uses it. 

“Copyright refers to the legal right of the owner of intellectual property. In simpler terms, copyright is the right to copy. This means that the original creators of products and anyone they give authorization to are the only ones with the exclusive right to reproduce the work.”

investopedia.com

Based on what we have covered in class, I feel that I fit into the k-12 category that didn’t have any kind of awareness about copyright. The extent of my schooling in technology goes as far as video making and tux paint. I feel like these first two weeks have been eye-opening for me about what I perceive technology class as. Before this class, I felt out of the loop with what skills I had on a computer but with each class, I’m gaining more and more confidence. 

The other topic I want to discuss this week is FIPPA, Privacy, and Consent Resources. Like I mentioned above, I don’t know much about technology and I think, for me at least, with that comes worry about privacy. This may be due to my mother drilling into my head that anything I opened online would give my computer a virus. With that being said, privacy is something I’m in the dark about. This week’s class was super interesting as I had never thought about individual school districts having different processes about media laws. Now knowing that as new teachers we must be aware of and follow OIPC, FIPPA, and the Cloud Computing Guidelines, I am so glad I am taking a course that educates me on what I need to know about technology going into this profession. 

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Sources

Photo 1: David Wees (Flickr)