This sketch-note represents my thoughts and takeaways from each weekly reflection blog post through drawings. When choosing what to draw I drew the first thing that came to mind when reading the takeaway word and phrase.
In the sketch-note you will find:
Speech/thought bubble and people speaking representing social, cognitive and physical experience
Phone, computer and report representing digital portfolio
Sketch-note representing trying sketch-noting
Gaming controller representing gaming in education
Phone with ? and no symbol representing devices in education; are they distractions or are they not?
H5P with interactive touch bubbles representing interactive videos using H5P
Globe with heart representing inclusivity
Robot with thought/speech bubbles representing GenAI
3D with lighting bolt representing 3D printing in the classroom
Here is a video on sketching-noting with fun visuals of the creator sketch-noting what is being talked about
This week’s digital device topic was interesting and relevant. The use of and access to technology in the classroom has been quite the topic of discussion for the past few years and especially now. I do believe there are many ways to use technology in the classroom that support student learning. There is a wide variety of educational supports and games that are accessible on the internet for teachers and students to use. Technology based activities can be more engaging for some students which can help class participation, engagement, and motivation. We can look at our in-class activity with the Arduino Science Journal. This platform/app gives students and teachers access to many different science experiments that can be tracked and done using devices. For me personally the app did not want to work properly on my device, therefore I am reflecting on the experiment listed on the website without using the app. I looked at the experiment on luminance which can be done k-12. I did enjoy this experiment, and I like how versatile the age range is, making it useful for all age groups. The experiment requires you to have access to a cellphone with the app for the experiment. I did not have access to a cellphone with the app and I question using this experiment in primary grades if it requires a cellphone. I think it would be interesting to use the experiment as a base line and see how it can be done with objects in the classroom rather than a cellphone. I think having the ability to pivot is helpful since not every school has access to the same technology.
As someone who wants to teach grade 2, I have been considering how digtial devices are helpful in the grade I hope to teach. I do think there is a place for devices in the classroom. That said, there are some considerations. The use of technology looks vastly different at different grade levels. There is also the addition of the cellphone ban in schools. Normally in primary grades students do not have cellphones in school anyway. I think in primary ages there is more of a focus on teaching and learning that is not technology based (hands on, social emotional, etc.). Screentime considerations are also important, students in grade 2 truly do not need to be on screens for more than 2 hours maximum. That said, videos, images and games are a wonderful way to introduce students to topics. Digital timers, brain/movement break videos and educational games are a terrific way to get your students to use technology appropriately. Using technology students have access to so much information that may or may not be appropriate. Kids are extremely curious so making sure they are on track using devices is important. Monitoring and giving access to school devices may help mitigate this. It is also important to make device expectations clear because not only is content important but device care as well.
Brittany Johnson’s classroom management presentation was filled with incredibly useful management techniques that she uses herself. I really enjoyed her presentation as it included techniques, I am familiar with but also new ways I have never seen or heard of before. Her morning start routine used social emotional learning check ins. I know many teachers that use morning check ins for their students. I find they are useful, so the teacher has a deeper understanding of how each student is doing on that day. I really liked her discussion of the I do, we do, you do strategy. This strategy is a great way to introduce new projects, ideas and topics to students by having the teacher model, then model as a class and then have the students do it on their own.
Two new things from the presentation were the digital portfolio/ fresh grades and the hug machine. The digital portfolio is something new to me. I think this is a great way to share class work with parents or guardians. Also, this is a great way to start conversations at home about a school day as mentioned in class. The hug machine is not something I have ever seen before. It is a very interesting contraption, but I believe it would be very beneficial for students, and I would love to look further into it.
Here is a website regarding the hug machine that I found interesting! There is a video within explain it.
This week we discussed coding and gaming in education.
Coding and Computational Thinking
Coding was super interesting and I loved to see it in a simple form for students to use. I think coding and computational thinking can help break down complex ideas into digestible steps. This then allows a student to understand what steps are taken within a process. I also believe students are able to see what may be wrong when processes are broken down into steps allowing them to think what needs to come next change. Coding is a great way to visualize complex ideas such as math problems. I find younger grades benefit greatly from seeing mathematics broken down visuals to see the steps and further understanding.
Gaming in Education
I think gaming is a versatile media. I think I can be used in education but is also popular outside of educational use. Games give students a visual and tactile option in learning which can increase engagement among a class. I think if games are used in educational context they should be balanced with other activities so students don’t become dependent on a digital resource. Having combination of things like games, coding, lecture and activities provide an engaging multimedia approach. I find that the lessons that had this approach were the ones I found most engaging and memorable in school. The only issue that jumps out at be is access to technology within schools. There may be limitations on technology which does not give each students the same experience. Overall, I think both coding and gaming provide an engaging approach to education that can help build thinking and problem solving skills.
I found information on SAMR, TPACK, sketch-noting and canva very interesting. Personally I have never used sketch-nothing before and I found it very to be a good tool to take notes. I normally take note son my computer which I do know is not the best for information recall. I think sketch-noting could be a valuable tool for students giving them hands note taking and connecting ideas through drawings. For me personally I had a hard time doing the sketch note efficiently by hand. I wanted it to be perfect even though I knew it did not have to be. I know not everyone feels this way but this could be an issue for some people.
Both SAMR and TPACK were new to me and not something I have ever learned or heard about. I found them a bit tricky to understand at first but after class discussion I can see the benefits of both SMAR and TPACK when looking at technology integration. One thing to note that I found interesting was how one idea can fit into multiple categories within the SMAR model. For example we talked about the addition of an iPad which can fit into the first to categories, substitution and augmentation. I do hope to look a bit more into these models to create a better understanding for myself. This is a website I am using to learn a bit more about TPACK.
My Sketch note
My Canva Infographic on the First Peoples Principles of Learning
Learning about assistive technology was incredibly eye opening and informative. When looking over my website I never realized how many diverse things can make technology inaccessible for many. Personally my website had several contrast errors. I originally chose colours that I liked and thought look aesthetically pleasing. Now I know how hard it is to see font against certain colours making even my website hard to use. I think contrast is a very common issue across many website making it hard for people with vision problems to use digital resources. Also learning how to make post more accessible to individuals that use screen readers was interesting. It’s as simple as adding headings to break up text but that is never something that crossed my mind. I hope as I move forward in my use of technology I am thoughtful about how I can use and create assistive technology.
This week’s 3D printing workshop was extremely eye opening. 3D printing is not something I would ever have thought to be associated with a classroom setting. The potential for the use of 3D printing does depend on the circumstances within a classroom. I know many teachers that have sensory or calm corners for their students. With 3D printing you could have students make manipulative objects for those spaces. I also think you could create letters or numbers with 3D printing to be used for core subjects to give students a tactile and visual learning experience.
Some issues could arise when using technology such as 3D printing. Since some schools have limited access to funding and or technology not everyone can have access to the same experience. As well as class size, which could affect the use of the available technology. If technology like 3D printing is accessible within a classroom setting it’s a great way to give students creative freedom and spark imagination. While also building up their strength with different forms of technology.
Here is a resource for different ways to use 3D printing in the classroom
GenAI is a large topic of conversation in education. Many people have their own individual opinions on what the use of GenAI can mean within an educational setting. My past use of GenAI has always been limited by my instructors or teacher guidelines. Since I have never fully delved into the uses of GenAI I do not carry a strong opinion on the use of it. In the past I have found it useful to narrow down a very broad topic for the purposes of an essay. I also use spell/grammar checkers which help me take another look over my writing and maybe notice issues I did not before. One of the final uses are citation machines/generators. These have been incredibly helpful to give me a base of what certain styles of citation should look like. I have found you should always look over them before using them. For most uses of GenAI I find I always look over them to ensure I am using and presenting quality information and that goes for any of the uses I stated above.
The use of GenAI has become more and more popular throughout the years. I think there is value in educating myself and others in the proper uses of tools like GenAI. Ensuring students understand how GenAI can be responsible used as too, is important. GenAI cannot be a replacement for work, but it could be used as a tool to help generate topics. Many GenAI databases do not always put forth the best information. This could lead to plagiarism, infringement on source uses/privacy and the use of false information. Using false information does not give a student an enriched understanding of the topic they are working on. When this tool is used irresponsibly, I question what are my students truly learning? Much of the Information from these search engines can carry heavy bias towards, location, gender, race, culture and so much more. I worry about what students may be able to learn and consume through GenAI. It is important to share that GenAI uses large amounts of power per search through hydro, electricity, fossil fuels, etc. The overuse of these search engines can aid in the ongoing climate crisis. I do know students will use GenAI so I would like to make them knowledgeable and responsible users of that tool.
I have never made an interactive video before, and it was a very useful and interesting thing to learn. The quality of interactive modifications is not the best, but I think with practice it could make an effective classroom tool. I do believe a higher grade level would be more of the target audience for interactive videos. The participation and interaction with the video would be more organized and higher grades could follow along more easily. I do think you could incorporate some H5P tools into younger age groups, but it could be harder to control and direct an activity around it. Since I am new to using H5P I did not exactly know what to use or how to use it. I think different colours, shapes and fonts could make the video a bit more eye-catching or intriguing. The quiz or multiple-choice options could be very engaging for students. It could be more of a class activity rather than a normal paper quiz. It’s a great opportunity to get students to interact socially if you give them a few moments to discuss what they think the answer could be. I also do think it could be a great guided exercise for students. Since many students have not used technology like this before, walking them through a tutorial and then allowing them to try to create their own version of what we did could be a great activity. It gives them an opportunity to try new things while also expressing their own unique interests and editing styles.
The education system has remained relatively stagnant throughout history. Change and creativity is present in our education system, but it normally moves at a slower pace. Reimagining education can look very different depending on one’s own personal worldview and/or lens. The system has flaws much like any system. The curriculum is a base or directory of what students should learn each year in school. An educator’s approach or dynamic with students can really determine what is taken from each lesson. Ultimately a student’s experience at school, whether it is social, cognitive or physical, can create a varying perspective of what school is supposed to be. As described in Greg Whiteley’s Most Likely to Succeed (2015) the education system gives students what is considered fundamental information from each subject. In comparison to the alternative school in the documentary that gave their students and teachers freedom to learn and teach outside our traditional education dynamic, developing fundamental knowledge but also skills.
When I think of reimaging education, I think of taking agency as an educator to make changes that positively impact my students. Taking into consideration the individuality of every student and how the learning environment I create, and foster can impact their perception and experience of school. This could include modification or even alternate activities, taking a more student-centered approach. I will need to consider what are the learning outcomes on a whole and Indvidual level and what I want my students to take from a lesson.
The education system will shift and change, and I am incredibility excited and also curious for what that will hold. I hope to bring a different dynamic than what I had in school. I experienced a more lesson plan/teacher focused setting which did have its pros and cons. I find that a lot of what is considered fundamental information is not necessarily what stuck with me the most. I find the chances I got to prusue my own learning objectives passionately is the information I can quickly recall. This can look very different for each individual because people thrive in different learning environments. When taking too many factors into account the possibility of losing sight of the overarching goal could occur. Concerns about the education system and their assessments adequately setting up students for the route of post-secondary education have become relevant. Educators must determine how alternative teaching methods may affect student outcomes. Taking into consideration social, cultural, and technological factors can help educators mitigate obstacles.
