I decided to read the article “Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom” by Ashley Hinck. In today’s world, technology in the classroom is inevitable. Ashley tells her story of teaching digital media in the classroom and brings forward the different platforms available for students to use. Many of the platforms that she lists have pre-made templates that students can follow to help them reach the “right” goal. These platforms are created in the same way that our education is created. We follow a set of clear instruction, use resources that are pre-made for us like multiple choice tests, and in the end we pass or fail. These applications may be easy to follow but they are limiting students. If students are using a template made for them, they have no way of exploring. To the students, trial and error is a failure, not an opportunity to learn more. The students are creating something that someone else made for them; they are not being active participants in their own learning. Students draw on their past experiences so even if these templates aren’t physically in the classroom, they may continue to perform this way. This is why it is important to encourage failures and celebrate students’ successes. It is not about wrong or right, it is about how they can fix it and learning from fixing it.
I chose to use the application called Canva. Canva follows this step by step/template process but there is also an option where the student can start from scratch. I have to admit that I chose this because it was an easier way to create something, with a template ready for me to use. I could choose from different templates but add my own information to it. I had a few difficulties with the program but that was because of my own laptop. The website was actually easy to navigate through and fairly straightforward. I still get overwhelmed with technology and am not the most knowledgeable when it comes to the web. I liked the idea that this website offers both options. It is important for the student to be an active participant in their own learning and to create their own work. At the same time some students learn different ways and need this template process to show their work. For some students, this step by step, and being told clear instructions, is the way that works for them. Some students enjoy a more organized lesson because so many choices can be overwhelming for them. Other students just have so many ideas and thoughts that they need the freedom to create every piece of the assignment. Personally, I can work both ways, so I enjoy having both options presented to me. I do like the idea of celebrating the successes and the failures of the students. This is how we learn. The mistakes are just as important as the things we get right. Students should be encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and learn more about the digital world. I think that freedom is a good thing and allows students to explore, but step by step instructions can also be useful to students. Everyone learns and creates in different ways! As a teacher I think it is important to include all of this technology in the classroom. But I find it scary to use ones that I have not tried out before. I remember being in grade school and my computer teacher gave us a lot of freedom with his assignments. We had to create songs on Garage Band but he did not tell us the instruments we had to use or the genre. We were allowed so much freedom in the way we wanted to make our song. I am hoping that as I learn more about the different platforms I can use them in the classroom without being so hesitant.