Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom – Ashley Hinck
http://hybridpedagogy.org/questioning-learning/
I found the article by Hinck to be extremely relevant and also relatable from a personal standpoint. Digital Technology is a massive part of education now, and will only continue to grow, and teachers are afforded the responsibility to ensure it is used to unlock the students greatest potential, Hinck points out in this article that this is not happening. As far back as I can remember, and as recently as last school year, I have always been quick to resort to pre-made templates and shortcuts when tasked with making a presentation of some sort. It was definitely not as evident then, how much this was killing my own creativity, however this issue was brought to light in this article and forced me to critically think back on how I used digital technology in my own experiences. You can’t “drag-and-drop” your way to success in life, and I believe it’s imperative that students learn to tackle problems with innovation and without a fear of failure. Shortcuts and templates can guarantee results in the end, but what was learned in the process of ‘making’, or was there really any process of making at all? One of the concepts from Hinck’s article that really resonated with me was her connection between playing with LEGO and how we should be inspiring children to think and take on projects and challenges. Hinck states that “building LEGO without directions can invite openness, creativity, and agency,” and I believe these qualities are lacking in today’s digital pedagogies. I was big into LEGO when I was a child, and I remember the sense of freedom and shear creativity when building my very own creations, no templates or shortcuts available, all my own work based on trial and error, this was the influence behind the LEGO border of my Sketchnote. As educators, I believe it is our responsibility to motivate our students to utilize methods that may not be comfortable for them, allowing them to fail and revise rather than using simple template-based programs. I tried to make the bridge in the middle of my Sketchnote a central focus, symbolizing the need for teachers to bridge the gap between the use of things like templates, worksheets and shortcuts, to inspiring students to follow their own paths to success, even if that means failing and revising multiple times. Reading this article made me realize the reason I am still quick to use templates, worksheets and shortcuts is because of my lack of knowledge in digital technologies. I look forward to learning more about how to creatively make various projects using digital tech., and expanding my knowledge so that I can one day ensure my students are taking on their work with the empowerment and cconfidence I fell it is my job to instil within them.