I decided to read the Hybrid pedagogy article, “Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom” by Ashley Hinck. The article summarizes how most programs we use have a template where we are accustomed and “trained” in a sense, to drag and drop files and follow a guideline of linear steps. The steps will usually lead to a single correct answer. These programs do not enhance student’s ability to think but instead to follow and become ghosts. Students become like an assembly line. They are all working like assembly workers to get a million different copies of the same exact product. This leads to a lack of creativity that many students face. We become like robots, where we are programmed to know a certain level of ideas but cannot work beyond our capacities, due to the template programs that surround us. We forget how to use our most powerful tool in the body, the brain. Hinck suggests that we should move on to more open-ended platforms that give students the freedom to make their own choices and just use their creativity to think outside of the box. However, this leads to a lot of frustration in students as trial and error may seem like they have failed. We need to teach students that failure is normal, and it takes time. There is more than 1 right answer and we need to learn how to troubleshoot when we run into a problem and not just give up. These platforms give students the freedom to become the creators and makers they were meant to be.
I decided to use a sketchnote for this reflection as I was able to think about how I wanted to display my ideas. Starting off with a blank sheet of paper, I was able to go through a few rough drafts and brainstorm the final picture in my head. This platform gave me the freedom to change things up and choose my own fonts, colours, pictures that certain programs may not allow you to do. Being able to choose what platform I wanted was great as it helps reinforce the fact that students do not all have to choose the same platform to display their ideas.
I love the idea of bringing sketchnotes into a classroom. There is no template or guideline that is necessary to follow. Every students work will be different from one another. I know for myself, starting off with nothing was a bit scary. There was no guideline to fall back onto, or that “I think I am doing this right?” mindset. It took some time to start, but once I started the process of making it was enjoyable. It would be a great thing for teachers to use, to see the creativity that each student has, whereas for the students, it will help them think outside of the box. It isn’t like a typical science or math lesson, where they all have to have the same correct answer. They can all come up with different things and will get the same marks as long as the criteria has been met.
