#UWinDig

As teachers we want to be able to introduce technology into the classroom but it is often difficult to do so in a way that supports the learning experience. This article helps educators figure out how to integrate technology into the classroom in an ineffective way. In order to teach with technology in an effective way we must consider digital literacies. We have to be able to communicate information while using technology and learn how to engage responsibly in online communities. Developing these skills is an ongoing process and won’t just happen at once. The article also informs us about the design thinking approach. It is a human-centered approach and the people who will benefit from this product are involved in the design. In an educational setting, it helps students become active participants in their own learning. There are five steps to the design thinking process:

1. Empathize. You must understand who this is being designed for and what that person needs. For the learner, we must identify a challenge that could be solved through the purposeful use of technology in the classroom.
2. Define. Now we must identify a problem based on what we have discovered about the learner. It is best to start small. A good learner challenge provides focus and frames the challenge, inspires others, informs how you will evaluate, captures the readers, and helps for most of the readers.
3. Ideate. It is time to form the features of how the technology could work in the classroom. Asking “How might I…?” or a mind map helps when creating your ideas. First we must pick a technology tool to help address the challenges that the learners are having. After selecting the proper tool, we must use the SECTIONS model to evaluate if it is the proper tool to use. It helps decide if it’s a good fit for your students, the course, or your classroom by taking into account things like ease of use, privacy, cost, etc.
4. Prototype. This is the step where we design a prototype of the creation. Play around t=with the tool you have chosen and find out as much information about it as possible. Next, share your prototype with peers or learners and get feedback from everyone. Take that feedback into account and make the necessary changes to the original prototype.
5. Connect. Figure out how to integrate this technology into the curriculum. Give your learners clear instructions on what to do and link the activity into the learning outcomes.

I chose to create a poster on Canva as my artifact. I wanted people to easily see the five steps involved in the design thinking process. This way they can use it as a reference when trying to find technology to help facilitate the learning going on in the classroom. I think that this module is an incredible tool to have as a teacher. The website itself is easy to navigate and it offers many outside resources for readers to check out. I really enjoyed how it gave examples of ways to do each step of the process. For example, in the “Ideate” section it gives us examples of mind maps to help organize our ideas before creating a prototype. This website gave us many different resources that we can carry over to any subject in the classroom. Sometimes as teachers we have so many ideas but need help with organizing or implementing them. This is a step by step guide to make sure that the ideas we do come up with are effective and won’t waste our time or our learners’ time. There are many different types of learners in the classroom and not all of them are comfortable with technology or may be new to using it. This article helps us with making sure each person in the classroom has an equal opportunity in learning.

In the article “Laptops, Classrooms, and Matters of Electrate Concern” A. Reid discusses technology use in the classroom. A study by Susan Payne Carter, Kyle Greenberg, and Michael Walker has recently shown that students who use laptops in classrooms do not perform as well as students without laptops. The author thinks that there could be possible reasons for this. Firstly, he states that students who use their computers during class could be doing other things such as surfing the internet or messaging friends, drawing their attention away from class. Second, using computers to take notes is less effective than using a pen and paper. Another possible explanation could be that professors could be interacting differently to those who do use computers. The author thinks that both teachers and students have not yet figured out hot to learn and work in this media-cognitive ecology because technology is often pulling us in different directions. He also thinks that in our courses we go on as if the conditions for learning have not changed over the years. He suggests that as a faculty we rethink or curriculum and the way we teach since it operates in a different way than before. What we do know is very limited. We should not just accept what is handed to us, both with digital and non digital practices. It is easy to just stick to lectures and exams instead of venturing out to what we are not familiar with. In the future we need to start experimenting more. Change is not going to occur immediately, but come about slowly. It is important that we create new learning environments that go hand in hand with the curriculum.

Technology in the classroom definitely has its pros and cons. I agree with the beginning of this article and Reid’s reasons why students who use laptops may have lower scores. I reacted to this article so strongly because in my undergrad I used my laptop for almost every class and very easily got distracted on it. I was the student surfing the internet and messaging my friends. Most of my classes were taught in French so I very easily got distracted and zoned out, and this was reflected in some of my marks. I also found it easier to memorize notes and take in information when I was writing it instead of typing it. It was so much easier to write because there are so many accents in French and I would constantly have to add them in if I was typing. This does not mean that technology shouldn’t be allowed in the classroom. Technology in the classroom can be very distracting but I do think it should be allowed. In my opinion technology can help with learning as well. To me, technology should not be the main part of the lesson, but should be there to enhance learning. The teacher should still teach part of the lesson using non digital tools, this way students are paying attention and aren’t distracted, but can later use the technology to further help students grasp the key parts of the lesson. In my placements I often used videos on the iPads to help my students understand the lesson. I always taught the lesson first and then used the technology in small parts throughout the main lesson. In today’s times where technology is becoming bigger and bigger, it is important to incorporate it into the students’ learning. Before reading this post I thought that technology was a valuable asset in the classroom. I still think this but have gained some new information on the topic. The most important thing that I received from this article is that we need to keep experimenting with technology. Changes won’t be made if we don’t try. It will be a slow change but we will see the change occur. Moving forward I am going to try new programs and apps that I could incorporate into my lessons. I think it is important for teacher’s to share as well. Share what you have found, what works and what doesn’t. We are all in this together!  

I decided to create a Sketchnote of the article that I read. Here (Laptops or No Laptops) is a pdf version with a bigger version of the image.

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.