#UWinDig

Extend’s Technologist module allows educators to work through a design process to purposefully integrate technology in the classroom. As I read through the process, I could hear “SAMR!” being screamed in the back of my mind.  By following the design process outlined in the Technologist module and consistently returning to the “Define” step throughout the process to, educators are on the path to successfully redefine their classroom with the use of purposeful technology. Although this module proposes design thinking for this particular situation, I believe that it is useful in every problem-solving situation. In fact, in an IB MYP school, “Design” is a subject taught to all students and places significant emphasis on the design process to create purposeful solutions to real-life problems. Working through this module, I am thrilled to see that this thought process is being encouraged for all educators (who will hopefully then share the thinking process with their students).

While the term “technologist” might feel a bit extreme to educators who are only starting to become comfortable using technology in their classrooms, this module truly walks them through the steps to developing digital literacy. There is often a misconception that being digitally literate means that you are competent with all technology. However, I propose that it’s more about knowing how to find the information to use technology in meaningful ways. It’s about being resourceful and willing to try and problem-solve when something doesn’t work. Most importantly, technology in the classroom requires a growth mindset. There will be problems. Challenges with tech are inevitable. However, if teachers and students have the will, they will find a way to make meaningful solutions work.

In creating this multimedia artifact, I knew that the Technologist module would be challenging enough to summarize and incorporate my own ideas. So I chose to use a medium I was more comfortable with. I used Canva to create this piece because it afforded me the opportunity to construct without a template. In past assignments, Canva has received criticism for limiting creativity due to restrictive templates. However, most people don’t realize that you can use it without a template to create your own design without limitation. With a little creativity (and digital literacy *wink wink*) even free online software that is known for templates can allow for unique and individualized creations!

In creating this multimedia reflection, I used Prezi for the first time. Maybe I was far behind the times, but I had actually never heard of it until this class began. It was an interesting experience. One that was full of frustration when I found that the template was very confining. Perhaps this was only the case because I was so unfamiliar with the platform. One frustration is that my Prezi presentation cannot be embedded live into this blog. To circumvent this, I have included the link below to the presentation, and have included select screenshots throughout to provide a glimpse into the presentation.

Click here to view the complete presentation!

Nadine Yousif raises a number of possible solutions to the challenge cellphones pose in classrooms in the article “Tackling tech: How some Ontario teachers are attempting to limit students’ cellphone use”.  Ultimately, many teachers and politicians believe that the distractions that cell phones create in the classroom outweigh the many ways that handheld devices can be used to enhance learning experiences. This topic is not new to education, the same one was occurring 10 years ago when I was in high school. Frankly, the same techniques were being discussed: banning devices, sealed containers, etc. Everything except teaching students the self-regulation skills that would transfer to their daily lives.

While an increased academic performance due to digital abstinence (a term used by Marcel O’Gorman in the article) is certainly admirable, I am left wondering how students will benefit from these practices long term. Once they leave high school and are in a university, college, or workplace environment, there will not be an authority figure making them put their device in a sealed pouch. Rather they will be forced to self-regulate, a skill they will not have developed during their adolescent years.

Prior to reading this article, I was not aware that these solutions were still such hot topics in education. I thought we had moved past the point of digital abstinence (particularly given that there are entire schools that utilize Chromebooks in all classes). The new Ontario government pushing old ideas as if they are revolutionary is no surprise. They would also like us to go back to outdated and disproven teaching practices in key subjects. We know that today we are preparing students for a future that is beyond our imaginations. We don’t know what the world will look like in ten years, what skills the students will need, or how we can get them there. So we need to empower them to develop these skills independently. Limiting their access to technology will only do them a disservice in an increasingly digital world. This article is very one-sided. It completely neglects to review the positive aspects of technology in the classroom. Without a comprehensive review of the benefits and the drawbacks, we do ourselves and our students a disservice.

Given that the conversation has not changed in a decade, I believe that it is time for politicians to support teachers and empower them to embraceersonal handheld devices in classes. There is an opportunity to help students learn valuable life skills that are directly transferable to their current lives and to their future careers. As a student, I wish my teachers had taught us how to use our devices responsibly, to help us use them to supplement our learning and to enhance our environment. Device bans represent a group of people who are fearful of technology and the rate at which it develops. The time has come to embrace technology in our classrooms and allow students to develop their digital literacy skills in ways that we cannot fathom.

Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom raises many relevant points comparing the assumptions made regarding media use and the realities seen in classrooms today. Ultimately, the author indicates that students must be encouraged to develop digital literacy outside of shortcut template platforms (STP). While I certainly agree with the author that students must develop creativity in order to become creators of digital content, rather than simply relying on available templates.

By creating the above reflection, I had the opportunity to explore two different STPs: Mindmup and Canva. While both have their benefits, there are also many drawbacks. Mindmup allows the user to create a mindmap, using pre-determined themes. It is free provided that the user does not include any images. The mindmap can then be downloaded as a .jpg file that is very high quality. Meanwhile, Canva allows the user the opportunity to create their own design using a blank template (a feature that the author fails to recognize). Therefore, I uploaded by mindmap in order to add photos and make it more interactive in that regard. The drawback to doing this is that the overall image quality was reduced. This has resulted in a more dynamic reflection, that is of lower visual quality.

Ultimately, this combination of positive elements of free STPs with the inevitable drawbacks is a reality of much digital content curation. Hopefully, I will be able to elevate my students beyond my own comfort level to enable their creativity and encourage them to become far more comfortable with digital content creation than I am.

Please select the image to view in greater detail.