#UWinDig

After exploring Ontario Extend’s Technologist Module in considerable depth, I chose to reflect on its contents in the form of a twitter essay. I’ve used this medium before, and I really did want to use something new this time, but every time I started on a new medium I felt I wasn’t able to to convey my thoughts as well as a twitter essay allows me to. I like the fact that a twitter essay forces me to make bold, concise points for each tweet, making for a simple yet effective train of thoughts explaining the overall article or in this case, module. I also really love adding GIFS to each tweet as it ads a sense of humour, which is something I tend to gravitate to.

After going through the module in class, I thought I had a pretty good grasp of the major concepts behind integrating new technology tools in the classroom. When I took the time at home to really navigate the module and follow all of the links, I realized there was a lot more information than I had thought. I really did find myself down a rabbit hole on the internet. That being said, I found a lot of valuable information regarding the process of introducing new tech tools in the classroom. I really like the breakdown of ‘design-thinking’ into 5 key elements as it make its much easier to understand. I found it really easy to separate the elements and give each one their own tweet or two, allowing me to expose the most critical information for each concept. While exploring these key elements in greater detail, I really felt a theme starting to emerge. This really shouldn’t come as much of a shock to anyone in this program, but the focal point of tech integration in our classrooms has to be our students. Yes, we need to find a tool that works for us, and that we are comfortable with, but at the end of the day our students needs are our main concern. Whether it’s gathering ideas from your students before you even start brainstorming (empathize), or giving the students a chance to interact and explore the tool after the prototype stage, the entire process has to be student-centred.

Gaining student feedback is essential, and I found it to be a very effective practice during my time in practicum. Although I didn’t allow the students to call all the shots, I definitely listened to what they had to say after quickly realizing that sticking strictly to my lesson plan was not going to work in my favour. For example, my task during the first week of practicum 2 was to run a basketball unit, simple enough, right? The first 2 or 3 days went okay, but I quickly realized that a lot of the boys were getting bored. They would tell me every day they didn’t want to play basketball but I stuck to my guns and dragged through my drills and games. When I had a talk with my AT about the lacking motivation levels, he made a suggestion that was so simple, yet made so much sense. Give them a day off. All they ever wanted to do was play dodgeball, so I decided to split up my basketball lesson with a day of dodgeball and other various games. They loved it, and seemed to be a little happier when returning to basketball the next, although not entirely thrilled. The message here is that we need to hear our students concerns, and cater to them whenever possible.

I don’t consider myself to be a tech wiz by any means, and I really found this module broke down the process toward successful integration in a way that I could follow. I find that 3 of the 5 key elements in design-thinking are things we already do on a daily basis with our students. Empathy is part of the job, as educators we have take our students needs into account every single day, every single class whether we are using tech tools or not. Defining specific challenges that are present for the students in our classes is also something we must do on the regular, and of course, we are always connecting the lessons we teach to our curriculum. The two unique elements presented in the module are ideate and prototype. These are specific to creating new technological tools, and I thought the module did a great job of explaining these concepts and how to use execute them purposefully. I also found this module really helped me reform my own definition of digital literacy, and what it means within the confounds of a classroom.

1. In education, one of my biggest concerns is keeping my students actively engaged. I want to make learning fun & exciting. Digital tech is the way of the present and certainly the future, how can we use it to tackle challenges faced by our students? #UWinDig #OntarioExtend pic.twitter.com/VRhPcePpAu

— Andrew P. (@AndrewP87202850) February 20, 2019

For my digital media reflection I chose to read and reflect upon Dr. Jacobsen’s ‘Teaching in a Participatory Digital World’ I also chose to present my summary/reflection in the form of a twitter essay (to view my essay click HERE). Enjoy!

Article link: https://www.edcan.ca/articles/teaching-in-a-participatory-digital-world/

Reading Jacobsen’s article really opened my eyes to the true power that digital networks/platforms can really bring to the classroom. At the same time, it also shed light on the fact that school are not using digital networks to the fullest of their potential, and further transformation can be made to take full advantage and enhance the learning experience for students. Before reading this article, and even after my first practicum, I found myself feeling very ignorant in terms how new technology is used in the school systems. I think one of the most powerful aspects that digital networks provide is the ability to collaborate for both students and teachers. Collaboration allows for critical reflection and development, and provides a sense of community for students to share and critique each others ideas. Thinking back to my undergrad, I would meet up with friends to throw ideas around and to tackle problems I had with the material before almost every midterm, and this was always hugely beneficial. Looking back at my experiences in secondary education, most of these networks were not available and learning was dominated by overheads and templates/handouts. I feel my learning could have definitely been enhanced by the available technology today. This is a big reason I plan to integrate these tech options into my teaching pedagogy, doing everything I can to maximize my student’s learning experience. I think the importance of continuing education was also stressed in this article. Technology will never stop advancing. When I think back to my experience with tech in the class room, it went as far as the SMARTboard. This was a big deal, and today, seems almost obsolete. As professionals, we have been learning for the past 20+ years of our lives, and we will/need to keep expanding our knowledge for the next 30.

One prominent issue is the use of filters and restrictions in schools today. While these methods are place for students safety, they may also be limiting the power social media and tech networks offer for students and teachers. Jenkins explained that it would make more sense to allow students full access in a school setting where they are surrounded by professionals who can help them understand and unlock the full potential of such platforms. I think this is a very valid point, while most of what students use social media for is personal, allowing teachers and students full access could aid in the transformation to more effective participatory environments. This is a concept I never really thought about before, and I think it’s mostly because when people hear ‘unrestricted’ they automatically associate the negative that free access to the internet could bring into schools. In my experience, students will always find a way around these restrictions, so why not embrace them and do the best we can to educate them on the positive effects technology can have on their education. We need to bridge the gap between educational systems based on standardized testing and the educational system we hope to enforce with the help of the brilliant networks and collaborative opportunities digital technology can bring.

I chose to complete my reflection in the form of a twitter essay. This was very new to me, as I have not been active on Twitter for a few years. I felt this method was very effective in forcing me to summarize my points effectively into the allotted character count. I also enjoyed using GIFS to enhance the points I was trying to make. I found it actually made the article a bit easier to read as well. Each time I read what I thought to be a major point, I began formulating a tweet from the info. and this gave me the next portion of my twitter essay. One thing I struggled with was making sure that there was decent flow from one tweet to the next. I found myself starting new threads may have been unrelated to the previous one, and this could cause some confusion when reading through. Overall I feel like it was a positive experience and I would definitely use this method again. Moving forward I’m excited to try some of the other reflection methods and continue to expand my horizons in the world of digital technology.

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.