#UWinDig

Throughout history, we have seen new technologies and innovations that have revolutionized our everyday lives. The invention of the cellular telephone in 1973 has changed the way we communicate, and with the advancement in smartphone technology, we have access to a vast wealth of information through a device that fits into the palm of our hand. What is considered one of the most incredible inventions in modern history, however, has created a massive fissure in an already problematic educational system.

The article, ‘Tackling Tech: How some Ontario teachers are attempting to limit students’ cellphone use’  looks at how an Ontario High School began using individualized pouches (specifically Yondr pouches in this case) students can store their devices in while in the classroom as a means to limit distractions and curb use. According to the article, teachers have seen the method of these pouches have proven to be more effective at curbing cell phone use than a total ban. already noticed an increase in the grade point averages for the classes using these pouches. An obvious observation, by students not having access to their phones during instruction time, they are much more attentive, engaged and less distracted. The result; a deeper understanding of the classroom material and better grades.

Teachers argue both sides. There are those that see the positive aspects as a result of devices in the classroom, like how manipulating technology efficiently and effectively can enrich and deepen their learning with a growth mindset, as much as it can improve their learning experience.  Also, there are those that think we should ban cellphones completely, saying cell phones are nothing but a constant distraction from the lesson at hand and make it near impossible for the teacher to maintain control of the classroom and ensure students are paying attention.

It is not surprising to hear that many schools who have implemented ways of limiting use in the classroom without an outright ban are seeing increases in grade point averages. At the beginning of the academic year, France implemented a complete ban on mobile phones on school property in an attempt to maximize learning time. To me, this seems extreme, however I can see how it could benefit the school, the students, and the community culture as well. Many schools are allowing teachers to create their own regulations based on their teaching philosophy, putting in place rules that align well with their classroom and the environment they have created. I feel as though this approach affords educators that flexibility and students some variability from year to year or classroom to classroom.

A common issue I have seen when students late in elementary school years (grades 7 & 8) have unlimited access, is the ability for students to bully other students and go undetected by teachers or other adults. This can go on for a long time, while students can harass and bully other students without any means of discipline. I had a grade 8 student who came to me after a few weeks of being quiet and reserved. I asked him if anything was going on or if he wanted to talk about anything at all. As it turns out, this student was being bullied on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and snapchat for the last few weeks after a picture was posted from another student in the class, where this male student looked like they had their hand near another male student’s genitals. Of course, after analyzing the picture it was clear the student was not making contact but was caught in an unfortunate pose. After bringing this up to my Associate Teacher and the Administration, an investigation into the bullying of the student took place. Those responsible received in-school suspensions. After this, the school continued to operate under their ‘bring-your-own-device’ policy that had in place prior to the incident. Students always had access to their devices; in classrooms, halls and the yard. I found instructing to be extremely difficult. In this eighth grade class, I had to continually ask students to put their phones away, most of the time texting or sharing inappropriate content with other students.

Prior to looking at the article, I felt very strongly that students should not have their cellphones in the classroom at all. Upon hearing the alternative approaches to limiting use, I feel as though there should be no out right ban, but the decision on restricting use remains with the teacher. This is partially due to my own experience in my teaching placements and past supply teaching, as well as the data that clearly shows an increase in student performance and grade point average as soon as devices like the Yondr or The Resistor Case (are implemented in the classroom.  I am a particular fan of the Resistor Case as their site offers a step-by-step guide on how to build your own simple version of the case as well as the option to buy one of their completed units. Reflecting on my own views, this article has helped fortify my beliefs about restricting cellphone use in the classroom. Even though cellphones can be great learning manipulatives for various applications and functions, the reality is that many students (especially in the elementary system) lack the maturity and discipline to stay focused in the classroom with their device at their fingertips. Albeit, I haven’t had any experience at the high school level. At this point, I feel like we need to embrace digital devices, as the students need to develop the right self-regulation habits that will prepare them to enter the workforce and understand when and when not to be using your device.

Look at the adults around you… we have all become completely absorbed by our devices. I know I was appalled when the Screen time application was installed on my IPhone. If we don’t restrict children’s use of cellphones at the elementary level for at least some duration of the day, while many of them have no time limits at home, how dependent will this generation be on their devices when entering the work force? Looking back, this is part of the reason I felt like a ban was necessary to begin with; we are becoming too reliant on our devices, however, by implementing self-regulation methods and giving the students a chance to be instrumental in their own learning, we can assure the next generation of youth are prepared and cognizant of their use of devices.

– Matt

Link to my Twitter Essay

#UWinDig

In the article Privacy Concerns for ClassDojo and Other Tracking Apps for Schoolchildrenby Natasha Singer, the controversial behaviour monitoring app ClassDojo is analyzed. This app allows teachers to add or subtract points from their students based on good or bad behaviours.  The article looks closely at a third-grade teacher Mr. Fletcher, who is a big supporter of the app. ClassDojo is being used by one teacher in every third school in the United States, however its many benefits are in opposition with some potential risk. The app makes recording behaviour simpler for teachers by automating the process and directly conveying it to parents. The teacher also chooses what behaviours are monitored, and the software will give student’s feedback with goals of developing skills like leadership and teamwork. However, some of the negatives are frightening to many parents. There is an issue of data security, whereas ClassDojo says they are committed to never selling data, many parents fear what could happen if sensitive data about their child is ever leaked. The software requires consent from the principal, but does not require direct consent from the parent, which has many parents upset.  Perhaps the biggest issue with the app is the potential social implications. Many feel this type of “carrot and stick method,” is outdated and treats the students like animals. Teachers also decide whether points are displayed for the entire class to see, something the Mr. Fletcher does.  This could potentially lead to bullying or confidence issues in some students. Lastly, some parents fear this type of software will place labels on their children, such as a “problem child,” that would have an effect on them in future years.

This issue is one that I find very tough to form an opinion on either side of the argument.  My first time hearing about behaviour monitoring software as a teacher, I was skeptical.  I wondered how well a computer can we really help you manage students behaviours.  I see the benefits of ClassDojo for teachers, and in a busy day this software could really assist with behaviour management. However, I believe that displaying points for the entire class to see is an absolute no. Students don’t need to be centred out for bad behaviour, because as teachers we can’t be sure what the underlying issues causing behaviour issues is. I have a sister who teachers at the JK/SK level, and has worked with teachers that have used ClassDojo. She’s seen teachers both display the points and keep them private, and was a huge fan of the app. Much like Mr. Fletcher, she said when displaying the points the app is used almost entirely a reward system opposed to subtracting points. The biggest benefit she saw was communication with parents, as it can be extremely difficult at times to get in contact with a parent via phone or in person. I think these types of apps have a ton of potential benefits, but I believe more research needs to be done. ClassDojo only researches via surveying current users. I feel a lot more comprehensive studies need to be done that analyze the benefits as well as social implications of such softwares. Personally, I can’t see myself using these types of apps. Classroom management can be difficult, but there is many strategies and resources that can be used. I feel that having a mutual respect between teacher and student can be a lot more effective than grading behaviour via a software. However, I do think there Is potential if further developed, for software’s like ClassDojo to be more widely used in schools, specifically at the PJ levels.

For my artifict I made a mind map on Canva, outlining the pros and cons of this issue, feel free to have a look!

-Joseph Power

#UWinDig

Classroom Behaviour Tracking Apps

I chose to analyze the podcast featuring Bruce Schneier, and the interview he gave about his new book titled, Click Here to Kill Everybody. I have to say that this podcast was rather intriguing and terrifying at the same time. Within minutes of listening to the podcast I found myself cringing at the fact that there are real risks in the new technological, networked and computer-based world. Schneier calls this new world “internet plus” and I truly believe we are now living in this almost unfortunate society. He explains throughout the podcast that it is nearly impossible to buy a product that is not connected to the internet in some way. Cars, appliances, televisions, medical supplies, etc. are all connected to the internet in some way or form and we are putting ourselves at a real risk for hacking. It is no longer about worrying that someone will steal private information from the hospital and use it against you, now it’s about hacking the database and changing the blood type to kill you. He simply states the internet is coming, and it isn’t all it’s hyped up to be. A casino in vegas was hacked through an internet connected fish tank (and to me that sounds unheard of). Schneier explains that we can longer afford to make products in which systems and the government can spy on us, because the “bad guys” are using the same route to take things over. One day we will wake up with a hacked thermostat and be forced to pay in order to reclaim our houses. Schneier ends with the point that the government needs to put defense before offence. Companies need to ensure that systems are secure, rather than keep systems vulnerable for threats in order to attack against said threat. It’s out of our hands… companies need to change, and the government needs to change in order to secure safety.

While I was listening to this podcast, the thought came to me that this directly relates to the twitter hashtag #unboundeq that we’ve recently had in this class. All of thetopics that Bruce Schneier was talking about was basically the class discussion we had on twitter. The internet is all around us and it’s scary how often someone is listening to us, especially when it comes to our personalized ads on Facebook.

This might be naive or ignorant of me, but I don’t necessarily think about these bad things happening in my life, including breaches of privacy. I think that is why I find it so scary that these people have the knowledge and resources to hack into what I used to think were secure networks. Then there is my ideas about these actual products that hackers are taking control of… I never thought I would need a toaster or refrigerator that connected to the internet, but then once you have it you become lazy and rely on it, so every product after that needs to be connected. That is why when Schneier explained that authorities should be offering jail time for companies who do not take the time to secure these products made me stop and think about it for a minute. Do these companies want us to potentially get hacked? Or are they just more concerned with the look and consumerism to care about the vulnerability of the product? Either way, after listening to this podcast, it has definitely made me think about future purchases and getting the best secured network I can get.

Additionally, because I had so many thoughts that were running through my mind, I figured a mind map would be the best way to lay them out. What I took from the podcast was almost like “4 steps on how to reduce hacking”. I laid out my mind map in a way that audiences can see the connections between the topics, but ultimately end on the note that things need to change. After listening to this podcast, it is clear to me as a future educator that this topic cannot be taken lightly. We cannot risk the safety of ourselves, or our future students, so learning how to properly protect ourselves online is a step in the right direction.

I have also attached a PDF copy of my artifact in case you need to zoom in on the words!

Leslie

In the short CBC podcast Bruce Schneier explains the risks we face in our hyper-connected world. Everything we own and everything in our society is now a computer with internet access including phones, cars, medical devices, power plants and thermostats. All of these connections make us vulnerable to harmful physical attacks. The internet used to just be about data, when our data was stolen and abused it was more of an unfortunate inconvenience but now the internet has access to things that can actually harm us and this presents a real risk to our well-being. Schneier explains the only way for companies to improve the security on their products is for the government to step in and force them to. Without an order from the government the only thing these companies are concerned with is making a profit off ill-informed consumers who are not even thinking about the security risks of purchasing a new refrigerator.

I chose to use an infographic to summarize my thoughts on Bruce Schneier’s podcast and used Canva to create it. An infographic is exactly what it sounds like, an image such as a chart or diagram used to represent information in a fun and creative way. Canva is a graphic design website that uses a drag and drop format to create media design projects or graphics and offers users access to thousands of templates, fonts, graphics and pictures. I chose this method of reflection because the idea of graphically representing my ideas appealed to me. Sometimes pictures can say more than words which I believe was the case for me when creating this infographic. I liked using the Canva website because although it allowed me to be creative it also gave me suggestions so that the process of creating something from nothing wasn’t so intimidating.

While listening to this podcast I was immediately reminded of the time when my credit card numbers were stolen and used by someone to purchase gas along the California coast. I have never visited California so this could not possibly have been me, and that’s all I had to tell the bank to get them to reimburse me and cancel my credit card. It was shocking at first and I felt a little vulnerable but it turned out to be just a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have someone hack into my car’s computer and demand bitcoin or be faced with the challenge of driving a car no longer controlled by me. That would be absolutely terrifying and potentially life threatening. Unfortunately, because we have created this hyper-connected world we are all vulnerable to these types of risks on a daily basis.

I’ve always held the belief that companies selling me products are not just concerned about how much money they are making off of me but also that they have made sure that my personal information will remain safe and that I would be able to confidently use their product without worrying of potential security threats. I assumed that when buying a car in the future I would not need to worry about how easily it can be hacked and potentially used as a weapon with me still in the driver’s seat or used as a place to hold me hostage while demanding bitcoin. That is why the points brought up by Bruce Schneier in this podcast were so shocking to me. After listening to the podcast and doing some more reading on the subject I know that the way I go about buying any sort of technology in the future will be forever changed. When Schneier was speaking about the dangers of our hyper-connected world it got me thinking about all the connections I have in my life between all of the technology I use on a daily basis. I think the biggest take away I got was to be my own advocate when it comes to the safety and security of my personal information because no one else is going to do it for me and if they do it will be much too late.

In the podcast Schneier pointed out that companies are most likely not going to start making their products secure out of the kindness of their hearts because that would cut into their profits and the government has been slow to step in and take a more defensive approach to protect us from these threats, therefore our safety and security is up to us. In this increasingly technical and connected world it’s important that we educate students about the risks that come along with all the technology they are being exposed to. Does their home really need to be connected to their phones? With the thermostat, lights, TV and security system accessed through an app we are essentially inviting strangers into our homes because of convenience. Instead of remembering to turn off the lights we can just do it from the car on our morning commute. Educating students about what is available to them in terms of technology as well as the risks that go along with it will allow them to think critically about the risks they are opening themselves up to. Hopefully safety and security of citizens in the technical world will soon become the government’s first priority but until it is, as a future educator I will make sure to give my students the tools they need to protect themselves.

Please take a look at my infographic that summarizes my thoughts on Bruce Schneier’s podcast. Thanks for reading!

Christine

I chose to read “Privacy Concerns for ClassDojo and Other Tracking Apps for Schoolchildren” by Natasha Singer and was very excited to share my reflection via Twitter. I thought Twitter would be the best way to not only engage my classmates in an engaging conversation, but I also hope to grab the attention of others around the world. Twitter offers a nice template while also allowing me to express my creativity with GIFs and images.

While going through the article it allowed me to reflect on different behavioral systems that I was exposed to as a student at the elementary and high school levels. I was exposed to the same systems that I am experiencing now as a student teacher where technology isn’t being used to record this information. My past teachers and current teacher associate uses a tally system in the a notebook where a student receives a tally for a negative behavior. If you get three in a week, you receive a detention. The tally’s reset at the end of the week. This system differs from Classdojo because usually students don’t get a point taken off for positive behavior. It also allowed me to think about the behavioral systems that I may use in my classroom in the future as an Educator and the privacy concerns that may come up as technology keeps advancing.

ClassDojo is a behavior-tracking app that awards students points or subtract them based on their conduct. Many teachers say the app helps them automate the task of recording classroom conduct, as well as allowing them to communicate directly with parents. There’s a big divide when it comes to this app. Some like being able to use the app to follow their child’s progress and receive reports from teachers. Others are asking the teacher to remove his/her child from ClassDojo because they are unsure how the information is being stored/used and feel that it can create labels that are unwanted. Co-founder Mr. Chaudhary says he and his team have studied ClassDojo’s effectiveness by visiting classrooms and conversing with many teachers that have used it.

The idea that makes me react to this issue the way I do is because some people think that just because we are incorporating technology into our class, that we are doing our students a great service. That isn’t always the case though. If technology isn’t used properly and well thought out, it shouldn’t be used. Before I engaged with the text, I thought it was a great idea that technology was being used in order to communicate with parents on their child”s behavior. Parents always want to be involved in their child’s life, even at school and it is important as teachers to make sure they are aware! In some cases we may actually be with their child more than they are so it is important to work together for the better of the student. The part of the text that gave me new ideas is the privacy aspect and how Classdojo is storing it and using it. I never even thought of that part before I begun reading and it is so important. When I am a parent, I want to know that my child’s information is safe and not out there for anyone to be able to see. I also don’t want him/her open to any bullying that could come from the whole class seeing. The classroom should be a safe environment for everyone and that is so so important. As an educator I am going to focus on creating a safe environment for MY students, in the classroom and online.

Below are just a few screenshots from my Twitter thread. Please click the link below to read the rest of my thread:

https://twitter.com/mrpopel/status/1055884445406896130

For my reflection assignment, I chose to read the Hinck article Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom. In the article, the author discusses the use of digital skills and how they are becoming more important in our modern day. However, the author argues that many technological platforms are restricting a student’s creativity by making them believe there is only one right way of accomplishing tasks similarly to standardized education. Moreover, through these platforms, users are not developing the digital skills needed to succeed. Instead, these technological platforms such as Piktochart which I used to create my poster, has preset templates which allows users to use a drag-and-drop method. Although this copy and paste method ultimately makes the process easier and faster, it also tends to limits creativity and exploration. Having made a poster myself, I can say that the templates and preset images made it easy for me to not be a creator. To add on, having to use a platform that I was unfamiliar with caused much frustration and anxiety because I was not getting the results I wanted. While creating my Piktochart, I had a vision but I found the search engine for Piktochart restricted me because I could not find the images I was looking for. Using Piktochart for the first time was challenging due to my lack of knowledge of this medium.
The author states that we should be avoiding shortcuts similarly to Piktochart and instead we should be encouraging our students to become makers, creators and speakers by teaching and providing them with the necessary skills and resources. In order do so, we as educators need to teach the students in the process to embrace their struggles and we need to encourage trial and error. I strongly agree with Hinck that we should be encouraging students to explore and make mistakes in the process because that is the best way to learn. Sometimes it is not about the end result and more so about how we got there.

Ashley Hick’s article on digital Ghosts in the modern Classroom is a perfect study of what has become of today’s learners. Children love creativity no doubt and has become so used to the traditional platforms that are readily available and easy to use;the drag and drop,well laid out linear and standard steps and several working products that are easily used.The students create the products that the teacher wanted using templates as worksheet and other forms that accommodate multiple choice projects.Ashley was right when she asserted that most of these short cut templates hardly leaves the students even when they try their hands on open end working soft wares and platforms.
When you give a project to students especially in the intermediate grade their first search is to hook up with all these short cuts platforms and when they are absent it affects learning and they become restless from my own class observation.Ashley was of the view, we should help the students move from from users of shortcut/template platforms to makers,creators with very in-depth understanding of a complex system with open ends.
She was also right about her submission that When we look at the shortcut/template websites and platforms that makes digital image production very easy,it has removed the need for any technical know how because it is copy and paste in most cases.Ashley position is that students has become a garbage container from teachers who take in all that is released because they operate with a rigid platform /application with very little open space for students work and a narrowed predetermine correct answer.

Finding a solution ,we can help our students create their own application signature as makers rather than continue to depend on platforms and templates with close ends that does not encourage creativity.I really love it when Ashley wrote “We might help our students redefine good learning apart from the the dustbin dump concept by giving them explicit permission to try and fail and start again”Thinker trial and error approach methodology in classroom”.

As a teacher for several years in a different environment,i observed that students capacity and attitude to learning is always different.As illustrated in my blog,life is like a ladder,some people use the quick way and get to the top,others take the rough and lengthy route to achieve a desire .In our society ,majority always want to conform with established standard,they lack the fire power to seek and acquire more knowledge,to discover new platforms and hold patent .The comfort zone is always peak on their life radder and surprisingly most of them end up being very successful.

Ashley Hick’s article is good enough knowing that ultimate desires of students and why the interest in digital class was mainly to learn how to make GIFs,YouTube videos, and HTML/CSS websites.They want to make funny photo shopped pictures of their friends and several other social purposes which the world has conformed to.

Ashley also agree that the internet has created several platforms for make and remove,drag and drop and has made things so easy for any student to think of going the path of troubleshooting and creating platforms with open end.What they have is good and convenient for their primary purpose.

We also see why the ghosts worksheet,templates and shortcuts will for ever remain in classroom and i absolutely agree.I love to work with open end platforms as suggested by Ashley like; Raspberry Pi,Scratch,and HTML and CSS ,as Skallerup Bessette calls us to do,but why do i need to go to such level of uncertainty and possible failure when am comfortable with already established platforms that can meet my demand ?These are the questions “Ghost” that will be going on in the mind of these students for a while. Agreed open end platform is good when you know it gives advantage because the programs and computer language give the user much more control over the final product than the template/shortcut websites and platforms, but where there is no will there will be no power.In any situation the ghost of worksheet is always there.

http://hybridpedagogy.org/digital-ghosts-modern-classroom/

Drop the drag’n’drop

The idea of the drag-and-drop type of assessments (full poster linked above) is still very prevalent in the classroom.  This is where students determine what the teacher wants, uses already existing technology platforms to “select from a list” of options for their design, and generally answers the teachers question in a right answer/wrong answer scenario.  The article contends that this type of assessment, although using new age technology, is still a form of non-authentic, standardized education.

As I completed this very assignment, I found myself doing the exact thing that this article describes.  Using pre-existing design technology to create something that isn’t creative at its heart.  However, in the early stages of this class, using the platform that I did (Canva), it was still a learning experience for me (not having a web page design  background)… Therefore, although the method I used wasn’t at the peak of creative allowances, I still feel as though I was able to “dabble” with something new that allowed me to (restrictively) create something that has a visual message.

Looking at “Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom“, the author dives into the effects that using template and drag-and-drop style of instruction with many technological platforms can often limit our students creativity and it teaches them the uniform, standardized approach to education we have used in our classrooms for ages.

This can become a bit of a bore in the classroom…

The template/shortcut options can relay back to having a narrow or a singular right answer after following rigid, structured guidelines. Thus, “ghosting” progression in the students ability to show a sense of discovery or exploration when approaching activities or assignments.

Moving forward, we must adopt a more authentic experience for students in the classroom… Get students out of their comfort zones and give it a try!

We, as educators must move towards a less standardized approach when it comes to giving out activity guidelines or restrictions. I believe introducing students to software programs and computer languages in order to avoid restricting their choices, creating a much more diverse finished product among all students, and letting their creativity and problem solving skills reflect through their learning.

In my own personal experience, I had the chance to work with students using the Piktochart and Mindmap platforms to develop their own inforgraphics regarding health-related topics. This was an excellent opportunity for me to see which students would take the opportunity to show me their creativity and really make the assignment their own. The end result? many students opted to choose comfortable layouts and familiar icons or styles based on the templates the programs provided. When I urged several students to think outside of the box and try different features that were available to them, many struggled with the lack of strict, easy to follow guidelines and it was evident many of them were lacking the problem-solving skills required to do what I was asking. By taking away the template, drag-and-drop approach at an earlier age, and showing students more advanced computational mathematics coding platforms, I believe we will afford students with the opportunities to develop their creative sides rendering them much more proficient in technology and digital media in the future. Working with the younger students who had already been practicing with different open-ended coding platforms, you could already see an increase in the comfort level of working on something with little restriction or guidelines, this is what we need for our students!