#UWinDig

For this multimedia reflection, Aaron Vieira and I decided to take a new approach and try out a podcast. This was probably the most fun I’ve had making a multimedia reflection for this class. I’ve always been a guy who never really enjoyed reading, so podcasts are ways to get the same information but through a different medium.

The back and forth dynamic added a new element to my reflection. Just being able to have a conversation about my thoughts and ideas felt like I have learned more from reflecting. Aaron was able to bring up some great points that I would have never thought of and I appreciated this aspect. There were times where just listening to Aaron gave me a new idea or a new way of looking at the problem. For these reasons and many more, I would recommend a podcast to all my peers as it is a great way of reflecting.

The podcast starts with us speaking about our first impression of the site. I found it really difficult to follow at first because they started with a general video but it was very general. I believed that their overview section could have been done much better just by simply stating the goal of the module, who it was directed too, and why it is important. A big issue for me was their use of hyperlinks.The first definition they give for “digital literacy” was a link to a 274-page paper about digital literacy. I expressed my concern about sending the reader “down the rabbit hole” where they get overwhelmed by the amount of provided content. A great way to avoid this with hyperlinks is the use of popup widgets directly on the page. This is similar to what Wikipedia does, where instead of opening the link and scrolling through to find the desired information, it pops up when you hover your mouse over the link.

We also speak briefly on their use of mindmaps and how I always thought that mind maps are messier than they are organized. Especially for one of their mind map that is bigger than webpage itself so people have to scroll through sideways and up-down to just fit everything. There could be plenty of useful information on this page but because it’s so unorganized it can discourage users away from it. 

The last point I want to highlight was their resource lists for platforms. More specifically, The How-To’s and The Great Tool Links which is almost an all-inclusive list for tools that educators can use in the classrooms. Tools such as Audacity, Mentimeter, Quizlet, Kahoot, Prezi, Vimeo, and more. This is a great one-stop shop where all the needed information can be found in the module itself instead of fishing for information somewhere else.

I chose to do a Twitter essay for my reflection. I thought that the Technologist module presented some useful info, but was also not organized in the most effective manner.

I enjoyed the Empathize section of the module. I found this particularly relevant to the teaching world as they explained that:  “Design thinking starts with empathy. When you design something that is going to be used by someone else—a lecture, an activity, an assessment—you must first understand what that person needs.” Teachers should constantly be putting the needs of their students before their own when it comes to designing lessons, and the same can be said about technology integration.

Although the module explained some interesting strategies and concepts, a lot of them seemed intuitive for someone who is somewhat tech-savvy. I think the platform is better suited for those who are not confident with technology and really need extra help with digital literacy.

In all honesty, I thought the platform quite overwhelming and felt as though I was being overloaded with information that wasn’t the most engaging to read. I found myself ‘shutting down’ every time I went through a new section because it seemed like I was entering a never ending labyrinth of hyperlinks which unlocked pages upon pages upon pages. I soon had more than 20 tabs open on my browser and just wanted to shut the whole thing down. I am someone who likes order and simplicity when it comes to my work, so having no guidelines for the website and never knowing what I was getting myself into when starting a new section was daunting. I found myself quickly clicking through everything and not actually retaining any information – I just wanted to get through it. I wonder if other readers felt the same way and focused only on reaching the finish line, rather than enjoying the ride and taking in the sights.  I think a ‘learning goals’ list or a timeline would have helped me better visualize what I should take home from each section and have an idea in mind of how much time/energy each section will take me. Overall, I felt like I learned a lot more about myself and my learning style than I did about technology.

Something else I noticed and found ironic: the Design Thinking section had (yet another) hyperlink for readers to explore. When I clicked on it, it took me to a Wikipedia page that explained what Design Thinking is. I personally enjoy and frequent Wikipedia for basic knowledge of topics, but I found it quite digitally illiterate for a website to directly send it’s readers to Wikipedia for a definition. No? Just me?

Lastly, it seemed like this Extend site offering the Technologist module didn’t actually contain much of its own information. It seemed as though most of the learning would occur through exploring other websites. I think that Extend would be better off summing up the other sites in their own words for their readers in organized sections, rather than just sending them to what felt like a bijillion different websites.

Anwyay, I summed up my thoughts in the Twitter essay below. Have a read through my rant and see if you can resonate with my thoughts. Maybe I’m just being a little extra with the complaining, but it is meant to be a reflection after all, right?

– Nat G

2. The module is broken down into several sections which, at first glance, look like bite sized chunks of material. But upon digging a little deeper into the platform, I found the sections to be quite lengthy and to be honest, overwhelming and seemingly never-ending.#UWINDIG pic.twitter.com/X0ldSmHx5E

— Natalie (@NatalieGagne17) February 21, 2019

4. The module is broken down into several sections, one of which focuses on Design Thinking. The core principle of design thinking is that it is human-centered; The people who will benefit from the product or solution are directly involved in its design. pic.twitter.com/qKIqaQYMnr

— Natalie (@NatalieGagne17) February 21, 2019

6. Isn't it ironic that a website intending to teach us about technology and digital literacy is referencing a Wikipedia page? I would have rather seen a definition in the website's own words. I mean, I personally love Wikipedia and frequent it for basic info. But really?#UWINDIG pic.twitter.com/V4qc48FCIA

— Natalie (@NatalieGagne17) February 21, 2019

8. Students should be the core focus of our lesson plans and their needs should be prioritized before our own as teachers. We should look at situations through their eyes and make the learning experience as valuable as possible for them. #UWINDIG pic.twitter.com/SsgTeVvvxF

— Natalie (@NatalieGagne17) February 21, 2019

10. In addition, there seemed to be an endless amount of hyperlinks. I felt as thought I was in a never ending labyrinth of clicking and soon found myself to have 20+ tabs open on my browser at once. I would have enjoyed the module more if everything was in one place. #UWINDIG pic.twitter.com/3ULwIIrGt6

— Natalie (@NatalieGagne17) February 21, 2019

12. Overall I thought this module had some great ideas and great resources for teachers to expand their technological knowledge. I think it would be a good resource for those who aren't very tech-savvy, but for someone who is, the information may not be resourceful to them. pic.twitter.com/Wbe1DEKEbP

— Natalie (@NatalieGagne17) February 21, 2019

13. The quality of information was there, but I think the site could have been better organized and a timeline/learning goals list would have made my experience better. I think that readers could easily get lost in the abundance of information and become overwhelmed. #UWINDIG pic.twitter.com/QETPMwYnZT

— Natalie (@NatalieGagne17) February 21, 2019

I viewed the technologist tutorial from eCampusOntario as an excellent professional development opportunity for educators. I think that there are a lot of teachers out there that happen to be stuck in their own ways, not only because they are unwilling to change. Their lack of knowledge in digital literacy affects their teaching philosophies on how they view and use technology in the classroom. This is because they may not know how to use is, when, how or why. I have seen this in my own teaching experiences where teachers did not use technology to its full potential. When I came in with fresh eyes and ideas I could suggest the use of technology in different areas of lesson and ended up inspiring my associate teacher to do so. This tutorial addressed ways in which technology integration can tackle specific learner-centered challenges. This is key. Technology can be such a powerful tool, if it is used in the right way. If we as educators take into consideration the design thinking approach that is discussed, technology can be incorporated to positively enhance a student’s learning experience.

I think that each step that is incorporated in the design thinking approach is important and valued. The first step and the last step I found to be the most important. To EMPATHIZE is to meet with the student to discuss what it is that the student needs. The collaboration with the student is what makes this so important, it is necessary because it is all about the student. Empathize is all about having a conversation to see how we as an educator can help overcome their learning challenge. Technology is a way to do so, it is a way for differentiated learning and instruction. The last step in the module is CONNECT. If technology is being used, there needs to be a purpose behind it and there needs to be a connection to the curriculum. This is crucial. A lot of teachers may over look this step because of the shininess that technology brings. However, technology isn’t just a shiny object, it can bring so much to the classroom for the learning of the students.

I hope that other educators can get as much out of this module as I did. It really allowed for me to think critically about the process that should be applied before technology is brought to the table. I believe that each student is different, and needs different things. This may include different forms of instruction or different tools to complete tasks. Technology can help overcome students challenges and learning needs.

I did the multimedia reflection as a Twitter essay for the second time and I can honestly say that it was still a huge learning curve for me. As I do not normally use twitter, I struggled when trying to use the format to the best of its abilities. I learned from last time when I tried to make each tweet involve some sort of GIF that it is not always needed. Therefore, I left some tweets alone. Another struggle I came across was in the posting process. I kept posting a tweet and realizing that it wasn’t attached to the tweet before or I just simply forgot the hashtag that we needed. I realized at the end that I had only used the #UWinDig on the first tweet, and forgot to include #OntarioExtend. Over all, I think that the twitter essay is a great way to share thoughts and opinions. I felt that I could provide a good summary and reflect on the tutorial.

#OntarioExtend

— mgreen8 (@mgreen810) February 20, 2019

3. As an educator we need to be willing and open to change. pic.twitter.com/XlcSuEgLvi

— mgreen8 (@mgreen810) February 20, 2019

5. Having skills and practice with digital literacy is very important in today’s education and the 21st century. Technology can benefit educators but can also act as a distraction, since students are so consumed with the 24 hour connectivity.

— mgreen8 (@mgreen810) February 20, 2019

7. Technology in the classroom can be viewed as trendy or as an evidence-based practice. This website has taught me how to use assign technology tools effectively to address specific learning challenges. Let me guide you through the steps to confidently use technology. pic.twitter.com/ipqJ236F8G

— mgreen8 (@mgreen810) February 20, 2019

9. Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Connect. These are the steps that we need to consider.
“Technologist Design Thinking Process” by Joanne Kehoe pic.twitter.com/nttNyxw5zO

— mgreen8 (@mgreen810) February 20, 2019

11. DEFINE… Narrow in and define the problem or challenge that you have discovered from your student. Now we can move forward and determine an action plan. pic.twitter.com/NOsphd0M69

— mgreen8 (@mgreen810) February 20, 2019

13. To ideate and evaluate a tool we can use SECTIONS, which allows us to take into consideration a lot of aspects about the technology tool. This allows us to determine if the technology is helpful, reasonable and reliable.
"The SECTIONS Model" by Anthony William Bates pic.twitter.com/CYciPpO0Fr

— mgreen8 (@mgreen810) February 20, 2019

15. Lastly, CONNECT. We as educators need to be able to connect to the curriculum. If we cannot connect the technology or activity to the course learning outcomes, it is a cause for attention. pic.twitter.com/7Gcz4CBciP

— mgreen8 (@mgreen810) February 20, 2019

17. Lets use this approach as educators and bring technology into the classroom with a purpose… to over come students learning challenges. pic.twitter.com/yeS4DogvIx

— mgreen8 (@mgreen810) February 20, 2019

The reflection this week addresses the technologist module provided by eCampus Ontario.  This module focuses on integrating technology into the classroom using the design-thinking process.  I’ve outlined the characteristics and steps of the design-thinking process briefly in my infographic reflection, but ill briefly summarize the key points.  Design thinking must be human centred, where the users of the ultimate product have a hand in its creation.  Design thinking also deals with “wicked problems”, where no clear solutions are present.  The process for correctly implementing a technological tool in a classroom using the design-thinking approach follows the stages of empathize, define, ideate, prototype and connect.  More details about these stages can be seen in my infographic.  I think this process is a great way on testing out what works and what doesn’t when attempt to integrate technology in a meaningful way in the modern classroom.

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) model fits well with many of the goals of the design thinking process.  Design thinking requires the learner’s involvement, where their feelings and difficulties/problems are integral to the solution.  UDL uses flexibility and inclusion to meet the needs of the whole range of learners in a classroom.  UDL requires that teachers empathize with students to understand their individual needs and work to meet those needs.  This is also an element of the design thinking process.  However, just like how UDL looks at the range of students and not the average, design thinking also acknowledges that a product cannot be designed that is a perfect fit for every student.

This technologist module took me longer than I had anticipated, as I believed I was comfortable with digital literacy.  Even though many terms and concepts were not unfamiliar to me, the depth the module went in required me to take my time to slowly absorb all the information.  One of the first extend activities was to create your own definition of digital literacies, and this ended up being more difficult than I had expected.  After having completed the module, I feel like I have a better grasp on how to properly integrate technology into a classroom beyond simple substitution.

For the final reflection, I chose to use Canva again as I felt it worked out well last time and wondered how well I could utilize all its features without the initial learning hurdle present.  Being familiar with the program allowed me to make my product much quicker than before, and I felt it turned out better than the last time I used it.  Having an awareness of the limitations of a medium beforehand meant I knew what I should not attempt, and where I should focus my efforts.  Previously, I became frustrated with the lack of features included with a free Canva account and was not aware that premium images could still be used, just with a watermark attacked to them.  This time, I used the graphics and templates, even with the watermarks, and was not really bothered by them.  Manipulation of the size of the elements made the watermarks less noticeable.  Unfortunately, since Canva is a template program, and since I was also familiar with how to use it, I felt that I did not really learn anything interesting by utilizing it again.

Brandon Varga

I completed my third multimedia reflection on the Ecampus Ontario Technologist Module using Canva. Canva is a medium I was somewhat familiar with before this assignment. I have used it to make posters and promotional materials, but this was my first experience making an infographic. I still found it very user-friendly, but struggled with designing the layout so that it was visually appealing while still getting a lot of information across with it!

I found the Technologist Module very interesting to go through. As someone who generally likes more linear presentation styles, I usually get lost in modules similar to this one. This module, however demonstrated linear thinking with the process to incorporate design-thinking in your classroom, so I found it easier to follow. There were many hyperlinks, but I would save those until after I read the piece and see what I wanted further elaboration on. I absolutely loved the use of Padlet to allow teachers to share what has or hasn’t worked, and what they have implemented in their classrooms. This meant that even when I’m sitting at home going through the module, I have the feeling of community with other educators, and somewhere to share my thoughts. Here is my infographic summary of the module’s explanation of design thinking (click the hyperlink for a closer look)!

As a learner, throughout my elementary and secondary school education, I don’t believe this was something my teachers ever tried to integrate into my classes. As technology was beginning to show itself more in education, I feel that most of the teachers I had focused on the S(ubstitution) in the SAMR model. This included using the Smartboard instead of the chalkboard, or Desmos for graphing instead of sketching every graph. In this sense, technology was integrated into the classroom on the surface without changing the lessons from what they could be without technology.

Educators now, and the next generation of educators here on this blog, have more of a focus on the augmentation, modification, and redefinition of the SAMR model. This means that not only will students be more engaged, but we can more readily address the needs of our students through the process outlined above, as well as by incorporating this thinking into our differentiation for students with exceptionalities.

Overall, I think this module elevated my thinking of technological integration in the classroom, in addition to teaching without technology. This process is fundamental to teaching, whether individuals choose to integrate technology or not. The module used the analogy of architects, who don’t design buildings for themselves, but keep in mind the needs of the individuals that will be using the structure. So although technology makes it easier to differentiate and maintain student engagement, the design-thinking process should be at the forefront of every teacher’s mind.

Thanks for reading my thoughts! Sorry if I got this song in your head.

Kate Hatfield

The use of technology in classes nowadays is becoming a necessity. Most educators are using technology superficially and they are not diving deep into its strengths and potential.  This technologist module acts as a guide for every educator interested in integrating technologies in a way that supports, facilitates, and enriches learning experiences as well as cater for all students’ differences.

In this article, the Technologist Module first discusses the digital literacy which is the ability to locate, use, summarize, evaluate, create and communicate information while using digital technologies and web-based platforms. Then, clearly outlines an approach to design thinking that follows the path Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Connect and Test.

Design thinking starts with empathy. Gather information from and about your learners to understand what they need and their interests.

The second step is to define, which means narrowing in and identifying a challenge based on the information gathered from your learners.

Then ideate: build the ideal characteristics of how this tool could address the learner’s challenges, but when choosing your tool, make sure it is a good fit for your students, course, program, and institution.

Then, come the time to design a prototype of your creation. Dig into your tool to learn more about it, share your creation with your peers and learners to obtain feedback. Based on their responses, refine your creation.

Finally, connect your creation to the curriculum and link it to the learning outcomes.

I learned throughout this course how to become more comfortable with integrating technology and step out of my comfort zone, but this module showed me a different aspect of integrating technology which is using technology tools to address specific learning challenges. In my practicum, I did not use technology much, but I noticed that few students, who were not so interested in classes, got so excited and attracted to the lesson when using technology. Relating my experience to the article, I think that integrating technology in classes serve a bigger role by providing differentiation tools to address all learners. I used pictograph again for this multimedia reflection, I find this platform easy to navigate. This time, I explored it further and I am happy with the result.

Growing up, there was not a lot of technology in the classroom. There was the old-style TV, VHS and DVD player as well as a smartboard that many teachers just used as a white board for their projector to show their notes or videos. As I have graduated from high school and now onto teacher’s college, technology has come a long way. Technology has become a part of the classroom whether it be Kahoot, Mentimeter, PhET, Gizmos and so much more. Technology has become a part of our daily lives and as educators we need to find appropriate ways to use technology in the classroom.

Looking back at the eCampus Technologist module, there are steps that must be taken for technology use that relates to the curriculum. The module first discusses digital literacy which talks about learning to use technology in a safe and responsible manner. It is an ongoing process where the educator and students will learn and develop techniques for them to use, summarize, evaluate, create and communicate information with others by using technology. Coming up with ways to incorporate technology in the classroom involves digital thinking, which is human-centered. It involves designing a product that can solve a problem in the classroom. This includes a 5-step process: (1) empathize, (2) define, (3) ideate, (4) prototype and (5) connect. Each step involves working towards the goal of incorporating technology into the classroom that relates to the curriculum. The first step empathize involves placing yourself in the shoes of your students and figuring out the challenges of the classroom. You need to understand the issues before you can solve them. The second step define involves narrowing down the topics to a specific problem that you can work to solve in the classroom. The third step ideate involves brainstorming ideas that you can use for the technological tools you want to demonstrate in the classroom. Prototype involves creating a demo or rough draft of the product where you will be able to experiment with the tool, share the ideas for feedback and finally refine the idea in order to implement it in the classroom. Finally, the final step is connect which involves making connections between the technology and the curriculum.

As I was first going through the module, I did not understand the relation to how this relates to the classroom. As I read through the steps, I understand how each step is taken to make sure that you are solving the problem of using technology and making sure you relate it to the curriculum. Looking back at the workshop we had in class, a lot of the tools that my classmates showed can be very useful in the classroom. For example, with a Biology and Chemistry teachable, using a website like PhET is very useful to understand concepts that may not be understood by paper and pen. It involves the transformation aspect of the SAMR model especially when it comes to the movement of atoms and visualizing a lot of microscopic aspects of Science labs. It gives the students an ability to learn a concept in a visual manner as compared to just explaining it or attempting to draw it out. They can learn by making certain adjustments and see if that affects the results. This is just one example as how the use of technology can help explain the curriculum.

For this multimedia reflection, I decided to do a Twitter Essay. The very first reflection was a mindmap that was done on paper and pen and the second reflection was on an infographic so I thought ending the reflections with a Twitter Essay would be interesting. I enjoyed using Twitter to create my reflection as it made me summarize my thoughts in 140 characters. I found myself writing a lot more sometimes and having to go back and shrink my thoughts. I loved being able to include GIFS for all my tweets that related to each topic. At the beginning of the semester, was not a big fan of Twitter but after creating an account and using it in the classroom, I feel more comfortable using the platform. Using the link attached on blackboard, I was able to make a thread of all the tweets instead of making individual tweets. I have attached a copy of the thread at the bottom of this reflection. I hope you enjoy going through my tweets as much as I did making them!

Happy reading!

1. As teachers, we need to find creative ways to incorporate technology into the classroom that will benefit the learners. The use of technology must have a purpose and not just be used because it has become a part of our daily life! #OntarioExtend #UWinDig pic.twitter.com/9p1rAmzaj1

— Mrs. Altaj (@Mrs_Altaj) February 20, 2019

Before going through the Technologist Module by Ontario Extend, I did not fully understand how to appropriately technology into my teaching. I have definitely attempted using technology through the use of Kahoot, graphing calculators, and GeoGebra, but I am still learning on the most effective methods for incorporation. This technologist module was very helpful in facilitation of my learning regarding this topic, and lead to the production of this infographic. The main take-away that I got from this module was that we need to find ways to prioritize design thinking and digital literacy. Design thinking involves finding out what the problems are, and then creating ways to use technology to ideally solve them, while also still connecting to the curriculum.

I started the infographic by discussing what digital literacy encompasses and what design thinking is. I then went into the important parts of design thinking and also the five parts of the process of design thinking. These five ideas went into a bit more detail later on in the infographic. I then lastly touched on my opinions regarding the topics of the module and the module itself, which will either have been discussed above or will be discussed below.

One thing that really stood out for me during the module was the idea that those in the middle of the bell curve, tend to have difficulties describing the problems affecting them, but those on the two extremes do not. This stood out because as a future teacher, it may mean that the students on the extremes get noticed, but those in the middle may fall through the cracks. It opened my eyes to the idea that I may need to pay more attention to my students at the middle as opposed to my extremes when discussing problems or other class concepts.

This is the second time that I produced an infographic for a multimedia reflection, and it was much easier the second time around. I was much more comfortable with Piktochart, and was able to utilize its features much more effectively than the last time. Last time I spent a lot more time fiddling around with trying to insert images or graphics, but this time I could quickly search for graphics and move them around with ease. This can kind of relate to the module in the sense that I am better able to use this technology, and increase my digital literacy surrounding this website, especially regarding the creativity and innovation subcategory of digital literacy.

I tend to have mixed feelings about online learning environments, whether they be courses, modules, or webinars. I enjoy them because I am usually able to work at my own pace which can also benefit some types of learners. However, some learners need more structure than the independent aspects online courses offer and would not benefit from this. They may even become sucked into the “link wormhole” where they keep travelling from link to link, and lose all sense of what they are supposed to be learning. I also find that I can sometimes lose focus when the learning is so independent, and realize that other learners may struggle with that as well. Overall, however, I do find that online modules can definitely be a beneficial resource, and I really enjoyed the layout of this one in particular.