#UWinDig

The Hybridpod Podcast emphasises the transition required in order to take our traditional systematic approach to education and integrate Critical Pedagogy. This does not require just an integration of technology. At this point in the 21^st century technology has already been integrated in the classroom. This technology however has only been integrated around what the establishment believes is best practices. “If this is what was done previously, how do we reach those outcomes but with technology?” Amy Collier, the guest speaker on the podcast argues this is not the right way to approach education. She argues the point of stepping back from what we know to be best practices and practice ‘Not Yetness’. ‘Not Yetness’ is a practice of taking on the high risk of teaching what we do not quite understand yet in the chance that the student and the teacher embark on something truly extraordinary. The idea of best practices and specific outcomes taking away from the riskiness of education is fundamentally wrong. The education process is a risky one and with such high risk comes a greater chance for reward. Tenure and security are not the only important things in teaching. Amy explains how this integrates well with the idea of Critical Pedagogy because they both ask questions of the current education establishment. Education is not meant to be about specific and established outcomes derived by people of power who went to school 30 years ago. Education is about exploring the unknown, diving into different forums, asking critical questions, trying to answer big and important questions and taking a risk to try and have a truly enlightened educational experience. We as future teachers should not act as machines and try to program each student in the same exact way. When we do this, all we are left with is Credential Clones and we have what is known is a canned educational process. Each child is fed the same exact process and expected to meet the same exact objectives doing the same exact exercises. With this process, individuation is stripped from students. We as teachers should be encouraging a move out of the classroom and take fieldtrips to different forums to interact and see what the real world is like. Education is in a delicate state. New processes of teaching and learning are presenting themselves with the help of different technological forums. However, this raises some unpredictability in education but “what becomes unpredictable is incredible.”

#UWinDig

I found Ashley Hinck’s article Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom to be a very thoughtful and relevant piece. Although it felt somewhat overwhelming for me, as someone who has really only ever used shortcut/template platforms, I was able to understand and even agree with her arguments. We expect digital technology to take education in new directions and help students develop new skills, but our cookie-cutter educational ways of the past are still looming over us and restricting the full potential that digital technology could bring to the table. Students have been trained to follow strict steps and believe that there is only one right answer. Therefore, students are accustomed to thinking that they are only successful if they can find that single right answer using the methods that they have been taught. There is little to no emphasis on the educational journey and learning from mistakes. These troublesome notions still haunt our current digital practices in education. Students are using websites where everything is laid out in a pre-set theme or template instead of experimenting, building, and creating from scratch by learning how to code, because coding is more complex and messier, so although it may be more valuable as an educational process, the end result won’t be as neat and tidy. Once again, we see where our priorities are. We need to reform these old ways and put the emphasis on the learning process! We need to kill the ghosts! By encouraging students to experiment and giving them license to make mistakes we can rid them of the notion that making mistakes, or “failing”, makes them failures.

My first instinct was to represent my response in a Sketchnote, but in the end, after a lot of back-and-forth, I chose to use Coggle. I felt that it was important for me to explore a new platform. I also felt that it would help me to be more in tune with the article if I used a template/drag-and-drop platform like the ones she talks about. I think in those senses, it was a successful choice. I learned a lot about a new platform whilst being able to experience a lot of the elements she spoke of in her article. Coggle was very limiting. Sure, it was fairly easy to use. A couple of clicks and some drag-and-drops were all I really needed to get by, but it was very limiting in terms of style and therefore caused me a lot of frustration and second-guessing. Should I just be doing this on paper? Should I just look for a platform like Paint, where I could have more freedom? Ultimately, I still feel like this allowed for a more authentic experience in relation to the article’s topic.

Originally, I set out to make a mind-map. In my head, this consisted of a web-like form with a center and multiple lines of thought branching out. What I found once I started, was that my “mind-map” was turning into more of a linear stream of consciousness. Hinck’s article really made me reflect on the roots of our education system. Digital technology facilitates student-centered learning, but our system still seems to be carrying its past traditions of teacher-centered learning and template teaching, where students have to find ways to conform to the lessons and teaching techniques presented to them, instead of those elements being tailored to them. I believe that if we can get to a place in education where the focus is completely on the individual student and their educational journey through experiential learning, then we will see more “complex” digital platforms being tackled in classrooms, but we first have to remove that fear of “failing” or being “wrong”.

Preview:

PDF of my Mind Map made on Coggle: Schoenberger Modern Classroom Ghosts Mind Map

Vicky Schoenberger

I chose the podcast with Collier and Friend because I found it extremely interesting after reading a brief synopsis on the contents. Collier’s points throughout the podcast made me reflect on not-yetness within my own learning experience and I noticed that in the past I have sometimes gotten caught up in the idea of education being a step-by-step process with only one answer. This may be due to a mix of teaching styles utilized by teachers and my own attitudes within the realm of various classes throughout my career as a student, but it is something that I needed to be exposed to earlier in my life. I definitely agree that the current education system forces students to focus solely on the end result, which causes them to become frustrated when they don’t get something right away. It is definitely important to help students understand that it is perfectly okay to make mistakes, especially when it is with something they are not completely familiar with at the time. If this idea can become ingrained into students’ minds by promoting the ideas of not-yetness and risk-taking, the learning process can become much more beneficial for future students. This podcast is something that I could have used much earlier in my schooling experience, but I am glad to have access to its contents now so adjustments can be made throughout the rest of my life.

I chose to do a Twitter thread because I feel it gives a nice mix of explanation through text and visual aids through GIFS. Sometimes it is harder to transmit ideas (especially more emotional ones) through text, so I felt as if this would be a good choice for my first blog post. One drawback of using Twitter as a platform for the assignment is that there is a character limit per tweet, which is obviously made easier by being able to make a thread of ideas, but sometimes there are certain ideas that I wanted to convey all within one tweet and was forced to make it into multiple ones. This was not a big problem; however, and I thoroughly enjoyed creating this Twitter thread as it was something I would recommend to anyone looking to try something different in their next assignment. Without further ado, enjoy my Twitter thread by clicking on the link below!

1. Today, I would like to talk to you about the concept of "not-yetness" and how it relates to the classroom experience. What in the world is this concept, you ask? Fear not, Chris Friend recently delved deeply into this idea on HybridPod with guest Amy Collier. #UWinDig pic.twitter.com/YuCbI03DI9

— Cameron (@Cameron0580332) October 1, 2018

The podcast entitled “Questioning Learning” with Chris Friend and Amy Collier was really interesting and beneficial for me. It has made me realize that online learning may not be the best way to have fair learning and there are some other options.

Schools always work on doing what’s fair. Fair is an aspect that needs to be taken serious. With the diversity around the world and schools, it is important not to choose favourites and make sure it is equal among the classroom. This podcast talks about just that and I agree with it 100%. The biggest struggle with fairness is online courses. They are encouraged for many students especially in university but what if the student has a learning disability? Will they be able to take the online course? Personally, I don’t think so. Online courses are designed to be the same for each and every student no matter the way you learn. I agree with the learning outcomes as well. How are you supposed to put each student on the same scale? Not every student will have the same results and be in the same place at the end. Instead of putting what they should understand, they should have questions at the end of the semester that should be able to be answered based on the work throughout the semester. I really enjoyed the podcast and agree with everything that was said.

The mind map I have created displays key points that were spoken about throughout the podcast. Online courses, understanding, learning outcomes and canned courses were the four topics that really stood out. Each one is designed with their own colour in order to understand the differences between each one. It is easily visible with the bigger titles and different colours. The few pictures add to it by putting some visuals. There are not many because I felt like it would be too busy and the words explain themselves.  Please visit the below link to see what the mind map was created looks like.

Mind Map – Questioning Learning

The article ‘Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom’ emphasizes the importance of moving students from users of shortcut websites and platforms to more open-ended and experimental users of technologies. When most students initially take courses on digital media they come in with the expectation of learning how to photo shop pictures and make YouTube videos, these assumptions come from their understanding of how school is suppose to work. Students learn through following a series of linear, standard steps which in the end counts towards the right answer. This assumption of right and wrong is affecting the way students learn. Most platforms that students use on a daily basis are things like Snapchat, Instagram and PowerPoint, which limit their creativity by taking away the ability to tweak filters or choose things like font and colour.  In order to move away from this form of thinking and learning we must help students see the limitations of shortcut websites and platforms, we need to give them permission to make mistakes and try and fail. Once they begin to see beyond the idea of “right answers” they can start to become full participants of their own creations.

As I read this article, I couldn’t help but realize I am also the kind of learner that is stuck in the same form of thinking as the students in this article. The only way I have ever used digital technology is through the template/shortcut platforms. You don’t really think of the way traditional school culture (worksheets, multiple choice) affect the way you learn, but after reading this article I realize how much these expectations affected the way I learn. I am hoping that by the end of this class, I can open my mind to a different process of creating and expand my technological knowledge.

I chose to read the article, “Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom” by Ashley Hinck. I really enjoyed reading Hinck’s take on digital pedagogies in the classroom and I found it to be very informative from a teaching perspective. I believe that the incorporation of digital learning is extremely important in our generation; however, I never realized how important the platforms being used to foster learning were until I read this article. I was surprised to read how Hinck believes various platforms such as Facebook, Google Slides, and YouTube are rigid and actually restrict student creativity; however, after completing this article I totally agree with her! These programs used within schools are simply template-driven platforms that direct students to drag and drop or effectively follow a set of rigid instructions to reach a static goal. Lost is a sense of creativity, open-endedness, discovery and exploration. As educators, we should be shifting to a more critical digital pedagogy that utilizes technologies which enable and privileges openness and experimentation. Digital media should be used to allow students to explore their creativity; however, these template websites and platforms are leading to digital ghosts in the classroom. Through the use of these platforms, students are learning to follow step-by-step instructions, therefore they begin to perceive their hesitancy and trial-and-error as a failure.

As educators, we should be working to banish these ghosts and dislodge student expectations. I love how Hinck suggests that within a classroom we must give students permission to try and fail and revise. I believe that if teachers follow this approach to learning, students will be less afraid of failure and as a result will be open to more exploration and creativity within the classroom.

In terms of the platform I used to summarize this article, I chose to draw a sketch note. I am not the most experienced when it comes to technology and ironically, I didn’t trust myself with the other platforms; therefore, I thought it was safest to go with a sketch note. After reading Hinck’s article I find it funny that I was doing exactly what she suggested most students do in their classes, which is shy away from creativity because of fear of failure. I wasn’t comfortable enough with the other technology platforms, and as a result I ended up choosing a route that was more familiar for me rather than attempting something more foreign. Although I stayed away from technological platforms for this assignment, I do believe that the sketch note actually allowed for more openness and creativity, which Hinck suggests is lacking in certain online web platforms. Even though it was an extremely analogue task, I was given a lot of freedom and was able to map out all my ideas visually without any restrictions or step-by-step instructions. In terms of the sketch note, I actually really enjoyed creating it! It was a lot of fun designing the art piece and using a combination of pictures and words to express what was said within the article. I really tried to incorporate the use of colour and arrows to direct my pattern of thought, as well as pictures I believe symbolized what was expressed in Hinck’s article. Overall, I had a really great learning experience using the sketchnote; however, for the next reflection I plan to step outside my comfort zone and try one of the other suggested platforms!

Alaina Mancina 🙂

For this assignment, I chose to read Ashley Hinck’s article “Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom.” This article discusses how students these days have an assumption as to what digital media and digital media making is. It often consists of simple step-by-step instructions that lead to a pretty outcome with very little struggle. I am sure that most of us, at one point or another, have held this belief (I certainly can’t be the only one who used to copy pages of coding for cool MySpace backgrounds when I was younger!).

To summarize Hinck’s article, I chose to explore the Piktochart platform. I found it slightly ironic that I was reading about expanding horizons in digital media making, and I was using the exact same drag-and-drop solutions Hinck suggests we move away from. I think that Hinck does have some very good points, and steering students away from the standard templates, and drag-and-drop mechanics could, potentially, be very beneficial. I do think that many students are afraid of failure; however, I also think that many students expect instant gratification. Students are used to working on something and having an instant payoff, so I think the greater struggle would be convincing them that if they work a bit more the results will be more rewarding. If teachers were to slowly implement changes, from drag-and-drop content to maybe creating blog posts, like we are doing for this page, that would be a strong start. From there, harder digital media making methods could be introduced, like coding for a website, or using Photoshop and/or Audacity.

Hinck is definitely pointing teachers and future teachers in the right direction, I just do not think that jumping in with both feet is the most correct method. Let students explore with digital media similar to what they already use, then gradually implement changes that lead them to design and post blogs, code a simple website design, and edit photos. Once they feel comfortable with simple, slightly more challenging digital media, they may develop an interest in more difficult media and make the decision to tackle it on their own.

Here is my Piktochart that I created to summarize Ashley Hinck’s article:

(also here’s the link if what I’m trying doesn’t work: 32808563-digital-media-ghosts)

-Courtney M.

The below video is of a Canva I created with an audio voiceover, summarizing the key points from “Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom” written by Ashley Hinck, published on March 29, 2018, http://hybridpedagogy.org/digital-ghosts-modern-classroom/.

Hinck criticizes the current digital pedagogy represented in schools, how teachers only use the basic programs that lack creativity. I agree with this, as in my educational experience teachers always promoted websites that were extremely user friendly with easy cut and paste methods. Looking back now, I see this lacked creativity, however in the moment I found these programs very useful.  I did not mind a rigid marking scheme with specific instructions to get the grade. People like myself like to stick with what they know, it is hard to venture into more complicated software, even if the simple programs lack control over the final product. However, it is important to me to learn more complex software in order to incorporate these aspects into my own classroom so my students do not miss out like I did in the digital technology educational process. My current mindset is though, that I will struggle incorporating these more complex software’s into my teachable subject of the social sciences. Thinking of different ways to integrate technology in general is a challenging process but integrating more complicated programs will be even more so difficult. Social sciences is extremely broad, made up of multiple different theories, majority of the class is understanding these theoretical perspectives. I think that using technology to teach these theories is going to be complicated, and I would be very interested in my collogues thoughts on this.

In regards to the media I used, Canva, it took me an hour or so to get myself accustomed to the program. Once I figured out how the task bar on the left hand side worked it became much easier to navigate the site and create my summary of Hinck’s article. I enjoyed working with Canva and am happy with my finished product, I know it could be better and if I ever have the opportunity I will explore Canva’s functions more in depth in order to use it for a range of future assignments and even use it in my own future classroom. I realize how it is ironic that I am using Canva while Hinck directly opposes these types of platforms. However I strongly believe that starting with programs like these and gaining some basic knowledge is not a bad thing, and can be a stepping stone to the more complex programs that Hinck wants students to look at. A limitation to Canva that I found was that it lacked the ability to download and incorporate gifs. I was looking forward to using gifs on my presentation. In addition to using Canva, I also used a program to screen record my presentation with audio, called Debut Screen and Video recorder. I used this Debut Screen and Video recorder because Canva did not have the capability to screen record, which is another limitation I came across. I have never screen recorded before so this was a struggle for me, however I was extremely happy to be introduced to it because of doing this assignment. In conclusion, my finished product was a video that incorporated my Canva graphic design as well as audio. Overall, it was a positive learning experience.

Dani Dimu

For this assignment, I decided to read the article called ‘Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom’ by Ashley Hinck. She makes some good points about the way students are choosing to express themselves on digital platforms—ultimately, because it’s the only way they know how to do it. I certainly agree with the author that the education system needs to catch up with the times and help students improve their digital literacy. The fact that students are having trouble to express themselves on a computer means that they are not tapping into their full potential.

Once a more expressive program is mastered, ideas can be portrayed with more accuracy and clarity—but how will be teach students how to create these programs? Not all, but most students would rather do their math homework than learn how to code. I can understand that they would be disinterested in programming since it is such a monotonous process but coding and using a program are two separate fields. I believe that students become more intrigued once a program is already developed and they have the freedom to digitally express themselves. The trouble is getting students familiarized with a program that strives for transparency of emotion. Perhaps there should be a class in the school curriculum dedicated to acquiring this skill. Essentially, schools should be adapting to the digital climate and helping students to improve their digital literacy.

With that being said, I decided to paint a picture for this assignment using Microsoft Paint. I have used this program when I was younger and have always had a lot of fun playing around on it. There is some kind of novelty about old technology that I love—probably why I still play the Nintendo 64. My idea was to start with a simple program like this and then move onto more involved programs for future assignments. I learned some more about the tools in this program which gave me more respect for it, considering its age. For instance, when a brush tool is selected, the edges of each stroke are a lighter colour to make the painting look more realistic. I found this to be very helpful when I attempted to shade my picture; the brush tool helped the final product look more detailed than I had imagined. Also, the magnifying glass made painting much easier. I was able to zoom in and add some extra detail which would not have been possible without zooming in.

Down one path, schools ignore the potential that the digital world has to offer, and leave kids to learn it for themselves. Naturally, they will commit themselves to the programs that are the easiest to use, and their digital expression will suffer. If we take the other route, and help students to acquire the skills needed to use more sophisticated programs, a more transparent form of expression will emerge.

Please don’t laugh at my drawing: