#UWinDig 2020

In this post I will be discussing the Technologist Model found on Ontario Extend. As teacher’s we see and learn about so many educational technologies, it can be hard to decipher which of them are truly useful. The technologist module assists by taking educators step by step to find the best technology for their class, and for their student’s needs.

We as regular internet users we may lean towards the technology that we’re most comfortable with. It can be a learning curve to finally understanding what musically is and then Tik Tok hits the scene and everything you’ve learnt is worthless because theres a newer, better platform. Im not bitter. But I believe for the first time in my life technology is getting a head of me. This module really puts into perspective who come first in your pedagogy, it’s the students. And it is our responsibility to ‘keep up’. And learn more.

Understanding technology is a big proponent to selecting the right educational tools to use in your classroom. And we as educators have a responsibility to choose the technology that helps all our students.

When beginning to understand what technology works best for students, design thinking is an approach reccomneded by the module. There are multiple steps more clearly defined on Ontario Extend.

The first, and most important step to me is to empathize. Place yourself in your student’s shoes, what parts of a lesson are they struggling to understand and how can technology help them. Next is to Ideate, the process of researching and finding new better technologies.

The module guides you through a worthwhile activity known as an empathy map. I believe even as a concurrent ed student high school was years ago! Creating an empathy map takes you back to that (dark… scary) place of your high school days. But this allows you to think about what your students are missing and what they need.

The SECTIONS model made by Anthony William Bates helps educators know that the technology they have selected is the best tech for the situation and the students. The model checks that you are putting the students first, is it easy to use, does it cost money. Personally, cost is most important to me, I would never want to ask my students to pay for a program because students may not be able to afford it.

One of the most important steps on the SECTIONS model is considering the terms of service for any given technological platform. As educators, we are ethically responsible to know just what kind of information our students are agreeing to share after the dreaded signing up.

Lastly, as teachers we are obligated to teach the curriculum given to us by the Ontario Government. We have to ensure that the technology and what we teach with it checks boxes on the curriculum document to uphold the standards of learning.

The last part of the module is a checklist to ensure you as an educator have checked off every box that selects the right technological tool for you class. This module has helped me further understand what it means to interpret technology in the classroom, not only because it’s easier, or more fun. It can be those things but it also has to serve a purpose.

Now you know more about technology and how to use it in your classroom!

I decided to create a visual sketchnote that summarizes the key points in each section of the Collaborator module. I chose this module because I think collaboration is an essential component to a successful teaching career, so I wanted to learn more about what collaboration is all about. I was interested in how technology tools can be used to build a Personal Learning Network  (PLN) and capacity for teaching and learning through understanding and being open to collaboration (Explore), making intentional connections with others (Engage), posing and solving problems collaboratively (Extend), and strengthening independent thought (Empower). To outline this key connection, I made all the titles and subtitles blue to emphasize how they all need to be utilized in coordination with one another. Sketchnoting serves as a way to take notes in a more visual fashion that serve in helping one remember something that was recently read, heard, or seen. Creating a sketchnote was harder than I thought. Given that my first reflection was a Twitter essay, I took a completely different route this time. As a visual learner, this method ended up being more impactful for me. Creating the sketchnote was a challenge, but I think it serves as a great visual tool, even though I felt like I was trying to navigate through space at first.

My sketchnote contains the basis of what everyone will need to ensure that they can complete the Collaborator module’s checklist efficiently.

With regards to visuals, I recreated my sketchnote a couple times. I kept an original copy that was outlined in pencil, and I photocopied it each time I made changes, so that I could test with different font sizes and colours. After my first draft, I realized that the “Collaborator” title was not bold or large enough. In my second draft, I made the title more bold, but it still needed to be larger. In addition, I realized that it wasn’t made clear what section the words and arrows on the right side of the page belonged to. Finally, in my third draft, I enlarged the title and kept it bold. I also colour-coded the words in the right, so it is clear that they belong to a specific section (I will describe this more individually in the specific sections). Through my experience of creating this sketchnote, I learned that it is a great tool to use for summarizing, organizing, and problem solving skills.

Though a majority of the sketchnote is specific to what is on the website, I added my own touch of opinion with the subtitle “The Road to Discovery,” because that is what I feel about the process of collaboration and the effect that it has for teachers. To go along with that subtitle, I drew a road circling around the title to make it stand out more and to help the subtitle make sense. Within the road, there is also a network of people who are connected together, as well as a text/speech bubble to emphasize communication and connectedness. In addition, I purposely chose not to number the different sections because my title is shifted to the right side of the page, so it automatically shifts people’s attention there, so they will know to start with the “Explore” section.

In the top right corner, I have the “Explore” section which highlights the importance of being open to and understanding  the impact and value of WHY we collaborate. I drew a light bulb to represent the letter “O” because it is a symbol of invention, intelligence, and knowledge. The light bulb was created by Thomas Edison, and it helped everyone have light and create connections at all times. Thus, I believe that we should all be our own version of Thomas Edison by coming together to create in collectivity, just like the module suggests. Our own networks of collaborators may be made up of tens, hundreds, or thousands or people with different areas of interest and expertise, and that is where our good ideas can come from. By creating an online space, we can explore how to  participate in digital communities for learning or how to build our own PLN. One can also explore how a good collaborative community is reflective of the guiding principles found within a community of practice: people who share a knowledge and skill within a focused area (domain) learn how to do (practice) it better as they interact regularly (community).  In my sketchnote, the lightbulb represents the domain, the person represents community, and the arrows pointing to the next section represent the knowledge exchange that can take place in the “Engage” stage. The arrows also represent my personal view of the aim of collaboration: to make progress in broadening your network. 

In the bottom right corner, I have the “Engage” section which highlights the importance of making intentional connections with those who share aligning professional interests through PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORKS. This section of the module differentiates PLNs from other networks that are more personally relevant and driven by one’s own needs and aspirations.  This section explains how PLNs can be shared, but people determine who is in their own network and how they would like to engage with them. Inevitably, PLNs are about engaging with one another which is why I drew the word “Engage” inside of text bubbles. In addition, the drawing of the shaking hands suggest the unity of people in a better way than drawing people standing next to one another would. PLNs are formed around the goal of learning, so the words “shared practice” and “connectivism” in this section emphasize the value of acknowledging people who you recognize to be important to your learning as well as the connections between them. Connections between these people (nodes) are built and strengthened through shared practice, conversations, and other interactions. Thus, the shaking hands also symbolize this professional interaction between people. In my opinion, idea of connectivism in this section suggests how learning is a social and collective activity where existing knowledge and resources can be connected for us to build, grow, and advance together- this is a skill that I utilize in teaching.

In the bottom left corner, I have the “Extend” section which highlights the importance of posing and solving problems collaboratively by CULTIVATING your PLN. A PLN does not just happen; it requires cultivation. I drew the word “Extend” inside of a green arrow to represent continuous growth and development, and the red “x” at the bottom represents the starting point (you will see this “x” again in the next section, but with a different symbolic meaning). This module explains the steps for building a PLN (explore, search, follow, tune, feed, engage, inquire, respond), and it provides other tips for cultivating your PLN. The people in the filter bubbles represent some of these steps in their desire to escape. The person in the right bubble is exploringand searching for a way out. The person in the left bubble is engaging and inquiring and he is thinking about what he already knows and asking himself how he can further that knowledge. Lastly, the person in the bottom bubble is joyfully cheering, as he had figured out a way to escape the filter bubble. So, what are these filter bubbles anyway? They are the personalized searches when a website algorithm selectively guesses what information a user would want to see. These, are what we want to avoid, hence my use of “Beware of the Online Filter Bubbles” in red lettering. The “x” with the arrow shooting out of it can also represent the importance of sharing your knowledge by extending it to others. Overall, I think section of the module has the main goal of highlighting ways that one can participate in activities and conversations and think outside the box (or bubble) in order to cultivate a PLN. 

In the top left corner, I have the “Empower” section which highlights the importance of strengthening one’s independent thought by MAPPING the your PLN. This section of the module reliees heavily on ways to use digital technologies to build and develop and network that will breathe new life into professional growth and support teaching. How do you do this? Well, by mapping your own PLN, of course! My drawing of the map represents the whole idea of this section. There is also a path with a red “x” at the end. Unlike the last section, this “x” represents an ending point with a path leading up to it. Mapping your PLN is the final step in successful collaboration. Though the “x” represents an ending point, there really is no end for teachers who are collaborators and lifelong learners because teaching and learning will always be a continuous process. However, once we have established this connection within our PLN, we will feel empowered. The puzzle pieces represent digital technologies and the people represent us teachers who are bringing those tools together to create a strong unit within us where we can connect to one another just like puzzle pieces. I think that a team effort is crucial in teaching. We are all our own puzzle piece, but when we come together, we can create the full picture.

Overall, I believe that the collaboration process will benefit me as a teacher. I can personally relate to this module because planning out the sketchnote helped me relate back to the module and pick out important points that I valued and chose to emphasize. I wanted to keep my drawing simple, but with heavy symbolic references. Every image is thought out carefully to represent something from the module, as explained earlier. I intentionally kept the words short with a title, subtitle, and a couple extra words in each section. I can look back at this sketchnote in the future and remember exactly what each image stood for. Though I did recreate my sketchnote a few times, It was primarily for visual purposes. The content stayed the same, but playing around with colour and size options helped me look deeper into what was more important and what needed to be highlighted. Creating this sketchnote was a great learning experience for me, and it is definitely a project that I will adopt with my future students, because it will enable them to express their ideas in a medium outside of just written notes.

For this multimedia reflection I went in the opposite direction of a sketchnote and wrote a twitter essay explaining the Technologist Module on the Ontario Extend website. Though I am familiar with twitter in a personal sense, presenting myself in a professional setting on the platform was a bit challenging. I felt very aware of the presence I had online and how my words may be perceived. This was not a challenge I had when doing the sketchnote, but in a twitter essay you are broadcasting information that has the ability and potential to reach a huge amount of people which can be daunting. I found it challenging to get my voice through and showcase my personality, but I feel more equipped to start building my own PLN after sharing my thoughts and findings on the topic of being a Technologist.

The module itself was incredibly beneficial in allowing teachers to recognize the importance of using technology in order to benefit learning and broke it down in ways that were easy to understand. Right off the bat I was able to see how SAMR could be applied in the module, though they did not touch on the exact terms of SAMR, it was evident that Ontario Extend wants teachers to get past using technology as a Substitution and instead work towards something that is Redefining the way we do things and working towards solving problems with technology. This is something that we have already been working towards in our DigTech class so the concepts were not foreign to me, instead I was able to easily follow along and think back to my own teaching and learning. In my own learning, most instructors have used technology as a Substitution for traditional tools, other than being a shiny tech tool, those substitutions did not in any way aide my education or help my learning.

One of the most interesting components of this Multimedia Reflection was being able to directly relate what I had read about Digital Literacies to the assignment itself. The module mentioned that it is important for educators to come up with their own umbrella of digital literacies and constantly evaluate and expand on them. When drafting my Twitter essay I recognized the digital literacies that I had to keep in mind, especially my audience, online presence, and communicating my ideas safely in a shared space. It made me aware that I am constantly using my Digital Literacies when sharing on any social media platform but especially when working towards creating my own Personal Learning Network.

The “Design-Thinking Approach” of the module explained in depth the process that one should take when trying to discover a solution using technology to a problem in the classroom. The five steps broke down approach and each section went into depth on how it is beneficial to the process itself. I believe that Empathy is one that many teachers may be challenged with for a variety of reasons. Some teachers may get comfortable in their own style of teaching and learning and not look past that, this can cause for certain students’ needs to not be met and the teacher to not grow in their own teaching. Others may forget what it is like to be a student and expect their students to simply understand the work they are being taught. When you empathize with students you try to not only see obstacles from their perspective but find solutions for those challenges in order to better their learning. This leads into the next step, which is to define problems or challenges that your students may be facing and work towards a solution. Arguably one of the most important steps, it is impossible to find a solution to a problem you don’t know exists, that is why we must empathize with our students; in order to see the problems that are there and work towards eliminating them.

Under the “Ideate” section of the module it discusses the importance of taking into account the technology you wish to use and all its features. It provides mind-mapping as a approach in order to help you come up with features you need and to see if the problem you are trying to solve is being solved through the use of this technology. I found that The SECTIONS Model by Anthony William Bates to be an excellent resource when assessing the functionality and purpose of an online tool and something I could see myself referencing within my own teaching. It allows you to take into consideration multiple elements that make up an effective tool and if it is the right fit for you and your classes, this way educators are able to think critically about why they are using the tool rather than as a substitution.

Once you have done your research and chosen your tool it is important that you create a prototype for your students. Though this may seem scary, it is essentially creating an example for them using the platform you have chosen. You must familiarize yourself with the platform by designing an artifact, then share it in order to gather critical feedback, and finally refine the work you have done in order to provide students with a concrete example. This is often a step that teachers tend to ignore or look past, in order for your students to understand your expectations, it is important that you also provide them with examples of work they can look to. This can be especially important when you want students to use one tool in particular and they themselves may not be familiar with it.

The last step of the Design-Thinking approach calls for you to make connections to the curriculum. It is important that the work your students are doing is done with a purpose in mind and relates back to the learning outcomes that have been set. If you find that what you are doing cannot be related back to the curriculum then students may question the validity of the content they are creating and why they are being asked to do it. At the end of the day, it is the curriculum guidelines that teachers need to follow in order to make sure students are learning all the necessary content for them to succeed.

Overall, this module was incredibly beneficial in terms of understanding technology and how to really be a technologist in your classroom. Especially as a new generation of teachers, teaching a new generation of students, it is vital that we constantly try to discover new ways to solve problems in our classrooms. Technology allows us many affordances that traditional teaching cannot and it is up to us to discover the best ways we can utilize it. #UWinDig2020

For my final Multimedia Reflection, I chose to explore the Technologist Module using twitter. I am someone who is pretty active on twitter. For an assignment that incorporated a lot of summarizing, I found twitter to be the perfect technological tool. Although it did have it’s challenges only using 300 characters per tweet, I enjoyed that I was able to add photos and gifs to bring my essay alive.

This particular module caught my eye because I found the visuals and diagrams to be very clear. As a learner, having visuals is extremely helpful for me. I found it to be very organized as well which was something I enjoyed. After scanning the through the module a few times my mind seemed to have been already made up, this module definitely sparked my interest immediately which made is so much easier to learn.

Something I enjoyed was that everything throughout the module was done in steps. This made the module easier to follow and gave the reader exact directions in terms of how we should apply each method. It almost put me at ease that I was able to go step by step and made the module a lot less overwhelming. This is something I will remember when I have my own classroom. I will present the students with one step at a time so they do not end up feeling overwhelmed or anxious by what is in front of them.

In conclusion, I found the technologist module to be very educational and it taught me a lot. I think it is very important to centre our teaching around our students, which is what this module all about. As teachers we need to adjust our teaching to fit our students learning, even when using technological tools. There are so many incredible tools that can be used to help students who are struggling with learning, it is our responsibility to explore and do our research. Technology integration can reinvent an entire classroom, which is why I found this Module to be super helpful with easy to follow steps. The technologist module shows a healthy balance that can be beneficial for both the student and the educator. It can be seen as reciprocal learning, which is a huge part of my teaching philosophy. I am looking forward to incorporating some of these tools in the near future.