#UWinDig 2020

The collaborators module was a resource that laid out the important elements for understanding, and creating a successful Personal Learning Network.  The layout of the module, and the ways in which the information is presented was a unique collage of ideas from multiple professionals who have educated opinions, and research on the topic of PLN’s- which in a way makes it in itself a successful PLN. This is why in my Sketchnote, I chose to make the names of the contributors the main subtopics (squared in orange) as I found they were the core of where the information is coming from- collectively they are all their own collection of “hunches” as Steven Johnson mentions in the Collaborators Module. 

 I wanted the viewers of my Sketchnote to see that each one of the contributors hunches are all woven together by their ideas, and contribute to the same topic– the PLN. This is also why certain ideas are interconnected by the black lines, as I found the ideas of multiple contributors link to one another. Such as Dr. George Siemans’ idea of connectivism and Steven Johnson’s idea of hunches. This Sketchnote doesn’t need to be read linearly, you can start anywhere, and easily flow through each contributor’s thoughts and ideas.  

That being said, the information in the module was very helpful in proving the value of Personal Learning Networks for educators.  Both Alec Couros, and Miles McFarlane talk about Professional Learning Networks, and the development of teachers professional knowledge.  As educators we have the ability to access information from all over the world.

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I’ve started creating this collaborative experience in my own professional learning while creating french worksheets, and assessment strategies for the credit recovery program at my practicum school. Before I got started, I referred first to Howard Rheinhold’s 8 steps of cultivating a PLN.

So, from there, I explored the web and I found the website Tes, a website created for educators. Within their resources tab, they have educators from all over the world who upload their lesson plans, worksheets, activities etc. There are opportunities to buy, or download these shared resources for free, as well as opportunity to comment and give feedback.  Fellow teachers will kindly point out minor grammar mistakes, ideas for enhancing, or simple words of encouragement and gratitude.

My next steps would be to upload my work and continue to contribute to Tes, by following other educators, and responding to users who might comment on my work. The collaborators module by Ontario Extend has empowered me to get kick started, and to take agency over my own learning.

I chose to do the collaboration module because I believe it’s an integral component of the teaching profession that many are not aware of. I made a mind map summarizing the key points of the module as shown below.

The mind map was separated in three main sections being Why Collaborate?, Connectivism, and Personal Learning Networks. I chose yellow and blue for the first two sections which can be combined to form green which is the colour of the Personal Learning Networks (PLN) section. This symbolizes how the first two sections connect to form a PLN. Furthermore, two sections were added that linked Why Collaborate with Personal Learning Networks and Connectivism with Personal Learning Networks.

In the video Where Good Ideas Come From, Steven Johnson explains the power of collaboration. When numerous people share their ideas and hunches, greater ideas can begin to form. I know for myself, when I am trying to think of an excellent idea for a project, I struggle. It usually takes me some time to think of something that I like; however, when I converse with other individuals on some ideas, it takes me no time at all! The image below demonstrates the point of his idea being great ideas come from the ideas of the collective.

The module than explains some different ways to collaborate which included face-to-face communication, texting, and social media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter). As technology is becoming an integral part of the classroom, finding ways to utilize its usage to enhance your teaching profession is essential. As such, the rest of the module focuses on using online platforms to collaborate and form a personal learning network.

When collaborating as a teacher, that purpose is to exchange information pertinent to teaching and learning. Alec Couros explains in the video Using Twitter Effectively in the Classroom how Twitter can be properly utilized by teachers. The primary message furthers the point of the video Where Good Ideas Come From as he explains a similar view. Twitter can be used by teachers to share ideas, lesson plans or even questions. Personally, I have never used Twitter as a pedagogical tool. I had originally never heard (or thought of) the usage of hashtag (#) as a teaching resource; however the video brings attention to how they can be used. For example, there are chats called #scichat and #edchat which are supported by practitioners. After having watched this video, I will potentially start using other social media platforms to follow educational resources to expand my learning.

By using online mediums, they can develop a solid collaborative community that follows the principals of “community of practice” which are domain, community and practice.

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The second portion of the module explains the concept of connectivism. Connectivism is a theoretical framework which emphasizes how digital networks is a new avenue for learning. In other words, interactions between learners occurs in a digital space and as a result, learning is transformed. From my experience, online networks or discussions are useful to gain insight on practical experiences. For example, while doing research for my Europe trip, online discussions helped me to decide where to go, what to visit, and where to stay. People who shared their experiences provided me with some knowledge on the best things to visit. As such, these online discussions can provide insight on how to address certain classroom problems for example. The image below further explains the message given by the module.

The last section of my mind map is Personal Learning Networks (PLN). As shown in the mind map, there are two subcategories to this section. First, there is ways to collaborate which is connected to the first category as well. Second, there is how to cultivate your PLN which is also connected to the connectivism section. Your personal learning network includes all the people and organizations that you may connect with either through an online platform or in person. It can provide you with new ideas, references and questions you have never even thought of. The idea is to interact with people or follow individuals that will ENHANCE your learning of your personal interests. After having read through this module, it opened my eyes to the opportunities that social media can provide. Currently, I only follow friends and family on my social media; however there are thousands of pages that explore teaching practices, sports news, new science research as well as other of my personal interests. I will most likely begin to explore this aspect of online platforms to further educate myself. It is also crucial to be aware of the risks of only engaging in your personal interests as it can cause a filter bubble to form.

On the hand, part of building your personal learning network is to engage and to respond through these platforms which is something that is outside of my comfort zone. I have now learned this is something to address and to hopefully improve in order to develop a personal learning network.

Upon participating in the Technologist Module, I decided to create an info-graphic summarizing the key components listed on the module checklist. This multimedia reflection was more challenging for me because I created a sketchnote last time. I used Canva to design the info-graphic and found it to be very user friendly. However, there were images that I used from websites because the free version of Canva did not have many options. I decided to use the grey/blue colour scheme because that is just what I pictured in my head when going through the Technologist Module.

This process reminded me of one of our previous readings where it mentions that technology brings “new problems into our lives, but just watching the creativity behind these tools makes me so excited to live in a time when so many people can actually bring their ideas to life and watch those ideas impact the world” (Gonzalez). I found that I was able to incorporate my creative ideas into this info-graphic, but I also had to make sure the main ideas of the entire module came across clearly. It is quite amazing that there are endless online opportunities, so having to choose one specific platform/media for an assignment can be overwhelming. I felt this way initially because I could not decide what to create or how to create it. Eventually I chose Canva because I was already familiar with it since I used it in my technology-integrated lesson plan.

I found that the Technologist Module gave me many online platforms, websites, approaches, and suggestions when using and creating technology for my classroom. I must admit that going through the module for the first time was a little daunting, but the more I read and clicked on the hyper links, the more I understood the concepts in the module. I found that the discussion board posts of certain aspects from the module helped me understand the module as a whole.

I appreciate that the Ideate and Empathize pages of the module offer many opportunities for Universal Designs for Learning. Especially with Ideate, the technological platforms provided demonstrate affective networks, recognition networks, and strategic networks. From MindMup to Coggle and even Prezi, there are multiple means of engagement for teachers to choose from for their students. The variety of platforms provides many ways of representation of content/information as this can also to lead to different ways of how students can learn. I can see myself integrating the Technologist Module into my teaching practice. The brainstorming templates allow for creativity to blossom with any online tool, any age, and any capability. I feel that this module can help me develop my pedagogical technological knowledge for the better.

I decided to split up my infographic so that the image is larger and easier to read.

References

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By: Alexandra Meloche

I chose to dive into the Technologist Module. Integrating technology can take a lesson to the next level!. But, like many others, I can feel stuck on how to integrate technology in a meaningful way that is not just a substitution, but instead, is a modification or a redefinition. “Integrate technology” sounds simple, but if we want the technology to have a purpose in our classrooms, we need to take steps like the ones outlined in this module to make informed decisions.

I made an infographic using Canva. I spent time exploring the infographic templates and the available editing tools. I found this platform user-friendly. I did not feel restricted on the free version. I enjoyed using Canva and would recommend it!

My infographic below describes the five steps of the Design Thinking approach process. Before introducing the Design Thinking approach, the module provides four different definitions of digital literacies. I created my own definition included at the top of my infographic.

The first step is to empathize with your students. How might they react? What concerns could they have? In my placement, my students used online music composing platforms to create digital compositions. The older students were familiar with the technology, but many of the grade 9 students, like me, were learning how to use the technology. I found it easy to understand their questions, as I was learning too! Technology can be frustrating, so empathizing with your students will show them that you appreciate and value their feelings and reactions.

Technology must have a purpose. Determine a challenge in your classroom. For example, are your students having trouble conveying their thoughts through a written response? A possible solution might be a platform like Canva, where students can combine text and visuals But, before you implement a technology, you must consider your context and possible barriers. In my placement, students picked between two music softwares for their project. One student asked to use another software because it allowed him different functions. He completed the assignment using a platform that worked for his style and learning. The technology must be suitable, accessible, and appropriate for the learning. Is the technology helping, or is it another challenge for your students? Technology can be a key to success!

I had trouble relating to the prototype step. I do not see myself in a position where I will be creating new technological tools. There are an abundance of tools already available that meet my teaching needs. My take-away is the feedback. Get feedback from your students about the technology tool and apply it, then make sure you can meet curriculum expectations! After this prep work, you must have a game plan that illustrates how students will use the technology as a part of the lesson and learning experience – anticipate problems, consider IEPs, and identify learning curves!

I enjoyed exploring this module! It was informative and has set me up for success when I integrate technology into my classroom.

Ever wonder how some people are able to come up with great ideas? Or have you ever said to yourself “jeez I wish I would have thought of that”. Or maybe it was even “hey I’ve thought of that idea before. Chances are you’ve been in one of these situations, and you’ve come to the right place if you would like to learn more about how you too can generate great ideas. As future teachers a lot of us want to be up to date with the latest technology for the classroom. We want the best for our students and to be able to provide them with as much opportunities for learning as we can. But are you stuck on how to do this or even where to begin? You might be saying to yourself what’s a PLN (personal learning network) and how do I create one? Well in order to build a PLN you need to collaborate and share knowledge with others from within, across and between disciplines. We want to use technology to enhance and build international connections with others by posing and solving problems together. Ultimately to strengthen the way you teach and how your students learn in the classroom.

For my artifact I chose to try a sketchnote. I’m not going to lie this took me forever to do. Being a perfectionists and drawing do not mix well. Needless to say my fingers were blistering by the end with the amount of time i’ve erased things. So unless you like to draw and you find it therapeutic then doing a sketchnote is for you! Anyways there are four main points to hit when creating your PLN which are; EXPLORE, ENGAGE, EXTEND and EMPOWER. Let’s dive in and take a deeper look into this module.

In the EXPLORE section Steven Johnson created a video on the idea of ‘Where Good Ideas Come From’. The main takeaway is that great ideas take time they don’t just happen overnight. It requires multiple ideas (small hunches) to come together to form one great idea. As we come across new ideas and information from other people this helps our own knowledge grow and guide our brains to new ideas.

Next comes ENGAGE, this section highlighted a YouTube video called ‘Overview of Connectivism’ where Dr. George Siemens came up with this term to introduce people to the concept that ideas are related to learning and networks. This section stresses the importance of collaborating with others through different social media platforms. By collaborating with people all over the world online we are able to share experiences, learn from others and build our own knowledge.

Then it is EXTEND, now that you’ve gathered some information from others and their opinions, it’s time to explore your own interests. But beware of filter bubbles. These filter bubbles are like algorithms. In a TED Talk by Eli Parser he explains how these filter bubbles effect how we view the world. All social media platforms use them so beware of biases and try to extend your knowledge from all points of view before making a decision. I think we can all recall an experience where we were looking up something on the internet and the next day an ad pops up for it. These are the algorithms and they like to show you only your interest so biases can develop because of it.

Finally, EMPOWER! This is all about personalizing your PLN. As you continue to use your PLN and explore in greater depth. You will then begin to think about how you can take what you learned and apply it to the classroom. Try to inspire others, give back and most importantly never stop learning! In conclusion I’m a very introverted individual. I struggle with doing group work and completing assignments with other people because I have the mentality of wanting to do it all myself. If there is anything teacher’s college has taught me, it’s to learn how to work with others and their opinions. I’ve learned by working with others your own knowledge and opinions grow. You move away from your own biases and learn to see things from another perspective. The collaborator module helps you learn the skills you need to apply them to the classroom as a teacher and hopefully to get your students to start thinking and learning the same way.

by Tom Garrick

I chose to explore the Technologist module, found at: https://extend.ecampusontario.ca/technologist-scenario/

The Technologist module is fairly detailed and definitely gives a wealth of resources to teachers in this scenario who want to use technology but are maybe unsure of how to use it. The resources, mindset, and ideas are great here, especially for teachers who may be new to integrating technology. However, given that these are teachers who are looking for tools to integrate, I don’t think the prototype section of this module should be taken literally to make brand new technology… this would likely result in each person designing a new tool that is essentially a bad game of telephone with the tools they used to experiment… I think the design thinking is more about the lesson and curriculum integration in terms of TPACK and SAMR. By experimenting with and creating new ways of using technology to teach material, we can address the challenges we’ve found and create meaningful experiences that connect to the curriculum.

My experience with exploring the Technologist and designing an artifact was similar to the scenario in the module. I began crowd-sourcing information on BlackBoard, reading through the module myself, then sifting information and finding what was meaningful to cover. Next I had to find a tool to use – Prezi? Powerpoint? I had worked with both before, but wasn’t too sure how I would make them engaging and how I might go about exporting them into a video… Powtoon was recommended to me and I noticed it had a freemium model. It was relatively easy to use, and I appreciated the option of editing a template or starting from scratch (I chose to edit a template to save myself some headaches). Openness in education means being able to access things conveniently, and the freemium model does provide this access. However, in the moment, I felt very rushed as I only had 4 days to access all the features for free.

I’d like to dig in to the ideate section of the module a little bit more here, as I think it has the most opportunity to cover multiple areas of the module. A simple tool like Prezi allows the teacher to use technology for the ideation process and to build their digital literacies with this tool. It also gives them the opportunity to go paperless and come back to edit the mind map as they’re reflecting and revising later on. Next up in terms of design thinking, specifically for education, is the SECTIONS framework for how we decide to use everyday tools in the classroom.

Some of the tools on these lists are already fairly engrained in our society as citizens and learners (example, YouTube, google search, etc.). In these cases, the building of digital literacies would be how to take a tool that is already popularly used for (insert common use here), and apply it to education? Students likely have access to these platforms already, but what are the implications for using them for education? What are the privacy and security features, if any? What are some concerns with this platform? Is it open and accessible to all? These are all questions to consider.

The same questions need to be applied to the less common tools (that are more suited towards educational-specific uses – such as kahoot, mentimeter, knowledgehook, etc); as well as the digital literacies required to learn a new tool, and ultimately the teacher needs to decide whether or not it adequately addresses the needs of the learners in their classroom to overcome the challenges they’ve identified. It’s much like finding a nice outfit when shopping… what purpose will this serve? What does it cost? Do I really need something new, or is there something I already have that can serve this purpose? What are the motivations behind using this? Is this something I can use in multiple scenarios, or is it more of a specific thing?

Overall, I enjoyed exploring the Technologist module and working with the PowToon software. One thing I didn’t like about the PowToon was that it had a strict time limit of 3 minutes, so even with lots of audio editing using Audacity to cut down space in between my words, as well as cutting out some sections that weren’t as important I still barely had enough space to accurately summarize the module, so the video kind of just starts out of nowhere. The PowToon template had a really nice intro and outro but unfortunately with the time limits I couldn’t use these. However, I’m quite happy with the ease of use and the professional finished product the software affords.

The act of reaching out, and connecting with others in order to create something is a way to define the term collaboration which is the Ontario Extend Collaborator Module that I chose to summarize. There are four main sections to this module, EXPLORE (why collaborate), ENGAGE (Personal Learning Networks), EXTEND (Cultivating your PLN), and EMPOWER (Map your PLN), each focusing on a different aspect of collaboration.

Why Collaborate? Well there is a great video by Steven Johnson in the first section of this module, called Where Good Ideas Come From. In this video he speaks about this concept of an idea taking time to mature, and that one individual may only have half of an idea created in their mind. It isn’t until this idea is combined with another half idea to create one big idea, almost like that missing piece of the puzzle. It is here where Steven introduces this idea of borrowing and lending others hunches or ideas and combining them with our own to create bigger, better and newer innovations.

The second half of this section stems from a video where Alex Couros speaks about how to properly utilize twitter in Education and the appropriate use of a hashtag. I know myself I was able to learn a lot about the capabilities Twitter has and actually thought of a few different ways to implement this in my future teaching career.

The second section of the module mentions this idea of a PLN or professional learning network. It breaks it down into three components. First it’s personal, as you choose who to connect with people and wherever and whenever you feel you’d like. Sometimes this is in the form of lurking, where you just drop in and take information, other times you only input information.

Secondly it is a network, as those individuals that you originally connect to, also have connections to others with similar interests, creating this web of connections. Thirdly, the network all revolves around learning. Every individual in that network has a common goal to learn or gain some sort of information.

The third section of the module is about how to grow you PLN. I found this to be the section I enjoyed the most as I was able to gather information and ideas on exploring, searching, following, tuning, feeding, engaging, inquiring and responding, and how these are the eight tips from Howard Rheingold about cultivating your PLN. It also mentions the idea of filter bubbles, and how they restrict what we find, unless we truly search all relevant information, regardless of our personal opinion.

The fourth and final section of the module focused on an activity where you would actually map out your own personal PLN. I briefly mapped out my PLN in the bottom right corner (or Empower section) of my sketchnote.

I chose to create a sketchnote for this assignment because I felt that it was a great way to summarize all the information I retained from the module and still express it in a colourful way. I’m not a very artistically inclined individual, however it was a simple way to step out of my comfort zone, but still remain confident in my abilities. I was also able to reach out to a few peers that have created a sketchnote before and connect with them by asking them for their tips or ideas in order to make it effective.