#UWinDig 2020

After listening to the podcast by Chris Friend and Amy Collier I came up with a sketchnote to summarize some of the important concepts highlighted in the show. This was my first time listening to a podcast and it was interesting to see how formal ideas were presented in an informal way.

One of the concepts that Friend and Collier discussed was the idea of ‘Best Practices’. Best practices are created by someone else and said to be the best idea for everyone in any situation. We must question who they are best for and what they really mean. Best Practices are something that I have generally taken at face value, I hadn’t thought about what negative repercussions they might hold. Instead of ‘Best Practices’ I believe we should have practices in place that cater to individuals and their needs. Often times when something is best for a majority, the minority suffers the most. In my own teaching I want to make sure that the best practices I have in place are ones individualized to the students I’m teaching. 

Another idea that was discussed on the podcast was that of “Notyetness”, embracing the discomfort of not knowing and playing with an idea without quite getting it yet. Noyetness is so important to a critical pedagogy because it takes away the burden of having the right answer, instead it embraces the process to the answer and showcases the creativity in finding the solution. I often times ask myself when working on something, “How can I do this the right way?” and then proceed to stress myself out thinking about all the wrong ways I could be doing it. Embracing notyetness means to embrace that unknown factor of learning. This idea actually reminded me of a concept I learned in another class about flow, it emphasized how you can achieve the most optimal flow when completing work if you have a balance between challenge and skill. Notyetness seems to be a part of that process for me, you can only achieve flow if you are working towards something that challenges you, and something that challenges you shouldn’t be something to which you already have a solution. 

Collier also touches on the idea of “Learnification” which is essentially individualizing education so the responsibility falls on the learner rather than the community. This student interest based learning was not something I had ever been introduced to before but initially hearing about the concept, it seemed intriguing to me. I liked the idea of students wanting to learn whatever they wanted to learn, this personalizes learning and sparks a passion for it as well. Instead of just following a set curriculum that might not meet the interests of some students, why not introduce teaching as a way that touches everyone? Throughout the podcast I also learned that this ideology is quite romanticized and takes away from the student/teacher relationship. Though I wish to personalize learning for my students, I also believe that a part of teaching is maintaining a relationship with your students where there is trust, respect, and consideration. Classrooms are meant to be communal places of learning where we interact and work with one another, but by individualizing education it merely becomes a self process and aspects of collaboration are lost. When I think about my own learning experiences, the best ones have been where there was room for self growth and discovery as well as ways to work with one another in order to achieve the best result. 

When we become so engrossed by these ‘Best Practices’ and forget to work through ‘Notyetness’ we can become obsessed with the outcome. Outcomes provide a way to derisk learning; when you set measurable outcomes for what students are supposed to know, you take away from the opportunity to measure students on their own individual learning, growth, and understanding. Whenever I start an assignment of any sort, my first step is to always look at the rubric and outlines and see exactly what is asked of me. In my own placement experiences I’ve found that many students do the same and it becomes a way to achieve the best mark rather than forming an interest or understanding. Instead of Outcomes, Collier thinks that we should have Beacons. These Beacons can be big questions that students ask themselves by the end of their learning instead of reductive and incremental outcomes. 

Overall, the points that Collier and Friend made in the podcast were those that I agreed with. It made me question certain ideals we have for learning and what they really mean and I believe it is this questioning that leads to better teaching. I chose to present the information in a sketchnote to challenge myself. I initially wanted to do the Twitter essay because I have an easier time writing words than drawing pictures but this assignment provided me with the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone. I struggled immensely creating the sketchnote and often wanted to give up and write the Twitter essay but I believe that the challenge helped me grow as an educator and really helped me to see how different forms of showing information can be helpful to students and for understanding. #UWinDig2020

Jay Maisonville

The following is my reflection on the 2018 article, “Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom” by Ashley Hinck. (http://hybridpedagogy.org/digital-ghosts-modern-classroom/)

In her article, American digital media professor Ashley Hinck describes university students starting her class expecting to complete digital media assignments by following instructions and using templates. Hinck suggests that digital media educators should encourage digital literacy instead by allowing students to become true digital media makers and to learn through trial and error.

In the following clip, I examine her proposal of allowing students to be ‘creators’ and compare it to the traditional template-based ‘recipe’ style of instruction. Traditional recipe or template-style assessments dominated most of my own education, and though I still appreciate its use in some contexts—like larger classes, compulsory classes, and classes that do not demand much creativity—I support Hinck’s claim as a means to deepen the learning experience and to inspire students. Reflecting on my time both as a student and as an aspiring educator, I explore opportunities to bring the creator model beyond the university-level digital media realm before confessing to my rocky but slowly improving relationship with technology.

Looking back on this project, I understand that the content and delivery may have been better-suited to a video or a twitter essay. This is something I’ll keep in mind for my next media reflection. Working with some new tools and methods (voice recordings, timing and linking a PowerPoint, searching for appropriate images) was a little challenging but a valuable experience. This project also reminded me that a good old-fashioned Google search can offer priceless insight, that inevitable mistakes and frustrations can be easily worked through with the right attitude, and that technology is sometimes even more cooperative than expected.

And to clarify something I said toward the end of the clip: I assure you that I know, and always have known, what a telephone is. I should have specified that I related to Mr. Carson’s feelings while discovering other valuable technologies throughout my teenage years…including the GPS, the NHL app, Google slides, and the lowly toaster oven.

Reference:

Hinck, A. (2018, March 29). Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom. Retrieved from https://hybridpedagogy.org/digital-ghosts-modern-classroom/.

I read Ashley Hinck’s Digital Ghosts in the Modern Classroom. http://hybridpedagogy.org/digital-ghosts-modern-classroom/

My opinion of the author’s main message is that the classroom is modern and we, as educators, need to take responsibility for creating a modern digital classroom. I interpreted that embracing and using digital technologies in the classroom is not as hard as possibly assumed, and it is a great option for learning. Educators need to debunk the assumptions and expectations of digital technologies. Digital technologies should be used to enhance the classroom to create a modern classroom. Educators need to lead by example and show their students how to use these technologies in ways that are best for them. Not every digital technology is going to suit each student and if students have the technical knowledge and understanding, they can use technologies that enhance their learning. These technologies should simply be another learning tool.

The text opened my eyes about how “old” technologies limit student’s creativity. Before reading this article, I did not see PowerPoints, for example, as limiting and controlling (of a student’s creative choices). I use PowerPoint often and I choose from the variety of themes they offer. This article made me ask myself, what would happen to my PowerPoint presentation if I was able to make all creative decisions, if I could make my own theme.

I am a classic example of a student who “all they know of digital making are the template/shortcut platforms that have enabled them to participate in digital culture up until this point” as described in the article. I enjoy assignments that provide a lot of structure and that translated into my digital technology use. I did not often explore digital technologies that put me in the role of the “creator”. As a musician, I am constantly expressing myself through my music. Why not apply that same creative freedom to other areas and embrace these digital technologies that give me that opportunity?

As I created my artifact, I connected with the recurring theme in the article that modern digital technologies make students great makers, creators, and speakers. I realized that as I was creating my sketchnote, I was in complete control; I was the creator. I was creating a product exactly the way I wanted to. I was not following a script of steps. I used the shapes, colours, fonts, etc. that made sense for my learning. I think a sketchnote was a great artifact for me to help me get my feet wet in digital technologies for a modern classroom. Students should be encouraged to learn through methods that work for them! As an educator, I will create a learning space where my students can take control and be creative in their learning.