I have learned so many things in EDTC 300! I found it difficult to keep this video short because of the abundance of new knowledge I gained. I found the chrome extensions to be the most impressive learning. All of the resources and information that was provided in this class will be very beneficial for my future as an educator. Thank you Katia Hildebrandt for sharing your knowledge with my classmates and I throughout this semester!
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Discord: Discord was a great way to stay in touch with classmates. I only contributed on the Discord chat twice. I found it a little bit difficult to contribute to many of the questions because I am a Weebly user. Most of my classmates used Edusites or Wordpress which I know nothing about. When contributing on Discord with my classmates I also found most of the questions were answered very quickly because our class was very ambitious and helpful, so it was a little difficult to answer questions. I answered my peers when I was able to to help out my classmates! Twitter: Before this class, I didn't have Twitter, but now I do! As a newbie to Twitter, I had lots to learn about the platform. I have found many great resources and shared to my Twitter feed. My classmates posted some fantastic things that I loved viewing and exploring new resources. I commented and retweeted many posts I came across because I wanted to share with my peers. My favorite Twitter experience was when I asked "I seen this link and now I am curious...Do you do your planning digitally or in a teacher planner? And why?" and got many responses. It was quote tweeted by Dr. Kelly Christopherson. It was retweeted by Education world. There were many responses and the conclusion to my question was most use digital planning. I was provided with many platforms for planning that I will have to check out and see what works best for me. I think it is AMAZING that 894 seen this tweet! I also participated in one #SaskEdChat which was a new experience for me! I will have to participate in a few more going forward. I am not the best at Twitter yet and still need gain an understanding of how it works. Twitter is a helpful platform in the education world and I will try my best to use and explore it! Commenting: During this semester I contributed to many of my classmates blog posts! I enjoyed hearing their thoughts about the class content and everybody's learning project. These comments are not in any particular order!
When my classmates commented on both my EDTC 300 and Learning Project blog posts this semester I made sure to respond to every comment! I loved reading their comments and thoughts! I am glad my peers enjoyed my posts! Zoom: One day after class I was asked a question about my blog page setup by Jenn New. She was curious about how to get an image behind text on Weebly. There were not many Weebly users in this course so it was good we had each other. We chatted after class and I helped Jenn to the best of my ability! Interacting with classmates in this class was a benefit to my learning experience. We all learned from each other through Twitter and blog posts. We helped each other on Discord when others had questions. It was a great bunch of people to interact with. The participation part of this class makes it feel more rewarding in the end!
This week I got introduced to Coding! I have heard about it before, thought it was over my head and boring. I tried out a code activity called dance party. In this activity I was given blocks to code that would result in the characters dancing. The starter video that played was very helpful to begin creating! When making these dances and advancing levels it didn't even seem like coding because it was fun and I could be creative! It was a lot easier than I thought it would be! I thought this was good, until I made other ones. For this dance party I made, I controlled the moves with the arrows on my keyboard. I thought it would be cool to have all the characters doing a different move, but it wasn't. I liked the dances I made better when all the characters were doing to same moves. This is still pretty impressive for my first attempt at coding. This was the best dance party I made! I love how my characters go to the music! It took a bit of playing around because of the timing, but in the end I figured it out. In the description video it suggested to use measures, but I ended up using seconds. I found it easier to control my characters! These characters are so fun! A shark, a pineapple, and some frogs give me such a summer vibe. The background that I was able to add to this dance was so jazzy. After some of the levels completed there was a new video that played showing new blocks and how to used them. I thought the videos were very helpful! Some of the blocks that were introduced included an events video, a measures video and a properties of the characters video. It got the be more fun at the end because there were more features that could be used. I also found it to be more complex which made it a little harder and took more time to figure out. In the classroom this would be fun activity for students to do! I personal think some younger students would really struggle with the complexity of some of the activities. I would have to explore more to see what else they have to offer for lower level students. I think this would be fantastic for grade 4 and up students to spend time at creating code. I think it would be a fantastic "done all my work" task because it is educational and also fun! My little cousin is 11 and is creative and loves technology! I have asked her to check out both code and Scratch to give me a review on the websites and her thoughts on coding. I am interested what she thinks about it! I will have to remember both of these resources for my future classroom.
It is amazing how news and information can spread in the world today! Online platforms are able to get news out in a matter of seconds. A problem with the news travelling to people so fast and online is some of the news isn’t real news, but people believe it is. Any person can put something online and people will think it is true if they don’t know how to tell what is real. Honestly in high school I was particularly oblivious to this issue. I would simply type in what I was looking for on Google and click on one of the top links that came up. I did know that some things on the internet were not true, but I never got told how to clarify if something was real or fake. I still am not an expert in this area. I did this quiz and did not get them all correct! I would encourage you to do this quiz and see if you get them correct! I watched this video that wraps up digital literacy very well. It suggested a tip that I thought was interesting, is a good idea to only check the news on your phone a couple times a day not too often. It also suggests that only 25% of students could identify if a new story was fake are real. I think if we looked at our population there would be a very low percentage of all people who would be able to do identify the differences. This is a serious problem because most people get their news and information of the internet into society. The 5 C’s of Critical Consuming 1.Context
I think it is important to educate students about digital literacy. If we teach our students how to do all of these things when looking for information it will allow them to think critically in other areas. Critical thinking has many benefits to people throughout their whole life! Young children should know that not everything they see and find online is true. If they start to believe everything is true it will be hard for the to shift their mindset later in life. When teaching students about fake news with critical thinking it is important to have discussion. There is also that lesson that looks like it would be a great learning experience for students. For teacher older students about digital literacy this is a great document! It is filled with some excellent information that could be read and discussed together in class as well!
When thinking of a digital identity, I think of the person you are perceived to be online. Now a days the person you are in real life is most likely the person you are online. Some people still try to cover up their real life through the internet. I have personally have witnessed people posting about how perfect their life is online to cover up for the reality. some people also have 2 instagram pages, one for "good" posts and one for goofy things a person wants to share with a smaller group of people. I know when I am online I am presenting myself in a way I would in real life. I only have one account for each platform I use, and if I don't want everyone (including family and coworkers) to see it I don't post it at all. I don’t post everything about my life but I do post milestones and memories so my family and friends can see what I’ve been up to. Social media and the internet has turning into a bullying platform made easy for any person who wants to make other people’s lives miserable. This is not ok to do on the internet. When posting something online it will be with you forever. “With every click, we make a choice.” Everyone needs to know when they post online it could be changing their life forever. There could be extreme consequences for saying something inappropriate, racist, or threatening online. People have lost friend, their job, or their disposition because of a click they made. There have also been people who take their own lives because of the bullying and harassment they experience online. It is so sad that a person’s life can change in an instance if they make one wrong click or somebody posts something about them. When posting online you should think twice before posting and ask yourself is this online material. We should make sure to always post things that will be good for our reputation and not harm us in the future. When I looked up Amberlee Dayman in my google search bar the first thing that came up was her Facebook profile. Following that was her Edusites blog page, Pinterest profile, Instagram profile which was private, her Twitter account, and lastly hockey records and cattle entries from the past. Everything on the first page of google were connected to her. In her Instagram bio was the link to her VSCO account. I was able to go through all of the picture she has posted in the past. In her VSCO bio there is a link to her Snapchat. In the google images there are most of her VSCO pictures and the pictures that she has posted on her blog. I found it interesting in the images that all of them related back to her posts. There were no random pictures that were posted by someone else with the same name. I guess that’s what happens when you have a unique name! From looking through her accounts, it looks as if Amberlee has a boyfriend, lives on a farm, plays hockey, enjoys nature, and enjoys spending time with friends. I have also discovered she is an education student at the University of Regina. From all of these sources, I can tell Amberlee is an all-around great person. It is so interesting the vibe you can get from a person’s posts just by looking and reading them. This week I learned that people are very easy to find online. It doesn't take much to search a name into google and learn about a person. I understand why digital citizenship is so important because of the easy access to online content. I encourage everyone to search their own name occasionally to see what comes up. It might be amazing what you find! Once something is posted online it will be attached to your name forever. Remember to always think before you post something to make sure it is online material!
Technology is now the way of the world! Since technology is a part of mostly everyone’s, digital citizenship should be taught in schools right from the start. From Kindergarten to Grade 12, children should learn about technology and the possible things that can come from the use of it. If people know how to use the internet and devices in an appropriate way it will benefit them in the future. The digital elements are important for everyone to know about. There are 9 themes of Digital Citizenship: 1.Digital Access – who has access technology and online resources available to them, not just at school, but at home as well. 2.Digital Commerce – the electronic space where buying and selling of goods happens, is it a safe place. 3.Digital Communication and Collaboration – the exchange of information electronically, technology may make some people feel it is the only place they belong. 4.Digital Etiquette – this involves the standard conduct or procedures and the way people think while on devices. Individuals should also be aware others online. 5.Digital Fluency – the understanding and the ways technology can be used. People should be making good choices while posting and commenting online. 6.Digital Health and Welfare – an individual’s overall well-being while in the digital world. It can’t be used for enjoyment, but also could be harmful to an individual’s health. 7.Digital Law – the rules and responsibilities of the online world and policies that go along with many online sources. 8.Digital Rights and Responsibility – are the requirements and freedom used by everyone online appropriately. Individuals should protect themselves and others online. 9.Digital Security and Privacy – are people safe when using online platforms. This video gives a great overview of the 9 themes of digital citizenship. There are many components which you may confuse with each other, but hopefully this helps. I always enjoy a good video to watch for clarification! This table is a good start to teaching digital citizenship. As educators, we should teach our students about digital citizenship. In the Grade 4 Saskatchewan Curriculum, there is a health outcome and indicators that relate to a persons individual safety, which has aspects that relate to digital citizenship. Outcome USC4.4 Determine basic personal responsibility for safety and protection in various environments/situations. Indicators a. Examine prior knowledge and new information related to safety (including cyber safety). b. Explore critical safety needs (e.g., cyber, hunting, water, fire, biking) of self and others in local community. d. Examine cyber safety etiquette and related safety risks and strategies. i. Share expectations for personal safety and protection in various environments/situations. j. Examine one’s responsibility to use electronic networks in an ethical and safe manner. In my future classroom, I will teach lessons around digital citizenship and personal safety online. Some parents may not explain to their children the consequences of going online. I will make sure to emphasize there are benefits to devices and technology, and how to stay out of bad situations. I hope to use technology often in my classroom as a learning resource, so I want to be sure they are using it in a way that is positive. I would never want one of my students to get caught in a bad place online because they didn't know the dangers. It is better to teach them before it is too late! I think all people who use technology should use it in a positive way that doesn't effect their life offline. People should not have to have 2 lives if they are taught and use proper technology practices. There are many great resources that I have provided above to help all my fellow educators learn about digital citizenship, so we can all teach our students the importance of being a good digital citizen throughout their lives!
Technology has changed since I was young and I’m not even that old. Technology has defiantly changed the way we live our lives. I have seen both the positive and negative sides of technology. In the classroom and for communicating which are the positives in our lives, but from the video we watched this week it is apparent to have some pretty negative effects on people’s lives. It is so sad to think people take their own lives because the harm that happens through technology. I personally think these problems will get worse in the future. As educators we need to teach our students about the consequences that can come from being on the internet and the fact that people may be lying on the internet. It is important that we don’t scare them about using technology, but make them aware of the possibilities so they know. I remember lots of different kinds of technology being used throughout the years when I was in school. I remember overhead projectors and televisions strapped down to metal carts in my beginning year of school to interactive boards, I pads, and laptops in my later years of school. When I was in grade 6, I got my first phone at the end of the year. I got my phone because I was babysitting at a house that didn’t have a landline phone, and my parents felt uncomfortable having no way to communicate with me.
I had many rules when I got my first phone... 1.My dad owned it so could look at it or take it whenever he wanted 2.I wasn’t allowed to take it to school 3.I could only talk to people that I knew 4.I was not able to brag about having a phone 5.I had to use it in a respectful way or it was gone. My cousins are 9 and 10 and they have their own personal devices. One of them has a laptop and one of them has a phone. They have no rules with their devices. They play Fortnight, Roblox, and they have TikTok and snapchat accounts. I think they are too young, but lots of other kids their age and younger have devices too. This has really been an eye opener for me to compare how old children are when they get devices now compared to when I did. I believe children today are missing out on imagination and playing in nature. It is scary to think how quickly young children can go down the wrong path when using technology. I was personally very cautious when I started using platform such as KIK, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and Messenger because I knew not to talk to people I didn’t know. I know that some people really feel important and accepted when they talk to people on the internet, but people need to realize that’s not really life. Everyone should always remember to take time to appreciate the world around them and the people to love them. This week I explored Seesaw, because I had heard about it, but was curious about the features and benefits it had! I thought It would be a great resource in my future classroom if I liked the way it was designed. I explored it and loved it! It is very easy to use for teachers, and also would be manageable for all ages of children. This platform could be used in many ways in the classroom for things such as assessment, portfolios, or daily lessons! I also love the fact a student work can all be document in one location, which makes it easy to see progress and evaluate. I am so glad I explored it now, so I know what can be done with this platform! I know for sure it will be useful in my future! I used it to document my Learning project this week! I can see myself using Seesaw for many educational purposes in my future classroom. I think this is a fantastic platform that all teachers should check out!
Then I was really amazed! A bunch of activities came up that looked very child friendly and engaging. I started clicking on them to see what would happen. Once I clicked on one it gave me an option to “like it” to save and assign to students later or to “assign” right away. There are subject categories and grade categories that make it easier to search for activities. I clicked on art to see if there was anything I could use to document my learning project! I found a couple that could have worked and assigned the to the “Sample Student” to how they worked! They then went into the folder and I could click on them as the student to complete! I was going to paint something that went alone with each caption, but I made something better!
This platform could be a modification or augmentation of the SAMR model depending on how teachers use this platform in their classrooms. You could make anything for any subject area on Seesaw! I can see myself using Seesaw for many educational purposes in my future classroom. I think this is a fantastic platform that all teachers should check out!
BONUS POST
So, first of all my mind is blown after a class with Katia Hildebrandt! But on the other hand, I don’t know much about technology and the amazing benefits! I learned so many things in just an hour and a half! She told us about many chrome extinctions that can make a person’s life so much easier! In my future career, many of these extinctions will be useful. One of them is Read Aloud, which is an extension that will read anything that is on your screen! I think this would be great for in the classroom when there is a child that needs help reading instructions or an article. The second one she showed us was Distraction Free For YouTube, which blocks YouTube from showing all the suggested videos that may distract the viewer. I think this will be fantastic to use in the classroom so all the students aren’t yelling what they see on the screen because we all know that happens! Another extension Katia introduced us to was One Tab, which I thought was amazing because I always have a million tabs open. This extension makes it so all your tabs are in one place and easy to access, but not open killing your battery. I also learned about Screencastify, which is an easy way to make videos of your screen or yourself. I think this would be fantastic in the classroom to make short instructional videos or to help students working from home when they are away. She also showed us Grammerly, but I have used that one for many years because I am awful with grammar and spelling. Katia introduced us to uBlock Origin a couple weeks ago, and I downloaded it right away because I had no idea this type of thing existed and it is life changing! UBlock Origin is an extension that blocks all adds when using the chrome browser. Everyone hates adds popping up all over the place, so this is beneficial to everyone! As soon as class was over I downloaded most of the extensions that Katia suggested. What I have discovered is the is basically an extension for everything if you just look for them! You should check some of these out if you have never heard of them because they may make your life easier! I have recently joined the Twitter world! I am still getting the hang of this social media platform, which might take some time. From what I have discovered so far, I think it will be a great platform for sharing and gaining new resources from other teachers. I enjoy looking better than tweeting, but that might change over time. I also realize that you have to share with others and not just look, so others can enjoy my resources too.
When joining the SaskEdChat I thought it would be more like a talking chat, but I was wrong! I think the chat was an interesting concept, but was personally not my favorite experience! I found it very overwhelming to read and keep up with even half of the things that were happening. That would probably change once I became more familiar with the platform, but it still has a lot happening. By the time I thought about my answer and typed it out, it was time for the next question! I seen a few peoples posts as they flew by, but not very many. I didn’t look at my notifications the whole time because I didn’t have time. Everything happened so fast! I am an auditory learner and I am a very slow reader, so I think this is why I was not a fan. I enjoy listening to people’s discussion better than reading a discussion! Twitter is mostly typed posts with a few images, and I find things more intriguing when there are images. Pinterest on the other hand is very easy for me to enjoy because I can see a picture first and then read to find out more about the image or topic! For example, a menu at a restaurant, I will always look at the pictures first before reading the written options. This is just the person I am! For this reason, I think I will find it hard to LOVE twitter, but I will give it my best shot! |