Category: EdTech Reflections

This is the category to apply to your weekly reflection posts from the course.

Futuristic Education

Before you ask, the answer is no… I don’t think robots are going to replace teachers.

In the 1950s, Isaac Asimov wrote a short story entitled “The Fun They Had” depicting a vignette of what school might look like for students 200 years in the future. Although this may not have been what Asimov actually thought the future might look like, it’s still a fun read and a fun thought experiment. In class we focused not so far ahead, but rather looked at what classrooms and the education system might look like 20 years in the future.

In our small group discussion, we focused on the possibilities of more individualized and skills-specific learning opportunities for students, with high school potentially becoming more like university in that students’ studies would be potentially more career focused and/or students would have more choice over what they were learning.

One image that seemed to encapsulate our thoughts you can find at the top of this page (though try to picture the adults as high school students): https://www.viewsonic.com/library/education/steam-education-preparing-all-students-for-the-future/

(What the article discusses also mirrors a lot of our thoughts from that discussion.)

That was one thing Asimov did get right about the future, or at least was on the right track:

“But my mother says a teacher has to be adjusted to fit the mind of each boy and girl it teaches and that each kid has to be taught differently.”

Individualized and inquiry-based learning is something that really excites me about the more recent changes to our education system. Although also somewhat daunting as a teacher, I think Asimov’s quote does depict an ideal learning situation, although not with all students at home alone with a robotic teacher.

Maybe in 2040 I’ll have a look back and see if we were right…and then start looking toward 2060.

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

BCEdAccess and Inclusive Education

I really appreciated Tracy Hummphries’ talk on BCEd Access and accessibility in schools more broadly.

One thing that has really stuck with me since this talk has been the Exclusion Tracker. It is great that this tool exists, as much as we all wish it didn’t need to. Reading through the latest report it is clear that there are many aspects of inclusive education in our schools that need to be worked on in B.C. As an incoming teacher, I view myself as one of many that need to take on the responsibility of ensuring all students are included and that ableism is addressed and not perpetrated in our classrooms.

In order to do this work, I know I have some pre-work to do. To start off this area of preparation in my teaching practice, I’ve started searching for resources that I hope to consult and familiarize myself with before I get into the classroom.

The Teacher’s Guide to Combating Classroom Ableism

https://choiceschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/IEP-Resource-Guide.pdf

https://inclusionbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/InclusionBC-AccessibilityFramework-Nov-27-2019.pdf

Additionally, BCEdAccess has put together a list of resources that will also I’m sure be of use to me and many others. Please let me know of any other useful resources you come across, as I believe this kind of learning should be lifelong.

Lastly, I wanted to share this Twitter thread that has given me a lot to think about. While Twitter is not always the best place to go for advice, listening to people with lived experience is an essential role in addressing ableism in our classrooms. Social media can be a helpful tool for this, either through threads like these or the Facebook group Tracy shared with us.

Some Thoughts on Distributed Learning

It felt very apt that I was unable to attend the class on distributed learning in person but was required to call in via Zoom – very much a first-hand learning experience.

There were a few of us that had to attend online, and during the class discussion it was a little hard to participate, so we each spent the time doing personal reflection on the discussion prompts, which I thought I would share here.

The worst part about learning online is…

From my experiences with online learning (I was lucky enough to graduate just as the pandemic started, but I did my grade 9 year online as well), I have two main grievances. First, I found it difficult at times to get myself motivated when I was just sitting at home on my laptop – I really like school, and a lot of what I enjoy is being able to move around and change locations and experience different teaching styles and some of the spontaneity that comes from all of us being together in a room. Also, much of my online learning experience was asynchronous and self-paced, which for me was the perfect combination for low motivation.

The best part about learning online is…

…exactly what happened in this class! Even though a few of us were unable to attend class in person for various reasons, we didn’t have to miss out entirely. Online learning provides an avenue of access that has the ability to open up so many doors.

The pandemic has shown us that online learning…

…and online teaching require their own sets of skills.

…should, in some arenas, be here to stay.

…is not for everyone.

Jeff Hopkins and Inquiry

Jeff Hopkins’ TED Talk provided an analogy that I really liked: “Education is not the filling of a pail but rather the lighting of a flame.”

I appreciated this visual as many of the ideas that he shares in his talk, and similar ideas that I’ve heard from speakers and professors thus far, are ones that I am interested in using to inform my practice. I agree that the shift from an education system that is focused on “knowing” to one that focuses on “knowing about” is important – I think we’re beginning to see this shift happening – especially in the “new” curriculum (which now may just be known as the curriculum, although it’s new to me!), but depending on the classroom or school this transformation may still be in its infancy for some.

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend Jeff’s talk to our class, but from what I know from Jeff and PSII and what I know of other teachers and high schools, there are very big gaps in the amount of inquiry-based learning that students are doing depending on where they are being educated in the province. While a school model like PSII might not be possible everywhere, or potentially even useful everywhere, I am excited to see what lessons and inspirations can be drawn from Jeff’s ideologies and applied to a more mainstream classroom.

Rather than simply filling students with information, I really do hope to be able to spark and nurture and passion within each of my students – in a way that works for them.

PowerPoint: More Powerful than you think (Part 2)

As promised, a part 2 on the riveting blog topic that is Microsoft PowerPoint. In our class we were introduced to the functionalities of PowerPoint that allow for graphic creations. Two methods of graphics creation were highlighted in particular: photo editing and Smart Art.

Photo Editing:

This aspect of PowerPoint was introduced to us as a sort of introductory, very basic alternative to something like Photoshop. As someone who is fairly unskilled when it comes to photo editing, especially applications like Photoshop, I appreciated learning about this form of accessible photo editing. While Photoshop of course has much more power and capability, for basic edits (like the ones I would likely be most interested in on a day-to-day basis anyway) PowerPoint can often do the trick.

Smart Art:

This aspect of PowerPoint is actually of more interest to me than the photo editing. While I was already aware of Smart Art, it has been a while since I’ve looked at it, and either more has been added since I last used this resource or I forgot just how many options it has! I am sure that this will definitely be a tool I will be utilizing quite a bit.

Bonus: Canva

In our Multiliteracies class we sat in on a Canva workshop hosted by the Digital Learning Commons. Canva is another graphic creation tool that is very accessible. I’ve used Canva quite a bit already, but this was a good reminder of just how much it has to offer.

A graphic created in our workshop

Screen Recording, GIF-making, and Microsoft PowerPoint (more powerful than you think)

This week we were fortunate enough to be visited by Rich McCue, Manager of UVic’s Digital Scholarship Commons.

We were treated to a workshop on video editing and screencasting. I spent most of my time looking at screencasting, as I had spent time over the last few weeks learning about iMovie for another project in EDCI 352. In this class, I used a screencast platform that was new to me: Screencastify. This is a very accessible tool for anyone who is interested. Plus, the DSC has a useful tutorial available as well!

Screencasting is not new to me, but I was definitely inspired to think about more ways to incorporate this into my teaching, as I hadn’t spent any time considering that as an option before.

(I also learned how to make a GIF!) (I was excited, though there is a distinct possibility that I am well behind the curve on this)

While I enjoyed the opportunity to learn about and use a new platform, I did think about how I’ve been able to record my screen for videos in the past using Powerpoint. Learn how to record your screen on Powerpoint here:

You can also see an example of an old video I made on powerpoint here:

We’ve talked about Powerpoint as a tool for more than just creating slide decks (stay tuned for a part 2 to this blog topic). Although there are so many options out there for things like screen recording, accessibility of technology is really important to me, especially when it comes to “levelling the playing field” in the classroom. While many of the screen recording technologies available are free and easy to use and access, this activity inspired me to consider utilizing widely available tools that many students are already comfortable and familiar with to create more kinds of products.

Teen Social Media Use and Phones in the Classroom

Discussions of social media use amongst teens and phone use in the classroom have come up in each one of my classes so far. Jesse Miller provided us with some view on the subject that have largely differed from the perspectives shared by most of my professors and peers up to this point.

Photo on left by Adrian Swancar on Unsplash; Photo on right by Shingi Rice on Unsplash

Jesse Miller provided an alternative viewpoint, generally insinuating that the perceived dangers of social media may be overstated and identifies an important role for phones to play in the classroom.

Jesse and his ideas can be found on Twitter or on the Mediated Reality website.

I thought I’d share a reading from my EDCI 773 class on these topics (you can access it here: This Is Our Chance to Pull Teenagers Out of the Smartphone Trap)

In this article, the authors view these next school years as an opportunity to radically change students’ phone and social media use. They argue two steps are most needed to initiate this transition: a) ensuring that students are unable to access their phones at school and b) delaying the use of social media until at least the age of 13.

I agree that ideally students would be able to focus solely on those they are physically with, both teachers and classmates. I personally believe that it is crucial for students’ social development, especially considering the past pandemic years, that they have opportunities to interact with their peers in meaningful ways outside of an online context. However, I do not think the authors have provided enough consideration into the logistical limitations of their solution of “lock[ing] up” phones at school.

At this point in time, I learn more towards the opinion of the NYT authors as opposed to what I’ve heard from Jesse; however, I would be very interested in hearing more of what he has to say, as it is difficult to get a full picture of anyone’s thoughts on a topic as expansive as this in the short time we had together. Social media and phones are not going away, and to pretend otherwise is of no service to anyone. Overall, I think this is a topic on which I want to keep an open mind and want to continue to revisit. I have not decided what approach to phones I would tae in my classroom, and I anticipate it is something I will decide through trial and error and by assessing a variety of tactics (thus the importance of an open mind!). I also anticipate that I will modify my approach depending on the specific student in the room. It is difficult to know the right answer to this problem, but I do now that there is not one answer that will work for all students (or teachers) in all situations.

OERn’t You Glad We Have Open Educational Resources? (I am!)

I think nearly every teacher I’ve talked to has advised me on the benefits of using any existing resources I can find, rather than trying constantly to create everything from scratch. As new teachers, doing all we can to avoid burnout in those first years (and beyond) is key. And, after all, imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? Ironic, considering my last blog discussing copyright and fair dealing, among other things.

As an aid to myself, and anyone else who stumbles across this blog, I’ve started to collect a list of OER collections and OER-related resources that may be useful in the future:

A Whole New World (for me): Privacy, FIPPA, Copyright, and More

Much of the content of this course so far has been fairly new for me. Despite growing up in a very digital generation, apart from social media, most technology and online tools are not things I generally gravitate towards. So, along with learning about these tools and platforms that are new to me, learning the best practices – and legal practices – that go along with this is equally as foreign and even more important.

Whether it be gathering proper consent or understanding copyright and fair dealing, I’m learning more and more that there is a lot going on behind the scenes that it is essential for teachers to know. As I delve into this, I also feel that a) some this should be top of mind for more than just teachers, and b) some of these conversations are ones I should have been having a long time ago.

Once we graduate high school, a common refrain seems to be “why didn’t we ever learn that!” I’ve said it myself in regard to taxes, financial planning and other practical subjects I wished I had been introduced to in the classroom during my teenage years – or earlier. While there may not always be the time or opportunity for teachers to inquire into all the legalities surrounding technology, FIPPA, and online activities, I believe there should at least be many more conversations around privacy and safety – ones that I at least was rarely having.

As technology and internet use becomes increasingly ubiquitous, these questions and considerations are only going to become more complicated, so I’m grateful I’m being prompted to look into this now – especially as I come into my new role in the education system.

Most Likely to Succeed: Film Reflection

The film Most Likely to Succeed offers a glimpse into an alternative model of public secondary education, one that does away with the traditional model of distinct subject areas, standardized curricula, and grading scales.

Across a few of my courses I’ve had discussions and readings regarding various aspects of this film: combining and blurring the lines between course subjects (check out the local example of the Institute for Global Solutions); the impact of technology on the working world, and the changes this may require of our education system (what do you think about the arguments in this New York Times article?); and the role of teaching soft skills in classrooms. These are conversations I’m very excited to be having. I watched a TEDTalk by Sir Ken Robinson last week (who also appeared in this documentary) where he spoke to the way he sees creativity being drilled out of our students as they go through the school system. High Tech High, the school shown in this film, is an example of a school that appears to be seeking to address this problem.

I watched this documentary at the end of a very long, tiring day. Whether it was that context or simply being so inspired, I’m not sure, but by the end of the film I was in tears. The passion, confidence, and pride shown by the students in the film exemplified what I would want to see out of my future students – a goal that is one of the reasons I’m pursuing this profession. By no means is the film – or High Tech High – perfect. However, it shows a much needed attempt to try and modernize our education system, with the consideration of what is best for both students and teachers at the centre of our focus.

Finally, with all this talk of technology and AI and the impact they have on our workforce landscape, I continue to go back to the following thought I came across a while back:

We often talk about education as a means to an end, the end being a job. Even this film, with its showcases of passion and personal growth in both students and teachers, has an overwhelming focus on preparing students for the job market.

I understand that that is a practical approach to take and benefits the students as we live in a society where having a way of making money is necessary. But I do wonder if a primarily capitalistic view of the purpose of our education system is also due for a rethink…