Today we talked about the future! And what kind of world we predict we will be teaching in years down the line. We did an activity where we wrote down our predictions on a sticky note and shuffled around the class, swapping notes with people until the music stopped. Then we would read the sticky note we ended up with, and on the back of it, we would write down a rating out of 5. This activity was really fun! Some sticky notes were very optimistic about technology and it’s rapid advancement, while many were very nervous and even pessimistic about the direction we were heading as a society. I believe, even for us, these types of tech classes are important so future teachers are less nervous about including tech in their lessons. Many students are extremely interested in technology and there are so many fun ways we can include it in our classes for them, so I feel that by straying away from it because a teacher personally feels nervous around it and how it *might* negatively affect our futures, it would be robbing children of that opportunity to learn more about it and how to use it responsibly. Technology as it stands isn’t perfect, and there are definitely risks involved, which is exactly why it’s so important to educate students on safe and responsible use of it while they’re young! Aside from these views, it was fun to picture what a futuristic world might look like.
Image by nattgw on Unsplash
We also discussed how Australia has recently implemented a ban on social media usage from children under the age of 16. There were mixed opinions on this in class, but many seemed to favour the decision. Below are some news articles and opinion pieces I found about this!
With that completed, this is the final reflection post I will make here as term has concluded. I’m grateful I was able to record all of this for future reference!
Today, a School District 61 teacher, Kristen, came in and talked to us about incorporating technology into outdoor education. One of the questions she asked us was what kind of technology we as teachers can use to help students foster a healthy relationship with the land. Some apps, programs, and websites that she recommended, along with some we came up with, are as follows:
We also touched on a few other things such as using cameras, educational videos, livestreams of forests, aquariums, eagles’ nests, and more. Another way I thought of using tech in this regard is by using VR, possibly for virtual field trips. This would be fun, however, even affording one VR headset for the classroom would be quite costly at this point. As a result, this would likely be at a point in the future when there are cheaper options available for classroom use.
Following a brief presentation, we took the class outside into Finnerty Gardens for a scavenger hunt created for us by Michael. He had us find six QR codes placed by him that linked to different topics and videos connected to outdoor education and Finnerty Gardens. This would be a great activity to bring into the elementary classroom if we distributed devices that could scan QR codes. It would connect outdoor education with technology and be an engaging way for students to learn the material. If I were to do this with a class, I would make it so the students had to interact with and engage with the links in the QR codes for it to count towards their scavenger hunt. I fear that some students would run through the garden to get every QR code in the scavenger hunt without engaging with the resources simply so they could be the first to complete it. Overall it was a fun experience to work with my group! Below I’ve included pictures that I got in the gardens along with some examples of the QR codes.
Some QR codes posted by MichaelSome very friendly ducks coming to say hello!
Today, Kaori Lau and Neesha Blajberg from the BCEdAccess Society zoomed in for a presentation with our class. BCEdAccess is a volunteer-run, non-profit organization supporting families with disabled members that struggle with equal accessibility in British Columbia schools. Their goal, largely, is to provide resources and education to educators so they can better help those that need the support. One thing we spent a lot of time discussing was how technology can be used in the classroom or school environment as a support tool for students that require it. Through a number of polls on Mentimeter, which I’m including here because it’s a great interactive tool for presenting and I would like to come back to it one day, the presenters were able to gauge where we’re at when it comes to what we know of tech as an accessibility tool. Some of the tools the class came up with were:
Text to speech
Subtitles
Translators
A microphone and speaker for the teacher
Hearing aids
iPads with accessibility apps
Chromebooks
Noise-cancelling headphones
AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices
Audio recorders
Alternative keyboards
Spell checkers and grammar correctors
We also discussed how technology can be normalized as an accessibility tool in the classroom, as there are many people who view technology as little more than a distraction or a temporary support tool rather than something that can be utilized by a student indefinitely. Another prompt that we participated in as a class over Mentimeter was how we as teachers can help with this issue. Some of my classmates’ potential solutions were as follows:
Have discussions about the use of technology as an assistive tool.
Provide caregivers and school staff with open communication about its use.
Provide training to teachers and EAs about assistive technology and how to implement it in the classroom.
Speak up for the students.
Research new technologies and share with students, parents, and school staff.
Work with parents and students to set up appropriate uses of technology. This might look like setting time limits and restricting some apps and websites, but keeping the helpful ones available for use.
Have assisted technology listed in the students’ IEPs.
Advocate for the many benefits of assistive technology.
Advocate for funding and grants (SET-BC a good place to start).
One of the points our presenters made that resonated with me the most was a simple comparison made that shed light on how important it is to have technology as an accessibility tool in the classroom. One of them mentioned that we don’t tell students to take their glasses off when they write an exam, despite needing their glasses as an accessibility tool so they can see. Why then, should students who use technology as an accessibility tool have their use of it restricted? I feel like so many people shun the thought of using technology as a regularly occurring tool in the classroom simply because they did not grow up with it and have associated the word “technology” with entertainment and distractions. I believe technology should be common for its assistive purposes in the classrooms so it’s normalized as such and better understood by the wider population.
Here’s a video I found on the importance of assistive technology in the classroom:
Denver Public Schools. (2017, June 5). How assistive technology supports students with disabilities [Video file]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIPZyXuD5XM
Today we looked at artificial intelligence (AI) in more depth than previously discussed. We started with GenType, a program created by Google Labs that uses AI image generation to create every letter of the alphabet based on user prompts. For the above prompt, I entered “Bubbles underwater,” and it created an alphabet based on that description. This can be a really fun thing to add to your slides or documents as a teacher, as it can easily match whichever lesson it’s used for.
Generated by me using GenType by Google Labs
We also discussed how AI is implemented into everyday life, such as algorithms on social media, recommendations on sites like YouTube and Netflix, suggestions in search engines such as Google, routes to take on Google Maps, and much more. These are examples of predictive AI.
We got the chance to play around with ChatGPT as well, and we discussed some of the reasons why AI is not favoured by many. My cohort spans from people who are highly optimistic about AI, such as myself, to people who are avidly against it. I have my own concerns about certain aspects of AI, such as how image generation uses any given artist’s work without their permission, however I also understand that it’s here to stay and it is something we cannot ignore in our classrooms based on our personal biases. It is incredibly important that we educate our students on safe and responsible use of programs such as ChatGPT and other text and image generators. This could involve bringing a professional into our classroom, discussing the subtle biases in these programs, informing about it’s detrimental environmental misuse, being mindful of our reliance on it, and explaining how it works to students who are otherwise unaware of these points.
As teachers, it is very possible that we will one day face being presented with an assignment that was completed by AI. As students, it is also possible that we’ll one day be accused of using AI on an assignment when we have not. These are situations very new to our society as AI this intelligent has only been available to the public for a few years now. One way to get around this, as a student, is you can show your document in history in Word and Google Docs. As a teacher, we can make the learning assessment based more around their process rather than their outcome. This may be one way we can get around students sneakily using AI and we can ask them unique questions about their own personal learning that is other unanswerable by something like ChatGPT.
I’ve included a video below about a school in Newark, New Jersey that has brought AI into their classroom. Here they can teach students about AI in a safe environment, where if any misconduct is done with the AI by a student, an alert is sent to the teacher. While I would still want to be the one in control of my student’s learning, I believe programs like this will become more and more commonplace around school districts in the future.
CBS News. (2024, February 22). AI education tools are helping students learn, grow and gain confidence [Video file]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIPZyXuD5XM
Today, we touched on the topic of digital curation and took part in an Ed Camp using discussion prompts created by our peers around the classroom. An Ed Camp is a user generated conference where teachers join up and discuss different topics usually related to education. In this reflection, I will mainly be focusing on our Ed Camp discussions. I shifted to another group partway through, and have things I can reflect on about two different education related topics.
Before separating into our different groups, we got a sticky note with some time to think about potential topics and were given a set of stickers to vote for our top three favourite prompts. I had trouble coming up with an idea myself, but my classmates came up with all good ideas. Below is a picture of some of the sticky notes, taken by our instructor Dr. Michael Paskevicius.
I voted for the prompts that would discuss video games and movies in the classroom, as well as the topics covering field trips and mental health. While the one on video games and movies did not make the final vote for the whole class, the last two did and I was able to join these groups in their discussions. The prompts for these break-out groups were worded as such: “What are the best field trip ideas? + Why?” and “How can teachers help make a less anxious/depressed generation?” Below, I outline some of what we talked about in each group.
“What are the best field trip ideas? + Why?“ The first group I joined talked about field trips. Specifically, when we as teachers would decide to have them and what their focus or purpose would be. A lot of ideas were generated in this discussion, and we began with why we take students on field trips in the first place. One person said it should be related to learning something new, while another added that it should compliment what the students have learned prior. For example, the students might have a unit covering the life cycle of salmon and then go on a field trip to Goldstream Provincial Park to see the salmon run firsthand. Another person said it was fine going on a field trip just to give the students a break from their studies and let them try a new experience. For example, going to the opera would be good for them so they can get out of the school environment for a bit and say that they’ve been to the opera before.
We also talked about the logistics of planning field trips and what might be involved in this process. Some were saying to plan for field trips in August and to start applying for grants early since funding can be a nightmare. Another person said it would be ideal to wait so you can know your class before you plan, but we all recognized that this isn’t always an option. I mentioned that funding can be brought down by transporting students via the city bus (class and age dependant of course) or utilizing the cars of parent volunteers.
We also talked about “virtual” field trips, field trip location ideas, and more. Partway through, we took a short break and I navigated to the other group discussing mental health in students.
“How can teachers help make a less anxious/depressed generation?“ This group was partway through their discussion already when I joined, but I was able to keep track of a number of things that were brought up. We talked about a number of reasons why students may be struggling in today’s modern society, and we came up with a number of factors that may be related. This includes, but is not limited to: • Screen time and it’s effects on students • Sedentary time (generally relating to screen time) • Upbringing and parenting style • Biological factors, ingrained with life experiences or trauma
The group transitioned into discussing ways that we as educators can help counter some of these factors, or at least make the classroom environment a safe place for struggling students. One person talked about how many parents may watch the news in the morning, which is generally filled with negativity and shows viewers all the bad stuff that is happening locally or around the world. We thought about how we could talk about the good things that have happened in the world with students, or covering one good thing per day that has happened to boost spirits in the morning. We also talked about promoting empathy in our classrooms and encouraging students not to be too hard on themselves. One person brought up implementing health and wellness classes in younger grades and another brought up the balance between being kind and warm as a teacher but also being firm with rules and expectations.
At this point, we had to return to class but I believe I learned a lot through these discussions and am very fortunate to have learned what an Ed Camp is so I can look out for them in the future.
Included is a video I found after the second discussion that touches on student mental health and the importance of encouraging mental health days for students. The video is a Ted Talk, based in the US, but it covers the same issues faced by Canadian students and can easily be introduced in Canada if it has not been already. I highly recommend giving it a watch.
TEDx Talks. (2020, February 1). Why you should take a break: Prioritizing mental health in schools | Hailey Hardcastle | TEDxSalem [Video file]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD0w_gOEbUI
Today we looked at how videos can effectively be used in a school classroom setting. We discussed the types of videos you’ll find in a classroom, such as ones made by teachers for their students, and ones made by students to demonstrate their learning. We also discussed how videos can be educational, as they allow for seeing what is otherwise impossible to see with the naked eye, such as slow motion footage and timelapses. Teachers can use videos with infographics to illustrate things in the form of computer animation, and GIFs to show short repeating videos that can be put in blog posts and websites. Videos are also good ways to keep information accessible to kids, mainly through their functions that allow pausing, going back, repeating, captions, and VR “virtual tour” capabilities. We also had a guest speaker in who allowed us time to experiment with a video editor of our choice. Below are some GIFs that we were shown that are examples of ones that may be good for classroom use: Received from Bored Panda.
One thing more I would have liked to learn in this class was ways we can implement video-making into our lessons as teachers. Which lessons would allow kids to best demonstrate their learning through a video? Are there privacy concerns surrounding this type of evaluation? Since some kids aren’t allowed to be on film, perhaps it could be an optional way to represent their learning in any given subject, rather than a mandatory one. I think videos are a great way to get the class engaged in a lesson!
On the 21st, we had Jesse Miller of Mediated Reality come in and talk to us about the importance of digital literacy for teachers in the contemporary classroom. This included, but was not limited to, the digital landscape the students navigate every day including social media and language models such as ChatGPT and other AI apps, how the internet connects us within our society, the products and byproducts of various features on the internet, the basics (4 Cs) of digital literacy, and the expectations of teachers and the school when it comes to the professional use of technology. My generation has the benefit of having grown up with the internet and technology in school, however Miller also brought up how important it is to recognize the differences in today’s internet culture compared to the one of our childhoods, and it’s important we address technology’s effect on today’s culture rather than refer to the one we know of 15-20 years ago.
What impacted me the most was learning about how much we are affected by the internet on a daily basis and how quickly information can spread. Miller used the example of a house fire, when after occurring would likely find it’s way onto Reddit or YouTube as an uploaded video, which would then be picked up by the local news channel and distributed en masse. This quick distribution of information is typically relevant in the classroom in the form of group chats and Instagram uploads, which can make for the quick spreading of gossip. We also learned about how everything on the internet has a product and a byproduct. Miller discussed CAPTCHA tests, which are framed as something necessary to determine that the user isn’t a bot. What he pointed out, is that many of these include identifying things on the road, such as street signs, storefronts, cars, trucks, stoplights, and more. The results of these tests are then given to companies that build self-driving cars as part of their AI’s training for use on the road. As a teacher, it’s important to understand these concepts so you can educate your students about it who will spend much of their life online. It’s also important to understand the concept of products and byproducts as it will directly relate to your practice. Another way of looking at it could be that the product of using a specific educational platform for your class is that your students have access to it’s perks, but the byproduct is that their personal information is stored in a database in another country. I’ve learned that for your privacy, as well as the privacy of your students, you should look into the platforms you wish to use.
Coming out of this, I’m going to do some more research on the professional use of school/district technology and what to look out for when it comes to choosing websites and digital resources for my future classroom. Below I’m providing some videos I found about technology in the classroom that I researched after Miller’s presentation!
Below are some links to sites and videos I found helpful!
Today we reflected on our assigned film “Most Likely to Succeed,” discussed the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FIPPA), and explored Open Education Resources (OER). Learning about copyright and how we as teachers can navigate around infringing on the rights of another’s work in our teaching was incredibly helpful as it isn’t something I’ve thought about needing to work around before. We were introduced to a number of websites that feature thousands of images, videos, audio, and resources for teaching that are free to use. This includes the Creative Commons library which is an extensive resource available online, and we were also given some tips about how to find if an image (such as one found on Wikipedia) is available for use. This is done by looking in the lower right-hand side of the page on an expanded image and looking for the words “CC BY _____” or by looking for these symbols:
These symbols (graphics also found in the Creative Commons website) are important to look for to determine if you can use the resource freely, edit it, give credit to the creator, or use it commercially or non-commercially. We were given time to explore and experiment with these sites and learn about how this knowledge could be made applicable in the creation of our own websites. We can use these free resources in our teaching should we be making PowerPoints, PDF documents, lesson plans, and other things for our future classes. We can also utilize these resources as UVic students in our program.
Some examples of free-use image sites can be found here, as introduced to us by Dr. Michael Paskevicius:
Before proceeding with this first blog post, we expect you to consider your privacy preferences carefully and that you have considered the following options:
Do you want to be online vs. offline?
Do you want to use your name (or part thereof) vs. a pseudonym (e.g., West Coast Teacher)?
Do you want to have your blog public vs. private? (Note, you can set individual blog posts private or password protected or have an entire blog set to private)
Have you considered whether you are posting within or outside of Canada? This blog on opened.ca is hosted within Canada. That said, any public blog posts can have its content aggregated/curated onto social networks outside of Canada.
First tasks you might explore with your new blog:
Go into its admin panel found by adding /wp-admin at the end of your blog’s URL
Add new category or tags to organize your blog posts – found under “Posts” (but do not remove the pre-existing “EdTech” category or sub-categories, Free Inquiry and EdTech Inquiry). We have also pre-loaded the Teacher Education competencies as categories should you wish to use them to document your learning. If you would like to add more course categories, please do so (e.g., add EDCI 306A with no space for Music Ed, etc.)
See if your blog posts are appearing on the course website (you must have the course categories assigned to a post first and have provided your instructor with your blog URL)
Add pages
Embed images or set featured images and embed video in blog posts and pages (can be your own media or that found on the internet, but consider free or creative commons licensed works)
Under Appearance,
Select your preferred website theme and customize to your preferences (New title, etc.)
Customize menus & navigation
Use widgets to customize blog content and features
Delete this starter post (or switch it to draft status if you want to keep for reference)
Do consider creating categories for each course that you take should you wish to document your learning (or from professional learning activities outside of formal courses). Keep note, however, that you may wish to use the course topic as the category as opposed to the course number as those outside of your program would not be familiar with the number (e.g., we use “EdTech” instead of “edci336).
Lastly, as always, be aware of the FIPPA as it relates to privacy and share only those names/images that you have consent to use or are otherwise public figures. When in doubt, ask us.
Please also review the resources from our course website for getting started with blogging:
