Learning about Teaching and Technology

Author: samanthaeinarson (Page 3 of 3)

October 21st Class Reflection: Inquiry at George Jay Elementary

Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt gave a really great and inspiring presentation about how inquiry can be used in an elementary school. I really liked how she opened the floor to her students and encouraged them to think about their “wonderings.”

She talked about using Ada Twist books, such as “Ada Twist Scientist” by Andrew Beaty, to spark curiosity of children and introduce them to inquiry concepts. She talked about how it is important to provide the right environment for children to ask questions as not all kids have their questions ready right away. An important takeaway I had was the idea that one of the most powerful shifts you can do in adopting inquiry into your practice is to begin learning with questions. It shifts the power! For example, “What are shapes? Can you point out any shapes?” Etc. Inquiry CAN be teacher driven for younger students. It can start out structured and the teacher can gradually release responsibility depending on the situation and the learners.

                  

Her classroom was such a warm and vibrant environment, and really made me feel like the students had a myriad of opportunities to explore in their learning and use their imaginations. As well, Rebecca talked about various ways to honour the children’s questions. Some examples are using a Wonder wall, which ensures all voices are heard, using a Curiosity jar, Wonder journals, clipboards, and iPads  or different modes of technology to express their inquiries and explore in their learning.

October 18th Class Reflection: Graphic tools

  • We discussed how Power Point is an easy tool to use to make graphics, and not just for presentations (can do lots of interesting things with simple software
  • Vectors are fun to draw with because can make as big or small as your like and still clear and crisp, whereas Photo shop resolution is not as good
  • Freeware is open source software can get but asks you to pay after a certain point
  • It was really interesting to see interactive slides on PowerPoint and think about how you can present information in a more engaging way, like covering up the text and then deleting the shapes as you go over the information
  • pixlr.com and vector.com are great graphic creation tools online
  • Some other neat apps are: Apps Galore (Freeware app-some free then pay), Prisma, Mirror Lab, 8 Bit Photo, Comica
  • Inpiration and tools from Bryan Mathers (bryanmathers.com)- The Fabulous Remixer Machine

October 11th: Reflection-Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry


I thoroughly enjoyed the visit to the Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry (PSII). Jeff Hopkins gave a fantastic presentation, and it was so interesting to hear about how the students are given so much autonomy and choice in their learning. I thought it was great that students can take their inquiries and with the guidance of their teachers, find ways to explore these inquiries and incorporate learning from a variety of subjects or curriculum.

  One of my main questions was how the school ensures their students are self-directed in their studies, and what the process is like to get in. Jeff answered that they talk before admitting the students and make sure they fully understand what they are signing up for, and that after an adjustment period, most students can never go back to the ways of the standard B.C. school system. If students are struggling to start something or do not know how to proceed, the teachers try and scaffold and help them figure out what they need to do, gradually giving them more autonomy over time as needed.

  I also thought it was so interesting that the students can choose what group lessons they want to attend based on what is relevant to their inquiry project and what interests them. The types of learning and projects completed by many of these students are above and beyond what one typically would think possible for most high school students. I love that this program has been so successful and am feeling very inspired to think about ways of incorporating inquiry-based learning, autonomy, and choices in my own teaching practice.

October 4th: Class Reflection-Jesse Miller Presentation

Jesse Miller came and shared his Mediated Reality presentation with the class today and it was incredibly fascinating and educational!

It was really interesting hearing about the various byproducts of the things we do online, like how the information from responding to a CAPTCHA will be used to help AI collect information for self-driving cars, or the various advertising uses of our social media posts and images, to name a few.

Through discussing “Bait-Click” headlines in regards to technology use, such as “Why social media is not smart for middle school kids” and “a philosophy professor argues kids should use more technology, not less” we were reminded of the importance of checking the studies behind these articles to get full and accurate information. For example, in the second headline above, the professor was discussing the various ways families could use technology to build connections with one another, not that children should play video games 8 hours a day.

Talking about the shifting societal changes and behaviours and how to navigate certain tricky situations was really interesting (and anxiety-inducing) as well. There are so many challenges around the appropriate boundaries concerning social media use inside and outside of the classroom. A good point was that if the classroom is an engaging place to be, there will be less issues with cell phone use most likely. One’s private life is not really private and it is important to keep in mind one’s role as an educator in all aspect of their life. As well, making sure you have all your bases covered and are keeping in mind the policies and expectations of yourself in your role as an educator at all levels is crucial so that the public, parents, staff, and students are all happy.

Also important, is respecting children who have interests in technology-related activities outside of the  classroom. We talked about how society has changed so that now gaming is a huge culture, E Sports is a way children can be involved in teamwork and critical thinking and can lead to future careers and monetary rewards. A child’s wish to be a You-tuber is not just a fanciful dream, but a real possibility. Educators need to think about their preconceived notions surrounding technology and acknowledge the pitfalls and take precautions, but also think about all the beneficial and relevant ways children are using technology today and how we can be a part of this dialogue.

 

A quote from Jesse’s slides that I will leave you with:

“We shape our tools and thereafter, our tools shape us.” – John Culkin

September 27th Reflection: Video making and climate change action

  I really enjoyed trying out iMovie today and learning about some of the little tweaks you can do to make your movie more interesting. I had never used it before, and it was a fun, easy introduction into the world of home movie making. I especially enjoyed using the green screen and searching through the audio options. 

  I took part in the climate strike walkout at 11am on September 27th, and made sure to take lots of pictures from the event. It was unbelievable! The energy in the air was crazy; there was such a feeling of hope and resilience. It was really powerful to see all the signs, and ways people were coming together to fight for the future of our planet. Below is a short video slide of pictures I took from the event.

September 20th Class Reflection: Sharing polls and documents & open ed resources

It was interesting seeing how sites like Bitly can allow people to plug a link in and create polls and share information with others without  needing to make accounts or worrying about FIPPA regulations. Also seeing Google Docs being shared without us needing to sign into our accounts was eye-opening, as I did not even know that was an option!

I found it extremely helpful talking about Copyright, and clearing up some areas of confusion. For example, I am glad to be more familiar with Creative Commons now and know what to look out for when I am researching resources. Going over which sites are commonly used by educators and how they are used was also useful.

opensource.com from user opensourceway on Flickr.

Some of the open ed resources we discussed:

  • OER commons (great for finding U.S. teaching open ed resources)
  • Siyavula (for math and science learning)
  • Curriki (for K-12 Education)
  • PhET (for simulations)
  • Archive.org  (library resource)

September 13th Class Reflection: Most Likely to Succeed

The assigned video, Most Likely to Succeed, was incredibly inspiring, and invoked some passionate conversations in class. I really enjoyed the concept of teaching children relevant skills for the modern world. Like many of us know, a degree does not equal a career when we graduate these days, and the competencies required in the workplace do not always match up with one’s education.

I think the conversation around education that goes into depth versus breadth is so interesting, as it seems more beneficial to gain concrete skills that are relevant even if you then do not cover as much material, and yet I can understand the fear that surrounds the unknown. It will be interesting to see how education changes in the coming years, and the innovative strategies that are used to keep up with our technologically advancing world. This video left me feeling energized in regards to all the possibilities there are for future educators, but also overwhelmed at the ever-changing expectations placed upon educators to help prepare the next generation of learners to enter the workforce.

Inquiry into Origami: Here We Go!

  For my free inquiry project, I have decided to learn how to make origami! Over the years working with children, I have had many requests to make origami and paper planes and the like, and I have always been practically useless in helping the children with their creations. I remember being taught how to make a frog at one point, as well as a few other creatures, but none of it has stuck with me.

Recently, in ED-D 407, the class was asked to make “cootie catchers”, otherwise known as fortune tellers made out of paper, and create an example that could be used with children for educational or community building purposes. I enjoyed following along with the template
and thinking about all the ways I could use the cootie catcher.

When we were asked to come up with a free inquiry topic for this course, a few ideas came to mind, but in the end, I thought it would be really satisfying to make something with my hands and increase my origami repertoire. Along the way, I am hoping to look into the various creative ways origami has been used with children in classrooms and in other ways.

My goal is to make 1-2 origami creations per week, increasing in difficulty over time. By the end of the semester, I would like to be confident in making a wide variety of origami creations, and be able to show off and help others make their own!

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