After this week’s class lectured by Jesse Miller, a Technology and Innovation guest speaker, my perception and understanding of social media and its relation to the internet expanded. Personally, I enjoy social media because it enables me to connect with my friends and family from around the world who I am unable to see very often. To me, it has always appeared, or seemed to appear, as a safe space to post updates about my life and activities that I have done and am willing to share. However, Jesse’s talk this week sparked me to start being more weary of what I post online. Since I am attending UVIC and am now enrolled in a professional program, I, of course, only post appropriate content and am sure to have my privacy settings in check. Although I feel comfortable with my privacy settings and am sure to only post minimal content, there is still a nerve inside of me that somehow feels that it is not private enough. Social media and the internet can be a difficult and scary place. Although social media has a plethora of beneficial aspects, it is important to be cautious with the content posted and ensure that you are not over sharing your personal life.

Jesse’s ted talk video (https://youtu.be/FiGclrVXAws) from his personal website (https://www.mediatedreality.com/) really got me thinking about social media as a whole. I used to work as a server at a few restaurants downtown, and while serving I would notice that certain families would bring their iPads to their table for their children to use. When the kids would get restless at the table or begin to misbehave, the parents would offer them an iPad, I suppose to distract them and refocus their attention to the screen. As Jesse mentions in his ted talk video, “[these children] are not behaved, [that] child is pacified”. This quote from Jesse’s ted talk explicitly relates to the experiences that I had while serving these “well-behaved” children. The parent’s goal here is to divert their children’s attention away from misbehaving by giving them something to refocus their attention on. However, the parents are only enabling their kids to stare in front of a screen for longer and possibly teach them that if they misbehave, their reward is playing on the iPad. Despite there being several benefits to technology and social media platforms, it is important to set boundaries with these devices. Although they provide significant means of communication and a space for resources, it is important to use them with discretion and be aware of what is at risk from using them.

Now that we are in week three of our Technology and Innovation Course, we have began to learn about the details that are involved with image editing, graphic design and the multimedia learning theory. Prior to this course, I had never heard of the multimedia learning theory. The hypothesis of this theory claims that individuals are able to learn and retain more knowledge through the use of words and pictures together, rather than just from words alone. I agree with this claim because I believe that I retain more information when pictures are involved with learning materials. For example, when textbooks are explaining particular concepts, I find that I can understand more deeply about what is trying to be said when pictures are involved. Pictures enable individuals to create a notion of imagery in their head and picture what is being discussed. The use of pictures entail a wide variety of choices, such as actual images, diagrams, tables, graphs and charts. When information can be transmitted through images instead of only spoken in words, readers are able to create an understanding through visuals instead of trying to create their own image blindly. Pictures can help facilitate certain concepts, complete understandings and enhance an individual’s knowledge towards a subject.

After our lecture this week I was inspired and intrigued to test out some of the new concepts that we learnt about. I went onto powerpoint and started using some of the tools discussed in our lecture to create a powerpoint slideshow. In previous instances when I have used powerpoint, I tend to focus more on the information and content that I am including and not so much on how it appears. Although of course the content is what is being graded (for the most part), a visually appealing slideshow also hooks the audience and makes it satisfying to read and appeasing on the eyes. Furthermore, I was also unaware that there were apps made for graphic design and that you can edit photos solely on your phone to look appealing. After only three weeks in this course, I have already significantly expanded my knowledge of technology and I am looking forward to learning more as I pursue this program.

After our second week in technology and innovation, I have already started to develop an understanding about the importance of technology in the education system. I believe that since technology continues to evolve, it is important to build an understanding around technology and innovation itself to find vital resources that could be beneficial in the classroom. Some individuals may believe that technology is detrimental to children’s learning, but I believe that it can enhance learning when used correctly. Especially in our current times due to COVID-19, social media and other online platforms can help parents stay involved with their children’s learning and keep them up to date with their engagement and subjects in school. It can also help educators from different areas connect and share ideas to benefit one another in their educational practices.

In this weeks class we learnt about using online resources and how to be cautious of freedoms of information and copyrights. Prior to this course, I had not given much thought into the privacies of online resources and how important it is to be weary of where certain information is coming from. I am now beginning to be aware of how to protect my information online as well as protect my future students. There are several acts and rules that inhibit certain resources from being used and redistributed by others, and our lecture this week helped inform me to always be cautious of where I am getting my lessons and information from. I will continue to educate myself more on this topic in order to protect my future educational practices and how to look in the right places when researching information.

My name is Jessica McDougall and I am currently enrolled at University of Victoria for my second year in the Bachelor of Elementary Education Program. I moved to Victoria from the small town of Ladner located on the mainland. I moved to Victoria specifically for this program and have loved every minute of living in this beautiful city. In my spare time, I enjoy watching and playing sports, going on walks, reading and painting. I also enjoy hanging out with my friends and family, which, however, is rather difficult in our current times.

I am looking forward to this technology and innovation course because I am curious how to utilize today’s technology effectively in my future classroom.  Technology is rapidly growing day by day and I would like to learn more on how to bring these tools into the classroom. By looking on our class syllabus, I am excited to learn deeper about twitter and programming our own website. I also look forward to developing an inquiry of our choosing to learn in detail about an idea we find interesting.