Well, what a semester! I simply cannot believe that this week was our last class. It went by faster than I had anticipated! But don’t they always? However, I would like to say that this class has been a huge eye opener for me in regards to technology and innovation. Prior to this class, I personally thought that I understood technology rather well and that I had a good grip on it. However, this class expanded my knowledge of technology immensely.

Throughout this semester, we learnt about a variety of different social media platforms, different ways to teach using technology and also gained insight on innovation techniques from a few guest speakers. Each class I recorded notes from our lectures, and even went back over the lecture slides to ensure I recorded all the information that we learnt. I found that each class was highly beneficial because we always learnt about a new platform of technology that we will one day be able to practice in our future classrooms.

This week, as our final class, we learnt about how gaming can be used in the classroom. At first I was shocked, because gaming to me reminds me of sitting in front of a computer screen playing an Xbox or Playstation with headphones on isolated from the world. However, I enjoyed learning that gaming can actually enhance students understanding of certain material. It was interesting as well to see which subjects that gaming enhanced, and which games teachers utilized the most. Below, I have attached two pictures of the slides from our weekly lecture this week that point out important information regarding this. I believe that students crave diversity in the classroom away from verbal instructions by teachers. Although that is the teachers main method of instruction, diversifying lessons away from verbal instruction can increase student engagement, motivation and responsiveness to the material. When teachers incorporate gaming into students learning, they are able to participate in hands-on learning and experience a physical way of learning this material. Consequently, this physical experience of learning will stay with them innately and they will be able to refer back to these experiences in the future.

Overall, this class was definitely a favourite of mine from our second year in this program. It was eye opening and highly beneficial because we now have an in-depth understanding of various ways to incorporate technology in our classrooms, and throughout the subsequent two years of this program, we will be able to continue using them in future projects and practicums. Thank you for everything, Michael! 🙂

This week in EdTech we learnt about the importance of teaching students about coding. Initially, I was confused at what coding referred to. When I think about coding I picture random letters, numbers and symbols thrown together in sentences to fix a technology problem. However, I realized that coding can be enjoyable and is a good lesson to teach students.

As Mike Bernier, Former B.C. minister of education points out, “coding is a hands-on way of teaching students how to analyze a problem [and] determine the steps to fix it” and that coding is “an approach and a way of problem solving” (Lecture Slides, Week 11). I agree with this statement, because I believe that there are several diverse ways to teach students problem-solving methods, and that coding is a very beneficial way.

This below attached website provides several resources such as worksheets, diagrams, visual images and videos that provide background information on coding and how it can assist students when it comes to problem solving with technology. In addition, we learnt about a series of different games and problem solving techniques that utilize coding. I was most interested in the Scratch and Scratch junior games, but unfortunately I do not own an iPad or an Android. However, I was able to FaceTime a friend of mine in the program after class and she was able to show me her iPad screen so I could see what it was all about. I believe that students require diversity in their learning and instruction, and the more diverse ways that we, as educators, change up our lessons, it will consequently increase engagement and motivation levels. To the students, using a computer or playing a game is enjoyable to them and gets them excited, while they are simultaneously learning and benefitting from the assignment.

In class this week, we discussed the positive and negative outlooks on learning online. To begin, I want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed discussing this in class. Since classes have been online this year, learning has looked a little different. Each class has been lectured via zoom, which can be rather difficult for some classes. Instead of being able to meet your professors, peers and engage in real life experience learning, it has all been communicated through our computer screens. Although it has been quite the adjustment, I believe that online learning has been a smooth transition to deal with our current times. I appreciated discussing this topic because we were able to hear our classmates thoughts on this matter, discuss how it has been more helpful and also discuss how it has negatively impacted our learning.

Personally, I originally found online learning very difficult. I have always been one to ask questions during lectures and learned better through personal interaction in face to face learning. However, now that we are almost wrapping up our second semester, I can confidently say that it eventually got better. Professors have been very engaging and helpful during these times to ensure that all students are aware of deadlines, course material and have given us extra time in class to complete our assignments. It has also shown all of us how important technology is and how to properly execute lesson plans through different online platforms in order to teach desired outcomes. I found that it was beneficial to create a plan for myself when it came to being in class and completing homework, so I was not left staring at a screen for hours. This allowed me to distribute my time sitting in front of my computer and while doing homework accordingly. It can be straining on the eyes to stare at a screen all day, which is why creating a plan felt needed.

With the enlightening news that classes will be in person in September, I am sure that everyone is relieved and excited to get back into our learning norms. I believe that this year taught us all patience, acceptance and understanding when it came to learning online, and is definitely an experience that we will not forget. See you all in September!

For this week’s class, we were honoured to have Tracy Humphreys, guest speaker, lead our class lecture. Tracy taught us all about technology and inclusion in classrooms, which I found very beneficial. Tracy works for BCEdAccess Society, which is a volunteer-run program that serves families of students with disabilities throughout B.C. This program helps families of complex students relate together by highlighting challenges that they possibly may face while receiving education in B.C. Schools.

The BCEd Access Society helps provide education to families by promoting equality and inclusion for all students. In our lecture, Tracy touched on the fact that some parents deny the use of technology and are against its use in the classroom. However, especially in our COVID-19 times where face-to-face gatherings should be limited, the use of technology in classrooms is more vital than ever. Technology is growing and expanding everyday, and can be a rather useful tool to implement into classes to enhance students learning. In the lecture, we engaged in a discussion regarding how students with learning disabilities can strive and learn better with the use of technology. Personally, I shared a moment from when I used to work in after school care. There was a child who had troubles speaking until she/he was the age of 4-5, and until then she/he could only say particular sounds. However, with the use of an iPad and pictures, she/he was able to communicate better with the teachers and eventually learned to read the words of what she/he wanted to say. I am sure that they are several more various stories that individuals can share relating to a moment where they believe that technology can help students with complex needs to strive in a classroom. With proper support and access to these resources, education systems can help students succeed in all aspects of their lives, as well as continue to progress these types of learning methods.

I included the link to Tracy’s website, as I would like to possibly use it in the future as a reference.

This week in our technology and innovation class we learnt about the importance of educational videos. Personally, I think that educational videos are great. I believe that they provide a diverse method of instruction to students by promoting listening, engaging and reflection. Since students are in the classroom for around 25-30 hours per week, teacher instruction can become rather repetitive to students. Although teaching verbal lessons to students is of course the most effective method, teaching through educational videos also holds its benefits. By listening to educational videos, educators can teach their students in videos instructed by others or through the use of visuals. Incorporating videos into daily lessons can enable students to hear instruction from guest speakers (those speaking in the videos) or through the use of diagrams, visuals or storylines. Also, by providing videos in the classroom, teachers are able to pause the videos to provide their input, ask the students questions during the videos and facilitate post-video discussion in the classroom. Teachers are able to use videos to teach various subjects and promote interaction in the classroom and diversify their lessons.

When we had our Wednesday visits into elementary classrooms last semester, I recall my mentor teacher using educational videos for particular lessons. Our teacher would use calm and relaxing videos during quiet time, where students could listen to ocean waves and the video would run through a sequence of relaxing videos to prepare students for a down time. In addition to quiet time videos, I believe that their is a plethora of ways that educational videos can be integrated into the classroom. For example, educational videos can be an author reading aloud a story book for students to follow, a math instructional video that diversifies how to count or add, or even introducing students to the number line or reading. Educational videos can also be as simple as playing the students a short cartoon clip at snack time to get them familiar with sounds and reading. While the students are watching they will be enjoying the video and its visuals, while also learning from it simultaneously.

Two weeks ago I created an iMovie for my weekly reflection post. Even as the author of the video, I found it enjoyable to make and it provided a diverse way of explaining my inquiry topic. This enhanced my understanding of the importance of educational videos and made me realize that instruction and explanations can be portrayed and taught through the use of videos.

This week we had a special guest speaker Jeff Hopkins lead our class zoom lecture. Jeff Hopkins is the founder and principal of the Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry (PSII) in downtown Victoria. This school is much different than the other schools around Victoria, or even in the Lower Mainland. This school is built around the idea of an inquiry based framework, where the learner’s interests are put first. In other words, the school emphasizes curriculum around what the learners are most interested in and at each students specific skill level. Prior to this lecture, I was unaware that this school existed. Last semester in our history class, we learnt about different types of schools such as Montessori and Summerhill Schools. I was rather intrigued at the idea of Montessori schools which also follow a similar framework of teaching according to the students interests. The PSII reminds me of Montessori schools, and is a concept that I would like to learn more about. I believe that as educators, putting the needs and interests of the schools first is most important. Each student learns in an unique way and it is important to target and adapt to these needs to ensure that all students are striving to reach their full potential. I found the Youtube Video by Jeff Hopkins on his Introduction to PSII very interesting and eye opening as to what occurs in these schools. Although I hope to one day teach at a public school, I hope to implement a few of these ideas into my classroom to ensure that my students are reaching their full potential and that I am teaching them what they are most interested in. I would like to save this link to watch these videos and further research these schools in the future. https://edtechuvic.ca/edci336/2021/02/22/jeff-hopkins-the-pacific-school-of-innovation-and-inquiry-psii/.

This week we learned about screen casting and how to create videos on a Mac using iMovie. I found this topic particularly interesting because prior to last semester, I had not used iMovie on my mac before. I had seen friends of mine use iMovie to create very creative and interesting movies through the many options provided on the mac to construct movies. I always thought that it was a complicated app that required a surplus of time to understand and actually engage with. However, after last class, I became more interested in challenging myself to understand. Last semester, I used iMovie once to edit a video for a gym project, but it was a rather short video that did not require detailed graphics or design. After viewing this resource (https://docs.google.com/document/d/174-wSYFC93g03L3NciyZ_8uAs2cm0EW2Szk45gB194M/edit) posted on our class website, I took a look deeper into iMovie itself. I was able to take my time and follow YouTube guided instruction on certain directions and options associated with it. I took the time to create a small video of my summer from last year with simple photographs and small video clips, as it was just for fun to help deepen and grow my understanding on how to utilize it. In relation to my free inquiry topic, I am hoping to integrate a video made on iMovie into this topic. I am going to continue exploring iMovie and its various options in hopes to become an expert on it!

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.