WOW it’s the end already! Unfortunately I was unable to finish my paintings due to moving recently. That being said I am proud of the progress I have made! Throughout the painting I had fun being able to capture the process through different filming/photography methods. My favourite was definitely the Timelapse, although I didn’t realize how much time it takes to make a long Timelapse.
My favourite part of this project was the ability to have a choice, this definitely boosted my excitement and engagement about the assignment. My painting journey is not quite done! Luckily, I have all of December off and I will likely finish the piece then!
You can check out the beginning of the process here!
Throughout the duration of this course, I have learned so much valuable information. Spanning from how AI can be beneficial in an educational setting, all the way to digital boundaries and safety. After taking this course I feel more comfortable bringing technology into my future classroom. I really enjoyed talking about gamification and how many different ways it could implemented into the classroom. Whether that be through purely educational games, like those seen on Education Games, or through games like Minecraft. I also enjoyed seeing and learning about different adaptive technologies, especially the cool spy glasses that were brought to class. This knowledge really got me thinking about not only the cool pre-existing technology, but also thinking about how we as teachers can adapt things to better fit student needs.
My entire school career I have been told never to use AI. That AI is cheating, which is not entirely false, but there are so many other things AI can be used for besides cheating on an assignment. AI can be used as an idea generator, a writing editor, or just a fun thing to play around on. My biggest takeaway is that AI should be used as a tool and not as a replacement.
Overall, this course has given me such a leg up when it comes to digital literacy. I greatly enjoyed all the topics covered in the course and I can’t wait to implement my learnings into my future classroom!
The use of phones in classrooms can certainly be beneficial, but there are a lot of drawbacks. For myself I want to teach Kindergarten, which usually doesn’t rely to heavily on the use of phones. I think for the higher grades there is definitely more of a need for technology. For kindergarten technology just becomes frustrating as some students wont be able to conceptualize or use it. A lot of the learning in kindergarten is done through manipulatives and through physical work. So, technology can’t substitute those things. Another big part of kindergarten is learning to be social, learning to share, play together, and interact with one another. Being stuck behind a screen can not only stop social progress but also may give kids anxiety when they do have to interact socially. Overall, technology and phones are great and very useful for older students and prep work, but not so much when it comes to teaching little ones.
Unfortunately I’ve been in the process of moving which really halts the painting process. Luckily, I found a video from just before I moved showcasing a close up of my painting. This was filmed on my IPhone 13 using dual cameras. Throughout the painting process I have really enjoyed using different camera angles and filming methods to document the painting process. I really like the use of close up camera, I think being able to see the brush strokes is really intriguing and interesting to watch.
Due to certain circumstances I was not able to attend Ms. Johnsons lessons. That being said I went over her slides and discussed with classmates. Ms. Johnson talked about her classroom management techniques and tools she uses. Brittany talked about starting the year with empty classroom walls, saving space for her students future work. This allows students to feel apart of the space and feel like they contributed to the classroom. I really enjoyed Brittany’s point of letting students give you feedback on seating arrangements. I can recall so many times I’d get seated in a place that was not ideal for my learning, and I’d be stuck there due to the teacher not asking for feedback. The key point I took away from overall classroom design is that, collaboration is so important in creating a safe and welcoming space.
Routines are incredibly important for students, especially young or students who may be on the Autism Spectrum. Not only a consistent routine, but a visual one as well. Visibility is important for students who may struggle with things like auditory processing, memory, language. Pictures are universal, and also let students have a form of independence. Alleviating students having to ask you what the schedule is for the day. Just as it’s important for students to have a routine, it’s just as important that you as the teacher set realistic expectations. A routine tends to only work if you’re consistent, and that comes from both sides.
The last thing I’ll touch on is the idea of a digital portfolio for your students. I really like this idea, as it can give great data on educational growth. A digital portfolio can also allow parents to check in with their students learning, more than just at parent teacher conferences. Digital portfolios can also alleviate the risk of losing work. Overall I am very sad I missed Ms. Johnsons lecture, but I hope to learn more in the future.
During one of my painting sessions this week I took a time lapse. This week I began working on my third canvas. This is the piece I’ve been most nervous for, purely because the subject is a building. Which I notoriously struggle with. I thought using this piece as the one I time lapsed would be interesting, as the base layer has more shading and depth than the other two pieces.
In order to set up my phone to record, I had to build a contraption with a ladder, BUT it worked beautifully
Overall it was a fun experience and I really like how the video came out! I hope to try more multimedia approaches in the coming weeks.
I believe coding has many opportunities for learning outside of math related content. Coding is an interesting way to teach that language extends past English, French, Spanish etc. That being said even within coding there are different languages. This idea could also be related to the idea of music as a language to make the concept easier to grasp, as most students have had exposure to music. Coding and computational thinking can be seen through activities like robotics. I remember when I was in grade 5, we built Lego Mindstorms. Which are robots which you build and program to do certain tasks. In my certain activity we were instructed to code our robots to do things like, go straight for 5 seconds, then turn 90° to the right, then continue straight for 5 more seconds. This made us as students use a computational thinking method, breaking down how we needed to program robots. Coding has many educational purposes outside of math and should be explored!
Effective Features of Gaming!
One of the most effective features of using games for education, is the fact that they are fun. They distract from the fact you’re learning, if done well. That distraction from learning can increase attention span and productive worktime. On the flip side if to many games are used students may come to resent normal work and want everything to be a game. Games and technology are also exciting especially to younger students, this may grab students interest on topics they weren’t initially keen on. Games may also make topics easier to understand, as they often take a multimedia approach. Using visuals and sounds, quizzes, and check ins to make sure students are following along and understanding. Overall gaming can be super beneficial in the classroom and should be used as a tool.
This week involved just more painting. I did have the flu this week so my energy has been quite low. There hasn’t been many struggles so far, maybe just waiting for paint to dry. This weeks post is going to be short as I’m still not feeling the best. For the next two weeks I plan to switch up the form of media I use to show my progress, so stay tuned!
The word sketchnoting is new to me, but the action is all to familiar. Through this weeks learning, I found that I use sketchnoting every time I’m taking notes. I find I always include small images and arrows, different text, and shorthand that I’ve made up. This tool can definitely the age I want to teach. Grade 5 aged children are getting ready to make the switch to Middle school, which tends to be where note taking really takes off. So, giving your students the skills to quickly sketch something down can save them a lot of time. It also will give students the opportunity to just listen to the lessons, instead of worrying about writing everything down. I wish I had been taught the idea of sketchnoting way earlier.
The SAMR theory I had a bit of trouble understanding, but I from what I grasped I could use the theory to evaluate the technologies I use in my classroom, finding ways to bring more skill development into activities. Not only more educational development, but also just real life practical skills. Such as, resume formatting, how to use technology safely, how to use Excel, etc. The SAMR theory is not meant to replace old technology, but to make the old technology have more substance. The basics are still needed in order to build off of them. I would like to look more into the SAMR theory, so I can maintain a better understanding.
