Blog 1
Hello, my name is Brittney Roberts and I am in my second year of the secondary education English program.
During the group discussion, one of my group members mentioned how the first video reminded her of the SPCA commercials that play on television. The sad music, the lifeless expression on the students' faces, and the statistics on the signs are very similar to the elements in SPCA commercials. Of course, we joked about it and said it was almost as if we wanted someone to adopt us. However, I believe the underlying message was that SPCAs take certain initiatives to help the animals and ensure their well-being. In contrast, there are not always initiatives being taken in schools to ensure students' well-being, transformations, and education.
While comparing both videos, many agreed they related a little to each. The stress of assignments and course loads creates a connection to the first video as we agree with certain elements of it such as doing homework while in other classes. However, some felt that they also connected to the second video considering Bishops is known as a party school with a great sense of community. Therefore, we agreed that depending on the situation and time, we agree with one video more than the other and vice versa. Personally, my experience in university is similar to the first video. I tend to stress a lot over upcoming assignments as I fear I will not always have enough time to complete them.
Next, we discussed the Perusal readings. Zombie Ideas in Education stood out to us because we did not agree with all the points. In the reading, it states that class sizes are irrelevant and what matters is the quality of the teacher. If the teacher is good at their job, then the students will benefit no matter the class size. The first reason we disagree is that we believe that adaptation is a valuable skill that children need to learn. By having smaller classes, students can better adapt to individual teachers' teaching methods and skills. Secondly, it also allows more one-on-one time between the teacher and the student which can allow the teacher to better explain their methods, course material, and simply have conversations. All of which create a better relationship between the teacher and the students.
Blog 2
In this week's discussion, we started by confirming a few things such as who posted our group work and what the labs meant. Afterward, we focused on whether or not technology reduces student stress in the classroom. One of my group members mentioned how when she was in school, once she was done with her work the teacher would then give her free-time. However, with the use of laptops becoming extremely present in schools for all ages, the workload never seems to end. Once a student is done with one thing, the teacher moves them on to more work.
Personally, I think this could be why “hitchhikers” and “couch potatoes” are increasingly becoming an issue in classrooms and over Zoom. If teachers do not give students a chance to breathe, they will make time for themselves. I think the group work example in the text portrays this perfectly as both Jack and Henry have different reasons why they refuse to participate which one could argue stems from their anxiety of always having classwork. As for the videos, I still relate to the video made by Arkansas University. I believe this because the reality is teachers do not always recognize students' needs and the reality they are facing, which again connects to “hitchhikers” and “couch potatoes.”
As for last night, the video that had me thinking the most is the Dove commercial which portrays all the beauty standards. For me, they used reverse psychology considering Dove itself is a beauty brand. Although they do point out the messiness of beauty standards by showing unhealthy models, ever-changing makeup looks and outfits, and weight posters, they are also part of the madness. Dove is part of the madness because by using such images in a campaign, it continues to feed the expectations of society. They do this to benefit them because most people after viewing the commercial will view Dove as different and accepting of everyone. However, the reality is that they make a profit off of others' insecurities.
Blog 3
I wasn't able to attend class, therefore, I will not be able to comment on how the group discussion went. However, I can comment on the readings.
Out of the two readings, Developing Critical Literacies: What We Need to Know in a “Fake News” World stood out to me the most. The reading discussed how we must teach students to critically think, analyze, and recognize positions certain articles think, their positions often being political. The reason these skills are important is because the goal of these articles is to shift our way of thinking. They want to convince us to take a certain stance by only highlighting the details with benefit them most.
The reading uses an image that I recognize from when I was being taught to analyze information in Cegep. The image I am referring to is the one where there are multiple well-known magazine scattered on a grid. The left side of the grid is markets as 'liberal' while the right side of the grid is 'conservative.' Wherever a magazine is located on the grid will determine whether they are more Liberal, more conservative, or in the middle. Before viewing this image in Cegep, I hadn't realized that magazines represent certain political parties. Now that I am seeing it again, I recognize how important it is to teach young students to critically think about information.
More than ever, students are drowning in technology. While this can be good, it can also influence how they view the world in the future. By teaching high school students, not only Cegep and University students, that not all information is accurate and valuable information will hopefully teach them to think twice before falling for Instagram and TikTok captions.
Blog 4
This week we had an interesting student-lead discussion. However, the one topic that stood out to me the most was the pros and cons of using the Flipped Classroom method. The Flipped Classroom method, as explained in our readings, is when a teacher records the lecture and assigns it for homework. The following class, students are expected to have watched and absorbed the lecture so they can then ask questions, do practice sheets, and have discussions with their peers and teacher.
Although it wasn’t directly linked to the Flipped Classroom method, we did discuss earlier how professors posting their lectures to Moodle can be useful for many students. It can be useful to students who missed class, for students who feel like they need another to listen to it again to fully understand, and those who feel more comfortable writing notes with a pause button. Overall, we concluded that posting videos elevated a lot of stress.
However, we do feel that, in regards to the Flipped Classroom method, many students may not have time to fully commit to watching and focusing on a video before every class. Some students might not have great internet connection, some might have other commitments like work and sports, and others might not feel mentally capable of taking on the extra workload. Therefore, we agreed that doubling the work may be beneficial to those with the willpower and time, but that overall we do not believe in doubling the work.
As a result, we think videos are a great tool that students can use if they feel the need to. However, we do not think it should always be mandatory homework before attending every class.
Blog 5 and 6
This week we had two student-led discussions. During our first discussion, Travis asked us if we thought it was a teacher’s responsibility to educate students on how to properly use the Internet, and if yes, how can the teachers educate their students on this matter. For this question, I knew that teachers had to have some kind of role when it comes to educating students about the internet. As a group, we decided that the best way to educate students about the internet is to show them how to properly conduct research. We would show students how to use filters on search engines to be able to find what they are looking for. I agreed with this method because this is how my Cegep professors taught me, which I found to be efficient.
I also believed this to be a good start because I feel that, as a society, we no longer take the time to think independently. I believe this because oftentimes we absorb information from the internet without knowing it. Is Google Making Us Stupid states, “my mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles,” which indicates that people digest information just to move on to the next meal. To make sure students are critically thinking about the information they find online, it is important to first learn how to find good and reliable sources. All of this adds to our argument that teachers need to teach students how to properly conduct research.
During our second discussion, Meghan asked us if we thought that schools kill creativity. We took the historical approach as to why we believe creative classes are seen as a low priority in schools. Tori mentioned how the Industrial Revolution prioritized the core subjects we still have today (math, science) because they benefited people when entering the workforce. This ideology has not changed since and as a result, creative classes are used to fill in a student’s school schedule. We discussed how instead of finding new adaptations, schools fail to try new things when it comes to academia. Instead, they abide by using old tools and methods because many believe it is still the key to being successful.
An old method schools continue to use is giving clear guidelines with assignments. The Distance Learning Playbook says, “your stress level can be reduced when you have clear guidelines” in relation to online learning. After having this class, I could not disagree more. All the assignments thus far have allowed us to think independently, play with different tools, personalize things, and take a variety of different approaches. By having little to no guidelines, our creativity is not being killed. I believe whether it be online classes or in-person classes, it could benefit students to be told, “just have fun with it” as I think that is what truly reduces stress.
Blog 7
For this weeks class, we started with the student-lead discussion. Tori brought up an interesting question on simulations. She asked if we thought students can benefit from online simulations when it comes to their learning and what the possible downfalls could be. The group decided that simulations are a great way for students to be exposed to things they might not have learned on the outside world.
When Dr. Bruzzese entered our group discussion, we were in the middle of talking about how technology were rewards when we were in elementary school. Once we finished our work, only then were we able to play games on the computer. As a result, we presumably value this time more than students today who are always exposed to it. Dr. Bruzzese asked us what games we used to play when we were kids and if we learned anything from them. I remember loving to play Club Penguin. Now looking back, I can recognize some things it taught me such as budgeting in order to buy new igloos and pets, that you must work to make money, bettered my writing/typing from using the chat, and how to make a pizza.
As for the readings, the article that spoke out to me most was Teaching Students to Code Using Free Simulators. At the end of the article, there was a quote that stuck with me that said, "Offering simulators to both remote and in-class students will enable all students to learn coding and make some amazing discoveries." I think this is a great way to summarize for two reasons. Firstly, this sets a foundation for all students (male, female, minorities, different social class) to learn coding. This means that everyone has an equal opportunity to find a passion, create change, and experience things they perhaps wouldn't have. Secondly, learning coding through simulations might help student apply what they are learning. Often students will ask why they are learning certain things, this question could arise when it comes to coding. Therefore, simulators allow them to experience the process, outcome, and change their product creates.
Finally, at the end of class we did a coding lab. I thought I would like it because I liked math when I was in high school. I thought, "how hard could this be?" Safe to say I didn't find the lab, I got as far as level 12. However, it was an interesting experience and I am happy I got to experience it because I most likely wouldn't have experienced it anywhere else. The lab was also a resource that I could use in my classroom in the future.
Blog 8
Hello!
This week the person in charge of the student-led discussion was Victoria. While discussing, two questions that stood out to me. Victoria had asked if there were problems with students using platforms such as Instagram. Tori brought up a great point when she mentioned how students do not always realize the impact digital footprints can have on their future. I agree with this because I came from a small town where things got around fast. It didn’t take long for people to speak about things they saw on social media - meaning your name was already ruined for future employers. However, many students think that moving away from home can make a difference. The reality is as soon as an employer wants to see what kind of person you are, they will check social media accounts. Even if something was posted a long time ago, it does not mean the individual changed as a person. Therefore, I wouldn’t personally use a platform like Instagram in my classroom. Perhaps I would use a private Facebook group instead and have the parents added to it as well. However, before going this far I think it would be important to discuss with the students the effects social media can have on their futures if they fail to handle it with care.
The second question that stood out to me was when Victoria asked why slideshows are the default method when it comes to presenting the information. The group came to a consensus indicating that the reason for this is that we have been pre-conditioned. For teachers who have been teaching long before technology, it is probably the easiest form for them to learn and use. However, I believe slideshows to be the default method for new and future teachers because of how we were influenced to use slideshows when presenting things in high school, Cegep, and university. For assignments, slideshows were described as a creative option. As a result, we were also pre-conditioned to use and love slideshows.
As for this week's readings, there was one in particular that caught my eye. The article, 15 Developer/Hacker Women to Follow on Twitter lists women in tech who have defeated all odds. The woman who fascinated me was Jeri Ellsworth. The article describes her to be a self-taught computer chip designer, which I must say is very impressive. I find this to be fascinating firstly because given the date of the article (2010), I am assuming Jeri was learning to design computer chips before technology became highly advanced. This means that she wasn’t able to watch a quick YouTube video or do research on the topic. Instead, she was learning through trial and error. I also find this to be fascinating because while some students were passionate about other things such as drawing, sports, and so on, Jeri was passionate about the tech world. Jeri’s passion is a great example of why there need to be more clubs and learning opportunities in school.
Blog 9
Hello,
This week the person in charge of the student-led discussion was Paula. While discussing, one of her questions stood out to me. Paula asked whether we preferred inclusion or infusion of technology in the classroom and why. To answer this question, the group first defined what each would look like in the context of a classroom. The example the group came up with is infusion can be implemented into a routine while inclusion can be used at a designated time. For me, I prefer infusion but believe that for infusion to work, inclusion must be present. For example, for the infusion of technology to be implemented in a class routine, the designated time would already be there. Hence, they go hand in hand.
As for the readings, I really enjoyed The Science of Learning. While reading, I learned how present learning goals and performance goals can be in the classroom. Learning goals are goals for improvement. Students who have these goals are taking in feedback, learning how to improve their learning, and so on. Performance goals are goals for approval. Students with these types of goals are only looking to please teachers, parents, friends, etc. I think teachers often forget that different types of goals exist and therefore base students test results on solely one idea - how much work they put into it. In reality, some students who have learning goals may be doing less good than those with performance goals. However, I believe their headspace to be in the correct position of a student's learner.
Finally, during our group meeting for the final project, we started working on the lesson plan that will go along with our interactive game. We decided that our interactive game will be a book using Book Creator as our form of technology.