Canva is one of those creation tools that I have heard a lot of great things about, seen amazing presentations and posters (even student projects), and been wanting to learn and explore more of and how I can use it in the classroom. I actually didn't recognize what program this was used with at first, then after a few clicks, I found the link. Similar to the connections I've made with other tools (for example Genially), I've used Canva before (as a poster or a multimedia informational brochure), but not at all in the format that Liana presents her Potato Printing experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the slideshow Liana presents, it's eye-catching and engaging- and really kept my focus.

The first thing I thought of after reading Liana's post, was how disappointed I was in myself for not getting my kids involved in this potato printing process as Liana did (and I saw a couple more of my classmates did as well)- my daughters would have loved it!

I can see from Liana's pictures that the potatoes she chose were nice and large in size... that was my biggest downfall and pain throughout this task, was the fact that my potatoes were too small :( lol

I felt very silly after reading Liana's reflection, as, unlike me, she clearly knew why using paint for potato stamping wouldn't be ideal, due to its mess and inconsistency, and decided instead to use an inkpad. Her idea to use an inkpad vs. paint was brilliant and what makes me feel silly and embarrassed thinking about this, is the fact that I had inkpads at home I could have used instead- it would have made this task so much easier! I am very impressed at how well the ink worked; the quality of Liana's potato stamping was excellent and she was able to duplicate her word in such a way that I could not tell her pictures apart at all!

I really connected to the following phrase Liana wrote, "engaging in a modern STEAM activity was an important reminder that 'educational technology' is more than using electronic devices". I have been working for the past year in setting up our school's Makerspace to be ready this fall; including mostly low tech. and good ol' fashioned building and creating activities- involving making things with their hands. This is a forgotten art in schools nowadays as they get more and more consumed with technology; yet it's very important for a balance to be maintained when it comes to electronic devices.

I also agree with Liana that "the creation of electronic text... has also become a time-consuming means of communication". If people had to spend large amounts of time creating text as with the potato stamp, I would assume there would be more meaningful and selective correspondence rather than our current exhaustive system of over-communication.

Having worked in a 1:1 iPad school for 8 years, I am the biggest proponent and advocate for using them in the classroom (especially with younger students) and couldn't be more happy when I found out that another group chose to do the same ed. tech. as me for the final project!

Many of the benefits to using the iPad that Liana and Joseph presented in their video documentary echoed what I said in my final project; for example: the iPad "allows for adaptive and inclusive learning and accessibility for students with special needs", its "ease of access and portability", and its ability to "allow differentiated instruction in the class".

I especially connected to their presentation when they referenced the SAMR model and how it can be used as a guide and scaffold for teachers not knowing where to start or where to go next. I've used this model in my own practice and as a tech coach and from my experience with teachers, I've found it to be incredibly helpful when integrating technology into the classroom. The substitution level provides a good starting place for teachers unsure of where to start, and then using the model they are able to move up to augmenting the tasks for their students, then modifying them, to finally being able to redefine and redesign students' learning experiences using iPads!

I disagree with Liana and Joseph when they said that the iPad will most likely be obsolete in the future; I do not see that happening. What I foresee is the opposite, I see their cost dropping, them becoming more widely available, and highly integrated in education.

One thing I didn't address in my final assignment when presenting the case for the iPads, were the challenges that come with using these devices. I think the biggest challenge we have to consider as educators when using them in the classroom is, as Liana and Joseph point out, the balance in screen time that is required for our students in order for them to maintain a healthy, well rounded sense of self and well-being. One thing we sometimes forget as educators is the amount of time some of our students spend on their devices after school... and this has to be taken into consideration when planning classroom activities.