milanasteachingblog

We did it! Twelve weeks of dedicated effort poured into crafting insightful blog posts and engaging in weekly reflections, and here we stand, having completed yet another significant chapter in this whirlwind of a teaching journey. Undoubtedly, this course has taken us through a rollercoaster of highs and lows, but as I look back, I am filled with satisfaction knowing that we came out stronger and more knowledgeable than we were before.

In this reflective piece, I aim to shed light on some of the standout moments in Edtech – both the ones that brought joy and those that posed as learning challenges. Let’s embark on this journey of introspection together, reminiscing about the experiences that have shaped us:

Favorite Moments:

1. Collaborative Learning Styles: Witnessing the power of technology to foster collaboration among students was undeniably one of the highlights. Having the learning pods was a really interesting way to keep us engaged with each other and having an ongoing tech inquiry in the back of our brains. Whether it was through online group meetings or virtual brainstorming sessions, seeing each other come together and create something remarkable (AKA our Brady Bunch Song Piece) was incredibly gratifying.
2. Innovative Teaching Approaches: Exploring new teaching methods and incorporating innovative Edtech tools into the curriculum brought a sense of excitement and freshness to the idea of teaching. From our first guest speaker to the last, these moments sparked curiosity and engagement among students like never before.
3. Student Success Stories: Celebrating the achievements for eachother, especially those who flourished in the final weeks with our Edtech inquiry posts and collaborating with colleagues to share final thoughts on the semester. Witnessing their growth, both academically and personally, reaffirmed the transformative impact of Edtech on education.

Not-So-Favorite Moments:

1. Technical Glitches and Hiccups: Despite our best efforts, navigating the complexities of technology sometimes led to unexpected challenges. From connectivity issues during online lectures to glitches in learning platforms – google drive and uploading videos OR screen-casting nightmares, these moments tested my patience and adaptability.
2. At Times*** Overwhelming Workload: Balancing the demands of integrating technology into the semester as long with the weekly blog posts with other responsibilities often felt overwhelming. Finding the right balance between embracing innovation and managing workload became a recurring theme throughout the course. BUT we got there – the beginning and end of the semester felt a little more manageable but the middle part got very hectic.

As we happily say goodbye to this chapter of our journey through the teaching program I will say that Edtech was one that always left me filled with new ideas. Here’s to the memories we’ve created, the challenges we’ve overcome, and the growth that lies ahead. Cheers to the future of Edtech and the endless possibilities it holds for transforming education!

THANKS ANDREW

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*DISCLAIMER* ChatGPT was used for grammar and spelling correction along with writing flow 🙂

If I’m being completely honest, this week was a tough one to stay engaged with. Parts of the content were super foreign to me especially in the realm of video games and Minecraft (also can I just take a second to appreciate that until this moment I thought it was MINDcraft not MINEcraft….). Growing up my brother and I were rarely allowed to play video games and when we did get a chance to go on it was either Tony Hawk or Super Mario galaxy (and that was 10+ years ago when I actually lived at home).

The content did focus on the key characteristics on gamification which I appreciated as someone who didn’t really understand/ hear about this idea before. I believe as a future educator games are an essential part of the learning process as it helps young kiddos grasp concepts easier and make it more accessible to digest ideas within a real world context (in some cases).

HOWEVER, growing up with the demonizing look into video games it is a bit difficult to switch the standpoint and to open my mind up to using this method frequently in a classroom. I guess as much as I’d like to be on the side of teacher as partner and equal part of the learning process I am still struggling with the balance of control and perfectionism within a classroom setting (and games kinda just throw things for a loop).

The coding part of the lecture is actually something I have seen in classrooms before when I was an EA. I remember students learning how to code and their task was to make a baseball player throw a baseball a certain way. It was a really cool thing to watch! Was I super confused? YUP. But I think now that I have had some exposure to it, coding is something I’d definitely want to incorporate in my classroom as something fun, educational AND engaging!!

A little homework I have set out for myself is HOW TO MINECRAFT !! I wanna be that COOL teacher that stays in the lingo and up to date with what the kids are up to outside of the classroom so here’s to my journey of learning how to Minecraft 🙂

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This past week’s lecture was an absolute whirlwind, cramming an abundance of information into a mere three-hour session. As I delved back into my class notes and sifted through the slides, I stumbled upon a particular image (see below) that triggered a flood of memories. It brought me back to the intense flurry of comments, questions, and the meticulous organization required to fit everything into those tiny, cramped boxes. Instantly, I was reminded of the immense stress that accompanied that activity—a stress that I readily acknowledge as my own, so no need for concern on anyone else’s part!

One aspect of this activity that truly resonated with me was the opportunity to break off into smaller groups and engage in discussions with individuals who shared an equal, if not greater, level of enthusiasm for the topics at hand. It was incredibly rewarding to delve into meaningful conversations with like-minded peers, each bringing their unique perspectives to the table. We explored a range of topics, from allowing students to gauge their own roughhousing/play abilities to discussing more intricate educational methodologies like incorporating Indigenous practices into our own classroom and inclusive education as a whole. This collaborative environment fostered a sense of camaraderie and intellectual stimulation, enriching the overall learning experience.

A youtube video I’ll keep in my back pocket for later in order to explain an Edcamp to peers, friends, family members!

Edcamp Youtube

As future educators, we find ourselves grappling with the complex dynamics of inclusive education, recognizing the pressing need to navigate its challenges within a system that frequently falls short of true inclusivity. Despite the existence of regulatory frameworks that may appear to promote equality on the surface, we are acutely aware of the stark contrast between these performative measures and the genuine inclusivity we strive to cultivate within our classrooms. In this journey, we are confronted with the task of not only understanding the principles of inclusion but also actively working to embed them into the fabric of our educational institutions, thereby fostering environments where every student feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. This weeks lecture focused heavily on the idea of inclusivity vs equality and I believe Simone hit some major points when discussing inclusive ed and how she aids in structuring learning at VISII.

Using Technologies to Support Diverse Learning Needs is a youtube video that we watched in this lecture and something that really stuck with me. As technology use within classrooms are on the rise there still is a ton of questions and uncertainties that surround this topic. However, after watching this video you can see how helpful tools like this can remove barriers for students which at the end of the day is so important in providing a healthy climate within the class and school community.

Something that we are battling now throughout this program has been similar concepts. There’s a large group (including me) that have felt this program in particular has differing standards when it comes to student teacher expectations and the expectations we should have of our future students. While I know that post secondary institutions are a vastly different environment than elementary schools I do still believe that the type of care, patience and flexibility should be embedded into any culture of teaching or learning. This idea of burnout and scrambling for 4 months trying to stay on top of assignments and sometimes exams is just so outdated that I am surprised that it is still a useable platform in education practices. As much as I KNOW systems take an eternity to change and that there have been major progressions with teaching and school systems itself it is still hard to balance what we’re expected to teach and how we’re expected to learn all at once.

As someone who completed most of their post-secondary education during the years of COVID, I am quite familiar with both the positives and negatives of online learning. As an older student enrolled in first and second-year courses, I found online classes to be perfect. I could remain in bed with coffee while my camera was off and pretend to listen to the hour-and-a-half to three-hour lectures happening in the background. At that time, however, I hadn’t yet learned about ADHD and how my brain worked. I was simply coasting through courses with Google as my best friend, and what was supposed to be individual online work often turned into group efforts with my roommates (who were not in school).

One thing that proved to be extremely helpful for me was having lectures recorded. Although I spent little time paying attention during the scheduled class meetings, I was able to go back and rewatch lectures at my own speed (1.5x, to be exact). This allowed me to stay engaged and actually grasp the lessons being taught.

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– Looking back now, as a future teacher, I realize that in the older years, students (like my past self) have ample opportunity to disengage and lose that sense of community that school is meant to foster.

Revisiting class notes from this day I found a Distributed Learning Discussion that pinpoints my classmates (and my own) thoughts and discussions about learning online and the pros v cons that go along with it.

One particular thing that I valued is learning about this week is The Five R’s For Indigenizing Online Learning . I got ChatGPT to summarize the abstract for this article for a short snipit of what we learning:

“The article discusses the creation and implementation of the First Nations Schools’ Principals Course (FNSPC), the first online professional development course for principals of First Nations schools in Canada. It covers the contexts, goals, and design of the FNSPC, as well as the complexities of integrating Indigenous values into online education. The article also explores how utilizing the Five R’s (respect, relevance, reciprocity, responsibility, and relationships) transforms challenges of Indigenizing online education into opportunities for both traditional and non-traditional Indigenous learning within the FNSPC.”

As future educators its our duty to follow in respect to Indigenizing learning and making our lessons about more than a checklist from the curriculum and incorporating a more community and relationship based environment for students to thrive in.