An Introduction & Expression of Gratitude

Hello, everyone! My name is Amanda Stecyk and I am excited to begin this interactive & educational endeavor in the wonderful world of blogging!

I am a graduate of The University of Regina, having completed my undergraduate degree in 2010 in the Arts Education program with a major in Visual Art and a minor in Literature.

I have been a teacher for 12 years, and have taught everything from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Most recently, I taught a middle years classroom for seven years at James Hamblin School in Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan.

I am working on my Masters Degree remotely, while on maternity leave.

This is my daughter, Summer Jayne Allegra Lodoen:

I currently reside in Calgary with my fiancé, daughter, dog, and cat. These four members of my family may periodically appear in the background of our Zoom meetings (especially Gordo the dachshund, he’s my shadow).

I am thankful for this opportunity to continue my education alongside you all and to learn about contemporary issues in educational technology. I am fairly comfortable with technology, but its ever evolving nature makes me highly aware that there is always so much more to learn. The constant “newness” is what draws me to tech-based teaching, as there is always something that sparks my middle year’s students interests in its relevance. My current “day in the life” related to technology includes many hours of “Bluey” on the Disney+ app, Violet the “Leap and Learn” talking robot dog, and navigating the rest of new baby tech, from monitors to Blue tooth Baby Brezza bottle warmers. The technology present in the baby industry is absolutely wild.

As for my regular life outside of new mom-ness, and more related to teaching and learning, the tools I used were well-received in my classroom. Teaching middle years, they kept me updated with “what’s trending” on apps like Tiktok and Snapchat. These tools helped in discussions on current events or contributed fun prompts for drama, music, and dance. We use Google Classroom, and our Smartboard all day, every day. Since the influx of Covid and the hybrid learning situations that ensued, I just got in the habit of posting all assignments directly to Google Classroom. This helped significantly, especially with absent students and their homework. It was so easy for them to just log on from anywhere and complete their missing work. They could also easily send me a note for any needed clarification, which was also great. Other than my professional uses for technology, I gravitate toward either Instagram, Twitter, or Reddit to scroll through in my down-time and to connect with like-minded people.

I look forward to learning alongside you all during this semester!