Month: January 2024

I grew up in a time that was not inundated with technology.  Computers were a new thing and internet access involved high pitch screeching tones that tied up your phone line.  I was in my 20’s when I got my first cell phone and apps didn’t exist.  Using our imagination and spending time face-to-face was the dominant form of communication.  Yes, technology has made our lives easier in so many ways, but it has also changed us for the worse.  Children now require constant stimulation and instant gratification and using their imaginations has become a thing of the past.  Companies are making billions of dollars of their ability to keep us clicking.  Working in the school system, technology is a part of my daily life, but it was also this environment that opened my eyes and changed my own daily technology use when a teacher showed grade 9 students the Netflix Documentary, The Social Dilemma.

After watching this film I became more aware of my own use and the effect it has on my and my family which is reflected as I consider my daily technology use for this post.  On a daily basis, the bulk of my technology use is for productivity tasks such as supporting students through the use of Google Classroom, Google Docs and Slides,  Edsby and Outlook or my education primarily through  UR Courses and Zoom.   I also text, check the weather and my personal email  as well as my Facebook throughout the day.  I rely on a banking app to pay bills and monitor our accounts and use the calendar on my phone to help me stay organized, although I do transfer most things to a large monthly wipe board calendar in my kitchen including appointments, events and due dates for assignments .  If it’s not on the board or in my calendar app it doesn’t exist!! 

I have made a conscious effort to limit the amount of time I spend using technology.  One way I have done this is by implementing a no technology at the dinner table rule, and to limit the use of my phone while my daughter is up to only what is absolutely necessary.  Games and social media apps I have buried on the last page of my home screen to help  limit the temptation and will only allow myself to access those apps in the evening after my daughter is in bed and my classes are done.  I will also randomly turn on the usage monitoring feature to make sure I am staying on track and I try to leave my phone in a different room in the house.  I want my daughter to have the best of both worlds, this new digital age but also the one of my youth, and what better way for her to have that than for me to lead by example in my use of technology.

Learning something new can be terrifying as we often fear the unknown and more so not getting it right.  This was definitely my feelings when I decided at the age of 45 to begin the journey to obtaining my Bachelor of Education degree.  As a mother and wife, we often put everyone’s needs before our own and it was a struggle to work through that guilt when I decided to start this journey.  Thankfully my daughter and husband have stuck with me every step of the way, through the fear, victories and mis-steps.  Now as I rapidly approach my destination, I am embarking on yet a new journey, exploring the world of educational technology and blogging.

As an educational assistant at the high school level, educational technology is not completely foreign to me.  I see teachers using a host of technology in their teaching from YouTube videos to the Google Suite and now Teacher AI that is designed to lessen their workload.  I have watched my colleagues make the switch to the EDSBY program, and the struggle and frustration as they tried to learn the new program and navigate it.  I have been involved in many discussions regarding students’ use of AI programs such as chatGPT and PhotoMath as a way of cheating and how do we handle it.  As I embark on this course, I am looking forward to gaining more insight into the role technology will play in my future classroom, but at the same time am apprehensive about learning to use new technology including creating and maintaining this blog.

I have had some exposure to blog posting in previous classes, but to be honest it is not something I overly enjoy.  I struggle with what to include, how to format it and what the purpose is.  Once again, fear is rearing its head.  Fear that I won’t do it correctly; fear that I won’t captivate my audience; fear that something I post upsets or offends someone; just fear.  As I reflect on my apprehension and anxiety as I write this first post, I remember a Sheena Koops article that I had read for my Teaching Treaties in the classroom and an “aha” moment that I had.  Any new journey, whether it is learning something new such as educational technology or blogging or teaching, is not about getting everything exactly right. What counts is deciding to begin, not giving up, remaining dedicated and committed and learning from our mistakes and most importantly, it is during the learning process that incredibly beautiful things happen.

So join me as I take on my next journey through educational technology and blogging toward my degree.