I love who I have been, but I really love who I am becoming -- Dulce Ruby

Month: March 2024

Myth Busters

In today’s digital world, it is imperative that our students have the skills necessary to not only succeed in our ever changing technological landscape but to be able to separate fact from fiction. When we talk about digital literacy, many Eight Components of Digital Literacybelieve it is our ability to effectively use the various technologies available.  But this narrow thinking fails to consider the critical thinking skills that are necessary to evaluate what we see online.  Incorporating digital literacy into the curriculum equips students with the skills needed while empowering them to become responsible citizens.

While the outdated outcomes of the Saskatchewan Curriculum does not specifically address digital literacy, it does identify goals for education that are achieved through Broad Areas of Learning such as building engaged citizens and the common essential learnings of developing thinking, developing literacies and developing social responsibility.  Teaching our students about digital literacy connects directly to these broad areas of learning and cross-curricular competencies with connections easily made in a variety of subject areas such as English, Social Studies and Health Education.

Before we can figure out how to incorporate digital literacy into our lessons and curriculum we must first identify what it is they need to learn. The National Council of Teachers of English has provided a definition of literacy in a digital age that identifies nine things that active and successful participants in a global society, such as ours, need to be able to do and do well. Following this framework, teachers can adopt a variety of approaches such as John Spencer’s  The Five C’s of Critical Consuming that provides students with a framework for how to consume critically while developing crucial critical thinking skills.

Black dice and fact or fake with April fools day concept on dark background. Misleading and changing communication. April fools day. Realistic 3D render.

Online resources and lesson plans such as Fighting Fake News provide students with authentic learning opportunities and tasks that allow them to explore and develop vital skills such as how to recognize different types of misleading news,  or what criteria they should consider when choosing what news to trust and use.  Students have first hand knowledge of how quickly misinformation can spread in today’s digital age, just ask them about the last big event that happened at school, how fast everyone knew about and how accurate what they first heard was from what really took place. It is essential that we provide them with the skills necessary to recognize and bust those myths when they see them.

Here to Stay

Last week I posed the question, “Do you think we should be teaching our students how to effectively and safely use AI?”  The use of AI in general can be a very touchy subject with very polarizing beliefs.  Like it or not, AI is not going anywhere and whether we allow it or not, our students are going to find ways to use it. So what if, instead of condoning it’s use, we embrace it and teach our students how to use it effectively and efficiently?

As I explored the use of teacher AI, and once I found Magic Student, I found myself thinking more and more about the role AI and its effective use of it will play in the lives of our students.  As such, do we have a responsibility as educators to be embracing this technology and showing our students how to use it for good?  What resources are out there to help us navigate adding this to our curriculum? So I went looking, and was surprised at what I found.

The Alberta Teachers Association Library has created an entire section titled “Artificial Intelligence in Education” with links to numerous articles, videos, blog posts and even student perspectives on AI in our classrooms.  In fact there is Word writing text Toolkit. Business photo showcasing set of tools kept in a bag or box and used for a particular purpose Female human wear formal work suit presenting presentation use smart deviceeven one titled AI 101 For Teachers that is designed specifically for teachers who are interested in exploring AI and it’s potential to transform education as we know it.

AI For Teachers is another great site that provides a host of resources and professional development opportunities.  Not only is this site designed to support teachers as they integrate artificial intelligence into the classrooms, it also provides a host of educational resources such as lesson plans to incorporate all kinds of educational technology into our classes such as coding, facial recognition and even a unit plan on the ethics of artificial intelligence.

Code.org has also created an AI Guidance For Schools Toolkit that is deigned to help school systems at every level worldwide to develop guidance and inform policy on the responsible use of AI and includes sections specifically designed to guide teachers in their own use as well as students’ use of AI to complete assignments.  The goal of this toolkit is to provide a framework around incorporating AI into our educational systems.  

Think of all of the technology we currently use in our classrooms that were once considered The Future is Callingunimaginable or something not to be trusted.  Computers, VCR’s, television, projectors all at one time were viewed and questioned much in the same way we are now with AI.  If the goal of education is to prepare our students for the future then we owe it to them to prepare them for one that includes AI because it’s here to stay.

Cracking the Code

This week we were challenged to experiment with coding.  Now if I am being honest, just the mention of the word coding makes me cringe and instantly feel confused and overwhelmed, something I am sure many of our students face.  But with our ever changing digital world it is important we expand our students’ knowledge about coding and help it to be a little less scary.

I chose to explore the Hour of Code to test the waters of coding and as a future middle years teacher, I selected grade 6 – 8.  There were multiple options to pick from creating your own Code Farm to Dance Party to my choice, create your own Google logo.

I really appreciated the step by step tutorial that the site offered, walking you through all the different features and how to build code.  One thing that would have been more helpful, for me anyway, was to have more specific directions on where to find certain blocks such as giving the specific category.  While they did do this for some, most of the time I found myself scrolling endlessly through trying to find the right one and felt myself getting agitated by it. 

 

In the end I persevered and was able to create my own Google logo with the code I had created.  Let me know what you think!

From Setback to Success! My First TikTok Post.

Last week I entered the world of TikTok and highlighted creators and influencers regarding teacher AI tools.  This week I thought I would step even further out of my comfort zone and try creating my own TikTok post about the tool that has been a lifesaver this week, Magic School AI and specifically the Unit Plan Generator which has been an invaluable tool as I prepare to enter my pre-internship teaching block next week.

Well lemme tell ya….this was a wee bit of an effort in frustration.  I began trying to record a video using the online app Screen Capture which was super easy to use…until I tried to upload my video to TikTok.  Enter frustration one.  No matter how many times I tried and re-recorded and shortened my video, TikTok kept saying it was over the 10 minute time limit which it DEFINITELY was not.😠I gave up and decided to record on the app on my phone.

This was relatively easy to use and  I loved playing around with the effects and music.  It appeared I had done it and created my first ever TikTok post.  Enter frustration number 2…I could see the video on my profile on my app but could not find it anywhere else and when I tried sharing the link it wouldn’t show up.😡After countless attempts, checking privacy settings etc., I finally discovered that I had not actually posted it.  One click, a few seconds and VIOLA!!  ❤️It is definitely not perfect and I have so much still to learn (like how to give it a title 🙈) but I didn’t give up!

Check out my first ever TikTok video and definitely check out Magic School AI.

@mrsb653

♬ original sound – mrsB

Back In My Day…

What safety?  Digital what?  This would probably be the way my teachers and fellow students would have responded toOld gray computer questions about cyber safety and digital citizenship.  Nothing is going to show my age faster than reflecting back on my school experiences with technology. Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, computers and the internet were in their infancy when I was in school. We had computer labs that allowed us to do basic word processing and play a few primitive games, but surfing the world wide web, cell phones, social media and texting didn’t exist and neither did the need for us to be educated about cyber safety and digital citizenship.

Raising a daughter and educating young people in our current digital age absolutely terrifies me.  I want them to be safe and not make mistakes that will live in the depths of the internet for eternity, but I have no idea how to do it.  Instinct tells us to resort to many of the scare tactics of the past by warning them of the dangers lurking behind each swipe or click but I know those tactics are not effective.  I read a book last year, School Climate 2.0: Preventing Cyberbullying and Sexting One Classroom at a Time, that really opened my eyes to how we as educators can effectively go about educating our students with real techniques that will promote cyber safety and digital citizenship.

Hooded hacker orchestrates a daring cyber attack, cyber security, with digital waves. Generative AIAs Jurgenson describes in the IRL Fetish, and echoed in the Character Education for the Digital Age, separating our digital and school lives is nearly impossible and trying to do so is a disservice to students.  Instead of telling them the internet is a big bad scary place, we need to educate them on how to use it safely and effectively through the nine elements of digital citizenship.  While there is no easy answer as to how to teach this topic, one idea I found intriguing and that I would love to try is by co-creating with students a set of classroom values surrounding the use of technology in our school community.  What makes them feel safe? Unsafe? What scares them or what worries do they have?  How can we work together in our classroom community to ensure all of our members feel safe?  Perhaps in doing so students will be more invested in using technology safely and appropriately in all areas of their lives, not just at school.

The more we can incorporate technology in our classrooms and teaching and demonstrate for our students how to successfully navigate the complexities of the digital age in which they live in a responsible and safe manner, the better equipped they will be to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital world. 

Thanks TikTok! No really, THANK YOU!

Up until recently I was probably one of the few people on the planet who had not yet downloaded the social media app TikTok.  I know it’s hard to believe, right?  In the early days I saw a lot of the not so great parts of TikTok and the effect it had on some of our students.  Add to that documentaries I have watched such as The Social Dilemma and I was even more resistant to signing up for another social media account designed to keep me scrolling mindlessly for hours on end.  Even when I began this learning blog, I relied solely on traditional online websites and showcasing them.  While that has its place and purpose, I started to realize how I was limiting myself and the tools I may be able to find and decided, VERY reluctantly, to turn to social media apps in search of new teacher AI and oh my goodness am I glad I did!

A quick google search turned up multiple TikTok content creators or influencers with posts about everything teaching related from humour to teaching tips and tutorials and yes ones that specifically deal with teacher AI such as @teach2ai or Canadian teacher @jessicam.reid. I have to say the one that has impressed me the most so far is Brittany @msprincessteach who’s entire focus is empowering teachers to break the burnout cycle, including a series she calls “There’s an Automation for That” where teachers tell her what is stressing them out the most and she provides automations to reduce teacher burnout (insert teacher AI here!).

@msprincessteach

🆓 Must Have Teacher Tool to Grade Essays in a fraction of the time ➡️ @class companion For more teacher automations to save you time check out: ⤵️ 🎥@Brittany• Teacher Burnout Tips 🎥@Brittany• Teacher Burnout Tips #teachertips #tipsforteachers #teacherresources #teacherwebsites #aiteachertools #teachertools #teachermusthaves #teachertiptok #teachertok #teachersoftiktok #aiforteachers #teachertechtips #classcompanionpartner

♬ original sound – Brittany• Teacher Burnout Tips

While some posts contain reference to specific AI tools and sites that she has used to help with the heavy burden of teacher workload, she also speaks to some of the controversy and conversation surrounding the use of AI by teachers which can be a valuable tool when confronted with student, parent and even admin questions about our use of teacher AI.

@msprincessteach

If teachers are using Artificial Intelligence in the classroom, should students be able to, too? 🤔 i want to know your thoughts. #aiintheclassroom #teacherai #aiforteachers #teachertok #edutok

♬ original sound – Brittany• Teacher Burnout Tips

In addition, she also has her own website dedicated to helping teachers beat burnout by providing resources, training and practical steps to help create a sustainable teaching career.  If all of that isn’t enough, she also has her own podcast,  The Resilient Teacher,  which can be accessed from your favourite podcast player and subscribe.

This woman and all she has to offer to fellow teachers is mind blowing and truly an inspiration and I am so grateful I stepped outside of my comfort zone and downloaded a social media app that allowed me to find such a great resource..  Words, I never thought I would say without sarcasm but…

Thanks TikTok!!

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