EC&I 830, what a powerful class. I have never in my life taken part in actual debates and this made me terribly nervous throughout the course. Although my classmate, Altan and I were rushing when the sign up sheet opened up to get one of our favourite topics, for some reason we ended up being last with an issue that was not taken by anybody else. It seemed to be impossible to come up with ideas for “Openness and sharing in schools are unfair to our kids” but after a little research, it was scary to see the traps that we fall into when it comes to sharing. So, ending up with this topic was actually a good thing. Being a mom of two soon to be teenagers, definitely taught me a few things to look out for.

Throughout the course, besides gaining a broader view of the current issues, I loved seeing the creativity in the opening statements. I found the videos, discussions and experiences shared very informative and powerful. These debates helped me see both sides of the current issues discussed:

• Technology in the classroom enhances learning
• Technology is a force of equity in society
• Schools should not focus on teaching things that can be easily googled
• Social Media is ruining childhood
• Cellphones should be banned in the classroom
• Openness and sharing in schools is unfair to our kids
• Educators have a responsibility to use tech and social media to promote social justice

I would like to say thank you to my Prof. Dr. Alec Couros and my peers for sharing their knowledge and experiences, for the valuable connections, and for the intellectual and emotional support that was very much needed during this time. A special thank you to my debate partner, Altan, who was a pleasure to work with. Please take a peak at my Summary of Learning.

Thank you for stopping by and I wish you all good health and a wonderful relaxing SUMMER!