Digital Citizenship In My Own Classroom

Posted on November 11, 2024 by Elyse Woodard

During this week’s class we talked about Digital Citizenship. I believe digital citizenship is about being a good citizen…but digitally. Digital citizenship, according to Ribble, is the constantly evolving standards of proper, accountable, and empowered technology use. To make sure students acquire the information and abilities necessary to behave responsibly and safely online, I will employ the nine elements of digital citizenship. 

  • Digital Etiquette 
  • I will emphasize in my class the value of avoiding language that could be interpreted as harsh or offensive, respecting others’ privacy, refraining from sending, forwarding, or posting offensive content, and avoiding interacting with or participating in cyberbullying. 
  • Digital Access
  • Making sure every student in my class has access to digital resources/technology would be my first goal. If they do not have access to technology, I will provide alternative learning materials. 
  • Digital Literacy/Fluency
  • Establishing a positive, non-toxic classroom environment requires stating the significance of what is true or false, as well as what is valid online. 
  • Digital Commerce
  • This entails a complicated algorithm that is learning about you constantly, your interests, etc. 
  • Digital Rights & Responsibilities
  • Online privacy is something I would take very seriously in my classroom. For instance, I won’t take a picture of a student if they object to being photographed during a class activity. 
  • Digital Safety & Security 
  • Hackers are common in today’s world. To keep yourself safe, you should be mindful of where you click and who you are contacting.
  • Digital Communications/Collaborations
  • I will discuss various respectful ways to use digital communication in my classroom. Email, verbal, and assignment writing etiquette will be our main topics. 
  • Digital Law
  • It is essential to accept responsibility for your work and for what is not. 
  • Digital Health & Wellness 
  • I would encourage people to keep an eye on their phone screen time. The amount of time students spend on their phones can have a significant impact on their mental health. Setting screen time objectives as a class, in my opinion, would be an effective strategy to encourage students to put down their phones. Students’ exposure to technology will be reduced by implementing more hands-on activities. 

Being in the moment and in the present is crucial. I want to bring up the article ‘The IRL Fetish,’ which uses the phrase “logged-off real life.” Instead of using technology to block out face-to-face interactions, this phrase highlights the value of savoring our time spent with friends, family, and peers. Technology is vital, but so are our friends, family, and personal lives/interactions.

It is crucial that educators do what they teach, keeping in mind everything that has been said thus far. It will send a mixed message and diminish the significance of what we preached in the first place if our parents, coworkers, students, or other loved ones see us acting in a way that is completely contrary to what we are teaching. 

Instead of considering digital citizenship as a one-time event, I want to include it into my curriculum throughout my teaching career. By doing this, it will help kids start laying the groundwork for their appropriate online behavior and emphasize the value of digital citizenship. 

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Completing Half Of The Chorus

Posted on November 2, 2024 by Elyse Woodard

This week I decided that I will be using iMovie, once again, to document my process this week since I had a great experience using it these last few weeks. 

I completed two more piano chords for Olivia Rodrigo’s song ‘Vampire’ this week. This indicates that I’ve finished half of the chorus. Similar to the chorus’s first two chords from last week, these chords were challenging and required me to extend my right hand fingers, particularly my pinky, in order to reach the piano notes. However, with practice, I was able to do so. 

I will have finished the entire chorus by next week, which is both thrilling and crazy to consider. While learning this song on the piano, it seems like time is passing quickly. 

Week 6 of my learning project video 

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Two Chords of the Chorus

Posted on October 25, 2024 by Elyse Woodard

Last week we were asked to include a tool/app in order to document our process that week. I decided that I will be using iMovie, once again, to document my process this week since I had a great experience using it last week. 

This week I learned two more chords of the song ‘Vampire’ by Olivia Rodrigo on the piano. These two chords are the first chords of the chorus. These chords were quite tricky and required me to stretch my right hand fingers to reach the piano notes, but after practice I was able to reach those notes. 

Watching my progression is making me look forward to completing the song in only a few more weeks.

Wish me luck on my piano journey!

Week 5 of my learning project video

 

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The Digital World

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Elyse Woodard

This week I watched a YouTube video called ‘An Anthropological Introduction to Youtube’, which talks about the influence of the web and technology. It mentioned that the web, links people and it’s about sharing, trading and collaborating. 

During our lecture, it was mentioned that posting even a sonogram photo, gives your child a digital footprint before they are even born. Which is crazy to think about. This seems to be an unconscious act from an individual(s) most times. I didn’t even know about it until it was mentioned during the lecture. 

I think that technology can be useful and hindering at times. I think we can learn a lot of new things from technology, especially if we are feeling clueless about a topic, term or situation. It also allows us to collaborate with others and create new possibilities. Technology/the internet could also pose a danger danger to someone, and thinking deeper, the creation of technology/the internet also invented cyberbullying, which can also be very harmful and life threatening. 

School’s have a high rate of technology use. I remember walking into my first University of Regina lecture course, and everyone had either a laptop or iPad in order to record their notes (etc.) on their desk. I walked into that class with a notebook. Later on I learned the importance of having a technology device in hand during lectures because many instructors give classroom tasks where you have to either read an article, work on a project with your peers using an app, or even recording your attendance. 

While there are exciting new opportunities brought about by this shift in classroom environments and teaching, concerns about content availability and responsibility in the digital world also need to be given more consideration of its impact.

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Accomplishing Verse 1

Posted on October 15, 2024 by Elyse Woodard

I made the decision this week to support my learning project journey by downloading the “iMovie” app to my iPhone. This app was really easy to operate and navigate. I started by clicking “Movie” to get things going. When I did that, a variety of effects were available to me, including transitions (which are changes from one video/scene to the next) and title effects (I used the “Chromatic” title effect). You could even import or insert your own videos/photos from your camera roll. You have the ability to apply a filter to your video to change its color. The video’s volume can be simply changed, and you can easily edit your video’s duration by removing any parts that you decide not to include. 

The ability to produce videos that appear professional and how simple it is to use even for someone who has never edited a movie themselves drew me into this app. 

I’ve made it my goal to master verse 1 of Olivia Rodrigo’s song “Vampire” on the piano this week. I loaded this video into the iMovie app. Since it’s a new achievement, I found it exciting to learn the entire verse. Knowing that I have finished a significant portion of the song is reassuring and calming because the opening verse is repeated a couple more times throughout. Though I still have a ways to go, I am excited to grow and challenge myself.

iMovie Instruction Pictures:

 

Week 4 of learning project video

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Keys To Happiness

Posted on October 7, 2024 by Elyse Woodard

This week I decided to focus on learning two more chords on the piano and was successful. Now that I have learned these two new chords, I am able to complete the first verse of the song. All I need to play this first verse is to repeat what I have learned on the piano again, which includes playing those 4 chords in the correct order. 

I watched a video by ‘The Piano Path’, and used some cool tips and tricks to help me with my piano progress. I felt that this video is also a great warmup for loosening up your fingers and being ready to play the piano. It was important for me to keep in mind that warming up your hands on the piano before you get into playing a song can make a significant difference when playing the piece.

Learning the first verse of the song made me feel proud and accomplished.  

Wish me luck on my piano journey!

Week 3 of my learning project video

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Journey Toward Reconciliation: The Strong People 

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Elyse Woodard

Indigenous peoples have had a long history of fighting for their rights. They do so, just like any human being would do when it comes to their beliefs. For a significant amount of time, Indigenous people have been represented by unprofessional stereotypes. I learned that discriminating against any race was wrong from a quite early age. I mainly learned the extent of what the Indigenous peoples went through in my early high school years, such as, residential schools, the 60’s scoop, the Oka Crisis and more. It is important to instill in children from an early age that it is important to treat all individuals with the same kindness and respect you would want in return. It is important never to forget the obstacles that each individual has to go through to get where they are today. Every single individual is working to get by or to better themselves in life. Everyone fights their own battle, either by themselves or with a group. The Indigenous peoples fought together as one to earn the equity and equality rights they everyone deserves presently.

My journey towards reconciliation starts with being appreciative of the lands that human beings and animals occupy. When it comes to Mother Earth, I always feel more calm when the smell of fresh flowers, fresh grass and the wind is blowing calmly. It makes me appreciate that humans are fortunate enough to have the beautiful scenery that may be hard to find in some cases. We live on the land, work the land and treat it with respect. In return, it will provide for us. I feel that when it comes to appreciating the land, it resounds with being able to enjoy all of the beautiful nature that surrounds us. Taking somewhat recent walks are important when it comes to appreciating the land. Treaty 4 (Duhame, R., 1966), is the land that I, myself live on. I have found that all living things are blessed to have a stable living space that also offers many a sense of calmness. Personally, I love exploring nature. It has so much to see and give. It is very easy to sit down and relax in a soothing, outdoors spot, to clear your mind and just ‘be.’

When it comes to how I decided to represent Journey to Reconciliation, I decided to represent the amount of honour, truth, courage, resilience, spirituality, Mother Earth, strength, patience and most importantly heart. All of these words represent the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. According to the AFN website, “Indigenous women and girls are five times more likely to experience violence than any other population in Canada; this violence tends to result in more serious harm.” (Turner, A., 2021). I feel that all these words tie into what a person, who is affected by Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, is forced to inherit. The red hand print on the face of the mannequin represents what each and every supporter does to honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. It represents and advocates for the need of putting an end to stolen sisters. It also represents that each and every one of those individuals were worthy of being a person, living on this earth. They should never be forgotten. The mannequin represents the strength of an affected Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls individual. It represents the amount of courage, strength and patience each victim has to face.

The Indigenous peoples land, resources and more were taken away from them. This resulted in a loss of their culture, which led them to being stripped of their culture, their spirituality and most importantly, their identity and who they are as people. This led to the long line of intergenerational trauma. What the Indigenous peoples had to endure was well past my capability to comprehend. I simply can not imagine being called a number, instead of my name, as it was in Residential Schools. The Indigenous People were assimilated into the white way of culture. Their clothes were ripped from their bodies and they were made to wear uniforms. Their long, sacred hair was cut or shaved, taking away their spirituality and individuality. Many of the children were sexually assaulted. They were not able to speak in their own language. If they did, they were abused, tortured or killed. It was an unimaginable, unjust and unfair life that many of them have had to live. The unmarked graves, which I represent in my visual representation are a sickening thing to truly believe and process due to the amount of lives that were lost too soon. It is a reasonable job to respect the struggle these deceased individuals had to face.

The reason I decided to represent Indigenous women when it came to the Journey to Reconciliation is due to the visible target they are when it comes to someone being murdered. From the words of Indigenous leaders and authors, white people and others often see Indigenous women have the stigma of ‘being easy’ or not worthy. If an Indigenous woman went missing, it was not seen as a big of a deal. Sadly and unjustly, many of the murders and disappearances of Indigenous women were overlooked. It was time and continues to be time for all to throw away that stigma. Investigations need to continue, to help find closure for their family and friends, who live in angst and sorrow, from losing their loved ones.

There has been a long-lasting line of Indigenous peoples having troubles with alcohol; although, many races face the effect of alcoholism. There is a stigma of Indigenous people having a prolonged stereotype of being alcoholics, over the span of many years. Why do many people sadly view Indigenous peoples this way when many other races face these problems too? Why is it that not many of us are looked down upon when it comes to that? The stereotypes that circulate around the world are a toxic way of thinking and lead to unpleasant actions and views.

In order to develop a successful, healthy and a sustainable relationship with one another in Canada, it is crucial to uphold a foundation of mutual respect and support for coexistence (Government of Canada., 2021). The steps towards reconciliation (Blackboard learn., 2023) is progressing slowly but there is still a significant amount of actions that need to be taken to reach the full potential of reconciliation.

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I Believe…

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Elyse Woodard

  • I believe that students should work in a safe learning environment and be respected and encouraged to learn

  • I believe that all students learn differently

  • I believe it is crucial to have a strong relationship with students, parents and coworkers to grow together

  • I believe in Reconciliation

  • I believe in the incorporation of Indigenous beliefs in a classroom setting

  • I believe everyone’s voice deserves to be heard

  • I believe that a person can learn something new regardless of their age

  • I believe that every student deserves to have an education

  • I believe in hands on learning

  • I believe that creative teaching techniques help a students engagement

  • I believe in inclusion

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A Useful Resource To Enhance My Piano Journey

Posted on September 30, 2024 by Elyse Woodard

This week I decided to focus on finding piano apps that will be resourceful when I am not near a piano and need to practice my piano skills. I found a free app called “Piano”. I find this app to be helpful if I am worried about forgetting the chords. I am just able to pull out my phone and refresh my memory using the piano app.

This app provides you with the letters of each piano key and what chord you are in. It allows you to record your progress and be able to play it back. It allows you to email your own piano recording to anyone. The app also allows you to be able to change the mode. For example, you can change the piano sound into sounding like either a harp, a guitar, marimba, electric bass, and more. I found this very intriguing and very useful. 

I am looking forward to my journey of learning the song ‘Vampire’ by Olivia Rodrigo on the piano. 

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My Relationship With Technology

Posted on September 30, 2024 by Elyse Woodard

Technology plays a significant role in many people’s lives. I mainly use my iPhone on a daily basis in my life. I use my computer for school or work purposes, etc. When it comes to my daily life, I tend to use TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Netflix. I feel that these apps can slightly help you through your academic journey. TikTok and Instagram can be used for tutorials if you are finding difficulty navigating a certain app or website. Snapchat can also help you stay in contact with your classmates or group project partner, if needed. 

I mainly rely on the calendar and notes app on my iPhone to stay organized and keep me on track. These apps help remind me of upcoming due dates or tasks that I need to do for the next day or week of class. I also rely on google docs, drive and slides to help save my assignment, coursework and presentation files. I find these apps to be extremely helpful for my personal life and school life. 

I remember during my Grade 12 psychology class we did this experiment where we had to turn all our app notifications on and put our phone on our desk with the screen facing downwards for the whole class. The teacher told us to keep track of how many notifications we got, how many times we felt the urge to look at our phone but didn’t and how many times we looked at our phone after a notification went off. I found this interesting and a great way to learn how much our phone impacts our life and occupies our mind/concentration. The app that seems to distract me the most is snapchat. It distracts me the most because it is an app which I can keep in contact with my friends. A strategy that I find particularly effective is turning the app notifications off and keeping my phone as far away from me as possible. 

During the day and at school is when I tend to use my phone less or when I am interacting with my family. During the night is when I go on my phone the most. I think my healthy relationship with technology is not attaching it to my family time and when I need to get work done. It is important to live, stay focused and be in the moment.

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