As with almost every other aspect of EDTC 300, I had to learn how to use a new digital tool. This time, I tried out an app called SimpleMind, which is a mind map-making tool. It was effortless to use and a helpful way to start mind mapping. I also finally got to use ScreenCastify for this assignment as well. It was also an easy tool to use and one I am glad to have in my toolbox. Lastly, I used CapCut to create the video. However, I used the desktop version and found it easier than the mobile app. 

Anyways, here is a link to a Google Doc of all the resources I used while creating this video.  

Thanks for watching!

Throughout elementary and middle school, AI was not something that teachers worried about, nor discussed. However, come 2017, it was one of the top stressors for my high school teachers. They continuously told us not to use any sort of AI tool to assist with our learning or assignments, as they knew it would have consequences. This put a lot of fear in me, to the point I avoided pretty well all of them, except some of the free photo AI filters on TikTok. So imagine my surprise when a presentation was assigned to watch in class that discusses how AI can be used within schools. 

I became very excited about this blog post, as I decided to finally try out ChatGPT, a virtual assistant and chatbot that focuses on conversations and language.

I have been curious about this tool for a while as I have heard about it across many different social media platforms and from peers in University classes. I played around with the newest version until I hit the limit for questions and had to go to the older version. I was quite impressed with the different things ChatGPT could do, such as research, technical help, entertainment, and math problems. I also liked how it answered questions. It used jot notes and for questions about how to do something, it provided:

step-by-step instructions,

examples of tools needed, 

Created an example of the process,

And a visual example.

I believe ChatGPT, if used appropriately, could be applied in many different ways in the classroom. For teaching, this could be:

• Developing questions for quizzes, assignments, or worksheets.
• Developing exemplars. 
• Editing questions, exemplars, or assignments to incorporate a students interest
  • 
• Create a list of topics for inquiries, essays, or other projects 
• Create lesson plans
• Create stories with students 
• Creating writing prompts
• Feedback on essays

These factors could all help improve student engagement. However, I would not use what is directly written by ChatGPT. I would edit each thing I generate so then it suits my students, is not bias, and is appropriate for the curriculum. 

When it comes to how this tool can be useful for students, there are many ways they could use it for, including:

• Revise their paragraphs
• Check over their work
• Develop main and sub topics for assignments
• Expand knowledge on a topic
• Find resources
• Create examples of things they do not know, such as a thesis statement, concept map, or making a video
• Use it to rewrite unclear sentences or paragraphs

Despite how useful of a tool ChatGPT can be, there are some issues to be aware of. This tool can create essays for students and develop answers to questions. Ethically, this is not students work, and could include plagiarism, biases, or be inaccurate. It is also important to check the sources ChatGPT uses, as many of the questions I asked came back with answers from Wikipedia. 

Upon exploring ChatGPT and watching the presentation from June 17th, my personal perspective on AI in education has changed. As I stated before, in highschool, AI was seen in a very negative light as it always alluded to cheating. Now, I understand that, as long as students are educated on how to use them appropriately, they can be very useful tools. I also see how many people already use AI and believe its popularity will continue to grow. Thus, I think it is important to be ahead of the game and implement these tools into the classroom, where students can be taught to backtrace the research provided, identify biases in the replies, and learn how to use it as an assistant rather than the creator. 

Online communication has never been one of my strong suits, but this class provided many opportunities to improve. Before starting EDTC 300, I had never explored blogging and was apprehensive about trying it. However, it came to be something I really enjoyed doing. My favourite part was having a communication hub, Voices of EDTC 300, as I enjoyed exploring what others were learning over the term. 

I also appreciate including a group communication form, like Discord, as it creates a community learning aspect. I, however, became quite overwhelmed as people were quite active and I to find time to look through and respond. Thus, I did not communicate much on this form, but would often look through for advice when I was struggling or needed new resources. 

Thank you for creating such a welcoming community for learning! Have an amazing summer!

You can find the collection of my comments on this Google Slide.

Unfortunately, on Thursday I was unable to make it to class as I was doing something with my family. Thus, I used this blog to catch up and research the topics.

Cyber-vigilantism

Cyber-vigilantism was a topic I had heard about before but did not realize that it is typically not regulated by the law. Nor did I know it was used to impede or punish cybercrime, even if the vigilante is not the victim. I found this out from the website Cyber Wire.  I also looked at an article from Mount Royal University. This article states that vigilantism has been around since ancient times, but the internet allows millions of people to engage in a single act of vigilantism. It also stated that the reason for cyber vigilantism occurring can vary from serious issues, such as pedophilia, to simpler things. They also state that there is a fine line between vigilantism and harassment. This description brought a recent online controversy to my mind, as it started as something small and bordered on harassment. The controversy was between YouTubers SSSniperWolf and jacksfilms, which I heard about from the podcast Do We Know Them?. 

This controversy began because SSSniperWolf became a reaction channel that did and still does not give credit to the original videos that she is reacting to and reuses scenes multiple times in her videos to ensure she gets ads.

Due to this, jacksfilms decided to create a reaction channel, JJJacksfilms, in which he watched SSSniperWolf’s videos with a bingo card of things she does consistently in her videos. This controversy became dangerous when SSSniperWolf flew to the city jacksfilms lived in and started adding posts to her Instagram story where she told him to come outside and showed his house and address. I believe at the time, his wife was home as well, which made jacksfilms even more worried. 

The reason this came to mind is that jacksfilms thought he was helping these smaller creators by doing SSSniperwolf Bingo, when, in reality, he was straddling the line of vigilantism and harassment. It also started as a smaller issue, that became large and illegal when SSSniperWolf doxxed jacksfilms.

Cyber Violence and Shaming

When I started looking into cyber violence and shaming, my mind immediately went to a class I had in May. I took WGST (Women and Gender Studies) 100 this May, and one of the topics we had was online hate directed at women. For this topic, we watched a documentary called Backlash which was about how women can be targeted online. It focuses on women in power and those who are outspoken. It also demonstrates that the law has not caught up with the internet, as many of the women received direct threats online and, in most cases, the police were unable to do anything. This documentary also displayed how these issues can escalate to real-life dangers and threats. I highly recommend this documentary if you are curious about how serious these issues can become. 

Digital Footprints

Before researching digital footprints, I thought it was just to do with the things I post online. Upon looking at Kaspersky, I was shocked to find out that my digital footprint includes the websites I go to, emails I send, online shopping and any other information I put online. I was also scared to find out that apps collect data without us knowing. 

When it comes to having some of our digital footprint forgotten, I am on the fence about it. I agree that we have a right for some of the things we post to be forgotten, however, I think things like hate speech, bullying, harassment, and other negative things that are said online maybe shouldn’t be. Or the people who say them should have to prove somehow that they have changed. I think this as there are many YouTubers, such as Shane Dawson, James Charles,  and Colleen Ballinger, that have been in multiple, serious controversies and are still able to post on YouTube to their audience, many of whom are children, despite their controversies involving inappropriate interactions with minors.  

These topics are actually why I had stopped posting on social media regularly. I always stress about my words and photos being taken out of context, or affecting my ability to get a job. I have also dealt with online bullying and figured not posting was the best way to avoid it. However, I feel more confident in my knowledge of the online world and have begun becoming more active on social media.

For this blog post, I decided to try out the Maps coding game on Hour of Code. 

I thought this game was really enjoyable. The coding in the game started simple, but still kind of challenging. However, as the levels progressed, the coding became harder.  I also enjoyed this game as it included history. The routes you were coding for were historical routes groups had taken. The game also included some facts along the top. I am a huge history nerd so I found these factors really interesting. 

I found it a lot easier to code when there were guidelines for where the transportation needed to go. I also enjoyed trying all the different codes, like multiple moves, moving until, and landing. However, I think students who lack confidence in their abilities may struggle with coding as it is a lot of trial and error. 

Overall, I knew I would enjoy this activity as I have done it before. In middle school, my science teacher was able to get a Sphero, which is a little robot that you can code using an app on an iPad. 

When we did this, we had to work in groups to create a code for Sphero to follow. I always found this enjoyable but could be frustrating as it was hard for everyone to get their opinions in. I liked doing coding on this website as I was able to do it on my own. I also enjoyed all the different options of games to try out. 

I think coding is extremely important as it is the way we can get new apps and websites. In school, I think coding is important as it can be a fun way to promote logical thinking and problem-solving skills in students. It is also something that fosters creative thinking, as students can choose how they set up the code. Lastly, it can help students gain confidence in their abilities as there is no harm in failing. If the students do not get the outcome they want, they are able to fix it and try again until they get it correct without criticism from others.

Although I am working on my Inclusive Education certificate, I am still doing my Bachelor of Early Elementary Education. Thus, the age range I hope to teach in the future is Pre-K to Grade 3. For this range, I think teaching digital literacy can vary, thus I decided to focus on Pre-K and Kindergarten as I figured these grades would be learning similar things. 

For these younger grades, I plan on creation different lessons on the 5 C’s of critical consuming that was discussed in John Spencer’s  YouTube video.

This video provides the basics for figuring out if something is fake news, which is important for young children as they have not had much experience analyzing these factors. I would start by providing rich examples as suggested in the Developing Critical Literacies: What We Need to Know in a “Fake News” World, as it can helpful to use real-life examples. I would use these fake and real examples of articles to begin teaching about the contexts of articles. As a class, we would look for the date of the article, where it comes from, how these events have changed since the article was written and if there is new information on the topic. We would then look at credibility. During this time, I would introduce different investigative techniques and websites, as suggested in How do we teach students to identify fake news?. I would introduce FactCheck.org, Snopes and Google’s reverse image search as these are websites I wish I had known about earlier.  We would also look through different examples and check for the site’s reputation in journalism, if credible sources were cited, and see if it is actually an ad disguised as a news story. 

Prior to looking at how articles are constructed, I would teach the students about what a bias is and how to identify it as both Developing critical Literacies and How do we teach students to identify fake news? state that these are important pieces to learning about digital literacy. Once students have a decent understanding of biases, we will analyze the construction of the articles to look for loaded words, omissions, and see if there is a distinguishment between facts and opinions. 

For both corroboration and comparing, they will be learning how to read ‘laterally’, as we will work together to look for other credible sources to ensure that other articles make the same claim. We will also be using other websites to compare the stories from different perspectives. Lastly, I would try to instil the idea that we cannot always believe what we see and to always question everything, as it nurtures a critical disposition. 

For Pre-K and Kindergarten students, I think digital literacy can be tied to their English Language curriculum as there is an outcome where they must comprehend and respond to different visual, oral, print, and multimedia texts about identity, community and social responsibility. Some of the indicators include finding information from others, comparing their gathered ideas, sharing their ideas, and asking a variety of questions. For this, students may need to look at online sources, thus they would have to determine whether they are looking at a real source or not. I think this could also be tied to all their classes, as students may have to do research that involves them finding real and credible news sources.

By teaching students the 5 C’s of critical consuming, I would be incorporating having students participate effectively and critically in the networked world. This would be done as students will learn how to tell real news sources from fake sources and how to know if something is an ad or not. By teaching the students to corroborate and compare to other sources, they would be doing the goal of exploring and engaging critically, thoughtfully, and across a variety of texts and tools. By comparing, they are getting new and different information that allows them to see the world in new ways. This would also hit the first part of the goal; consume, curate, and create actively across contexts, as they will be learning how to find reliable sources to consume. They would also be curating as they are evaluating the content they find before they use or share it. We would be hitting the goal of building intentional global and cross-cultural connections and relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively while strengthening independent thought, as we would be working together to analyze articles and websites.  

I would implement the goal to promote culturally sustaining communication and recognize the bias and privilege present in the interactions by teaching students how to recognize biases. We would also learn about oppression and how to recognize patterns of discourse. Students would hit the goal of examining the rights, responsibilities, and ethical implications of the use and creation of information, as they learn to collaborate and compare to other sources. They will do this to consider the information from multiple sources. We will also discuss how students can use the information effectively and appropriately.

As someone who has grown up with technology always available, I plan to teach my future students through a ‘one-life’ perspective. This was discussed in Education for the Digital Age and involves using technology in school and conversations in the context of the community and society. I believe this is the only way to teach students about digital citizenship, as technology has become integral in almost all aspects of life and is used almost daily in schools. The approach I plan to take when teaching digital citizenship is through educating students. By having lessons, activities, and conversations about this topic, students are more likely to understand the responsibilities, uses, and dangers of being online. This can result in students making positive and good choices online.

I also plan to have classroom rules about devices and times when technology cannot be used. I have this plan as it can help teach students the importance of taking a break. It would also provide time for students and educators to connect and build relationships without technology, as it has become rare, as stated in The IRL Fetish. Lastly, I would find guest speakers to come and discuss their experiences online. They could discuss some issues they have experienced, how they dealt with it, and how it affected them. I might also get a police officer or someone in law enforcement who can talk about how students can protect themselves online and their responsibilities.

When I thought about how I may teach digital access, my mind immediately went to an introduction sheet. Since beginning my education degree, I have had many different courses suggest sending out a ‘Get to Know Me’ questionnaire to families before classes start. These sheets would consist of a variety of questions, such as favourite subject and other interests. On this sheet, I would include a question about what technology their child has at home and in their community. This would provide information on which families may need extra resources and lessons sent home.

When teaching digital commerce, I would start by asking the students if they have ever bought or sold anything online and how that experience was. We would then have a few different lessons on how to notice if a website is safe for them to put in their information and how public computers and Wi-Fi can access information. I would also include a lesson about how apps can follow what you search, like, and buy and use that information to promote products. This would also be a good time to converse about how influencers gain most of their money through sponsorships, where they are paid to promote items to their audiences. While I was doing some extra research into digital commerce and how to teach it, I came across a PBS Learning Media sight that has free videos for different grades about digital commerce. Upon further investigation, they seem to have resources for all aspects of digital citizenship.

To teach digital communication and collaboration, I would begin with lessons and conversations on appropriate comments and presentations online. I would also have a space online where students can create their profiles and share their thoughts about different lessons. The students would comment on each other’s posts as well. This space would vary depending on the grade I was teaching. For the older grades (6-12), this would be on X or WordPress. I would have to research what website or app would be appropriate for the younger grades to use.

With teaching digital etiquette, I, again, would begin with a conversation about how students should present and interact online. We could discuss how people might feel when an interaction is negative or positive, and how to talk to friends and family vs. teachers and bosses. I would then have the students create some rules about digital etiquette that focus on the dos. We would then come up with consequences for not following them.

When it comes to teaching digital fluency, I plan to teach lessons on different ways to figure out if information, news and people online are fake or real. This would include videos, like below, and looking through websites and other online sources. Once it seems like the students have a good understanding, they would be directed to quizzes, such as Find the Fake, Break the Fake, and Spot the Troll to look at more examples and use their knowledge.

For digital health and welfare, I would start by asking how long the students are on their devices and what they are doing on there. I would also display my screen time and discuss how I spend my time online. This would continue by talking about how this time spent online could be harmful mentally and physically, and the tricks apps use to get you to open them. I would try to include time throughout the day when students have a break from all the technology. Lastly, the students would have time to create a ‘Break Schedule’, in which they write out other activities they could do besides being on tech, and plan times throughout the day for technology breaks.

When thinking about how I might teach digital law, I immediately thought about inviting a police officer or someone else involved in law enforcement to come and talk with the class. They would know more about the more serious issues that can occur online. I would also have some lessons where we discuss what online bullying can look like and how to treat people online. I would also have a conversation with them about the consequences the school and my classroom have in place for online issues.

When it comes to teaching digital rights and responsibilities, we would have a lesson about the expectations and freedoms they have online. We would focus on their responsibility for sharing information. There would be a discord or another chatting app/website where students can share information, ask questions, and answer their peers.

Lastly, with digital security and privacy, we would first have a lesson on privacy features included in social media apps students use. I would go over the different features and why they are important. We would also converse about how private and personal information should not be given out or posted online. Then, we would focus on how viruses, worms, and other issues can be passed to computers, and how some apps, such as Norton, can help to protect and detect these issues. I would also bring up virtual private network (VPN) apps, like NordVPN, which can help protect data and private information.