Introduction

For my Hour of Code activity, I chose Code Monkey Blocks Jumper, a game -based coding challenge that teaches programming logic through block-based coding. The goal was to help a monkey reach a star by giving it movement commands and adjusting the game environment.

My Progress & Challenges

I started with excitement, but I quickly realized that some exercises were trickier than expected!

• Exercise 7: I got stuck for a while. The instructions were there, but they weren’t entirely clear. After several attempts, I realized that changing the speed of the monkey helped me pass the level, even though speed adjustment wasn’t mentioned in the instructions.

• Exercise 9: This one asked me to delete some tiles to create gaps. However, the instructions didn’t clearly explain how to remove them. After some trial and error, I discovered that using the eraser tool worked, and I was able to continue.      These moments were frustrating, but I learned the importance of experimenting and problem-solving when coding.

What I Learned                                                                                                          Coding requires patience and persistence. Even when instructions aren’t clear, trying different approaches helps.

Debugging is part of the process. Sometimes, what seems like an error is actually just an opportunity to tweak and improve the code.

Thinking outside the box can be useful. Adjusting the monkey’s speed wasn’t mentioned, but it ended up being the key to solving Exercise 7.

My Thoughts on Coding

I had so much fun doing this activity! Even though I got stuck a few times, I really enjoyed figuring out the puzzles and watching my monkey successfully reach the star. It felt rewarding every time I solved a tricky challenge.

Is Coding Important?

I believe coding is an important skill, even if you’re not planning to become a programmer. It teaches:
✔ Problem-solving – Figuring out errors and solutions.
✔ Logical thinking – Understanding how small steps lead to a final goal.
✔ Creativity – Finding different ways to solve a problem (like adjusting speed when it wasn’t in the instructions!).

My Achievement: Jumpy Ride! 🎉   

I completed the Block Jumper mini-course and earned the Jumpy Ride achievement! 🎖️ It feels great to complete the challenge and see how much I’ve learned.

Conclusion                                                       

Despite the challenges, this experience was fun and rewarding! I learned that coding isn’t just about following instructions—it’s about experimenting, making mistakes, and improving. I’m glad I stuck with it, and I’d love to try more coding activities in the future.

Approaching Digital Citizenship in My Classroom

I aim to empower students as responsible, ethical, and critical digital citizens by embedding digital citizenship across subjects rather than isolating it as a separate unit. Students must learn ethical awareness, responsibility, and develop critical thinking skills for healthy digital interactions.

Jason Ohler’s argument that ethics should be the foundation of digital decision-making and Nathan Jurgenson’s critique of the online vs. offline divide will shape my approach, ensuring that students see digital engagement as an extension of their real-world responsibilities.

Connection to Ohler & Jurgenson’s Perspectives

• Jason Ohler’s “Character Education for the Digital Age”

According to Ohler, we need to include character education in digital spaces because virtual environments have the same social impact as traditional face-to-face encounters. Digital citizenship should incorporate ethical decision-making to help students build moral principles for both online and offline environments.  I would integrate his ideas by embedding ethical dilemmas into my lessons (e.g., “What would you do if you saw cyberbullying?” or “How do we handle misinformation?”).

• Nathan Jurgenson’s “The IRL Fetish”
  Jurgenson disputes the belief that online interactions hold less meaningful value than those conducted in person. He illustrates how digital technology permeates every aspect of our daily life which necessitates students to learn about the genuine effects of their digital choices. I would make sure that in-person learning and digital engagement are not separate, but as an integrated tool for thinking, collaborating, and learning , like books, discussions, and hands-on activities. Instead of seeing digital spaces as “less real,” I would embed online activities like online discussions, collaborative digital projects, and research assignments alongside traditional classroom activities, which will assist the students to understand that digital environments serve as legitimate areas for educational exploration and imaginative growth as well as social networking.

By embedding digital citizenship across subjects, students will:
✅ Able to develop ethical decision-making skills in real-world digital contexts.
✅ Students need to learn critical online information analysis when working on their different subjects.
✅ Students will understand that online actions have real consequences, fostering responsible behavior.
✅  Students will learn that the internet functions as a fully integrated dimension of contemporary existence instead of viewing it separately from their other life activities

This method helps students internalize digital citizenship principles naturally, rather than memorizing rules in a disconnected lesson.

Embedding Digital Citizenship Across Subjects (Examples)

• In English and Social Studies, students can practice digital literacy by fact-checking online sources and analyzing bias in digital media.
• In Science and Math, they can discuss ethical data use and digital security to protect personal information in research.
• In collaborative projects, students will practice digital etiquette by engaging in respectful discussions and providing constructive feedback online.

Teaching the 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship

I will address the nine elements of digital citizenship through activities embedded in daily learning:

Last week, I faced a challenge while working on my blog. The platform only accepts

images up to 1 MB, but the pictures I take on my phone are 3–4 MB—a huge difference!

I spent a lot of time searching for apps and adjusting settings on my phone,  hoping to find an easy way to reduce the file size without compromising quality. Finally, I found a solution: an app called Compress. I found it a bit confusing when I first used it, but after my second try, I fully understood how it worked. Now, I use it regularly, and I find it extremely useful for the following reasons:

Why Compress is a Great Tool

✅ Simple Interface: After a little practice, the app becomes very easy to use.
✅ High-Quality Compression: It reduces file size while keeping good image quality.
✅ Batch Processing: You can compress three images at once.
✅ Customizable Settings: You can choose the level of compression you need.
✅ Fast Processing: The compression process is quick, saving a lot of time.

❌ What I Don’t Like About Compress

🚫 Too Many Ads: One thing that irritates me about this app is the number

of ads that pop up while using it. If you’re in a hurry and don’t have a lot of time to spend,

these interruptions can be frustrating.                                                                                    How to Use Compress (Step-by-Step Guide)

Step 1: Download and install the Compress app from the App Store or Google Play.
Step 2: Open the app and select the image(s) you want to compress.
Step 3: Choose your preferred compression level.
Step 4: Click the “Compress” button and wait a few seconds.
Step 5: Save the compressed image to your gallery or share it directly.Using Compress in the Classroom & the SAMR Model

This app can be incredibly useful in an educational setting. Here’s how it fits into the SAMR model:

• Substitution: Instead of uploading large images that take a long time to load, students can use Compress to reduce file sizes before submitting work.
• Augmentation: Teachers can save storage space and improve website performance by using smaller images in online materials.
• Modification: Students can use the app to compress images for multimedia projects, improving efficiency.
• Redefinition: The app allows students to easily share compressed images in collaborative projects without worrying about file size limits.

How I Used Compress for My Learning Project

As part of my learning project, I’m documenting my progress in crocheting. I take lots of pictures of my work, but since my phone’s camera produces large file sizes, I needed a way to reduce them for my blog.

I used Compress to shrink the images before uploading them. Here’s what I found:
✅ The compressed images loaded faster on my blog.
✅ I was able to upload more pictures without hitting storage limits.
✅ The image quality remained clear and detailed.

⬅️Here’s an example of an image before and after compression:

Reflection                 

If you need an easy and effective way to reduce image sizes, the Compress app is a great choice. However, be prepared for a lot of ads, which can be frustrating if you’re short on time.

Have you used Compress or a similar app? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

In the era of technology, we are completely dependent on it. It plays an important role from the start of the day until bedtime.          I also use different apps and websites in my daily life, such as WhatsApp to call my parents and friends. Check the daily posts and activities from around the world using a news app. Moreover, these days I use the weather app a lot. I also use Snapchat, Instagram, and FB to interact with my friends and see their daily posts. For study purposes, I frequently use Google, MS Word, Google Sheets, Notes, Canva, Ur Courses, and MS PowerPoint a lot.

Efficient use of technology

I rely on the alarm application on the phone to stay organized and assist me in completing my work within a given period. These days I am also writing a research paper, and one of my friends introduced me to the Google Scholar website. I did not know about this simple way to search for different scholars’ literature all in one place. We can search out different articles, books, abstracts, and opinions from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities, and websites.

Time spend on social Media  

I believe that I spend a lot of time on Instagram. I pick up the phone after certain intervals and start scrolling Instagram Reels and checking my friend’s posts. I want to reduce the time of using Instagram and want to use it in productive ways.

Strategies to balancing social media usage

To overcome this, I have started using a feature in Instagram where one can manage their activity. When we go to our profile, we tap on the three lines in the top right corner and then select your activity. Under the “How to use Instagram” section, we will find the option of time spent. It shows the time we spend on Instagram daily which helps us to track it. Another feature I like is the ability to manage time; we can set a daily limit to use Instagram under the same option.

I also set the time boundaries by using the alarm app. I set a particular time and set an alarm, which helps to keep remembering that this is the time for myself and other productive activities. By combining these tools, I hope to make my social media time more mindful and balanced, allowing me to focus on more important tasks.

Hello everyone, my name is Jasmine Kaur. I was born and raised in Punjab, India. I hold a Master’s degree in Botany with a specialization in Cytogenetics and Plant Breeding, and a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Sciences, both from India. Professionally, I served as an Assistant Professor at SGGSWU University back in India and also worked as a post-graduate teacher at a school. Three years ago, I moved to Regina, Canada, where I live with my husband, our adorable baby, and my in-laws. I have a deep passion for flowers, drawing, painting, and gardening, as they allow me to connect with nature and express my creativity.

Currently, I am in my second year of the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) after-degree program, which has given me the opportunity to explore and expand my knowledge of educational technology. This program is helping me develop a deeper understanding of the ways technology can enhance learning experiences.

Although I am not very familiar with blogging yet, I’ve heard a lot about it and it is a kind of website which update regularly knowledgeable content .  I believe it’s a wonderful contemporary platform to not only learn from others but also to share and gain valuable insights. I’m really excited to dive deeper into the world of blogging, connect with my classmates, and learn from their blogs as well. It’s an exciting journey, and I look forward to engaging with this community.