Here is my summary of learning. First time using Loom! It cuts you off at five minutes so it is missing my “In Conclusion” slide, but I figure we will all live haha. Also, don’t mind the kittens going nuts in the background… I tried…
Prezi linked here too just in case
Thank you!
This has been a journey! Looking back, perhaps the scope of the project wasn’t perfectly defined. Also, I hadn’t realized that every task within the larger project required a brand-new set of mini-skills. I have way more respect for both DIYers and professionals now, understanding that in order to accomplish one home improvement project one’s knowledge must span a vast and varied array of know-how, foresight, planning, and practical skills.
It might be useful to first compare what I imagined the scope of this project to be from my initial Baseline post to how I see it on this side of things:
Besides the fan, the most daunting part of this renovation to me is the tiling.
Here is where the apparent gap between passive online learning and actual application first occurred for me. I was confident I had enough prerequisite knowledge that I would not struggle with what I viewed as the primary portion of my project. Although I ran into technical difficulties with my tools, the resources I utilized during this week allowed me to troubleshoot, eventually getting tiles on in a tolerable way.
I found and relied on old archived forums like John Bridges that I tried to show are still valuable, especially in DIY. Much of TikTok for example is about “hacks” and shortcuts, but I learned it is necessary to learn foundational/timeless skills and know-how in order to effectively accomplish desired results. I know now why my spouse, after I show him a video of someone hastily painting countertops for a quick, cheap, and easy kitchen update, reacts negatively … He has enough practical understanding to recognize that some ideas/hacks, when executed like most hacks are, will end up being more work and less of an improvement than intended. Both of these “hacks” I tried to convince him to do and he resisted. I am thankful for that now.
Eventually, I got tiles up; learned how wet tile saws work and changed blades (that must be fancy diamond ones apparently); learned how certain saws are better for certain tiles; and realized how much I rely on the internet for troubleshooting. Every time I look up, “Bluetooth not syncing” or “wifi slow”, I am engaging in online learning and attempting to troubleshoot. I had not thought of my own learning that way. The more I rely on these online resources, and the more I find them useful, the more confidence I gain to approach larger projects similarly. Even watching dumb hacks is a way of learning by process of elimination! Don’t look too closely at these grout lines…
This week proved difficult too. I had rain pouring into my kitchen from the window I forgot to properly seal. After it dried up, I sealed it. Twice. By hanging out the small window. I didn’t get a picture, but from the street, after the foam fully expanded, it looked like the window was being eaten by a marshmallow.
In order to motivate myself to do neglected tasks like caulking and spray foam, I watched caulking experts on TikTok and then tips for beginners…as I mentioned, I still removed it 3 times counting the most recent caulk removal a couple of days ago.
@multipurposepropainters Do you even caulk??🙇🏽♂️👀 As a professional painter, you’re caulking game should be pristine 💎 A great caulking job makes the difference between a elegant finish vs a sloppy one 😳 #fyp #tips #diy #painting
♬ PINK FLOYD. Another Brick in the Wall. Cover. – Tristan Thomas
I learned that my hand isn’t steady, it is hard to keep pressure on the gun, don’t go backwards with the nozzle, and most helpful of all, use painter’s tape to keep it straight and clean. Despite trying to follow the online resources I found, I had an epiphany about my own learning style. It wasn’t that I just couldn’t learn properly or hadn’t found the perfect online tutorial, it was that I may be more hands-on than I had thought. Maybe I do not understand because I am spending hours consuming content about doing instead of doing. I write:
I did not really think of myself as a hands-on learner. I thought I learned best through listening/reading. However, it is clear to me, there is an element of practice that is kind of absent in this type of learning project. Instead of practicing prior to “performing” like I would if I were learning an instrument or language or even baking, I absorb as much from as many sources as I can until I do it. When I finally do it, it is supposed to be the final draft. I am learning about myself that I need practical, hands-on learning/practice either to get a handle on execution or to maybe build my confidence. I am starting to feel not very confident about my abilities here.
I found that this lack of confidence about not being perfect while learning something new is a common experience for people. On Quora, members discuss at length their experiences while trying to learn and it mirrors mine. It is interesting and took me down a little rabbit hole. Failure and anxiety while learning is evidence of learning. It is uncomfortable. In Strategies for Learning from Failure, Amy Edmonson writes about corporate and professional failure, but I found it helpful for myself as a future teacher:
Only leaders can create and reinforce a culture that counteracts the blame game and makes people feel both comfortable with and responsible for surfacing and learning from failures.
If I can recognize the factors that contribute to failure in myself, I might be a better teacher to students who are feeling similarly. Edmonson includes an image that shows where a learner (or professional in her case) can be accountable for failures, where the system plays a role, and where failure is inherent in certain learning. I can see myself at each stage. I found this super interesting and will be taking this learning into the classroom when I go.
Image: Harvard Business Review (2011). Strategies for Learning from Failure. https://hbr.org/2011/04/strategies-for-learning-from-failure
Kittens! Man, is my summer not turning out like I had planned…
The greatest part of this learning though was how rewarding it was. Stressful, but rewarding. I love the internet and I know that had I not had access, these kittens may not have survived. I love the people who are experts and share that expertise for free (even if they make some money off of content, I still think that is more than fair). If I had taken them to the vet for advice on how to care for them, she would have charged me for her expertise.
Additionally, the urgency of the situation made this online learning experience exciting. Even now, as they are gaining weight, trusting, eating, pooping, cuddling, purring, and being nuts, I am excited for them and excited that I played a role in this. Those first days though I felt like Indiana Jones, quickly trying to decipher hieroglyphics before the volcano explodes and kills all the villagers below. Constantly thinking to myself: LEARN FASTER! What now?! Is this NORMAL? Am I qualified?
If you’re ever in this position, refer to the Kitten Lady. She is amazing, thorough, and dedicated to teaching others how to care for and foster these little furry demons.
Here is an update: they are using the litter box on their own, without me even teaching them, eating solid foods while still nursing from my dog occasionally (did I mention that? My dog started producing milk and nursing them for real…), running around, and causing total chaos. It is exhausting but fun.
Learning Project Post 5 and Learning Project Post 6
The final posts, even with minor setbacks unavoidable in an old house, proved to be the best reflection of straightforward, online learning for me. I found concise and clear resources that even anticipated some user error or potential problems, allowing the reader/viewer to think ahead. Kind of like reading the whole recipe before starting baking instead of finding out midway, with everything mixed, you don’t have a certain ingredient. I am trying to consume educational content this way now too.
The faucet was straightforward and much less challenging than I thought, but I was missing the drain, which I have now found. Sometimes Ptraps are annoying. However. considering the rollercoaster that was this learning experience, I am feeling more confident and ready to take it on…later…
I recommend for any kind of project like this–again referring to the recipe method–watch videos in full to gain an understanding of the expected process, then have and refer to the detailed and often numbered instructions on relevant blogs/articles while attempting task, and “practice.”
Or at the very least, be aware that, by default, you may just end up practising. Learning is just that and without the application, can we really say we know how to do anything? I am becoming more comfortable with failure and recognizing its role in learning. Part of comfortability has come from the internet itself. Online, users are more willing than ever to share their authentic journey through a learning experience that may include setbacks, blow-ups, and restarts. I am coming to love that about the DIY space. I am following new creators across platforms who are showing what worked, what went wrong, how they fixed it, and when they had to call in the professionals. This type of open content creator encourages me and likely others to commit to learning and trying something outside their wheelhouse while recognizing failure is part and parcel. This is a common theme I have found in my classmate’s blogs too: as they are learning, the internet is providing the opportunity for others to come alongside and glean from their learning journey. And for some of them, that shared experience is going to happen regardless of the internet. They bring their families, friends, and communities along for the ride (See Avery’s Learning Project). If this doesn’t reiterate that old adage about the best teachers being great students, I don’t know what does…
Image: 16 Scott Hayden. Country Living. https://www.countryliving.com/life/inspirational-stories/g33930560/teacher-quotes/
Anyway, failure shouldn’t deter us, but let us know that hey, we are in the throws of learning something shiny and new! As I reflect upon this experience, and the new “network” I am a part of, I feel like I am better equipped to both teach online learning in the classroom AND help to encourage independent learning even if it does not look perfect.
This is the toughest part of the course. I am not as savvy as I’d like to be, but this is why I took this course as the bookend to my education degree. I will admit, I learned wayyyyyyy more from others than I could have ever contributed. I am still learning. In order to contribute to learning in a significant way despite my deficit, I engaged in EVERY small group discussion, sometimes the only one contributing, and was willing to share and bounce ideas off each other–at least to demonstrate there was little risk in being wrong if it got us thinking. I am definitely an IRL person who likes to hash things out, and I probably learn best that way. Perhaps, at the end of all of this, I am learning that to better teach though, I may need to “network” in a more meaningful way. With that said, I approached this component of the course in a similar way to how I try to encourage discussion in class: I pose questions and probe, hoping fruitful learning comes of it for both parties. I’ve highlighted some instances below. You can also view other interactions I collected and linked here in my “networking” Google folder.
Discord proved soooo useful for me. It was my first time using it. Surprisingly enough, I was even able to post solutions to technical difficulties, but only by troubleshooting using the advice first posted by others. A win is a win, right?
I will also add, that I was the first to introduce myself in Discord, attempting to get the whole networking thing going! I read everything and liked all the helpful tips I had tried myself and worked for me so others could easily find what they may be looking for.
Besides the in-class group discussion, blogs are where I think I did my best work. In most posts, I found, used, and shared resources outside of course readings that I thought supplemented what we were learning that class. There were blogs, websites, videos, and articles shared with the class in hopes of furthering our collective learning. Some found them useful haha: 
Here are a couple examples:
Like I said, I took the approach I do with discussion and applied it there. I try to be friendly, informal, conversational, but pose questions or perspectives to add to my peer’s line of inquiry.
Here, I suggest planning space for concrete pad even if it is not possible yet to pour because access has proved a problem for our clients regularly, especially in beautifully landsapped yard. That is all getting destroyed if it is not carefully planned prior (not edtc learning, but sharing my own expertise). Again, I share my own experience, but in the classroom:
Here we discuss the connective nature of online spaces, and how that ought to be highlighted in some of these discussion. However, I ask whether Bridgit sees any cons and what ways she might remedy those in the classroom.
I try to link people who are having similar conversation and experiences so they might feel encouraged and seize an opportunity to learn from each other. Below, I noted how both Rowena’s and Avery’s posts focused on how learning can be a shared or communial practice where, as you learn, others come along side and do the same, easily tranfering from learner to teacher. Also, on Anna’s blog, I add onto Kate’s (the other Kate) comment, shifting my initial perspective on weighing pros and cons, encouraging learning from my peers.
Simarlary here, I pose a question in hopes of furthering the discussion so we might learn from each other.
The whole collection of comments and exchanges in our EDTC community can be found here.
Thank you for the opportunity to learn and share my learning!
This bathroom task required a little more prior research for me instead of the as-I-go type of learning I have been doing: installing a light fixture. I feel like I understand the basics of electrical, but I am too freaked out by it after getting electrocuted in my 20s that I stall out before trying again. Do not recommend electrocution.
Interestingly enough, this Safety Culture website warns against DIY… #9 on the Rules List
Image: Safety Culture. (2024, May 15). 10 Electrical Safety Rules. https://safetyculture.com/topics/electrical-hazards/10-electrical-safety-rules/
Unfortunately, I am too poor to defer to real-life experts and too stubborn to believe I can’t just figure it out.
When my brain tries to make me do something
byu/Bean_baggered inmemes
According to The Manual, this is a “simple household task” and need not be done by a professional so that was encouraging. The Manual’s guide is called, How to change a light fixture without getting shocked and that seemed like a perfect fit for me.
Here’s what I needed according to The Manual:
Here is the light fixture I chose. It can be wired or plugged in, which I thought at the time might be useful, but it wasn’t.
Here is what I did, following the guide (ish):
Find the breaker, flip it or hit the main if you cannot identify it. I have them half-assed labeled, but because I was working at night, I needed the hall light to see what I was doing which happened to be connected to the bathroom. I shut the light off at the switch. Double-checked with the internet on Quora if I would die and searched until I got an answer I liked, and they said, “all good just don’t stand in water while you change the light.” That is what I went with.
Easy. Couple screws. I removed one of the old bulbs to use in new light. Doesn’t look the best, but it will do for now.
I forgot to take pictures of old wiring we have, but it looks like this:
Image: Home Improvement (2019) Old house – hanging a new light fixture. https://i.sstatic.net/0W8QL.jpg
Note how the instructions from The Manual might cause some issues for the average old homeowner whose wires don’t match even remotely.
This Home Improvement forum was useful for identifying which colours went whereas the new ones didn’t match the old wires and I failed to do the above step, marking the wires.
White (new fixture) => white (ceiling)
Black (new fixture) => red (ceiling)
Bare ground (new fixture) => green/bare ground or metal box (ceiling)
Finally, connect the wiring, and then attach plate. This is the result: 
You can see the old paint around the previous light here. The before show that the portions for the old light and mirror are totally and I hope, paired with this mirror again, it will look more polished and thought out and not like I salvaged the light from a demo project….which is what I did….
And this is the ultimate finished Pinterest (view my “Home” board if you want) inspiration for mirror/light/sink proportions:
Image: Pinterest. https://pin.it/6FGFMyzdN
Image: Pinterest. Vintage Bath – 1850s East Village building, NYT. https://pin.it/ZVMurFIaM
Image: Pinterest. https://pin.it/3aLDAeaJr
This was an interesting project and rather simple, but definitely required some prior research as well as supplementary research to complete safely. The learning-by-doing component of this assignment is what I love. It really would be impossible to complete without having access to ongoing and updated information. The “DIY” community online is so informative and willing to share errors and progress; it makes me feel like one of the team!
I looked at Chat GPT this week for a couple of reasons:
To start, I put in a prompt that, as a student and a teacher, I might use when checking my comprehension/ initial knowledge, preparing a lecture/assignment, or creating a prompt: what is the significance of rosebud in citizen kane
The results are a summary and a short 3 paragraph essay without sources or citations…it is general and unimaginative. The “writer” is not invested in their premise and really doesn’t assert anything they work to prove nor do they tease out an insight of their own. In my classroom, not only would this be easy to catch, but it would not meet any objective I would set forth. I do not want to read, for example, 40 summaries in passive voice of a text I already know. However, if Chat GPT was used substantively, I would only ask it be cited. Instead, if I wanted to know how the class interpreted Rosebud in the film, I’d have them discuss and share their thoughts. Let them duke it out over its meaning. Maybe even study how symbolism functions as a tool to employ in their own work.
Let’s see what Chat GPT says in response to how can I use symbolism like Rosebud in Citizen Kane in my own writing:
Example Steps to Implement a Symbol in Your Writing:
Theme Identification: Your story might explore themes of memory and loss.
Symbol Selection: Choose a locket that your protagonist’s mother used to wear.
Natural Introduction: Introduce the locket early in the story, perhaps as something the protagonist finds in a drawer.
Gradual Development: Show the protagonist holding the locket during moments of contemplation or stress.
Subtlety: Do not overtly explain the locket’s significance; let it be a part of the protagonist’s actions and reflections.
Character Connection: Tie the locket to key memories and turning points in the protagonist’s life.
Layer of Mystery: Have other characters notice the locket and ask about it, adding layers to its backstory.
Thematic Reflection: Use the locket to symbolize the protagonist’s connection to the past and unresolved emotions.
Pivotal Moments: Reintroduce the locket during the climax when the protagonist faces a major decision or revelation.
Resonant Ending: Conclude with the protagonist making peace with their past, perhaps by passing the locket on to a new generation or placing it in a meaningful location.
This is useful, but without prerequisite learning/writing, it would be difficult to effectively employ. Perhaps, I want students to respond to the symbolism in the film with a creative piece of writing… maybe they ask it to write a story in the symbolism of Citizen Kane:
Unsurprisingly, the result is a boring narrative with heavy exposition, no dialogue, and it is cliched. Symbolism is subtle, I thought? Again, I would never assign something like this. We don’t use symbolism for its own sake; we employ it for purpose in writing. Students would be encouraged to write a flash fiction piece where their peers might try to identify what Is symbolic and how and why it is operating in the flash.
To me, Chat GPT is not the death of the ELA classroom like I have heard. Instead, it is like a summary appendix in a book, reviewing abstracts of related articles, concordance, a wikipage, or just discussing ideas in a book club. All supplementary, and nowhere near acceptable secondary-level analysis, creativity, or critique that prepares students for engagement with content in the world or in post-secondary, which is my ultimate job.
It seems that Chat GPT should be embraced as a useful tool for students to explore their ideas. By setting the standard for writing in ELA so low, we feel we have to prevent AI’s use because we are ill-equipped to show that despite a coherent, accurate, polished piece of writing generated by AI, it is still insufficient for our aim: to foster writers who want to challenge, risk, and develop their own voice. If we shift the objective, AI is nothing to worry about. I don’t need polished, I need effective writing from students. No word count filler, no exposition or narrative voice, no conventions that hinder what students might actually want to say. And if that is the case, AI is a great tool to have students grow/check their understanding, brainstorm, review, quiz, and prompt their writing. I am all for it.
Before even starting my Hour of Code on Code.org, I can tell you coding is important! I wish I had learned and I am totally enthralled by programs that introduce children (and me apparently) to the fundamentals. The question is are we really going to teach students to code via tools like this, or, as Yevgeniy Birkman suggests, should it be about teaching a new way of thinking? Intriguing!
Regardless, this is me, every day: 
Image: YEVGENIY BRIKMAN. https://www.ybrikman.com/writing/2014/05/19/dont-learn-to-code-learn-to-think/
So, even if AI does take over writing and testing code, maybe there is something inherently valuable about learning how to code whether we create the little programmers of the future or not…
With that said, I struggled to wrap my mind around a “coding type of thinking” while attempting an elementary school Hour of Code, specifically Space Invaders. My first example of this happened in Step 1 where I misplaced where the music block went; it wasn’t until I “tested” the first block that I realized the game should open with music (which of course I know intuitively) and it shouldn’t be triggered after initiating spaceship in game.
Screenshot: Space Invaders. Hour of Code. https://code.hatchxr.com/space-invader
This was my first shift in thinking about code in a problem-solving way: I am “building” upon steps and there is a desired outcome that includes each step or “block” interacting with each other in a certain way and order. Here is another simple example in Step 4 of building on actions/interactions for an overall desired outcome/effect:
Screenshot: Space Invaders. Hour of Code. https://code.hatchxr.com/space-invader
I think framing learning this way across disciplines would serve students. We might first outline the problem or desired outcome, anticipate steps/plan, build upon concepts, and probably most importantly, test each stage. Hypothetically, we could teach essay writing/arguments/sentence construction via a coding mindset that is introduced early on. These are often significant challenges in secondary and ultimately in ENGL 100. Perhaps, we are teaching them in an archaic way and learning code provides a remedy. This Edutopia article suggests that coding in the ELA classrooms contributes to better critical thinking and problem solving. Additionally. the article proposes ways to analyze literary themes and ideas via coding, which I think is interesting and sounds super fun! Finally, code is a language that must be intentional and precise and requires testing (or editing/peer editing) multiple times to achieve what the coder (writer) wants to communicate/create–this translates beautifully to the objectives of the ELA classroom!
Take, for example, the “if-else” block. These blocks are used “once a certain condition has been satisfied.” 
We think this way in building arguments or in philosophy: if this, then that. “If what Smith claims is true, my assertion about x is …” Or, “Considering research x, it is clear xy must follow…” There are endless applications I can see in ELA by both learning to think like a coder, but also by actually coding. I like the idea of building a creative narrative, character, or scene using code which would require students to have to carefully curate/design their project and effectively draft it is a create way to integrate tech. We can meet our ELA outcomes while equipping students with a valuable understanding of how the content they consume and engage with is created. Potentially even fostering a skillset for the “real world.”
This was super fun and although it was certainly amateur hour, I learned a lot. I would not be able to teach coding, but I could teach how to begin to think like a coder. Especially with resources like Hour of Code. 10/10
Being online is weird. We want to learn, but, more than anything, we want to be heard. We want people to acknowledge us…or our cause… we want to be right. We may even be right. However, something about the online mob ends up being really scary despite being right/justified/sincere/authentic. Fear of that mob and its consequences has a silencing effect. How can one be heard if we are afraid of just that…
During our course, I watched Netflix’s Anti-Social Network and that got my spouse and me talking about the online “town square” and how it has changed from our early days online. The documentary discusses the evolution and devolution of 4chan, a place that still informs our meme culture today, and the rise of Annyomous out of that community. I watched it for the lore, but stayed for the crossover to our course discussion.
The crux of the documentary is cyber vigilantism and its potential impact on both the vigilante and the “target.” As a non-vigilante, I am concerned with the feeling of having to walk an ever-shifting line to avoid my entire life blowing up: the wrong meme, the wrong follow or like, the wrong comment or joke, the wrong set of private dms without context leaked…All this shit scares me. I can tell you, in the early days of the Internet, I effectively spewed whatever nonsense that came into my head on myspace and other forums/communities without fear. I shared less than SFW photos with strangers, made jokes I absolutely thought were funny, but would not have said in front of my own mother, and circulated clips and memes that were probably problematic… you get the just of it…I never anticipated the consequences or implications. Obviously, I do now as an adult. Those early years are very likely lost to the recesses of the internet, and I am thankful for that, but I realize that is not the norm now. I am concerned for young people who are trying out new ideas and identities, and pushing the limits like we were expected to. Now, however, young people and their dumb/half-baked ideas are eternally memorialized on their Twitter or other linked socials. I am concerned that after two shots of Sour Puss and a Zyn pouch someone posts something dumb and it haunts them into adulthood. It should be noted, I am not talking about outright racist or threatening remarks, but rather using unbecoming words/phrases that teenagers might use in private with their friends where there is rapport and an understanding of intent/character/sarcasm/jokes. Depending on what is trending for online activists, teenagers might find themselves doxxed, harassed, silenced, and opportunities stifled like admissions and job prospects. We looked at examples in class. Is it fair, that up until now, every other adolescent got to yell at their parents, get thrown in the drunk tank, say irresponsible things, and collect and reject bad ideas/ideologies/identities without lasting consequence? The internet and the phone have forever changed this. Imagine shoplifting mascara as a pre-teen and your photo ends up circulated on facebook via crime stoppers for your whole family to see… I would dieeeeeeeee
I shoplifted mascara. Blue mascara at that!
Bright blue mascara by Calvin Klein. I’ve had blue mascara before, but this is amazing!
byu/xitssammi inMakeupAddiction
It never looked this good though.
The counterargument to all this is that maybe a little accountability is a good thing. Maybe that is right. All I can say is my worldview, politics, and set of values were formed by having bad ideas I was allowed to test openly IRL and the online town square. Maybe there are worse things than inappropriate words or childish philosophies asserted by dumb teenagers…maybe young people growing up to be virtue-signalling wolves in sheep’s clothing who say all the right things due to social pressure are worse…maybe…
Image: Beware this male feminist. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/meme/comments/fppalg/beware_this_male_feminist/
I am back at my bathroom! The kittens have been a major distraction/obligation, but I am picking off a couple of projects as I go. This week was changing the faucet!
This is the faucet I chose a while ago, and it is still available. I thought it had the vintage feel I was looking for and was reasonably priced (Holy! Are home improvement items ever crazy expensive now!). I would add, it is useful to know what kind of faucet you need to buy: centerset, wide spread, single handle, or wall mounted. Below are the same model of faucets but for two different types of sinks. I have a small pedestal sink and those usually only have room for centerset. I have bought the wrong faucet for the holes in my sink before.
Image: Pfister. Model: Henlow 4″. https://www.pfisterfaucets.com/bathroom/product/henlow-lf-048-he-2-handle-4-centerset-bathroom-faucet?modelNumber=LF-048-HECC
Image: Pfister. Model: Henlow 8″. https://www.pfisterfaucets.com/bathroom/product/henlow-lf-049-he-2-handle-8-widespread-bathroom-faucet?modelNumber=LF-049-HECC
Alsooooo, if anyone is looking for a kind of vintage-looking toilet, this is what I bought and I think it looks great! Toilets are just one of those things that don’t look nice and are always too modern-looking. They look like Dodge Neons stuck in the bathroom. Finding alternatives to such items is my mission, even removing the microwave from my kitchen years ago because a nice one has yet to be created.
Image: Rona. Kohler Highline. https://www.rona.ca/en/product/kohler-highline-2-piece-curve-12-in-elongated-toilet-48-lpf-k-78276-0-31535177
Anyway, back on track: I removed the faucet from the packaging and threw it out including any instructions that may have been in it. Prior to looking up a resource to help me, I remembered that I had to shut off water. I did that! I had changed the toilet and thought the shutoff valve at the wall worked so didn’t bother to shut off water. I was wrong. Old houses, eh? I gathered the tools that I needed from this Moen list. I grabbed thread tape, an adjustable wrench thing, a smaller wrench, a multi-head screwdriver, and later added a flashlight. This is the kind of wrench thing I always use when dealing with ABS pipe but don’t know the technical name.
Image: Electra. Adjustable Wrench. https://electra.trekbikes.com/ca/en_CA/equipment/cycling-accessories/bike-tools-maintenance/bike-shop-supplies/bontrager-pro-adjustable-wrench/p/25014/
From my previous trouble with Ptrap, I check to make sure it is actually removable and not glued to hell and going to break and leak gross stuff. In the case that it was stuck, I would have called for backup and by backup I mean my spouse. However, this faucet either did not come with a drain or I threw it out accidentally. This really annoyed me. Typically, I expect a drain to be included so the end result is shiny and new. Expecting the customer to find their own after the fact is not my favourite approach to shopping. Here is the kind of kit I normally would look for.
Following my preliminary checks, I reviewed ChrisFix’s video, DIY: How to Replace and Install a Bathroom Sink Faucet.
His breakdown of the video is useful and I love when creators do that. I followed it as an outline.
These are my ugly, old taps. They are outdated and an eyesore. I would have replaced the entire sink, but there is not room for a sink/vanity besides some super small and modern ones that I hate more. They look like they belong in RVs.
Image: Amazon. Small space vanity. https://a.co/d/bLQjHsa
So this is what we are working with. I have 
tape and tools on edge of sink, ready to go. Working beneath this sink is cozy and very frustrating. The toilet is right beside it–something the video doesn’t mention. Take a chill pill first.
I removed the old faucet the way he demonstrates in the video for the most part. Even though I shut off water main and drained what was left in pipes, I still shut off valves. Just in case. I removed mesh supply lines from vavle no problem, but from the taps, the plastic bit washer beneath sink broke off. If you are just trying to fix a leaking faucet or replace lines, be very careful. I think they must become even more brittle over time. A screenshot of the plastic washer I am talking about is below. This is essentially the only thing that attaches the faucet to the sink so if yours is wiggly, it probably just needs a finger tightening.
Screenshot: ChrisFix. 2:44 plastic washer. https://youtu.be/gZ0Cz3gRglo?si=kmBuZTzidJXv-J1q
I am feeling really confident here. The video directly reflects my own sink situation/progress. This is kind of cool, considering I always feel like I have to adjust/assume certain things to make learning from online sources apply to my particular situation. The video has both lines disconnected from valves and faucet, faucet removed, and he begins cleaning the sludge beneath faucet. This is exactly where I am at: supply lines in sink and sludge clearly visible.
It is worth noting, at the beginning of the video, he mentions a catch basin (1:52) for excess water, but I had assumed after draining lines that there would be little to no water. The towel did suffice, I guess.
Following the clean-up, and it did clean up rather easily, I was basically just repeating what I had just done but in reverse. I taped up the ends of the faucet that connect to supply line and put down the plastic thing that goes between sink and faucet. 
I connected supply lines to faucet and valves. Feeling good.
What I hadn’t noticed was the supply lines were crossed when I removed them. As I am referring to the video (5:32), I am aware that the supply line on the right is cold and connects to right-hand tap; left line is hot and connects to left hand tap. I didn’t question this. Why would I? This is standard everywhere and everywhere else in my house.
Screenshot: ChrisFix. Supply lines 5:32. https://youtu.be/gZ0Cz3gRglo?si=5ovpUTSgwRdVWoWJ&t=111
It is not until much after the faucet is connected, the water back on, leaks checked for, and my workspace cleaned up, I figure out the mistake. I went to warm a bottle for the kittens hiding out in my bedroom by filling a bowl of hot water from the bathroom. I wait. And wait. Still no hot water. Sure, it is a two-story house and hot water takes a minute to come from the tank in the basement, but I could swear water from the left-hand tap was actually getting colder. I try the right hand. It is a wait too. I start to think something is off. Then all of a sudden hot water comes pouring out the wrong tape. I immediately knew I hooked the supply lines up wrong, but when I checked, they were running parallel to each other–just like they’re supposed to and just like the video has them doing.
That can only mean one thing: the lines were crossed prior to removing them to make the hot water go to the left-hand side and cold to the right. OLD HOUSES, EH?:@ I am naively demonstrating how my new faucet works here… 
Anyway, I am not fixing it right now haha. So if you come over to visit just remember the taps are opposite. Easy!
I am learning that even the best resource in the world, like ChrisFix’s video, cannot replace trial and error. There remains a discrepancy between learning theoretically and learning through application. I was certain I could complete this task without problems and that the video covered all potential issues one might run into. Of course, who can anticipate the lines being run from the basement decades ago in the wrong spot? Not I! With that said, at least I was able, with very little effort, to troubleshoot the problem and know I can fix it. I have a bad feeling about those stupid plastic washers though…
Suppose I had more sinks and faucets lined up to practice on. In that case, I think the results would be similar to those from my previous post where I was able to get the kittens to latch and nurse through repetition of my learning, bringing it from the theoretical into application. Tis the nature of home improvement, I suppose.
I have tried to focus on this project, but something unexpected happened! I was going to try to catch up with my project posts, but then I realized…
…I have been engaging in online, self-directed learning and I really should blog about it!
As the title suggests, there are kittens! Two-week-old (ish) kittens were abandoned in my yard. We searched for mama everywhere. We called the Humane Society daily to see if a nursing cat showed up. Nothing. As you may have read on my About Me page, I am a cat person who also has dogs…if you know what I mean. I love cats and have three of my own, but once you have dogs… they just become your life/personality. Although, I was not mentally or physically prepared to raise babies by myself. They were too little, too young, too blind, too fragile, and I am too busy with work and school.
The first days were so scary and I was totally inept. Today, however, I am seeing their eyes open, they are latching to the bottle and actually feeding, my dogs are helping significantly, and I feel wayyyyyy better about it. All thanks to the internet.
This what I learned and how I learned it:
When I found them, I looked up what to do. Don’t do anything the internet said. I didn’t touch them or move them. But seven hours went by, then twelve, and I learned that is a bad sign. Kittens that haven’t opened their eyes yet are 1-2 weeks old. Mothers nurse them every 1-2 hours. A mother cat that hasn’t returned for 10-12 hours is an indication something terrible happened, and if you do not intervene quickly, they will not survive.
I scooped them up in a box with a towel and put them in our closet. I called the Moose Jaw Humane Society for help and they provided me with formula, but I was short bottles still. I stopped by Pet Valu and purchased these on the advice of the Humane Society and the representative at the store: 
Screenshot from https://store.petvalu.ca/location/3103/
I had no idea of their age, when and how to feed them, how bathroom breaks worked, and whether my dogs would adapt to them. This is what I learned and the sources from where I gathered the information.
I used this chart to determine age: 
Developmental and Behavioral Milestones. https://www.kittenlady.org/age
The Kitten Lady, who also has a YouTube channel that saved me, gives a breakdown of what to do at each milestone. At their estimated two-week age (folded ears and unopened eyes), we are to feed them every 2 hours, including through the night, and “stimulate them” to go to the washroom. This was unexpected and unusual for me. Here is a Tiktok making light of the bathroom process I found while searching for advice on how to do that properly. Now, I am a pro, but that night was long, weird, uncomfortable, and scary.
Finding information on how to make the kitties “latch” was easy thanks to the Kitten Lady. After watching How to Safely Bottle Feed a Kitten, and following the steps closely, it was clear that the kittens were not interested despite starving for who knows how long.
After returning from another trip to Pet Valu to buy an extra bottle set, my spouse and I found 10 Tips for Tricky Bottle Baby Kittens video and played it continuously until we got some milk in those kittens. That was the main goal, whether they liked it or not. Ultimately, following the advice of the video, we took a clean medicine syringe we had from a previous vet trip and attached a nipple. It was not pretty, but it looked like this set you can buy from Amazon, sorta. The formula was everywhere.
After you account for all user errors (too cool, too hot, nipple too big or too small, hole cut in nipple too big or too small, etc.), we learned that you just keep going. They don’t like it; they miss their mom; they’re cold. Also, do not feed a cold kitten. The video reiterates that! I filmed my own video for the blog of our kitten station, showing how we clean, mix formula, and warm bottles in hot water, but realized that was pretty self-explanatory and not that intriguing.
One tip though: the formula does not mix well even following directions. Whisk with warm water forever, but it will not dissolve completely so make peace with that and when it is transferred to bottles and warmed, shake it to death. Worked much better than trying to whisk to perfection. We ran to Walmart and bought this heating pad (both the instructions and online advice say not to use electrical heat, but there were no hot water bottles–it was late, and this was our fourth, maybe fifth, trip out to try and save the babies.
Image: Walmart.Sunbeam XpressHeat Heating Pad.
By the next day, 3/4 were latching 80% of the time. The littlest one struggled, but by the second night, she (I think she) was latching most of the time. We weighed them that night and kept it up making sure they were gaining weight those first days. I used this chart as a guideline, keeping in mind they are supposed to be gaining 10 grams per day–they were not for the first 4 days, but are little beefcakes now!: 
Kitten Lady. (2024) Weighing Kittens. https://www.kittenlady.org/weighing?rq=weight%20
I must note that as romantic and rewarding as this rescue attempt might seem (I certainly saw it as that) it is not really tenable for most people. Since we rescued them, I have not slept longer than 3 hours. I celebrated 3 hours without kittens waking yesterday! All my schoolwork has suffered and I am significantly behind in work as well. There is no way this is possible to do without support from others who can take over at times, finances (we have already bought 3 things of formula at $42.00 a container 
and they all will be weaned onto kitten food shortly which isn’t cheap either, not including their first vet trip/shots), time (I do not have enough of it), and serious commitment. It is way more difficult and trying than I ever imagined. I cried the first night I couldn’t get them to eat, and now I cry at 4 am each morning when they scream at me for food. I am not joking. I am exhausted. I love them, but I was not mentally prepared to be a “parent” to newborns. If this is not something you, dear reader, think you could do, I would call the Humane Society and have them help find a foster parent for the kittens rather than try and fail. Failing would be devastating. Kittens can turn for the worst in a day if not properly cared for. Big pressure!
I had zero previous understanding of how to nurse kittens. I did get the whole birth thing, where I had just watched a mama cat do her thing before. I could not have anticipated the amount of work, instinct, care, and dedication actually raising kittens took. I can honestly say, that if it were not for the information found online, which is primarily made up of other people’s experiences and expertise, these kittens would have suffered. I am thankful that, from this whole online learning project, I felt confident enough to quickly gather resources, review visual aids, and source the proper materials/tools needed to help these kittens. It was not until there were a couple of days between that first night that I realized I had taught myself a lifelong skillset that I can share that is much higher risk/reward than renovations all because of prior learning and confidence built from that learning. I am grateful for the experience and the way it enabled me to face a challenge I would’ve baulked at before. Next, I will be teaching myself to code or something…
Finally, the best thing that came out of this is the relationship that formed between the kittens and my two dogs. They are obsessed with the babies and the babies with them. The kittens “nurse” from Georgia all day long and get cleaned by Eddie. The whole ordeal brought out the most caring, protective, and unexpected reactions from my dogs that I could not be prouder of. What follows is the obligatory photo dump. You should be able to see the kitten’s growth: from little slits in their eyes to open and moving around!
After taking the Internet Matters Find the Fake and the Spot the Troll quiz where I often misidentified the fake/troll accounts, I realized how challenging it may be for students to navigate an internet that might be intentionally trying to mislead/persuade/divide its users. It is not enough to tell kids to be careful or “critical” while online. We tell them to be critical when we are reading/consuming material made in good faith, but how the heck can we ask students to be critical when there are malicious agents on the internet and we really need them to be suspicious little investigators–that seems like a step beyond “critical”.
Heck, Standford History Education Group (SHEG/Digital Inquiry Group) found that even undergraduate students struggled to adequately evaluate tweets, failing to identify the “particulars of the organizations involved in the tweet[s]” (23). This suggests that our students may be more inclined to believe what they read/see, failing to click beyond the initial claim and identify the source or merits of the tweet, TikTok, etc. Successfully teaching digital literacy seems to hinge on imparting to students a healthy suspicion paired with rigorous fact checking.
Image: Trollface. (2024, April 11). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trollface
In order to teach students to effectively use the internet for learning, especially in research heavy and culturally important subjects that are easily impacted by the digital landscape like the secondary ELA courses that I plan to teach, I think it is necessary to move beyond the concerns of “cheating.” What I mean by this is instead of spending ages trying to prevent (impossible) students from using Wikipedia, AI, Sparknotes, etc., we teach students how that landscape is formed and what is contributing to the ideas propagated in certain areas of the internet that might inform those resources. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) suggests that effective digital participants can build connections that foster problem solving and independent thought; promote communication; recognize bias and privilege; recognize rights, responsibilities, and ethical implications of creating/using information; amplify narratives, identify whose narrative is at work, and counter unproductive narratives; and consume, curate, and creative across contexts. I am suggesting, in order to effectively participate, students ought to understand what they are up against.
For example, we have all seen examples of the influence of internet thought-groups in media, news, tweets, and even wikis; and we think to ourselves, “hhhmmmhhhh this has a particular bent I don’t remember or didn’t anticipate and I should check if the sources they have linked actually reflect what the article/tweet/video is asserting.” Rabbit hole ensues. This curious approach I think has the potential to empower students rather than put us in the hall-monitor position, reiterating the true scope of digital citizenship! That is why I love Data Society’s report on Media Manipulation and Disinformation Online in which they explore the prevalent subcultures operating online and the impact and reach of those groups:
In this report, we delve into how various internet subcultures—sometimes summarized as the “alt-right,” but more accurately an amalgam of conspiracy theorists, techno-libertarians, white nationalists, Men’s Rights advocates, trolls, anti-feminists, anti-immigration activists, and bored young people—leverage both the techniques of participatory culture and the affordances of social media to spread their various beliefs. Taking advantage of the opportunity the internet presents for collaboration, communication, and peer production, these groups target vulnerabilities in the news media ecosystem to increase the visibility of and audience for their messages. (3)
It is of particular importance to understand and share how it is not the groups alone that pose the threat, but the nature of online media, including newsrooms and conventionally trustworthy sources, that all trade in clicks, viewers, salaciousness, engagement. These groups use and manipulate media in all forms, subtly and explicitly, to promote their views. Students, as digital citizens, are entitled to an understanding of the landscape they are part of by way of being online. We want future voters to participate in democracy but with an understanding of the government, parties, history of local and national leaders, policy and ideas, etc. Similarly, we want students to participate online with knowledge of who and what they are engaging with. There are endless learning opportunities in doing so. For me, in the ELA classroom, I might look at texts and ideas that influenced those we find online, have students test their own ideas/research through a new lens, encourage students to see the potential merits of certain gripes and try to navigate them without adopting a cohesive worldview/ideology, and challenge students to maintain an array of ideas and opinions instead of being reductionist. The SK ELA curriculum makes room for research, bias, history, debate, worldview, and media analysis which may support us in our digital literacy aims.
“The K-12 aim of the Saskatchewan English language arts curricula is to help students understand and appreciate language and to use it confidently and competently in a variety of situations for learning, communication, work, life, and personal satisfaction.”
Language and its use is now a digital practice. We ought to know who we are talking to and what “language” they are speaking. In fact, we need to be even more critical of what is online when it sounds nice/right. NPR writes, studies have found that our own bias informs what we think is true. Confirmation bias is raging in all our heads like never before as we can now find the “right” factoid. At the heart of teaching digital literacy is the desire for students to form their own varied and complex opinions about the world and avoid radical and cohesive worldviews entirely.
There is no group/party/identity that has the answers to everything. Unfortunately, the human brain has a tendency towards seemingly cohesive perspectives making us easy targets of online radicalization. The ability to identify misinformation, even if it sounds nice, challenge our preconceived notions, hold two seemingly opposing views at the same time, and consider the perspectives of others even if they present it in an abhorrent way, will insulate us from radicalization.
If you’re bored, this article on how misinformation leads to radicalization and even extremism is interesting! It suggests “the unique characteristics of misinformation are likely to facilitate radicalisation among individuals with self-uncertainty, low cognitive flexibility, and grievances, who also experience social exclusion.” A comprehensive and investigative approach to digital literacy may just be the antidote for the many potential targets of misinformation in the online participatory game.