Photo by WOKANDAPIX on Pixabay

Thanks to a TikTok filter, I have found out that me and Wi-Fi are the same age! Wi-Fi is a bit older, but regardless I thought that was quite interesting. This fact got me thinking about how quickly our digital world is evolving. What will this look like for our classrooms and for ourselves as educators?

I found Wesch’s video, An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube, to be quite eye-opening. In 2008 I was 10 years old and used all of my available computer time on Webkinz, (if you know, you know) so these internet trends were all new to me. I have only ever heard of the “Numa Numa” video through other forms of media, but to be able to see now how big of an impact this video had on the internet was shocking. It is very cool to be able to say that we all lived through the pioneering of culture of participation. Today, I would say that the culture of participation is only growing larger, and will continue to grow and evolve.

As for tech in the classroom, I am very excited to embrace the use of it. Engaging students with participatory culture can be a fun way to learn and get students excited about learning. I think educators should still be a bit weary of what is and isn’t allowed in the classroom. Even though student’s are becoming more and more tech savy, it is vital that they understand the how to properly use it as a tool, and not a crutch.

Thanks for reading!

For myself scrolling time is usually leisurely. Others in the class inspired me to look at my screen time report, it was terrifying. According to my phone, I spend about 6-7 hours on it daily. My most used apps are Tiktok, Snapchat, and YouTube Music. I do use my phone a lot to take notes for class. I find that usually when I get all settled to get some work done I usually forget to grab my laptop, so I just read Power-Points, notes, etc. on my phone.

Photo by tranmautritam on Pixabay

I have tried using apps to help myself stay organized and on task, but I usually find that I forget that they exist, or I just end up deleting it. I have a Google phone, so Google Assistant is quite handy to remind me of appointments, bills, and other tedious things to remember. My tried and true method though is just a large desk calendar. It has been the only thing that really keeps me on track. I do use my notes app to keep track of due dates and such until I can write it on my calendar. If anyone has any suggestions for a great planner app that would be greatly appreciated!

TikTok is my biggest distraction, I sometimes catch myself scrolling for an hour or more straight when I definitely have other more important things to do. I find that if I “reward” myself with 15 minutes of mindless scrolling after I complete a task that helps. Sometimes, (more often than not) I get stuck “doom scrolling” and accidentally waste a good portion of time. I sometimes use the built in app locker on my phone, but then I will just disable it and continue scrolling. I have actually considered getting myself a phone jail, which is exactly what it sounds like. It seems extreme, but I truly think I would benefit from it.

Being honest, I am still trying to find that perfect balance of screen time. I think I have improved somewhat on staying focused when doing school work, but I would like to discover more strategies on how to improve my likeliness to be distracted.

Thanks for reading!

Hi everyone!

My name is Kendra. I am originally from Carrot River but now reside in Moose Jaw with my boyfriend, Tyler, our dog, Lottie, and our cats Louie and Uzi. When I am not doing classwork, I am usually completing random little projects in our home or out exploring with Lottie. I am going into my third year of the Pre-K to 5 education program, but I first started attending U of R in 2016 enrolled in the pre-social work program. I realized that social work was not what I wanted to do, so I took a year off, and then completed a hairstyling program. I knew that I always wanted to work with children, and whenever I got to have a kid in my chair at school it always brightened my day. Flash forward, I am very happy that I made the decision to come back to the U of R and I cannot wait to begin my teaching career!

I created this e-portfolio in my first year and have not really done much with it since so I am excited to dive back into it! I am getting closer to the end of my program and I cannot wait to give my page a refresh as well as learn some new tips and tricks. As for my experience with educational technology, I really don’t have much. I am a fan of taking online classes and have taken quite a few, but other than I really don’t have much experience. Though I don’t know much about the topic I am eager to learn and excited to use my new skills in my future classroom! I also do not have much for blogging experience, but so far I don’t think I mind it too much. I really like that we are able to create and personalize a space for us to share our work as I think it makes homework more fun!

When trying to upload my photo found at the end of this post, I was having troubles getting it to the proper size to upload. If you use Google devices and are having the same issues I found this forum post to be quite helpful. The app, Snapseed, is free and really easy to use!

Looking forward to reading everyone’s posts,

Kendra

My pets Uzi, Lottie, and Louie.