For this assignment, I selected a Microsoft PowerPoint slide show and recorded my audio over the different slides. By clicking the speaker icon at the bottom right side you will be able to hear the different recordings. As well, when going through the slideshow moving to the next slide will queue the audio. The text below is the script/written component of my assignment. Thank You for a great semester.

*** I will send out my slide show through an email on URCourses!!!!

Slide1: Introduction

Hello, my name is Andrew MacPhail and this is my PowerPoint Presentation for my final assignment in EDTC 300, Summary of Personal Learning. For this presentation I will summarize my learning throughout this course in the fields of core class concepts and themes, networking throughout the semester including Discord, Twitter, and blogging with comments on classmates’ work. As well I will summarize the experience and work throughout the semester when it comes to my learning project. This class and the readings and articles within it have shown me how beneficial technology can be, as well as the responsibility it brings with it.

Slide 2: Where I stood with Technology Before the Start of this Course

I have always been aware of the growing presence of technology in this world. In the process of going through school in my youth I was introduced to different forms of technology. In elementary school I did not use any technology until later years, including grades 5-8 where computers were made more accessible and they could be used to write out essays and assignments, falling into the substitution section of the SAMR model. In High School, there was a greater presence of online technology outside of Laptops and PC’s, including online forms of assessment such as Kahoot, Google Classroom and virtual group work. During this time a greater presence of social media among peers was becoming more common including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. For many social media was used as a platform for communication and there was no direct focus applied to Ribble’s nine elements of digital citizenship. Working through University I was introduced to blogging as a resource and how it can be used as a way to relay information and communicate with peers. The Pandemic has shown me that technology is a tool we need throughout our daily lives but it can lead to people’s thought process being transformed. As educators, we need to educate students in this field.

Slide 3: Core Class concepts and Themes

Starting within the first week I was already being introduced to new concepts and learning new lessons that I can apply as a future educator. The first is how online presence is establishing itself as a key factor when looking into chances of employment, as seen in the article “ Forget the Resume: Online Profiles the Tools of Young Job Seekers” and “ Five reasons why your online presence will replace your resume in 10 years”. Reading these articles caused me to think about my online presence and how up to this point I never focused on expanding it or adjusting it. Although throughout this course I have had the chance to expand my online presence through Twitter and my Edusites blog. After the class activity of researching ourselves I was able to find my blog with material for this course as well as my educational philosophies and field experience. ePortfolios allow you to be continually changing and adjusting it in order to encompass a larger branch of online tools, for example hyperlinks to other work and adding your social media; This could bring a new level of connection for peers and educators.

Slide 4: Core concepts continued

The concept of blogging was relatively new to me before the start of this class, although I did have experience within earlier ECS classes. At first I was overwhelmed by certain parts of blogging and needed to adjust to the different settings, but in time using blogs for our different assignments I realized all the benefits it brings with it, including the ability to directly reference other sources, add images, link YouTube videos and podcasts, and comment on my peers’ work. I would say this class has allowed me to learn blogging in detail and I look forward to using it in the future to enhance my digital literacy and fluency for educating others.

Slide 5: Core concepts continued

I selected Feedly as an RSS reader due to the easy to follow interface and the ability to subscribe to a wide variety of education related sources. This was a fantastic tool for me to learn from and use throughout the semester, both in my learning project and on Twitter. Each day I would be able to check my Twitter Account and see what my peers had the chance to share. As well, I was introduced to many new resources that can help me with current online platforms I use, such as Google Docs and Jamboard. Feedly allows the opportunity to learn about digital literacy and uphold the awareness of possible fake news.

Slide 6: Core concepts continued

Looking into the digital world and citizenship showed me that with benefits come drawbacks, including the concern of cyberbullying, blackmail, and sextoration. These are issues that will continue to remain with the presence of technology. As educators we need to teach digital dualism and cyber safety. Ribble’s elements are gaining awareness but incorporating these points into the SK curriculum will help educate our students to empower appropriate technology use. Taking technology into different branches of the curriculum and classes we can confirm interventions and a supporting community if issues arise.

Slide 7: Core Class Concepts continued

Moving to digital identity I had a chance to learn how much easier it can be to cyber sleuth someone and develop a sense into a person’s personal life. We see that impacts of this include “ The Price Shame” by Moncia Lewinsky and how younger students may make mistakes they are not fully aware of that can lead to impacts and transform a person’s life. This reaffirms the need to keep in mind different elements from Ribble. We must highlight to students that developing multiple online identities and learning the differences between them could be useful and ensure that they can control the split images of themselves between platforms. Another fundamental aspect of digital literacy involves making sure that I as an educator teach and display the proper information to students. Through learning in this course I was able to see the presence and growing concern of fake news and how students need to develop an understanding of critical literacy and consumption. The fact that reality may differ from a news source and can be tangled and modified for the gain of an external party must be understood as well.

Slide 8: Core Class Concepts Continued

The final key concept that I was introduced to was digital literacy and I was immediately overwhelmed by the scale of information that is produced into the digital world within a matter of minutes. Many of these platforms that are being built on are also being used by us and our students, for example Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube. It was shocking to learn how easily I could come across fake news but also how building a relationship within the classroom environment can help design and share our information.

Slide 9: Networking on Discord

Checking in on Discord each week allowed me to learn how technology can bring a community together and allow them to learn from one another. I had used it before the start of this class but was unaware of different core features. By working with peers I was able to learn about sending hyperlinks, photos, direct messages, and how easy it is to share different resources. I was introduced to a series of unique articles which complimented and were connected with different themes in class, such as the growth of memes and digital literacy.

Slide 10: Networking on Twitter

Twitter served as a great learning opportunity for me to find about other educators, resources, and experiences that occur across different schools. At first, Twitter was an overwhelming platform, although due to the easy to use interface and upholding the questions my peers had asked I am now able to efficiently Tweet, Like, share resources, and work on meeting other educators. Certain topics such as Saskedchat highlight very important points to me and gives me the chance to engage in that conversation could allow for students to have their voices enhanced.

Slide 11: Networking through commenting on classmates blogs

Interacting with peers on their different blogs allowed me to learn about a wide variety of perspectives and hear from others experiences. Through the use of links, articles, and videos shared for different classmates I was able to find new material to enhance the concepts discussed in class and further my understanding. The online platforms such as WordPress and Edusites allow for images to be easily uploaded which brings with it another level of immersion into reading various blogs. The concept of blogging brings with it confusion at first but I believe it can bring with it new experiences for students.

Slide 12: Summary of my learning project

This assignment served as a great opportunity for me to learn about a concept I did not picture returning to, this being cooking. When I started this project I barely engaged in cooking my own meals and usually found substitutes. Although, through the use of online resources such as YouTube, Tik-Tok, and Feedly I was able to find new perspectives to assist me throughout my journey. I was not aware of these different resources. Keeping in mind that many students have these resources could assist educators in allowing students to create their own assignments. I look forward to keeping these resources in mind when moving forward in my step of cooking.

Throughout the semester having the chance to interact with classmates and peers outside of the Zoom, classroom has been beneficial and allowed me to learn new concepts and answer questions I had in my head. At first, it was difficult to balance communication on the different platforms, although as time in the semester passed by I looked forward to each week and reading what different points my friends had to offer. Of the different platforms used in class, many of them were new and served as a great learning experience. I had used Discord within High School but was not very familiar with the platform outside of this. Twitter was a new experience for me. When starting I was nervous yet after having the chance to interact with others and expand my PLN it was enjoyable. Finally blogging,it was great to hear what your peers are working on and having the chance to display your support.

Similar to fellow classmates, I believe a Slideshow on Google Slides will allow me to highlight different photos and comments throughout the semester in Discord, Twitter, and Blogging.

The concept of coding is new to me and I have not had any official experience with it. In my time period within elementary school, this topic was not even discussed, I only used the school computers for different assignments and that was all. In High School, I was able to understand this process more as many of my friends were enrolled in various computer science courses, although I never took part in these classes. Taking a brief amount of time I was able to establish the definition of coding as a translator between English and Binary. I can see with the greater number of online tools and more students having personal computers and devices, the need for coding at a younger age is becoming more prominent and useful.  

For this blog post I decided to look into and practice with Code.org. The outline of the website is easy to follow and is approachable for students and educators who may not have much experience in the field of coding. As well, when looking on the homepage of the site the initial stats presented show the growing presence of coding, for example 1 million teachers use Code.Org, there has been 153 million projects created on the website, 20 million students are young women, and 40% of all students in the U.S have Code.Org accounts that are used.

When using this new platform I decided on the Minecraft option for the “Hour of Code” activity. I selected as I have enjoyed Minecraft since a younger age and the game has stayed popular throughout many years and appeals to younger students, in this case the Minecraft activity was labeled for grades 2 and above. The 12 stage process is clearly labeled and broken down with audio and visual instructions, as well when selecting this program you have the chance to switch the language in which it is narrated in. This is very beneficial for students who may not have English as a first language. The menu has a series of different components, including commands, guide, map, and run/rerun feature.

 Moving throughout the steps new components are introduced, including in step 4 where you learn how coding loops work. Step 7 allows for path changes and step 10 allows you to stand on different features. And lastly, step 12 allows you to put all the different components together to build something new

Completing this task has allowed me to learn that coding is not as difficult as everyone may picture it to be. In the larger context, coding has not been very long, in the same way the computer and internet has been. Everyone is able to use and relies on a phone or PC for day-to-day life and coding serves as a way to understand that technology through a new perspective. I think introducing students to code as a useful tool is very important as well as a way to inspire students’ interests, for example, if they take coding at a young age then perhaps they will see themselves holding a future position in the field. With the greater incorporation of technology into the Sk curriculum, it will be interesting to see if coding establishes a greater presence in classes in the future. To expand my perspective on coding I decided to look at Youtube and found that Code.Org released a video that has input from the founders of Twitter, Microsoft, Facebook, and dropbox discussing the need for greater education surrounding technological systems and coding.

I have been aware of the concept of digital literacy for the past few years, with the emphasis of its importance being discussed through post-secondary institutions. Before this however, I grew up in an age where digital literacy and fake news were less common than they are now. As highlighted in the “ How to Choose Your News” TED Talk I received my news through a broad lens and material was limited both for written and TV-based news programs. Now with a number of years passed, fake news and digital literacy are appearing in more conversations with larger impacts. Due to this, educators now serve as key figures to properly teach the different parts of this concept to students.

Working with the students in the secondary level in regards to digital literacy and fake news is a complex task, as students in this range are consumers of different forms of social media and have the ability to interact through online discussions. I have always had a focus on history and social studies and looking at the SK curriculum we see there are themes regarding political decision making, economic decision making, as well as international relations.

As highlighted in the article “ Developing Critical Literacies: What we need to know in a Fake News World” topics such as politics are often subject to a high presence of fake news, usually seen through the use of unrealistic articles and Tweets. Considering that tools can now be modified and adjusted for voice and facial messages, having a critical eye is vital and combat solutions can be taught.

The first notion we need to keep in mind is that digital literacy and fake news can vary on the scale and provide each student with a different reaction. This could span from being upset and angry to feeling shocked and possibly confused, an example that highlights this would be the “ You’re not going to believe what I’m about to tell you comic”.  I found this very unique due to the presence of creativity and the fact it focuses on reaffirming different feelings and could serve as a useful resource in future experiences. Looking at other ways we teach this concept to students involves finding the key source. This could possibly be done through following the closest connection to an event, for example reporters on social media. Another point is to allow students to look and research an event after an amount of time and a series of days after the initial reaction. Teachers should take time throughout different lesson plans and topics to ensure that students are aware of different perspectives, for example when looking in the field of development of nation series in the curriculum. Facts vs. opinion is another element that needs to be affirmed, especially during a period with such a social media presence. The freedom we have in the ability to post new content and spread information is a benefit to society, although freedom brings with it a responsibility as mentioned in the TED-Ed video. When working with secondary level students we can also picture introducing a series of new online resources, historically apply other examples of fake news, for example, the 2016 election which was subject to a series of different mainstream fake publicity in the form of Twitter and Facebook posts. As well, highlighted in “ Developing Critical Literacies: What we need to know in a Fake News World” as educators we should contribute to the central learning of critical disposition and reaffirm to students that reality can vary between perspectives and maybe tangled by the media.

Some others that can contribute to the learning of digital literacy would be the wide variety of TED-Ed based videos that highlight important skills when it comes to identifying media skills. As well as the KQED Lesson Plans which are clearly broken down and allow education students who may not have the most experience with crafting their own lesson plans. As well, all the objectives are unique and can be applied to the current technological platforms

Looking at the purpose of the NCTE in the context of digital literacy shows us that their goals are still designed to be met and the greater presence of digital literacy is evolving and becoming more common. The NCTE discusses how students express their understanding through a series of blogs and discussion forums based on key experiences. The challenge with this newer form of communication is that it still could be manipulated through fake news and social media presence. A possible solution lies with ensuring a greater presence of online communication platforms, such as blogs and discussion forums being introduced throughout 9, 10, and 20/30 level courses in the SK curriculum and the opportunity for students to evaluate their personal research in the field of history and social studies.

The concept of digital identity is fairly new to me, while to others it may be common understanding. In regards to where one may stand when it comes to their knowledge of digital identity can vary but the common understanding is that it is significant in establishing an online presence as well as becoming the focus for more possible career options throughout life. Using online search tools such as Google will provide a wide variety of links to sites that could possibly explain digital identity. To me digital identity is more than using the internet, it serves a collection of people, interests, thoughts, and words that you are interested in or engaged in. Growing up I had the chance to see the internet become a more common tool, however, for most of my childhood years I often would prefer face-to-face interaction. In doing this I was able to find out information and interests of other people without having to go through the process of cyber sleuthing. Looking at the current COVID 19 Pandemic we have seen a greater influence of technology and many of these differences will continue to be prominent in the years to come meaning the notion of cyber sleuthing and digital identity are becoming more common. Digital identity revolves around information posted on social media platforms and online blogs.

Working on this project with a partner and having the ability to test out my cyber sleuthing skills I found a series of common themes as well as some challenges in the process. The first program I began to search for was Facebook, as this program has billions of users that span different ages and life careers. After looking for a series of different factors including age, profile picture, and name I was unable to find my partner. I must confess that I found this surprising as I grew up with the general understanding that most people had Facebook and used the platform frequently. Although, after having the opportunity to have a discussion we suggested that fewer people within our proximity were using Facebook. A possible reasoning for this could involve different data and security issues that impacted Facebook in recent years.

There are certainly other platforms available to post information and enhance your digital identity. By doing some cyber sleuthing I was able to come across other social media and information platforms including Instagram, Twitter, Tik-Tok, and Snapchat. As well, blogs are another form of communication that can share information and provide insight into the poster of the blog. All of these different platforms all had unique identities and different focuses on the material being shared on them. For example, Twitter is used for expanding PLN and finding new resources while Tik Tok could serve as a resource to find new material on a subject or interest someone is passionate about. Snapchat could be a useful direct communication for working with others. As mentioned in the article “ Having Multiple Online Identities is More Normal Than You Think” people tune these platforms for individual and separate interests.

I had the chance to look both in class and cyber sleuthing and was able to confirm to myself  that information, such as blog posts and Twitter updates are based off the emphasis of search numbers and how the more someone is researched the more likely their results are to appear more on the front page. Keeping this in mind, ensures that our digital identity is properly maintained and when people look at a certain profile they associate it with you and your information.

A key component of digital identity is that it is subject to change over a period of time and can be influenced by prior experiences, external factors, and different situations. Social media allows us to express our interests and passions to those close to us but places us in a position where we are always taking information tailored for us, and this is no different for students. Due to consent change, we need to be continually teaching and educating students on digital identity. As Monica Lewinsky pointed out in her TED Talk when people and students are younger they may end up making more mistakes and due to news reaching new speeds of travel on the internet, educators can serve as a guide to ensure students are able to post and communicate safely. By working with a partner I was able to confirm different questions I had, as well as collaborating with partners now and in future educational positions to help us reflect on digital identity.

Digital citizenship is a concept that applies to everyone, regardless if you are in the field of education as a teacher or student, or in another branch of life. With reliance on the internet and social media becoming more common, it is critical to exhibit control and awareness. In recent years and towards the end of my High School experience I was having more discussions from the student perspective towards how I can personally ensure the safety of my digital citizenship. At the time I was not connected to certain social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.  I primarily focused on cyber safety. After a series of events and now in the position of a future educator, I have had the opportunity to realize how large of a topic this is and the impacts it can have on certain students and younger adults, for example, Amanda Todd. Looking at the Saskatchewan Curriculum I noted that there are elements of online learning present, for example in the Curricula and resources section involves online magazines and the Rover section as well as the administrative support section. This shows that education is able to adapt and incorporate online tools quickly and smoothly.

The relationship between digital citizenship and the SK curriculum could involve incorporating the 9 core elements into each branch of the curriculum. This may not be easy at first, as we have had the chance to see in class each section brings questions for discussion. The core elements of digital citizenship all tie into different behaviours that students need to follow for both in person and online learning and both branches are directly connected to students’ life. By discussing different elements of digital citizenship in classes allows students to understand safety in the context of individual classes. This way a larger topic such as this one can be broken into smaller segments to help students understand all the information without facing pressure or concern. The relationship allows digital citizenship to enhance the material in the curriculum.

Being in the secondary education program and working with High School students is a critical time in adolescence as the majority of students will have phones or mobile devices and a presence on social media. I see myself integrating different aspects of digital citizenship into many different classes through different possible options. In the field of languages for grades 9 through 12 elements that fall under the respect category, including digital etiquette, digital access, and digital law can be integrated and emphasized by ensuring that students who may not have English as a primary language are able to communicate online in the language they feel comfortable. The second large section of digital citizenship, known as educate, looks at digital communication, digital literacy, and digital commerce. All of these elements are unique and incredibly important for students which is why they can be applied to any class and involve discussing a wide variety of sources. For example, educating students on sharing information they found on Feedly, in the fields of social studies or science then applying the information to peers through digital literacy or being aware from an educator perspective that digital commerce will attempt to influence purchasable items for you and your students, a prime example of this would be eBooks in ELA based classes.

The protect branch of digital citizenship looks into projecting students rights and in this time should be dedicated in different lessons to teach students that impacting or insulting others online is a form of bullying and can have a large scale of the person being affected, a key component of a classroom relationship is respecting and caring for our peers. As well as confirm that there plans in place if a certain online communication situation does come to pass. The next element that could be applied to a series of different courses outlined in the curriculum would be digital wellness and being in the position of an educator to ensure that students are able to learn away from screens and the online environment. Before the start of the Pandemic, many students were able to experience social interaction and attend recess, although now this is different and students are facing fatigue from spending all this time online. Discussing with peers on Twitter, I have come across different resources that serve as brain breaks that do not need to be digitally connected. Throughout different courses in the curriculum, we need to incorporate the awareness of different hackers and the concerns that arise with social media control. As we have had the chance to see in class, different institutions of size and scale have been impacted and this reaffirms that anyone could face this concern. Technology is a wonderful tool that inspires many different students and allows them to learn more about their interests in a way that is accessible for them but faces challenges that are changing each day and because of this, the SK curriculum needs to continue to stay adaptable for future learners and educators, and they should start incorporating this on day one.