Digital Citizenship in the Classroom

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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.

Figure 1 shows the ROVER online program

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.

Figure 2 shows the 9 core elements of digital citizenship

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.

Understanding Different Perspectives

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Following my third post and moving to the fourth outlining and describing what is necessary for my shepherd’s pie, I am excited to move closer towards cooking my meal. I want to take the time to look at different perspectives and cooking methods of this meal using different online resources. Everyone has a certain way they prefer a dish and they make it differently so I have gathered a few different spices together so I can add flavor along the way.  I have hot sauce, garlic, herbs and spices, some Maggi flavoring to add-in.

My potatoes are pre-cooked and mashed so I just need to get them out of the fridge. I oven roasted them with skins on as this gives a nice flavor and keeps the nutrients from boiling away.

Figure 1

Following this I proceeded to move onto my vegetables which were washed and cut and then cooked with the meat. This is when I applied the garlic and other spices stated above to the meal. I then proceed to place all of the different items in a tin foil container then let the baking process start. Despite having all the different food based items established, I need to ensure that the cooking environment receives the same amount of attention. I will need a large frying pan, a cutting board, a series of shaper knives for chopping veggies, a wooden spoon and a scooping spoon. Each of the different utilenses and pots should be properly washed or cleaned. This can be done by hand or through the use of a dishwasher and then placed in a safe area. The other key component of preparing the kitchen includes washing the counter top, this is particularly important for me to keep in mind as part of my meal involves raw beef and pork. This is a simpler process which ensures that cooking will go smoother and contribute to the safety of all parties involved.

Figure 2

I wanted to take the time and look online to see what I could find so that I could benefit from different resources, both in the field of cooking and the cleaning process. I have used Youtube before to both create and watch different videos but I also wanted to expand into newer platforms to gain newer perspectives, an example of this would be Tik Tok.

Using the Youtube guide to provide some helpful tips that I can learn from, I noted that each item was clearly distinguished and described in detail, including the core functions of the item. Other key points from the video that I was able to take away from included a cheaper and more efficient way to clean my kitchen counter with a water and vinegar mixture. I need to keep in mind the health of other kitchen items including the oven. Using the Youtube tutorial reminded me to check the filters as well as the oven racks to ensure proper food safety. The one key point I wanted to note that was not mentioned in the YouTube guide is that each dish should be washed either by hand or through the use of a dishwasher.

After having the chance to learn in class about the wide variety of online sources available that can teach people different skills and hobbies, I wanted to look more into Youtube and Tik Tok to see how others made their Shepards Pie. Within a matter of minutes, I was able to find guides for making this dish as well as other unique perspectives with a unique twist. The Youtube I selected, “ How to  Make an Easy and Traditional Shepherds Pie” is broken down into an easy to watch 5-minute video that shares many of the common ingredients and cooking processes, yet adds certain items such as Lamb for the meat, sour cream for the potatoes, and rosemary as an additional spice. My meal and the one that was cooked in this video falls into the more traditional bracket but highlights that they are subtle differences.

Tik Tok is a source that I have not had much experience with but EDTC 300 has discussed some really useful points and working with Twitter and discussing with classmates I now understand that you can find really useful information on the platform, both in the fields of cooking and education. I decided to hop on the platform and see what information I could find in regards to Shepards Pie and at first, I was overwhelmed. There were hundreds of videos highlighting the different aspects including ingredients and cooking processes that can be used. I found one example that really caught my attention involves making a Mexican-inspired dish with ingredients such as taco seasoning, 2 cans of Mexicorn, and mild cheddar cheese.

Growing Up In the Digital World: In the Role of An Educator

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In the past few weeks of EDTC 300, I have had the opportunity to learn more about the growing presence of technology in many different ways, and many of these connect to me as I am part of the digital world. The concept of participatory culture is a new term to me yet the concept of both posting/creating content and the ability to take it in is something that pretty much every adult and student does on a daily basis. As Wesch highlighted in his Youtube video, certain platforms are expanding rapidly which means more students and young adults are being exposed to more content as educators we need to be aware of how this can change in a short and frequent time period. In future classrooms, educators should take the opportunity to teach topics such as online awareness and possible impacts that can occur by being invested on different social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, Youtube, Tik Tok. This allows us to rethink education in a different way. This comes with both positives and negatives. The challenges can be seen with the disappearance of mediation and students struggling with focusing on their social media presence and maintaining other branches of life. For schools to continue to enhance their digital identity and leverage the affordances of digital culture means allowing students to use different and growing apps and platforms yet making sure mediation stays in place. When it comes to working and teaching students that have a life centered around social media, a balance mechanic that I uphold is that a break is sometimes what may be required in order to show people that there is still a physical world outside of the screen. This does not mean avoiding it and denying the presence of participatory culture but minimizing it and allowing for new opportunities.

The first step of Creating on YouTube: Knowing the Ingredients

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With progress in the Learning Project taking place and my healthy meal alternatives being assembled I realized I needed to use a technological tool to document and enhance my progress. At first, this was a challenge simply due to the large presence of different tools available. After some thought, I decided to go with the YouTube editor to help me make different videos for my project. YouTube as an online platform and video sharing service is something I spend lots of free time on from the position of a viewer. Although, after spending much time with this platform I realized that process of editing videos is manageable with practice.

For this blog post, I would like to take the time to provide an app review of YouTube Editor and highlight where it can be placed in the SAMR model. To start with the overview of this program it can be seen that it serves as an on-board editing system for different Youtube videos that the independent user publishes. It is composed of five primary branches. The first is “ Editing Your Video” where you have the opportunity to choose a wide variety of possible options including Blurring and Trimming your videos and more complex changes including audio changes and additions for audio and music videos, as well as removing and adjusting possible copyright claims and protected content. The second section looks at “Editing your video sections” which involves adjusting the distribution and accessibility of your published videos for others. The third section looks at “ Engaging the Viewers” with the addition of different components to your videos, including thumbnails, end screens, cards, and merch or purchasable items. The fourth is “Managing Your Videos” where content creators can make bulk changes or delete their videos. Finally, there is “Managing made for kids videos” In this, you determine if content is based for children.

Figure 1 shows the overview of the Youtube Editor

My review of this program is positive as after using the overview I knew what my next step would be. After the Youtube video was published I went to the studio portion of the platform and found a dedicated section which focuses on editing.

Figure 2 shows the main menu for Youtube Studio

In this, I was able to trim the different errors in the initial video and make sure it flowed more smoothly. I also really enjoyed how you had the opportunity to watch the video while editing it and then replaying it in order to ensure that changes were successfully changed.

Figure 3 shows the slider that allows for trimming of different YouTube Videos

My review also looked at how well organized the process of uploading the video went. To do so I recorded the video on my phone then proceeded to drag and drop the file into YouTube. The instructions of the Youtube editor to some may be very easy, while for others it may take time to adjust but using the five step overview and following the instructions of finding the dedicated editing section you can polish your videos and upload it to your channel. The main tip I would mention is that this program is free for educators that want to upload personalized content or have students submit video based presentations. When applying this to the SAMR I would say that it falls under the Modification category, allowing for significant task redesign. This would assist in completing tasks online and changing the core structure of the assignment.

This tool directly connects to my learning project post for the week as I checked the flyers in my mailbox and decided on what stores offer the best deals. With this in mind I started to assemble my shepards pie.

It is important to get the best quality of ingredients that I can get as it is said that fresh is best. This is true for two different reasons. The first is the flavor and the second is that I am going to freeze my assembled project. You risk getting food poisoning if you attempt to thaw and then refreeze Meat. To avoid this I purchased fresh lean ground pork and beef so that I would not run into this problem.

Figure 4 is me selceting the pork and meat for my Shepards Pie

I purchased a series of items with convenience in mind, including frozen peas which can be refrozen and to some taste better than canned peas. Canned corn was selected as this was much more convenient than cooking a cob of corn and taking the niblets off of it. When purchasing the fresh products I kept in mind appearance and texture.

Figure 5 is me obtaining the vegetables

The total cost of all the different items purchased in the store added up to $34.11, although this did not include certain items such as shredded cheese and onions. Considering the wide variety of ingredients present and each with their own unique characteristics I have decided to provide a video on my YouTube channel breaking down the nutrient facts and costs for some of the items, for those who are interested in making the same meal. I expect that I will be able to get 6-7inch containers of pies from this shopping list. I will let you know what the final product will be.

Figure 6 is processing all the items through the checkout in the store

The next step in my process will be clearing some time to complete the project, I will block off a series of hours for this. I will need to gather the cooking tools that I need and the containers for freezing.  I decided to use tin foil containers for the final product.  I was able to purchase two sets of three for $1.25 each at the dollar store. I will get a couple of smaller oven-proof containers to keep on hand in case I have more than the 6 foil containers. In this phase, I will ensure that my kitchen is cleaned and properly prepared in order to meet the proper health guidelines.

Familiarizing Myself with Twitter

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For my thrid blog post for EDTC 300 I will disucuss Twitter. Before starting this class I had no experience with Twitter, I was aware of the scale and influence it had but was never part of the different communities it housed. Although, since the spring semester started I have created an account and began to invest in the platform. As a professional development tool I would say that it is very useful and brings with it many benefits. In the small time that I have had my account I have the opportunity to establish my personal learning network ( PLN) with other classmates, peers, as well as full service teachers. This allows me to become familiar with current topics that need to be addressed in education and how I can contribute to assisting others. Since the start of online learning I have been able to navigate the different courses and assignments that I was tasked with, although I struggled with finding different resources to enhance and supplement my learning, for example when it came to writing, or lesson plans, and presentations. Twitter has allowed me to work with my peers in order to expand my knowledge towards different onlines topics. This is very beneficial as it allows me to then pass these skills and resources to future students.

When looking at Twitter in the classroom it would assist students in many different ways. The first could be introducing them to different educational resources that they can use with parents and teachers to assist with different core skills such literacy, math, social studies, and science. The second way could be allowing them to explore different topics they enjoy learning about and finding modern and easy ways to access new information about these. I think following the Pandemic there will be greater influence of technology in many different grade levels and Twitter can be part of this change.

The highlight of Twitter so far has to be the SaskEdChat event which I had the chance to participate in and found very enjoyable as well as informative. In this period I was able to meet other members of the education community and learn about current issues that need to be addressed in the education system. I believe this is a major part of any PLN as it allows for many different perspectives and resources to be shared.

Learning Project: There has to be a Better Way to Eat: Making Progress

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Welcome to the second entry of my learning project and in this post I would like to focus on healthy choices. Now that I have decided to maker healthy choices throughout the rest of the term, I need to find something that does not take long to prepare, is healthy, tasty, and easy to serve.

Since time always appears to be running short, I do not want to spend hours preparing the meal either on the cooking side and with the preparations. To fit into this category there are a few favorites that I love but might not fit into my criteria for the prep. Although, let’s take a look at the Canadian Food Guide. There are tons of resources here to point me in the right direction.

This visual of the perfect plate will help me to find something that has something from each food group. What about Shepherds Pie? My Grandma used to make it as well as other family members from time to time. It’s not too hard to make. You can make it how you enjoy it once it is cooked and add different spices and flavours.

This dish contains protein in the meat, some carbs in the potatoes and veggies of course are needed. I like peas and carrots, onions and celery. Corn can also be added and cheese contributes to the diary requirements. If I made several I can freeze them. If I need food while studying or writing assignments I could take one and reheat it. I just have to add a salad on the side to add in those green veggies and while as other forms of healthy food including frozen fruit like blueberries or strawberries can be microwaved for a few seconds to thaw.

I will need to make my shopping list and set aside an hour or two to do the preparation.  By using fresh ingredients, I will get a tasty dish.  Fresh is always best as you know what is going into the dish.  Fat and salt can be controlled when you cook it yourself.  I want to make at least 4 pies and freeze them.  I will also need to ensure that I have the proper containers on hand for freezing them.  Foil will work in the oven but not the microwave.  Looks like I will have to check my cupboards as well as the fridge.

Here is my list for the grocery store.  I will check my calendar now and block off 30 mins for shopping and 90 mins for cooking. I hope mine looks as good as this one.

 

Utilizing Feedly in EDTC 300

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In my time so far at the University of Regina I have had the opportunity to learn about education in great detail, and part of this includes being introduced into the wide variety of articles and sources that can be used to assist both the teacher and the student in the classroom. I created a Feedly account and right away started becoming familiar with different article streaming categories that were of interest to me and I am continuing to look forward to what I will be able to learn about in the coming weeks of the semester.

I found the process for selecting information on Feedly enjoyable but also overwhelming, although this is welcome as it allows each educator to find information on material and topics that they enjoy. I adopted a process for finding sources where I placed education as a whole first, including sources such as TED-Ed and Edutopia. Following this I moved on to different branches of education which are directly connected with me, including educational technology, history, and inclusive education. Through searching the platform, different alerts were brought to my attention.

The first source I made sure to place into my feed was Edutopia as I found that there are articles uploaded on a fixed basis and they address current and vital issues that throughwhich students and teachers should be informed. The method in which information is passed on can differ between YouTube videos and written articles. I was drawn to this as I find that some students learn better through audio rather than visual, although other students may to prefer to read or write.

The second source was the inclusive class which is directly connected to the accompanying website. When reading this source, I was introduced to different concepts which are discussed in the inclusive education program, and the concept that I find most enjoyable is that many of these could be implemented by educators which have the chance to read the article. This article is recent as well and allows for the opportunity to ask possible questions.

The photo above highlights the different feeds that I have selected so far and are very useful.

Learning Project: There has to be a Better Way to Eat!

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For the first blog in my learning project I will be giving everyone a baseline and where I currently stand when it comes to cooking. Starting with a setup and progressing throughout the term, I will highlight and display my learning of cooking.

Things have been busy in our house for the last 4 months, crazy busy as they say. As a result my family is on my case and addressing the case about eating well and healthy. I need to find a better way to eat. When I was younger and throughout my youth my family would attend dinner together at the table about 5 times a week for a meal. Guests would come for supper every couple months. Meal times were relaxing and very nutritious, as well they served as the opportunity for each of the members of my family to explain different parts of their days and discuss possible situations and events that might shape the future. This served as an inspiration for me as when I was in my early teens I planned to become a chef. I took a couple of cooking courses when in High School so that I would know my way around my kitchen when I moved out or spent more time on my own. I must confess that I have not used the skills I acquired that much, and as such I have resulted in eating a more easier diet. The first photo that highlights this can be found on my Twitter page.

Things this last year have changed. I have had family members become sick and have to move to a retirement home and this means that my parents are packing and moving different items and helping with medical appointments. Because my mom has two jobs she does not have much time in the house and with me taking different courses through the University of Regina and working part time, I find that I am often out of time when it comes to making meals. To further accent concerns, the presence of COVD restrictions has placed family gatherings on hold, meaning most meals are not very healthy and not with others.

My blog will be about my journey to solve the problem of healthy fast meals. The internet has a lot of information on how to cook, recipes that can be prepared quickly, and how to get organized. There is so much information you could spend hours looking at this topic. I will start with family favorite recipes that can be premade and then frozen into convenient portions for a quick meal. I know that there are others out there that have the same concern so perhaps we can learn how to solve this problem together. The next step of this plan can be seen on my Twitter page.

Growing Up in the Technological World

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To begin with the first week’s reflection, I would like to provide an introduction to who I am and how I have been growing up in a world that has an increasing level of technology everyday. I have found that I am always learning about different digital techniques and this has been placed in full notion through the greater presence of the COVID-19 Pandemic yet I feel that many of these technology based factors will continue to hold their presence.

Being born at the start of the 2000’s I am able to say that I have seen the online world grow, yet I never was an active member of this new world. In the end of elementary school was when I first started using either class tablets or laptops to work on different assignments and group based projects. This continued into the High School environment where laptops and platforms such Google Classroom became very common. I find that I have adapted well to using these different programs yet I realized their applications were centred around just academic and learning principles. In order to understand how technology can be used to communicate and spread different forms of media and information, I needed to familiarize myself with the concept of blogs and blogging. This started when I joined the Faculty of Education at the University of Regina and right away began working with an interactive blog. This changed my thoughts of blogging and I became more comfortable expressing myself in this manner. The only challenge that I find blogging presents, comes in the form of ensuring it is created in the right way. This includes editing and adding additional resources, which I believe I will become more familiar with as this class and my learning progress.

The concept of blogging to many seem uneffective to some as they will utilize different forms of social media and interactive platforms to reach out to friends or peers, and keep up with current events in the world. I think that blogging is effective for many other reasons than keeping in contact with peers. As pointed out in different articles assigned to the EDTC 300 class, online presence will soon be a guiding factor in many different career opportunities, as seen through Dan Schawbel and the points mentioned in his article. This is important to keep in mind as blogging allows for different academic and personal achievements to be highlighted, for example when looking at a series of highlighted blogs posted by teachers we see that the points they mention are often what is sought after when looking into career pathways. This is interesting to me as before hearing this I was only aware of my written resume.

two white printer papers near macbook on brown surface
Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com

Through use of more forms of technology that will be presented in class I am looking forward to new ways in which I can contribute to my online community and colleagues. It will be with it’s challenges yet the rewards will be much greater.

Andrew MacPhail

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Education is my passion!

Hello everyone and welcome to my ePortfolio. I hope this site provides an in-depth and educational point of view and serves as tool to help understand my beliefs as a future educator. Feel free to look at the different tabs posted such as: About me, Educational philosophies, Professional learning, and my work during field placement.

Resources: Overall in this journey I have used a wide variety of resources to help me become more prepared as a educator and help expand my ePortfolio. The following are sources I use and continue to learn from.

  • The Gender Unicorn: Gender Identity
  • Deeping the Discussion: Gender and Sexual Diversity
  • I Believe Statement Sheet
  • ECS Core Manual
  • Oh, Canada: bridges and barriers to inclusion in Canadian schools
  • Truth and Reconciliation: What is it about?
  • Invitation and Hospitality