Summary of Learning

The purpose of EDTC 300 is to “examine the use of technology and media in teaching and learning as well as the transformative effects that emerging digital tools/networks have on school and society. The course provides an experiential approach to learning about technology integration while helping students critically reflect on the implications of our digital reality” (Hildebrandt, 2022).

To facilitate our learning, we were tasked with exploring different digital tools, social media platforms, pedagogical approaches and technological models. For the purpose of this presentation, I have divided these tasks into my Learning Project, Blog Posts & Comments, Twitter, Readings and Resources Discussed, and I will end with my Final Thoughts.

For my learning project, I decided to learn how to garden. I wanted to pursue gardening for a variety of reasons. For one, this past winter I moved into my house which came with a large garden plot in the backyard that I couldn’t just leave empty. Two, both my mom and grandma have been huge gardeners throughout my life so I wanted to try out becoming a green thumb like them. And three, I wanted to see if I could actually grow my own food and see if I could make my lifestyle a bit more sustainable and environmentally conscious. In order to assist my learning, I utilized a variety of digital resources including websites, videos, articles, and social media content. I found that I ended up preferring print resources that were accompanied by pictures or media. Overall, I am very proud of the growth I made as well as how my garden turned out. This is definitely something I will continue doing year after year as I find gardening so rewarding being able to see tangible growth each week.

To share the progress, we made during our learning projects, we were tasked with creating a digital portfolio where we would post weekly blogs. Each week I would share and reflect on the various digital resources I used to deepen my knowledge on gardening. I was also able to reflect on different topics discussed during class and make connections to both my personal life and the educational system. My blog also allowed me to connect with my peers and begin to develop a personal learning network by commenting and engaging with everyone’s blog posts and learning projects. Through this process I was able to learn proper blog etiquette, trouble shoot tech problems, and overall sharpen some of my technological skills. I believe my blog is a reflection of the type of educator I wish to become and illustrates some of my key learnings throughout the course.  

Twitter was another digital space used to facilitate learning. Prior to this course, I had never used Twitter, so creating an account and being required to contribute to a digital community was quite intimidating. However, throughout the course I have gained confidence and have become more comfortable tweeting, commenting, re-tweeting, sharing resources, and participating in this digital space. As a result of EDTC 300 I have begun to develop a personal learning network, improve my digital identity, and contribute to others learning. I believe the content shared on my Twitter account reflects my own personal values and perspectives and represents the type of person and educator I aim to be. Through using Twitter, I have also come to realize the potential benefits that it could have if utilized in a classroom. As for educators, it allows for professional development, networking opportunities, general support, and greater access to information and sharing of resources. Twitter has directly contributed to my personal learning during EDTC 300.

The last aspect explored during EDTC 300 were different readings and resources. Some of the main concepts that have stuck out to me include Ribble’s nine elements of digital citizenship, the SAMR model, and the importance of digital identity, digital citizenship, and digital literacy; and how all of these topics can be and should be incorporated into the curriculum. We also engaged with a variety of videos that directly impacted my learning. Specifically, the Amanda Todd case emphasized the importance of online safety, Jon Ronson’s Ted Talk discussed cancel culture and how one singular post can have dire effects, as well as the prevalence of fake news and how society is directly impacted by digital trolls and why it is important for tech users to be digitally literate. These resources and readings directly examined the “emerging issues related to technology and media that relate to education and society, including social, ethical, and cultural issues” (Hildebrandt, 2022).

Overall, it is evident the importance technology and media plays in today’s society and the importance for teachers to be educated regarding such topics. Students will be, or in most cases, already are digital citizens. Therefore, it is vital that they understand the risks involved, while also having the appropriate skills and knowledge to successfully utilize digital tools and participate online. This demonstrates the importance of integrating technology into learning environments.

As a result of EDTC 300 I am happy to say that I have grown from being a sole consumer of digital media and have now progressed into also becoming a producer of digital media and information. I have gained deeper understanding and skills in regards to technology and digital tools. Overall, I feel more comfortable and confident using technology and incorporating it into my future classrooms.

Building a Professional Learning Network

Building a professional learning network was extremely useful during my learning project in EDTC 300. Through utilizing virtual spaces, I was able to contribute to the EDTC course community, comment on my peer’s blog posts, share resources and articles, develop a digital identity, and interact with a professional network. I believe as a result I was able to contribute to the learning of others while improving my own learning.

Blog Posts

The first virtual space that I used to contribute to the learning of others was my blog. During the semester I attempted to create engaging blog posts that were filled with useful resources, links, and references to relevant articles. I was intentional with posting my blog posts in a timely manner ensuring that my peers could interact and engage with my posts while the topics and content were still fresh. I was also intentional with including questions and prompts throughout my blog posts that encouraged engagement. I was very appreciative that these questions were always answered in the comments and resulted in deeper learning for myself.


Blog Comments

The second virtual space that I used to contribute to the learning of others was commenting on my peer’s blog posts. Each week I responded to at least 3 of my classmates posts or comments. Each comment I posted provided encouragement, resources, an additional perspective and/or validation to my peers. I also ensured that I included both my name and a link to my blog on each comment to add that additional layer of connection. The comments I received provided motivation to continue with my learning project and validated my experiences; I hope my comments had the same effect for my peers.


Twitter

The third virtual space that I used to contribute to the learning of others was Twitter. As a completely new Twitter user, this space was easily the most intimidating to conquer. Admittedly, it took me quite some time to get comfortable interacting with other Twitter users and beginning to develop both a PLN and online identity. However, throughout the semester I am proud of the growth I made. As a result of my Twitter account I was able to participate in a Twitter Chat (#SaskEdChat), dabble in the use of hashtags, follow like-minded accounts/users, and share many resources. I was very purposeful in the content I shared, retweeted, liked, and commented on as I wanted to ensure that I was creating a digital identity that reflected my own personal values and perspectives. I believe anyone scrolling through my Twitter account would be able to develop an accurate representation of the type of person and educator I aim to be.

Overview of my Twitter contributions

Final Thoughts

Throughout the duration of the EDTC 300 course, I have been able to contribute to the learning of others via a variety of means. By participating both in class and virtually in multiple online spaces, I have enriched my learning, developed a personal learning network, and contributed to the courses learning community. I will continue to develop both my digital identity and PLN outside of this course and aim to continue to grow as both an educator and digital citizen.

An Overview of Learning How to Garden

The end of the semester means the end of my learning project! During the past seven weeks I have learned so much about gardening and even more about learning online. The weekly blog posts kept me accountable and I am appreciative that they provide a means of measuring my growth and progress throughout my learning project!

Weekly Overview

Week 1: To Grow or Not to Grow

  • Introduction to my learning project
  • Reasoning and explanation of why I chose gardening for my learning project
  • Outline of what I had completed in preparation for the learning project
  • Overview of my next steps

Resources explored: Facebook group, YouTube Video

Week 2: Garden of Weedin’

  • Research, research, research
  • This week I focused on growing my knowledge on gardening

Resources explored: Almanac Website

Week 3: From the Ground Up

  • This week I focused on garden preparation
  • I top-dressed my soil with compost and then re-tilled my garden to mix it all in
  • Soaked pea seeds, prepared my seeding potatoes, and purchased garden tools like trellises and cages for my tomatoes and peppers
  • Continued growing my knowledge via online resources

Resources explored: Shifting Roots Blog, Almanac Website, Growing Guides

Week 4: Learning & Tech: Garden Planner

  • Explored the use of technology in the learning process
  • Reviewed the Almanac’s Garden Planner and provided an extensive review on my thoughts and overall experience
  • Provided a video tutorial on how to use the application

Resources explored: Almanac’s Garden Planner

Week 4: Learning & Tech: Loom

  • In order to share my thoughts on the Garden Planner application, I had to explore an additional tech resource; Loom
  • Provided an extensive review on the screen casting platform and outlined my experience and thoughts

Resource explored: Loom

Week 5: Veggies Loading

  • This was an exciting week as it was the week my garden was officially planted
  • I shared multiple gardening videos from social media sites, specifically Instagram and Tik Tok
  • Outlined my next steps for my gardening journey, including watering, fertilizing, weeding, and harvesting, and provided resources for each step.

Resources explored: Instagram, Tik Tok, Almanac Website, Fine Gardening Website, UF Gardening Solutions, Pick Your Own Website

Videos provided:

Week 6: Labour of Love

  • Tried out YouTube for the first time and posted a time lapse video
  • Provided progress photos of plants (which looking back now grew quite quick!)
  • Focused on land based learning and provided resources regarding how gardening is an excellent means for this
  • Extensively reviewed all resources provided this week

Resources explored: YouTube, Indigenous Land Based Learning Article, The Sheaf Article, Learning from the Land Resource

My Tips to Beginner Gardeners

  • Research, research, research. There are endless resources available to all level of gardeners, and a quick google search will likely provide exactly what you’re looking for. My two favourite resources I utilized while learning about gardening were the Almanac Website and the Shifting Roots Blog.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Throughout this process I leaned on both my mom and grandma who have much more experience and were able to share their knowledge and provide many helpful tips.
  • Map out your garden before you plant! Prior to this learning project I had no idea that certain plants grow better or worse depending on what plants they are beside. It is also important that you leave enough space between rows of veggies so you can maneuver around your garden, whether to weed or harvest. I loved the Garden Planner App for planning my garden, and was very thankful to have a template to refer back to when my veggies were just starting to grow and I forgot what was planted where.
  • Try not to compare your garden to others. I felt like I planted my garden way too late, however, in the end it really didn’t make that big of an impact! While my veggies may not be ready to harvest quite yet, they are right on track for me to have some produce soon!
  • Have patience, water, weed, and watch your veggies grow!

“Gardening may be a fun and relaxing way to get in touch with nature, but did you know that it also has plenty of health benefits? Gardening is an activity that’s good for both the mind and body, and can be enjoyed by people of all ages.”

Julia Haskins

Before and After

Before the Learning ProjectAfter the Learning Project
– Unfamiliar with preparation of seeds
– No experience with blogging
– No concept of what it takes to plant and maintain a garden
– Didn’t know that certain vegetables need to be started indoors many months before transplanting them outside
– No understanding of the role soil nutrition plays in gardening
– Thought once a garden was planted, the hard work was done (this is quite the opposite!)
Comfortable blogging
Knowledge on planting variety of seeds and plants
Knowledge on soil preparation and maintenance
– Knowledge on watering and fertilizing requirements
Specific knowledge on zone 3 gardening
A collection of resources to refer back to in the future and provide to others beginning their gardening journey
Confidence in gardening
Pride in accomplishments thus far

My Key Takeaways from this Learning Project

  1. Online learning is a very prevalent topic, especially following the recent global pandemic and shift to online classes for many. This learning project reinforced that in order for it to be fully successful, online learning requires motivation, persistence, and basic technological skills. Overall, I do believe learning online is an effective way to learn.
  2. This learning project made me realize my preferred methods of online learning. While I assumed I would prefer video resources, I found I actually prefer written or print resources accompanied by pictures or media.
  3. Having a PLN is very effective. Throughout this learning project, I found it very beneficial to have peers commenting and contributing to my learning project and blog posts. Whether it was sharing a resource or just providing some encouragement, it was motivating and validating to hear others perspectives and observations. Learning alongside peers was also motivating and encouraged me to try and make my learning project and subsequent blogs as good as the ones I was engaging with.
  4. Gardening is an excellent way to connect with nature and is something that is attainable for many. I believe gardening is a cost effective hobby as it requires little to get started, and will allow you to save money on groceries once the veggies begin to grow. Personally, I was able to plant my entire garden, purchase seeds, fertilizer, trellises, and tomato cages all for under $50.
  5. Can anyone learn anything? Maybe. But we must consider the accessibility of tools and resources required in the learning process. Specifically, for online learning, digital access is a huge factor which decides who will be successful in learning a new skill. If you’re not able to fully participate and access digital tools, then the level of knowledge gained will be limited. Money can also be a large factor deciding what skills can be learned. For example, while learning how to play an instrument would be awesome, it would require owning or having access to said instrument. Gardening is not an expense free skill/hobby, however, it provides unlimited opportunity for a variety of budgets to try gardening out.

Digital Literacy in the Age of Information Overload

In today’s day and age, there is a constant, overabundance of information available to us at all times. Some refer to this as a knowledge economy; information is one of our most valuable commodities and is delivered automatically to our electronic devices or accessible with a few mouse clicks. Anyone can create digital content and anyone can consume it. Is this means to worry? Not necessarily. However, this supports the need to incorporate digital literacies in the classroom to allow students to become digitally literate. The goals of the NCTE framework illustrate this need further. The NCTE “established national standards that anticipated the more sophisticated literacy skills and abilities required for full participation in a global, 21st century community. The selected standards served as a clarion call for changes underway today in literacy education.” These standards fully incorporate technology use and the role it plays in the evolution of curriculum, assessment, and teaching practice.

“Digital literacy is the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.” 
- The American Library Association
Data Analysis for Business and Finance Concept. Graphic interface showing future computer technology of profit analytic, online marketing research and information report for digital business strategy.

Digital literacy is essential for students for a number of reasons. It is important students develop critical thinking skills to be able to maneuver around and effectively use the internet and digital tools. Critical thinking is vital in deciphering between the endless digital content, deciding which content is valid and trustworthy, and what would be considered fake news. In today’s society, possessing technological skills is also needed to succeed and be a contributing citizen. I would even argue that digital literacy contributes to mental health. The overuse of technology may have a more significant impact on developing children and teenagers. In the same breath, technology can provide tools that help many manage important daily tasks that help improve and maintain their mental health. Therefore, it is important students are able to manage this critical balance.

Fake news background

Middle years’ students specifically are at a dangerous crossroads. They are commonly fully immersed in social media, and are provided endless information throughout their days. From information provided from their teachers while in school, to listening to their parent’s opinions on news and global happenings, to stories and content on social media, to discussing it all with their peers; students must be able to compartmentalize.

Ultimately, in a world where it is increasingly dangerous to simply trust what we read and see, it is critical that students are taught to approach the world around them with a healthy sense of skepticism to avoid being misled, duped, or scammed.

Dr. Alec CourosDR. Katia Hildebrandt

When discussing fake news in the classroom I think it is important that real examples are used and examined. There is no shortage of fake news and it is becoming increasingly more difficult to discern. Information is now commonly “aggregated into a single “news” feed – mixing updates from friends and family with identical-looking links to stories across the web”. We also all possess biases that are directly targeted by fake news. Educating students on implicit and confirmation bias is an important first step.  There are also many online sites that make learning about fake news fun and engaging, without being overly exaggerated. Sites like Can you spot the fake news headline? (Quiz), Spot the troll (Quiz), Break the fake (Quiz), Factitious – A game about identifying fake news, and Weekly News Quiz from the NY Times are all excellent resources to use in the classroom when teaching digital literacy.

Digital Literacy write on keyboard isolated on laptop background

Discussions and lessons on digital literacy can be incorporated to meet Saskatchewan curricular outcomes and requirements. As outlined in my previous blog post, both social studies and health are two subjects that provide multiple opportunities to incorporate digital literacy.

Literacy has always been a collection of cultural and communicative practices shared among members of particular groups. As society and technology change, so does literacy. Because technology has increased the intensity and complexity of literate environments, the 21st century demands that a literate person possess a wide range of abilities and competencies, many literacies. These literacies are multiple, dynamic, and malleable. As in the past, they are inextricably linked with particular histories, life possibilities, and social trajectories of individuals and groups.

Labour of Love

Elm Trees in Question

Who knew gardening was so much work? Going into this learning project, I assumed that the planning and actually planting of my garden would be the most labour-some task I would have to do. However, now that my garden is in the ground, I have come to find out how much work it is to maintain! Between weeding, watering, fertilizing, and general upkeep, my garden has begun to feel a bit like a chore. This week I have also come across a small obstacle that I have had to do some research about. My neighbours have multiple large elm trees that hover over my yard. With the prairie wind that we always experience, the elm seeds continuously blow into my yard/garden. As you can see from my time lapse video, I tried leaf blowing them from my garden, which was semi-successful. After consulting with my mom (a gardening pro – in my eyes), I am hopeful the seeds should be done within a week or two. However, until then, if anyone has any suggestions on how to deal with, get rid of, or prep my garden for the elm seeds please let me know!

Here is a quick time lapse of some time I spent in my garden this week!

With all of that said, it is so rewarding getting to see my plants grow and flourish! This week I have seen much progress in many of my plants. My strawberries, lettuce, radishes, and even a few potatoes are officially beginning to grow above ground! My tomato and pepper plants are also thriving. I know there is still quite a bit of time before I will see any vegetables, however, it is so exciting seeing tangible progress!

Progress of my Garden!

Land Based Learning

I am currently taking an INDG 100 course, and this past week we discussed Indigenous land based learning and the importance of connection to land. This week of my learning project, in addition to maintaining my garden, I focused on growing my knowledge base of Indigenous land based practices and how I may be able to use my garden as a means of connection.  

Quotes from the Resources I utilized to facilitate my learning this week:
  • How Indigenous land-based learning can help fight climate change
  • “It’s the land that brings us together — the land that teaches relationship-based ways of knowing about the natural world and its food systems.”
  • Land-Based Education: Taking knowledge back to its roots
  • “Indigenous concepts of reciprocity, respect, relationship and responsibility are woven into [Land-Based Education]. Being of the land grounded us to our true selves, opening the portal to our awareness as far as we would allow it to go.”  Gabrielle Doreen
  • “Land-based education is about learning to think more critically in terms of capitalism, economic development, environmental and, more importantly, an integrative anti-racist education.” Tennille Bear
  • Learning from the Land
  • “The values of reciprocity, respect, balance, and connection to spirituality are central to learning from the land.”
  • “The land sustains our spirits and bodies; it determines how our societies develop and operate based on available environmental and natural resources; and our socialization and governance flow from this intimate relationship.”

Thoughts on the Resources I used this week

  • YouTube – This was the first time I have ever created or uploaded a YouTube video. I found the process surprisingly simple and user friendly. I like how Youtube has an option for videos to be public, private, or unlisted. One thing I wish would be added to the upload function is the option to add background music to videos. I’m sure I could figure out how to add music to my video with a different app, however, it would be a much more streamlined process if YouTube had this feature.
  • iPhone Time Lapse – As a loyal Apple customer, I am quite familiar with the camera options on the iPhone. I like how the time lapse video, or any content from an iPhone, can be easily airdropped from my phone to my computer. This makes the uploading process quick and easy! One feature I wish Apple would add to time lapse, is the option to change the speed of the time lapse video. I think I could have altered the speed through iMovie or another editing app, however, having that feature would streamline the process.
  • How Indigenous land-based learning can help fight climate change – This article discusses a community-based research program aimed at cultivating healthy relationships and a healthy environment. The post is rich with links and resources that lead to numerous other learning opportunities, which I really appreciated. One thing I wish the post had more of was media, there were no pictures or videos present to compliment the article.
  • Land-Based Education: Taking knowledge back to its roots – The main thing that I enjoyed about this resource is that it is Saskatchewan based. The article was written and published by the Sheaf, the University of Saskatchewan’s Newspaper, discussing the graduate programs offered through the UofS. However, I do think the post would have benefited from additional pictures or links.
  • Learning from the Land – This was my favourite resource that I learned from this week. The article was supplemented by a short YouTube video and all of the content was created and led by Indigenous Peoples. I also enjoyed that there were links scattered throughout allowing for further learning to be had.

Digital Identity: Who Are You Online?

This week in EDTC300 we were tasked with reflecting on digital identity by cybersleuthing one of our colleagues. This task was an excellent introduction to digital identity and prompted us to find out information on a peer that is available to the public online.

Programmers and cyber security technologies design websites and security in the Social World, cyberspace concepts.

To begin, I did a quick google search. Surprisingly, I found a lot of information just from the first page of results. I was able to find her edusites blog, previous employment information, and extracurricular groups that she was involved in. I found that she has an Instagram account; however, it is private so the only data I could gather about her was from her bio. Social media bios are curated by the user to portray who they are and what they want others to know about them and I believe hers did just that. Her Facebook is public, however, there was only a few scrolls worth of content. Within those few scrolls though, one can learn about her interests, where she has gone to school, and even who her family is. It was evident that her Twitter account was only created for the purpose of this course, and I couldn’t find any other social media accounts of hers. Overall, I feel that the digital identity of the person I cybersleuthed is very representative of who she is as a person in real life.

After completing the cybersleuthing activity for my peer, I wanted to do some digging on myself. I was happy to find that my digital identity was quite private without much being available to the public. One surprising thing I did find was articles and interviews of myself from my previous employment position. Before returning to university to obtain my B. Ed, I worked for a nonprofit organization in my hometown. A quick google search of my name (and hometown) and you will be able to find all of the projects, events, and endeavours that I organized and managed during my time there. While all of the digital recognition was important to the success of my role in the organization, I never considered the permanence of such posts. With only a few clicks, anyone would be able to find my previous employer, my old job title, and even pictures of some of my old clients (all of which had media releases). While this part of my digital identity is not negative, it is something that I never posted to the internet. I think this goes to show how our digital identities can be easily influenced by peers, family members, coworkers, and even strangers.

Different sites, different audiences, different purposes.

Nicole LeE

After reading Nicole Lee’s article on having multiple online identities, I wondered if I have curated different identities according to the different social media applications that I use. I found that I agreed with most of what Lee wrote. Facebook is for family, peers, colleagues, and connecting with anyone who may not know me well enough to have my phone number (ie. classmates connecting for group projects). Instagram is for friends and is where I share anything exciting that happens in my life. Snapchat is to view others stories and communicate with friends. And twitter, which I have only recently gotten for EDTC 300, is strictly for education and building a PLN. From reflecting on this article, I have come to realize the value I place on keeping my digital identity small. I believe I am quite lucky to have grown up alongside technology. As I evolved from a child to a teenager to a young adult, technology also evolved. Because of this, I didn’t have many social media accounts until I was old enough to understand what I did and didn’t want posted of myself. As a result, I have kept my digital footprint quite small and private, and I have been able to limit the number of “cringe” or unwanted posts of myself on the internet. Even today, I mainly consume social media and it is very rare when I actually make a post (excluding twitter).

After watching Jon Ronson’s TedTalk I am almost relieved that I am not an active social media user. In today’s day and age, cancel culture and social media shaming happen so frequently and can have such large consequences. It is not uncommon to hear of someone who made a post or was recorded in public, and within days or even hours, they have been fired from their job or suspended from their school, and their future is permanently tainted. Ronson discussed the concept of democratizing justice and how social media has created a surveillance society. With that said, I don’t want to take away the power of social movements like #MeToo or Black Lives Matter which have created real change and have amplified victim’s voices. I do believe social media has the opportunity to create social change, however, I do recognize that there is a fine line present.

Overall, this week’s activity and blog prompt makes me question: Is having a small/private digital identity good, bad, or neutral? Is society moving to a place where one must have a prominent digital identity for future employers and jobs? Should I be making more of an effort to curate an identity online that I believe captures what I want to portray to others

Digital Citizenship & The SK Curriculum

Digital Citizenship is defined as the continuously developing norms of appropriate, responsible, and empowered technology use. Mike Ribble separates this further into nine elements that constitute digital citizenship. These are digital access, digital commerce, digital communication and collaboration, digital etiquette, digital fluency, digital health and welfare, digital law, digital rights and responsibility, and digital security and privacy. Digital citizenship is something that is at the forefront of society due to the relevance and interconnectedness of technology in all aspects of our daily lives. Because of digital technology’s presence in society, I believe it is essential that students are taught how to navigate the rapidly moving digital present, consciously and reflectively.

Hand writing Digital citizen with marker, concept background

I believe the Saskatchewan curriculum presents many opportunities for educators to creatively incorporate digital citizenship into multiple grades and multiple subject areas. For example, the Grade 7 Health curriculum has ample opportunity to bring in digital citizenship. Outcome USC7.1 has students establish and use strategies to commit to and act upon personal standards for various aspects of daily living over which an individual has control. This outcome would be an excellent opportunity for students to learn and discuss digital etiquette. Similarly, outcome USC8.5 would be a great conversation starter to discussing digital health and welfare and the presence of photo-shop online. This outcome has students assess how body image satisfaction/dissatisfaction and over-reliance on appearance as a source of identity and self-esteem affects the quality of life of self and family.

The social studies curriculum also presents many opportunities to incorporate digital citizenship. For example, outcome IN7.3 has students examine the relationship of technology to globalization. Here students could also examine the importance of digital commerce and digital access. Digital citizenship could also be incorporated through projects and presentations students complete in the classroom. After a lesson on digital law and discussing consequences of copyright, plagiarizing, and the associated penalties, students could be tasked with creating a presentation (this would work for any subject). In this presentation, they could be assessed on the successful use of public domain, only utilizing copyright-free imagines, music, and videos, ensuring the students are following all intellectual property rights laws.

Data Analysis for Business and Finance Concept. Graphic interface showing future computer technology of profit analytic, online marketing research and information report for digital business strategy.

As a future educator, I can see myself incorporating digital citizenship throughout the classroom, activities, and assignments I conduct. As society continues to evolve and change, technology and the internet are only becoming more pertinent.

“We need to ensure that students are equipped with the skills to safely and smartly sift through this abundance of information and to navigate online spaces in ways that contribute to their learning.”

Digital Citizenship Education in Saskatchewan Schools. Government of Saskatchewan.

Veggies Loading…

My garden is officially planted! Luckily, the forecast decided to stop raining long enough for my garden plot to fully dry allowing me to finally plant my seeds! Going into this project, I was planning on only planting half of my garden plot as this is my first year planting my own garden, and I had much to learn. However, I may have been a little over enthusiastic as I ended up utilizing all of the square footage in my garden. Since my last post, all of my seeds and plants are officially in the ground! As I mentioned in my previous post, I utilized this Garden Planner to plan where I wanted all of my vegetables to be planted. One thing I found interesting was the variety of depths each vegetable had to be planted at. For example, tomato plants need to be planted quite deep as each tiny bump on the stem of the plant will turn into roots. As for things like lettuce or basil seeds, they only have to be a few millimetres under the soil.

Recently, the algorithm from the different social media sites I use have been showing me more gardening content. I have especially seen an increase on both Instagram and Tik Tok. I enjoy watching these videos as they are so easily digested as they are always under 1-minute-long, and present useful snippets of information. I have been saving these videos to refer back to. That is one feature I appreciate from these social media apps, being able to have all of your liked or saved content compiled into one easy to access area. Tik Tok specifically allows you to create categories within your saved videos which organizes your content which I appreciate. This prevents you having to scroll through hundreds of videos you have saved, and instead just locate the personalized category you are looking for.

Some useful videos I have come across:

I have already used some of the useful tips from the above videos. I am excited for my plants to continue to grow so I can find more videos to apply to my garden. Specifically, I am very excited for my strawberry plants to grow, however, I know a lot of people have trouble with birds stealing all of the fruit before they have a chance to harvest. One tip I read was to paint small rocks red which will deter the birds once there is fruit on the plant. I think I will be trying that tip out once my plants begin to grow. I also have purchased netting that can cover my strawberry plants to try and protect them from birds as well. This netting can also be used as a support for my taller plants, like my peas, tomatoes, and peppers. Because these plants tend to grow quite tall, they require support. If the netting doesn’t work as a support, I also have a few cages and trellises prepared to use as well. In addition, I also separated my strawberry plants from the rest of my garden as they are perennials and I would not want to rototill over them next spring.

What are my next steps in my gardening journey?

  • Water – It is a general rule of thumb that plants in the ground require about 1 inch of water per week. It is also best to either water in the morning or in the evening.
  • Weeding – This will likely consume much of my time in my gardening journey moving forward.
  • Fertilizer – Usually a balanced fertilizer is applied every three to four weeks throughout the growing season. One tip I have come across is using egg shells in the garden as the calcium from eggshells moderates soil acidity while providing nutrients for plants.
  • Harvest – Unfortunately, I will not likely be able to harvest any vegetables by the time EDTC 300 ends. However, I will definitely have to make one final post at the end of the growing season summarizing my first time gardening experience!