Megan Hauser

Throughout this course, I was able to connect with my classmates on a different level than most classes, where you mostly communicate through forum post/comment section.  I was able to leave helpful comments throughout my peers posts and allowed myself to express opinions when necessary.  Though, I did not keep up the best with my peers blogs, I was always able to fully emerge into the content that was being taught in class, engage in meaningful discussions all while fostering an educator relationship, where respect and mutual gain are the main goals.

My Learning Summary

The AI tool I chose to look at is something that can be very helpful to everyones day to day life, the AI Weather Assistant is a great tool that you can ask personalized questions to regarding the weather. I chose to ask the Weather Assistant if I should play pickleball outside today and it told me, yes the weather in Regina today would be great for that! You can also ask it to recommend outfit choices, based on the weather around you.

Integrating AI into education offers exciting opportunities to enhance personalized individualized learning plans/goals, and provide support systems that perfectly adapt to individual student needs. AI can analyze data to offer insights into student performance, recommend resources, and automate tasks such as grading. The future of AI in the classroom looks promising and exciting. However, it is crucial to address privacy concerns and ensure ethical use of data, while teaching students the proper way to use AI technology. Improper use and abuse of technology  With thoughtful implementation, AI can significantly enrich the learning environment, provided it is used responsibly and not abused.

I would personally use this tool during the school day for a variety of reasons, I would use it to ask about having class outside and whether it is recommend or not. I would also use it to ask what kind of clothing my students should wear for recess or a class walk outside. Being I commute 45 minutes to my job and living in Saskatchewan, knowing the weather conditions is crucial, making this tool frequently used on my phone!

I spent some time exploring the Scratch website and ended up getting lost in the games section! I played around with a few of the games but ultimately ended up getting sucked into the ice cream platform jump!

Using the arrows on my keyboard I was able to jump from platform to platform to successfully get my ice cream across! Though my coding project on scratch went nothing like this (I was able to turn my characters 15 degrees, and move them 10 steps forward). I can definetly see how this would be something that students would love to have the chance to do, as they are learning and having fun at once!

In today’s very tech-driven world, students are constantly and consistently being exposed to technology wherever they are! When thinking about teaching digital citizenship, I want to make sure that teaching safety is the number 1 and that everything through technology must be done in a safe and appropriate way. I do not want to teach with a scare tactic approach like I was taught with, as this did not properly educate me on technology, but scared me from it.

The nine elements of digital citizenship outlined:

1. Digital Access
2. Digital Commerce
3. Digital Communication
4. Digital Literacy
5. Digital Etiquette
6. Digital Law
7. Digital Rights and Responsibilities
8. Digital Health and Wellness
9. Digital Security (Self-protection)

To ensure these elements are effectively taught, digital citizenship should be woven into the curriculum rather than treated as a standalone topic, and taught in a way that expresses the consequences of poor technology use, without instilling fear. This integration can be achieved through:

• Cross-curricular Projects: Develop projects that incorporate digital citizenship while including cross-curricular subjects (English-have students create an online blog that can be monitored)
• Ongoing Professional Development: Participate in professional development opportunities focused on the latest trends and best practices in digital citizenship education. Keep up to date with technology!!!
• Parental Involvement: Engage parents with workshops and resources to support digital citizenship education at home for themselves and their children. Provide educational videos, links, and resources!

By adopting a structured and safe approach to teaching the 9 elements of digital citizenship, educators can prepare students to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly while still being informed. This preparation not only enhances students’ academic experience but also equips them with essential life skills for the digital world we live in. Technology is only going to enhance and bloom from here so starting with the foundational skills is the best place to start!

I have always kept all my social media private, secured and locked down from the public, and only post things I would be comfortable with my grandma seeing! This was a piece of advice I was given in middle school that has stuck with me. Being an educator, it is important to remember what you post on social media is a reflection of who you are and that is the impression you are leaving students and their families with. In my classroom, I have 5 year olds, so they may not necessarily looking me up, but their families may be, so it is just easier to air on the side of caution. However, this is advice I will always remember and teach to any future classes!

Image taken from Google.

By integrating digital literacy into the curriculum and aligning it with the NCTE framework, we can empower students to navigate the digital world confidently and responsibly. Using insights from relevant articles and resources, we can develop comprehensive strategies that not only enhance students’ digital skills but also prepare them to be selective and skeptical of digital age. This works to teach students that not everything is true just because it is found online. In order to properly teach students you can work to create an activity that empowers students to critically analyze a variety of sources (what to look for, and what not to)

• Activities: Incorporate lessons where students analyze various news articles, identifying credible sources and distinguishing them from unreliable ones (teaching that the s in https, means secure for example). Another idea would the to use case studies from recent events can make these lessons relevant and engaging.
• Resources: Reference the article “Teaching Students to Identify Fake News” which provides strategies for helping students learn fact from fiction

NCTE Framework 

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) framework outlines key goals for developing digital literacy, including:

1. Develop Proficiencies: Ensure students are proficient in the use of technology for learning, communication, and expression. This can be achieved through regular appropriate use of digital tools in assignments and projects.
2. Build Critical Thinking Skills: Foster the ability to critically evaluate digital content (with activities like above). Encourage students to question the authenticity and bias of information they encounter online and to not blindly believe!
3. Promote  Participation: Teach students about their responsibilities as digital citizens, including respect for intellectual property and the impact of their digital actions on others as well as data tracking and privacy concerns.