Hey all!
I can’t believe this is my FINAL blog post for EC&I 830. What a whirlwind of a semester; I realize it was literally weeks long, but still it flew by! July intensives are no joke, and we made it! I think the relevant and interesting topic of Contemporary Issues in Educational Technology, along with the unique debate format made this course, dare I say, fun and an engaging one to tackle over the summer. I enjoyed adopting a more informal writing style through blog reflections, connecting with all of you on Discord, Zoom and in the blog comment section, and most of all the spirited debate topics…even though they always left me questioning everything I (thought I) knew about technology and education. From cell phone bans and the ethics of AI use, to societal inequities and social media for kids, these weekly conversations challenged my thinking as an educator navigating the ever-evolving world of technology.
In my Summary of Learning video, I attempt to concisely sum up my ideas on each debate scenario, shedding some light on where my perspective for each fell. As well, I speak to the blogging process, my course community engagement and end with some of my main takeaways from the course content. You can view my final project on YouTube.
Canva video process: My first trial with Canva video was with Sheila, creating our debate opening statement, so I thought I would give this program another shot on my own for the Summary of Learning. I have very basic experience with Canva, creating simple worksheets and slide shows, so the video making process was a bit of a learning curve. I challenged myself by adding video clips, a music track, links, and spent (way too much) time playing around with animations. While not perfect (Canva editing is both amazing and ever so frustrating – iykyk), I enjoyed exploring Canva visuals, playing with colour palettes, and experimenting with transitions in an effort to make both an informative and visually appealing final product. Overall, I am pleased with how my tech project turned out…as you’ll see in my video, I am following a progress not perfection mantra in my tech use moving forward.
Thank you for a wonderful semester everyone. It was fantastic learning alongside you and I wish you all a relaxing rest of summer.
Take care!
– Teagan Bryden