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EdTech 7

March 10, 2020 / / 0 Comments

In this class we discussed different educational tools that can help with teaching. These include audio and visual resources, which are very beneficial to some learners. Recall statistics jumped from 20% to 60% for people who use visual cues (like sketching pictures to represent things).

Educational videos are very helpful tools and can bring a concept to life for a learner. There are some drawbacks to educational videos, however. These include students’ possible inability to self-regulate, or their negligence to watch the videos required for learning. In addition to this, sometimes the pace of videos can be too slow or too fast for a learner, or it cannot adjust to accommodate students’ prior knowledge.

Another teaching method which is closely related to the last point is called “flipping the classroom;” this is a method where the key points are put into pre-class videos that are assigned ahead of classes. This can pose a problem if some students do not have access to a device, or if there are groups unable to do this work in advance. Teachers can create these videos to help their classrooms, but making these resources is time consuming and some considerations should be thought of before they are made, like if the particular  subject matter will serve for .

Screencastify is also a program we examined that allows you to record your screen, browser, or your own face. You can choose to include audio from the computer as well as your microphone. I tried the webcam option, and then accidentally left it recording. If I hadn’t done this I would not have known if there was a time limit and notification, but five minutes after I left it on, my computer notified me that my video had reached its time limit. This feature is helpful because it can prevent people from invading others’ privacy. 

We then explored Audacity, which is an audio editing program. This would be great for creating podcasts, which are an exciting learning tool. I did not attach my audio recording, but my Screencastify video is embedded below.

This was a very informative class, and I look forward to researching each method further.

 

 

 

Post 5: Presentations

March 10, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Microsoft – Powerpoint

Image result for microsoft powerpoint

Microsoft has one of the most widely used presentation applications for businesses and schools everywhere. Microsoft Powerpoint was initially launched in 1987 by another company named Forethought, Inc but was soon acquired by Microsoft for $14 million. Powerpoint is identifiable by the trademark orange colour and capital P logo. The use of Powerpoint is to allow users to display information from simple presentations to complex multimedia presentations. In Powerpoint, text, graphics, movies, and other objects are placed on individual “slides” to present. “Slides” is a reference to the old fashioned slide projector.

As a Uvic student I use Powerpoint daily. Almost all of my professors exclusively upload Powerpoints to our class websites (coursespaces) for download. We use Powerpoints as class notes, explanations for assignments, as a visual reference for presentations and for many other functions. While making my own presentations I prefer Powerpoints templates to other competing presentation software and I find it the easiest to use and navigate. 

The only issue with Powerpoint is if groups want to collaborate they would all need Powerpoint. As I mentioned last week with the surge in Mac users in universities, most students have Keynote by Apple. Moreover, whenever we collaborate in groups for presentations we often find ourselves using the collaboration function of Google Slides because all of us have G Suite accounts. I think this is most likely because most people do not know that Microsoft offers collaboration, or at least one member of the group doesn’t have Microsoft apps. 

 

Apple – Keynote

(no image)

Keynote is the native presentation application for Apple. Keynote was first introduced in 2003 to compete with the most common presentation software at the time, Microsoft Powerpoint. Some of the features of Keynote include adding transitions between slides, including graphs from Numbers or photos from your iCloud devices, embedding YouTube videos, customizing the toolbar above the slides, and using another iOS device as a clicker while still being able to read presenter notes.

Keynote has a similar set-up to Pages and is still very user-friendly to children. Once students learn how to work with these tools, they could create a multitude of projects on slideshows. Students could create slideshow presentations on projects and subjects that spark their interest. Students could also create storybooks using Keynote, using each slide as a page to tell their stories. In some of our classes last semester, people created posters and handouts using slideshow presentations by changing the size of the “paper.”

Similar to Pages, Keynote can only be useful for collaboration if everyone has an Apple device. If the school uses Mac or iPadOS, then Keynote would be an effective presentation application to use. Although, I believe most students lean towards Google Slides or Prezi for presentations.

 

Google- Slides

Image result for google slides

Google Slides was created in 2006, approximately 20 years after Powerpoint, and just three years after Keynote. It inherited many of the perks that come with being part of the Google empire, and is an easily accessible application for users. It is free with a Google account, which is a manageable standard to meet for anyone with access to technology. Google Slides shares similarities with the other Google applications in that it gives the option of sharing and working simultaneously with others. It also is available on any device, and refreshes instantly, eliminating the hassle around switching devices and updating versions on a USB every time an edit is made. This allows groups to collaborate easily, even from afar. There are also applications available for IOS, Android, Windows, and Blackberry which increases accessibility. Google slides has some catch-up to do regarding their bells and whistles, aka transitions and effects. The design is still sufficient for those who want a well laid-out presentation, but someone looking to pull out all the stops might opt for one of the above programs.

As well, media can be embedded into Slides presentations, but videos are limited to Youtube or those saved to your Google Drive. This is slightly more constrictive compared to Powerpoint, where you can embed videos from any source. If these pitfalls are a problem for you, or if the platform is crucial to your presentation, remember that Google Slides is compatible with Powerpoint. This means that you can collaborate and create with your Google project, then convert it to a Microsoft presentation if needed. This process works vise versa if you do not have internet connection or prefer to do your work on Powerpoint, before converting it into a Slides presentation. 

Overall, Google Slides is a solid option for creating presentations, whether they are for professional or leisure reasons.

A Bit Sad… (Un Pò Triste)

March 10, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This past week, I started learning the words to a song called “Pensare Male” by The Kolors & Elodie. It is an Italian pop song that I chose randomly from the “Hit Italiano” playlist on spotify, and I decided to examine its lyrics. My understanding is that the song is about a complicated relationship, where the singer doesn’t quite know how his love interest feels about him. There is quite a bit of vocabulary that I am not familiar with, so I will have to continue this project in future weeks.

To be completely honest, I am again having trouble staying inspired to study my Italian. The last week was an emotional one for me, so I am trying to recover my motivation and get back on track with my projects. Because of this, my progress has been nothing more than steady, and while I want to push myself, I know I am not capable of anything more at the moment. I will soon, however, be back to my regularly scheduled ambition

In other news, I heard that the CODVID-19 virus has caused all of Italy to be quarantined as of today, so there is a high probability that my trip will be cancelled, unfortunately.

I apologize that this is not the most optimistic blog post, but such is life, and it is important to acknowledge the difficult situations as well as the happy ones. While each day presents its respective challenges, I have an amazing support system backing me and I know it will be rewarding to push through.

Image result for Pensare male The Kolors

Inquiry Teaching in Action (EdTech 5)

March 3, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This week our tech class visited George Jay Elementary school to talk with Rebecca Bathurst Hunt, who is known on some social media platforms as “The Inquiry Teacher.” I really enjoyed her insights into inquiry learning since it is a topic that interests me. As well, her level of commitment to her learners over the curriculum is a breath of fresh air, because teachers are often rigid about their curriculum and try to conform their class to the predetermined material. While there are certain competencies teachers must send their students away with at the end of the year, there are many paths to these skills, and different learners will understand these

Her classroom was incredible, and is how I wish my theoretical kindergarten classroom would look like. She did tell us, though, that it took her years of teaching to accumulate the supplies, which she mostly bought with her own money. The amount of effort and time she put in is inspiring, and had me wishing for my own room to decorate. The natural colours and materials, and the things that reflect students’ lives and environments were very fitting and provided a beautiful environment to work and play in.

I also like the stories Rebecca shared, which were about learning and growth and curiosity, which give students a model of creativity to follow if needed. The celebration of individualism was amazing, and showed clearly around the classroom that she cared for each student. Seeing Rebecca talk about her experiences, teaching philosophies, and pedagogy was very inspiring and I enjoyed this experience.

 

 

 

Italia, Mi Manchi GiĂ  (Italy, I Miss You Already)

March 3, 2020 / / 0 Comments

My Italian practices are continuing to go well, and I am proud that I have been able to keep my momentum. I do not think, however, that I will be able to finish Duolingo by the end of this class. I did not look at the amount of lessons when I set this goal, which is silly of me, but there happens to be a vast array of lessons. This is fantastic, but it is unrealistic to say I will finish them since it is an entire language I am attempting to learn.

A few days ago, a woman came into my work, and I discovered that she speaks Italian while we were chatting. We tried to speak, and I could understand her, but my spoken Italian was not great. I always find myself wanting to respond in French, which I know much better than Italian. She suggested an Italian own bakery in town, so perhaps I will pay the owner a visit, using my Italian as an excuse… I also am currently studying a song from my Italian playlist, which is very interesting, but still in the works.

There is a potential wrench trying to fling itself into my plans regarding this inquiry, and it is called Coronavirus. I am trying to stay positive, but there have been outbreaks in Italy, and flights cancelled due to this relentless ailment. This may force my family to cancel our trip, which would be incredibly disappointing for myself as well as my family. We have talked about postponing and going somewhere else, but I won’t likely be able to use my hard-earned Italian skills. I plan to continue my studies in hopes of having a purpose for them soon, but my family’s safety is paramount in this situation. Regardless of the outcome, I will be grateful for this experience, and hope to take this skill far.

Manarola, Italy

Photo by Jack Ward on Unsplash

Italy, I don’t know you yet, but I want to…

EdTech Inquiry 4: Word Processing

March 1, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Microsoft – Word

Microsoft has one of the most well known word processing formats on the globe, Microsoft Word. Word was first developed in 1983 and has since been updated many times to increase proficiency and encourage businesses and schools everywhere to use it. As I discussed last week, Word is by far my favourite Microsoft application in terms of easy usability. I am very fortunate as a Uvic student to get Microsoft products for free. 

Similarly to other word processing applications, Microsoft Word has a variety of helpful tools such as spelling and grammar corrector, speech recognition, inserting pictures, typefaces, special codes, tables, graphs, word art, and many other things to assist the user in making documents. In addition to tools, word has 30 different templates to make a document for any purpose. A few of the most popular templates include note taking, calendar, cover letter, resume, brochure, flyer, and menu. 

Word also allows for easy collaboration amongst peers and our professors often ask us to submit word files so they can add track changes to grade our work. One of the downsides to Microsoft Word is to collaborate, users must all have word on their computers, and since a lot of people are making the switch to Apple, using word is challenging since Apple comes with a different word processing app. 

 

Apple – Pages

Pages is Apple’s native word processing application. Pages was first released in 2005 and is compatible with both macOS and iOS devices. Pages allows for easy collaboration between Apple devices, which could encourage students to share work and make group assignments easier. Pages has pre-set templates that include note-taking, resumes, CVs, and letters. For projects, students could create brochures using one of the templates provided or create posters for presentations. 

As I spoke about last week, Pages has a very user-friendly interface. Once students are taught how to use the application, they will be able to create many different projects and use the word-processor as a versatile educational tool. Students could choose to use one of the pre-set templates or use their creativity to create one of their own. 

The benefits of Pages are seen in an all Mac or Apple environment. As the collaboration only works between Apple devices, so, if the school uses Macs as their primary operating system, Pages would be the best word-processing application. 

 

Google- Docs

Google Docs was launched in 2006 and is compatible with any device connected to the internet including smartphones. Google also launched an IOS app in 2014 to make Docs more portable and accessible to smartphone users. This app can be used offline, and is compatible with Microsoft Word. A big perk of Google Docs is that it saves automatically if the device is connected to the internet, so users have no need to worry about losing their work

Google Docs also has many templates to choose from, to help those who are not confident formatting. These include but are not limited to resume, letter, recipe, and project proposal templates. 

As I mentioned previously, Google Docs provides the opportunity for simultaneous collaboration between users, making group work manageable even at a distance. There is also a voice-typing option. I have not yet explored the accuracy of the voice- typing, but it is a great way to boost accessibility. Docs also has spell check, which can prevent students from making some basic syntax errors.

These blog posts happen to be written on Google Docs, actually.

Musings 3 (In the Thick of it)

February 27, 2020 / / 0 Comments

I have tried to learn the F bar chord, but it is still a struggle for me, so I think I will need to change that on my music growth plan. If I had known it was a bar chord when I set the requirements I would have discluded it. I did find alternate chords for Hallelujah, so I will use these to learn instead

There is also the song “Fragile” by Cooper and Gatlin, that I have found myself practicing just because I like the song instead of my chosen songs. If it works as a replacement in my growth plan, I might enjoy learning this song instead of one of the others I chose.

As the semester progressed, and with a heavier workload outside of school requirements, I found myself falling behind with practice. I really enjoy this project, and practicing my instrument, but it becomes difficult when I don’t have much time at home. Guitar is not the most portable instrument when one’s primary form of transportation is public transit and walking. I actually had to drop a shift at work starting at the end of February because I became a bit overwhelmed, but I’m hoping that I will be able to catch up quickly. 

I am hopeful in my ability to learn guitar and sing, which is my main goal, but my chord transitions are not as clean as I would like them yet. Last class, I switched instruments with Sarah, which I really enjoyed, but I also learned the joys of a smaller fretboard. While my hands are not too small for a full sized guitar, I do not have the longest of fingers, and wouldn’t mind giving them a break by  playing a miniature gutar. 

(A note regarding my growth plan is that I did not put on the capo for Stand By Me, because the key worked better for me.)

 

Here is a video of me playing Stand By Me

And here is the pentatonic scale

Musings 2

February 27, 2020 / / 0 Comments

As I mentioned in the previous post, I am learning to play the guitar. This is a daunting but exciting venture for me, as I have wanted to learn the instrument for quite some time, and have tried before (unsuccessfully). So far, it has not been as much of a learning curve as I thought it would be, thanks to my musical background. Because I love to play music, and learn songs on the piano, I am trying to do the same on the guitar, which is difficult since I am entering this project with no recollection of any guitar chords. I have, however, played ukulele, and remember the chords in the key of C.

An obstacle for me is that I am very busy with my other job, so there are three evenings a week where practicing is almost impossible. It is also difficult to keep my nails short, as I would normally chop them off and not worry too much, but I am doing some modelling this semester, so my nails need to look nice. This is probably the most difficult part of the process, as my nails grow very quickly.

Nonetheless, I intend to use this opportunity to its full potential. I am a very musical person, so I would like to be able to play and sing on guitar, and eventually perform from guitar (this is something I currently do from the keyboard). I unfortunately have not had the time lately, but I like to express myself through songwriting, which I would also love to do from the guitar.

I am currently learning chords in the keys of G, D, and A, and will soon start practicing the pentatonic scale. I may have to modify this goal, though, since I learned that F is a bar chord and I highly doubt I will be able to successfully play a bar chord during this term.

I hope that I start to build up some muscle memory, as well, so that I can play without looking at the fretboard. Everything considered, this venture is going well, and I hope to continue with my progress.

Imparare con la Musica (Learning with Music)

February 18, 2020 / / 0 Comments

I took a day trip to Vancouver this last weekend, by myself. This involved many hours on public transit, so I downloaded an Italian pop playlist which I listened to during the hour and a half I bused and trained into town (and for some time on the way back). This experience was interesting and encouraging, and overall positive. I do not expect myself to understand everything songs are saying, as even sometimes in English I do not fully register song lyrics the first time (or until I look them up), however, I could make out the words. What I mean by this is that I heard a word, but did not yet understand it. I picked out words here and there and got the gist of some of the songs, showing me that I am capable of training my ear to understand authentic Italian.

Though this will not be instantaneous, and may not even happen before June, with practice and the acquisition of new vocabulary I will be able to understand spoken and sung Italian. I think one thing that will help me is to look up the lyrics of the songs so I can read what they are saying, and learn the vocabulary, so that I know what these words sound like spoken. The next step I would take, once I learn a song, would be to learn how to sing it. This will help with my accent and fluidity in speaking. 

I am enjoying challenging myself, because it helps me to continue my practice in a refreshing way. This experience did help to motivate me, and these steps I laid out will be my next challenge.

 

February 18, 2020 / / 0 Comments

In our previous class, Jesse Miller talked to us about digital literacy and privacy around social media. This involved an interesting yet daunting conversation about how social media platforms conduct business with companies for marketing and advertising purposes. They do this through the use of data found in photos, and other information recorded by devices. The app SnapChat even saves photos that users do not send. These facts would be alarming to many, but are hidden in lengthy terms of service and brushed over with complicated language. The part of this conversation which shocked me the most is when Jesse said that if you have a Samsung phone and tv, the devices will talk to each other, and know if you are paying attention to what is on the tv or not. As well, they can monitor your online activity and mold ads and commercials to your taste. To be honest, this is slightly unsettling for me, so I’m glad that I don’t have a Samsung phone.

It is interesting to me that time limits on technology determined to be appropriate for children by researchers continue to change as culture shifts. This reveals this number to be flexible and dependent on different factors. As well, the ever-increasing amount of screen time that is deemed acceptable implies that children are not negatively affected by technology to the extent stated previously. As Jesse said, it is about the quality of purpose rather than the quantity of use. I appreciated his statements regarding social media content and how it can affect job placements, because I am aware of this, but others may not be. I did not know, however, that lawyers can access private archives from social media if there is a legal case, or warrant to search someone’s history or communications. 

Presently, anything can be recorded and people need to be conscious about their actions on and offline. While this conversation can be scary, I aim to live in a way that I have fun, but I don’t have a reason to hide anything. Rather than being fearful of living life, I think we should all be conscious of our humanity, and do our best. I think our society is starting to accept this more as the standard since it is harder to feign perfection when anyone has the ability to publicly call you out (purposefully or inadvertently). This class gave me the opportunity to think critically about my online activity, and I really appreciate Jesse’s insight.

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