Author: gurkiratd

Various applications for coding

On November 26, 2019

In Audio Editing, Coding, EdTech, Reflections, Screen Capture, Video Editing

Last class, we had the grateful opportunity of having Rich McCue come into our class and do a short lesson of many apps we can use to learn coding. The first coding application we had a chance to use was Scratch which is great app for younger learners. I myself didn’t try this application myself but I got to view other students who were using this. The app didn’t really seem too appealing for me to use because the site seemed pretty bare and didn’t catch my attention. The coding application that I did use was Grasshopper. This app very animated and easy to use for beginners. It has a tutorial mode where it allows a user to go through steps in order to learn all the functions. A user can only proceed to the next step if they correctly perform all the right functions in the current step. This app is very accessible and is available on iOS and Android apps. I was able to follow along consistently and learning important information on different methods of coding. It also introduced me to short cuts when coding to save time in the future once I get the hang of it. I definitely recommend this application to individuals who want to get into coding.

We also had tech presentations where students present technologies that may aid in learning for students. We had a chance to sign up for a technology application at the beginning of the semester, use this app consistently and now present your experience with it. The main focus of this assignment was to get us students discovering technology applications that may improve pedagogy when we become teachers. We could present these applications in groups, pair or as solo individuals. Presentations that caught my attention were Coach’s Eye, Sky Safari and Flipaclip. These are very fascinating apps and I am curious to see how I can implement these as a teacher so I will be conducting further research on these. My tech inquiry is on MyFitnessPal, which is an app that tracks the diet and workouts of users.

Robots for learning?

by gurkiratd

On November 15, 2019

In EdTech, Multimedia Learning Theory, Open Pedagogy, Reflections, Screen Capture, Virtual Reality

Today in class, we had the opportunity to be inside a video conference room where we explored the different pedagogical methods to access learning. Video conferencing is a necessity for those students who are immobile or physically incapable of making it to a class. It is also a great learning tool for those students who don’t have access to university classes because they live in rural environments. The cameras of the room are very smart and zoom into the speaker so the viewers can directly see the speaker. The conference room provides a real life experience to the viewer who can access all the information from the comfort of their home.

We had a chance to see an actual robot type camera called Beam which has humanistic features. It has sensors all around so it is able to move around classrooms and buildings with the help of a human remotely controlling it. It is very accessible and provides high definition live video capture to the viewers. I can definitely see it being used in homes where students aren’t able to make it to class. Instead of the district hiring a private teacher to come into the student’s home, this provides the same service. This significantly reduces the cost since private teachers which are expensive and now one teacher can teach multiple students in their homes with the help of these robots. As time goes on, technology is increasing and we need to take advantage of it to enhance pedagogy to students.

Catch up time

by gurkiratd

On November 15, 2019

In Free Inquiry, Personal Learning Networks, Reflections

Last class, we had the opportunity to sign up for our Ed Tech inquiries that we are presenting. Most groups are presenting their tech inquiry projects next week so they had the chance to work on them this class. Our tech inquiries can be in groups, pairs or solo presentations and the required time is based upon the amount of group members. I chose to do my tech inquiry alone because I feel that for the topic I chose, I would work best solo. I chose to do mine on fitness apps, particularly MyFitnessPal. This app can be used in multiple methods of pedagogy in high schools since it can be accessed through smart phones, laptops, iPads, etc. For a class like PHE which now includes the health aspect of fitness, it is a wonderful app because it allows students to track their diet and daily caloric intake. It keeps a record of what a student eats throughout the day and makes it very easy to track the food. It also allows students to track their physical activity and estimates how many calories are burned. It keeps a record log of the activities done each day including the number of steps a user takes. It’s an amazing app to incorporate in a classroom and allow students to use to show display learning.

Minecraft

by gurkiratd

On November 1, 2019

In Gaming, Learning Design, Reflections

Today we had the opportunity to meet a few grade 8 students and their teacher who are all avid users of Minecraft. We had a chance to explore Minecraft Education Edition on the lab computers and were able to view other users playing. While we played, the students walked around and offered help to anyone that needed it. They also taught us a little tips that would accelerate our learning about the game. These students seemed very passionate about the game and most have been playing it since a very young age. They shared their experiences with the Minecraft and how it helped them in school since it is a digital tool that is being used more often.

They taught us applications of the game and how we can implement it in classrooms as an educator. For one, it allows students to view a realistic type world where they roam and explore but from a fictional perspective. This game can be used to teach students about agriculture because they are able to grow their own garden and cultivate it. I visualize this game being used for math because it facilitates students to learn about the different axises in a 3 dimensional world. They learn how to navigate the world using the x, y and z axis. This game allows them to experience the dimensions visually which is a far more effective method than simply taking down notes in a traditional math class. This game offers the kinesthetic aspect of learning dimensions because they are physically playing the game.

The game has many modes in which they can play. The game has an educational mode where the players explore and just get to the know world better. They don’t have to worry about surviving or hunting. This method has far more restrictions because it is meant more for learners. The game has a survival method where you have health points and need to keep them up to stay alive. This includes surviving by hunting animals for food and by growing seeds which become plants you can eat. Players have the ability to die and respawn in a predetermined location. The last mode is the creative mode where everything goes and there aren’t many restrictions. Here, you could build where and how much you want. Basically, you get to be an ultimate creator in this world.

“Minecraft Castle” by Mike_Cooke is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

EdCamp

by gurkiratd

On October 25, 2019

In Learning Design, Reflections

Today in class, we had Valerie introduce EdCamps to us which are essentially work shops set up by students all around the world. How it works is participants choose a topic they would like to talk about or know more about and they write it down on a sticky note. The notes are then posted on a board where participants each have 3 votes on which topic they would like to see being discussed. The top topics that receive the most amount of votes become discussions that are being held at different places but at the same time. Participants are able to choose which topic they would like to be apart of and are allowed to get up and switch to a different discussion whenever they choose. The purpose of these EdCamps is to get individuals involved around topics in Education so that they may be able to share their experiences or learn new pedagogy attributes they would like to incorporate. It allows individuals who are from all different parts of the community such as teachers, parents, students, and principles all to connect with one another. The great thing with EdCamps is that there is no lead talker so everyone gets a chance to speak and share. The EdCamps are held on Saturdays and are open to the general public so anyone can attend.

In our class, we had the opportunity to set up our own mini EdCamp. The three topics that received the most votes were creating inclusive classrooms, mindfulness of students and experiences with our favourite high school teachers. The discussion that I chose to be apart of was elaborating on our experiences with our favourite high school teachers. Every individual in the group had a chance to share their experience and a key point that was similar to everyones story was that a teacher had gone out of their way and made the student feel appreciated. The teacher stood out because they were able to view the student as more than just a student. They were able to connect on a different level and create that positive student teacher relationship that students will be remember for a very long time. Personally, my favourite teacher was able to see potential in me that no other teacher could. He knew that I was capable of giving more effort but was just hanging around with the wrong crowd so I didn’t really take school seriously. I was succeeding academically but would put in minimal effort when it came to participating in the class. This EdCamp session in class really allowed me to reflect on the main reason I am here today, as a Biology graduate and now an aspiring teacher.

Class Reflections

by gurkiratd

On October 24, 2019

In Collaboration and Community Engagement, EdTech, Personal Learning Networks, Reflections, Working Collaboratively

Last class, we had the opportunity to reflect back on our last two classes and share any key points we took away. We had got into groups of three and were able to voice our opinions on what we thought of with Jessy visiting and us visiting PSII. We elaborated on a bit of what Jessy talked about which was internet safety and security. Although we all loved his presentation, we had some mixed views on how far was taking it too far with posting pictures on the web. One example that came up was “Should parents be allowed to post milestone pictures of their child on social media?” We had a brief discussion wether that property belonged to the child or is it the ownership of the parents since they are the guardian until legal age. We had a chance to share our discussion with the class afterwards. Several questions were being asked about the topics of discussion which was pleasant to see since everyone was engaging. After out reflections, we had a chance to work on our tech projects since most students are doing theirs in groups of 4. This class provides them with time to work collaboratively with their group members instead of struggling to find a time outside of class.

PSII Visit

by gurkiratd

On October 13, 2019

In EdTech, Personal Learning Networks, Reflections

Today we had the chance to visit Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry (PSII) and hear a bit of their experience as an advanced school. The way the pedagogy is set up at the school is in a way that tailors to the learning of the students. It offers a personalized education experience where the responsibility is all on the students since all their learning is inquiry based. It puts the students in the driver’s seat of their own learning because they get to choose what they would like to learn about and think of inquiry questions to explore their idea. They then take a number of steps where they research around their questions and revise them afterwards.

I found that school very inspiring because I would like to implement a few of their strategies as a teacher myself. I would love to allow my students to explore different inquiry questions in the given subject and self-pace their own learning. I found it really interesting how Jeff Hopkins, the founder and principal of the school, was talking about how there are no traditional classrooms or lecturing. The teachers act more like tutors to help guide the students with inquiry in their own topic rather than lecture for an hour about a topic the students have no interest in. Also, all the students that attend want to be there as opposed to being forced there by their parents. I strongly feel this independent school should be funded equally as the public schools but unfortunately, they get less than half the funding. I think that independent schools like PSII are the future and that should be implemented in all countries across the world that have the adequate resources.

Privacy and Security Class

by gurkiratd

On October 13, 2019

In EdTech, Personal Learning Networks, Reflections

Today we had Jessy, guest speaker in the class talk to us about the potential dangers of posting material on social media. He explained that teachers should not be having any type of relationship with their students on social media from their personal account as it goes against the teacher’s ethics. He discussed previous incidents that had occurred where teachers had been wrongfully using their mobile devices while connected to the school’s web server. For example, a teacher in a BC school was using her teaching time to online shop on a regular basis and wasn’t using the web for educational services so she was disciplined accordingly. Jessy explained how we should be more vigilant with our online activity at school and told us about some potential risks to watch out for. He also made it aware of the steps I should take as a teacher if I see a student at a restaurant while I am having a few drinks. He explained that a student seeing a teacher drink in a public place like a restaurant can be unprofessional and may hurt the teacher’s image.

Jessy definitely taught me a vast amount about internet security and how to properly use the web as a public figure in the community. His presentation got me thinking of all the potential things I could be doing or would do in the future that could put me at risk of being publicly exposed. That presentation was one of my all-time favourites and taught me so much that a regular class or document could not. Jessy will be one of my go to contacts if I have any questions regarding etiquette web usage within schools or social media use. He seems like a very knowledgeable individual who will only give the best and most appropriate advice possible.

Multimedia Applications

by gurkiratd

On October 13, 2019

In EdTech, Multimedia Learning Theory, Reflections

Today we had the opportunity to have Rich McCue come in again and help teach the class along with his intern student. He had a small little workshop for our class planned and it worked out really well. He went over 3 really impressive applications on a desktop that could be used as multimodal resources in classrooms. The first application he went over was iMovie which is used for editing videos and creating slideshows. I recently just had the chance to work with this app for another class, EDCI 352, where we learn about multimodal pedagogies. One of the assignments asked us to make a short 90 second clip introducing ourselves and this was made possible by iMovie. Although I had a brief understanding about this app, Rich was able to show me useful features that existed beyond my expertise.

The second app we learned about was Audacity which is an audio editing application meant to make podcasts. Although I listen to many podcasts, I’m not fond of making any myself and do not know the procedure behind it. It was really interesting to discover all the methods this application can be used for including strictly recording your voice and later using that for a voice over clip.

The last app we had a chance to explore was Screencastify which might be one of the most useful applications I have ever came across for teaching. This app is used as a plug in for google chrome browser and is used for voicing yourself over a screen recording. Rich was able to expand on the all the apps different features and its limitations for free usage. I can totally picture myself using this app for lessons in biology as it would serve as a wonderful tool to help students when they can’t make it to classes. This app would allow me to explain the concepts of the course while being shown with audio and video. For students that are struggling, I can work at home after school and answer any questions they have by screencasting my work over my laptop and emailing it to them.

WordPress Tutorial

by gurkiratd

On October 13, 2019

In EdTech, Learning Design, Reflections

We had Rich McCue come in today and explain to us a how WordPress.com works and all the different features it has to offer. He discussed the differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org which I had no idea they were two completely different platforms. Rich showed us how to make a wordpress.com site and how to host it on a Canadian server which is open etc. We had a chance to play around with our site, customizing the themes and playing around with the toolbar. I can view WordPress being a very useful application to blog about my experiences as a teacher which may be helpful for other teachers. This site would contain no personal information about students but rather the activities and lessons we do in our class. This way, parents are able to be informed about what their child is learning about and the different topics we cover in the classroom. Since OpenETC is a Canadian server, no information is stored outside the country ensuring that the information is being stored in a safer manner.

After we had a chance to make our own wordpress accounts to document our reflections and blogs for the EdTech class, we were introduced to Trello which is an online website that acts as your daily planner. This website has a section where you can insert your to-do list and categorize it in ways to show whether it’s in progress or is completed. This website is an amazing resource for a teacher because it allows them to visually see how a student is planning their assignments and studying for a particular class. The teacher can also go in and comment on the parts where the student may be excelling in or may need assistance with. I can picture myself using this website as an educator to monitor my student’s schedules to better provide them the antiquate learning they need. As an alternate to planners, Trello can be accessed online through many devices such as a smartphone and is portable so students don’t have to carry around an extra booklet to plan their work.