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Digital Bubbles

March 22, 2020 / Trevor Hood / 1 Comment

Bubbles “Bubbles” by blondinrikard is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Digital Bubbles as an Educator

What is the writer trying to sell and what are they wanting you to buy? Why would the writer frame the subject into an untruthful context, and how do you know if the writer is being truthful? Personally, I start with this frame of mind by asking myself these questions when reading content online. In a digital world where information moves quickly, and the phrase “Fake News” is an oxymoron to truth, finding multiple sources on a topic and understanding the writer’s motivation in covering the topic allows the reader to get a bigger picture of the story.

On January 8th, 2020, Ukrainian flight 752 was shot down in Iran. In the next 24 hours there was denial from the Iranian government and accusations from foreign entities outside of Iran that the plane was shot down. In my Science 9 class on January 10th, I showed students the English newspaper website the Tehran Times, and the news website in the United States called CNN. With both sites contradicting the events which occurred, we expanded our research into other news organizations such as The Guardian based in the United Kingdom and press the release from the Canadian government stated on CBC news. I then asked my students who is telling the truth? What story are they wanting you to buy, and why without giving my own personal thoughts on the subject. Over the weekend, with overwhelming evidence supplied by Iranian citizens with video from phones and American satellite detection of two missile launches from the Iranian military base, the Iranian government admitted fault. Having students consider the motivation of people in creating false narratives, and how to process information as to truth and untruth is an important digital literacy skill set students need to be exposed to.

Howard Rheingold’s online book on Crap Detection 101, provides a variety of supportive tips and strategies on determining if a source is valid or not. If I was to pass one piece of information from the article to my students, it would be asking yourself if you can find three reliable, separate, sources of information which validate the context of information. By having separate sources of information, it helps avoid confirmation bias where a website might hide the validity of their information by hyperlinking their sources of information to alternative false narratives. Mr Rheingold’s book also presents how alternative sources of information such as Twitter are being used to help validate what is happening in the real world, as was evident with Ukrainian flight 752.

Digital Bubbles influencing the Digital Project

Reading through my peers’ blogs have added to my understanding of how my group project can be improved upon. Through peer review of digital tools with my online cohort, it allows a filtering of online tools that can be helpful and supportive in addition to the context in which they can be used. Following the progress of our project, we initially used Ice cream Screen Recorder software in recording our brainstorming sessions, but we found the 5 minute video recording limitation challenging. We then switched to using screenshot software built into a group member’s Mac Book. However, not having a Mac book myself poses a challenge into the type of screen capturing software that I can use with a PC. OBS Studio is free to download, and has been used by Andrew Vogelsang in our cohort in creating screen capture content for his Digital Project.

Below you can find my own introduction video on OBS Studio in which I captured some of the digital tools we are using in our digital project.

OBS Software Intro Use by Trevor Hood is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

In context with communication, we have been using the Blue Jeans software in collaborating with each other, Slack when we aren’t video conferencing, and shared Google Docs. There are various alternative social media tools we could have used instead, but I feel we made a decision in using these tools for the following reasons:

User accounts are already set up and established on Slack, making it easy for group members to continue with the same social media platform
Blue Jeans and Slack platforms were introduced to us when we started our master’s program through our professor which set familiarity and prior knowledge
Google Docs being extensively used in prior research projects and with previous professors in providing and sharing information

Trello was also useful in organizing information and setting up project deadlines with the possibility of a greater capacity in its use. Notably, this was another digital tool that was introduced to us earlier in our master’s program.

In general, the tools that have been introduced to me in the master’s program have been implemented; therefore, I can conclude the main filter in making choices on the use of digital tools is the professional learning community in the University of Victoria Education and Technology master’s program.

Digital Bubbles and Students

It is unrealistic to expect students from kindergarten to grade twelve to use the same digital tools we are implementing in creating our digital project. There are lots of options as to how our students can communicate using digital media platforms, as various schools have alternative hardware and software tools at their disposal. Our group is focusing on students creating a ‘How to’ video on their personal learning with respect to the creation of Rube Goldberg machines. With a grade five target audience, we want the digital material created to follow the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Notably there are opportunities to share content online such as using Fresh Grade, where parents can review digital profiles and video content of their child’s learning while still making online content private and only accessible to parents or the teacher. Overall, the software tools that can be used must meet guidelines in protecting the privacy of students.

Final Thoughts

Considering how our world is moving into an online environment, and possibly more so in the next few months as the world struggles to contain the coronavirus, I have been fortunate in already being exposed to online learning as a student. In the upcoming month it will be interesting to see if there is a possibility of switching roles from being a student to being a teacher, and if I will have the option of choosing which digital tools that I would like to use in engaging my students.

Adding some Cement to Digital Storytelling

March 15, 2020 / Trevor Hood / 4 Comments

Personal Reflection

“Networking” by punQtum is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The coronavirus is creating a catalyst in implementing distance learning opportunities through technology for both educators and learners. We are fortunate to have a distance education program that helps support a model of distance education in which someone like myself, a high school classroom teacher, can find alternative ways of engaging with students. With uncertainty in the air of the possibility of not returning into the classroom after spring break, it makes sense to start thinking of how one can prepare for an alternative learning environment conducted from home. At the present time, my digital storytelling project idea is on my own journey on how I can create a learning community from home.

I presently have five courses, but decided to focus my journey in preparation for my Life Science 11 course. For synchronous communication, I am considering the use of Zoom as I like the hands-up feature and the ease of use in creating break-out rooms for students to communicate with each other. Notably, the University of Victoria on their website has gone with Blackboard Collaborate for professors to continue with their instruction, which has similar features. It goes to show there are multiple alternative for video conference software at an educator’s disposal.

Colleagues in the master’s course have also considered asynchronous communication through video casts, podcasts, Flipgrid for student output activities and Kahoot as a tool in formative assessment. As well, setting up a website that brings all of the links and resources together sets up a foundation for students to start. Google Classroom appears to be a strong option, and am fortunate to have a colleague who has created a flipped classroom with the use of this software. It appears that digital content is easy to upload and share with students. However, my colleague did suggest to use avatars, or pseudonyms for student identity to meet the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPOP) guidelines set by the B.C. Ministry of Education.

Group Project Reflection

Currently, we are deciding on how to integrate all of our own digital stories under one roof, and how we will make it easy for others to navigate through our stories. Our overall theme is in creating “How to videos” on creating digital online learning experiences. We are communicating on how to coordinate through the social media app called Slack, and using Trello as our platform for organizing tasks. The initial phase of brainstorming took place through a shared Google Docs. It allows all members to read, reflect, and contribute ideas on the direction to take. Presently, we have been using our Google Docs much more than Trello. It will be interesting to see which software tools are going to be used or discarded. Tomorrow we plan to use the video conference platform called Blue Jeans Network for recording our brainstorming session. This will be our second session conferencing together. Our first session was approximately thirty minutes, but I feel it was very productive as it gave multiple perspectives on some of the problems we were facing, such as how to present content to the audience, our overall theme for digital storytelling, and setting up goals with dates in place to collaborate in the future. With that last note about the future, I am looking forward to seeing our ideas build into something more concrete.

Digital Storytelling: The Beginning!

March 8, 2020 / Trevor Hood / 3 Comments

“Camera and I” by jeshua.nace is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

First impressions

I am looking forward to the EDU 572 course, as I feel it focuses on using digital learning tools in contrast to writing literature reviews. I am hoping that I can apply what I learn in this course towards my final project, which is the creation of a website between two remote communities.

Personal Experiences

Recently, I have transitioned into Google Docs as a way to share and store information for teaching in the classroom, but also find it a useful tool for my students. Earlier this week two of my students, without guidance, decided to use Google Docs in completing their research topic on digital formats in which both individuals were able to synchronously edit the shared document. As well, I was quite surprised how a few of my grade 10 students created a synchronous document for the purpose of writing HTML and CSS code for the creation of a website, again without any guidance or support from me. Overall, I am amazed what students can do when they collaborate together and use digital tools through self discovery or from their peers.

This school year I am teaching three new courses; Digital Media 8, Information and Communications Technologies 9, and Web Development 10. All of which have brought me into a steep learning curve of HTML coding, CSS coding, Javascript, and the use of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC’s) to teach the curriculum. Code.org and Khan Academy are two open online courses that I have adapted into a blended learning environment into my classroom.

As well, all of my learning and collaboration with colleagues has mostly been through phone apps, and synchronous video classrooms that are all new to me. Since we started in July 2019, I am feeling more comfortable to speak my thoughts with little worry of embarrassment of criticism.

Moving Forward

I am unsure right now how as a group which direction we are going to take with digital storytelling, or which technology tool will be the most optimal. Presently, I am biased towards learning more about Flip grid and using it as a tool for students to create short digital videos that relate to content in my Life Science 11 course. A peer in our cohort has already used the tool, and from listening to her experiences students can have an alternative communication forum outside of the classroom. However, I want to keep an open mind on considering how podcasts or alternative software platforms can also be used in our group. My colleagues all have varied experiences with teaching the Applied Design, Skills and Technology portion of the BC curriculum. Finding a common theme to build our digital story is a unique opportunity to grow and apply new skills into the real world. Setting myself up with creating a larger digital presence in virtual learning spaces for my students can optimally help support them outside of the classroom and connect young people to a greater community.

Are Open Peer Review Journals Viable?

January 12, 2020 / Trevor Hood / 0 Comments

“Dollfie Handcuff” by gordon (TD8316) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

From reading Marc Couture’s article on Academic Publishing at a Crossroads, it sets the tone of asking ourselves if open peer review and peer review journals are the new future of publications? Marc explains to the reader that there is a shift by large publishing houses in using an open access model. Publication houses are changing from a subscription revenue model and instead moving towards article processing fees (APC) which the author pays directly, partially, or fully by supporting institutions or grants received. As well, we are seeing alternative initiatives in providing open access content to the public.

Students and faculty members enrolled in a Canadian university have reading access to publications through online subscription fees paid by their educational institution. As a master’s student at the University of Victoria, our library is part of the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CKRN) which helps secure digital access to publications, advocates for Canadian researchers, and to support a digital infrastructure for preserving heritage documents. However, such costs for an individual who wants independent learning or for educational institutions that can’t burden the costs for access sets up barriers for learning.

One suggestion is creating an open peer review model, where anyone can publish an article in an online journal with review from their peers. Who then decides the individuals who will complete the peer review of the publication? Is it an established educational institution that completes the process, a government agency, or is it general members of the public? In addition, Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva brings a valid point of author confidentiality. The author may not want to be identified during the peer review process in an open access forum, and may prefer a traditional peer review process that has guidelines and boundaries to protect the author’s privacy and confidentiality. Presently, there doesn’t appear to be a conclusive guideline and set of rules for outlining an open peer review process for authors.

Another consideration is the financial cost of having experts in their field complete peer reviews. Some educational institutions are well funded, and have tenured professors on staff with salaries that give individuals paid time to complete reviews. However, on a global platform we have financial inequity, and not all experts have the financial freedom to complete peer reviews or have the same salary system that Canadian universities provide to their professors. The decision to work and provide basic necessities in life or to read an article that gives no financial benefit is the reality that individuals need to face in different countries. In many cases international students who want to be experts in their field or professional academics come to Canada for training and the possibility of staying in Canada due to the financial stability and the support system of the educational institutions found in the country. In the article Academic Salaries and Contracts: What Do We Know? a comparison of salaries involving twenty eight countries identified the United Kingdom, Australia, United States, and Canada as the top countries in which the profession of academics offers the greatest financial security and transparency. In countries that don’t have financial security, professors moonlight outside of their educational institutions to sustain themselves.

However, there is evidence that open access journals can be developed and maintained. There is a very successful consortium open access journals found at the Open Library of Humanities (OLH). The funding model as outlined on their website is a charitable foundation that collects funds from institutional libraries who then pay the costs for publication. The fees are much lower compared to accessing journals from publishing houses. The OLH also received two grants which helped the initiative to get started. Each article published costs about $500, which covers the cost of the staff, maintaining the website, and other expenses related to having the article as open access. All of the participating library institutions in the OLH are notably located in Europe, Canada, the United States, or Australia. All of which have stable educational institutions to support academics. Social equity through open access to scholarship is the main driving force in creating the OLH partnership.

An alternative business model for funding open access is demonstrated by the Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics (SCOAP³). The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is the governing body which collects funding from over 3000 libraries and institutions with over 40 participating countries. Money that previously went directly to publishers is centralized under the consortium, which is then given to pay partner publishers that provide open access to articles. An additional benefit are authors retain copyright over their published work.

Open access may need to be seeded in countries that have the institutional resources or grant funding from wealthy contributors to begin an initiative. An organized system of governance and support staff must also be made available to create an open access system that is also peer reviewed by experts in their field. Open peer review systems are quite new to the publication world, but partnerships are being made from large publishing houses such as Elsevier and scientific institutions such as SCOAP³ in exploring funding solutions that benefit the private and public sector. Overall, it is a step in the right direction in providing equity in education. How it moves forward in academia remains to be seen.

Impacts of Online Learning

December 24, 2019 / Trevor Hood / 0 Comments

In Ontario, the Ministry of Education is making it mandatory for high school students to take at least 2 courses through online learning. Moving forward, deciding on the most effective delivery of instruction through online learning creates a framework in reading articles on best practices, modes of delivery, massive open online courses (MOOC’s), blended models, and overall deciding on the most effective pedagogy for e-learning and supporting theory behind the model delivery.

Mapping Pedagogy and Tools for Effective Learning Design summarizes some of the key theories when delivering an e-learning course. Behaviourism, cognitive theory, constructivist, activity based approach, socially situated learning, experiential, and systems theory are the foundations in basing a design for creating an e-learning platform. The challenge is finding the correct delivery method, the presentation of material, learner engagement, mode of assessment, and the human resources which are available to deliver the curriculum.

An educator who previously worked in Ontario during our online collaboration informed us the Ontario government has already spent money on infrastructure to create an e-learning environment. Students are able to access courses from remote communities that may not have the course being offered in their school. Some of my colleagues from Fort St. James explained the E-BUS program, School District 91 in northern British Columbia, allows their e-learning instructors to visit students in remote communities in person to develop a relationship in order to meet the learning needs of the individual. Presently, I don’t have information on the delivery method that will occur in Ontario for their e-learning course, hoping that learners won’t feel isolated when completing the course.

E-learning can be very effective, but the challenge is to ask oneself if it is effective for every student? The variation of e-learning courses makes it challenging to answer this question, but the potential of meeting the needs of a larger percentage of the population may be a more suitable approach in giving flexibility for students with their education. Students with special learning needs such as mobility, pace of learning, or with social emotional challenges such as being in a classroom setting could find an e-learning environment the only successful choice. Additionally, an e-learning environment not only takes away limits for the learner, but also for the instructor. An example is having a distributed learning environment where synchronous communication can occur with guest speakers and specialists. If the course

One more aspect of the e-learning environment is having effective training for the instructor. Peers in our distributed learning course for our masters program described how there was very little training from finishing their undergraduate degrees in education and then entering the field of distance education. As well, new software management tools need to have a support system for educators to be taught to educators. As outlined by my peers, if no training is provided for using new technology, then the technology isn’t as effective at what it is supposed to do.

In Learning Design and Open Education, the article summarizes that there is still a need for professional development in OER’s and MOOC’s to engage, create, and enhance the learning of students. How governments move forward with consideration to funding models, e-learning theory, and best practices hopefully moves towards meeting the needs of a large proportion of our learners. What happens in Ontario will most likely be analyzed for either the mistakes that are made and for the positive steps that created success.

How Open are Open Educational Resources?

December 14, 2019 / Trevor Hood / 0 Comments

“Technology” by Sephko is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

In the context of Open Educational Resources (OER’s) we are reshaping the world where access is now on a global scale.MIT Open Course ware Initiative presently has 2400 courses, with the most popular course being an Introduction to learning the coding language Python. The privacy and terms of use with all the course content allows the learner or user to download all of the course material with the ability to share and adapt the content. The adaptations allows users to modify content to best suit the needs of their community, such as a language barrier or mode of delivery. EdX is another OER platform which consists of an amalgamation from various educational institutions who provide open access to materials for auditing, but requires a fee for unlimited access to content and for the ability to receive certification.

The question then is what is the purpose of OER’s for the learner? For some the motivation may be self fulfillment and acquiring a new skill set for their own purpose. For others, there may be a need for proof of accomplishment in order to show an employer that a specific skill set has been acquired and assessed by master instructors in their field. Either way, I feel there is room for not only true OER platforms, but a hybridization of having paid content for the learner to receive the benefit of having contact with a real person who is an expert in their field.

One of the challenges with having a true OER framework is the cost of maintaining such a network, maintaining content, and keep material current. Institutions such as MIT, may have the financial backing from tuition fees, private donors, grants, and bursaries that flow into being one of the most prestigious schools in the world as cited by The World University Rankings website. An OER can be created anywhere in the world, but the resources are still needed to create an OER community along with presenting learning objectives that individuals are interested in acquiring. In asynchronous communication through the use of Hypothes.is in which our cohort reviewed the article Reflecting on the Impact of the Open Education Movement. Journal of Learning for Development, comments on how the need for a curating shared resources, and determining if a shared resource has value takes time. Finding a curator and the time needed requires a volunteer or an individual who is employed. Not all master educators have the luxury of having university tenure, institutional support, or have free time because of the need to work for paying the cost of living and raising a family.

My present journey with OERs is the use of code.org, which allows teachers to use the tools and guided activities that are provided by the software. My grade 8 students create a website of their own creation within a three week period learning the basics of HTML and CSS coding. In addition, English is one of the many languages of the software interface that can be chosen, giving the ability for users throughout the world to have open access to the tools in learning how to code. Coding activities are set from preschool to adults who want to improve their skill set. The free course material is updated annually with some of the module offered, thereby reducing the traditional cost schools would have needed for the purchase of new textbooks. However, there is no assessment tool or certification provided by the software. I feel in this realm there is a break between open access and the cost of giving feedback, assessment, and certification from professionals who can check a learner’s progress that determines a level of competency.

OER’s that have either institutional or private funding support have a global impact with the reach of their resources, but do such deep pockets also present an English ethnocentric showcase for viewing how learning itself is presented? In the classroom discussion earlier in the week, our professor highlighted viewpoints about OER’s in South Africa and how many of the creators of such global reaching sites may not reflect the cultural interest of the community. There is a barrier in infrastructure, hardware support, and financial support in comparison to the developed and developing countries. However, the advent of technology itself can be a catalyst for leapfrogging into the 21st century. Vanessa Bates Ramirez’ article on Leapfrogging Tech provides a great summary on the use of OER’s in Africa and how new technology in infrastructure, power grids, health care, and agriculture and open education are being brought to remote communities. Open educational resources are not technically free due to the costs of maintenance and support of the platform, but overall are making waves in improving the overall quality of life for many people in the world into giving guidance to educators and students.

In the first time of my career, I will be teaching three courses based on OER’s to teach website development and coding using Code.org or Khan Academy. My ability to teach coding comes from the same resources the students use in my courses. The reality is to teach new skill sets that are current with 21st century learning, educators need to be learning online. The reality for some teachers is there are no supports, mentors, professional development workshops, or courses in their community that will teach them the knowledge needed to present new curriculum. OER’s have allowed educators and students to acquire new skill sets, but to for them continue to be open without service costs will be up to our society in supporting them through institutional or private funding.

References

Conole, G., & Brown, M. (2018). Reflecting on the Impact of the Open Education Movement. Journal of Learning for Development – JL4D, 5(3). Retrieved from https://jl4d.org/index.php/ejl4d/article/view/314

edX. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.edx.org/

Hypothes.is. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://web.hypothes.is/

Khan Academy: Computer programming. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming

MIT OpenCourseWare. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

Ramirez, Vanessa B. (2018, May 6). Leapfrogging Tech Is Changing Millions of Lives. Here’s How. Retrieved from https://singularityhub.com/2018/05/06/leapfrogging-tech-is-changing-millions-of-lives-heres-how/

World University Rankings. (2019, September 12). Retrieved from https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2019/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats

Educational Technology: Past and Present

December 6, 2019 / Trevor Hood / 0 Comments

The article On the role of openness in education: A historical reconstruction provides the reader a journey into the progression of open education. The authors focused on European events in history on the progression from public lectures, to self education societies, and moving forward into much more organized institutions such as open universities and to the use of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC’s). Many of our school districts in British Columbia have a department that supports distance education through printed modules, online course work, and models where blended learning takes place. Some of my peers in the course use a blended learning model through distance education where there is a 40% face to face component, and a 60% component where students work at home through online website links and inventive online videos.

The various ways one can interact through the use of hardware and software platforms in either synchronous or asynchronous communication can feel limitless, and the progress with new technology entering our lives has changed how one can learn new skill sets. My teenage daughter learns how to apply make-up through Youtube tutorials. In some cases she can watch a live feed and text the presenter questions that can be responded to in a public online forum with other viewers.

Martin Weller, in his article Twenty Years of Edtech takes a look at the more recent progression of educational technology. His article provoked the most discussion with our peers with the following statement:

“Clearly, a rapid and fundamental shift in higher education practice has taken place, driven by technology adoption. Yet at the same time, nothing much has changed, and many ed-tech developments have failed to have significant impact.”

Technology is used in the classroom in a variety of ways, but yet we still have classrooms that overall haven’t changed in structure since my parents attended school. Teachers may use a smartboard, have a document camera, or integrate students the use of computers and the internet to complete research, but such examples are substitutions from using encyclopedias or using an overhead projector with markers. One can argue as a generalization that the fundamentals of how teachers deliver curriculum may not have significantly changed. A computer science teacher in our course from School District 91 suggests a large paradigm shift needs to happen before significant changes occur. An example of such a model can be found at the Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry, where students use an inquiry based model to meet the B.C. Ministry of Education guidelines. The notion of a student following their own path of their design can enable learners to be more invested and creative in their goals. Jeff Hopkins, the founder and principal educator of the school, set the school in a way where students choose what they want to learn for the day, who they want to collaborate with, and where they would like to learn such as various on site school locations or off school site locations.

Another identifier in questioning our ability as educators in delivering curriculum is the overall use of textbooks. Textbooks are static, they don’t change, and the cost of replacing textbooks every few years tends to limit their replacement in publicly funded institutions. Suggestions in making changes in using e-books with open licenses that allow modification, and the supportive technology for students to access material digitally are questions that arise on how we expend resources. Potentially, the ability to share resources unhindered with free license between teacher colleagues may be around the corner. I was impressed upon hearing of a platform called Share Ed BC that has the potential for educators throughout B.C. to share, create, and modify resources in an online professional learning community.

There are changes occuring, but as Weller pointed out you may need to have lots of patience. I am looking forward to being part of those changes.

A Reflection of Summaries

October 15, 2019 / Trevor Hood / 0 Comments

“Park Bench Reflection”by CPSutcliffe is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Over the last week various groups summarized and reflected upon readings from Second Handbook of Information Technology in Primary and Secondary Education, and from The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning. The summaries allowed me to brainstorm alternative possibilities for my final project in the master’s program, and to put layers upon ideas that have started to take motion in moving forward with my final project.

Recently I have been thinking about how collaboration can be successful with students in my classroom with their peers situated at much distance from our own community. How could students in my classroom help build a website collaboratively a peer, make learning relevant to both learners, and create personal meaning for individuals and for their community?

The article on Advanced Principles in Multimedia Learning from the The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning gave some insight on ideas to consider. Presented by Gary, Deirdre, and Andrew, these individuals brought in the three viewpoints on how one can create an environment in which deeper thinking strategies and tools for the learner are provided through multimedia.

The Guided Discovery Learning Principle in Multimedia Learning

The biggest consideration is how much scaffolding, support and guidance does the teacher provide in supporting discovery learning with the application of multimedia. There is no definitive answer on how to proceed, but it does get the educator to think about starting students with a level of success by not making the learning goal too challenging that results in a lack of motivation, or inert drive, for the individual to move forward. With the new B.C. core competencies, there is a move towards collaboration, thinking, working with others, and being creative in a landscape with ever changing content. I agree with the groups thought on how I can consider the aspect of multi-leveled designs to support students. In an inclusive classroom, I would need to set adapted or modified goals that are clear, supportive, and within a framework in which collaboration with peers not only takes place, but is also valued and part of the overall whole.

The Learner Control Principle in Multimedia Learning

The initial goal of the learner control principle was to give the learner more control of their learning which would cause an improvement with engagement. Andrew, Gary and Deirdre made a big note on mentioning that there is very little empirical evidence that it works, but did suggest that the model can work under certain conditions such as a high level of prior knowledge, instructional support, and scaffolding. I feel before attempting a project in which students are engaged with peers from another school through technology, scaffolding of prior knowledge can support the learning relationship between peers. Skill sets such as self regulation, codes of conduct, and providing peer review between individuals could help support the learning activity.

The Collaboration Principle in Multimedia Learning

The greatest amount of reflection came from the information presented to me through the collaboration principle. With the advent of new software and technology, I feel the bridge for students to cross is getting smaller. The key ideas for success with student collaboration is making the activity cognitively challenging but not overwhelming, making sure the flow of information between peers flows without obstructions, and that students share their vision of moving forward when collaboration occurs. Working on a project together, the individuals in the group can break activities into workable units and form the overall whole together. Programs such as Trello and Skype are software possibilities in which I can get students to collaborate with each other and allows coordination of learning.

Also, being aware of some of the pitfalls of collaborative projects such as social loathing, where an individual in a group project decides not to put in the same effort compared to when a project is reliant solely on oneself. Finding adaptations would be necessary in such a case.

Summary

I enjoyed watching the videos and found the summaries quite valuable as a resource guide in exploring concepts such as using technology for assessment, basic principles of multimedia learning, and challenges related to digital equity. The summaries from peers in our course highlight various topics in which further research can set up positive impacts for our learning community as a reader and researcher.

The Big Picture: Models for Including Technology in the Classroom

September 24, 2019 / Trevor Hood / 1 Comment

Using technology in the classroom is what many teachers have incorporated as part of their craft. With the ever changing landscape of software tools and applications, it creates an exciting atmosphere of the possibilities that one can accomplish in the classroom. Incorporating technology has always brought me back to the thoughts of Bloom’s Taxonomy, and how to scaffold towards higher level thinking for learners.

Image courtesy of Jessica Shabatura

I find models have merit in creating a framework for my own pedagogical practice, but feel it is dependent on the practitioner as to which model is the best fit. I feel the SAMR model is dependent on one being a master teacher, whereas the TPACK model is more inclusive towards helping the practitioner understand the multi-faceted relationships that are required to implement technology.

Thoughts on the SAMR Model

Dr. Ruben Puentedura developed a framework for incorporating technology in which one progresses towards greater incorporation and complexity with the use of technology by the following strategy:

Substitution
Augmentation
Modification
Redefinition

In his model Dr. Ruben Puentedura identifies when technology changes from enhancing to transforming the classroom environment. The model sets a framework for an individual to identify and reflect on their own practices where they are in the model.

What the model doesn’t reflect is the instructional design process. In The SAMR Model as a Framework for Evaluating mLearning article, the authors suggest that when developing a unit with the SAMR model you must consider the instructional design process taking into account technical, pedagogical, and management issues.

In a critical review of the SAMR model, authors Erica R. Hamilton, Joshua M. Rosenberg, and Mete Akcaoglu suggest the SAMR model could be more context sensitive, add more layers to the complexity of the various relationships involved with learning, and address instructional design. The authors also highlighted the lack of peer review to analyze the model and various perceptions readers have in the implementation of the model.

The TPACK Model

The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Model provides a multi-dimensional view of learning the SAMR model lacks. The presentation by the authors illustrating a Venn Diagram with Technological, Pedagogical, and Content knowledge surrounded by contexts allows the reader to identify the complexity of including technology in a successful way.

The pertinence between Pedagogical Knowledge (PK) and Content Knowledge (CK) is the most crucial element to master, and what I feel many teachers (including myself) strive for to consider themselves a master teacher and leader. The TPACK model creates a foundational footprint towards being 21st century expert teacher; a person who creates their own path for encapsulating technology into the deeper core of learning in a successful way.

Conclusion

I appreciate how the SAMR model scaffolds technology from a form of enhancement to a transformative element, as it is a useful concept when being mindful of creating new units and lesson plans when teaching. The SAMR model feels more substantial if you layer in Bloom’s Taxonomy as to how you can apply technology into bridging learning communities together. The SAMR model on its own has challenges when addressing pedagogical practice for the practitioner. It is my opinion that an instructor with a strong background in curriculum design and pedagogy could connect the dots in layering the SAMR model with their own prior knowledge.

I feel the TPACK model is overall a more holistic view of education that provides the big picture. It can be more useful than the SAMR model with highlighting how one can grow in their own professional development in their knowledge base. It can allow one to reflect from all 3 spheres and connect towards the interlocking relationships in moving forwards towards incorporating technology effectively.

Media Influences Learning

September 17, 2019 / Trevor Hood / 1 Comment

“media – treated as singular or plural The main means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the Internet) regarded collectively.” defined by Lexico

Personal Experiences with Media and Learning

Seventeen years ago my daughter was born in South Korea. She grew there up to the age of five with both parents being non-native speakers of Korean. My partner’s first language is Indonesian and mine is English. My child went to playgrounds, took Taekwondo, and even joined a pre-school belly dancing classes. However, we created opportunities for her to use media as a learning tool through dependent and independent experiences. From DVD interactive learning games, recordings of Sesame Street, video CD’s of Indonesian children songs, activity books, and story books, my daughter was being prepared for her transition to live in Canada and attend Kindergarten. It is my opinion that media enhances and enriches the lives of individuals and communities. Media has reached its tentacles into many faucets of our life, to the point where children are being exposed to the use of media at younger ages and have digital content specifically targeted to toddlers who can independently navigate content. Toddlers can now video conference with their grandparents using software such as WhatsApp. Their cognitive landscape is altered by the use of media compared to generations past. Media gives the opportunity to make personal connections and experiences without having another individual to be physically in the same space.

My son phoning grandma from Canada to Bali (2 years old)

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Going back 36 years ago to the Present

The Clark-Kozma media Debate pits two individuals on the use of media and learning. In 1983 Richard E. Clark published results that media doesn’t influence learning. From Clark’s follow up article on Media Will Never Influence Learning, Clark frames his argument to the reader in asking, “Whenever you have found a medium or set of media attributes which you believe wilI cause learning for some learners on a given task, ask yourself if another (similar) set of attributes would lead to the same learning result.” It wasn’t until 1991 when Richard Kozma did a literature review of media in relation to learning and concluded that learning can compliment and provide experiences that are unique for the individual.

Technology has changed since 1983 when Clark published his initial findings where online and personalized experiences were non existent. Kozma’s theory has even more public support in the form of mandates and courses outlined by provincial governments to include media and technology in curriculum. In British Columbia you can find Applied Design, Skills and Technology curriculum that supports Kozma’s theory in intertwining technology and cognitive development. The implementation of how technology can provide learning experiences unique and personalized is what many educators throughout British Columbia are exploring at the present time.

Gaming the answer?

Katrin Becker entered the debate in 2010 with a reflection on the use of digital games in her paper The Clark-Kozma Debate in the 21st Century. I was intrigued with her concluding thoughts on how educational games, game design, and incorporating creativity into games has “tremendous potential.” Games growing up for me had specific objectives with specific levels and embedded coding that couldn’t be changed. Games are now giving the opportunity for children to create their own levels, objectives, and produce their own content to share with others. A great example is Super Mario Maker 2, or Minecraft provide immense opportunities for creativity. Code.org or Scratch are online software tools that provide free scaffolded lessons for learners in teaching how to code and create games.

Concluding Thoughts

Earlier in the week at my school, I found a student drafting textbook sitting in the photocopier room published in 1976. Glancing through, it gave instructions on how to draw 3 dimensional objects in a 2-dimensional space. We still need people to create casts of objects and to create items from various materials. One can still learn how to draw using a pencil and paper to provide accuracy with dimension and space, but now those skills can be applied with software such as Autocad or the student derivative called Tinkercad. Clark states,in his article Media Will Never Influence learning that,”The problem with the media attribute argument is that there is strong evidence that many very different media attributes accomplish the same learning goal.” Clark is correct that students can learn similar skill sets with drafting by pencil and paper or with a computer, but one then has to question the value of learning by pencil in hand or the value of learning through digital software? The value of providing inclusion to students who may have the physical or developmental challenges compared with the challenges of using a pencil, paper and textbook? The ability to share and create results through the use of 3-D printing in school classrooms? Do media attributes serve a unique cognitive effect for a learning task? I feel there is more evidence that the answer is yes. Our digital landscape is reshaping how a new generation cognitively perceives their world.

Mr. Hood's Learning Journey