What do you see in this image?

In our discussion in class last Thursday, we talked about what technology is, how it has changed, and how it has shaped the world we live in today. The quote “Technology is anything that wasn’t around when you were born” – Alan Kay used in the presentation class, Digital Lives, had me reflecting on my introduction to internet around the age of 15/16 and how it opened up access to people beyond the tiny village and surrounding area that I lived in. Children today are born into a digital world on a much larger scale. It was interesting to reflect on idea that children today are born with a digital footprint! I have heard the saying that children are born with devices in their hands. Today’s generation has access to the world at their fingertips, something that was unimaginable in my childhood. A digital life is an everyday part of their culture. It is sometimes hard for me to understand the need to be so connected on this level at this stage in my life. However, I do understand the need to embrace the world we live in and all it has to offer, and enjoy the luxuries that technology has allowed me to access: unlimited access to information, connecting with family and friends who are living in different communities, the ability to learn about differing cultures and perspectives beyond the view of the people who wrote the required textbook, the opportunity to see the world regardless of finances, the ability to have a voice……this is where the concept of participatory culture comes into play. I had not heard of this term previous to this class.

I was able gain a further insight while watching the video An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube by Michael Wesch. The idea that as a culture we do not just enjoy, we participate. YouTube has created an environment where memes and imitations are created and recreated by everyday people and uploaded for the world to view, I also see this in today’s youth with the Tiktok phenomenon. These platforms provide an environment where new forms of expression can be celebrated, provide a sense of community, allow for global connections and empower individuality, all through the process of “connecting the dots.” It is mind-blowing that a culture has been created through staring into a “dot” or lens as a way to communicate. In reality, talking to or expressing ourselves to an unknown audience…..my thoughts previously were that it was silly but I understand that I need to be aware that this is how our younger generation is choosing to connect and build relationships. Now that I have broadened my social presence in the digital world via Twitter and blogging, I can relate on a new level the importance of connecting with like minded people in a participatory way through social media. It is a matter of individual needs and perspective and the idea of “networked individualism.”

An idea for the classroom: In art class, my pre-internship teacher asked the students to create or reinvent some form of art that included dance or theatre. Students signed up for when they wanted to perform their chosen piece. This could be done alone, in partners or a group. It was an “EU” assignment and not mandatory. Students were also asked to share where they came up with the idea. I was able to see a dance performance imitating a music video as well as a dance performance that was learned at dance class. I can see how a Tiktok imitation may end up on the list of performances now that I have taken some time to “lurk”.

Back to the beginning of my blog……”What do you see in the picture?” Do you see a bunch of dots, colors, a pattern perhaps? Maybe when you look a little longer you can connect the dots to form an image. I think it is OK to realize that social media and YouTube and other alike platforms may not be for everyone and not everyone is going to express themselves in the same way. To take that even further, we are not all going to have the same thoughts or takeaways on the idea of whether participatory culture is positive or negative. Each of us, as well as each of our students, are going to participate in a way that is meaningful to us. Will there be challenges around oversharing, authenticity, social comparison?….of course, but there will also be a freedom of expression, tools to create lifelong learners, and connections between strangers that the likes of “Gangham style“, “Numa Numa”, and random “flossing” breakouts imitating the game Fortnite have created space to provide a sense of belonging in participating.

In a sometimes unforgiving world, a place, as Michael Wesch describes, to escape from trauma, be silly, spread joy, and to celebrate the new and un-impossible. The importance is not what platform our students and youth are choosing to use to connect and build relationships with, it is that we are aware of how they are using those platforms as parents and educators. We need to educate on authenticity, empathy, digital citizenship, critical thinking, and how our digital footprints can follow us in either a negative or a positive way? It is up to them to take all the information they have and connect the dots to build a digital community that is meaningful to them.

This image sums up perfectly how I felt when being thrown into the twitter world. Honestly, everything about it seemed so different from any social media platform I had previous experience with. The “tweets” were short, which I related to being vague and uninteresting at the time. It also seemed all posts led to another source, which I will admit I found annoying…I realized that my use of social media was that of a mindless scroller, or lurker as I learned recently they call it in the Twitter world, thumbing through Facebook posts, but not really taking time to read anything that was longer than the screen allowed to be visible or did not have a picture. I found myself sharing posts I had not yet read so that they would appear on my feed to read later, without knowing the full content.

Back to my overwhelming #saskedchat Twitter experience. This experience is where I realized the full impact the Twitter world could have on my professional development. Though I found the experience intimidating and hard to follow at first, it was amazing to be a part of an educational community! I was able to take part in another live chat, @COLchat tonight and I was less panicked and able to keep up answering the questions. Guess this goes to show the importance of practice and perseverance, a trait we want to model for our students. Twitter has enabled me to start building a professional learning network or PLN by connecting with like-minded people and sharing resources and ideas that will benefit myself and my future students.

Dr. Alec Couros made a great point in his video Using Twitter effectively in Education by stating that sharing information rather than hoarding it can put small pieces together to form big ideas otherwise known as “idea collision.” We can use this theory in the classroom by having students collaborate by posing questions on Twitter as we did in the live chats. There are many other ways Twitter can be utilized with students and parents including details of upcoming assignments, class information, sharing of resources, formative or self-assessments etc., which can all be done through lists to ensure privacy. One idea I came across and love is using Twitter to teach through play. Students collaboratively write a poem with the educator writing the first two lines and then the students contributing a new rhyming line for creative writing. I am surprised at how many ways there are to meaningfully use this platform in an educational setting.

The mediator of the #saskedchat, @kellywchris tweeted “Everyday is a PD day!” This simple statement had me reflecting on my Twitter experience thus far, and I realized that this is what Twitter has brought to my professional life, a social platform of experienced and future educators, administrators, and field experts that I have access to on a daily basis to ensure I am continually learning.

Honest Confession: I had no idea that the #Hashtag had an actual purpose, I thought it was a just a fun social media literacy device! I have recently learned that use of the #hashtag, or “pound or number sign” as remember it, is indeed a new literacy……“Twitteracy” is knowing how to connect via the #hashtag….who knew!

One thing that life has taught me is the lesson of patience. This does not mean that I do not get overwhelmed or act on impulse at time or get frustrated when abrupt change happens, especially when not in my favor. The Covid-19 pandemic is one of those changes that is out of my control. The global impact on the economy and way of life as we know it has drastically changed, including socialization and education. Brick and mortar facilitation of education has changed from schools to home-based learning. One method of instruction that has enabled this transition is the use of technology. Educators have been thrown into the world of remote instruction and successfully adapted to utilizing online resources to implement continuous education for the remainder of the 2019/2020 school year. This poses the question …. what will teaching and learning look like come this Fall? The reality is that even before the current global crisis, the 2020 educational trends projected learning to be submersed in the utilization of modern technology including artificial intelligence, augmented reality, online education, smart spaces and more…check out the article for more details. I do feel schools will eventually reopen their doors under the regulations and guidance with public health and the Chief Medical Health officer with the priority being a safe environment for students and staff. However, I do foresee changes to delivery methods and possible changes to the educational environment with a more blended or hybrid learning approach as Dr. Alec Couros talked about in our zoom lecture. In our break out group we also talked about this possibility in terms of half days or alternating days for attending school and online learning. This does however come with challenges, especially in terms of equitable access and potential childcare issues. There are many factors to consider in whatever decision the ministry makes.

We are educating a generation of young individuals that have been born into a world submersed in technology as stated, in the article shared by a classmate, 4 Ways Covid-19 could change how we educate future generations.

Today more than ever, students are engaged when learning utilizes some form of technology along with a more student-centered approach. If you have time watch this inspiring Ted Talk, I would love to hear your thoughts. Kalya Delzer sums up Re-Imagining Education in the future of innovative education, technology, digital citizenship and the tools our students are going to need to be successful in the future. I was comforted in the fact that regardless of technology is here to stay, so is the importance of personal connection and face to face student/teacher relationships. I suspect and hope this will not change even in 5,10,15 years from now.

“Technology today is the language today’s students think” – Kayla Delzer

Hello 🙂

Well, here I am writing my first “personal’ish” blog post. I was reluctantly introduced to WordPress in a previous University class and can honestly say I have not logged in to site since it ended. Now that I have secured your attention with that gripping opening statement, I should probably tell you a little about myself.

My name is Shelly Ekren – Mother of boys – Sister to 5 – Auntie to many – lover of food (notice how food comes right after family!) – seeker of knowledge. (any Game of Thrones lovers out there?) I live in the quaint little town named Porcupine Plain, Saskatchewan, home of the roadside attraction Quilly Willy. I am a mature student pursuing my long term dream of becoming an educator, heading into internship. I have been blessed with the gift of 3 young men in my life (currently 20, 19, and 17) and am currently on a journey of personal growth including the attainment of Level 1 Reiki certification.

I would most likely not use the phrase “tech savvy” to describe myself. I find comfort in the tangible qualities of pen and paper….may have something to do with the mature student aspect I mentioned earlier. However, I have made it a goal to build a more personal connection to the online world, part of the reason I enrolled in this class. While reading the article Five Reasons Teachers Should Blog it affirmed my stance on the need to learn more about technology in order to benefit the classroom. I am quite versed in Facebook and am learning to appreciate google docs and all it has to offer as an educational platform (I still find comfort in Word and PowerPoint). Truth be told, I am excited to learn about the online resources that can be implemented in the classroom. I feel students will be more engaged in their learning when given opportunities to learn from and utilize relevant and diverse teaching methods, including the use of technology in the classroom. However while I enjoy creative writing,I am terrified of blogging and publishing posts that are “out there” and subject to judgement. No time like the present to get out of my comfort zone!

Thank you for reading and Cheers to facing Fears!