Re-Learning How To Teach

We are now midway through the semester, and you have both used and been introduced to a variety of tools. 1 ) Thinking of your own context, what tools for online and blended learning seem most useful/relevant and why? 2) If you currently teach in an online/remote/distance setting, how have you/might you bring these tools into your current context, and how has your experience been impacted by the online or distance format? OR If you do NOT teach in an online/remote/distance setting, how would you feel about teaching with these tools in an online or distance education class, and how would your current context be impacted if you were to shift to an online/distance format vs. face to face? Where possible, make connections to tonight’s student presentation as well as the readings provided by the group.

I found this week’s discussion very interesting, especially because I did not realize how many others felt the same way as I do when it comes to online learning and/or teaching. One of the main things that I have discovered throughout this course so far (and something that I have mentioned before), is that there are benefits and downfalls to everything when it comes to technology and using it in the classroom.

Thinking back to the peak of COVID days (2020-2021 ish), our division used Zoom and Google Classroom to not only communicate with students, but to also teach them lessons. I found these platforms as the most useful/beneficial while teaching online/remote, because Zoom is fairly easy to navigate as a teacher. I was able to see my kids’ smiling faces, and they could see mine (which at this strange time, was very important!) As some of you already know, I am a primary teacher (PreK-grade 1). When everyone was making plans to teach over these platforms, and teaching others how to use them, I do not think much thought was put into primary teachers or their students/ unique situations. I say this, because our students are between the ages of 4-6 years old. They do not have their own devices, they do not know how to access these platforms without their parents helping them (and lots of the time, their parents were still learning too), AND I think the biggest downfall is that these kiddos need face-to-face interaction in these formative and important years of their life. These are their first years at school. There was a LOT of pressure on us, or at least that is how I felt. I tried to plan fun, engaging and beneficial lessons, but often times it seemed impossible and it just was not the same as in-person learning. I had to re-learn how to teach, and all I can say is “thank goodness” that I was not a first-year teacher at this time. It would have been so stressful to navigate how to teach, while all the experienced teachers/mentors around you are also having to re-learn how to teach in an online setting. What a mess! On the other hand though, and going back to benefits of online learning tools, what would we have done 10-15 years ago if the COVID outbreak happened then? How would school have looked? How would we have taught or connected with our students and families? Technology has come a long way, and continues to grow and benefit us as teachers and students.

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While in our breakout spaces from the last presentation, some of us were chatting about this. I realized that others feel the same way! We know that technology can benefit us in so many ways! We can see teachers using educational technology in the classroom settings to benefit their students, keep lessons engaging, as communication tools, the list goes on and on. I have also personally learned about how to navigate different platforms, such as Microsoft Teams, and Jamboard (tech doesn’t seem so scary anymore-haha!) However, some of us (especially middle years-high school teachers), are seeing a decline in students’ education. Some teachers see their high schoolers attend class, not knowing how to write or read. This, in my opinion, is a problem that does need to be addressed. I believe that there needs to be a balance of technology, and basic life skills such as reading and writing involved as well. Even as a PreK teacher, I see my 3 and 4 year old’s coming in, and not being able to complete simple fine motor tasks. These tasks include putting beads on a string, cutting, colouring with a crayon or using tongs to pick up items. Is this related to the overuse of technology at home? Is this what our future will be? Is this to be blamed solely on tech? Where do we go from here?

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The “Cracks”- Productivity Suites

After hearing this weeks presenters speak on productivity suites, I realized a few things…

1. There are cracks that need to be filled in.
2. There are pros and cons to everything.

Now, let me explain and ramble on about what I mean exactly. Productivity suites, like Microsoft Office, Google Workspace and Apple iWork (just to name a few), have their benefits for our students and prepare them for their future in the workplace. With productivity suites, students are able to be creative! They can make and design their own presentations to share with their colleges in the workplace. Using productivity suites allows for students to collaborate with each other and foster team work. Technology is an ongoing thing. It is not going away anytime soon. The more we teach our students HOW to use technology and how to manage different productivity suites, the better prepared they will be for their futures. I wish that I had these opportunities when I was in school, because then I would feel more prepared and advanced when it came to working through spreadsheets, presentations, etc., as I think that many of us had to teach ourselves how to navigate these platforms.

So, yes. There are benefits to productivity suites and they play a role in digital literacy. They are valuable tools in both school and workplace settings. For example, I use Microsoft Office daily as I create and share my lesson plans. I use spreadsheets to help with me class lists, staying organized, assessment…the list goes on and on.

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However, there are “cracks” or gaps to fill as well. Not everyone will find these benefits in productivity suites. I believe, especially after engaging with last weeks discussion, that privacy and affordability are the two biggest cracks/gaps.

Who is paying for these fees? What about the upgrades? What about the devices themselves? Not every school board has the funds to cough up money for these things. Are we, as teachers, properly trained to help guide students through using productivity suites in a safe and beneficial way? I for one, don’t think I would confidently say that I am.

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I think as educators, we need to think about how to fill in these “cracks,” before we get too excited about going forward with using the new productivity suites on the market. We need to be mindful of all of our students and think about benefits vs. downfalls.

Thanks, “Sesame Street”…

• Postman wrote: “…We now know that “Sesame Street” encourages children to love school only if school is like “Sesame Street.” Which is to say, we now know that “Sesame Street” undermines what the traditional idea of schooling represents.” In a blog post, unpack the implications of this quote, particularly the idea that Sesame Street undermines traditional schooling. What does Postman mean here, and how might we extend this idea to the broader effects of AV technologies in schools, from the earliest AV technologies all the way up to the current culture of smartphones and the push towards BYOD and the integration of smartphones in classrooms? What are the grander implications of the array of AV technologies, from film projectors to apps and interactive educational shows to personalized devices and tools like YouTube (Khan Academy, Crash Course, etc), when we think about the format of schooling? How do AV technologies change the way we might think about school? You should tie in tonight’s student presentation as well as the readings provided by the group where possible.

In this post, I will be unpacking the above blog prompt.

There is no doubt that audio visual technologies do enhance education in certain aspects. They make it more fun, engaging, and interactive. The presentation from this week definitely showed us that! We did break out spaces, watched videos, and were put into groups to answer questions using pictures and GIFs. By allowing our students to participate in activities like these ones mentioned, and by using more audio visual tech in our classrooms, we engage our students and peak their interests. However, will this go “too far?” Are there some negative outcomes because of all the use of audio visual technology to make learning “fun”?

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I believe that Neil Postman’s quote reflects the fact that we are constantly trying to “entertain” our learners/students as teachers. Although I believe that AV tech can be very beneficial (as mentioned above), I also agree that it can make things harder for us as educators. Shows like Sesame Street portray school and education as always being engaging, fun and interactive. Whereas traditional schooling involves levels of discipline, structure and focus. This can be a downfall for students who come to school with this image in their head. Not ALL learning is fun! This is true. I loved certain aspects and activities in school, but I also disliked some and found some lessons “boring.” This is also the reality of life and work in general.

Many of our learners come into our classrooms today with lots of exposure to AV technology, such as televisions, smart phones, iPad’s and tablets. I hear of people saying they don’t want to raise an “iPad kid,” for this very reason. When children have no limit on screen time, and always need to have AV tech in front of them to stay engaged, it makes our jobs as parents and educators harder to keep them focused and learn. Teachers have become entertainers on top of all the other “hats” we wear on a daily basis, just to allow our students to stay engaged and learn something from our lessons.

There is a big push on “bring your own device” to school. I teach Pre-K, so this does not really affect me as much as teachers who teach middle-high schoolers. However, I cant help but think about those who come from lower-income households. Where does this technology come from for them? Do they then get the same education as other students who come to school with the newest smart phones and technology to enhance their education? How do we, as educators, know that our students are using their technology devices to enhance their education? How do we know that they are not cheating or distracted? This also ties in to our previous discussion from the last couple of weeks. Using audio visual technology in classrooms also has implications on the teachers, who now need to teach students exactly how to use these devices to benefit their learning (which websites to access, how to protect their privacy, what could be dangerous, etc.)

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In conclusion, AV tech enhances education in many ways, but it also continues to have it’s downfalls and brings up a lot of questions that many do not have the answers to. There are definitely grander implications to AV technology integrated into our schools and classrooms and we continue to unpack these as educators.