EDU 777 Reflection 2

The End

The journey of my learning specialist proposal has officially come to an end. I was able to learn so much through this process and even though it was overwhelming, I still can say that this proposal has taught me so much. I cannot wait to take what I have learned from this class and implement it into my own classroom.

Overall, I thought the process was a little less stressful during the second half. I thins this is because I slowly started to get more into the swing of things and I at least had my idea going. The process really opened my eyes at the very end when I put all of my steps together. Wow! To see everything that I was able to accomplish in just a short amount of time was completely astounding!

I am still so excited about my topic and I still 100% believe in its potential. A homework calendar would help students stay organized with their work and it would be more likely that the homework assignments would be completed. This would even benefit students that are absent from school and are unsure what they need to have completed.

I think the most positive aspect of the journey has been the potential of the homework calendar. I know that if other teachers use the homework calendar and commit to using it, there will be so much success with my proposal. The positive aspect is knowing that my students will feel less stressed about assignments and less stressed when they are absent from school.it makes me so happy to think that technology can be so helpful in so many different ways.

There really was not any negative aspects other than the fact that the proposal was a little stressful and overwhelming in the beginning of the course. I was unsure if my ideas would be any good or if my professor would like them. Then, I was initially overwhelmed with the workload. After a couple of weeks, I got into a groove and it was no longer as stressful or overwhelming as it initially was. I am so glad that I kept going because I was able to come up with a proposal that I think will really benefit my students in the end.

Being a learning specialist teacher that utilizes technology to enhance learning for all students is truly rewarding. I know that all students learn in their own unique ways and technology really helps all students succeed. I feel as though technology is really beneficial in the classroom as long as it is being used appropriately. I am super excited about my proposal and I cannot wait to use it in ongoing years.

EDU 777 Reflection 1

 Reflection 1

The Process

Wow! What an experience the “Learning Specialist/Instructional Designer” proposal has been. As a class, we have been using the ADDIE model as we go through the process of the proposal. The ADDIE model stands for Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate. Each week we have been producing one part of the ADDIE model. The process has been exciting, yet overwhelming. I am excited to see how this all turns out, but all of the steps to make the proposal successful have been overwhelming at times. I want this to have positive results in the end, which is something that I also look forward to as an educator. I am eager to see how these upcoming weeks play out!

The Challenges

There have been some struggles that I have come across in my proposal that I did not think that I would experience. First of all, during Step 2 of the process when I asked my co-workers to complete a survey for the need of a homework calendar, two of my co-workers stated that the students were pretty organized already. This makes me nervous for the actual implementation of the homework calendar. This can leads to a future challenge that I encounter. In order for my technology plan to work, everyone must be on board and be willing to use it. There is no point in having a homework calendar, where every content teacher posts the homework in a central document/location, if only one teacher decides to use it. That only results in students knowing what homework they have in one subject area instead of all of them. This would not make the homework calendar a success.

The Potential

Although the above challenges make the proposal more intimidating, I am still excited for its potential. I firmly believe that with the use of a digital homework calendar, students will be more successful academically. They can easily go to one location to see all of the homework they have for all of their classes. If a student is absent, they can access the homework calendar from home and see what they have missed in their classes and what they need to complete to stay on track and not fall behind. We all know that student that is absent for an extended period of time and then get overwhelmed with the workload they get when they come back to school. This would help reduce that feeling of being buried in assignments.

Positives and Negatives

The positive aspect of this journey has been the potential that this would make for our students. I want my students to be more successful with their assignments and their work completion. I want them to be able to complete more assignments and be able to complete items while they are absent. This could have an overall positive outcome on their academics and their grades. There really are no negatives other than the fact that other people may not be as invested in the homework calendar as I am and they may consider this to be “more work” to add to their to-do list.

My Perspective of Being a “Learning Specialist/Instructional Designer” by Utilizing Technology

My perspective is changing as I complete this course. I am realizing the importance of using technology in the classroom. It can enhance learning for all students because many programs adjust learning levels based on each individual students’ needs. All students can even access technology through their own physical ways. This could be through hearing and visual aids as well as certain keyboards and mice for motor disabilities. With the use of this homework calendar, there is so much more of an opportunity for all students have academic success and it would not be possible if it weren’t for technology. I wish I had a digital homework calendar when I was in school. I think having technology in school would have made my time in school an overall success. Ultimately, I am super excited for the outcome of this proposal even though it can be overwhelming at times. I am looking forward to the positive impact it will have on my students!

Image Source: Giphy.com

Kurt, Dr. S. (2018, December 16). Addie Model: Instructional design. Educational Technology. https://educationaltechnology.net/the-addie-model-instructional-design/ 

Social Media's Impact

 The Impact of Social Media

This week I took a look at two articles under the "Negative" category of social media. The first article I read was, "This is Your Brain on Social Media" and the second article I read was, "Digital Self-Harm: What to do When Kids Cyberbully Themselves". Both of these articles explained the negative impact that social media has on students' mental health.

In the first article, I was not really surprised by any of the information that was provided. The article provided statistics about suicide rates increasing and that many females feel hopeless based off of a survey taken in 2021. Keneisha Sinclair-McBride, an attending psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Boston Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, states, "“It’s very obvious that so much of what’s happening for the average teen is they’re living so much of their lives in the digital world on social media, and so much of this is connected and impacting their mental health … and how they feel about stuff" (Kane, 2023). This shows the true impact that social media has on the lives of children. My middle schoolers are always concerned about other students' opinions of them. I can only imagine how it is online outside of the school environment.

The second article I read was even more concerning than the first. This article explained that kids create fake social media accounts and BULLY THEMSELVES online. This was completely shocking to me and I couldn't help but wonder why kids would do such a thing. Apparently, the reason why students bully themselves online with fake accounts is so that they can get sympathy responses from their peers. Kids are blatantly doing this to see if others will defend them online. They are testing their friendships to see what their friends really think of them. It is crazy to think that cyberbullying has come to this extreme where kids are even willing to do it to themselves to see what the responses will be. Being a kid in this day and age must be really challenging and I honestly feel for the kids that have to go through this. I know that social media has its benefits, but honestly to what extent is it even worth the mental hardships that a lot of children have to endure every single day. 

I am not even sure if it is possible, but I hope for the day that social media is used only in a positive light. Where children do not feel the need to post negative things about themselves just so that they can see a reaction and feel a little bit of love from their peers. I hope that one day there won't be a list of "negative" social media articles to read and that social media is used a tool for positivity that everyone can experience. Like I said, I am unsure if it is even possible, but I can hope and dream of it. The world would be a much better place and many students would then be able to focus on other things, such as academics, instead of what others have to say about them online. 

Image Source: Giphy.com

Digital Tattoos Are More Than Just a Footprint

 The Long Lasting Impact of a Tattoo

Tattoos are permanent. We get tattoos for many different reasons, but they will always be there. Sometimes, we even regret our silly tattoos we decided to get when we were eighteen years old, but they will always be there. Just like a tattoo, our lives on the Internet and what we put out there for everyone to see will always be there.

My Tattoo

This week was an eye-opening experience for me. I decided to data mine myself and see what would happen if I did some research on myself using the Internet. What information was going to come up when I did? Well, it was definitely interesting and not what I was expecting. 

         

I first went to Google and typed in my name using quotations. I was pleasantly surprised that there were ONLY 777 results. You might be thinking, “777 results??? That’s insane!” Well, knowing that most people have over 1,000 results put my mind at ease. 

Image Source: Personal Screenshot

I decided to dive deeper into these 777 results and went into some websites to further my personal investigation. I noticed right away that my LinkedIn account was the very first website that appeared. I don’t even remember making a LinkedIn… ever, but sure enough, all of my information was there. This was a prime example of a tattoo. I created this LinkedIn account in college and it still exists! I completely forgot about it! I also noticed that my YouTube channel was listed as well. I only had a few videos posted from a Grad school class that I had previously taken. It was still interesting to see that anyone could subscribe and see those videos if they just look me up. As for images posted on the Internet, it was interesting to see that there were no pictures of me to be found. Rather, I did find lots of pictures of people that I know instead. I noticed that my school district’s website also appears. My name and my work email address appear on the district’s directory. This shows that anyone that searches me on the internet has access to my work email address and could contact me via work email if they wanted to. I saw that my grandpa’s obituary was connected to me as well. My grandpa passed away a year ago and I am listed as a granddaughter under his obituary. By showing everyone who is survived by him, now anyone who searches my name can see all of my family members and know who I am related to. 

This made me even more curious about my presence on the Internet. If someone wanted to find me, would they be able to? I immediately went to the website, Intelius. I typed my name in the search bar and anxiously waited as the website was searching everywhere for information about me. Sure enough, they were able to find some interesting information. 

Image Source: Personal Screenshot

First of all, they got my age right. I am 26! They also were able to identify six family members that are related to me. My sister is listed as well as my two parents. My grandpa is listed who recently passed away. I also noticed that my aunt and uncle are on the list as well. As for my location, they have Normal, IL listed. This is where I went to college. New Lenox is also listed because that is the town I originally grew up in for 22 years of my life. Darien is where I currently reside and that is listed on there as well, BUT it is not stated as my current address. It has me currently living in Knoxville, TN. This is funny to me because my parents moved there in 2021 after they retired. I am currently renting and saving up for my first home, so I am assuming that is why they have me living in Tennessee. I have no documentation of owning a house. Overall, it was very interesting to see. I was confused at first, but it all makes sense.

In Education

Ultimately, I think students should learn that they leave a “Digital Tattoo” online with their media presence. I think students should be taught this starting with the basics of internet safety at a young age, but more detailed once they are in middle school. As soon as students hit the age where they are creating social media, they should know that whatever they decide to post online is permanently with them for the rest of their lives.

Final Thoughts

Maybe you have heard of the phrase, “digital footprint”. Unfortunately, a footprint washes away in the sand or melts with the snow. A tattoo on the other hand, will be with you forever. Whatever we put on the Internet is out there for everyone to see and it is attached to you forever. Even if the website gets deleted, there are still ways to trace back to that website and find your information. Scary, right? Well, it shouldn’t be. As my professor explained to me, your digital presence is like having a credit score. You can’t buy a house or a car without one. You can turn your digital presence into a positive tool that can be used to help you find a career or build your reputation. You might think it is terrifying that all of your information is out there for people to see… but, if someone really wanted to find you, they would find a means of doing it anyway.

Accessibility

 Accessibility in the Classroom

Accessibility is super important for many people. As an educator, I have realized that many of my students need to use accessibility in order to learn. With that being said, I took the time to look at the different accessibility used on Chromebooks, because that is the device that is used amongst our entire district. Knowing these accessibility features below allows me to better help my students engage in the content.

Image Source: Personal Photo

Why is Accessibility Important?

Accessibility with technology is super important. Accessibility makes sure that all students, including those with disabilities, have equal access to the educational resources and content. It makes the playing field equal for everyone and prevents physical and mental discrimination. Classrooms are becoming more and more diverse. Not one student is the same. Many students vary in abilities, backgrounds, and have different learning styles. Accessibility supports these differences and helps the needs of all students in the classroom. Accessible technology allows for all students to be able to actively participate, collaborate with their classmates, and engage in the learning materials. After exploring a Chromebook’s accessibility features, I also learned that there are so many different types to fit individual students’ needs. This creates a more personalized learning experience. This is helpful for students who need specific accommodations.

My Personal Experience

I have a little bit of experience with Chromebook’s accessibility features. This is because I teach students with disabilities. We interact with our Chromebook’s everyday, so it is essential that all of my students can equally gain access to the materials. Some of my students read at below grade-level and need text to be read out loud to them. The accessibility features included in Chromebooks allow for text to be read out loud for them if they have to read an online article or complete any research. This is probably the feature that I use the most. With that being said, I still do have have some areas where I need to grow. I am not completely experienced on all of the different types of accessibility and definitely could take some more time to dive into each of the features that a Chromebook provides. I learned that Chromebooks provide accessibility features for students who read Braille. I, personally, have no experience with the Braille accessibility features. I also have never used the magnification tool to help zoom in on the Chromebook screen. I do have students with very low visibility that could benefit from this feature. I will have to spend some time looking into all of the accessibility features even further so that I can better help the needs of all my students.

Instructions on how to turn on a Chromebook’s accessibility features can be found HERE.

 Professional Learning Networks

Twitter/X

Who knew that we could use social media to benefit our own careers? When I think of Social Media, I immediately think of platforms used to post for "funsies" and to connect with others in an unprofessional light. Over the past four weeks, my eyes have really opened to the different ways that social media can have a positive impact in my professional career as well. A way of doing this is through professional learning networks.

What are Professional Learning Networks?

Incase you weren't aware (just like I was not), professional learning networks are tools, spaces, and even people, that help you grow in your profession through different means. These past four weeks, I was able to collaborate with complete strangers to better myself as an educator. I immediately turned to the social media platform called, "X". This was previously known as Twitter, until Elon Musk changed the name. I was truly able to see the benefits of professional learning networks after getting myself involved with some on X.

The Benefits

The benefits of professional learning networks definitely outweigh the disadvantages. For one, you are able to continuously learn and stay updated with the latest trends, research, and best practices. Therefore,  you are improving your knowledge and skills all the time. Our world is constantly changing. Technology is constantly updating. With professional learning networks, you are bettering yourself by staying in the loop with these changes. Another benefit is that professional learning networks allow you to collaborate with people who are considered to be "experts" in the field. This was a little intimidating, as I will explain later, but overall, it was so helpful. You are able to seek advice and use these experts as mentors for help and guidance. 

My Experience

My overall experience with professional learning networks was great! I was able to meet so many different people and I was able to learn a lot from them. A great resource I found through my professional learning networks was a post from the TCEA organization. They posted an interesting article that provided fifteen social emotional learning activities for middle schoolers. This was a perfect resource for me because I teach middle school and we have to provide social emotional lessons frequently during our advisory class. For many people, middle school is remembered as the WORST time of schooling. You cared what people thought of you. You cared what you looked like. You wanted to be the person with the most friends and the best friend group. Being a middle school student is tough, especially in this day and age with social media being so prevalent. Social emotional lessons are extremely important for this age group. 

Along with the amazing educational resources I have found, I have also participated in X's slow chats. I never knew these were a thing until I recently took part in one earlier last week. The slow chat I participated in was one about student portfolios and why they are beneficial. I have never used student portfolios before, so I was super excited to hear what others were going to say during the slow chat. Here is what participating in a slow chat looked like: 

Image Source: Personal Photo

It initially started with me introducing myself to the community. I told everyone who I was and my interest with student portfolios. I was really nervous to do this because I was not sure how people would respond. I was pleasantly surprised to see that many people in the network welcomed me with open arms and even asked me what subjects I taught! I immediately felt welcomed into the #FormativeChat community and was even more excited to participate. Soon enough, the questions started to roll out. I did my best to answer the questions to the best of my ability, even though I have little experience with student portfolios. I was nervous my responses would seem silly to people who have been in the field for many many years, but once again, I was pleasantly surprised that others were interested in what I had to say! Here is more of what the slow chat conversation looked like:

Image Source: Personal Photo

Image Source: Personal Photo

As this was my first slow chat, I learned SO much! I am so excited to see what other slow chats I can participate in. It was a little nerve wrecking at first, but once I felt welcomed, I was able to put my nervousness aside and learn more on how to better my students! After participating in this specific slow chat, I am more eager to use student portfolios in my own classroom. I would have been less knowledgeable and maybe not even consider student portfolios if I hadn't participated in this professional learning network. I am learning so much!

Feel free to take a look and follow my X account!

Educational Technology Research

 Generations Evolving

Believe it or not, there are many differences between each generation. The world is constantly evolving because of us. Recently, I looked at an article published by Mccrindle that displayed different characteristics amongst the different generations. Below is an infographic that demonstrates a few differences between them:

Image Source: www.mccrindle.com

This infographic really put into perspective how much we change over the years. Since I was born in 1997, I fall under generation Z. The iconic toy for this generation was the folding scooter and, let me tell you, I LOVED my scooter. I would take my scooter with me everywhere I went in the neighborhood. Generation Alpha will probably not use scooters as frequently as I did as a kid, let alone even know what a folding scooter is. We have to remind ourselves that with these new and upcoming generations, different ideas and concepts are changing. Students do not learn as they used to and we must evolve with these new generations to meet their needs.

Social Media

According to the article I read from Mccrindle, "Almost half of Gen Z turn to TikTok (48%) and Instagram (46%) to teach themselves new things daily" (2023).  I fall under this percentile as a Generation Z, as I use TikTok to learn new things. I am easily influenced by people on social media and use social media as a platform to get new ideas. I follow teachers on TikTok that teach me new classroom management strategies or how to teach inferencing. It is amazing to think that social media can impact us in such a positive way. As for our students, I know they go on TikTok frequently. They tell me about TikTok videos they see all the time! They have easy access to any videos they want to watch with the click of a button and a search bar. My students can easily access information quicker than any previous generation, which is why these statistics surprise me. I thought the numbers would be higher because social media is so prevalent in our lives. Another statistic from the website states, "Gen Z (42%) and Gen Y (41%) continue to turn to YouTube for self-learning daily, while Gen X (27%) and Baby Boomers (14%) also find it a valuable resource for acquiring new knowledge" (2023). This shows how much the different generations learn something daily from YouTube. I, personally, go to YouTube a lot for any projects I need to have completed around my house. When I first moved out of an apartment and had a garage door for the first time, I had no idea how to connect the garage door remote to the garage. Where did I got to figure that out? YouTube! I am able to have my questions answered immediately. On the other hand, Baby Boomers and Gen X do not go to YouTube as frequently to learn new ideas. The statistic for YouTube surprised me as well. Many of my students go to YouTube for music access and "how to" videos. I had a student in my advisory class look up a video on YouTube on how to solve a math problem. When I asked him why he was doing that, he explained to me that maybe someone on YouTube could explain the math problem better than his teacher explained it. I thought that was interesting that the student was able to quickly come up with a solution using technology to help him.

Slang

Just like social media, slang is evolving as well. Chen, a Buzzfeed New Reporter, wrote an article about a 43-year-old high school teacher that keeps a list of slang terms that he hears his Gen Z students say. She quotes him in the article stating, ""It is interesting to see how Gen Z kids use social media and memes to not only communicate with each other, but also to share and spread cultural information," he said" (2019). Students in newer generations have certain forms of communicating with each other that has never been seen before. They abbreviate lingo as well such as "LOL" for laugh out loud. Other kids in the same generation are able to understand these slangs and abbreviations, whereas older generations do not understand it. Students can use these slang terms to gain a connection with one another that others do not get. Soon enough, Generation Alpha will have slang terms that we do not understand, but they understand amongst each other. It is kind of neat if stop and think about it!

Image Source: www.giphy.com