Category: EDCI 336 (Page 2 of 3)

This is a category for the EdTech course. Please add this category in addition to the relevant edtech assignment category(ies).

Free Inquiry: Babies and ASL

October 14, 2024 / oldmcdonaldschool

Some ducklings are their mama to bring a smile. Photo credit: Vivek Kumar

Let’s talk about babies and the use of ASL. For many years the ability to communicate with infants has relied on exaggerated expression- hand movements, big smiles, frowns, stomping etc. Meaning that it should be no surprise that when considering ASL (American Sign Language- the ability to communicate without speaking) to communicate with infants and young children, the positive results speak for themselves.

An article published by Michigan State says that you may begin using ASL with infants as young as 6 months. Between the ages of 6-9 months is when the introduction of signing is most beneficial because they will often copy their first sign in that time. Creating this line of communication allows their to be an unspoken line of communication between the baby and guardian- the baby is able to express their needs in a form the guardian can understand.

In order to develop this line of communication, the guardian has to exaggerate the motion and attach it to either an item, emotion, or activity. An example could be the signing of “more food?”. “More” looks like your hands in a closed crab claw like shape and motioning them towards each other and away from one another and “food” is taking one of the crab claw like hands and motioning it towards your mouth. By repeating these signs over and over when it comes time to eating, the infant is able to correlate the two together.

From communication through ASL with babies, there may be less tantrums, and more expression in thought from a very young age. There are numerous long-term benefits in using ASL, but I believe my favourite one is that it is great for teaching regulation to children. As a future teacher and parent, I really hope to utilize all of my experience in life to teach and allow children to exist in a space that I am present in without feeling overwhelmed. There are times when it can be really overwhelming to use your voice, or the space is too noisy, or a child has headphones on to block out the sound. I believe that sign language is a really great way to take that overwhelming sound and squash it by still being able to communicate one’s needs without speaking.

Below is a short video explaining how to integrate signing into everyday life with a baby.

WKAR VIDEO

This is the article I looked into published by Michigan State University:

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/baby_sign_language_a_helpful_communication_tool

Topic 6: Reflection

October 11, 2024 / oldmcdonaldschool

Beautiful shot taken in Mount Waddington. Photo taken by Thomas Lipke

For this week’s class we looked into accessibility in technology. Accessibility is often a topic spoken about when addressing public places, and how accessible they are for all of the population. Although the topic of technology and accessibility has been brought up for potential use in the classroom, I do not think I have ever touched on it while considering it for everyday use. Why is this? I am not entirely sure. It seems to me that because websites, browsers, and videos mirror social media, everything has to be aesthetically pleasing. As a result of this, the pure functionality loses its effects, and leaves the accessibility of the site to be limited. The digital appeal overrules the function.

I am fortunate enough to only need the adjustment of a brightness level and or turning on and off “night mode” on my devices for me to be comfortable. For others, the interaction of colours, tones, size of font, and the way websites are laid out are all factors into understanding if it is sufficient for all.

It was really interesting to input our websites into the Wave Report, along with a website of our choosing. Doing so showcased the flaws in the colours, the text, and the efficiency of hyperlinks. We then adjusted our websites in order to be more accessible for viewers.

The second part of class was taking a video and making it more accessible. I chose a video from the YouTube channel Daily Dose of Internet. The videos are created to brighten people’s moods and provide a good chuckle. I edited the video within wordpress using H5P.

Free Inquiry: Back to Basics

October 6, 2024 / oldmcdonaldschool

For this week I chose to brush up on the basics. Getting caught up in learning new signs can be tricky when the fundamentals are what allow you to move forward. Although I love learning new signs every week, I find it hard to keep up with new ones while also making sure that I still know the ones I have previously learned.

Learning the ASL alphabet is a crucial part of understanding ASL. Any time that you are stumped on a word, and do not know how to sign it, means you have to resort to spelling it out. Fluent ASL speakers are able to sign the alphabet at “sonic speed”; meaning that they are also able to mentally spell out words extremely fast, as well. Brushing up on your alphabet, as well as spelling out words is similar to learning how to read and write again.

Signing the alphabet is pattern based, similarly to spelling out the alphabet fairly quickly, signing is the same with practice. Signing the alphabet quickly does not help, however, when it comes to spelling out words, because your brain is used to the pattern of movements of the alphabet.

So here’s to going over the basics!

This is a website that provides different length words to practice Finger Spelling.

https://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/fingerspelling/fingerspelling6.htm

Topic 5 Reflection

October 5, 2024 / oldmcdonaldschool

This week we dove into 3D printing. Although 3D printing is brought up between my housemates regularly, I had never tried designing anything or using a 3D printer. Having spent this week’s class getting to design our own mini projects and seeing the printers creating projects in person was a really great experience!

3D printing in the classroom can be used amongst many of the subjects. In Math, 3D printing may be used for creating different objects replacing counters- students could even design personalized ones for Math activities and class based games (such as Bingo). In Learning languages, 3D printing can be used as a kinaesthetic learning oppourtunity by having the physical letters in front of the students. In studies such as: History, Social Studies, and Cultural studies, students may design an existing land mark as a project and learn about its history in the process. Taking Science into consideration, 3D printing enables fast and low cost customized machining for prototyping.

As for the pros and cons of 3D printing in class-based learning, I believe the biggest con is that the cost for the printer itself and the upkeep of supplies is too great for many schools. It is a privileged oppourtunity to design and print one object, let alone multiple students in multiple classes having the chance of such an experience. Another potential con is the lack of knowledge around technology. If students have access to computers or tablets regularly, with some practice, using websites such as tinkercad will be doable. For students who do not have the resources to do so, using a 3D design program can be tricky, frustrating, and very time consuming.

All this being said, the pros are endless, because the creativity that students can have with such technology is unlimited. For grades 4-7, the grades I hope to teach, 3D design and printing would be invaluable and could direct students into entering STEM fields.

Another website for designing is LucidChart.

Here is my creation from this week! It is a fish skeleton keychain!

ASL Resource Struggle

September 30, 2024 / oldmcdonaldschool

This week I decided to look into other resources on top of the ones that I have mentioned in the past. I happened to come across one that was neatly organized, however one that I do not recommend for beginners. The website provides the signs that you will be going over and a video following suit. The video was extremely hard to follow because it was moving so quickly that by the time you were understanding one sign, they had already taught two others.

I wanted to document this on my blog because not all sites are going to be useful when it comes to learning something new. And hey, this sight might be great for down the road when I am able to go a lot faster with signing, but as of right now, it was very difficult to follow.

100 First Signs

Here is me struggling with keeping up with the video.

What am I signing?

Signing places. Home. Work. School. Store. Church. Come. Go. Car/ Drive. In. Out. With. *Repeat*

Weekly Reflection 4

September 30, 2024 / oldmcdonaldschool

The use of Gen AI in the classroom is controversial. Gen AI is a powerful tool that can be easily abused by students and teachers. Understanding the proper way to use Gen AI comes from the teacher not being afraid to learn more about the technology, along with the ability to teach students that it can be a helpful tool. Students also need to understand the consequences that come up if the technology is used in a manner that does not help them long term. In my opinion, generative AI can be softly introduced in grade 4 or grade 5- purely in a technology introduction form. By this, I mean that Gen AI would not be introduced as a tool for school, but a tool for extra curriculars; such as assistance in VR or other video games. In grade 6 or grade 7, Gen AI could potentially be introduced as a tool for helping narrow down a project topic or inquiry.

For myself, I have found Gen AI to be useful in helping simplify sentences. I have a tendency to overcomplicate sentences, and that does not serve me well when writing long papers. Gen AI has also helped me narrow down my thesis, when my topic has been too broad.

Copilot

In this video I used screencastify to document a question I asked Copilot, a LLM (Large Language Model). I asked how to obtain a certain mod in a VR game that my housemates were playing. This is an example of how younger students could potentially use it in a non-educational form.

Weekly Reflection 3

September 23, 2024 / oldmcdonaldschool

Including H5P tools is a great way to interact with students when providing a video within their learning. As the teacher, it can be used as a studying tool, but also as an interactive, fun way to spark learning in the classroom. It is a check in that students are paying attention to the video as they go and not only listening to it as background noise.

Although I have a lot of difficulty with technology, I think creating a video that includes visual and auditory editing is a great way for students to display their learning in project form. Having an interactive tool to show the concept taught in class such as a video the students filmed and edited can be used by all grades above grade 4 or 5; however, this really depends on the capability of the class.

Multimedia theory is great for creating future instructional videos because it pairs verbal and non-verbal learning. This means that pairing an eye catching visual with dialogue, or keywords on an image can have the ability to move through one’s initial memory, past their short-term memory (their working memory), all the way to their long-term memory. In doing this, retention-based learning transforms into the ability of transferring knowledge.

Free Inquiry: Learning ASL

September 23, 2024 / oldmcdonaldschool

For my Free Inquiry project, I have decided to do my best in learning ASL and the world that it has created. ASL stands for American Sign Language and is a tool used across the globe to communicate without needing sound. ASL is one variation of Sign language, similar to how there are multiple variations of Spanish from different regions. I have always been very interested in learning ASL, as it is great to have multiple languages in your toolbox.

This week I decided to dive into the available resources for learning a new language from a beginner standpoint. Here is what I found!

Top 10 & 25 American Sign Language Signs for Beginners – The Most Known Top 10 & 25 ASL Signs to Learn First

This is an interactive website for learning beginner ASL signs. It also provides a free course on learning ASL.

Learn How to Sign is a Youtube channel that I have been following along with in my ASL journey. They do a really great job at breaking down the signs while allowing time for you to practice as you go. They have so many videos and my favourite part is integrating them into my day in a practical way.

Reflection Post: ‘Most Likely to Succeed’

September 19, 2024 / oldmcdonaldschool

https://unsplash.com/photos/grayscale-photography-of-teacher-standing-near-chalkboard-and-children-sitting-on-chairs-GxB6Pbi4Jzg

While watching the documentary it was interesting to see the perspectives of the educators, the students, as well as the parents. High Tech High has transformed pedagogy to allow students to learn while also putting effort into “soft skills”. This new form of pedagogy also comes with disagreement. Parents of the children at High Tech High did not attend a similar education, thus when comparing the workload and the schedule to their own, they fail to see where the ability to get into college would be. Going further, when teachers from other schools tried to implement other forms of learning (ie. The math teacher in the documentary), they were taken aback when the students were the ones disagreeing- arguing that they want to ace the test to have a good college application. The approach to education that High Tech High uses has me weary and excited, all at the same time. The freedom given to students to display their learnings is amazing; however, it does not work for everyone- I, myself, would not be able to handle the lack of structure within the school year. Growing a passion for what the students were learning and how they were displaying it was a beautiful growth to watch, but I also wonder about the dynamics of how all the students are doing with their learning. When removing the educator from the front of the classroom, and moving them to the back, it creates an opening for someone else to step in- it is a role of power that is “up for grabs”. While this could be seen as a beneficial oppoutunity for students, there is also the chance that some students may become left behind in their contribution to the class- especially when the class is being assessed as a unit. With that all being said, I believe that education needs to be a blend of structure and freedom. Education needs to give oppourtunity for all students to succeed. The route of pedagogy that High Tech High uses does not serve all students, in a similar way to how traditional teachings do not assist all students either. To re-imagine education, one must learn from the present students, along with utilizing their past experiences.

Below is a student-based project from High Tech High combing math, science, and art!

Dalhousie University has a website dedicated to different forms of pedagogy and the combination of different forms of thinking.

image showing person walking in pre-painted footprints — Photo by Flickr user jfchenier under CC license: BY-NC 2.0

Welcome and Introduction

September 9, 2020 / edtech

Before proceeding with this first blog post, we expect you to consider your privacy preferences carefully and that you have considered the following options:

Do you want to be online vs. offline?
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Go into its admin panel found by adding /wp-admin at the end of your blog’s URL
Add new category or tags to organize your blog posts – found under “Posts” (but do not remove the pre-existing “EdTech” category or sub-categories, Free Inquiry and EdTech Inquiry). We have also pre-loaded the Teacher Education competencies as categories should you wish to use them to document your learning. If you would like to add more course categories, please do so (e.g., add EDCI 306A with no space for Music Ed, etc.)
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Please also review the resources from our course website for getting started with blogging:

WordPress resources
Using RSS feeds to read blog posts from your networks (e.g., Feedly)
Privacy resources
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Finding images you can use