The Summary of Learning
I can't believe that it's the end of the ride. It's been an amazing 13 weeks with everyone in EDTC 300. I'm so grateful for the memories I made and the lessons I learned. I couldn't have done it without you!
Here's my summary of learning:
For the past thirteen weeks, I’ve been preparing and equipping myself with invaluable knowledge of digital literacy and of tools and resources to carry forward into my teaching. At the beginning of this semester, technology was an area that intimidated me. It is constantly changing, and as teachers, we will be challenged to adapt to the world around us and to the students who will later succeed us. That’s why I felt strongly inclined to learn about integrating technology in education, but there are so much more that I did not expect to learn. Whether it be coding, trying a new resource, or discussing sensitive topics, I felt myself being pushed out of my comfort zone into this intimidating space. A space that tested my limits. A space that first held me accountable for the amount of tech and media that surrounds my life. Then, it transformed into a space where I can believe that I can effectively integrate technology in my future classroom.
This belief didn’t grow out of nowhere. It was nurtured through discussions of digital citizenship, cyber safety, media bias, and even generative AI. If you had asked me what I knew about these topics at the beginning of the course, I would’ve reconsidered my academic schedule. I’m just kidding. Knowing that I was lacking all this information, I chose right in being part of EDTC 300.
I not only learned the application of technology and media in education but also the significant impact that evolving digital tools and networks have on both educational institutions and society at large. I also learned how to use some of these digital tools like Scratch, Shotcut, Eduaide, and the blogging site I used called Blogger. Many of these tools require patience and successful mistakes. This connects to one of my major educational philosophies which is PROCESS over PRODUCT. The experiences I had with these tools were rewards.
During my pre-internship this semester, I got to witness how the use of technology has evolved since the days when I was in school. One of the first things my cooperating teacher had informed me was that their class had private access to laptops, and that the students use them for half of their assignments. It’s crazy how the amount of tech has grown. Based on that experience, I realized why it is crucial to prepare students in online safety, awareness, critical thinking, management, and self-efficacy in order for them to effectively learn and grow from the tech that they use. One of my biggest takeaways from EDTC 300 is making good choices. You can choose to balance the amount of tech in your life. Choose not to believe in fake news. Choose to be digitally literate. A quote from Art Wittman stood out to me. “As we’ve come to realize, the idea that security starts and ends with a prepackaged firewall is simply misguided.” Thank goodness that in the past 13 weeks, I’ve learned why.
I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have learned so much about technology. Thinking that this course would benefit me as a teacher, I did not expect for this course to change my life entirely. I’m so honoured to have been part of such a safe online community where we could all meet and share our different personalities and experiences. So, thank you for everything, and that concludes my summary of learning.
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