Category: ePortfolio

I have always loved teaching. I love seeing the light in the eyes of my learners when they finally understand a difficult subject. Bringing joy to a young person’s life makes me feel purposeful and gives me a deep sense of meaning. Helping others inherently makes me feel useful, and it is a triumphant accomplishment for me to teach children.

EDUC394 provoked my thinking in many ways. Having never taken an Indigenous course, I admit I was quite ignorant in terms of Indigenous ways of teaching and knowing prior to this program. I have learned so much about respect, diversity, and the First Peoples Principles of Learning (FPPL) during this Block. I have also learned about navigating the BC Curriculum. Getting to the “meat” of the subject of teaching is exciting, and I was anxious to dive into the BC Curriculum throughout this Block. However, learning takes patience and time. We were not ready to dive into the BC Curriculum until we learned about FPPL, Professional Standards for BC Educators, and the BCTF Code of Ethics. That had really challenged my thinking, as I had initially thought that we would be just thrown into the deep end of the BC Curriculum at the beginning.

The incorporation of self-reflection in all our courses has been very thought-provoking. I never realized how important it was to have my own understanding of my pedagogy, my identity as an educator. The blogs and class discussions have really opened my eyes to the type of educator I want to become. The personal pedagogy statement required for EDUC393 was especially enlightening to compose, as I had never really thought about my own personal philosophies before. I was exposed to a variety of useful and thought-provoking literature on education philosophy, which really helped me shape my own pedagogical statement. EDUC390 was truly eye-opening. I had the privilege of learning from other educators in SD57 throughout Block 1. These educators were all so unique, yet all shared the same passions and values that I do: inclusivity, respect, dignity, and openness. My own reflective pieces for EDUC390 were a chance to truly respond to what I had observed in the classrooms. Seeing what we had been discussing in EDUC346 in person during EDUC390 was truly inspirational. Having never taken an Aboriginal studies class until this year, I was eager to learn more about how we can incorporate First Peoples’ ways of learning and knowing into the classroom. The overarching courses (EDUC446 and 405) were very interesting to me, and challenged my thinking. Doing blog reflections on important topics, such as digital literacy and citizenship, assessments, BC curriculum, and this final project forced me to really delve deep into my own sense of self and relate that to my learning. So much of what we learned this Block has been self-reflective, which is important for our future success as educators. We are truly learning how to teach by first learning about ourselves.

I now know that I want to build upon my strengths as an educator. I have a high attention to detail, I am kind, compassionate, and passionate about teaching and learning. I also understand the struggles and challenges that young learners face. After years as a Behaviour Interventionist, and an After School Care Leader, and now a Teacher Candidate, I truly know how to connect with students. I can observe a student’s behaviour and tell what techniques will help to engage them in the subject being taught.

Keeping students engaged and enthusiastic about learning is one of the keys to success when working with children, along with respect for the diversity of needs and teaching techniques. My biggest question is “How can I effectively teach EVERY student?”, and I hope to learn to answer this question over the coming years as an educator. I also have further questions to consider:

How do we make learning fun and engaging?
How do we make the learning dynamic and alive for learners?
What areas do I need to develop to become a better teacher?

In order to answer the above guiding questions, I have created a catchphrase to keep in mind: Learning to Teach by Learning to Learn. In order to become an effective teacher, I must also work to become an effective learner myself.

I have also developed a simple graphic to help me shape my own learning. It is both holistic and subjective in nature. So, how did I develop my visual model of my learning? Well, first it was simply a word dump. Then I traced the outline, forming what I thought was a strawberry. Once I added a leaf on top, I realized I had made one of the most iconic items linked to teachers: the apple.

Yes, I had drawn an apple with words in it. Fantastic… but, wait, there is more!

The core of the apple is made up of the Core Competencies of BC Curriculum, which are layered, as one could envision when looking at the different Profiles of the Core Competencies. Deeper in the apple, the Curricular Competencies and the Content make up the seeds. The (delicious) skin of the apple is the Big Ideas, which are overarching concepts. Finally, the leaf of the apple, which was attached to the stem, extends the knowledge to other parts of the tree of knowledge (the Education Program and beyond).

Digital Citizenship

by berryk

On November 14, 2020

In ePortfolio, Reflections

What is digital citizenship? Why is digital citizenship important to learn? How could digital citizenship be taught and modelled in K-12 schools? (What would you teach?)

“Digital citizenship refers to the responsible use of technology by anyone who uses computers, the Internet, and digital devices to engage with society on any level” (Zook, n.d.).

I decided to begin by citing a definition of digital citizenship. The key term above is ‘responsible’. One must be a responsible user of digital mediums in order to be considered a good citizen. What factors make one a good digital citizen? What exactly are we talking about? For clarity, we should first look at the term digital citizenship. Let’s break it down. The word ‘digital’ refers to the medium with which one is using to communicate (the Internet, cell phones, etc.). The word ‘citizenship’ refers to the virtuous, good, responsible individual. In short, the good citizen. So, how can someone be considered a good digital citizen? What makes one responsible in the online environment?

Several factors come to mind when looking at citizenship. Responsibility is key here. But, what makes one responsible? My first thought is that one must portray accurate information and facts (63 Things, 2018; Davis, 2017). Speaking the truth, so to speak, is essential in being responsible for one’s actions, words, and thoughts. This is especially important in the online environment. Communication is a huge theme when it comes to Digital Citizenship (63 Things, 2018; Davis, 2017). When a world of information is available at your fingertips, it can be overwhelming. The urge to just blindly share news stories and theories can be strong, but doing the adequate background checks can prevent one from misrepresenting a topic.

One must also be sure to only post what is appropriate (culturally, pedagogically, and otherwise) for their audience. Racially-charged, prejudiced, highly political, and otherwise inappropriate content is not advisable, especially in light of how open communication is today. This is an important guideline for new (and experienced) teachers to understand. Being a part of a profession means that you are viewed through the lens of the collective peoples’ values.

Digital citizenship can be taught at a relatively young age – ideally, at the same time that students are developing their digital literacy. I would like to share some important topics for teaching digital citizenship in the classroom from Zook (n.d.).

If you want to teach digital citizenship, you’ll want to focus on seven key concepts:

Empathy
How the Internet works
Understanding user data
Practicing digital literacy
Acknowledging the digital divide
Practicing digital wellness
Securing digital devices

Unfortunately, I do not have the space to get into the details for each topic as one could easily write a blog about each topic in turn. In summation, teaching digital citizenship is essential in the pursuit of knowledge, safety, and equity for all.

References:

63 Things Every Student Should Know In A Digital World. (2018, August 12). Retrieved November 30, 2020, from https://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/63-things-every-student-should-know-in-a-digital-world/

Davis, V. (2017, November 01). What Your Students Really Need to Know About Digital Citizenship. Retrieved November 30, 2020, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-citizenship-need-to-know-vicki-davis

Zook, C. (n.d.). What Is Digital Citizenship & How Do You Teach It? Retrieved November 14, 2020, from https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/what-is-digital-citizenship

Learning Progressions

by berryk

On November 4, 2020

In ePortfolio

What are learning progressions? Why are they important? What did you learn from today’s learning activity?

Learning progressions are the continuum of learning of skills/content that are age appropriate, which are built upon towards more complex goals.

Learning progressions are a way of scaffolding a skill/learning outcome for learners, and for teachers to plan how to teach the specific skill/learning outcome. I found a quote from my readings that really helped to clarify what learning progressions are: “Although standards and curricula are often prioritized in educational documentation, it is the progress toward the standards and meeting curricular goals that is important. This “progress” can be seen as a roadmap which supports instructional planning” (Kim and Care, 2018).

Have you ever tried to write a lengthy essay without an outline? How about trying to find a new address without the help of a map or GPS? Trying to teach a complicated set of curricula without a roadmap to guide you is far more difficult than is necessary. Learning progressions allow the teacher to plan, guide, and reflect on their teaching of a new skill/concept.

How are learning progressions formed? “Typically, learning progressions are constructed on the basis of some sort of backward analysis. An educator first identifies a significant curricular aim and then asks, “What does a student need to know or be able to do to master this aim?”” (Ascd, n.d.). In other words, it is a sort of backwards chaining/scaffolding method. Conveniently, this is something I used to use and develop daily as a behaviour interventionist. It also reminds me of the acronym S.M.A.R.T. goals: you want to make sure the skill is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and done in a specified amount of time.

We completed a really interesting activity in class on October 30, 2020, wherein our groups had the task of creating a simple learning progression. It was difficult to do in such a short time, and even more difficult because we had to first decide on what skill/concept to progress towards. My team chose the skill of floor hockey, something I have always enjoyed, but honestly never excelled at myself. My group began by asking the question: “what are the basic skills you’d want to teach? At what age should teaching begin?” – and off we went. We decided to theoretically begin teaching the set of skills for floor hockey in Kindergarten, and progress through to grade 9 level. It was fascinating breaking up something as complex as floor hockey into the basic skills of the sport, and sportsmanship itself. We learned a lot about how we view sports in general, and realized that much of what we planned to teach would be transferable to other school-led sports activities. We also learned that there would have to be a significant level of flexibility for both the teachers and the students learning this skill. Some learners will naturally excel at sports, while others (like myself) may struggle. The key here is to have peer-support and comradery taught at the early stages, along with good sportsmanship and a basic understanding of the game itself.

All in all, we found this exercise especially enlightening… we all agreed that we could have used more time for discussions and theoretical planning, but we quickly understood that that was the lesson. Learning does take patience and time.

References:

Ascd. (n.d.). All About Accountability / The Lowdown on Learning Progressions. Retrieved November 04, 2020, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr07/vol64/num07/The-Lowdown-on-Learning-Progressions.aspx

Kim, H., & Care, E. (2018, March 27). Learning progressions: Pathways for 21st century teaching and learning. Retrieved November 04, 2020, from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2018/03/27/learning-progressions-pathways-for-21st-century-teaching-and-learning/amp/

Kurt, S. (2020, August 18). Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding. Retrieved November 04, 2020, from https://educationaltechnology.net/vygotskys-zone-of-proximal-development-and-scaffolding/

Learning Progression Definition. (2013, August 29). Retrieved November 04, 2020, from https://www.edglossary.org/learning-progression/

Category: ePortfolio

Learning to Teach by Learning to Learn: The Final Assignment and Provocation

Digital Citizenship

Learning Progressions