For this reflection post, I wanted to think back on the guest lecture about iMovie. My experience in iMovie started very young with my middle-school-self’s discovery of the Movie Trailer feature on my older sister’s Macbook Air. Since then, I have loved toying around with iMovie to make compilations of little videos, memories, and school projects (whenever they were offered). However, despite my self-taught experience, I enjoyed the time in class to test out different features; in particular, I had never tried the green/blue screen effect before! I had fun putting the clips and audios together as per the instructions, then playing around to see what I could create.

Video-Making in Classrooms

Part of my last year of high school and first first year of university took place during quarantine in 2020. This meant that I saw first-hand the recent rise of online teaching. One thing I appreciated was how one of my first-year professors would post online recording lectures for us to watch, then we would use the synchronous online lecture time to discuss questions and work through problems following the introduction videos. I remember that this felt more manageable, as I could engage with the video content on my own time, then spend time in lecture asking questions rather than solely learning new content. As someone in an education role now, I can see how having a backlog of recorded video lectures on frequently taught topics could leave me more space to explore and deepen curriculum. In addition, if a student misses content, having recorded lectures allows them to catch-up when they are able.

Another format of video-making in classrooms is the student-made piece. I remember, especially in high school, having assignments focused on video creation or those with the option to make a video. I always had a fun time working on these and chose them if the option was presented. I feel that, as a student, video projects made me think of not only what the content was, but what was the best way possible to share or present it. One of my favourite projects was in Social Studies 9, where we were asked to create a YouTube-styled video about the Industrial Revolution. This made the content engaging, as my group partner and I came up with fun ways to keep the content engaging. The result was a skit, historical show, “Crash Course” combination that we had the best time filming. Since this video is quite long and contains more than just me, I won’t attach it to this post. Instead, I’ll attach a video from my Biology 10 class where we were instructed to make a “Portrait of a Protist.” For my project, I opted to create a stop-motion video, as I love stop motion and wanted to take my turn trying it out.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18lkK90sc7JKhzS29isEFcI30B3nVlt5a/view?usp=sharing

I’m excited to explore more ways to incorporate video making into the classroom! Both from the teacher-centred lesson creation and the student-led project type.

Unfortunately, this week I was sick and missed class. It turns out I’m not yet immune to seasonal illness! I’ve marked it as an area that I’ll need to improve in before becoming a classroom teacher (we’ll see how successful that is).

Looking over the slides, I was excited to see the reflection topic encouraged playing around with graphic design. Since I was in school myself, I have spent time playing around with various digital design softwares (e.g., iMovie for videos, Procreate for drawing, Google Slides for presentation, and Canva for graphics).

From “Powerpoint Nights” (presenting niche topics and interests with friends) to creating event posters, I’ve loved playing around with these design tools. This reflection introduced a new way to play around with these resources: worksheets! Therefore, for this reflection, I’ve included two example worksheets that I made. Both are made using Google Slides. The second one involves elements from Canva’s graphics library.

1. The Wild Robot

While sick, I spent a lot of my free time reading. For my L2P, I had weekly visits in a grade 3/4 classroom. As my Wednesdays are available this semester, I spent one visiting the class again. There, I had found that the students were reading The Wild Robot. Coincidentally, I had recently received that book for Christmas! Therefore, for my first worksheet, I thought I would create something to tie in with a novel study of Peter Brown’s book.

2. The Middle Ages

Outside of class, I also work as a tutor. Part of my job is tutoring eighth-grade Social Studies. According to the BC curriculum, one of the first units for Social Studies 8 is “Feudalism in Europe.” For my second worksheet, I wanted to create a tool to illustrate the social and power structure of feudalism present in Europe’s Middle Ages. Often, this is demonstrated using a pyramid showing the flow of power, as well as each role’s responsibilities and interactions. I thought for a review worksheet, students could “fill-in-the-blank” a pyramid.

What did I learn?

From making these worksheets, I considered when each would be introduced in a unit. I also had fun exploring what else could tie into these exercises.

For the novel study worksheet, I imagined this to be a reflection after reading the chapters mentioned. I thought this could also tie to elements of science with camouflage. Therefore, I wanted to focus on what camouflage is—both in the story and beyond. The exercise of finding the definition in a dictionary would encourage students to use the resources available to them. Also, it would act as a touchstone for new vocabulary. In camouflaging Roz themselves, students would reflect on how she camouflaged in the novel and imagine new ways she could interact with different landscapes.

For the feudalism worksheet, I imagine this could be a study aid alongside learning about the social structures in Europe’s Middle Ages. That is why I provided a word bank. In my own school experience, I remember “fill-in-the-blank” follow-along notes were how I learned best. It allowed me to both note important information and follow along with what my teacher was saying. If I were to adapt this exersize for review, practice, or a test, I may omit parts of the word bank (either roles or responsibilities) or omit the word bank altogether.

All in all, I had fun trying out new techniques in Google Slides (for example, using the “shapes” function to build a Roz lookalike). This exercise made me excited to build activities for students! Worksheets, activities, and note documents all provide ways for students to recall, learn, and explore new information. In addition, they help students learn how note-taking can work best for them!

I’m looking forward to playing around with graphic design tools and seeing what is possible! (Special thanks to Google Slides for this reflection post).

For my second reflection, I thought I would spend time reflecting on the conversations prompted by the guest speaker, Jesse.

My Digital Footprint

I found Jesse’s discussion of “digital footprint” and online privacy to be extremely important. As someone who grew up with the internet (I remember making my Instagram account soon after I turned 13), I have spent time considering what my presence online is. On cautioning from my parents and older siblings, my teen self made sure that all possible social media accounts were kept as “Private.” As I’ve grown up and learned more about the internet, I acknowledge that “privacy” on the internet is not as cut-and-dry as we would think.

Having social media, I feel, is something that continues to keep me connected to friends, family, long-lost summer camp cabin-mates, and many people who have, at some point, crossed life paths with me. Often, my mom asks me how someone from elementary or high school is doing, and I’ll respond, “I saw they [insert activity here], but I haven’t spoken to them in a while.” It’s interesting to see where grown-apart friends end up, how convergent stories become divergent, or just in general see the possibilities of the future. However, I am cautious to call this a connection in the same way I would usually use the word.

Returning to online privacy, I have always been wary of a digital footprint. Growing up alongside the rise of mass social media had a way of engraining that in me—endless warnings about catfishes, stolen data, and information being shared. Especially since turning towards education, I often think: is what I am putting out on the internet something I would be comfortable with my students/admin/parents of students/etc. finding? Real life experience does demonstrate how much information is readily available online.

For the past two summers, I have worked at a summer camp where I work and live alongside 10–11th grade students on a university campus for a month. Part of our role is being mentors, encouragement, or general support for the learners. Both summers I have worked there, as counsellors, we initially save from revealing certain personal information—age being a main one. Both times, I have noticed how fast the campers (when determined) can piece together information about us. A high school graduation year from LinkedIn, a university program graduation post where we’re mentioned (linked below), or some other online crumb contributes to a feast of information. While a lighthearted example, it, both times, has reminded me how much information exists online.

https://artsci.mcmaster.ca/congratulations-class-of-2024/

I don’t think that this should mean that we should be scared of our online presences, instead just be wary. This shift into a professional program (the PDP) has been interesting in that I now see the beginnings of my professional presence or identity. How am I representing myself online? Is it how I want to be perceived? Is it true to myself? These questions represent one layer of online privacy. There are more, I’m aware (such as data brokers and the selling of information, scams, and hacking).

This website, I feel, can represent one stage of my new “professional” online identity. While I do use these posts for reflection (some personal, some academic), their content ties to my future professional role: an educator. Being aware of what is happening around me, and in the world my students live in, will only aid in better preparing them to live safely. Both off- and online.

Community and Creation

The final lesson I’ve learned and reflected on from this guest speaker is the power of the internet and social media to share and create. Above, I’ve attached a QR code that leads to the Instagram account of an online creative writing magazine called The Melange. This magazine was the first proper time that I shared my creative work beyond my friends (excluding the long unlisted and deleted tween YouTube channel I shared with a friend).

Writing for, and later editing for, The Melange gave me the push to create for fun, and the confidence to share it. While this was a magazine made, and mainly read, by my small undergraduate program, it was publicly available. The social media account is public, meaning anyone interested in this magazine or the program can find it. In addition, the official McMaster Arts & Science Instagram account would often cross-post our publishing announcements, spreading the work beyond those who sign up to receive it. Working on this magazine showed me the immense power that online publications and creative spaces have. People sharing their art led to connections, people reading and relating, and a snowball effect of more art being created.

Shared experience; shared art; sharing community.

I hope, as an educator, that I will continue to learn more about my place in the online sphere. Both to protect and prepare myself and my students, but to also encourage creation and the growth of spaces that foster (safe) community.

In this week’s class, we explored open resources—both those specifically for education, and those generally applicable to teachers. Prior to this class, I had never really explored the idea of copyright in the context of my role as an educator. Therefore, I was intrigued to learn more in this class.

When initially thinking of my future classrooms and lesson plans, I admit I sometimes was overwhelmed with the scope of both 1) what I can do, and 2) how much there is to do. As I have been going through this program, the resources, suggestions, and more shared by my classmates and professors have been a big help in curbing some of those anxieties.

For this reflection, I thought I would explore one resource that I explored. I wanted to see an example of an Open Education Resource, so I chose CK12 (linked below).

https://www.ck12.org/teacher/

When exploring CK12, I appreciated how the textbooks, when selecting a subject, gave a quick and detailed summary of a unit. I expect this will help as an educator, giving me a touch-up on units that I may not be as familiar with. I also appreciated how section often provided additional resources to supplement students’ learning (e.g., definitions, key questions, and study sheets).

One final aspect of CK12’s format that I appreciated was the prevalence of additional videos—such as the “Crash Course” videos. I remember using these resources myself in middle and high school; they provide detailed and engaging summaries of concepts, time periods, and so much more! Already, through my tutoring, I’ve found myself using these videos. In particular, the “Medieval Europe” video provides a concise and meaningful exploration of key events in Europe’s Middle Ages (a large part of the eighth grade BC Social Studies curriculum).

To end this reflection, I wanted to mention the additional website from class that I found interesting, and oddly beautiful. This was the “Listen to Wikipedia” project: http://listen.hatnote.com/.

This site, as discussed in class, is a visual and auditory representation of the real-time additions/edits made to Wikipedia articles. From this class, I learned to deepen my appreciation of Wikipedia; I learned it is not only a free online encyclopedia, but also that all material on it is under Creative Commons. This provides an initial place to learn information that is readily available to all.

I look forward to exploring more Open Resources and deepening my future educator “tool belt.”