Vikki M

In week 9 there was a talk from Dr Bonnie Stewart from the University of Windsor on Datafication. I am not up to date with any data issues or how they affect me personally when using different digital tools and platforms so this talk, and the subsequent talks surrounding cybersecurity, were interesting information. I would not have sought this information out for myself so I am glad it was brought to me so I could reflect on how it affects me.

Dr Bonnie Steward mentioned this quote “with every keystroke, we leave traces, clicks, patterns, that can be monetized, consolidate and sold”. These words resonated with me and brought the stark reality of our consumerist systems back into the forefront of my thinking and being. It is easy to forget that we are being watched and observed for data with everything we do online whether we are conscious of it or not. We have unknowingly given our consent, which in turn, gives our power over to companies who then sell our information for profit. It is a scary thought that this is happening and where this will lead us in the future.

Dr Bonnie Stewart also mentioned that it is difficult to have any truth within these online spaces. As a mother, this is also very concerning as children are growing up in a world where misinformation is the norm. How do we ensure we are teaching our children to look out for the truth and not assume everything they are presented with is real? It is an interesting time and I wonder what more awareness of datafication and cybersecurity issues will do to ensure the safety of the next generations.

This week Jessica Mussell gave a talk on using Zotero. I have not come across Zotero before so the information was useful. Being a second-year undergrad mature student with ADHD, correctly using citations can be difficult and time-consuming as my brain does not retain information easily. I have my system for adding references and citations to work as I go when writing assignments so I was interested if using Zotero would be an easier or quicker process. I installed the platform and tried it out as I was writing my current assignment.

I found the process of adding the resources into Zotero and then going into a Word document and adding them monotonous. When adding the resources into Zotero you can see the information but not the completed reference until you want to pull it into your Word document. I think it would take a bit of usage to get used to the steps needed and learning a new way of doing things. Zotero worked well on published articles and I did try an online media article which worked well. What the platform did not do efficiently was create a reference for a website that I needed. There perhaps was a way to troubleshoot but I resorted to my old way of doing things by using an online citation creator as I did not have the time to figure it out at that moment.

Overall I found Zotero a good tool and will keep using it to see if I can get used to it and use it quickly and effectively. The only problem I can envision is that as it is done automatically there is no learning process to practice creating references correctly. If I had been introduced to this in my first year of undergrad studies and not had to manually create some APA style references, make mistakes, and then have to correct them I would have missed out on some learning. If a program does something for me automatically I will have no desire to sit and learn how it is doing it and the knowledge will not be learned. I am glad I have been introduced to this tool and will keep experimenting and finding ways it can assist me in my learning journey.

This week Dr Remi Kalir from Duke University shared his passion for social annotation in this video. At first, I was unsure what Dr Remi was going to talk about and if there could be much to discuss regarding taking notes or commenting on texts. Luckily as an engaging speaker on this subject, Dr Remi walked us through some deeper thoughts and considerations on how adding notes can connect people and spark different meaningful conversations.

As Dr Remi went through his presentation, I tried to keep up with the technical language used to describe how annotations are implemented. One such term was annotation being “intertextual” meaning how different texts interact with each other. The examples provided helped to view annotation in creative ways such as comments left on art, in public places, or part of signage. These different ways of using annotation display the processes of interruption of meaning and contesting of ideas that help to give a deeper understanding of where you stand on a subject.

A discussion of the use of Hypothes.is highlighted the opportunity to use this digital tool in a learning context for students to share commentary and engage in dialogue through text. Dr Remi emphasized the disconnect between individually annotating a document and then discussing it in a forum separate from the document. Digital tools such as Hypothe.is creating an opportunity for students to take notes collectively and interact with others’ annotations. This tool is a platform to engage in the interruption of meaning and contesting of ideas which will benefit a student’s learning on subjects. I wonder if this was integrated within Uvic’s Brightspace platform how effective it would be to promote engagement with online learners.

During Week 6 the course took a deep dive into Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI tools are not something that I know much about or have used, but I know they exist. I have not consciously used them or researched any positive or negative ways they can improve my life. Listening to the talk by David Wiley and how he described transitioning to using AI highlighted a perspective that I had not considered before. David mentioned that in pre-internet days the way to find information was to go to the library or make a phone call. When the internet arrived the transition to other ways of finding information created different habits. Due to the arrival of AI tools, we are in another transition that will develop new habits and ways to access different information. Reflecting on this idea of transitioning I can recognize that I went through the arrival of the internet but have thus far resisted the AI movement. Perhaps it is time for me to experiment with some AI tools to see if they can benefit or enhance they way I access information as a student.

Another interesting point David talked about was how tools such as ChatGTP can be useful for connecting new information to a learner’s prior knowledge. Asking ChatGTP to explain concepts using specific areas of personal interest is a brilliant way to help a student find a connection so the information can be understood and integrated. This may especially benefit a student who learns in this way such as myself who has ADHD. I wonder what other ways I could use AI tools to aid my learning as it often takes me double the time to complete reading and written work. As a student knowing the benefits of AI tools but also an awareness of the ethical implications can save time on tasks that otherwise would take up a whole day. I decided to experiment and drop a legislation comparison question for another course assignment into ChatGPT. I was so surprised how fast it came back with 2 pages of information! Upon reviewing the information I can see that the quality is not great but it gave me a starting point. The information also does not replace the need to read the two legislation documents, however, I can see how some students might rely on this information in times of overwhelm to rush through work. I will consider these tools more consciously now and be more open to transitioning into AI in the future.

As a person born in the mid-1980’s there was no such thing as the Internet, digital devices or social media platforms in my childhood. My first introduction to any type of device was an old Atari 2600 games console with two games, Pac-Man and Space Invaders.

It wasn’t until I was a teenager that Desktop PCs and the Internet were accessible in both school and the home environment. My high school in England where I grew up was considered a leader in introducing technology to children, we were the only publicly funded high school to have a communications center. This center was called “CLIC” and was a building with two rooms filled with Desktop PCs and as students, we had classes in this room where we were taught IT skills. The IT skills that I remember they taught us were “touch type” (a method of typing using all 10 fingers without needing to look at the keyboard) and administration skills such as writing a memo etc. However, we were given free access to the internet which was the most exciting part. Unfortunately, even in the early 2000s giving teenagers free access to the internet with no rules, safety precautions, or frameworks enabled exploration into websites such as ratemypoo.com. Teachers had no idea of the content we were consuming and introducing the internet to young students was a new concept, they were unaware of how curiosity can be a vulnerability to students in an online space.

25 years later the digital landscape has evolved and exploded into children’s lives, children as young as 2 years old can operate smartphones and access platforms such as YouTube. The Government of Canada has promoted public health considerations for screen time in the early years, stating that any screen time for children under 2 years old is not recommended and for children 2-5 years, 1hr per day is recommended. The Canadian Pediatric Society publications focus on the health implications and encourage face-to-face interaction for young children’s learning. While this is all good information for healthy development in young children, the information on how to introduce children safely in digital spaces through an educational lens is lacking for parents and educators.

As children enter Kindergarten they will be introduced to iPads and learning apps, shown how to take pictures of their work and upload them to a platform that is shared with their parents. While these practical skills are being taught in a positive and useful way I have to wonder if there is enough conscious teaching around digital literacy and how this is monitored.

There are digital literacy frameworks available such as BC Digital Literacy Framework (K-12) which offers a comprehensive overview of standards and guidelines for age-appropriate literacies. However, I do question how this is being implemented within the school system and if any directed lessons take place for children to understand and integrate the concepts. K-2 children will have varying levels of literacy skills and their level of reading and skill of typing correctly spelled words will affect their level of competency. For this reason, differing apps are used to accommodate the younger grades. As a parent reading the BC Digital Literacy Framework, I am surprised at the level of information my Grade 1 is supposed to be aware of. I ask myself is this part of my responsibility as a parent to teach? If so where are helpful resources so that I, as a millennial who did not have this type of education, can access to ensure my child is aware and can safely navigate digital spaces?

In week 3 of class Jeff Hopkins gave a talk on the Inquiry Process. (Week 3: Inquiry Process, & SIFT Methodology – EDCI 136 – Digital Literacy). A discussion on the connections between an inquiry process, research papers and bottom up learning highlighted the potential for an inquiry process to develop student agency with their learning. Most educational systems work within a confined learning structure where the teacher/instructor is positioned as an expert and has knowledge on a subject they will impart to students, this is described as top down learning. Within top down learning there is little room for a student to have agency on what and how they learn. Learning through an inquiry process can both support a student’s autonomy and agency as there is freedom to make their own choices and the potential to take action and influence outcomes based on these choices.

I have a background in Early Childhood Education (ECE) and have spent 20 years planning and supporting young children’s learning within daycare centers. For children 0-5 years old there is no formal curriculum in BC that daycare teachers must follow. There are however different learning philosophies that daycares follow to guide their programs. The Reggio Emilia philosophy is an approach that emphasizes the child, the environment and collaboration. The learning through play model relies on observing the child’s interests to support inquiry projects that promote the idea that children are in control of their own learning and exploration. Below is an example of an interest planning sheet I used with a class of 3-5 year old’s.

This sheet is a similar concept to Jeff Hopkins example plans for the
Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry. (Inquiry Tools – Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry). A model of asking questions, researching and exploring and then asking deeper questions results in a cycle of learning. My plan was co-created with the children after a member of staff brought in large Zucchinis they had grown in their garden. Many of the children were fascinated by the large vegetable and wanted to explore everything about it. We sat as a group and the children put forward some of the ideas of what we could do with the Zucchini.

This bottom up process of learning was a great way of making learning fun for the children and inviting children to include their voice within the classroom. The self confidence and intrinsic motivation of the children to complete activities was visible to see within the interactions between teacher and child. Allowing children some age appropriate autonomy created a respectful and considerate classroom.

Unfortunately once these children move on to Kindergarten and enter the public school system the learning style changes to a top down learning approach. It is a stark contrast to their daycare program and many children struggle to adjust. Their loss of autonomy often coincides with the loss of their love of learning and school becomes a ‘have to’ rather than “i get to’. I have witnessed this process in my own child and it is upsetting to watch the light in her eyes dim when she talks about school or ‘learning’. I am currently looking into alternative schooling options for my child. I repeatedly come across successful programs that are promoting inquiry based learning and I wonder if this will relight my child’s desire to be excited about learning again. She has endless questions on a wide range of topics which she would love to explore. I hope by finding a program where she can have autonomy and agency it will prepare her to take responsibility for her learning when the time comes to step out of childhood.