Tag: ETEC 532

1. To prize freedom and freedom of choice.

2. They want to customize things and make them their own.

3. They are natural collaborators, who enjoy a conversation, not a lecture.

4. They’ll scrutinize you and your organization.

5. They insist on integrity.

6. They want to have fun, even at work and at school.

7. Speed is normal

8. Innovation is part of life.

• Select one of Tapscott’s 8 Cultural Attributes of a Net-Generation and drawing on your own personal experiences discuss how this attribute either extends or limits your ability to understand the ‘net-generation’.

Customization

Haven’t people always wanted to customize things so that it resembles what they know? One of the first missionaries to China adopted Chinese customs and dress to build relations with the locals so he could have the chance to share his beliefs with them. A lot of the traditions surrounding Christian holidays like Christmas originated from pagan traditions. Surely the Easter Bunny’s roots predate Christianity? As someone who grew up in a Protestant household, I find it interesting that at some point in history religion, or at least Christianity was open enough to accommodate local traditions. While there have been some changes in Christianity such as some denominations will recognize and officiate LGBTQ+ marriages, that same openness that was present at the beginning, doesn’t seem so strong today. I think if we’re not careful, the ability to customize will be dictated by a privileged set of people. Cancel culture is a threat to our ability to customize. If a person doesn’t want to be ostracized, they need to follow the trends and what is politically correct. At first I thought freedom and customization were bascially the same; however, being able to customize does not mean there is freedom. Afterall, who decides what options and features are available for customization?

• Using a personal example regarding the arts and humanities reflect on how language systems have been used to ascribe meanings and values to particular words within the contexts of signifying practices. (e.g., ballet – high art; break dance – low art).

I can remember when manga (Japanese graphic novels) were just beginning to be officially translated and sold in English-language markets. Before this, there were lots of illegal translations online. When translated manga became available in English, there was a divide between people who preferred the illegal translations over the official translations because they felt the illegal translations were closer to the original work’s intentions/meanings. I remember some people being a bit snobbish about it. I do think a lot of the illegal translations kept the parts of Japanese culture within their translations, explaining these points through lengthy sidenotes and/or hyperlinks, but the official English-language translations were more accessible to a wider group of people because the cultural parts were translated to the closest English equivalent.

• JR is an example of a visual artist working beyond an exhibition in a gallery, how is his art technologically relevant to a contemporary classroom? And how might Subhani, K. (2015) Photos as Witness: Teaching visual literacy for research and social action, help us in unpacking his work in the classroom?

JR’s art is relevant to the time and human emotions. Subhani (2015) notes the average person spends less than a second looking at an image. JR’s art can change, for example the moving train exhibition and the vinyl photos that were used as roofs. The impermanence of the art motivates the viewer to take a close look since they don’t know if the art will still be there in that place and form later on. Despite the shortness of a human lifespan and attention, Skloot in Subhani’s (2015) article draws his students to the common thread linking their chosen photos together: human emotions. The emotions conveyed in the photos are framed to either express the photographer’s feelings at that moment or to express the subject matter’s feelings. I thought this intention in storytelling was most evident in Jessica Hill’s response, she lets her photos do the talking. She doesn’t do interviews out of respect for the people in her photos. It is up to the viewer to bridge that gap in time and experience from the present to the past.

• How does Lloyd’s (2013) Trouble Comes to Me: The Mediated Place of the Urban Citizen, helps us understand & talk to this idea of a “meaningful knowledge of self identity and community.”

Perhaps this is an oversimplification, but I think Lloyd’s (2013) redistribution of marginalized stories is about exposure to other perspectives. I think this is one of the reasons why there are digital cameras made for young children or the little lightweight ones that can be attached to a collar. These spaces that children and pets inhabit are the same urban area, but seen from a different perspective.

References

JR. (2011). Use art to turn the world inside out. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAy1zBtTbw (Links to an external site.)

Lloyd, J. (2013). Trouble comes to me: The mediated place of the urban citizen. Space and Culture, 16(3), 306-322.

Subhani, K. (2015). Photos as Witness: Teaching visual literacy for research and social action. English Journal 105(2), 34-40.

Tapscott, D. (2008). Net Geners Relate to News in New Ways. Nieman Reports; Winter2008 62(4) 18-19.

1. How you have used educational technologies and pedagogic strategies, self-directed learning, critical inquiry, or intercultural communication specifically within the context of your area of employment.
2. Identify three (3) possible future goals for using technology in the arts and humanities classroom (or in your own context if it is different) and discuss one of these goals in greater depth (paragraph).
3. Speculate on how this course might help you reach your goal.
4. Post your response in the Discussion Forum WEEK 1 – Thoughts on Technology & Teaching – Week One.
5. Read the introductory statements posted by your classmates and post a response to at least one of them. Remember when posting a response you should click on reply, while inside the thread for the other person’s message. This way your message is “nested” under their entry. It is useful to remember that everyone likes to feel included so try to spread your responses amongst the class

As a primary homeroom teacher, I don’t always teach art, it depends on whether there’s an art specialist teacher at the school I work in. I do think taking a cross-curricular approach to learning and teaching is important. When I was looking at the instructions for the tasks, I remember looking at the titles of the projects to consider and thinking how this doesn’t really make sense. Once I clicked on the link and found the projects, I was able to move from just words to a sense of understanding. I can’t help but feel that this is how my students might feel if I introduce content without additional visuals. I have used educational technologies such as iPads to give students choices/self-directed learning. For example, when sketching and labeling the different layers of the earth, I provided 3 different sources (2 videos, one website) for the students to look through. They had the option of looking through as many of those sources as they wanted to. I’ve also used apps like BugClub and Epic! for their read-aloud options for some books. Many of my students postively reviewed Epic!, letting me know that they used it at home to read too because of the quality and quantity of books available. One part of learning is opening up a new world, so hearing students are using an app beyond the classroom is rewarding. I did that too after I finished going through Daito Manabe’s projects to consider for this task.

Three possible goals for using technology in the arts and humanities classroom are: deeper understanding of digital literacy, alleviating anxiety around art for those students who believe they can’t “do art” and creating a space where students feel safe to make mistakes (the undo function).

Lessons where students can digitally manipulate photos, could help them gain a better understanding of how content online can be manipulated by anyone and that it can be altered to fit the intention of the creator. Students can alter their own photos using the lasso tool to crop their heads onto the bodies of other people or animals. It can be a fun lesson and at the same time, students can experience firsthand how their own image can be altered. I think this lesson could also be taken a step further so students can consider the importance of respecting people’s wishes and copyrights. After experiencing all the fun and sometimes silly edits they can use on their own photos, they might have a deeper understanding of why some people are not comfortable having their photos taken and posted online. Which could lead to students considering their own comfort level with posting their photos online. They could then explore what options are available to post photos and what rights they have when they post their photos online. My students are too young to open their own social media accounts, but it’s good for them to learn now so they can consider the options and consequences.

Reading through some of my peers’ Week 2 Posts, I feel a better appreciation of the significance video can play on students’ lives and learning experiences. As some people noted, today people can work towards becoming YouTubers, a career that might have been unimaginable for many during YouTube’s fledgling years.

Videos can be used as a communication tool to push learners to improve themselves. Knowing that they can rewatch themselves, they put greater care and pride into their actions and words. However, like any tool, it can be a double-edged sword. Used thoughtlessly it can lose its impact or it can demoralize others. Reading through the comments I recalled a colleague’s experience at her previous school. Her school had spent the last school year online, so for graduation, the Grade 6 students had to film and submit a video message. They had several months to work on it, but there were a couple students who did not submit anything by June. They were unable to come up with the perfect video. Their parents sent some of the “failed” videos, but there was nothing wrong with them. Several days ago I showed my students the Dove Evolution video as a prelude to a unit on retouching and editing images. My students (Grade 3) saw nothing wrong with having the model’s face retouched digitally because the purpose is to get people to buy the product. Some of them believe that it isn’t good to wear makeup because it’s lying, but that everyone uses some sort of photoshop or filters on their photos online. I’m not sure if the belief about makeup is due to their age, perhaps their parents told them this because they don’t want their 8-year old children to wear it, I wasn’t able to get a clear answer about this, but I was surprised how blasé they were about digital touchups and the need for perfection in videos and advertisements. Next month my class will be making some videos to share online with their families in place of a school-held event. The posts of my classmates and my students’ comments show that there is value in creating videos, but I need to be wary of avoiding any “perfection” pitfalls.

After reading/viewing the Ideas and Issues content for this module, write 2 paragraphs that immediately describe what you consider are some of the educational benefits (or not) in making / engaging in video/ image based web content: This is not a long considered piece of writing but rather a first thoughts, get something out there – thinking as writing exercise. You are endeavouring to spark a conversation with your peers, not write a long treatise that encapsulates all your thinking on the subject.

Being in the present seemed to be a major theme in the video projects linked in the module, but as an educator I try to make videos that can be reused over the years, like video tutorials going over equivalent fractions. I’ve also used origami YouTube tutorials with lower primary classes in a DIY style. What I like about these video tutorials is they can be paused to give learners time to digest content in chunks or rewound and replayed. If learners have access to their own device like an iPad, the learning pace can be set by the individual.

I’ve been thinking how can I effectively use videos/image based web content in my classes. I’m considering combining feedback with video journals. During a Professional Development session I attended, a study shared that verbal feedback is more meaningful than written feedback. I have been trying it out, and I am seeing my students using the feedback I give them more often. Video content can be similar to verbal feedback, especially in online learning contexts. There are screen-recording apps like Screencastify that allow camera-shy students to record without showing their faces. Could students record their learning or the progress of their art projects and combine the different images/videos into one video, adding their own annotations during the process and then again as a reflection at a later time? The reflection at a later time could be more meaningful than traditional written ones because students would be connecting with their past selves. One of my students told me how cool it was to find out that her parents had first seen Home Alone when they were her age. She was excited about having this connection with her parents, watching Home Alone for the first time at the same age. Could a video reflection on a video progress diary create a similar and/or meaningful connection?