I chose Jamie’s Task 1 to reflect on because we are colleagues at Maywood Community School and often collaborate closely, especially when team teaching a variety of subjects, including PHE. One thing we both carry in our daily work bags is a whistle on a lanyard. This got me thinking—could a whistle be considered a text technology?
After reflecting on the prompt proposed by Ernesto, I believe that a whistle can be seen as a form of text technology, particularly for conveying conventional meaning. Having played competitive soccer my entire life, I’ve come to understand the various whistle signals used in the sport. Each whistle sound carries a specific and agreed-upon message for players, coaches, and referees. For instance, a short, sharp whistle indicates a foul and stops play immediately, while one long whistle signals a penalty kick.
Jamie and I use a similar system to manage sports and ensure safe play with 60 intermediate students. For example, in our practice, one whistle means “stop,” two whistles mean “stop and sit down,” and three whistles mean “stop and line up.” This shared understanding of whistle signals allows us to maintain order and safety during activities, reinforcing how whistles serve as a meaningful communication tool.
https://sites.google.com/view/etec540blois/tasks
In Task 3, Patrick and I share a similar experience and analysis when using voice-to-text tools to tell our stories. We both highlight that our stories were more informal and lacked organization, often resulting in run-on sentences due to the absence of punctuation.
As someone who is Italian, this assignment reminded me of how storytelling is such a core part of our culture. In Italian traditions, stories are often passed down orally, full of passion and emotion, and the focus is less on perfect structure and more on meaning and connection. Voice-to-text, however, doesn’t always capture tone or voice. The tools may record the words, but they miss the intonation, gestures, and pauses that help convey the deeper meaning of the story.
This assignment helped me realize how much effort goes into storytelling, whether oral or written. It’s not just about the words we choose but how we structure and present them to engage the listener/reader. These challenges really show the importance of practice and tools in improving our ability to communicate meaningfully.
https://blogs.ubc.ca/quinn540/task-8/-task8
I really like how you organized the Golden Record tracks while keeping NASA’s original goal in mind. Organizing by country and continent and prioritizing human voices was such a thoughtful way to make sure different cultures were represented.
Your point about cultural significance really stood out to me. It’s tough to make these kinds of choices without some level of bias, no matter how hard we try. I totally agree with Dr. Smith Rumsey’s idea that some “wrong choices” are bound to happen, just like when deciding what parts of history to preserve. There’s always going to be something important left out, which makes the selection process feel even more complicated.
Were there any songs that you struggled to cut? And what ended up being the deciding factor?
I really like how you used a mix of emojis to make the story clearer—it makes sense that relying on just one type wouldn’t be enough. I also appreciate how you connected this to Bolter’s idea of taking the reader on a journey, showing that even with emojis, narrative structure still matters.
Your idea of using emojis to retell Bible stories in the classroom is super creative! It’s a great way to mix traditional and digital storytelling while making the text more engaging. It would be interesting to see how different students interpret the same scene using different emojis—have you thought about comparing their versions to explore different perspectives?
https://blogs.ubc.ca/jasminechapmanetec540/2025/03/16/attention-economy-the-most-annoying-thing/
Wow, thank you for sharing such an honest and relatable reaction. I felt so seen reading your post! I also found the game super frustrating, especially that timer and the endless clicking traps.
Your reflection on the recipe metaphor really resonated with me. I teach Grade 5/6 students, many of whom are English language learners, and we often talk about how important clear, accessible instructions are—whether it’s for a science experiment, a group project, or a simple worksheet. Just like your recipe example, a small miscommunication can throw off the entire task. I could totally see myself adapting this game for a mini-lesson on digital design and how language, layout, and usability influence comprehension. It would be a powerful way to help students think critically about the platforms they use every day.
https://blogs.ubc.ca/metprogramnp/2025/03/17/weekly-task-11-detain-release/
Great post, Navid! Your mention of the “algorithm going bad due to neglect” (O’Neil, 2017) made me think about how quickly that can happen when we blindly trust systems without constantly questioning the data behind them. I teach in a school with a very diverse student population, and I’ve been thinking a lot about how similar patterns might play out in education; like predictive tools used for early intervention or behavioral tracking. If these tools are based on biased or incomplete data, they risk reinforcing the very inequities they claim to fix. I am wondering, how do you think educators can actively challenge or counteract algorithmic biases in predictive tools, especially when these systems are often implemented at a district or policy level?