The Internet is a kingdom in its own right and is a tool that is taken for granted all over the world. Personally, I use the internet on a daily basis to access my social media accounts - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter - or to check up on news surrounding the Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Blue Jays and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Most recently, I've started to shop online for goods I could not otherwise purchase in store due to Covid-19 restrictions. The internet offers a variety of tools, including - but not limited to - video tutorials, news articles, video-game streams, etc.
Aside from my interest in sports, I am an avid outdoorsman and being in the outdoors means that I must dress accordingly and plan for the weather. The internet has an impact on my personal activities like hunting and fishing because they are so dependent on temperature, wind, and the short-term forecast. Being able to access all I need to know about the weather, helps me in deciding what my next steps are to being successful when looking for walleye or knowing where to patiently wait on a whitetail buck.
In terms of utilizing internet in the classroom, I was fortunate enough to have all of my students in front of me for my most recent practicum in Boissevain. I've heard of a variety of stories about student-teachers who were required to use online platforms to deliver their lessons. Although I was able to teach my students in-person, there were two students who were learning from home, where I was required to record my lessons and post them to our google classroom website. This way, the students working at home would gather and hear the same information as if they were in the classroom with their classmates. Without internet, this would not have been possible for those students.
What's my favourite part of the internet you may ask? Personally, being able to connect with family, friends and classmates of the past is something I still cherish today.
It's nice to see that even though you didn't have to teach a large number of students online, you are still getting experience. It's better than nothing and your post shows me that you are working with technology and not against it. As a fellow outdoorsman, I am very curious on how you use weather to determine where the walleye will be, I've never heard of that method being used before! I would love if you sent me an email so we could discuss fishing strategies further!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the first sentence you stated which was "the Internet is a kingdom in its own right and is a tool that is taken for granted all over the world." Although I don't have the best internet at home, I definitely do take it for granted. I have family who lives up in Northern Manitoba who don't have internet access. This reminds me of the discussion we had with Kirsten today about how the internet slowly gets worse as you leave the number 1 highway. We need to be aware of these inequities, especially as we try to achieve inclusive education here in Manitoba.
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