Final Reflection: Video

 

TEACHING IS FUN!

Hearing from Dean Shareski this week was... refreshing.   I use the word refreshing because he reminded me of the opportunities we have as teachers to have fun in the classroom.  In the rush of life as it is, we tend to forget how to have fun and enjoy ourselves and our everyday jobs.  In terms of teaching as a job, we can incorporated games, technology, and communication exercises to make the classroom environment more enjoyable.

This entire presentation made me think of my first placement at Carberry Collegiate.  I was able to work through my placement with two cooperating teachers.  One, who was involved in ensuring students understood classroom concepts by checking in consistently throughout class and through thorough homework checks.  The other, relied solely on homework and testing material to assess whether students understood the concepts or not.  I did however, enjoy observing both teachers as they represented two separate identities to teaching.

I'm the last one who wants students to dread attending my classes.  If there is a way I can keep students engaged and wanting to come to school, then I will do my best to keep the classroom environment fun and entertaining.  

After searching around for a video on YouTube, I came across the video below that explains how to play "Hot Seat" in the classroom.  It may or may not be curricular, but not everything needs to hit a specific-learning-outcome, as mentioned by Dean.  

Web-based Courses

Covid-19 is to blame for a variety of changes we have seen in our daily routines.  Careers, mental health and financial budgets have all be affected by the ongoing pandemic, as we slowly reach the 1-year anniversary of the original "shut-down".  Although WBCs (web-based courses) existed prior to Covid-19, they have become a necessity in current times.  

Our #I4Ed class was fortunate enough to hear from Chris Fredrickson and Shannon Magee, both involved in Manitoba Education's web-based courses and distance learning program.  

From the Government of Manitoba website, Manitoba education supports WBC development and delivery in a number of ways: 

management of web-based course development

provision of a provincial Learning Management System (LMS) licence and maintenance of a course server 

provision of access to the LMS for teachers for course delivery and development 

management of requests for access to web-based courses 

training in use of the LMS and online pedagogy for online teachers 

support for existing teacher users of the LMS

In terms of the presentation put forth by Chris and Shannon, the most notable information I took out of it was the teacher-facilitated versus student-facilitated learning.  The comparison between the two made me think back to when I was in high school.  The path my thoughts took me down, was familiar in the fact that I realized how much it has changed since I graduated high school - which is only six years ago.  I immediatley thought back to my first placement in Carberry, where my C.T. used an app/program called Remind.  I had never seen anything like it when I was in high school, where students are sent reminders for due dates or assignments on a consistent basis.  It also provides a platform for students to ask questions and chat with the teacher in a professional manner.  

Another point Chris and Shannon made, was related to teacher-facilitated learning.  In high school, there was no such thing as iPads or an "iPad cart".  We strictly relied on the availability of the computer labs within our high school.  As I go back to student-teach in high schools, I see the amount of technology available for students to learn, and in all honesty, it blows my mind.  Maybe if the technology available today was accessible 6+ years ago, my grades would have been a little better!

 

10 Minute Teacher Podcast: Review (TT#7)

Vicki Davis and her 10 Minute Teacher Podcast series offer a wide range of teaching tips, including tips on maintaining your mental well-being, creating shortened lesson plans, building trust between principals and teachers, and so much more.  The series has reached over 700 episodes in total over 9 seasons.

In order to figure out more about the podcast series, I relied on everyones favourite search engine, Google!  Interestingly enough, I uncovered The CoolCatTeacher Blog by Vicki Davis where you can access each podcast if you can't do so any other way.  

In terms of reviewing the podcast series, it offers in-depth tips of anything and everything surrounding teaching.  For example, in order to review the series, I listened to the following handful of podcasts:

How to Overcome Your Self Limiting Beliefs

The 5 Minute Lesson Plan with Ross McGill

5 Ways to Build Trust Between Principals and Teachers

5 Tips to Help Busy Teachers Stay Healthy

My Thoughts on the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast:

  

This podcast series offers a resource like none other.  As teachers, we are - or will be - continuously on-the-go, trying to keep up with course material, classroom management, etc.  We are able to take this podcast series, turn it on in our car, and listen to a couple of episodes each time we need to drive 10+ minutes somewhere.  If a teacher is looking for a positive boost to their day, it takes 10 minutes to listen to this empowering podcast series instead of the drawn-out 1-2 hour podcasts.  I would suggest this podcast series to any of my colleagues looking for short PD sessions.  In terms of using the podcast and reflecting on a certain episode you may have enjoyed, Vicki's blog also offers a fillable Google Docs form where you can go through and focus on important takeaways, how you applied them in the classroom, something you shared with others, and any questions you have about what you took away from the podcast.

In terms of a useful tool that checks off all of the boxes, this is a go-to for quick and easy professional development for teachers.

Using PivotalWeather.com in the Classroom (TT#5)

 

A little about me! (TT#11)

 

Infographics to the Rescue! (TT#9)

"Math is soooo boring." "Why do we have to know this stuff?" "I'm never going to use this stuff again." 

If you've never heard the above statements, have you even been in a math classroom?  Math, to some, can be the most challenging, dry subject they take while working through K-12.  Math as a whole, poses different abstract ideas, formulas, and calculations some students just don't understand.  Our job as teachers is to change the attitude towards math into a positive one by, making it "fun" for students.

You may ask, how can we improve the life for students in our math classrooms? 

INFOGRAPHICS! 

(Well, sort of...)

(Retrieved from Pinterest)

An infographic looks to "inform" its audience in an attractive poster-style medium.  Using bright colours, headings, sub-sections, and little to no words tends to be the main characteristics of a math-centred infographic.  What I've noticed after taking a look at a variety of math infographics, is the use relevant images students will come across in tests and assignments.  I've also recognized the ability an infographic has in breaking down certain ideas and organizing them into a step-by-step visual process.  In this sense, infographics serve an important role in the classroom.  When students are busy working away and they decide to look away from what's in front of them, as teachers, we might as well have mathematical aids around the classroom to help in any situation.  If students have taken notes on how to solve the volume of a cylinder but they just can't make sense of what they've written, they can go to the "Volume" infographic found to the right!  Aside from helping students, infographics bring life to the classroom and can fill wall space with useful, relevant information.

As a part of this blog post, we were asked to create our own infographic in relation to our teachable subjects.  I chose to create an infographic that concentrated on finding missing sides of a triangle when only given one other side and 2 angles.  This was my first ever attempt at an infographic so I hope you enjoy it or find use with it.

Computational Thinking with Matteo Di Muro!

Who knew Minecraft could be entertaining and educational at the same time? Not me... well, not until the president of the Manitoba Association of Computing Educators (ManACE), Matteo Di Muro, introduced it to our Internet for Educators class!  "The primary purpose of ManACE is to promote the use of instructional technology at all levels of education."  Matteo welcomed the idea of computational thinking within the classroom, as well as providing us with an abundance of teaching resources.  Using the website, callysto.ca, Matteo defined computational thinking as, "The ability to solve problems by learning to think like a computer or computer scientist."

(Image retrieved from https://www.callysto.ca/computational-thinking-tests/)

Included in his presentation was the graphic to the right, which represents the key characteristics of, "The Computational Thinkers".

Technology is continuously being improved and by involving our students in a computational mindset, someday they may be the ones involved in the development or advancement of technology.

I'll be the first to admit, I'm not a "computation thinker," nor have I ever been.  I started off my university career wanting to obtain my undergraduate degree with a mathematics major and geography minor.  Halfway through my first semester, that all changed....

In order to become a mathematics major, you must successfully complete Computer Science I and II - among other computer based courses.  Initially, I was looking forward to trying something different, so I was enrolled in Computer Science I, but failed miserably.  I made it past the mid-terms and was forced to drop the course as it wasn't something I was going to be able to complete.  There are a couple of reasons why I was unsuccessful.  The first reason was my lack of motivation in my first year as a student to perform at a high level, and another reason is the fact that I had no prior knowledge of what computer science entailed.  Unfortunately, my rural high school didn't offered courses related to the idea of computational thinking nor did they offer an introduction into the world of computer science.

After not being able to work through Computer Science I, I decided to change my degree to become a geography major and mathematics minor.  I've enjoyed every bit of being a geography major in my undergrad. degree, especially after taking the GIS I and II courses.  The idea that we can take data collected by others - or collected by ourselves in the field - and applying it into different map projections and styles of maps, was so cool.  As I worked through this course, I constantly thought, "How cool and beneficial would this be to introduce this in my future classrooms?" I thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to bring an introduction course of this nature into a rural setting where it currently isn't offered.

Yes I'm a bit off-topic, but the point I am trying to make is, as teachers who are educating our worlds next generation, we need to begin to plug-in ideas and use resources surrounded by coding and computational thinking.  If I was fortunate enough to have had introductory courses or lessons around the idea of coding while I was in high school, maybe I would have been more successful in my first semester of university.  

Link to Matteo's Wakelet Resources: https://wakelet.com/wake/2mXr9FnqfIHoeUtEzofXY

Is Twitter Useful as a Future Educator? (TT#8)

    It's Thursday, February 11th, in the year 2021, and damn is it ever cold!  I've just learned today, MTS (Manitoba Teacher's Society) are proud participants in National Moose Hide Campaign Day via a like of James Bedford's.  I've also learned of a large, 7.7 magnitude earthquake that had struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands yesterday, but thankfully did not require tsunami warnings.  Lastly, Tom Brady went wild while celebrating his 7th Super Bowl championship - more than any NFL franchise.

Why does all of this matter you may ask?  

    The above news was gathered from my twitter feed!  I follow multiple sports outlets, The Weather Network, and a variety of accounts related to teaching in Manitoba - among many other accounts.

    Off to the left here is my Twitter profile.  In my bio I made sure to address that indeed I'm a student at Brandon University, the fact that I'll be a teacher in the coming months and hashtags to let people know who I cheer for in the NHL and that I support those who struggle with mental health.  

    My most recent activity comes on the day of #BellLetsTalk, which is focused around bringing awareness to mental health initiatives and continuing to end the stigma surrounding mental health.

    As you move through my feed, you'll see a variety of retweets and tweets surrounding any weather events in the local area, tweets from the Colorado Avalanche, and any local sporting news that catches my eye.

Is Twitter useful as a future educator? ABSOLUTELY! But...

    In my own experience using Twitter, I believe the access to separate news outlets and to know what is happening in our world lends itself entirely to student learning.  There is an abundance of relevant information on Twitter, but students need to understand the risks in using Twitter in an educational setting.  The presence of "clickbait", pseudoscience, and fake news needs to be considered when scrolling or flipping through Twitter.  In a simple sense, all information found on Twitter needs to be taken with a grain of salt.  Fact checking and using reliable/credible sources will help in deciphering between what is real and what is not.

    In terms of utilizing Twitter as a teacher, it is a great platform to create a classroom profile, where classroom activities can be shared with parents and other teachers found within the Twitter community.  The most important tip I've taken out of my 2-year education after-degree, is to work together with the teachers who surround you and ask for help when needed.  As teachers, we can increase the range in which we can connect with each other by using Twitter.  By providing classroom ideas on your Twitter feed, may result in others sharing their ideas as well.  If it helps make our lives a little easier as teachers, why not utilize it?

    If you happen to come across my blog and are wondering how to set-up a twitter account or how to make the most of it, feel free to send me a message.

Making friends with GeoGebra! (TT#4)

Although I'm sure someone has discussed the importance of GeoGebra in their show-and-tells or on their blog, I want to also address the importance of utilizing GeoGebra in the classroom.  Now more than ever, we need student-friendly aids to assist in their at-home learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.  GeoGebra offers 300+ grades K-5 resources and a whopping 2200+ grades 6-12 resources as shown below.

As an aspiring mathematics teacher, I would love to integrate technology in my classroom, especially when it has the ability to help students improve their math skills in a different style.

I managed to capture a screen recording while utilizing the "Nets of the Cube" program built into GeoGebra.  You can see below, that students can see how many different ways a cube can be constructed using nets.

Regardless of the unit or topic a teacher may be working through, I can almost guarantee there is something offered through GeoGebra to change up the traditional classroom routines.

The Student Network: Oh how it's changed (TT#2)

As I sit here thinking about what has changed in the past 20+ years, I come up with the introduction of smartphones, an improved inter-web of information and the ability to connect with friends and family via social media platforms - to name a few.  Students in school today have grown up with technology and haven't witnessed the changes that have occurred.  I remember sitting in my grade 8 math class when I was 12-13 years old, and thinking how cool it was that some of my friends had flip-phones.  Now I sit here, only a mere 10 years later with my handheld smartphone, where I can access almost anything I'd ever need to know or want to do.  No I can't go fishing on it or have it teleport me to the movie theatre, but I can play fishing games and watch movies on it.

In terms of what a student network looks like today compared to 5, 10, or even 15 years ago, includes the presence of social media platforms and the connectivity between student and smartphone.  Of course, not all students centre their lives around what is posted on Instagram or who has "snapped" them on Snapchat, but the majority of students have used and continue to use these social media platforms.  I'll take you back to my middle school days, where I would come home from school, grab the phone book and call my friends' houses to organize a football game at the local Kinsmen Park.  To this day, whether they're still active or not, I can remember a handful of old house numbers I used to frequently call.  Today, students are able to figure out plans via group-chats, group facetime calls, etc.  

Retreived from https://mediasmarts.ca/sites/mediasmarts/files/publication-report/summary
/infographic-digital-canadian-families.pdf.

Take a look at the infographic on the left provided by MediaSmarts.ca.  55% of kids 10 to 13 years old currently own a smart phone.  As I said above, it was cool to have a flip-phone 10+ years ago let alone having a smart phone at that age. 

Distractions in the classroom will be a result of owning a smartphone, and I'm just as guilty as the next person for allowing it to occur.  Smartphone addiction is real and is affecting the learning of our students.  Helpguide.org  states that, "Compulsive use of these devices can interfere with work, school, and relationships."  

In order to ensure our students respect the use of smartphone technology, as teachers, we must demonstrate how to appropriately use them in our daily lives.  Whether that means putting them away while studying or having a family supper, students and our youth today, need to know how to keep a healthy relationship with their smartphones.

Getting back to what a student network will look like today; it will involve connections between social media, smartphone use, sports and extracurricular activities, family, friends, and school.  Some may be working part-time jobs in the evenings and others may not.  Today's student is busier and more knowledgeable in terms of what is going on around them and in the world as a whole.  Access to local and national news comes with the click of a button and appears in a matter of seconds.  

Lets think about the affects of Covid-19 and the impact is has had on student networks.  Those students who had part-time jobs may have been laid-off, most - if not all - extracurricular activities have been shutdown, smartphone and screen time has increased immensely, and the ability to have physical interactions with friends and family is now limited.  I have witnessed students cry - with the announcement of being sent home in the fall - and I have witnessed some struggle, while some still succeed.  Thankfully, students understand the use of technology and are able to connect with their peers in a virtual setting, but the side effects of Covid-19 and the resulting shutdowns have been detrimental to the student network.

My Digital Footprint (TT#1)

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat are the main online services I use.  Aside from social media platforms, I also find myself using Yahoo! to access their fantasy hockey leagues, NHL.com for the latest NHL news and since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, CBC.ca for the latest news and updates.  

Have you ever googled yourself? 

When I google, "Matt McCorrister" I find my Manitoba Master Angler profile, Facebook profile link, an old high school hockey roster, as well as a link to my Twitter profile and other sports links.  

What is meant by having a "digital identity" or "digital footprint"?  (See video below.)

Keeping a clean digital identity is my number one goal when utilizing the internet and its variety of services.  In becoming a teacher - or moving into any profession for that matter - the people in charge of hiring you will most certainly type your name into google to see what shows up.  Being a teacher specifically attracts students to search your name in different social media platforms and in google as well.  If a student or employer was to search my name and found a video of me shotgunning a beer, it's safe to say our relationship would be strained and the level of respect would be diminished - that's if I wasn't fired on the spot!

In terms of my current digital identity, you can tell I love to fish, hunt and spend time outdoors.  I'm not super active in creating my own tweets on twitter, but I do like to retweet and share relevant and interesting posts.  When I can, I like to advocate for mental health awareness and the importance of keeping the conversation going.  I believe I set a solid example for my future students in the way I represent myself on the web.  

Teaching students to hold a positive digital identity is important to what they may run into in the future.  Students lack the ability to see further than a couple of weeks down the line, so to convince them that what they are posting today may have an effect on them in the coming years is difficult.  I do believe, as teachers, we should give students the tools to create a positive online identity, so they can avoid having to deal with the possible negative impacts of a less than ideal digital identity down the road.