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. 

Digital Ecogolical Footprint

This past week, our Internet for Educators class was virtually visited by Reynold Redekopp from the University of Manitoba.  "Rennie" (as referred to by Mike Nantais) provided some in-depth information in regards to the extraction of raw materials used to manufacture our everyday handheld devices.  Rennie introduced the idea of not thinking solely about our digital footprint, but our digital "ecological" footprint.  In all honesty, I have taken for granted the availability of smart phones and the access to the digital world I surround myself with.  Prior to hearing from Rennie, not once did I think about where my smartphone came from, what resources were mined to produce my smartphone, and how the production of smartphones negatively impacts human beings.

The most surprising piece of information presented was the fact that in Manitoba, we used to mine Tantalum, but with all businesses, the extraction of Tantalum needed to be profitable.  As Rennie mentioned, mines were eventually shutdown due to the lack of profitability.  Corporations look for the cheapest, most affordable raw materials and unfortunately, Manitoba wasn't cheap enough.  This is where places like the Congo, Brazil and Rwanda come into play because of their inventory of cheap Tantalum.  As mentioned by Newsweek, "Nearly all computers, cellphones and other high-tech gadgets use tantalum, a pearly, blue-gray mineral found in Brazil and Australia but also in Rwanda and the DRC."  Cheaper or no labour costs, a lack of safety precautions and human slavery have made the cost of extraction in war-torn countries like DRC very little.  The "human cost" of Tantalum however, is extremely high.

Map retrieved from https://www.americangeosciences.org/geoscience-currents/tantalum.

As suggested by Rennie, instead of teaching students solely about how to appropriately use social media and the internet, have them dive deeper and talk about the human impacts of our devices in the world.  For myself, it's a new train of thought, and one I would like to bring fourth in my future classes.

Lending a Helping Hand

If someone would have told me masks and face coverings would become essential to wear, that I wouldn't be able to visit friends and family, and students would be learning virtually from home, I would have said to them, "You're crazy!"  To think we've be working our way through an almost year-long pandemic - that continues to devastate society - is mind-boggling.  Our health care systems, small businesses, and our educators have felt the pinch of the pandemic (among an abundance of other professions).  Initially - and still in some cases - educators were asked to teach students in their classroom at the same time as teaching students who are at home.  From experience, in my placement this fall at Boissevain School, I had a student who qualified for distance learning.  Each class I taught, required me to record the lesson portion of the class to send to the student who was at home.  

I brought up Covid-19 and the affects it has had within our society because this week, we were introduced to the Principal of the new MB Remote Learning Centre, Andrew Mead.  The goal of the MB Remote Learning Centre, is to take students who are learning remote and teaching them.  This saves having homeroom teachers teaching both online and in-person classes simultaneously.  This is a very useful and helpful aid provided by the Government of Manitoba and as it continues to grow, the centre will hopefully be found working with all schools as soon as possible.

MB Remote Learning Centre