"The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts" – C.S. Lewis
I decided to make my final summary of learning video for DCMOOC through a stop motion film. I had a ton of fun creating it, even though it was a lot of work! I used the app Stop Motion, which was easy to use and convenient to export to drop box or my camera roll. I am excited to teach my students about this tool and use it in my classroom! Check out the video and let me know what you think. Enjoy.
Even though DCMOOC is wrapping up and coming to a close, it doesn’t mean that I will stop sharing, connecting, and being creative online. Digital citizenship means having a positive online presence and footprint!
This was my first time taking part in a massive open online course, but I know it won’t be my last. When the digital citizenship course started, I had no idea what to expect, but I was soon pleasantly surprised by the outcomes.
I was amazed at how the course involved people from all around the world- my connections were limitless. I was able to learn from fellow teachers and educators who realize the importance of technology and who make an effort to teach others about digital citizenship while becoming more familiar with it themselves.
I am now a part of an online community who value and take time to contribute to the wellbeing of others digitally.
DCMOOC gave me the opportunity to:
1. Go Back to the Basics:
I was able to learn about the fundamentals of digital citizenship. Through the weekly online sessions, I was reminded that digital citizenship is about “building safe spaces and communities, understanding how to manage personal information, and about being internet savvy” (Digizen)
2. Expand my Digital Footprint:
Throughout the course, I was motivated to reflect and respond to other people’s thoughts and ideas. I made an effort to blog about what I was learning and was able to showcase my learning and growth. It was very cool to see proof of my digital footprint by how quickly people shared my blog posts with others or responded to my posts through comments or tweets. By creating these blog posts, or sharing on twitter or Google Plus, other people are able to see who I am as an educator and take part in my digital journey.
3. Connect with Others:
DCMOOC reminded me how powerful technology can be! The ability for me to connect with fellow educators from around the world and learn from their innovative ideas is incredible. Twitter allowed me to read about other people’s experiences in education and it showed me what other people were learning through DCMOOC with a simple hashtag. By viewing other teacher’s blogs I learned about helpful teaching strategies, activities, and even iPad apps to implement into my classroom. By taking part in the Google Plus community page, I was constantly exposed to articles and links that helped me grow in my knowledge about digital citizenship. I was also introduced to useful tools and websites to use as a teacher and to integrate into my classroom.
DCMOOC has helped me realize that it is my role as an educator and a digital citizen to show others the importance of “using your online presence to grow and shape your world in a safe, creative way, and inspiring others to do the same” (Digizen). It is evident to me that giving students the opportunities to learn how to demonstrate digital citizenship is crucial, and it is even more important that I stay digitally fluent myself.
I have learned so much from DCMOOC, but I know that this course was just the first chapter of many because I still have a lot to learn. I will continue to connect, share and be a positive voice online so that I can also help others move in the same direction. I can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds!
-Amanda
It’s becoming more and more evident that school is different than it was in the past. As teachers, we need to understand how to teach children in a progressing world. Yes, reading, writing and arithmetic are important, but what is more important is that students learn these skills in purposeful, relevant ways. Our students need to learn beyond the three “R’s”. We need to instil in our children the skills to be life long learners.
I recently read an article about the skills that students need to acquire now in order to keep up with our advancing world. The list of skills that are necessary for children to have for the future are exactly what we as teachers need to be integrating into our classroom. It is our responsibility as teachers to give our students the opportunities to learn these important and applicable skills within the context of today’s world, and to develop transferable life skills for their future.
If you’re interested, check out the article here.
This week in the digital citizenship course I am apart of, we are talking a lot about what our roles as educators look like. There is a lot of conversation about how we should be modelling digital citizenship to our students. One of the questions that is up for discussion is “how do we become and remain digitally fluent and knowledgeable about the emerging digital world that our students already embrace?”
I believe as educators, it is crucial for us to stay engaged digitally ourselves if we expect to understand what our students are experiencing. By being active and sharing our knowledge and ideas through twitter, blogging, or through Google plus, it allows us to connect with other educators and learn about the current digital culture.
At the school I interned at, some of the teachers put on an “Appy Hour” once a week that allows teachers to come together and share apps and resources that they find useful in the classroom. It allows teachers to share ideas and creates conversation about our digital world. Collaborating with other teachers through events like “Appy Hour” is what helps us grow as digital citizens, which in turns allows us to model to our students.
My favourite way of connecting and learning from other educators is through Twitter. I find so many great articles, blogs, videos, and pictures from people that I follow. I am able to connect with amazing educators from around the world and can easily keep up to date with news stories and trending articles. It is also a great way for my students to engage with others and develop digital citizenship. Twitter is a useful tool that I use to grow as a learner by sharing my knowledge, and learning from what other people have to share with me. The important aspect to any tool is that it allows us to connect with others, share ideas, and engage in collaboration.
-Amanda
Thinking back to my elementary days, I remember the process of doing a writing assignment and then storing it in my paper portfolio. I always felt a sense of accomplishment when I completed a piece of writing because I could add it to the collection in my folder. However, countless times I would lose an assignment or throw it out at the end of the year. I was sick of storing stacks of papers and folders in my closet for no one to see but myself. Thankfully now, students have the ability to store their work online for others to see.
Digital portfolios make it possible for parents, relatives, and friends to see the growth, creativity, and activity of a child. There is something powerful about having the ability to access a child’s work at any point in time with a click of a mouse. E-portoflios give students the chance to look back at their work throughout the years and share their successes with others.
Instead of have the unreliability of paper portfolios, which can be lost, destroyed, or stored in a closet, students can have easy access to their pieces of work through digital. There are powerful benefits to giving children the chance to store and share their work online. As teachers, we have many ways of displaying a student’s piece of work. If you want your students to share their work in a convenient, easily accessible, creative, and engaging way… go digital.
-Amanda