Category: Weekly Reflections

Accessibility: All learners have the same opportunities to acquire resources, interact with materials, engage in activities and create content, regardless of disability

Personal Experience

In my link2practice in the fall semester, there were three students in the class that were color blind. I found myself saying things, or trying to help them in ways that were not actually helpful to them. When using manipulatives in class, specifically colorful shapes to learn ratios we needed to change our language to get the students to group objects by shape and not by color. Like many things we have had to relearn throughout our lives, I needed to relearn the language that I used.

How much did you know about digital accessibility prior to this week? Was this ever a topic you considered previously?

In my link2practice we also had a handful of students with IEP’s. For two of the students, their IEP’s included them having the option to type all of their assignments instead of handwriting them. This was easy for the teacher to accommodate as there were very minor changes she needed to make to assignments to ensure accessibility. This was the first time I had ever considered this topic.

Why do you think many digital accessibility practices aren’t more well-known or commonly used?

As with most things, we learn by being exposed to techniques/practices. My undergrad was a degree that would not be considered flexible, or accessible. Because of that, I was not exposed to many digital accessibility practices. I am privileged that I do not have any accessibility needs, so I have not been exposed to many practices.

Why do you think many digital accessibility practices aren’t more well-known or commonly used?

At this point in this post, I sound like a broken record, but I feel that it is a lack of awareness. I will use closed captioning as an example. I did not realize how important it was to use closed captioning on everything possibly. Instagram stories, for example, can be very difficult for someone with a cochlear implant to hear, but having closed captioning allows them to enjoy the store as well. I learned this through a contestant on one of my favorite shows having a cochlear implant (CI) and speaking openly about how her CI impacts her life and things that you can do to assist. If I had not been exposed to someone with a CI there is a good chance I would not have realized that it was an easy way for me to make my posts and stories accessible.

Watch the video below for some quick tips on how to make your class accessible!

Learning how to put closed captioning on videos!

The below video is a video I created for a course earlier in the semester, I was shocked at how easy it was to add closed captioning. This is a quick, easy way for you to make any video accessible for your learners!

How can the SAMR theory of technology adoption help you evaluate technologies that you might consider using in your classroom?

Teaching learners new information and skills are exciting! Sometimes in the process of getting excited to teach students, you forget about all of the specifics. It would be amazing if you could teach your entire class of students all at the same time how to use Canva. That may not be possible though depending on the school you are at and the funding that it has. Let’s break down SAMR and come up with some examples!

Substitution

-We can allow students to work on a computer to type out assignments instead of writing if it works better for them

Augmentation

-We can allow students to work on a computer to type out their assignments plus… allowing them to look up definitions on the internet to improve their assignment

Modification

–Maybe it is easier for a student to use talk to text to improve their sentence construction (this is how I prefer to work!)

Redefinition

-Using technology to communicate with parents. For example, having students do self-reflections on google classroom so their parents can see what they are learning

How could the SECTIONS model help you select the most appropriate tool or technology to help meet your learning objectives for your class?

As mentioned above sometimes you have grand ideas but no way of implementing them. SECTIONS gives you questions to ask yourself when planning to ensure you meet your planned objectives. The below links gives a great breakdown of SECTIONS! Enjoy the read!

https://teachingcommons.unt.edu/teaching-essentials/teaching-technology/selecting-educational-technologies-checklist

Could sketchnoting benefit learners in the grade level you hope to teach at? If so how?

I believe that any technology used currently can benefit learners! I feel that sketch noting could help to engage learners in the topic, and allow them to be involved in their learning.

I struggle with sketchnoting as it is not how my brain works. In another class this semester we have been asked to do concept maps for chapter notes.. In theory, this should be more engaging and decently quick, however, I need to write out my notes by hand, then type them and then transfer them into a concept map. I state this so that we remember to think about students who may not get any benefits from sketchnoting.

Below is a wonderful blog that acts as a guide for using sketchnoting in the classroom!

Sketchnoting in the Classroom: A Beginner’s Guide

Canva Examples

Below are two examples of Canva infographics that I have made. Unfortunately the “wedding invitation” below was the 5th one that I had to make…. Planning a wedding, then replanning it 2 more times gives you plenty of opportunities to hone your skills on Canva.

What is a digital footprint? Watch the video below for a brief description before moving on!

How can we help our learners manage their digital footprint?

In my link2practice last semester I was able to observe a technology class for grade 6 learners. In this lesson, they were being taught about their digital footprint and were asked to think about ways to manage their footprint. I was very impressed that such an important conversation was taking place. It is difficult for an adult, let alone a grade 6 student to grasp how their digital footprint can affect them for years to come. I feel that an open discussion about the use of the internet and social media is a great place to start. There are huge benefits to using the internet, however, we must teach learners how to use it safely. I found two links to assist us in starting that conversation with learners.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/erase/online-safety

https://healthpoweredkids.org/lessons/online-safety-for-kids-your-digital-footprint-and-digital-imprint/

What was the most interesting thing you found when you googled yourself?

I was incredibly proud of myself when I googled my name. The screenshot above was in the top 5 things when you googled my name. I worked very hard to graduate with my Bachelor of Athletic and Exercise Therapy and studied extremely hard to pass my certification exam to be able to work in my chosen field. This google search was a reminder that I have reached that goal. Not only did I reach my goal of working at one clinic, but two! Lastly, I am very proud of myself for planning a wedding not only once but 5 times….thanks COVID. It is a reminder of the best wedding week with family and friends.

Will you change your use of social media after the talk and Q&A with Jesse Miller?

• https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-clear-all-conversations-on-snapchat
• https://support.snapchat.com/en-US/a/clear-feed

Although I knew that everything sent on Snapchat stays there forever, the reminder was quite terrifying. I was in high school when Snapchat really became a thing, highschool is also a time in your life when you do not always make the wisest decisions. It is frightening knowing that there could be Snapchat’s of things you are not proud of permanently out there. Because of this, I found myself googling how to clear conversations and history on Snapchat…. the short answer is you can’t.

This reminder lead me to reflect on how I am currently using social media. Thankfully I have grown up a lot since high school and I feel that my social media use is appropriate and professional.

Prior to entering this program, I was the Aquatic Supervisor at Esquimalt Recreation Center. During this time I was in charge of all hiring for the pool. The average age of our candidates was 17 years old. One of the first things I did when I received a resume was to search them on social media. When employees called in sick to work for a suspicious reason I checked social media. Unfortunately, I did “catch” employees calling in sick when they had really gone camping and failed to get their shifts covered. When these situations occurred it caused the entire staff to reflect on their social media use, and how their decision to post something could seriously affect their job.

It is my hope that this blog post furthered your learning on your digital footprint and helped you to reflect on your social media use.