Alright dear followers, This is likely my last and final post for this blog. It's been a pleasure to create my own blog. I've actually discovered through it that I actually love writing, and adding images and making something that will look really nice for others to use. Once I get established as a teacher, …
This past week we briefly touched on QR codes, AR (or Augmented Reality), and VR (Virtual Reality) and how they can be used in the classroom. QR (or 'Quick Response') codes are little computer-generated black and white patterned boxes that can be placed on worksheets or other materials and can be scanned by specific QR …
In the past couple weeks, my class has had a couple really awesome opportunities to give coding a try! As I have been with a lot of new technology things, I was nervous to try it. I have a friend who's taking Computer Science as a degree and I know she spends many long hours …
As of a couple weeks ago, I opened my first Feedly account. Feedly is a social bookmarking site that allows me to curate a list of other people's blogs and see all new updates and posts in one place. Regrettably, I have not played around with this website as much as I would have liked …
A couple weeks ago we were talking about distributed learning in class. Distributed learning is defined by innovativelearning.com as "learning activities that allow learners and instructors to participate in learning activities for disparate locations". We began reflecting on our own experiences with distributed learning: What are your experiences with distributed learning? I have actually had …
Back in the first few days of March, my class had the special opportunity to video conference call Verena Roberts, a teacher and technology education researcher based out of Alberta. The day we video conferenced her, she was giving a lecture to those in the community at a university, and we got to join in …
Continue reading Reflection on Video Conference Call with Verena Roberts
Hello dear followers, Just when you thought I had officially finished writing for this technology project on place-based education and technology.... Surprise! I'm stopping in for a brief visit before saying 'goodbye' again! Check out the blog post Shaylin just published, tidying up the loose ends of our project and also including some helpful links …
Continue reading Technology Inquiry Project, Post #9: Wrap-up
This week my classmates and I had the opportunity to hear Rich McCue, the head of UVic's Digital Scholarship Facility discuss the benefits of sketchnoting. For those who have never heard of the term before, "sketchnoting" is essentially taking notes by incorporating words and pictures together. It is a really great way to boost your …
Dear followers, This week Shaylin wrote a great blog post describing what and how the "Questagame" app and Geocaching can be used educationally. Check it out here for more information, and for an exclusive sneak peek into what we will be doing next week! Micro - OFFICIAL GEOCACHE by viZZZual.com/ CC BY 2.0, cropped ~Bethany
This week I read a fantastic article entitled "Sensory Tours as a Method for Engaging Children as Active Researchers: Exploring the Use of Wearable Cameras in Early Childhood Research” by Carie Green. Her research, conducted on thirty-one students between the ages of three- to six years old, was to observe these students exploring in a …
Continue reading Technology Inquiry Project Post 6: Wearable Cameras
This afternoon I swam in multiple ponds and the ocean, cut down some trees, built myself a beach house and a table with birchwood and oak planks on an island I discovered, chased a chicken, and caught a few pictures of a rogue cow that tried to wander into my house. All in under an …
In this week's "Technology Innovation in Education" class, my peers and I had the privilege of hearing founder of the "Mediated Reality" organization and "Erase Bullying" movement Jesse Miller speak to us about what we should be aware of in the classroom as future teachers. It was very powerful and thought-provoking. There is definitely much …
This week, I had the opportunity to work with a group of six of my peers to create a cross-curricular lesson or unit plan in my music education class based off of the "Rain Chant" found on page 204 of Campbell, Kassner, & Kassner's "Music for Elementary Teachers" textbook. My group decided to take our …
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to learn all about the difference between copyright, creative commons licensing, and free licensing. Before class two weeks ago, I had never heard of at least three of the four terms listed above before. For those who are also new to these terms, here's how I would define …
The title of this blog post may be a bit misleading; a more accurate title would be "Reflection on the Presentation on Inquiry Mindset by Rebecca Bathurst-Hunt". Let me explain: Yesterday my classmates and I had the privilege of visiting George Jay Elementary School after class hours and hearing kindergarten teacher and co-author of the …
Continue reading Reflection on Visit to George Jay Elementary School
Dear followers, So both Shaylin and I have talked at length about different ways teachers have and can continue to take their students outside and the lessons be enhanced by students using networked technologies, but I realize we haven't yet formally presented why outdoor education is beneficial (or even necessary) in a formalized school setting. …
Continue reading Technology Inquiry Project Post 4: Why Outdoor Education?
Hello followers, My project partner Shaylin just wrote a great blog post that connects an article about tree mapping to technology education and the current B.C. curriculum. I would highly recommend checking it out, whether you know exactly what tree mapping is, or (like me) this is the first time you have heard of it. Stay …
Continue reading Technology Inquiry Project Post 3: Tree Mapping
Dear followers and fellow family history researchers, I'm pleased to offer you a second blog post in my series of posts that provide a few tips, tricks, and other information that I hope will be helpful for those who are interested in discovering their family histories. Today I went to the Mennonite Heritage Museum because …
Continue reading Diving into Your Family History: Tips and Tricks
Here it is! The long-awaited-for second technology inquiry project post. For this blog post, I chose to look into a master's thesis paper a UVic Masters of Education alumna wrote that Dr Valerie Irvine directed me to entitled "Learning in the Outdoor Classroom: Integrating Nature, Mobile Technology, and Constructivist Learning to Support Young Children". To …
Continue reading Technology Inquiry Project Post 2: Gathering Research
Hello everyone, Sorry to those who have been waiting for this week's post from Shaylin or I about how the worlds of networked technology and outdoor education can be blended for elementary or middle school students. I had written up an over 900-word blog post for it on Tuesday, which got deleted somehow just before …
I'm finding it so look back and think on how far I've come in the technology class I am finishing right now. Earlier this semester, I was quite frankly very overwhelmed at the idea of using Twitter. Then I got a Twitter account and started following people, and that began to change... I began following …
Throughout the course of the semester, I have been very aware of good teacher practices around privacy to be practicing right now. Although I technically am not yet required to be following good teacher protocol around privacy and consent, I decided to start this semester asking for consent around using anyone's name, personal information, or …
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Hello dear followers, Today I'm going to reflect on how my music education class has shaped me and what resources and strengths and weaknesses I will have as an educator teaching music. Reflection question #9: My greatest professional strength as an educator who will teach music is ... I can use this strength to... I …
Continue reading Reflections #9, 10, & 11: My Professional Growth in Music Education
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