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Logan Petlak

~ Lifelong Learner.

Logan Petlak

Monthly Archives: February 2016

Harnessing social media: anonymity and digital citizenship

28 Sunday Feb 2016

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 831

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

4chan, anonymity, anonymous, askfm, digital citizenship, ECI 831, eci831, hero, social media, teacher, yik yak

We need digital citizenship to better achieve curricular goals and develop our students holistically in a connected world. I decided to create a personal prototype digital citizenship presentation to begin educating my students before beginning research projects in order to guide them to critique and utilize information found on-line and in social media. Since their knowledge-pursuit is connected to the curriculum, responsible use of social media to gather information is implied. Teaching digital citizenship extends beyond the curriculum however, as the interactions within have potentially negative consequences. Utilizing social media and teaching digital citizenship can help foster holistic development (mental, social, and emotional well-being) and may combat social factors potentially inhibiting a student’s ability to achieve curricular outcomes (ex. cyber-bullying).

Combat the negatives of social media
If we don’t weave this into our classrooms or it doesn’t happen at home, problems with social media will occur. There are many outlets for problems to occur, Yik Yak is only an isolated incident. Yik Yak seems very similar to ASKfm, which has caused problems associated with cyber-bullying in our community. Since Yik Yak is location-based… it can be blocked by geo-fencing, but this is just a band-aid. As always, rather than providing a band-aid to a problem, we want a long-term solution… and normally this comes with education (climate change or sexual health issues are hopefully made better through education). How can this be done? We need progress and solutions beyond isolated incidents and this can be remedied through continuing the conversation in the classroom about digital citizenship… and teaching students not to hide behind anonymity.

Tweets by @askfm

Applications to sexual health
Porn has well-documented negatives associated with viewing it, affecting intimacy (in the sexual sense) between partners negatively. Porn’s not going to disappear in the near future, so address it head-on with awareness, like Ontario is doing. Much like sex education shifts in recent history we saw that greater education of sexuality can lead to lower rates of STI-transmission and teen pregnancy. This follows the idea that it gives teens the knowledge to make a choice… and combining choice with positive relationships leads to a stronger learning environment. If you play with everything face up… and live a life that you’re not afraid of others finding out… is that not the best way to achieve positive self-esteem? You come to terms with your flaws, address them and can plan to improve them… even utilizing the help of others to do so.

“We need progress and solutions beyond isolated incidents and this can be remedied through continuing the conversation in the classroom about digital citizenship… and teaching students not to hide behind anonymity.”

Anonymity
4chan thrives on anonymity, and delivered by and reaching an invisible audience. It provides a blend between humour, fanaticism, anarchism and vigilantism. You have a sordid mix of meme-creating humour, well-meaning “cyber-attacks”, and severely harmful instances of cyber-bullying. Some cyber-bullying extends to “bad” corporations/individuals, so one may argue it is a force for good, much like Batman… and like Batman, it all circles around its anonymity. It allows for the power to do good… and bad, all without the fear of getting caught. Many parallels can be drawn between it’s associated organization: Anonymous and fsociety from Mr. Robot.


4chan and Anonymous is nameless and faceless, but it is still a network that provides a Jekyll and Hyde home for individuals. Students need a home, a social support network, and validation of their ideas therein.

Anonymous_emblem.svg.png
Anonymous Emblem via Wikipedia

Validation drives the desire to connect to groups, to share your story, even if it is within a group interwoven with negativity. Even without a face, you can feel validated in your statements or “heard”. Unfortunately, your ideas can also be “trolled”, damaging self-esteem or, as some students are reportedly doing, practising “self-trolling”, cutting themselves down on-line, altering their personal expectations. Silver-lining, this potentially allows them to observe support from peers, who will be their hero? Will one come or, could they even be their own hero, creating an anonymous threat and solving it themselves? While not a good practice to create a fake bully to see who will stick up for us, or defend ourselves, what is a positive we can take from this? Can we utilize heroism ideas like this within digital citizenship to help students practice problem-solving constant attacks and shifts to their identity and expectations? “No one judges them more harshly than themselves” but perhaps “No one can provide the answer to it but themselves”. As a teacher, what subtle supports can we guide them to higher self-esteem achieved through this? Can we devise a way through educating students on digital citizenship to take advantage or simulate these opportunities to grow and meet the expectations they feel are placed on them? Students may create these expectations, so how can we guide them out of it without imposing it or having to police it? How can we make them their own heroes? If we can devise a way, they become the bedrock and clientele of these potentially hazardous social media sites and educating students about social media through digital citizenship may be the way.

Comments? Feedback? Let me know!

-Logan Petlak

Piano: Don’t cut (chord) corners.

28 Sunday Feb 2016

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 831, ECI 831 - Major Project - Learning Piano

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

chord fingering, chords, eci831, learningpiano, learningproject, major chords, teacher

Hello all!

Last week, I began learning about what exactly chords were. This week I actively walked through how to play some of them. While I covered more than are depicted on the video this is a good snapshot of my learning process. Including the realization that the root or naming of chords is based on what note or key on the piano is played and goes down the keyboard from there.

The Root

The root of the chord is always the easiest to find because it’s in the name of the chord! The root of an E Minor chord is E.
– Pianochord.com

I reviewed some of my previous learning of identifying notes on the keyboard and then began practising and learning 12 Major Chords.In this video I highlighted my learning of the C, F, G, D, and E Major chord.

Other Chords

In my research I found pictures and websites to help me learn some of the chords (a chord is also called a triad)!

A Major – A C# E
Ab Major – (which I learned is “A Flat” – or a G# note up (right) from middle C – G# C D#
Gb Major – enharmonic with F# chord – F# A# C#
Bb Major – Bb D F
B Major – B D# F #

piano_chords
Piano Chords via Jeff Kaufman

Nuances of reading chords
Many of the pictures have middle C located, on the left as the first C in view.
B_major_keys
B Major Chord via Easy-Chords.com

What I learned with the circle of fifths told me that typically when we go flat (b) it is because we are down or left from middle C.

I also learned that “m” means that it is a minor chord.

Hand placement with C Major
chord-fingering_page_1
Chord Fingering Page 1 via WordPress

And my learning was supplemented by Duane! There were many other videos out there, but this was part of a series of learning piano videos I could find myself revisiting.

 

Four Chord Song

In my learning process I keep gathering resources for the Four Chord Song, including the chord progression. I learned that my left hand will be playing E B C# and A… syncing up with the chords I need to learn E Major, B Major, C# minor, and A Major (no coincidence that the left hand notes are the main notes of these chords)…. and  I also found a video that helps, shown below.

 

As always, I welcome feedback and information! Comment below!

Logan Petlak

Why do Students Snapchat? Intimacy and Connectedness.

24 Wednesday Feb 2016

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 831

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

connectedness, eci831, edtech, education, intimacy, social media, teacher

Earlier this week, I looked at the social media app: Snapchat. To extend beyond just becoming comfortable with the apps and programs students are using, how can you use this in your classroom? Vicki Davis provides several suggestions including using YouTube for students to host their own show or document their learning. Ultimately, I believe that social media can be a force for good in the classroom, even in the casual use that student use it for (when appropriate). It represents a significant part of modern development and learning.

In this post however, I intend to address the transition of social media. In Amanda Lenhart’s article through the Pew Research Center, it stated that 71% of students used more than one form of social media, with the most being on Facebook at 71% and only 41% on Snapchat… my students are more likely to represent if you switched each apps respective numbers. When we further observe the stats on the same site, it states that girls dominate visually-oriented media. To pose an inference about this data, and unfortunately in an overgeneralizing heterosexist lens, the margin of numbers I would expect to diminish as male students follow what the females share. With more visuals, we see Snapchat overtake Facebook. Given student feedback? Snapchat is better for their daily communication desires. Why is SnapChat so much better?

Two things: Intimacy and connectedness.

Intimacy.
Students and adults have already learned to “curate their content” and create public social media images and private lives to protect themselves from the watchful eye of future employers, but this addresses privacy rather than intimacy. As well, many students are aware of the possibility that individuals can still take screenshots without being caught. Students achieve a greater amount of intimacy when you can actually see the person you’re speaking (or texting) to. Humans and animals learn our facial expressions to adapt and become socialized, it’s natural. This is just further learning of intimacy with others. In an education-setting, this can even help students who struggle with reading social cues get experience! The sharing of inside jokes or personal confessions simply enhances the intimate social experience. Going beyond novel (reading), to drawings (pictures), to film (video). It’s important to differentiate in my definition of intimacy. I refer to it as the development of emotional closeness with others, not in the sexual nature. Students also need to be aware of and learn that a (possibly provocative) picture that may be gone in 10 seconds may not disappear.

Connectedness.

23326453499_3884305319

Photo Credit: Jeff Coons via Compfight cc

Students want to connect with their peers, whichever social media takes precedence in a particular generation, individuals will clamour to it. The social media aids in the development of social skills in a modern era while satisfying our universal relationship needs.

1. Companionship / Belonging
2. Affection (Verbal and Physical)
3. Emotional Support / Validation

– Will Meek, Ph.D Psychology Today

Upon inquiring students about what makes Snapchat stand out: “everyone else uses it”. ‘Everyone else’ involves the people they deem significant within their social circles school or community-wide. Do you agree? Parents and teachers may bridge that gap at times or provide this need in a non-digital sense, but perhaps modern peer-to-peer interaction is dominantly achieved through social media.

Some students did have both, like myself. Why? Students may put general postings about big moments in their lives on Facebook for family members to see, or stay in touch with older family members. Facebook also has the group chat function which can be used to target a more broadly-aged audience. Utilizing more than one I would argue is the ideal, as each fulfill different purposes. Connecting within peer groups more intimately with some (Snapchat), or more widely with things like Twitter or Facebook.

Do you agree or disagree? Share your opinion on social media in schools in comments below!

– Logan Petlak

When your teacher Snapchats in class.

24 Wednesday Feb 2016

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 831

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

eci831, edtech, privacy, snapchat, social media, teacher

Hi all! This week I decided to delve into Snapchat life. It may not be as entertaining as Ben Rosen’s, but feedback is welcome. I did, however, address monotony of everyday life with the title… (self-five). Anyway, I already am a user of Snapchat, but I soon learned I was very much a novice. By the way, if you want to follow me and connect with me on Snapchat, give me an add using my username: lodgelopel below! I just swiped down from the top of the middle of the main screen on the app.

Screenshot_2016-02-23-19-59-23

So! I increased my Snapchat skillset! Awesome! Very much helped in building positive relationships and connectedness in the classroom! Observe My Snapchat Story of the day below (note that you can download your own stories if you’d like, which I have done and uploaded).

Showing off my day of Snapchat with the students! Experimented with filters, videos, and drawing. https://t.co/etVDZLx5co

— Logan Petlak (@MrLPetlak) February 24, 2016

Note: we have a media release waiver that these students did, in fact, have completed.

The discussion that followed after making these snaps was following people you are interested in on Snapchat – one kid cited that they posted inspirational quotes or speeches that were awesome to read in the morning. When we talk about a personal learning network, this can be part of it. I think what we don’t always have a curriculum for is the social skills and emotional development that comes through (and should come through) this.

I think it’s important to stay up to date on these social media sites as it “keeps us young” as teachers. Most importantly, it helps us connect with students. In a more defensive sense, it helps to better understand what we’re up against or should be prepared for. When I first began teaching… I was in Snapchats made by students, unknowingly. Once I installed Snapchat, I better understood it, subsequently starring in the occasional Snapchat, mostly when it wasn’t in conflict with direct teaching time. I laughed, the students laughed. Connections!

But hold on one paper-marking moment!

It’s important to note the teacher-student line of “we are not friends”… but we can be connected, professionally, of course. Some people may have different lines of this. To my students: when you’re graduated, maybe we can be friends, it’s nothing personal. You have a life you may not want to share with me, perhaps there are things I don’t want to share with you… we need boundaries and expectations. What are your boundaries and expectations?

Privacy.

Privacy is important. When a student wants to show me a picture, I always tell them I will look away until they are ready for me to look as they search through their gallery. Sometimes they have photos on their phones that they may not want me to see… there’s some digital learning to respect of privacy (both ways) within this. Some things are a given, respectfully private, but where is the line? Is an 100% private life outside of school required both ways or should we avoid activities that may not be worth sharing all together? What have we got to hide?

I remember fellow teachers who might use Snapchat with their friends (or Facebook before), documenting all their shenanigans and if those events came up in interview processes or were exposed, people would be upset that this privacy was compromised… however, I think if we live life wholly as a teacher (inside school and out) it leaves us less susceptible to this issue especially when considering how connected our world is. Or come to terms with practices we do outside of school time and not be ashamed. Potentially, people could see everything we do. Rather than the idea, “only post what you would want your grandmother to see”, try to “live the life your grandmother would want you to see”. Not to say I am not guilty of some things that I wouldn’t want to document or show, but in terms of growth and being aware of what we might be showing, this may be a fundamental part of personal development.

Questions, comments, concerns? Perhaps I am too liberal in my connections with students, let me know!

– Logan Petlak

Let the chords be with you.

20 Saturday Feb 2016

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 831, ECI 831 - Major Project - Piano

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

chords, eci831, learningpiano, learningproject

After some practice over the course of the past two weeks, I’ve basically had more fun trying to learn the notes of some songs I enjoy using Synthesia, see my previous post. I’ve tried to learn Coldplay songs like “In My Place”, hoping to pair up with a friend of mine who plays drums. I’ve tried to learn love songs like “Hero” by Enrique Iglesias to “woo” my partner. I could even combine this with learning Spanish while I’m at it to go all at with an app like Duolingo.

Amidst my practice of learning the keys on the keyboard… I decided to once again enlist some informal help from my friend, Paul McCorriston… and he told me: “If you want to sing when you play piano – learn chords. Don’t worry about sheet music, sheet music just helps you count rhythms… but if you already know a songs rhythm, you’re good!” Combine his assumption that I would want to sing while I played piano with reflections on my choice of songs (like those listed above) and it very bluntly addressed one of the big reasons why I wanted to learn some of these songs… to connect with others who are important to me. A connection I failed to make is the endgame and why for me to learn piano was to sing as well. I love to sing (shower, car, in class, don’t matter)… and playing piano while doing so adds a great amount of validity to singing. This led me to re-assessing my outcomes.

OUTCOME SHIFT!
Cloud 1

Created with Tagul.com

Previous outcomes and (current status):
I can confidently play parts of several songs using both hands simultaneously on the piano. (Progressing)
I can identify what each key is on the keyboard (Complete).
I can learn and play several chords (Progressing).
I can read sheet music confidently (Progressing – less important).
I can learn parts of songs I enjoy (Progressing).

New outcome: I can sing while playing chords.

Chords
So! Crash course! I have to start learning chords and understanding the landscape of the piano better. What is a chord? A chord, on a piano, is when three or more keys are played simultaneously. And I want to know some tips to playing with both hands for chords… so I looked it up.

C chord, G chord? Middle C – what are these even? I can infer from context but let’s gather some background information. There is a vast library of chords, and now that I have mastered what the keys are called, I need to learn how to find middle c and understand how some of these chords work.

Finding Middle C
Upon scouring the internet for information I found info to aid in my goal and allow me to better get to know the piano and where certain notes are located. I learned how to find Middle C. Typically it’s located in the middle of the piano, but sometimes it’s location may vary given the size of your piano. BONUS LEARNING (yay)! My keyboard has 61 keys, as such my middle C is the third C on my piano.

Understanding Chords
So how do I understand how these chords work? Or get their names? The video below helped supplement what I learned from Paul about the Circle of Fifths. What is a fifth? If I had my hand on middle C? Basically the range of notes/keys from that C to the upcoming G to the right.

a fifth is the interval from the first to the last of five consecutive notes in a diatonic scale.

  • Don Michael Randel (2003), “Interval”, Harvard Dictionary of Music, fourth edition (Cambridge, MA:Harvard University Press): p. 413

Circle of fifths: down by five (a fifth) – sharp it, then lower the fourth. The first 2 minutes are the most applicable… the remaining work is a bit ahead of where I want to be in understanding at this point.

circle of fifths.png
Circle of Fifths from Wikipedia

Since I have what each key is on the keyboard down. A lot of chord tutorials should begin to make sense as I learn to use the circle of fifths. If I can begin to grasp it, learning chords should become much easier. Hopefully I can get a video up soon with me learning some chords.

Any tips for me? Any mistakes I maybe made that you caught and can correct? Let me know in the comments. Keep loving music!

– Logan Petlak

 

Coming weeks learning topics:

Sheet music notes

I want to take a brief look at sheet music just to understand it a bit better. Apparently there is a connection between fifths and sheet music.
I know there’s whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes. What do these look like?
Addressing the phrase: “every song is in a key”

Looping on the keyboard
I’m going to try to learn if I can loop what I play on the keyboard. Ed Sheeran example with guitar below. Can I split the keyboard to play different things to make a more appealing show?

Four chord song
A comedy group addresses the ease of making music using four chords. Can I learn these four chords?

“You’re born a teacher”. Making teaching a science?

16 Tuesday Feb 2016

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 831, eci831

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

eci831, Science Education, teacher education, teaching tips

8131490485_b87c0af943
Photo Credit: jackzeitgeist via Compfight cc

Ask a Question (Background Research)
Many teachers share a similar opinion on the instinctual nature of education: “teaching is an art form”, “she was born to be a teacher”. Universities offer education programs to prepare educators for the workforce, yet students transfer out of the program after working with youth. Strictly based from here-say (therefore subject to opinion), some Ed students may complain that education programs simply discuss theory rather than practical in-class preparation (they only receive this in the practicum-portions). This is exasperated by “teacher burn-out”, a real issue afflicting teachers in the early years of their career. Not all prospective teachers drop or burn out, but enough for me to pose several questions: Why does burn-out occur? What is the cause? Is there a science to teaching that can avoid this, or just tips?

Hypothesis

I would like to approach it with the belief that the cause of drop/burn-out is personality and habitually-based… of course this invites us to address the question: what is the ideal personality of a positive educator? What are the top habits of a happy teacher? And to provide a solution to this, how does one make teaching a science? Is it possible with the emphasis on the diversity and art of teaching practice?

Data Collection and Analysis: Personality of an educator.
In Nine Characteristics of a Great Teacher, Maria Orlando addresses several tips to better serving your students. Amidst this article we see terms like mutual respect, establishing a sense of belonging, high expectations, and genuinely caring about students. All of these should be a given to any teacher, but the next steps include loving learning and the ability to shift gears.
From my perspective, desire to know and appreciate your students (flaws and strengths) lends itself to classroom management. Tyler Hester, addresses the number one point of loving your students as the basic requirement.

Data Collection and Analysis: Healthy habits of happy teachers
Driving question: What are some healthy habits of effective and happy teachers?

> Organization:
This can be achieved through a combination of organizing student and teacher work and resources. Student work can involves exemplars and displays in the classroom, combined with timely feedback. Teacher work and resources can be addressed by the idea of curation of content, which speaks to the collection and management of digital resources… extending beyond simply organizing bookmarks on internet explorer back in the day. The article also speaks to the type of information gatherer to avoid and be: collect, sift through what’s important, and then share what is important.

Side note: This particular educator has historically been guilty of being a Scrooge and Hoarder of content… to improve, simply put: be aware of and involved in your information and resource gathering process. Then, be aware of what you share.

“The Hoarder: a curator who collects  everything indiscriminately, who doesn’t  organise their content, and doesn’t  share – this is really closer to simple aggregation than curation.

The Scrooge: one who, similarly hoards their information – although they may organise their collection, they don’t share either; one of the key purposes of educational content curation!” – Kay Oddone

> Embraces change/is open-minded:
Teachers need to be prepared to embrace the organized chaos. With a plan in mind that is able to adapt to change and an appreciation for student learning, this should come easy.

> Has standards:

A teacher has expectations and standards for the students and themselves (here we see an overlap with personality). Through blogging a teacher can achieve standards for themselves as well. Michael Drennan poses the idea: “Students realise how high the bar of public domain writing is.” This should extend beyond the realm of public domain writing and into all of their learning. Conversely, teachers also know the bar they are capable of, what they can and can’t achieve within reason. Set standards for yourself and students.

> Gives 100%:

Be genuine – to revisit an old idea. But if you live the personalities and habits of healthy teachers, you likely are giving it 100%. Just remember the balance required of a happy life outside of the school. You are a teacher 100% of the time, a learner 100% of the time. Don’t let the weekend change you and practice what you preach in your classes. Hypocrisy isn’t a part of teaching and it isn’t a part of science.

Conclusion

Every teacher is different, but there are definite attributes that will make an individual more successful in this profession. Different personalities exist and are required within the school setting. This opens the door for opportunities in connected learning. This learning is not possible without it. If you aren’t practising all these habits and characteristics (taking into account this post oversimplifies them a bit), you may need to reflect on how you fit in the teaching profession. And yet, from the perspective of making teaching a science, so much of the content of this post is opinion-based, which isn’t necessarily scientific, so can it even be done – or is this truly a creative outlet or art-form? Is that what the the Education faculties strive for in future teacher preparation? Should they? Can they?

– Logan Petlak

Do you agree? What are your thoughts on this? Comment below!

I M Connected. R U? U R?! GR8.

09 Tuesday Feb 2016

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 831, Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

connect, connected, connections, connectivism, eci831, teacher

I wanted to open with stating: “as a high school environmental science teacher, it is required in the curriculum to discuss how connected different environmental systems are, what we do in one, affects another”… but then it occurred to me that being an environmental science teacher only represents one branch of courses that involve connections… a social studies class observes and applies connections between the past and present…. a health science class observes the connections between nutrition and homeostasis. Connections are everywhere. This isn’t a revelation, it is reality. Enhanced reading goals call for students to connect their content between chapters and prior learning… we look at challenging our students for higher order thinking and it asks to create connections or use “simple” knowledge (which is growing exponentially) and apply it to real problems. An inquisitive mind looks to the next question or connects new information to old and teachers are, after all, in the business of creating inquisitive minds.

Conversely, we want to create digital citizens who are connected. Connectivism seeks to address the acquisition of knowledge through networking and “pattern recognition”… but where is the connection between connecting content (“pattern recognition”) and being connected (networking)? “Pattern recognition” would pertain to the connections made within a classroom discussion… oranges and lemons both have citric acid in them… given that pattern, it kind of sounds like citrus fruits that I hear about (connecting two separate subjects together while connecting to background knowledge). Networking addresses the vast connectedness of the world we live in today. As informed educators, of course we’d want to utilize both. Reinforced by the constructivist research supporting students combining prior knowledge with experience, we can see the value in connections to prior knowledge. We need to create that connected-digital-citizen student, and I believe it can be through connections using our curricula.

A cynic may argue: I can make connections, but how do I create a connected student in <class name here>? Buy into the idea, make the curriculum yours. There is clear writing as to what the outcomes are, but manipulate it. Interpret it. Speaking to teachers, how many times have you find an activity you loved and then had to think, “how can I connect this to the curriculum?” And you manage to do so, quite easily? Curriculum in Saskatchewan is progressing to an organic system. To quote myself (classy, I know), in an assignment while completing my undergrad degree, “curriculum constantly adapts and changes, it’s never complete, education has no ranges.” While the explicit, written document may not change in the conventional sense, there is a reason no class is taught exactly the same. Much like the biblical scriptures of yore, it is subject to interpretation to connect and find personal meaning and relevance… and the “no ranges” addresses the vastness of our networked world…
(Many would argue some of the new curriculum is too vague and may fail to prepare them for next level courses to which lower-levels are prerequisites, however if you can create a ‘connected student’, this may seek to combat discrepancies in how outcomes are taught class-to-class and simply teach a strong, connected learner).

There may be the perception this may not suit your style of teaching, but perhaps styles need to be refined. Versatility and clarity in organized chaos are the keys to engaging the connected student. Patience, humbleness and a calm composure lend itself to adapting to where thirty different directions of learning go. An educator able to make connections in chaos can create meaning and connected learners.

“Chaos is the breakdown of predictability, evidenced in complicated arrangements that initially defy order.
Meaning-making and forming connections between specialized communities are important activities.
Chaos, as a science, recognizes the connection of everything to everything.” – George Siemens

Creating the connected student calls on many digital understandings however, utilizing and critiquing different sources to establish a personal learning network doesn’t happen overnight and it can’t be left unattended… it is ongoing. Its prolonged growth requires the choice and freedom of the student, but how do you ‘enforce freedom’ to make them responsible? A quote that comes to mind is: “Freedom gives the inclination to be responsible.” In order to create that freedom and inclination, you need to let the student connect to the content to make it relevant, then they may want and understand it.

To connect to my previous blog, however, all of this depends on having a class in which every student has a computer and the resources to be connected. Without the funding for this, it makes it difficult for all this to become a reality. Example below, a grade seven student outlines their learning network. This shows created connected students is able to be done, but all the kids have laptops?! And a classroom leopard gecko?! Get outta here! My class just has fish!

Granted, we had this cute critter named “Frodo” last year:
20141202_151816

We connected him to the need to maintain intact habitats and abiotic and biotic factors required for the healthy functioning of a terrestrial organism.

I feel I can connect everything to anything. And expect that same of my students.

Questions/thoughts?
How many connections do you make in your class?
What are some examples of connections and how does this translate to our connected world?
Is there a class you don’t think you can create a connected student in and why?

Author’s Post-Writing Note: if interested, hit CTRL+F to open up the find bar in your browser, and see how many times the term “connect” is used.

Synthesia and Pre-Assessing My Piano Skills

02 Tuesday Feb 2016

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 831, ECI 831 - Major Project - Piano

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

eci831, edtech, learningpiano, learningproject, synthesia, teacher

I considered putting a week-by-week process of how far I expect to get. Piano is no simple task, however, and while it’s designed with the end in mind… I’m not sure where I will end up over the course of the next three months. Each day should involve approximately an hour’s worth of practice and I plan to do this at least three times per week (today worked out to being about five hours worth of work)!

In the following video, I delve into a pre-assessment of my current Piano Skills, and some of the tools I’m using in my learning!

Here are some pictures that are related to what I’m learning. C Scale and “Sharps”

<add pictures>

Here is the twitter for songs to be learned on Synthesia
Tweets by @SynthesiaPiano

Here is a website showing which Keyboard I’m using.

Synthesia – easy free download to begin, but for more advanced usage, like uploading MIDI files you need the full version. I went ahead and bought that.

All I needed was a USB cord to connect my keyboard to my laptop and I was good!

MIDI Files

Here are some major outcomes:
I can confidently play parts of several songs using both hands simultaneously on the piano.
I can identify what each key is on the keyboard.
I can learn and play several chords.
I can read sheet music confidently.
I can learn parts of songs I enjoy.

I have to start learning about reading sheet music next week! What are some good apps for looking that up?

Let me know,
Logan Petlak

Logan Petlak

Incredible day! Photo courtesy Julia and Lucas Photography

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