My summary of learning seeks to revisit my music video remixing ways of the past with Justin Bieber’s Love Yourself and this time targeted Lukas Graham’s 7 Years, attached below.

This course was very different from ECI 831. I found the debate format very engaging, especially when I got to participate. That being said, at times felt like I was coming to the same conclusion with a different spin on it each week and this left me feeling like I was in a rut. Fortunately, this spoke to the strength of my classmates and their ability communicate and illustrate their ideas, and it occurred to me that the ongoing message of balance and education isn’t a bad thing. Despite this, and as I outline in the song above, there are some things I agreed with over the course of the term and some things that I did not agree with.

Plain and simple, the baseline defence for any of our debates, as an educator, was: educate and you will be gold(en). Teach students to think critically, much like we challenged ourselves to do so in many of our debate topics. Approaching each debate with optimism maintains a solution-focused mentality that we need to bring to the field. Accepting problems as is doesn’t change them, and while change may not be a reality in each of our respective career-spans we can still push our students to grow and in doing so excel professionally.

Erin and Heather walked through each of our debates in their summary of learnings… I will follow suit, albeit much more informally.

Is technology a force for equity or enhances learning? With proper education and available resources, it can be.

Does technology make people unhealthy? Some people overuse it and are, but with proper education, it should help.

Openness and sharing is unfair? We teach students to share throughout their lives and we do it because it is something that is morally just only to turn around and say it isn’t good for them? I don’t buy it (within reason).

Social media is childhood. Some aspects of it may be ruining some experiences in childhood, but it is part of modern socialization/learning.

We may have sold our “souls” in education at times in resource consumption or device usage, but if students are engaged and learning, that is the priority.

And do we need to take time to unplug? For sure. Unplugging doesn’t mean an active disregard for useful technologies at our disposal today however. Appreciate nature. And appreciate potential for growth with tech.

Once again, I may be over-generalizing and not providing all of the facts – but with the facts taken into consideration from both sides, we still can be optimists about education, and I feel like we need to be optimists in education (while thinking critically).

The one argument that I felt people would make is “how valuable or ‘good’ is something if you have to teach about it to make it worthwhile?” But applying this ideology to everything we teach would make our curriculum meaningless.

I’ve made it this far in life being optimist, would be a hypocritical shame to stop being one now.

Logan Petlak

Ps – Thanks Alec and Katia for another great class. Lyrics for my jam below.

Lyrics

“Educate” by Logan Petlak 

ECI 830, let’s debate please,
“Learning is enhanced with technology”
And I agree.

In a connected world, is tech an equalizer?
Does it shorten achievement gaps, with the help of teachers
Or are students distracted, thinking more bout liking pictures
Social media relationships does it help or hinder

ECI 830, let’s debate please,
“Tech is making kids unhealthy”
Better believe that I disagree.

Yes, people might say that, tech could cause obesity
But this is just another age-old complain/blaming story
Whether FitBit or Gaming, here is a simple warning
preach moderation and display a little maturity.

ECI 830, online bullies take hold,
commenting what they want with anonymity
Bad for kids any years old.

(Alec and Katia!)

I think we need open ed, and I believe in sharing
Unless you overshare, then your problems can be major
Don’t share your boy’s first pee, or some lewd behaviour
It applies if you want a job or are an online dater

EdTech equity, here’s a tech pro
Students could be writing, typing, sharing, and learning
with #digcit share your posts.

WiFi, tech and websites, has public ed been sold?
Paying for knowledge filling the pockets of the wealthy.
Learning wins with our morals.

Is social media the new life?
Devices for children and me
So we can teach to question more
rather than Google anything
Share your stories with me
Share that tweet about Finding Dory
But take the time to step back,
Unplug, or you’ll be sorry

Log on and try to behold, by accident have some fun
Reflect on life, share your life with your loved ones
You might be unhappy if you’re in a Snapchat once
But learn to connect with students on that technology front

Logging on how it will unfold, comments will be bold
And will it affect children positively?
Educate rather than patrol.

For learning is it selling your soul, what is the real toll?
And will it divide children, socio-economically?
Educate for their household.

ECI 830, let’s debate please.
Student well-being is our priority
Educate and you will be gold.
…
Educate and you will be gold.