• About
    • Educational Philosophy
  • Petlak Biology
    • What Exactly Is Evolution?
  • Education Blog
    • Science Education
      • One of an Infinite Means to Approach Science, Education, and the Universe: Part 1 – Nature of Science
      • One of an Infinite Means to Approach Science, Education, and the Universe: Part 2 – Objectivity, Subjectivity, and Perspective
      • One of an Infinite Means to Approach Science, Education, and the Universe: Part 3 – Life & Kinship
      • One of an Infinite Means to Approach Science, Education, and the Universe: Part 4 – Science Education
      • Developing a high school science digital citizenship resource
      • Maximizing Education for Digital Literacy
      • Scientific Literacy and Digital Citizenship Lessons
      • Digital Literacy in Saskatchewan Science: A Curriculum Guide
    • ECI 832 – Digital Citizenship & Literacy
      • Maximizing Education for Digital Literacy
      • Digital Learners and Digital Wisdom in a Digital World
      • Transgenerational (Digital) Citizenship Education
      • Developing a high school science digital citizenship resource
      • Digital Identity: Past, Present, Future
      • The Need for Media Literacy
      • Can we ever be “fully literate” in all dimensions of literacy?
      • My critical, digital life.
      • A Media Literate Rhapsody
    • ECI 834 – Distance Education
      • Closing the distance between distance education and myself.
      • (re)Creating a virtual educator.
      • LMS or VLE? Don’t matter to me! Canvas? Let’s see.
      • Can an educator become YouTube famous? Creating, comparing and critiquing an educational Vlog.
      • Blended learner = blended educator.
      • Barriers to blended/hybrid/mixed-mode/distributed learning.
      • Online community-buildin’ probs (problems).
      • Agoraphobia in education.
      • Module-making: finishing touches to going worldwide.
      • Teaching for EVERYBODY.
    • ECI 833 – Educational Technology
      • Can’t fight the #EdTech juggernaut.
      • Learning as a chaotic, evolving mosaic.
      • The digital life of a teacher-entertainer.
      • Educational software is changing for us, and us for it.
      • Stop villainizing the internet.
      • Distance education: bringing the Mr. Petlak Classroom Experience Worldwide?
      • Determining pros and cons myself of modern internet learning as self-determination.
      • I’m not secretive, I’m Socrative; Assessing Assessment Tools.
      • Assistive technology knows no bounds!
      • A whole new world: virtual and augmented reality.
      • Ed Tech is/has always been about us and our learners.
    • ECI 831 – Social Media and Open Education
      • ECI 831 – Major Project – Piano
        • Synthesia and Pre-Assessing My Piano Skills
        • Let the chords be with you.
        • Piano: Don’t cut (chord) corners.
        • Learnin’ piano on the go, bro!
        • Revelations: feedback and music/language learning
        • Piano injuries: movement retraining.
        • Learning piano: Patience, hard work and connections that transcend time.
      • How I overcame #edtech anxiety.
      • Being a devil’s advocate teacher.
      • I M Connected. R U? U R?! GR8.
      • “You’re born a teacher”. Making teaching a science?
      • When your teacher Snapchats in class.
      • Why do Students Snapchat? Intimacy and Connectedness.
      • Harnessing social media: anonymity and digital citizenship
      • Fundamental rights of open education.
      • Looking at the digital educator narrative, wearing Googles.
      • Net neutrality, safety in ambiguity, equity, and a digital(ly) divide(y).
      • Normalcy and “justifying” online harassment
      • Sharing an idea: the perks of Slacktivism
      • ED Goals: Continue to connect, learn, question and improve.
    • ECI 830 – Issues in EdTech
      • Defining what exactly #EdTech is.
      • EdTech in class doesn’t just enhance learning, it IS learning.
      • Just Google it? Just Google it right. Building from simple to complex.
      • Games, technology and student learning and well-being
      • Sharing and openness. A moral imperative, even on social media.
      • Social media IS childhood.
      • Good intentions and what is morally just make EdTech equitable.
      • Should you sell your educating soul for the right reason (students)?
      • Dialled in, plugged in, and loving life.
      • Educate and you will be gold.
  • AP® Biology
    • Summer and Fall 2018 Readings
    • Course Outline and Introduction Assignment
    • AP Biology Exam Prep
    • Big Idea 1: Evolution
    • Big Idea 2: Biological Systems and Energy
      • Energy-Related Pathways
    • Big Idea 3: Information Storage and Transfer
    • Big Idea 4: Biological Interactions
    • Blog Post Information
    • AP Biology Weekly Plans
      • September Weekly Plan
      • October Weekly Plan
      • November Weekly Plan
      • December Weekly Plan
      • January Weekly Plan
      • February Weekly Plan
      • March Weekly Plan
      • April Weekly Plan
      • May Weekly Plan
  • Biology 30
    • Characteristics of Life
    • Cell Processes
    • Anatomy and Physiology of Multicellular Organisms
    • Genetics and Chromosomes
  • Science 9
  • Environmental Science 20
    • Nature of Environmental Science
    • Atmospheric Systems: Air Quality and Climate Change
    • Human Population
    • Aquatic Systems
    • Terrestrial Ecosystems
  • Health Science 20
    • Health Care Philosophies and Ethics
    • Nutrition
    • Human Body
    • Diagnostics and Treatment
  • EdTech: Learning Resources & Tools
    • Presentations
    • General Resources
      • Pixton – Comic Creator
      • Comic Life – (Free Trial)
      • Flocabulary
      • Super Teacher Worksheets
      • Remind – Messaging Tool
    • Assessment Tools
      • Kahoot!
      • Socrative
      • Seesaw
    • Science & Math Resources
      • Zorbits Math
      • Teach Engineering: STEM Science Lessons
      • Prodigy – Math Game
      • Gizmos – Science & Math Simulations – Subscription Required
      • Secondary Science Implementation Support – Resources
      • BioInteractive – Science Activities
      • PhET – Interactive Science Simulations
      • Science Current Events Sites
        • Science News for Students
        • IFLScience
        • EurekAlert!
    • Teaching Typing
      • Typing.com
      • Typing Club
    • Coding
      • CodinGame
      • CS First
      • Scratch
      • Code Combat
    • Digital Citizenship
      • Digital Citizenship Education in Saskatchewan Schools
      • Crash Course Navigating Digital Information
      • Common Sense Education
      • Media Smarts
      • Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers
      • Interland – A Digital Citizenship Game
    • Open Education
      • Open Stax
      • Open Textbook Library
      • EdX: Free Open Online Courses
  • Gaming 90
    • RPG Maker 2000
  • Gender and Sexual Diversity 20
  • Health 9
    • Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education
    • Deepening the Discussion: Gender and Sexual Diversity
    • Teaching Sexual Health
      • Teaching Sexuality Wheel
    • Sex & U
      • Sex & U – Contraception Methods Booklet
    • Planned Parenthood

Logan Petlak

~ Lifelong Learner.

Logan Petlak

Tag Archives: student advocacy

EdTech in class doesn’t just enhance learning, it IS learning.

24 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 830

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

adaptations, circle of courage, ECI 830, eci830, edtech, education technology, learning, modified, social media, student advocacy, teacher, technology in the classroom

Someone once said to me (yes, “said”, this definitely isn’t an assigned question I read), “Technology in the classroom enhances learning”. My first thought was, “yes, of course it is, it’s silly to think otherwise…”

 

petlak couros special.JPG

“Logan Petlak reflecting” via Camera of Samsung Galaxy S5

Then I reflected on it a bit…

 

…

..

.

.

..

…

nothing changed.

Statement still is accurate.

Why do I think that?

Well, I would argue that technology in the classroom today is learning. Regardless of the mechanisms students use to grasp the content embedded in our curriculum, technology plays a role one way or another. Be it delivering the students to educational institutions, how they get their nutrition for the day, or utilizing apps, programs, and devices to foster learning. Don’t get me wrong, there are problems within its use and a need for doubt, as Greg Toppo reminds us about humanity’s tendencies, “we always fret about technology”. We need the doubt to continue to grow and check ourselves, but we can’t deny the importance of technology and the learning inherent within.

The learning extends beyond simply curricular content. Technology is a force for connectedness in the modern world. When considering the circle of courage below, I could connect it to each of the dimensions of it connecting to Digital Citizenship. Belonging through social media, independence through responsible device use, generosity with commenting and sharing with others, and mastery in the procurement of curricular knowledge and outcomes.

CofCLabeled

Circle of Courage via BehaviorAdvisor.com

“using technology promotes sense of belonging and interactive participation in the classrooms for children with learning disabilities”  – Bryant and Bryant, 1998

The above quote speaks to me as a student advocate and reinforces the connection to the circle of courage. Developing that sense of belonging is consistent with it and is a critical part of development for all youth. And this belonging occurs in technology in the form of social media today.

 

Devil’s advocate: For the doubters.

Now I know there may be student advocates or doubters thinking… “But Logan, what about the students who are in the classroom who don’t have access to phones in BYOD (bring your own device) settings?” Fine. Devil’s advocate? Yes, some students will not have devices and this raises questions of further increasing the wealth and technology gap in the classroom. And yes, BYOD can exacerbate that, but in province-wide school divisions facing cutbacks or lean spending models being approached, can it afford purchasing devices for all, probably not, but some, be it through donation or purchase for need in the classroom. We are obligated as educators to keep students educationally literate and up to speed on current learning (technology, by extension), and we can minimize education spending whilst teaching students to use their own tools or hand-me-downs from another to stay connect an learn. If anything, the arguments against BYOD enforces the importance of devices in the classroom, the students need to at least learn about it here if not at home. Fact: Inequity will always be present between student in our schools… so as educators, rather than blanket money spending for every single student, follow the example of modified, adaptation and differentiated instruction and simply provide necessary tools to those that need it, and adjust instruction accordingly. And this doesn’t even consider the adaptations with technology, as Justine puts it, “all of the different technology can lead to equity for students in the classroom.”

But, Logan, what about ___________________”.

“The need more PD (professional development) for using EdTech” – “Most teachers want to learn to use educational technology effectively, but they lack the conceptual framework, time, computer access and support necessary to do so”. I have a hard time agreeing with this. Arguments can be made both ways, but for me, my biggest point of contention is “time”. One of the benefits of technology in terms of knowledge acquisition is that it takes less time looking online than travelling to a library or accessing a textbook. Maybe the information on how to use it isn’t there, however, so logic would denote there should be professional development for this. Interesting idea, but at what cost? And what aspect of technology do you target? Phones? Apps? Computers? Programs? Existing PD on working with language learners may utilize this technology anyway (if not, plan accordingly). Not to mention, if EdTech PD isn’t a perceived need in the entire division, is it worth making a specific priority? If most PD’s themselves incorporate tech, then this should happen unconsciously and simultaneously and not require increased spending (in tight budgets, as referenced before).

“Technology reducing performance” – Comparing “performance” in the critique of the use of technology, and what I fail to see is the assessment means… is it consistent with the circumstances in which learning took place? Same content, different written/technological delivery, same written assessment? I have a hard time seeing an immediate correlation without explicit details on the assessment means.

 

Final thoughts

As I said, we need doubts about what technology involves. But the fact is that learning and working today requires technology, and to ignore that or avoid it as an educator does a disservice to our students… especially if they come from a device-free background.

What are your thoughts? New technology can have new detriments or roadblocks to learning? But is it just the struggles of our times? Comment!

– Logan Petlak

 

ED Goals: Continue to connect, learn, question and improve.

17 Sunday Apr 2016

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 831

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

digital citizenship, ECI 831, eci831, edtech, open education, opened, social media, student advocacy, teacher

Term in review

Over the course of this semester in ECI 831 we’ve progressed from educational technologies, like utilizing social media such as blogging and tweeting –> open education resources and ideologies –> to the perils and realities of the internet world through law and harassment –> and closed with the power and need for on-line activism. As this was my first class in my graduate studies, I found it very relevant as a student again and still as a young teacher. I felt that many of the discussions directly translated to learning in my classroom.
How have I been applying my new knowledge and thoughts thus far in my teaching practice?

In environmental science we have utilized social media to do research on ways to reduce waste and become enviornmental stewards and activists. In health science, I registered and directed students toward an open education resource through Coursera to learn more about our current topic (vital signs). This was accompanied by showing the students that you may purchase certifications in recognition of these courses should you need some paperwork associated with it ($65). This, in turn, lead into a class discussion on university tuitions that unfortunately seem to serve as a price tag for paper recognition of knowledge garnered. Around the school? I’ve used Facebook group chats to communicate with students about our One Act performance for the year, and have continued to use Remind to communicate with my track and field team as well as help coordinate our school gay-straight alliance (GSA). After spending more time with Snapchat, I had utilized its popularity with students to help promote our school in Moose Jaw as well as provide an area for potential students to ask questions about the school.

As I took into consideration MOOCs and open education, I considered how to work this into my classroom, but rather than simply throwing in some individual research in assignments and reminding them about critiquing sources, I decided to formally merge my teaching style with what I’ve learned about digital citizenship. The Digital Citizenship Presentation covers this and “learning in a Mr. Petlak classroom”. I intend to use at the start of my semesters in the future.

 

Beyond my classroom and practice, what else has this course helped with?

Over the course of this class, I digitally connected with others in the private purchase of a house, I digitally connected with other educators on-line to enhance my PLN, and expanded my ability to organize knowledge gathered outside of the school back into improving learning of myself and others. I felt it helped me reflect on the social dynamics inherent in social media that was just becoming relevant when I was in high school, and it allowed me to better connect with this generation of learners. It also renewed my desire to be an activist and not be afraid to speak out, which I fear as educators we may fear doing so in order to remain neutral… and at times, silent. But the push to learn piano also helped me found my voice and way to “create” music and sounds that I have enjoyed for a long time… and will continue to keep learning about.

 

Closing

I sincerely thank Alec Couros and Katia Hildebrandt for an awesome semester of learning, as well as all of my classmates. I was very unsure what to expect in a graduate class but this did not overwhelm or disappoint. I feel like a better teacher and person after this course and I feel that is my ultimate goal of education: to continue to connect, learn, question and improve.

To finish how I started, below is a picture of the difference in hashtags from the start of the semester to the end of the semester. Despite the length of each list, the time to complete was actually very similar… and almost just as importantly… I think my hair looks better too!

1452648428990

First Day – ECI 831

20160411_234246

Last Day – ECI 831

 

 

 

 

————>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary of Learning Video

Without further delay, below is my summary of learning video. “Google Yourself” a parody (remix) of Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself”.

Keep on learning,
Logan Petlak

Lyrics

It all began with a selfiechallenge,
and then I started google plussing my name!
Flipgridding teachers, oh, wow this is great!
No more learning on my own: networking

Learning project maybe write a song,
‘Cause I love music maybe piano player. Can’t yet,
But I still play piano lots
And, holy, I be learnin’ lots
Watching youtube, TedTalks connections is where it is at,
Took weeks just to see that

Katia don’t like trolls but she likes trollin’ ’em
And if you don’t like slacktivism I think you’re wrong.
And I’ve spent hours on my blog
Even tweeted @courosa
I’m networked son,
domain at WordPress.com

So I like PLNs – knowledge-able n’ such
Baby, I support open education
And I think I’ve got a good online identity
It’s clear that I google myself

And when Dave told me bout rhizomatic learning
The only problem I had was info curation
Experience is the best teacher of knowledge
Pipe’s more important than content in the pipe.

And I gotta chirp about some laws
Lessig saves us with creative commons, just go Cite it,
Or we will get locked up
People puttin’ wifi prices on (everything)
And net neutrality is where we wanna fight back,
Took months just to see that

Katia don’t like trolls but she likes trollin’ ’em
And if you don’t like activism I think you’re wrong.
And I’ve spent hours on my blog
Even tweeted @courosa
I’m networked son,
domain WordPress.com

So if you like PLNs – knowledge-able n’ such
Well then just support open education
And if you think you don’t connect with students
Then just edtech Snapchat yourself

And on the chance you have a classroom blog
teach #digcit – Translates to learnin’ for all
And yet the wealth gap leaves students vulnerable
Digital divide can we just break down it’s walls?

Corm-i-er told us, bout’ MOOCs and such
Oh, baby, you could go learn by “yourself”
Orient, declare goals, network, cluster, focus
And go complex question yourself

Now I have, a PLN – am knowledge-able n’ such
And I support open education
And if you think you don’t manage your reputation
You should go google yourself

Being a devil’s advocate teacher.

30 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 831

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

devil's advocate, opened, student advocacy

When I reflect on some of the significant discussions in my life and in a classroom, I find how frequently I am playing devil’s advocate to students, teachers or colleagues. I’ve found it helps me look at something from all angles, and should someone challenge me on something, I should already have a defence prepared or at least be aware of the inherent difficulties within the idea being broached. Should you know me well enough, you’d know that I am well-meaning and that I am an optimist, idealistic-to-a-fault kind of guy. Make fun of me? I’ll give you a smile!

i don't even give

Winnie the Pooh, happily prancing.

Photo Credit: imgfave.com via Pinterest

But not everyone knows that about me. Case in point:

When I was in grade ten, we had an intern in my old school and she was struggling with classroom management in our drama class. I wasn’t a belligerent in this war that occurred in the class, but my comment when she stopped class to discuss what the issue was certainly made it look that way. I paraphrase, of course, but she asked, frustrated:
“What is the issue in this class that is making you all have such a hard time following directions and listening to me”?
Perhaps it was a rhetorical question, but my grade ten mind was incapable of segregating that from the question at hand, and I had a genuine idea and possible explanation for the cause of the management issues, and I sincerely wanted to help her out… so I raised my scrawny arm to share it.
“Yes, Logan?”, she asked patiently.

15752473076_035b2094a9
Photo Credit: dallas_isd via Compfight cc

“Well Ms. <Intern Name>, maybe it’s because you’re an intern and maybe some of the students just don’t respect you as much as they would our regular teacher.”
She was speechless. Why wouldn’t she be? My friend turned around and looked at me, mortified and was already formulating the lecture he was going to give me after school about “you can’t say that to a teacher, man!” And there I sat, confused. I whole-heartedly thought that was a brilliant explanation for why it may have been happening, and yet everyone was looking at me like I was some kind of sociopath. It wasn’t until she finished her internship that I thought to apologize, but it was too late.

Why am I sharing this story? Basically to preface the following with an example of my ability to mean well, yet having a tendency to state things poorly, so when reading this, take note that I mean well, and believe and support all of this.

Devil’s advocate: watch Michael Wesch’s video about going from knowledgeable to knowledge-able and he speaks about how we need to transition learning into giving students the tools to think critically in a highly connected world where information is available everywhere. Within it, he shows us what he preaches at a university level. There is a great collection of real student responses to what works and more importantly, doesn’t work in today’s classroom*, be it textbooks or simply consuming information off of the board. I put “classroom*” because his classroom represents a population of student’s committed to change, all with laptops and access to this media. Does this represent every student in every Canadian classroom? Brown and Adler will tell you that we don’t have enough universities for all the students anyway so we must learn to adjust to “open education”… but how do you teach that desire to learn or desire to pursue post-secondary? The fact is that classroom is full of students who have paid a significant amount of money to learn an very valuable idea about the future of education… but they are committed to being there. What of those in an inner city school? Teach them the ability to deduce? And next step, how do you assess that? You can ask higher order questions to students but over the span of a semester in high school how precisely can you measure that change? I want my students to want to make a change, but you normally get a handful of students who do so, and these are also the students who end up in universities, in Michael Wesch’s class. Are some students fated to not pursue this or is it our education system failing them? I would be the first to admit that our education system does not meet the needs of all learners and I discuss this with my classes as well. But the transition to open education has a reliance on the assumption of our ability to be connected, or that all students have the ability to be connected, or want to be connected. Students, at least at a high school level, do not always have that desire to put in the work, even if it could be engaging to become “knowledge-able”. One would argue that all students need that sense of belonging and want to be connected, I’d agree. But sometimes to even get there is out of our circle of influence, unfortunately… and I would hope there was a way for open education to extend into that? Or do we just keep trying until it works? Some students may be connected but do not attend enough to learn to deduce or become knowledge-able. Schools may be not well-equipped enough to support all students in the use of open education. Maybe the WiFi goes down… does class stop? The versatility of utilizing the internet is limitless and can support many students, but what of those who can’t access it? Or are simply limited to it at the school setting, you may still see that separation of learners with those more equipped to adapt to the connected age, and those left behind trying desperately to keep up. I think of the teacher who asks, “use your phones and look up…”, and you have two students unable to do so. You may supply them with a school laptop, an old phone connected to WiFi, but what about when they leave? The time others spend on their phones learning beyond the walls would be immeasurable in comparison. It comes down to advocating for students who are unable to connect in a vastly connected world. It reminds me of this particular comic from a great read, “Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie:
part-time-indian.jpg
Photo Credit: Book-rain via WordPress.com

Obviously I am discussing two separate ideas. One speaks of open education and the other speaks to a student’s ability and the supports available to them to achieve. I believe it is important to take note of how this has the potential to be another form of education that may still not meet the needs of all learners or leave some students disadvantaged simply due to their out of school environment. The Power of Networks spoke of the need to once more become a renaissance man and see the immense network that is the world, and we would hope to achieve this through the lens of the internet and associated media. But what is the approach for those who can only access that lens for a finite amount of time? How does one become a renaissance man when you have half the opportunity to achieve than others? Will it become better in time? Will the gap between high-achievers and low-achievers lessen? I believe so, but in the short term, what is a teacher to do to advocate for this student and, more importantly, what is a student to do?

Upon re-reading this, I can hardly argue I am picking this apart, I am simply asking questions to assess the ability of this idea to impact all students. And for the majority of these students, you may not see the results of this learning until well into their adult lives. How do you assess that? Devil’s advocate.

Open to comments or suggestions!

Petlak out.

Logan Petlak

Incredible day! Photo courtesy Julia and Lucas Photography

Follow Logan Petlak on WordPress.com

Contact Info

650 Coteau St W,
Moose Jaw, SK
Treaty 4 territory
13066934691
Regular school hours.
Email: petlak.logan@prairiesouth.ca

Categories

What are you looking for?

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×
    Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy