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Logan Petlak

~ Lifelong Learner.

Logan Petlak

Tag Archives: technology

Transgenerational (Digital) Citizenship Education

06 Tuesday Feb 2018

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 832

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

citizenship, digital citizenship, digital footprint, digital literacy, education, technology

“Digital Citizenship is more than just a curriculum to be taught in a classroom; it is an ongoing process to prepare youth for a society immersed in technology, personally and professionally.”  – Robyn D. Shulman

This quote prompted me to begin sifting through all of my old posts because it presented a revelation of its simplicity/goal. I’m shocked that I don’t recall ever making the connection that digital citizenship education is just modern citizenship education; “prepare(ing) youth for society”. How is my school preparing students for this?

When Shulman listed off digital skills that might be taught in schools: “coding, animation, web design, blogging, cyber-security and narrowing down information”, I feared our (my) school only was hitting a couple at best, but it does hit these skills. Unfortunately it’s not with a specific consistently or continuity from course-to-course (it’s teacher-preference, or subject-specific with a heavy emphasis on computer science courses).

service guarentees citizenship.jpg

“Service guarantees citizenship” via MemeCrunch

But when broadening the definition to citizenship education that can have digital elements to it, the service learning and other citizenship education that occurs cross-curricularly in the school should promote similar values and skills when approaching the online realm. When considering the “ongoing process” piece Shulman mentioned – perhaps this represents the short-term educational change required to include digital citizenship? But how does one “monitor” or “manage” the learning that occurs in classrooms when it is such a broad, instructor-specific topic to cover elements of digital citizenship? This is where this broadening definition of citizenship also helps in the transition to digital citizenship education in some courses. Shifting the mindset on the digital world comes to be an extension of reality rather than a dangerous, unforgiving world as some parents or students may be approaching it, especially when we observe differences in digital literacy from one generation to the next – previous documents can still be relevant and promote transgenerational (digital) citizenship education in schools and in the home.

 

 

When I read Sklar’s take on digital hygiene, I began considering the impact home has. Education about digital citizenship occurs in a variety of ways today, some would argue it needs to occur in the creation of a positive online presence. and a lack of specific digital citizenship occurring in schools when I was an adolescent in the infancy stages of social media. It makes me feel incredibly fortunate that my father was very much into technology and trying to stay up to speed on it – by extension this helped us at least stay relevant and on top of/familiar with most new tech emerging, and Sklar appears to have their kids in a similarly-privileged position – the students have access to positive models for guided exploration into digital citizenship, but not every student is so fortunate (as Jana mentioned), which dictates the necessity for digital citizenship to be a part of education. Fortunately, this end is partially realized given subject-based outcomes through that expansion of preexisting understandings of what citizenship is to be inclusive of the digital community.

digital-citizenship.jpg

Mia MacMeekin’s Digital Citizenship via TeachThought

Citizenship occurs through the emphasis of digital citizenship. The critical thinking that occurs in the active deconstruction of our interactions in the digital world is a transferable skill. When considering implementation of this at an education system level – adaptability is key (much like the organic curriculum I’ve mentioned before, Sklar mentioned a “living document editable by students”). It has to shift and evolve with the ever-shifting, ever-evolving landscape to adequately and relevantly prepare students and equip teachers.

This is merely a surface “solution” to approaching digital citizenship (there a some lovely tips on how to implement this to the right, by the way). What does the future have in store for education?

How will schools shift in time? Will we see an increasingly student-centered classroom? Do the number of teachers need to increase to meet a more wide variety of student learning needs as technology further allows learning to be more personalized? Or will classrooms even exist if more technology makes education more available? It’s a tough call, so much is dependent on the “babysitter” properties of school that I see a “educational revolution” deviating from the current educational model as unlikely in the future – but I would welcome being wrong, even it put me out of a job.

Thoughts?

Let me know!
– Logan Petlak

Digital Learners and Digital Wisdom in a Digital World

29 Monday Jan 2018

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 832

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Dave White, digital citizenship, digital literacy, education, Marc Prensky, technology

I genuinely hold the idea that we can’t villainize the internet. Policing the students who (ab)use technology or criticizing the current contexts our students develop in seems fruitless in the absence of education. Maybe this lends itself to my appreciation for better understanding our respective places in the digital realm in order to proceed with wisdom? (It does). We really need to understand the depth of what we consume digitally (and how) and with this comes the need to identify where we, and our learners, fit in order to grow  and continuously learn about the ever-changing digital landscape.

Ironically, in previous reflections, I’ve kind of grappled with the idea of classifying students and myself with particular labels. At times labeling can be too constrictive, or its too subjective when considering things in a spectrum (but, that’s the point of a spectrum); student (and teacher) experiences and narratives constantly are in flux, so a spectrum to approach the diversity of technological literacy makes sense. The variation is wide from person-person. In this case, “what type of digital user am I”, widely varies depending on which point in my life you look at (my age, and technology available at the time), or in what setting the notion is applied (is it me as a student, teacher, or consumer). In my late teens?

hagrid meme.jpg

Hagridmemetoaudio via Google

I overshared and would’ve immensely benefited from digital citizenship education
(thanks Facebook Memories, for serving as a daily reminder for how much of a tool I was). The appreciation for the variety of digital consumers I think should keep us humble and empathetic as digital educators (if you’re an educator, your students will be put in a better position to be successful if you acknowledge your need to be a digital educator, assuming you live in a context with access).

This appreciation for empathy when approaching the idea of the spectrum of digital consumers has been a scaffolding process. One of my colleagues was providing a presentation to our staff about English Language Learners, and stated that we are all English Language Learners. That really resonated with me when considering the wide variety of proficiencies that exist regarding our respective grasp of the English language would also apply to the range of our grasps of digital literacy. With this, I consider that range of digital visitor/resident (which is presented as a continuum) as presented by Dave White.

However, upon watching Dave’s video, I became curious as to fluidity of being a digital visitor versus resident. When exploring that metaphor in a literal sense, we can see the impact visitors can make in new communities, and there can still be a trail or trace of their existence. This applies to online activity when considering webpage traffic, cookies, and histories. While we may not leave something easily visible to the public, those with the aptitude to perceive our presence online can do so. Therefore its important to remember our digital user classification isn’t definite either. I understand the context of the distinction Dave White makes as it pertains to our engagement with the digital world, but I also think it’s important to acknowledge the digital realm as an extension/part of our reality. Of which, relatively speaking, we’re all “residents” or “visitors”, and this is subject to change. But are we also digital “immigrants” or “natives”?

With digital immigrants and natives, there is a new issue presented that involves the peril in classifying individuals (clarification below). Its too subjective.

I do acknowledge the multitude of factors that can cause individuals to be predisposed to be better learners in different forms of literacy and the divide a failure to acknowledge this may cause. I acknowledge how certain generations may possess certain characteristics reflective of the context they grew up in. And I acknowledge that the digital world presents an exponentially increasing amount of change and challenges associated with it. But I fear we get too negative about the digital world and this can be a debilitating force against education. Like it or not, it is a part of the world we live in today.

That led me to consider drifting from the binary division of different types of educators and learners that I feel is presented in the distinction of digital immigrant/native, (and I wasn’t alone in this, thanks Megan). As I dug deeper, however, apparently Prensky felt similarly, opting to try to shift focus and emphasize “digital wisdom”, but was he successful in this endeavour?

Apparently the phrase digital wisdom didn’t catch on, but in reading Prensky’s work, he emphasized ideas after his digital immigrant/native article that, despite my personal critiques, he recognized and acknowledged as well. Two of which, I think are reflective of some main takeaways from my (and his) post:

  • Education and, by extension, the context in which digital literacy exists “should evolve” and so too must educators.
  • Educators need to listen to students. With this I think this connects to that empathy piece I mentioned before. 

We have to be cognizant of not over-generalizing the wide spectrum of learners that exist in the ever-changing digital world. Users are constantly increasing their fluency in digital literacy, and we are all digital literacy learners. Approaching all digital learners with that in mind, will keep us empathetic and adaptive to their learning process. With that, we will be practicing digital wisdom.

 

– Logan Petlak

 

Agoraphobia in education.

18 Saturday Mar 2017

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 834

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

connectedness, ECI 834, eci834, edtech, open content, open education, opened, senior science, technology

Addressing Educator “Fear of Open Space” (agoraphobia)

In the creation of a digital community for education, do we resist the idea of allowing our students into open spaces? The subject and grade level will help determine our personal stance on exactly how “open” we allow our student’s discussion and learning to be… but if the educator is at the secondary level, is it acceptable to open things up then? Or do we still fear the internet? Are there more educators suffering from agoraphobia than we think?

OPen Space

“Wanda in open space” from Corner Gas

“How could anyone be afraid of open space?”

A quote from season two, episode four, of the beloved Canadian show, Corner Gas. Yes, I am working Corner Gas into this blog post.

Open online space, to be clear. And let’s face it, there is a seedy side, with a palpable list of awful instances of abuse in the digital realm. But what about the development of a sense of connectedness with strangers. Strangers who can be from anywhere in the world, yet provide us with ideas, opinions, interests, be they novel or similar to our own!

Why exactly do I get so excited about the online community?

Growing up in the infant stages of the internet and social media, I scoured forums for information on video games I played (Super Nintendo, Pokemon, etc). In my searching, it was always exciting to find websites full of individuals who enjoyed what I enjoyed (in similar or different ways). Sharing the same emotions and ideas with individuals you will never really know (by conventional standards), is a mysteriously unifying concept. You just don’t get that in a closed setting. In closed forums in an educational setting, I only ever saw the keeners dominate forums, and much of the time, I resented their contributions because I felt they used higher vocabulary needlessly that either made their points too convoluted, or served to exclude other classmates who wouldn’t be able to comprehend it as well. I hard a hard time thinking it was practice for language development, and normally felt that it was done to elevate or flaunt language prowess at the expense of making others feel inferior.

I say this, yet use words now in my writing that I would’ve probably resented then. Don’t worry, I have yet to feel it in my graduate classes thus far – but I am always so aware of my motives behind sharing or my vocabulary choices, am I doing it for my benefit, or for others?

fry hear themselves

“hear themselves talk” via Memegenerator

In reflecting on my sharing on the group chat in our discussions. In this course (and my previous courses with Alec), specifically in the chat realm, a lot of my contributions have some desperate attempts at humour laced with relevance to the content – and while it keeps me engaged, I’m sure others, at least once, have thought: “oh my goodness, just stop”. And maybe I’m wrong… but have you ever felt like you were in a class where it seems some individuals just like to hear themselves talk?

That is my fear in the closed setting. I’m a claustrophobic educator I guess. My feelings aside, learning can still happen for students when ones who dominate discussion receive feedback to curb contributions or it pushes others to step up. But are the discussion-dominators even displaying understanding or have they simply learned to fake it?

 

“Learned to fake it”

“Learned to fake it” with it being authenticity. There still is learning occurring when individuals learn to fake it and share what they share in these settings. As such, I would argue that: yes, there is some authenticity, because who it is meaningful to has a wide scope. When we consider the scope and who all the comments reach, we’re bound to find some authentic learning. The modelling of “advanced responses” still benefit others who may get too intimidated to contribute. Therefore, while it may not be authentic for the contributor, whose motives may be less than intrinsic, the responses evoked may be authentic, so where do I (and we) draw the line? And what’s the difference in this between an open or closed setting?

I envision that the more open your discussions are, the more opportunities present themselves for learning to go in more directions as it increases your potential contributors and receivers (positive or negative contributions, mind you).

What age do students begin to have open spaces then?

think of the children.jpg

“Think of the children” via quickmeme

As an individual pushing for openness, I am fortunate to be teaching students mostly sixteen years of age and older. The mentality of allowing students to be exposed or unprotected in the digital realm is not a foreign concept for most of them or us, especially if they have been involved with social media and digital usage throughout their adolescent life.

At the senior science level with open content, the scope isn’t limited to students either. Parents may access the open format if they’re wanting to be involved, yet allow the students to begin to stretch their wings a bit. As long as administration and parents are made aware of the rationale and mentality behind the decision to go public, and concerns are addressed and adapted for as needed, the learning from open commenting and discussion can unfold. If concerns arose like frequent trolling, decisions could be made as a class community (edcuator, students, parents, admin) with how to address them. (All of this is predicated on student buy-in. But… at the senior science level, buy-in is, pretty much, required).

Were I a grade four science teacher, there would be greater restrictions when searching for information and public commenting (as in, it would likely be non-existent as the students would be still, I consider, vulnerable). You would see a closed setting without external influence, but potentially simulated digital citizenship practices in which they’d deal with a pretend troll, or have to select from three information sources to determine which one is most likely false, rather than being thrown to the wolves of the web in my senior science courses. But even then, where is the line where we stop coddling students?

Closing thoughts

While some of my senior students may become “learn to fake it”‘s as I mentioned above, there’s still learning to be had. This learning may be from unknowingly modelling behaviours for themselves, or creating authentic learning for others who may learn from them.

The more open we go, the scope of learning increases. So don’t be afraid of open space.

Open Space Gif.gif

“Corner Gas – Open Space” made via Giphy


Open space…

Open space…

 

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!

-Logan Petlak

Closing the distance between distance education and myself.

12 Thursday Jan 2017

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 834

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

blended learning, distance education, distance learning, ECI 834, eci834, edtech, GAFE, google, Petlak, remind, socrative, technology, vr, zoom

Greetings fellow ECI 834 students. I look forward to learning with you over the course of the term!

who am i zoolander.gif

“Who am I?” via Giphy

Who am I?

I am Logan Petlak.

  • High school science educator (biology, health science, environmental science).
  • Football coach (and track coach).
  • Recreational hockey player.

    jesse.png

    Foster kitten: “Jesse” (now adopted: “Lou”)

  • Physical activity addict (weight training, assorted sports)
  • Frequent co-foster parent of stray cats and kittens (with my beautiful partner, Kristin).
  • NFL/NHL fan.
  • Moose Jaw product and resident.
  • Lifelong learner and critical thinker.
  • Proud Central Collegiate, Moose Jaw teacher.
  • Avid gamer and supporter of gamification of learning.
  • Open education supporter.
  • Student advocate.
  • #EdTech enthusiast and;
  • Fledgling distance educator.

This course revolves around the final point! It’s not necessarily a fresh topic for me, I’ve discussed it before. How exactly can I bring the Mr. Petlak experience worldwide? Not for personal gain, but to simply aid in the learning of others? Better question, how do I best deliver online education and learning to others? Therein lies my goals for this course:

  1. Gain resources and tools to create a distance learning classroom. Then utilize tools to best replicate what it’s like to be in a face-to-face classroom with students (and for students, with me).
  2. Connect with other professionals who can provide examples, suggestions and support as I develop distance learning opportunities.
  3. Critique and analyze the learning inherent within distance education and what learning may be lost outside of a face-to-face or in-school setting.
  4. BONUS: begin developing content for my Biology course as part of our module assignment!

 

In our school, some students are already taking distance education courses. Through informal polling, it has received generally positive reviews! Perhaps it was a shift in thinking but I don’t remember them being offered as much when I was in high school and, in my only distance experience in university, I had a hard time getting engaged without the face-to-face piece…

Fast forward.

When picking where to apply for my Master’s, distance education/universities came up, but I assumed they would hold less validity or reverence than other institutions so I decided against it. Whether it was engagement or validity of distance education, I guess I should’ve watched this video first!

Opportunities for distance education are available for most subjects, at many levels, worldwide. How will I fit into the distance education world and can I provide something that others don’t, and will I stick to my open education-centered morality?

If you were a distance educator, would you capitalize on the potential financial gain associated with private education?

How will your distance classroom work?

Am I foolish to hope that I can almost completely replicate the classroom experience, or is being consistently connected (via email) and using apps/tools like Zoom, Remind, virtual reality, google docs or GAFE to include all of the Google apps I guess (thanks Kyle), and socrative not enough to make it happen completely and becomes a blended learning environment (just shy of a completely online course)?

How will I account for students who don’t have as much access? We know they will be affected negatively, can we supply devices at a distance?

 

Regardless, I intend to close the distance between where I am now, and where I want to be with distance and blended education.

 

Thoughts and comments are welcome!
Logan Petlak

The digital life of a teacher-entertainer.

11 Tuesday Oct 2016

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 833

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

education, educational technology, entertainer, gaming, pinky and the brain, sesame street, teacher, technology

In this ever-evolving  understanding of teaching and learning, educators are constantly on the run from “traditional schooling”, constantly bombarded with news mean to fight the factory education model they are still enclosed within. Teachers, forever exposed to new means of instruction, the new rights, the new wrongs, the new device, and in the case of Sesame Street: the new songs.

Sesame Street Songs (Then and now)

Songs?

In a classroom?

Not allowed.

Unless your students are part of a generation with higher cases of ADD needing various forms of engagement to aid in learning (In this writer’s opinion, higher cases of ADD are strictly due to larger and more accurate amounts of testing).

Oh!

Wait!

Our students are a part of this generation. They need interesting and engaging delivery of content to enhance learning. Not to say it hasn’t been present before, I just think the world is far more engaging than it ever was. Which is why we, as educa-entertain-tors have to compete with the shows we were raised on and then some. New types of entertainment change comes with our handheld devices and while individual perception of change varies, some welcome it, some resist it, the fact is media, television, and devices are always changing. Therefore, to stay competitive, we have to stay on top of our game. Sift through the resistance to BYOD, get your hands on some additional devices for those who don’t have them, and get on the same level as every other source of entertainment your student is exposed to. I don’t mean to discount evidence that indicates BYOD can be bad for learning , but much like shows of the past, learning can still be had from devices and programming, because we watched these shows.

pinky__the_brain_wallpaper

A personal favourite of mine from youth. “Pinky and the Brain” via Looney Tunes Wikia

Even if standard achievement scores went down, there is learning that occurs beyond the ways we measure it. Natalie’s take  on the work of Neil Postman reminded us that: “He indicates that Sesame Street is a series of short commercials meant to entertain that uses puppets, celebrities and catchy tunes.  This is true.”

But why isn’t entertainment considered learning?

Kids don’t always learn the way we want them to, but there still are provided with ways to learn through the apps, social media, and games they play. Apps allow our students to connect with each other, face to face. Apps are reinventing the depth of relationships we may have had before with increased exposure to socialization and different experiences and cultures. Many games are problem-based, objective-completing activities that provide descriptors and feedback on their work. Consistent with that of the classroom but not with the content we would prefer. But can it go wrong? We can observe the history of the learning channel and see the defamation of the “educational program” over the years, and Krista Gates mentions that the shows are not as educational as they once were. But they are just as entertaining, and when I enjoyed the learning that I was exposed to on television, I enjoyed learning.

Sounds like a connection.

 

Television, apps, and devices are fun.

Television, apps, and devices are entertaining.

Television, apps, and devices are engaging.

Engagement leads to learning.

Learning should be engaging.

Learning should be entertaining.

Learning is fun.

 

Thoughts? Disagree? Am I simply brainwashed by the collection of television I’ve been exposed to over the years? Is my naive optimism the product of every show I’ve ever seen where a cartoon character made a joke or managed to smile in a bad situation? I’d like to this so.

Logan Petlak

Good intentions and what is morally just make EdTech equitable.

16 Thursday Jun 2016

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 830

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

ECI 830, eci830, education, health, learning, morality, teacher, technology, wealth gap

Equity versus equality.

Equity involves an attempt to level the playing field for all as exemplified in the picture below.

equality doesnt mean equity

Health Equity via CommunityView.ca

The importance of this concept was made more apparent in the presence of “straight pride week” posters and social media posts appearing recently in light of pride week… and people sometimes fail to make the connection that equality is not equality without equity. And despite the use of social media to spread this hate and discrimination, technology still can be used as a force for equity.

straight pride

Straight Pride Posters Removed via Worldnow

 

 

Equity, education, technology and well-intentioned actions.

Technology can be a force for equity in society. It can provide health and learning alternatives for those at risk or at a disadvantage and seek to level the playing field for individuals. These actions are practised with good intentions for helping others. Some emphasize that using these technologies widens the achievement gap between rich and poor students and that may be the case in some instances, exacerbating socio-economic divides. Well-intentioned actions (more on this next week) can lead to further issues and may place importance on skills related to certain forms of technology that may make individuals more equipped for life in another culture rather than helping them to develop their own. As it applies to education, every effort needs to be made to educate our youth to put them in the best position to be successful learners and citizens, and while there are potential repercussions, decisions made in good conscience/faith need to be encouraged while productive feedback is provided. Well-intentioned actions may be flawed, but with the students in mind and the potential for enhancement of their learning, the process of integrating these technologies is worth practising. Technology, apps, robots and devices are developed with the intention to serve a need in society and many of these needs today are to bridge gaps, regardless of the paycheck associated with it (there is a host of issues with that as well, however). Just as there are needs in society, there are needs in the classroom. Literary needs, language needs, even motor skill needs. 

Socio-economic divides, do these technologies actually help?

Technology in the classroom may not actually improve performance in classrooms. And the introduction of these new technologies when made available to all will likely only be used by those with the resources to acquire it. This doesn’t mean it isn’t worth creating or practising. By that logic, a new, expensive, potentially life-saving practice for heart disease shouldn’t be allowed or encouraged as it will further push the divide as rich people with heart disease will be able to live longer while those who cannot afford it may not be able to. Morally, all should have access to it, but is our reality consistent with this? No. And there is the potential that this technology can someday be made more accessible for all. But for now, one student, even if there are rich that has a learning disability and there is an app that helps them learn, it’s worth it. I understand the associated issues with what the creation and subsequent use of technologies provide, but what is the potential solution then? Equal/equitable access for all so that these technologies may not be privatised? Complete societal upheaval and restructuring? It’s not feasible. I don’t intend to be pessimistic, mind you, quite the contrary. The creation and use of these technologies for health and learning present an opportunity for learning and well-being… and when these occur, equity can follow and I am optimistic despite potential short-term gap widening, the benefits and morality of equitable tech casts a shadow over it.

 

The moral question I ask is: Is an act done with good intentions and is morally just, but has potential consequences, wrong?

A loaded question. And while bad decisions have been made in the past with good intentions, with the right research and preparation, the moral good that technology can provide in the learning and health for some outweighs the potential gap-widening problems.

Debatable, no doubt. Thoughts?

Logan Petlak

Games, technology and student learning and well-being

26 Thursday May 2016

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 830, Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

causation, correlation, diablo II, gamification, gaming, health, ragnarok online, starcraft, technology

Self-proclaimed gamer and technology-user

I frequently play games through a variety of technological mediums. Physical skill, board, console, computer, mobile, you name it. I was raised in the gamer generation and have learned a lot from it to apply to the real world. Conversely I also spend a lot of time aware of how much activity I get per day and the food I consume. Combining these, I am a big believer in the gamification of learning and living. What I learned from play has translated to success in the workplace and health. I think that play engages students greatly and the modern means of that engagement dominantly occur through technology. Games connect us with others and challenge us to complete goals. But games, like sports, have a dark side to them… and it may be that only with proper education and leadership do we see responsible use of technology and games. And with these dark sides, come risks, and through the management of these risks students continue to learn and develop. Some of these risks may impact health, but with the right education, we can learn from it.

19870933155_3cf6f15607

Photo Credit: lolesports via Compfight cc

Concerns of tech on health

If a student or individual posts up on the Xbox or PC for a “gaming sesh (session)”, snacks will follow. Typically this is associated with the negative stigma of ‘unhealthy’ as “chips and pop” may be the choices selected at times. Some studies correlate gaming to obesity, however, to the right, we see two professional gamers who would not reflect “obesity” on the BMI. Even the frequency of snacking can be called into question on the health of students who game. There is a lot of confusion and different types of data on whether or not snacking negatively or positively affects our health. A common belief was that snacking with smaller meals throughout the day may be healthier, but these tests weren’t necessarily reputable. But, as always, it comes back to moderation and understanding balance. And when these discussions occur at home, through social media and technology (shown below) and at school, students can learn to find that balance with gaming, physical activity, and snacking… within reason.

Personal experience of health and gaming.

I would consider myself a strong believer in the lack of validity associated with personal opinion or “a study showed _______ may…” however I will speak to my personal experience about moderation and technology. Maintaining balance is an ongoing process, I’ve had days of too much screen time playing online games like Diablo II, Starcraft and Ragnarok Online and days of so much physical activity that I couldn’t walk the next day or was so concerned with eating properly I would not eat some food at family gatherings because it wasn’t “healthy enough”. Balance is pivotal. This extends even to the numerous ways that technology could be messing with your brain. Whether it be panicking without your phone and this example subsequently being misused as an excuse to call it a technology addiction. If you lost your car, cat, or kids you would panic too, does this correlate to addiction? The underlying problem is not technology, it is educating ourselves and students on this learning and growing process. Technology can be the vehicle in which problems occur, but correlation does not imply causation, and the potential effects cannot be instantly taken as fact, but carefully analyzed.

 

What do you think? Are games and technology making our kids unhealthy? Let me know!

-Logan Petlak

Defining what exactly #EdTech is.

13 Friday May 2016

Posted by loganpetlak in ECI 830

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

ECI 830, eci830, edtech, education technology, social, social studies, technology

Google “Education Technology“. What you find is a definition from Wikipedia of  “Education Technology“:

“the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources.”
Association for Educational Communications and Technology via Wikipedia.

As an individual exposed to the ideas of Education Technology (henceforth referred to as #edtech) this all makes sense… and, happily, it has the best interests of student learning in mind. But what about the definition of technology? Often we approach technology through the lens of computers and gadgets, but may not recognize the ideas and processes associated with #edtech. Case in point, upon finding an appropriate technology-related image, the picture below was the closest one to being accurate, but still rampant with electronic devices.

technology-662833_960_720

“Technology” from Google Images via Pixabay

To the left you see an iPod, TV, Camera, and some sort of electric hair clippers close to the nose… your stereotypical forms of technology.

What am I getting at?

Technology is so much deeper than we give it credit for. We assume it is simply a network of electronic connections and the concept of “technology”. It isn’t. Knowing a book can be used as a paperweight, or that Fonzie-style hitting the copier will fix it, that is technology. Further applying it to education, it considers adaptions and differentiation for students without an app or tablet. It has shaped history, not just in the creation of new weapons or medications, but also in ideas, beliefs and algorithms.

We make this separation with students, and this discussion is actually present in the Saskatchewan Social 9 curriculum! I tweeted about it one day when my students and I discussed it! But do we always remember it as adults and educators?

Social 9 talked about how technology is more than just a phone. It can be a process or idea. How does this relate to #edtech? #eci830

— Logan Petlak (@MrLPetlak) May 11, 2016

I hope to remind myself over the course of #eci830 the widespread implications of EdTech. And that the inherent discussions and debates within also represent educational technologies through the sharing and creation of ideas.

Honing in on our original definition of EdTech. I also know that EdTech does involve a variety of apps, programs and resources that enhance student learning and I’m extremely excited to continue to utilize them.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions?

Erin Benjamin shared the excitement of getting into this class in her blog, and I agree. She mentions connecting with colleagues and learning with others… I guess that’s nice too…

I’m Logan Petlak by the way.

Find out more about me here!

Logan Petlak

Incredible day! Photo courtesy Julia and Lucas Photography

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