Adapted Lyrics by Gemyka Antonia E. Guillermo

Edited by: Awadhesh Kumar, EdTech Ecommerce Enthusiast 

Song and Music By: Bruno Mars

Professor: Dr. Alec Curous

For the Summary of EdTech Learning  Winter 2023

To the Tune of “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars: Performed and submitted by Ramsel Eclarin Guillermo

The Educational Technology course  taught by Dr. Alec Curous, our professor,  was an eye opener to me from a traditional to a technology driven educator.

This is “even more than powerful” as an agreeing statement I adapted from Engr. Hamza Zouaghi, who also had amazingly provided me many opportunities to grow, embrace and adapt the potential benefits  of all types of technologies have to offer  in pursuit of  our educational journey towards. Using available technological resources is way far better implemention and carrying out engaging lessons with socially and digitally and ethically  responsible education.  I’ve been combattling  on topics about traditional teaching vs technology, of which I was favoring all the ideas about the traditional ways of teaching, bringing back the olden times and watching out that social media is ruining all our lives.

At the end of the EdTech course, the following debatable topics were very powerful instruments presented by different debaters and presentaers that change the way I think of things in this subject.

Topic 1: Technology in the classroom enhances learning. Initially, I voted for “disagree” as I am confident that I am performing best based  my teaching pedagogies  and good rapport with students. But when the presentation of Will Whitten & Mike Silvius:

had been presented via Zoom in EdTech, class, my view had changed.

They got my “agree” vote finally thereafter  their debate!

Congrats to both of you, you did the best Ed Tech presentation and editing!

Topic 2: Social media is ruining childhood. Millenial mind set, would undoubtedly vote for YES. Valeska Porras and Bart Mihalicz vs. Brendon Weir and Brittany Cooper made their way depending their sides and 

Topic 3: Technology has led to a more equitable society with debaters Kennedy Loreth & Ummey Salma vs. Jeff Barrett & Graeme Gieni,

Topic 4: Educators and schools have a responsibility to help their students develop a digital footprint by Jolaoluwa Raji and Laura Erickson vs. Rahima Ali & Jessica Pultz

Topic 5: Educators have a responsibility to use technology and social media to promote social justice. This part of the Great EdTech Debate have allowed me to disagree with this statement. Though technology or social media 

Topic 6: AI technologies will revolutionize education for the better.

ield that focuses on the use of technology to enhance learning. It encompasses a wide range of tools, such as instructional software, online courses, and digital textbooks, that are designed to support and improve the learning process. Educational technology also covers topics such as instructional design, learning management systems, and professional development for educators. The goal of educational technology is to help students learn more effectively, efficiently, and with greater access to resources. This can be achieved by leveraging technology to create and deliver content, engage learners, and assess student understanding.

Amazingly unbelievable! I finally come to agree the huge contribution of AI, firstly in my personal journey towards to understanding the economics and trading and hotline customer care system.

Now I come to realize how AI helps us as educators.

With the help of openai.com it helps me navigate  EdTech’s last debate: AI technologies will revolutionize education for the better.

AI technologies have the potential to revolutionize the education sector in many variety of  ways. AI can be used to create personalized learning experiences for students, allowing them to learn at their own pace and in their own style. AI can also be used to automate grading and assessment, allowing teachers to focus on developing more effective instructional methods. AI technology can also be used to create virtual learning environments where students can interact with virtual tutors and access educational content. AI can also be used to automate administrative tasks, such as course enrollment and registration, freeing up staff to focus on more important tasks.

AI really helps the paperworks so much easier…

AI can also be used to provide more accurate and personalized feedback to students. AI-based systems can analyze student performance data and provide personalized feedback on their progress. AI can be used to identify and address areas of weakness in a student’s learning and provide them with personalized learning plans. AI can also be used to facilitate peer-to-peer learning by connecting students with similar interests and aptitudes.

AI can be used to develop more interactive and engaging learning experiences. AI-based tutors can interact with students in real-time and provide personalized instruction, while AI-based virtual classrooms can create immersive learning experiences. AI can also be used to create interactive virtual reality that the human intelligence may limited capacity to do.

I am excited with the fast AI development from time to time.

I can’t imagine during the onset of this course with Dr. Alec in Winter 2022 class, I was really really hesitant to accept that AI is coming our way. I kept insisting in previous post that  AI can’t make it, as it makes our students super lazy. I even participated in a debate that I was  disagreeing: using technology and social media to advocate our activism is not proper. By listening to the positive contribution of AI, I am now okay to accept that we need AI to help our work a lot easier and faster in education.

Aside from Education sector,  what and where else can AI do performs best?

Depending on our values, priorities, age, lifesyle, school, family expectations and other factors, we may want to set and keep boundaries that work for our children:

Creating safe boundaries for our children’s digital footprints starts with educating them on the importance of being mindful of what they post online. Parents should teach their chuildren that their posts and photos are public and that anyone can view them. We can’t stop them but we set boundaries, constant monitoring and healthier  children’s activity and digital footprint careful choices may best work for them.

EdTech Debate’s theme on March 14, 2023 with our class professor Dr. Alec Couros “ Educators and schools have a responsibility to help their students develop a digital footprint”, an argument that must be shifted rather to “parents have a responsibility to help their children develop a digital footprint”. I can imagine how the debaters; Rahima Ali and Jessica Pultz  represent the “disgaree” side, as I am with them too, that teachers and schools are not the ones being responsible to aid students on digital footprint. 

Parents, including myself, must advise my chuildren to think twice before posting anything online and to be aware of the potential for cyber bullying or other forms of online harassment. Encourage them to use strong passwords and two-factor authentication, and to never share their passwords or personal information. We must help them understand the consequences of posting something they might regret later and discuss how to handle online situations that could be potentially dangerous.

Recently, I reminded my 16-year old daughter whose instagram followers count up to 1000 schoolmates, acquaintances and friends already, I told her to “please be mindful of what you post, be careful when approving tagged videos and photos…not all things you do or people  share about you are necessary to display online on your IG. I have seen many video tagged on your IG of your singing at school, you may need to delete and unapprove tags….. chances are you may get bullied by friends as they may compare and mock on  your singing style……which may not be healthy comment…”. After a few days, she followed what I said, my daughter’s  IG had only few actitivies left on her digital “footprinting”.

As parents, we really need to set clear boundaries and expectations for chilren’s online behavior, and be sure to follow up with consistent monitoring. There may be other parents, however,  have different styles in handling their chidlren’s online activities that would allow any styles, creativity, freedom and voices.

The rich and poor divide when it comes to keeping technology updated is a major issue in today’s world. Technology is advancing faster than ever, and those with the financial means to purchase the latest and greatest gadgets are often able to stay ahead of the curve. Those who are living in poverty, however, may not have the resources to keep their devices up-to-date and may be left behind. This can lead to a widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, as those with newer technology enjoy advantages that those without it cannot access.

This divide can create social inequality as those who are able to benefit from technology have more opportunities than those unable to access it. The digital divide can lead to a lack of access to education, employment and healthcare, as well as a lack of understanding of the digital world. This can create a feeling of exclusion and marginalization among those without access, leading to further social inequality.

The debate theme “Technology has led to a more equitable society” led by two opposing teams Kennedy Loreth/Ummey Salma and Graeme’s Digital World, Jeff Barrett had made realized and  felt for those individuals including myself and groups who are affected and keep on chasing the “upgrade and update” of gadgets, software and all that technology it brings.

On the other hand, there is an obvious evidence with what technology or automation brings more ineguitable workforce. It gives distinction who is more advanced, who is more skilled and high tech on the part of white-collar jobs — designer, engineer — people become more productive with sophisticated software at their side. In other cases, forms of automation, from robots to phone-answering systems, have simply replaced factory workers, receptionists, and many other kinds of employees. These groups of workforce are being seen as outplaced by the advancement in automation and technology brought in the workplace. What can we do? We can’t do anything, but to embrace all of these, we theorize, we critically think on some drawbacks, and benefits…. but technology keeps its glory to move ahead to lead lives and direct the world where it’s heading now…

The effects of social media on children can be both positive and negative. On the positive side, social media can help children develop communication and social skills, increase self-confidence and self-esteem, and even help them make new friends. It can also provide a platform for children to share their ideas, opinions, and experiences with a broader audience. On the negative side, social media can expose children to cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and even predators. It can also lead to excessive use and addiction, resulting in a lack of physical activity, poor sleep habits, and even depression. Parents should be aware of the potential risks and take steps to ensure their children are using social media responsibly.

The debate EC&I debate on “Social media is ruining childhood” – I voted for “Agree”. The “agree” side mention some potential drawbacks, of which I believe all are true. But on the other hand,  hearing the “disagree” side, they describe and discuss much more advantages of social media over the disadvantages, they influence my side to be going to “see that social media is not ruining” one’s personal, social and educational life.  And to take Dr. Alec’s Edtech, he is giving great information on how social media is affecting and impacting us positively.

My take is if we educate our children (including myself as adult) the proper way of utilizing social media, they can gain healthy information and entertainment, they can create positive networking for social skills and they can use it for educational purposes.  Weighing the positive benefits and its drawback, social media doesn’t ruin childhood, and isn’t bad after all.

The use of technology in education is undeniably gaining its advantage over the traditonal way of delivering  lessons in the classrooms. In fact, according to Ivus et al (2020) discuss in their  paper “Class, take out your tablets: The impact of technology on
learning and teaching in Canada” that digital developments can be leveraged to
solve problems, and ultimately how they enhance the student learning experience. (p.4).

Though I voted for “agree”, as I believe technology, for instance the graphing calculator app that always helps me present graphical representations of algebraic equations   DESMOS CAlCULATOR places its great role in “setting” and “delivering” Math lessons that traditional cartesian plane can’t do quickly and neatly.  However, the pedagogical approach is taking my lessons clearer by face to face, “human” touch base, “pencil and paper” scribbling for steps by steps process  of solving Math equations are still my best teaching practices and appproaches”. When the disagree debaters presented their piece, I was very impressed how compelling and decisive they were, with strong argument stating that technology have so much distructions, ever – I myself is a user of educational technology, but I see to it that I should be the most efficient and most effective teacher aided only by the additional tools provided by technology.

Weighing the mutifarious benefits and advantages of technology in education, it outweighs traditional ways of teaching. With proper training for teachers’ use and adaptability of technology in the classroom, with proper time management how often our kids rely on  gadgets, with proper balanced of technology and teacher’s pedagogy, using technology ONLY enhances learning, BUT it never replaces the effective teacher teaching.

I feel empowered as an  internationally trained teacher, and how our learners are also empowered in the diversified types of learners in the Canadian context. Today, the 15th of Feb, 2023, I would like to share a little story being a substitute teacher  in one of the public schools in Regina. It all started  with heads up from the head of  the school, so I needed to start the day with anticipation. It didn’t bother me, however, I needed to get ready that this “identified student” in the class is troubled, and already had some behavioral comments made by teachers and subs. So along with the checking of their test papers together as a class, I saw and heard “this student” with his question and statement of depression- he said, “Oh, I didn’t get full mark 4/4, because I didn’t understand the placement of the fractions on the number line”…. So I immediately responded him with smiles and pointing to every single point on the number line, how the counting of points starts from the “0” or from left to right of the number line, (presented by photographic Exercise 3.2, that I took a picture of, sent to my email and downloaded)  projected by an overhead projector available in class aided by the Paint Software and using my “human digital“- wacom board and digital pen…. and  the boy finally said… Oh wow, the way you explain the counting in “what and how and where” in the number line is now clear to me, thank you so much Teacher Ramsel!

He didn’t recognize the powerful use of the technology tools we used, but he did ackowledge how I responded to him through the use of my pedagogical approach!

It is very clear to me that technology helps, but never replaces me as the main actor in my own classroom. I am happy to add my reflection with “The Power of a Teacher” TEDx video by Adam Saenz.

I realized at the end of the day, how we can incredibly  make a positive impact on “a day on the life” of  one grade 7 student, by using “the power, the passion and our voice of kindness to help out to anyone who reaches out” like that of student immigrant I encountered in one of the Regina Public School classrooms,  dated, February 15, 2023. He was the last to leave the classroom today, with so much smiles on his face, he bid goodbye and said, “will you be our sub again tomorrow?

It is not only the resposiblity of teachers but most especially there is a great part of the parents to interfere on the chidlren’s wellbeing on social media platforms. So when I say “we” i should mean (as parents and teachers) have the greater responsibility to educate the young people so that they are aware of safeguarding their personal information this is I think the formost critical issue. Students should be aware of the importance of protecting their personal information online, such as avoiding revealing too much personal information on social media, using strong passwords, and understanding the implications of sharing their data with third-party services. We should also educate students that they should be aware of the importance of respecting copyright laws, understanding the distinctions between fair use, public domain, and Creative Commons. The Online Privacy Awareness must also be informed the students, they should be aware of their online privacy, understanding the implications of sharing data online and understanding how to adjust their privacy settings on social media and other online platforms. Another critical issue that we should educate our children is the cyberbullying. Students should be aware of the risks of cyberbullying, understanding how to identify and respond to online harassment, as well as how to report and diminish it.

The cyberbullying is a very serious issue that can post emotionals and psychological consequences.  Cyberbullying is too risky for their mental and emotional health. It may affect all aspects of their wellbeing.

There maybe times that our chidlren will fall into scams. So digital literacy is another critical issues to be educated.  Students should be aware of the importance of understanding how to assess the credibility of online sources and how to recognize online scams.

Lastly digital rights and responsibilities must be taught evan at an early age. Our children or students should be aware of their digital rights and responsibilities when using digital technology, including the rights of others. They should understand the importance of respecting copyrights and other intellectual property laws, and the potential legal consequences of engaging in illegal activities online.

Let’s all educate ourselves, let’s create a safe, better and happier community for our children and future generations to come!

Let‘s bring back the old–fashioned fun without relying on the screens of our devices. Instead of spending hours scrolling aimlessly through TikTok, let‘s invite the children, and teenagers, to play some board games, read a book, go for a walk, or try a new hobby. Let‘s take the time to connect with our friends and family face–to–face and have meaningful conversations. Let‘s enjoy the little things in life that don‘t require a phone or computer. Let‘s bring back better lifestyles when offline and make the most of ours. Let’s moderate the time spent using mobiles, let our youngers do other activities that are worthwhile.

There are times I would to tell my loved ones to unplug their phones, off their cameras, and enjoy some quality time together. Instead of being glued to our screens, it may be awesome to invite  classmates and friends for a picnic, play a chess board games, have a conversation, or take a walk outdoor. These are just beyond compare activities that we used to do better before the time of social media and technology. There are so many possibilities that are available to do when we turn off our phones and wifi. Let’s bring back the old times when smartphones were not still in our lives. 

Bringing back the better times by lessening or disconnecting so much dependency on technology can mean to returning to a simpler, more nostalgic way of life. This could also mean reviving classic activities, it could also mean taking part in more traditional hobbies such as community and sports activities, sketching, gardening, cooking (sorry, it should mean real cooking not the digital cooking that we usually watch on youtube and social media). It would be amazing  to see how  beautiful and wholesome activities  can be done when we go out to take part in better outdoor activities, to name more such as camping, hiking, and biking, cooking festivals and trade shows. These things I believe can bring back the old times and generating a more focused and better lifestyles. 

I like to share with you some fundamental shifts that can let us bring more ideas generated and created when we focus our brain on better activities as presented by Chris Bailey: 

I have witnessed the efficiency of AI in this EDTECH class. As a newbie to AI, I was amazed by its contribution to building the context and creating a wealth of responses to questions being posted for  AI to respond to. It’s totally making the writing task done instantly, giving you the wealth of knowledge anyone could ever need. At this point, it came to my mind that AI does so much help in academic, and professional writing outputs. But then I became anxious that AI may post a negative effect on children at young ages. They may have discovered AI as early as their age and they become too dependent on using AI to submit their homework, essays, and many other writing activities required of them in the classroom.

I have a few questions for everyone in our EC&I 830 class of which I am really skeptical as AI may give a negative impact at young ages.  Does AI really help our young kids to think critically by themselves? Will students pose laziness in creating their own writing task? Will they credit the source of information they have gathered online or via AI? If a class has been introduced with the use of AI and a student submits a very impressive essay that had been aided by CHATGPT, how is the writing output being graded? Will that output receive a 100% mark? Are there readily available standard criteria to grade AI produced write ups?

I have heard teachers introduced AI at elementary grade levels, however, they still require their students to decode information from AI write up. Does this mean, information from AI have not given the exact information that teachers are looking for the learners? As Purcell et al. (2013) emphasize that in this modern and digital age, there are challenges to better educate our learners about writing, how the “creep” of informal style into formal writing assignments and address issues on plagiarism and fair use. I can view that the connection of writing a variety of tasks using AI in this case which may not help the students produce formal and informal writings on their own. All other questions linger in my mind as I am not very sure of  what, how, when do AI gives all the positive potentials for now and future purposes for our young children.

Reference:

Purcell, et al. (2013, July 16). The Impact of Digital Tools on Student Writing and How Writing is Taught in Schools. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2013/07/16/the-impact-of-digital-tools-on-student-writing-and-how-writing-is-taught-in-schools/