• Introduction:
  • Name and a little about me
  • Course: EDCI 572 with Dr. Verena Roberts D
    • Development and Implementation of the Curriculum in Digital Learning Contexts
  • Overview: Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
• Outline:
  • What kinds of digital tools promote and encourage critical thinking?
  • How does critical thinking influence narratives and perspectives?
  • Tech of the week

• What kinds of digital tools promote and encourage critical thinking?
  • Technology Education focus’ heavily on design and the design process which requires heavy critical thinking
    • Students must to find problem, research, find solutions, plan, create, test / evaluate, and improve (as needed)
    • Good design requires a lot of considerations and critical thinking on the part of the designer
  • There are lots of digital tools out there that can be used to promote critical thinking. It is just a matter of using them creatively and effectively.
    • e. Digital Storytelling – Using video recording and similar technology to make how to videos to reinforce learning. These tools force students to really think about what they are doing and present it in a coherent manner for others.
    • Reflection activities – Google docs can be used to journal their work, reflect on their learning, show the progress they make, and document sources. This document can then be shared with the teacher or others for critique.
    • Discussion forums – Communication programs like Slack or hypothes.is can be used by students to discuss project ideas or other class related information.
    • Brainstorming – mindmeister, draw.io, etc. can be used to organize ideas and resources in a mind map or brainstorm format online in groups or individually.
  • How does critical thinking influence narratives and perspectives?
    • Buchanan demonstrates in Wicked Problems in Design Thinking how when a designer used critical thinking, they were able to solve the problem of shoppers getting lost in a large store by placing identifiable items in prominent locations rather than rely on large signage that shoppers tended to ignore (1992).
      • By approaching the stores problem with a more critical examination beyond using signage to direct shopper, the designer looked beyond the obvious and employed human psychology to better solve the stores lost shopper conundrum.
    • Teaching students to think critically and challenge everything can be difficult for parents and teachers who at times may not want their authority questioned, but it is important that students learn to think about things with curious minds and challenge what they don’t understand.
    • Critical thinking can also destroy poorly constructed “alternative facts” when employed properly in search for the truth online, ie news, science, research, politics, etc.
    • It can also be used to find truths by thinking through and assessing all the options at hand and following through on the best ones available. For example, Markhal Nolan demonstrates in his TED Talk, How to Separate Fact and Fiction Online, how he used the internet to find a person whose was attached to a video of a weather event that had been claimed to have recently happened. By using online phone registries and google maps he was able to find the original video poster and contact them for questioning (2012).
  • Tech of the Week:
    • io
      • Online app for flowcharts, diagrams, and more
      • Can save directly to Google Docs, OneDrive, or your hard drive

• Outro
  • Music by Canada by Picture of the Floating World

References & Readings:

Buchanan, R. (1992). Wicked Problems in Design Thinking Design Issues: MIT Press, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Spring, 1992), pp. 5-21

Galileo (2019). Designing Learning. Retrieved from https://galileo.org/designing-learning/

Nolan, M. (2012). Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://www.ted.com/talks/markham_nolan_how_to_separate_fact_and_fiction_online

Audio:

Musical Intro/outro is Canada by Picture of the Floating World found at freemusicarchive.org

• Introduction:
  • Name and a little about me
  • Course: EDCI 572 with Dr. Verena Roberts
    • Development and Implementation of the Curriculum in Digital Learning Contexts
  • Overview: Conceptualizing BC’s Digital Literacies into Context

• Outline:
  • What is the story behind the BC Digital Literacy Framework?
    • What research theory, literature, frameworks, and models have guided the BC Literacy Framework?
    • What is missing from the current Framework?
    • What other frameworks, theories and models could be considered to expand upon and extend the current BC Digital Literacy Framework?
  • Contextualizing Your Project
    • I will choose a curriculum area that I want to explore further. Brainstorm a student project that I wish to redesign or design and discuss how does the BC Digital Literacy Framework integrates into my project?
  • Tech of the week:
    • org
  • What is the story behind the BC Digital Literacy Framework?
    • What research theory, literature, frameworks and models – have guided the BC Literacy Framework?
      • Based on International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) NETS-S standards which sets out to:
        • Empowered Learners
        • Create Digital citizens
        • have students create digital artifacts
        • create innovative designers
        • develop computational thinking skills
        • create creative communicators
        • endorse global collaboration.
      • a belief that students must have regular opportunities to use technology to develop skills that encourage personal productivity, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration in the classroom and in daily life.
    • What is missing from the current BC Digital literacy Framework?
      • Integration of Indigenous ways of knowing
      • Self-care and unplugging from the internet at times. (counter-intuitive to goal but important for some students who may be addicted to online life).
    • What other frameworks, theories and models could be considered to expand upon and extend the current BC Digital Literacy Framework?
      • Why is coding considered a part of digital literacies? I don’t see it as a fundamental of digital literacy.
      • Heavy focus on social media use and understanding privacy.
    • Contextualizing Your Project
      • Choose a curriculum area that you want to explore further. Brainstorm a student project that you wish to redesign or design. How does the BC Digital Literacy Framework integrate into your project?
        • Robotics Online Journaling (Video, visual, Blog, Vlog, etc.)
          • Coding: Students are required to code their robots, utilizing advanced skills
          • Online Communication: Students will need to comment on other groups projects, demonstrating their skills of interacting online in a civil and productive manner, fostering a positive community.
          • Employ online methods to communicate with their group.
          • Privacy: Share only pertinent information and withhold personal details about themselves and protect their privacy online.
          • Credit & Copyright: Respect copyright laws and employ creative commons resources when necessary and appropriate (ie pictures and music).
          • Sharing Work: Share work with online robotics community for other to share and comment on.
          • Citations: Properly cite any online works, sites, pictures, or information used.
        • Tech of the week:
          • org
          • Website offers free creative commons licensed music
          • Many genres and styles
          • Theme: Canada by Picture of the Floating World

Readings and Guest Speakers:

BC Digital Literacy Framework

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teaching-tools/digital-literacy-framework.pdf

Guest Speaker: Tim Winklemans – Graduation Lead for Graduation, Skills and Distance Learning (BC Government). He was a part of the committee who designed the BC Digital Literacy Framework.

• Introduction:
  • Name and a little about me
  • Course: EDCI 572 with Dr. Verena Roberts D
    • Development and Implementation of the Curriculum in Digital Learning Contexts
  • Overview: Creating a Digital Storytelling Response in an Individual Blog about my perspectives and experiences of digital storytelling

• Outline:
  • My perspectives with digital story telling
    • Woodwork & Robotics
  • My experiences with digital story telling
    • The apps and programs I have used in my classroom
    • The apps and programs I would like to try in my classroom
  • Tech of the week:
    • Audacity

• My Perspectives with Digital Storytelling:
  • Woodwork
    • Can slow down the actual woodwork
    • Document processes used via step by step video instruction of project
    • Visual demonstration of processes
    • Give students a method of reflecting on learning and sharing it with others
  • Robotics
    • Allow for better group journaling of robot build
      • Visual documentation (video / vlog)
      • Open group journal (Google Docs)
    • Give students a method of reflecting on learning and sharing it with others
  • My Experiences with Digital Storytelling:
    • The apps and programs I have used in my class
      • Eagle (https://www.autodesk.ca/en)
      • Fusion 360 (https://www.autodesk.ca/en)
      • Easel (https://www.inventables.com/technologies/easel)
      • TinkerCad (https://www.tinkercad.com/)
      • Google Docs (https://www.Google.ca)

• Tech of the Week:
  • Audacity
    • used to record this audio blog
      • Open Source
      • Multitrack recording and editing
      • Relatively simple interface