EDCI 336

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Category: Uncategorised

Cross-Curricular Coding and Computational Thinking

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On March 15, 2022

In Uncategorised, Weekly Reflections

Cross-curricular coding and computational thinking are quickly gaining popularity within the classroom. Coding and computational thinking are both very important in the world today. Computers, phones, game consoles, laundry machines, and so many other devices are programmed through coding. It is through coding that the world is currently so technologically advanced.

My personal experience with coding was not a positive one. When I first began my undergraduate degree, I chose to pursue engineering. I decided to study engineering as I excelled in math and science throughout my secondary school education. During my studies, I did well in my classes; however, when it came to computer science I really struggled. Prior to commencing a computer science course, I never had any experience with coding in all of my previous education. No prior exposure to computer science and being in a class filled with individuals with vast knowledge on coding was really difficult. I find coding to be extremely difficult and frustrating, but that will not stop me from implementing it in the classroom. Due to my unpleasant experience with coding, I strive to give my students exposure to coding to ensure that they are capable of pursuing any career they want when they are older. They will be able to do whatever they desire as they will have acquired experience and skill with coding. Perhaps if I had been exposed to coding in my education, then I would not have faced the struggles that I did.

Below is my latest experience with coding. I think that this coding activity would be beneficial to use in the classroom as it shows students the breakdown of codes. Coding is a logical sequence of events, so seeing it broken down into simple structures will allow the development of more complex thinking as codes become more advanced.

Now, some questions…

Can computational thinking help learners become better problem solvers?

I think that computational thinking can help learners become problem solvers as this thinking promotes the break down of complex thinking into simple and logical steps. By breaking down complex problems into steps, learners can become better problem solvers as they will be able to focus on one step at a time. Computational thinking can be broken down into these four main steps as outlined by Computational Thinking – District Learning Team (sd61.bc.ca):

  • “seeing a problem and its solution at many levels of detail (abstraction)
  • thinking about tasks as a series of steps (algorithms)
  • understanding that solving a large problem will involve breaking it down into a set of smaller problems (decomposition)
  • appreciating that a new problem is likely to be related to other problems the learner has already solved (pattern recognition)”

(Computational Thinking – District Learning Team (sd61.bc.ca))

This article explains computational thinking really well, What is Computational Thinking? Why thinking like a computer builds skills for success (teachyourkidscode.com). The article highlights that computational thinking is becoming a desirable competency to have in the workforce. Therefore, it is important for educators to implement computational thinking problems in the classroom so that learners can develop this competency from an early age.

Image from Computational Thinking – District Learning Team (sd61.bc.ca)

Are there any non-math-related opportunities for integrating coding and computational thinking into your grade level’s curriculum?

Coding and computational thinking are very math oriented, but they can be integrated into cross-curricular activities. Some other parts of the curriculum where coding and computational thinking can be utilized are science, career education, or applied design, skills, and technologies (Curriculum | Building Student Success – B.C. Curriculum (gov.bc.ca). These cross-curricular connects would allow students to develop numerous skills and competencies simultaneously which would enhance their learning experience.

This video shows the importance of problem solving and computational thinking. After viewing it, it is certain that coding and computational thinking should be integrated into different parts of the curriculum. This is because computational thinking (and problem solving) are such important competencies to develop.

Could computational thinking or coding turn math abstractions into concrete form for students with their inquiries at the grade level you’d like to teach?

Computational thinking and coding could turn math abstractions into concrete form for students. With coding and computational thinking, students can use technology to create codes to represent math abstractions. The possibilities with coding are endless. With the correct experience and skill, students can create unique and complex math abstractions that represent their inquiries. This promotes hands on learning and allows students to take on additional responsibility for their learning.

Bye for now!

Inquiry: Tips for Learning a New Language

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On March 11, 2022

In Free Inquiry, Uncategorised

GIF from @dmitterhofer Happy Good Morning GIF by Denyse® – Find & Share on GIPHY

This week, I decided to focus my inquiry on helpful tips when learning a new language. I am bilingual (French and English) and I am currently learning a third language (Spanish). I find that learning a third language is much easier for bilingual individuals as their mind has developed the required flexibility of transitioning between languages. However, anyone can learn a language with determination and practice!

My first recommendation for learning a new language is enjoyment. This TED talk discusses that to develop fluency in a language, you must enjoy how you are learning it. This video highlights that you can learn a language in a large variety of informal and formal ways as long as you enjoy your chosen method of learning. I find this to be true as if you do not enjoy how you are learning, then you will not be motivated to learn. A key component of learning a language is motivation. Ultimately, motivation and enjoyment go hand-in-hand. Please watch this TED talk for the full explanation:

The second tip that I have for learning a new language is practice (practice, practice, practice!). This is super important as to learn a language you must have exposure in a variety of different ways through practice. Language learning can be seperated into four different components:

  • written comprehension (reading)
  • written expression (writing)
  • oral comprehension (listening)
  • oral expression (speaking)
Image from The 4 Language Skills | Learn English | EnglishClub

Reading, writing, listening, and speaking must all be practiced to develop fluency in a new language. Many language teaching websites such as Duolingo, Babbel, Busuu, and many others (please follow this link for a complete best rated list 10 Best language learning apps 2022 – Lingualift) incorporate these four language learning components. All these four components of language must be developed simultaneously to ensure fluency. Therefore, you must practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking in order to fully learn a new language.

Another recommendation that I have for learning a new language is relevancy. The language must be relevant to you otherwise you will not enjoy it or have the motivation to practice. Therefore, it is critical to choose a language that you are passionate to learn. This recommendation is super important in a classroom setting as many students may not see the relevancy of the language that they are learning. So, as a language teacher it is important to show students the relevance by incorporating the culture (food, music, movies, books, traditions), finding pen pals, and sharing stories of experiences with the language/where it is spoken. This website provides additional ways to enhance language learning, 5 Ways to Make Language Learning Meaningful – The TEFL Academy Blog The TEFL Academy.

Ultimately, learning a language requires motivation, enjoyment, practice, and relevance. You must be passionate to learn a new language! It can be frustrating, but languages provide so many amazing opportunities in life.

Stephanie Beatriz Reaction GIF by Regal
GIF from @regalmovies Stephanie Beatriz Reaction GIF by Regal – Find & Share on GIPHY

Hasta luego,

Kyra

Inquiry: Spanish Adjectives

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On February 14, 2022

In Free Inquiry, Uncategorised

¡Hola a todos/as!

Hai Hello GIF – Find & Share on GIPHY

As I continue with my learning of the Spanish language, this week I will focus on Spanish adjectives. Adjectives are important in any language as they “describe a noun or a pronoun” Adjective Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster (the full definition can be found using this link to the Merriam-Webster dictionary).

Some examples of adjectives in English include… alive, calm, colourful, different, energetic, fragile, good, handsome, happy, hungry, nice, proud, pretty, shy, and the list goes on and on…

So, what are adjectives in Spanish and how are they different than in English?

As we have already discussed that Spanish words (nouns) have a gender (masculine or feminine), we have the essential tools to understand adjectives. In Spanish, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun or pronoun. This means that the most common adjectives that end in “o” will look like this…

Masculine + singular = -o

Masculine + plural = -os

Feminine + singular = -a

Feminine + plural = -as

BUT, if the adjective ends in “e”, then both masculine and feminine singular will end in “-e” and plural “-es”. The same occurs for adjectives that end in “-ista”, masculine and feminine singular will end in “-ista” and plural “-istas”. A detailed description explaining this more can be found here, Spanish Adjectives – Descriptive | SpanishDict.

Now that we know the endings, what are some Spanish adjectives?

This is a list with some of the most common Spanish adjectives with the corresponding English translation:

Image from Spanish Adjective List | Learning spanish vocabulary, Spanish language learning, Spanish words for beginners (pinterest.ca)

Please watch this screen capture video of me completing the first four questions of a Spanish adjective quiz. The quiz can be found with this link, Adjectives Part I: Quiz #1 – StudySpanish.com.

Talk later!

Kyra

So what is screencasting?!

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On January 28, 2022

In Uncategorised, Weekly Reflections

This week we learned all about screencasting and utilizing technology in the classroom. Screencasting can be used to incorporate multi-media learning and teaching in the classroom. The following screencast shows learners how to find different languages on Duolingo (an application that assists in learning languages) and how to begin your learning journey.

After viewing this video and classroom learning, the following questions can be analyzed:

How does multi-media learning theory help us create more effective instructional videos and tutorials?

Image from: https://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Instructional_design/Reducing_cognitive_load_in_multimedia_instruction/Cognitive_Theory_of_Multimedia_Learning&oldid=2113245

Multi-media learning theory is an extremely valuable approach to learning. This theory assists students in learning as they are able to analyze and engage with information in different ways. Instead of solely hearing, reading, or seeing information, multi-media learning theory utilizes various learning methods simultaneously. This theory enhances learning and understanding as students can hear and see images of the information that they are processing. Multiple senses are utilized in the multi-media learning theory. This helps us create more effective instructional videos and tutorials as we can understand the best ways to promote learning. Some examples of websites that utilize multi-media learning theory are Khan Academy | Free Online Courses, Lessons & Practice , TeacherTube Educational Videos for the Classroom and Home and YouTube. These website resources are not extensive, but this provides a helpful baseline for multi-media learning theory.

What would a Flipped Classroom teaching model look like at the grade level you’d like to teach along with some of the strengths and weaknesses of this approach for your grade level?

For grades 1-3 a Flipped Classroom teaching model is possible, but not ideal. These young learners require hands on activities to promote their learning. This is a major weakness of this approach as children would not be as engaged in this teaching model. However, a strength would be less classroom distractions as students will be engaged independently with the content. For these young grades, the teacher would need to be very creative with this model by utilizing multi-media learning theory, reading story books, and incorporating very hands-on learning for classroom time. I find that the Flipped Classroom teaching model would be most beneficial for high school and post-secondary students as opposed to primary or intermediate students.

This class proved to be very beneficial in my learning of incorporating technology in the classroom. Screencasting is very valuable to know for both in and out of the classroom. As a future teacher, I will be implementing screencasting, multi-media learning theory, and the Flipped Classroom teaching model in my classroom.

Until next time,

Kyra

Free Inquiry: Spanish

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On January 26, 2022

In Free Inquiry, Uncategorised

Image from grittyspanish.com

Hola,

My chosen free inquiry topic is how to learn Spanish. Learning a second language is an enriching experience. It is important to know the best ways to learn a new language as languages can be very complex. When learning a new language, one must utilize their oral expression and comprehension, and written expression and comprehension skills. My experience of learning Spanish involved all these components which enhanced my comprehension and fluency.

Below is a TED Talk on how to learn a language. I would recommend watching this prior to commencing learning a new language.

There are multiple ways to learn Spanish. You can do so independently or collaboratively in a classroom environment. If you choose to learn Spanish independently, a great resource is an application called “Duolingo” (Duolingo – The world’s best way to learn a language). Duolingo will teach basic words and then progress to different conjugations and sentence structures. This application utilizes oral expression, oral comprehension, written expression, and written comprehension skills. Another suggestion on how to teach yourself Spanish is through podcasts and reading books. The book “Spanish For Dummies” (Spanish For Dummies: Wald, Susana, Kraynak, Cecie: 8601400007815: Books – Amazon.ca) can be used as a learning resource. The chosen independent way to teach yourself Spanish greatly depends on the type of learner that you are.

My personal experience learning Spanish was very hands on in a classroom environment. My Spanish teachers can from Spanish speaking countries which allowed me to hear different accents and interact with a first language speaker. Learning Spanish in a classroom environment with others allowed me to utilize conversational skills in addition to oral expression/comprehension and written expression/comprehension. Typically, Spanish teachers incorporate a textbook, videos, quizzes, presentations, discussions, and essays to develop language skills.

I find that learning a new language to be an exciting and rewarding experience. Learning a second language creates many opportunities such as travelling, friendships, and employment opportunities. It is important for an individual to choose which learning method is best suited to them. Once this is determined, Spanish can be easily learned with practice and dedication.

Adiós,

Kyra

Weekly Reflection

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On January 23, 2022

In EDCI 336, Uncategorised, Weekly Reflections

Image from 123rf.com

Over the course of the last few days, I have had the opportunity to reflect on important questions concerning education. The focus of this reflection is about change in the educational system. The following questions and responses are based on my own personal opinion as a future educator.

Do we need to reimagine education?

I believe that education is constantly evolving. As time progresses and new knowledge is discovered, education is reimagined. This change is beneficial to society as children learn what society deems important. By focusing education on important real world problems, the children of today will have developed the correct skills and competencies to improve the future. However, some individuals may view this change in education as problematic. Some individuals may view the reimagination of education as allowing too much freedom and not focusing on solely academic skills. I find that education must be centralized on social, academic, and career skills to allow children to discover their interests in the real world.

This link will take you to the British Columbia Curriculum Redesign website: Curriculum Redesign | Building Student Success – B.C. Curriculum (gov.bc.ca)

What obstacles do educators often face when they try to change pedagogy?

The definition of pedagogy is “the art, science, or profession of teaching” (Pedagogy Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster). Every educator has their own personal approach to pedagogy which is developed through teacher training and personal experiences. When educators try to change pedagogy, they often face some challenges. These challenges may include difficulties balancing the different learners in the classroom, losing focus of the curriculum, extensive planning time, and funding. In addition to this, changing pedagogy does have some equity issues as not all schools have the same resources to allow them to do so. Changing pedagogy is a difficult task for an educator as it requires extensive time and planning which is not abundantly found in the classroom.

What concerns and/or excites you about this approach?

This approach allows more freedom as an educator but also creates more pressure to incorporate everything from the curriculum. It is exciting to allow a teacher to create a personalized learning plan that best suits their classroom. By abandoning a strict curriculum and pedagogy that mandates all teachers to teach identically, it creates a more positive learning environment for the children. This is a wonderful change that has occurred in the British Columbia education system as teachers have the ability to teach to their students needs as long as the curriculum is being followed. The only concern that I have is ensuring that everything in the curriculum has been completed. Evidently, there are positive and negative factors associated with changing pedagogy. With all this being said, education should be centralized around the learner.

This is all for now!

Thank-you for listening,

Kyra

First Blog Experience

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On January 14, 2022

In EdTech Inquiry, Uncategorised, Weekly Reflections

Hello and welcome!

I have never written a blog before, so this experience is new (and slightly challenging). I found that the process for setting up a blog and the course material to be rather confusing, but this is not new with technology. It is important to be challenged as it is through challenging yourself that learning takes place. I am confident that with time and practice, I will become skilled in the technological aspect of education.

This blog will serve as a means of discovery for inquiry. I find that learning through inquiry to be a highly valuable experience. It is through this process that individuals are able to deepen their learning in an individualized way. I have completed one inquiry project before that focused on technology within the classroom. Therefore, I am eager to learn more about education and technology as it is becoming a staple of modern education.

I hope that you will enjoy following along on my inquiry process of education and technology. This will be beneficial in my career as a future educator as education is constantly changing.

Talk to you soon!

Kyra

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