My ED blog

Music Journal #6

December 1, 2020 / ayaendrigo / 0 Comments

Today I will hand in my final music growth assignment. I recorded my video last night and was pleased with it. This song was fun to learn and I really loved it. I think I was able to play each note well and they sounded less squeaky than when I had first started. Overall, this assignment gave me a good idea of what it was like to learn how to play the recorder. I learnt that I overshot my abilities for the first midterm which caused a lot of frustration. I had much less motivation to learn how to play those songs than I did with this one. I think that I should have assessed myself better in the beginning before choosing my songs. It was interesting because when I was practicing Jingle Bells without recording, I was able to play it with almost no mistakes, however, when I started recording it was very difficult getting through the entire song without causing any squeaks or playing the wrong note. The notes C and D were the most confusing as I would mix them up often due to their similar fingering. This assignment was a valuable learning experience and I would like to continue playing the recorder even once this class is over!

The link to my music video

Music Video – Jingle Bells

EdTech Inquiry

November 30, 2020 / ayaendrigo / 0 Comments

EDTECH INQUIRY

What is your inquiry question?

“How does technology in the classroom prepare students for the future?”

What is the relationship of your topic to teaching and learning?

Our topic is relevant to teaching and learning because it acknowledges that the implementation of tech in the classroom is necessary to prepare students for the digital economy that progressively delves further into becoming more technology advanced each day. Many jobs in the workforce require the use of technology, therefore, my partner and I think that giving students opportunities to work with tech (for educational purposes) hands on in elementary/middle school gives them better insights on what is to come in terms of using technology to do schoolwork, projects, research papers etc.

What are the pros, cons, and risks?

The pros of using technology to prepare for the future, according to the blog “5 Ways Technology Prepares Students for The Future” is it encourages teamwork. Using technology requires students to collaborate more often, thus encourages communication. This can be beneficial in regards to future jobs when they are needed to collaborate with their co-workers. Technology in the classroom establishes critical thinking skills which “initiatives like 1:1 and connected classrooms” (Internetwork Engineering) allow students to have the resources and tools needed to work through tasks creativity and effectively. Technology prepares students by also instilling responsibility. If students are taught how to take care of the shared technology that is used throughout the school they will learn how to take care of their own items in the future. Students will also be taught to use the internet safely and properly which again, instills responsibility and trust of using the internet unsupervised. The blog also states that when a student has to agree to a code of conduct they are held accountable and if they breach the conduct then there are consequences (Internetwork Engineering). It also teaches students to adapt meaning that having technology integrated in the classroom can prepare children for how fast technology changes. “Students will develop the technology foundation that allows them” to adapt quickly to future technologies. (Internetwork Engineering). Lastly, instilling career learning is a pro of incorporating technology in the classroom to prepare students for the future. The use of technology is extremely engaging for students which in turn allows them to “enjoy and embrace the learning process” (Internetwork Engineering). Career learning is based on the foundation of being able to “seek out new information and answers to questions” (Internetwork Engineering) to develop an continued interest in exploratory learning, which students are able to do with the use of technology. People who are willing to learn all the time to better themselves and their careers become career learners which leads to tools they can use to use in their personal and professional lives (Internetwork Engineering)

The cons of technology in the classroom and why it could not be beneficial in the future is, according to the article “Preparing students for future learning with Teachable Agents’ ‘ by Chin et al., they state that technology can over scaffold student learning, meaning that “students do not learn to perform basic procedures on their own” (Chin et al. 650). The article uses the idea of a hand-held calculator and spell checkers as examples. This type of technology could impair the students from comprehending lessons fully. People also believe there is no added value to technology in the classroom. According to the article by Chin et al., some people think technology is not needed in the classroom.

The future risks of using technology in the classroom are, students can become extremely attached to using the benefits of technology that when it comes to having to go without for a job or future assignment in post-secondary it can be challenging. Sometimes it might be hard to think on your own if you are used to using the internet all the time and it can also be hard if one is used to typing on a computer and then is asked to write out a report for work and their penmanship is not up to standards. To make sure this does not happen, having an equal balance between using technology and not using it in class will help reduce those risks.

The article “Preparing students for future learning with Teachable Agents’ ‘ by Chin et al. proves that technology in the classroom is useful for students in the future even if technology was non-existent in the future. Studies measured learning in the basic form or with added value when students use technology, and by “examining subsequent learning” (Chin et al. 665) when they took away the technology. They used “teachable agents” in their research which were developed to “add value to paper-and-pencil concept mapping” by providing students with “automated feedback” (Chin et al. 650). The second study integrated teachable agents into science and it showed that this agent (the added-value) did not “adversely affect basic-value learning” (Chin et al. 665) even without the extra teaching time due to the teachable agent. Each study also provided evidence that even without the technology’s support children are reaping these learning benefits while being taught new information (Chin et al. 665). Overall, the teaching agents “provided them with the powerful and integrative idea of casual chains in science” (Chin et al. 665) not just the factual information in general.

What are some of the strategies, best practices, and tips regarding your inquiry findings?

The strategies and practices to implement into the classroom are, typing, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Prezi (basic presentation platforms), Coding (developing skills in computer education), Online games (fun learning methods) and Kahoot (classroom engagement).

From my research I am able to conclude that integrating technology into the curriculum from a young age is very important. Executing this through using the internet for research for projects, implementing time for coding class, teaching kids how to use Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint and such can be beneficial as well. There was backlash at the fact that having computers/ iPads at school symbolizes the integration of technology into the classroom. I think that learning how to type properly and efficiently is very important and that it should be taught in classrooms, however, getting kids to google search information on projects etc may not be as useful. We all know technology such as phones distract students and teachers then might see technology more as a diversion creating tool and see it as an enemy against education. Rather than doing such teachers need to learn to harness technology as a classroom advantage and integrate it in a way that helps improve student engagement.

When should technology be integrated? At what age?

It is emphasized early on in elementary/middle school.

Why should it be integrated?

Technology should be integrated to be easier for children to learn and adapt. It also prepares students for meeting digital demands in the school and workforce. We are also entering a progressively digital world and technology is and will forever be the ‘new norm’. It will make it much easier for children to be able to use technology efficiently and effectively if they are exposed to it from a young age. The use of technology will only be increased from now, and so it is a given that tech should be further integrated into the classroom!

Works Cited:

Chin, Doris B., et al. “Preparing Students for Future Learning with Teachable

Agents.” Educational Technology Research and Development, vol. 58, no.

6, 2010, pp. 649–669., doi:10.1007/s11423-010-9154-5.

Engineering, Internetwork. “5 Ways Technology Prepares Students for The Future.”

Internetwork Engineering Blog,

blog.ineteng.com/5-ways-technology-prepares-students-for-the-future.

Here is the link to our google slides presentation!

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1n5oMksNI4RdVayACfyaVzgpFuBosxeDQFq6MCluiqCg/edit?usp=sharing

Music Journal #5

November 29, 2020 / ayaendrigo / 0 Comments

This week I did not get as much practice as I hoped as there were many presentations and assignments due this week! I practiced the notes B,A,G,D again this time but added more tonguing and sped up the temp. This song is relatively simple and I think that I will have the song completed in its entirety by Sunday. The main difficulty is that I find it quite hard to switch between notes as my fingers are still not very used to having to move in this fashion. I think this comes with the lack of musical experience, however, I have noticed that I have become much better at fingering since beginning this assignment. I feel much less frustrated by the fingering during this song than in my previous songs. I think this is because this song has fewer notes and has a much more familiar rhythm.

Weekly Reflection #10

November 29, 2020 / ayaendrigo / 0 Comments

This week we talked about distributed learning. I think this was a very appropriate topic due to our current circumstances. We talked about the differences between asynchronous and synchronous classes. We also talked about how online learning has affected us but also how we have benefited from it. Personally, I hated online school at first. I thought it was super ineffective and that I would not feel the same motivation as I would get from actually attending real classes. However, I was proved wrong. Even though I have never met most of the people in my cohort, I feel comfortable conversing with them. I know everyone’s names, and can recognize their faces! It is amazing how much the breakout rooms allowed/ forced us to get to know each other. Another thing was that online school has allowed me so much more time to work and go to the gym. I have class everyday, work four days a week and go to the gym 5 days a week for at least 1.5 hours. This would not have been possible if school was in person this year. I was really able to get on track with my diet, and healthy lifestyle which I am so happy about!

Music Journal #5

November 27, 2020 / ayaendrigo / 0 Comments

This week I did not get as much practice as I hoped as there were many presentations and assignments due this week! I practiced the notes B,A,G,D again, but this time I added more tonguing and sped up the tempo. This song is relatively simple and I think that I will have the song completed in its entirety by Sunday. The main difficulty I find is that it is quite hard to switch between notes as my fingers are still not very used to having to move in this fashion. I think this comes with the lack of musical experience, however, I have noticed that I have become much better at fingering since beginning this assignment. I feel much less frustrated by the fingering during this song than in my previous songs. I think this is because this song has fewer notes and has a much more familiar rhythm. I also find that D and C are sometimes confusing because it is the same fingering on the front but different on the back of the recorder.

Free Inquiry #7

November 23, 2020 / ayaendrigo / 0 Comments

This week I will be talking about the benefits of taking creatine supplements for muscle growth.

Creatine is a supplement that is recommended to be taken slightly before or after a workout. It is a supplement that promotes the production of ATP through increasing your muscles’ phosphocreatine stores. During exercising your body is breaking down ATP. ATP is your body’s energy current, it is the molecule that your cells feed off of for energy and all basic functions to live. ATP does not resynthesize at the same speed that your body uses it; so in order to perform at maximum intensity your body uses the extra creatine to help produce more ATP. This fuels your muscles and prepares them better for high intensity training. So overall, using creatine allows for the potential of increasing muscle growth and strength as you have more energy for more explosive resistance training.

Not only does creatine then give you more energy for better workouts but is also said that increases muscle mass. This is done through increasing the formation of protein that helps rebuild muscle fibers to make them stronger. Creatine also adds water retention in the muscles to make them appear larger more quickly. This also means you will gain weight. Drinking lots of water while taking creatine is very important. Without water taking excessive amounts of creatine can cause muscle cramping which can be very painful.

Creatine is something our body produces naturally, it can be found in foods such as salmon, beef and pork. Since it is produced naturally it is not categorized as a steroid!

Info taken from https://examine.com/supplements/creatine/

Music Journal #4

November 16, 2020 / ayaendrigo / 0 Comments

This week I have began practicing my final song “Jingle Bells’ for my final. This song required me to learn B,A,G,C,D. Today I learn the very first bit of the song that uses B,A,G and D. I found this song to be much easier than my songs for the midterm because of how well I know the song already. Jingle Bells is definitely one of the songs that you just have engrained into your mind can begin singing on demand. So with this, I was able to play along with the tune quite nicely. I think my tounging is also very much improved on this song as I don’t have to concentrate as much with where my hands are because I am already familiar with B,A,G,D from my last few songs. The reason it was so difficult for me to practice tounging with my previous songs was because of how much focus had to go into actually playing the song. But now that I have an easier time with fingering I can also place concentration into tounging. I have also become better and more smooth when switching between notes. I have found that as a very slow speed I can pretty much play along with the recording but when the recording speeds up it is more difficult. So for the next few days I want to concentrate on being able to play a little faster as well as continue on with my tounging.

Weekly Reflection #9

November 16, 2020 / ayaendrigo / 0 Comments

This week we had a speaker, Chantelle, join us to talk about how kids with disabilities access technology and how important it is that we help to adapt to their learning styles. I found it really interesting that Chantelle opened up about her own life as a mother, she descried what sorts of learning challenges her two sons faced and how she helped them overcome these challenges through technology. She mentioned that both of them had very messy handwriting due to being uncoordinated, therefore using a keyboard so they could type or using voice to text was something that she found helped her kids greatly. Personally, I see that their are quite a few students in my observation class that are not as quick as the other students, have trouble reading at the right level and find writing difficult and tiresome. So after hearing about Chantelle’s students I started to think about how it must be like for those students in my class that always need an extra boost of support. What kind of strategies and supports has my mentor teacher integrated into their learning to help them learn better? I know that some of them use Chromebooks to help them type, and use voice to text to write. However, are there other better solutions for them? My inquiry for 250 is based on how one to one support between a struggling students and a teacher is very important so I think that kids who are struggling really benefit from having that one on one time with their teacher. It is very difficult for a teacher to find time to help every students that is having trouble in math, or writing etc. So I was thinking that maybe there is some sort of online tutoring platform that can be accessed through iPads or Chromebooks and gives students step by step support on any subjects they are having issues with. With this, they can move at their own pace and the teacher could also keep track of their progress and really see where the students weaknesses lie and are able to double up on support for that area. Overall I found her presentation really informative and interesting! It was really great getting to hear what my peers thought about the topics as well.

Weekly Reflection #8

November 10, 2020 / ayaendrigo / 0 Comments

This week we learned primarily about coding resources for kids.The resources that michael made available to us were for learners of various ages. Some were better and more user friendly while others were difficult to navigate or just not enticing enough. I was placed in a group that looked at Scratch Jr. Unfortunately an Ipad was required to use this platform and I did not have access to one so I was unable to explore the app. However, other members in my group did and shared with the rest of the group the things you could do with Scratch Jr. From what I saw it looked l;ike an app that introduced the very basic foundations of coding to children; to make it more visually appealing the characters, backgrounds and overall theme of the app was very colourful. There were so many different things you could do that it was almost slightly overwhelming. You could pick and choose your own character, make them whatever colour you liked as well as make them do a variety of different movements, produce sounds as well as type into a speech bubble to make them ‘speak’.

I think the app that my group explored was very well made. It did not really have much actual coding involved as it was meant for young children about age 4-6. However the fact that you could pick buttons and insert them into a ‘code’ to make the characters on the screen walk, jump etc is connected to the idea that coding is creating something from using a variety of different codes. I would definitely introduce this to my class one day if my class had access to Ipads. I could not think of any downfalls for this app as my experience with it is extremely limited and I did not personally use it.

Free Inquiry #6

November 10, 2020 / ayaendrigo / 0 Comments

This week I would like to talk about Tia-Clair Toomey, an Australian CrossFit champion who have won the games 4 years in a row and also competed in the 2016 Olympics for weightlifting. She first got into fitness through track and field. She is also the co-owner of her new company ‘Nobull’, through this company she sells weightlifting gear, athletic clothing, shoes etc.

I began to follow Tia’s social media and really starting following her progress and goals about three months ago. I really look up to her not only because of her strength but her determination. She trains extremely hard, works towards goals and sets the bar extraordinarily high for other CrossFit athletes. She came 14th in the Olympics after only training as a serious weightlifter for 18 months and is also the only athlete to have competed in the Olympics as well the CrossFit games within the same year. Her mindset is unlike any other athlete. She trains with her husband/coach along with the top male athlete in CrossFit, Mat Fraser. It takes a very strong person to even make it to the games but to come out first 4 years in a row is huge!