Blog Posts for MET Courses
These posts are adapted from the original posts made on my personal website www.jonesybc.com All blog post titles hyper link to the UBC course description
This course allowed me to explore my inherent bias with regard to Indigenous peoples and history. I was able to view technology through the lens of cultural preservation and restoration. This course propelled me to connect frequently and deeply with the Indigenous Coordinators of my district. Since enrolling in this course, I have begun the process of more truly embracing the First Peoples Principles of Learning and advocating for more authentic integration of Indigenous ways of knowing and being throughout my district and the BCTF. I enjoyed space to discuss the bias and fallacy of Indigenous knowledges and to learn how curriculum restructuring can contribute to truth and reconciliation. Please explore my artifact for more detail.
Originally posted 09/20/2020
This course blew my mind on the regular! The number of aha moments about society and systemic ableism and intersectionality of systemic isms was mind-boggling. This course affected not only my advocation for students in the k-12 system but also informed my own struggles with systemic ableism as a professional with a disability. I have completely changed my teaching practice to focus much more heavily on universal design and entry points for as many disabilities as I can muster. I have paid much more attention to descriptive image text, closed captioning, and audio options for written work. I have gone as far as creating my own versions of "audiobooks" for my class content. It has shaped my interaction with students to focus more on the individual and thier relationship to education and, without a doubt, their relationship with their educators. I am finding it so timely given my current class composition. In my opinon this should be a required course in the MET program!
Extra content aside from my artifacts
Originally posted 04/29/2020
I gained so much from this course; it truly transformed my teaching from day one. I had very positive collaborative experiences and learned so much through hands-on constructivist based project completion. We built a game, which enhanced my knowledge of game design and its relevance to education. I discovered how best to integrate gameplay as a positive attribute of constructivist style education. I also gained insight into the detrimental consequences of gaming culture, such as hegemony, gender bias, and LGBTQ+ issues. Below is my assignment's website for this course. (see my artifacts for the full game).
Originally posted 04/29/2020
This course was designed to be done entirely on Ipad or iPhone. However, most of us used our computers because we found the lag time in the server to be too troublesome to use our mobile technology. I was introduced to Touchcasts as an interactive mobile broadcasting tool. We explored how the curated world is blown wide open with access to the internet and handheld, robust mobile technology. Even virtual reality can be mobile now. I developed a stronger sense of what true mobile and ubiquitous access to content look like. I honed my use of website and app-based content to increase accessibility for students. I discovered just how far I believe mobile technology will take us in the future and made some ripples with my postulation to give up our privacy to have convenience and accessibility. Please check out my artficats for this course.
Originally posted 08/20/2019
This course has significantly altered my planning and designing of teaching. The Keyword discussions of the concepts covered throughout the course were insightful and informative. I find myself frequently re-reading and re-watching content. Designing learning environments with intention, inclusivity, sensitivity and developing technology in mind, is nothing short of herculean at times. However, it's also very intuitive and quite easy if you keep in mind pedagogy and research. I can't wait to apply this to my planning in the year to come. See my artifact for more detail. Also here is a list of incredible video resources I keep going back to.
Originally posted 04/25/2019
This course encouraged a critical analysis of the methodology used to research with validity. The class explored ethics in research and completed the CORE training. We discussed the mechanisms that make both qualitative and quantitative studies robust, ethical, and valid. We explored mixed studies, quasi-experimental, and many other research designs, intending to understand the criteria required to satisfy ethics committees and peer reviews. This course really changed the way I view education publications covering "best practice" and pedagogy. I am far more critical of what I consider to be legitimate educational research. As a result, I now support my thinking with much more rigorous, investigative publications. My final Assignment is linked here.
Originally posted 04/25/2019
This course was an in-depth look at how psychology and neuroscience affect pedagogy. It was a great discussion course with lots of peer feedback and discussion about various topics related to Behaviorism, Constructivism, and many other theories of Psychology as they pertain to the way educational pedagogy drives instruction and institutional policy. I explored the myths created by the fallacies distilled from oversimplified Neuro-psychology within educational pedagogy. It was eye-opening to shine a light on things that were very prevalent as best practices in the past and how erroneous their footing was when the research was really explored. I find myself continuing to question pedagogical theories and researching where their origins lie; Is there a link to neuroscience? The Constructivist Framework seems very congruent with the way I teach. Check out my artifact here and see our full website at the link below
Originally posted 04/25/2019
Throughout this course, we examined educational technology through the lens of an Analyst. We examined the pitch as a mechanism to determine the viability of a product and how critical those pitches, in various forms, are to the buyer, investors and consumers. Kickstarter and the likes are full of those kinds of pitches. We engaged in a period of research and feedback about existing companies and then pitched for ourselves. I used the pitch model right away in my teaching practice to have students evaluate companies they were generating for graphic design purposes. It lent a critical eye to aspects of the process I hadn't yet included with students. I was forced to examine consumer technology through the lens of production and marketability it has lent itself well to my critical analysis of technology products for their intended use in the classroom and also their potential use outside the classroom.