Week 8 – Wrapping it Up
Welcome to my eighth and final reflection in EDCI 336! This reflection will take on a different format, responding directly to specific criteria I was hoping to complete on this journey.
Criteria 1: Demonstrates deep understanding; fluently connects course theory to real-world application.
A vital topic in the world of technology is privacy and security. For me, this should be of importance to not only parents and children, but also to everyday people. Whether we like it or not, our phones listen to us, our ads are marketed specifically for our desires, and our faces are plastered on platforms we may not even know exist. As a teenager, this was not scary to me. I loved having public social media accounts and photos of me all over online, but the older I get, the more I learn about the importance of protecting oneself. I truly wish this course topic had been more heavily discussed because it holds a lot more weight and responsibility than we think. Teachers today sometimes use AI to make student groups or even mark classwork, but this is an extreme safety concern for all. Underaged students should never have their names, images or personal information shared in any technological field, and it is important as teachers to protect that. Large generative AI names like Elon Musk’s Grok are used for despicable reasons, exploiting people’s bodies and using names to create deepfakes. Security and privacy should exist in all settings, but especially with children, when instances like that one do exist. Additionally, as a teacher, a lot of our work has transitioned to be digital, making us extremely susceptible to data leaks, giving more reason to advocate for lessons on digital literacy and digital safety for all.
Criteria 2: Critically analyzes their own learning process & identifies how they overcame specific challenges.
My learning process throughout the course did not come without its pitfalls. A main challenge I faced was balancing this course amongst 5 others in person, and each course had group projects. It gets to be a lot to do so much group work, and I found having to do it for an online class was a little tedious and repetitive. Although on the flipside of that, having to do weekly blog reflections alone was refreshing, and was ultimately what helped me push through this course and build the reflections that I am very proud of today. Alternatively, I also faced challenges with taking in content with an open mind. I have a background in coding, and I have a brother who has been a software developer for a startup for almost 10 years now, but also a brother who works in ocean and environmental conservation. I’ve seen both sides of everything, and what I know is that AI should not be as streamlined as it is today, and I heavily disagree with its use in classrooms or for the public. This barrier to my learning has not been overcome, but it is also one that I do not wish to overcome, but hold my beliefs and challenge everyone to build an opinion for themselves, which is a quality of humans that we have almost lost since the use of AI.
Criteria 3: Uses specific, high-quality examples from their portfolio/coursework to prove competency.
I believe the latter half of my weekly reflections truly showcased my ability to provide diverse forms of communication digitally. Blog posts, such as my podcast-styled reflections or brain dumps on paper, display the various ways I can work competently. My work and ideas continue to build week after week and have pushed me to develop a high-quality blogspace, which I believe showcases a lot of my potential, productivity and strengths as a student and future teacher.
Criteria 4: Articulates a clear, sophisticated vision for applying course skills in a future career or studies.
In my future classroom, my goal would be to create a healthy balance between real-life, present learning, and digital-based learning. From my open inquiry, I learned the power of being outdoors, and through my weekly reflections, I learned about all the new online resources that can be used for teaching. A perfect balance of the two would be my best way to apply the skills learned in the course into my future. I know I would never choose to have my students use AI, not for research or quick facts. But I would encourage activities like green-screen use, filmmaking, coding, and digital drawing to build their personal inquiries and creativity while being digitally fluent. Additionally, I would encourage monthly talks about digital literacy and the use of online sources so that students can build their critical thinking and understand their personal safety online.