Week 1 – “Most Likely to Succeed”, Open Inquiry & Blogs

The first week of EdTech was a whirlwind of information, both confusing and interesting, but overall aimed to introduce the ideas and perspectives to be learned this term.

I found the setup of this blog itself extremely confusing, but with time, it has come together to be the beautiful, floral site I have now! The second class of this course introduced me to the new platform of Padlet, a way to discuss coursework or brainstorm in real-time, virtually, and share ideas anonymously, without anyone else seeing your name. I loved this platform and how it worked to display everyone’s perspective at the same time, with no judgment or worries involved. I feel like this site would be great for use with middle school-aged students, to allow for open conversation and deeper engagement with course concepts, even when in class.

Additionally, this week, we were assigned to watch a documentary. The documentary that was assigned for this week, “Most Likely to Succeed,” exemplified an inquiry-based school and large course projects that similarly showcased students’ different learning techniques and styles. I found this documentary very interesting, and reminding me of my own schooling career. Connected to this, I began my open inquiry assignment, and the search for an idea was probably the most difficult feat. Open inquiry is a great concept, and this course is not the first time I have been introduced to it. all throughout my schooling, particularly from grades 7-12, I partook in a large open inquiry project each year. In the past, my projects were learning how to draw, skateboard, crochet and a lot of progress-based work. However, I was inspired this year to do something unlike before, simply setting a goal for myself to set and continue to partake in an outdoor weekly walking ritual. I am excited to see how committed I can be to completing my goal and participating in inquiry, outside of my usual progression-based projects.