EDUC Week 1 Blog Post

 Introduction of Myself

Welcome to the overflow of my brain. My name is Jase Hammock. This is my second to last class in pursuit of my Masters of Education in Instruction and Curriculum with an emphasis on English as a Second Language (ESL). I am currently transitioning to teaching from Durant Public Schools and from teaching in a "brick and mortar' to working and teaching for Epic Charter Schools, which will be a hybrid of in-person and mainly online teaching. 

I plan to see how this year goes with teaching in a new context and with a new approach. I hope to be able to use my education and experience to promote a better education system within Oklahoma and my surrounding area by promoting more individualized learning for each student and family and help empower students and families with being able to learn at their pace. I hope to also somehow assist and be an advocate for English Language Learners.

Reviewing ISTE Standards

1.2 Digital Citizen

Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical.

1.2b... Students engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices.

The lesson idea I have to target and incorporate this technology learning standard has a few elements. Students could acquire an understanding of this standard by:

1. Discussing the pros and cons of being connected through online media and discussing different topics online.

2. After the discussion, the teacher can give some quotes and principles from the two books Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch and 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke, or other similar books. These two books don't prohibit the use of modern technology and online communication, but they simply explain some of their dangerous and ways to wisely or positively, safely, legal, and ethically use them

3. After the consideration of quotes or principles of relevant books, the students can consider a couple of discussions on Facebook or other social media platforms that the teacher has already printed off and prepared for class study and discussion. With this discussion, students can identify examples of the quotes or principles identified from the relevant books. Also, the students could identify ways that the people participating in the social media posts are or are not engaging in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior. Finally, the students and teacher could discuss if there are any topics that would be a good rule of thumb to never or rarely discuss when using technology.

Insights for Lesson Idea

Most students, even students who come from a low socioeconomic background, have access to a phone or some kind of technology device where they can get access to Tik Tok, Snapchat, or some form of social media. Most students (K-12 age level) don't know a world without constant connection and constant exposure to social media and some form of technological device that connects them with the outside world. Is this a problem? Not necessarily. 

However, with this reality, students and adults should understand the pros and cons of constantly being connected and with having access to different social media platforms. Also, as Liz Kolb explains in Learning First, Technology Second in Practice, it is important to understand the goal or purpose for the use of the technology tool (2020, p. xiii-xv). Kolb argues that "research is clear that the type of tool selected is not nearly as significant as the instructional strategies a teacher creates when using the tools" (2020, p. xv). This could be the same with understanding that some social media platforms are not purely bad or dangerous in and of themselves, but students can learn their limitations, what are the proper boundaries, and what are ways to "engage in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior" on those social media and online platforms. Kolb directs the reader's attention to this thought when she writes, "The key is understanding how to support students in using screen time that is academically and socially beneficial while also knowing when it is purely for entertainment and could possibly become excessive" (2020, p. 3).

Kolb, Liz. 2020. Learning First, Technology Second in Practice: New Strategies, Research and Tools for Student Success. International Society for Technology in Education.