Here is my summary of learning project, completed with Jacquie!

Enjoy!

@jacquiesjoglog

Our #eci831 Summary of learning! #CapCut

♬ original sound – Jacquie

What is the concept of open education and its significance? What impact does open education have on education? This week in class, we learned about open education and the fundamental importance of sharing educational resources online.  The topic presented some great debate questions in relation to how people view freely sharing resources online. One point I found interesting from the video Laws that choke creativity, was when he said the “consumer is not the creator” in relation to when people share a read only version of the resource, it doesn’t allow for creator creativity to extend beyond the original creator. That alone can be a huge debate on its own: if we share our resources, do we have to allow for people to change and adapt them?

I read Open education resources offer many benefits: how to remove obstacles. It was about how sub-Saharan Africa adopted distance learning during the pandemic with the use of open education and the struggles they faced in making open education resources available. One thing ironic to note: when I tried to click on the actual study results, I had restricted access. Not so open, is it? But overall, it was a great article regarding how open education is beneficial, especially for students who may not have access to higher level education.

My biggest take aways from this week in regard to open education are:

1. Open education aims to provide free and open access to educational materials and resources. Open education empowers individuals who may not have access to traditional educational opportunities.
2. Free online resources play a crucial role in democratizing education by enabling individuals, regardless of community, country, or marginalized background, to access quality educational content. This allows for reduced financial burden on learners and prompting equitable access to education.
3. Open education encourages a culture of lifelong learning. It allows for individuals to explore new subjects, skills, and pursue personal interests. This fosters intellectual growth, professional development, and personal fulfillment.
4. Open education promotes collaboration and community engagement by sharing resources openly. This allows educators and learners to contribute to a common community of knowledge and can encourage the exchange of ideas and creation of educational content. The open sharing of educational resources fuels innovation in teaching and learning.
5. By making educational materials accessible to a global audience, open education facilitates cross-cultural understanding, promotes diversity, and allows for the exchange of ideas across different countries.

When I was researching social media activism, I came across this blog that discusses company brands supporting causes or campaigns. The blog summarizes what social media activism is and provides a list of “do’s and don’ts” when posting. Even though this article is geared towards companies, I found many aspects of the article useful for my own personal narrative.

What is social media activism? The following summarizes the article:

• Social media activism is when people use the internet to protest or support a cause. They often use hashtags to gather people and spread their message. Sometimes, people use the terms social media activism and hashtag activism interchangeably.
• When people participate in activism on social media, they try to make others aware of important social issues and show support by using hashtags, making posts, and joining campaigns.
• However, it’s important to know that just using a hashtag or sharing symbols like a black square or rainbow flag without taking real action offline can seem like they’re only taking advantage of the situation and not putting in much effort. People who criticize these small actions often call them “slacktivism” or pretend support. They think these actions don’t really make a difference.
• Words and hashtags are important, but actions carry more weight, especially for big brands that have a strong presence and resources. Social media activism should be backed up by real-world actions.
• It’s crucial to listen to credible voices who are actively involved in the cause. Learn from experts who have extensive knowledge and experience in the movement. Make a genuine commitment to making tangible improvements.
• To have a better understanding of your audience’s emotions, use social listening. This helps you empathize and show solidarity when negative sentiments are expressed. Additionally, it enables you to rally your audience around positive sentiments by providing clear and impactful calls to action.

So what are my thoughts on Social Media Activism?

According to the article, What kind of (Digital) citizen?, I am definitely categorized as personally responsible when it comes to activism of any kind. Yes, I wear my pride ally shirts, I have my “everyone is welcome here” sign up on my classroom, and I wear my orange shirt, but beyond that, I try to keep my opinions on social justice to myself. I can’t tell you why. Maybe I am insure about my opinions, fear of offending someone, or maybe I feel too uninformed on certain topics that it makes me feel uneasy. After reading Katia’s blog, In online spaces, silence speaks as loudly as words, it made me feel shame that I don’t speak up more for social justice issues. I am sure her blog isn’t intended to do that, but it really gave me the opportunity to reflect on what my silence is saying. Am I really saying, “these issues are not important?”.  While difficult, it is important to have these honest, internal conversations about your values and the changes you may need to make.

Here are my most valuable take aways from this week:

1. When you post a message in support of a cause, ensure that your post leaves no room for ambiguity. Don’t leave people asking questions or filling in the blanks for you.
2. Be upfront about anything that goes against your current position. Without doing this, your social activism will ring hollow—or worse, hypocritical. It could also prompt people to call you out.
3. The aim of social activism is often to disrupt the status quo. Not everyone will agree with your position. Some followers may applaud you, while others will be critical.
4. Diversity shouldn’t just be a box you check during Pride month, Black History Month, or on International Women’s Day. If you support LGBTQ rights, gender equality, disability rights, and anti-racism, show that commitment throughout the year.

This is my first time using Twitter and I have to say I don’t mind it. I have been finding the posting useful, and have been trying out some of the resources to build my tech portfolio (as limited as it is). What I like about Twitter is that it allows users to connect, express their thoughts, and stay updated on current events. I find that it is a user-friendly interface and that navigating Twitter has been quite easy for me to pick up. I like how easy the search and explore functionality is to find tweets and accounts. The hashtags and trends are a great way to organize conversations and engage with trending articles. My newfound relationship with Twitter hasn’t been all positive. It has been very overwhelming trying to keep up with the vast amount of information, adding extra stress. And, of course, when you post on any social media, you are opening yourself up to Internet Trolls. Thankfully, I have not had to experience that within this class! Whether you are a casual user (like myself) or a social media enthusiast, Twitter provides a satisfying and enjoyable user experience.

Twitter was initially created as a social media tool, however with the growing popularity of Twitter, more educators are using Twitter as a way to connect with students and parents outside of the classroom. So, How can Twitter be useful in the classroom? This article outlines 10 ways that educators can utilize Twitter to enhance student learning/engagement. I like how the article outlines ways to use Twitter to keep the parents updated with what is happening in the classroom, as it gives the teacher ONE way to communicate with a large group, instead of sending out 30+ individual emails. I understand this also comes with some challenges, however it does put some of the responsibility on the parents. Other classroom suggestions are using Twitter as a research tool to extend learning, feedback surveys from students, and using Twitter as a way to communicate reminders to students.

How will you use Twitter in your classroom?

I have 99 problems and TikTok is one of them!

This assignment was really hard for me because I don’t really like to engage with social media apps. I have never been really interested in technology, so I try to keep things on a very basic level. So, I decided to look into TikTok. I did not create any videos, nor did I post anything, as I don’t feel comfortable with having a digital footprint of this sorts, but this is my review of the app.

Pros:

• Creative and Entertaining Content: TikTok has a variety of videos that show people dancing, lip-syncing, skits, DIY projects, and informative videos. The purpose of this app is for users to express themselves in unique ways.
• User-Friendly Interface: TikTok is quite easy to navigate. The app’s algorithm analyzes user preferences and presents personalized recommendations, tailored to your preferences.
• Global Community and Trends: TikTok has a massive user base, making it a platform with a diverse community. TikTok’s accessibility features make it inclusive for various user groups and with the text-to-speech functionality, captions, and customizable settings, this app can meet the needs of individuals with disabilities.

Cons:

• Potential for Cyberbullying and Harassment: TikTok is not immune to cyberbullying and harassment. Viewers can leave negative comments or engage in harmful behaviour, leading to conflict. You can block on TikTok, but it is not fool proof.
• Privacy Concerns: Anytime you use social media, or computer anything, you run the risk of having your personal information hacked.
• Time Consumption and Distraction: TikTok’s addictive nature can lead to excessive distraction from other responsibilities. I think of how much time I spent on it this week for my review and I couldn’t believe it! I’m not going to lie, I wanted to watch more!

To get started, I watched a Beginner’s Guide to TikTok. It was pretty good for just an 8 minute video to get started. I also watched a video on how to create TikTok Videos. It was a little longer, at 26 minutes. Overall, I enjoyed watching some of the videos, however, I did not even want to attempt to make a video. I honestly cannot get into this craze of videoing one’s self and posting it for all the world to see. I remember when I was in Vegas last summer and we had talked about doing one of the trends, with the “this is my first drink”, second drink…..until you get to, “this is my last drink”.  When we woke up in the morning, one of us said, “oh, weren’t we supposed to video our drinks?”. It just isn’t second nature for me to always have a camera in my face (and I am happy that we didn’t create that video!). I am pretty sure, I will delete this app as soon as this class is over.

Technology, in general, has been a headache for me. I don’t like change and I don’t have the time to learn about every new invention. I currently use Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. These would be the most social media apps I am familiar with on a very basic level. I don’t post very often and when I do, it is mostly about my children’s accomplishments. I have a healthy relationship with social media regarding never posting inappropriate pictures or rants. I do not comment on posts or sources I am not familiar with. I use social media as a way to stay connected with people who I have met throughout my life. It has allowed me to re-connect with people from my past that I normally wouldn’t have been able too. I don’t allow my social media to consume me at all times.

However, if I had to speak to some negative ways social media has affected me, I would say that the advertising gets me every time. I will see adds for home décor, clothing, shoes, accessories….you name it, and I will want to buy it! When I see posts of nice homes, high end things people are showing off, or a celebrity type lifestyle, naturally, it makes me wish I could afford some of these things.  Another negative way social media has impacted me is by reading how mean and judgmental people are. It bothers me to read such hateful things. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!