Edpuzzle.. You Won’t Stay Puzzled For Long!

The social media tool that I chose this week was Edpuzzle, as it is linked through Youtube, which we use consistently in my classroom. Each day, my students complete rotations, where tech is always one of them. Edpuzzle allows students to interact with each other and answer questions from Youtube videos to check their learning. Youtube has always been a vehicle for learning and Edpuzzle, has allowed students to expand upon their own learning, collaborate with one another, and be independent; taking control of their own learning.

Through professional development with Regina Public Schools, was when Edpuzzle became a conversation and sparked many discussions. I knew immediately I had to go back to my classroom and give it a try. Wow, I fell in love! It is super accessible for students and staff and can be utilized in any subject area. It allows students to have checkpoints in their learning and boosts engagement. I am already seeing great progress.

For the last week, we used Edpuzzle at least once a day, so I was able to observe my students. The positives outweighed the negatives, as the negatives were very limited. The positives include that it is very accessible, easy to use/navigate, links to Google Classroom (where all the student learning takes place in my space), has real-time responses, engaging, and prompts independence and student lead learning. The negatives I saw was it was more time-consuming for some students than others due to their reading abilities and their focus. It requires students to put their full focus on the video, so they are able to answer the questions. Another negative is if you get the question wrong, it does not prompt you to reanswer, it simply just skips to the next part of the video. I think this can cause problems, as students may begin guessing, knowing they can continue on in the video, even if it is wrong.

Examples of using Edpuzzle in different subjects.

Since Edpuzzle is educational, it had a great impact on the students! One day, I decided to just post a Youtube video and many students were unhappy with that, as there was not that engagement piece of Edpuzzle. I think Edpuzzle is here to stay. The best part is they can access this at home or school, the beauty of online learning!

The engagement on Edpuzzle!

I think when using Edpuzzle as an educational tool, it is important to be aware of the conversations being had on the tool and/or with classmates around and that students understand internet safety. If students are given the opportunities to create their own videos, ensuring it is school appropriate and being aware of the videos that students may be able to find on Youtube. Therefore, an adult must be around in the creation and ensure it is monitored. Further, ensuring parents are linked to the Google Classroom, to stay up to date with the newest Edpuzzles posted, is a top priority so they can be involved in the students learning.

Have you used Edpuzzle before? If not, did I sell you on it? Let’s continue learning online!!

From Novice to Needlework: Captivated by the World of Embroidery

In my previous blog post concerning my project, I mentioned my interest in acquiring a new skill, which is embroidery. To delve deeper into this skill, I began exploring various social media platforms. YouTube and Instagram were particularly useful, with YouTube offering beginner-friendly videos that aided me in commencing my learning journey. Embroidery has always fascinated me, captivating my attention whenever I encounter intricately embroidered fabrics. I appreciate the vibrancy of colorful threads and the enchanting patterns they create. Thanks to Katia, I began my embroidery journey while pursuing my master’s degree. While Instagram pages showcasing embroidery patterns and videos are plentiful, I personally found it challenging to learn from them as a novice. This is not to discredit the educational potential of Instagram; however, I found YouTube to be a more conducive platform for beginners. Its videos allowed me to learn at my own pace, adjusting the playback speed and pausing as needed.

To begin, I extensively watched various videos before deciding on the specific supplies to purchase. Since I possess limited knowledge about embroidery, I compiled a shopping list based on the items mentioned in the videos that would facilitate the process. I acquired colorful threads, different types of needles, an embroidery frame, a pair of scissors, and other necessary materials. Once I gathered all the supplies, the crucial step was to find a suitable instructional video that could guide me in understanding the use of threads, needles, and basic patterns. After conducting a thorough search and exploring multiple videos, I discovered one particular video that proved immensely helpful for me as a beginner.

I followed the steps outlined in the video, although I acknowledged that my skills were not yet on par with the person I was watching. The learning process consumed a considerable amount of time, but I derive satisfaction from the fact that I am acquiring a new and fascinating skill. The instructional video introduced me to various patterns, starting from the basics. The knots I learned from the video included running stitch, back stitch, stem stitch, split stitch, cross stitch, chain stitch, satin stitch, french knot, fern stitch, lazy-daisy, and many more. Although some stitches proved easier to execute than others, I am determined to learn all of them. My motivation extends beyond the requirements of my project; it is driven by my genuine passion for embroidery and the recognition that it will benefit me in the future as well.

YouTube

To be quite transparent, I did not want to create an account on a new social media tool. If you read my first post, you’ll know that I only have one social media account, and I’m perfectly happy with that. I do not want my name attached to any other type of social media like Snapchat and certainly do not really feel comfortable leaving a digital footprint or compelled to do so just to see what’s up. That’s just how I roll. I do recognize that a social media tool doesn’t always have to just be the aforementioned apps. So, I thought I’d do some digging into YouTube. Surely it’s a social media tool; plus, my kids are really fascinated by it (actually obsessed), and I’m not so sure it’s appropriate for them as all three are under 10 years old. Enter my research. I read some really great articles, especially this one .

Here are my thoughts:

Playlist function is great –
- As an educator I can save the videos I need for the multiple subjects I teach
- Saving videos is also a great option
Excellent for educators to access movies/clips for the classroom without having to purchase anything
- there is an option to purchase entire movies for a cheaper price that can often be paid for by one’s department
Live streaming
- Pro: access to events if cannot attend
- Con: can be used incredibly inappropriately, potentially causing harm for viewers
Free music streaming
- ad-free for purchase
Content sharing of all kinds – literally everything an everything can be shared
Closed captions are always a bonus
- transcripts are also available – it’s not perfect, but I think it’s a great option if needed.
Great to learn skills like breadmaking (shoutout to Larry)
Tutorials for pretty much anything
- I think “YouTube It” has become proper verbage
Offers problem solving videos and great visuals for understanding complicated terms like the polyvagal perspective for trauma or intersectionality.
Pretty much any subject being taught has information and tools to help people understand like “Dad, How do I?”
Don’t need an account to use it or share it.
Kids:
- access to all the things (nudity, sex, violence, profanity, and general inappropriate videos and ads) for curious kids
- Predators are there lurking and ready to take advantage of naiive children.
- Microphone option for kids to search for things instead of typing
  - This can be used as both an advantage and disadvantage
- Millions of videos uploaded every day, so are they really screening all things perfectly and monitoring content appropriately?
- Option to control access to content for kids…for the most part
- Youtube kids is an option for younger kids
- Nothing is 100% safe. This is a great article that helps explain how to keep things safe on YouTube.

At the end of the day, I think YouTube is an awesome tool to help educators, parents, and all of society, but, as always, we need to be aware of the risks and continue to have the conversations about how to be responsible with it. Recently, I became aware that my 9 year old was searching for videos on inappropriate topics for his age. Kids (all humans, actually) are curious, and, frankly, I wasn’t doing my due diligence in assuring he was being monitored. For now, because one of my jobs is to protect my children, I’ve blocked YouTube until I feel like they are able to be responsible with it. I’m not naiive in that he can access it with friends and other places, but for now, while he’s at home or on his tablet, YouTube is not an option for any of them. There will be continued discussions and frequent monitoring, but I’m okay with that. My oldest is 9, and I think that’s still a little too little to have free reign with the second most visited website in the world (Gonzales, 2023, “Which are the most visited websites in the world”).

I think it’s clear how amazing YouTube is for access to learning on so many different avenues, but I’m not convinced it’s appropriate for younger kids unless there are parental controls applied and frequent monitoring occurs.

Jacquie’s Jog Log update…in action!

Really? You run for fun?

Here is the link to the vlog I create for this week’s learning project post.

The links (and minor info) I couldn’t tag in my video:
1. Tips for beginner runners
-I definitely keep the ‘go slower but go for longer’ in the back of my mind. I just want the habit to stick, so I’ll keep that one.
-I also have kept her breathing technique (2 breaths in, 1 breath out) as my #1 ‘just keep going’ hack and it works – it gives me something to focus on and definitely steadies my breathing.
-Like I said in my video, I have a running partner who is better than me at running and it makes a positive difference.
-got the shoes (also thanks to the other account I actually tagged in the video)
-physio isn’t necessary right now, but duly noted.
-this is the first ‘beginner tips’ video I watched and I actually found I learned and internalized the most from this video than all the other videos on this topic I watched

2. Running tips & humour combo
-She is my favourite. I’m not a marathon runner but I watch her videos anyways because she is funny, realistic, and relatable
-#1 thing I took from this video is NO COTTON and it has paid off (or at the very least it hasn’t been a hard lesson learned)
-maybe I should pick something to start counting and add that into my updates?

3. Shoe advice
-obviously shoes are a pretty important part of this whole thing, so I took his advice and my feet are happy (that’s all I know because I honestly wouldn’t know any better if they were making me a better runner or not)

4. Recording advice
-I just realized…I think I recorded my video on 1, not .5 …what a running recording fail. Next time…

Student Blogs Week 1 and 2

I was initially concerned with how my class would participate due to the slow submissions. Thankfully by the day after it was due I had most submitted. Having samples online made it easy to discuss what was successful and what they could implement into their own future blogs.

The first writing prompt was “What are the differences between public schools and faith based schools? ” I reminded students to be respectful, but encouraged honesty. In class we discussed the difference between observations and attacks on other schools. Like any assignment it was a mix of effort, however I had more submissions that showed some genuine effort than usual.

Student’s that were the most successful wrote in an informal style that had some engaging and interesting reflections. Others made lists of differences, which answered the prompt but lacked insight. What has impressed me the most is the amount of self awareness that has been brought up by giving students so much freedom. The following quote is from a student who discussed the typical answers; at public school you have to worry about harram food and activities, at an Islamic school you can be with more like minded people, etc. After this they brought something up that many of my students do not consider until they leave our school.

However, public school students get to experience how they are discriminated in society religious-wise often, meaning that in the future it won’t mind them that much because they grew up with that type of stereotype, but students in Islamic schools don’t get to experience Islamophobia which most likely causes them to adjust with society in a difficult way. For example, if you get stereotypes in a public school often about your religion, you will eventually know how to overcome that problem, but in Islamic schools, all the students are (M)uslims so there is a less chance that you will experience Islamophobia, so when you go out in public it will be unusual and it takes a hard time to adjust.
Student Blog referenced with permission of student and parents.

I was very impressed with how insightful this blog was, showing me how deeply they have thought through the topic. This is the type of response I had hoped for and I was grateful to see it appear in week one. The remaining blogs were largely successful, answering the prompt clearly. A few went for the simple list response, but at the very least everyone wrote a paragraph.

The comments were all short, but nearly everyone showed me that they had actually read the blog. All followed my requirements and provided constructive feedback or made their own connections to what was said. It does seem like my requirement for everyone to comment on different people has been effective. Some have enjoyed the ability to comment on each others work so much they have commented on most blogs. The engagement I have seen with some students that typically struggle has been encouraging.

Week Two has been a much slower start. I received far fewer entries on time, which lead to a number of students messaging me that they could not see everyone’s entry. While this is discouraging, it does show me that a number of students are still very engaged in this process.

Next Steps:

I need to have students who are struggling to finish their blog, write it in class so they are done and more likely to type it at home/at school.
I need to go over how visual elements can help break up text and make it more appealing.
While I have provided time in class with technology, I need to ensure I have enough ipads to allow students to work on their blog during downtime/study hall.
I need to have another mini-lesson on writing informally.
I think it would be helpful to also go through examples of effective comments.
I also need to remind them that part of the goal behind this is to create a positive online environment. While it has gone well so far, I do not want it to slip into the typical online interactions some of them have.

So far this has been successful, although the slow start on week 2 is discouraging. There is an interesting “fame” element I had not considered. Students are enjoying that recognition that the comments are giving them and the fact that I am discussing this project in my masters class has really motivated some. When I asked one student permission to reference their blog another student said “You’re going to be famous!”

Photo by Ekaterina Belinskaya on Pexels.com

Tik Tok on the Clock

Over the last two weeks, I have been exploring TikTok. I have been using TikTok since the early days of the pandemic when there was not much else to do, but I have only ever been a TikTok lurker. So I figured now was the perfect time to step up my TikTok game.

Before I started working with the platform I decided to do a little research into the giant that is TikTok. It is undeniable that TikTok has a major influence not only on teenagers, but global trends, news cycles, and in the case of education, the classroom. But why?

Interestingly enough, TikTok was one of the first social media platforms that curate the main page for the user:

“The “For You Page” (FYP) was designed to share content with users based on what the TikTok algorithm has learned to be the most relevant and of the highest interest to them. Within minutes, FYP feeds are personalized to our interests, beliefs, curiosities and passions just by passively watching entertaining short-form videos.”

It really started to make sense why TikTok quickly became one of my favourite social media platforms.

As my research continued it became harder and harder to find information on the social media giant. Every time I typed something into Google (i.e., “TikTok news”, “TikTok 2023”, “TikTok as Social Media”) nothing came up except for Tik ok itself. I found this quite interesting. But I did come across one article entitled TikTok: What It Is, How It Works, Why It’s Popular that had a lot of useful information:

Launched in September 2016 by the Chinese startup company ByteDance, it’s known there as Douyin.
Launched in its present form in 2018, TikTok joined the ranks of social media giants in record time. It had about one billion active monthly users worldwide by September 2021. A 2022 marketing report by data.ai (formerly App Annie) predicted that TikTok will break three billion downloads worldwide as well as users spending $3 billion across iOS and Google Play by the end of the year.
ByteDance was reportedly worth up to $140 billion by mid-2020, based on the private sale of a small stake in the company. TikTok alone was said to be worth about $50 billion.

The biggest takeaway for me was that TikTok is HUGE and it has no sign of slowing down.

Exploring the Platform

As I mentioned, I am an active TikTok user, I guess. I don’t follow anyone except for a few close friends, and I most certainly have never made a TikTok. I never had an issue with not following anyone as the algorithm is spot on and my TikTok page is always tailored to my needs and wants – almost in a scary way. But nevertheless, I figured I’d start by following some people that reflect my interests. I began my search by looking for TikTokers that were connected to teaching, reading, history, and hiking. The number of accounts I could follow was astronomical, so quite honestly I just started following and interacting with people that caught my interest. See some recommendations below:

@mr.mctiktok – teaching-related content
@hellomshudak – teaching-related content
@abbys_library3 – book-related content
@insidehistory_ – history-related content
@lilyebert – history-related content
@teatimethoughts– history-related content
@livesandtimeshistory – history-related content
@bonjourbecky – hiking-related content
@thruhikers – hiking-related content

Then I figured it was time to try and make my own TikTok. I am not the most camera-ready person so this seemed like the perfect time to introduce my cats to the world wide web. I will admit the process of making a Tik Tok was actually quite hard. I ended by watching some videos to help me get started:

Recently, I have been seeing the “p is for papas” trend on TikTok and I knew this is where I had to start. Overall, making the TikTok didn’t end up being terribly hard, but the overall quality is entirely my fault and Schmitten can take no blame:

No cat was harmed in the making of this video and they were compensated fairly for their time and labour.

Editing the TikTok was simple enough with some nice features that allow you to crop and adjust the sound. I did find it crazy that certain hashtags like #fyp:) has 15171.1 billion views (yes you are reading that right). So who knows, maybe I will be Tik Tok famous before I know it. Fingers crossed.

Overall, I have been on TikTok in some form since April 2020. I have never seen anything offensively graphic or concerning, but rather my experience on TikTok has been quite educational in the sense that I owe a great deal to TikTok and what it has taught me (as embarrassing as that sounds).

Educational Opportunities for Teachers and Parents

Over the last two weeks, I have seen that there is a multitude of positive benefits Tik Tok has both for teachers, parents, and the world of education as a whole. It is undeniable that Tik Tok is now a part of life and embracing it is in the best interest of everyone, but particularly the students.

I was able to find many (and I mean many) interesting reads on the benefits of Tik Tok in the classroom and I was I could list them all here, but alas I cannot. The most interesting bit of information I learned was about “micro-learning”, in which students learn new information in small chunks at a time. Microlearning sessions are under ten minutes and can take as little as one minute to complete.

And according to TikTok & Education: How TikTok is Transforming Education for Gen Z:

“#LearnOnTikTok has over 282.8 billion views. In a wider context, the popularity of TikTok’s education content fits into a trend towards micro-learning. Microlearning is 17% more efficient than traditional, longer-duration courses and distils topics into digestible, small chunks. Gen Z strongly prefers it. Virtual learning environments and online video tutorials are also a big yes for zoomers. This makes TikTok the perfect delivery vehicle for micro-learning. It’s in their favourite format: video, and on their preferred device: their phones.”

The research points to an undeniable fact – students want to learn quickly and I am here for it.

Issues and Concerns

If you have been on the internet for any length of time this year you will likely know that there have been major concerns over TikTok:

As your average citizen and TikTok user, I don’t think I am all that concerned, but I have been wrong before. I will say that the deeper you dive into the topic of TikTok the scary it gets. I found myself on some pretty interesting corners of the internet with a TON of conspiracy theories.

On a less global note, I have seen the negative influence TikTok can have on teenagers in the classroom. Throughout the school I work at, there has been a clear increase in the number of students posting inappropriate videos on TikTok from fights to filming teachers. Last year, the “devious licks” challenge became popular and caused a wide range of issues from harmless fun to serious vandalism. The trend cycle is so quick now that this challenge went out faster than it came in, but I fear it’s only a matter of time until the next big trend.

Overall, I have no intention to stop using TikTok. While there are negative aspects to the platform, I believe this can be true for all forms of social media and the positives of TikTok seems to vastly outweigh the negatives in my opinion.

Choose a social media tool that you would like to know more about. Create an account (if you haven’t already), spend some time learning about it (from resources or via conversations) and experimenting. Report some of your observations related to the tool (e.g., features, function, positives/negatives) and its impact on users (especially kids). Contemplate whether or not there are educational opportunities for the tool and/or what teachers or parents should know.

Pinning through Pinterest

I am an individual who remains active on social media applications, although I don’t share my daily activities online. Instead, I use these platforms to explore various content for entertainment, education, general knowledge, learning something new, and staying connected with my family and friends. Speaking of social media applications, I would like to discuss one particular application that I am interested in exploring further: Pinterest. I have heard a lot about Pinterest from my cousins, friends, and while browsing other websites.

Pinterest is an application that offers a wide range of content related to various fields such as education, home decor, skill development, health, travel, technology, and entertainment, among others. It is filled with an abundance of resources. Initially, I learned about Pinterest from one of my cousins who frequently uses it. I asked her how she finds it useful, and she shared everything with me. I discovered its features and the valuable things one can find on this platform, which can be helpful in our daily lives. I observed her using the platform primarily for finding pictures and videos. Curious, I asked her what sets it apart from other applications that offer similar content. She showed me the distinctive features of Pinterest, and I was amazed to learn about them.

A few days ago, I created my own Pinterest account. Initially, I found it challenging to navigate, but with the help of my cousin and watching tutorial videos on YouTube, I found the process easier. The YouTube videos were especially helpful as they provided a comprehensive overview of how to use the platform effectively. Now, I am knowledgeable about many aspects of Pinterest. After creating an account, the platform prompted me to select my preferences and the topics I wanted to explore. These topics would be displayed in my feed whenever I open the app. One can endlessly explore a wide range of content on this platform through pictures and videos, making it an immersive experience.

The home page serves as the initial browsing and exploration area, where I can discover content based on my personal preferences. Additionally, there is a “watch” option where I can exclusively view videos related to specific topics. Moving on to the search option, I can search for ideas beyond what is presented on the home page. This page showcases ideas for creators, personalized recommendations, and popular content on Pinterest categorized by topics. There is also an option to start creating and adding my own content to the platform.

Once an account is created, I can choose a profile picture and decide what details I want to share publicly or privately. As a new user, I am still exploring the application, but I have started following interesting individuals and pages. I can create my own boards on Pinterest, even if I am not actively posting content. These boards can be tailored to various topics, and I can create as many as I desire. I have already created boards and named them accordingly, allowing me to save pictures and videos that I find interesting and revisit them whenever I want.

What I appreciate about this social media tool so far is that it caters to my personal taste, allowing me to explore and save an extensive range of content. Additionally, I can create collaborative boards with friends and family, where we can save and view each other’s posts. Similar to other social media applications, I can engage in conversations, share pictures, and exchange videos through messages. Although I am still in the early stages of exploring this new platform, I have not encountered any negative aspects yet. The only potential drawback is that it can be time-consuming. However, when engrossed in the exploration process, the investment of time feels worthwhile. I am thoroughly enjoying Pinterest, dedicating time to it, and continuously learning new things.

Regarding its benefits in the educational field, I believe it depends on how one chooses to utilize the platform. As I mentioned earlier, Pinterest offers topics related to every field. It can be particularly useful for children to explore and learn new things, as there are countless ideas and resources available. For teachers and parents, Pinterest serves as a valuable platform for discovering educational materials. Although I have only recently started using it, I have already found limitless ideas relevant to the topics I explore. Therefore, I highly recommend giving Pinterest a try and searching for intriguing content that aligns with your own interests. And I would definitely use this tool for my learning project as well.

Running like the wind

I went for my first two runs, and WOWSERS! I knew that running again was going to be difficult and I would need to persevere, but I sure did not think that I would be exhausted like I was.

I convinced my husband to come with me, the 6 foot 1 gazelle that he is. His legs are way longer than mine, and he just has the gene pool to wake up on holiday Monday and run! Not me…

I did some research on Tik Tok this week to try and find some support and answers for how to get back into running. I knew that it was going to be difficult, like I have said a lot already. I did see many Tik Toks recommending that I find a consistent pace, run on flat land, and to enjoy the run. One Tik Tok even said something along the lines of running at a pace that I can carry out a conversation, but that was for sure not happening for me. Here is the best Tik Tok I found this week for beginning runners!

Run #1

We did it though, in a scorching (just joking) 20 degree weather on the holiday Monday of the long weekend. I cannot believe how difficult it was, even though I woke up, had a decent breakfast, stretched, charged my Apple watch, found a good running playlist and got the Airpods ready. My husband and I have a deal where we don’t ever leave each other behind when we are running because, well, who likes being left behind? It really is more of a deal for because I don’t think I’ve even had the chance to leave him behind.

We ran outside of town, with a beautiful view that was motivating to keep going. One of the reasons that I love running so much is not only for the amazing physical health beneifts, but for the grounding and clarity that it brings me. Being outside in nature was a gift that I know I take for granted!

I got home, feeling very unwell. I was feeling defeated as it was for sure the slowest run I have done since grade 4 track meet. My go to strategy when I am feeling down or defeated is to try and help solve the situation. I went of course, straight to Tik Tok to find some more support. Check out this Tik Tok! It is the motivation I needed to complete my second run of the week.

To TikTok or not to TikTok?

Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, oh my! Twitter and Discord now give TikTok a try.

This week I signed up for an account and started exploring TikTok. Truth be told, I am not into it yet. My little interaction with the platform hasn’t drawn me in. When I use other platforms such as Facebook or Instagram, I rarely watch the videos. Since TikTok is all videos, perhaps that is why it isn’t drawing me in. I found this video to see what I was missing from exploring blindly for a few days. It goes through all the features of Tiktok and how to use the mobile app on an iPhone.

I started looking for teachers and other educators to follow. I have found a few. I am not seeing the content that I would look for in social media such as lesson ideas, classroom management and reading intervention/strategies. What I am seeing are teacher outfits and classroom setups. However, I recently found this article with more ideas for using hashtags to help me find teachers using TikTok. Some of the most popular hashtags are #teachertips, #classroommanagement and #studentengagment. These are more of my area of interest that I will dive into in the coming weeks.

This next article is a must-read for teachers and parents. It is CBC article called Some teachers are using TikTok to reach teens but concerns over app’s effects persist. It presents many interesting ideas to consider. One is that TikTok is where many teens are getting their news from. This could be an opportunity for the teens to ask questions about what they are seeing but also for teachers and parents to talk to their children/ students about what news they are seeing. Opening up the chance for discussion. TikTok can capture attention and spark curiosity as one of the contributors says. This article points out the fact that the videos are all short and you move on to the next. What is this doing to the attention span of youth and how will this affect them at school?

This week, I also had a conversation with my 12-year-old nephew about TikTok. I learned that he does have an account and thinks that there are some bad things on there. I asked if he felt there was any educational value. He thought there was because he could watch cooking and baking videos to help him learn new things as baking is one of his interests. Otherwise, Auntie, it’s not very good. That got me thinkings and searching for more articles. My takeaway from these articles is that TikTok is really no different from other social media platforms when it comes to pros and cons. Cyberbullying can happen on any of the platforms as well as getting down “rabbit holes” looking for information.

The first article is 8 Pros and Cons of TikTok. I found that these pros and cons could apply to any platform. For example, some pros are: it’s entertaining, it’s a creative outlet and you could make friends. Making friends is one that makes me a bit nervous. The cons are: being exposed to sexual predators, it can harm your privacy and the negative comments that can be received. All of this leads me to the importance of educating our children/ students on how we can protect our privacy and being aware of the other cons.

The next two articles that would be important for parents and teachers to be aware of comes from the Cyber Bullying Research Centre website. The first is another list of pros and cons. There are some great points here that would be important for adults to be aware of to share with children. One is that when you sign up for an account it is automatically public. You have to go into the setting to set up your privacy settings. That article led me to the TikTok Top Ten Tips for Teens. This is a great place for parents and teens to start having a conversation about the platform and how to use it more safely.

I also went looking for #gardening ideas to help with my major project. This is where I found some success and a few accounts that will be helpful going forward. Stay tuned for more from @texasgardenguy . He has lots of great gardening tips.

@texasgardenguy
Planting Tomatoes Sideways! #raisedbedgardens #texasgardenguy #tomato #tomatoes #tomatotown #tomatogarden #springgarden #gardentok #gardening #plantsoftiktok #garden #vegogarden #gardeninghacks
♬ Feathered Indians – Tyler Childers

I see both pros and cons of using TikTok. Will I continue once this class is complete, I am not sure, yet! My biggest takeaway is to continue to have conversations with students and children about the social media they are using to help them use it safely but also as connection point. I look forward to having further conversations with my nephew on the topic.

What are some of your favourite accounts to follow as an educator or other?

I’ve got 99 problems, and TikTok is one of them!

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.

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