After reviewing all the readings for Topic 1, I had many ‘Aha’ moments and they made me look at my teaching through a critical lens. One of them was that digital pedagogy is not the same as using digital tools (Stommel). Even though I know this, I was not necessarily aware of what it actually means and how it looks in practice. When the pandemic hit, similar to many teachers, I was forced to transfer all my tools and practices online, and learn many new ones in such a short amount of time with sometimes more or less success. We not only had to find, carefully pick and learn to use many new tools that might work or might not for us but also had to prioritize student privacy and engagement. We made it through the challenging times with some success; however, I think the majority of teachers would agree that it just wouldn’t and shouldn’t be sustainable for a long time. On the other hand, schools that were already set up for blended and distance learning would thrive with many students opting for it during the challenging times.
In the article “Teaching in Blended Learning Environments” I agree with the authors on “While it is clear to most that the core of blended learning is the integration of face-to-face and online learning activities, it is important to recognize that simply adding an online component does not necessarily meet the threshold of blended learning as defined here”. Blended learning should focus on increasing engagement with meaningful learning experiences through carefully planned online activities. This, in my opinion, is easier said than done, especially for teachers just starting their career. Throughout my university courses, I had many great experiences where we learned through individual and more importantly collaborative group discussions and projects. This was not my experience in my home country and it took a while to understand and really see the benefits of working with peers. By creating learning communities within courses, students could benefit from the sense of community and the stimulation of higher order thinking which is desirable in higher education.
In the future, I definitely would like to learn more about digital pedagogy and also how, when and which tools/strategies to use to create meaningful learning experiences for my students.
Morris, S. M., & Stommel, J. (2018). An urgency of teachers: The work of critical digital pedagogy. Hybrid Pedagogy.
Vaughan, N. D., Garrison, D. R., & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2013). Teaching in blended learning environments: Creating and sustaining communities of inquiry. AU Press.
August 11, 2021 at 12:29 pm
(the following is a repost of the reply given on the Brightspace thread)
Hey Klaudia, thanks for sharing your thoughts and perspectives on the subjects of transitioning to online learning and the goals of blended learning. In the 2019-2020 school year, I was teaching a grade 1 class when our district transitioned to online learning. While our technology specialists were available to get us started with our transition, it all still felt a bit like a work in progress. I also felt like I went from working as a teacher to being tech support for families. Some families connected with me through email, some through zoom, and others via text. Since our district adheres to FOIPPA guidelines, we can’t use apps like Freshgrade to connect with families. It was a challenging time for sure, which made me curious as to how teachers use blended learning effectively, especially if not all families are tech savvy.
On the subject of blended learning, I like what you wrote, “Blended learning should focus on increasing engagement with meaningful learning experiences through carefully planned online activities. This, in my opinion, is easier said than done, especially for teachers just starting their career.” I feel that teachers and students experience similar challenges when engaging in blended learning, as both try to navigate through the technical issues and the limitations of certain online platforms. Teachers who have experience using different online teaching tools have an edge in this regard but for those who have never used it, the process for setting it all up can be daunting. My hope is that, through experience, I may be able to choose the online teaching tools that suit my teaching style.