Online Teaching and Beyond the Obstacles

 After being diagnosed with a severe medical condition late last year, I found myself homebound and filled with uncertainty of how I would move forward after this obstacle was thrown at me. 

I couldn't hold a full time job teaching and I even needed to take a break from tutoring. I wasn't sure whereto go or what to do. I knew I enjoyed teaching and learning but I didn't want to go back to the classroom. 

I wanted to do something different but still tied into the educational world. l started with registering for a non-degree program in online teaching, but I'm looking forward to dipping into the instructional design side of the ISLT FSU program. 

EME6414 was my first class and I'm really looking forward to this fall when I can dive even deeper into this awesome field. The possibilities are endless and the obstacles won't stop me. 

Personal Learning Network and 10 Reasons Why a Teacher Needs a PLN

 I had fun looking more critically at my professional PLN. This was the chart I created to capture my Instructional Design PLN. In my paper, I talked about needing to focus my network a little bit more specifically to my needs. But right now it's ok that it's a ton of information because I don't know what I want to do with my FSU ISLT degree yet. 

A quote from my paper, "Overall, I will need to be less of lurker and more of an active participant to make sure that the PLN is valuable to my learning experiences. To better manage the wealth of information, I will become more active in the FB groups and Twitter and probably pull back on the other parts of my PLN (only checking in a every few weeks).

I will definitely continue to utilize my PLN for professional and personal development. As I begin to decide which way I will go with my education in the ISLT program, I will focus more on a specific aspect (K-12, higher ed, corporate, etc) of the discipline." 

Source:https://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/10-reasons-every-teacher-needs-professional-learning-network/

Vintage Social Media

 The internet and Web2.0 tools have come so far in the past 25 years (around the time I started using these tools in middle school). I remember putting an Oregon Trail floppy disk into an Apple Computer and instantly begin playing the game. (Man, the game was great, wasn't?) I seemed to always die from dysentery though 😂. 

But before computers became available to the general public, we still had ways of connecting. I love this meme because it highlights the human need to organize our thoughts and ideas into different areas of the brain. The brain loves patterns and routines. Social Media has helped a lot with this process, but has it ended up hurting us or helping. Procrastination and information overload often happen with social media. I know it does for me! 

Here's a link to an article about ways to organize your brain to increase your productivity. 

5 ways to organize your mind for maximum productivity

Now back to the original meme about vintage social media. Some individuals refuse to use some or even all of the Web 2.0 world to help with organization. I just recently did away with a paper calendar. I had to spend a year or so writing dates in both the calendar and my google calendar to make sure I wasn't missing anything. And of course we know that calling people for a chat can sometimes be so much easier than a video chat. I seem to use this type of call (no video/no texting) with older family members. 

Are there any things you have decided to keep vintage in your day to day life? 

Digital Citizenship

                                                                                     

According to Wikipedia, "A large part in being a responsible digital citizen encompasses digital literacy, etiquitte, online safety, and an acknowledgement of private versus public information." 

I believe parents and educators are responsible for teaching new generations on how to become a responsible digital produser. As a kid of the 90s, the internet was a fascinating new thing to 'play' with. We didn't really think about future repercussions of our actions online. As time went on and social media with the posting of pictures and opinions became more prevalent, the idea of a digital footprint being permanent became an integral part of using the web. 

A decade later, and we start to learn that when looking for a job, companies are hiring new employees will look at applicants' social media for inappropriate representation. Now, it also goes the other way. Companies will search to determine who you are online and does it match up to their needs. They want to see that you have an online presence and are active within different settings. 

According to a Business News Daily article, "About half of employers – 47% – said they wouldn't call a person for an interview if they can't find them online. More than one-quarter of employers say it's because they like to gather more information before calling a candidate, and 20% say it's because they expect candidates to have an online presence. "Whether it's intentional or not, this [not having a profile] always feels like you have something to hide," said Sims. "Either you've specifically taken steps to make sure you can't be found or you're using a childish byname – neither of which feels very professional." (Driver 2020)

Driver also reports, 

While they might not be searching for anything negative, more than half of the employers who were surveyed (57%) said they found something during their social screenings that led them to not hire someone.

According to the survey, these are the leading types of posts and behavior that left employers with a bad impression:

1. Job candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs, videos or information: 40%
2. Job candidate posted information about them drinking or using drugs: 36%
3. Job candidate had discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, etc.: 31%
4. Job candidate was linked to criminal behavior: 30%
5. Job candidate lied about their qualifications: 27%
6. Job candidate had poor communication skills: 27%
7. Job candidate bad-mouthed their previous company or fellow employees: 25%
8. Job candidate's screen name was unprofessional: 22%
9. Job candidate shared confidential information from previous employers: 20%
10. Job candidate lied about an absence: 16%
11. Job candidate posted too frequently: 12%

So how do we avoid these faux pas? We go back to teaching digital citizenship skills from the beginning. Although somewhat a sidebar to citizenship, I've started talking about online safety on the internet (even though he doesn't access it yet). He will officially start his digital education in kindergarten starting in August. 👍

Resources: 

"Digital Citizen".Wikipedia. July, 18 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_citizen

Driver, Saige. "Keep It Clean: Social Media Screening Gain in Popularity". March 23, 2020. https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/2377-social-media-hiring.html

Unplugged in the Mountains Part II

 

As mentioned in my previous post, my cell phone was toast after dropping it down the stairs during our first night stay at our vacation cabin. It was time to assess the damages. Keep in mind, it was a Friday night when I dropped it. Saturday morning we met with someone at a repair shop and the news wasn't terrible but it wasn't pleasant. The screen could be replaced, but since my phone was relatively new (Samsung Note 20) a new screen was insanely expensive. Plus it wasn't in stock and had to be ordered from the manufacturer. No phone until at least Wednesday and that would be if everything worked out. I tried to log onto my school accounts from my husband's computer. I like to auto save my passwords on Chrome (I know, I know, not very secure). So there was nothing saved on my husband's computer, and I went to reset my password. What was needed to do that? A Duo push to my cellphone! AHHHH! The frustration set in and I was grumpy for the rest of the day.

On Sunday, I wasn't grumpy, but I started to feel an almost withdrawal like emotion. I kept feeling my brain push me to check my phone. At bedtime, I looked for my phone around the cabin for five minutes before my husband reminded me that I didn't have a phone. The symptoms got worse as I tried to fall asleep. I usually avoid most social media when I am in bed, but I do listen to audio books or read on my kindle app. And then I use a white noise app. None of these were available to me and it made it possible for some insomnia to creep in. Awesome. 

Monday had it's ups and downs. We were scheduled to spend the whole day at a local theme park. I was kept busy focusing on my family and having fun. What really started to irritate me was not being able to pull out my phone to snap a photo. I had to ask my husband to pull his phone out of his pocket so I could take a pic. It got annoying quickly and I soon put it out of my mind. 

Luckily there was a professional taking photos on Tuesday when we went white water rafting.(I'm in the pink hat.)

My phone was repaired and ready to be picked up on Wednesday. I immediately opened up social media apps and texts. Wednesday was waterpark day, so I didn't even bring my phone. 

By Thursday, I brought my phone with me, but only brought it once to look up directions. 

On our drive home, I increased my usage more, but was also aware of how much I was picking my phone up. We also didn't have a lot of signal during our trip down the mountains. 

What did I learn from all of this? Well, I definitely have cell phone addiction. It is definitely a physical addiction that can be felt in the brain and body when it is discontinued. But I also learned how much more I could be engaged in the moment. Although our trip is not captured in a ton of pictures like most vacations are, I have the beautiful memories in my head. I survived the mountains unplugged!

Unplugged in the Mountains

 

Our little family decided to take a trip to Smoky Mountain National Park. We rented a beautiful log cabin. 

I'm not sure about you, but I drop my phone ALL the time. With use of a protector, I never break it. Not this time. My first time down the wooden stairs, it slipped out of my hands and shattered the screen. After picking it up, I just stared at it like it would magically fix itself. I turned it on to see only the top quarter of the screen was visible. The phone was a goner. Was there a cellphone repair shop in the mountains? Was my phone even repairable? How would I get my school work done? Stay tuned for the answers in my next post. 

Where will ISLT lead me?

According to Florida State University, the ISLT program is described as, "FSU offers a master of science in instructional systems and learning technologies through its College of Education. The program explores the collective impact of communications, psychology, and management on human performance.

This master's program may appeal to K-12 and postsecondary educators, HR specialists, educational technology coordinators, and instructional designers. The curriculum emphasizes emerging technologies, instructional design, and performance improvement. The program culminates in an internship and a professional portfolio."

When I applied to grad school for the 2nd time again, I wanted to do something different than just an additional teaching endorsement. I knew (due to medical issues), I would be spending a lot of time teaching online. And that's when I stumbled across FSU and their ISLT program.

I've been telling friends and family that I'm starting with a certificate in Online Teaching (15 ISLT credit hours) and will go from there. But where will I go? 

I'm considering creating my own tutoring business. I'm curious about corporate instructional design. I've never been out of the education sector. I also have an interest in working for educational publishing companies. 

We've had some good discussions in class about how we found out about the ISLT program. But where do you want go after you finish the program? The opportunities seem so diverse! (BTW...I love David)