This week’s class was fascinating — and tied to my inquiry blog! I loved hearing from our guest speaker about how VISII makes their school inclusive. In fact, one thing Simone said that stood out to me was that inquiry is, in and of itself, inclusive education. What a fascinating thought. It totally makes sense — inquiry can be scaffolded so easily to account for all academic levels, and can be completed and represented in so many different ways. I will definitely keep this in mind as I head into the field. My only question/concern from the presentation was that it seems like this model of education would not translate so well if it were open to all students and had bigger class sizes. Part of what seems to make it so successful, from my perspective, is that it is a bit self-selecting — parents who think their kids will succeed in a less-structured environment sign them up for it. But how well would it translate if put forth as an equally funded alternative to traditional public education? I am curious to hear from my readers about any thoughts they might have on this possible dilemma.
I also really appreciated our discussion on adaptive technology, whether that be voice-to-text, text-to-voice, or speech devices. It is so important that we are not viewing tech as a nice little treat, or a “nice to have”, but a foundational element of making technology accessible for everyone. One tool that was talked about a bit was Continuum — Simone seemed to speak very highly of it as an assessment tool, so I will do some more research into the website.
Finally, the websites shared with us at the end seem amazing! I loved exploring BCEDACCESS and SETBC seem like tremendous resources. It was hard to not just spend the rest of the class time looking at them! I will definitely refer back to them in my practicum.
I wanted to close this post with a quote from my classmate, Rick: “Conversation a human’s most powerful technology”. I have been thinking about this quote ever since the class, and overall, it reminds me that a healthy mix of all learning styles — technology or not — are key to an effective education system.
For this week’s inquiry, I will talking a bit about substance use prevention. and the role that schools. can play in this realm. Growing up, I partook in the D.A.R.E program when I was in grade six, and throughout my middle school years, my teachers would have us do projects about the dangers of substance use. However, it seems that the paradigm has shifted a lot since then. I think a lot of these more traditional programs have proven to not be that effective, and I think it is of grave importance for human services professionals (including teachers) to be aware of best practices considering the toxic drug crisis in B.C.
What DOESN’T work?
Abstinence-based programs don’t really work. Youth do not see this option as especially realistic, and it does not reflect their realities. Further, for youth already struggle with substance use, abstinence may cause further physical health challenges. In fact, programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous — while obviously effective for some people — have a success rate that is often said to be in the low-to-mid single digits.
Moralizing programs don’t work. When drugs are framed as “bad” or “evil”, they do not reach the populations that may most need this education. Yes, it will work for some, but many will write them off as being dramatic or unrealistic.
Police-centred programs, while prominent, are not always the most effective path. Police officers are sometimes not trained in best practices of substance use and may not have the time or resources to deliver the most effective programming by themselves. Instead, schools and teachers should consider a partnership wherein a police officer, if they must be involved, are supported by other professional mental health practitioners.
A better way forward
Programs should be integrated into “real life” experiences; This means teaching substance use not as a standalone subject, but alongside other social skills curricula. As well, programs should be tailored to the specific community and students that they are being delivered to. Every group has different needs, and substance use programs should consider this idea.
Practitioners running these programs should consider offering “Booster sessions”; That is, don’t make substance use awareness programs a “one and done” event. Instead, they could be run at different times throughout the year and meet needs as they come up.
Substance use prevention programs should be family-centred, and education should be provided to parents and guardians as well as youth. Family therapy programs and/or family-based CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) programs have also proven to be highly effective when supporting youth with substance use challenges.
What I found both interesting and kind of concerning through my learning this week was that there is not really a one-size-fits-all approach to substance use programming. Therefore, it is important to focus on some big-picture principles: Cultural competence, understanding your demographics, and understanding the risk factors associated with substance use (familial conflict, racism, poverty, etc.). If I ever design a program like this, or bring one into my classroom, I will ensure that it is community-focused, focused on the youth in their family contexts, and integrated alongside broader social skill development. I will ensure that additional learning is available, as necessary.
I am curious if any of my peers have ever done the D.A.R.E program (or anything similar) and what their thoughts on it were if so.
I do not consider myself to be a science guy. Whenever I see terminology about biology, or chemistry, or anything associated with these topics, I tend to see that as my time to tap out. I think it’s a combination of finding these topics to be challenging to grasp, and a general disinterest in science during my time in the public school system. However, the one area I have always found interesting is the neuroscience of trauma, and how trauma impacts the body and the brain. So, this week, I wanted to delve a bit further into the topic!
The HPA Axis
The HPA axis — in fancier terms, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis — is the stress-response centre of the body. The hypothalamus detects stressful situations, sends a signal to the pituitary gland, which then sends another message to the pituitary gland, which releases cortisol (a hormone produced to help handle stress). Chronic activation of the HPA axis (and the sympathetic nervous system, which controls blood flow and heart rate) can wear down mental and physical health over time.
This is a great video I watched explaining the HPA axis:
The “Alarm System”
Together, two parts of the brain — the amygdala and the dACC — work together as a sort of “alarm system” for threat detection.
Amygdala — The amygdala helps identify when something is scary or threatening, and triggers the stress responses in the other parts of the body (i.e. the HPA or the prefrontal cortex).
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex (dACC) — The dACC helps control how we respond to the threats detected by the amygdala.
Toxic Stress
Toxic stress occurs when children experienced prolonged stressful situations, often without the support of comforting adult relationships. Toxic stress can lead to the overproduction of adrenaline (through the sympathetic nervous system) and cortisol (through the HPA axis) can lower the threshold for stress response activation. When a child, particularly in their early years, experiences toxic stress, the neural connections that control fear, anxiety, and impulsivity are strengthened (meaning a child will be more anxious and fearful), while those controlling planning, control, and reasoning are weakened.
Excessive cortisol can damage the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for learning, memory, and stress-regulation. As such, when children and youth experience traumatic events over an extended period of time, they are more likely to have learning and self-regulation challenges.
What Can We Do?
As teachers, we can only do so much to control the toxic stress of our students. Trauma often happens within the home, and so this responsibility lies with both caregivers and higher-level decision makers who help create the conditions that lead to toxic stress (i.e. through poverty or lack of access to mental health services). However, it is nonetheless important for us to recognize the impact that our actions have on our students neurophysiological well-being.
Teachers have the opportunity to provide comforting, consistent relationships that can, to some extent, help reverse the impacts of chronic stress on the hippocampus.
Providing ample opportunity for free exploration and social play can serve as a protective factor against the effects of complex trauma and can, to a degree, reverse its impacts.
Calm teacher-student relationships are proven to be predictive of lower stress hormones in the early years, particularly for those who are temperamentally shy.
Wow, another post where a part two may be in order! There is so much to unpack. I am curious about everyone else’s experience with working with youth with trauma and from my more science-inclined peers, if there any other interesting concepts I should look into!
I think this may have been my favourite class yet! I have obviously heard so much about AI and ChatGPT (and all their wacky variants), but had not actually spent that much time researching or using these tools. I had so much fun playing with AI tools, and decided to use ChatGPT to create paragraphs about the topics that caught my interest this week. I appreciated having the opportunity to learn about these important tools, and had a great time doing it! I have included my prompts below:
Prompt: Write a paragraph explaining the difference between generative and predictive AI
Generative AI and predictive AI are two different approaches in artificial intelligence. Generative AI focuses on creating new data or content, such as images, text, or music, based on patterns it has learned from a dataset. This type of AI is often used in creative applications, like generating realistic images from textual descriptions or composing music. On the other hand, predictive AI aims to forecast future outcomes or behaviors based on historical data. It analyzes patterns in the data to make predictions about what is likely to happen next, such as forecasting stock prices, predicting customer behavior, or diagnosing medical conditions. While generative AI creates new content, predictive AI focuses on forecasting future events or behaviors.
Prompt: Write a paragraph about the Miro whiteboard tool
Miro is a versatile online whiteboard tool designed for collaboration and visualization. It offers a digital canvas where teams can collaborate in real-time, regardless of their physical location. With Miro, users can create and share various types of content, including sticky notes, drawings, diagrams, and images, making it ideal for brainstorming sessions, project planning, and remote meetings. Its intuitive interface allows for easy organization and customization of content, with features like drag-and-drop functionality and infinite canvas space. Miro also integrates with popular collaboration tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Drive, enhancing its usability within existing workflows. Overall, Miro facilitates seamless collaboration and ideation, empowering teams to work together effectively and creatively in both remote and in-person settings.
Prompt: Write a paragraph about the difference between computer generated and computer assisted AI
The distinction between computer-generated AI and computer-assisted AI lies in the level of autonomy and involvement of human input. Computer-generated AI refers to systems where artificial intelligence operates independently to generate outcomes or content without direct human intervention once it has been programmed and trained. These systems rely on algorithms and data to make decisions or produce outputs, such as generating images, texts, or music. Conversely, computer-assisted AI involves human input in conjunction with AI algorithms to enhance or streamline tasks. In this approach, humans and AI work together, with AI providing suggestions, predictions, or automated assistance to augment human decision-making or productivity. Examples include AI-powered recommendation systems in e-commerce or AI-driven tools aiding in medical diagnoses. While both types leverage AI technology, computer-generated AI operates autonomously, while computer-assisted AI integrates human input to enhance performance and accuracy.
Prompt: Write a paragraph about the company Timely Grader and then another about the pros and cons of AI doing grading
Timely Grader is an emerging educational technology company dedicated to transforming the grading experience for educators. With a focus on efficiency and accuracy, Timely Grader provides innovative AI-powered solutions designed to streamline grading processes and enhance educational outcomes. Their platform leverages advanced algorithms to automate grading tasks, allowing teachers to save time and focus on delivering personalized feedback to students. By offering intuitive interfaces and customizable features, Timely Grader empowers educators to efficiently manage grading workflows while providing meaningful insights into student performance.
AI grading systems offer several advantages in terms of efficiency, consistency, and scalability. Firstly, AI can process and evaluate large volumes of assignments rapidly, saving educators significant time and effort. Additionally, AI grading ensures consistency in evaluation, eliminating human bias and providing fair and objective feedback to students. Furthermore, AI grading systems can scale effortlessly to accommodate increasing numbers of students or assessments. However, there are also notable drawbacks to AI grading. One concern is the potential for inaccuracies or errors in the evaluation process, particularly with assignments that require subjective judgment or contextual understanding. Moreover, some critics argue that AI grading lacks the nuance and depth of human feedback, potentially limiting students’ learning experiences. Additionally, there are ethical considerations regarding student data privacy and the transparency of AI algorithms in grading practices. Despite these challenges, AI grading systems continue to evolve, offering promising opportunities to enhance educational efficiency and effectiveness while addressing potential concerns through ongoing refinement and ethical considerations.
Wow, that was efficient! I wanted to finish off this blog post by showcasing some art of my friends from class that I made on craiyon.com — while the quality is highly questionable on this website, it sure was fun! I also enjoyed making my picture on Canvas (see the top of the post), but it was much more time consuming. I am curious what people think of my digital art and what tools they have used to make such products themselves!
Happy reading break to all my loyal readers!
Markus
HannahTeganSilverAnnetteSineadMax
Attribution (not sure if this is correct): craiyon.com, created by Markus Meyer (me)(
Okay, now that I see how my Obsidian talk translated to pdf, I am officially a fan! That looks way nicer than I anticipated! I will continue to explore this fascinating tool, and I am curious if anyone else tried it out in class! Also, please let me know if anyone is interested in formally joining my Professional Learning Network!
This rang so true for me. The internet these days is so vast. It provides both a lot of opportunity, and a lot of danger for us as educators. In fact, after today, I would say mostly danger — or at least more danger than I had thought.
I found it interesting that the speaker told us that addiction had to include being willing to commit a crime when refuting that social media can be addicting. This is not my understanding, after taking some coursework in addictions, and it does not appear to be reflected in the DSM-5. In fact, after a quick search, I cannot seem to find any evidence for this statement (albeit, my search was not totally comprehensive). This does not seem like the type of statement to be throwing around lightly. Not everyone who has an addiction, in my experience, is willing to commit a crime to sustain it. I feel like there were ways to push back on social media addictions without speaking in a way that, at best, stretches what addiction actually is.
It also doesn’t seem all that fair to me that our personal social media are under such scrutiny. Not that I don’t get it. We are entrusted with young people, the most vulnerable population in our society. But it seems a bit absurd that we need to be so on guard all the time, just because some parents are unreasonable. Yes, we obviously shouldn’t put our class pictures on Tinder, but you can’t hold a beer in an Instagram photo? Really? We’re professionals, not children, and it’s completely unreasonable in my view that 1. Our districts/admin would feel the need to babysit us to this extent and 2. That any parent would be upset that a fully grown adult shared a picture with a glass of wine. If it’s not on the job, it shouldn’t be a problem. Is the Prime Minister even held to such a standard? I am obviously not advocating for teachers to post photos getting smashed, but I think there are limits, and it just seems like part of the message was “Your only identity is as a teacher, and if you want to share any other part of yourself online, you are walking the thinnest possible line'”. This is not at all an indictment of the speaker, but rather the way our society views teachers as needing to be 100% all in on their work at all times.
From Amazon.ca
I appreciated him raising the point that when you take phones, we’re then in charge of thousands of dollars of personal property. That’s a good point, and one we should carefully consider as teachers. I know I don’t want to open myself up to this kind of liability, so if I need to enforce phone policies, I am going to want to be very careful about how I do so. I wonder how tools such as cellphone holders (see above) fit into this discussion.
Finally, I appreciated him talking (and warning) about LinkedIn. I am slightly familiar with it, but appreciated him explaining that it can be both useful and extremely fluffy and misleading.
This was definitely a highly engaging and useful presentation, and I appreciated the wisdom! I would be curious what other people think about classroom cellphone policies or if they see social media as addicting or not. Thank you to my loyal readers!
February 6, 2024 Update: Screen recording completed!
After a bit of time not remembering to complete it, I have finally completed my screen recording! I used the app Screenplay on my phone that was recommended to us, and honestly, it was pretty straightforward. I simply downloaded the app, created an account quickly (through my Apple account), and hit the record button. The only part that tripped me up a bit was trying to upload. It did not appear to let me simply download a video file; instead, it is making me link to Screenplay and have people watch my video from there. This is not a big deal, but it was a bit different than I expected. Maybe this process would go differently if I paid for the premium version. Overall, a nice experience (and very similar to just screen recording on an iPhone)!
My video is not that exciting — I mostly just wanted to try it out. You will see me visit my blog and play a bit of my favourite daily puzzle game, Puckdoku! You can find my screencast here.
As teachers, we will encounter students from all walks of life and who exist in diverse circumstances with unique challenges. As such, for my inquiry, I wanted to hone in on some specific conditions that children may face, and for my second inquiry blog post, I wanted to focus on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). FASD is a complex condition that is amplified by a variety of contextual factors, and teachers need to be aware of its multifaceted nature.
What is FASD?
In simple terms, FASD occurs in children when their birthing parent drank alcohol during pregnancy, resulting in physical and neurological damage to a child’s brain. While they are sometimes (inaccurately) used interchangeably, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) refers to a specific subtype of FASD and is the most common variant, affecting roughly 1% of the Canadian population according to a 2014 report by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Effects of FASD
Early alcohol exposure can cause advanced cell death, causing a fetus to develop abnormally. Further, alcohol can disrupt the development, movement, and function of nerve cells, and also constricts blood vessels, interfering with blood flow the placenta and hindering the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to a fetus. More broadly, FASD can lead to learning disabilities, challenges with executive functioning from prefrontal cortex damage, and disruption to biological functions.
Students with FASD often poor fine motor skills, leading them to have weaker hand strength and struggle with tasks such as grasping a pencil. Students with FASD may also struggle with receptive and expressive language (processing information and delivering information).
While heavier drink correlates to increased risk of FASD, even light drinking during pregnancy can lead to future behaviour and cognitive challenges.
Photo by FASD Network on Facebook.
Controversies and Current Issues
FASD is often said to be completely preventable, but this is ultimately an oversimplification of the issue. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy often stems from overlapping societal barriers, such as poverty, racism, and domestic violence. When human services professionals (including teachers) see FASD as the problem of an individual parent, they are less likely to reach out for help, and in fact may even actively avoid any assessment or supports related to FASD out of shame.
To make matters even more complicated, birthing parents are most vulnerable to FASD in the early weeks of pregnancy — meaning they may drink alcohol before they are even aware that they are pregnant. Therefore, to put the blame on the parent for being careless is, in some cases, not even accurate.
The BC Representative for Children and Youth also notes that Indigenous children and youth are more likely to be screened for FASD due to stereotypes around Indigenous people and alcohol. Professionals responsible for diagnosing FASD should thus be careful that they are grounding their assessments in observation rather than biases and racism.
Best Practices in Schools
Students with FASD may not always feel included in traditional school environments due to their challenges in information processing, grasping cause-and-effect, and understanding abstract concepts.
Students with FASD and their families are also often not eligible for the same government supports that people with other disabilities are, and the bureaucratic processes involved in securing non-profit support are often burdensome. Schools thus provide a unique opportunity to provide the supports that these students may not receive elsewhere in the community.
Teachers should be sure to use simple language and avoid abstractions when speaking. Instructions should be straightforward and perhaps delivered across multiple mediums (i.e. orally and written down). As well, teachers should give extra time for students with FASD to complete writing activities, as writing can be a challenging motor process for these students.
Memory can be impacted by FASD, and as such, teachers should be sure to integrate tools such as visual schedules, online calendars, and reminder tools (digitally or physically) to help students remember deadlines.
Relevant Links and Sources
Below, I have included an example of an FASD screening tool. While this is definitely not a perfect assessment tool, in my estimation, I think it is good for teachers to be aware of the type of tools used by service providers in BC.
I am curious to know if anyone has experience working with kids with FASD, and if so what those experiences are like. There was so much to unpack here that I may need a part two at some point!
Another interesting week of tech in week three! This week, I appreciated learning about ways that we can explicitly incorporate tech into our classrooms and our lessons. This week, I wanted to reflect on the pros and cons of flipped classrooms and online/self-paced learning more broadly.
I have thought and heard about this topic, and have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I can see how it may be beneficial for some students. I can see how some students would learn better at their own pace, particularly high school students. At the same time, I can see it being a total disaster for other students. I have worked with a number of students who have done online learning either through COVID, through summer classes, or just to get ahead of their classmates. I have never seen it work particularly well. Most of the online learning courses I have seen (largely high school level) involve a YouTube video of sorts, a guided notes sheet, and little else. The role of the teacher is nothing more than a marker and someone who responds to the occasional email. To be frank, I am not even sure what the role of the teacher is in many of the courses. It doesn’t even appear that you need to have any content or pedagogical expertise to run these courses, as long as you can cross-reference an answer key. I feel the same way about many (all?) of the online courses I had to take at UVIC during COVID. When a course consists of PowerPoints labeled “Fall 2017” that you have to read over by yourself, I start to question what the point of the course is and why it costs hundreds of dollars a person to pay an instructor to upload years-old, reused documents.
However, this week’s class kind of opened my eyes to a better way of doing flipped classrooms/online learning. The content on Live It Earth was engaging, different, and clearly had some thought put into it. The content went beyond “read this thing and make a 250 word forum post on this thing that no one wants to read and then make a fluffy, pointless response about how great another person’s response was”. There were actual hands-on activities, engaging video content, and enough choice for students to pick what they were passionate about. I think that this model is so much more what we should be doing within our education system, and it seems to harness the dynamism of technology towards a more robust, student-centred view of learning.
Anyways, that was a bit of a rant, but my broader point is that online learning has extraordinary potential to make education more accessible, flexible, and engaging, and that the way we currently see it executed by school districts and post-secondary institutions borders on completely useless. In some cases, I have seen students regress after a year of online school. However, this week gives me a bit of hope that there are people out there doing good work to change the way we see online education and what it can be. I can only hope our institutions and decision-makers follow suit. I would be curious to hear what other people’s experiences are with online learning and what worked well and what didn’t!
This week, I appreciated learning about privacy, its importance for us as educators, and how we can effectively integrate it into our lessons with students. I enjoyed (and was maybe a bit concerned?) by learning about how fast and loose most of us are with privacy. I know I sure am, particularly in some of the areas we talked about, such as “Terms and Conditions; Didn’t Read” and the “Have I Been Pwned” (I was pwned) check. Another area I was fascinated by was the guest speaker talking about how paper records, despite seeming more secure, are not necessarily a safer option for record keeping. I, like some of my classmates, thought that paper would be more inconvenient but nonetheless safer. I appreciated Ken explaining some of the privacy drawbacks of paper records and I will keep some of his suggestions (i.e. being careful about shredding confidential documents) in mind as I move into teaching practice. Below is a video that also connects to my inquiry (Inclusive Education): Best privacy practices for writing IEPs:
I think doing a lesson on privacy on a classroom would be an interesting challenge, as all the students would come in with different levels of technological experience. You may have to start at a lower-level of complexity to ensure that it is accessible to all students. For instance, some students may use computers all the time for fun and others may not even access to technology in their household. If I were to do a lesson on privacy, I would be sure to keep scaffolding in mind.
I am curious what my classmates think would be the best way to teach privacy in classrooms or if they had any experience with it in their own schooling!
I knew from the outset that I wanted to do something related to Inclusive Education. It is where my interests lie in the field, and I completed my undergrad in a related discipline (Child and Youth Care). While I feel I have a strong foundation in my knowledge in Inclusive Education, there are a range of topics that I knew I would want to explore more deeply.
Step 2: Deepening
After I decided on my general area of interest, I brainstormed a list of topics I may be interested in exploring further. I created a Google doc with a list of sub-areas that I was interested in learning more about to try and narrow down my focus.
Step 3: Refining
After I brainstormed some ideas, I got to work refining my topics. I thought that maybe I would focus on a specific intervention or assessment tool, or perhaps a specific demographic (i.e. students with physical disabilities, anxiety, etc); however, after meeting with Andrew, I decided that I would go with a series of “mini inquiries” and go for more breadth within my inquiry.
Step 4: Planning
After having settled on a course of action, I decided on a handful of key themes that I will explore throughout this blog, while also telling myself that I will not be afraid of going down different rabbit holes if I feel inclined t do so.
What Is Inclusive Education?
So, to begin, my inquiry blog, I thought it would be a good idea to explore the idea of what Inclusive Education is, exactly.
Inclusive Education, at its core, is the idea that all students deserve to be included in their schools and classroom — regardless of ability, gender, race, or any other variable. Inclusive education involves providing support for all students, particularly those who have traditionally been marginalized by the education system and by the government and culture more broadly. This group may include Indigenous students, students with intellectual disabilities, students with physical disabilities, students who are not English speakers, or students who have been impacted by trauma. When these students are segregated into separate classrooms or schools, they do not have the opportunity to develop friendships or a sense of belonging in their community.
Since the 1950s, B.C. has taken steps towards inclusive classrooms. The 1970s and 1980s saw moves away from segregated schools towards segregated classrooms within “mainstream” schools. Over the past three decades, moves have been made towards an in-classroom inclusion model, wherein services are provided within a student’s classroom and school.
B.C. Ministry of Education policy promotes the idea that students with exceptionalities/special needs should be fully-included members of their class and school communities. This Ministry policy is denoted throughout the BC Ministry of Education Special Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures and Guidelines. B.C.’s competency-focused curriculum offers teachers a unique opportunity to adapt their instruction to all learners. Unlike other jurisdictions, which may offer a more prescribed, content-focused curriculum, B.C.’s is uniquely suited to inclusion. As such, it is especially important for B.C. teachers to be knowledgeable of inclusive practices.
What will be covered in this toolkit?
Throughout this inquiry project, I am planning to explore various topics related to inclusion. They may range from specific conditions, to interventions, to classroom procedures. Some ideas I am thinking of writing about include:
Supporting students with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
Setting up a Life Skills classroom
Group work in inclusive education
I plan to choose topics that I do not know much about or that I have learned about on a surface level. I hope that this blog can become a resource for my future teaching practice and that others may get some use out of it!
