While I know I am bound to face a multitude of issues and opportunities throughout my teaching career, one of the more obvious ones would be regarding online and/or remote learning, especially as I will be working in a rural school. Many of the students come from impoverished backgrounds. How do I, as a new member of the school community, build the types of connections required for successful learning? Online platforms make connecting with students possible, but these connections still lack the quality that face to face interactions permit. Dr. Jody Carrington states in her book Kids these Days: A Game Plan For (Re)Connecting with Those We Teach, Lead, & Love “In this world of massive technological proficiency, we’ve become increasingly disconnected” (Carrington, 2019). These words ring true to how I have been feeling with this past school year’s transition to online teaching. They force me to consider the quality of the connections I hope to be making in the fall. I understand the importance of face to face interactions and the connection they bring. Unfortunately, we still don’t know at what phase we will be re-entering schools. This may mean that I won’t be given the opportunity to make my first impressions without the use of a digital screen and subsequent technology.
On the plus side of things, I must consider the ways in which this pandemic has allowed me to be flexible and adapt my current practice. While waiting for Dr. Bonnie Henry’s direction I hope to familiarize myself with some of the digital technologies available to help navigate these uncertain times. Doing so will allow me to become more accustomed to our current teaching environment and the ways in which I can foster a love of learning, all while promoting digitally literate students. In being open to trying new things and sharing this learning curve with my students, I can hopefully begin to develop deep and meaningful connections.
Online learning is great in that it allows students a bit of flexibility when it comes to their learning. They can usually work at their own pace and schedule time to complete necessary assignments. Unfortunately, this can also be unfavourable for others who may lack the necessary structure a school setting provides and/or who have limited (if any) access to technology. How can this be remedied? Will the school be able to provide loans? I don’t yet know my students but I can predict that a number of them won’t have access to the internet or a device to keep in regular contact with. I must also consider students with special needs or adaptions. Where do they fit in all of this? Do they have the necessary support at home or will they require additional supports? How will this look? When thinking about the school as a whole I need to understand their current knowledge of the online learning platform. Do they know how to login to their accounts? Do they know how to submit assignments? I would like to think that the majority are tech savvy but I think there is a difference between using technology to socialize and using technology to conduct effective research.
Using the social constructivist pedagogy, I would like to create some form of outline or how-to manual for staff and students that can be used to help users navigate the online learning platform. The idea of learning alongside my students through this unprecedented time allows me to be my authentic self and engage them in something that is relevant now. I consider myself to be a lifelong learner who can acquire a great deal from my students. This shared knowledge will hopefully work to promote strong personal relationships and a guide they can be proud to have contributed to.
Some of the keywords I would use to describe the above-mentioned elements are online/remote learning, building connections, new media, digital technology, digital literacy, digital identities, engagement and the social constructivist pedagogy. These will be the starting point for Part B of my reading assignment. During my research I may need to broaden my understanding of this area of interest. In order to do so I will lean on the keywords: rural school settings, impoverished students, grades 7-12, high schools. Either way, I hope to find information and resources pertaining to the use of digital technologies and the transition to online learning and/or virtual classrooms. This is definitely an area of both interest and concern as we move closer to the start of the school year.
References
Carrington, J. (2019). Kids These Days: A Game Plan For (Re)Connecting With Those We Teach, Lead, & Love (pp. 14). Victoria, BC: FriesenPress.
Sarah's Blog 
This is a strong first post. You are exploring important themes and asking good questions. These will help you with your further reading and research. Blog elements such as labels and multimedia elements such as images further enhanced your post. I look forward to seeing where your learning takes you.
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