A new educator's first foray into modern media

Category: Privacy & Safety

Google for Education

Google Educating Educators on Google for Education

What?

Yep, today in EdTech we explored how to use Google applications for education, via the Google for Education training on the Teacher Centre. I was introduced to two things: 1) just how recursive Google and its subsidiaries are in terms of their self-advertisement and 2) you can use Google for everything, if you want. I use Google Drive and Hangouts, and I foresee myself using Google Classrooms once I start teaching. I have my own organization methods outside of Google Calendar, but I’ve used Calendar and Tasks with OneNote at a previous job. If everything in my life were run on Google, which is clearly what Google wants, then this might be a good organization tool, as well as a way to collaborate and keep track of students’ tasks.

Google wants to (help you) run your life.

But my entire life is not on Google, nor do I wish it to be. And, more importantly, nor do I wish my students’ lives to be wrapped up in Google exclusively. Students using other platforms may have other systems, and I would rather encourage my students to find their own (more secure) way to organize themselves and communicate/collaborate with their peers. The Google-world idea makes sense in perhaps a rural school or a correspondence school, such as SIDES. This does not, however, remove the issue of privacy and the fact that Google does not store its data in Canada. That means that if even one student does not get permission for data sharing, that student will be excluded from class activities and collaborations taking place on the Google platform.

My verdict? From the training that I managed to get through, I think I have a good working knowledge of how to use the Google applications that I already use.  I have slowly learned to use a number of these applications on my own, and if I am interested in using more, I’ll learn it the same way. I am technologically literate enough that, rather than a training course, I can look up or learn by exploring about other tools or uses for Google that I feel the need to add to my toolbox.

Persona, Permissions, and Publicity – oh my!

In EdTech this week, we had a guest lecture from Jesse Miller regarding online security, digital consent, and teaching networked citizenship. I learned a lot about both the letter and the spirit of the laws that apply to online behaviour, both as a teacher and as a member of the general public. I’m pleased to hear that laws are catching up to the 21st century in terms of updating definitions and generalizing consent, slander, and privacy to apply to the reality that nowadays, everyone has a ‘digital’ persona. Yes, even you, Aunt Mildred (who doesn’t have social media but pays her MSP bill online). The online ‘version’ of a person should have the same rights as the physical version.

I have been reticent to join social media in earnest, but I have to confess that it has nothing to do with concern for my privacy. Instead, my aversion to social media stems from my communication preferences.  I am one of those people that would rather enjoy a moment for myself than to photograph and share it. I am one of those people that like to share my experiences with those who might be interested in person, instead of Tweeting about the things I do, see, and accomplish. This is not to say that I’m not strongly outspoken, opinionated, and proud of my experiences and accomplishments. I have simply never understood the urge to shout opinions, information, and ‘humble brags’ into a void, hoping the right people will find that digital message-bottle and resonate with it.  That sounds exhausting!

 

I have spent a lot of time in the past year thinking that in order to be an effective educator and successful professional, I need to have a ‘professional social media presence’. I was gearing up to go against my basic programming and get a Twitter/Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok/whatever else account and learn how to use them to further my career. For those who have the energy to do this (or grew up with it being a reality), I think social media can be an amazing tool. But the more I learn about the frankly archaic and seemingly absurd standards that teachers are held to, and the more I hear about permissions and digital consent, the more I confirm for myself that trying to build an online persona is just not worth my time at this stage of the game. For me, the term ‘professional social media’ is a bare step above an oxymoron. I’m going to have to spend some time this weekend curating my Facebook page, so that I can still use that platform to host events and connect with friends from my past.

But as for the rest? Actually, no thank you. I’m good.

Hoop Check-In – Week 1

This week I had my first couple of aerial classes after 4 weeks. This is the reality of aerial arts: it hurts. Hanging from a solid piece of metal by a single body part does not feel good; bruises, scrapes, rub marks, and burns are going to happen. You can train yourself to ignore the pain, and you develop calluses on some areas, but part of the art is embracing and accepting the pain. Over the last four weeks, I’ve lost most of my calluses and conditioning, as well as my core and upper-body strength. A single-word description for my life right now would be: ‘ouch’.  My check-in video is below:

The Apparatus

I work with a number of different apparatuses in aerial arts, some of which more (or with more skill) than others. Here is a brief intro to each of them, in case you’re curious.

Lyra Hoop

Photo by Leonard Low on Flickr

A metal hoop that hang from the ceiling, usually able to spin. It can have a single hanging point, which is what I work with, or two hanging points, where it’s suspended on the end of two ropes or silks, like in the video I showed in my last post. The difference is in the way you can work ‘over the hoop’. A double suspension allows you to use the hoop more like a trapeze (below). Pros of hoop: looks cool even if you’re not good at it (especially if you spin it). Cons: It’s a hard, curved metal object digging into every part of your body that rests on it.

Static Trapeze

Photo by Joe Mabel on Wikimedia Commons

As opposed to the flying trapeze, which is what most people think of when they hear the word. The static trapeze doesn’t swing and is usually not done with a partner. You don’t switch between them. It just hangs there, much like the hoop. The trapeze is just a single horizontal bar suspended from two ropes, either connected at the top to form a triangle shape, or connected separately, like a swing set. The one I work with is a triangle. Pros: more versatility and ways to show flexibility and technique. Cons: two words. Rope. Burn.

Aerial Silks

Photo by AerialShowgirls on Wikimedia Commons

Two long strips of stretchy fabric that are both suspended from the ceiling. They are incredibly versatile and can do basically anything you can imagine. Pros: No bruises! And they look absolutely stunning if you can get good at them. Cons: working with them requires a baseline of strength and flexibility. Getting good at them is very tough. And just because they aren’t a hard piece of metal doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt, since you end up trussed up in them and supporting your weight in your ankles or armpits.

Silk Hammock

Photo by jenniferdukedodd on Flickr

The same stretchy fabric, but hanging in a loop. It’s like a combination of all the other apparatuses, in that it’s soft like silks, in a loop like the hoop, but hangs in a triangle, like the trapeze. Pros: versatile, comfortable, and can double as an actual hammock to lie in! Cons: In order to do cool-looking moves, there’s a lot of strength and flexibility required. In other words, everything I can do so far looks unimpressive.

I’ll have another video update – and perhaps an interview with my Flight Instructor – next week!