The Forever Learner

  What I am most excited about as I continue through this course, is that I really feel like I will have a wonderful repertoire of resources that I can access to support my teaching. As an LTO and a fairly new teacher, I have had such a hard time with being able to provide meaningful learning opportunities that have a variety of resources available because I have had to "survive as I go". I hope that through the remainder of the course I am able to organize the resources I have gained to help me throughout the school year. I didn't feel well prepared from my teachers college experience, especially in terms of concrete and applicable resources, so I feel like I am always looking for more. This course has helped me see that there is an abundance of tools that are ready to use, I just needed the time to explore! Excited to see where we go next!

  As I wrap up LE2, I really feel that this learning experience has given me concrete materials to implement. I also found the integration of diverse ways to share and acknowledge learning exciting and enjoyable. I love a good GIF, so being able to respond to other learners with them, and seeing their responses has been entertaining! Mindfulness We spoke about mindfulness which is something I already incorporate into my classrooms, but want to continue and adjust for the future. I really enjoyed the variety of ideas provided in the resources that we were given: 8 Mindfulness Activities 51 Mindfulness Exercises Gamification & Game-Based Learning I really enjoyed learning about the incorporation of game-like elements to learning, as well as the integration of learning through games that address curriculum needs. I am always looking for more resources and ways to teach through games, as I find that it is a way many of our students enjoy learning, I once took the time to create a m...

  The topic of coding makes me nervous because I am not fluent in understanding how it works, and have had very little experience with it. My goal for this summer is to find additional resources to support me and implement them in a seamless manner with my lessons. Scratch I have started exploring scratch and find it quite interesting. I know my students have had prior experience with scratch and other coding resources, so I usually lean into that, as well as my teaching partners around me.  I would be doing my students a disservice if I was not actively attempting to provide meaningful lessons that supported their curiosity for coding, especially after learning about how it increases abstract problem-solving and out of the box thinking for students. 

  During our first week of learning, we came across many familiar topics and concepts such as: inclusivity for all, culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy, equity vs equality, etc, However, I came to learn about some new ideas which I had never really questioned - BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and the importance of digital literacy. Our students are growing up in a predominantly digital society, despite a large group of them not having access to digital technology at home. On top of technology, the simple fact that paying for quality wifi is a privilege not many can share. This divide is something we as educators need to help diminish so that our students are equipped with the necessary tools to stay competitive in their future endeavours. A few things I will keep in mind for my future classrooms are: create space for community and connection make sure students feel represented and reflected in the curriculum and their surroundings provide diverse supports to meet unique studen...

 Before the course... I had a lot of nerves before the start of this course. The last time I had done an AQ was during online teaching in 2021. I was doing my ABQ for intermediate physical education and health in order to teach grade 7 and 8. Teaching online and then doing a course online was something I promised myself I would never do again. 3 years later, and I decided it was time to go back to AQs, but this time, during the summer. I was nervous to get back into being a student, but as I am nearing the middle of the course, I've been reminded of how much I actually enjoy learning and being the student.