Photo by Firmbee.com on Unsplash

Today we did a class meeting via Zoom. I know there can be downfalls to Zoom but I actually really like it. I definitely miss the social aspect of learning but it was nice as a one off. I was able to still focus on the class while also get my daughter to her soccer tournament and I appreciate that aspect!

So in saying that, because I was in my truck at my daughter’s soccer game, I played around with the blurred background image hoping people wouldn’t notice where I was. I didn’t quite work, people were still able to guess I was in a vehicle but it was definitely better than not having that option. I’ll need to go back into Zoom and play around with the different virtual background and see if there is something that may work better next time.

I also didn’t know that you can use Zoom to record and make videos. It makes sense but I just never thought about Zoom in that way. It would obviously really benefit if you had multiple users making a video together but I could also just use Zoom to produce videos on my own.

Another different way to make videos and to store and share information is through YouTube. I have to admit, I’ve never really been a YouTube person. I’ll access some videos if I’m trying to learn about a topic or do some research, but I haven’t used it for much more than that. Today also happened to be the 20th anniversary of Youtube!! I know 20 years sounds like a long time, but it reminds me that technology and educational technology is still pretty new. It’s developing at a rapid pace but we are still learning so much. Michael mentioned having a YouTube profile that maintains a lower profile is also a great way to produce educational videos or a great way to connect and share with your students. We can create a profile that is ‘unlisted’ and it is very accessible at little to no cost. This is something I have never thought about before but I can see the benefits. I’d really like to look into this topic more deeply. I think it’s a great option for someone like me who isn’t very techy but is still looking to be a part of the educational technology world.

Here is the first YouTube video that was uploaded and shared with the world 20 years ago.

Videos made in Zoom and YouTube are a way of building my resource library as a teacher candidate that will help me support and connect with my future learners but I also wanted to think more about digital curation. I currently have just started using Google docs to store and share my work. Before that, I just kept files on my computer and they were somewhat organized but didn’t really allow me to network with other people. What I like most about Google docs is that we can share resources quite easily and I can open these documents and resources from any other computer. It’s not just locked into my own files on my own computer.

With my digital curation, some tips I took away from today’s class was to be intentional, use good names so it’s easier to remember and find things and to get started! Being a networked teacher and having another way to connect with others teachers and students will not only make my life easier but it’s a great form of multi-modal learning and ties into UDL. I need to stop thinking of educational technology as something outside of my scope that I don’t know anything about. It doesn’t need to be complicated and I can use the tools I already know and build from there.

Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash