My Student Blog EDCI 335

The video that I have selected to base this blog post on and which will help me further explain the concept of race to students ranging in the grades K-2 is a video from Sesame Street.  I selected this video based on the simple yet informative description of race that it provides, along with the idea of the students possibly focusing more as it is presented by characters that they may be familiar with. 

Given that the targeted audience for our Interactive Learning Resource is younger children, I assume that they would be most likely to respond to the video through learner-generated discussion.  To help facilitate this, ideally, the educator would split the learners into smaller groups where the discussions can take place, this would allow each student to share their thoughts and opinions, what they learned, and how they would like to further educate themselves on this topic.  After the discussion is completed, the educator could provide a small activity where the learners are asked to write what race means to them and what they learned from the video.  This would engage with learner/learner, learner/content, and learner/self interactions, forcing them to engage with the material, each other, and their own personal thoughts and opinions on the topic. 

I think that the video does a great job of showing that no matter what race somebody is, everyone is equal and should be treated as an equal.  I believe that the video could have done a better, and more in-depth job of explaining what race means instead of just why people are of different races.  Regarding this topic, I believe that some potential barriers may include the learners really grasping the importance of understanding race and what race means.  This video may be of use when it comes to explaining race as it breaks down and helps explain it in a simplified way while using popular children’s characters that may help keep their attention focused on the topic being discussed.     

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk_HYAiS26I

References:

Anderson, T. (2003). Getting the mix right again: An updated and theoretical rationale for interaction. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 4(2), 1–14.

To ensure that every student has the opportunity to experience the best learning possible, it is crucial that educators consider the different styles of learning and needs that different students will require.  Through our interactive learning resource, my group and I aim to make it as inclusive as possible, so every student is able to engage with the content and material in a way that allows them to gain a deeper and more meaningful understanding of what race is and why it is an important concept to understand.

Our interactive learning resource is targeting children ranging from kindergarten to grade three.  Since the ages of these students range on average from 4-7 years old, we plan to present our topic through a virtual interactive storybook.  This will allow us to take the three pillars from the principles of the universal design into account which will help cater to every child’s needs.  The first pillar is based on having multiple means of representation, meaning that the learners will have options in how they interact with the activities throughout the storybook, providing auditory, visual, and kinesthetic options.  We offer an audio option of the book being read aloud for the auditory learners, several video options for the visual learners, and many hands-on interactive activities such as a dancing video, group discussions, and drawing for those who prefer a kinesthetic pathway option. These different activities we have implemented throughout the book will offer these multiple means of representation, allowing the learners to interact with the material through these three different ways of engagement. 

Following the first pillar, the second pillar aims at engaging with multiple means of action or expression.  This allows the learners to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in different ways such as in the form of a formative assessment.  We concluded that the best way to assess these young learners’ subsequent knowledge is through small group discussions.  This analysis allows the educator to engage with the students actively and personally, as the students showcase the knowledge they have gained throughout the activity.  The teacher will be able to observe the student’s engagement with the material, see how they felt regarding the material, and find out if there is anything else they would like to explore further and continue to grow their knowledge on.  After completing the numerous different activities and the storybook we will provide a progressive survey, requiring the learners to engage with the material discussed, and ask them to recall what they had learned and how they intend to take what they learned and use it as a tool to further explore the topic of race.

The final pillar guiding the universal design requires multiple means of engagement.  We plan on incorporating a variety of pathways throughout this learning experience for the students which will allow them to engage with the material in different interactive ways while hoping to promote the learner’s self-efficacy regarding our topic and their capabilities as a learner. This will be done through different videos, activities such as drawing and creating their own quotes, and interacting with their peers through group discussions.

Overall, we are looking to make our Interactive Learning Resource engaging and resourceful to all. By creating a design that can benefit all users and tailor to their learning style, it opens the door and allows them to engage and participate in. We have tried to focus on the core principle of the UDL and focus on the limitations of our design rather than any perceived limitations of their learners. Through following this core principle we hope that we have eliminated possible barriers that students may face, and that our resource is found to be accessible to all.

References:

https://edtechuvic.ca/edci335/category/designing-for-inclusion/

Meyer, Anne, et al. Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice. CAST Professional Publishing, an Imprint of CAST, Inc., 2014, UDL Theory Practice, retrieved from: udltheorypractice.cast.org/

Right to Education – Inclusive Education, retrieved from: https://www.inclusiveeducation.ca/learn/right-to-education

Inquiry-based learning goes against the traditional educational style that we as students have experienced throughout our educational careers.  In the traditional style of learning, the teacher presents the facts and their knowledge about a particular topic and guides their lesson from there.  Inquiry-based learning is a more active, student lead form of learning where the students present the questions, scenarios, and problems to the teacher, with discussion stemming from the students.  This style of learning works on the basis of the teacher presenting a general theme and students guiding the lesson from there through their participation and engagement with the theme.  Lee et al. (2004) defined inquiry-based learning as “an array of classroom practices that promote student learning through guided and, increasingly, independent investigation of complex questions and problems, often for which there is no single answer.”  This style of learning provides the students with support while they learn the important and crucial life skill of self-direction (Queens University, n.d.).  A common concept discussed when talking about inquiry-based learning is the acronym “IREC.”  This highlights the four essential elements of inquiry-based learning.  As described in the image below, “IREC” suggests a structure for the learners that helps guide them through their inquiry-based learning experience, while also allowing students to develop skills around each of these elements, building on to their toolbox of life skills.

Regarding my group’s Learning Design Blueprint, I believe that this style of learning does not fit our blueprint design as our design is a set, structured activity.  Although it is set up and allows for questions from young students, it is not designed to be taught through student-led questions and the support of the teacher.

References:
Queens University. (n.d.). Inquiry-Based Learning. Centre for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://www.queensu.ca/ctl/resources/instructional-strategies/inquiry-based-learning#:~:text=What%20is%20Inquiry%2DBased%20Learning,by%20themselves.%20Lee%20et%20al.

In my 21 years of life, I believe that each day has presented itself with a new learning experience.  Whether it is regarding school, relationships, hobbies, myself, and so on, I truly believe that we as humans never stop learning as long as we live whether we realize it or not.  To pick just one learning experience that stands out to me is difficult, but an experience that stands out to me is my grade 12 leadership class with Mr. Wiebe.  Within this class we did many different events and activities around the school, along with the community, one of these activities being a Halloween-themed carnival we put on for the elementary school up the street.  Part of the gig with this carnival was with a partner we had to create and run a station, along with dressing up in a Halloween costume to fit in with all the kids in theirs.  Come lunchtime anyone around would have seen a group of around 30 high school kids all dressed up in Halloween costumes walking up the street with candy and props to put on an elementary school Halloween carnival, myself dressed up in a cow onesie.  As the afternoon went on and the kids filtered through the gym playing all of our different games, interacting with us, and telling us anything and everything.  A little girl came up to me and gave me a hug, thanking me for putting this carnival on for the school and for how much fun she had participating.  This moment is a moment that I have never forgotten about.  Although it can seem like such a minuscule moment to many, to me it taught me that no matter how old or small a task may seem to some, the experience and effect that it can have on others can leave a major impact.  I felt as if at that moment instead of being just some high school students helping out an elementary school, we were more like a community helping one another out.  My class put that carnival on in hopes that the kids would have a fun enjoyable afternoon, when in reality I think we all learned more from the kids that afternoon than they did from us, teaching us that no matter what age we are we can always learn from somebody else no matter what their age is.