My name is Abby! I am going into my third year of elementary education! I grew up in the Comox Valley and moved to Victoria last year for School. I love to hike, bake, swim, ski, and snowboard.

What interests you about social media and personalized learning?

I am interested in social media because it allows individuals to connect with others across the world. My sister and I live far away from the rest of our family, but through different social media platforms, like Instagram, BeReal, and Snapchat, we do not feel disconnected. We are able to see what our family members are up to as well as communicate with them. Another neat thing about social media is the targeted content. This is kind of similar to personalized learning as personalized learning is also targeted/tailored to the individual. As a future teacher, I am interested in personal learning because it makes learning more engaging and effective. Not everyone will learn from the same methods. Some students will need a different approach.

How do you currently use digital tools in your learning or professional life?

In my learning and professional life I use many digital tools. Firstly, when I want more help understanding a new subject, I love watching Crash Course and TED Talks, and since I find them so helpful, I will often squeeze them in as a review or summary in my lessons for students. I find these videos do a good job at breaking down the subject and capture my attention with their visuals and voices. Next, I love using Canva to create activity sheets. They offer many templates and graphics to choose from. I used Canvas during my practicum as well as during the summer with my summer camps. Lastly, I love using Google Docs and Google Classroom when working on group projects as everyone can edit and participate. Overall, I find that these digital tools have helped me in multiple ways both with my own learning and providing learning to others by making it more engaging, inclusive, and interactive.

What is your understanding of digital literacy and its importance in education?

My understanding of digital literacy involves understanding the importance of technology and how to effectively use it, such as for communication, research, and creation. I believe digital literacy is important in education for a few reasons. Firstly, it will help students deepen their learning, and secondly, it will prepare them for how the real world works as basically everything is done through devices these days.

Describe any experiences you have with Personal Learning Networks (PLNs). How do you plan to develop and utilize your PLN through this course?

My experiences with Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) involve connecting with my classmates as they are studying the same thing as me, elementary education, and have the same goal as me, to be a great teacher. We have been able to share our resources with one another, which has been very helpful. Additionally, I have connected with some of my previous teachers for extra support and guidance, especially when starting my first practicum. I plan to continue to develop and utilize my PLN through this course by finding more relevant people and communities to collaborate and engage with. I will also take on any opportunity the course has to offer.