This week we learned how to edit video clips through IMovie. I had some prior knowledge of how to do some basic editing but it was interesting to learn to use green screen videos!

What was the most interesting thing you found when you googled yourself?

Googling myself leads to many interesting articles and posts, many of which are actually related to me. It’s probably because of the unique spelling of my name and how uncommon my last name is. I was able to find old local news articles written about my softball teams, which brought up some great memories I had forgotten about. Others things I found included links to my Facebook, Linkedin and Instagram profiles also showed up in the search. An article written on my great-great grandmother was also found. Before her passing, she was at one point the oldest living person in Canada! It’s interesting to see what comes up in searches, and how far back information can be found about someone with one quick google search.

How can we help our learners manage their digital footprints?

After googling myself, I was able to find things that were so old about me, I had forgotten they even happened. I grew up and was in school at a time where social media and the sharing of personal information was still quite new, so seeing how much actually showed up about me was a bit surprising. I can only imagine how in this day and age, with the popularity of social media, just how much you can find about a student today. I think ways in which we can protect and inform students about managing their digital footprints are very important. The things they share online are there forever, even if you think it’s deleted. As an educator, bringing in other professionals to talk about these sorts of things with our students can be very beneficial. When I was in school I remember having assemblies based around internet safety and digital footprints. They were informative and I still remember them to this day, so I think those sorts of things are good ways to teach students about these topics. This sort of discussion and activities can start from a young age, when students begin to use the internet more regularly. Obviously depending on the age the content will be made appropriate, but having these discussions throughout their educational experience is an important one.

Could video creation be effective learning resource and/or class activity at the grade level I hope to teach (with learners creating their own videos)

During my time in the classroom, I’ve been able to notice just how much videos and online components of lessons and activities captivate students. I think if I were to teach an upper elementary or middle school age, video creation and editing would be a great skill to teach and would allow students the chance to express themselves creatively in a medium they may not always get the chance to do. For younger students, which is the grade level I’d like to teach, I’ve been able to see just how good they are at working things such as Ipads and computers. This is a generation now of students who have had access to these sorts of things their entire lives, so integrating them into lessons and activities has never been easier. I think video creation, of varying complexities can be used within a wide range of grade levels, with appropriate introduction and scaffolding.