Author: amyedwards

EdTech Reflections Blog Post 4

This week I completed workshops for some video and audio editing software. The programs are called iMovie and Audacity. I have actually used both of these programs many times before. When I was attending BCIT for Radio Arts & Entertainment, using these programs was an everyday occurrence. I conducted, recorded, and edited phone interviews using Audacity, and created and edited videos using iMovie. I also used to make movies when I was a kid and would record and upload video clips onto my parents iMac and edit them using iMovie. Due to these experiences, I am pretty familiar with these programs and fairly confident with my abilities using them. I haven’t used these applications in a while, so it was great to have the opportunity to complete these workshops and get a bit of a refresher. I will likely be using Audacity to interview somebody for my Inquiry Question project for one of my classes.

Amy 🙂

EdTech Reflections Blog Post 3

This week in class we had a special guest named Jesse Miller. He spoke about the importance of privacy and safety on the internet. It was really interesting hearing him speak about how school servers can see internet activity. I had no idea! He told a story about a substitute teacher for a first grade class. She was posting on her Snapchat, and the people who monitor the server noticed a lot of activity on Snapchat which obviously doesn’t happen often for a first grade class. She got in trouble for posting about the class.

It was also interesting hearing Jesse speak about the use of cell phones in schools. During my Wednesday school visit last week, a student told me she has “the new iPhone 11 Pro”.  She is nine years old. That completely blew my mind! I had no idea that having a phone at that age was normal. Turns out most of the kids in the class have phones. There is obviously a “no phones in school” policy going on at this school, because I’ve yet to actually see any students with their phones. This just goes to show that having a phone is literally just a part of life now. Everybody has one! It’s pretty cool. I like technology and I am looking forward to implementing it into my classrooms in the future.

Amy 🙂

Free Inquiry Blog Post 3

This week I made a classic, tasty salad! This is a quick and easy meal that is both healthy, and nutritious. It literally took me about 15 minutes to make!

You will need: 2 chicken breasts, 1 head of romaine lettuce, 2 bell peppers (I chose 1 yellow and 1 red), half a cucumber, 1 avocado, 2 carrots, 1/4 of a red onion, feta cheese, and your favourite salad dressing (I like Newman’s Own Light Olive Oil & Vinegar dressing)!

Start by cutting the chicken breasts into small, bite-sized pieces. Cook the chicken on medium heat. Add the red onion for some more flavour. One of my favourite tricks is putting a small amount of salad dressing in the pan. It adds so much flavour to the chicken. Cook until the chicken is fully cooked through, and the red onion has become more translucent. While the chicken is cooking, chop up all of the lettuce and veggies and add them to a bowl. Once the chicken and red onion is done, add it to the salad bowl and toss it with your favourite dressing! Sprinkle a bit of feta cheese, as much or as little as you’d like and enjoy!

This is a really simple meal but it’s great for a quick, healthy dinner. Happy cooking!

Amy 🙂

EdTech Reflections Blog Post 2

In class this week, we discussed copyright. I learned so much about the subject, and it was really interesting because it is something I have never thought about before. I didn’t think teachers had to worry about copyright when collecting materials to use in the classroom. For example, I had no idea that if a teacher is providing a class with a copyright-protected work, it must only be a short excerpt from said work. An example of a short excerpt is one chapter from a book, or up to 10 per cent of something like a musical score, literary work, or audio recording. This was really interesting because I used to participate in school musicals when I was elementary-aged, and we did productions like Alice in Wonderland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Knowing what I know now, those scripts were not free. The teacher did not just find the script and score online and print them out. They were definitely copyright-protected works that cost money to use.

Amy 🙂

EdTech Reflections Blog Post 1

I just completed my first week of classes in the elementary education program at UVic! It has been quite a journey, but I am finally here.

I graduated high school in 2016 and attended the British Columbia Institute of Technology for a two-year Radio Arts & Entertainment program. I learned a lot about technology, the power of my voice, and social media, and even created a website through WordPress which highlighted my best work in the program. I met one of my closest friends there and experienced cluster housing (11 roommates, yikes). I worked very hard for two years and left BCIT with so much more than just a diploma.

In the fall of 2018, I began school at Camosun College. Over a two-year period, I completed all of the prerequisites for the Bachelor of Education, Elementary Education Curriculum program at the University of Victoria. In June of this year, I received my acceptance letter and I could not have been more excited.

This school year has already been much more different than I could have ever imagined, but I wouldn’t change it if I could. It’s going to be an interesting year (hopefully this doesn’t carry on longer than that), but I am ready for the challenge of online-based learning.

Amy 🙂

Free Inquiry Blog Post 2

This week I made a delicious ground turkey spaghetti. This recipe is something I created on my own a few months ago and it is my go-to when I want a low calorie, healthy pasta.

You will need, whole wheat spaghetti, ground turkey, garlic, white mushrooms, white onion, 1 can of diced tomatoes, and some oregano and basil.

Heat a medium-sized pot on medium heat. Put a bit of olive oil in the pan and mince garlic into the pan. Add chopped onion and mushrooms. Add ground turkey. Once the turkey is cooked, add the can of diced tomatoes, juices and all. Put as much oregano and basil in as you want and let the sauce cook on a low heat while you boil the water and cook the spaghetti.

This is a reliable, yummy meal that will never get tired of. If you have leftovers, don’t worry, it’s even better the next day! I forgot to take a picture of this dish because I was just too excited to eat it! But I will post a photo of this meal within the next week, as I will probably make it again.

Amy  🙂

Free Inquiry Blog Post 1

For my EdTech Free Inquiry project I am going to be cooking! I have always wanted to get into cooking and I like the idea of finding new recipes. I especially want to focus on cooking on a student budget. Some meals can be pretty expensive, but they don’t have to be! You can definitely eat a healthy, delicious meal on a budget.

I am certainly a beginner in the cooking department, but I am going to challenge myself to try some more complex recipes. I am also open to trying new foods, so this will be a great way to do that.

I’m looking forward to organizing the recipes on my blog and taking pictures of the meals. But most of all, I am looking forward to eating the meals!

Stay tuned!

Amy 🙂