Statia's Palace

Hello readers! As technology continues to evolve, so does the way we interact with it. It’s no secret that smartphones have become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives, and their impact on education is undeniable. With children increasingly gaining access to smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices, educators are faced with the challenge of managing their use in the classroom. While some instructors see phones and technology as useful tools, it makes others pull their hair out. In this blog post, we hope to share what we have learned about this topic and provide you all with some content and strategies to use phones specifically in the classroom!

Inquiry Question

“What is the role of cell phones in schools and how do these factors translate to school policies and classroom dynamics?”

Relation to Teaching and Learning

Our inquiry topic is related to teaching and learning because we know that in our future classrooms, students will possess and use their cell phones, whether it is allowed or not.

As teachers, we think it is important for us to take advantage of cell phones by using them as learning tools rather than distractions. It is our responsibility as educators to ensure phones are used for productive use rather than objects that are detrimental to learning and student well-being. 

Current Policies

Before we dive into useful information and resources for structuring classrooms around phone use, we think it is important for us to take a look at what policies are currently in place in this region. Looking at the guidelines for Greater Victoria Schools as a whole, the rules in place vary from school to school. The general rules include the structure that students are allowed to have a phone, but it should not be seen or used within the classroom. However, it is also mentioned that if phones are required for a lesson, the expectation is that it is being used for educational purposes only Many schools abide by the “away for the day” rule that students should not be visible from 8 am to 3 pm. The school district is clear that educators and administrators have the authority to remove students phones if expectations are not followed.

Benefits vs. Drawbacks of Cellphones in Classrooms

Here are four main benefits of having cell phone usage permitted in your classroom.

1. Communication: Phones can help students communicate with parents and guardians having peace of mind and feeling through communication with their child included in the classroom. 

2. Collaboration: Phones can assist students with their communication with peers for assignments, especially if some students are absent. 

3. Internet Access: Cell phones provide an infinite amount of resources through the internet. This factor also creates an opportunity to learn about internet safety.

4. Versatile and Supportive: Cell phones can give students options of how they would prefer to learn by providing different options of how students can present or complete their work. Additionally, It supports students who may not have success when using pen and paper notes/work. Lastly, It also increases the engagement and motivation of learning for students in your class so that students can productively use their phones. 

Here are four drawbacks of having cell phone usage permitted in classrooms:

1. Student Distraction: Students may be tempted to check social media, play games or check messages during class time which takes away from lessons and thus, students may fall behind or become disconnected from class material 
2. Increated Opportunity to Cheat: Cell phones make it easier for students to google answers to tests or assignments, or text friends requesting answers.  
3. Cyberbullying: Students are more prone to cyberbullying if phones are allowed in class. This is a risk for educators to be aware of.
4. Inequality:  For those students who can not afford a cell phone, they may feel disconnected from their classmates. Additionally, they will have limited access to the internet can create unfair advantages and disadvantages between students.

Strategies & Tips (Adapted and Inspired by Guest Speaker Jesse Millar)

Tip #1 – Using bins, phone sleeves/locks, and “phone jails” create a narrative of teacher control and distrust between teachers and students. This creates a risk of fostering a harmful classroom environment and teacher-student relationships being strained.
Tip #2 – As a teacher, try acknowledging the possibility that if students are using their phones, your lesson may not be engaging enough.
Strategy – Create lessons where your students are up, moving, or doing a hands-on activity. If students are fully emersed and engaged in lessons, they are less likely to be using their phones.
Strategy – Use positive reinforcement to encourage students to stay off their phones during instructional time can be in the form of rewards, or simply complementing students for their engagement)
Strategy – Try the 2, 20, 2 method! Give students 20 minutes of lesson time sandwiched with a 5-minute phone break! This helps students focus n the task at hand knowing they will have the opportunity to take a break.

Resources: Methods of using phones beneficially!

• Arduino Science Journal: great for science experiments! This app/site can be used for measuring light through the sensors on the phone, measuring sound, used as an accelerometer and measuring polarity.
• Goosechase app: This can be used to create scavenger hunts for students which can be integrated into any lesson. For example, you could also create a scavenger hunt about math and have them go around the school looking for things that apply to certain questions like “Find and photograph an item that represents the answer to the following question: 20/4.” so they would go out and find an item to represent the number 5.
• Group chats: a simpler resource would be using group chats to facilitate instruction to any students with hearing impairments
• QR codes: could be used for scanning notes!
• Field trips: allow students to snap photos. Use these phones and share them on the class blog and use them for future discussion.
• TikTok: TikTok is super popular, so why not let students use it for educational purposes? Students could use TikTok to create cool presentations in video format, conduct some interviews, host podcasts, and so much more. This is an amazing resource for project-based learning!

Closure

In conclusion, we acknowledge the issue of phone usage in elementary classrooms is complex and multifaceted. While there are arguments both for and against the use of phones in the classroom, it ultimately comes down to finding a balance that benefits students’ learning while also addressing any potential negative effects. Educators should be prepared to examine the unique needs and circumstances of each classroom and work towards creating an environment where phones can be used for learning rather than as a distraction. It is immensely important to reduce the control narrative in classrooms and work towards creating a safe, productive, and engaging learning environment for all students.

Video!!!

Please feel free to review the major ideas in this post by viewing our engaging video!

THANKS FOR READING!!!!

-Statia, Sophie, Paige, + Josh.

Please view my sketch note of some key concepts, ideas, and pedagogy I have taken away from EDCI 336 this semester!

Welcome back everyone, believe it or not we have reached the end of our movie reviewing journey. Over the past five weeks, I have reviewed four romantic comedies using a grading scale of criteria I developed. Throughout this process, I have learned and I find desirable in a romantic comedy and more about myself than I initially expected. Additionally, I have also been able to learn about the process of movie reviewing and areas where it is important to emphasis personal opinion to the reader. Prior to this experience, I had never formally reviewed a movie. Through involving myself in this personal project, I have found a new hobby and appreciation for movies as a whole. Since starting this project, I have seen 7 movies in theatres that are unrelated to this topic and loved all of them! One aspect of this journey I participially enjoyed was the sense of community that came through writing these weekly posts. It was wonderful to have peers, friends, and family inquire about my thoughts on the film pick of the week. It has been a joy to recommend movies I have enjoyed to my peers, I feel closer to them as a result. In the future I hope to continue reviewing movies and I look forward to sharing and documenting the process.

Rankings

If you have been following this journey from the beginning, you would know that I have watched some excellent movies and also some that made me want to tape my eyes shut forever. Considering the review scores, I have compiled a ranked list of the movies I watched based on others recommendation. I hope that my scores and placements reflect my opinions of what aspects romantic comedies must include. To see my marking scheme click here to read. Although my opinions on what elements are important in a good rom com may differ than yours, we may have more similar opinions than you may think! With this in mind, please take a look at my rankings below and consider watching these films for yourself.

Whether you agree or disagree with my rankings, I hope you can appreciate the process of film reviewing and critiquing. I encourage you to watch all of these films for yourself and see where they lie comparing to your own thoughts and opinions on romantic comedies.

I’d like to thank everyone who has followed this journey from the beginning! If you have any other film recommendations or any romantic comedies that I just HAVE TO SEE please leave a comment below this post. Additionally feel free to leave a comment discussing if you have seen any of the films I reviewed and wether or not you enjoyed watching them. Thanks for joining me on this wild ride!

Until next time!

– Statia <3

Hello friends! Welcome to our last official romantic comedy review! This week I watched “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” This movie is loved by many, but will it be loved by me? Read the review to find out!

Summary

From the moment this movie starts, you will be rolling and laughing. This movie will have you saying “THAT’S SO MESSED UP!” and “THAT’S SO CUTE!” in a 5-minute span. This movie follows the story of Cal, a loving father who is trying to navigate his wife, Emily’s request for a divorce. We see the story of Cal’s 12-year-old son who has a crush on his 17-year-old babysitter. Yet, this babysitter has a crush on Cal. What a messed up love triangle. After the heartbreaking news of Cal’s impending divorce, Cal makes effort to branch out of his comfort zone and put himself out there. With the help of his “flirtation mentor” played by Ryan Gosling, Cal gains his confidence back. I don’t want to spoil too much but I would highly recommend watching this movie for yourself.

Cast: 8/10

This film has a legendary cast including Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Julianne Moore; just to name a few. I feel as though all cast members played their roles excellently in this film. The film was extremely well-casted and it made the storyline believable. My only critique is that I often have a hard time seeing Steve Carell in more serious films due to his iconic role in “The Office”. In this film, he plays a loving father which is quite separate from other films I’ve seen him in which was slightly offputting for me. Regardless of this, the acting in this film is top-notch.

Humour: 9/10

I thought this movie was genuinely funny. In my experience, I think it is hard to make romantic comedies too funny and still hold romance but this movie held the balance well. I was genuinely laughing hard at many times throughout this movie From physical humor to funnnny-one liners this movie meets the high bar for humor in romantic comedies.

Plot: 7/10

Honestly, I don’t have many notable points about this plot. It was relatively unpredicible which is appreciated. I also enjoyed that the storylines weaved thoughether in a humourous way for all the characters. From a romance perspective, it was beautiful to have the two-generation of searching for love present. The plot was mildly formulmatic and lacked depth but I can’t expect much more from a romantic comedy on Netflix.

Ending: 9/10

This movie has a surprisingly sweet ending which takes place at Cal’s son’s 8th grade graduation. At this point all of the loose ends seem to tie together with humor and intentionality. Cal and his wife share a heart-to-heart moment as they reflect on their first meeting. This movie has the classic rom-com cliche of a happy ending, which I am always a fan of.

Vibes: 6/10

This movie is loved by many, and I can’t deny it is well made and is subjectively a good movie. However, I think the depth was missing for me. The movie felt quite fast-pasted and I just couldn’t seem to be invested in the plot point. I did appreciate the humor but I honestly would not watch this film again, however, I would reccomend it to others.

Total Score: 39/50

Although this movie wasn’t my favourite, I would reccomend that others watch it for themselves and form their own opinions. This is a rare occurance for a movie for me, usually I can discipher right away if I like it or not. However, I am on the fence for this one. If you watch “Crazy, stupid, love” I hope you will be able to find the same humor and sweetness that I did.

Thanks for reading this week’s review. Stay tuned for the final recap and breakdown of the films I have reviewed!

Hello! Welcome back to another weekly technology reflection. This week we learned about the power of gaming in the elementary classroom. Additionally we learned about how games can be an effective method of teaching students when used as a learning tool.

Considering gaming in a classroom context, I believe that games can serve the role of learning tools rather than distractions. There are a few factors that impact the effectiveness of these games including engagement, participating, and storytelling elements. The biggest factor in my opinion is that games incorporate fun. At the end of the day, students are children, and children love to play. By incorporating play and gaming (whether it be online games or physical/experiential games) students are experiencing stimulation. Additionally, students are learning through experience which aligns with the First Peoples Principles. When students learn through experience they are more likely to remember the concepts and ideas as well as leave with a memorable learning experience.

Gaming is loved by some educators and hated by others. There are pros and cons of gaming. Here are my lists of consideration:

Pros: Increased motivation and fun factor, collaborative elements, experiential learning, and students learn new skills (such as coding).

Cons: Technology usage concerns, lack of budget for said projects/programming, lack of control for teachers, and distraction of students.

Thinking reflectively, I do think I will try and implement gaming in my future classroom. I know that there will be challenges and that some students will not respond in alignments with my expectations. However, I do think there is value in students engaging with popular technology. I also think that gaming may be a good method of engaging learners who are generally disinterested by learning into their personal preferences. Teachers must be careful when giving students new technology as a learning method. I believe if done with great thought and intention, students can walk alway with an engaging learning experience through the use of gaming.

See you all in next week’s reflection! GAME ON!!!

Hello readers! Who is ready for this week’s review? This movie is a great one and I am looking forward to showing y’all where it lands by my rom-com standards! Give this blog a read and leave a comment whether you agree/disagree with my score!

Summary

In my opinion, this movie is a MUST-WATCH in my books. It has everything I love in a movie! It is about a young man (named trip) who still lives at home with his parents at the ripe age of 30. His parents decide to hire a woman, named, Paula who is meant to help their son move out and become independent. Through the highs, lows, and upside downs we see Tripp and Paula’s relationship grow and transform into something beautiful. I recommend watching the trailer before reading the rest of the review to get a feel for how entertaining this movie truly is.

Cast: 7/10

I watched this movie with my mom and she insisted this movie had a “killer cast” but considering this movie was released in 2006 (when I was 3) I was not familiar with most of the actors. However, I can appreciate some of the big names such as Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Bates. I felt that every role was well casted and well-immersed in their role.

Humour: 8/10

This movie was funny. From constant jokes to funny plot lines I found myself craving up throughout the film. This is a rom-com that I would watch with friends purely for the comedy value.

Plot: 9/10

I can honestly say this splot was relatively unpredictable which is rare to find for rom-coms. I really appreciated the silly plotlines that broke up the romance. There were also good friendship storylines integrated throughout. The plot kept me captivated throughout the entire film.

Ending: 7/10

Although the ending was slightly predictable, what rom-com ending isn’t? I did like how it showed the future of Tripp and Paula’s relationship in a light-hearted tone with a sweet callback to earlier in the movie. This movie is excellently written.

Vibes: 9/10

This movie is going to be hard to beat. The summer setting, multiple locations, and general happy tone made me excited for the warm summer weather. It also gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling thinking about the goodness of life and people

Total score: 40/50

I will say it again, THIS MOVIE IS A MUST-WATCH! This film is one of the best romantic comedies Netflix has to offer.

Thank you for reading until the end, stay tuned for another movie review next week!

This week we learned about internet safety and how that connects to education and our role as teachers. We had guest speaker Jesse Miller who spoke to us about how we can protect ourselves and our students from trouble involving online interactions. I found all that Jesse had to say very captivating but it gave me a lot to consider as well.

Considering that I want to teach middle school in the future I know that phone usage is a prominent in that age group. During the Q & A portion of Jesse’s presentation, I asked him to share some strategies he values in managing phones in classrooms. The two greatest points I took away from his response were that teachers taking phones creates a control narrative and he likes the “20, 2, 20, repeat” method. I would like to give the 20 minutes of work, and two minutes of school-time cycle a try in my future classroom. I am curious if it would gain the respect of students or if the novelty would wear off quickly. I appreciate the strategy as it encourages students to hold each other accountable in pursuit of personal reward. I would like to try this strategy of phone management in a classroom and observe the behavioural and contextual effects.

Along the lines of internet usage, after searching my name on Google the results were expected. I have googled myself before and I am comfortable with all the information that shows up. The content includes my LinkedIn profile, My (private) Instagram account, Track & Field records from high school, and an old (and embarrassing) headshot from my acting days. I am happy with the results of the search as I remember googling my teacher’s names in high school and being shocked by some of the results.

Today’s class reinforced my idea that I need to be careful and thoughtful before I post online, especially as a future educator. I feel as though the idea of Internet safety and protecting my internet image is a topic I will have to continue to consider throughout my career. I think that in the digital age, I will have to constantly adapt to changes in professional standards ad it is good. to be mindful, intentional, and aware of the areas to be cautious in.

Thanks for reading!

Hello boys and squirrels! I hope you are all buckled in for this week’s review! This week I will be reviewing “The Second Act”. Due to the snow day, I had the opportunity to view this movie in full effect as I stayed in my warm bed and watched the snow fall in the background. Let’s get into the review, but first, a summary.

Summary:

Warning: SPOIlER ALERT!!!

When a middle-aged woman named Maya is rejected from a corporate position at the grocery store she works at, she is frustrated. She makes a birthday wish that street smarts would translate to school smarts and wishes she was more qualified for the job. The next day, Maya is randomly called to a job interview for a major company as a consultant. As they read her resume, she discovers that her wish has come true! But in a twist, It was Maya’s best friend’s son who forged a ton of documents, records, and transcripts making Maya appear qualified for any job.
Maya lands a big-league job, but soon realizes that the new position comes with unexpected challenges, including navigating office politics and dealing with personal relationships. Maya must also confront her past and reconcile with the people she left behind when she first started working at the big-box store.
As Maya works to prove herself at her new job, she discovers that success is not just about her career, but also about finding happiness and fulfillment in her personal life. With the support of her friends and family, Maya finds the courage to take risks and pursue her dreams, leading her to a second act that she never thought was possible.

Now, onto the rankings

Cast: 8/10

This film has quite the cast of stars including Jennifer Lopez, Vanessa Hudgens, and Leah Remini amongst other big names. I feel as though the cast fulfilled their part well in this movie. At no point did I feel unconvinced by a character or by the acting in this movie. Perhaps one huge-name actor would tip this film into the excellent category!

Homour: 2/10

This is not a funny movie. I did laugh one when some doves got hit by a truck if I’m being honest. I don’t know why it was categorized as a rom-com. Maybe blame Netflix? or maybe I should blame myself for watching it. If you want a good laugh, don’t watch this movie.

Plot: 8/10

Although there is a sprinkle of the cliche “what you’re my birth mom???” shocker moment trope. The plot is pretty good aside from that. It wasn’t too predictable and the shift between “side-quests” of friends, romantic relationships, and careers kept this movie light-hearted. This movie isn’t very romantic but putting that aside, it is a pretty good movie.

Ending: 8/10

At the ending of this movie, Maya tells the truth and has her movie montage moment. It was very cheesy but honestly a heartwarming moment in the movie. Usually, I don’t appreciate endings like this but for this movie, it just worked!

Vibes: 6/10

This movie automatically gets extra points for having the guy who plays Jess in Gilmore Girls. I LOVE Gilmore Girls. I also think this movie is filmed very well. It was aesthetically pleasing and the montage scenes added to the theme of the movie. This movie did lose points due to the lack of romance and comedy. I honestly don’t think I would call this movie a rom-com so the vibes are bad from the misleading genre. I thought this movie was good, but I probably would not watch it again.

TOTAL SCORE: 30/50

Closing Thoughts

Between the cheesy moments, cliques, lack of romance and comedy, this movie has a lot against it. Even in the presence of its faults, this is a good movie. I would recommend it to anyone looking for an easy watch. The ending makes you think about meaningful relationships and life and how society can intervene. Although not the best movie out there I think it is worth a watch. If you do watch this film, please leave me a comment about what YOU think about the movie!

See you all in next weeks review!

Welcome to another blog everyone! In todays class I had the oppurtunity to create a coding project for the first time ever! Take a peek at what I have created below!

This experience was challenging for me, and I was suprised that young students are able to do this! I also tried two other projects but I found the flappy bird one the easiest. I appreciate how coding relates to computational thinking and how you have to think through each step of coding. It definietly took me a few tries to acheive a working game!

Another topic from todays class was coding and computation. As someone who struggles with math in general, computation was a daunting topic for me. As far as coding, I have a teeny weeny bit of experience from my grade 7 robotics class, I was never very good at it though. I think that outside of mathematical related concepts coding can be used in classroom for project-based learning. You could ask students to create a game or actitivy in older grades (7 and up), if your school has acess to materials needed. However, I do think that coding can be inplemented cross-curricularly outside of math or computer class.

By using computational thinking students can be more involved in processes that they may not gravitate towards naturally. For example, if a studnet hated math you could ask them to find how many cups of flour they may need for a baking project and if they are invested and passionate about the subject area, students may be inclined to develop skills through comptational thinking.

Through learning about coding and computational thinking in class today I have gained a greater appreciation for those who are math minded and think computationally easily. I beleive computational thinking is something I would like to develop for myself in the future. Additionally, I look forward to exploring more oppurtuntiies of how I might blend these learning outlets and programs with problem based learning for elementary and middle-school classrooms.

Feel free to leave a comment about you own experience with coding. See y’all next week!

Warning: SPOILER ALERT! Do not read if you do not want to know important plot points!

Welcome everyone to my first official review! This week I watched the movie “He’s Just Not That Into You”. In this post, I will review the plot points of this movie, break down my criteria, and give my official rating of this film.

Summary and Plot Points

“He’s Just Not That Into You” is a romantic comedy released in 2009 that explores the dating lives of various characters. The film follows nine people as they navigate the ups and downs of relationships and try to figure out the elusive “signs” that a man is really into them. Personally, having so many characters took away from the film. I found the plot difficult to follow at times and am honestly still confused if the plots are meant to intertwine. Through a series of interconnected stories, the film examines issues like fear of commitment, unrequited love, and the difficulties of modern dating. The film features an all-star cast, including Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly, Scarlett Johansson, and Ben Affleck. Overall, “He’s Just Not That Into You” is a funny and insightful look at the complexities of love and relationships.

Review Criteria:

See the infographic below to gain insight as to how I will review each movie.

Based on survey results, I have determined the four most important criteria when reviewing a romantic comedy are cast, humour, plot, and ending. Here is my marking breakdown:

The total rating will be out of 50 points. 10 points for cast, humour, plot, and ending The last 10 points will be allotted to my personal opinion and I will be calling these “vibe points” as they are based on my general vibe of the movie. Now, let’s explore each of the criteria.

Cast: 9/10

I think that the cast did a phenomenal job of fulfilling their characters. Although I don’t think this is every actor’s best work, you can see the talent and craft that was put into this movie. My favourite character was played by Jennifer Aniston and I believe she stole the show. The only note is that there was no acting that caused emotion in me as the viewer, which I think is good in a rom-com.

Humour: 4/10

At no point during this film, did I laugh out loud. If anything this movie is more depressing. The only point in which I chuckled slightly is when Drew Berrymores character is embarrassed in her office when I man rejects her over the phone. If this movie is going to be classified as a “romantic comedy”, it needs some work

Plot: 6/10

The plot of this movie was clearly well thought out. There is a good character arc for each of the MANY characters. I also appreciate that it shows the highs and lows of each character. However, I feel like this plot is just doing too much. The multiple storylines become difficult to follow and I found it difficult to build a connection with any character. As soon as you build empathy, they switch the storyline and I get confused again. I am rating this film’s plot a six simply because it is well thought out, but too chaotic for my personal enjoyment.

Ending: 8/10

CHEESY, CHEESY, CHEESY… but I love cheesy. The ending is what I expected- justice restored blah blah blah proposal bllah happily ever after. However, the way that the storylines intertined was surprisingly unsuspected and the end made the movie overall better.

Statia’s Vibes: 5/10

In my opinion, this film is overhyped. While I appreciate the strong ensemble cast and witty writing, I also feel that the plot is predictable and formulaic. However, I did watch the movie and did crack a few smiles, so it is definitely not bad, just not great… let’s say fine. My opinion is if you are bored you should watch this movie but it is by no means a MUST-WATCH.

Total and closing thoughts:

total score: 32/50

Thsi film was not a bad way to kick off the first of these reviews! I look forward to seeing how this ranks amongst the other films to be analyzed. Until next week… PEACE OUT!