Genius Hour Week 6 Final Reflection
Prior to taking tech class, I felt extremely nervous and overwhelmed because of my very limited knowledge regarding the use of technology. This course has expanded my knowledge greatly, as I have learned so many new skills and techniques that will not only benefit my self in terms of establishing a professional identity online and building my own portfolio of tools for enhancing my own projects and presentations, but it will also help me as a teacher to share these tools and strategies with students while also enhancing student engagement and learning! Before this course, I did not have any knowledge of the majority of the tools I learned about and used. This course introduced me to the world of blogging, Powtoon and so many other teaching tools and strategies, so I am definitely starting to feel more confident about ways to use technology in the classroom. A big challenge for me was stepping outside of my comfort zone to try new tools for presenting information, since the extent of my exposure and use of technology has mostly been word processors for writing formal essays and research papers. I have to say that although it was time consuming learning these technologies, I really did enjoy and benefit from them and I feel that these new tools and skills I have learned have really helped me to become more informed about different technologies and also a lot more willing to try new things! Overall, I feel that I would not have gained the same amount of exposure and knowledge of technology that I did throughout the duration of this course about teaching digital learners in the digital age.
Thursday, 20 October 2016
Genius Hour Week 4 Reflection
This week, I chose to learn how to cook a healthier alternative to one of my favourite meals, chili. I was surprised at how many different recipes I was able to find that offer a wide range and variation of this classic recipe! Instead of sticking to one recipe, I decided to look at few that I thought could taste good. In order to make mine more personalized, including ingredients I thought I would enjoy, I chose to incorporate certain ingredients and foods from each recipe. Here are a few chili recipes that are delicious and at the same time, promote a healthy lifestyle. These recipes provide ideas about alternative food choices, such as using ground turkey instead of beef and coconut oil to replace olive oil and each of these recipes also include a large variety of vegetables!
Throughout my search for healthy recipes I learned that it is possible to enjoy many of my favourite meals and that there are many ways that I can simply switch out certain ingredients for those that are healthier and more nutricious. This may require taking some time to research information about different foods that can be a healthier choice as well as ways to incorporate them into recipes to enhance meals but it is well worth the time spent to gain this information.
This week, I chose to learn how to cook a healthier alternative to one of my favourite meals, chili. I was surprised at how many different recipes I was able to find that offer a wide range and variation of this classic recipe! Instead of sticking to one recipe, I decided to look at few that I thought could taste good. In order to make mine more personalized, including ingredients I thought I would enjoy, I chose to incorporate certain ingredients and foods from each recipe. Here are a few chili recipes that are delicious and at the same time, promote a healthy lifestyle. These recipes provide ideas about alternative food choices, such as using ground turkey instead of beef and coconut oil to replace olive oil and each of these recipes also include a large variety of vegetables!
Throughout my search for healthy recipes I learned that it is possible to enjoy many of my favourite meals and that there are many ways that I can simply switch out certain ingredients for those that are healthier and more nutricious. This may require taking some time to research information about different foods that can be a healthier choice as well as ways to incorporate them into recipes to enhance meals but it is well worth the time spent to gain this information.
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| Chili (October 2016). Image retrieved from my personal collection |
Friday, 7 October 2016
Genius Hour Week 3 Reflection
This week I chose a new recipe that I found on Pinterest and attempted to prepare it. The meal that I chose was an Avocado Caprese Skillet Chicken recipe,and I chose this meal becuase it includes some of my favourite foods and I was interested to see if I was able to replicate the recipe and find out how everything will taste. What I really liked about this recipe is that it was healthy and incorporated foods from different food groups. I also enjoyed the addition of the balsamic glaze- I found that it added a new flavour to the entire meal.
From making this meal, I learned that there are so many creative ways to incorporate foods from various food groups into one meal. Instead of making separate small meals consisting of only chicken and only vegetables etc. I was able to combine foods to make one tasty and healthy meal! I also learned that balsamic is a wonderful and flavourful addition and topping to a variety foods!
I also learned that preparing these meals is a very time consuming process- I noticed that it took me much longer than the stated time frame on the recipe to prepare and cook this meal. So far, aside from the specific time I had designated to prepare and cook my chosen new healthy meal for the week, I have been trying to motivate myself to eat less junk food and to consume more water, however I have not been as successful as I had hoped. I have realized that actually taking the time to be more conscientious of eating habits and ways to maintain a healthier lifestyle is a challenging task, and just as time consuming as actually researching about effective habits and practices to adopt.
This week I chose a new recipe that I found on Pinterest and attempted to prepare it. The meal that I chose was an Avocado Caprese Skillet Chicken recipe,and I chose this meal becuase it includes some of my favourite foods and I was interested to see if I was able to replicate the recipe and find out how everything will taste. What I really liked about this recipe is that it was healthy and incorporated foods from different food groups. I also enjoyed the addition of the balsamic glaze- I found that it added a new flavour to the entire meal.
From making this meal, I learned that there are so many creative ways to incorporate foods from various food groups into one meal. Instead of making separate small meals consisting of only chicken and only vegetables etc. I was able to combine foods to make one tasty and healthy meal! I also learned that balsamic is a wonderful and flavourful addition and topping to a variety foods!
I also learned that preparing these meals is a very time consuming process- I noticed that it took me much longer than the stated time frame on the recipe to prepare and cook this meal. So far, aside from the specific time I had designated to prepare and cook my chosen new healthy meal for the week, I have been trying to motivate myself to eat less junk food and to consume more water, however I have not been as successful as I had hoped. I have realized that actually taking the time to be more conscientious of eating habits and ways to maintain a healthier lifestyle is a challenging task, and just as time consuming as actually researching about effective habits and practices to adopt.
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| Avocado Caprese Chicken (October 2016). Retrieved from my own collection. |
Friday, 30 September 2016
Genius Hour Week 2 Reflection
This week I have started to compile some recipes for meals I would like to learn to make. I found an overwhelming amount of delicious looking recipes on Pinterest and chose ones that appealed to me in terms of how they promote a healthier lifestyle as well as creativity in ingredient and food combinations.
I started with a simpler recipe for my first meal, a detox soup!, which consisted of a variety of vegetables and spices, as well as shredded chicken breasts and chicken broth. What intrigued me about this soup was its description as being a detox meal. According to the individual who shared this recipe, one of the purposes of this soup is to be used as a healthy cleanse, removing toxins from the body and restoring the body's overall health. While I only made and served this soup one time so far and did not attempt this ten day cleanse, I am interested to research more about cleanses and learning more about foods that detoxify the body and what effects that would have not only on the body but on the mind and overall feeling of wellness.
I hope to continue finding recipes with foods that promote clean and healthy eating and to learn more about how cleanses work and how effective they are.
This week I have started to compile some recipes for meals I would like to learn to make. I found an overwhelming amount of delicious looking recipes on Pinterest and chose ones that appealed to me in terms of how they promote a healthier lifestyle as well as creativity in ingredient and food combinations.
I started with a simpler recipe for my first meal, a detox soup!, which consisted of a variety of vegetables and spices, as well as shredded chicken breasts and chicken broth. What intrigued me about this soup was its description as being a detox meal. According to the individual who shared this recipe, one of the purposes of this soup is to be used as a healthy cleanse, removing toxins from the body and restoring the body's overall health. While I only made and served this soup one time so far and did not attempt this ten day cleanse, I am interested to research more about cleanses and learning more about foods that detoxify the body and what effects that would have not only on the body but on the mind and overall feeling of wellness.
I hope to continue finding recipes with foods that promote clean and healthy eating and to learn more about how cleanses work and how effective they are.
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| Chicken Detox Soup (September 2016). Retrieved from my own personal collection. |
Monday, 26 September 2016
My Genius Hour Project
What is Genius Hour?
The aim of Genius Hour is to promote individuals to explore their passions and interests. In an educational setting, it is a designated amount of time (usually an hour) during which students are encouraged to be creative and to choose to explore and research topics that interest them. When students engage in projects they care about, they become more engaged and inspired to continue learning.
My Genius Hour Project
For my Genius Hour project, I will be challenging myself to learn at least one new healthy recipe a week, in hopes of motivating myself to maintain a healthier lifestyle that will improve my body's overall wellness. I plan to find recipes that make healthy eating exciting and creative, through incorporating different foods and flavours.
My goal for this project is to eventually be able to eliminate unhealthy foods and stick to a diet that is healthy and well-balanced. I will start off by looking for new recipes, both in cookbooks and online, and writing down and purchasing the ingredients I will need for each new meal. I hope that I can learn a wide variety of healthy recipes and be able to cook these healthier meals on a regular basis. I also hope to learn more about certain diets and detoxes and how they positively impact the body and mind! I feel that my Genius Hour project will be a starting point for me to commit to eating healthier, increase my water consumption and become more active!
The aim of Genius Hour is to promote individuals to explore their passions and interests. In an educational setting, it is a designated amount of time (usually an hour) during which students are encouraged to be creative and to choose to explore and research topics that interest them. When students engage in projects they care about, they become more engaged and inspired to continue learning.
My Genius Hour Project
For my Genius Hour project, I will be challenging myself to learn at least one new healthy recipe a week, in hopes of motivating myself to maintain a healthier lifestyle that will improve my body's overall wellness. I plan to find recipes that make healthy eating exciting and creative, through incorporating different foods and flavours.
My goal for this project is to eventually be able to eliminate unhealthy foods and stick to a diet that is healthy and well-balanced. I will start off by looking for new recipes, both in cookbooks and online, and writing down and purchasing the ingredients I will need for each new meal. I hope that I can learn a wide variety of healthy recipes and be able to cook these healthier meals on a regular basis. I also hope to learn more about certain diets and detoxes and how they positively impact the body and mind! I feel that my Genius Hour project will be a starting point for me to commit to eating healthier, increase my water consumption and become more active!
Saturday, 17 September 2016
Copyright
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| Prentice School (October 1, 2010). The Prentice School Educational Assisstive Technology Classroom. Retrieved from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b6/PrenticeEdATclassroom.jpg. |
Not only do copyright laws promote and value protecting intellectual property, but they also encourage creativity and the exchange of ideas. This is reflected through the implementation of the Creative Commons. Creative Commons grants individuals the choice to make their works accessible to the public, along with the ability to decide the ways in which their works are shared and used.
It is essential for educators to inform students of copyright and the importance of giving credit to the ideas and works of others. In order to ensure that students understand the rules of copyright, and to avoid plagiarism, teachers can demonstrate to students how to properly cite information obtained from written and digital sources. It would also be beneficial for teachers and students to familiarize themselves with the Creative Commons, as well as ways to invesitgate the copyright limitations and licenses of works that they wish to cite. It is important to stay informed and follow the rules of copyright in order to ensure that students know which works they are able to access and use, along with how to properly cite each type of accessible source.
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| San José Library (August 7, 2008). Children using computers. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/sanjoselibrary/2839901913/in/gallery-56999212@N04-72157625462926479/. |
Monday, 12 September 2016
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to my blog! I am new to the world of blogging and I am very excited to use this tool for my course relating to teaching in digital age. I definitely do not feel that I am the most tech savvy individual, however I am looking forward to developing the necessary skills and expanding my knowledge pertaining to technology that will help me to become a successful and effective educator in the digital age.
This week in the course, I was introduced to the concept of Genius Hour. Taking a Virtual Field Trip, I was able to explore and learn about this new concept and gain an understanding of how I can integrate Genius Hour into the classroom. In an educational context, Genius Hour is a movement that encourages student-driven learning. It involves designating a certain amount of time each day or week for students to be creative and explore what they are most passionate about. These helpful links provide informative outlines of what Genius Hour is and how it can be implemented into the classroom to encourage creativity and a positive learning experience for students.
This week in the course, I was introduced to the concept of Genius Hour. Taking a Virtual Field Trip, I was able to explore and learn about this new concept and gain an understanding of how I can integrate Genius Hour into the classroom. In an educational context, Genius Hour is a movement that encourages student-driven learning. It involves designating a certain amount of time each day or week for students to be creative and explore what they are most passionate about. These helpful links provide informative outlines of what Genius Hour is and how it can be implemented into the classroom to encourage creativity and a positive learning experience for students.
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