Emma's Archive

Author: emmakailyn (Page 3 of 5)

How Technology is Changing Literacy

July 9, 2025 /

07/08/25

Today, I explored the article Connected Reading: A framework for understanding how adolescents encounter, evaluate, and engage with texts in the digital age by Turner, Hicks, and Zucker. This article really opened my eyes to how much reading has changed in the digital age. Originally a solitary activity, reading is now social and interactive. Literacy today is about sharing and collaborating, not just absorbing information. Based off of this, I made a haiku:

Readers as learners

Sharing thoughts, we read as one

Connected through text

I originally learned poetry and haiku-making in my grade 10 English class. We were tasked with collaborating as a class to make haikus, then as groups, partners, and eventually alone, and sharing them with each other. Thinking about this, and what I’ve read, I see how social connection through reading is just as important as comprehension.

The Adolescent Brain and Literacy

July 9, 2025 /

07/07/25

Today, I deepened my understanding of how powerful the adolescent brain is. Through watching a video and reading an article on neuroplasticity, and listening to a podcast about the importance of continuing to build on foundational skills during adolescence, I have realized that adolescence is one of the most important and flexible periods of development.

One question I posed, How might the quality of an adolescent’s relationships with peers shape their ability to adapt to future complex social environments? got me thinking about the long-term impacts of social dynamics during this stage of development. Supportive relationships don’t just help teenagers to “get through” high school, but actually affect how well they can handle social situations for the rest of their lives.

This makes me reflect on my own time in middle and high school, and how grateful I am that I had a couple groups of friends that stuck with me through thick and thin. In turn, it makes me proud that I was able to be supportive and a good friend to others during this time too.

Teenagers are not just a “behavioural problem to manage,” but kids that need support with learning, relationships, and resilience.

Literacy Today

July 8, 2025 /

07/04/25

Today we looked at a “concept carousel” of a collection of images, quotes, and media revolving around themes of literacy and technology. What stood out most for me was the image, a robot introducing a human to all things digital. At first, it seemed to be about how technology is an important tool to help people, but the more I looked, the more it seemed to be a comment on capitalism. It made me realize how visuals can have hidden messages, and how important it is to look beyond the surface.

Today I learned that literacy goes far beyond just the ability to read. It’s about UNDERSTANDING, and specifically understanding images, data, and other digital information. AI is completely reshaping education, and as a future teacher, it is so critical to think about how to appropriately use and teach technology in the classroom.

I’m now thinking about the gap in reading scores globally. Why is Singapore so far ahead, so out of reach? What do we, as Canadian educators, need to do to bridge this gap?

Of course, this is my very first day of EDCI 410. I expect my thinking to change over the span of this course as I am exposed to more information and methods. Today, already, I am already challenged to think about how we teach literacy and how that can be better adapted. Being an educator means constantly re-evaluating how you teach and I expect I will keep questioning more as this course goes on.

Teaching in the Year 2055…

April 2, 2025 /

As this semester draws to a close, we are prompted with an open-ended question: “Where do you see yourself in the year 2055?” I have spent some time pondering this, and in the end, I have come up with two, equally likely options.

OPTION ONE: This is a world that continues its dive into conservatism, capitalism, and consumerism. War and famine plague the world, while the ill cannot afford to heal themselves. This a dystopia, where math is replaced by survival lessons and teachers are few and far between. Perhaps a nuclear winter or perhaps climate change has made the world too hot to touch… either way, outside is dangerous. Teaching is an important profession, lost to the world around it.

OPTION TWO: This is a much more positive view of the world. In this reality, the world moves forward and countries focus on socialism and peace. Teaching is evolved to incorporate technology and artificial intelligence, while still having a primary focus of outdoor education, nature restoration, and environmental issues. In this future, I have a boat. And I drive that boat to the elementary school that I teach at, as a teaching principal. In this reality, I have a BEd and a MEd and my PhD in outdoor education. I take on a principal role, but I can’t tear myself away from teaching and still teach a couple subjects to Grade 5s.

This is my final weekly reflection. I really hope that my future ends up similar to option two. I hope, either way, I at least get a boat. This course has been one of my favourites in education so far; I’ve learnt so much. I walk away from EDCI 336 with more knowledge and confidence in both using technology and teaching it. Most importantly, I walk away knowing how to make QR codes in any tab. This is genuinely the best thing I’ve learned in this whole programme. I don’t know how I didn’t know how to make QR codes before.

So, this is the end of EDCI 336 and the end of Emma’s Archive. Thank you all for reading and thank you, Michael, for the wonderful course.

xoxo Emma Turner

Harmonica: Now and Forever

April 1, 2025 /

Welcome to the beginning of my goodbye. I am Emma, star harmonicist, appraised musician, reader of tabs and player of songs. Over the past three months, I have put my blood, sweat, tears, (and probably saliva) into learning to play an old harmonica that had been sitting in my closet for ten years.

Might I say… I have succeeded.

Through this project, I have learned to read tabs, play 20 different notes, and put everything together to play four songs in full. I have learned so much about the harmonica… but I have learned a ton about myself too. I have never played an instrument before this, but I learned that I am lowkey goated at it. I am a musical person, and I can learn anything I put my mind to. I went from playing ear-piercing torture to playing songs with rhythm and tempo and a beautiful melody. Most importantly, I’ve learned how proud I am of myself for this. I developed a new skill, something that nobody I know can do. And I was pretty good at it. Perfect actually.

With a heart that beats to the tune of my harmonica, I close this portion of my life. I will never forget you, my beautiful diatonic harmonica. I will ensure you come along with me to every camping trip.

Four Songs Down, Forever to Go

April 1, 2025 /

I have now completed four songs on the harmonica: “Alouette,” “Happy Birthday,” “House of the Rising Sun,” and “Hurt.” I am basically a harmonica menace. I will embrace concealed carrying… with my harmonica. It will be on me secretly at all times, just waiting to be played.

My plan from the get-go was to learn “House of the Rising Sun” and “Hurt,” then put my harmonica back onto the shelf for it to collect dust for years to come. But now, my learning is over and I am… sad. I hold my harmonica closer to me, with more appreciation than ever before. I will not be putting it back onto my shelf to collect dust… I will ensure it is in prime position to be whipped out at any given moment.

I have attained my goal of learning four songs on the harmonica… but I am not satisfied. Beyond this project, I will continue to play. I have so many songs I love that can be learned on the harmonica… so why stop now?

Hurt

March 30, 2025 /

THIS SONG IS SO FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s so much faster than House of the Rising Sun. I get no breaks. Be kind.

The Effect of Screen Time on Students

March 25, 2025 /

Today in EDCI 336 was presentation day! My group and I studied the effects of screen usage on children’s learning and development. I was particularly interested in this topic because I have many little sisters who use screens everyday. I am also a big advocate for outdoor education and it feels like screen time is taking away from this.

I studied the balance between educational screen use (like Duolingo and Crash Course Kids) where kids are engaged and learning, versus non-educational screen use (like Roblox and YouTube Shorts) where kids are mindlessly engaged and doom-scrolling.

My group and I put a lot of time and research into this, so check out our slide deck below!

Tech-Presentation-Screen-TimeDownload

Hurt (My Ears)

March 18, 2025 /

So, I have not yet perfected “The House of the Rising Sun.” Instead, I have taken upon myself to start learning “Hurt” by Johnny Cash. Consider this the same as when someone reads 5 books at once. Eventually, they will all get finished. Eventually…

My goal for learning the harmonica was to learning “The House of the Rising Sun” and “Hurt.” Those are two songs that I absolutely love, so I promise I won’t be starting any more after this. Knowing the Great Four: “Alouette,” “Happy Birthday,” “The House of the Rising Sun,” and “Hurt” is what I consider perfect. Once I can play those four, I will be a sensation. An idol among harmonicists and a musical being placed in some kind of knock-off Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

This song is a bit easier than “The House of the Rising Sun.” It’s not so shrill, so my ears are protected from my harmonica for the most part. It’s long though… very long. This is not a tab I will memorize, but rather one I must carry around with me forever.

I persist, and I perfect. I will soon be a harmonica champion, diatonic diva. See you soon, Free Inquiry project, because I will be back and I will be a star.

« Older posts Newer posts »

Attributions

Image Attributions
https://open.spotify.com/user/bbjht8bq2qr449bfq1hbti37y?si=87c81be9428c47a7

© 2025 Emma's Archive

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑