Blog Post #1

Introduction 

Hi, my name is Tabarek, and I’m a fourth-year student majoring in Mathematics. In my free time, I volunteer with organizations to help middle and high school students with their math lessons. This experience has been very fulfilling and has further fueled my passion for education. I am continuing my journey in mathematics with the hope of becoming a teacher one day. 

Interests in Social Media and Personalized Learning 

Social media has become an invaluable tool in my studies. Whenever I encounter a challenging concept, I turn to educational communities on platforms like Microsoft Teams, Reddit, and YouTube. By joining these communities, I can access a wealth of knowledge shared by educators and fellow students worldwide. 

Personalized learning is vital because each student comprehends concepts differently. In our current era, where accessing information from home is easier than ever, learning tools must adapt to meet individual needs. Personalized learning involves assessing a student’s current level of knowledge. This approach ensures that students receive the most relevant and effective resources, whether they prefer live online sessions or recorded videos. By recognizing that each student has unique learning preferences and needs, personalized learning enhances the educational experience, making it more engaging and effective for everyone involved.  

Use of Digital Tools in Learning and Professional Life 

I use digital tools a lot. For example, I’ve been using a note-taking app called Goodnotes on my iPad since summer 2020. It became essential during COVID-19, as writing exams on paper and then taking pictures to submit them consumed a significant portion of the exam time. With the note-taking app, I can immediately send my notes to my Gmail and submit them as PDFs in less than two minutes. This approach has saved me space and money on notebooks, and now I can easily access notes from courses I took three years ago on my Google Drive. 

In my professional life, I use Canva. I participated in a program with an NGO in Victoria, where I had to create two presentations. Canva was incredibly easy to use and helped me create professional and visually appealing presentations. 

Understanding of Digital Literacy 

From my understanding, digital literacy involves the effective use of digital platforms, such as websites and smartphones, for research, communication, and collaboration. It emphasizes the importance of security and safety by teaching users how to protect personal information and maintain privacy online. Digital literacy also includes understanding and avoiding plagiarism by recognizing the importance of crediting sources. 

Experience with Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) 

I used Khan Academy in my first two years of university to help with my math and statistics courses. Although I attended my instructors’ lectures, I found Khan Academy’s explanations and examples very helpful for better understanding the material. 

I used Reddit to learn about the most interesting or challenging math courses and decide which upper-level math courses to take based on other students’ experiences. 

The biggest resource for me has been YouTube. It has been incredibly helpful, especially when I have questions about a topic. Often, I find that someone else has already asked the same question in the comments section of a video, and the instructor or other knowledgeable viewers have provided detailed answers. The interactive nature of the comments section creates a dynamic learning environment, allowing me to engage with the content more deeply. 

Thoughts on the Course Content 

Through this course, I plan to further develop my PLN by engaging with peers on social media and exploring new digital platforms to broaden my learning network.