As I start my first blog post for  EDCI 568, I have a lot of questions. It feels like there are a lot of questions that I don’t know that need to be asked. I suppose that’s a good thing, though, that sense of inquisitiveness is vital for growth. Looking at my notes from the last class on January 16th,  it looks like we explored a few different areas. We discussed artificial intelligence for a short bit, and we talked about misinformation on the Internet. We talked briefly about algorithms and the threat they pose to democracy.  We discussed the five movements of education, of which I only heard three of them: (Personalization, connectedness, and openness.)  I would very much like to know the other two and discuss this. We went on to discuss how assessment had a 0.4 reliability, which makes me think, why have assessment in the traditional sense at all?  Classical test theory is another subject we discussed where Observed score = True score + Error, which is likely where the 0.4 reliability of assessment comes from.  I really like the idea of accepting that any assessment or any assignment has errors within it, so we should be more accepting, letting go, allowing repeated attempts for understanding, focusing on connection and relationships, taking risks with assessments and allowing students to do different things that they, in fact, are interested in.  Every student’s curriculum can and should look different and be tailored to them.

               The next slide during class that was shown Potential = Connectedness + Personalization + Openness + Assessment for learning + Access.  What this says to me is that for a student to reach their full potential, the instructor has to foster a sense of connectedness and trust in the class.  Teachers must make things personal, so build a sense of cohesiveness among the students and instructor as well as make the content relevant to each student as best they can. The instructor needs to be open and disclose that they do not have all the answers and share a little bit about themselves. Assessment needs to be directed toward future learning as opposed to a punitive or gatekeeping-type attitude; the access to the knowledge needs to be as equitable as possible.  “Learning happens where the learner is” (quote from Valerie), in my opinion, can mean a couple of things.  It can mean that a teacher must lay a foundation or a scaffolding to build future learning. It also means to me that learning happens where the student’s interests lie.

Misinformation on the Internet is really an important topic to me and should be a concern for everyone in society today. I’m not quite sure how to articulate this, but I have read and heard a lot of people’s opinions on various topics online,  who appear to get all of their information and form beliefs from social media. I see within my own community people that I would have considered mature, important, influential people who are volatile, angry, and misinformed about a variety of different issues globally and within our community. Like most of you I am seeing a progressive polarization of society at a global, national, regional, and community level. Now, social media has a lot of really positive attributes, but it definitely needs to be redesigned to have stopgaps to reduce the number of harms that it has within its programming.  I believe that social media is at the core of this polarization for several reasons.

The first reason I discussed here is each person has an algorithm specifically tailored to their interests. On the surface, this seems great; everybody gets to see what they want to see. The problem with that is that you don’t see any other opposing views or different views to consider.  Different points of view of a particular subject can foster an open mind. Your algorithm is just showing you more information on what you believe is the right way to think, live, connect, work, what the right sport to watch is or whatever it is that you’re interested in or the right fear.  In real life, society, and face to face interactions, we see all kinds of different opposing views. Face to face, we are more polite, we are more open-minded, or at least we watch what we say and listen more when someone has a different point of view. Only being shown content based on your algorithmically tailored interests can make you believe that no other interests exist.   What happens when social media is manipulated to spread misinformation, especially content designed to evoke fear? Humans naturally focus on fear to stay safe rather than on positive things. As a result, you fix it on it, and your algorithm adapts to prioritize fear, conspiracies, anger, and opinionated indignation is the result. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcwgQS5PvT8

The second reason social media is creating discord is that there are actual groups out there wishing to destabilize countries. In essence, it’s the new way to wage war in a safe manner. Russia and China have been spreading misinformation and disinformation to the West for quite a few years, and its effect is evident in the polarization, especially in the states, but even within all of us in our small communities in Canada. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKyFL389qe8

               The third factor contributing to polarization and discord on social media and in society today is that the Internet provides everyone with a platform to express their opinions, regardless of how extreme their views may be. Before the advent of social media, individuals with extremist beliefs or borderline psychosis were often kept in check by those around them. Friends, family, or acquaintances might challenge their ideas, dismiss them as irrational, or provide factor factual counterpoints to their claims. In this way, social interactions and peer pressure helped moderate extreme viewpoints. However, in the age of social media, extremists find one another online, and algorithms amplify these connections. This creates echo chambers where their beliefs are normalized and validated, even without supporting evidence. This phenomenon has likely contributed to the rise of troubling issues such as school shootings and online communities like INCEL. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk1o2BpC79g

               More than ever, we need reliable informational resources to help people navigate the Internet and social media effectively, ensuring these tools enhance our lives rather than control them. This is where digital literacy in school becomes crucial. Teachers must guide students in navigating the Internet and social media responsibly. Students should learn to leverage the positive aspects of social media, such as opportunities for learning and connection, while also understanding how algorithms influence what they see. They need to recognize that even if algorithmic adjustments, social media still doesn’t provide a complete picture of reality. Additionally, students should be taught to research beyond social media, identifying credible sources and critically evaluating information. In an era where anyone can create a website to spread information or conspiracy theories, this skill is vital. Finally, they must also emphasize the importance of balancing online engagement with real life connections and caution against the risks of addiction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDqESkPiV4E