krishnaidc

[krishnaidc]

Tech Detox: I Failed TWICE! :’(

Instagram really has a hold of me. I broke my commitment on the first day! To entertain myself, I ended up using Facebook and Netflix. After binge watching some shows on Netflix on my laptop, I decided to learn more about some celebrities’ lives. Naturally, I opened Instagram and go through 20 posts for five different celebrities and then watch some food videos. After 10 minutes, I realized what I was doing, and I instantly hated myself. *shakes my head in embarrassment* Oh well, what is done is done, I did my two-minute plank, which felt like death by the way.

But wait, that’s not all! I went on Instagram the next day. To be fair, I was using it for school purposes on that day (kind of). I had to talk to my partner for a school assignment, and I had no other means of contacting her other than Instagram. I re-installed the app, and contacted her, got all the necessary details, and got her number, so I can text her next time. However, what I did next was very regretful. After talking to her, I thought why not look at more food videos while I still have the app, and then I will uninstall. Food videos turned into spoilers for the Netflix shows I did not catch up on and that turned into theories of what will happen in the next season of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Once again, I did my two-minute plank and I quickly uninstalled Instagram. (Why do I do this to myself?!)

The remainder of the days, I did not go on Instagram again. I had much greater self-control after I punished myself. However, that urge to go on Instagram was still there, lingering at the back of my mind, so I started watching YouTube videos after three years. I was bored so often, and when I had nothing to do, I realized how much I use Instagram to kill time and procrastinate my homework. The temptation of Instagram was real. I did not think I had a problem, but now I know I had a slight addiction. (I’m not admitting it was a big one.) I am now limiting my time on Instagram to 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes before I go to sleep from the hours I used to spend. Obviously, it won’t be a good start because I will most likely spend more time than necessary, so I will once again do two-minute planks if I spend more time on Instagram than I intended to.

[krishnaidc]

Self-Directed Project - Learning Korean & iMovie

I’ve always wanted to learn all the languages in the world, starting with Asian languages and being able to converse with other people fluently. When I received this assignment, I thought I would learn Mandarin, but after one whole hour of getting the pronunciation of one simple phrase wrong, I knew Mandarin should be last on my list of languages to learn. I went on to the next best thing: Korean! My mother tongue, Gujarati, is a phonetic language, as well as Korean, so it shouldn’t be too hard to learn. The problem with Mandarin was that it is not a phonetic language and it requires different tongue movements as well as jaw movements. Korean has almost the same sounds in Gujarati so my jaw wouldn’t start hurting.

I installed an app on my phone called Mondly Korean, which had daily lessons, different quizzes, and a chatbot with different situations. I thought that with all these resources in one simple app would make me somewhat fluent in Korean, but it did not!

Within the first week of learning Korean, I only understood a number basic words, but not enough to form sentences. I decided to extend my learning by watching Korean variety shows twice, once with subtitles and once without. This definitely improved my learning, as I was able to pick up words that were being said everywhere, such as is, the, and, so, etc. I was able to pick up enough words from watching shows and from the app to make a script out of it as I was learning.

Speaking Korean, was definitely a challenge. I repeated words as many times as I could until I had the proper pronunciation and I knew the English translation. However, since I didn’t have anybody Korean near me at the time, I didn’t know if my pronunciation was correct. I had to use my best judgement based on the app and shows I watched, but both had fast pronunciation with no options to slow it down. Long phrases also seemed like tongue twisters, hence why there were different shots in the video above; my tongue kept getting twisted, when saying sentences that were longer than 3 words in Korean. By the end of the two and a half weeks, I had most of the pronunciation down and was able to say a few sentences without getting tongue-tied.

My Korean friend did not want to be seen in the video, so I had to take our conversation in one shot. This was difficult to achieve because I kept messing up the pronunciation and I was worried that I would not have anything to edit. However, I neglected the fact that my camera can’t pick up sounds when it is far from the source, and it can detect the tiniest sounds near it. I had to film again the next day, and use my phone as a microphone of sorts. My phone does not have the best audio quality, but it was much louder than what my camera got.

I have never used iMovie before, but I expected it to be a lot like Windows Movie Maker. The only Apple device I owned was my iPad, so maybe the iMovie app is different from the one on Mac, but I know I definitely did not have a good time using it. I thought that I would be able to simply add in subtitles with my choice in the timing for each text to appear and disappear, but my iPad did not give me this option, so I had to split up the video for each line. By splitting it up, I was able to use the title option for the text. However, for each new subtitle I created, there was this weird “swoosh” sound. I did not know how to get rid of it, even with all the Apple help I can get. I also did not want the subtitles to be in all capital letters, but there was no option for each title style offered.

Overall, I had a fun experience learning a new language, but I did learn a little less than I expected. Learning to use iMovie was not fun though. Hopefully, it was just the version on my iPad that ruined it for me because it was definitely not like Windows Movie Maker. My advice for everybody else trying to learn something new: Don’t try to set your expectations too high and expect some failure or else you will be disappointed with the outcome, like me.

[krishnaidc]

Technology Detox Plan

New year, new me! I am going to give up Instagram starting today until Sunday and I know I will try to reinstall Instagram in the middle of the detox. I have a major problem of exploring my feed, looking at food videos, watching spoilers of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (I’m still on episode 4), and looking at the Instagram feed of recommended celebrities. Whenever I’m bored or I simply do not want to do my homework, I explore Instagram and everything it has to offer me. I know I will not last for very long or I will find something else to entertain myself and procrastinate my homework, but this is worth a try. My friends and family know that I’m not using Instagram this week, so if I happen to use Instagram, they can remind me not to. If I fail and I know I will fail, I promise to do two minute planks. 

[krishnaidc]

Blog #6 - Future of Technology

Black Mirror is a Netflix original series with stand-alone episodes. The show revolves around a society set in the near future or a parallel universe at the present time and each episode introduces a new technology with a terrible consequence with its use. Certainly not the best episode, in terms of plot, but “Arkangel” had very interesting technology being used that I can envision being used in society in the next 30 or 40 years.

The main technology used was Arkangel, a chip implanted in children’s brains that allow parents to track, monitor and view the world as the child sees it with a tablet. It can also detect abnormalities in the children, such as a high heart rate or high cortisol levels, that can immediately alert the parents and “filter” images that are causing these symptoms. Briefly, in the episode, a reverse image search was used to identify a person’s face.

A single mother allowed her daughter to have Arkangel to be implanted in her brain, and initially, it was extremely effective, but as the daughter grew older, it became bothersome as she kept seeing “filtered” images and couldn’t fit in at school. She started inflicting self-harm, so the mother hid the tablet and allowed her daughter to grow up without it. When the daughter is a teenager and she lied about visiting a friend, the mother was tempted to once again use the Arkangel tablet to track her daughter, leaving no room for privacy for her daughter. The mother intimidates her daughter’s boyfriend when she sees that her daughter lost her virginity to him and was using drugs with him, by using another piece of technology to identify his face, and she also terminated her daughter’s pregnancy by sneaking in an emergency contraceptive pill into her drink. The daughter realizes what her mother has done, and she snatches the tablet away from her hands, while accidentally turning on the filter, and beats her mother unconscious until the tablet breaks and the filter is turned off. The daughter fled the house realizing what she has done to her mother. Overall the Arkangel turned children against their parents as they grew older.

The Arkangel seems like a harmless idea. Who wouldn’t want to protect their children from scary situations? But in this episode, it was depicted in a negative light. At one point in the episode, after the daughter was pricking her finger to produce blood and slapped her mother away, the mother took her to a psychologist. It was learned that this technology was soon to be banned and was a very controversial technology among children and parents. The lack of privacy being received from their parents was a factor to their mad behaviour.

Personally, I would NOT want to live in a world, where this type of technology can exist. From a teenager’s perspective, this technology is everything I would not want my parents to use against me. Sure, if I happen to get kidnapped, my parents will want to know where I am, but my parents can easily track me with my phone and use the police. The technology we have right now is enough for parents to limit what we see in the world too, but of course, parents can argue that the technology we have right now is more for limiting internet access and digital entertainment. “Who can protect our poor children from real-world situations?!” However, children need to experience some situations, maybe not as extreme as kidnapping or rape, but a loud dog or getting cash stolen. How else can they live once they’ve been thrown out to the real world once they’ve become adults?! I know I have been in stupid situations, like the time I almost drowned or when I got lost somewhere in Toronto, but without these experiences, I wouldn’t have known now what I could’ve done instead to solve my conflicts. Technology is making it increasingly hard, for children to experience real-world situations. If a technology like Archangel was invented, parents would have to choose between letting their children be or monitor every single detail of their children’s lives. Obviously, the best choice would be the middle ground of a sheltered and an unsheltered life.

[krishnaidc]

ICT Issues - Opinion

Social media. Everyone has used it at least once in their life to see what the craze is all about, but once you dive into the world of social media, you can never get out and it will become the main topic of discussion between you and your friends and family. It keeps us connected to the world and can satisfy our curiosity on what people we are acquainted with are up to. However, there is also all this talk of the time we spend on social media is creating negative impacts on us, like our decrease in mental health, cyberbullying, or online predators.

Social media has allowed us to be educated on certain topics. Being taught one-on-one or in a classroom environment is what society thinks when talking about education, but the fact of the matter is that social media can do this and with a wide range of people. For example, YouTube is a place where most people like to share videos expressing their thoughts and opinions as well as teaching various subject areas. Various social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, have also become a place of free speech in society and having one’s voice heard.

However, there is the issue of “fake news” and “conspiracy theories”. What is considered credible? What is not? More and more people are inclined to believe that whatever has been shared on social media is a fact and nothing can be false. And it gets worse! Free speech is a very big proposal to make for a social media platform to its users. Every site has a different definition of free speech, but there are big debates on what the limitations are for free speech. “Should we ban people from using hate speech even though they didn’t breach our user policy?” In Myanmar, there is an ongoing issue of “hate speech” on Facebook. An area where Buddhism is pretty much the dominant religion and looks down on Muslims who are a close first. This is another topic that I can go on and on about, but it has gotten pretty bad on Facebook.

Social media has become a catalyst in awakening our creative and innovative sides. We are coming up with new information to share on our social media, pictures, and themes to use on our Instagram feed. Still, we have no control over our posts once it has been shared once and for all. Anyone can find it at any time and can be shared with other people by your very own friends, so be careful who you trust on the Internet! That isn’t to say, you aren’t allowed to make friends online whatsoever, but be cautious and keep them online. Be wary of the content before sharing it for the whole world to see. Though social networking sites have privacy settings that can be altered to our own personal liking, they all have their own definition of privacy, thus there are different default settings, and there really isn’t a site where privacy is real.

Oh, did I fail to mention the cases where identity theft is a common occurrence through social media? Posting too much about personal details can give enough information to anyone to procure a fake ID under your name with your information. It can also give hackers enough information to figure out your password and create another account under your name with the exact same information listed on your actual account.

Social media can have a great number of positive impacts that heavily outweigh the negative impacts. As long as you practice safe social networking skills, you have all the freedom of using your social media account however you want to. You can learn a new skill, like playing the guitar, swimming, or even cooking, through YouTube. Social media also gives you that boost of confidence and that feeling of independence. We are exploring the world within the reach of our hands through social media, where we can have our voices be heard, and have a positive online presence.

[krishnaidc]

Blog Entry #4 - Placement

These past few weeks were busy. My partner, Elaine, and I worked day and night on our placement. Our placement teacher requested a few things that were both mandatory and optional. Her original website was made using the old Google Sites and consisted of a game widget that no longer worked, and a Day by Day list for two out of the three courses she teaches. She wanted to replace the game widget since it no longer worked, but it was not the main priority. She wanted a Day by Day list for the one class that does not have one, and she wanted to find a way to link her files directly to the list. She also wanted to learn how to download videos from YouTube because sometimes the videos she uses as resources are removed from YouTube. In addition, she wanted to use Google Classroom, but she wanted to know the advantages and disadvantages of it. She was also running out of storage space on her computer. Finally, the last people who worked on her website did not give clear instructions on how to use her website and Google Classroom if it would be advantageous for her.

This was quite a bit of work for us, but less than what we expected to receive. There were so many little details that our placement desired and this was Elaine and I’s first-time using Google Sites, so we did a little research and experimented using both the old Google Sites and the new Google Sites since it is friendlier for both the website creator and the website user. There were setbacks from the new Google Sites though. You can’t upload game widgets, the themes weren’t the same, and, most importantly, the list feature was gone! *gasp* However, our teacher was not tech savvy, so after making sure multiple times if she was okay with it, we converted her old site to the new Google Sites. Let’s just say that we did not expect such a drastic change from her old website. Of course, it looked cleaner and had a more modern look, but we knew our teacher would have quite a shock.

The list feature that was available on the old Google Sites was converted to an Excel file into the new Google Sites, and new pages were made for each file that was uploaded on the old site. It was a disaster. We spent an entire week cleaning it up and researching some other features included in the new site. We needed to figure out how to create a similar looking Day by Day table since that was the main priority. We couldn’t create a table directly on the website, so we used Google Docs and upload that onto her website. However, we couldn’t link files directly to the table, so we scratched that idea out. Next, we tried making 3 separate text box columns to recreate the Day by Day list, but it got too messy and unorganized once started adding more to the list. After another few days of just experimenting what’s working and what’s not, we decided we can use a numbered list in a text box since the original Day by Day table was also numbered.

After the first week and a half week of figuring this out, the rest of the second week consisted of getting started on all the small details – downloading videos, linking files from Google Drive to the website, writing the instructions, researching Google Classroom, and scheduling meeting times with our placement teacher.

I did not enjoy this experience. There were so many little requirements that we needed to meet, but were almost not able to. It was a very stressful placement because of those small details. In the beginning I thought that this placement would be a breeze, but after we did the research, there was quite a bit work to do. Especially the instructions. We made 24 pages of instructions and by the time we were done, we looked like zombies! I only enjoyed the placement when we were done and clicked that Publish button.

Whether the placement was a success or not is a question that is still lingering in the air. Elaine and I believe it to be a success based on our placement teachers needs, but we all had a difference of opinion on one small issue. Elaine and I believed that the website would look even more organized if we created sub pages for each unit for each class, but our placement teacher did not like the idea of making multiple pages because it would be hard for students to navigate, and for her as well. Nonetheless, we respected her choice and she gave us approval. We created a new URL for her, just in case she ends up hating the new site, so she can always go back to her old site. I couldn’t tell if our placement teacher was satisfied with the overall outcome of this project, but she kindly accepted the fact that we made her wishes come true.

I want to leave a personal message for future IDC students:

Dear IDC students,

If you get the same placement teacher as Elaine and I did, and she requests similar tasks for her website, check if the new Google Sites has updated and gives you more freedom with more tools. If it does, then use it! Try to make it look neater and better! Always ask for permission if you are going to create a new page because she does not like having multiple pages. Otherwise, her website is okay as it is.

Sincerely,

Krishna Gandhi

A sleep-deprived student at the present moment😊

[krishnaidc]

Blog Prompt #3: Learning Strategies

My habits experiment went devastatingly downhill after I started using the Pomodoro Technique. My initial plan was to use the original Pomodoro Technique - 20 minutes for each task, 5 minutes short breaks in between, and 20 minutes long breaks after 4 sessions, and I did this for the first 2 days. This clearly did not work for me; I would lose my focus from either doing my math homework, chemistry homework or working on scholarship applications and I was far off from my goal of getting at least 8 hours of sleep; I would get somewhere between 5-6 hours in. 20 minutes was too short of a time frame, so I lengthened the task time to 30 minutes, the short breaks to 10 minutes, and the long breaks to 30 minutes. I did this because I thought “Hey since I'm increasing my time to work, I should also increase my time to take a break. Isn’t the Pomodoro technique based on some time thing that my brain likes? This would definitely work!” Once again, I lost my focus from doing my work because 30 minutes was still too little for me and my breaks were so long that I couldn't return and finish my tasks, and for the first time in forever, I started to procrastinate doing my work by drowning in the seas of YouTube or binge-watching shows on Netflix, which I haven't done since grade 10! I was also sleeping for 4-6 hours. Once more, I lengthened my task time to 45 minutes but decreased my breaks to my initial break time periods. This was the most effective strategy for me. I was able to stay focused without having to procrastinate excessively and I achieved my goal of getting more than 8 hours of sleep with extra time before I slept. However, I only tested this for three days.

In addition, the app I used, Sympl Pomodoro, disabled my WiFi and any distracting sounds from my phone when doing my work, but my phone vibrates and creates a second-long alarm when my task period is over. This greatly contributed to the effectiveness of my strategy. But, there were times when I missed emergency calls from my family and from work. I changed the settings to get calls and texts from my priority list.

Moreover, I tried my very best going to the library every single day until it closes, but that didn’t work out so well because I forgot that the library has a lot of more distracting sounds from 4:30 to 5:00. Carrying three textbooks, two notebooks, one binder, and my laptop, was also quite a struggle for me. I tried walking to the library for a total of 30 minutes a day to get in some extra physical exercise, but this was not ideal for me when I was carrying such a heavy backpack. My back was aching for days and I lacked the motivation to do anything when I go back home. Because I still did not want to do my tasks at my house every day, I decided to alter my strategy to go to the library on days I had a spare last period and I would stay at home in the weekends. This was way more effective because my back was not crumbling down into pieces, but once again, I experimented this for two days.

As you can see down below, the results of this experiment are not enough because I didn’t have many tasks to do over the course of two weeks, so I cannot say that I will continue to use my learning strategy because it was successful. I will continue to do this experiment because the last few days were proven to be more effective than the first week and a half and I also have more work to do now. I will continue going to the library on weekdays when I have a spare last period and I will dedicate each task for 45 minutes and take five minutes for breaks. I have noticed that my work ethic has tremendously decreased, but I don’t know what factors contributed to this. I will continue doing this for another two weeks and see if I can get back on track. If not, then I will seize to use the Pomodoro Technique.

[krishnaidc]

Habits Experiment - Pomodoro Technique

I am a busy, busy person. From school work to extracurriculars to personal health, I have many responsibilities and many tasks to do in my day to day life. My current strategy was recently proven to be ineffective. I create a plan in my agenda and my calendar whiteboard at home. These plans are created for the week on Saturday evenings and/or Sunday mornings, where I take time off to not overexert myself. But, what I don’t do is create a plan for how much time I should give for each task for that day. So, in the end, I procrastinate my tasks, no matter how little they are, because I think I don’t need much time to complete my tasks. I do finish those tasks, but only after reading a novel or several articles on Wall Street Journal that are not correlated to my tasks whatsoever. For the sake of giving myself the satisfaction of completing my plan, I get little to no sleep and no breaks in between each task. The only way I could think of fixing my habits is by using the Pomodoro Technique.

I found this amazing productivity app on Google Play Store today called Sympl Pomodoro. It’s a timer based on the Pomodoro Technique to help me become more productive. It will allow me to break down any large task or series of tasks into short, timed intervals that are spaced out by short breaks. This will not only allow me to work more effectively but also provide fewer distractions once I start working on my tasks. It’s customizable and will let me choose the time length for each task as well as the length of the short and long breaks in between.

I plan on going one step further by disabling sounds, vibration, and Wi-Fi to prevent any temptations of disrupting my focus on each task. Of course, I will set my ringer to “Priorities Only,” in case I get emergency calls or texts.

The end goal is for me to get enough sleep and NOT procrastinate. I know my strategy will work because other productivity apps, such as Habitica, helped me overcome my addiction with Netflix and going overboard on Youtube. Habitica is a gaming productivity app, where I can get virtual money and lifelines for each task I complete before deadlines. However, it doesn’t let me time my tasks, so it is not as effective as it sounds.

The screenshots from Google Play Store showed me that Sympl Pomodoro also provides a statistics screen where I can see my progress throughout the week or month, as well as more information for each day individually. I might not be able to improve all at once, but once I see how I productive I am with these stats, I know I will improve because I will feel unsatisfied with how I’m doing.

I love the cozy environment of my bedroom, but my family can get unbearably loud at times. I will try working in the library close to my house for the next two weeks and see if my study habits will improve. The internet is not the best there, but it will be enough to do my homework and to do other tasks. There are excellent study areas in the library that has a similar vibe to my bedroom, so I know I won’t be uncomfortable and there is a nice café near the library for a short 20-minute study break.

I already make daily plans before the start of the week, so I only need to make an hourly schedule for the day after school, after work or wherever else I was before coming back home. I will make a simple, hourly schedule for myself in Sympl Pomodoro during the time I take to go to the library from school or work on weekdays and on weekends, I will plan the minute I wake up.

I will reach the library at around 4:00 pm on weekdays and that will give me around 5 hours to finish my tasks, assuming I go straight there after school. On Saturdays, I will go there from the time it opens, 9:00 am, to the time it closes, 5:00 pm, with breaks in between. And on Sundays, I will go to the library after eating lunch, so around 1:00 pm, until it closes, 5:00 pm, with breaks in between

All these implementations will only make a slight change from my current habits but may prove to be more effective than what I have. I will continue taking my Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings off from work so I won’t drop dead from doing task after task. Hopefully, by the end of all this, I will become a more productive high-school student and won’t look so sleep deprived every day.

[krishnaidc]

Blog Prompt #1: Technology & 21st Century Learning

Do you feel school is preparing you adequately for your future? Why or why not?

If my future is determined by my grades in school to secure a well-paying job, then, yes, school is preparing me for my future. But we do not live in a perfect world, where we can become any profession we want with no obstacles in our way as long as we get good grades in high school, get into a university with a good reputation, and get a high GPA. The real world is not as black and white as school paints it to be. If school actually wanted to prepare me adequately for my future, they should keeping me up to date about employment trends and economic issues monthly. The future is uncertain and with all the emerging technologies, we would never know what is in store in the future. There could be new occupations, less positions for existing occupations, and money can become an issue. These topics should be integrated into the curriculum to prepare my peers and me for our future.

How do you personally use technology to learn?

I only use technology for certain subjects. For Science, I listen to CrashCourse videos to understand the concepts I’ve learned, and I use my teachers’ websites for supplementary homework questions and PowerPoint lessons. I also use Gizmos when my teacher makes an e-lab accessible. For Math, I mainly use my teacher’s website to access worksheets & supplementary homework questions. In addition, I use Desmos to visualize graphs and I use Khan Academy if I didn’t understand that day’s lesson. For research assignments, I use Google Scholar to find credible publications and I, then, search through the deep depths of the internet to find a free version of the publication if not free on Google Scholar. During my free time, I like to read Wall Street Journal, but because I’m broke, I use archive.today to read an article I’m interested in for free. The most popular way of taking notes among secondary and post-secondary students is by typing it out, but I always preferred to hand write my notes on my own time. In the long run, I can survive without technology for educational purposes, but I doubt I can live without my memes. 

Do classes that use more technology appeal to you? Is it easier for you to learn the content?

It doesn’t matter. I usually choose courses that I know I will be interested in and will excel in, so I know what to expect from my classes. However, there were technological courses that I strongly hated. ICS was one of them and, surprisingly, grade 10 Media Arts. I was forced to take ICS and although I did well in ICS, it was a subject I did not like because it requires plenty of logic, which I have a little of. I know, how did I ever get into MaCS? *exasperated sigh* But to be fair, coding is not my forte, which is why I stopped after grade 11 ICS. With Media Arts, it wasn’t particularly the content I hated, but rather the lack of freedom involved in our assignments. It was an art course, but no creativity involved! How absurd is that?! However, grade 11 Digital Media made up for it because we mainly worked on the yearbook with a lot of small assignments on the side that required a lot of creativity and a mix of different technologies. And for courses that require you to be physically active, like Phys. Ed., technology is not a must. On the other hand, for Dance, music is a necessity, so a music-playing device is needed. In the end, it really depends on the class I’m taking and how interesting it is.

Does it matter to you if a teacher uses technology in class? Why or why not?

Not really. For Math, my teacher alternates between a smartboard and a chalkboard, and I don’t care which one she uses as long as I understand what she is doing. However, for content-based courses (e.g. Science, Social Sciences), I would prefer it if my teachers have PowerPoint presentations that they upload onto their website because I can easily recall additional information that my teacher talked about during the presentation when I see it again later that day to make notes. I also need visual aids and hands-on activities for learning, so if my teacher is not a great artist, they can easily present a diagram on smartboard and demonstrate other interactive activities from the internet. I especially like it when we play Kahoot as a tool for reviewing a unit because I love the satisfaction when I get the right answer and I can remember my mistakes too. Ultimately, as mentioned in the previous question, it depends on the course itself for me.