What are your thoughts on hybrid learning compared to when you are in school all day? Which format do you prefer, and why?

I personally believe hybrid learning to be a little harder than the normal system because I find it harder to stay engaged and give my continued attention during an online class. The online classes do not have the depth that an in-person class has, there is hampered communication between presenter and audience, and it generally feels less connected. With what I would describe as less personality in the online classes I prefer the older system of having a full day and being in person for all your classes.

How has technology benefited you and hindered you during the hybrid system?

Technology has benefited me during by hybrid experience by allowing me to even partake in the hybrid system. With the technology available to me I was able to access all my assignments and complete them. I was also able to find resources much quicker and easier to help me complete these assignments. Technology is the life and blood of the hybrid system and helps at every step of the way. However, it does not come without its drawbacks. With the freedom of being able to do whatever you want without and instructor or peers in the room, I found myself wandering and my attention straying. With the hybrid system I had to be much more mature and have better work habits in order to complete the course (I still may not have had the best work habits though). I could quickly search up whatever I was thinking about at that moment, and I found because of this I was getting off task much more than normal. This is especially bad because of the quarter system where things move much quicker, and you need to finish assignments to a high standard in a timely fashion. While technology allows the hybrid system to exist and allows me to access resources much more easily, it quite nearly caused my downfall on multiple occasions.

What is one core competency that you already were proficient with that helped you succeed during hybrid learning when you were forced to be more independent?

I believe that going into the hybrid system I was most proficient with the communication branch of core competencies in that I could easily acquire, interpret, and present information. I found that this helped me a lot in my writing assignments to express myself and get my point across. This was especially helpful in the hybrid system where you do not see the instructor as much and you have to be able to express yourself and make yourself look competent without actually talking to and being in the room with them. Good evidence for my ability to acquire, interpret, and present information I believe is a writing assignment that I did for my English class in quarter one. The assignment consisted of finding sources on the topic of virtual reality in different fields and citing them in an opinionated essay to try and convince our teacher of its benefits. My teacher responded well to my essay, and I got a great mark for it. This coupled with the fact I felt like I did a good job on this assignment is why I am citing it as evidence for this section. (I will link the paper at the bottom of the blog)

What is one core competency that you have improved or developed during the hybrid learning portions of the year?

A core competency branch that I have improved on during the hybrid system would be the personal awareness and responsibility branch. Going into the hybrid system I was terrible with my time management (and still am to a degree) and had a very hard time handing in assignments on time. Throughout the year I have had to improve on this core competency in order to complete my courses. I    believe proof of my improvement would be my success in my Mandarin 11 course. Throughout this course we were constantly given vocabulary to memorise days before it was on a test. We were given research assignments we had to finish that day and condense it into a PowerPoint. The course moved fast and if I did not self regulate and make responsible decisions I would have never kept up. Unfortunately, due to the nature of my evidence I can not link a specific document as proof, however if you have doubts you can check my report card for quarter three.

All media is from https://pixabay.com/ and licensed under the Pixabay license

Link to cited document https://sd43bcca-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/125-aradtke_sd43_bc_ca/EeJltXXG3P1MnQFVLIaSR1cBitzFmm29On5fn-G5K-EWbQ?e=n5uNnZ  

1. How might your digital footprint affect your future opportunities? Give at least two examples.

Digital footprints can decide anything between getting a scholarship at a famous university or simply getting a part time job at a fast-food chain. If your digital footprint is un-satisfactory or inappropriate, then you may not be able to get a position in as many jobs. An example, is if you are applying for a new office job but your manager (or senior) sees that on your social media accounts that you post inappropriate images and messages, then you probably would not get the job you otherwise would have. Having no digital footprint is also not a good strategy. If you check all the boxes for a scholarship but have no digital footprint you have missed an opportunity to have a positive reference on yourself, and the scholarship will more likely be given to someone who has a healthy and positive digital footprint. The trick is to have a well managed footprint that projects a positive view of yourself.

2. Describe at least three strategies that you can use to keep your digital footprint appropriate and safe.

An amazing strategy for keeping a healthy digital footprint is using the acronym T.H.I.N.K. Before you post you should think, is it true? Is it helpful? Is it illegal? Is it necessary? Is it kind? If your post checks all of these boxes it should be safe to post. Another strategy for keeping a safe and appropriate digital footprint is to focus your posts on the good side of you. If you focus on the questionable and inappropriate things you commit you won’t look as professional as if you posted about your passions or volunteer work. The last tip for keeping your digital footprint professional is to try to shy away from any curses and swear words. Many people swear in their daily speech but if you constantly use curses when they are not necessary then you tend to look a lot less professional. If it came down to two applicants for the same job the person with the more professional image and digital footprint would likely get the position. The bottom line is that you should just think before you post. Think how this could affect your image or how it could affect you down the line.

3. If you could go back in time, is there anything that you would do differently online? Think of what advice you would pass on to your younger self or other students.

Until now I have not had the opportunity to post anything that I would come to regret. I simply have shied away form a lot of social media platforms for the simple reason that I did not need to be on them. If I wanted to talk to my friends, I would do so through private channels. Now that I am much more knowledgeable about what I should and should not post. I can now post without any worry that it will come back to haunt me ten years down the line.