Topic of Choice

 Topic of My Choice:

Diet and Mental Health

     Does what we eat affects negatively our mental health? 

Healthy diet have effects on mood and mental health.

Lifestyle factors positively improves mental health.

Mental disorders account for major global burden of disease

Nutrition is linked as treatment for mental disorders

Lifestyle factors are cost-effective therapies

They tend to impove:

 1-mental health 

 2-physical health 

 3- increase quality of life and life expectancy

Impact of micronutrients deficiencies on mental disorders

There is a strong relation between micronutrients and optimum functioning of nervous system.

- Most micronutrients related to mental disorders are: B vitamins,Vitamin D and Magnesium.

Vitamin B12: its deficiency causes fatigue, low memory, depressive symptoms.

Vitamin B9: low B9 intake during pregnancy has effect on neurodevelopment of baby, which increase the risk of depression later in life.

Vitamin B3: deficiency causes pellagra and it results in  dementia.

Vitamin D: high concentrations are related to higher memory performance and more attention.

Zinc: its deficiency leads to symptoms common to depression like mood disorders.

Relation between Physical activity and Mental Health 

• Over last years, lifestyle of most people is going more toward sedentary.

• Studies show that the more people increase their physical activity, the less they are at risk for onset depression.

• Exercise benefits:

1) Positive effects on mood

2) Have no cost and safe

3) Increased Self-Confidence 

4) Improves body image

5) Better social life

Conclusion:

Healthy lifestyle factors are the key for preventing both physical and mental diseases.

●These factors include sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy food choices, higher BMI, tobacco use…

●A well and balanced dietary pattern have a positive effects on patients suffering from psychiatric disorders.

●Healthy dietary pattern includes: high intake of fruits and vegetables, consumption of whole grains, lean proteins, essential fatty acids, fish oils, nuts…

●On the other hand, consumption of high amounts of saturated fats have negative effects on mood. 

●So, a healthy eating pattern in addition to good lifestyle factors are very important in having well mental health.

What can we as teachers do now that we weren’t able to do a year ago

 What can we as Teachers do now that we weren’t able to do a year ago:

The COVID-19 has resulted in schools shut all across the world. Globally, over 1.2 billion children are out of the classroom.

As a result, education has changed dramatically, with the distinctive rise of e-learning, whereby teaching is undertaken remotely and on digital platforms.

Research suggests that online learning has been shown to increase retention of information, and take less time, meaning the changes coronavirus have caused might be here to stay.

Challenges Teachers face when Learning/Teaching Online

 Challenges Teachers face when learning/teaching online:

The way of education has changed its online education now in 2021. When education first went online due to covid19 restrictions, everyone believed it was a temporary change, however here we are almost a year and a half later, and schools are still functioning online. The world is still dealing with the ongoing crisis caused by the pandemic, and education will remain online for the foreseeable future. There have been rapid online development and changes in the way that online education is taught now as compared to in 2019. 

There are challenges when dealing with students online only. Now the teaching strategy of teachers has had to have evolved to deal with the current method of teaching. One of the biggest challenges that teachers face today with teaching online is ‘attention’. Children are at liberty to mute their mikes when taking online classes (and talk to who they wish), and some children are also prone to get up and wander away from their class. The primary problem is effectively engaging the students online.

Online learning may be a savior but it comes with its own problems.

From internet connection problems to assessment issues, there are many problems to solve yet.

Ensuring online security for video classes and tackling boredom are also issues that need attention.

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To be a serious educational institution today, one of the criteria is definitely to have an effective and professional education platform. Effective teaching/learning is all about enabling teachers and students to interact better and engage better. 

What do you think Students should be taught when working online to avoid problems

 What do you think Students should be taught when working online to avoid problems?

     Students should be taught when they’re using online how to use platforms especially new platforms  that will help them in the e-learning and the hybrid learning. They must use the word document, the PowerPoint and the excel. In addition to using google, google meet, zoom or any platform that will let them engage in the online learning. Moreover they must know how to use emails, sending emails, and using the platform that will be used by their school’s depending on the school.

How to be a digital citizen?

     How to be a Digital Citizen?

     Being educators, we try to instill the best habits and practices to our young students, not only in the real world but also in the virtual one as well. As we become a more global society, we can’t deny the fact that children are online. According to a 2015 study published by the Pew Research Center, over 71% of our students have at least one social media site.

1. Remember the Golden Rule

     “Treat people the way you want to be treated or have a member of your family treated!” In this digital age, we have to start teaching our children that this applies not only to face-to-face conversations but also to the conversation and interactions that we have online.

2. Keep Private Information Private

     In this day and age, it can be hard to keep information private. Be careful on who and how you give way information. Information that is shared not only has effects on the person it’s about but also their family, friends, and yourself.

3. Think About The Future

     EVERYTHING IS SAVED ON THE INTERNET! Just because you deleted something off of Facebook and Snapchat doesn’t mean it’s been erased from the internet. Picture it like this: every time you go to a different website, the internet makes a little tattoo of everything you do while on it. And that leads into our next point…

4. Be Mindful of Your “Brand”

     When we think about brands, we think about clothing. And sometimes, clothing companies have issues or concerns that they are truly passionate about. But the way they reach their audience is by having a clear, well-delivered message. You too are a brand. Whenever engaging anyone in conversation on the internet, be it a quick chat with your Aunt living in Arizona or having a debate with a fellow classmate, always be mindful of what you say so that it doesn’t hurt your reputation (aka brand). 

5. Be Yourself

     At the end of the day, the only thing we can be is ourselves. If you’re into posting funny videos as I am, keep in mind that you do have an audience much bigger than what you thought. Even though we are taught as children not to judge a book by its cover, friends, family and even future employers will look at it because the world wide web isn’t just an open source of information, it also makes your life an open book.

A digital citizen refers to a person who has the knowledge and skills to effectively use digital technologies to communicate with others, participate in society and create and consume digital content.

Digital citizenship is about confident and positive engagement with digital technologies. By educating students about digital citizenship, they will have the opportunity to develop an understanding about the following concepts:

• digital and information literacy
• internet safety
• privacy and security
• cyberbullying, relationships, etiquette and communication
• creative credit and copyright
• digital footprint.

 others, participate in society and create and consume digital content.

Digital citizenship is about confident and positive engagement with digital technologies. By educating students about digital citizenship, they will have the opportunity to develop an understanding about the following concepts:

• digital and information literacy
• internet safety
• privacy and security
• cyberbullying, relationships, etiquette and communication
• creative credit and copyright
• digital footprint.

Tools that can be used in Online assessment

 

Tools that can be used in Online Assessment      

     Online assessment tools for teachers are a necessary part of the remote learning picture. From one day to the next you need to know what your students understand. If you have a handle on their learning gaps then you can adjust your lessons to target them. 

Here are the most important assessment tools to use them in education 

1- Google Forms:

     Google Forms are an amazing way to collect data from students. Whether you’re teaching virtually or in the classroom, Google Forms can be an efficient way to deliver assessments. You can not only create your own, but you can edit Google Form quizzes that others have created!

Here are three things you need to know about Google Forms. They can:

• Self-grade with an answer key
• Deliver feedback to students
• Adapt and change based on student responses WHILE they are completing the Form

2- Mentimeter: 

     Mentimeter Quiz Competitions test your students’ knowledge in new and interesting ways! Create your own quiz or use one of our templates to add energy in the classroom whilst keeping the focus on learning. With colourful animations and a suspense-building leaderboard, Quiz competitions are perfect for pop quizzes, formative assessments or when you simply want your students excited about learning!

3- Polly Everywhere

     Poll Everywhere can be used as a formative assessment strategy that enhances and amplifies classroom discussion, participation, and understanding. In addition to the quick-serve nature of the tool, site-generated polls can be integrated into PowerPoint presentations for real-time audience participation.

4- Kahoot:

     Kahoot is a free student-response tool for administering quizzes, facilitating discussions, and collecting survey data. It is a game-based classroom response system played in real time. Questions are projected on a shared screen, while players answer the questions with their smartphone, tablet, or computer; creating a social, fun and game-like environment. Kahoot allows for the design of multiple-choice quizzes as well as polls and surveys that populate on-the-spot data; the quiz questions and polls stimulate quick instructional decisions as well as whole-class discussion.

My Opinion about Integrating Technology into Teaching

     My Opinion about Integrating Technology into Teaching: 

    There are lot of reasons why technology is important in learning in the schools. Whether we like it or not, technology is everywhere; and in order for our students to survive in post-secondary education and the business world, they must know technology.

Briefly, we can mention 10 reasons for the importance of technology in education:

1- Students demand it

    Students are engaging with technology constantly outside of the classroom. Students like to be interactive, and learning through technology has now become a part of their lifestyle.

2- New teachers are demanding it. 

     The technology movement has been implemented in post-secondary education as well as other professional jobs. For new teachers, technology is considered a necessity for the learning environment.

3- Students are the digital native

1.      Children know technology better than most adults. It has become the easiest way they learn, because it is such an integral part of their life. Engaging with technology in the classroom has not only helped them learn better, but they also acquire multi-tasking skills. At this day in age, they hardly know how to learn without it. This knowledge is important, because they would be way behind in the real world without it.
2. 4- Young Students can learn at their own pace
3.      We know from years of experience that children learn at their own pace, but sometimes the traditional classroom makes it difficult to do so. With the integration of technology in education, children have the ability to slow down and go back over lessons and concepts, and more advanced kids can go ahead. It also frees up the teacher to help kids on a more one-on-one level.
4. 5- With technology, there are no limitations
5.      Having access to other information outside of the book gives students many different ways to learn a concept. Teachers can come up with creative ways to teach their students that keeps them engaged. Technology has changed the learning environment so that learning is more hands-on. Schools throughout the nation are diverse in income, and often kids don’t always get the resources they need. The implementation of technology in schools helps close that gap.
6. 6- Technology has the ability to enhance between teachers and students.
7.      When teachers effectively integrate technology into subject areas, teachers grow into roles of adviser, content expert, and coach. Technology helps make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun. Students are also able to collaborate with their own classmates through technological applications.
8. 7- Testing has gone online
9.      One protocol that schools don’t have control over, but must adapt to, is online testing. Testing online is the way of the future, but it has a lot of advantages. Assessing students’ performance can be done instantly with technology. Beyond seeing test scores in real-time, teachers can better track and understand students’ grasp of the subject.
10. 8- Multitude of resources 
11.      Computers, tablets, and other forms of technology bring multiple resources for the teacher that’s not in the book. They not only keep students engaged with exciting new features and apps, but also have other ways to teach students material. Every student learns differently, and technology helps with this gap as well.
12. 9- Technology keeps students engaged
13.      The students of this generation are considered technological learners. They learn best being more interactive, and technology is what helps them do that. Children often struggle to stay on task or interested, and with resources to help the teacher, they can better stay focused and learn faster.
14. 10- Technology is necessary to succeed outside of primary and secondary education
15.      Whether we like it or not, technology is an essential concept to learn. Because it changes so quickly, children are better off learning about it sooner. It is a primary part of every industry, and there is no way around it. These days, technology means more than just learning basic computing skills. Technology has made itself part of every aspect of our lives today, and the students who understand it are the ones who succeed in the business world.

EDUC561 Class

 EDUC561 Class

     This course explores technology integration strategies in education, and prepares future teachers to use technology as a powerful tool to enhance learning. The course also presents an overview of some learning theories and their implication on learning, and examines different technologies that can be used in the educational field, including visual media, audio media, computer tools, internet resources, multimedia applications, and instructional software.

This class provides for us:

a. Knowledge and Understanding, by recognizing the different terminology related to Educational Media and Technology, explaining the impact of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) on Education, identifying different use of ICT in education.

b. Intellectual Skills, by reviewing learning theories that support or which are enhanced by the use of ICT in education, by discussing the effective use of ICT in education, discovering new technologies and new educational  software, learning how to use technology and educational software in order to meet their teaching and learning objectives.

c. Professional and Practical Skills, by choosing the right technology to achieve the intended learning outcome, integrating technology smoothly in their learning and teaching process, developing effective learning objects using different educational software, employing the social media networks in the teaching and learning process. 

d. General and Transferable Skills, by evaluating the use of ICT in education, teaching students how to use technology for their learning process, sharing their experiences and their products with other educators, joining educators’ networks. 

• The Teaching and Learning Methods for this class are:

1- Learner-Centered Learning 

2- Personalized Learning 

3- Flipped Classroom 

4- Brainstorming 

5- Discussions

6- Presentations 

7- Papers reading/writing 

8- Project-based learning 

9- Group Work

10- Peer teaching 

11- Peer evaluation 

• Students Assessment Methods for this class are:

1- Brainstorming and discussions to assess knowledge, understanding, and intellectual skills

2- Project to assess practical, evaluation, digital and creativity skills 

3- Group work to assess communication, cooperation, social, and flexibility skills

4- Project presentation to assess presentation, teaching, and sharing skills

5- Monitoring learners’ progress to assess self-learning skills