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The connected learning approach boosts learners’ development by focusing on three key characteristics, namely that it should be “socially embedded, interest-driven, and oriented toward educational, economic, or political opportunity” (Garcia, p. 6). In schools, students are from diverse cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds, and they possess different academic, physical and cognitive abilities. Children from nondominant groups have frequently experienced assimilative curricula and approaches that postulate deficit thinking on their cultures and languages and have a negative impact on their academic and emotional growth. Thus, this approach is critical because it is a potential solution for promoting inclusivity and creating a caring and positive climate of connected learning. In this, learners and instructors can exchange and develop competency and the use of information technology. Instructors are lifelong learners who invest in learning and incorporating innovative tools and approaches to meet each and every individual student’s needs and increase their learning growth. Students strive to become expert learners who understand their own interests and expertise. This helps them to develop their insights into critical thinking and problem-solving processes. Their academic achievement is accomplished through connecting their interests to relevant content, establishing communities of learners, and taking action for social change.

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Module one’s readings reminded me of my virtual teaching experience for first graders at a school in Beijing, China after the pandemic began. My school adopted an online platform called Classin during that time and required teachers and students to utilize digital tools and technologies for remote learning. This provided concrete opportunities for me and my students to continue learning and teaching and maximize connections in a virtual atmosphere as productively as possible. At that time, I found switching to teaching online challenging due to the lack of time for training, preparation, resources, and personal family issues. At the same time, it taught me it is vital for classroom teachers to reflect on, learn, adopt, and incorporate digital learning platforms to meet all students’ needs. Besides traditional texts, teachers can use digital materials and tools to help accommodate each individual’s learning in unique ways. For example, in a lesson about habitats, students can work together to inquire through a variety of materials such as online videos and audiobooks in small groups, then record, upload, and share their ideas and perspectives about the topic with their peers using digital platforms such as Classin.

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On the other hand, teaching online gave me concerns about the social-emotional growth of students, especially young learners. With distance learning, students were not able to play together, problem-solve social conflicts, and establish close friendships with their peers. For young students, it is crucial to have opportunities to interact and spend time together to build these foundations of social skills.

One of my questions:
In what way can teachers leverage connected learning to support each individual student’s needs to boost their social and emotional growth?

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The process of creating my Padlet taught me Padlet is a user-friendly digital board that teachers and students can manipulate and use to collaborate, share and review work. For example, teachers can easily create an online bulletin board which they can post and share digital images, texts, and videos with students or vice versa by providing them with a link. Also, students can respond, add ideas, and leave feedback and comments with their names or anonymously. I discovered that Padlet allows users to type or paste words into online post-it notes, search and upload images and create their own voice recordings or videos. Throughout learning this process and my experience, I have learned that teachers can use Padlet as a useful tool with many activities in a virtual classroom such as brainstorming on a project or topic, creating online portfolios to collect students’ work, providing them meaningful feedback, or serving as exit ticket activities to require students to reflect on what they have learned about the topic.

I like the fact that teachers can edit the privacy options to limit who can view them and give permission to those who can interact with them. To go along with this, I wonder if there is a function where teachers can review and approve the content of posts and ensure they are appropriate before being published.