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Week 6 Reflection

December 4, 2023 / svlahos / 0 Comments

This week was a bit different than usual as instead of having class in our regular classroom, we met using Zoom. We discussed the concept of accessible learning and specifically looked at examining the different technologies and tools that help foster inclusivity in a classroom. I was introduced to the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which is an important framework that is used to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all learners. We watched a very insightful video that further expanded on the framework, as the video focused on exploring the ways in which educators can reach a greater audience by ensuring that every student has a way to understand the material to the best of their own personal experience. Using the UDL guidelines, teachers are encouraged to create a classroom environment that takes into consideration the diverse needs of each student and we engaged in a classroom discussion on how we could adopt aspects of the guidelines in our own teaching practices. We also watched another video that shared the experiences of students who have disabilities, and it highlighted the importance of creating a learning environment that accommodates the learning needs of all students. By not being mindful and creating an environment that supports the diverse needs of students, the students shared how the often felt like they were not part of the classroom community and viewed themselves as outsiders. This was a very impactful message that directly spoke to me as part of the reason why I decided to become a teacher was to be a positive force in the classroom and to ensure that all students have the tools they need to succeed. I strongly believe that every student has the right to participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities and the UDL guidelines are definitely a resource I will be referring to throughout my teaching practice.

One Yoga Review

December 4, 2023 / svlahos / 0 Comments

Last week I shared my experience at The Lab, and this week I wanted to discuss my experience practicing at the yoga studio One Yoga. One Yoga is literally a 5-minute walk from my apartment, so I loved the fact that I was able to get to class in such little time. I found that back in Toronto, I spent a lot of time commuting and one of the things I looked forward to most when moving to Victoria was the idea of being able to walk or bike everywhere. Similar to most studios, One Yoga is decorated with a lot of wooden furniture and accents and there is a small tea station in the lobby of the studio. I decided to take the “All Levels” yoga class, as I thought this would be the best class to get a feel and understanding of the overall vibe of the studio, as it is described as a basic introduction to the practice of yoga, focusing on breath and alignment, which is a type of class I have taken hundreds of times before. However, when I entered the studio, I was instantly hit with a surprise as I immediately noticed that there were no mirrors and there was no clear direction regarding which side of the studio was the front and the back. I became so dependent and accustomed to using mirrors in my practice that I felt out of place and uncomfortable. I remember thinking throughout the class whether I was doing the postures correctly and was trying to mimic the movements of others around me. After finishing the class, while I felt accomplished and refreshed, I did not feel like I got the most out of my practice.

This experience made me reflect on my time in India and how the purpose of yoga is about cultivating internal awareness and mindfulness and it is not about “doing the postures correctly.” This yoga studio’s philosophy focused on the fact that mirrors distract individuals as they place a greater emphasis on external appearance, and while I can appreciate this experience, I must say that I prefer to practice with mirrors. I really enjoy being able to look at myself in the mirror while I practice as it helps me to correct my alignment and I ultimately feel a greater stretch as a result. Nonetheless, while I will not be returning to back to this studio and prefer to practice at The Lab, I am grateful for this experience as it opened my eyes and made me aware of things about myself that I did not recognize, such as how much I value mirrors in my practice.

Inquiry Revamp – ALL THINGS YOGA!

November 15, 2023 / svlahos / 1 Comment

When I sat down to write my next post for my inquiry project, I realized that without a doubt, my inquiry had changed. I initially set out to create this blog to document my process on how to learn to do a handstand, I couldn’t help but notice that the last several weeks, I have been mainly focusing on unpacking my experience with yoga and sharing my perspective and tips on how to practice yoga. So, I thought it only made sense to pivot my inquiry and make yoga the focal point. While I will definitely touch on handstands in the upcoming weeks, I think it would be more fruitful and authentic to base my project around yoga.

So! Let’s get right into it!

Last week I discussed my experience at my favourite yoga studio back in Toronto, and I thought it would be great to branch out and share my experience as I try out different yoga studios in Victoria. Since moving to Victoria, I have missed practicing at a yoga studio and I have not yet found a yoga studio to practice at so I would like to share my experience after taking two classes at two different studios. This week I am going to focus on The Lab, a yoga studio in downtown Victoria, and next week I am going to focus on One Yoga, a yoga studio in James Bay. The reason why I chose these two yoga studios is because they are the closest studios to where I live and would be the only two feasible options for me to attend on a regular basis.

The Lab is a 10-minute drive from my apartment, or about a 20 minute walk. I took the class called “The Roots” and it was a hot yoga class that was described on the website as a “foundational, consistent and grounding yoga sequence.” I found the studio to be extremely welcoming and it greatly reminded me of my favourite yoga studio back in Toronto. The teacher was very friendly, and I loved her energy as she was very calm yet also pushed everyone to try their best. The teacher ended the practice by singing a lullaby and I thought that was very special. The only thing that I was unhappy with was the size of the studio space. It was a very busy class, and everyone was packed in the studio like sardines. There was very limited room to move around, and I couldn’t fully express myself in each posture as if I extended my legs or arms, I would be touching the person next to me. However, overall, I loved the yoga sequence and can definitely see myself practicing at The Lab more often.

Image is from: https://labstudios.ca/

Week 5 Reflection

October 29, 2023 / svlahos / 0 Comments

Our discussion this week focused on online learning, and we took a deep dive in exploring the benefits and challenges of teaching in an online environment. I graduated from high school in 2011 and prior to Covid-19, teaching online was never an option explored throughout my education. Although Zoom, Skype and other online platforms existed, I always remember the idea of learning as something that needed to be done in the classroom and was not something that could be done anywhere else. While digital tools in the classroom were extremely limited if not obsolete, Covid-19 completely changed and shattered this notion of mine as our society proved that we could implement and adapt to online education. Since I completed my education prior to the pandemic, I never experienced the transition to a purely online learning environment, and I was always very thankful for that. I personally feel that I am most successful in a synchronous setting where I am forced to actually attend and sit in lecture, and I feel that I would find it very difficult to focus and be present if the classes were held solely online. However, I think it is important to note that online learning does hold value in society and is a topic that will continue to hold great relevance and importance. Online learning opens up the doors to so many possibilities and provides people with the opportunity and freedom to complete their schooling from anywhere around the world.

As a teacher, I think it is very important for me to work on strengthening my digital literacy skills. Since online learning has become integrated and is an important part of our education system, I think the more equipped I feel using different types of technology, the more success I will bring to my students. As a Social Studies teacher, I want to focus on giving students the opportunity to express themselves using digital tools and I would assign projects that allow students to create videos or podcasts to demonstrate their learnings on a topic.

Week 4 Reflection

October 10, 2023 / svlahos / 0 Comments

This week in class we specifically focused on unpacking digital tools and learning how to best incorporate them into our classroom. We took the time to explore several digital tools and discussed various ways we could use the tools to accomplish educational goals. We continued to talk about the importance of using multimodal tools and how it is crucial to incorporate different mediums when delivering information. For example, we talked about how one of the reasons that IKEA became so popular was due to the simplicity and efficiency of their instructional manuals for assembling the furniture. The manuals include very simple and basic diagrams that are easy to follow, straightforward, and clearly depict how to assemble the pieces making them extremely user friendly.

We discussed how images add more dimension and more opportunity to reference the material and how it corresponds to our actual lives. Furthermore, I found our discussion surrounding what makes an image decorative, seductive, and instructive to be very interesting and was surprised to learn that seductive images are not as great as they seem. Seductive images are images that look great at a first glance but are not actually as useful or beneficial as they appear to be. Such images actually distract the viewer as they are usually visually very cluttered and are hard to contextualize. I learned that instructional or informative images are the most valuable as they make it clear for the student to focus on the most important aspect and are usually clearly defined and simple. I also enjoyed how we talked about PowerPoint, as I got to admit, it’s definitely an underrated tool and would be super valuable in a classroom. Many software programs for animation and videos are very expensive and take a great deal of time to learn how to use, and PowerPoint is a great alternative. PowerPoint is simple but effective and there are a lot of things you can do with PowerPoint, like animation and customizing slides, that I was not aware of. I can say with confidence that I will for sure be using PowerPoint in my lesson plans.

My Yoga Practice and Handstands: A Love Story

October 5, 2023 / svlahos / 2 Comments

Hi everyone!

After unpacking why I want to be able to a handstand in the first place and sharing my experience in India training to become a yoga teacher, I think it’s time we discuss my yoga practice and how this has influenced my obsession with hand stands.

When I got back home from India, I was so inspired to continue my yoga practice, but I felt that I was having difficulty doing it on my own. In India, I had a very strict schedule and was surrounded by the same thirty people every day. I became accustomed to practicing yoga in large groups and having a teacher direct me through the postures. I found that when I returned home, I was struggling with committing to my practice and I found it difficult to carve out a piece of my day and dedicate it to yoga. So, to help motivate me to get back into my practice, I decided to take yoga classes at my local studio. It ended up being one of the best decisions I have ever made. The studio is called Sukha Yoga and they offer an array of heated yoga classes ranging from beginner to advanced. I was at first apprehensive to take a hot yoga class as it was not something I practiced in India, but after taking my first class, I was instantly hooked. I loved the way I felt after doing the hot yoga class as my face was glistening and I felt extremely relaxed yet strong. I loved how much I sweat during the class, and I found myself constantly thinking about yoga and taking classes throughout the week. See here for a video that demonstrates how to register for a class on the website. This studio really helped me to find the joy in my practice again and I loved it so much, I joined the Energy Exchange program. The program allows you to practice yoga free of charge, however you are required to volunteer three hours of your time every week to cleaning the studio. While this was definitely not a glamourous job, I found it very fulfilling, and I loved that I was giving back to my yoga community while also being able to enjoy yoga free of cost.

Week 3 Reflection

October 2, 2023 / svlahos / 0 Comments

This week, we were fortunate to have Rich McCue as guest speaker and he shared a presentation on Multimedia Learning Theory and Screencasting. We discussed how important it is for teachers to take advantage of both text and visuals in the classroom, and explored different ways we could incorporate educational videos into our teaching practices. In our learning pods, we specifically examined the pros and cons of using educational videos in our lesson planning and I found our discussion to be very informative with great takeaways. Our group highlighted how videos provide students with the agency to consume information at their own pace and on their own terms. If a student is struggling and doesn’t understand a concept, they can pause and rewatch the video, which ultimately allows students to be in control of their learning. On the flip side, it is important for teachers to be mindful when incorporating videos as we discussed how technology could pose issues in the classroom. For example, Rich explained how videos that incorporate visual, text, and audio elements can be too stimulating and distracting to students, and it is important to find a balance between the modes to better compliment learning.

Rich also focused on exploring the use of H5P as a valuable educational tool and gave us the opportunity to practice using the plugin during our class. The original assignment was to create a video that incorporates a HP5 element, and while our class experienced technical difficulties that prevented this from happening, I found it very cool to research the different ways HP5 could be utilized in my classroom. Referencing HP5.org, H5P allows the user to create interactive content and include a wide variety of interactive elements to make content more engaging and valuable. I found the HP5 plugin to be a very beneficial tool for the classroom and as a social studies teacher, I can see myself incorporating many of the functions into my lesson planning. For example, I would love to use the Agamotto function, which allows the user to compare and explore a sequence of images interactively, in exercises that require students to analyze maps and compare how the borders of countries have shifted historically.

Why Do I Want To Do a Handstand?

September 28, 2023 / svlahos / 4 Comments

After brainstorming questions surrounding my practice, I thought it would be best to take a deep dive and try and find the answers to some of my questions. While I believe physically practicing handstands is the most crucial step to achieving success, I do think it is important to conduct research and unpack the questions from the previous week. Please see here for a video that details how I would go about researching the questions.

One of the questions that really stood out to me was the following: Why do I want to learn how to do a handstand?

I want to learn how to do a handstand because ever since I can remember, I have always thought that being able to do a handstand was so awesome and cool. I love the idea of being upside-down and have always wondered what it would be like to be able to stand on my hands and not fall down. I admire and have secretly been envious of those who are able to do a handstand as it requires a great deal of hard work, discipline, balance, and physical strength.

My fascination with handstands is definitely linked to my interest in Yoga. In 2019, I travelled to Rishikesh, a city in India, where I completed a 200-hour yoga teaching course and became certified as a yoga instructor. I highly recommend the AYM Yoga School if anyone is interested in completing their certification in India. My trip to Rishikesh was very transformative as not only was I able to strengthen my yoga practice but I also really pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. I was exposed to eye-opening experiences that have positively influenced my life, such as hiking in the Himalaya’s, and I developed a greater sense of confidence in myself. Not to mention the food was SO GOOD. I still think about all the meals I ate while completing my training. But something I vividly remember thinking during my training was how I wish someday I could do a handstand. At that point of my training I could barely keep up with the class but I have progressed so much and I now feel ready to tackle handstands.

*This is a picture of my yoga teaching graduation in 2019.*

Week 2 Reflection

September 27, 2023 / svlahos / 0 Comments

This week we focused on exploring the various advancements in educational technology and discussed how we could incorporate such tools into our lesson plans and practices. We learned about SAMR, which is short for substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition, and how it is a model used to evaluate the integration of technology in the classroom. Given the importance of technology in our daily lives, I was happy to dive deeper and learn more about the different ways we can use technology to facilitate and promote learning, as this is an area that I will definitely need support in as a teacher. The model provides teachers with innovative ways to connect with students using technology. Our pod particularly focused on how using technological devices could be particularly useful in an English class, as they provide a great means to shift from the traditional methods of strictly teaching using a traditional essay format. For example, we discussed how instead of writing an essay, a student could instead create a podcast or video using the same content, and this would be a substitute for the essay. Providing students with the option to produce a technological substitute for an assignment helps to cater to diverse learning preferences as students are given more agency of how they would like to share their knowledge and understanding.

I found the image provided in the slide deck by Sylvia Duckworth to be very helpful in explaining the SAMR model. I did some further digging and found out that Sylvia is an educator from Toronto and has written several books on how to integrate technology in the classroom through “sketchnoting.” In her book her book “How to Sketchnote: A Step-by-Step Manual for Teachers and Students,” she explains how sketchnoting is a beneficial tool to help students take better notes as it helps students to “see the bigger picture in the concepts they are studying, make connections in their learning, and display their learning process,” which ultimately helps students to retain information more effectively. Examples of Sylvia’s drawings in her book can be found here for reference.

It is important to note however that using technology will not always equate to an advantage in the classroom and sometimes I believe it is actually best to leave technology out of the picture for certain assignments. Since students are consumed with technology and are already spending so much of their time online and in front of screens, I think it is important for teachers to find ways to limit screen time and focus on building skills that do not require the need to use technology.

Flipping Your World Upside Down: Learning How to do a Handstand

September 21, 2023 / svlahos / 3 Comments

The following blog will be dedicated to learning how to do a handstand. I will document my progress over the next several weeks and will highlight my key learnings, strengths, and difficulties to help others and provide direction to others who are also interested in learning how to do a handstand.

According to the Pacific School of Innovation and Technology, the starting phase is the first step needed to be taken for someone who is learning and trying to acquire a new skill. The starting phase involves brainstorming initial questions to help facilitate and promote exploration of the topic.

Since I am very interested in learning how to do a handstand, some initial questions that come to mind surrounding my practice include:

Why do I want to learn how to do a handstand?
How do I start learning to do a handstand?
Is there a proper handstand technique?
Are there any health benefits associated with practicing handstands?
Can I get injured from practicing handstands?
What should I wear when practicing handstands?
What exercises should I practice to improve my handstand technique?

Many of my questions I have about handstands are related to the technique and safety of the practice as I recognize that handstands are not an easy feat and if done incorrectly, one could seriously injure themselves. For example, an article written in Women’s Health Magazine titled, “How To Do A Handstand Once And For All In 5 Easy Steps” explains that it is important to warm up your muscles before attempting to do handstands as you can sprain your wrists or pull a hamstring.

By researching and unpacking the questions above, this will give me a better understanding on the motives behind my practice and will also provide insight on how to best set myself up for success and avoid injury.

Stay tuned to see the next steps of my handstand journey!

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