Learning Through Life

A documented timeline of a lifelong learner ~ Thank you for joining me

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Cell Phones in Schools

November 13, 2024 /

Technology and Innovation Presentation Assignment ~ by Erin, Maya, Hanne and Taylor

Two people are holding smartphones and standing outdoors. They are dressed in casual clothes, with one wearing a jacket and the other wearing a wristband. Other individuals are blurred in the background.
Photo by Julie Ricard on Unsplash

Our presentation is on the role of cell phones in schools and the relationship between cellphones and learning. We considered the impacts on behaviour and social dynamics as well. We explored the policies and how they vary specific to district, school, and teacher implementation. With an example from School District 43, we spoke to the overall district policy statement and how they can be modified at the discretion of the teachers. We spoke to the pros and cons of the recently-enacted ban on cell phones and how these ramifications would directly and indirectly affect students. For example, three pros of the ban include the decrease of distraction, less social media influence, and the minimization of economic differences. Three cons to the ban include a reduction in access to online resources for research purposes or accessibility, inaccessible reminders or monitoring specific to health concerns and responsibility, and decreased student autonomy. Lastly, we spoke to how we would personalize our own applications of cellphone policies for students and how these rules around use would manifest. Unanimously, we agreed that the best application of the ban includes a policy developed with the students and teacher in the classroom, to improve collaboration and provide a sense of autonomy over the students’ expectations. While cell phones, at any age, remain a source of distraction, we are determined to teach technological literacy and build responsible members of society that can navigate the demands of our evolving world.

Below is our video presentation of our project with audio-recording of the slides and closed-captioning.

The transcript of the video is also available here:

Hanne: (Slide 1 ~ 0:00-0:03) Our topic is the role of cellphones in schools


Erin: (Slide 2 ~ 0:04-0:33) We are going to go over the relationship between cellphones and learning. The policies and procedures in schools, districts and individual classrooms. The Pros and cons to cellphone bans in schools. And we’ll share our personal perspectives on how we would implement cellphone use in our future classrooms. [silence]

Erin: (Slide 3 ~ 0:34-1:09) The roll of cell phones in schools is a topic that’s increasingly relevant as more young people have access to devices. On average, children get their first phone between 10 and 14 years old, which often means they’re bringing them to school around Grade 5. This raises questions about how phones impact learning, behavior, and social dynamics in classrooms. We’ll consider both the potential benefits and the challenges cell phones bring to educational settings, and look at the strategies schools might use to create a balanced approach. 

Taylor: (Slide 4 ~ 1:10-1:13) I will discuss the relationship between cellphones and learning.  

Taylor: (Slide 5 ~ 1:14-1:20) Cellphones and technology provide options for alternative forms of learning for example, if a student is hearing impaired, they could benefit from having access to closed captioning videos or if a student had dyslexia they would benefit from text to speech. Technology also allows for students to miss school and attend to personal matters without feeling worried they may miss out or fall behind

Taylor: (Slide 6 ~ 1:37-2:01) Cellphones and social media in particular allow students to interact with their peers in and outside the classroom which has pros and cons. It can be positive because students can connect with their friends outside of school hours which leaves more space to focus in class during class time but can also become negative because bullying can take place without the teachers knowledge, both scenarios ultimately affects the classroom environment.

Taylor: (Slide 7 ~ 2:02-2:10) It’s a well-known premise that the use of cellphones has effects on attention span. Children need to be able to focus in class for at least 50 minutes periods.

Taylor: (Slide 8 ~ 2:11-2:34) Cellphones bring up a concern about equity in situations where students are expected to use their device for a project, research. There is no guarantee that everyone will have access to the same devices and financial situations should not inhibit a student from being able to learn or demonstrate their learning. It would be unfair for a teachers to ask students to work on school from home if a student didn’t have the appropriate technology to do so.

Taylor: (Slide 9 ~ 2:35-2:45) Notifications can derail focus.  and if a cellphone is being used or played with during class time (without being instructed by the teacher) focus is completely taken off the lesson.

Maya: (Slide 10 ~ 2:46-3:09) Now we’ll have a look at the policies and procedures. When it comes to policies involving phones, there is a blanket policy created for each school district. Each school interprets how they would like to implement the policy depending on the needs of their students. Then the teachers get to decide if there is any time they would like to stray from the schools procedures and allow their students to use their phones for academic purposes.

Maya: (Slide 11 ~ 3:09-3:26) This is an example of a District policy that is in each schools code of conduct. It states that all personal communication devices must be stored appropriately and are to only be used at the discretion of the teacher. Other districts have similar policies which touch on the same general points.

Maya: (Slide 12 ~ 3:27-3:44) Elementary schools have a general policy that there is no phones during school hours. However, because there’s not many students who have phones and bring them to school at this age, there is very little need to implement procedures to ensure that students do not have their phones on themselves in school.

Maya: (Slide 13 ~ 3:45-4:01) Middle schools have a Bell to Bell policy where students must keep their phones in their lockers for the entire duration of the school day. Because this is the age group where students start bringing phones to school, there are generally signs up to remind students that their phones must be properly stored and not out during the day.

Maya: (Slide 14 ~ 4:01-4:24) In High Schools, students must have their phones stored during class time. The change from the bell to bell policy to only during class time is because there is an understanding that asking for phones to be put away is not an achievable goal and policing the halls between classes would not be possible. Instead, when students enter the classroom they are to put their phones in a clear box where they may grab them at the end of class.

Maya: (Slide 15 ~ 4:24-4:43) While these school procedures are put in place, it is up to the teacher to implement it in the way they see fit. Because some students may not have access to laptops or tablets, teachers may choose to allow their students to use their phones for academic purposes. It is then up to the teacher to ensure that the devices are being used appropriately.

Hanne: (Slide 16 ~ 4:44-4:46) Let’s take a look at the pros of the ban on cell phones in schools

Hanne: (Slide 17 ~ 4:47-4:57) One pro is less distraction. The students will not be diverting their focus from school-related content to be answering the demands of social or familial obligations.

Hanne: (Slide 18 ~ 4:58-5:09) Another is the minimization of economic differences wherein students are not alienated for their devices, or lack thereof, or pressured to desire the newest cell phone released.

Hanne: (Slide 19 ~ 5:10-5:19) It could reduce the possibility of cyber bullying as the students will have six to eight less hours to have access to online conversations and interactions.

Hanne: (Slide 20 ~ 5:20-5:29) With the reduction in distraction, students will be able to increase their work output and gain a deeper comprehension of material discussed in class which could promote overall student success.

Hanne: (Slide 21 ~ 5:30-5:33) Now let’s look at some of the cons of the ban

Hanne: (Slide 22 ~ 5:34-5:38) One of the biggest challenges is the reduction in student autonomy over their belongings.

Hanne: (Slide 23 ~ 5:39-5:53) For some students, the ban could pose a challenge to their health. Some students take medications that need reminders set for timely intervals, promoting responsibility. Additionally, there are apps now that can track the blood glucose levels for students with Type 1 Diabetes.

Hanne: (Slide 24 ~ 5:54-6:11) Phones can help teach technological literacy because of widespread access to them. We can teach safety and appropriate uses to children, such as stranger danger and time management. Challenges arise when busy parents are not able to conduct those conversations or don’t know when they should start.

Hanne: (Slide 25 ~ 6:12-6:25) Emergencies could pose a risk for students who would not have immediate access to calling for help. Although these situations are far and few between, we have to acknowledge that safety could be a factor for students needing to relay information immediately.

Hanne: (Slide 26 ~ 6:26-6:38) The ban will reduce the access to resources for students to be able to quickly get online for the purpose of research or answering questions regarding the curriculum. Think about how often you Google a word to check the spelling.

Hanne: (Slide 27 ~ 6:39-6:45) As previously discussed, the ban will remove accessible factors for students with disabilities or neurodiversity.

Erin: (Slide 28 ~ 6:46-7:24) I would like to teach Kindergarten so, cell phones shouldn’t be a significant concern at that age. However, if I were teaching an older grade where cell phones are more common, I would collaborate with students in creating class rules about phone use. I believe that each classroom is unique, and the cellphone policy should reflect the specific needs of the students. I would set clear boundaries and adjust those rules and privileges throughout the year as I get to know my students better and understand the dynamics of the class. I’m hoping that a more flexible approach will help ensure a positive and focused learning environment.

Maya: (Slide 29 ~ 7:25-7:54) My future policy regarding phones in my classroom is that they can have them stored in their bag or on their person on silent or do not disturb. However, the phones must not be brought out unless I ask them to use them for educational purposes or there is an emergency circumstance. If a student’s on their phone, I will get them to place it in the phone bin where they grab it later. If there is a continuing issue with phones being out, I’ll ask them to put their phones in the phone bin at the start of each day and they can work towards earning back keeping their phones during class.

Hanne: (Slide 30 ~ 7:55-8:09) In my future classroom, when I teach grade 6, I will create a ‘cell phone policy’ with my students. However, I will be encouraging cell phones to remain either in backpacks or pockets and must be turned to silent.

Taylor: (Slide 31 ~ 8:10-8:29) My future policy will be that students are allowed to have their phones with them but they must be on silent at all times and should not be brought our during instructional time. Phones must be away during class time either in bags, cubbys, pockets but if brought out during instructional time and is a distraction, it will be taken to my until the end of the lesson.

Classroom Management

November 11, 2024 /

In my Future Classroom…

Colorful classroom corner with a rectangular rug featuring a Native American-inspired design. Shelves line the walls, filled with assorted learning materials and colorful books. Brightly decorated bulletin board on the right.
Photo by Hanne

In today’s Technology and Innovation class, we had a guest speaker, Brittany Johnson, discussing her classroom management techniques with tools and routines she found useful to help navigate the demands of the class and students.

Classroom Setup

Colorful classroom corner with a circular rug featuring a Native American-inspired design. Shelves line the walls, filled with assorted learning materials and colorful books. Brightly decorated bulletin board on the right.
Photo by Hanne

Classroom setup has been an inquisitive topic among my peers since we first started the program. What is the best classroom setup to meet the needs of the students and encourage them to thrive for high success rates? While that is a loaded, and seemingly unanswerable question, Brittany was able to share some of her experienced insights that she has developed over the years:

  • try out different desk arrangements and gather the students’ input and preferences (Sometimes it takes several tries to find the balance between comfort and compatibility for students and the teacher)
  • a space in the classroom for mindfulness (something like a ‘calming corner’ that incorporates relaxing components, like sensory tools and different surfaces to sit on, to help with emotional regulation)
  • a classroom decorated with art and work done by the students. Brittany said she starts each school year with bare walls and creates a classroom design with her students. She does this so students feel they have contributed to their classroom and can feel ‘at home’ in the space

Ultimately, the best classroom setup that I’ve gathered is one that has been orchestrated by the students in collaboration with the teacher. This is because the students feel that their input is valued and they have autonomy over their learning environment -a space they occupy for the majority of their weekdays.

A classroom schedule on a whiteboard with illustrated magnets: carpet time, exercise time, math, snack, story time, music, lunch, quiet time, outside playtime, calendar time, centers, seat work, and recess. Alphabet posters are on the left.
Photo by Hanne

Above is an example of creating the class design and art. The students in my kindergarten class are working through each letter of the alphabet to design the ‘alphabet wall’ in their class.

Routines and Visual Schedules

Routines are an important element for all children and especially for children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). According to the Provincial Outreach Program for Autism and Related Disorders (POPARD), children with ASD struggle with remembering extensive verbal information, so a constant visual schedule can provide predictability and assist with transitions between activities because they will be expected due to the visual reminders. They can also help students comprehend abstract time concepts and learn concepts such as later, next, or last. As POPARD describes, visual schedules can increase independence for students, teach the importance of organization and planning, increase inclusion, and it can help children with ASD learn to adapt and become flexible with schedule changes or adjustments.

“The visual schedule can bring structure and predictability to the child’s day and can be extremely effective in decreasing unpredictable behaviour. It also promotes and increases motivation to complete less desired tasks and provides visual reminders that preferred activities are scheduled within the day.”

Popard

Below is a picture of the daily visual schedule in my practicum kindergarten class. At the beginning of the day, the class sits on the carpet and goes over the daily schedule for any questions or clarifications. This removes unpredictability and can set the expectations for the day. Throughout the day, we sit and check off things we have completed so the children can see how far into the schedule or day we are and know how much of the school-day is left.

A classroom schedule on a whiteboard with illustrated magnets: carpet time, exercise time, math, snack, story time, music, lunch, quiet time, outside playtime, calendar time, centers, seat work, and recess. Alphabet posters are on the left.
Photo by Hanne

Digital Portfolio/Fresh Grades

Mrs. Johnson taught us about Digital Portfolio, or also known as Fresh Grades by our instructor, Rich McCue, as a means to create a digital footprint following the child and their progress throughout the classes and semester. The parents are then able to track their child’s progress and achievements through viewing the online submissions by the teacher and have real-time updates on how the student is doing.

Below is a video showing how Digital Portfolios can be used in the classroom.

The pros:

  • Students are able to pick their best work to show their parents or guardians
  • The parent is able to get the most clear evidence for how their child is doing in their skill development and content acquisition
  • The parents are able to use the updates as conversation starters to discuss how the activity or lesson went for their child
  • The viewer can observe the areas in which the student may need to practice to strengthen their abilities
  • When parent-teacher interviews roll around, the parent that has viewed the student’s work prior are able to be informed before entering the conversation with the teacher to better target goal planning and setting
  • Less work going home and getting lost or thrown away

The cons:

  • A child may not have a very supportive relationship with their parents or have a poor perception of their academic capabilities and skills
  • The challenge can arise if a student is feeling a particular way about their schoolwork that may leave them open to criticism
  • The parents don’t have access to internet at home or technology to view the online images

In The Future

It’s hard to say what specifically I can and will incorporate into my own future classroom because so many factors influence the implementation: classroom and resource availability, teaching budget, accessibility resources and components, student profile, and time. Ultimately, there are several aspect that I would love to include and I’m excited to see how these ideas will manifest when I gain the privilege of having my own classroom one day.

Five colorful flower drawings are pinned to a whiteboard, each with a different color scheme. Below them is a grid with the word Wet written on it. A classroom alphabet and other educational materials are visible.
Photo by Hanne

Fur Elise ~by Ludwig Van Beethoven

November 1, 2024 /

A song for me!

I chose this song because I have always been mesmerized by pianists’ ability to play this beautiful, classical piece and love the sound of it. I’m still pretty slow at playing Fur Elise and admit I make some mistakes, but I hope to be better by the end of November!

Please enjoy this song 🙂

Coding for Kids

October 28, 2024 /

Coding is Cool!

a picture of a silver Macbook pro sitting on a light grey ottoman open showing a screen that has light green, teal, and orange text running a coding sequence along the screen. On the left hand side of the picture is a small, dark green cactus-type plant in a small, white, textured pot. On the right-hand side of the laptop is a pair of black sunglasses and a phone in a tan, slim case facing down.
Photo by Goran Ivos on Unsplash

In our latest Technology and Innovation class, we learned how to do some simple coding through a couple of games. This taught us how to learn simple coding as well as how effective educational games could be for children… and adults too!

How can Gaming be Helpful?

For students, their brains are so busy learning that they can often feel overwhelmed by the material and content covered in class, not to mention the readings and homework they have outside of class. What if we were able to make homework as easy as playing an online game? To do this, we would need to develop games that have specific purposes with the intention of teaching a topic or unit. Take this Code with Anna and Elsa Game:

a screenshot from a simple coding website with the animated Disney character Elsa saying, "You've officially become a master artist! Create a winter wonderland." The left-hand side of the image has a smaller image of an image of the animated character Elsa from the Disney movie 'Frozen' who has light blonde hair, pale skin, and is wearing a light blue dress standing in the centre of the image with white concentric circles in the background creating a flower-like design on top of an ice-blue background. The right-hand side of the image has: coding text bubbles from top to bottom: 'When run' in an orange box 'Repeat 5 times do' in a pink box 'create a snowflake type of flower' in a green box 'jump forward by 130 pixels' in a teal box 'turn right by 72 degrees' in a teal box 'create a circle size 20' in a green box The middle of the screen features options for more blocks in the coding workplace.
Screenshot by Hanne on Code with Anna and Elsa Game

With the fun features of colour, seeing your work develop before your eyes, and a relatively interesting character, the student (being me, in this case) was able to learn some coding techniques while playing a game! When learning is fun and engaging, students rarely feel stressed or overwhelmed by the information. This is the design I was able to code by the end of the game/lesson!

an image of the animated character Elsa from the Disney movie 'Frozen' who has light blonde hair, pale skin, and is wearing a light blue dress standing in the centre of the image with white concentric circles in the background creating a flower-like design on top of an ice-blue background.
Screenshot by Hanne on Code with Anna and Elsa Game

The coding to achieve the white flower-like design of the snowflake was fairly simple. It only used a handful of steps to be effective and allowed me to feel capable of coding more complex information. Below is the simple code used to make the design from the Code with Anna and Elsa Game.

a screenshot of coding text bubbles from top to bottom: 'When run' in an orange box 'Repeat 5 times do' in a pink box 'create a snowflake type of flower' in a green box 'jump forward by 130 pixels' in a teal box 'turn right by 72 degrees' in a teal box 'create a circle size 20' in a green box
Screenshot by Hanne on Code with Anna and Elsa Game

Computational Thinking

Another aspect of the class on Friday was learning about computational thinking: that is, carefully thinking every step through in an algorithmic style. We watched the YouTube video below to help comprehend the way computational thinking manifests.

After watching the video above, I discovered how integral task breakdown is for some learners and that there are steps that we think are intuitive simply because we have already learned them. I would think it would be intuitive to use the flat edge of a knife when scooping out peanut butter from a peanut butter jar, but as the video shows, task breakdown needs to be so specific in the instructions for them to be clear. Even then, barriers still exist like language, disabilities, learning challenges, reading levels and comprehension, and attention to detail or time constraints. Computational thinking can help learners become better problem solving because it forces the brain to look at a situation from a systematic perspective, sort of like a computer. It allows you to think about the task in a new way and consider which part of the steps could be failing or need to be adjusted.

An image of a green, felt puppet (Kermit the Frog muppet from Sesame Street) staring out a window with raindrops on the glass with one hand up against the glass in the background, The image on the text says, "My code is doing exactly what I'm telling it to do... but not what I want it to do."
Screenshot by Hanne from Medium

Coding my Own Game

I will certainly need more practice and time to take this skill further to make use of it in my future grade 6 classroom. I expect I could make studying for upcoming tests more interactive and enjoyable for the students if I can use games to promote learning!

Here is the game I started coding:

A screenshot with colourful, simple coding boxes in a game-like setting. To the right of the image is an animated medium, brown bear set in front of an animated background featuring snowy rocks and a tree branch.
Screenshot by Hanne on Scratch

Although it has yet to be finished, it involves the player helping the mother bear, Bearnard, in her quest to find her cubs! For students, the game could factor in an educational aspect, like having to solve an equation before the cub reveals it’s location, or having to answer a multiple choice question for social studies or science. There are so many possibilities when you have an abundance of creative freedom.

Embed Closed Captioning ~Made Easier!

October 27, 2024 /
A dark, paused video image of a woman with blonde, shoulder-length hair looking up to the left while holding her apple cell phone and appearing to speak into the bottom of the phone with her mouth slightly open. Closed captioning on the photo says, "Tell me about the Visual Language of Closed Captions and Subtitles."
Screenshot by Hanne from UXDesign

Are you feeling overwhelmed about embedding closed captioning into YouTube videos? I have a simple guide with 7 easy steps to help you and it only takes minutes to do!

Steps 1-4

There are several steps shown in the video capture below, so lets break them down. This video shows the first 4 steps:

  1. Find a video on YouTube you want to use
  2. Click the ‘share’ button on the video
  3. Click ‘Embed’
  4. Click ‘Copy’ to copy the embed code

Step 5

Next you’re going to go to your blog and click on the block that is ‘Custom HTML’ in WIDGETS. It should look like this:

a screenshot of a white background with options under the category 'WIDGETS' with options of: Archives, Calendar, Categories List, Custom HTML (highlighted with light blue around it), Latest Comments, Latest Posts, Page List, RSS, Search, Shortcode, Social Icons, Tag Cloud. Each option has a tiny, simple emblem with it to show what the option represents.

Once selected, paste the copied video information into the Custom HTML block, but don’t upload the new block yet. It should look like this now:

black text code with a white background

Step 6

Now we add the code: &cc_load_policy=1 after the title code but before the word ‘title’ appears in the text. You can copy it from directly above this text.

It should look like this:

black text code with a blue highlighted section in the middle that says, '&cc _load_policy=1'

I have the added code highlighted in blue, but when it is pasted it won’t remain highlighted. Be careful to put it in the proper spot in the existing code! It needs to go inside the last quotation mark.

Step 7

Image showing the black letters 'HTML' on the left and white letters 'Preview' surrounded by a black box on the right.


Click on the box and hit ‘Preview’ up on the top of your blog post:

Your video should now be able to play with Closed Captioning embedded!

Video by Kids Academy from Youtube

Don’t worry if your captioning doesn’t work right away the first time. The hardest part is ensuring the CC code is placed in the right spot. You may need to practice it a couple of times before it feels easy, but practice promotes progression! Feel free to come back to this tutorial any time you need a refresher on how to embed closed captioning into a YouTube video.

Please leave feedback about how it worked for you or if you find any easier ways to accomplish accessibility!

Doodling for Degrees

October 23, 2024 /

Okay, so maybe not for degrees, but how about doodling for your education?

black drawings with the spanish (in red ink) and english (in green ink) translation of words for sea, waves, bird, bubbles, starfish, seawall, jellyfish, tentacles, seaweed, fish, eel, octopus, seashell, sand, and rock.
Picture drawn by Hanne

Pictured above is a sketch-note I created for learning Spanish words for an under the sear image! It contains the Spanish words for sea, waves, bird, bubbles, starfish, seawall, jellyfish, tentacles, seaweed, fish, eel, octopus, seashell, sand, and rock! All the doodles have the name of them in Spanish and English, so it could help in learning both languages.

The theory with sketch-noting is the idea that information can be better stored in memory through sketching -in real time- the content the student is learning. The process of sketch-noting is supported through research conducted at several universities.

Backed by Science!

Rachel S. Smith illuminates in the article, The Scientific Case For Doodling While Taking Notes, that writing while doodling is more effective for information retention than typed notes, which tend to be word-for-word from the instructor. Instead, learners taking notes must process and re-frame because “it isn’t possible to capture everything when writing longhand,” Smith points out that, “students tend to listen, digest, and summarize.”

The “science” behind what the researchers at Princeton University and the University of California found to support the argument in the article was the example of students studying for a test. The students who captured the notes on a computer notably had more content written down, while the students who took notes on paper had less. However, the tests showed that the students who wrote longhand did better on the tests because their conceptual understanding and recall had been previously re-framed into their own words and comprehension. This means that through the act of handwriting notes actually increases information retention and understanding the material.

So What About Doodling?

In the same article by Smith, a study conducted at the University of Waterloo made a case for the effectivity of creating simple doodles or drawings to aid in remembering words or characteristics related to the words. It was concluded that the quality of the drawing had no influence over information retention; the quick drawing or doodle was sufficient enough! This bodes well for us non-artists!

note pad with simple sketches in black ink of flowers, a tree branch, wild strawberries, and a leafy branch. Background is a cable-knit pale blue sweater.
Photo by pure julia on Unsplash

Achieving A’s through Art

A white background with the title: The Electromagnetic Spectrum with a black wave that starts loose on the left and rises then dips tighter on the right side of the photo. There are colours behind the wave left to right of blue for radio waves with an illustration of musical notes above, orange for microwaves with a microwave illustration, green for infrared waves with a fire illustration, burgundy for visible light with a rainbow illustration, teal for ultraviolet with a sun and sunbeams illustration, red for x-rays with an x-ray of a skeleton illustration, and purple for gamma rays with the word "POW!" in red with a spikey orange spot around it.
Picture from Khan Academy

Could sketch-noting benefit learners in grade 6? Certainly! I would especially like to incorporate sketch-noting into science and socials as process for information retention is so different from numeracy or literacy. I could create science-related test on wavelengths, for example, that is all pictures and the students have to describe what they are and what they do. That style of test could be really fun for the students. I could also go the other way where I provide a test of words with spaces and the students would draw what the word means or represents. I would assess which style of test was received better and potentially create more tests of the successful style.

Target Acquired

October 21, 2024 /

Could This Be The Unit For Me?

Alpine UTE 73BT

Screenshot taken by Hanne from Crutchfields

I like this digital media receiver because of these following reasons:

  • It is single din instead of double din (which allows for a storage space for my phone and house keys)
  • It doesn’t have capacitive touch, which I prefer because the buttons can become unresponsive, activate from accidental or ghost touches, may have sensitivity issues, and ~worst of all~ leaves fingerprints on the piano black glossy surface
  • The buttons are small, but I a multi-use steering wheel which features all the buttons I regularly use
  • There is an option to charge a phone though the USB port
  • It has high ratings and the reviews feature a lot of positive feedback, especially mentioning the bass which is something I am looking for
  • It is relatively cheap (in terms of upgrading) at just under $150.00:
A screenshot of a computer screen that shows an imagine of an Alpine UTE-73BT Digital Media Receiver. Imagine shows the item is in stock and offers features such as variable colour illumination, built-in Bluetooth for hands-free calls and music streaming, and Pandora playback with iPhone and Android. In green text below prior information shows that it fits into my VW. On the right-hand side of the picture shows 4.5 stars out of 5, 1065 reviews, free shipping, $149.00 Canadian for the item and a red box around the words 'Add to cart.'
Screenshot taken by Hanne from Crutchfields
  • It has been installed in a VW MK4 before so I feel confident to try the upgrade in my own vehicle:

Video from YouTube by San Diego VDub Life

Above is a video that shows the installation process of the Alpine UTE 73BT into the radio of a Volkswagen MK4. The demonstration is executed on a Golf, however the Jetta shares the same stock audio system as the Golf, so there should not be any unknown factors with the differing models.

Complete Installation Parts

Crutchfield recommended the following items to complete the installation:

  • PAC RP4-VW11 Wiring Interface + $151.37
  • Metra 40-EU55 Antenna Adapter + $22.30
  • Scosche VW2317AB Dash Kit + $22.30
A screenshot of a computer screen that shows an imagine of an Alpine UTE-73BT Digital Media Receiver. Imagine shows the item is in stock and 4.5 stars out of 5, 1065 reviews. It shows the price has been reduced from $219.00 by $70.00 to $149.00. On the right-hand side of the picture shows the price $149.00 Canadian for the item and a box around the words "For your 2006 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan without amp under driver's seat" The bottom of the screenshot shows, 'YOUR INSTALLATION ITEMS' where there is a PAC RP4-VS11 Wiring Interface, quantity 1, for $151.37 reduced from $189.99. A Metra 40EU55 Antenna Adapter, quantity 1, for $22.39 reduced from $27.99. And a Scoche VW2317AB Dash Kit, quantity 1, for $22.39 reduced from $27.99.
Screenshot taken by Hanne from Crutchfields

As you can imagine, this will increasing the costs of upgrading my stereo system. In my experience with doing my own upgrades, and even some maintenance tasks, unexpected costs and unaccounted hours compile onto the project quickly.

And the Price Climbs…

These additional tools have been recommended to aid me in the removal of my old, stock head unit:

Screenshot of three items from Crutchfields: On top of the photo there is an imagine of blue Bojo Trimp Panel Tools with a description reading 'Set of 3 pry tools - helps remove interior and exterior door panels.' The item has 4.6 stars out of 5, with 2,786 reviews for $16.99 and has a red box around the white words: Add to cart. In the middle of the photo there is an imagine of a pink box with Posi-Products Car Stereo Wiring Harness Connectors with a description reading '16 Posi-Twist wiring connectors: makes it easy to splice your new car stereo's wiring to the vehicle harness.' The item has 5 stars out of 5, with 3,675 reviews for $11.99 and has a red box around the white words: Add to cart. On the bottom of the photo there is an imagine of a black with red pair of S&G Wire Cutter/Stripper Tool with a description reading 'Cuts and strips 12-to 22-gauge wire.' The item has 4.6 stars out of 5, with 341 reviews for $39.99 and has a red box around the white words: Add to cart.
Screenshot taken by Hanne from Crutchfields

Before taxes and shipping, we’re sitting at $413.94, which is just for the stereo system. I’m starting to doubt if we’ll be able to install a new radio, speakers, amplifier, subwoofer, and tweeters for under $1,000.00…

Let It Be ~by The Beatles

October 18, 2024 /

A Song for my Mother

I chose the song Let It Be by the Beatles! I grew up listening to the Beatles as my mom loves that band! She played it so much when I was a child and adolescent, I probably recognize every song they wrote at this point.

Here is me playing Let It Be on the piano:

Thank you for listening to my song! I look forward to sharing it when it’s completed!
*Please excuse the audio of my boyfriend in the background. He works in the same room where my piano is and was chatting with his friend. This video is also two videos stitched because my phone can’t take videos longer than a few minutes at a time. My apologies for any inconveniences.

Under…where?

October 14, 2024 /
Picture of the underside of the driver's seat of a Volkswagen Jetta. Light tan coloured leather seat shown and light tan carpet with black, metal seat fixings in the centre of the image.
Photo by Hanne Deener

Solutions for Space

Now is the time to start looking into where the setup will reside in the Blue Bomber (my vehicle’s nickname). After reading through a forum regarding the best location for a subwoofer and amplifier to sit, I am considering having both pieces of technology rolled into one device.

Here is a video showing the process of installing an under seat subwoofer:

Video by Engr. Dee I. Wye on Youtube

Below are two examples from Crutchfields that will work in my car.

A screenshot from a laptop with text reading: Sound Ordnance B-8PT compact powered subwoofer with eight inch sub and one-hundred twenty-five watt amp. Price says two-hundred sixty-five Canadian dollars and ninety-nine cents. There is a picture of a black rectangle that is the device and the ratings are nearly four point five stars with one thousand four hundred eighty-nine reviews. In green text says 'Works with the system in your VW'
Screenshot from Crutchfields
A screenshot from a laptop with text reading: Kicker five-one-H-S-eight Hideaway compact powered subwoofer with eight inch sub and one-hundred fifty watt amp. Price says four-hundred forty-nine Canadian dollars and ninety-five cents. There is a picture of a black rectangle that is the device and the ratings are nearly four point five stars with four hundred and eight reviews. In green text says 'Works with the system in your VW'
Screenshot from Crutchfields

I realize these prices are not high in terms of audio modifications, or mods in general, however they do seem high for a student in full-time studies.

What’s the Next Move?

The next move involves more research (go figure!) to find if I can purchase a gently-used under seat sub and amp device for the VW. Likely possible sources include Facebook Marketplace for MK4 vehicles being parted out and local wreckers such as Malahat Wreckers.

More Access, Less Excess

October 14, 2024 /
Foreground: A red, rectangular road sign that says "ACCESS ONLY" in white, capital letters with a white border around the edges. Two orange and reflective white traffic cones sit in front of the road sign in the middle of a two-lane city street. They sit partially on the double-into-single yellow line. Background: dark red brick building with a black metal parking lot fence on the side of the building.
Photo by Patrick Robert Doyle on Unsplash

What could we do, moving forward, to ensure higher accessibility for website pages? In our Technology and Innovation class today we learned several ways to improve the accessible features of our sites.

Described Image:

An image of a distressed yellow-coloured disability sign for a parking space. Symbol is of a stick person in a wheel chair painted on dark, clean pavement with the person facing to the left.
Photo by Jakub Pabis on Unsplash

The image above now has an ‘alt. text’ that describes it as such:

“An image of a distressed yellow-coloured disability sign for a parking space. Symbol is of a stick person in a wheel chair painted on dark, clean pavement with the person facing to the left.”

Author’s added described image

The image at the top of the page also has a description now that can be utilized to describe what the image depicts.

Closed Captioning in Videos

Another accessible tool is the use of ‘Closed Captioning’ which means embedding described video with real-time text appearing on the screen as the video plays.

Below is a video used as an example:

Video by Silktide on YouTube

The closed captioning allows for people who are hard of hearing, D/deaf, have a hearing disability or challenge, and those who have audio and visual learning styles to access videos more easily.

The efforts made by able-bodied people to create more inclusive media and entertainment will never incapacitate them. It will, however, allow our ever-evolving world to be much more accessible for people who encounter barriers everyday.

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