SIFT
In this weeks discussion, we focused on SIFT methodology which is a framework for evaluating online information. With new age media and information there is so much information that even I see on the daily. But from this SIFT helps understand how to assess sources effectively and is crucial for mainttaining digital literaly and unsuring knowledge is credible.
What is the SIFT Methodology
SIFT Methodology was developed by Mike Cauefield, and provides a structured appraoch to analyzing onlne info!
- Stop – Before engaging with piece of info, you take a moment to first assess its source. Like who created it, what is the intent behind it, rather than rushing in and sharing it causing further misinformation.
- Investigate the source – Researching the background of the author or organization is important, like if they’re credible or not.
- Find Better Coverage – Rather than relying solely on one soruce, looking for other reputable outlets covering the same topic is important.
- Trace claims and Quotes and Media back to original content – Misinformation often spreads through misinterpretations or selective presentations of data.
Why is SIFT Important
With the rise of AI generated content and algo driven newsfeeds, filtering through vast amounts of info can overwhelme you. SIFT gives oppurtunity to diffrentiate between trustworthy and non truthworthy info. Aviod falling for unverified claims, and more.
Final Thoughts
I think that the SIFT Methodology is very benificial and the application of it ensures that we engage with info that is verified. It’s a responsible way to go about things. As misinformation continuest to arise, teaching more people about this Methodology would be highly benificial for students, educators, and digital users.
Weekly Reflection #2
Reflecting on Digital Literacy: A Look at What We Learned
This week w dove into more of what Digital Literacy is, and how we use it in everyday lives. I always knew and was told growing up how to protect myself online, but this also dove more into the how to and communication aspect.
Why Digital Literacy Matters
The articles and resources we explored showed that digital literacy is not just about knowing how to use digital tools. It’s also about being responsible and mindful when we use technology. The BC Digital Literacy Framework talks about how digital literacy involves being able to create, share, and interact in digital spaces safely and thoughtfully. This includes things like protecting your privacy online, creating good content, and being aware of how technology can be used to hurt or help different groups of people.
A part of this that stood out to me was data sovereignty, the idea that Indigenous communities should have control over their data and cultural information. This made me think about how we all have a responsibility to respect others privacy and their cultural knowledge when using technology. It’s not just about what we can do with technology, but also about how we can use it ethically.
What This means for Teaching + Learning
Digital Literacy is so imporatnt for both teachers and students, the reosurces I read showed how teachers can help students underrstand not only how to use proper digital tools, but also how to use them in positive + safe ways. I find this very important as it is NOT enough just to teach students how to use technology, there is a huge need for responsible + safe use.
There is need to create safe spaces online, where students can share ideas, ask questions, and learn from each other without fear of bullying or harassment. Also to help students learn how to use technology to collaborate and create content that is both thoughtful and respectful of others.
Looking Forward – How Can we do Better?
The biggest thing moving forwards is actually how can we put this into action? It’s not just to know these ideologies but practice them everday, and bring habit into that. Wether at school or anything, using technology effectively and responsidbly.
Weekly Reflection #3
Copyright, Privacy, and Ethical Use in the Digital Age
This week, I reflected on a topic that is so essential in my work and a lot of peoples as well. Which is the ethical use of online content, privacy considerations, and understanding copyright law. Which is something that has had me stressed for that last year or two. A few resources were shared that provided phiolisical and practival insights on how as content creators should approach the use of images, videos, and other forms of intellectual property.
I was so curious on this because on the daily so many people literally steal my content and profit off of the use of it.
Understanding the Legal Landscape: Copyright and Fair Use
I was listening to an example on what happens when individuals or organizations fail to respect intellectual property rights. The case was the story of an artist whose original photographs was transformed into digital paintings and resold without permission. The artist faced a $10,000 fine for this infringement. The case underscores the importance of respecting creators, I personally found that so disrespectful to do. Personally relating to this as it happnens to me on the daily and people are making tens of thousands off of my videos.
Privacy Concerns and Ethical Use of Content
Beyond legal implications, the ethical side of content usage cant be ignored. Inba Kehoe and Valerie Irvine discussed considering privacy and ethics when using content, when dealing with personal stories or images shared by individuals on social platforms like Facebook. The ethical dilemma arises when content that is meant for personal expression is repurposed without permission for commercial or advocacy purposes. This questions the line between public and private spaces on the internet, as well as the rights of individuals to control their own digital footprints.
Tools for Ethical Content Use
As someone in content themselves, I usually use a reverse google search or just ask for permission. Multiple times ive posted my creator friends in my videos or mentioned them and I just shoot them a message saying if they want it taken down delete it. There are some dillemas for me though, I have posted 2 girls one being an old friend and one being an ex. The old friend at the time fully consented and actually liked the video, 7 months later she gets angry about it and tells me to delete it. The video is no longer getting any algo push, so the only downside of me deleting it is messing up a bit of standing with instagram. I did not delete it as she consented previosly and it is not at all efficient to get rid of it now, as well as a reverse google serach does not work to locate it so there is 0 backtrack to her. The other situation was posting my ex, I posted her wearing a helmet and it got 20 million plus views and she was livid. I kept it up as you cannot see her face.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this week’s resources have deepened my understanding of digital content use. The integration of copyright awareness, ethical considerations, and privacy concerns is so imporantant for anyone involved in content creation. As we continue to produce and share in a highly connected world, it’s so imporatant to remain mindful of the legal and ethical proportions of our work.
Weekly Reflection #4
Weekly Reflection Post
AI is transfomring the way we learn as humans, interact, grow and experience. From childhood memories to lifelong learning, AI has become a integral part of human experience. I even see my parents using it to assist with some of their work! This week I learned from stories that have happened and how AI is used in relation to plagerism.
AI as a Companion
I read an article provided by my professor that noted on the potential integration of AI, as stated nobody knows how it will be used but there are some thoughts. There have been times where people form emotion connections in relation to their AI helpers. Like Elena, who for example formedd an unexpected bond with an AI named Beppe. Beppe has the ability to recal memories and emotions gave from the user to recepricate and adapt to different scenerios to form more of an emotion bond with Elena.
Stories like this suggest potential for use beyond utility, and AI becoming emotional support for those who need it. However, AI’s expasion does come at an environmental cost. Infrastructure supporting AI, including data centers, consume vast vast amounts of energy each year which is not at all good for the environment. This includes water, energy, and rare minerals, contributing to electronic waste and carbon emmisions.
AI Academic Integrity
A big thing that has been happening with AI integration has been the use of it in almost every scenerio. A lot of poeple don’t know what is right or wrong, so AI plaguerism has been set into place. I watched a video, where Dr Eaton talked on the Plagiarism and use of AI.
What really stuck with me in her video was the aspect on how to integrate AI into an activity responsibly. Being analyzing the ILO (Intended Learning Outcome), Examine the situion surrounding your activity, review insitutional academic integrity policies, and explore the capabilities and limitions of AI tools.
AI for Personal Growth and Lifelong Learning
From the first article mentioned I also learned more on actual potential personal growth from AI. Abdul Hafeez’s story is proof of concept of that. He lacked schooling and used AI to study religious texts, and expanded his knowledge. Proving that AI can make lifelong lessons. Personally I sometimes use AI to summarize and take away key points from some personal emails, I have it help with some brand deal negiotation and finding average price points. Giving me a soft idea of what something is worth and what I should charge.
Weekly Reflection #5
Unpacking Datafication, Digital Consent, and the Future of Education
As our class continues to go through the digital learning environment, recent discussions in digital consent, privacy, and datafication have changed the ways I view technology in education. Looking through our framework on Privacy Safety and watching a lecture on Datafication I’ve learned more on not just how we utilize digital tools but how they shape us as learners, and humans.
The Foundation: Consent and Digital Ethics
In this course we are encouraged to be caution and consider the privacy references of our guests and peers involving:
- Respecting whether a talk is shared publicly or kept private within Brightspace.
- Ensuring reflections don’t violate guest privacy from mentioning names or roles if privacy is asked.
- Following copyright and licensing guidelines.
These guidelines aren’t technically arbitrary but they reflect the philosophy of digital respect, the ideology that people should control their digital presence and the traces they leave online.
Tools to Control
The lecture on datafication really offered a deep and sometimes unsettling dive into the post digital world: where algorithgimic systems, datafication, and tech power subtly reshape social contract.
The lecture opened with the idea that once technology becomes normalized it becomes invisible which kinda immedietly frightened me. A good anolagy was just like a freeway over land, it’s assumed to just be there not going anywhere and becomes invisible to us. Similar, to our current reliance on platforms that has made algorithmic decisionn making feel like common sense rather than a political choice.
Something that really make me think was the speakers personal link with her experiences from Twitter, Linkedln, and University systems requiring 2 factor authentification. Forcing us to use devices wether we like to or not/.
Literacies vs. Skills: What Are We Actually Teaching?
The speaker in this lecture made a crucial distinction between skills and literacies. Using her experience reading Korean, she explained that being able to decode something doesn’t mean you understand it.
“If you only have skills, and you don’t have literacies, you can march right off a cliff.” – From the video
Conclusion
Overall we can’t escape these systems completely, but we can re-evaluate what platforms we decide to use and why we’re using them. Also talking with family and peers about what we’re giving away when we engage with datafied systems. Although it won’t go away we can still do something about it.
Weekly Reflection #6
🌿Digital Literacy Through Indigenous Eyes: Reflection on Nodin Cutfeet’s Talk
This week I listened to a guest talk where Nodin Cutfeet, the founder of Oneska Foundation, this talk resonated with me. Not just me as a student, but as someone who is part of the Kwanlin DĂĽn and Tahltan First Nation. His approach to Indigenous digital literacies isn’t just about teaching tech skills, it’s about reclaiming agency, expression, and self-determination through digital tools. Which being honest aligns with my life goals, being to teach everything I have learned with financial literacy, entrepreurship, being a creative, and my investments + real estate to indegenious youth. What im going to do is use all the money I’ve made with my businesses and personal brand and create a philantrophy fund to finance and fund indegenous youths investment and entreprenuerial expenditures.
📱 My Journey with Tech & Indigenous Identity
Growing up, technology was a big part of how I learned. I still remember teaching myself how to type, search, and problem-solve on my first iPhone (the iPhone 5 SE). I would play this game called Celtic Heroes and a part of the game was negiotations and deals with other players for resources, so it resulted in me having to type quickly to negiotiate. Unlike many Indigenous youth Nodin spoke about, I had early access and grew up exploring digital tools. But I also recognize that this isn’t the norm for many in our communities: especially those in more remote areas or who face systemic barriers to access, some being a place where I go once a year called Telegraph Creek.
This is why it was interesting for me to hear Nodin speak about the lack of access and motivation pathways for many Indigenous youth when it comes to tech. Not everyone gets to grow up with gaming PCs or tech savvy family members. Some youth don’t see themselves in tech at all, especially when it’s framed around becoming the “next Mark Zuckerberg.” Nodin’s model instead centers on community, creativity, and cultural relevance, which I believe is a much more authentic approach as it is literally an art form.
🧠Digital Literacy Must Be Culturally Rooted
Another things that stood out was Nodin’s critique of how learning management systems and coding platforms often take a rigid, career-driven approach. Instead of presenting programming as a tool for personal or cultural expression, they promote it as a means to future wealth. For many Indigenous youth, that doesn’t land. What does resonate with the youth is creating something meaningful, such as building a game that can reflect their community, or designing a tool that serves a local need.
This aligns beautifully with the First Peoples Principles of Learning, which emphasize holistic, reflective, and relational education. Valerie Irvine also reminded us of the 5 R’s — Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity, Responsibility, and Relationships — which should guide any learning experience involving Indigenous learners.
🤖 AI, Elders & Reclaiming Knowledge
I’ve seen elders in my home community using AI tools, for things like writing emails or navigating services. Given the historical barriers that many of our elders have faced (including the lasting impacts of residential schools), I first hand am seeing AI being used as an unexpected bridge across generational knowledge gaps.
However, as Nodin said, AI also presents risks. When large language models pull from generalized “pan-Indigenous” knowledge, they can erase cultural specificity and context. That’s why data sovereignty is critical. Our knowledge must be protected, contextualized, and shared intentionally, not scraped, distorted, and repackaged by systems and databases that don’t understand any of the respect for our identities.
Nodin’s exploration of open-source licensing, adapted to suit Indigenous values (like OCAP: Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession), shows promise, but is also a reminder that the legal systems we’re forced to use are still deeply colonial. This work is a generational project.
🏗️ Building With, Not For
Nodin’s goal is to build peer-led, project-based learning ecosystems in Indigenous communities. His example of youth in Attawapiskat building a pH sensor for their community garden felt like exactly the kind of learning we should be designing for. What he is doing is so similar to my goal, and I think this week has been my favourite out of all with this lecture being my most favourite definetly.