3. ePLATFORMS

I currently work as a teacher in Tampere area vocational school TREDU. My job is extensively digitized: Teaching materials are on Moodle, student administration is done using Wilma, and communication with parents is done through Wilma’s messaging platforms. I train future aircraft mechanics, and in their work, they must use various information systems, including searching for manuals and reporting.

In TREDU we have a customized database software called LEHU, which students use independently for practical exercises. They select a suitable task, complete it, submit it, and then the teacher evaluates the task on the computer. We also use simulators and virtual technology in our teaching. Young people appreciate modern methods, although VR glasses do not replace the actual skills of using real tools. Teachers are required to have the desire to develop teaching methods, and especially many older teachers are somewhat reluctant towards all that digitalization.

A teacher needs to be able to use the most common digital tools. In our school we use Microsoft Office suite as well as Adobe tools. PowerPoint is the most commonly used presentation software in the creation of study materials, and PPT files often get converted into PDF files to save storage space. Covid-19 challenged teachers to take a “digital leap” in an instant. Teams and Zoom were put to use without sufficient training, and their use caused numerous problems at first. Nowadays, using Teams is accepted, and it has greatly reduced the number of face-to-face meetings.

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E-tools of my choice

The majority of the applications were familiar to me, but I picked five new apps to try out.

ISSUU : Issuu is a digital publishing platform that allows people and companies to create and distribute online materials such as magazines, brochures, and catalogs. Users can upload their work to the Issuu platform, which converts it into a digital version that can be viewed on a number of devices such as computers, tablets, and smartphones. Issuu is a digital publishing platform that allows people and I’ve been surprised by how much high-quality material I found on ISSUU. I tried searches related to my work and hobbies and found a lot, for example, aviation-related magazines and even entire books. I suspect that not all the material is legally available on the service, and some of it is likely copyrighted material from unauthorized sources. I believe I could use ISSUU for finding data in my job as a teacher.

X: formely known as Twitter is a social networking platform allowing people to send and receive short messages known “tweets.” Tweets are only allowed a maximum of 280 characters, so users are advised to submit short thoughts, updates, or links. I began using the service myself when the war in Ukraine started. In my opinion, X is a good source of information if you can filter out at least some of the propaganda.

X users can follow other accounts for the purpose to view their tweets in chronological order.X also allows users to use hashtags (#) to categorize and search for subjects, and users can mention others by using the “@” symbol. X also has features like retweets, likes and direct messaging. I am a passive follower and do not tweet or retweet myself.

Many famous people have stopped using X because the environment on the site became more cruel and hostile. Unfortunately, not all users follow good behavior standards, which reduces the service’s usability. The judgment of correct and incorrect information is left to the user, and in my opinion, it is simple to provoke and be provoked on the platform. I don’t really believe that Twitter is suitable for use in my work. Currently, I find it somewhat distressing, and I wouldn’t want to expose my students to it.”

Pi: My first conversation with PI was quite absurd: Pi: Hey there, great to meet you. I’m Pi, your personal AI. My goal is to be useful, friendly and fun. Ask me for advice, for answers, or let’s talk about whatever’s on your mind. How’s your day going? Tatu: Ihan hyvin kiitos. Pi: Oh, so you’re saying “I’m fine, thanks” in Finnish! That’s awesome. 👌 It’s great that you know another language. Do you speak Finnish fluently, or are you still learning? Tatu: Puhun sujuvasti. Olen suomalainen.

Pi:Vau, miten mahtavaa! Olet siis syntyperäinen suomalainen, mutta asutko edelleen Suomessa vai oletko muuttanut muualle? Tatu: Asun edelleen…

The conversational style of PI is pleasant. I thought of trying PI with the idea that I myself am a person suffering from dementia who needs help. I asked PI if tram number 1 goes to the hospital in Tampere, and I received the correct answer along with schedule information. PI could work well as an aid and entertainer for a lonely or memory-impaired person

Bing Chat Enterprise : The voacational training in Tampere can now also utilize Microsoft’s Bing Chat Enterprise artificial intelligence application with Microsoft credentials. So I can log in to the service with my work email. DALL-E 3 is accessible in Bing Chat Enterprise. DALL-E is an OpenAI language model that allows users to generate images from text. It is built around the GPT-3 model. I had never used artificial intelligence to create pictures from text before, and it started out pretty exciting to come up with the most impossible texts that I wanted as an image.

I posed the same question, ‘What kind of city is Tampere?’ to both ChatGPT and Bing. I received a similar response, but in my opinion, ChatGPT was more analytical. Bing added advertising to the answer by mentioning accommodation options in Tampere.”

I encountered Bing’s artificial intelligence with students at school. However, I couldn’t come up with any specific practical use for it, at least in the study of aeronautical engineering. Mostly, it’s just a fun pastime and experiment, but I don’t want to use it for studying technology based on facts

Instagram

Instagram is a social network site where users can post photographs and videosand publish them or on their profile. Users can also connect with one another by liking, commenting, and sharing content on the network. On Instagram, I mostly follow people and communities related to my hobbies, such as aviation and pets. Instagram, in my opinion, is a feel-good social media app. I haven’t encountered any disturbing posts or harassment there. I sometimes receive fraud requests, but they are easy to block.

Self evaluation

Lately, I have experienced that my own use of social media has been disrupting my daily routine. I often browse my phone or tablet while still in bed, and it affects my ability to fall asleep. Of course, social media has shrunk the world, and I, too, have reconnected with my former exchange student friends who were “lost” for a couple of decades. However, it is important to find a balance and know how to limit one’s own use of social media. I’ve noticed that using social media, especially following the war in Ukraine, tends to disturb me at some point, and I intentionally take a vacation from it. Following X, previously Twitter and Telegram conversations, can be very upsetting for me at times. Unless mutually agreed on, I do not allow students to use their phones during lessons.