Ed Tech Mindshift

Category: Distributed and Open Learning (Page 1 of 3)

Setting Up Communication: Rationale

July 27, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Both in our own experience, and in dialogue with colleagues, we uncovered various ways educators log, store, sort and retrieve communications. Each educator has their own rationale for the tool or framework chosen for their system, and a rationale as to why communication should be tracked. However, we could not find ANY available framework in the curated resources that spoke to, or had as exemplar, a log and/or tracking system for communications, or a tracking system which can assist with assessing student needs. The majority of discovered examples of tracking systems for communications were designed to help inform school-level decision makers, administrators, technology department heads. Therefore we decided this was the gap in available educational resources to be filled and created from scratch these resources.

For the combination of the communication tool and the communication tracking tool, we chose to focus our attention on the most positively reviewed tools – as reviewed by an unaffiliated, non-profit, and research-based organization Considerations were also taken on issues of ease-of-use, availability, privacy, security of data and accessibility. Options for storing data locally are given for each case. However the district/division of each educator may have preferences as to how and with which tools this information is collected and stored.

OneNote 

OneNote is a well-known and free software by Microsoft Corporation. As a communication tool, OneNote allows for collaboration and communication between teachers, students and parents. Created notebooks, folders and files can be accessed on desktop or through mobile devices, and can be shared with others through invitation, with or without password protection. It can be used as a desktop version only or within a network, or can be connected to a cloud storage system. While OneNote was favorably reviewed by the independent non-profit site commonsense.org, it was not evaluated for privacy and data security; however, according to Microsoft, data can be encrypted, is not shared with third-parties, and is deleted from cloud storage after 90 days of discontinuation of service. In consideration of accessibility, OneNote also exists as a mobile app, and has a built-in immersive reader, a built-in translate feature which can convert text into 65 different languages, and a built-in accessibility checker for all added documents and work.

Remind

Remind is a well-known messaging software that enhances communication between teacher, student, and home. In terms of educator accessibility, it is a free app that can be used as either one-way or two-way enabled communication, and also has a translation feature – giving it flexibility as a communication tool. It allows for updates of text, files, and audio or video to individuals or groups of people and integrates with the major educational software by Microsoft and Google. It is currently in use in more than 70% of public schools in the US. In terms of privacy and data security, Remind connects users through shared links or access codes which can be easily protected, and a parent or guardian must provide verification for students until 13 years of age. Remind received a 94% Privacy Rating on the independent non-profit site commonsense.org. All data is encrypted and users retain ownership of their data. Some personally identifiable information is collected but opt-in consent is requested, users can control privacy settings, and use is limited to product requirements. Disappointingly, some traditional advertisements are displayed, but data is not shared for advertising or marketing. For safety, users cannot interact with uninvited people, personal information is not displayed publicly, and interactions are logged and can be downloaded – a feature that makes it particularly useful for tracking communication with families.

The created frameworks (K-8 and 9-12) and suggestions are ours, created from our experiences and our research. Collectively, we have 25 years of teaching experience, and more specifically, have joint experience as educators in both the general population of students and as educators within ELL programs and working with students with exceptionalities. This gives us both conventional credibility on this subject. Additionally, we created these after searching the literature for research and support on these topics, giving us some borrowed credibility. Format was difficult, as a grid or table system is the most efficient way to collect family data for clarity; however, we understand that a table is less accessible. Trials were done with Microsoft’s immersive reader to assure it would read appropriately, but this functionality is more cumbersome to access when converted to Google Doc – this point is mentioned in the blog post.

Photo by Eddy Lee on Unsplash

Decolonizing Curriculum in British Columbia

July 25, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Photo by Yeshi Kangrang on Unsplash

“We need to move beyond the idea that an education is something provided for us, and towards the idea that an education is something that we create for ourselves.”- Stephen Downes

Indigenization is best described as “the transformation of the academy”. (Pete, 2016). When we explore the notion of decolonizing curriculum, we promote the notion of indigenizing curriculum. I feel that both decolonization and indigenization go hand in hand. The notion that we challenge the replication of dominant ways of knowing. Historically, our colonial education system has always been one in which we follow, do not question, as we “check boxes” to meet the status quo. If we say our plan is to decolonize BC Curriculum, we need to acknowledge the importance of not just simply adding indigenous content, but rather challenge the colonial dominance we have come to recognize as “normalized” education.

While I agree that it is important that we move forward, focusing on decolonizing educational spaces, we need to be cognizant that we are not over indigenizing curricula. As we recognize the importance of the cultural tapestry that makes up British Columbia, we run the risk of implementing a disingenuous curriculum that borders on tokenism which is not what decolonization and indigenization is about.

In our classrooms we explore curriculum as a well- known concept. This curriculum that we use, dictates what we teach and what our students learn. What has been labelled as the “new curriculum” for many classroom teachers is reinvented curriculum and implementation ideas that have been used for many years. While I don’t think all of the “old” curriculum is invalid or no longer useful, I do think that we need to include a curriculum that recognizes the strengths of all peoples and that creates space for conversations. It is so important that every student we teach, see themselves reflected in the diversity in which we live.

Shauneen Pete explores in her article, Decolonizing Our Practice- Indigenizing Our Teaching, that in order to decolonize education we need to indigenize it, in a way that re-centers and asserts indigenous knowledge within the subjects we teach. (Pete, 2013). She speaks to the importance of decolonizing ourselves, our classrooms and curricular content. She does this by drawing upon the use of indigenous scholars, by recognizing and confronting privilege as well as confronting racism. I think she brings up a really valid point, in that much or what we have seen in mainstream curriculum is evidence of institutional racism. The misguiding’s of our curriculum with what we teach about Canadian history, as well as the lack of representation of indigenous content leads to the colonial oppression. When we decolonize the curriculum by indigenizing our teachings, we need to be purposeful with how we confront racism and stereotypes.

To explore this further I would encourage you to look at the following resources:

Battiste, M. (2013). Decolonizing Education: Nourishing the Learning Spirit. Saskatoon: Purich
Publishing Limited.

King, T. (2013). The inconvient Indian: A curious account of Native people in North America:
Toronto: Anchor Canada.

King, T. (2003). The truth about stories: A Native narrative. Toronto: House of Anansi Press.

Pete, S. (2016). 100 Ways: Indigenizing & Decolonizing Academic Programs. Aboriginal Policy
Studies, 6(1), 81–89. https://doi.org/10.5663/aps.v6i1.27455

Pete, S., Schneider, B. & O’Reilly, K. (2013). Decolonizing Our Practice- Indigenizing Our Teaching. First Nations Perspectives 5, (1), 99-115.

I would also encourage you to look at the contributions of Jo Chrona, who has been instrumental in the transformation of the BC Curriculum, especially where indigenous education is concerned.  A sample of Continuing our Learning Journey: Indigenous Education in British Columbia- Module 1 can be found here in this YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-pQ_UqBwkI&feature=youtu.be

https://firstpeoplesprinciplesoflearning.wordpress.com/about-the-author/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expectations for Communication

July 25, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Making communication clear, concise and explicit means that everyone understands  your intentions. When we make our communication explicit,  we create a process that is less likely to result in problems that stem from communication failures. While we may still need to navigate through language barriers, we need to be thoughtful in our consideration of how we provide expectations for communication and connectivity between students/ teachers/ parents. Parents/ guardians then understand our intentions and the direction in which we are going.

Providing parents with support about what “at home” learning looks like is important as we pivot to the “new normal” of online learning. Parents may have unrealistic expectations for their students so it is paramount that educators provide them with a clear understanding of what communication between home and school will look like.

Provided below are a selection of resources that I found particularly interesting to assist educators in supporting families with expectations of communication.

http://www.kathleenamorris.com/2019/01/15/communicate-parents-2019/

Blogs

Kathleen Morris talks about the 8 ways parents are teachers can communication in 2020. She outlines lots of great examples of ways to connect with lots of links and resources to explore. Such communication tools include: radio or podcasting, videos, email, social media, voice tools, communication apps and in person. This blog was particularly helpful and she provides a wealth of examples for educators to draw from.

https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/the-role-of-parents

This site would be a helpful tool for teachers to share with parents so they have a better understanding of the role that they play in their child’s development and learning (while both at home and at school). This site provides lots of suggestions and ideas for parents to support at home learning as well as provides a break down for milestones by topic including: social skills, emotions and self-awareness, literacy and math, just to name a few.  The site focuses on the important role that parents play in their child’s learning and development.

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/7-ways-to-improve-parental-involvement-in-the-classroom/

7 Ways to Improve Parental Involvement

I found this helpful as a tool to guide teachers in improving parental involvement in the classroom, but also thought it could be used to guide home/ school communication. In order to establish meaningful communication, relationships need to be built. Getting parents involved in student learning is more crucial then ever as we continue to embark on online learning. These 7 ideas to improve parental involvement can be found here:

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/7-ways-to-improve-parental-involvement-in-the-classroom/

Charts, Tracking Sheets, Contracts:

This website provides numerous samples of charts, tracking forms and contracts designed primarily for parents, however there were a few good examples of parent contracts that could be used to facilitate conversations between teachers and parents about what the expectations are for their involvement with at home learning. Teachers may find the section on goal descriptions useful as new goals may need to be established to work on from home.

https://www.parentcoachplan.com/parenting_contract.php

A few additional sites to explore that focus on effective communication strategies and supports to guide meaningful conversations between educators and parents can be found below:

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/five-keys-successful-parent-teacher-communication

https://www.readingrockets.org/article/building-parent-teacher-relationships

http://sarahteachingportfolio.weebly.com/effective-communication.html

 

 

Curation of Online Resources during Covid-19

July 25, 2020 / / 0 Comments

During our school’s Covid-19 experience and return to a blend of both in class and online learning we engaged in lots of opportunities to share resources. We would often share out at staff meetings, which we conducted over zoom. With lots of resources coming in at every angle, one staff member suggested that we collate our resources in a google doc. that everyone could add their contributions to. A great idea, which has allowed the sharing of materials in a much easier and more accessible way. The home learning online resources are organized in sections:

  • General
  • Literacy
  • Math
  • Science
  • STEM
  • Fine Arts
  • PE/ Health Education
  • S’malgyax
  • French

The google forms can be located here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NkYl8y4LFUy_sVnf4VHmMuLRmY_kOOXigXhB14nh8e4/edit?usp=sharing

Please feel free to take a browse, perhaps your schools have done this as well. If not it was a great way to collect resources and share everyone’s contributions.

Technology, Collaboration & Communication

April 27, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Exploring digital tools that support collaboration and communication allowed me to think critically about the tools I researched for our group project, while also considering those of my classmates. In looking at my own level of understanding with navigating technology and considering some of the challenges I have encountered this term, it seems fitting that I am reflecting on using technology to support collaboration and communication.

Digital tools as we have explored over this course, enhance a student’s overall learning experience and provide opportunities to communicate, collaborate and demonstrate understandings in a variety of ways. While we explored several digital tools and platforms it seemed obvious that tech should bridge and support communication, however with a heavy reliance on it I learned sadly some of the limitations of living in a remote community with limited wifi.

“No Wifi @ Hoa’s cafe” by Dushan and Miae is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 

My thoughts during the project:

I thought not having explored any digital tools that create videos, digital stories or websites, this might be a good place to start. While I was not confident with a lot of technology, I was pleasantly surprised and pleased with my selection of the two tools I explored.

Both Adobe Spark and ShowMe Whiteboard Interactive were interesting tools which I could definitely see using with students of all learning styles and abilities. Through the process of exploring, experimenting and “playing” with many of these digital tools, I often reflected on how these applications could be used to support students with exceptional learning needs.

My teaching background is rooted in Special Education and so I can’t help but explore this project through a Special Education lens. While I did see using both applications with many students, I only selected Adobe Spark to pursue further for the project, ShowMe Whiteboard ended up in the section “Paths not Taken” due to its over simplicity, lack of features and limitations on creativity.

I tried to create a short video with slides and voice over on critical thinking using ShowMe and thought of how frustrating it was in terms of recording. Any mistake while recording would mean that you would have to record your entire presentation from the beginning all the way through. I thought this would pose as an unnecessary challenge and frustration, especially when there are so many other user-friendly applications out there. It also made me think more about the inquiry process, how we are encouraging students to explore and be creative. The overall features of ShowMe were very limiting even in terms of formatting (not being able to centering text and images). This tool was not going to work.

My reflections afterwards:

The group project which focused on exploring digital tools to support student inquiry, allowed us to trial and evaluate several digital tools, while also working through the inquiry process ourselves. While we researched applications, gathered data, compared digital tools, we could easily see which tools would best meet the needs of our students. In addition, this project allowed us to dig further in exploring and playing with digital tools, that we may otherwise not have had the chance to explore. I also feel that despite the fact that inquiry was primarily our focus, I could definitely see using these applications for many other curricular outcomes.

Through this evaluative process we had to employ many of the BC Digital Literacies that we explored.

  • Communication and Collaboration- Students use digital media and environment to communicate and work collaboratively, at a distance, supporting individual learning and contributing to the learning of others.

I saw myself and my classmates working together and demonstrating our own digital literacies by communicating with one another over multiple platforms, despite the initial tech difficulties I experienced. (I enjoyed exploring Slack, Google docs to communicate via a process journal, Zoom, Blue jeans and Google Meet).

  • Critical/Reflective Thinking-Students learn to engage in inquiry when they identify and investigate questions, challenges, key issues, or problematic situations in their studies, lives, and communities and in the media.

I focused on thinking about how these digital tools could be used for all students, including those with exceptional learning needs, thought about how we could create greater access to curriculum by using these tools as well as thought about the advantages and challenges of many of the digital tools I explored. In addition, I was able to think more critically about the bigger picture, trying to piece together how these digital tools and the overall process of exploring these applications for the sake of inquiry would help me, or not in my final master’s project.

Additionally, I questioned:

  • In what ways can these digital tools create greater access for students with learning difficulties?
  • What can my district or school do to bridge the gap when it comes to making curriculum accessible through technology for all students?
  • What is the end goal? And how can I use this process to support my overall journey in this program

I have found overall this process to be very helpful in terms of synthesizing ideas and thinking more about my final project moving forward.

  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving-Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

Experimenting with digital tools, and determining which would work for the project and those that didn’t make the cut was helpful and it was nice to have the time explore different platforms. While there were lots of things to consider I think overall, we selected digital tools that would support students with thinking critically and allow them to demonstrating their understanding, ideas and create solutions to posed problems in their inquiry.

Questions I still have:

  • How will I create more opportunities in my teaching practice to explore additional digital tools to use in the classroom?

There is a really great website which looks at 15 specific questions to consider when asking about Tech Integration, created by Drew Perkins, Director of TeachThoughtPD. It can be found at the link below.

https://www.teachthought.com/technology/using-technology-can/

Additional thoughts to explore with regards to access:

  • How do I provide students with opportunities for collaboration while at home?
  • Working from home on projects- what is this going to look like?
  • How do I support students to create opportunities to make real world connections through collaborating with community members?
  • Think about creative ways to provide opportunities for feedback

Final thoughts:

While I spent a lot of time worried about creating a final product, I have reflected on my overall experiences and enjoyed collaborating with Cheryl and Heather. The overall presentation has given me lots of consider moving forward with my larger project and has left me with lots to consider and explore in my professional development moving forward.

Couros, A., & Hildebrandt, K. (2016). Designing for open and social learning. In G. Veletsianos (Ed.), Emergence and innovation in digital learning: Foundations and applications. Edmonton, Canada: AU Press. Retrieved from: http://www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120258

Government of British Columbia. Department of Education. (2013). BC’s Digital Literacy Framework. Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teaching-tools/digital-literacy-framework.pdf

Moore, E. (2018). Technology Can Address Digital Accessibility — to an Extent. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2018/05/02/technology-can-help-address-accessibility-challenges-many-say

 

 

Considerations for Accessibility of Technology in Education

April 26, 2020 / / 0 Comments

I really enjoyed exploring my applications as well as those selected by my project partners. I had the chance to look at some digital tools/ platforms that I might otherwise not have considered for inquiry exploration.

Further considerations in our group project led me to explore thinking about accessibility and technology and how they are intertwined.

Technology as we know is changing the way our students are able to access the curriculum, and what I noticed with the applications that were selected for our project, was that they would work well for many students and in different capacities.

Through this inquiry process the variety of digital tools explored allowed me to view varied options to support student learning styles. There is flexibility with the options explored in terms of availability and accessibility (most of the applications explored were free of charge). While we did discuss that much of the technology available to districts is predetermined, (often not with the consultation of teaching staff) the options explored cover a wide spectrum of interest and tech abilities.

Personally, not being as comfortable with navigating technology, I appreciated having the opportunity to explore options that were relatively user friendly and easy to access. Which brings me to the main point of discussion for this blog
 accessibility.

Accessibility is such a huge factor when looking at incorporating digital tools into our everyday teaching practice. When looking at how to best meet the needs of students with learning exceptionalities, it is important to consider the vital role that technology can play. Exploring technology and providing all students with options for digital tools can mean that all students have equal and equitable opportunities to participate and meet the learning objectives.

It was important for us recognize that exploring the digital tools allows us to meet students where they are at, while providing them with considerations for design (supporting visual, kinesthetic, auditory and interpersonal learning styles).

Technology utilized in classrooms today should enhance or improve the learning experience. Digital tools can provide students with multiple access points and bridge the gap of disparities that are not always obvious. While technology should provide greater opportunities to learn and access the curriculum in a unique and exciting way, it is important to mention that the initial learning of the digital tool itself can be equally important in considering how it can help a student achieve a learning outcome.

When I think about how access to technology can be a real game changer for many students I consider some of the following:

  • Technology provides an easy approach to learning materials-often we may find that students are more comfortable with using digital tools then we are. In performing introductory activities with digital tools, we may discover that students are very much at home with navigating these applications and able to work with greater independence.
  • Technology makes learning more time -efficient- ever wonder why we flog pencil to paper tasks, when quite simply providing students with other means to demonstrate their understanding can save time, teach new skills and alleviate unnecessary stress.
  • Technology can be a less costly alternative for learning- while many digital tools and online applications are costly, the ones we chose in our project were primarily free. There are lots of great free digital tools out there, as well online learning can provide students with options that they might not otherwise have, especially when we look at creating opportunities for students to attend higher education. In addition, assistive technology has vastly improved students with learning exceptionalities with greater opportunity to attend post-secondary school.
  • Technology individualizes instruction- we know that all students learn differently and many need particular accommodations and modifications to meet the goals of individualized education plans, technology can assist with this.
  • Technology promotes Self-Determination (choice-making, problem solving, self-monitoring, decision making, goal setting and self-advocacy skills). This is so critical as we move away from teacher centered classrooms to student centered classrooms, where students can explore, learn and reflect on their understanding and gain a greater sense of responsibility and ownership over their learning journey.
  • Technology can provide multiple entry points- this allows for every student to have access to the curriculum regardless of ability, background, previous experience etc.
  • Technology supports communication, expression of ideas and information sharing – technology can be a great mediator for students with verbal communicative difficulties or students who require additional language develop supports.
  • Technology supports to solidify and reconcile understandings- this is evident as we see many digital tools present in our students’ homes. While we may not agree with all the time our students spend on devices, it is clear that their level of engagement can be overwhelming. I believe that some digital tools could be used to solidify concepts by making less fun curricular content more interesting and engaging to our students, therefore reinforcing concepts.
  • Technology may bridge the gap of disparity-while we are under pressure to assess our students during this very difficult time, one thing comes to mind and that is the inequities that exist with our students. Many of our districts have done surveys to canvas communities to find out who has access to internet, laptops etc. it is a challenge to know how to meet student needs who many not have a device to us. It is a challenge right now to think about equitable assessment when we have no control over the homes our students are coming from, the level of support there are receiving from their families or the educational resources that they have at their fingertips. We are experiencing unprecedented times right now, so it feels that this may not be a fitting point to include, however living in an isolated community I can see how technology plays a huge role in making education programs/ online classes available.

The considerations around accessibility are vast. There is work to do I suppose, to ensure that we are able to make digital tools accessible to all learners, but as long as we recognize the value of technology in the classroom and how it can enhance student learning we are moving in the right direction.

Resources/ Blogs/ Videos to explore:

https://blogsomemoore.com/tag/supporting-diversity/  (Shelley Moore talks a lot about supporting diversity and how assistive technology can support our most vulnerable students).

How Has Technology Changed Education? (2017, April 25). Retrieved from https://online.purdue.edu/ldt/learning-design-technology/resources/how-has-technology-changed-education

https://youtu.be/CtRY_1mZWWg (Jan Wilson, Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and History at the University of Tulsa discusses learning possibilities through UDL and how all students can benefit).

 

 

Topic 4: Digital Citizenship

April 13, 2020 / / 0 Comments

While we recognize that safe spaces provide a significant role in student development, safe spaces can imply the physical space but also a feeling that students have. Safe learning environments are those in which students can learn in a comfortable environment and thrive. Creating a safe space that you can enjoy as well and have your students see that you enjoy will go a long way.  We have students from all life experiences so it is critical that students feel comfortable and are surrounded by those students and adults who are allies.

There are other considerations to think about when building a safe environment:

  • How is my pacing? Am I moving to quickly from one lesson to another? Or too slowly?
  • Are my students fully engaged?
  • Are there topics which I know could be upsetting or emotionally challenging for some students?
  • Are most of my students comfortable working on their own or are they more comfortable working in small groups?

It wasn’t until I heard author Monique Gray-Smith talk about trauma informed practice and students who had experienced trauma that I thought about these additional considerations. I had not honestly thought about the impact of moving desks around over the weekend and reminding students on Fridays that come Monday they would have a new seating arrangement. To my understanding many of my students were quite excited to see who they might sit with come Monday, but I had not considered the discomfort that could create for some.

I think part of creating a safe environment means that you are creating an example and modelling what the expected behavior should look like about how you treat others, and how your respect both yourself and those around you. If you show your students the importance of kindness by taking opportunities to model the way, they will follow.  In saying this I also think that being human is making mistakes and it is also healthy to show your students that you make mistakes as well and learn from them. Risk taking is something that can take along time to build up, so providing opportunities again to model the way and provide honest insight when you are unclear or are willing to take a risk to try something new, only makes you more human to your students, regardless of their misconceptions. (I remember vividly running into students at both the swimming pool and grocery store and the look and shock on their face that I could be anywhere other than at school was somewhat entertaining).

The proof is in your students


One of the great benefits of creating a safe learning environment is when you know students take pride in their surroundings and the work around them. Providing students with the space to feel proud of their work and their accomplishments further helps to cultivate a safe learning environment. In addition, safe spaces for students create opportunities for them to share their ideas, thoughts, opinions and beliefs without judgement.

The website Wabisabi Learning notes that there are several things to consider when building a safe environment and has created a checklist.

  1. Keep a clean and orderly classroom
  2. Allow students to be expressive and encouraging to others
  3. Celebrate students work in different ways
  4. Create a list of guidelines (laws or rules such as no name calling etc.)
  5. Stay calm and in control always
  6. Practice useful failure and turn mistakes into learning opportunities
  7. Model kindness every chance you get
  8. Move around and interact with students and create a connection
  9. Be patient and smile
  10. Feel free to laugh with your students and be vulnerable
  11. Give kids choice around how they do assignments

https://wabisabilearning.com/blogs/inquiry/create-safe-learning-environments

In thinking more on ways to create safe spaces for students, our district has used the White Hatter as a way to teach students and parents about online safety and cyber bullying. This is definitely a great resource to check out if you haven’t already.

https://www.thewhitehatter.ca/

https://www.thewhitehatter.ca?wix-vod-video-id=2660f32e7b884f87a27c2bdfa74704ab&wix-vod-comp-id=comp-k0304hzi

These additional sites are great resources when exploring options around teaching and learning about online safety, cyberbullying and authenticating digital literacy.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/erase

https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/digital-issues/authenticating-information

Discussions around privacy and personal security as well as the ethics and morals connected to using technology both inside and outside of the classroom is something that often gets missed. We spend a lot of time scaffolding and pre-teaching the use of technology but often miss opportunities to explore and learn about the safety concerns that exist around using the internet and technology appropriately. This is a very important aspect of ensuring that we are creating safe learning environments for our students both in our classroom and on the world wide web.

Regan, P., & Jesse, J. (2019). Ethical challenges of edtech, big data and personalized learning: Twenty-first century student sorting and tracking. Ethics and Information Technology, 21 (3), 167-179. DOI:10.1007/s10676-018-9492-2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makerspace

April 13, 2020 / / 0 Comments

EDCI 572-Makerspace

Listening to guest speakers, Sandra Becker and Natalie Major on Makerspaces made me think that many of us are using or have used these types of activities and not known we were cultivating a “Maker mindset”.

We often attribute makerspaces to thinking of students messing around with Lego or taping cardboard together to create who knows what. However, we need to think beyond what we understand as the traditional components of education.

Makerspace encourages critical thinking and empowers students to extend their thinking and creativity to solve a problem or dilemma by creating a service or product. So, I had to debunk what I originally thought I knew about maker space and explore all possibilities. After hearing the presentation that Sandra and Natalie gave us in class I thought I should explore further to get a better understanding of what a makerspace actually is and how it promotes both design thinking and critical thinking.

What is a makerspace
actually?

A space dedicated to creative thinking and designed for creating and building of an actual product. It focuses on solving a problem that is actually impacting someone. When thinking about design thinking it could be more about creating a product or providing a service to solve a personal dilemma. Makerspace is an empowering space for students to design and create a product from their own thinking.

It is a way of thinking about a space so that you can provide differentiation of materials that can be made within each space. It allows for all students to be successful and find unique ways to express and demonstrate their level of understanding and learning. Makerspace isn’t just about what students can make to extend their thinking but actually involves the physical environment that invites investigation, inquiry and creative building.

In addition, makerspace promotes:

  • Inquiry based thinking
  • Imagination and creativity
  • Sharing of ideas and visions
  • Student reflection and peer review
  • Collaboration

The value it can offer to any classroom

Examples of maker space that we are already using but just don’t know it yet:

  • Scratch
  • STEM
  • STEAM
  • Robotics and word scratch
  • Loose parts activities
  • Cardboard construction days with paper and cardboard tools
  • “Make it” centers

In thinking about how to get started, I would focus more on a project rather than an initial space. I would think about starting with a project to spark curiosity and interest and gauge where students are at, make note of who works best one-on-one and who works best in larger groups. It was also noted to be a great way to start the week, sparking creativity and encouraging a soft start on Monday to provide a gentle start for those who need it.

Another great suggestion was creating a mobile makerspace. This would be a great way for teachers to collaborate and collect materials that can be labeled and boxed on a cart that can rotate from class to class. Materials can be collected overtime and teachers can provide their parents with letters to collect household materials.

Further considerations when thinking about creating makerspaces include ensuring that these projects are topic driven. While student choice is really important, its important to recognize that while you can’t always give choice about the topic, you can provide choice with how we get there. As long as the projects feel real to the student and the learning is authentic and fits with the context of what you are teaching you are on the right track. We also need to be careful as to not make assumptions around which students will have difficulties and which will excel, often maker space activities surprise us because they can be so well differentiated. Students who may struggle to demonstrate their learning in traditional ways may be very successful through hands on learning activities.

Other Considerations:

-makerspace is really not about technology, many students choose low tech over high when given the option

-important with being intentional in design but open to opportunities

– give and receive feedback

-provide time for reflection at the end of each Makerspace (provide students with time to reflect, think about the challenge or questions they have moving forward)

-consider assessment and student presentation

-think about the project or product that can be created even if the students don’t know the answer

– consider how you can incorporate makerspaces into your current contexts

-ensure you have a plan B and C

-ensure your makerspace projects are real, visible and for everyone 😊

-look at ways to make makerspace practical and consider real world applications

Breijcha, L. (2018). Makerspaces in School: A Month-by-Month Schoolwide Model for Building Meaningful Makerspaces.

Spencer, J. & A.J. Juliani (2017). Empower: What Happens When Students Own Their Learning.

Spencer, J. & Juliani, A.J. (2016) Launch: Using Design Thinking to Boost Creativity and Bring Out the Maker in Every Student.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Critical Thinking/ Design Thinking- March 29th, 2020

April 13, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”

(Albert Einstein 1879-1955)

The TEDTalk by Hans Rosling, entitled The Best Stats You Have Ever Seen provided some good points on how we promote and encourage critical thinking. When considering design thinking it is critical that we consider new and evolving approaches and are open to novel ideas, innovations and continuously changing ideas. Design thinking is not static, it is constantly evolving and changes with the use of varied technology.

When considering how we use technology to support design thinking and critical thinking in the classroom it is important that we consider the following:

  • It allows students to take learning into their own hands and promotes student ownership
  • Students are able to analyze information and create a product
  • Investigate and gather their own information
  • Students are able to use the information they have learned to think critically about it
  • Process information and evaluate the critical pieces, determine what is important
  • Students can then use the information they have learned and use technology to consider how they will present or explain their understanding

Using technology to support critical thinking in a multitude of ways. I particularly liked the way Hans Rosling discussed using technology for educational research such as getting students to research a community and then compare them to places we live. Students are able to connect with distant communities and countries and think about commonalities and differences. Critical thinking skills are applied in having students engage with materials and discover and direct their own learning. They are then able to sift through information, determining what is important, valid and pertinent information to share with an audience. Design/ Critical thinking allows students to both have exposure to new learning, while reinforcing their understanding (sifting through the important information and retelling or teaching others what they have learned).

I thought I would try making a short video using ShowMe Whiteboard Interactive. You can follow the link for the short video here. While I have played around with a few applications, this was the first time I have created a video of this kind. I can see how this could be really appealing for students and a great way to get them to sift through information taught and determine what the key ideas or talking points entail.

You can check out my attempt here.

http://www.showme.com/sh?h=twXC1qq

I really enjoyed the Joe Ruhl TEDxLafayette video, which focusses on the shift that needs to take place to achieve a classroom that is supportive of collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity. It requires the teaching model and methodology to shift from a teacher centered classroom to a student-centered classroom.

He premises the success of a classroom that supports critical thinking by:

  • Providing students with choice
  • Opportunities to collaborate and communicate their learning
  • Allows students to retell the stories of their learning journey
  • Provides students with opportunities to teach, mentor and inspire other students

While this shift away from teacher centered to student centered teaching can be daunting, it supports and cultivates greater independence and ownership in student learning, inspires a new way to bring learning outcomes of the new curriculum and with the use of technology critical thinking and design thinking can be brought full circle.

 

 

 

 

Where do we go from here?

March 28, 2020 / / 0 Comments

We are all stunned by the current state of affairs, this pandemic which has us feeling completely confined to our home and for some place of work. For those of us that have started back to work, it feels surreal as our school environments have completely shifted. The focus on how we can best meet the needs of our students without meeting face-to-face in our schools has many of us challenged with how we are going to adjust in these challenging times.

As we explore how we are shifting our thinking to more online student services we have explored lots of options at our weekly meetings with our districts. Looking at video-conferencing tools as well as many online applications and sites that are now offering free subscriptions for the duration of the school year. We look to share options to support this transition to online learning and navigate the difficulties of social distancing within our own families and our school communities.

I have been posting several options on my Facebook feed but thought I would post them here as well as additional resources for people to draw from.

We are currently trying to shift the focus to identifying what the needs are for our students as well as the needs of our staff. We have been working on district surveys, which we hope will give our district a better sense of what the overall needs are, especially when looking at how many of our families have access to technology (computer, Ipad and wifi).We need to get creative during these challenging and uncertain times as there is no “one size fits all” model that will work when looking at providing our students with continued instruction.

I hope you find some of these resources helpful.

Cheers!

Websites to look into: Brief Description:
https://www.tinytap.it/ Educational games to support math, vocabulary, social skills, nature etc.
www.earthrangers.com Focuses on conservation and environmental knowledge. They provide programming for children to participate in at home, at school and in their communities.
https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl Looks at what Project-Based Learning can look like for students.
www.openculture.com

 

 Free culture and educational media available to students K-12. Online courses, videos, audio books, language lessons etc.
https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/10-great-free-websites-for-elementary-school

(https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/tech-tools-for-learning-at-home

 10 noteworthy and credible sites to support Elementary students

This site also offers lots of options to support at home learning and some ideas for essential tech tools.

 
www.zoom.us Used to facilitate online meetings, videos, webinars for multiple groups of people.
www.weareteachers.com

 

 This site provides a list of children’s authors doing online read alouds and activities.
www.codingwizardshq.com This site provides free classes on coding for students.
www.steampoweredfamily.com Focus activities on STEM and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math).
www.mymodernmet.com

 

 This site allows you to watch livestreams from Aquariums.
www.farmfood360.ca Virtual tools and resources to teach children about agriculture and food in Canada.
www.TumbleBookLibrary.com Site allows you access a wide variety of books online. Similar features to Reading A-Z, however wide variety of popular titles of children’s books.
(Username: tumble735 Pw: books)
www.adventuresinfamilyhood.com Virtual tours and field trips to access online
www.weareteachers.com Lots of great ideas for card games to support math skills.
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