Technological Vision

The Dream

Let's paint a picture! You walk into a classroom, each student has their laptop, it's charged or plugged into one of the many charging stations in the room. They login to their computer and immediately open up their Google Classroom so they can see the agenda for the day and start the brain teaser or intro activity that is already set up for them as we wait for the rest of the students to trickle in. It's a nice picture. A classroom where students are safe and responsible. They show their initiative and it's 1:1- they all have their own devices. I don't need to worry about a student who doesn't have a phone or a computer at home to finish their work. 

Let's paint another picture: it's an inquiry project. The students can research, uncover, and learn something they are interested in. It might be a 20x project  or an inquiry project where they are engaged and inspire others around them. The teacher is a facilitator: a source to get ideas or ask questions as the student teaches themselves. Then, the student becomes the teacher and shares this information within the class, beyond the class to the school at large and perhaps even into the community. They spread their knowledge on whatever scale they are comfortable with. They are engaged in the process, exceed expectations, take on challenges, are responsible and safe.  

The Reality  

If I want computers, I need to book a computer lab (if the period I'm teaching doesn't happen to have a teacher booked in there) or a I can get a computer  cart and hall it down and elevator (with a key I don't have, so I have to borrow one from another staff member). When I get the cart, my students will try to turn on their computers, but half them weren't plugged in the day before, so they aren't charged or they were used the previous period and the 5 minutes between class wasn't long enough to boost the battery. There are no charging stations in  my classrooms and the computer cords are all connected to a cart....so the computer becomes useless when it's dead and that engaging lesson that you created becomes a challenge at best.

The inquiry project. I experimented with the 20x project this year. In my Grade 10 Learning Strategies classroom, I gave my students every Friday to work on their projects. The criteria for topic selection: "The project needs to impact another person in a positive way." The students' had all the freedom in the world to select a topic that mattered to them.To start, we did a brainstorm of the major issues students noticed in their school, community and world. From there, most students chose a topic of interest, which they could address on a small or large scale.  The results were mixed! Some students having never had the freedom to choose and explore didn't know where to begin or what to do and found themselves lost and frustrated at the start. Other students chose topics they thought would be easy and they could finish quickly, meet some expectations and then slack off for the rest of the Fridays because it's not something they really cared about, just knew they could be successful. A few students chose something important to them, something where they might make a difference and challenged themselves! I really liked those projects and so did they. 

In June, the students will become the teachers and they will talk about their experiences, their accomplishments and their setbacks.While I am looking forward to their results, I am not sure that they are mature enough in Grade 10 to tackle something that is so independent and requires so much initiative outside of the classroom.

Comparison

I think my dreams are pretty much in line with the vision that most of the articles are discussing. IN the Achieving Excellence article, the author discussed the need to inspire students as, "They will become the motivated innovators, community builders, creative talent, skilled workers, entrepreneurs and leaders of tomorrow." I think with the inquiry projects that will hopefully continue to be implemented in classes, students will eventually learn what interests them and what motivates them. I think my dream of having 1:1 devices is inline with many of the articles discussions on the need for equity and access. Ensuring that these students can be motivated by having the access they need to these devices at early ages and into adulthood. Our school boards need to " Invest in the technology, design and infrastructure required for the classrooms of the future to serve the needs of all communities" (Achieving Excellence). 

Many of the articles discussed the need for investment in technologies yes, but also the need to invest in teacher and their teaching practices. I myself am very willing to learn. I have taken many AQs, attend EdTech Camps and jump on the opportunity to learn new tools. I also am at an early stage in my career. I don't have any children that I need to take places, so I can spend a lot of my time learning about these new tools on my own. I, like the Edugains website on 21st Century learning, recognize that teachers need to be given the opportunity to learn during the school day. The website showcased a series of videos, of particular interest was the one from Halton District which discussed the culture of trust and showcased how the principal gave teachers release time and opportunities during PA Days to learn, explore and eventually incorporate new ideas. 

The Edugains website, along with Advisory: Effective Use of Technology article  discussed the concept of "blended learning" where students and teachers combine traditional teaching methods with online learning methods. This is something that I think was established in my 20x project study. I am trying to implement this kind of learning a little bit more in my English classes, but again without having access for each student, independent research/self discovery is sometimes challenging. I have attempted the online discussion as opposed to always face-to-face and I think these have gone very well. I have done the flipped lessons using Edpuzzle and Screencastify. But in my vision there is a much more blended classroom, than the one I have now.  However, I think using the cloud storage system of Google Suite (as mentioned in the Effective Use of Technology article) has helped bridge the gap as my students can access their work, assignments and keep up to date anywhere using Classroom, Docs and Drive. 

Finally, I think my favorite article was "A Vision for Learning and Teaching in the Digital Age." Mostly because it referenced the thing I love most about online learning: the fact that I get to move at my own pace, on my own schedule, and work at whatever time of day I can! 😁 They discussed the philosophy of "Anytime and Anywhere." The idea that most kids have a cellphone and can access information anytime and anywhere. That I don't need to give them an answer, they can look it up for themselves if they want to. It makes sense to apply this philosophy to learning, by offering more on-line courses to allow students to learn at their own pace, anytime and anywhere. I LOVE IT! 

LETS GET IT DONE!

"We can develop compassionate and actively engaged citizens who graduate high school equipped for the technology-driven, globalized world. They will be well-rounded individuals who have not only strong basic skills but also the critical thinking skills, imagination and resilience to excel in – and create – the new jobs of tomorrow" (Achieving Excellence).

Reference Links

http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/21stCenturyLearning/innovation_action/Culture-of-Trust.html

http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/21stCenturyLearning/about_learning_in_ontario.html

http://www.ontariodirectors.ca/CODE_Advisories/Downloads/CODE%20Advisory%20No%203%20WEB.pdf

http://www.opsba.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/OPSBA_AVisionForLearning.pdf

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/about/renewedVision.pdf