The Life Cycle of a Salmon: Robotics and 3D Printing in Grade Two

Please note, this was originally published in the Canadian Journal for Teacher Research, but is no longer available online. As such, I have reposted the article here for access. If you wish to cite this, please use the following information:

Hartwell, A. (2018, May). The life cycle of a salmon: Robotics and 3D printing in grade two. Canadian Journal for Teacher Research.

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With an influx of educational technologies entering schools, it is not only difficult to remain current in the use of such tools, but to also lead colleagues in implementation. A teacher’s time is quite valuable; and, with recent revisions to curriculum and assessment practices (Alberta Education, 2016; Alberta Government, 2018; Government of British Columbia, 2017), trying to encourage colleagues to learn something new is proving to be quite challenging.

When this strain is applied to primary teachers, reluctance to integrate technology into task design is even higher because many believe children at this age just cannot do the task (Henderson & Honan, 2008). Yet, changes to curriculum are providing more flexibility to design lessons that are cross-curricular, emphasizing skill development through content. As a teacher and a researcher, I am passionate about how interdisciplinary task design can engage students in meaningful and authentic work where skill and competency development are emphasized and educational technologies are leveraged to enhance student learning. Such tasks provide evidence of what a child is capable of, if provided with an environment to take risks.

Interdisciplinary learning (IL) is described as teaching that draws from two or more disciplines (Newell, 2001; Strober, 2010) and can be used to study real-world concepts, problems, or issues (Campbell & Henning, 2010).  For example, the topic of environmental issues can be explored through science inquiry, formulating an evidence-informed position on a particular controversial chemical, such as oil production. As well, this same environment issue can be explored through a social studies lens, inquiring how democratic processes provide citizens to voice concerns through actions such as boycotting and lobbying. Further, language arts can be incorporated to reinforce varying writing forms, such as persuasive or declarative voice. Planning such a task does come with challenges, such as limited time for teachers to meet (Battersby & Verdi, 2015) and lack of teacher buy-in (Brown, Hartwell & Thomas, 2018). However, IL presents the possibility of more class time and collaborative planning, providing opportunities to create a more authentic and meaningful learning experience where skill development can become emphasized.

Educational technologies are tools that support learning and performance, forcing a user to engage in problem solving, promoting learning and understanding (Spector, 2017). Take programming and robotics, for example. Learners in these fields are presented a task requiring a series of written commands. These commands produce a desired movement, creating a context where the tool responds to what it is inputted into memory. A result is produced, providing the learner with feedback on the chosen commands, and prompting critical thinking and problem solving to improve for further iterations. Further, the robot enhances understanding by allowing code to be adjusted, enabling the learner to comprehend how changes affect results. If-then relational understanding is cultivated.

Educational Context

In Fall 2017, I had the privilege of working with a group of grade two students on an interdisciplinary assignment. Collaborating with the classroom teacher, we planned for the six students to learn about the life cycle of a salmon through The Daily 5 literacy approach (Boushey & Moser, 2014), while also integrating technological literacy and the maker approach into student learning. The Daily 5 is a literacy program designed to foster independence in young learners while working towards personalized goals. Students rotate through five literacy-supported stations, which include (1) Read to Self, (2) Work on Writing, (3) Read to Someone, (4) Listen to Reading, and (5) Word Work (Boushey & Moser, 2014). In this setting, the teacher is able to meet individual needs through whole-group and small-group instruction, as well as one-on-one conferring.

Technological literacy refers to one’s ability to “learn the importance of listening, talking and discussing in technologies processes, especially in articulating, questioning and evaluating ideas” (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2014, p. 24). Demonstrating technological literacy includes how to operate various technologies, such as a 3-D printer, while also being able to explain how the process was complete and how difficulties were overcome. Makerspaces, or maker inspired tasks, act as a gateway for the incorporation of difficult technological subjects, such coding, into core curricular learning. This approach not only exposes students to new learning through an interdisciplinary lens (Sheridan, Halverson, Litts, Brahms, Jacobs-Priebe, & Owens, 2014), but also paves multiple pathways to learning twenty-first-century skills by facilitating collaborative and iterative projects (Blikstein, Kabayadondo, Martin, & Fields, 2017). Makerspace activities were new to the school in this case study.

Enactment

As a small, rural elementary school began transforming its library into a learning commons, teachers began to explore what this looked like for the role of the Library Learning Commons (LLC) teacher. In this exemplar, a grade-two, classroom teacher asked me, the LLC teacher, to work with a group of students for three weeks. Students came to the LLC during their daily literacy block. Mirroring the work of their peers, students used the Web 2.0 tool Epic, to read to themselves on the topic of the life cycle of a salmon. After reading, students completed word work on key terms, including fry, smolt, alevin, and life cycle. This task was completed on index cards.

Next, students engaged in writing, which progressed in two stages. First, students completed a flow chart where they drew a picture of each developmental stage. A simple sentence was written to describe the picture. Then, using a paragraph outline, students created a script, complete with an introductory sentence, supporting details and closing sentence. As students finished, they partnered up and practiced reading what they wrote out loud. This action is the read to someone and listen to someone read of The Daily 5 (Boushey & Moser, 2014).

Once ready, students took their turns recording their speech in the JD Humanoid EZ-Robot. Being in grade two, there was much to learn. Not only were students using the “right click” on a mouse, but they also learnt how to export, or send, a file from one source to another, save and name a file, and add pre-coded movements written in script to an audio file. While waiting for their turn to record, students explored the Web 2.0 tool Tinkercad and made their first attempt in designing a 3-D image, a salmon. A sample was provided for the students, with a basic overview of how to use the tool. However, at this stage, students were encouraged to explore, learn by trying and remembering its okay to F.A.I.L. (first attempt in learning).

Reflection

Overall, this task required three weeks to complete of approximately forty minutes per day. From my observations, students were eager to come to the LLC each day and highly engaged in their learning. Peers would come in to see what students were doing, asking when “their turn” would be. The classroom teacher also commented about the excitement and curiosity in her students, frequently asking if they could visit the LLC to get a book or iPad. After collaboratively assessing student work, results indicated excellent student understanding of the salmon lifestyle with writing evaluated above grade level. For example, students wrote one supporting detail for every stage in sentence format.

In addition, growth in technological literacy development was evident. When asked to articulate their learning journey to teachers and peers, students were able to explain how their digital file was transferred to the 3D printer, the safety rules required while the printer was running, and used new vocabulary such as “bed level” and “work plane”. Further, they could demonstrate how to export audio files and explain how to insert code into a program.

Last, both the classroom and learning commons teachers reported students learned how to make and F.A.I.L., while also being introduced to computer science, coding, audio recording, and 3-D printing – all of this in three weeks! While finding time to meet and discuss the project and possible future iterations was difficult, both teachers noted students were engaged in ideation, critical thinking, problem solving, design thinking and skill building, many of the core competencies in BC’s new K-9 curriculum (Government of British Columbia, 2017). When asked, students reported the most difficult task for them was using Tinkercad, but the best part was learning how to make JD move.

Conclusion

My research has reaffirmed my beliefs that learners much more capable using educational technologies than many teachers are aware of, and their ability to learn new skills is much higher than we imagine. Further, when learning is activated through an interdisciplinary lens with authentic and real-world connections, learning becomes meaningful and students achieve higher levels of success. I, for one, will continue to learn and encourage my colleagues to do the same, even if it requires more time on my part because of the substantial positive impact this has on my students.

If you would like to see photographs and video clips of student work, please click here.

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References

Alberta Education (2016). The guiding framework for the design and development of kindergarten to grade 12 provincial curriculum (programs of study). Edmonton, AB: Alberta Education. Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/media/3575996/curriculum-development-guiding-framework.pdf

Alberta Government (2018). Alberta education: Teacher quality standard. Edmonton, AB: Alberta Government. Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/media/3739620/standardsdoc-tqs-_fa-web-2018-01-17.pdf

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2014). The Australian Curriculum: Technologies. Retrieved from http://www.heia.com.au/resources/documents/Designandtechnologies2014.pdf

Battersby, S. L., & Verdi, B. (2015). The culture of professional learning communities and connections to improve teacher efficacy and support student learning. Arts Education Policy Review, 116(1), 22–29. https//doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2015.970096

Blikstein, P. (2013). Digital fabrication and ‘making’ in education: The democratization of invention. In J. Walter-Herrmann & C. Büching (Eds.), FabLabs: Of machines, makers and inventors (pp. 203–221). Bielefeld: Transcript Publishers.

Blikstein, P., Kabayadondo, Z., Martin, A. and Fields, D. (2017), An Assessment Instrument of Technological Literacies in Makerspaces and FabLabs. Journal of Engineering Education, 106: 149–175. doi:10.1002/jee.20156

Boushey G. and Moser, J. (2014). The daily 5: Fostering literacy independence in the elementary grades, 2^nd ed. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers

Brown, B., Hartwell, A., & Thomas, C. (2018, in press). Interdisciplinary design teams of pre-service and in-service teachers: Issues with collaboration. The Canadian Journal of Action Research, 19(1). http://journals.nipissingu.ca/index.php/cjar/index

Campbell, C., & Henning, M. B. (2010). Planning, teaching, and assessing elementary education interdisciplinary curriculum. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 22(2), 179–186. Retrieved from http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/pdf /IJTLHE713.pdf

Government of British Columbia (2017). BC’s new curriculum. British Columbia: Province of British Columbia. Retrieved from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/competencies


 Henderson, R. and Honan, E. (2008). Digital literacies in two low socioeconomic classrooms: Snapshots of practice. English Teaching, 7(2), 85. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=35859976&site=ehost-live

Kafai, Y. B., & Peppler, K. A. (2011). Youth, technology, and DIY developing participatory competencies in creative media production. Review of Research in Education, 35(1), 89–119.

Newell, W. (2001). A theory of interdisciplinary studies. Issues in Integrative Studies, 19, 1–25. Retrieved from http://web.mit.edu/jrankin/www/interdisciplinary/interdisc_Newell.pdf

Spector,J. M. (2015). Foundations of educational technology.  New York: Routledge.

Strober, M. H. (2010). Interdisciplinary conversations: Challenging habits of thought. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1hqcttA

Sheridan, K., Halverson, E., Litts, B., Brahms, L., Jacobs-Priebe, L., & Owens, T. (2014). Learning in the making: A comparative case study of three makerspaces. Harvard Educational Review, 84(4). Retrieved online from http://hepgjournals.org.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/doi/pdf/10.17763/haer.84.4.brr34733723j648u

E-Learning: Fight the Feelings of Being Overwhelmed

It sure has been a very different few weeks for teachers around the world. Not only are we all moving to a distance learning model, but we are now putting our own digital literacy skills to the test. By now, I am sure many are feeling overwhelmed and anxious over the length of task lists and abundance of resources to evaluate. Here are a few parameters to support you.

1. Prioritize your list. All teachers with a few years under their belt are used to having a “to-do” list that never seems to end. As well, we are used to having to go to sleep knowing that the list is waiting for us the next day. Now more than ever, prioritize what is REALLY important. Wrote down what you NEED to get done in the next three days both for your own professional learning and your students’ wellbeing. Place all of those other “items” on a separate “nice-to-do” list for when you have time. How do you decide what NEEDS to be done? Look back to your mandate, and remember that wellbeing comes first. Students, teachers and parents all need to be healthy before they can learn.
2. Choose one tool to be your go-to. Whether this is Zoom, Google Classroom, D2L, Adobe Connect, Skype, email or telephone, master this first before adding on more bells and whistles. Remember, communication is the first – and most important – step in fostering those healthy relationships. And one tool is all you need to send digital copies of tasks/assignments (However, if you are looking for a formal evaluation model, please click here).
3. Collaborate. If you are team teaching, try to find ways to work together. Now, more than ever, an interdisciplinary approach where we look for ways that one task can meet multiple objectives in different subject matters is vital. Can that Science task also qualify as an ELA writing assignment? Can the music score be used as a history research task or personal reflection on connection to self? Can an art task on totem poles be integrated into First Peoples’ Principles or Learning and Humanities outcomes?
4. Coordinate your efforts. Approach your delivery as a teaching team and school team approach, and try to find common ground on tools/resources. In other words, work smarter not harder. Does it really matter if it is Skype, Zoom or Google Meet? You personally might have a preference, but requiring multiple ways for students to communicate will add stress and anxiety on the learner that isn’t really necessary. Do you need to house everything in google folders to just be reposted in course shells or shared via email, or can building one common resource hub with a focus on student learning be developed? Share the hub with students so they all have one common place to go to find links. Use your teacher librarian. Plus, if you coordinate, you will not be navigating tech issues on your own because no one else is using the tool, and your tech support will be able to troubleshoot more efficiently.
5. Let the task determine the technology. From an instructional design perspective, this cannot be stressed enough. Design the task and then look for what you need to execute it. While everyone is trying to be helpful by sharing ideas/resources, put these on your “nice-to-do” list and save the emails so you know who to contact if you come across a lesson that may need a particular tool. Don’t let the tool determine the tasks, or you will get bogged down in trying to find “the right fit”.

Distance Learning: Take a Breath, You are More Prepared Than You May Realize!

As many educators around the world reflect on their practice and move to a distance learning model – not by choice – please, take time to breathe. Yes, a period of transition and challenges has been placed in front of you abruptly, but I promise, you are more prepared than you may realize.

 

 

At the heart of your teaching practice are core pedagogies and teaching philosophies that have always guided your instructional approach and how you build relationships with students. Whether you are a behaviourist, cognitivist or constructivist who practices lecture-based, active, project-based, inquiry, and/or participatory learning activities, there is a place for all of these in distance learning. Right now, a myriad of digital resources are being shared, which, can lead to feelings of anxiety, fear and being overwhelmed. To help you through this transition, I have five phrases of wisdom – or reminders – to share…

1. Do not lose who you are as a teacher. Those approaches and tasks you find success and comfort in are still valuable, and may still be quite easy to transfer to a distance model. As many research-based instructional design methods highlight, when planning any learning, you first determine learning outcomes and the task (ID4T; (Carr-Chellman, 2010), prior to selecting the technology. This is just as true for distance education models. In other words, the task determines the technology, regardless of how the learning is being shared.
2. You already have tools you are familiar with. No matter what level of blended learning format (a combination of face-to-face and online) you are at on your teaching journey, I guarantee you have already began. Some may be only communicating via email to parents, while others may have a fully-developed Learner Management System (LMS) in place. Plus, almost all of you have access to a video recording device (remember, we are our own worst critic!). This could include Google Classroom, D2L, Moodle, FreshGrade, or any other online web tool that provides a way to communicate with students and/or parents. Whether it be simply email that you choose to share your lessons/projects/resources or a platform that allows for discussion boards, assignment sharing and task submission, the most important component is communicating with your learners.
3. You know your learners, and you know how they learn best. To get technical, you have already completed your learner profiling. You are aware of which students struggle with reading/writing, you know who your class leaders are, and you know who is good (maybe even better) with technology. You also know how to use this knowledge to create the best learning environment you can with the resources you have to work with. Plus, let’s be honest, you are also quite good at creating magical learning tasks with less-than-ideal conditions. Now, you just have to add one more ingredient… how will the student learn best through a distance model? Do not be afraid to ask the student and parent what he/she needs to be successful. But for a quick synopsis of K-12 Distance Learner characteristics, please click here (shorter than this post, I promise).
4. You are aware that inequities exist and do your best to reduce the divide. Yes, with distance learning, there are new challenges. Students may not be getting their lunch or have a face-to-face weekly check-in with their guidance or resource teacher. But you know how to advocate for these guys, and will continue to do so.  They will not be forgotten.  Plus, lies the challenge of the digital divide – how do we support those who have limited or no access to wifi/computers/technology? This, too, will work out, as distance learning is part of our history. You may need to mail some packages home to those in need and make phone calls to check in and check for understanding. This may require including a self-address stamped return envelope, but the work will come in.
5. Your students already have tools they need to complete the work… in ways that will support your competency and curricular outcomes. Many of us have “gone Google”, incorporating Drive, Docs, Slides, Forms, Sites, etc. into our practice. For some, this is only among colleagues, while for others, their classrooms are already paperless. Wherever you are in this journey, your kids CAN use these effectively too. Group work can still be done and peer/teacher feedback can occur. Students can share their workspaces with you and you can communicate with them in real-time or asynchronously to provide support. They can collaborate with one another, demonstrate critical thinking and contribute to each others’ learner. Plus, if there was ever a time to demonstrate flexibility and adaptability, here it is! Just think of those year-end summaries!! If you do not use Google, writing on paper and then sending it to a peer or group member by a photo or over FaceTime, can work. Take this time to leverage those devices that your learners have. If they are too young, use this as an opportunity to engage the parents in learning and see just how beneficial a mobile device is for a student’s learning is, if used properly (see a great summary graph here).

Overall, hopefully these phrases provide some grounding in a world filled with chaos and uncertainty.  And remember, you are an educator, you are an expert in overcoming obstacles to create incredible learning for your students… and you’ve got this!!

References:

Carr-Chellman, A. (2010). Instructional design for teachers: Improving classroom practice. Florence, KY: Routledge. eISBN: 9780203847275

Teaching Digital Health, Wellness and Citizenry Through Children’s Books

Teaching our learners about digital citizenship isn’t exactly the most exiting topic to engage conversation, but as we all know, the right hook can make all of the difference. As well, picture books, regardless of age, are always a hit. Below are some great books to consider.

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Chicken Clicking (Jeanne Willis)

This book, complete with beautiful pictures, covers the topic of digital privacy, and leads to discussion in more than one area.

In the beginning, the book prompts discussion about the importance of passwords, auto-saving sensitive information (credit cards) and signing out of accounts. It also allows for conversation about ensuring you have permission before making purchases online.

Next, this book provides an excellent opportunity to discuss the sharing of personal information with strangers and appropriate contexts for meeting people in person from the online world. Do not miss this chance to talk about what is safe, such as meeting in a public space with friends or how to purchase items off of an online Marketplace. Be prepared, though, as you may be surprised as who knows the term “catphishing”.

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If You Give a Mouse an iPhone (Ann Droyd)

This book is excellent for having a discussion about screen time, both for parents and students. It also great for effects, if you read with inflection and excitement. It also can help discuss what is healthy or appropriate screen time/use, reminding students that screen time at school counts and the use of devices to set limits while also being internally responsible for time limits.

This reading could also be more impactful to read to learners prior to a school break or before going on a school trip, reminding students the importance of unplugging, even during the travel so as to not miss out on moments on the journey, not just the destination.

Don’t forget, when reading, point out how much the mouse’s eyes bulge while using the device!

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Nerdy Birdy Tweets (Aaron Reynolds and Matt Davies)

This book is great for discussing the importance of not posting things about other people online without permission. Nerdy Birdy and his best friend, Vulture, Tweetster. Unfortunately Nerdy Birdy posts an unflattering photo of Vulture, which upsets Vulture. How will Nerdy Birdy fix their friendship?

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On the Internet: Our First Talk About Online Safety (Jillian Roberts and Jane Heinrichs)

This nonfiction book is good because not only does it cover topics such as parental supervision and online bullying, but it also includes examples of how the Internet makes the world a better place. This story is great for prompting conversation about technology, boundaries and staying safe. There are real photos, and the author utilizes nonfiction page design to highlight different ideas on one page.

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Goodnight iPad (Ann Droyd)

An excellent and relatable story about the need to unplug from our devices before bed. Beginning by illustrating a home well-equipped with technology, it walks us through a myriad of distractions that can lead us to remain on our phone much later than we should. While meant to be a parody, the story does an excellent job at depicting just how much we are surrounded by technology in our homes.

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Blackout (John Rocco)

This book serves a dual-purpose. First, it provides an entry point to discuss what a blackout is and to help our young learners understand what a blackout is. Second, it provides a reminder about the balance we require in our life regarding technology. Specifically, it emphasizes the importance of family and community time.

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The Technology Tail (Julia Cook)

In this book, we are introduced to the character “Screen”. Screen helps explains what happens to things that are posted online, and the consequences of those actions. This book lends itself nicely to not only a person’s online image, but cyberbullying as well.

 

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Goodnight Selfie (Scott Menchin)

This book is great for engaging students in a conversation around “the selfie” and “the elsie-selfie”. It lends itself to talking about what is worth taking a selfie of – and sharing with others – and what is not. Further, there is a page in the book where the character takes a selfie with roller skating, swinging high and getting hurt, which allows for a good entry point to talking about mobile devices and being distracted – I mentioned distracted driving, distracted rolling, and the need to be stopped and aware of your surroundings (hazards) before taking photos. I also made this sheet to accompany the book for primary grades (please click here).

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Dot (Randy Zuckerberg)

This is an excellent book to spark dialogue over healthy use of digital devices.  Dot, the main character, knows a lot about digital devices and how to use them, but this tends to consume her time… until she embarks on a real-world adventure. It acts as a great reminder that while the online world is fun, so is just getting outside with friends.

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Bad Kitty Does Not Like Video Games (Nick Bruel)

This book provides a great entry point to discuss healthy balances between technology and other forms of entertainment. It directly addresses how much time spent playing video games, lending nicely to discuss what limitations exist for your learners. In this book, the story begins with Bad Kitty glued to the bunny and carrot video game. Then, Bad Kitty is told to play outside, draw and read before being allowed to play more video games.  Outside, Bad Kitty acts out the video game through imaginative play. Then, Bad Kitty draws scenes from the video game. After this, Bad Kitty’s creativity turns everything into monsters in the drawing. Last, Bad Kitty reads a book with connections to the video game (sounds similar to The Tale of Peter Rabbit). In the end, Bad Kitty goes outside to read and draw, rather than play more video games.

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Tek: The Modern Cave Boy (Patrick McDonnell)

This book is creatively designed to emulate an iPad, which makes it difficult to keep in circulation at our library. Overall, the story line follows a cave boy so addicted to his technology that his abilities digress, as he misses out on life. He misses the Ice Age and never learns about dinosaurs, and has very little ability to communicate and interact with others. That is, until the volcano erupts and his technology crashes. After this, Tek rediscovers the world around him.

This book has excellent details in its design. Each page has connectivity and battery power icons that change throughout the story, and bolds difficult words, which could lead to a vocabulary/creative writing activity. Kids absolutely love having this book read to them.

Collaborative Book Creation

In the spring of 2018, I collaborated with one grade 3/4 class on a learning journey to publish our own collaborative book on rocks native to our learning community and the rock cycle. In order to accomplish this, the class needed to learn how to use the app Book Creator. Below are the steps we followed to complete this collaborative learning task.

Step 1: Author Visit

The classroom teacher arranged a Face Time virtual visit by an author who wrote a book on why life is amazing. This was used as the “hook” to get students excited about writing their own books.

Step 2: Collecting Photos and Videos

In order to complete an authentic book on the topic “Life is Amazing”, learners were required to explore their community on weekly class walks and take photos/videos on why life is amazing.

Step 3: “Life is Amazing” Book Creation

To teach students the features in Book Creator, students were posed to write on the topic “Life is Amazing”. This activity was created as a scaffolding task and taught learners the following specific skills:

• inserting and manipulating text
• taking and saving photos/video to the camera roll
• saving photos off of the internet to the camera roll
• inserting and resizing photo/video
• inserting background images
• saving a Book Creator file as a PDF and video
• how to share photos and videos via “Air Drop” on iPads

Here are some snapshots of students exemplars.

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Because this task was designed for students to learn how to use Book Creator, they were assessed using the following rubric. Please note, the content was not the focus of the assessment, but rather the skills of the app itself in conjunction with writing mechanics. As well, a feedback loop was implemented, with students providing peer feedback to one another. Once feedback was received, an opportunity to revise work was provided prior to submission for summative assessment. Each student was also required to identify one area they were proud of and one area for future improvement, which would be incorporated into the second iteration.

Step 4: Rock Research

The next step in this process was for students to conduct research on the different rocks and minerals indigenous to the community. To set students up for success, I researched what rocks and minerals were indigenous and then used our Virtual Learning Commons (VLC) to provide students with age and content appropriate web links to guide learning. The VLC can be viewed here, but some snapshots of the classroom’s specific learning space has been included below.

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In addition to this, all relevant books were pulled for student use. Prior to accessing the VLC, students were required to use the physical resources. Lessons on how to use a table of contents and index were provided, and the school’s other grade 3/4 class was brought in to provide peer mentoring on how to take notes using the magnet note method. This gave students the choice to either use one sticky note for one fact or one sticky note to write key words. In the magnet note method, the main topic in placed in the middle of the sticky note, with four words/phrases/points in each corner to explain the centre word. Additional sticky notes are then added to elaborate, following the same method. Below are some snapshots of student research.

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Students were given topics based on preference so they were learning on areas of interest. Sticky notes were attached to construction paper for organization, and I housed them for safe keeping.

Step 5: Draft Writing

Once all areas had been researched, students were then given different areas to then take the magnet notes, organize them, and then write a paragraph on the topic.  Students also needed to find a picture to represent their topic. As you can imagine, this required quite a bit of support for our struggling writers. Luckily, because we were co-teaching and there was a CEA in this block, there were three adults to support this task.

When paragraph drafts were finished, students had two peers edit their work. Then, they typed out their paragraphs using Google Docs. Once this was complete, an adult edited their work one final time. This process was completed until all paragraphs were finished.

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Step 6: Book Contributions

Now that all of the paragraphs were finished, students moved to the iPads. By accessing Google Docs, the paragraphs were easily copied and pasted into blank pages in the Book Creator app. If the photos could not be transferred, students used safari to find the photo again, save it to the camera roll and then insert into the appropriate place. Each page was given a title, but this was all that was done.

Step 7: Creating a Collaborative Book

When all pages were finished, students were air dropped the Book Creator files to my iPad. Then, using screen mirroring, I showed the class how to combine the Book Creator files together.

After all pages were combined, I then air dropped the finished file to all of the students. From here, we took a tour through a bunch of published books and talked about what we noticed about layout and design. Students mentioned:

• titles were always bigger
• the same font was used
• backgrounds that weren’t distracting
• title pages
• author names

Using these a hooks, students began to design their own version of the book. Once complete, the students uploaded it to their Google Drive as well as to Fresh Grade (our districts digital report cards) in PDF, video and the Book Creator file format for future editing.  Here are some finished projects.

 

Overall, this project was a success. Yes, it took quite a bit off time, but because the task was designed through an interdisciplinary lens with an emphasis on Science, Language Arts and ADST, the process and product served to be a valuable documentation of student learning. As well, because students were provided with voice and choice with each taking ownership over their learning, engagement and motivation were high. On the downside, this task would be difficult to execute with just one adult. It is recommended to connect with your LLC teacher and resource staff to help support on a similar endeavour.

Technology and Change: What’s on the Horizon and Strategies To Support Your School

As well begin to move into a new school year, I feel it valuable to provide some literature-informed insights on our technological horizon, along with some strategies to help leaders (both formal and informal) successfully navigate upcoming changes and challenges, and leverage technology in ways that impact staff, students and learning positively.

What’s on the Horizon?

To assist us in understanding technology in school, it is important for us to understand what is pushing contexts to innovate and change, and what is hindering progress. Technology adoption is being accelerated by numerous emerging trends, pedagogical shifts and learner needs, including (Acer for Education, 2018; Adams Becker, Brown, Dahlstrom,  Davis, DePaul, Diaz, & Pomerantz, 2018; Freeman, Adams Becker, Cummins, Davis, & Hall Giesinger, 2017; Rogers, 2018):

• coding as a literacy
• redesigning learning spaces
• a focus on measuring learning
• a emphasis on deep learning
• creating cultures of innovation
• the proliferation of Open Education Resources (OER)
• cross-institution and cross-sector collaboration
• interdisciplinary learning
• machine learning
• flipped learning
• 1:1/BYOD becoming a standard

 

Conversely, technology adoption is being hindered by (Acer for Education, 2018; Adams et al., 2018; Freeman et al., 2017; Rogers, 2018):

• the need to improve digital literacy
• teaching computational thinking
• learning to create authentic learning experiences
• rethinking the role of teachers
• how to sustain innovation through leadership changes
• addressing the achievement gap
• ensuring digital equity
• bandwidth capabilities
• systems security and outsourcing

 

How do we approach this successfully?

Technology integration and use must be planned to aligned with the values and beliefs held by a school’s culture. Values and beliefs are what is believed to be most important to a school, and shape how the culture perceives reality (Gruenert & Whitaker, 2015). Most values in schools are learned, such as football, planning time of technology in teaching and learning. Effective change connects to the deepest values of your staff and inspires greatness (Kotter, 1996). Therefore, in order to support successful technology change, we must connect the technology to existing key values. In other words, we must answer the question does your culture’s definition of effective teaching include technology as an effective learning tool? Below are three strategies to support effective technology integration in your context.

Suggested Strategies

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Standards for Teachers: In today’s classrooms, all teachers must have competency in ICT. Many school districts, government agencies and international organizations have standards and resources available to support leaders in ensuring schools have frameworks to lead professional learning (PL) in this area. A great way to establish a sense of urgency for professional growth is to begin with a brainstorm activity where staff collaborate on what knowledge and skills they feel are necessary in this area. Then, introduce any district or government standards, and compare lists. To extend, you can also provide standards from external resources and literature to solidify expectations. For example, ISTE has an excellent yoga-inspired summary great for PL, even providing opportunities to integrate kinaesthetic learning. Yes, I have done this, with great feedback from staff. From here, staff can then set an individual goal for improvement in one area.

 

 

Improving Teacher Self-Efficacy: While knowing how to use technology is necessary, this is not enough if teachers do not feel confident using it (Ertmer, & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2010). Spending time to increase self-efficacy  can be accomplished in a variety of ways, including helping teachers gain successful personal experiences, providing time to witness technology successfully supporting students, working with knowledgeable peers, allowing time for teacher to play and explore tools, and starting small. Co-planning and co-teaching are excellent methods to support all of these (Ertmer et al., 2010). Providing release time to tinker and plan, with the expectation that co-teaching results, will help move teacher practice forward.

Connections to Pedagogical Beliefs and Values: Effective technology integration depends on a consideration of the interactions among technology, content, and pedagogy. This is known as TPACK (Mishra & Koehler, 2006).  TPACK is the interplay of three primary forms of knowledge content (CK), pedagogy (PK), technology (TK). However, the TPACK approach goes beyond seeing these three knowledge bases in isolation. Successful technology integration for pedagogy around specific subject matter requires understanding the relationship between these components while also considering:

• • the individual teacher
  • grade-level
  • school-specific factors
  • demographics
  • culture

To help better explain the overlapping intersections, please see below. Please keep in mind that pedagogical preferences also influence technology integration in teaching and learning. For example, teachers who currently hold more traditional pedagogical practices, such as direct instruction, tend use use technology in low levels. In comparison, teachers who hold more emergent pedagogical beliefs, such as constructivism and connectivism, tend to use more technology. When working with staff members, we must first discover if the teacher believes there is value in the technology being proposed (PCK & TCK).

Conclusion

Yes, this is big work, and yes, this work requires time, resources and supports for your staff. However, it can be done. If we begin with understanding the values and beliefs our our context’s culture and use the correct resources/supports, we can navigate our unexpected technological future.

 

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References

Acer for Education (2018, January 12). 8 education technology trends for 2018. Retrieved online from http://eu-acerforeducation.acer.com/education-trends/8-education-technology-trends-for-2018/

Adams Becker, S., Brown, M., Dahlstrom, E.,  Davis, A., DePaul, K., Diaz, V., and Pomerantz, J. (2018). NMC Horizon Report: 2018 Higher Education Edition. Louisville, CO: EDUCAUSE, 2018. Retrieved online from https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2018/8/2018horizonreport.pdf

Ertmer, P. and Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. (2010). Teacher technology change. Journal of Research on Technology in Education 42(3), 255-284. Freeman, A., Adams Becker, S., Cummins, M., Davis, A., and Hall Giesinger, C. (2017). NMC/CoSN Horizon Report: 2017 K–12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved online from https://cdn.nmc.org/media/2017-nmc-cosn-horizon-report-k12-EN.pdf

Gruenert, S. and Whitaker, T. (2015) School culture rewired: How to define, assess and transform it. Alexandria, Virginia USA: ASCD.

Kotter, J. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Mishra, P., and Koehler, M. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6).

Mundy, M., Kupczynski, R., and Kup, K. (2012). Teacher’s perceptions of technology use in the schools. SAGE Open, 2(1).

Rogers, C. (2018, January 10). Edtech 2018: 17 emerging trends. Education Technology. Retrieved online from https://edtechnology.co.uk/Article/edtech-2018-17-emerging-trends

 

Deep Learning: Reflecting & Revising on my Understanding

The pedagogical approach to task design in which one engages a student in deep learning – an approach I am quite passionate about – has been growing in popularity over the last few years. Yet, as with many educational concepts, asking one to define what deep learning is or “looks like” is quite difficult.  When I first began teaching on this topic, my explanation of deep/surface learning were as follows:

• Surface learning: the acceptance of information and memorization as isolated and unlinked facts. It leads to superficial retention of material for examinations and does not promote understanding or long-term retention of knowledge and information.
• Deep learning:  the critical analysis of new ideas, linking them to already known concepts (transference), leading to understanding and long-term retention of concepts so that they can be used for problem-solving in unfamiliar contexts. Deep learning works best when connected to motivations and interests. Deep learning promotes understanding and application for life. You know deep learning is achieved when a person can explain something in a different, but related, context. 

The exemplar I would use to support these definitions is the video below from 2013 titled Teachers Embrace ‘Deep Learning,’ Teaching Practical Skills:

 

Recently, I have been exposed to some new learning and new perspectives on what deep learning is.

Metra and Fine (2015) characterize deep learning as when one can demonstrate “significant understanding of core content, exhibit critical thinking and problem-solving, collaborate, communicate, direct their own learning, and possess and academic mindset” (p. 4). Students can transfer knowledge from one context to another and not only possess significant factual knowledge, but can also develop interpretations, arguments and conclusions from that knowledge. This is accomplished by connecting understanding to student motivations and interest, argue Metra and Fine (2015), which then emerges when mastery, identity and creativity intersect.

Explaining deeper learning through a list of attributes, Berger, Wooden and Vilen (2016) state this approach challenges, engages and empowers student. They categorize deeper learning into six outcomes:

1. mastery of core academic content
2. critical thinking and problem solving
3. collaboration
4. effective communication
5. self-directed learning
6. academic mindset

In the book Deeper Learning: Engage the World Change the World, Fullan, Quinn and McEachen (2017) conceptualize deep learning as an environment where students are challenged, provoked and stimulated, and learning is celebrated. Similarly to Berger et al. (2016), these authors propose a list of six global competencies (Fullan, Quinn & McEachen, 2017):

1. character
2. citizenship
3. collaboration
4. communication
5. creativity
6. critical thinking

Upon this inquiry, it is evident that every definition or explanation of deep learning is different, and my original explanation is in due of a revision. But, before I share my revised perspective, I feel it is best to share an example of the most recent deep learning I witnessed.

At my current school, I am transforming an elementary library to a library learning commons. This school is characterized as traditional, rural and small. However, it is not lacking opportunities for innovation. A recent purchase of a Ditto Pro 3-D printer has kept my lunches and recesses quite busy. After grabbing the attention of my early adopters, word of “how cool” the printer was spread quickly. In a grade 5/6 drama class, I allowed students to use EZ-Robots in their green screen newscasts.  This prompted two boys to ask to print a sword for Roli.  This involved the students to learn to group objects together, and how to best format an object so it resulted in a successful print. Doing most of this on their free time, the two began to explore the program Tinkercad, communicate and collaborate on how to design the sword (a bit of critical thinking in there), and then head to the printer. Their first pint resulted in the following:

If one looks close enough, the glue from a hot glue gun can be seen. Unfortunately, the boys were not successful in grouping the shapes together. This prompted in a quick tutorial on how to better align objects for a stronger bond, as well as a lesson in how to use a glue gun.

So, back to the drawing board again – and at this point I knew the students were interested and motivated because now Roli needed a hat. The boys set out again with their feedback in hand and a new challenge: make the hat hollow. The next morning, they were back before school started with a new design. I checked it over and saw that not only was grouping better, but the hat was hollow. I then asked if they were sure on the size. Watching the brains initiate, one of the boys went over to the robot’s head and held up a yellow ruler. After a quick estimate, he decided the size was perfect.  Below is the hat:

It looked pretty good, but unfortunately, it was too big for Roli’s head. Alas, it must rest on a slant in order to stay put. However, the valuable lesson of size and scale was learnt.

In December 2017, an opportunity arose for me to co-plan and co-teach with the grade 5/6 teachers on a final interdisciplinary project on natural resources in British Columbia. Once these two boys learnt there was a presentation component, they immediately asked if they could 3D print a model. I was happy to support. However, what emerged was completely breath taking! Designing 2 separate files, the boys managed to produce the following… which required very little support from teachers. Please not the symmetry, scale (the two pieces joined together at the hitch), and attention to detail.

 

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But what was even more exciting for me was what happened next. Being the last day before winter break, these two boys were at school well before the day began to check on their second print. As they worked to free the logging trailer from the print bed, others began to accumulate in the learning commons to see the result. Some students had yet to dabble in the printing world while others were struggling to learn the program. However, magic occurred as those two boys began saying phrases like “it isn’t that hard”, “want me to show you?” and “let me help”. Laptops were pulled out and the students became immersed in learning… deep learning. The two boys, now the teachers, demonstrated mastery as they were now leading and supporting others in creating designs. They took pride in me “not having to check it over” before sending to the printer because they had already done so. And, when the bell rang for students to get to class, I had to ask for them to be excused because the learning was so powerful.

 

The two boys were sharing their journey with visiting admin, parent council members and other teachers, feeling empowered and proud. And to imagine, it only took 3 prints!

 

All together, when I look at the current literature and combine this with my past definition and action research evidence, moving forward, my new explanation of deep learning is as follows: Deep learning occurs when careful attention to task design engages learners in creative learning experiences that require the use of effective communication skills so collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving and self-directed learning can occur. Design must consider prior knowledge, student interest and student motivation, with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery in both competency and content development by allowing transference of knowledge to others and to different contexts.

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References:

Berger, R., Wooden, L. and Vilen, A. (2016). Learning that lasts: Challenging, engaging, and empowering students with deeper instruction. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Fullan, M., Quinn, J. and McEachen J. (2017). Deep learning: Engage the world change the world. Thousand Oakes: Corwin, A SAGE Company.

Mahata, J. and Fine, S. (2015, December). The why, what, where, and how of deeper learning in American secondary schools: Deeper learning research series. Boston: Jobs for the Future.

 

 

EZ-Robots, 3-D Printing, The Daily Five and Life Cycles: Interdisciplinary Learning in the Library Learning Commons

This past month, I have been working with a group of grade two students on an interdisciplinary assignment. Collaborating with the classroom teacher, we planned for the six students to learn about the life cycle of a salmon The Daily Five literacy approach, integrating technological literacy and the maker approach into student learning. While the technological literacy is yet to have a universal definition, for the purpose of this post, technological literacy skills can be developed through classroom activities and assessments that enable student to “learn the importance of listening, talking and discussing in technologies processes, especially in articulating, questioning and evaluating ideas” (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2014, p. 24). Makerspaces, or maker inspired tasks, are new to the school in this case study. Understanding that participation in makerspaces and FabLabs facilitates students into becoming makers, creators, and innovators, while increasing interest in STEM (Blikstein, Kabayadondo, Martin, & Fields, 2017), incorporating difficult technological subjects, such coding, into core curricular learning not only exposes student to new learning through an interdisciplinary lens, but it also paves multiple pathways to learning twenty-first-century skills by facilitating collaborative and iterative projects (Blikstein, 2013; Kafai & Peppler, 2011).

The Process:

As Oyama Traditional School is beginning to transform its library into a learning commons, teachers are beginning to explore what this looks like for the role of the teacher librarian. In this exemplar, a grade 2 classroom teacher asked me (the teacher librarian) to work with a group of students for a few weeks.  Here is a breakdown of our learning.

 Students came to the Library Learning Commons (LLC) during their daily literacy block. Using the Web 2.0 tool Epic, they read to themselves on the topic of the life cycle of a salmon.

After reading, students completed word work on key terms such as fry, smolt, alevin, and life cycle. This was completed on index cards.

 

Next, students engaged in writing. This occurred in two stages. First students completed a flow chart where they drew a picture of each stage. They wrote a sentence to describe their picture. Then, using an writing outline, students created a script, complete with an introductory sentence, supporting details and closing sentence.

 

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As students finished their writing, they partnered up and practice reading what they wrote out loud. This is the read to someone and listen to someone read of The Daily Five.

 

Once ready, students took their turn recording their speech in the JD Humanoid EZ-Robot. Being in grade two, there was lots to learn. Not only were students using the “right  click” on a mouse, but they also learnt how to export, or send, a file from one source to another, how to save and name a file, and how to add pre-coded movements written in script to an audio file.

 

Below are videos of a few of our final products:

While waiting for their turn to record their voice, students explored the Web 2.0 tool Tinkercad and made their first attempt in designing a 3D image – a salmon.  A sample was provided for the students, and a basic overview of how to use the tool. However, at this stage, students were encouraged to explore, learn by trying and remember its okay to F.A.I.L.

 

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Overall, this took 3 weeks to complete of approximate 75 minutes per day. Students were eager to come to the LLC each day and highly engaged in their learning. Peers would come in a see what students were doing, excited for “their turn” with me. It has been noted that student understanding of the salmon lifestyle in excellent and the writing they produced is above grade level.  For example, students wrote one supporting detail for every stage in grade 2. One student is currently writing a more in-depth script so she can be recorded explaining what her learning occurred so we can share this with the rest of teachers on staff. Last, students learnt how to make and F.A.I.L., while also being introduced to computer science, coding, audio recording, and 3-D printing – all of this in 3 weeks! They were engaged in ideation, critical thinking, problem solving, design thinking, and skill building, many of the core competencies in BC’s new K-9 curriculum (Government of British Columbia, 2017). When asked, students reported the most difficult task for them was using Tinkered, but the best part was learning how to make JD move.

References:

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2014). The Australian Curriculum: Technologies. Retrieved from http://www.heia.com.au/resources/documents/Designandtechnologies2014.pdf

Blikstein, P. (2013). Digital fabrication and ‘making’ in education: The democratization of invention. In J. Walter-Herrmann & C. Büching (Eds.), FabLabs: Of machines, makers and inventors (pp. 203–221). Bielefeld: Transcript Publishers.

Blikstein, P., Kabayadondo, Z., Martin, A. and Fields, D. (2017), An Assessment Instrument of Technological Literacies in Makerspaces and FabLabs. Journal of Engineering Education, 106: 149–175. doi:10.1002/jee.20156

Government of British Columbia (2017). BC’s new curriculum. British Columbia: Government of British Columbia. Retrieved from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/competencies

Kafai, Y. B., & Peppler, K. A. (2011). Youth, technology, and DIY developing participatory competencies in creative media production. Review of Research in Education, 35(1), 89–119.

Economic Systems and a Maker Faire

This past Spring, a coworker, Amie Curran, and myself set out on a journey redesigning our teaching of a grade 9 humanities unit on economics, marketing, advertising and public speaking.  Our journey is outlined below.

First, we turned our classrooms into giant KWL charts, with students posting on one wall what they already know about economics and questions they have on another.

Then, using table top whiteboards, students created a new list of what they learned from each other on the classroom walls, and what further questions they had.

Students were then given an “entrance ticket” to complete for a flipped video lesson.

 

Upon return to class, students engaged in an extension task based this video, having to identify different countries in the world that practice the different economic systems.

From here, we then built an economic continuum on the whiteboard of where Canada and the US fit, as well as where each of the major political parties are positioned, thus connecting economics to earlier learning on Canadian government.

After this task, we began several scaffolding activities to help students understand economic concepts including scarcity, supply & demand, factors of production, and levels of production.

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As well, we learned concepts pertaining to government involvement in the economy.  After doing some math to understand unit pricing, we showed students a video on how lego was made, because who doesn’t like lego?

Then, we introduced the students to their final task.

Then, we gave the students 60 minutes to complete a design challenge where they had to make their prototype.  But, students had to buy everything, including tape, cardboard, string, etc. Our prices were not cheap! So, when they wanted more money, they had to “work” for it.

Once the class was over, the store was closed and students were not allowed to work on their prototype. The following day, we completed a lesson on marketing and advertising.

Students were then given three classes to create their advertisements and prepare their pitches, table set up for the faire.  At the faire, each student and staff member that participated was given $50 “Hartbills” or $50 “Currancy” to invest in companies they felt was most likely to succeed.

Below are some samples of student advertisements and explanations of their products.  Overall, Amie and I saw high levels of student engagement through throughout this task. All groups finished on time and participated in the event. By inviting staff, we hope activities designed in this matter will continue in our colleagues’ practice. Yes, the task was a lot of work – co-teaching was a huge factor in this task’s success, but out students not only learned economics, but had an opportunity to experience it, down to tracking the cost of supplies and learning creative ways to convince people to invest.

 

Immigration Simulation in Grade 9 Humanities

During our immigration unit, to have students fully understand and apply the knowledge we have been working with about Canada’s immigration policy, we had our students participate in an immigration simulation. But before we get to the simulation, I will explain how we scaffolded leading up to the task.

First, we had students engage in a flipped learning task where they had to watch the video below, visit the interactive website referred to at the end of the video and complete an entrance ticket.

 

Students were given three days to view the video and complete an entrance ticket summarizing the content. Upon the day of this task, completed entrance tickets were collected at the class door prior to student entry. Students who had not completed the activity were provided with a laptop and an alternate space to view the videos and complete their task. Once finished, students were invited to join class and participate. The barn door between two classrooms was opened, but students could not work with different classes, as they had not earn the right to immigrate yet. In class, students were organized into small groups of 3-4. Using erasable tabletop whiteboards made of opaque plexiglass, students were asked to collaboratively recall, organize and define the five factors influencing immigration, and provide one example of a push and pull factor for each. During this process, the teacher acted as a guide, encouraging students to think deeply and posing questions they should be asking themselves. Once finished, students completed an exit ticket, ranking the five factors in order of personal importance and providing a rationale for their ranking. Please see the slide show below for the photo documentation.

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The next lesson involved students learning about the point system and how there are different categories that an applicant can earn points in for qualification.

From here, we asked students to come up with what categories of points are important, which are not important and what is missing.  For each class, we then voted and determined what the top five categories are when determining eligibility. Then students were grouped according to these categories and asked to determine the criteria, in realistic terms for a person their age.  Here are some samples of what was generated:

From here, students had to create an immigration form to give to those wanting to try to immigrate into their classroom.  We used Google Docs for this task and provided them with a template to follow.  Man, did this test their formatting skills!! To see a sample, please click on the below the photo.

ImmigrationCollab9E-3

 

Once the forms met our standards – yes this took a bit of time and patience – when then engaged in our immigration test where students were given the forms to complete to see if they qualified to enter other classrooms.  We had an immigration counter where you took your completed forms for verification, a customer service centre for questions, and border security to watch for people trying to sneak across.

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In the end, the students engaged in an active and authentic learning experienced where they had to apply their knowledge to a new context.  Students learnt just how tough it is to immigrate under the economic class, and gained a greater appreciation to being born in Canada.