Addressing Digital Equity

There's a fast-developing problem with learning today. While the digital divide is closing, the ubiquity of more recent mobile technologies has now opened wide a new "homework gap" into which lower-income students too often fall. As a large part of education still happens after school lets out, students with reliable, robust Internet access and task-appropriate devices stay seamlessly connected to classwork, assignments, teachers, and all manner of necessary online resources. Meanwhile, those without a meaningful connection in their home environments face challenges that make for a very uneven playing field.

We as educators are tasked with enhancing student learning through the use of 21st Century Tools as is required by Ontario Ministry of Education Policies such as Ontario’s Draft 21st Century/Global Competencies, as well as the front matter in every revised curriculum document. Yet each time we use tech in our classes we are putting some of our students at a disadvantage. So what do we do? Do we stick to paper and pencil tasks to keep the playing field level? That puts our other students at a global disadvantage. No, we must find solutions to our Digital Equity problems and the following slideshow will outline some steps to be taken in this initiative.

Digital Equity

Exploring Authentic Assessment

The staff at my school have been working with the Growing Success Document since it was released, as our board participated in a pilot project involving the roll-out.  So we are all very familiar with the concepts of assessment For, As and Of learning.  We recognize that we need to strike a balance between traditional teaching and learning styles and more authentic forms of assessment and learning.  We are all familiar with the use of Learning Goals, Success Criteria and Rubrics to help students understand the goals of the curriculum, and what they need to do in order to demonstrate their learning. And we try to practice peer and self assessment as much as possible.  I recall when the document was first released how many of my colleagues were happy to see such a comprehensive guide to assessment that actually makes sense.

Our only concern was that with less emphasis on traditional forms of assessment such as tests, administrators would take that too far and suggest that all traditional testing is useless and encourage people not to use tests as legitimate forms of assessment.  We were concerned because direct instruction and testing is still very useful in some areas and necessary in some cases.  And our post-secondary students, including apprenticeship students still need to be prepared to write tests when they leave high school because the “real world” still uses tests to assess knowledge and ability to perform.  Our concerns proved valid for a few years as some of our admin proceeded to “vilify” tests.  Fortunately, our current admin sees the value in all forms of assessment, including tests.

So it did not surprise me, when I read of research completed between 2002 and 2012, about Asian Post Secondary Programs using very little authentic assessment, only traditional testing.  The article, “Authentic Assessment of Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudesby ” Brenda C. Litchfield and John V. Dempsey (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.proxy.queensu.ca/doi/10.1002/tl.20130/full)was published in 2015, and I believe the shift towards authentic assessment is still not taking hold in our post secondary institutions.  And the workplace has been even more resistent to change.  Therefore, we still need to prepare students for tests.  But we know that authentic assessment is a deeper form of learning that will better prepare them for life in the 21st century.  “ The use of authentic assessment produces more in-depth learning and transfer (Fook and Sidhu 2010; Kearney and Perkins 2011; Svinicki 2004). When students participate in authentic tasks, they become actively involved in their learning.” (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.proxy.queensu.ca/doi/10.1002/tl.20130/full)

So how do we reconcile this? I think Inquiry Learning is a great combination of both worlds.  It allows for direct instruction and traditional testing to check for understanding of basic concepts and rote knowledge.  But then the students are given the freedom to ask their own questions and find their own answers within a framework provided by the teacher.  I am always cautious of theories and directives that suggest what we have been doing all this time is all wrong.  I think the true message in Growing Success is that teaching and learning is a reciprocal process and should encompass a variety of techniques for instruction and assessment and there needs to be a shift from teacher centered to student centered learning.  We also need to get better at tracking, assessing and quantifying observations of learning and conversations about learning so that students who struggle with written communication can be given credit for discussing what they know in a more organized, planned format.  We definitely need to get away from calculating marks based solely on what the student produced.  We need to find more creative  ways to find out what a student knows.  We should never hear the phrase, “that student was really smart but he failed because he never handed anything in…”.  If we know a student is “smart” then we are tasked with finding a means of expression that works for that student and allowing them to “show us what they know” in some other way.  If you really want the truth I think we need to get rid of marks altogether and focus on the learning, but that is for another discussion.

Inquiry learning also very nicely aligns with the suggestions in the article “21st Century Assessment”:

• Supports a balance of assessments, including high-quality standardized testing along with effective classroom formative and summative assessments
• Emphasizes useful feedback on student performance that is embedded into everyday learning
• Requires a balance of technology-enhanced, formative and summative assessments that measure student mastery of 21st century skills
• Enables development of portfolios of student work that demonstrate mastery of 21st century skills to educators and prospective employers
• Enables a balanced portfolio of measures to assess the educational system’s effectiveness at reaching high levels of student competency in 21st century skills

As a Cooperative Education teacher, experiential learning is not a new thing, my students do it every day.  “According to Gulikers, Bastiaens, and Kirschner (2004, 69), authentic assessment is “an assessment requiring students to use the same competencies, or combinations of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that they need to apply in the criterion situation in professional life.” Students should be involved in situations and simulations that give them a deeper understanding of the demands that they will experience in their careers.”  (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.proxy.queensu.ca/doi/10.1002/tl.20130/full)  But it is possible for a creative teacher to simulate these aspects of learning in the classroom if they engage in an online, real-world project of some sort.

Meyers and Nulty say “Course activities should do five things:

1. Be authentic, real-world, and relevant.
2. Be constructive, sequential, and interlinked.
3. Require students to use and engage with progressively higher-order cognitive processes.
4. Be aligned with each other and the desired learning outcome.
5. Provide challenge, interest, and motivation to learn.”  [Meyers and Nulty (2009, 567)]

These are also the qualities in a good Coop placement, or an effective inquiry, or authentic online or community project.  All of these in my opinion are excellent examples of effective assessment tasks and will help students prepare for life in the 21st Century.

Tools to help with tracking Authentic Assessment:

Edsby portfolio feature

Hourrepublic.com (coop, SHSM and volunteer hour tracking, reflections, certifications etc.)

Seesaw

Edsby Private Comments feature

Google Forms and Doc Appender

Student self assessments
AudioBoom (app for recording and archiving conversations and observations)

PLN’s: Professional Growth vs. Burn-out

PLN’s:  Professional Growth vs. Burn-out

I have been on Twitter for a couple of years but have not been utilizing it to its full potential as a PLN.  I sort of check it out when I have time and have followed some educators from my board and a few educational or news hashtags.  I know Twitter is a very powerful tool for building PLN’s and this assignment is a good opportunity to begin using it more effectively.  A friend and colleague of mine uses it to post student work from her classroom, and to seek out assistance from her network of contacts for various issues or questions her students have (like expert lists).  She also connects with other classrooms to give her students a chance to collaborate.  

I also have had this blog (http://erinexploringedtech.blogspot.ca/) for a couple of years that I rarely write in and have never really shared on social media.  I could begin sharing my learning and experiences with others on Twitter rather than passively reading and “favouriting” posts of others.  I have already learned a lot from my current practice of “checking it out whenever”, but if I made a conscious effort to choose a post each day to thoroughly read and reflect upon, I think I could transform my practice that way.

I do not want to commit to a specific group who expects me to contribute regularly.  I prefer to participate when I have time.  I also have a PLN group within my school who work on following the Professional Learning Cycle as a means to improve Critical Thinking Skills in our students so I do not have time for another commitment.  I can definitely commit to reading a post every day and reflecting on whether or not I will implement the information in my practice.  I will blog about my thoughts and discoveries, but will only post my blog when I feel I have a post that others would benefit from reading.

I just started following some of these people and groups on Twitter.  A few I had already been following.  I think these will keep me busy for a while!

@GoogleForEdu

@Alice Keeler

#edtechteam

#googleclassroom

@BringIT2017

#bit17

@CBC news

@Global News

@CTV News

I am also part of Teach Ontario which is a wonderful online community where teachers share, create and explore professional learning.  I was part of a TLLP 4 years ago and worked with my group to share our learning and experiences on this platform. Sadly, I have not been an active participant since then as life as a full time teacher, mother, coach and wife does not afford me much time to indulge in PLN’s.  So while I am aware of the many professional benefits of participating in PLN’s, I strongly feel it has to be on terms that work for me. Planning and delivering good lessons and providing timely feedback to the students I have in front of me every day has to be my top priority.  Daily participation in a PLN is simply too much to ask.  Teachers need to give themselves permission to enjoy their daily lives with their families and friends.  We are no good to our students and colleagues if we are burnt out trying to keep up with our daily teaching duties and then feeling pressured to contribute to a PLN.  That is just how I feel.  Sorry.  Not sorry.

Student Collaboration with Google!

I am choosing to write about google drive/classroom/hangout.  I feel like there is a huge variety of other tools out there but almost everything you would ever need to do with student collaboration can be accomplished with the google apps.  I

Google docs, Slides, Sheets, Forms, Blogger, You Tube and Draw (all part of google drive) allow students to create documents, slide show presentations, or posters/drawings, flow charts, diagrams, webquests, videos, questionnaires, etc.  With the “Share” feature, they are able to “send” the document/artifact to another student’s google account so that they can collaborate in real time on a project.  This allows for peer editing in and outside of class time, working on any type of group project, creating visuals, sharing websites, the list is endless.  Everything that each student contributes can be tracked by the classroom feature, so the teacher can see who did what on the project.  When web sources are used, google will automatically cite the webpage to the document, ensuring students are giving credit to sources and allowing other students in the group to see what their partners are using for resources.  When a student is away from class and the rest of the group carried on with a project, he or she can see what was completed and even work on it from home or anywhere, so they do not fall behind.  When students blog about their work, there is a fantastic opportunity for peer and teacher feedback.

If the class is involved with a Google Hangout with another group of students, those who miss the day when the hang-out happens can watch the recording of the event at a later date, or the discussion can be revisited by those who have the link later for any reason.

The other big advantage to Google is that all students can be set up through the board server with a g-drive providing an extra layer of privacy protection for students and staff.  Many of the free apps out there ask for student emails and names in order to set them up, and it is difficult to know which ones are safe in terms of protection of privacy.  Many apps sell user information to third parties who then use it for a variety of purposes.

Some examples of how I have used Google drive with my classes include, whole class editing of an Article Summary Assignment to model the process for the class.  A group of 6 students working on a slide show about the 6 main groups of Nutrients.  Planning sheets for my cooking class, each student signs up for the various tasks to be done in a Google Sheet prior to every cooking day.  Serves to create the groups and ensures everyone knows who is responsible for which tasks.  Peer editing of writing tasks such as essay questions, or journal entries.  Group discussions in a shared google doc, brainstorming in google drawing or blank google doc posted to my google classroom stream. Blogging about journal questions and commenting on each others' posts in Blogger.

I plan to use Google Hang-out later this term with my cooking class so they can communicate with the grade 4-5 class about what recipes they would like to make when they visit us for a cooking lesson at the end of the semester.

There are so many features to explore with each of the google apps, I am really trying to keep my life simple and stick with these for now.  I was intrigued by Bubble.us for mind mapping, and I can see many uses for Padlet as well, but it is really easy to get overwhelmed with educational apps so I have narrowed my focus and plan to stick with Google for the near future at least!

Blended Learning: It is Worth the Effort!

Blended Learning:  It is Worth the Effort!

I have been practicing Blended Learning in my classes for about 6 years.  In the beginning it consisted of using the internet for research and producing power points and brochures to demonstrate student learning.  I also used careercruising.com in my Career Studies course as soon as I became aware of it.  Even as recently as 2 years ago, in my mind, blended learning was incorporating technology into a classroom as a means of providing content, posting assignments, sharing ideas and providing feedback (both peer and teacher).  Now I see it as so much more.  It can take many forms from use of  social media, class blogs, YouTube channels, Twitter backchannels, Wikki spaces, google classroom, one-note, the list goes on and on.  And then there are the thousands of Apps and websites that can be used to digitally enhance the learning in your classes.  Various presentation Apps, mind mapping apps, graphic design apps, data management apps, assessment and evaluation tools, the possibilities are endless.

I hope this post will help you determine if blended learning is something you and your students would like.  I will outline how I use it, how I went about implementing it, what issues arrose, and how you can solve them.

Blended Learning:  How and Why I Use It

I have found that blended learning is a fantastic way to differentiate instruction to ensure all students have an entry point into the learning.  For example, the Career Studies Course on the OERB has audio files for students to play for all of the pages in the course material.  It also has interactive activities/quizzes/tutorials that allow students apply what they are learning in an engaging way.  Any online platform would allow for text to speech and speech to text apps to be incorporated to help the struggling reader or writer, translation apps can help the user if English is not their first language.  Course materials can be posted in video form, written form, music can be added, visuals are in colour and can be magnified, links to other websites can be added to engage a variety of learning styles.  I also have a student with low vision and he is able to magnify everything on screen until it is large enough for him to see it.  

I am currently exploring the use of Google Classroom as our board finally got it set up last semester so that we could access it.  I am loving how students can access their assignments from home or at least find out what they missed and that once they start working on an assignment, they don’t have to remember where they saved it due to the autosave feature.  They also never lose their “hand-outs” any more. Providing feedback and opportunities for revision has never been easier.  No more physically collecting, marking and returning work.  It is just more seamless doing it online.   It’s the little things like this that make blended learning so worth the effort.  The many apps and extensions available for free through google is astounding and students seem to love using it.

Blended learning definitely allows my students to use inquiry based learning as there is the opportunity access a whole world of information, collaboration, and expression when you work online.  The resources at the students’ fingertips are limited only by their imaginations.  Every student can be exploring their own topic and producing unique work taking a variety of forms.  

Students are much more able to connect with their learning and draw on previous knowledge.  Course materials, content, discussions, student work, etc. is always available to see and use at any time during the year.  Students and teachers have access to work completed earlier in the year so they can both reflect on what they have all learned and how that can help with future learning.  Students are notorious for not keeping their work once the unit test is over, then having nothing to use to study for final exams or culminating activities.  Blended learning ensures that there is a digital portforlio of work saved in the student’s account, no matter what platform you use.

It is also incredibly useful for students who are away from class to have the benefit of viewing lessons at home so they do not fall behind.

How to Implement It:

Our school has been building our capacity to offer more technology over the past three years.  Up until then we were sharing 3 computer labs between 200 students.  Our internet service was not very reliable either.  Now that we have improved bandwidth and three laptop carts, the hardware is more accessible.  So my point is, first you need access to technology in order to implement Blended Learning.  Then you need to spend some lead time educating yourself on the platform you plan to use and try out the apps and other features available to you.  You need to have a vision for why you are using Technology.  How do you want it to transform your class?  What is your goal?  How often will you be using it?  It could be every day or only once in a while when the tech will really enhance the learning.  Then you need to ensure you are following the Privacy of Information laws when you access tech with students.

For a great article listing some awesome resources for implementing Blended Learning check out:

https://www.edutopia.org/blended-learning-resources

What Issues Arose:

The biggest drawback to any use of tech in the classroom is that the internet connection is not always reliable in our schools and hardware is not always available.  With every teacher getting on the blended learning bandwagon we do not have the number of devices nor the bandwidth to keep up with the demand.  Communication with other staff about the shared use of technology is critical.  Scheduling of computer time should be an ongoing item on the Staff Meeting Agenda.  Also, inquire about the Bring Your Own Device policy in your board.  Many students are able to bring in their own devices which alleviates the need to provide all students with a laptop.  However, not all activities lend themselves to working on an iPod or cell phone.  If your board is unresponsive to the issues surrounding availability of Tech, get together with some other teachers and your principal and put together a presentation for the Board convincing them to listen!

Check out the following link to see Sal Khan sketch a plan for how digital learning tools can make room for teachers and students to embrace more real-life creative learning experiences

https://www.edutopia.org/khan-academy-discovery-lab-blended-learning-video

Until next time!

Erin

Anywhere Any Time Learning: PLC's Re-igniting the Flame of Teachers

I chose to read “Building Professional Learning Communities” from the AALF.org website.  This is a very relevant topic for me as our school is just in the midst of building PLC’s in order to better focus on our School Improvement Plan.  Our school board has recently implemented a new model for traditional Program Leads or Department heads.  We are now called Learning Leads and the focus in my school is leading our colleagues in practicing high yield instructional strategies in the hopes of improving our students’ critical thinking skills.

I appreciated the following quote from the article “A teacher can never truly teach unless she is learning herself. A lamp can never light another flame unless it continues to burn its own flame. “--Rabindranath Tragore (1861-1941)  I have noticed a re-awakening of the flame in my lamp since I began to explore the benefits of using technology in the classroom.  I am also more engaged in self reflection now that I am the leader of a Professional Learning Community.  I have a ton to learn in this area as I have only participated in one or two groups in the past.  A big obstacle is that these PLC’s are being “mandated” by the board and the principal and all staff members are required to participate in one.  The other downside is that the focus for these groups has been predetermined.  In my opinion, PLC’s must be more organic.  Teachers who have a common interest in a new strategy or a new technology or a new program of any kind, should be encouraged to work together to explore their interest.  If teachers are working on something important to them personally, they will be more likely to make real progress in their learning and will be more likely to inspire improvement in their students’ learning too.  

In the the board’s defence, they have been encouraging these more organic groups to form for several years now and teachers have not all chosen to get involved.  We have been offered release time to get together with others in our school to work on any project that would show improvement in student achievement.  Only a few of us have taken advantage of this.  So, now we are being given more direction.  I am choosing to see the PLC groups in a positive light.  We will be able to share instructional strategies, practice moderated marking, track student improvement and hopefully feel like we are making more of a difference in our students’ achievement.  “Michael Fullan argues that 'when teachers are working alone, not learning together, they are not as confident about what they are doing...By contrast professional learning communities not only build confidence and competence, but they also make teachers and principals realize that they can't go the distance alone.' (Fullan, 44)”  I agree with this statement completely.

Key Questions

1. What structures and strategies would you need to put in place in order to build a professional learning community in your school or district?

We are well on our way in our school.  We have divided ourselves into groups of 4 and are meeting weekly for a half hour at lunch to work through the stages of the professional learning cycle.

2. How can technology assist in the development of shared, collaborative learning?

Everyone on staff will be contributing to a Google Slide Deck about the instructional strategies, samples of moderated student work, resources used and “discoveries” we make along the way.

Resources:

http://beta.aalf.org/cms/?page=Education%20Topics-%20Pro%20Learning%20Comm

Fullan, M. Leading in a Culture of Change. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 2001.