Guiding Principles: What do we believe?

Posted on June 3, 2013 by | 1 Comment

What do we believe? We have some guiding principles that have anchored our digital learning journey as a district. Our vision has grown and is best represented through our Digital Learning Principles. Below is a short form of the “baker’s dozen,” a series of  belief statements that guide our work. These principles, outlined in the district strategic technology plan, grew over time. The principles are grounded in research about good teaching and learning.

1. Begin with a learning plan
We abolished the district’s traditional hardware replacement strategy and replaced it with a learning-centered strategy. Schools have to provide a forward-thinking, smart learning plan through an application process to ensure schools have the commitment and readiness to move learning and teaching forward in their schools. No grounded plan means no hardware.

2. The learning plan anchored in twenty-first century pedagogy
Key priorities for learning are identified at the outset: authentic learning tasks, descriptive feedback, inquiry learning, differentiated instruction, critical thinking skills, virtual and face-to-face collaboration, student voice and choice, and technology as a tool. The impact on transforming pedagogy? “It has totally revolutionized how I teach. I am not at the centre. The kids are at the centre,” explains Anne-Marie Middleton, Grade 7 Teacher at Hillcrest Elementary.

3. Action grounded in collaborative inquiry
Each application is team-focused and anchored in a job-embedded model of collaborative inquiry. Teams of teachers are engaged in studying meaningful questions about student learning and their own practice. Teachers own their own learning.

4. Evidence of student learning required
The district expects schools to share their organizational and individual learning and that of their students. Participants are required to report out using a flexible template to tell their story of learning.  These digital stories provide the inspiration, advice and resources for other schools also embarking on a digital learning journey.

5. Learning focus for all
While students are at the centre of our raison d’etre, we recognize that in organizations everyone is a learner and that we are all co-learners together: students, teachers, support staff, and administrators can equally share in the learning journey.

6. Empower teacher exploration months before student deployment
Teachers need time to experiment and play. Teachers need time to learn. We provide both devices and opportunity for staff development. Foundational idea: “Professional development is the hallmark of every successful technology implementation,” outlined in  the report commissioned by the National Coalition for Technology in Education & Training.

 7. Teacher-led, teacher-driven and centralized to the school house
The district is not dictating the direction. Schools, and teachers, decide their learning needs based on their school context. The result and our experience, we have gone from push to pull.  As educator Fraser Speirs declares: “I am no longer pushing technology at teachers. They are demanding this technology in their classrooms.”

8. Linking staff development opportunities across the system
Many educators are involved in two-year inquiry projects which include release time as well as a commitment to on-going learning with colleagues at their schools. Educators also have the opportunity to attend an inspiring dinner series with thought leaders in the field of educational technology, as well as after school workshops on topics as diverse as digital storytelling and moviemaking. In all cases, we focus on the learning, and not the tool.

9. Transformative practice shared and promoted via social media
We created our own hashtag: #sd36learn. We promote it and encourage the educators to keep the focus on learning, best practice, sharing resources and building connections. We acknowledge the words of Daniel Pink on the power of social media: “…the deepest, most enduring impact of social media might be on learning.”

10. Intentionally encouraging a radical social movement
Our goal is transforming education. Our diffusion strategy is creating networks of educators committed to creating the best learning conditions for students. As educators take risks, explore, experiment and play with their practice, we want to support their efforts. Creating a tipping point is key: “If you want to bring a fundamental change in people’s belief and behavior… you need to create a community around them, where those new beliefs can be practiced and expressed and nurtured,”  underscores Malcolm Gladwell.

11. Multiple projects/people supporting the same ideals all across district
We intentionally create a culture of innovation in practice by seeding pockets of innovation all across the district. Whether it is an Innovative Learning Designs project, a Learning Commons transformation, Making Thinking Visible, Out of Their Heads or a SS11 e-text initiative, they are all opportunities to focus teachers on shifting pedagogy to better embrace the ideals of curriculum transformation.

12. Mobile learning + the new electricity
Based on the key trends identified in The Horizons Report, we made a decision to focus on mobile devices. That decision meant that providing a quality wireless solution together with upgrading Internet links were top priorities for all our schools. We want to create opportunities for students to learn on any device, anytime, anywhere.

13. Education requirements leading technological shifts
Whatever technological changes are taking place around the world, we know the needs of learning should set direction for how technology is provided. All technology decisions are to be made in service of the needs of learners and educators.

Thanks to the many educators in our Innovative Learning Designs projects that contributed to our learning. Thanks as well to the members of the three focus groups that responded to our questions as we explored ideas such as: what works well, what needs improvement, where to next? Your insights enable us to move forward on the continuous improvement journey. The guiding principles themselves were developed and refined by a team: Helping Teachers Orwell Kowalyshyn (@kowalyshyn), Kevin Amboe (@amboe_k), Lisa Domeier (@librarymall), IT Director Dan Turner (@dj_turner) and myself.

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The Story of a School

Posted on May 19, 2013 by | Leave a comment


Guest Post: Jas Kooner, teacher at Woodward Hill Elementary, provides this article. She tells the story of her school and shares the video that premiered at the Engaging the Digital Learner Series. With repeated requests for the video, you can now read their story and watch the video here.

Woodward Hill Elementary is an ordinary school with some typical students learning in some extraordinary ways.  As you walk the hallways, you will find students engaged in audiobooks, writing on blogs, communicating with other classrooms around the world using Skype or Google Hangout and sharing their learning using a variety of ways, whether it is a live drama skit or a Comic Life creation.  Students and teachers are engaged and using the tools they need to further their learning.

It has been a quite the journey to get to here. This journey began before the school was even built.   A lot of thought and discussion went into developing a vision for the school.  Our staff was very pro-active in having input into decisions that were being made by all of the people involved in the construction and furnishing stages of opening a new school.  For example, electrical outlets were placed in the ceilings for LCD projectors and conduit for the wiring in the walls. Classrooms were equipped with large speakers in the ceilings to enhance sound. The PAC contributed by entering the Keg’s Thanks a Million contest and winning $25 0000 to purchase a set of iPads for the school.  Using new technology was part of the vision established for the school.

Once the school opened, there was a steep learning curve for everyone. To be provided with the opportunity to use technology was one thing but to know how to use it was another.  Teachers had to learn independently and with their colleagues how to best use SmartBoards and iPads in their curriculum.  Teachers had to mentor and share their learning with each other.  Everyone soon realized that daily teaching activities were easier because of technology such as the document camera and speakers in the ceiling of each classroom.  Even teachers who were wary of using computers and iPads found the document camera to be an essential part of every day.  Slowly, technology began to transform teaching and learning at Woodward Hill Elementary.

Now, technology is being used as a tool where it fits in naturally for teachers and students. Differentiating learning is made much easier using technology. If a student has difficulty reading content area text, they are using audiobooks.  If a student has difficulty showing their learning by writing their thoughts, they are given the opportunity to use DragonSpeak, or Educreations or any number of other tools where they can share their understanding visually.  Learning Support Teachers (LST) have a set of 10 iPads in their room that kids who need support use without prompting even if it is not their LST designated time.  This puts students in the driver’s seat of their own learning.  They use the tools that help them learn best.

Students who would traditionally have difficulty organizing their work and space seem to thrive using technology.  They can save their work to DropBox in specific folders and find it easily.  Many students with a lack of fine motor skills use technology because they can take pride in the neat and tidy appearance of their work.  This, in turn, boosts their self-confidence as learners and they can see themselves as “successful.”

All of this has happened slowly over time and it is still happening because each teacher is in a different place in his or her own learning. Actually, it has happened in such a way that teachers don’t think that what they are doing is anything special.  We decided we needed to document the journey that our school had been on in a video in order to share our learning with each other and our parent community.  Creating this video was a very eye opening experience.  We had to ask staff to share with us what they were doing in their classrooms and at first there was hardly anybody willing to share.  Everyone thought that what they were doing was very ordinary and not worth sharing.  However, as we stepped into different classrooms to take photos or videos, we were struck by how many teachers were using technology to enhance their students’ learning and how many different ways technology was being used.  As we took video and photos we realized we had more material than we could fit into one video.  We needed to put the pieces of the puzzle together to tell a story, our school story, bringing out some common themes.

Once we had a rough copy of the video we shared it with first a small group and then the staff for the purpose of editing it, so that people could point out spelling mistakes and give input into making it better.  Instead what ended up happening was that everyone wanted to talk about what was happening in the classrooms and share ideas. Sharing the video made for a rich conversation. We learned that conversations about what we do, and sharing, even if we think it’s ordinary can be powerful, like it is here, where we share our school story:


Postscript from Elisa Carlson:  Special thanks to the whole staff who contributed to the video and to Anne Mackie, Principal, for her visionary leadership. Anne reflects… “It has been such a gift to be able to start a new school like this……and then have a year like we have had where the staff are happy, the parents are happy and the students are happy and successful……I think we all feel that we are part of something special.” We wish her all the best as she wraps up her year, her career and forges ahead on her new learning journey. Thanks to the staff, to Jas and Anne, for sharing their story.

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iStory-Telling

Posted on May 12, 2013 by | 2 Comments

“The truth about story telling is… that’s all we are.”  Dean Shareski

We live in our stories. There is power in telling our stories and sharing them with others. This video celebrates the learning that took place in the Surrey School District during Year One of our Innovative Learning Designs Project. The focus for the video was to explore how we, as educators, might facilitate and transform the story-telling skills of our students through the integration of technology in the classroom.

As Lisa Domeier de Suarez (former Teacher Librarian Helping Teacher) visited the various pilot schools and talked to the students and teachers involved she discovered the myriad ways students were using technology to tell their stories.  Ms. Domeier de Suarez noted the wide range of age groups and ability level able to participate in these projects.  The students readily embraced the possibilities and transformative directions made possible by the use of various technological tools and by being connected with the outside world through web publishing.

Students of all ages and ability levels were able to create: eBooks, movies, animations, stop-motion movies, demonstration videos — even alternative ‘histories’ of civilization — to tell their stories and share these stories with the rest of the world.

The response of those involved was overwhelmingly positive.  These story-telling projects were opening doors for students to share themselves with the world and each other in new and exciting ways.  There was a palpable sense in those interviewed that they were just beginning to discover the possibilities available; where this could go in the future was anyone’s guess.

Note: Thank you to Chris Walton, LST Teacher, for writing this guest post. This video features the reflections of several of our students along with Fraser Heights Vice Principal, Denton Muir, and SD 36 teachers:  Lynda Dyck, Barbara Feltham, Lara Hayward, John Kelly, Jessica Pelat, Narinder Walia, Chris Walton and Jody Wilson.  Thanks to, Lisa Domier de Suarez and Forrest Smith, for creating this video snapshot of Year One of our learning journey. This video premiered as part of an #sd36learn workshop at ISTE last year.

For more on story telling in the 21st Century see this slideshare by Dean Shareski:

http://www.slideshare.net/shareski

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The gift of a legacy

Posted on April 28, 2013 by | 2 Comments

 

I actually simply refused to become an educator. It was more of an accidental detour on the way to another end point.  Simply put, I was not going to do what everyone else was doing: become a teacher. No way. I wanted to become a psychologist. I had lived with others who struggled deeply with emotional pain.  I had walked through the halls of a psychiatric ward to visit a close family member and it had left an unforgettable scar. I wanted to be able to relieve the kind of inner torment that traps people inside themselves. The requirement for entrance into a decent psychology program was three to five years of experience working with people. I went into education to gain that experience. It was simply a convenient, sensible and financial side-trip. And then the profession and the students grabbed me.  I even remember the individual names of many of those thirty-seven students in that wonderful Social Studies 9 class at D.W. Poppy. You see, when you teach you do not just improve the life of just one individual at a time—you can impact a whole classroom of learners.   And if you are in a position of leadership, you can have an impact on a whole school, shifting the culture, and making a difference to the lives of everyone in the building.  I was fortunate to be on staff with Mary Wright, a vice-principal at the time, and now former (retired) long time principal of Walnut Grove Secondary School—I watched her impact on the teachers, how it rippled out to students and I knew I wanted to be an administrator. As a psychologist, my potential for impact was small. As a teacher I could see a wider circle of influence. As an administrator, the ripples could move out even wider.  The end point had changed. It was no longer about individual therapy to relieve someone’s personal pain but the opportunity to create organizational health to maximize the learning of all—students and staff.

What is the legacy you would like to leave? This is the idea of being grounded in your work and having clarity of your personal vision. I have written about the rock on which I stand. You can read about it here. What does it mean, to leave a legacy? The notion behind legacy is the idea of leaving a gift. What is the gift of ourselves that we leave behind? The term legacy can be traced back to the 14th century.  At that time it meant the idea of  “a body of persons sent out on a mission.” Leaving a legacy is partly a mission we can do together. What is that mission? I really would like to transform education. It seems a bit grandiose of an idea but it has to start somewhere.  There is context to everything. I have four boys (grade 1, 4, 9 and 11). I would like them to be challenged in their thinking, to have opportunities to own some of their learning and to engage in authentic activities that connect to the real world.  If I can contribute by creating the space for teachers to experiment with their practice, schools to innovate with their structures, and truly deepen the learning experiences for students—I will be grateful. This is my mission. What is yours?

Note: Thank you to George Couros (@gcouros) for the wonderful impact he has had and continues to have on our district. His ongoing commitment to our learning is profound. Thank you for connecting and building relationships with all of us. You stretch our thinking and compel us to engage in new behaviors to push our learning, practice and influence forward.

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High Tech High: A Visual Feast, An Inquiry Journey, A Relational World

Posted on April 7, 2013 by | 6 Comments


Some of the best professional development we can ever do is to visit other schools, classrooms, and teachers. We can do this in our own district and in our own region. Sometimes we are also fortunate to be able to do it further afield. The Kwantlen Park Secondary principal, Rick Breen, and Inter-A teachers, Melanie Skelin and Anthony Jay, joined me to visit two High Tech High (HTH) Schools in San Diego. The tour was a fascinating look at the school, student learning, teacher pedagogy and the principles providing the foundation. There were many things I learned (I could easily write a second post); however, I will touch on five themes here.

1. Learning is a visual feast.

Even the alcove into the washroom is a display space

Everywhere you looked, evidence of student learning was on display. Hallways and classrooms were an explosion of projects, books, models, posters, banners, sculptures, collages, photos and more.  Displays of student work provided a visual feast and a window into the learning. Assignments were accompanied with either an artist’s note or an explanation and the requirements of the project itself. I felt like I had been transported into an art school. I was reliving my own childhood growing up in Nelson, B.C. and following my dad around the Kootenay School of Art where he taught art classes and managed an art gallery. It touched me at the core of my being in a way that only art can. For me, the projects themselves were fascinating and powerful because the visual element was woven into the work. The school felt like it was alive and pulsating with learning.

2. Learning is inquiry-based.

In the elementary school, essential questions were visible on classroom doors, hallway windows and posted beside bulletin boards. The focus of student learning was clear. These questions were woven together by the students in the context of the learning objectives.

Projects are explained and exhibited

Excerpt of student work on exhibit

At the secondary school, we asked, “What’s the curriculum?” The response, “It’s taking risks.” Teachers focus on getting students to be in shape to be learners and to be curious. “Students are motivated because they choose their own path. We ask what they want to know, and what they already know. We are not crushing their souls and their creativity. With project based learning students are very invested in their work and their work becomes a labour of love,” is how Rachel Nichols, a HTH teacher, described the student engagement.

The teacher commitment to project based learning is substantial. New teachers attend a boot camp where they learn about the model and how to collaborate with other staff. They think about projects they might want to try with their students and share their ideas with other staff to find out which teachers might want to team together on the project with them. Teachers meet every week so they can turn their teaching, the learning and the projects on a dime. It’s a culture where everyone is coached and/or coaching someone else. “It is a lot of work to do PBL and make learning more interesting. We are a really committed staff that are passionate about learning.”

3. Learning is relational.

“There is one thing that makes or breaks education for kids, it’s teachers,” declared Jennifer, the HTH Biology Teacher.  The teachers all have advisory groups and they keep the same students for the life of their time at HTH. Some advisory groups meet once a week and others twice a week. There is no typical advisory group. They all are a reflection of the teacher. In some, the grade 12 students lead them. In others, the focus can be on an academic check-in. “We are adhoc parents. Sometimes we know them better than their parents.” And teachers are not just connected to those in their advisory groups. The nature of student learning and the work students produce can be potent, particularly with writing assignments in English. Rachel, an English teacher, stated that, “The intimacy with faculty and students is intense.”

4. Learning is community-based.

The school is committed to creating learning opportunities connected to the community. One of HTH’s guiding principles is to have an Adult World Connection. Projects are authentic, real and deliverable.  Students are involved in internships, field studies and community projects. Visiting professionals contribute to the classroom learning and mentoring relationships are often established with outsiders. When we visited, students were working with a scientist from a local university to collect biological specimens from their home. What were they examining? How is urbanization affecting pollinization in San Diego? All students in grade 12 go out for a six-week internship in their senior year. Prior to the internship they attend workshops to prep, learn about resumes, and even how to shake hands. The internship is the time to do an authentic project on behalf of the hosting organization. The seniors will do a summative presentation at the end of the internship at the intern site itself and other students come to watch. The seniors frequently give presentations to outside audiences and their peers.

 5. Teachers are deeply engaged in their learning.

Foundational beliefs posted on school walls

“I am driven by the very fact that I can do anything I am interested in. Teach to your passions and take risks. I learn 100 times more than the students. It is exhilarating and exhausting here. Somehow keeping the balance is the challenge,” explained Rachel Nichol. When someone asked about burnout, she replied, “I wouldn’t call it burnout here because it is so exciting. People could do a better job of home/life balance but burnout means being bored. We aren’t bored. Like marathoners we need stamina.”

Real projects, real books, on display

When we were touring the school, we were invited to ask questions of any students or staff. I was curious how a student might describe his experience. I interviewed Spencer, one of our gracious student guides, and asked him what three things he liked best about High Tech High. He didn’t hesitate in his response. Most important for him was his relationship with his teachers. Second, the ability to be creative with his schoolwork was key. Third, he loved the ability to choose the work. Spencer was deeply invested in the school, clearly thriving in the environment and finding joy in learning. And truly, isn’t that what we want for all students?

Thank you to the Kwantlen staff for joining me on this venture. Thanks as well to the High Tech High teachers and students for opening their doors to us and providing us a window into their learning.

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No Barriers to Learning

Posted on April 1, 2013 by | 7 Comments

This was an exercise in unexpected frustration. I understand the word barrier in a new way. For those of you that follow my blog regularly, you might remember that last year at spring break I engaged in a co-blogging experiment with my grade 8 son (see here). At that time, he was using very little technology at school. The students in my district seemed to have more opportunities and diverse ways to express their learning than my own children. Co-blogging was a way to expose my son to doing things differently and digitally. It was interesting for both of us. We decided to do it again (yes, with a little encouragement from mom).

This time, however, our blogging exercise almost fell off the rails. Why? Simply put– lousy, unreliable, unpredictable and s*l*o*w wireless.  Clearly, the motel had insufficient bandwidth; too many people with too many devices trying to get on in the evening. (There will be no confession here of the number of devices my family of six had employed). There is nothing like that to dampen one’s enthusiasm. Creativity, interest, and motivation—they disappear pretty fast. “Mom, it’s not working again. Mom, it’s too slow.”  We became wireless freeloaders trying to jump the track on any local wireless we could find.  I felt like a hobo tramp trying to ride the rails. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough freight trains around. And frankly, I was looking for a Japanese bullet train . At one point, we were up-to-date on our entries but couldn’t get on seamlessly or consistently or when we needed to upload them.  Then we would quit. Not much else we could do. And then we got behind. And it piled up. And it felt more like a chore. And when we wanted to play, to fiddle with design, to learn something new, we just received the dreaded “spinning wheel of death.”

Last year my son was fascinated by the stats on the back of the blog. He could monitor who was reading it, from what country and what particular type of device they were using. He was entertained by the experience. There were a few colleagues that commented and he tracked that as well. However, this year, there was none of that stimulating feedback, as we simply could not get things done on-line.

The deed is done. We have a record of our adventure, Spring break 2013: Slot Canyons, Slickrock and Arches . We finally finished but we didn’t post it daily, simultaneously, to share with family and friends as we had hoped. My parents, armchair travellers, haven’t vicariously travelled the trip with us. They will, however, have it now.  And because they are our cheerleaders, it will absolutely thrill them to share our world.

When one writes and shares it publicly, it is about opening one’s life and being to others. There is both vulnerability and connection is doing so. It is both the risk and power of social media. We can use technology to make us human, to make us real, to make us vulnerable, to make us known, and make us understood.

Some things we take for granted. I am fortunate at home and at work. I can access Web 2.0 tools whenever I want. That’s what I want for my own children. That’s what I want for the teachers and students in my district. No technological barriers to learning. No unexpected frustrations but endless opportunities to be digitally engaged in learning.

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Our Participant Driven Unconference

Posted on March 3, 2013 by | 2 Comments

“It’s all about passion. If you are bored teaching what you are teaching, change.”
Teacher

There were awkward moments. Like when we were just starting the morning and an educator whispered to me, “This is out of my comfort zone.” Things that are new and different from our regular experience can be uncomfortable. This is true. There were also amazing moments. The dialogue was rich, diverse, challenging and informative.  Teachers described heir journey. They spoke about their practice and how it was changing. People shared their challenges, the struggles and joys of teaching, and their hopes for their students. And people connected to the stories and to each other because it is about the relationships.

Last month our district organized our second-ever EdCamp Unconference. We invited teams from forty of our Innovative Learning Designs (Phase 2) schools. About 150 attended and when I asked at the start of the morning how many had ever attended an EdCamp, only four people (one of which was me), put up their hand. EdCamp is referred to as an “unconference.” It is a structure for “promoting organic, participant–driven professional development.” (See here). You can find out more about it on Wikipedia.

I think this video captures some of the spirit of the day:

Surrey Ed Camp 2013 from paul langereis on Vimeo.

For me what was powerful were the words of Catherine Berron, Principal of Riverdale Elementary, when she said, “And what I really liked was the fact that people felt comfortable enough to share where they were at in the journey.  There was a certain level of trust and I think it tells a lot about who we are in the district that we can have that conversation.”

Let’s keep the conversation going.

Special thanks to Helping Teachers Kevin Amboe, Orwell Kowalyshyn, Ross Powell, Sarah Guilmant-Smith and Iain Fischer for their work in organizing the event. Thank you to Paul Langereis for putting together the movie for us.

 

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Getting Under Your Skin

Posted on February 24, 2013 by | 20 Comments

I’m trying to get under your skin. I’m trying to get you to stop being a spectator and a pawn in the industrial system that raised us, and maybe, just maybe, to stand up and do something that scares you.
Seth Godin


This is Seth Godin and he speaks to me. I am reading his V is for Vulnerable: Life Outside the Comfort Zone and for some reason it is where I stand. It is an ABC for Grownups and it is for people like you and me.

Here are some letters of the alphabet from his ABC picture book that are resonating for me. Perhaps they stick for you as well. I present letters A, C, D and E.

1. “Anxiety is experiencing failure in advance.”
This is what we do. We worry. I worry. And then we do not bring our best selves to the task at hand. We anticipate the worst and it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. We need to let go and have hope in what we want to accomplish. Seth calls us to be intense in what we do: “The artist wonders, ‘How can I break this?’ and ‘Is it interesting?’ Go break something,” Seth exhorts.

2. “Commitment is the only thing that gets you through the chasm.”
This is what takes us from a great idea to reality. It requires risk and a stick-to-it-ness.  When change is discouraging or seems insurmountable you need to believe what others have believed for you on your behalf. You are a warrior. Change is hard work. Not everyone values it the same way. Commitment can get you through the valley.

3. “Dance with resistance.”
There is something here that I need to learn. When we embark on a change agenda it is uncomfortable for us and for others. We are pulled back to continue the status quo like some rubber band that snaps us back to the comfort of the past. It is safer to teach and lead the way we have always done. I need to learn to dance with others, to engage the unbelieving and to convince my own heart. I think I have forgotten how to dance. My moves are awkward. I cannot seem to find my place to move with others gracefully. I have been stepping on toes. And alas, I feel my own have been squished as well. I need dance lessons—this I know. This is an embarrassing weakness and my flaw. I will covenant to practice the dance until I too can dance with others. It doesn’t work to be a wallflower. Our organizations need to get everyone on the dance floor.

4. “Effort isn’t the point, impact is.”
How do we know these change efforts, these shifts in pedagogy, these new ways of learning, are making a difference? Are we better off as a system? Has the learning experience deepened for the student? How are we measuring it? How will we know that it matters? “Effort isn’t the point, impact is.”

Seth is getting under my skin. There are others that get under my skin as well. They call me to stick to an agenda of transformative change in a large, slow-moving and sometimes resistant system. Seth encourages and admonishes us to embrace ideas that “push us to take action, to embrace opportunity, not to merely watch and wait.” I’m not waiting. Are you?

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Social Studies 11—Exploring Learning Through Technology

Posted on February 3, 2013 by | 2 Comments

How do we know if what we are doing is making a difference? When we invest time, money and resources in projects, what are we hoping for as an outcome? How will we know if we have achieved it? We must never stop asking key questions: Have we chosen the right priorities? Is what we are doing working? If it isn’t working, are we prepared to acknowledge that fact and adjust our plans accordingly? How do we learn as an organization if we do not take the time to reflect on our work?

A year ago we launched a Social Studies 11 e-text project (you can read about it here). As JB Mahli, SS Helping Teacher (@JB_Mahli), explains it, “A key aspect of the pilot is the fact it is a grassroots initiative, driven and led by Social Studies teachers and department heads.” The purpose of the project was two fold: to explore putting our feet in the digital e-text waters and to see how the use of technology might provide an opportunity to reconsider “traditional” teaching practices. We did not just drop e-texts and iPads into classrooms. The teachers were also supported with key staff development opportunities, from bootcamp on the one hand, to exploring ideas around historical thinking and inquiry-based learning, on the other hand.  The teachers also looked at assessment practices and how to differentiate instruction or personalize learning. As we had rolled out a small pilot in phase 1, and added additional schools in phase 2, the timing was good to collect some feedback from teachers and students before we moved into Phase 3.

What did we want to know? Three things formed the crux of our query: Were students more engaged in their learning? Was student achievement increasing? Were we creating opportunities for students to personalize their learning? We set up a simple on-line survey and sent it out to the Department Heads. We wanted to know what was working well and what needed to be reconsidered before moving forward.

Our results (see here) provided us with a window into the experience from the teacher’s perspective.  Questions ranged from asking about student ownership and control, student ability to remix content and express historical ideas, to the student’s ability to represent their own thinking through their own lens.


Overall, teachers were candid in their responses. There was definitely a strong theme about the impact on student interest. One teacher wrote,

Engagement, engagement, engagement. Students were far more engaged in class content with the use of the iPad. This engagement provided more energy in the room and that allowed a more positive attitude toward all areas of the class. The iPad leads to more student centered activity, more trust, higher order thinking activities and more ownership over their learning.

Another teacher tempered his response with, “I am not sure if the level of thinking is improving…just the resources to investigate essential questions and inquiry projects is greater” to “Yes, I believe it has improved [student learning]. Students have shown their understanding by creating iMovies and other videos where they are the creators and ‘narrators’ of their story. The evidence of improved student learning is the portfolio of student created work.” Not all comments were glowing, one teacher felt the impact on student learning was “inconclusive at this time” and another indicated, “I would need more time to adequately determine this.” We need to be mindful that some of this technology is new to teachers as well and the learning curve can be steep. Time to learn together was identified as important.

The use of technology was strategically embedded in learning about effective instructional practices. We were clear that an iPad in the hands of a student was not the solution to a better classroom. The focus was on teaching and learning; it is the teacher that makes the difference. One teacher summarized this succinctly:

While I do believe that my teaching practice has changed because of the introduction of the ipad, having a helping teacher who has also been talking about using problem and inquiry-based instruction, as well as critical thinking and historical thinking is important as well. The iPad and a helping teacher has been essential if the district socials department is going to have any change in pedagogy away from content coverage.

The challenge of moving from content coverage to uncovering the content was seen as an important shift.

We repeated the survey (with a few student-friendly adjustments) with a small sample of students that were participating in the program from across the participating schools. The full results can be found in the prezi here.

An executive summary of both surveys is also available here. This, too, is fascinating and captures the key ideas that emerged.

Perhaps, for me, the most fascinating theme that emerged was that “All teachers described changes in their pedagogy which they felt were directly related to the impact of the Social studies iPad and E-text pilot.” At the end of the day, it is about teaching and learning. We provided support and learning for teachers to reflect together on their practice and create richer opportunities for student learning—perhaps we accomplished our goal after all.

Thank you to JB Mahli (Social Studies Helping Teacher, @JB_Mahli) and Dr. Donna VanSant (@vansantd) for their work in designing the survey instrument. Thank you to the many Social Studies teachers and students that were willing to complete the survey and be candid about their experiences. The project was supported with rich professional development opportunities (including workshops with @shareski, @neilstephenson, @JB_Mahli and @Iain_Fisher that focused on themes around Inquiry-Based Learning, Historical Thinking, Critical Thinking, Assessment and Differentiated Instruction). The E-text in question was the Pearson Counterpoints 2nd Edition.

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Reflection: The Vehicle for Continuous Improvement

Posted on January 20, 2013 by | 6 Comments

Reflection can help deal with ambiguity, stress and change. In our work, we often have to cope with new, unique problems we have not met before. The ability to reflect is essential to recognising and confronting the uncertainly we feel as we try to deal with these problems.

All this means that reflection is not a bland or innocuous process—it is central to becoming a powerful, critical professional who is prepared to challenge the way things are done.

Quality Improvement Agency for Lifelong Learning

This past week was mind-bending in a multitude of ways. Our district was fortunate to have Bill Ferriter from North Carolina present as part of our Engaging the Digital Learner Series: Going Deeper. Bill encouraged teachers to be innovative with their practice and to ask students to do work that truly matters. Bill challenged us to create highly engaged learning spaces to meet the needs of the iGeneration. The impact of his message on the audience of 280educators was electrifying. Even our district’s twitter feed was working overtime as educators responded to the session, sharing their learning in the room.

For me, there was an ironic juxtaposition between encouraging educators to push the boundaries of their practice, connecting students to others around the world to solve real and meaningful problems while simultaneously pausing to examine our practice in the light of Internet safety and privacy issues.  The timing was coincidental but we (Dan Turner, Director of IMS and myself) had invited Alec Couros to come to our district to examine our practices and give us advice on the work we are doing. Alec is a well-regarded Professor of Education Technology at the University of Saskatchewan, a sought-after presenter, and a thought leader on navigating the digital highway (see here). Together, we are looking at important questions, such as:

  • What does governing a progressive, innovative, digital, 24/7, 21st century learning environment look like?
  • How can we create safe, collaborative environments for student and staff to personalize their learning while maximizing the use of Web 2.0 tools?
  • How can we navigate the risks successfully?
  • What are the checks and balances we need moving forward as a district?
  • What safeguards need to be in place to ensure the “walled garden” provides safe opportunities for students to become responsible digital citizens?
  • Conversely, outside of the “walled garden,” what safeguards need to be in place to ensure students become responsible digital citizens?

If the world is indeed our classroom–we can now see and almost touch it through technology–we need to ensure we are preparing students to navigate the digital landscape both safely and successfully.  We also want to make sure that we are using technology for meaningful work and not for mere digital entertainment.

Alec Couros was collecting data on this visit. We were approaching the questions and our dilemma through a case study analysis. We arranged for him to visit some lead schools and teachers (George Vanier Elementary, Johnston Heights Secondary and Bonaccord Elementary) to find out how their students were engaging in the digital space and what safeguards were in place. We want to find a way to put systems into place to ensure ALL of our schools are engaging in best practices navigating the new digital frontier.  We did not want to select schools where we knew they were doing it “right” but schools where they were stretching the boundaries of their practice. We also had Alec interview selected individuals (Helping Teachers, IMS staff and Senior leaders) that could provide him with a snapshot of the burning issues or concerns that arise when you release students and teachers to learn using 21st century ideals.

I was fortunate enough to attend many of these interviews. Teachers and administrators described what the students in their classes and schools were doing. Teachers are providing amazing learning experiences for students. The dialogue was rich. The conversations frank. Dilemmas were discussed and potential solutions explored.  Not all of the questions were comfortable for us. Sometimes we need to be a little uncomfortable. It provides us with the motivation to change. When you invite an expert in, there is a large measure of vulnerability that goes along with that. The learning for all of us at the table was valuable and thought provoking.

For me personally, having someone examine our work in the district was a reflective exercise on my leadership. I had the “should have” experience. I should have communicated more. I should have provided more guidance. I should have demonstrated more leadership when I knew things needed to be done. I should have spent more time doing XX. I should have delegated other duties and made these ones a priority. I should have spoken up at critical meetings. Why didn’t I insist that some of these matters were important and we needed to find agreement and resolution as a district?  If principals and teachers do not know or have the information they need to ensure students are educated appropriately, we in district positions bear that responsibility. Clearly, I should have carved out time to stop and think about the work on a larger scale rather than rush from meeting to meeting to attend the urgent as opposed to that which is truly important. “For many practitioners, doing swallows up learning” (see Joy Amulya, italics mine). I needed more of a reflective pause to determine what really mattered.

Of course, I have excuses. I could make lists of them. At the end of the day, however, the responsibility for guiding the educators in our district rests on my shoulders as a Director of Instructor with Technology in my portfolio. I share that responsibly with other Senior Leaders but, for the most part, the buck stops at my doorstep. Having had the opportunity for some sleep, some family distraction, some unrelated reading, a longish run in the fresh air, a late afternoon nap—I can now step back and see it more objectively. Dissonance and a “should have” experience is not such a bad thing; it will motivate me to ensure we come out at the other end in the best possible position we can be in. Even the Wikipedia entry on Reflective Practice notes, “In particular, people in leadership positions have a tremendous development opportunity if they engage in reflective practice” (italics mine).

At the end of Alec’s time with us, he will prepare a white paper (of sorts) and we will have recommendations to help move us forward. I look forward to benefiting from his expertise (and of those he interviewed). We hope it is a document that other districts might find valuable as well. Our goal is to continue to be innovative, providing rich learning opportunities for students and teachers that make sense for our generation of learners. We do this is the context of continuous improvement. As we engage in “deeper forms of reflection, it becomes possible to identify learning edges, those questions or issues that an individual or group is seeking to understand in order to advance their work” (see Amulya).  I want to be on the learning edge to push the boundaries of what we can do in education. We engage in reflective practice as a form of purposeful learning (see Amulya). It drives us to action and is the vehicle for continuous improvement. I look forward to the journey.

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Posted in Education, Elisa Carlson, Social Media, technology

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