I found this week’s content particularly engaging, as I was able to draw on personal connections between the technological innovation within Sun West School Division as well as Regina Catholic Schools. While each division has a different approach to educational technology, it was easy to find many similarities in the positive outcomes that each initiative provides (which we will get into later). However, one underlying theme that was evident in both divisions was the focus on engagement for all parties involved, as well as the amount of trust given to teachers and students in order to make these projects successful. With this in mind, let’s take some time to examine each division’s initiatives a little deeper: Regina Catholic Schools: In Bart Cote’s interview, he talks at length about the Connected Educator Project within the Regina Catholic School Division. This is a project that I am very familiar with as I have been a participant since its inception three years ago. As Bart explained, this project allows teachers to create a 1:1 environment within their classrooms, which is something that has truly empowered me as an educator. This means that from the first day of school until the last, each student in my room has access to, and is responsible for their own division supplied device. Overall, this project has not only revolutionized the way my students learn, but also the ways in which they are able to demonstrate it. Each day students utilize a variety of tools meet their individual learning needs and are no longer hampered by limited access to technology within the building. From a leadership perspective, the Connected Educator Project has been very successful due in large part to the Democratic/Participative approach that the Education Technology department has taken. Instead of viewing this as just “another way to deploy technology into schools”, the leaders understand that the teachers in the classroom, and not the technology, are the integral component to the overall success of the project. This sentiment was often echoed by our leaders in meetings, as we are consistently reminded that this project is about "more than just the devices”. In many of the PD sessions Connected Educators attend, we are provided with information that the leaders feel may feel benefit us, and we are able to take what we need and find ways to implement it uniquely within our classrooms. This might include different technological tools or apps, examining the ISTE Standards, the SAMR model, 21st Century Learning, other PD opportunities etc. Rather than instruct us on how they want us to utilize the technology, we are empowered to find our own ways to meaningfully incorporate it within our own pedagogy. Another aspect of the Connected Educator Project that I believe reflects the Democratic/Participative style is evidenced through the many leadership opportunities available for participants within the project. As Bart mentioned, once a Connected Educator has completed their first year within the project, they become a mentor to one or two new applicants the following year. This mentorship program demonstrates the trust the department has in its educators as it delegates leadership to these individuals to help new Connected Educators adjust to the program and help make their transition as smooth as possible. There are also various opportunities for Connected Educators to voice their opinions on the project as each year, participants are encouraged to provide honest feedback with the department to help improve the project each year. In addition to these surveys, there are also “Visionary Leadership” positions that participants can apply for, which provide them with more leadership responsibility within the project and the ability to work with a committee to shape the future of the project moving forward. When looking at this project, it’s not hard to see Democratic/Participative Theory in action as these opportunities align perfectly with the definition as explained in the article from Unit Two, “They encourage creativity, and team members are often highly engaged in projects and decisions. Democratic leaders make the final decisions, but include team members in the decision-making process” Sun West School Division As Guy Tetrault explained in his interview, the Sun West School Division is currently employing a “Personalized Electrically Blended Learning” (PeBL) program for technological integration within their division. This innovative approach is far different from the traditional model that we’ve witnessed in schools for centuries. Instead of classroom instruction that relies solely on in-person interaction between educators and students, the “PeBL” model is a blended approach that combines personalized learning (facilitated through the use of technology) with face-to-face instruction. Like the Connected Educator Project, this model is also based on the notion of establishing leadership in others, but also recognizes that the trust between teacher and student is paramount. This idea is summarized perfectly by Sun West as they explain on their website that the “PeBL” initiative is a “learner-centred process that supports the gradual and deliberate transfer of responsibility between educator and student”. The “PeBL” model is something that I spent some more time exploring in depth this week as “Blended Learning” is an approach that I’ve been researching and implementing over the past few years within my own classroom. In 2014 I started out my Blended Learning journey by transforming the way that I typically taught Math by "Flipping my Classroom". Essentially this means that I no longer teach the content at the front of the room, and instead my students learn online through the use of educational videos prepared by me that are housed on our Flipped Math Website. These videos, which are prerecorded, typically range anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes and are generally viewed at home. Then, the following day, what used to be viewed as “homework” is instead accomplished at school during class time with me. The major benefits of this approach is it allows for more personalized interactions with students during class time (instead of lecturing at the front of the room) and it provides students with the opportunity to work at their own pace through the content. Another blended learning project that I’ve found particularly empowering for my students has been Genius Hour. In this inquiry-based learning project, students are provided with one hour a week to learn about something that they have a passion for, or want to learn more about. The learning is typically achieved through the use of a technological device to research and gather information about their topic. The major emphasis of this project is not a final product or presentation, but rather on the documentation and reflection of their learning journey throughout the duration of the project. To me, this project aligns perfectly with one of Sun West’s principles of personalized learning, which is “giving students voice and choice”. Image One I’ve selected Image One as I believe it relates with the goals of the Connected Educator Project, (which I also happen to be using a spring board for my major project) but more on that later! As I mentioned earlier, one message that is relayed to all participants is that the project is about more than just devices. The focus of the technology that educators are being supplied with needs to help students achieve outcomes, rather than becoming the outcome as suggested in the image. While it is certainly valuable to have students learn new programs and software, the utilization of technology needs to extend past that. As educators we should not be assessing what technology students are able to use and how proficient they are with it. Instead we should be focusing on how those tools are able to help them achieve success in within their learning. Something else that struck me when I viewed this image was the comparisons it draws to the SAMR model that Bart Cote mentioned. When looking at the left column, many of these ideas, such as “making a prezi” or “creating wordless” are at the Substitution or Augmentation level. While there is certainly nothing wrong with engaging with technology at these levels, it’s important to understand that not all learning opportunities need to be restricted to this end of the “SAMR Swimming Pool”. As educators wade into the deep end of the swimming pool, many of the answers listed in the right column demonstrate the results that can be achieved through utilizing technology at the Modification and Redefinition levels.
3 Comments
stephen wihak
2/27/2019 12:44:43 pm
Thanks for this great post, Matt! I loved everything you said here, especially the connections you kept drawing between one thing and another, such as the democratic/participative leadership approach and the Connected Educator project, the poster image and the SAMR model, and you own journey into the "flipped classroom" (Isn't it Awesome!) and Sunwest's journey into the PeBL program.
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Michael Wolf
3/18/2019 09:29:38 am
I'm interested in adding more blending learning opportunities in my classroom. Have you explored Moodle at all?
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Matt Bresciani
3/24/2019 02:31:29 pm
Thanks for your comment Mike! Blended learning is definitely something that has been of a particular interest of mine over the past few years. I had the opportunity to explore Moodle in a limited capacity a few years back when I worked with team of teachers to design an online Digital Citizenship class for Grade 7/8's. However, I've heard they've made some changes to Moodle, which make it easily accessible for all teachers in the division to create their own content as well. It's definitely an avenue that I'm interested in exploring for my Flipped classroom. What classes are you looking to incorporate more blended learning in?
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Matt BrescianiI'm a middle years teacher in Regina, Saskatchewan, working towards a Masters Degree in Education. Archives
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