Conceptual Challenges:

I have reflected on conceptual challenges and incorporated many extra STEM activities into my science and math program this year. It was met with engagement, smiles, and deeper learning opportunities. Research shows that the best time to create a connection, awareness, and interest in STEM fields would be the elementary years (Dejarnette, 2012). It is integral for students to make the connection between science and math curricular competencies, and the need for problem-solving in the real world. STEM helps students develop skills they will need in order to compete and thrive in a technology-driven world. STEM challenges allow students the opportunity to share evidence of learning, clear up misconceptions, and problem-solve. I have used STEM challenges in our force and motion unit, math shapes and engineering, and aerodynamics. Interactive and engaging problem-based learning activities in STEM disciplines are innovative and exciting for young leaners, and they gain experience with 21st century skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and communication (Dejarnette, 2012). Students reflected that they had a stronger understanding and saw the importance of math and science.

 Unpacking Assumptions:

Through the discussions, I was encouraged to incorporate more project-based learning. I have been incorporating Genius Hour and Inquiry days for the past three years, and when the learning is driven by the students, they are engaged, motivated, and excited to share their learning. What I have also discovered is that students need to have choice. Especially in how they want to share their learning. When we provide students with endless possibilities for projects, the students are confident to share what they learned and how. Bell (2010) agrees, and shares that differentiation allows students to develop their own interests and pursue deeper learning, allowing them to soar at their own level. As I enter a new school year teaching grade three, I am actively looking through research to find ways to be support inquiry in the primary grades.

PCK:

As I prepare for a new school year, and a week of professional development workshops, I have been reflecting on the “Know-Do-Understand” model which contains three elements, “the Content (Know), Curricular Competencies (Do), and Big Idea (Understand) and how they all work together to support deeper learning” (BC Ministry of Education, 2015). Shulman’s view on the role of the teacher demonstrated that there was a greater need than competence in subject matter and knowledge from the teacher, but rather providing a learning environment where students take ownership over their learning. “Teaching necessarily begins with a teacher’s understanding of what is to be learned and how it is to be taught. It proceeds through a series of activities during which the students are provided specific instruction and opportunities for learning, though the learning itself ultimately remains the responsibility of the student” (Shulman, 1987). In terms of content knowledge, as professionals we are responsible to know the content, and discover how to best teach our learners. I have been compiling a number of technology resources that teachers can use to further deeper learning. Teachers need to see these resources and have hands-on experience with them to see the benefits it provides for the learner, as the students are at the centre of our decisions. I am passionate about the new Applied Design, Skills and Technologies curriculum. Many teachers feel unprepared and nervous as they venture into the world of design thinking. Research shows that many teachers have difficulties with constructivist-oriented pedagogies such as those described under 21st century learning, because these tend to be in conflict with their pedagogical practices (J. H. L., Chai, C. S., Benjamin, W., & Hong, H., 2015). Teachers need to see and understand how design thinking works, to support their lesson planning, and learn how to incorporate technology.

Resource Sharing:

A resource I shared was Scratch. In my experience teaching Math to grade 6 and 7 students, I have found that incorporating Scratch (https://scratch.mit.edu/) has helped solidify most students understanding of x y axis and coordinates. If you’ve never used Scratch before, it’s a free, on-line programming software that allows you to program and code animations and games. Scratch uses a coordinate system, which determines where you place sprites and which directions you want them to move. Each sprite has two values to locate its reference point. The students I have worked with quickly pick up how the x-y axis works. As an educator, you can set up student accounts to see their work and help share it on their digital portfolios. It’s also a way for students to share evidence of their learning in math. With primary students, we use Scratch Jr. Students use the programming language to create an animated presentation. In science, one of our big ideas looked at the water cycle. Students used Scratch Jr. to show how the water cycle works, including text, diagrams, and audio.

Embodied Learning:

In our online post discussion to the STEM blog, I was challenged to incorporate embodied learning into my mathematics program. One colleague suggested a silent bike for students who have difficulty controlling their body. I am left to wonder if this would support students, and if it would be a distraction to other students?  Winn states that learning does not occur exclusively in the brain, but rather involves the process of engaging the whole body (2003). I am in the process of researching ways to include more embodied learning experiences. At the end of the school year I had students use iPads to document shapes on the playground and in the school. Students thoroughly enjoyed participating in math outside of the classroom. We also incorporated Sphero’s as an example of transferring mathematical concepts like degrees, decimals, and estimation into our math program. As more and more teachers model this in their schools, my hope is that other teachers would “buy in” and see the value in providing opportunities for students to test their understanding and share evidence of their learning.

Knowledge Diffusion:

Research shows that concepts and practices are unlikely to be discovered by individuals through their own observations of the natural world (Driver et al., 1994). In the classroom, I use technology to diffuse knowledge, that provides an extension of what they would experience in the real world if given the opportunity. As many of my students are refugees, they are not able to make the same connections as students who grew up in British Columbia. For example, in our science unit, we had a science unit on life cycles. I was explaining the lifecycle of a maple seed and many students made connections to the seedfalling, or seeing them at the park. The students who recently moved to Canada were confused. I decided to use the 3D printer to print a maple leaf seed cycle for a hands-on learning approach. The students were amazed to hold the replica in their hand and see the shape of the seed, and why it falls like a helicopter. “Inquiry is central to science learning. When engaging in inquiry, students describe objects and events, ask questions, construct explanations, test those explanations against current scientific knowledge, and communicate their ideas to others” (National Research Council, 1996, p. 2). I think that technology allows us to fill in the gaps that learners may have, through 3D printing, multimedia, and virtual reality.

Information Visualization:

Through the discussions on my post regarding information visualization and the importance of KWL charts, it was brought to my attention that technology allows us the ability to document learning and refer back to it over time. My instructor mentioned that it would be beneficial for students to review what they’ve learned about curricular competencies as the big ideas become more complex throughout their elementary and highschool experience. With ePortfolios, students are able to retrieve documents and artifacts from past years, add and reflect, and then post an updated version to their ePortfolio. Research shows that digital portfolios are comparable to “knowledge ladders.” a different kind of KWL chart (Johannesen, 2012). I have worked with eFolio’s for the past three years. My hope is that I can help support teachers in our school to access my previous students eFolios to promote reflection and assessment of new learning goals, personalized for each students needs.

Further reflections: Legacy of Learning 

 

References:

BC Ministry of Education, Introduction to British Columbia’s Redesigned Curriculum, 2015. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/sites/curriculum.gov.bc.ca/files/pdf/curriculum_intro.pdf

DeJarnette, N. (2012). America’s children: Providing early exposure to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) initiatives. Education, 133(1), 77-84.

Driver, R., Asoko, H., Leach, J., Scott, P., & Mortimer, E. (1994). Constructing scientific knowledge in the classroom. Educational researcher, 23(7), 5-12.

Johannesen, M. (2013), The role of virtual learning environments in a primary school context: An analysis of inscription of assessment practices. British Journal of Educational Technology, 44: 302–313. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2012.01296.xKoh, J. H. L., Chai, C. S., Benjamin, W., & Hong, H. (2015). Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) and design thinking: A framework to support ICT lesson design for 21st century learning. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 24(3), 535-543. doi:10.1007/s40299-015-0237-2

Winn, W. (2003). Learning in artificial environments: Embodiment, embeddedness, and dynamic adaptation. Technology, Instruction, Cognition and Learning, 1(1), 87-114.