Monthly Archives: January 2017

Interview Excerpts, Analysis, Synthesis and Next Steps

Excerpts of Interview with Teacher T:

This Interview took place on a Thursday night at 9 pm Ontario time. Teacher T lives and works in Edmonton. The interview was done as a video chat on Google Hangouts.
The interview lasted approximately 26 minutes. The screen recording was done with Filmora by Wondershare and Google Docs was used to with the voice typing feature to help record the written notes.

Teacher T is a certified teacher in Edmonton. She spent approximately 6 years in the regular classroom and 7 years in a self-contained special needs classroom. For the past two years, she has been an Emerging Technology Consultant with her board.

In the table below the questions asked by the interviewer are in the left-hand column in green, excerpts of the interviewee’s answers are in the left-hand column in black. Analysis by the interviewer are in the right-hand column.

Synthesis of Interviews:

After reading all the interviews posted and engaging in several discussion threads I started to think about what do we do with all this information? It is remarkable to me that several of the barriers to using technology in the classroom resonate through many of the posts. Our interviewees were of varied ages, genders, experience level and current job placements, yet the underlying issues remained constant.

Rather than dwell on the things we can all plainly see are barriers (hardware, bandwidth, teacher training) I wanted to start a discussion on how we can improve some of the problems we encounter. I realize I may be naïve in thinking that if we can decide on some improvements we clearly see as necessary we can start things moving in the right direction.

These are the things that I took away from our interview posts:

1) We need better in servicing and training of staff at every level in order to have teachers feel comfortable using technology WITH their students. (As Dana stated it would be nice if we could just call the Prime Minister’s office and say, “hey we are teachers across Canada, we have a Wi-Fi issue that needs to be addressed or we can’t use this technology in our schools”. Unfortunately, education in Canada is governed at the provincial level and sadly I doubt Wi-Fi is an issue they will all get on board with. I also think Stephanie’s Mentorship plan (including mentoring technology) is a super awesome idea and I hope it catches on with every school district. The mentors in our schools never deal with technology other than here is how the report card works.

2) We need teachers to value technology not as a tool to do what has always been done but to do things differently and engage students. As I mentioned in a previous post there is medical evidence emerging that clearly demonstrates children’s (digital natives) brains are wired differently than previous generations. (Levitan, 2014) if we do not change how we try to teach these students, I fear they will become a lost generation, stuck between old teaching methods and a new career world. I recently read a book by Ross Greene (2014) called Lost at School (Why our Kids with Behavioural Challenges Are Falling Through the Cracks and How We Can Help them). What I kept thinking about as I read this book was that yes we definitely have students with severe behavioural issues in our schools, but is that number rising because of what many on my staff would like to call poor parenting, environmental issues? Or is the number seemingly rising because we are failing to engage them on the level they require?

3) It is time to blend our teaching with Problem Based Learning (PBL), Genius Hour or 20% Time and allowing our students to direct much of their own learning in essence allowing them to choose the differentiation that works for them. We need our students interacting with their learning. Trying, failing, trying again and understanding what perseverance is. If you want to learn more about these processes I have three recommended reads: Learning by Choice (by A. J. Juliani, 2014), Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the Next Level (by D. Wettrick, 2014) and inquiry and Innovation in the Classroom: Using 20% Time, Genius Hour and PBL to Drive Student Success (by A.J. Juliani, 2015). These three, easy reads helped demystify the PBL process for me.

When I consider the TPCK framework as described by Mishra and Koehler (2006) and apply my understanding of both TPCK (see basic TPCK visual below) and PBL’s I see the perfect merging of theories.

The use of PBL’s in Science and Math provide the perfect opportunity for educators and students to hit the sweet spot of the TPCK Venn diagram incorporating all facets of Content, Technological and Pedagogical Knowledge.

4) We need to recognize, as mentioned in one of the posts, that we are attempting to prepare students for a future none of us understands. How can we do this? The answer to me is that the material we use today is only a vehicle that we use to help our students learn to become innovators, problem solvers and critical thinkers. Already most employers are looking for employees who have these skills over those who just achieved high grades in an outdated education system. My final recommended read is Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World by T. Wagner (2012). Although I am only half way through this book I am already thinking differently.

As I continue through ETEC 533 I would really like to look at using PBL’s in math and science, as well as incorporating the use of makerspaces. Makerspaces allow a classroom to be vibrant and pulsing with excitement. A makerspace classroom lends itself beautifully to PBL’s as student work on their desired project. For me personally MET has changed me. I lament all the time I spent as that teacher who did what was always done and thought a quiet classroom was a good classroom. My thinking has taken 180-degree turn, I want my students up and doing and thinking and trying and failing and trying again. Helping each other solve problems and most importantly excited by what they are doing.

To link to a word file of this post please click here.
<a href="http://E folio Interview Post“>E folio Interview Post

References:

Greene, R. W. (2014). Lost at school: why our kids with behavioral challenges are falling through the cracks and how we can help them. New York: Scribner.

Juliani, A. J. (2014). Learning by choice: 10 ways choice and differentiation create an engaged learning experience for every student. Ambler, PA: Press Learn.

Juliani, A. J. (2015). Inquiry and innovation in the classroom: using 20% time, genius hour, and PBL to drive student success. New York: Routledge.

Levitin, D. J. (2014). The organized mind: thinking straight in the age of information overload. New York, NY: Dutton.

Mazur, E. (2013). Assessment: The Silent Killer of Learning. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBzn9RAJG6Q January 26, 2017.

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. The Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054.

Wagner, T., & Compton, R. A. (2012). Creating innovators: the making of young people who will change the world. New York: Scribner.

Wettrick, D. (2014). Pure genius: building a culture of innovation and taking 20% time to the next level. San Diego, CA: Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.

CiteULike Help Answered by Me! Kinda funny

Ok so in my previous post I said I was having difficulty finding the resource folders in citeulike, well that trouble continued over the past couple of days. I watched and rewatched the videos contained in lesson 3 but still foundered. Then about three minutes ago the brain fog cleared. If you like me were lost here is some help.

Join the ETEC 533 group
Then click on the ETEC 533 group link BESIDE the link that says myciteulike.
When the drop down menu appears -choose TAGS
When you click tags they appear alphabetically.
Scroll down until you see resource folder 1, etc.
Hope this helps someone.
Catherine

Catherine’s Synthesis of the Interviews

Synthesis of Interviews:

After reading all of the interviews posted thus far and engaging in several discussion threads I started to think about what do we do with all this information? It is remarkable to me that several of the barriers to using technology in the classroom resonate through many of the posts. Our interviewees were of varied ages, genders, experience level and current job placements, yet the underlying issues remained constant.

Rather than dwell on the things we can all plainly see are barriers I wanted to start a discussion on how we can improve some of the problems we encounter. I realize I may be naïve in thinking that if we can decide on some improvements we clearly see as necessary we can start things moving in the right direction.

These are the things that I took away from our interview posts:

1) We need better in servicing and training of staff at every level in order to have teachers feel comfortable using technology WITH their students. (As Dana stated it would be nice if we could just call the Prime Minister’s office and say, “hey we are teachers across Canada, we have a Wi-Fi issue that needs to be addressed or we can’t use this technology in our schools”. Unfortunately, education in Canada is governed at the provincial level and sadly I doubt Wi-Fi is an issue they will all get on board with. I also think Stephanie’s Mentorship plan (including mentoring technology) is a super awesome idea and I hope it catches on with every school district. The mentors in our schools never deal with technology other than here is how the report card works.

2) We need teachers to value technology, not as a tool to do what has always been done but to do things differently and engage students. As I mentioned in a previous post there is medical evidence emerging that clearly demonstrates children’s (digital natives) brains are wired differently than previous generations. (Levitan, 2014) if we do not change how we try to teach these students, I fear they will become a lost generation, stuck between old teaching methods and a new career world. I recently read a book by Ross Greene (2014) called Lost at School (Why our Kids with Behavioural Challenges Are Falling Through the Cracks and How We Can Help them). What I kept thinking about as I read this book was that yes we definitely have students with severe behavioural issues in our schools, but is that number rising because of what many on my staff would like to call poor parenting, environmental issues? Or is the number seemingly rising because we are failing to engage them on the level they require?

3) It is time to blend our teaching with Problem Based Learning (PBL), Genius Hour or 20% Time and allowing our students to direct much of their own learning, in essence allowing them to choose the differentiation that works for them. We need our students interacting with their learning. Trying, failing, trying again and understanding what perseverance is. If you want to learn more about these processes I have three recommended reads: Learning by Choice (by A. J. Juliani, 2014), Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the Next Level (by D. Wettrick, 2014) and inquiry and Innovation in the Classroom: Using 20% Time, Genius Hour and PBL to Drive Student Success (by A.J. Juliani, 2015). These three, easy reads helped demystify the PBL process for me.

When I consider the TPCK framework as described by Mishra and Koehler (2006) and apply my understanding of both TPCK (see basic TPCK visual below) and PBL’s I see the perfect merging of theories.

The use of PBL’s in Science and Math provide the perfect opportunity for educators and students to hit the sweet spot of the TPCK Venn diagram incorporating all facets of Content, Technological and Pedagogical Knowledge.

4) We need to recognize, as mentioned in one of the posts, that we are attempting to prepare students for a future none of us understands. How can we do this? The answer to me is that the material we use today is only a vehicle that we use to help our students learn to become innovators, problem solvers and critical thinkers. Already most employers are looking for employees who have these skills over those who just achieved high grades in an outdated education system. My final recommended read is Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World by T. Wagner (2012). Although I am only half way through this book but I am already thinking differently.

References:

Greene, R. W. (2014). Lost at school: why our kids with behavioral challenges are falling
through the cracks and how we can help them. New York: Scribner.

Juliani, A. J. (2014). Learning by choice: 10 ways choice and differentiation create an
engaged learning experience for every student. Ambler, PA: Press Learn.

Juliani, A. J. (2015). Inquiry and innovation in the classroom: using 20% time, genius hour,
and PBL to drive student success. New York: Routledge.

Levitin, D. J. (2014). The organized mind: thinking straight in the age of information
overload. New York, NY: Dutton.

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework
for teacher knowledge. The Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054.

Wagner, T., & Compton, R. A. (2012). Creating innovators: the making of young people who
will change the world. New York: Scribner.

Wettrick, D. (2014). Pure genius: building a culture of innovation and taking 20% time to
the next level. San Diego, CA: Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.

Integration, Engagement, Workflow – Interview Abstract

Integration, Engagement, Workflow

 

Mr. C is a grade 7 teacher that works for the Vancouver Board of Education that was interviewed on his use of technology in his science and math lessons. His qualification are a B.Ed. and B.A.. He is involved in teaching coding and HTML to his students.  He is a technology mentor and has worked at the district level on various projects related to aboriginal issues.

 

 

Integrating technology through access

 

Mr. C discusses how it was challenging to incorporate technology into his program because not all students had a device to use. He states that “once I was able to provide each student with a device, teaching workflow…made it possible to increase the use of technology. This is an issue that I find can sometimes hinder my own practice when there are not enough devices available.  Students have to be given the opportunity to be creative in their own independent space sometimes.  It can be challenging to really to use a learning management system when the students don’t always have access to the devices. Mr. C started with 10 Macbooks and then expanded his collection of computers over the past several years.  However, with students choosing to bring in their own devices, the needs for the school to provide each student a device is not as necessary anymore.

 

Student Engagement with Technology

 

Mr. C will use programs and apps that allow students to utilize any device in the classroom. He also uses many reading, math and science websites and programs. Some of them include thinkcera.com and activelylearn.com (which student’s read for content in the field of science). In order to provide the students with hands-on (manipulative learning) in mathematics he uses explorelearning.com.  This provides students with various drills and games to further develop this skills. For science presentation he uses glogster and for math khanacademy.  From the multitude of applications he utilizes, it’s obvious that he is quite embracive of new programs makes great attempts to find students programs that suit their learning needs. One of the most interesting things that I found was that Mr. C is completely self-taught when it comes to using technology in the classroom.  He encourages his students to play with technology  through trial and error and in order to master how to use something. Mr. found the many of the students in other classes at his school were “envious” of he used technology with his own students.

 

Efficient Workflow:

 

Efficient workflow and organization are important aspects of students learning, especially when the amount of content increases.  Mr. C discussed how “students agree  that doing things online… means less [performance] issues around executive functioning, organization and accountability.” With all of the tasks that students need to complete in a given school work week, he felt passionately that technology provided the structures to keep students organized and accountable.

 

 

In conclusion, Mr. C was able to demonstrate tremendous mastery with the different educational tools he uses in his classroom. He seems to be willing to work with any types of device as long as it can run the internet.  He emphasized that effective workflow is necessary in order to maintain good organization in his class with technology.

 

If you would like to check out my transcript Q&A, see the below google doc link

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BKDTJqLde51b7vE_TmEYFGxbZvT0urXmGQz7icaktv4/edit?usp=sharing

Thank You,

 

Tyler

My e-folio Link

Hi everyone,

Here is a link to my e-folio.  Feel free to spend your limited free time, commenting on anything that catches your interest. (or spend time with the people you care about– my father jokingly remarked this evening that there is a reason that he has two Masters degrees, a PhD and two ex-wives.)

Cheers,

Dana

Keywords: Independent Learning, Choice, Interactivity

Ms. A from the Wapaskwa Virtual Collegiate (WVC) in Winnipeg, Manitoba was interviewed on her views of technology use.  Her educational background is B.Sc, B.Ed, PBDE, and currently she is taking the CACE program at the University of Manitoba while working as an Instructor/Curriculum Developer at the WVC.  She is involved in teaching both math and science courses using D2L and Adobe Connect in synchronous and independent classes.  She responded to the following questions in an email interview:

  1. How do you use technology in your science and math classroom?
  2. What are the main goals of using these technologies?
  3.  In your opinion, what are the effects of using these technologies on your students’ learning?

Following are three summary points based on the responses given by Ms. A.

Supporting Independent Learning:

Ms. A uses various technologies in her classroom “…to enhance and support student learning (hopefully independent learning also) and [chooses] technologies because they are simple and easy for learners to utilize…”.  This is probably the most important point to be made about independent learning: that the technology being used by the teacher must be easy to use.  If there is difficulty in use; learners become disengaged.  The technologies used regularly in her classroom include Youtube Videos, Website Links for activities, and explorelearning.com “…which [allow] learners to complete mini labs that support what they are learning in the course”. Adobe Connect is used to meet with learners online to “…talk about content [as well as] give [learners] guidance on their progress”. Moreover, “Geogebra to help with showing learners graphs for math and physics…” and “…a computer graphing calculator…to show learners how to complete calculations…[and] graph on their own personal graphing calculators”.  In an attempt to increase student independence, Ms. A also utilizes “…Camtasia to make videos for learners when they require additional information [like] introductions, lessons and video solutions”.

Giving Choice:

One of Ms. A’s main purpose of using a variety of technologies in her classroom is to “…support different learning styles…”.  She provides this choice in each lesson as “the pattern in each lesson provides learners the opportunity to choose which technologies to use for their learning”.  She suggested use of different activities via website links, different source of youtube videos allowed learners to “…have the opportunity to choose their own path which [she feels] is important. She does however at the same time, make “…assignments and labs…mandatory components…” in her classes.

Effective interaction with learners:

Ms. A suggested a goal of  using technology was to “promote more effective communication [and] interactivity [between] the learner and teacher”.  She uses YouTube Videos to “support the content that learners are reading…”, website activities and explorelearning.com to allow “[learners] to expand their learning and explore beyond the content presented in D2L”, video solutions via Camtasia to “…provide the learner the opportunity to to check their work as they go to ensure understanding”, Geogebra and digital graphic calculator to allow “…learner to make connections between equations and graphs”.

Thus it is logical to conclude Ms. A’s classes are thoroughly enhanced by using these different technologies in their own capacities to provide ease of use leading to independent learning, choice to support different learning styles, and provide effective interaction with learners.

Thanks,
Vibhu

Interview Synthesis

After reading through all the interviews, it seemed that similar issues were echoed throughout, which is particularly interesting as the experiences were not limited to one grade level, one district, or even one province. I am aware of teachers in the US that also have these issues so I think it would be fairly safe to say that these issues are education issues, not just teacher issues.

The first issue seemed to be that of time and training. Teachers interviewed seemed to agree that there is not enough time given to teachers to learn how to integrate technology purposefully into their classrooms. Many noted that anything they have learned has been on their own time and expense. One teacher in Jessica’s abstract said that she had incorporated technology through trial and error, and that you just had to jump right in. Most of the information around using technology came from collaborating or meeting with peers and colleagues to share information. One teacher noted that she did not have the time to explore programs that were beneficial to her program and relied on the information other teachers shared with her, and another online teacher said that she knew there were programs out there that would benefit her students but did not have the time to search them out and try them to make sure. In Stephanie’s interview of a recent student teacher, she noted that although there was some emphasis put on using technology in the classroom, they were not formally shown anything but were basically left to explore things on their own without any guidance or information. All of this means that teachers are expected to research and learn relevant technologies on their own time, without sufficient guidance as to what or how. This leaves a lot of teachers without enough knowledge and confidence to integrate technology in meaningful ways into their programs.

Another key point was the appropriate use of technology in the classroom. It was widely reiterated that technology should not be used just for the sake of using technology. It needs to be subject and grade appropriate, but should also enhance the learning of the students. In one interview there were two intermediate teachers who said that they integrated technology quite a lot in their classrooms, only for us to realize it was for watching videos or playing games. Although these are ways to use technology, it does not transform the learning of the student. This is not to say that this should never be done, but that other ways of integrating the technology should be used also. However, having said that, this issue seems to relate back to the time and training issue. Teachers are not given the time to collaborate with other teachers to find programs that will enhance their subject, nor are they given the training on specific software to allow them to use it for more than a large viewing screen or a basic research tool.

The last issue which seemed to resonate with each interview was the frustration that came with the devices themselves. There were many instances where teachers were frustrated with the lack of band width for a whole class to use devices simultaneously, unreliable wifi with slow uploads and downloads, computers or chrome books that crashed frequently or were not charged sufficiently to use them. Many teachers still have to sign out equipment to use it making it awkward to use it seamlessly during the day. With the entire school sharing the devices the upkeep was difficult with many devices being broken, screens scratched, keys missing, and the like. There is also the issue of things going wrong and being unable to troubleshoot to fix them. Waiting for IT to fix an issue could take hours, if not days, depending on the issue and where the IT is located. I have to put in a ticket and wait for the IT department at the board to rank it, then put it in a cue to be dealt with. Some teachers can trouble shoot their issues, but at the expense of losing the class who are left waiting while it is being fixed. The lack of devices also seems to be a standard issue. Some schools have adopted a BYOD policy allowing students to bring their own devices to use, but this comes with its own set of issues such as inappropriate use in the classroom. This takes us back to time and training on how to teach students to use technology responsibly in a classroom setting.

Technology in the classroom is not going away, it is only changing, and we have to change with it. This requires appropriate time and training for all teachers to be able to confidently integrate technology into their classrooms to transform learning. and the infrastructure to support them in their efforts.

 

Isolated, Stretched-thin, Low-risk

Abstract:

Teacher L is a distance learning teacher working for an independent school in British Columbia. In the past, she has taught high school math and science courses in both public and private brick and mortar schools. She has also spent two years teaching overseas. Teacher L is presently working with students from grades eight to twelve, facilitating math, science, physics and chemistry courses. She has been working as a distance learning teacher for the past eleven years and through her job has the opportunity to work from home.

This interview was conducted through a synchronous Zoom meeting session, using video and audio features. Teacher L was situated during the interview at her home work space in the Lower Mainland in British Columbia, while I was in a quiet conference room at a nearby library in Edmonton, Alberta. 

When considering three keywords that could summarize Teacher L’s teaching experience intersected with the implementation of technology, the following words and phrases surfaced: isolated, stretched-thin, and low-risk. All three of these descriptors have a tinge of negativity associated with them, but through the interview with Teacher L, the negativity is balanced with a positive outlook towards future possibilities.

************************************************

As a distance learning teacher, Teacher L faces some issues of isolation. Throughout the interview there is little indication of collaboration efforts with colleagues or professional development in the area of technology. When asked how she has learned to incorporate referenced types of technology into her learning space, she admits that it is largely “through trial and error” and that “you just need to jump in”. When prodded to share if colleagues have been a useful resource in helping learn new technologies, she seemed unsure and responded with “I guess” and then mentioned that she has “emailed the Zoom people to see how to make things work” when initially setting up a Zoom conference room for her students. Although Teacher L does not seem to have much collaboration with other teachers, she is self motivated to learn new technologies, but feels that her teaching assignment is too broad and is too demanding of her time and energy. She states, “I think there are definitely programs, and like I said these labs and stuff out there, that could enhance it [student learning experience], but this is my own shortcoming that I need to find, or spend time researching and getting those programs, or finding those websites that would do more. When I think of technology enhancing learning, I think of those things that you can send the student to help them in a more practical way. Ultimately that is what I would love to add more of to the courses.” From an earlier portion of the interview she shares some hopes and frustrations: “One thing that I haven’t used, but I would like to use but it’s challenging, and to be honest because I have so many courses I haven’t been able to look into it as much, but there are online labs that are for chemistry and physics, but I haven’t implemented them as much as I would like. I feel like I haven’t implemented a lot.” 

Teacher L has implemented some use of technology within her teaching, course delivery and student learning requirements, however this implementation of technology is mainly used to instruct students through a delivery system. For communication with students, Teacher L mainly uses email, Skype and Zoom meetings. Her preference is now Zoom as she can “have a face-to-face and … hold up a diagram, but there is also the whiteboard option”. She describes the whiteboard option as one of the most beneficial technology teaching tools that she uses “because the ones [students] who are struggling need that more visual back and forth … that we can actually do with the whiteboard to go through the problems”. As well, Teacher L is using a Learning Management System called Canvas which allows her to set up courses for students to access content and assignments and then submit assignments, complete tests and receive feedback. As described in the interview, the younger grade eight and nine students require some teaching time to learn how to use Canvas, whereas the grades ten to twelve students were able to use it more intuitively. In response to challenges of use by the grade eight and nine she states, “Initially with Canvas, a lot of them were having issues putting the right thing in the right place and knowing how to use it. Next year, I need to start out differently with the students. Let’s take some time to learn to use this well.”

At this time in Teacher L’s career, ease of use of technology for both herself and her students is the key to a successful learning space. Perhaps our interview may spur her on to incorporating more complex uses of technology into her course design, but for now she asserts that a new technology must be “easy for them [the students] to open …, and see what they need to do, and easy for me to implement.”

************************************************

 

Interview Transcript:

Interviewer: As a distance learning teacher of math and sciences, which types of technology have you used?

Teacher L: Obviously, a graphing calculator would be the standard in any classroom, so because we’re an online school I also found several online graphing calculators for students who do not want to buy a graphing calculator. I have always used Skype, used Elluminate a bit for the whiteboard but it was a bit more cumbersome. Zoom works actually quite well because I can not only have a face-to-face and I can hold up a diagram, but there is also the whiteboard option so I can draw on there. There are videos and such that are online. It’s hard because a lot of them are made in the US and for US curriculum so they don’t follow our curriculum so well. One thing that I haven’t used, but I would like to use but it’s challenging and to be honest because I have so many courses I haven’t been able to look into it as much, but there are online labs that are for chemistry and physics, but I haven’t implemented them as much as I would like. I feel like I haven’t implemented a lot because I don’t actually have a classroom right? Like the kids are really working individually. They’re all over the map so you can’t just have a lesson.

Interviewer: Of the technology you have used, which types have you found the most effective and efficient in your teaching and in your students’ learning?

Teacher L: Probably the whiteboard situation, however that looks, just because the ones who are struggling need that more visual back and forth. Some of them will email me a question and I’ll write out this great big explanation and email them back and that’s totally fine, but others are doing the headlights, I need more. So that back and forth that we can actually do with the whiteboard to go through the problems definitely helps.

Interviewer: How have you learned to use the types of technology that you use in your teaching and with your students?

Teacher L: Through trial and error. You just need to jump in, try it and ok this works. If you have a question you can ask someone who maybe knows it better.

Interviewer: Like a colleague?

Teacher L: Yes, I guess. There’s some times when I emailed the Zoom people to see how to make things work.

Interviewer: What characteristics (technology related or not) does your ideal learning space consist of when teaching math or science?

Teacher L: I guess just ease of use, easy to use, easy to understand. Whether it’s a lab or a thing like Zoom that it is easy for them to open it and see what they need to do and easy for me to implement.The characteristic is ease of use and smoothness of it. The characteristic that would be make it useful is when students find it easy to do because then they’re going to do it. Initially with Canvas, the math just the way it was set up a lot of them were having issues putting the right thing in the right place and knowing how to use it. Next year, I need to start out differently with the students. Let’s take some time to learn to use this well.

Interviewer: Can you share how your assessment of student learning has changed with the integration of digital technology into your math or science classroom?

Teacher L: When I think about it Canvas is a technology that is used because half of my kids are doing online math, so they are actually watching videos and doing assignments on there. But the assessment has changed because now Canvas can mark all the multiple choice questions and I just go in and mark the long answer, so it has taken aways some of that work for me and it also put that assessment all in one place, so it’s easier to see. It’s nice that it only marks the half of it and you go in and mark the other bit. The math program that we’re using some of the tests it just marks and then I don’t actually know it’s done. Only when there is something that I need to mark am I notified that I need to mark it. But when something is done and I don’t need to go and take a look at it, it could pass me by. So that’s not good, because you do want to keep a pulse on what students are doing and how they’re doing in what they’re doing so you can address issue when you see them. I can see what they’ve done, I mark it and then I go back to them and say that I need them to redo these questions. They then can email me back within the same day or send it back on Canvas the same day. So in that sense, it’s all in the same spot since they’re submitting it again in the same Canvas space. So then you can look at them side by side.

Interviewer: Do you feel that technology enhances your students’ learning experiences in science and math? Why or why not?

Teacher L: I think it could enhance, I don’t think mine the way it’s going right now enhances it. I think there are definitely programs and like I said these labs and stuff out there that could enhance it, but this is my own shortcoming that I need to find or spend time researching and getting those programs or finding those websites that would do more. When I think of technology enhancing learning, I think of those things that you can send the student to help them in a more practical way. Ultimately that is what I would love to add more of to the courses.

Interviewer: From your perspective, what are the most significant challenges students face when using technology in math and science learning?

Teacher L: There’s this challenge of being distracted, by getting off task by doing their various things. Again, the ease of use –  if someone finds it frustrating, they don’t find it easy. Basically how easy to use, their understanding of how to use it well, their rabbit trails. As a teacher, the challenge would be finding the appropriate technology to use, but for the students I think it’s more about using it and implementing it appropriately.

Correlating Primary vs. Secondary Thoughts on Classroom Tech Use

My Primary Interviewee is in her 33rd year of teaching. She has taught a variety of grades throughout her career including kindergarten up to high school grades in an alternate school setting. Currently she is teaching grade 3 at a primary (K-3) school in BC. The interview was conducted at her school on Tuesday, January 17 at 3:00pm.

My Secondary Interviewee is in his 8th year of teaching. He has taught a variety of secondary courses in the math and science area and is currently teaching Calculus, Pre-Calculus 12, Physics 11, and Pre-Calculus 11 this semester in a secondary (10-12) school in BC. The interview was conducted at his home on Tuesday, January 17 at 8:00pm.

The interviewees both had some recurring themes throughout our conversations such as time, appropriate use of technology, and the frustration of technology failure. Change is occurring in the math classroom, in their opinions, and it may not be what you think:

“In math I’m not even sure if it’s so much technology, math has just completely changed from when I started teaching. When I started teaching it was worksheets, you delivered the lesson, it was all teacher talk, then you worked on the math pages and you sent home what wasn’t done…And now I see us using all sorts of different manipulatives, different ways…getting kids really involved in their learning. I think math has really, really changed…I think it [technology] has transformed learning a lot because kids who didn’t learn by the teacher direction, do the homework, kids who couldn’t learn that way are being given the opportunity to learn in a way that is working for them. And that’s where I see technology and just even the whole way we have changed the way we teach has definitely made a difference.” (Primary Interviewee)

“I think in certain places you could implement technology and it could increase their learning if people knew what they were doing and knew how to use it was appropriate for the topic but just throwing technology in there isn’t going to do anything. I think since we’ve gone away…since we’ve put less technology in the math classrooms the kids are learning more than when they had more technology to use. Because they have to rely on understanding how to actually do it they can’t rely on just knowing where to put the numbers into the technology and having it do it for them. So I think they’re actually having that struggle and figuring it out on their own and not relying on some piece of technology to help them or be able to do it is actually helping them more fully understand the topics that we do.” (Secondary Interviewee)

How do we move forward, I wonder? Both interviewees admitted failure with technology when the reliance is too high and cited the need for a backup plan. “And sometimes I don’t [have a backup plan] and then it’s hard…you really have to change your whole lesson” (Primary Interviewee). How do we encourage educators to persevere when failure utilizing technology in the classroom can be frequent? “The computer carts are almost useless. To get enough bandwidth for the kids to do anything is almost impossible.” (Secondary Interviewee).

Lack of infrastructure, hardware, and funds seem to be general concerns that apply to many. The time it can take to learn these new innovations and implement them is not always rewarding right away or in some cases at all. Education, or possibly just our current public school systems, seems unable to keep up with the current pace of technology innovations. Sometimes it seems to me that the whole system needs to change,  along with the way we teach. The question of how we can effectively navigate these ever-changing technology waters as educators while maintaining life balance, providing engaging learning opportunities, and properly preparing our students for the world, still engages me even as I near completion of this program.  

Teacher Training Disconnect, Catch-22, Communication

The interviewee (otherwise identified as Teacher K) is a 24-year-old teacher who graduated from an out-of-province university in June 2016 and is currently in her first official teaching position.  Her current teaching load includes grade 6 – 9 math and grade 6 – 12 science.  All of the courses are split-level arrangements.  I am Teacher K’s coworker and mentor. The interview took place on the evening of Sunday January 22, 2017 by online chat.

Highlight #1:The Disconnect Between Teaching Training and Actual Practice

As Teacher K is a recent university graduate, I was interested to see her perspective on the connection or disconnection between the education she received and her own classroom practice.  While in her experience the importance of and theory behind technology use was emphasized, even basic examples of programs and apps were not readily offered by instructors.  As a result, unguided exploration was the primary option for finding ways to integrate technology into teaching practice.  Conversely, her current school division and colleagues offer many resources for tools and implementation options, including time with mentors.  As I am Teacher K’s mentor, it has been rewarding to see her growth over time in the area of technology.  Despite the theoretical–practical disconnect between her university training and practice, Teacher K has been able to find ways to meaningfully use technology tools in her classroom.  “In science, technology allows students to see videos of situations we are unable to see in real life. For example, when studying ecosystems, we are unable to visit a desert. By using technology, students are able to see pictures and videos of the interactions that happen in different biomes all over the world.”   

 

Highlight #2: Catch-22 of Risk vs. Reward

Teacher K expressed an associated value with technology when it is used purposely and at the right time in instruction, but also a series of concerns regarding less effective use or challenges encountered by students.  These challenges can make it more difficult to incorporate technology tools she identifies as potentially useful as some of the students lack the self-regulation skills to engage with the tools properly.

“[Technology] can interfere with their learning if used inappropriately.”

“If a student doesn’t already have knowledge on the topic, the use of technology can be confusing or distracting for them.”

“If I begin the class with students working with technological devices, they will not be able to do anything else afterwards. Therefore, if I use technology, I must incorporate it at the end of the class.”

“Another challenge occurs when there are not enough devices for each student. This causes arguments between students who are unable to share or wait their turn.”

Technology has many potential benefits to offer to the classroom; however, the challenges also need to be considered when determining on the best way to use tech tools with students.

Highlight #3: Technology for Organization

In addition to technology for the actual exploration and learning of concepts, Teacher K finds value in using technology for organizational and communicative purposes. With reference to her class website, she explained that it “allows students to study from home without having to carry a textbook. This is especially useful for middle school students who often forget their notes or assignments at school.”  In this way, the technology enables students to learn more ubiquitously and continue to practice their math and science skills regardless of time or when absent from school. Using technology tools for communication and organization facilitates more effective use of instructional time, and helps students prepare for work and life in the 21st century world of electronic communication beyond that latest trends on their Instagram feeds.

 

As a whole, Teacher K has a positive view of technology use in her math and science classroom, despite the challenges. Her own determination to learn will continue to serve her well as she dives deeper into her teaching career.

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Transcript of Responses:

  1. In what ways did your teacher education training prepare you (or not prepare you) for the use of technology in your teaching?

In my teacher education training, we were taught the theory behind using technology in our classrooms. We were taught that it is important and it is something we should strive to do, however we were never shown how to incorporate it into our lessons or specific examples of programs we could use in our classrooms.

  1. Do you feel that technology enhances your students’ learning experiences in science and math? Why or why not?

Technology can enhance the students’ learning, but it can also interfere with their learning if used inappropriately For example, using interactive games on the computer, Ipad or Smartboard allows students to manipulate and interact with the problems. This can allow them to better visualize and understand the problem in front of them.

In science, technology allows students to see videos of situations we are unable to see in real life. For example, when studying ecosystems, we are unable to visit a desert. By using technology, students are able to see pictures and videos of the interactions that happen in different biomes all over the world.

  1. From your perspective, what are the most significant challenges students face when using technology in math and science learning?

If a student doesn’t already have knowledge on the topic, the use of technology can be confusing or distracting for them. For example, when using an online fraction game, a student without an understanding of fractions will just drag objects around the screen and guess to get the answer correct. By doing this, they are not learning the concept.

4. From your experience, what are the shortfalls or challenges of using technology to teach science and math?

Technology must be used at the most appropriate time in a science or math class. If I begin the class with students working with technological devices, they will not be able to do anything else afterwards. Therefore if I use technology, I must incorporate it at the end of the class. If students like using technology, it can be used as a reward if they show positive behavior during the first part of the class.

Another challenge occurs when there are not enough devices for each student. This causes arguments between students who are unable to share or wait their turn.

5.Do you have any advice for colleagues wanting to bring more technological approaches into their practices but are not sure where to start?

My advice would be to start small. Introduce technology in very small ways for a short period of time. By doing this, the students get a small introduction to it and the teacher gets to see how the students handle it without it taking up all the instructional time.

  1. Can you think of any examples of when using a technology-based approach yield a positive outcome that would not have happened otherwise?

In my classroom, we have a class website. This allows me to post messages, information, notes and assignments for students and their parents. I post upcoming test dates,assignment due dates, pages from their textbook, and all notes required for students to prepare themselves for tests. This allows students to study from home without having to carry a textbook. This is especially useful for middle school students who often forget their notes or assignments at school. With use of the class website, students are still able to complete their work and study for tests despite not having their school books with them. This also allows students and parents to keep up to date with classes and study when needed. This is also great for when students miss class, they are able to stay caught up with their classmates.