{"id":1231,"date":"2017-01-27T00:48:51","date_gmt":"2017-01-27T07:48:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/?p=1231"},"modified":"2017-01-31T00:09:28","modified_gmt":"2017-01-31T07:09:28","slug":"purpose-process-access","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/2017\/01\/27\/purpose-process-access\/","title":{"rendered":"Purpose, Process, Access"},"content":{"rendered":"

Keywords: Purpose, Process, Access.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Teacher A is a grade 6 teacher at a middle school in Victoria, BC. \u00a0The teacher has a Ed.D. in educational technology, and has worked as a primary school teacher, an elementary technology specialist in the United States, and as a middle school teacher. \u00a0Teacher A\u2019s current teaching assignment is in an upper middle class neighbourhood at an English-track school. \u00a0The interview took place in Teacher A\u2019s classroom after school on a Monday.<\/span><\/p>\n

The three points I took from my interviewee were:<\/span><\/p>\n

Purpose:<\/b><\/p>\n

Teacher A uses technology in math primarily as way to either enrich or remediate: \u201ci<\/span>n math class, I use technology primarily with my children who are at grade level as reinforcement\/enrichment\u201d<\/span>. \u00a0She is particularly interested in finding software with automated leveling, so the students are working on appropriate activities based on current achievement levels.<\/span><\/p>\n

Process:<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201c[My students] <\/span>are guinea pigs and I tell them they are guinea pigs all the time.\u201d \u00a0Although her background as an Ed.D. in educational technology afforded her a deep grounding in research and philosophical frameworks for evaluating technology, Teacher A remains a pragmatist. \u00a0She relies on her students as the main vetting system for new technology. \u00a0Guiding her decision making is her belief in Complexity Theory as it relates to schools: \u201cI am a proponent of complexity theory in that schools need to move and evolve with the greater community – we’re not we’re not in isolation. \u00a0The fact that some people use no tech in their learning and no tech in their classroom – \u00a0that’s not the way of the world.\u201d \u00a0Teacher A believes that there is a danger in school learning environments being separate and different from the context that the students live in: \u201cschools need to be more like the real world and less isolated so we don’t become irrelevant.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Access:<\/b><\/p>\n

When asked about access, Teacher A interpreted the question through the lens of the relatively privileged context in which she teaches. \u00a0Rather than thinking in terms of access to devices or reliable internet access (which can still be a major barrier, even in her upper middle class school), she spoke more about more about anytime\/anywhere learning: \u201cwhen I when I look at programs [I ask]: Is it ubiquitous? \u00a0We have ubiquitous access, for sure, when I\u2019m looking at new software it has to work on every device. \u00a0If it doesn’t work on every single device then that’s not really one that I want to use. \u00a0It has to be available – all apps, you know, that are super popular – they have it for every single device.\u201d \u00a0The reason she feels that this is so important ties in with her views on Complexity Theory and the need for schools to stay relevant: \u201cWe don’t have offices so much anymore – so many more people can work from home. \u00a0I think it’s the same education that some of these guys will do their math first thing in the morning in bed. \u00a0Other times they’ll do it at the rink when their brother is playing hockey, and that back and we can get on that access everywhere and anywhere because of the tools that we use now I think is huge. \u00a0Because some of them between nine and three is not when they want to focus.\u201d<\/span>
\nTeacher A talked about her role as a university instructor, and access pre-service teachers have to instruction in edtech. \u00a0At the moment, there is one required course in the elementary education program at her university, and the subject matter taught in that class varies widely by instructor. She also stressed the need to stay connected, \u201cI couldn’t imagine trying to teach this course and not be a classroom teacher because [technology] changes so fast. \u00a0Even when I taught [the same course] four years ago – I’m not teaching word, I’m not teaching PowerPoint anymore. \u00a0I’m doing Google Apps for Education and robotics and coding and virtual reality and all the things that are new in our world hear as teachers. I try and get them some hands-on time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Transcript:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Reflecting on your math\/science classes, in what ways do you predominantly use technology? For example: to transmit information, for student assessment, as a student tool to show learning, for teacher workflow, etc.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In math class I use technology primarily with my children who are at grade level as reinforcement\/enrichment. \u00a0I use a drill and kill program called Xtramath to go through their math skills. \u00a0It starts with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division because so many kids coming to grade 6 without those skills. \u00a0So I try and get them through that program before the end of the year so I know that know their multiplication facts. \u00a0Some kids are through it now and some kids won\u2019t finish it by the end of the year. \u00a0I use math software for my kids who are low incidence and that’s their entire program. \u00a0I’m just starting to use a program right now called DreamBox that self-levels. \u00a0It is out of a university and does Canadian western content. \u00a0Because there’s so much drill incorporated in the program, I think it’s really good for my kids are working at, like, a grade 2 math level right now because there is that repetition element to it. I tried Prodigy (I have a license that goes until the end of June), but I find it too gamey. \u00a0It doesn’t do a great job of math and it doesn\u2019t do a great job of being a game…parents look at it and they say , \u2018what are you doing? It\u2019s a game!\u2019, so I won’t renew that subscription. \u00a0For science, I use technology as a collaborative tool, primarily. \u00a0They do a lot of group projects in science. \u00a0They use Google classroom to work on something together. \u00a0Right now, they’re doing Canadian exploration technologies and working together on a slideshow to share with the class. \u00a0Then, together they’ll come up with a way of assessing the class on their knowledge of the topic they present on. \u00a0Some of them are doing a Kahoot – some of them are doing a paper-based one. \u00a0I don’t do a lot of transmitting information. \u00a0I will scan the textbook and [upload it]. \u00a0For the kids who can’t read, I use Google Read&Write for science. I\u2019ll use Google classroom second to put up an answer key so they can mark their work that way. This year, because I have such a low class and so diverse, they mark their own when they’re ready and then a lot of parents to the marking as well because the kids are really, really low this year.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. What is your process for integrating new technology into your practice? (ie. Do you have a philosophical framework? How much vetting do you do vs. allowing the students to help you choose?)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      They are guinea pigs and I tell them they are guinea pigs all the time. I’ll tell them, \u2018this is new\u2019, \u2018this is one I’ve used before and I really like it and you will use it\u2019, \u2018this is one that we’re trying out\u2019. \u00a0The students absolutely help me choose. \u00a0I asked them all the time, \u2018what do you think about this?\u2019. I’ll tell them if it’s new or not new, ask, \u00a0\u2018do you like it? Do you not like it?\u2019. For reading comprehension we tried to different programs and they told me what they liked and didn’t like about the program. \u00a0Some kids automatically found their way to the more appropriate program and other kids needed help to go to a lower level to because they can’t read yet, so they need to be a little bit forced into being a level that was right for them.<\/span><\/p>\n

      My philosophy about it is more big picture because I am a proponent of complexity theory in that schools need to move and evolve with the greater community – we’re not we’re not in isolation. \u00a0The fact that some people use no tech in their learning and no tech in their classroom – \u00a0that’s not the way of the world. \u00a0In the world, people can communicate with with each other kind of whenever they want, so I don’t tell my students, \u2018no you can’t text your parents\u2019. \u00a0If the parent texts the child to say I’m there for pick up then then I allow that. \u00a0So, I think it’s more my rules surrounding technology and technological use in the classroom – trying to be more in line with what they do outside of the classroom because schools need to be more like the real world and less isolated so we don’t become irrelevant. \u00a0We can’t teach in the old ways anymore. \u00a0We have to look at the new ways. \u00a0So, I guess when I when I look at programs [I ask]: Is it ubiquitous? \u00a0We have ubiquitous access, for sure, when I\u2019m looking at new software it has to work on every device. \u00a0If it doesn’t work on every single device then that’s not really one that I want to use. \u00a0It has to be available – all apps, you know, that are super popular – they have it for every single device. \u00a0So when I’m looking at educational software, if it requires flash then that’s not OK because we can’t do flash on iPhones (unless we go through, you know, a roundabout route to use a different browser. \u00a0If it doesn’t look right on their phones because they don’t have that set up, then that doesn’t really work for me. \u00a0So that\u2019s really, I guess, the only tie-in in terms of choosing software.<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. What role does access play in integrating technology into schools in SD61? For this question, consider ‘access’ as inclusive of student and teacher access to hardware\/software, teacher access to pro-d to learn how to use tech, and access for pre-service teachers in the educational research around technology integration.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Access is huge and we kind of heard this was coming forever and ever – that that education has to be ubiquitous because [students] have to be able to get to the same programs, the same software, the same data at home and at school. \u00a0I talk to the kids about that a lot and parents, for sure, in the first week of school – that the way with Google apps for education the way we use it in our teaching and learning that [students] can do [their work] when they’re at home sick. \u00a0If I give an assignment on Google docs someone who is at home sick can still do the work. \u00a0[They] can still watch the movie, they can still write the assignment and I think that ties in really well with complexity theory – that that is the way the world works. \u00a0We don’t have offices so much anymore – so many more people can work from home. \u00a0I think it’s the same education that some of these guys will do their math first thing in the morning in bed. \u00a0Other times they’ll do it at the rink when their brother is playing hockey, and that back and we can get on that access everywhere and anywhere because of the tools that we use now I think is huge. \u00a0Because some of them between nine and three is not when they want to focus. \u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m teaching EDCI 336 \u00a0(Technology and Innovation in Education) and I believe it’s the only tech course that they take. \u00a0Every professor teaches it differently and I know that e-portfolios are a big thing, and I\u2019d like to see that happen with our kids. \u00a0Dr. Tim Hopper is doing a big folio (as he calls and it) an e-portfolio, so what the the idea is that it is web based and they put all the information about themselves to help them get their first job. \u00a0So he does badges – if they can make a hotlink or insert a video – if they can make a video…there is a reward system. \u00a0At the same time, the students are building this portfolio that they can show to prospective employer, \u2018I can do this and I can do videos\u2019 and all the things that they can do. \u00a0He really stresses connections between [pre-service teachers] and following people on Twitter, and in turn, following what’s going on the world education. \u00a0There are other professors that teach differently. \u00a0\u00a0they do more…what I feel to be not relevant. \u00a0I know they’re fighting really hard right now to try and get Google Apps for Education at UVic, and it hasn’t happened yet because of privacy [concerns]. \u00a0They are much more concerned with privacy laws than we are, and that’s been the major stickler with not getting it in place there. They are worried about where student information will be. \u00a0I guess for us, as teachers [in SD61], it\u2019s done for us. \u00a0I don’t worry about privacy or what my kids can and cannot put Google Classroom because I figure the district takes care that for me. \u00a0Certainly [UVic] is far more aware of that. \u00a0When I teach [at UVic]…I go through every tool…it’s very, very, very hands on. \u00a0We do coding, we do Google Apps we do Slides, we do Docs, photo editing. \u00a0Everything that I know is new. \u00a0We do virtual reality stuff. \u00a0Every class we talk about the different types of reporting that are available. \u00a0I couldn’t imagine trying to teach this course and not be a classroom teacher because [technology] changes so fast. \u00a0Even when I taught [the same course] four years ago – I’m not teaching word, I’m not teaching PowerPoint anymore. \u00a0I’m doing Google Apps for Education and robotics and coding and virtual reality and all the things that are new in our world hear as teachers. I try and get them some hands-on time. \u00a0They’re making their own teacher webpages so they have that when they go to school, so if they want to use Google Apps, they can they can. \u00a0If they want to use Wix or whatever – they can. \u00a0As well, to try and get them ready to integrate as soon as they hit the classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Keywords: Purpose, Process, Access. Teacher A is a grade 6 teacher at a middle school in Victoria, BC. \u00a0The teacher has a Ed.D. in educational technology, and has worked as a primary school teacher, an elementary technology specialist in the United States, and as a middle school teacher. \u00a0Teacher A\u2019s current teaching assignment is in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44373,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1669387],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a-interview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44373"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1231"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1312,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1231\/revisions\/1312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}