{"id":4679,"date":"2018-01-23T10:01:22","date_gmt":"2018-01-23T17:01:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/?p=4679"},"modified":"2018-01-30T19:32:40","modified_gmt":"2018-01-31T02:32:40","slug":"responsibility-collaboration-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/2018\/01\/23\/responsibility-collaboration-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"Responsibility, Collaboration, Engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Jan 18, 2018, I interviewed a colleague in Hamilton.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cLucy\u201d has been teaching physics, science and math for the past 10 years at the high school level.\u00a0 She recently developed a self-directed unit in her grade 12 physics course, and I wondered what the effect of a self-directed unit would have on the engagement<\/strong> of her students.<\/p>\n

I asked her the following questions: (her answers are summarized below)<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What are your main goals in implementing tech in your classroom?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    • L: I developed a student directed learning unit.\u00a0 In it the students use technology for research and for simulations. \u00a0I want them to recognize the power of technology as well as understanding the responsibility<\/strong> that goes along with it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        \n
      1. Every time a teacher undertakes to add new ideas and strategies (including tech) to their classroom, there are always barriers. What have been the biggest barriers for you, and how have you overcome them?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n
        • L: The biggest barrier was dealing with resistant learners who want notes and want to be given the right answers by the teacher.\u00a0 I have found that students are losing memorization.\u00a0 They rely a lot more on looking things up.\u00a0 There is a lack of common and foundational knowledge.\u00a0 I think I could do a better job of finding relevant activities and simulations that the students can relate to and learn from.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            \n
          1. Suppose I was a student in your class who learned effectively using traditional methods and was resistant to new technology in the classroom. What would you say to justify using tech for their learning?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
              \n
            • L: I found that they grew through the process.\u00a0 I received very positive feedback from the students (all the students) in a survey after the unit was completed.\u00a0 They really enjoyed it, learned, and the marks were comparable.\u00a0 A 90s student still scored in the 90s and a 60s student still scored in the 60s.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                \n
              1. What other benefits do you see for students that justify the use and expense of technology in your classroom?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                  \n
                • L:\u00a0 They develop strategies for their own learning, they have increased engagement<\/strong>.\u00a0 I also have the opportunity to move around and interact with students, to help focus their learning and assist them with any difficulties.\u00a0 We have a limited number of laptops, so the students share them.\u00a0 This is best part of it \u2013 they have to collaborate<\/strong>.\u00a0 Collaboration<\/strong> is the key, rather than learning on technology in isolation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                    \n
                  1. What are your thoughts regarding technology replacing textbooks in the future?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                      \n
                    • L:\u00a0 I think textbooks are helpful for reference.\u00a0 I would want to keep using them. \u00a0I wonder about digital textbooks, I\u2019ve never looked into them.\u00a0 That might be something.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                        \n
                      1. Does digital technology allow you to do anything that isn\u2019t possible using traditional teaching methods?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                          \n
                        • L: Certain simulations of theoretical physics (eg. Photoelectric effect lab allows you to measure the electrons that come off) and especially chemistry.\u00a0 Lots of the chemistry modules can be visualized this way.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                            \n
                          1. Which students do you feel have the most to gain from using digital technology in class?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                              \n
                            • L:\u00a0 The 70s and 80s students, the average students.\u00a0 They really took on the challenges; were engaged<\/strong>.\u00a0 They went above and beyond.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                                \n
                              1. Do you feel that some students are at a disadvantage because of your use of technology in class?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                                  \n
                                • L:\u00a0 Not really, this is a 4U physics class, so the students are pretty motivated.\u00a0 It was very effective for them.\u00a0 For some maybe the extra screen time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                  Through this interview, we were able to address a number of issues that we both felt were important to the use of technology in science.<\/p>\n

                                    \n
                                  1. Responsibility<\/strong> \u2013 Students learn to take responsibility for their own learning. Over the years we have been teaching (10 for her, 17 for me) we have both noticed a trend of neediness among the students.\u00a0 The are becoming \u201clazy learners\u201d who simply want to be spoon-fed the material that they \u201cneed-to-know\u201d by the teacher.\u00a0 They have lost a sense of the purpose of life-long learning and the value of learning for its own sake, as well as becoming accustomed to a lack of curiosity in favour of curriculum.\u00a0 Self-directed learning helps students develop their own strategies for learning, for organization, and for taking responsibility for their own deadlines and education.\u00a0 Students also gain confidence in their ability to find answers, solve their own problems, and prioritize what is important.\u00a0 While they are often resistant at first (I found the same thing with students in my class) upon reflection, they realize that they enjoyed it and were engaged, while still being able to perform at the same level as more traditional methods.\u00a0 Most also recognize the value and merit of this type of skill development.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                     <\/p>\n

                                      \n
                                    1. Collaboration <\/strong>\u2013 Student-directed learning brings out many of the best aspects of education, in particular the opportunity for collaboration. Collaboration teaches students that their ideas matter, they are valued, and that as individuals, they are important to the learning process.\u00a0 Students begin to realize that they all have different skills, abilities, and perspectives, and that by working together we are stronger and can grow and expand our knowledge.\u00a0 In this type of learning the teacher is at the side, assisting, not directing, which further emphasizes the value of student contributions and understandings.\u00a0 It is very important not to work in isolation, as this may allow many misconceptions to occur, as was discussed with Heather in the first unit of this course.\u00a0 Collaboration allows students to assist each other with using technology and developing tech skills, but also with supporting their understandings. \u00a0Finally, collaboration also helps to develop social and interactive skills which will give life-long benefits to them in future education, careers, and relationships.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                       <\/p>\n

                                        \n
                                      1. Engagement<\/strong> \u2013 Another key word for student-centered learning is engagement. A barrier that is often raised is that this methodology takes too long.\u00a0 Our science curricula in Ontario is jam-packed, and it is difficult just to get through it each time.\u00a0 However, I would argue that whatever small part of the content is missed or reduced (usually details like terms) is more than made up for by the added retention that a deeper level of engagement contributes.\u00a0 For example in my class, if I had simply explained various biotechnologies they would likely forget shortly after the test.\u00a0 If we did a lab they would probably have a better understanding, but when we did a RAFT activity, they are likely to remember far longer.\u00a0 How long do you think you would remember doing a 12 days of microarrays carol by a science nerd band as one group did?\u00a0 When students are more engaged, they also tend to go \u201cabove-and-beyond\u201d as \u201cLucy\u201d mentioned \u2013 they took on challenges and made them their own.\u00a0 The real benefit here is not better grades but the interest and enjoyment, and the stimulation to best work.\u00a0 When I asked a different colleague if unmotivated students would be more likely to fall between the cracks with student-directed methods, he said no.\u00a0 His argument was that the teacher has more available time to direct and re-engage students who are off-task.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                        On Jan 18, 2018, I interviewed a colleague in Hamilton.\u00a0 \u00a0\u201cLucy\u201d has been teaching physics, science and math for the past 10 years at the high school level.\u00a0 She recently developed a self-directed unit in her grade 12 physics course, and I wondered what the effect of a self-directed unit would have on the engagement […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44810,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1669387],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4679","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a-interview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4679","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44810"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4679"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4679\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4836,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4679\/revisions\/4836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4679"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4679"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4679"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}