{"id":4687,"date":"2018-01-23T15:55:33","date_gmt":"2018-01-23T22:55:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/?p=4687"},"modified":"2018-01-29T09:17:54","modified_gmt":"2018-01-29T16:17:54","slug":"collaboration-persistence-communication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/stem2018\/2018\/01\/23\/collaboration-persistence-communication\/","title":{"rendered":"Collaboration, Persistence, & Communication"},"content":{"rendered":"

I interviewed a colleague at a K \u2013 8 school who is a Continuous Improvement Coach.\u00a0 This is her first year in the role, as it is a new job in the division, but she has been in a coaching type of role in her six years in the division.\u00a0 Prior to that, she worked in Ontario in administration for private school where she was part of the development and founding team and worked with gifted and talented students.\u00a0 The reason I chose M is because her and I have worked closely together in the last few years on STEM,\u00a0personalized learning, and technology related projects.\u00a0 However, she has a more supportive and engaged\u00a0administrator\u00a0and teacher team and our projects often end up looking very different.<\/p>\n

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M and I had difficulty connecting for a face to face interview.\u00a0 Between her illness\u00a0and the tightness of our tech tools, our options were limited.\u00a0 We ended chatting through todaysmeet.com, which is actually blocked through our school division.\u00a0 The division will block sites to force us to use ones that they provide.\u00a0 The teachers in the division have access to Office 365 but Microsoft Teams would not allow me to export the chat transcript or print it.\u00a0 Secondly, we wanted to be able to speak freely about some of the divisional controls on a non-divisional tool.<\/p>\n

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M identified immediately that she used technology with staff and students for collaboration.\u00a0 While technology use varies across the school, she explained\u00a0that “For the most part the kids use technology for research and presentations.\u00a0 I’ve been trying hard to get people to look beyond that and how it can be a tool to the actual project, as well as the collaboration.\u00a0 The technology can also BE the project.\u00a0 Or provide opportunities for them to create their own learning”.\u00a0 She\u00a0described that students wanted to know how to make a Snapchat filter and how much learning has to go into a project like that.\u00a0 However, when I asked her what her\u00a0favourite\u00a0ways to use technology in the math and science classroom are I found the examples to be very surface level, symbolic learning.\u00a0 Melissa described Mathletics, Khan Academy,\u00a0Kahoot, and exit tickets via email. Are these authentic ways to use technology in a math and science classroom?\u00a0 Do they provide true opportunities for collaboration?\u00a0 I am skeptical that these tools do more than make learning fun and easy.\u00a0 They are great entry points but not the whole story.<\/p>\n

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Part of the story I hoped to hear from M was about the misconceptions about technology and STEM that she hears from parents, staff, and\/or students.\u00a0 M stepped in right away to say “That it is\u00a0floof, or a free for all \u2013 or even\u00a0more so, that you need to be an expert to teach it.\u00a0 You need persistence and patience \u2013 you do not need expertis<\/strong>e”.\u00a0 I think this is a great message for teachers and students.\u00a0 STEM is not about having all of the answers, it is about being curious enough and determined to find them.\u00a0 M continued, “Your students will figure it out.\u00a0 There are tutorials for pretty much everything online.\u00a0 We should not limit our students learning to our comfort zones \u2013 that is ridiculous \u2013 but often happens”.<\/p>\n

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Woven throughout the interview was M’s reference to Bring Your Own Device, and closer to the end of our discussion we addressed it when I asked her ‘In what ways has the school division helped and hindered the implementation of technology in your context?’.\u00a0 To summarize, M said that students are prevented from using tools at school that they use at home.\u00a0 She believes that “…for years they [the division] have been so terrified of privacy and protecting the children that we are super far behind”.\u00a0 \u00a0This is directly reflected in fact that for K-8 schools (she could not speak to 9-12 contexts) there are and have never been any BYOD plans or foundations started.\u00a0 We both stated a belief regarding\u00a0how important BYOD is to being able to successfully and authentically facilitate STEM which led me to a whole new question.<\/p>\n

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Ally:<\/p>\n

If we were to make an argument, why is it important for students to have experience with technology in a STEM context?<\/p>\n

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M:<\/p>\n

I would say that it is the absolute most important tool for all learning \u2013 these subjects included.\u00a0 It can be used through the learning process in so many roles.\u00a0 AND it’s essential to prepare 21st\u00a0century learners ready for the workforce.\u00a0 I can’t think of any job that doesn’t use technology in some form or fashion.<\/p>\n

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Ally:<\/p>\n

It really is the door to so many opportunities!\u00a0 Thank you for your candor and expertise, M!<\/p>\n

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M:<\/p>\n

You are most welcome, Ally!<\/p>\n

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Reflecting on this interview, I wish I had asked a few more questions.<\/p>\n