Mr. Hood's Learning Journey

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Author: Trevor Hood (Page 3 of 5)

Trends in Technology Education

September 10, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Technology and Society

“Technology and Society” by Michael Steele is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0

 

Holland’s article on the Implications of Shifting Technology in Education, the author quoted Douglas Rushkoff on his view that the learner should be asking, “Am I learning? Am I becoming a smarter more innovative human being?” Douglas’ quote speaks volumes on how we are shifting in our educational practices with the new curriculum changes in British Columbia revolving around curricular competencies, rethinking as educators on how to develop 21st century skills for the future workplace, and how to implement those skills into the classroom to create more innovative human beings. I agree with the trends viewed by Holland five years ago and identify how changes with technology influence my own practices and those of my colleagues in the classroom.

 

Use of technology in traditional classrooms

Collaborative learning through cloud computing

Students have for generations in our schools collaborated with each other with lab partners in science class, participate in debates, create projects together in a humanities or mechanics course, and have organized themselves into activities such as team sports to reach a common goal. It is much more recent that students have used a memory stick or save their work on the computer server to develop and retain their documented work as a presentation, Microsoft Word document, or an Excel Spreadsheet, but now this model itself feels outdated with the use of programs such as Google Docs. Students can collaborate on presentations and allocate project management to work on multiple facets of an online document that is updated in real time by all collaborators who can either be present in the same room or work together through distances that are only limited to internet access. As educators, we can use the same tools to share resources between colleagues which can be edited and personalized for the classroom. No longer does an individual need to worry about losing a memory stick having to restrict themselves to developing their learning at the school. Students and teachers alike can access online material through phones, tablets, or electronic devices in other locations such as public libraries to connect with others.

Analytics for Feedback

Holland points out the importance of transparency and timely feedback on meeting assessment criteria. Data management has been a hot topic, and in British Columbia we have seen attempts to provide online learning portfolios through Fresh Grade. Video, images, documents, and assessment can be transmitted to the guardians of students, and learners can access their portfolios. Communication can occur through text messages using an online application between all participants. Student progress can be displayed through graphic organizers such as bar or line graphs to show progress over time with specific content and how it aligns to the new British Columbia curriculum. Fresh Grade does have its drawbacks such as the time it takes by the teacher to input information and to upload image content for younger learners, but it has made inroads into a few of the elementary schools in Northern B.C.

Software and Targeting Curriculum 

I feel the greatest amount of development is in teaching 21st century skills in the use of technology, such as how to use programming language, creating a web page, and using software to develop 3-D models for printing. Holland mentions previous uses of resources such as CD’s, TV, stopwatches, radio, tapes, and newspapers. We must keep in mind such resources were past uses of technologies, but technology nevertheless. In my school one of the courses that I am teaching is Digital Media 8. The material for the 4 week elective is being provided by code.org, in which students learn to code using HTML, CSS, in developing a website. The course itself emphasizes collaboration between others in debugging software and coming up with solutions for students self directed projects on their website. It also provides a foundation on how learning looks, at that it doesn’t need to be centralized with the constraints of a classroom. Employers are looking for skill sets that may be quickly outdated from course curriculum offered by universities, and are recognizing self initiative in having skill sets without receiving degrees. One such avenue is how students can learning training through google remotely  and receive accreditation. 

Final Thoughts

Holland’s article was published by TechTrends in May/June 2014, and five years later it is still relevant in its message on how technology needs to tool our learners for use in a collaborative mindset to problem solve and apply critical thinking in solving towards 21st century issues. From robotics classes that are available in many of our high schools in B.C,, flipped classrooms, and using technological tools in innovative ways to motivate learners through inquiry or problem based activities are some of the unique ways educators are adapting in my school district. We have seen a shift in the new BC Curriculum that is emphasizing less on content but more in having the ability to be more innovative with authentic experiences. Technology has been a part of past generations who have learned on electronic typewriters or used dial-up modems, and it will continue to change as time marches forward.  

Final Blog: Digital Citizenship and the 4 R’s

July 26, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Digital Citizenship

Being a student at UVic has given me access to the resources of academia on journals, articles, books, and research projects of students past. It provides an avenue towards self study in navigating, reading, and inquiring on useful pieces of literature. Attending professional development workshops, meeting vendors, speaking to colleagues, participating in book studies, and implementing new ideas into the classroom has been my strategy for professional development. What has been missing is the deeper understanding of theoretical research in application to methodology. Starting the Master’s program has been my catalyst card for being a more informed member of digital citizenship, through creating a Professional Learning Network. As such, my blog is a personal reflection of my learning, through the wider lens of digital networks and open access, the strength of developing a professional learning network online, and bringing resources into the classroom. In addition, I will reflect on how information is used in our digital networks as a reader, researcher, the research available, and what is researched.

 

The Value of Open Access Digital Networks

While completing my undergraduate degree I needed to research a variety of articles. This required me to go to a couple of libraries on campus. I remember the database at one UBC library was different than another, so it required the physical presence of inputting the search on a computer at each location. Next, I would retrieve hard copies of journals and photocopy them. As a reader and future researcher, my ability to complete a degree off campus is achievable because of online access.

The access to information has been unlocked, but access to information is not fair to all educators. John Willinsky is an advocate for open access for all. His conversation highlighted to us that knowledge is a basic human right, and asks us, “Doesn’t it make sense to share public knowledge from a public university?” Private companies, as John explains, can make $3500 on 4 to 6 journals annually in which no editorial staff is paid for peer review. It sets up questions on how my experience in education, and my professional learning network over the last two decades might have been different if we had open access to research. Working in South Korea, my professional learning network was limited to the colleagues I was working with. John Willinsky has painted an optimistic picture of knowledge being freer to access. Over the last 21 years since starting the Public Knowledge Project (PKP) at least 25-30% of material is now legally free, but challenges loom with unlocking publicly researched content with publishers. In his article on The Academic Ethics of Open Access to Research and Scholarship, John Willinsky and Juan Pablo Alperin ask the reader about the,”moral good”(pg 221) on open access to knowledge.  Notably, the open access movement has spurned illegal downloading which circumvents copyright laws, such as Sci-Hub. It brings up the question, as a reader and researcher, if I would access content illegally, after completing my masters degree, why should the University of Victoria online library be locked to me? No more student pass therefore no more access.

We had the opportunity to video conference with Dr. Martin Weller, in the classroom. He addressed his article, The Digital Scholar Revisited, which is on the subject of a book he published titled The Digital Scholar, where he used Boyer’s framework, and over-layed it with digital scholarship. Dr. Weller highlights the need to have the digital network be open access for open textbooks, massive online open courses (MOOCS), open access publications, open data systems, open pedagogy, and open science. It allows the reader of content to make modifications, adaptations, and changes of material, thereby changing their role from being passive to active. It paves way to making content that is more personalized to the learner, such as layering cultural content found in a First Nation’s community. Open access also means financial barriers on textbook purchases can be taken away, allowing a school to divert resources into student learning elsewhere. This means I can change my role from a reader, to being dynamic and making altered content, thereby doing research of the community I am in, reflecting how to best meet the needs of my learners, and being the researcher of the results. In addition, the individual can add to the public sphere of knowledge, in which others can undergo their own transformations of the open curriculum. With the knowledge of open access and moving into the sphere of the researcher for completing a master’s degree, it is important for me to create open access to content that is created as a resource that can be mixed, shared, and transformed to enrich the public body of knowledge.

https://i1.wp.com/connectivism.madeleinebrookes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/BoyerModelScholarship.png

 

The Professional Learning Network (PLN)

The introductory graduate courses themselves are a framework for PLN, but the time needed will go beyond the scope of 3 weeks being in a class. It takes time, change of habits, and learning new digital tools to engage with a learning community. At the present time, I am more of a reader, in Twitter terms a lurker, in which I digest information but don’t engage. Moving into August and finishing course work, it will give me the time to be more engaged and build a PLN. David Truss highlights in his Twitter EDU online book that you need to put time into your social network. Twitter is the current tool for many academics. It is also a useful networking tool, and a place to communicate new ideas or have forms of discussion.

 

Professional Development usually occurred for me in the confines of a classroom that hosted an activity. We received a choice of specific guest speakers that were chosen or volunteered to present workshops in the school district. However, teachers are beginning to use professional development online. Ekaterena Tour has a focus study on the use of online PLN’s of teachers titled Teachers’ Personal Learning Networks (PLNs): Exploring the Nature of Self-Initiated Professional Learning Online. She notes teachers who have self initiated online PLN networks have experiences that are social, personalized to the educator, are active members in their network with giving and receiving feedback, have ongoing communication, and blend personal and online contact. An online PLN gives the individual,”mobility, freedom and access to like-minded people supported by technologies provides opportunities for ongoing professional learning” ( p. 16). Starting the Masters program has jump started my online network of finding like-minded individuals. Over the last 3 days we have heard presentations from other students in the class. Notably, the students in class are not just readers, but researchers, who are researching specific pedagogy that reflects these professional educators interests in their field of specialization. It gave me the opportunity to hear other frameworks, interests, and time to reflect on my own personal practice in a multitude of ways. My peers have created blogs, online sources, Twitter accounts, a WhatsApp online social network, and in my case video conferencing in large and smaller forums. In the last few days I have gained invaluable information on my areas of interest, such as inquiry-based learning in Fort St. James, cross curricular activities that can be developed with 3-D printing, and opportunities collaborating with educators outside the province of British Columbia.

Digital Citizenship in the Classroom

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has an excellent framework for administrators, teachers and students in fostering the use of technology and digital citizenship. Within this framework I am researching how to use inquiry-base learning, and First Nations ways of knowing into the classroom, and how technology can be used to bridge communities which will foster collaboration between learners. I appreciated listening to Dr. Pete Shauneen who presented a First Nations perspective of decolonizing our educational system, and made a valuable point from her article, Idle No More: Radical Indigeneity in Teacher Education, that,”learners come to the classroom with rich identities which could drive curriculum choice” (Pg 62). I feel we can accomplish this through an inquiry-based model that uses technology to bring learners together, and gives choice to our learners. In essence, making our students researchers instead of readers.

 

Conclusion

Having open access networks, allows for all members of the educational community, to benefit from the collective knowledge. Professional Learning Networks are enriched from open access because of the ability to share, collaborate, and transform ideas to educators in the classroom. Educators can then expand the horizons of digital citizenship for the learners. The process of being a reader of open access information, a researcher using an open digital network to learn from the research of other educators, reflecting and transforming researched material into personal learning for the student. This contributes to an intertwined digital network of the 4 R’s together which creates a powerful vehicle towards allowing my goal as a researcher to be obtained, in completing the Master’s of Educational Technology program at the University of Victoria.

"Connections" by moonty is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Reflections on Technology, Inquiry-based Learning, and First Nations

July 23, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Introduction

Living overseas in South Korea and in Bali, it brings me back to the excitement and exhilaration of learning about new cultures, ways of doing things, and the people I met. Being in an intercultural relationship and being part of stories half way across the world fills my spirit and reminds me to be thoughtful of others. It is also a way in which I connect to my students in the classroom. Curriculum shouldn’t always be about numeracy in math class, or biology in science class, because the world is just bigger than the box we are sitting in. At times I will get off topic, and my students will get off topic as well. However, in those moments we learn more about each other and start to build a community in the classroom when we share experiences.

Personal Photo of Soraksan, South Korea

Family Vacation Photo of Soraksan, South Korea, 2005

Over the last couple of weeks listening to Trevor Mackenzie on inquiry based learning in the classroom, Dr. Shauneen Pete with indigenous education, and Jeff Hopkins, the founder of the Pacific School of Inquiry and Innovation, has shifted my thought process on the role of myself as an educator and the role of students. Presently I am teaching multiple courses in digital media, numeracy, and science. As always I am trying new ideas and strategies to reach learners. I have been making changes with formative assessment, interactive science journals, and giving students greater ownership of their learning, but I feel students could be more engaged and excited about learning.  Over the last couple of weeks three big ideas keep resonating in my mind:

  • Inquiry-based learning
  • The use of technology to connect students
  • Aboriginal perspectives and ways of doing

Article Summary

With my 3 big ideas interweaving with each other and reading the article Cross-Cultural Collaborative Inquiry: A Collective Case Study with Students from China and the US, it opens and reinforces strategies and ideas in which student collaboration could take place (Spires, Medlock Paul, Himes, & Yuan, 2018). In the article a framework and some guidance on how,” cross-cultural collaborative disciplinary inquiry fosters students’ demonstration and development of educational cosmopolitan capacities” (pg 31) is provided. The article also outlines that the, “theoretical framework for this study builds upon educational cosmopolitanism, project-based learning, and disciplinary literacy” (pg 29). Cosmopolitanism is the idea that all people are citizens of the world, that we are a community that can be connected without borders. Students in China and in the United states collaborated together on a project that looked at water samples in both countries and to “come up with sustainable solutions for mitigating and/or resolving different forms of water ecology threats” (p. 31). The project the students tackled has its challenges with communication, language barriers, and the 13 hour apart time zone. However, students were able to use technology such as WeChat and Quip, to bridge the gaps in communicating with each other.

The study also made note that prior learning in the U.S. high school on water ecology took place, which brings into question the idea of looking at water ecology as being student driven  and what could have changed if students were given a greater range of topics. I also find the project takes a long period of time, requires prior knowledge and has multiple layers of activities that are required to facilitate the project. The researchers also mentioned the U.S. students started to be more directly involved with decision making, and in addition there was support from the authors who acted ast the PBI (Project Based Inquiry) Global team coaches. However, the authors of the case study give the reader a knowledgeable framework create learning between two remote communities.

Applying Concepts from the Article into a Personal Framework

In Canada we have a multicultural community of people in a large area. I believe through student inquiry we could reflect student, interest, voice, and self identity for all people. Reading the article brought up the following 3 questions in relation to my 3 big ideas with inquiry based learning, aboriginal perspective and ways of doing, and the use of technology:

  • Could we apply an inquiry based model in which we use technology for collaboration between two different classrooms that are geographically remote from each other?
  • What forms of technology could we use and what are some privacy issues surrounding the use of technology?
  • How could we apply learning from others and First Nations perspectives when it comes to sharing/collaborating with each other while making it unique and personalized?

Inquiry-based Model

Jeff Hopkins presentation gave me a sense of how inquiry based learning can look when it is student centered and not teacher centered. As well, the model at the Pacific School of Inquiry and Innovation is a unique learning environment where the school program and environment is driven on inquiry-based learning. Considering my school environment, Trevor Mackenzie’s ideas from conversation in class on inquiry-based learning and the scaffolding process seem more tangible for students for the goal of being independent on the inquiry process. Once students have practiced and completed an inquiry based project, those skills can then be applied into collaboration with other students in a remote community of Canada. The possibilities for a project between two remote classrooms could be cross-curricular where each individual works on different elements and brings them together, or it could be a topic both individuals have an interest in, or it could be something else that is student driven.

Technology

The technology pieces may change as we are always exploring, developing and using new software to make connections towards each other. Trello or Quip appear to be a solid framework in which students could collaborate on a project with each other, and video conferencing could take place with choices such as WhatsApp or WeChat. A framework of expectations for students to communicate respectfully and in a safe environment can be explored with guidelines from the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and Cloud Computing Guidelines for Public Bodies. Collaboration between remote communities also sits nicely into the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards for students, with components of digital citizenship and global collaboration (“ISTE Standards for Students,” n.d.).

First Nations

In my school we have First Nations learners who are a minority of the overall school population. It could be enriching to have a collaborative activity with another Canadian school that identifies itself as First Nations. Dr. Pete Shauneen points out that, “learners come to the classroom with rich identities which could drive curriculum choice” (Pete, 2017, p. 62). As well, a larger distance between two communities could provide more insight into the diversity of culture and perspectives between students. A map of traditional territories in Canada

Summary

Writing the blog and critically analyzing how I want to move forward as a teacher is therapeutic, exciting and empowering. I grew up in the same community where I teach, but left my hometown to explore and experience the world around me. My professional learning networks (PLN) needs more development, and understand the resources that I have collected so far are just scratching the surface to the depth of experiences and knowledge others have in technology, inquiry-based learning, and First Nations ways of knowing. I am looking forward to the journey ahead.

 

References

ISTE Standards for Students. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students

Pete, S. (2017). Idle No More: Radical Indigeneity in Teacher Education. Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, 53-72. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-46328-5_3

Spires, H. A., Medlock Paul, C., Himes, M., & Yuan, C. (2018). Cross-Cultural Collaborative Inquiry: A Collective Case Study with Students from China and the US. International Journal of Educational Research, 91, 28-40. doi:10.1016/j.ijer.2018.07.002

 

Resources and Blogs:

-The Academy of Inquiry Based Learning  http://www.inquirybasedlearning.org/blog

-Data Map of Traditional Territories, Languages, and Treaties of First Nation’s People    https://native-land.ca/

-Freedom of Information and Potection of Privacy Act http://www.bclaws.ca/Recon/document/ID/freeside/96165_00

-Indigenous Studies Portal Research Tool  http://iportal.usask.ca/index.php?sid=301227513&t=index

-Pacific School of Inquiry and Innovation https://learningstorm.org/

-Quip https://quip.com/

-School District 57 Resources to Support Truth and Reconciliation: http://prin.ent.sirsidynix.net/client/en_US/dlc/?rm=ORANGE+SHIRT+D0%7C%7C%7C1%7C%7C%7C1%7C%7C%7Ctrue&dt=list

-Trevor Mackenzie: Inquiry Mindset https://www.trevormackenzie.com/

-WhatsApp https://www.whatsapp.com/

-WeChat https://pc.weixin.qq.com/

 

Hashtags and Twitter Lists :

#cdnedchat

#IndigenousEd

#InquiryMindset

@bcedchat

@ChristineYH

@courosa

@CUEBC

@datruss

@Desmos

@DLCsd57

@erlcpl

@holden

@hopkinsjeff

@InqSchls

@inquirymaths

@M_Berra57

@mikekaechele

@noelle_pepin

@RHVickers

@shareski

@sivers

@Sylvia_l

@trev_mackenzie

"Morning Cup of Coffee" by Another Pint Please... is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 

EDU 515 Assignment 2: Hermeneutic Phenomenology

July 22, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Biography 

Max van Manen was born in the Netherlands in 1942, and was educated as a teacher with a background in teaching English as a Second Language. He then came to Canada in 1967 and taught in the Edmonton public school system. By 1971 Max received his Med degree with follow through of completing his PhD in 1973 at the University of Alberta. As described by his biography, Max noticed very little literature on classic phenomenological pedagogy in English, so he translated text from the German and Dutch language.

Max’ experience and exposure to the educational system in the Netherlands provided a foundation for him with continuing his studies on phenomenological pedagogy.

Max is currently active with academics at the University of Alberta in a post-retirement teaching program where he teaches a doctoral research seminar titled Phenomenological Research and Writing. In addition, Max continues to work on several books on methodological and phenomenological pedagogy (“Max van Manen » Biography,” n.d.)

Review of Max Van Manen’s Hermeneutic Phenomenology

From Chapter 2 in his book Phenomenology of Practice (2014), Max gives detail to the reader on the meaning of hermeneutic phenomenology and the method. He explains, “Hermeneutic Phenomenology is a method of abstemious reflection on the basic structures of the lived experience of human existence” (Manen, 2014, p. 26). There are various branches on phenomenology that may have political, ethical, or religious themes. However, hermeneutic phenomenology specifically focuses on the process of,”discursive language and sensitive interpretive devices that make phenomenological analysis, explication, and description possible and intelligible” (Manen, 2014, p. 26).

Max Van Manen states, “phenomenology proposes that some kind of special reflective method or attitude is required that aims to establish access to the primordialities of life as it is lived and experienced from moment to moment” (Manen, 2014, p. 61). To do phenomenology means that you have to start with “lived experience, with how something appears or gives itself to us.” (Manen, 2014, p. 32). The lived experience is an interpretation of an event or phenomenon that is determined by an individual’s culture, language and past experiences. When describing the event (it) as pre-reflective, it is the moment being reflected upon from the recent past. In addition, when reflecting upon a phenomenon we have already distorted the event itself by setting borders around the event. “The moment that I stop and reflect on what I am experiencing in the present –this moment inevitably becomes objectified—it turns from the subjectivity of living presence into an object of reflective presence”(Manen, 2014, p. 34). Essentially, the researcher has to be aware that the act itself of describing a phenomenon distorts its existence. It also requires the researcher to be in a state of mind that is, “surrendering to a state of wonder” (Manen, 2014, p. 27).  The research needs to release their mind to openness, take the filters off, and be in the present.

“The value of phenomenology is that it prioritizes how the human being experiences the world” (Manen, 2014, p. 58). There are topics that can’t be evaluated by traditional research methods which have specific formats and guidance structures. For example when asking a question such as “What does it mean to be content?” an individual may respond in the following:

  • Drinking my coffee in the morning.

With a phenomenological approach the question’s response could be:

  • Drinking a cup of coffee in the morning. It is quiet in the house and everything is at peace. The sun is shining through the window and I am sitting next to it, the large window in my living room. There is dew on the grass, and have the window open feeling the cool rush of autumn air enter the room that wakes me up. Time is moving forward and thinking about the leaves rushing down, how will my son experience leaves as he is only 3 years old? A fleeting image of my father who has passed away comes rushing forward, and my eyes start to water thinking of his smile, the mannerisms in which he treats raking, and soaking in the shared moment of doing something together.

It is in this sphere where  phenomenology becomes, “…more a method of questioning, than answering, realizing that insights come to us in that mode of musing, reflective questioning, and being obsessed with sources and meanings of lived meaning” (Manen, 2014, p. 27).

Article Review

The article How Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Project-Based learning (PBL) Affects High, Middle, and Low Achievers Differently: The Impact of Student Factors on Achievement is chosen to compare the two different methodologies. Sunyoung Han, Robert, Capraro and Mary Margaret Capraro collaborated to create the study (Han, Capraro, & Capraro, 2014).

The purpose of the study is to find how STEM and PBL could impact student achievement with students who are presently low, middle, or high achievers. They also look at individual factors such as, “gender, ethnicity, economic disability, English as a second language, special education, gifted, and at-risk,” in relation to performance (Han, Capraro, & Capraro, 2014, p. 1094).  The study uses quantitative analysis in a longitudinal study over a period of 3 years to see if changes occurred in performance levels. The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test is used as a benchmark for recording performance levels of students. Descriptive statistics and a longitudinal linear model (HLM) are used for the data analysis. Teachers receive 7 hour sessions of training with a total of 30 sessions on PBL and STEM. Teachers are required to teach one STEM PBL (math and science) lesson every 6 weeks for a period of 3 years. A control group is selected from 2 other high schools to make comparisons (Han, Capraro, & Capraro, 2014).

Hermeneutic Phenomenology in Comparison to the Methodology of Quantitative Analysis

A Hermeneutic Phenomenology could not be applied to a longitudinal study where quantitative data is collected. Max Van Manen states, “…phenomenology does not provide diagnostic or prognostic tools” (Manen, 2014, p. 44).The initial research question of determining a performance level would not be obtainable, as the nature of phenomenology is oriented to the lived experience. Responses between the control group, the study group, and subcategories of the study group could yield a staggering amount of unique responses. Max Van Manen iterates, “The range of phenomenological meanings of our lived experiences is truly inexhaustible” (Manen, 2014, p. 35).

Hermeneutic Phenomenology sets itself as far as possible from quantitative analysis or a set of procedures to follow with the use of phenomenology as a research method. Inevitably, there is no one way or set of procedures or steps to follow. Max Van Manen provides multiple paths and vehicles to provide the reader into setting oneself into a correct frame of mind of openness, and describes the unraveling of filters needed to be in for the present and in the pre-reflective moment in order to obtain a glimmer of our human essence. However, the research question and the defining roles of the researchers could be explored using a phenomenological lens.

The researcher could explore the research topic by asking students about the experience of learning PBL in a STEM environment, or see how lived experience with STEM and PBL changes over a period of time from participants over the three year period. The researcher could interview the students and ask open ended questions on the phenomenon of their experience in the class. The responses reflect the student’s lived experiences, relationships, culture, and thought processes that are constructs unique to the individual. The setting of “being” in the classroom with projects may have added value in describing the phenomenon, the event of presence in the classroom. The researcher could also gain insight into the teacher experience and use an interview process to record the phenomenological event of using STEM and PBL as an instructor.

Alternatively, hermeneutic phenomenology could be used by a researcher outside of the original study to discover the life experience of the 3 researchers who developed and created the study for STEM and PBL learning. The goal could be to provide a lens of the researchers, “interpretive description of the primordial meaning structures of lived experience” (Manen, 2014, p. 61), by reflecting on the study itself. In such a scenario, the role of the researchers would then become the researched.

The researcher’s intention for the reader could be a,” gaze toward the regions where meaning and understanding originate, well up, and percolate through the porous membranes of past sedimentations” (Manen, 2014, p. 26). The reader would get a pre-reflective reflection of the life essence of a student, a teacher, or a researcher in the parameters of their life experience pertaining to STEM in a PBL environment.

Phenomenology could  be explored as a useful  tool for the researcher to create a spark, a question of wonder that could then permeate into a research topic of interest. It could also be a method in discovering or identifying an inert sense of wonder that may drive an inquiry based project, or a means of finding inspiration within the pre-reflection of their experience of a phenomenon. Notably, phenomenology only attempts to capture of moment of time in its raw human existence. If one attempts to categorizes, analyze, or define a moment it no longer is the study of a phenomenon, but that of something else.

 

References

Han, S., Capraro, R., & Capraro, M. M. (2014). HOW SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) PROJECT-BASED LEARNING (PBL) AFFECTS HIGH, MIDDLE, AND LOW ACHIEVERS DIFFERENTLY: THE IMPACT OF STUDENT FACTORS ON ACHIEVEMENT. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 13(5), 1089-1113. doi:10.1007/s10763-014-9526-0

Manen, M. V. (2014). Meaning and Method. In Phenomenology of Practice: Meaning-Giving Methods in Phenomenological Research and Writing. Left Coast Press.

Max van Manen » Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.maxvanmanen.com/biography/

 

 

An Inquiry Based Model for Education in B.C.

July 20, 2019 / / 6 Comments

Pacific School of Inquiry and Innovation

Jeff Hopkins opened up the Pacific School of Inquiry and Innovation in Victoria in 2013. I feel the school is an outstanding transformative model as to how education can be delivered. Jeff Hopkins has shaken my foundation of what education can look like for the 21st century in British Columbia, and has set in motion seeds for change in my own approaches towards the education system. Jeff Hopkins has a TEDx talk in which he describes his school, but I feel the 12 minutes he provides to the viewers doesn’t provide enough depth and scope as to what is occurring at the Pacific School of Inquiry and Innovation. We were fortunate to have Jeff Hopkins speak to us, and from his conversations and discussions able to gain insight into what an inquiry based school looks like. Jeff shifted my mindset on 21st century education and what it can look like.

Jeff also provided information on a framework for assessment and the teacher’s role at the school. Due to the limitations of writing a blog I focused on student learning.

 

Why the need for change?

Jeff has multifaceted experiences as an educator in British Columbia, from being in the classroom as a teacher, as a counselor, principal, and a superintendent. Jeff explained to us that he started the Pacific School of Inquiry and Innovation because he saw a disconnect between resources, people, worksheets, and in general the way that we do things in school. Looking for a magic spot where he could facilitate changes he envisioned in the public education system did not come to fruit, so Jeff resigned from his job and created his own school based on the foundation of inquiry based learning. He recruited people who weren’t concerned about paving new paths and could facilitate learning outside of the school.

What are the students doing?

The students do what they are interested in doing, not what is prescribed to them by the teacher. The ownership of learning is supported by the teachers, but how the student shows their learning in unique to each person. When a student walks into the school they have choices as to what they want to do for that day. A computer screen in the main lobby provides a schedule where students can go into a classroom and learn from a teacher, be part of a group session in a collaborated learning space, independent learning, use a differentiated learning space such as the use of computers or art supplies, a quiet space, sensory room, a one on one planning, learning or assessment session with a teacher, or it could be an off campus session for the student’s learning for that day. The umbrella which ties everything together is the Inquiry Tool process students apply. A video of the process can be seen below.

Applying Technology tools for 21st Century Learning

Students create their online portfolios and organize their inquiry based projects through Trello. The program is transparent for the teacher to monitor progress, provide support when needed, or once in a while a nudge for maybe a student to consider an alternative perspective. Projects could be individual or group projects, where multiple students are planning, organizing, and implementing ideas into artifacts that demonstrate their learning. When a student’s interest lay beyond the walls of the school, this is where the technology piece can support students. Specialists in their field can video conference, or students go out into the field to learn about specialized technology tools found in their area of interest. In addition, you can find the Pacific School of Inquiry and Innovation Learning Resources  list of online sources and links which students use to support their learning.

Inclusion

Teachers in Northern British Columbia have a diverse group of learners, and it is important for me to know how an inquiry based school can support all learners. I had lots of questions about inclusion, and Jeff was able to provide answers to them through direct or indirect means in his presentation. Below are the questions I asked myself and was able to answer through the conversations that took place.

 

Some private schools are selective and won’t take students who have special needs. Since this is an independent school, do they filter their students as to who can and can’t attend?

The school takes in all students, but due to the funding model in British Columbia some of the funding is collected through tuition. The school is working on developing on more support from the community by seeking private donations to help offset tuition for families in need.

 

How about students with special learning needs or interests?

The environment of the school is supported for learners across the special education categories such as mental health, autism, anxiety, but noticed the school works especially well with people on the autism spectrum. The framework of the school is conducive in supporting students as it is student focused, not teacher focused. In addition, there is a GSA (gender and sexuality alliance) at the school that is open to everyone. As well, Jeff Hopkins is a trained counselor and will provide outside mental health and support services when needed.

 

Is there a food program?

There are students at the school who are interested in cooking, which is a conduit into their food program. Students learn about the culinary arts but also support students who may not have had a breakfast at home. The school also has additional food available.

 

What about First Nations learning?

Members of the community are brought in to teach aspects of First Nation’s perspectives. As well, the model of the school fosters a sense of community and building trust between individuals. The school for the upcoming year has also hired a teacher with First Nation’s knowledge.

 

Can we do this in Northern B.C.?

Yes we can, but I feel that you have to be all in. You can take elements of Inquiry Based Learning into your classroom, but to make real change is to create a school that includes collaboration across grades and focus on student areas of interest. The factory school of having students in spaces that is subject specific is outdated. We, ourselves, learn quite fine without being in a classroom, so why do we have traditional classrooms set up for our students?

  • Will our students work in little classrooms in the workplace?
  • Will they need an inquiry based mindset to accomplish completing a project?
  • Will they need to have a flexible mindset in learning new skills to accomplish their goals?
  • Do we need to adapt as educators to provide a student centered approach?

For me, the answer is quite obvious when we ask ourselves these questions, but it is a challenge to make change when we are so ingrained in one system that has been in place for generations. I hope to spark the interest of others in my local learning community to be aware of a model that has been created locally through. People from around the world have visited the Pacific School of Inquiry and Innovation, and taking these ideas to their own countries. Here is a model that is in our backyard and works for 21st century learning.

The White Settler Teacher: Perspectives of Decolonizing Education

July 19, 2019 / / 0 Comments

I am a white male teacher, mid 40’s, have a partner in marriage, 2 children, a home owner, and on occasion go on a holiday. Hard work, support from friends, family, teachers, and peers allowed me to reach my goals through the structure of the Canadian educational school system.  However, the school system itself is not inclusive to all. I had the opportunity to read Meschachakanis, A Coyote Narrative: Decolonising Higher Education and to hear Dr. Pete’s words through a video conference. The goal of my blog is to follow through the narrative of Dr. Pete from her dialogue and through her writing, reflect on my life experiences both personal and professional, and find my own pathway under the umbrella of decolonizing education. The final goal is to follow through of being the reader and consider pathways to being a researcher.

Although I wasn’t in the room with Dr. Pete, as my course work is through video conference, it felt like I was. Dr. Pete was very candid about her personal life, the history of her ancestors, and the stories of her adolescence. She explained her motivation to get into education as a way to be an agent of change. From her telling, Dr. Pete chronicles the roadblocks of completing post secondary education, teaching in high school, defending her Masters Thesis, teaching the future teachers of Saskatchewan at the university, and to finally quitting her job. As Dr. Pete put it, she had enough of the system. I think her frustrations are best framed from a quote in Meschachakanis, A Coyote Narrative: Decolonising Higher Education as, “I’m over teaching (white) students that they have an identity and it is white and privileged.” Dr. Pete is passionate about decolonizing  the system, and has made decisions in her life that are true to her thoughts.

 

The white teacher (me)

Members of my immediate family all identify themselves as white. My mom is a retired school teacher, and my father as a child went to a private school in Southern Ontario. My great-grandparents were settlers in Northern Saskatchewan around Meadow Lake. The point is this, I am the product of white settlers, and the school system has been made for my success. I have been brought up in a culture that is best described by Dr. Pete as white privileged.

I’ve had the opportunity to live in South Korea for 8 years, marry a woman from Bali who doesn’t identify as white, and have children of mixed ancestry. My personal life may reflect an openness to cultures and people, but I am still a part of the dominant culture of a post-colonial society. I feel that being transparent in my ownership of who I am and where I came from provides openness to the truth and reconciliation process with First Nations people.

 

Messages of change to the Reader

What is Dr. Pete’s goal, her message to educators, to me? Dr. Pete outlined in her conversation with us that she wants reciprocity in decolonizing the educational system. As mentioned in class, she explained that it cannot be only one sided responsibility of an aboriginal educator to teach the white people. Dr. Pete targets the readers of the settler society, and challenges the educators to come to terms with their, “whiteness.” Dr. Pete formulates a path in reconciliation where “…only through both Indigenising the curriculum and decolonizing the academy can we possibly achieve reconciliation” Meschachakanis, A Coyote Narrative: Decolonising Higher Education pg 180.

The delivery of her message to the reader of settler identity, which is me, layers itself with the voice she calls Coyote. Coyote and Dr. Pete are one and the same, but Coyote, as Dr. Pete explains, gives voice to what could not be said. Coyote tells the story of being marginalized, while Dr. Pete explains the structures she has worked in. The narrative Dr. Pete provides through text with Coyote gives a sense of change, of doing things differently, and by providing an alternative thought process for the reader to understand her viewpoint.

What Next Researcher?

For two years I had the opportunity to at first be an observer, and then take a greater leadership role in using Resititution and Restorative Practice in the classroom of an elementary school. I  am very grateful to the educators in our school district who are mentoring teachers and making change happen. However, I do recognize that there are deficits in my own teaching practice in decolonizing education and in the school culture. I am encouraged by Dr. Pete’s words with getting into the messiness of it, normalize it, use self study to do the research, and get better at decolonizing education. Being here, and being part of the Master’s of Education Program is itself a conduit for change. Exploring choices, focusing on a specialty (for me it’s presently high school math and science), and using self study to indigenize our education is my plan in moving forward.

A podcast of Dr. Shauneen Pete on Indigenous Research Gaps can be found here.

 

Dr. Shauneen Pete in presently the Indigenous Resurgence Coordinator at the University of Victoria, and continues to work on being an agent for change with educators. Thank-you for the time you provided us to our Master’s of Education class and your candor.

 

 

 

 

"Twitter"by clasesdeperiodismo is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Learning Goal: Use Twitter Effectively

July 12, 2019 / / 2 Comments

As the title implies, I am new at Twitter, and am currently working on developing a Personalized Learning Network (PLN) to find like-minded individuals. As part of my learning path I want to become more proficient with Twitter, how I can use it to interact with specialists and educators in their field, and also disseminate my findings to share with others in using this tool.

To be clear, I hope that no one has been offended for late responses or for not commenting back right away. Being new, it has taken time for me to understand how to navigate through Twitter, the PC option for Twitter, and how to sort out hashtags and finding people (in addition to digital new digital platforms I have been learning to use.)

Today I thought I would use David Truss’ Twitter guide.  Before starting, the book outlines it is a 2 hour read, and is instructed as a, “Tweet as you Learn”

 

Starting the Twitter EDU Guide:

In the introduction, it says to find some Twitter friends. Over the last week I recruited my daughter, my wife, and also had some face time with the Fort St. James crew on twittering.

As suggested, have a PC in front of you and your smartphone sitting on the desk. Already, I have regrets that I didn’t read this book earlier. The pace doesn’t feel overwhelming, and am encouraged to see visual icons for Twitter and what they stand for (which someone else had to explain to me days after setting up my Twitter account!)

 

Did I supertweet?

No, but I did sort out how to retweet a supertweet when reading the supertweet in a tweet stream from #tiegrad

Did I quote the Twitter EDU quote? Yes!

Continuing through David give advice on how it is a challenge to get started, but over time if you continue with it your network will grow. Having a Twitter mentor is helpful too.

Personally,  I find that there is a tsunami of information where links suggested by David go on to more links. For example, David follows Dean Shareski, who has a very interesting Twitter website  that has links to gems of information educator tools, skill sets, and questions to ponder over. I put in a request to follow Dean’s Twitter handle @shareski as well.

Moving forward, the book gives direction to how forward videos through a tweet stream. I did enjoy watching Obvious to you. Amazing to others- by Derek Sivers. As outlined in David’s guide, I posted it on Twitter because it provided a personal connection that others may share in their journey as well. My first Tweet failed due to missing hashtags and the the Youtube address (deleted too much info) but Tweet number 2 was successful.

 

 

David also speaks on the use of apps that help organize social media, with Feedly catching my eye as it is an app that was discussed in class by our professor as a tool to organize social media feeds.

Going through the book, David continues to give direction on Twitter lists from people that have the same interests as you, where to find them on profiles of interest, and how you can select to follow individuals of interest from that list. I chose a few people who were involved with PBL, Inquiry-Based Learning, and the use of technology in their classroom from reading their profile description from David Truss’ list. In addition, David outlines the use of retweeting and quote tweeting and how quote tweeting is more effective in acknowledging an individual and how the process better shares information either through questions, statements, and continued dialogue. Personally, found this quite valuable as I didn’t know how to quote tweet, and only noticed the re-tweet icon.

Additional Support and Guidance from Presenters

Christine YoungHusband provided some insightful information on how to organize yourself with a digital profile. Christine uses her Twitter profile  @ChristineYH exclusively for networking with others in the educational field. I am following through with her suggestion, as it will help filter information that may not be related to my interests. Christine also provided some valuable links for online chat forums, such as the #bcedchat that facilitates conversations centered around learning. Overall, Christine’s presentation to me described intimate learning communities that you can connect to in which geography is longer a restriction in building your learning network.

Ian Landy is an avid blogger, and had some suggestions when creating a blog, such as this one. Ian says that blogging has to be personal and reflective. It has to be relevant, and provide deeper pieces to add more conversation.

Summary of my Personal Growth Using Twitter

David initially outlined his book would take a couple of hours to read, but found it a lengthier +3 hours as I was blogging about my experiences and also trying different platforms with my PC and phone.The last chapter titled, “Other Things to Know,” is a section that will be minced over once I have a better foothold with Twitter.

Already I have noticed my PLN grow. I have received David Truss , Ian Landy, Christine Younghusband as followers, and ones who I am following as well. David was also the first person to make a comment on my blog that was at the time quite rudimentary (it’s looking better now). He provided podcast links which allowed me to here perspectives from a First Nations elder. Twitter is a great platform that you can use to build meaningful connections and am looking forward to using more of it.

Final Reflections

By experiencing Twitter and creating a digital footprint, I created inroads into having deeper conversations and making personal connections to others. Documenting some of the trials and using pieces of wisdom from others provided a guide to how one could use Twitter effectively in creating a Personal Learning Network. Finally, the blog itself and some of the frustrations I described hopefully will provide the reader a better understanding of who I am, with the hope creating more personal connections, support, and guidance in the digital world.

Scholars Before Researchers: David N. Boothe

July 12, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Scholars Before Researchers

Using the 4R’s, I decided to take an approach and focus on the researcher, and what may have been the motivation for writing such a concise article titled Scholars Before Researchers and how one should partake on creating a literature review, and how one can build a foundation moving forward with their research project. The article was concise, clear, and provided tools to move forward in this field. My initial goal was to find other sources of literature both individuals have written, and to find some biographical information online to find some insight on their backgrounds which may have influence on their writing, but had to make a revision of focusing on one author. Each individual has a plethora of accomplishments and personal experiences, so narrowed it down to one author. Therefore, this blog will focus on specifically David N. Boote.

 

The authors  of Scholars Before Researchers  are David N.Boote and Penny Beile. From a Google search, I found that both David and Penny are professors at the University of Central Florida in the school of Teaching, Learning and Leadership.  I believe their proximity as co-workers was conducive for their collaborative work on their article. The manuscript for Scholars Before Researchers was submitted on December 10th, 2003, and was accepted May 6th, 2005 after revisions.

 

David N. Boote

Through the University of Central Florida website, I was able to find David Boote’s CV.I used David’s CV as the basis with providing an understanding of a historical background of academic and work experiences. I wasn’t able to find any personal mention of his life outside an academic career, which may/or may not, suggest David has set up boundaries on his digital footprint.

 

“IMG_5602: University of Central Florida Library”by ATrumbly is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Education

My initial thoughts on David was that he is an American, and his a product of the United States educational system. However, David’s CV implies that he is the product of the Canadian school system. Being Canadian myself, there is some patriotic pride that an accomplished scholar has Canadian roots.

David received a Bachelor of Independent Studies in education and physics from the University of Waterloo in 1994, but was teaching Physics in a classroom from 1991 to 1992 and was also a programmer for IBM in 1990 and 1991.

 

It was important to determine how the Bachelor of Independent studies is organized, so did a search and found out the following excerpt from the University of Waterloo website outlining the Independent Studies Program which stated the following:

“While students in Pre-Thesis Phase may take regular university courses, they are expected to engage in a significant amount of independent study and are encouraged to develop a perspective beyond that of an individual discipline.”

From my understanding, the Independent Studies Program is a mix between work experience and academic courses at the university.

David’s CV also outlines that he received an entrance scholarship to Lakehead University in 1989, but declined it. I feel David’s career to his start in the educational field is far from traditional, where experiences outside of academic world were given value along with attending academic classes for his Bachelor of Independent Studies (B.I.S.). I feel most individuals wouldn’t turn down a scholarship, as it is financial aid and a source of pride and accomplishment. As such, it may provide some insight as to the internal drive of following one’s own path for motivation and learning reflective of choosing a non-traditional educational experience.

Shortly afterwards, David went on to Concordia University to obtain his M.A. in Educational Studies, and then received his interim professional certificate for British Columbia. David worked as a contract researcher for the BC Ministry of Education for a short period, was a researcher assistant for Simon Fraser University, and an instructor for courses  at Simon Fraser University. David received his PhD in Curriculum Theory and Implementation from Simon Fraser University in the year 2000, and then continued his career to the present at the University of Central Florida.

 

Continued Research and Accomplishments

David is also an Ad-hoc manuscript and proposal reviewer. He has a lengthy list of accomplishments, but will make note of the Journals he currently reviews listed below:

Journal of Mixed Methods Research  2010-present

Journal of Teacher Education 2010-present

David is an active participant and contributor to his field of research and work, which is also reflected in his membership to the American Educational Research Association. David has many publications, book chapters, and articles under his name and those he collaborated with others that one would need to refer to his Curriculum Veritae, as it is a copious amount of literature citations. Overall, David is an advisor to the upper echelons of academics, and has been a dissertation supervisor for 23 papers and currently supporting 2 in-progress.

Summary

Simply put, David N. Boote is a juggernaut in his field in teaching, learning and leadership.  Deciphering David’s CV provides glimmers of how David’s personal career historically took shape. David wears many hats, and through his work provides support to the field of education. David has based his career on writing literature, reviewing literature, and guiding others to meet their goals in completing their doctorate thesis.  With David’s collaborative work on  Scholars Before Researchers  with Penny Beile, the authors had to analyze and synthesize research from specialists in their field in relation to setting up a foundational framework for others to create and analyze a literature review. Overall, the Scholars Before Researchers  article is a guide that is concise and supportive for academics. Learning about David made the article more personal, and lent to the experience and knowledge needed to create the article itself.

A Rubric for Literature Review

July 11, 2019 / / 2 Comments

Over the past ten days I have learned about literature reviews in general, examples of literature reviews, and how in my view it is anchoring piece that gives a foundation to a project. The article on Scholars Before Researchers cemented an outline and provided a set of tools for the researcher to assess other literature reviews and what is needed to create your own literature review. I took page of the article that supplied a rubric titled, “Literature Review and Scoring Rubric,” which was adapted from the following book publication:

Hart, C. (1999). Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination. London: SAGE.

Moving forward, I used it to critique an article of my interest and found it quite rewarding, as it provided a snapshot on what worked in the article quite well, and how the article could have provided more depth. Working with peers, we were also able to make comparisons between 3 articles that had specific Project Based Learning (PBL) activities, since all of the group members had picked articles of interest with similar content. We made comparisons on PBL was placed in a historical context of the field, as outlined by our rubric and found varied results. It was a valuable activity to be part of as a learner. Being a novice, more experience will provide better insight on the difference between outstanding, mediocre, and poorly written literature reviews.

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