What if Paper_What if Technology... · 2009-05-04 · What if:Technology in the 21st Century Classroom 1 What if ? Technology in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 21st Century Classroom THE COMMITTEE

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TECHNOLOGYin the 21st Century Classroom

What if ?

AN OPSBA DISCUSSION PAPER

ONTARIO PUBLIC SCHOOL

BOARDS’ ASSOCIATION

439 University Avenue,18th floorToronto, ON M5G 1Y8Tel: (416) 340-2540 Fax: (416) 340-7571E-mail: [email protected]: www.opsba.org

Bloorview School Authority

Bluewater DSB

DSB Niagara

Durham DSB

Greater Essex County DSB

Halton DSB

Hastings & Prince Edward DSB

Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB

Keewatin-Patricia DSB

Lambton Kent DSB

Limestone DSB

Moosonee DSAB

Near North DSB

Ottawa-Carleton DSB

Peel DSB

Rainbow DSB

Renfrew County DSB

Simcoe County DSB

Thames Valley DSB

Toronto DSB

Trillium Lakelands DSB

Upper Canada DSB

Upper Grand DSB

Waterloo Region DSB

York Region DSB

CONTRIBUTING SCHOOL BOARDS

What if: Technology in the 21st Century Classroom 1

What if ?Technology in the 21st Century ClassroomACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

THE COMMITTEEJoe Allin Trustee, Durham DSBMark Bailey Trustee, Upper Grand DSBLoralea Carruthers Vice-President, OPSBADavid Dargie Trustee, Upper Canada DSBDavid Goldsmith Trustee, Lambton Kent DSBHoward Goodman Trustee, Toronto DSBDavid Thompson Trustee, Near North DSB

ASSISTED BYCarmen Fang Student, Parkdale C.I. (TDSB)Jey Jeyarajan Senior Manager, IT Technical Services, TDSBRobert Kennedy Retired Director of Education and Executive, Apple CanadaJanet Murphy Manager, Innovative Learning Solutions, York Region DSB and Project Manager,Advanced Broadband Enabled Learning, York University.Russell Pratt Student, Parkdale C.I. (TDSB) Alison Slack Learning Coordinator- eLearning, Thames Valley DSB and Coordinator,Ontario eLearning ConsortiumJohn Shanks Chief Information Officer, Upper Grand DSBPeter Warren Principal, Virtual Learning, Trillium Lakelands DSB

STAFF SUPPORTSusan Cook Policy and Communications AssociateDave Walpole Director of Program PolicyJeff Sprang Director of Communications

CONTRIBUTING SCHOOL BOARDS25 Public District School Boards and District School Authoritiesprovided input for this Discussion Paper.A full list of the contributors is on the back cover.


What if ?Technology in the 21st Century ClassroomTABLE OF CONTENTS

5 INTRODUCTION

6 The 21st Century Student

10 The 21st Century Teacher

11 INPUT FROM THE FIELD

14 The 21st Century Leaders of Teaching and Learning

16 LEADERSHIP IN TECHNOLOGY: NEW CONCEPTSTO CONSIDER AT THE BOARD LEVEL

17 A PROVINCIAL PERSPECTIVE: WHAT’S NEEDED

18 LEADERSHIP IN TECHNOLOGY: NEW CONCEPTSTO CONSIDER AT THE PROVINCIAL LEVEL

19 Over To You: An Invitation to the Discussion

APPENDICES

21 SCHOOL BOARD COMMENTS ONLEADERSHIP AND COORDINATION

25 CLASSROOM 2.0 SCENARIO

28 FOOTNOTES

This paper asks the question:“How can schools continue to be connectedand relevant in the world of the 21st century?” It explores the relationship between the use oftechnology and the scope for increasing thequality of teaching and learning.

It offers food for thought about the role of usingtools that are meaningful in the lives of studentsto stimulate increased engagement in thelearning process. Current research underway inCanada “What did you do in school today?” is finding that intellectual engagement declinesdramatically among students in grades 6, 7 and 8 and continues to decline, at a slower rate, in grades 9 through 12. What is emergingis a significant link between students’ learningenvironments and student disengagement,dissatisfaction with theirschooling experience,high drop out rates, and difficulties in transitionto post-secondaryeducation.1

This paper suggests that effective learningenvironments thatengage students inmodes of exploration and knowledge-buildingthat are relevant to their experiences are asignificant part of the solution.

At a time when the economy is shrinking, whenthere is again great pressure on the educationdollar, is it not more critical than ever to be

strategic about allocating resources in ways thatwill make the greatest impact?

“Rapid technological change, global competitivepressures and new patterns of work aredemanding a more sophisticated set of transferableskills such as problem-solving, communication,decision-making, teamwork, leadership,entrepreneurship and adaptability.”2

The story that emerges from this paper showsstudents taking charge of their learning in the“connected” classroom and strengthening, everyday, their command of this sophisticated set oftransferable skills. The authors of this paper askall those who are concerned with education inthe 21st century, and who are interested in howschools engage with students to prepare them for

success in a highly connected world,to join the discussion.

The scenario (opposite)is happeningin hundreds of classrooms in Ontariotoday. For other classrooms it is thefuture. To realize that future is achallenge we welcome because it isour opportunity to examine andremove the institutional andorganizational barriers in the school

system that stand in the way of relevant andconnected schools.


What if ?Technology in the 21st Century Classroom

WHAT IF: A 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOM SCENARIO

THE 20 STUDENTS FILING INTO NORA SMITH’S HISTORYCLASSROOM EACH GRAB A RANDOM NETBOOK OFF THE RACKAND HEAD TO THEIR ASSIGNED FOUR-STUDENT TEAMSTATION. Jack sits at his assigned space, plugs his netbook usinga username and password. The central server’s database recognizesthat Jack is in history class and identifies the three other membersof his student team. The screen on Jack’s netbook is populatedwith several pieces of relevant information, broken down intowindows. First, there is the overview of today’s lesson. Next,Jack’s personal, class-related documents and multimedia files arelisted. Finally, there is an instant messaging box that connectsJack to his team and to their teacher. Jack notes that today’slesson is titled “The Life of Louis Riel.”

Smith begins the class with a 15-minute streaming video from the Ministry of Education’s server that provides a brief overview of Louis Riel’s life and political legacy. The video is displayed on an interactive whiteboard at the front of the class and on each netbook. She pausesthe video several times, engages with the students to identify key learning points and has a brief opendiscussion before continuing. Using text and thumbnail photography, the netbooks and the whiteboarddisplay a running summary of the learning points identified by the students during their discussion.(Scenario)

Jack’s team and the other teams in the class move on to working on presentations. The results are livelyand reflect the students’ ease in integrating technology into how they learn: One team presents a videocapture of a war simulation video game called Medieval: Total War recreating a surprisingly realisticversion of the Battle of Fish Creek. Another team uses a cellphone camera to recreate the trial of ThomasScott and Riel’s argument for allowing his execution. Still another team creates an MP3 rap about ColonelWolseley’s incredible journey and eventual confrontation and routing of Riel’s troops at Upper Fort Garry.The rap, assembled with basic music mixing software, has the classroom roaring with laughter. Jack’sgroup is well on its way to completing a 10-page PowerPoint presentation that incorporates images andvideo. The team knows that this is not an exercise in cutting and pasting, but a task involving creating theframework for an argument and using multimedia and Internet sources to back that argument up. Theteam also knows that all references used in the presentation must include an HTTP link citation. Using theMinistry of Education streaming video index, YouTube, Google Images and Wiki searches, the team is soonable to weave together an impressive summary of Riel’s trial and execution. With typical grade 8 enthusiasm,the team argues that Riel’s “martyrdom” was an important event in the evolution of Manitoba’s identity asa new province in Confederation, and uses Wiki and Government of Canada sources to back up their point,including an easily located 1992 federal bill citing Louis Riel as “the founder of Manitoba.” Smith grades the groups based on how well they have created a coherent argument and how well theyincorporate original multimedia content, using appropriate Web-based resources to present and back upthe argument, properly citing sources and providing evidence of effective teamwork. Not for the first time,she wonders whether traditional grading methods are even relevant to this new style of engaged learning.After class it takes her mere moments to enter the grades and post the projects to an online forumaccessible to all students in the class as well as their parents. (Scenario excerpt – full text, page 25)

Learning to Change,Changing to Learn.www.youtube.com/watch?v=

tahTKdEUAPk

“”Change the cultureof education andinfuse it with thesame technologiesfor learning that our students use for living.

DAVID GOLDSMITHTRUSTEE, LAMBTON KENT DSB

INTRODUCTION: DISCUSSION PAPER RATIONALE

Evolution to Revolution

THE STATSCAN GENERAL SOCIAL SURVEY2000 found that the majority of urban andrural youth, some 96% in both cases, reportedusing a computer during the preceding 12months.3

It is now 2009.

Students who were consulted in the preparationof this paper peg the regular use of computerdevices among their peers at 99%. The recentstudy Young Canadians in a Wired World II 4

found that the Internet is the main choice ofstudents searching for information for schoolassignments. This ranges from 62% of Grade 4students to 91% of Grade 11 students. Toddlers are using “Skype”, a form of onlinevideoconferencing, and are picking out theicons on the screen to call their grandparents in another province.

PEEL DSBThe Board has established a web-based tool forteachers to create class web sites. These sites areavailable “anywhere, anytime” to students, teachers,and parents. Teachers can use them in class to accessresources. Homework assignments and announcementscan be placed on the site for students and parents.Parents find this communication more timely thanmonthly newsletters. Classroom resources, such asURLs, can be placed on the class web site; studentscan then easily find the URLs when they go to the classsite in the computer lab, at the library, or at home.Laura Williams Chief Information Officer

SIMCOE COUNTY DSBThe Board has provided video conferencing capabilities to all its elementary and secondaryschools. The use of the equipment continues to growwith many conferences involving other schools andlocations around the world. For example, a SimcoeCounty school, a school in the United States and aschool in Iraq are video conferencing as part of theMachinto project; an international ICT initiative aimed at delivering picture books from schools around theworld to refugee students in war torn countries.Greg Elliott Manager of Information Services

EVOLUTION

THE 21ST CENTURY STUDENT:

What if: Technology in the 21st Century Classroom

Knowledge Ontariowww.knowledgeontario.ca


Private virtual schools are setting up business inOntario and, with the approval of the Ministryof Education, are offering high school creditsthrough “anytime, anywhere” learning.

We are educating a generation of children and youth who have no memory of a worldwithout the Internet, without instant access to information, without an array of media at their fingertips. Innovative use of technology is proliferating in our schools but it is notmatching the stage of development of ourstudents and it is not offering a clear and preferred alternative to the flexibility of virtual schools.

In a very real sense this challenge is not aboutmachines and devices; it is about what learningshould look like. For young people todaylearning occurs in a wider space and time. How do we in the school system facilitatelearning in this wider sense? Students learn as much from peers as from teachers.

The role of teachers encompasses being anexpert guide – a very critical guide. The studentsinterviewed for Young Canadians in a WiredWorld II 5 were adamant that despite theirpreference for the Net, they want to learn inschool: “How can we tell if the information wefind on the Net is true or not?” They want theskills to critically evaluate the validity of thisinformation rather than accepting it as true.

These concerns could be expanded to draw incharacter education in the use of technology.“How do I behave in a social network?” “What is the impact of a digital footprint?”“What does ethical use mean for me?”

However, many students feel that when theycome into school they have to “power down” to fit into an environment that offers feweroptions for learning than are available in the life they live outside of the school. This canerode students’ perceptions of the relevance of education as they experience it in manyschools today.

TORONTO DSBThe Academic Workspace is a powerful integrated ICT(Information and Communication Technology) platformthat engages district-wide collaboration and interactionsamong students, teachers, parents and school staffusing 21st century ICT tools. It is inclusive and extendsthe teaching and learning moments from the day-time5 hours face to face; to on-line; to home, anytimeanywhere learning with built-in tools to support webconferencing and meeting rooms. Jacob Chan General Manager, Information Technology

YORK REGION DSBAdvanced Broadband Enabled Learning (ABEL) is aprogram that uses a combination of technologies,blended program design, content and expertise toimpress upon teachers, faculty and students theeducational value of ICT for teaching and learning.Guided by its vision to transform learning by connectingpeople ABEL has worked collaboratively with postsecondary institutions, businesses and school districtssince 2002 to provide the practical and theoreticalknowledge to assist school districts to leverage ICT forteacher professional growth and student achievement.Teachers engage in “job-embedded” learning, studentsuse broadband networks and ICT to develop inquiry-based projects, to communicate with each other and toconnect with the real world, and dynamic school leadersmentor each other as they study “current research” anddevelop pedagogy for the twenty-first century learner.Janet Murphy Manager, Innovative Learning Solutions

What if: Technology in the 21st Century Classroom What if: Technology in the 21st Century Classroom 9

We currently do and always will put a highpremium on literacy. For clarity, let us use thisdefinition of literacy: “Literacy involves thedevelopment of a continuum of skills, knowledgeand attitudes that prepare all of our learners forlife in a changing world community. It beginswith the fundamental acquisition of skills inreading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing,representing and responding. It becomes theability to understand, think, apply andcommunicate effectively in all subject andprogram areas in a variety of ways for a varietyof purposes.” 6

Literacy is constantly evolving and we need toexamine how it evolves. If literacy is the abilityof the individual to articulate ideas in the mainmedium of society, how relevant are our currentapproaches? Paper and pen still have their placebut there are other powerful tools for literacythat are more relevant to the world in whichstudents live and learn.

TRILLIUM LAKELANDS DSBThe Virtual Learning Centre is an online school and isknown provincially as an early adopter of things likesynchronous instruction with streamed audio andvideo, interactive shared whiteboards, online librariesof full text and streamed media, podcasting and voicethreads. Students take online courses for a variety ofreasons and our feedback is that these courses arewell designed, rigorous and incredibly importantoptions for students who may have special needs,illness or life conditions that preclude them fromattending bricks and mortar schools. Report card andattrition data coupled with online surveys suggests theprogram is the key to achievement for many students.Diana Scates District Principal

The classroom of the 21st Century remainsfilled with human interaction but the dynamicsare changed; the teacher is playing a differentrole and the student has a different level ofownership. Students are taking moreresponsibility and control over their learning.

Connected, relevant learning is not aboutbolting technology on to traditional models ofteaching. 21st Century learners are adept atmulti-tasking, grabbing information in bites,customizing it for themselves, and are engagedin sharing and building more knowledge all thetime. They don’t think of the media they use as“technology.”

The measure then isn’t about how many devices or pieces of software are employed; it is emphatically about engaging students and guiding them to be far-reaching in theirinquiries as well as critical and principled intheir use of the knowledge at their fingertips; it is about creating stimulating schoolenvironments and these may not always becontained within four walls.

“21st century students need the skills to create,analyze and collaborate.”7

KAWARTHA PINE RIDGE DSBWe have been integrating web 2.0 technologies intovarious classrooms in the board where championteachers have taken it and made use of blogs wikis andpodcasts. These have been done at all grade levels.Professional Learning communities have been veryeffective in developing teacher buy in.Robert Andrews Superintendent of Education

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REVOLUTION


A HIGH PROPORTION OF TEACHERS inOntario classrooms graduated from teachereducation programs in an era when technology,if it was a factor at all, was seen as an esotericbell or whistle. Many have incorporated someof the advantages of the wired world into theirpersonal lives and from there into theirprofessional practice in the classroom. Manyhave not. Most faculties of education have notrushed to embed the resources of technology intheir programs and professional developmentofferings for teachers, more often than not,adhere to traditional class and workshopmodalities.8 Technology as part of teachereducation was not on the agenda four yearsago. Faculties are realizing they need to helpteachers be better prepared. The notion ofelective courses on use of technology is oldschool thinking. The pressure is to embedtechnology in effective classroom strategies. A common challenge for faculties of educationis that their pre-service candidates do not oftenhave access to hook up notebooks in theirpracticum schools where the host teachers areteaching in a traditional manner.

DSB NIAGARAThe first large-scale delivery of video in this format inOntario, our video streaming initiative has turned intoofferings of over 800 titles from our Media Centre.Students have access to the titles at school on theWAN, while classroom teachers have access to allstreamed videos both at school and at home for lessonpreparation purposes. Video is completely on demand;available when it is needed to support student learning.David Miller eLearning & ICT Consultant

Evolution to Revolution

EVOLUTION

THE 21ST CENTURY TEACHER:

While recognizing that there are many teacherswho are experienced and gifted mentors, it isalso a fact that new teachers, who have littlerecollection of a world without the conveniencesof an array of software and the ever-availableInternet, sometimes enter their practicumexperience brimming with ideas aboutintegrating multi-media approaches in theirteaching only to encounter resistance and betold by their mentors: “That’s not the way wedo it here.”

Technologies of the 21st century are still verymuch an administrative tool for creating reportcards and recording marks and attendance.They are only now beginning to emerge as aconvenient, “anytime, anywhere” classroomteaching tool and a way to access professionaldevelopment.

Yet there are many examples (see previoussection) in schools across the province ofteachers who have introduced excitinginnovations in the classroom, engaging studentsand challenging them to dig deep and use allthe resources of the digital world to create richand professional pieces of work. Often thatteacher becomes the expert or champion for the school or a group of schools, working hardwith little additional reward to impart enthusiasmfor the potential of embedding technology inteaching practice.

Teachers in many schools are using technologyto support different learning styles and engageall learners, offering developmentally appropriatelearning experiences through a variety of media.What is missing is a comprehensive set ofguidelines for all teachers that describe howthey should use technology to: promoteinnovative thinking and collaborative work;incorporate rich digital resources into studentlearning; employ varied assessment methodsthat can in turn improve learning; model ethicalpractices in the digital age and strengthen theirown professional development.

THAMES VALLEY DSBWith the necessity of electronic report cards and useof email for communication, this has certainlyincreased the base level of skills in all staff members.Valerie Neilsen Superintendent of IT Services

KAWARTHA PINE RIDGE DSBThere is currently a growing awareness that ICT can augment student engagement. Those who havediscovered the benefits of working in a connectedworld are moving forward in their own implementationof technology-based instruction projects. Interestamong teachers is strong with regard to use of ICTwhen it is shown how it can help kids to be successfuland when supported with PD and by administration. Robert Andrews Superintendent of Education

NEAR NORTH DSBThere are pockets of excellence that do exist in ourboard especially with the use of EducationalTechnology (ET), which is apparent in classroom hubs. ET is being used to assist with differentiatedinstruction and individualized instruction.Kelly Brown Superintendent of Schools and Program

RAINBOW DSBTeachers are embracing ICT in their instructionalpractice. Various incentives, including a computer in all teaching areas in all schools, encourages the use of ICT in the classroom. In 2007, an incentive thatensured that all schools had at least one SMARTBoard, inspired a renewed interest in technology.Teachers voluntarily attend after-school workshops onvarious topics of ICT on a regular basis, demonstratinga continued interest to expand their knowledge of ICTinstructional strategies.Jean Hanson Director of Education

INPUT FROM THE FIELDe-Learning Ontariowww.elearningontario.ca

When it comes to ease with technology, thehierarchy in the classroom is inverted – students are, by and large, more proficient andcomfortable in the digital environment than the teacher. And that’s okay – it is what one expects as the upcoming generation embracestechnologies in an unprecedented fashion. The role reversal where the student is the expertoffers a tremendous opportunity for a democraticlearning community in the classroom. The levelof engagement is high and the environment isrich with peer to peer learning dynamics.

The Classroom Scenario that forms the sub-textfor this Discussion Paper addresses the changingrole of the teacher. That role involves developingin students skills that equip them to learn howto learn, a skill that will go on opening doorsfor them all their lives. With the digitalresources available to them, students have accessto oceans of knowledge. What they need toacquire is the critical skills to assess what isreliable, authentic information and separate thisfrom unfounded opinion. They need the expertguidance of teachers to be able to make thesejudgements and to construct reasoned, coherentrepresentations of what they draw from theinformation available to them. As noted in theYoung Canadians in a Wired World II study,students want to be able to turn to their teachersto develop their authentication skills.

The students who contributed to this Paperhighlighted other experiences they value inbeing in a classroom setting with a teacher: “In school you can communicate with classmatesand have a connection with the teacher. Thedownside of e-learning is that you don’t havethe discussions with the rest of the grouptogether in class. Students that take courses bye-learning don’t even know what a seminar is.”Carmen Fang

TRILIUM LAKELANDS DSBGenerally, the capacity of teachers with ICT skills is notkeeping pace with the need to achieve active integrationinto classrooms and the gap is widening. There are anumber of factors responsible for this: school leadership,allocation of resources, training and, most importantlythe great number of Ministry driven initiatives thatimpinge on training. As more technologies emerge andas student skills and expectations increase, teachersfeel overwhelmed and left behind. So, rather thanviewing ICT as integral, it is viewed as external,additional and daunting. The level of teacher use of ICTvaries greatly from school to school, and from class toclass. It depends not only on the skill of the staff, butthe leadership and initiative that has been taken in theschool. Some teachers have effectively integrated ICTinto the curriculum while others are using computersas an add-on activity, if at all.Diana Scates District Principal

YORK REGION DSBCurrently we are hearing that administrators andteachers want more site-based and participant drivenprofessional learning opportunities. This feedbackcomes from the District’s learning networks and theirsite and family-based literacy foci. As a result YorkRegion is developing and implementing a blendedlearning strategy to support job-embedded continuouslearning, and as the 2008-2009 school unfolds thisstrategy will be expanded to include many professionallearning opportunities. We are applying an ICT strategyto the delivery and development of professional andleadership learning programs that are targeted andintentionalJanet Murphy Manager, Innovative Learning Solution


REVOLUTION GREATER ESSEX COUNTY DSBThere is a strong desire, for the most part, fromteachers wishing to use ICT in the classroom. Thisyear saw increasing use of blogging, podcasting, classwebpages, internet use and literacy in the classrooms.Mary Guthrie Chief Information Officer

BLUEWATER DSBGeneral level of ICT use is in the middle but growingevery year. Interest is skyrocketing. There is more andmore demand from teachers for equipment, softwareand bandwidth... Internet usage has grown by 1100%in the last 4 years.Michael Morgan Chief Information Officer

Students value the learning that unfolds throughface-to-face dialogue and debate with peers thatis moderated by a teacher who brings expertiseto the subject.

Teachers will need active and ongoing support in adapting to this changing role. Working withalready “connected” students and blending arich array of easy-to-access resources into theteaching-learning dynamic brings curriculum tolife, engages students, and creates a learningenvironment where everyone has an active roleand shared responsibility.

One necessary pillar of adaptation involvesembedding the efficient use of technology in thecurriculum, abandoning the notion that, in thedigital world we live in, technology is separablefrom learning. Think of the redundancy of using an atlas as the resource for a geographyassignment in an age where textbooks cannotkeep pace with changes in nation boundariesand we have Google Earth at our fingertips. It isarguable that learning is not efficient or relevantif we are not using the technology tools availableto us.

Another necessary pillar is professionaldevelopment and how it is delivered. Technologycreates opportunities for job-embeddedprofessional learning. Applying software in anauthentic content-based context must replaceteaching the nuts and bolts of how softwareworks. We talk of anytime, anywhere learningfor students and the same is true of teachers.This involves having online professional learningprograms rather than event-based congregatedProfessional Development. The latter is shown to have little return on investment; the formermodels what learning today and tomorrow lookslike. The Ministry of Education has been workingin this direction and currently have the tools,such as 45 minute webinars, to put teacherProfessional Development on line.


Leaders of Teaching and Learning

THE 21ST CENTURY LEADER:

AS A SOCIETY AND A SCHOOL SYSTEMwe have substantially arrived at the capacity for integrating technology into teaching andlearning as described in the scenario thatunderpins this Discussion Paper. Studentsalready inhabit this world. They even come toschool with the technology on them. Certainlythe current generation of Notebook devicesallow for personalized and collaborative learningand they are closing in on being as affordable as traditional textbooks. However, challengesremain in the form of institutional andorganizational barriers in the school system atthe board and provincial level.

If we accept that there is no debate about howtechnology has revolutionized the way we live,it should be an easy step to embracing howtechnology should revolutionize what learninglooks like not onlytoday but five and tenyears out. This entailsa vision of programrevitalization,technology embeddedin curriculummethodology andexpectations, awireless learningenvironment thatmoves us from desktop to mobile devices,leveraging what is already available in the worldof information and communications technologywhere lateral learning thrives and socialnetworking is a force for democratic change.

It entails a revisioning as well of our structures,how we build buildings, how we structuretimetables, how we integrate curriculumstreams.

A key component of building and realizing thevision is leadership at the local school boardlevel. Sustained change that is supported byteachers, parents and students requires thateach board of trustees and each Director ofEducation together articulate a clear vision of the learner and the learning process in the21st century and a clear vision of effectiveteaching practice in the digital age.

PRACTICAL REASONS TO ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE

It is tempting to turn this on its head andspeculate about what willhappen if we do not embracechange. A graphic illustrationof this would be the NorthAmerican automotive sectorwhich in 2008 has revealeditself to be a dinosaur that hasignored its environment andfailed, not only to anticipatewhat its customers would want,but even to respond to them

when they made their wants known throughtheir defection to small, environment-friendlyautomobiles made in Asia and Europe.

In the public school sector, failure to changecreates the risk of increasing numbers of studentsdisengaged from traditional school learningenvironments as the disconnect grows betweenhow young people live and the modalities forlearning offered to them. Carmen Fang, a Grade11 student commenting on her experiences in atraditional classroom, said: “You can see itquite clearly – the students who are the mostadvanced in their use of technology are thestudents who are the most disengaged in thetraditional classroom.”

Student engagement is fundamental tomaintaining a viable and vibrant publiceducation system. The Ontario government has accorded singular priority to the value ofeducation. It embodies this in three goals thatinform all its decision-making in this sphere:

D Higher levels of student achievement

D Reduced gaps in student achievement

D Increased public confidence in publiclyfunded education

The government has set a goal of achieving ahigh school graduation rate of 75%. Since thegoal was set, improvements have been evident.A significant factor in these improvements wasthe level of investment that has been made inthe Student Success (SS/L18) initiative. Why has this initiative shown positive results?Dr. Charles Ungerleider, the PrincipalInvestigator in the recent preliminary evaluationof this initiative puts it this way: “[the strategy]appears to be succeeding in providing a morerespectful and responsive school environmentfor students and increased opportunities forthem to remain in and benefit from secondaryschooling in ways that provide a foundation for work and study following high school. Inparticular, the SS/L18 strategy provides morechoices for students not bound for university,more chances to make up lost ground betterrecognizing the maturation process ofadolescence, and more supportive andindividualized attention through program

and transition planning.” In the section of theevaluation study that focuses on its strengths,the following observations are made:

“The SS/L18 Strategy is challengingOntario’s traditional secondary schoolculture in a number of positive ways:

D All pathways are valued;

D A new focus on student engagement, and those who leave school because they are disengaged;

D Focus is on the students and the subjectmatter, not just on the subject matter;

D The importance of getting students off to a good start in secondary school,including individualized timetables...

A further strength of the SS/L18 Strategy is that it is very non-traditional: it is grass-roots engaged, it encouragesinnovation at the local level, and it places great emphasis on collaboration,networking, and sharing.”

The rate of improvement in graduation rates isbeginning to level off, and it is worth examiningwhether the factors that have made the SS/L18Strategy successful need to be more broadlyapplied across the entire school system with afocus on the embedding of technology inlearning experience and teaching practice. It is arguable that this goes to the heart ofwidespread student engagement in the 21stcentury. SS/L18 allows students to make strongconnections between learning and the world as they experience it. It also, in the words of Dr. Ungerleider, “demands new notions ofteachers’ professional responsibilities, and (is) at odds with traditional timetabling, planningand staffing routines that are often engrained in traditional or contractual relations to thedetriment of students.”

“”Effecting Change throughSocial Networking

The provisions of the OntarioBill that would have restrictedthe number of passengers ayoung driver could carrywere successfully challengedby a massive campaignlaunched primarily by youngpeople through Facebook.

DECEMBER, 2008

TVOwww.tvo.org


These concepts echo what is evolving in theworld of information and communicationstechnology and how it contributes to “anytime,anywhere” learning. What is evolving is anevident momentum among students and manyteachers for learning that is grass-rootsengaged, encourages innovation at the locallevel, and places great emphasis oncollaboration, networking, and sharing. WhileSS/L18 is centred in secondary education, thereport speaks to the formative base provided atthe elementary level. The values are applicableacross the school system.

ENLARGING THE VISION

We referred earlier to institutional andorganizational barriers in the school system atthe board and provincial level. While thesuccesses with the SS/L18 strategy demonstratethat barriers can be overcome to make way fornecessary and desired change, it requiresvisionary thinking,concerted effort, redirectionof resources and a greatdeal of good will.

It will be necessary toexamine these barriers.

LEADERSHIP INTECHNOLOGY: New conceptsto consider at the Board level

D How can we promote broad-scale planningand leadership for excellence in theintegration of technology at each school sothat the “bubbles of excellence” that exist insome schools and classrooms become thenorm across the system?

D What is the optimum balance of out-of-school/online/e-learning and in-class learningand what are the successful practices alreadyin place?

D What is needed for all boards to be able tooffer blended, collaborative learning throughthe use of web-based tools?

D Can we find ways to open up technologysystems restraints?

D Can we have a system that allows students touse for learning the technology devices theyare already wearing?

D Can we afford to delay investing in universalaccess to broadband width that ensuresmedia-rich content for all students?

D Can we build an open capacity to connectschool to school, board to board, board topost-secondary institution?

D Can we develop a secure network that allowsanything to be downloaded safely such asopen source software (Sketch Pad, Audacity,Photostory)?

D Can we have parallel networks with thebusiness side of the system secure and thestudent learning side open?

D Can we develop operatingnorms that promote systemsthat are secure and safe, based on high quality andgood research and values ofacceptable use and that strivefor a goal of “Anything,anywhere, any time”?

D Can we have interoperable systems that willaccommodate both the technology initiatedby the board and the technology studentsbring to school?

D Can we promote integration of Curriculum,Information Technology and ProfessionalDevelopment departments in every schoolboard so that there is common vision andaligned supports for learning?

D How can we set up an approach to coachingfor teachers in technological literacy andonline Professional Development that isshared amongst boards?

D Can we examine the most cost-effective wayof providing infrastructure such as usinguniversity systems as the backbone?

D How do we build student input into strategicplanning on technology decisions, not just atthe site but at the system level, given thatintegrated support for technology needs toinclude student expertise?*

D How do we further engage partnerships that add value, e.g. through broad scaleprovincial purchasing?

A PROVINCIAL PERSPECTIVE: WHAT’S NEEDED

As early as JK children are using technology athome. It is part of their daily lives but hard tofind it in elementary classrooms. While the useof technology increases through middle schooland is significant in secondary schools, there is still an element of “spray and pray” in howresources are allocated, supported and used.There is a need to recognize the fundamentalimportance of the effective use of technology to learning and student engagement of acomprehensive provincial strategy.

Driven by the value of student engagement, thisstrategy would embrace:

D an understanding that engagement underliesachievement;

D equity of access to the resources;

D flexible vision of technology that goesbeyond computers to delivery of services tothe device in the classroom. (More andmore, tools will be web-based so the visionhas to leave behind the notion of owning thedevice in the classroom.);

D collaboration among boards and schoolsystems for operational efficiency thatensures effective expenditure of tax dollars;

D embedding in the curriculum the practice ofusing the most effective tools for teachingand learning so that printed textbooks,

“”If at first the idea isnot absurd, then thereis no hope for it.

ALBERT EINSTEIN

HASTINGS PRINCE EDWARD DSBUltimately if a program is to succeed and flourish in a school, the school’s administration needs to besupportive. Matt Norton Senior IT Services Manager

TORONTO DSBThe Board’s Academic Workspace (AW) environment is highly engaging due to its built-in web 2.0 tools,unified communications capability (e.g. live presenceand web meetings) and accessibility to information ofvalue (existing and new) to support the roles ofstakeholders. The environment fosters innovativepractices. A system-level process can harvest theseinnovative practices, assess and endorse those trulyexemplary practices for sharing and implement themsystem-wide. Central staff can also leverage the sameenvironment to engage leading edge practices orimplement Ministry directives. This environmentencourages both bottom-up and top-down approachesand in doing so, nurture a culture of inclusiveness,empowerment and ownership. Jacob Chan General Manager, IT

DURHAM DSBICT leadership in schools should come from thestudents, teachers, and administrators using ICT in theclassroom.Martyn Beckett Director of Education

WATERLOO REGION DSBICT leadership is a shared responsibility at all levels from the Ministry, Boards, Principals, central support staff and teachers. Strategies need to becomprehensive and coordinated to maximize impactand change. Strategies must limit the optional aspectsof implementing ICT to have a lasting impact on ourstudents.Mark Carbone CIO

SOME BOARD COMMENTS ON LEADERSHIP

*If boards were to issue a common assignment to students andhad students identify the resources and technology they usedto get an answer, the list would be both comprehensive andinformative for strategic planning on technology decisions.


blackboards, iPhones, Smartboards, etc. arevalued as current tools and reflective of whatis being used in mainstream society;

D promotion of job-embedded, content-based“anytime, anywhere” professionaldevelopment for teachers to supporttechnological literacy;

D adjustments in the funding formula toredistribute funding to reflect the changes inlearning environment and tools necessitatedby how technology has revolutionizedeveryday life.

LEADERSHIP INTECHNOLOGY: New conceptsto consider at the provincial level

D How do we advocate for deeper levels ofcoordination that embrace all stakeholdersincluding faculties of education, textbookpublishers, the technology industry etc.?

D How are funding lines reshaped to allow for21st century learning environments – onlineresources replacing textbooks, virtualclassrooms?

D Do we need new terminology to replaceInformation and CommunicationsTechnology to change the perception thatcurriculum and learning are discreetendeavours and that technology is an optionallayer?

D Will the Ministry of Education extend theoptions enjoyed by accredited private schoolsto the public school system, e.g. ability tooffer online programs outside Ontario?

D How will we provide for student-initiatedchange in a time when students are alreadymaking “out of the box” choices?

D For students, up to fifty per cent ofinformation and review doesn’t need to takeplace face to face, the interactive learning,seminar-style discussion does – how will we validate an environment that is already

calling for a change in where learning takesplace? (This is not about a face-to-face settingversus online. Acquiring all credits online isgood for 10% of the population, e.g., eliteathletes, youth coping with depression.Hybrid blended learning, a combination ofonline and classroom helps marginalized kids.)

D How can we keep pace with change in a waythat engages students not only in learning butin the human connections and foundation forsocial cohesion that the public school systemprovides?

D Is there a need to identify and promotestandards or competencies for the use ofInformation and Communications Technologyin teaching and learning, standards thatwould be embedded in curriculumexpectations? (Some school boards havealready done this, e.g. adoption of ISTEstandards.)

D How can the province address the barrier toequitable opportunity presented by lack ofaccess to hi-speed internet that still exists inmany places?

D How are we preparing students to acquirethe skill set that is vital to success in an e-learning environment? (Time management,organization, problem-solving, criticalanalysis, focussed reading).

D What can be done to replicate the successfulconsortia developed for transportation andpurchasing so that there is greatercollaboration and operational efficiencyamong boards in developingSIS/Payroll/Accounting systems?

D Boards are in the same business, reporting tothe same funder; it is ineffective to duplicateback-end infrastructure. Through the efforts of OASBO, the Ministry could, for example, support the implementation of acommunications backbone with a providersuch as ORION, and set up data centreswith support for a pyramid of software.

GETTING STARTEDAlthough the classroom scenario in this DiscussionPaper is fictional, it is a composite of many approachesto education that are emerging in Ontario classroomsright now, approaches that seamlessly blend thedynamic options offered by technology with richearning experiences that engage students. The key isto be found not in any one particular technology, but ina willingness to update the classroom environment toreflect the communication technologies.Mark Bailey Trustee, Upper Grand DSB

THE PREMISE UNDERLYING THISDISCUSSION PAPER is that the publiceducation system is in danger of being leftbehind by the students it serves.

The ideas and questions we offer in this paperare intended to stimulate a discussion that willhelp to further define where schools need to goto fulfill their role in preparing students for thesociety they live in today and will live intomorrow. So the question is: How can wemake this happen? In our research anddiscussions with school board staff it becameclear that while there is innovative practice tosupport the integration of modern technologyinto the operations of the board, schools andclassrooms, it is not because of a provincialvision or plan. It is because of leadership whichis often teacher and board staff generated.

We encourage you to examine the issues raisedin this paper about defining a vision for theschools of the province and developing a planfor moving forward. This will raise questionsabout allocating resources to address a range ofneeds. these include: connectivity and bandwidth,provincial licensing of software, standards topromote consistency, support for pre-servicetraining and ongoing professional growth needsof staff, portals to further engage parents, and,overall, initiatives that encourage and supportinnovation and leadership throughout the entireeducation system.

OVER TO YOU

An Invitation to theDiscussion

WILL THE SCENARIO BECOME THE REALITY?

Learning Connectionswww.abelearn.sharpschool.com


Parents particularly will welcome a voice inhow the local school and local school boardwork with them to strengthen their involvementin the education of their children. We live in aworld where, frequently, both parents workoutside the home and lone parents struggle tobalance many pressures – all of them havelimited supplies of time and energy. Schoolsincreasingly will need to be able to offer whatthe parent in the following scenario regards as a lifesaver:

She is able to find a moment almost every day to check in on class websites of both herchildren. Here she can see the homework thatwas assigned. She can click on her son’s name(Tommy) or her daughter’s name (Emily) andaccess a special parent portal where she inputsher unique password. It gives her a timeline foroutstanding homework and future homework.She can also log in to classroom instruction tounderstand exactly what has been taught sothat she can better support her children’slearning from home. She can access a log ofmarks to date and see for herself how each ofher children is doing. The assessment plan isavailable so she knows each of the assessmentscompleted and/or planned and also their relativeimportance. This helps her to focus her kidstoward aligning their time commitmentsappropriately. She can also access their classschedules online with test dates included which helps her to make sure that she steersclear of important school dates when bookingorthodontic appointments for the kids. There iseven a place for two- way communication withthe teacher so that if an issue comes up theteacher can let her know and vice versa. Shecan also access Tommy’s IEP online and makenotes to herself about possible input she wouldlike to provide at the next teacher conference.Flora MacDonald Parent, York Region DSB

ALL RESPONDENT SCHOOL BOARDSSUPPORTED THE IDEA of province-widestandards for integration of information andcommunication technology in teaching andlearning. Some specific comments were:

Provincial leadership is required if standards are to be developed. A review of standardsestablished by a number of Ontario schoolboards shows a wide variety of priorities. As inthe case of eLearning and report cards, thetendency for school boards to develop theirown priorities in the absence of Provincialleadership has created an unsustainablepatchwork of solutions.Bill MacKenzie ICT Consultant, Upper Grand DSB

Clearly identified standards will impact Facultyof Education teacher preparation programs,identify hiring standards for school districts,and establish instructional practice guidelinesfor the classroom and for communityengagement. Many jurisdictions locally,provincially and internationally have alreadydeveloped ICT student, teacher andadministrator standards based on literategraduate indicators. Developing standards forOntario may be informed by these alreadydeveloped criteria. Without clear standards wecannot measure our success and we cannotwork towards iterative improvement. Janet Murphy Manager, Innovative Learning Solutions,York Region DSB

APPENDICES

School Board Commentson Leadership andCoordinationat the Provincial Level

Every classroom, whether elementary orsecondary, should be funded for:D internet accessD a warrantied computerD a shared projection device (such as an LCD

projector)D access to LINUX instructional software

Every elementary school should have:D document camerasD a warrantied lab with a shared projection

device per 400 students

Every secondary school should have:D one warrantied lab per 170 students in order

to meet curriculum expectationsD 6-10 computers for credit recovery, student

support centres, and guidanceD 1 class set of 24 computers in the library for

student research

Teachers benefit from:D release time to learn to incorporate new

instructional strategies available onlythrough ICT and web resources

D technology resource teacher support for 1-2 years

Laura Williams CIO, Peel DSB

The use of Internet-based tools and applicationsoffers a powerful communication link to bringparents into the classroom, to share informationwith their children’s teachers and to be part oftheir life at school. We need to hear from parentsnot just about what they want for their childrenin today’s schools but what will help them to befully engaged in 21st century education.

It is hoped that you – the educators, parents,students, community members and individualsinspired by the possibilities for education in the 21st century – will offer your advice andcomments at [email protected]. The ideasyou contribute and the ideas presented throughthe classroom and parent scenarios in thispaper will set the agenda for a much-neededprovincial Round Table on “Connected andRelevant: Schools for Today and Tomorrow.”


Use of technology (without being prescriptive asto the type of technology) could be embeddedin all curriculum documents (minutes per day is present focus). Rubrics would incorporateseveral levels of tech, such that appropriatestaffing and budgeting for these projects wouldbe easier to justify. Stable, consistent teachingand learning environments: In the past,computers have been allocated to schools basedsolely on a mathematical formula (ratio ofstudents/computer). While equitable, thisprocess has lead to a mishmash of models andoperating systems that can lead to userfrustration, problematic support issues, anddecreased time on task for learners. Dave Miller Manager, Business and LearningTechnologies, Ottawa-Carleton DSB

Making the 21st century learner philosophy asout lined by the Making Gains group a prioritymessage on how technology can supportlearning in a relevant context for students. Thedraft library document would also be a goodplace to start in raising awareness of the loss ofrelevance of education to students when literacyand numeracy is delivered in traditional formats.Robert Andrews Superintendent of Education,Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB

(Provincially there should be) a mandated ICTdocument: ICT is currently an ‘add-on’ in thecurriculum documents. All of these documentsstate “wherever possible, teachers shouldincorporate ICT …” However, the choice ofwhether to use ICT is generally left entirely up to the teacher. Given the number of newinitiatives and directions we are asking ourschools to embrace, ICT needs to be viewed asan efficiency which supports other initiatives.Diana Scates District Principal, Trillium Lakelands DSB

There needs to be standards developed fortechnology to support curriculum delivery. With proper infrastructure, boards and schoolscan develop a sound, sustainable and securenetwork that would allow staff and students to

utilize their own technology, i.e. phones, PDA’s,laptops, Ipods, etc.Wayne Toms Manager, IT & Planning, Limestone DSB

While we have adopted the NETS (NationalEducational Technology Standards) within ourboard, and have provided release time for thedevelopment of lessons to support this, it wouldbe helpful to have these standards (or anotherappropriate set) promoted and endorsed at aprovincial level. In this way, boards would notall be “doing their own thing”, and we couldbenefit from the work done by each other.Valerie Nielsen Superintendent of Education, Thames Valley DSB

Provide boards with the money for infrastructure(firewalls) that allow schools to become hubswhere parents and students can enter thebuilding and access all aspects of the educationalcommunity. Schools presently service and allowaccess for computers owned by the school – we have to develop the means by which when astudent enters a building with their owncomputer we can allow access to a vibrant,connected educational community. Promotevirtual learning centers or hubs based out ofschools that serve the school and community.Kelly Brown Superintendent of Schools and Program,Near North DSB

Moosonee District is located in the remote area of James Bay. We would like to see laisonstaff lured by The Ministry to visit schools andprovide staff with support to incorporatetechnology in teaching and learning. Janette Corston Vice-President, Moosonee P.S.

In other provinces, there is leadership andinfrastructure provided by the government sothat there is equitable access to ICT by studentsand staff; in Ontario infrastructure dollars areenrolment driven which results in wide variance.Until the systemic inequities are addressed andboards have equal access to networkinfrastructure at reasonable cost, it is unrealisticto establish standards for ICT in the classroom.

Currently, it is not possible to replicate thewonderful ICT projects taking place in urbancentres in Renfrew County. We do benefit fromand appreciate access to provincially licencedsoftware for classroom use. One future exampleof provincial coordination could be a provinciallicence for Microsoft Office which is used inclassroom and business applications. Thiswould reduce costs for everyone. Eleonor Newman Director of Education (former),Renfrew County DSB

Leadership for ICT needs to be central andcoordinated amongst departments withindistricts. Traditionally, ICT is viewed as adistinct entity as opposed to central to all of thework that we do. As such, there are pockets ofenergy and pockets of money to support ICT.This results in a fragmented and haphazarddeployment. It also calls into question longerterm sustainability and hampers our ability toremain current and forward thinking. Theleadership needs to remain in the districts not at the ministry, but leadership in policy andresources at the Ministry level are clearly key.Diana Scates District Principal, Trillium Lakelands DSB

The province should work with the College ofTeachers to increase the emphasis on learningand using technology for new teachers. Ournew teachers, although more technologicallyliterate than some of the more experiencedteachers, are still not, as a whole, at the levelneeded to maximize the use of technology inthe classroom. Greg Elliott Manager, Information Services, Simcoe County DSB

We would like to see ICT presented as simply“good teaching” and included in associationwith the many instructional strategies and toolsavailable to teachers. On-line training supportsfor teachers that delve into what embeddedtechnology looks like in a classroom would beuseful.Lisa Grothier Manager, Information Systems Services,Upper Canada DSB

Ontario needs a 5 year Strategic Plan for ICT in EducationDavid Miller eLearning & ICT Consultant, DSB Niagara

Support the SEA process by establishingprovincial standards for hardware and softwarefor students with special needs. Currently,school boards have independently developedtheir own standards. Like report cards andeLearning, provincial leadership in this area isrequired.

Advocacy for improved bandwidth to ruralcommunities in the province will support equityof access for all students and educators bypartnering with organizations such as ORION

As the Curriculum Review Process continues,opportunities for technology integration shouldbe explicitly considered, with considerationgiven to recommendations for the types andquantities of technology required for eachcourse

The Learning Management System used byeLearning Ontario provides an ideal platformfor the delivery of professional learning coursesfor educators and students

Embed technology within professional learningopportunities. Currently provincial agenciessuch as the LNS leverage the Internet throughCurriculum Services Canada to reach out toschools. Using a variety of modalities fromwebinars to podcasts, teachers can engage inprofessional learning in their environment. Bill MacKenzie ICT Consultant, Upper Grand DSB

Documents or videos showing best practices forthe use of OESS licensed software would maketerrific professional development materials. Best and safe practices for the use of Web 2.0 toenhance the classroom would be helpful as well.Currently, many boards block some of thiscutting edge capability in the name of safety.Unfortunately, the fallout of this is that studentswill learn to use the technologies on their ownwithout the discipline of a formal approach.This leads to the student not being aware ofbullying, harassment, or privacy issues. A province-wide discussion should be convenedto resolve the question of content-blocking.Mary Guthrie CIO, Greater Essex DSB

Provincial online course delivery through onecentralized online school; provincial trainingmodules for key OSAPAC applications; provincialframework for teacher competencies to useICT; tighter provincial standards for softwarelicensing (OSAPAC) in that fewer applicationswith similar functionality are licensed;provincial standards and purchasing of keyeducational systems (e.g., SAS, financial,communication/email, HR, etc. — currentlythere is massive waste when different boardschoose and implement different products).Bruce Smith CIO, Halton DSB

High Speed connectivity (10 MB or higher) toall Ontario schools/and communities; theidentification of specific technologies thatsupport specific learning styles; the alignmentof technology infrastructure to curricular needsfor all of K-12...Matt Norton Sr. IT Services Officer, Hastings PrinceEdward DSB

ADDITIONAL AREAS IDENTIFIED FOR PROVINCIALATTENTION INCLUDED:


We would like to see the Ministry provideadditional current, and up to date softwarethrough OSAPAC to boards across the Province.A number of the software selections are datedand do not perform well with new computerplatforms.Larry Hope Director of Education, Keewatin-Patricia DSB

Our Board would like to see: Continuum Modelfor Literacy with ICT across the Curriculum(i.e. Manitoba model ); provincially lednegotiations with vendors for ICT relatedproducts and services; provincially developedtraining and support materials for OSAPACsoftware; development of a provincialcommittee to address educational computingneeds at two levels - academic requirements and administrative requirements (work inconjunction with ECNO and OASBO);connections to MISA, ONSIS and StudentSuccess Initiatives.Garth Vanstone Manager of IT, Lambton Kent DSB

Access to digital text is very important to thesuccess of many of our students.There needs to be a push from the province todemand that publishing companies providedigital versions of their learning resources inorder to provide accessibility to a more diversegroup of students.Lisa Grothier Manager, Information Systems Services,Upper Canada DSB

Technology EngagesStudent Learning

IN ONTARIO’S CLASSROOMS, NEW TECHNOLOGIES HAVE BEEN HARNESSEDto allow students, educators and parents toexplore resources, work and study effectivelyand communicate collaboratively. This allcomes with a relatively inexpensive price tag:for instance, the netbooks (mini-laptops) usedby the students can be purchased in bulk forless than $200 each. Although the middleschool in the following article is fictional, thelessons and procedures are real, and theequipment is available right now. Let’s see howit all works.

As they do every time, the 20 students filinginto Nora Smith’s grade 8 history classroomeach grab a random netbook off the rack andhead to their assigned four-student team station.Jack sits at his assigned space, plugs his netbookinto the power cord built into the desk and logsin wirelessly to the central server, using ausername and password. The central server’stimetable database recognizes that Jack is inhistory class and identifies the three othermembers of his student team based oninformation that Smith submitted earlier in the year.

The screen on Jack’s netbook is populated withseveral pieces of relevant information, brokendown into windows. First, there is the overviewof today’s lesson. Next, Jack’s personaldocuments and multimedia files related to theclass are listed. Finally, there is an instant

BY MARK BAILEY

APPENDICES CLASSROOM 2.0:

messaging box that connects Jack to his teamand to their teacher. Jack notes that today’slesson is titled “The Life of Louis Riel.”

Smith begins the class with a 15-minutestreaming video from the Ministry ofEducation’s server that provides a brief overviewof Louis Riel’s life and political legacy. Thevideo is displayed on a SMART Board, apopular brand of interactive whiteboard, at thefront of the class and on each netbook. Shepauses the video several times, engages with thestudents to identify key learning points and hasa brief open discussion before continuing. Usingtext and thumbnail photography, the netbooksand the SMART Board display a runningsummary of the learning points identified bythe students during their discussion.

Once the video has ended, Smith provides thestudents with their task for the remainder of theclass: pick one of the key learning pointsidentified during the discussions and create ashort presentation explaining how that learningpoint had a significant impact on thedevelopment of either the province of Manitobaor Canada as a whole. Jack and his team discusswhat topic they should explore. Withinmoments, they note on the whiteboard at the

Advanced BroadbandEnabled Learning (ABEL)www.abelearn.ca


front that the Red River and NorthwestRebellions have already been taken by othergroups. To remain original, Jack and his teamchoose Riel’s trial, and Jack enters the pick onhis netbook, which is immediately displayedwith the other picks on the SMART Board.

Meanwhile, from her office, Ruby Jones, thevice-principal, notes on her workstation thatSmith’s class has just transitioned frominstruction to project work. She leaves her officeand heads to the classroom for a prearrangedvisit with the teacher. As vice-principal, Joneshas the provincially assigned role to helpfacilitate the adoption of information andcommunication technology (ICT) for the schooland the professional development of staff. Asper provincial curriculum direction, Jones hasfocused much of her own PD over the last twoyears on understanding the new school software.As in previous visits, Jones begins by gatheringfeedback from Nora Smith about the successesand challenges of the new software. She thenwalks Smith through the video conferencingsoftware, which is slated for installation thefollowing month. The software and classcamera will allow the teacher to invite specialguests to the class and to have the studentsinteract with them. The vice-principal pointsout that through the developing CanadianSchool Boards’ Association ICT Index, Smithcan locate educators and others throughoutCanada willing to participate in a videoconference. The index was created both as ameans to encourage collaborative teaching andas part of the strategy to address decliningenrolment. Smith wonders who she could havecontacted from Winnipeg to say a few wordsabout how Louis Riel is remembered inManitoba today. Jones finishes up by pointingout a couple of online tutorials that Smith canuse as refreshers once the cameras are installed,and then says goodbye to the class.

Smith glances at the “Class Activity” windowin her workstation and notices that a couple ofstudents in one team have not used theirnetbooks in several minutes. “Settle down to

work, you two — whatever you don’t do now,you will have to do online tonight!” she says.That seems to do the trick. Jack’s group is wellon its way to completing a 10-page PowerPointpresentation that incorporates images andvideo. The team knows that this is not anexercise in cutting and pasting, but a taskinvolving creating the framework for anargument and using multimedia and Internetsources to back that argument up. The teamalso knows that all references used in thepresentation must include an HTTP link citation.Using the Ministry of Education streamingvideo index, YouTube, Google Images and Wikisearches, the team is soon able to weavetogether an impressive summary of Riel’s trialand execution. With typical grade 8 enthusiasm,the team argues that Riel’s “martyrdom” wasan important event in the evolution ofManitoba’s identity as a new province inConfederation, and uses Wiki and Governmentof Canada sources to back up their point,including an easily located 1992 federal billciting Louis Riel as “the founder of Manitoba.”

Jack is identified as an above-average learner,and has finished up his group work before theend of class. His teacher notes approvingly onher workstation that he has moved on to anextra ‘on-demand’ module that picks up rightwhere he left it last class. Jack is fascinated bySecond World War airplanes and pilots, and has been working his way through a Ministry e-learning module on the topic. A few minuteslater the class ends. “Class, tomorrow eachteam will present their work, so please finish it up tonight if you have not done so already,”Smith says. Unlike Jack and his team, a fewstudents will collaborate that evening byremotely logging in from home to finish theproject. These teams make plans to meet online;finding their fellow students is never an issuewith instant or text messaging, let alone thenew classroom software they now use. At home,students can log in and use the same interfacethat they use in school, and continue seamlesslyfrom where they left off, relying on instantmessaging, rather than speaking to complete

their collaboration. Although the terms they use are sometimes unrecognizable to most of us over 30 years of age, the students seem tocommunicate quickly, comfortably andeffectively with shorthand and acronyms likeIMO (in my opinion), BRB (be right back) anddozens of others.

The next day the presentations go well, and asusual Smith is amazed at some of the creativeuses of technology integrated into thepresentations. One team presents a videocapture of a war simulation video game calledMedieval: Total War recreating a surprisinglyrealistic version of the Battle of Fish Creek.Another team uses a cellphone camera torecreate the trial of Thomas Scott and Riel’sargument for allowing his execution. Stillanother team creates an MP3 rap aroundColonel Wolseley’s incredible journey andeventual confrontation and routing of Riel’stroops at Upper Fort Garry. The rap, assembledwith basic music mixing software, has theclassroom roaring with laughter.

Smith grades the groups based on how well theyhave created a coherent argument and how wellthey incorporate original multimedia content,using appropriate Web-based resources topresent and back up the argument, properlyciting sources and providing evidence ofeffective teamwork. Not for the first time, shewonders whether traditional grading methodsare even relevant to this new style of engagedlearning.

After class it takes her mere moments to enterthe grades and post the projects to an onlineforum accessible to all students in the class aswell as their parents. Parents log in using theirown usernames and passwords, allowing themlimited access to the school’s intranet. Althoughindividual grades are visible only to the parentsof the student receiving them, parents are ableto view the work done by other student teams.Parents are even able to leave comments, eitherin private for the teacher or in a space fullyaccessible to other parents and students; some

even seem to be checking the space every night.Smith has noted how the practice of interactingregularly is beginning to visibly strengthenparents’ engagement in their children’s studiesand has facilitated deeper parent relationshipsin her classroom than she has seen in the past. Smith has no doubt that the new system is anoverall net benefit to the success of her students,but is aware that it involves some adjustments.Although she is able to save time recording andtabulating marks, that savings has been offsetby the additional interactions with parents,spurred by this new form of electronicengagement. Responding to parent e-mails canoften take up a significant amount of herpreparation time. Still, the teacher smiles whenshe thinks back to the three state-of-the-artcomputers that used to sit idle at the back ofher class and the heavy textbooks her studentsused to have to lug home, and concedes thatadapting to the new system of learning has beenmore than worthwhile for her. It certainly hasbeen for her students; she’s never seen such anengaged group having so much fun learninghistory.

Although this classroom scenario is fictional, itis a composite of many approaches to educationthat are emerging in Ontario classrooms rightnow, approaches that seamlessly blend thedynamic options offered by technology withrich learning experiences that engage students.The key is to be found not in any one particulartechnology, but in a willingness to update theclassroom environment to reflect thecommunication technologies that studentsalready use in their everyday lives.

Mark Bailey is a first-term school trustee in the UpperGrand District School Board, serving on OPSBA’seducation program and information technology ad hocsteering committees. He also owns a small informationtechnology business. He would like to acknowledge thecontribution of the IT committee to this article.

Published in Education Today magazine, Spring, 2009 issue


Page 5, Note 1: “What did you Learn inSchool Today?” Research and Developmentinitiative of the Canadian EducationAssociation, Canadian Council on Learning,Galileo Education Network, The Learning Barwith participation by school districts acrossCanada.www.cea-ace.ca/res.cfm?subsection=pro&page=wdy

Page 5, Note 2: State of Learning in Canada-Toward a Learning Future”, Canadian Councilon Learning.www.ccl-cca.ca/NR/rdonlyres/46EA0902-DDB9-4398-AE5E-34CF60844D65/0/SOLR_08_Exec_Sum_E.pdf

Page 6, Note 3: “The Daily”, June 23, 2003,Statistics Canada

Page 6, Note 4: Young Canadians in a WiredWorld II, Media Awareness Network.www.media-awareness.ca/english/research/ycww/index.cfm

Page 7, Note 5: Ibid

Page 8, Note 6: Definition of literacy,Information Communications Technology andthe Learner, York Region DSB.

Page 9, Note 7: 21st Century Learning Matters:www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L2XwWg4BY&NR=1 A vision of K-12 Students Today: www.youtube.com/watch?v= A-ZVCjfWf8 Education Today and Tomorrow:www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnh9q cQcUE&feature=related

Page 10, Note 8: Nippissing University’sFaculty of Education offers an ITeach laptopprogram. It has been in place for 7 years.

APPENDICES

FOOTNOTES

What if: Technology in the 21st Century Classroom

OTHER TECHNOLOGY-BASED RESOURCES INONTARIO’S EDUCATION SECTOR INCLUDE:

D Knowledge Ontario (www.knowledgeontario.ca) a collaboration of libraries,cultural heritage organizations and educationalinstitutions. Its focus is on connectingOntarians with digital content to supporttheir information and learning needs;

D e-learning Ontario(www.elearningontario.ca). E-Learning Ontario provides elementary andsecondary teachers with more resources toengage their students in learning, as well asan opportunity to share teaching resourceswith colleagues across Ontario.

D TVO (www.tvo.org) TVO is Ontario’s publiclyfunded educational media organization anda trusted source of interactive educationalcontent.

D Learning Connections (www.abelearn.sharpschool.com/cms/One.aspx?portalId=248124&pageId=503377). Learning Connections isa program which is funded by the Literacyand Numeracy Secretariat and is targeted atjunior division teachers in 9 school boardsthroughout the province. This is a strategy toshare Professional Development in a mediumthat is not “event” based and is participant-driven.

D Advanced Broadband Enabled Learning(ABEL) www.abelearn.ca ABEL lead by YorkUniversity and works with school districts inthe GTA, across Ontario and with nationalpartners to provide quality learning programs.It seeks to improve results and transformprofessional practice through its networksfor knowledge sharing and collaboration.This is achieved by using informationcommunications technologies and aresearch-based approach to develop, deliverand implement new models of teaching,learning and training.