Making The World Safe For Smart

From Change.org on the TED Conference:

We cannot continue to teach young people that being smart sucks - whatever type of smart they are. We cannot keep perpetuating the lie that "not caring" and "being cool" are the same thing. The challenges we face are too great for us to condition a whole generation to suppress what they're good at and what they care about. More than that, the beauty of the world that comes from discovering passion and talent is the single best force we have to counter a pessimistic, bleary view of things.

You had me at hello.

Discussion on Assessment in Science Classrooms

Assessment:

Should marks be given for on-line participation? (Discussion Forums)
Is there anything in the front matter that ties into this? What can be assessed on line?
Blogs- how do you assign a grade? Is it authentic assessment?
Assessment for learning: blogs, discussions
Not all students have access to computers
Access to information makes us create assessments that ask for deeper understandings
Should we have open-book tests
Is google making us stupid? (article)
Are digital immigrants in a position to assess digital natives?
Use ipods, etc. to record student’s ideas and use this for assessment
Twitter: kids can answer each others questions. Provides immediate feedback, taking responsibility for own learning
What part are we assessing? What needs to be the focus: content/delivery
Whose work are we assessing? Cheating….whose ideas are they?
Everyone participates in blogs. Interesting ideas
Using conversations for broad-based assessments
Observations can be used to inform next steps
Damian Cooper: Over the course of the week, try to talk with each child
Blogs and discussions are very different
Using rubrics for everything, doing all project-based activities
Can/should you assess participation/behaviour
Self-Assessment
Peer-Assessment
Parental expectations
What value is self-assessment? It is so subjective…why do it?
Interviews are an important part of the assessment process
A big part of self-assessment is meta-cognition and problem solving
Use rubrics to self assess. Use of evidence is important
Assessment needs to be tied to an outcome
Transparency-kids need to know what the target is
Should we assess engagement?
Things are very different from school to school (emphasis on test scores/summative assessment?

Discussion on Resources in Science Classrooms

-Students not exposed to enough nonfiction and expository writing.
-No text in Elementary grades…a common text rich in nonfiction presented in an interesting way
- Why do we focus so much time on creative writing and nonfiction reading?
- In junior high, teachers are relying too much on the text and must need to use it sparingly…move from text driven program to a more balanced inquiry-based program
- Need more teachers who are science specialists …need teachers highly skilled in Pedagogical Science teaching and learning
- Need access to these teachers…D2L, on –line discussion opportunities
- Need access to a lesson bank (province wide, easy to navigate
- Hands-on resources: on line store; approved by Alberta Ed
- SMART board: ready to use resources
- Checklist of materials integrated into teacher manual
- Equity of technology
- Library to provide examples: videos, experts, lessons, assessment strategies; well organized by grade level and topic

Issues:
- spend too much time looking for resources;
- Need more time for collaboration
- Environments conducive to hands-on science learning/inquiry (i.e. sinks in elementary classrooms)
- Isoloation … sharing needed between teachers, grades, divisions, school boards
- Time to network on a variety of topics
- ESL population – i.e. resources written in mother tongue, various grade levels, (accessible science for all)
- Access to expensive material and equipment i.e. GPS, robotics, microscopes (on a lend out system)
- We don’t just need more “stuff”, we need people to provide support in implementing these strategies
- Access to professionals in science fields
- More funding for off-site exploration (i.e. fieldtrips)

Discussion on Engagement and Collaborative Learning in Science

Engagement and Collaborative Learning

§ it doesn’t matter how we engage them (technology or other wise)
§ passion- if kids are not engaged, teacher has to drag students into class
§ connecting science to their world – avoid disconnects
§ guide students to make connections
§ high school teachers are not good at making connections; elementary teachers are capable ( I teach bio, not math)
§ need to structure more connections between disciplines (esp. in high school)
§ homeroom or teacher advisor connected to a student for entire high school career – need to create relationships between students and teachers
§ teachers struggle with technology because they become “techies”
§ “passion projects” – collaborative learning
§ Virtual dissections – started by one student; spread to entire class
§ Collaboration is good for teachers, too – need to plan for it
§ Creativity – technology assists when safety or other concerns get in the way – engages students
§ The question why? Always comes up – need to make connections
§ Allow students to investigate their own questions – passion . Teacher’s role is curriculum connection
§ Kids lack creative play. Teachers need to demonstrate
§ Rigidity of school and home restricts creativity
§ Okay for teachers to admit they don’t know. “let’s figure it out together” Models problem solving
§ Technology can allow collaboration (eg. D2L, blog): kids respond to one another’s work
§ Good old fashioned group work
§ Teachers collaborating is modelled for students
§ Collaborate with home environment (eg. D2L homework blog) opens avenues of communication
§ Engagement also includes field experience, virtual museums, teleconferencing, etc
§ Digital archives
§ More equity across classes through collaboration and engagement (key experiences)
§ Teachers are moving from solo planning and delivery to collaboration
§ Some teachers may struggle with sharing their “craft” with others
§ Essential experiences
§ Intellectually engaged as opposed to just academically engaged
§ Confidence is essential
§ Literacy, numeracy and social literacy to be engaged and collaborative
§ Teach to the central themes of their lives
§ If it is real and connected to their lives, they will be engaged
§ General world news – students need to be connected to the global situation – easily done through the internet or paper - science new bulletin board
§ Use teachable moments

§ Build better citizens, not just learners
§ “test crunch” - how is collaboration, engagement affected?
§ Citizenship participation
§ Leaving the classroom – don’t always rely on technology
§ Learning is not just the curriculum – social
§ Comfort: students need to be comfortable with each other to share and collaborate
§ Engagement and relevancy is in early childhood and adult learning
§ How do we know what is engaging and relevant to our kids
§ How do we connect that passion to curriculum
§ Pressure of content in program of studies
§

Discussion on Problem-Solving and Inquiry in Science

Problem Solving / Inquiry Learning

1. Technology can provide an opportunity to teach problem solving strategies through games. Student can learn a concept and then apply it.
2. We need to teach students to be critical consumers of information. So much information is now available, but how do you determine how valid or reliable the information is?
3. Technology can provide an opportunity to make multiple resources available to students for them to develop foundational knowledge. This is necessary before true authentic problem based learning can take place.
4. Some technologies can provide both exposure to technology and social interaction. E.g. Students collaboratively using a Smart board.
5. Technology and bring a wealth of resources for students to investigate – students can do research outside of class and bring their search results back to class.
6. Technological resources need to be available in order to be used effectively.
7. Technology is becoming part of our everyday lives so teaching students how to use it effectively and appropriately is imperative.
8. With so much information available through technology, inquiry questions and problems need to be really good and well thought out.
9. Technology has made inquiry easier with more information instantly accessible.
10. Using technology helps inquiry become more stimulating for students – having their questions answered promotes further inquiry.
11. Technology in the classroom provides the opportunity for teachers to model how to use it effectively and critically.
12. With or without technology teaching science is still about teaching critical thinking.
13. Problem based and inquiry based learning needs to become more student driven – students driving their own inquiry, curriculum affects this process at times when having to teach to the test.
14. Does technology inhibit authentic inquiry? Students have a problem in front of then and turn to the Internet for an answer rather than making observations and thinking through how to solve a problem.
15. Purpose of inquiry is about process, not rote memorization. Facts can be looked up quickly using technology; process of inquiry still facilitated by face to face student-teacher and student-student interaction.

Discussion on Technology in Science Classroom

Technology Issues

Equity – homes, classrooms, schools, district, teachers, students do not have access to the same technologies at the same time.

Uses – can technology help create a wider range of choice for students, helping to increase their interest and ownership over their work?
- become more environmentally friendly by setting up a distribution list for homework, handouts, and notices, (use BCC function to safeguard email addresses)
- ipods, cameras, can be used to record group discussion and work during Science inquiry to aid with assessment
- e-portfolios allow for students to maintain record of work as they travel across grade levels
- video-conferencing, skype, podcasts, video-podcasts
o these can help students access an authentic audience for their work
 authentic audiences can help motivate students to take ownership
o also help to access outside experts
- virtual dissections
- calculators for graphing and statistics
- Read & Write Gold, Dragon Speak for help with reading and writing
- E-text books can allow for customization and increased interactivity
- Twitter can be a good tool to encourage classroom “talk” both inside and outside of the classroom, as students can ask questions of the teacher and their peers
o Still need to help students feel comfortable raising their hands and asking questions in a face to face context
- Having technology at our fingertips may be taking away from some of the inquiry (ie. Deductive reasoning, problem-solving, critical thinking) skills as answers are expected “immediately”.
o Requires an understanding of online digital literacy
- Bert Church School is experimenting with the use of iTouch

Some students, teachers, parents are overwhelmed by technology.

Just because students are connected doesn’t mean there are learning – we need to use technology to support them in learning.

Teacher tech-phobia is not a credible excuse for avoiding technology

It’s important to use technology where it makes sense to enhance learning

Not every student wants to be a Digital Native

What role can digital games be used to support learning and development of interpersonal skills?
- game-based learning meet children in a forum/learning situation they’re familiar with


To what extent does technology favour active or passive learning?

Needs:
- IT Departments need a better understanding of student needs, teachers need a better understanding of network security issues.
- Better understanding of effective uses of technology, technology not always necessary
- How do we move beyond the novelty of technology towards more effective uses?
- Establishment of provincial definitions of 21st Century Students and funding to insure it is matched across the province
- Establishment of an online science clearinghouse to help track new resources for the upcoming science curriculum