My Major Project is posted…the end is near!

For my final blog post, I decided to give you a glimpse into what creating my final project was like!  As soon as I received the syllabus, for this course, I began to get my hamster wheel running.   Fortunately, I work with two other classmates from this course, so we began to

brainstorm and come up with a project idea.  Though we worked together, our projects were somewhat independent.  As you know from my previous posts, I decided to focus on students and how we can build them into Digital Leaders.  This idea sparked for me when I heard Jennifer Casa-Todd speak to our Connected Educator group during a skype session.  For those of you that have not heard of her, she is a Canadian teacher, author, and presenter who spreads the message of empowering students through social media.  She believes in teaching students how to use social media appropriately and for learning, rather than the many inappropriate uses.  I have used her book, Social LEADia to help guide me and encourage me toward the goal of teaching my own students how to be Digital Leaders not only within our school, but also online!  I dove right in!  I highly recommend this book as it will change the way you look at not only social media in the classroom, but also how you use technology in the classroom.  I am psyched as I will be able to meet Jennifer Casa-Todd at an upcoming Connected Educator meeting in May!  I cannot wait to pick her brain and come out with some new ideas and motivations to encourage me to keep moving forward!

Once I narrowed down my focus, I met again with my team to decide if my focus aligned with their focus.  We met several times throughout

this semester to just check-in, swap ideas, brainstorm, or ask for help.  I really am grateful for having them in such close proximity as it helped to keep me motivated and focussed on my goals.  We actually recorded one of our meetings, to give you an insight into what our discussions sounded like…this was only a little rehearsed!

One driving factor in this assignment was the idea of changing, or re-working, our existing “Acceptable Use Policy” to include characteristics of a “Responsible Use Policy”.  Everything I have read suggests this is the way to go as it empowers students by outlining what they should be doing online and with technology rather than telling them everything they should not be doing online and listing all the consequences that will ensue if they make a mistake.  School should be a place to learn, grow, and make mistakes.  That should include with technology.  Again, Jennifer Casa-Todd created a great, and short, Youtube video outlining the differences between these two policies.  I included it in this post for your viewing pleasure.

I have to say, I was pretty impressed with my end-product.  Today I submitted a rationale for my project, a 5-day unit plan I created on PowerPoint jam–packed with digital integration and engagement, and a sample Responsible Use Agreement. I liked the word “agreement” better than “policy” because it should be something our students and teachers/administrators are agreeing to.  I plan to work this project into my teaching practice and am pretty excited to see how it all plays out!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey.  As always, I look forward to your comments, questions, or insights!

Before I leave you for this term, I thought I would leave you with one last video.  I thought it was pretty great, though it did not make my presentation, sadly.  Enjoy!

 

Good Evening fellow Tech. Leaders!

While I am plowing my way through this final project, I have come to the point where I am developing my very own “Responsible Use Policy”. Now, you may recall we have discussed the difference between an “Acceptable Use Policy” (AUP) and a “Responsible Use Policy” (RUP) in an earlier blog post from Unit 5.  I shared the image from the Government of Saskatchewan document “Digital Citizenship in Saskatchewan Schools”.  The main difference between the two documents is that one states everything you can NOT do, while the other outlines what you CAN do.  I am sure you can see how the second is    much more beneficial to our students, particularly when we think about developing students who feel empowered and trusted to make positive choices when they are using technology or working online.

While I was researching this topic, I decided to check out a variety of examples of both AUP and RUP.  Some divisions who claim to have RUP have actually developed AUP’s in disguise.  The document is quite limiting and outlines the consequences should students break the rules.  Please do not get me wrong, I am a firm believer of consequences, but when we are striving to develop digital leaders, we cannot shut them down for making a mistake.  Rather, we need to use the mistake as an opportunity to educate and redirect students toward more positive choices.

I came across one fantastic example of a RUP when searching through the vast number that came across my online search.  Renton School District created a RUP that is student centered, written in language that is easily understood, and focuses on student learning opportunities. I found this to be aligned with the recommendations of a beneficial RUP as outlined in the “Digital Citizenship in Saskatchewan Schools” document.

I have to note, that it is recommended that an RUP be written with students to ensure they have input into what is expected of them.  I came across this image while reading the book Social LEADia by Jennifer Casa-Todd.

Students will complete this graphic organizer differently depending on the age at which you are using it with.  Students may interpret “Respect Others” very differently.  For example, students in grade 3 may look at it to mean asking permission before posting pictures of their peers, where as students in high school may interpret it to mean not sharing or posting discriminatory images or jokes.  This document allows for students and teachers to have a conversation about what it means to responsibly use technology, social media, or internet-based tools.

For the purpose of this Final Project, I have written an example of a RUP with the guidance and recommendations from my own class of grade 5 students.  I discussed with them what it would mean to be a responsible user and consumer of the technology we use at school.  I am quite thrilled with what I came up with and I cannot wait to share it with you once it is completely finished!

If you were to create a RUP with your students, what would be one thing you would want to ensure was included?

How would you frame this conversation with your students to ensure you get open and honest responses?

I love getting your feedback and look forward to hearing from you!

 

via GIPHY

Teaching in the 21st Century has never been more exciting.  We are constantly adding new opportunities for our students, reimagining what learning looks like, and exposing ourselves and our students to new skills that have been previously unheard of.  The fact that I am teaching my students to code, having them create websites, or create videos utilizing green screen technologies demonstrates just how much education has changed in the last ten years.  The article entitled Future Work Skills 2020 outlines six drivers of change that will have the greatest impact on our future.  In addition, this article also describes the ten skills students require to be suc

cessful in the future.  While skimming through this article, I became intrigued and decided to focus the content of my blog on these drivers and skills as they pertain to education.

The Six Drivers of Change: 

• Extreme Longevity: So many times I have heard teachers comment that they are not interested in taking on technology in their classroom because they are “too old” or close to retirement.  Judging from this article, people will be working longer and avoidance to learn something new because of age, is not excuse.  We are teachers and leaders in our schools and therefore need to continually learning and improving our teaching practice.  It is my opinion that this includes flattening our walls by including technology within our classrooms.
• Rise of Smart Machines and Systems: This point cannot help but make me think of the Jetsons! Watching that show so many years ago I saw so many tasks previously performed by humans being performed by robots or “smart machines”.  I actually came across a great video discussing how the Jetson’s somewhat predicted our future and discussed how artificial intelligence (AI), or smart machines are not as far from our future as we may have originally thought!As for how this technology will impact education, it is hard to tell. Could these smart machines someday replace teachers?  I have discussed in previous posts how technology has changed how I have taught my classroom and has already changed a lot of my pedagogy surrounding how students learn best.  Technology has allowed me to take virtual field trips, bring specialists into my classroom via Skype, interact with classrooms around the globe, and even get PD in my pj’s!  I believe these machines will continue to aid and support my teaching practice to allow me to offer my students the best opportunities while allowing students the exposure and experience they will require to use these same devices and technologies in the future.
• Computational World: The ability to collect, interpret, and manipulate data is increasingly important as we move into the digital
  

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  age.  So much of what we do on a daily basis is catalogued and used to dictate what we see and what we are exposed to.  The skill of reading data and analyzing it will continue to be relevant long into the future.  How are we going to use this to prepare our students for their futures?  What does this have to do with education?  As teachers we are already collecting, interpreting, and analyzing data on a daily basis.  We are then using that data to dictate how we proceed in our classrooms, how we adjust our teaching strategies, and how we reach our students.  Students are already working on skills in collecting data when they are setting personal learning goals, tracking their progress, and making conclusions all based on their personal data.  Taking these skills and applying them to the computational world is quite impressive.  It would be quite interesting to create software to assist students in coding their goals and cataloguing their progress.

• New Media Ecology: Being media literate is a skill I am already teaching my students.  The ability to identify and spot legitimate sources from illegitimate sources (aka Fake News) is a skill that students will continue to practice throughout their education.  As I previously mentioned, new media is enhancing student experiences and exposing them to so many more opportunities previously unattainable or imaginable.  We are flattening the walls of our classroom and enriching our students learning outcomes.  This exposure, however, means it is increasingly important students are prepared and educated in all matters pertaining to digital citizenship and digital safety.
• Superstructured Organizations: Education has been evolving and changing over the past decade as a result of the integration of technology and many new innovative ways to teach.  Today we see so many options when it comes to education that include flipping the classroom, offering distance or open education, and even assistive technology tools.  These advancements have allowed education to continue to grow and keep up with the demands of the 21st century.  How are we going to see the education industry continue to change as the years progress?  What new structures or tools will be introduced to further enhance our students learning opportunities?
  

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  I cannot wait to see!

• Globally Connected World: This is true not only in the business industry, but within education as well.  Within the 21st century, our students are more connected to the global world than ever before.  Students are able to reach out to and learn from anyone, regardless of their physical location.  We are able to consult and collaborate with professionals around the world and learn from each other to better enhance our own teaching practices.  Being connected globally means we are bridging the gaps and allowing for better access to information and therefore more opportunities for our students.

These drivers are not only enriching our the world around us, but they are also changing the face of education.  Our classrooms today are completely different from those we would have found 20 years ago (for the most case).  Students are being exposed to new opportunities and learning in so many different ways.  When we reflect on all of this, it is important for us to also reflect on the skills that will be important for our students to develop in order for them to continue to find success once their educational career is through.

10 Skills for the Future Workforce

Though I am not an advocate of using education as a factory to merely produce pupils for the workforce, I do have to admit part of the purpose of schooling is to help foster and develop skills students will require to be successful individuals once they graduate.  I believe the skills discussed in this article are far more than the “cookie cutter” skills previously focussed on in the last century because they are not training students for a given field, but equipping them will skills to encourage them to be well-rounded and prepared for their future, regardless of where that leads them.

1. Sense-Making: “The ability to determine the deeper meaning or significance of what is being expressed.”  As discussed in the drivers above, some of the factors of the future include the advancement of smart machines.  We need to ensure our students are able to use their critical and creative thinking skills.  These are skills that distinguish us from the robots. This is also a skill that is the hardest for students to build.  We need to expose our students to opportunities to think outside the box, invent, evaluate, question, and conclude on their own.  Encouraging our students to make sense of the world around them through observations and experiences will help them to build this skill with confidence.
2. Social Intelligence: “The ability to connect to others in a deep and direct way, to sense and stimulate reactions and desired interactions.”  Exposing students to experiences where they are building social skills and are able to not only read others emotions, but are able to react and modify their behaviours based on those emotions.  Students begin working on this early on in their education.  When students collaborate, or work in team situations, they are practicing their social intelligence and thereby building skills in empathy and understanding.  They are learning how to work with different people in different social settings.  They are problem solving and adjusting their behaviours to accommodate others.  Again, in age of smart machines, this is something that will never be able to be duplicated or synthesized.  To help you better understand what I find to be one of the most important of these skills, I have found a great video to better describe this intelligence.  
3. Novel and Adaptive Thinking: “The proficiency at thinking and coming up with solutions and responses beyond that which is rote or rule-based.”  Being able to think of your feet and adapt as the situation changes are both important skills.  Students need to be exposed to opportunities that encourage this form of skill development.  Many times in education we want to prepare our students by setting them up with predictable situations that encourage planning but do not really challenge them to think of their feet.  Encouraging students to come up with new plans or options when previous outcomes fail is a great way to build this skill with our students.  Many times technology fails and we are asked to come up with a “plan B” quickly.  Encouraging students to not panic, but to look at these “failures” as new opportunities and sometimes the best results come from this adaptive thinking.
4. Cross-Cultural Competency: “The ability to operate in different cultural settings.”  Living in a multicultural world means we need to be able to work with and understand many different cultures.  We also need to adapt to many different working situations and styles.  In addition the insurgence of diversity in the work force has brought with it the insurgence of innovation.  Successful teams are those that are made up of members with varying backgrounds, ages and abilities.  It is my opinion that students need to work in group settings with classmates of varying backgrounds and abilities to allow them the opportunities to understand how everyone’s differences make for better ideas to form.  We need to encourage students to explore situations where they are required to problem solve, collaborate, and compromise in order for true innovation and growth to occur.
5. Computational Thinking: “The ability to translate vast amounts of data into abstract concepts and to understand
   

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   data-based reasoning.”  Mathematical thinking has always been an important skill since the emergence of education.  In recent years we have seen mathematical thinking evolve to include computational thinking.  The concept of coding is relatively new to education.  The idea of taking a series of directions, or codes, and building them into something that moves a character across the screen, or causes a player to complete a maze, is simply astonishing. Students now have the opportunity to build software and learn the basics of coding in a safe and engaging manner.  Websites such as code.org and Scratch are free and offer great opportunities for students to develop these computational skills while creating something new.  In the coming years it will be interesting to see how just how much we continue to work this form of thinking into our core curriculum studies.

6. New Media Literacy: “The ability to critically assess and develop content that uses new media forms, and to leverage these media               for persuasive communication.” In prior years, students have been expected to read articles and text and decipher what is being said while making predictions, inferences and connections. The 21st century learner also needs to learn to view media, such as videos, while still completing the same strategies practices with print media.  The skills associated with not only viewing, but also creating this form of digital media are not entirely different from previously learned skills; however, they are used in a different manner.  Ensuring we are giving our students opportunities to showcase their learning in a variety of forms, not just written text, ensuring we are building these new media skills and encouraging them to explore a variety of platforms.  Previously, students learned to format a proper essay, today students need to learn how to utilize graphic design and format their presentations and videos in a manner that informs while still captivates the audience.  This will mean taking risks and “playing” with a variety of software and programs.
7. Transdisciplinary: “Literacy in and ability to understand concepts across multiple disciplines.”  The 20th century
   

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   education emphasized the importance of choosing a specialty and specializing in that field.  However, the 21st century emphasizes the importance of being more well-rounded or well-versed in several different fields.  This allows for a person to bring many different perspectives or outlooks forward rather than relying on several different “specialists” working on a singular project. Encouraging students to branch out and link additional curricular concepts into their educational exploration will assist in the development of this way of thinking. For instance, students may be learning about advancements in a historic civilization and while doing so, they make connections to their study of “simply machines”, particularly the pulley system, while determining how this civilization completed some of their more complex tasks.  Bringing in their transdisciplinary skills means they are making predictions, inferences, and connections which allows for more critical and creative thinking.  The emergence of STEM (or STEAM) is also a fantastic example of this transdisciplinary way of solving problems and applying learning.

8. Design Mindset: “The ability to represent and develop tasks and work processes for desired outcomes.”   Being able to think through projects, or design products are both great skills for learners to develop to help prepare them for a growing need in the 21st century.  The ability to not only think through projects, but to also come up with innovative new ways of sharing knowledge while still meeting expectations is a skill that is increasingly important.  Contemplating new and different options, while also working through and solving problems will help students to think outside the proverbial box and come up with new insightful ideas.
9. Cognitive and Load Management: “The  ability to discriminate and filter information for importance, and to understand how to maximize cognitive functioning using a variety of tools and techniques.” There is so much information around us and we are constantly trying to learn and cram our minds with new knowledge daily.  This overload of information causes some of us to hit a wall resulting in an information overload.  This can be quite dangerous resulting in cognitive shut-down or stress induced melt-downs.  Teaching students effective ways to deal with all the information they are learning so that they can recall and process that information in a timely manner will be increasingly important.  It is important to teach students to filter their information and determine what is important, while still learning new things.  This can be a struggle as students tend to get overwhelmed when learning new facts.  One strategy that works is to chunk the information, or utilize flow-charts to help group information thereby focussing on the key details rather than larger picture.
10. Virtual Collaboration: “The ability to work productively, drive engagement, and demonstrate presence as a
    

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    member of a virtual team.”  Virtual learning and the global virtual world are going to continue to grow well past the 21st century.  Students now have the ability to take virtual field trips without leaving their desks.  They can meet and collaborate on book clubs with students around the world.  These learning opportunities are important for students because they are a reality of the workforce today.  Meeting with clients who reside across the globe, or working the a global team on a project are all real expectations.  Working with others while meeting digitally requires a different set of skills.  We do not always have the privilege of sitting in a board room discussing a project for hours, so we need to plan ahead our talking points, keep our meetings concise, and communicate effectively to ensure we are making the most of the time spent in this virtual world.  We need to ensure students experience these opportunities so they are prepared for this once they reach the workforce.

The workforce is constantly changing.  These skills demonstrate how we need to also be changing how we are educating our students to best prepare them for their futures.  We cannot be stagnant while teaching young people.  We need to constantly be changing our teaching strategies to meet the growing expectations in this 21st century.  I know this article certain kept me thinking and re-evaluating what I am doing in my classroom.  I am assessing my teaching practice to ensure I am giving my students opportunities to practice and building competence in these skills to ensure they are prepared for whatever lies ahead.