Collaborative inquiry.
How will 21st Century Technology impact teacher and student learning at Sullivan Heights and how as a group/community can we help both teachers and students through this change of leaning in our school?
Project Focus
The brain works best when it is building on what it already knows; when it is given the opportunity to think things through for itself in complex, situated circumstances, and accepts the significance of what it is doing. Students will use a number of tools to enhance learning, and bring the outside world into the classroom and the 21st Century Learning Skills inside our school.
Students have shifted in their way of thinking according the Minister of Education of BC, and I agree. "In 21st Century Learning, students use educational technologies to apply knowledge to new situations, analyze information, collaborate, solve problems, and make decisions. Utilizing emerging technologies to provide expanded learning opportunities is critical to the success of future generations. Improved options and choice for students will help improve student completion and achievement." What does this statement imply for teachers? That we too must emerge with the technology and we too must develop new learning opportunities for students involving analyzing information and doing problem solving using technology. That means that teachers must make sure they teach critical thinking skills, problem solving skills (Most of these have been listed by the Developing Readers). One of the key Guiding Principles for Developing Readers in Surrey is that teachers - not programs - are central to a student's success. In the opinion of Surrey School District of BC no commercial product or resource, regardless of its quality, can be as effective as a knowledgeable teacher whose instructional decisions are based on students' needs and interests.
Some of the critical elements for creating 21st Century skills are:
- Emphasizing core subjects such as reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics, government, economics, arts, history and geography.
- Emphasizing learning skills. Students need to learn to keep on learning, to be a lifetime learner.
- Learning skills according to the 21st Century Skills Organization can be categorize in 3 different broad categories:
a. Information and communication skills
b. Thinking and problem-solving skills
c. And interpersonal and self-directional skills
We need to teach 21st Century tools to develop learning Skills. In the digital world students need to learn to use the tools that are essential to everyday life and the workplace productivity. They should be proficient in ICT and be able to find or recognize some tools for accessing data, management of it, collaboration with others, integration and evaluation of said information, constructing new knowledge, and communication to others said data.
Teach and learn in a 21st Century Context – learn academic content through real-world examples, applications and experiences both inside and outside of school making the learning more relevant.
Teach and learn in a 21st Century Context – learn academic content through real-world examples, applications and experiences both inside and outside of school making the learning more relevant.
Action Plan
Each area of study in this inquiry has their own action plan. Please see the side links below for each action plan for each teacher involved in this team.
Evidence of Student Learning
Assessment for Learning
- Pre-assessment survey of Student skills on some of the applications they have.
- Pre-tests of materials like authenticity of web site and creating a bibliography
- Pre-assessment
- Quick Response
- Performance Task
- Quick rating scale
- Oral Questions
- Written Questions
- Graphic Organizers (See Barry Bennett/Developing Reader web site)
Assessment of Learning
- Web Based Portfolios
- Oral Peer Assessment
- One-on-one assessments (conference and interview of Portfolio)
- Rubrics
- Inventory
- Tests
Evidence of Staff Learning
Teacher will Tweet learning, concerns, “What if” moments, “A Ha” moments, problems, and some of the best and worst experiences in the classroom with the permission of parents of students. No names will be mentioned. They will also blog using this blog site to document learning and professional development.
Staff will also show
- Exemplars of student work on a web site.
- Examples of lesson plans for above exemplars.
- Tweets to this website.
Digital Integration
See individual Action Plans. The following applications will be used:
Prezi, Slideshow, keynote (all presentation tools), Google Earth for mapping, Stanson, text editor and Notetaker HD for creative writing and report writing, First Class for emailing, Bibme for bibliography citing and learning about plagiarism, and using Facebook, Wikis, Twitter, and blogs for student assessment of learning and exemplars and said learning
