Today’s presentation by Dr. Valerie Irvine on social justice through technology was really an eye-opener for me. Dr. Irvine spoke about modality at the post secondary level and how it is connected to social justice, inclusivity, and equal access to education. Dr. Irvine explained how instructors and institutions are often biased towards their preferred mode of classroom delivery. She explained the different ways of modality: face-to-face, online, or a combination of the two. What Dr. Irvine explained however was that students should not be forced to choose one of these three options. Instead as a part of social justice, the instructor must offer the course online, face-to-face, and through a combination. Dr. Irvine called this multi-access learning.

Multi-access learning would mean that students could choose to do what works best for them. For some students there is no way to get to a school on the other side of the province, but they can participate through online discussion and video conferencing. Other students may wish to or be able to attend in person. Some students may wish to do a combination of the two and that is perfectly fine. Access to education is a right that every person in the world should be entitled to, but due to remoteness, illness, anxiety, etc. students are not always able to make it to class. Instead of punishing these students by not offering them a way to learn and participate in class, we as educators must do everything in our power to make sure all of our students are afforded an equal access to education.

Dr. Irvine’s presentation was definitely geared towards a more post secondary level however, as elementary and secondary teachers we can advocate for multi-access learning in our schools and classrooms. Students everywhere miss school because of sports, illness, or anxiety and often these students are punished for this. Instead of loading these students down with extra homework for what they have missed in class, we should do everything we can to provide them access to what is happening in real time in our classrooms. What this could look like, I am not quite sure yet. Technology is expensive and not necessarily practical in an elementary classroom where there is a lot of movement, making video conferencing difficult. Some ideas though may be as simple as allowing students to participate in class discussion and activities in real time over a Google doc or over the phone. Options will continue to become available as technology is constantly growing and changing over time.

What we as educators must remember is the social justice aspect of Dr. Irvine’s presentation and how we can include every student in our classroom no matter their circumstances or location outside of our classroom. If we keep this in mind we will be able to make education more accessible to a diverse range of students.

Coding: a very fun, necessary, and frustrating activity. I practiced coding in a high school technology class in Grade 12 where we designed apps and made websites. While I enjoyed the challenge of coding, I also realized it was not very practical for everyone. The memorization and language of it all made it a challenge for everyone in the class. Our coding ability was therefore very minimal, yet still successful. Therefore I have always been a little skeptical of teaching coding in the classroom. How were elementary aged students supposed to learn how to code? Well I can finally say that I have now realized that coding is so much more than just a sequence of letters and numbers on a page. Coding can take the form of writing, patterns, colours, and symbols, therefore making it accessible to nearly everyone.

Last Spring was the first time I was introduced to coding at the elementary level. I had the opportunity to use “code and go” robot mice in a kindergarten class and was blown away by the students’ ability to code the mouse using strategy in groups of 4. I had never seen a product like this before. The students were so fully engaged and working well in their groups, each taking turns and participating in conversations where they were explaining their thinking. I was so impressed!

That brings me to this week where I had the opportunity to play with Ozobots. These adorable little robots are tools for students to learn how to code in a non-traditional way. Where the coding mice used arrows for students to press in order to reach the cheese at the end of the maze, students used colours in a specific pattern to lead the ozobot around a maze. Ozobots, much like the coding mice, are designed for students in the elementary grades and up. However the ozobots are much more appealing students at an older age when compared to the rather primary design of the coding mice.

Ozobots have so many uses as well. Students can code stories for their ozobots to follow or create mazes for one another to navigate through. The list is endless when it comes to uses for these coding products and it makes me very excited to see what other products like these are out on the market.

The ozobots follows the path of the backline. The colours indicate the direction of movement of the ozobot. Students can draw any maze for the ozobots to follow using the markers provided with the ozobot.

A class set of iPads? Sounds fun doesn’t it? iPads and tablets do exist in some of the public schools I have worked in or visited, but they were usually meant to assist students with diverse learning needs. iPads are an amazing tool for students who struggle to communicate but that is all I have ever seen them used for. It wasn’t until Sandra McAulay visited our class on Thursday that I realized technology in the classroom is an invaluable tool for ALL students. The best part was that the thing Sandra found most valuable to her students’ learning is something so simple as the camera app. Sandra explained how students in her class have used the cameras on their iPads to demonstrate their learning in unique and creative ways. Not only do students take pictures of their assignments and then air drop the image to Sandra, but they also have access to editing apps where they can create collages and have fun personalizing their learning while still adhering to the criteria. Through technology students are able to own their learning and have fun doing so.

Some examples that Sandra shared of her students’ work included an activity where students were tasked with measuring three rectangular prisms that they found around the school. Students worked in pairs sharing an iPad and went around the school measuring and photographing rectangular prisms. Through an editing app these students then collaged the three pictures together and added the measurements right onto the photos. Students then airdropped these images to Sandra where she could mark them on her own time. Sure this activity could have been done in a worksheet, but this provided a chance for students to work collaboratively with a partner and gave students a chance to show their teacher what they decided to photograph. Not to mention it is much more fun to use an iPad than a pencil and paper.

The final thing that sold me on iPads for all was a story that Sandra shared about a student with diverse needs who struggled to do any work at all. Sandra explained that she gave this student an iPad and showed  him how to take a photo of his worksheet and fill it in using one of the apps. This student completed the entire worksheet before the rest of the class and answered every question correctly. When presented with the iPad to complete all other work the student was eager and actively engaging with what he was doing.

Now I know that a class set of iPads is more of a dream than reality, but it is my hope that iPads will become more accessible in schools, allowing ALL students the chance to participate in personalized learning through technology. Be an advocate for iPads and tablets in your school. Whether or not it is a class set or a mobile tablet lab, the value iPads and tablets have towards student learning will sure be noticed. Hopefully meaning more will follow in the future.

Why an ePortfolio? That is the question I found myself asking when I was first introduced to the concept last winter. I understood that I needed to highlight how I had met the TRB standards in order to become certified, and that an ePortfolio was a good thing to post to my resume but other than that I simply saw the ePortfolio as a highlight reel of my teacher training.

It wasn’t until our EDUC 431 class at UNBC where Ian Landy, a principal from SD47, presented on ePortfolios as a tool for reflection. Ian explained how ePorfolios should be an archive of our growth and learning. Our portfolios should show our personalized journey towards learning, not just the finished product of our learning. Yes, ePortfolios should highlight the TRB standards and your successes as a teacher, but they should also be a true representation of your growth and understanding as a teacher and learner. Don’t be afraid to show your misses, just make sure you have shown how you grew from them. That is the real  purpose of an ePortfolio.