Learning Spaces
A couple of years ago, I landed an incredible job at a brand new school. The school was equipped with a Smartboard in every room, a Front Row amplification system in every learning space, wireless Internet throughout the school and mini computer pods attached to groups of rooms. I could hardly wait to start teaching that year. At first glance, it seemed like a perfect teaching and learning space for the 21st Century.
Today, I would argue the opposite.
It first started with a conversation I had with my students, who, in a podcast, describe their “ideal” secondary school. They didn’t mention technology as being essential (although for them, that is a given). They mentioned collaborative spaces, comfortable learning areas, choice and freedom. From that point, I not only began to look at my own learning spaces differently but I also began to explore this topic on a variety of levels.
In January 2011, Rodd Lucier and I presented, “Learning Spaces of Tomorrow” where educators and leaders from across North America joined together in groups to literally design learning spaces using Livescribe Pens (in person) and Scribblar (online). The major themes presented by all groups was that learning spaces should be collaborative in nature, flexible in design, differentiated, comfortable and engaging (almost verbatim what my 12 year old students described). Again, technology infrastructure was a given.
In my post, “Ultimate Learning Spaces” I describe the look and feel of the new Hamilton Public Library, which, interestingly, was designed using the major themes mentioned above – flexible, comfortable, collaborative and differentiated. Continue reading What is the Ultimate Learning Space?
Month: April 2011
Ultimate Learning Space
.JPG "Hamilton Public Library")
Today, I had the wonderful experience of meeting Paul Takala (Diretor of Digital Technology), from the Hamilton Public Library. It is he, that prompted this post and the pencast interview that follows.
The story starts last January when I walked into the Hamilton Public Library and wept. My two boys, were stunned. “Mom, don’t cry, they fixed it…”. But, I was so choked up because the new space was such a great example (in my opinion) of a rich, diverse, and connected learning space and with a variety of tools (a teachers dream come true). Standing in one spot, with the ceiling to floor window giving me natural light, I could see by boys playing on the touch screen computers in the child section, the fish tanks, the parents reading in the cozy corners with their children, the couches and round tables, the fireplace, the self checkouts, the GIANT window overlooking the Farmers Market (which is also amazing), the 50 computers, all being used, and I can’t forget the LONG table with power and internet plugs for people to bring their in own devices. My words do not give it justice, but these pictures do: Information and photos: http://www.loveitalot.com/2011/01/hpl.html
I stood there, stared, (and stopped weeping) and thought – if I was teaching in a class right now (at the moment I’m seconded to Brock), I would want to bring my students here weekly. Maybe we could curate an exhibit? Maybe we could be leaders and teach adults how to use some learning tools? Maybe we could use the research tools and work on a variety of inquiry based and problem based lessons and be surrounded by resources and people that would help us?
I’m glad to have met Paul and that he agreed to share a quick audio note with me about the Library:
Do we need Social Media policies?
JUST THINK……
Web 2.O promotes sharing, openness, transparency, and collective knowledge. Web 2.0 tools are low cost (sometimes free) and accessible anywhere with Internet access. These tools are available in several mediums (video, text, audio, images). They don’t require a great deal of computer or tech knowledge to use and are generally usable on any computer or mobile device and from almost anywhere in the world. These characteristics would at first glance seem like a perfect recipe for any teacher, classroom or student. But they come with a price. Content is public. Anyone can post anything about anyone at anytime, from anywhere. Regardless of skill, knowledge, age, or ability, anyone can publish his or her work. And yet, even knowing this price – this risk, some teachers and their students across our globe are doing it anyway. Some have fully implemented social media into their classrooms and in their own professional development often without policy, without guidelines and without district support or professional development. They use social media to empower students, to promote discussion, critical thinking and problem solving. But often due to the lack of public or community understanding, these educators face scrutiny in the media.
I argue that social media policies in education are lacking and require attention. However, because of the fast changing pace of social media and the lack of knowledge and research of its use in education, policy makers are taking a cautious stance.
The recently published, ‘Professional Advisory – Use of Electronic Communication and Social Media’ (Ontario College of Teachers, 2011) is an excellent example of this – where the problem is defined and framed by focusing on teacher behaviour and appropriate conduct, rather than framing the problem as being the lack of teacher preparedness and lack of district initiative for ongoing professional development about the appropriate use of social networking tools at all level of education. The intended message of the advisory is very clear – in large blue font on the cover of the document reads,
This professional advisory is intended to provide a context for the responsible, professional use of electronic communication and social media by members of the College. For the purposes of this advisory, electronic communication and social media encompass software, applications (including those running on mobile devices), e-mail and web sites, which enable users to interact, create and exchange information online. Examples include, but are not limited to, sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube, Wikipedia, Picasa and MySpace. (Ontario College of Teachers, 2011)
In this case, the Ontario College of Teacher intention is to set guidelines about teacher use of these tools. Since many teachers have already been using these tools in their classrooms as instructional practice, without these guidelines in place, it will be interesting to see what changes, these cautions will have in Ontario classrooms. Will teachers stop using these tools? From the point of view of the College, whose mandate is to provide guidelines for the teaching profession, the recently published advisory would seem appropriate. However, the real problem should be the lack of training and knowledge that the members have about the use of the tools as they pertain to education since professional conduct is nothing new. And, it is nothing new that some teachers and educators breach their professional conduct, as told by our history. Further, simple searches on the Internet lead to thousands of blogs, Wikispaces, classroom Youtube videos, and even classroom Facebook pages. Almost every night (or day) of the week, teachers from around the world are gathering to discuss strategies and research based methods both using synchronous and a synchronous learning methods. Real people around the world are using these tools to advocate for change and social justice. Teachers across the world are using sites such as Skype in the Classroom™ or Voice Thread (and so much more) to connect students with other students and classrooms, authors, and experts. School districts, directors of education, superintendents, trustees, teachers and students can follow and contribute to the same news feeds and respond to one another in real time using social media tools. I am fully immersed in this world of knowledge mobilization and interactivity and yet I still find it incredible.
Regardless, policies continue to focus on those teachers that are not using these tools effectively, instead of addressing the issues at a system level. Policies need to be putting the responsibility on the districts to provide proper and ongoing training for teachers which includes professional conduct. Policies need to allow districts room to move and grow at the same speed as the tools our students are using when they go home. Such policies should insist that schools are teaching proper use of social media tools rather than discourage it. Above all, such policies and guidelines need to be considered priority. If schools are not teaching and modeling these tools, who will?
As educators, are we content with letting our children use web 2.0 social media tools without proper instruction? They are doing it anyway, so lets bring it into the classroom and teach them to use it safely and properly. Policies and guidelines should take a proactive approach
Consider the following questions –
1. Why are some teachers and schools making decisions to use social media tools into their instructional practice without district policy or guidelines?
2. Has the growth in cloud based instructional tools and individual use of social media forced districts to develop related policies?
3. Are teachers putting themselves and their students at risk by using tools and strategies that are not addressed by policy?
4. Finally, is it possible to create a policy about social media when the tools and programs are changing at exponential rates?