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Leveraging Digital Learning

Lots of Acceleration and Little Steering…yet – How do we Leverage Digital learning during and post Pandemic?

The introduction of new technologies has always brought with it a myriad of responses from users. For example, some are willing to wait in line for countless hours to be the first to own the latest and greatest cell phone, others cannot imagine being without a landline. Some find merit in both. Regardless of where each of us was a few months ago, technology has become an essential tool to address an urgent need as a result of the pandemic. The recent move to learn remotely has administrators, educators and students propelled into accelerated learning on the technology learning continuum.

When remote learning began, the key focus for many was on learning the basics of site navigate and content upload to the virtual learning environment. As familiarity with digital tools have increased at a rapid rate and basic skills are developing with greater automaticity many are using technology as an effective tool to be leveraged to enhance and transform teaching and learning.

Now that school systems have been accelerated into a digital world teaching and learning will forever be transformed to involve technology. The status quo will no longer suffice for many educators and students. Even so, anyone who has driven a vehicle knows that acceleration without steering can have dire consequences. School and system leaders need to consider how to effectively leverage new digital capabilities to support deeper pedagogy. When face to face learning resumes and the urgency of the pandemic is not a significant driver in the use of technology it will be imperative for us to consider how to keep the momentum going for effectively using technology in new and innovative ways in education.

We need to consider:

  • What is your vision for digital in the next year?
  • What conditions need to be in place to continue to leverage technology in schools to enhance learning?
  • What are the ways that technology can be used for transformative learning and the creation of new learning opportunities that were previously inconceivable?
  • What practices will need to discontinue?
  • What is your first move?

We are currently in a state of flux in education with momentum to make significant strides in the use of digital technologies to support student achievement. Putting on the brakes when we return to a more familiar classroom experience should not be our next move. Now is the time for steering. Leaders have opportunity to choose the path rather than having the path chosen for us.

A Superintendent in another Board near us recently posted this Dave Hollis meme on her Twitter feed and it succinctly summarizes exactly what we need to continue to consider together as we move forward.

Mathematics Theme Goes Online!

Numeracy_IconIn keeping with last week’s mathematics theme I would like to share two of my favourite mathematics websites:

1.       The first site is found on the Emily Stowe homepage. The “Numeracy Focus” link is on the left hand side of the page. The first group of links found on the “Numeracy Focus” page is about the importance of numeracy and why these skills are important to our students in today’s world. We live in a vast global community which is why we’ve linked to sites in many parts of the world. Children in every country are working on these same life skills. There are also links to documents on basic numeracy / math skills from our own Ontario Ministry of Education.

In the second section are online interactive math games and activities students will be using at school, but they may also come to this site and use these same activities to re-enforce their math skills at home. We hope you find this page informative and helpful. If, in your own Internet searches you find other good educational links we might include here, please send me those links. I’d be happy to include them.

http://www.tvdsb.ca/EmilyStowePS.cfm?subpage=245891

2.       The second site, Mathies.ca hosted by Ontario Association for Mathematics Education (OAME), is designed for Ontario K – 12 students and parents. This website includes games, learning tools, activities, and additional supports for students to explore, build and enhance their mathematical thinking.

http://oame.on.ca/mathies/games.php

Digital Citizenship – More Than Just Being Polite!

THINK-Digital-Citizenship I was at a Media Literacy event months back and the speaker shared the following rule for posting on social media.  It is often one that I now share with students: “If you wouldn’t say it in front of your grandmother, then don’t say it in a text message.”  This is an important message when learning to be a responsible user of technology, but, as I have recently learned, there is so much more to being a digital citizen than writing polite text messages.

                Digital citizenship refers to the quality of an individual’s character and the choices they make online. Being a digital citizen encompasses a student’s basic rights and responsibilities in a digital environment and strives to deepen their understanding and acceptance of the appropriate and responsible use of technology (This quote was taken from resources on the TVDSB website! Click on the blue DVD’s to go to Aretta Blue’s website and more information. digitalCitizenshipCDs


The Elements of Digital Literacy are:

RESPECT & PROTECT YOURSELF: Security, Rights & Responsibilities, Health & Wellness

RESPECT & PROTECT OTHERS: Communications, Etiquette, Access

RESPECT & PROTECT INTELLECTUAL AND OTHER PROPERTY: Law, Literacy, Commerce

Ribble, M. (2011) Digital Citizenship in Schools 2nd Edition; International Society for Technology in Education)

 Check out the following brief video link on Digital Citizenship:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdEXijFXfD8

                There is no denying that technology is everywhere and that social media has become a big part of most students’ digital identities. Learning to become a digital citizen will help students learn to safely and respectfully navigate through a digital world.