Tag: learning design

March 9, 2021 EDCI 336, EdTech, Reflection, Weekly Learning Reflections Post a Comment

To Blend or Not to Blend?

I find it quite timely that we have just had a lecture on learning design as the BC Provincial Government announces the planned return to face-to-face learning for post-secondary institutions in the fall. As a member to the UVic Education “Zoom Cohort”, it feels like a bit of a slap in the face to our educational experience. Almost like, “Thank god that is over, now we can get back to normal learning!”.

Who is to say that our online learning experience couldn’t be normal moving forward? Would I have chosen a 100% online program if given another option, probably not, but it might be the best choice for the person in the next zoom square over. Why not let learners at least have the choice and allow them the agency to choose what is the best learning modality for them?

Face to face learning and online learning have traditionally been thought of as two separate entities. In today’s tech saturated world, there is no reason why the two of these can’t be blended together to create a multi-access learning experience. It was suggested in lecture that most students prefer this model, so how do educators take their pedagogy and make it flexibly for different learning modalities?

This pandemic has been a long road for everyone, and the whole world is ready to get back to “normal”, but what does that look like in education moving forward? In our PDP cohort being online has allowed for colleagues to be apart of the program from their home communities throughout the province. The cost of moving, lack of available accomodation, or the unavailability of desired programs in a local area are just a few of the barriers that could prevent an individual from pursuing their goals. By creating more flexible modalities for learning, those barriers start to break down. Personal circumstances may change part way through a program, if there was the option for a student to continue in their program through a multi-access modality (online synchronous and asynchronous, open resources, face to face) they could continue with their learning with less disruption in a way that works for them. I am very interested in a particular masters program and UBC, but the full-time face to face delivery model is a barrier for me at the moment. If that program was to offer a multi-access design, I would apply in a heartbeat.

All of this thinking can also be applied to the K-12 model. While the needs, and therefore the design might look different in an elementary, middle, or high school, the principles are the same. Learner’s voice and choice has a space in learning design. Having said all of that, how do I as a pre-service teacher begin to design for flexibility? That is a really big question, and at the moment, I don’t have the answer.

 

Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

March 7, 2021 EDCI 336, EdTech, Reflection, Weekly Learning Reflections Post a Comment

Into the Pool of Inquiry we go!

 

The past few lectures we have had the pleasure of learning from 2 inspiring educators both currently teaching in Victoria. Jeff Hopkins is the principal of the Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry (PSII) and Trevor Mackenzie is an inquiry based high school teacher in SD61 who shares his dedication to inquiry based teaching with educators around the world.

It was so refreshing to speak to educators that are currently in the classroom and so passionate about their teaching practice. I have always leaned towards an inquiry approach when working with youth, and while I may have dipped by toes in the pool, there is so far to go and I am excited to deepen my understanding of the inquiry process.

Jeff Hopkins stressed the importance of “process over product”, and the importance of self-regulation in agency in student learning and to think about the intention of the curriculum. If we teach to the intention, we can’t go wrong. Inquiry based learning has a process, and most students are not ready to leap right into the deep end. As pre-service teachers, we need to learn to watch for readiness followed by opportunities to introduce students to the inquiry cycle. Jeff also introduced the idea of multi-year planning when it comes to curricular content and the amazing opportunities that can be created for students when teachers come together to plan as a staff.

Trevor Mackenzie suggested that as new teachers, we may have a lot of “unlearning” to do around our own education and any biases we may hold before we can dive into inquiry. His presentation was full of ideas, values, and strategies to put into practice all stemming from a constructivist approach. Trevor challenged us to think about what our values are and do they seem to line up with the ideals of an inquiry based classroom? Trevor’s website is overflowing with any resource you could possibly want to create an inquiry based  classroom.

The underlying theme for both speakers was the importance of relationships. If you don’t know your students, you will have no idea what they are passionate about, where the talents lie, or what they truly wonder about. There is a certain level of risk involved with inquiry, and if students do not feel like they are in a psychologically safe environment, they won’t be willing to take that deep dive with you.

I walked away from both of these presentations full of energy and ideas, and perhaps more importantly, confirmation for me that inquiry based learning will be the grounding of my teaching philosophy. I have a lot of learning ahead of me.  I started by ordering both of Trevor’s books and can’t wait to dive into the inquiry pool.

 

Photo by Marija Zaric on Unsplash