Symposium 2009 News
Symposium 2009 Stories
The Lego Robotics session today had an exciting, interactive format and a ground breaking model for personalized learning in the classroom for all grade levels including university classes. The first product (showcased at the heritage festival) was a Lego model of a C-train, originally made by a parent of elementary school students. This parent found the level of interaction between child and parent quite fascinating because it integrated learning and playing. Seeing the affects on these children sparked the idea for the robotics used throughout the movie (that was presented today by CBE specialists) and hopefully in the future, in classrooms across Canada. CBE Schools across “area one” partnered with the Lego Robotics team to experiment with the various mechanical robots and studying the way students are learning through interaction with the robotics.
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The technology the students are working with encourages teamwork as well as individual development. Different designs and tasks (that the students are asked to have their robots perform) tie into many aspects of the current curriculum. In the younger grade levels teamwork, leadership, perseverance, problem solving, and basic science skills such as the functioning of levers and gears; are all developed during the use of the Lego robotics. Throughout the high school and post secondary level courses they are learning much more advanced aspects of robotics such as mathematical programming and engineering. The main focus of the Lego robotics project was to introduce a personalized learning experience to the mainstream education system.
A combination of technologies has been achieved with the SMART board; which have been integrated into the robotic sessions and the two technologies are working together to create a brand new way of teaching in the 21st century. Students aren’t the only ones benefiting from these new technologies. Teachers are offered training sessions from “learning leaders” to help them adapt to the digital technology being introduced, as a result becoming more confident teaching in these flexible and innovative styles. A fun, flexible, yet still extremely educational way of learning increases the student chance of success and achievement within the school system. When students feel they are doing well in school they are much more likely to involve both parents and teachers in there learning, this creates a healthier environment both at home and in the class room.
Instead of the classic learning style of worksheets and memorizing facts that students can’t personalize or take pride in there learning, the presented model of teaching with Lego Robotics, offers students the opportunity to take responsibility and work towards their personal interests, therefore accomplishing more in depth and generally better work. Now it’s up to the administration to pull their diverse staff, (all of whom come with different skills and opinions) to work together towards the common goal of modernizing learning.
Instead of the classic learning style of worksheets and memorizing facts that students can’t personalize or take pride in there learning, the presented model of teaching with Lego Robotics, offers students the opportunity to take responsibility and work towards their personal interests, therefore accomplishing more in depth and generally better work. Now it’s up to the administration to pull their diverse staff, (all of whom come with different skills and opinions) to work together towards the common goal of modernizing learning.
The “21st Century classroom” is an idea that is gaining ground among teachers and administrators around the world. Gone are the days when a teacher would stand in front of thirty to forty students, and lecture for an hour at a time. Now, the focus is on the students, on group-based and pod-based learning strategies, and having the students take a more active role in their learning. The “21st Century classroom” does not necessarily use more advanced technologies; it means that teachers integrate information in different ways, and challenge the students. It also looks at how to encourage students to explore and experiment with their new information and to connect with their peers. In essense, the “21st Century classroom” is an area where students can engage in self-directed learning with their peers, either face-to-face or via groupware, and receive guidelines and feedback from their instructor.
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Groupware is a part of the “21st Century classroom”, and is one of the many ways to communicate with other people using highly advanced, yet simple, technologies. Groupware, like Flickr or a SMART Table, is a software or hardware tool that facilitates communication between its members. Groupware designed for schools allows all of the students, their parents, and the one or two teachers to meet, share and review their work. Groupware for students’ allows students to create, review share and publish their information. The teacher’s groupware will allow for the collecting of all student work for marking, and then releasing it back to the community of students and their parents. From there, the students can share their work with one another, and the parents can review the students’ work, and facilitate communication with the teacher, if necessary. Groupware is an exciting prospect for the “21st Century classroom”, and will continue to offer better and more simplistic means for communication, innovation and collaboration.
The SMART table is a revolutionary way of ‘hands on learning’ - literally.
The SMART table is a table in which a computer has been embedded. By combining this with a multi-touch screen on the top of the device, the SMART Table is a fully inclusive group-based learning system, aimed for kids from pre-k to grade 3. The multi-touch interactive system is what puts this device ahead of other devices.
Click here to listen to Mike's podcast with SMART
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The interactive system allows more than one person to use the device at a single time. For example, one of the programs, Paint, allows up to four people to use all ten of their fingers at the same time to draw lines of varying thicknesses. All of this is done on a desk sized table containing a computer, projector and a camera.
This 21st Century teaching tool allows the students to interact and contribute collaboratively. For example, a program, called Addition, teaches problem-solving skills, basic addition, and the importance of team work by proposing a problem, say 23-2=___, and having the students use their fingers to count to the answer, 21. Because people only have 10 fingers, this problem requires 3 people to collaborate and solve the problem, whether with 10+10+1 fingers or 7+7+7…
The table requires almost no setup, so is a great choice for the teacher just starting to integrate technologies into their classroom. It also makes a great addition to a classroom that is already using other SMART products, like a SMART Board. The Table can output to a projector, so the teacher can take a SMART Table activity and project it to a SMART Board, allowing for a demonstration of a Table activity that can be viewed by the entire class.
The SMART Table is a great example of infusing technology into the classroom, and makes a great addition to the modern learning environment.
Mike Buck - Ernest Manning School
Minister Dave Hancock reflects on his recent trip to UK representing Canada at the First Global Congress on Education Technology. He reflects on Alberta's perspective on 21st Century learning and the challenges and opportunities ahead. With respect to disrupting class and innovation, Minister Hancock inspires us with his vision and leadership in preparing both educators and students for the 21st Century and a global knowledge economy. The Distributed Learning Symposium 2009 Symposium truly demonstrates Alberta's committment to innovation and ingenuity and challenges us to move the goal posts. Click on the link below to listen to Minister Hancock's engaging podcast interview with Robert Martellacci, publisher of the Mindshare Learning Report.
Minister Hancock Podcast
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We're glad you could join us for this year's Symposium! Wireless access is available in all conference spaces and this website will be updated throughout the conference to share feature stories as well as photo and video highlights. Conference delegates can participate in the sharing by uploading images/video to their conference gallery, by tagging Flickr photos with ADETA09, or sending direct tweets to ADETA09 using Twitter.
Hello and welcome to Symposium ’09. We offer the distributed learning community an exciting opportunity to learn, network and share across the three sectors of the industry K-12, post-secondary and the workplace. We hope you make the most of your time with your colleagues and embrace the opportunity to become a driver of change in this exciting industry.
Keynotes
We have an exciting lineup of keynote speakers for you to enjoy. Curtis Johnson will discuss changing learning models and how
these will impact the teaching/learning environment. Dr. Jason Ohler will share his ideas about innovation and technology and
how this will reinvent teaching and learning. Guy Kawasaki will inspire you to think about technology in new ways that will shape
your role in the distributed learning community.
Our keynote panel, Dr. Norm Vaughan, Dr. Alec Couros and George Siemens – all experts in the field of distributed learning – will
explore concepts related to learning and social networks.
Presentations
Last fall we asked the community for proposals for presentations in the following areas:
The Personalization of Learning
How is choice, fl exibility, relevancy and authenticity understood by learners, educators and learning systems?
What pedagogies and instructional practices support the personalization of learning?
Learning (and Social) Networks
How is informal and formal learning embraced and recognized by learners, educators and learning systems?
How can local and global communities collaborate to support learning to meet needs identifi ed in a changing world?
Innovation and Ingenuity
What challenges and opportunities are driving change?
How will learning spaces and technology shape, and be shaped to meet future needs?
We were thrilled with your response and are very excited about the ideas and concepts that will be presented in the sessions over
the next two days.
You!
This Symposium is successful only with your support and attendance. Thank you for coming – we hope you leave inspired, and
ready to build and shape the future of distributed learning.
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