Learning in Place

Place-based teaching and learning in SD61

Category: Learning Design

Computational Participation

21 July 2021 / / 3 Comments

Building on my last entry about Computational Thinking (CT), I want to dive deeper into what it means to actually engage in CT as an active participant. In Yasmin B. Kafai’s article “From Computational Thinking to Computational Participation in K–12 Education” the term computational thinking is reframed to computational participation (CP) (2016). According to Kafai, CP involves “solving problems, designing systems, and understanding human behavior in the context of computing.“

What does that look like in today’s Elementary (K-5) schools?

Kafai speaks of the importance of relevant and authentic learning opportunities, where kids can engage in digital practices that are fun, interactive, and actually mean something to them in the context of their lives. According to Kafai, “programming is not an abstract discipline, but a way to “make” and “be” in the digital world.” In other words, programming can be the digital language of identity-making online.

As with all identity-making, this is not a solitary pursuit. This must happen in collaboration, interaction, and communication with others. We are social creatures and we thrive in learning situations that allow us to build upon and with the genius of others. From building from “scratch” or “remixing” an existing product, Kafai stresses that a key feature for 21st century learning is open knowledge sharing and innovation.

It might seem like CP is as simple as grouping kids together to work on a coding project, but Kafai cautions that CP comes with its own set of challenges. Kafai reminds that students aren’t “digital natives” and that, “to learn to code students must learn the technicalities of programming language and common algorithms, and the social practices of programming communities.“

Some ideas to build the foundational skills, communication, and processes to become a CP?

  • Design “Exact Instruction Challenges” for your classroom: written or verbal. Focus on deconstructing a simple (or complex, if you’re brave and patient and have done this before!) task into its most basic steps. Build skills in communication.
  • Do round-robin designs: one student starts it off and then passes it on. Consider that this can be done on-paper (written or visual), physically (designing a dance or movement), verbally (a story or song), or with a hands-on creation like Lego or blocks. Your imagination is the limit, and the purpose is to foster open sharing, lessening attachment to ownership, and learning to work collaboratively. *Check out the full Google Design Sprint Kit.
  • Start your day with a WODB dialogue: Which one doesn’t belong? There are no answers provided with these, because multiple correct answers exist. This task builds skills in reasoning and explaining an answer, while encouraging out-of-the-box thinking and understanding that one-solution-fits-all is often a myth. I love this as a warm-up activity for math.

Granted, none of these ideas use tech. What they do is build the foundational skills for CT and CP.

Over to you:

How have you seen CP come alive in your school?

What have been some of the most successful (in terms of student participation, enjoyment, and learning) ways in which you have incorporated CP into your practice?

References:

Kafai, Yasmin B. “From Computational Thinking to Computational Participation in K-12 Education.” Communications of the ACM, vol. 59, no. 8, Aug. 2016, pp. 26–27. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1145/2955114.

Josh Darnit (2017). “Exact Instructions Challenge PB&J Classroom Friendly | Josh Darnit.” Retrieved on July 21, 2021 from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN2RM-CHkuI

LUMA Institute (ND). “Round Robin” from the Google Design Sprint Kit, last accessed July 21, 2021 from: https://designsprintkit.withgoogle.com/methodology/phase1-understand/round-robin

https://wodb.ca: a website dedicated to Which One Doesn’t Belong? With a nod to Christopher Danielson and his Which One Doesn’t Belong – A Shapes Book

Image retrieved from ovtt.org

Determining the Problem

11 July 2021 / / 0 Comments

Problem: Teachers have not grown out of the traditional view of the library as a place to retrieve books.

A set of responses from a 7-Question survey to assess how teachers currently view their school library and what changes they might want to see (2021).

Reframe: Teachers with traditional views of the school library are underutilizing the space.

Developing relationships with teachers and administrators in order to reframe their existing understanding of the purpose of the library will help in the process of transforming school libraries into 21st century library learning commons (LLCs). Ample research supports that a LLC has direct correlations to improved student achievement and lifelong learning skills. (CSL, 2020)

Problem: Inflexible library scheduling prevents open access to resources like the Makerspace.

Currently, the library operates on a schedule, with classes rotating in as the TL covers prep times throughout the day. There are very few “open blocks” where students and teachers can informally use the space for pleasure reading, group work, teacher/TL collaboration, events, etc. The positioning of the Makerspace within the library also means that students and teachers are not able to access the materials whenever they need or want them.

Reframe 1: Inflexible scheduling prevents open access to library resources.

Changing the library scheduling from fixed to flexible (or “mixed”) has a proven positive effect on student achievement (Haycock, 2002), and may allow the library to become more accessible to the flexible and diverse needs of students, teachers, and classes. By integrating a flexible schedule, the library space can then be used as it is needed. It is important to develop strong relationships with classroom teachers, administrators, and students so that they know to use the library as a research tool, a collaborative space, and a safe zone for self-regulation (Needham, 2003).

Reframe 2: A fixed Makerspace is not always accessible, given library scheduling constraints.

There are certainly advantages to having a permanent Makerspace, especially when library scheduling is flexible and allows students access to the space whenever inspiration strikes. Creating a mobile Makerspace allows teachers to bring the cart to their own space, reduces some accessibility challenges, and can also be a solution in schools with limited library physical space and budget (Craddock, 2015) (YALSA, 2014).

Forms response chart. Question title: What would you like to see in our library?. Number of responses: 4 responses.

Let’s Focus:

I am going to focus on designing a mobile makerspace, because I think this is a challenge that many schools face. My hope is that the solutions to this challenge can be implemented immediately so that schools can benefit from the skills and processes developed when engaged in the design thinking process.

Design Challenge

Design a mobile, or pop-up, Makerspace that fits your school library budget, facilitates students using the design thinking process, and can be easily carted from one classroom to another. Be sure to include a plan for tracking and replacing materials as they are used, as well as a booking schedule so that teachers can easily reserve the cart as needed.

References:

Craddock, I. L. (2015). Makers on the move: a mobile makerspace at a comprehensive public high school. Library Hi Tech, 33(4), 497–504. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-05-2015-0056

Canadian School Libraries (CSL). 2020.  “Leading Learning:  Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada.” Available:  http://llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca

Haycock, K. (2002). Flexible scheduling revisited. .(Brief Article). Teacher Librarian (Vancouver), 29(3), 6–.

Needham, J. (2003). From fixed to flexible: making the journey. Teacher Librarian (Vancouver), 30(5), 8–.

YALSA. (2014). Making in the Library Toolkit: Makerspace Resources Task Force (p. 8-9, 37).

Professional Goals

5 July 2021 / / 0 Comments
This was created using Canva for Educators. You are welcome to use and distribute this under Creative Commons licensing.

Questions for you:

  1. Do you have any resources or PLN connections to help me achieve this goal? Who is currently doing this work?
  2. What does it mean to you to apply an anti-oppressive analysis to technology integration and lesson design?

Get the link to this Canva Infographic here. You may use this as a template and edit to suit your personal learning goals!

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

ADST: Design Thinking

3 July 2021 / / 0 Comments

In minute 3:37 of Sandra Averill’s overview of the BC K-9 ADST curriculum, I hear something that clicks into place for me:

“My concern is that we will take a traditional approach to this non-traditional curriculum.” (3:37, Averill)

Unlike traditional models of teaching, ADST is not intended to be a unit that we begin and complete. Instead, it is a model of thinking and learning that is woven throughout the curricula. The moment we apply constraints to the ADST process, we are limiting and moving away from the purpose of exploration, individualized learning, collaborative design, and growth mindset.

Sandra describes the ideal ADST process as “meeting the same learning outcomes, but arriving there through different materials.” (7:40, Averill)

Immersion, problem-solving, creating, big-picture thinking, uncharted territory, expeditionary learning, inquiry, context, life-improving, inspirational, stages of a project, skills for life… these key words help to define how ADST can transform the idea of what it means to be a teacher and a student in the 21st century. It starts with a problem and moves almost immediately into several questions to help define and meet that problem.

“I feel that schools shouldn’t just be about learning about problems, I think they should be about solving them. Because, if you aren’t learning about solving problems, then what will you do when you’re out of school?” – Liva Pierce, King Middle School, Maine School Engages Kids With Problem-Solving Challenges

As students move on to future grades, they may forget the particulars of the content they have been taught. That is to-be-expected. We retain what is relevant, interesting, and useful to us. What does not go away are the life skills: communicating with others, defining and tackling a problem, approaching an unknown with curiosity and wonder.

Imagine the products of an educational system that focussed on life skills over content, relevancy over ease-of-delivery, inspiring and empowering students to follow their passions over the more traditional “sage-on-the-stage” method of delivering content.

I’m curious, what is preventing more teachers and schools from adopting the problem-solving approach to learning? How can those barriers be addressed by the school librarian?

References:

BC ADST Curriculum

Applied Design Skills and Technologies K-9, published by Sandra Averill through Issuu.com on Oct 22, 2017

ADST Design Thinking K-9, uploaded by Sandra Averill through Vimeo.com on March 24, 2020

Maine School Engages Kids With Problem-Solving Challenges, a PBS NewsHour piece on Youtube, uploaded on May 6, 2013

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