Vol. 6, Issue 2 - Teaching and Technology

HEY, TEACH! Vol. 6, Issue 2 ■ Spring 2015

The Victoria College Education Magazine

In this issue...

Phones, Tablets, and Laptops, Oh My! “For many children and youths, these devices have become an active part of their daily lives.”

TEACHING & TECHNOLOGY

Feature interview with Dr. Clare Brett, “Technology has become a buzzword in education.”

beloved Associate Professor at OISE/UT and expert in the field of technology and education

...and more!

Hey, Teach! is dedicated to developing the philosophies and ideas of aspiring teachers.

We’re online at heyteachvictoriacollege.wordpress.com & heyteach@utoronto.ca!

The Staff of Hey, Teach!

Letter from the Editor

Editor-in-Chief: Hannah Hong Senior Editor: Melody Barclay Senior Productions: Brittany Yuen Public Relations: Kate Mahoney Associate Editors: Abeera Ali, Michelle Brooks, Vanessa Cataldo, Marissa Mark, Victoria Minchopoulos, Tal Oren, Mehak Jamil, Samantha King, Rija Saleem Associate Productions: Alessia Arbitrio, Sarah Carey, Vanessa Cataldo, Joanne Lieu, Marissa Mark, Amanda Squillace Cover image from www.flickr.com/tumac/ Technology is the new buzzword, a new trend, and it presents new controversy in the field of education. Is it a useful tool or an incessant distraction? Do the benefits outweigh the negative consequences? What does it mean for teachers and students to navigate through the real world and cyber world? In this issue of Hey Teach!, we explore the questions and issues around technology that permeate our society today.

Our first two writers, Lisa Shimano and Amanda Squillace, consider the pros and cons of technology in the classroom. Nevoh Masliah expresses concern regarding cellphones and their tendency to limit young people’s social interactions and social development, and Rija Saleem reminds us to focus on the learning rather than on the distracting buzz and popularity of technology. Tali Voron gives us story snapshots of a life in the digital world, while Samantha King presents a compelling poem that reveals the power of technology to consume our attention. We see various artistic representations of technology, which present the all-encompassing position that technology has assumed in the modern world.

In our feature interview, Dr. Clare Brett discusses the current issues and concerns around technology and education, touching upon various topics, from accessibility and cyber bullying to media literacy and teaching strategies. She shares her research experiences and insights, revealing the significance of the meaningful and intentional use of technology in the classroom. Dr. Brett wisely reminds us that technology can be the means, not the end, to learning: “It’s the way technology is employed in the designing of the learning experience that can facilitate and move things ahead.”

CTEP students share various resources and ideas to incorporate technology into the curriculum in fun and engaging ways, including picture books from Maria Romano, SMART Board ideas from Joe Singh, interactive fiction from Marissa Mark, and Sesame Street videos from Raeesah Sufi. We also see the ways in which technology empowers children with special needs and introverted students. Madeleine De Welles appropriately concludes our issue by acknowledging that technology acts best as a complementary tool to teaching.

As prospective teachers, it is our responsibility to create meaningful and effective pedagogy that reflects and responds to our rapidly changing world. I hope that the voices presented in this issue bring new insights to your thoughts on technology and incite further exploration into your teaching and learning journeys.

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Respectfully yours, Hannah Hong Editor-in-Chief HEY, TEACH! SPRING 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 3 The Pros and Cons of Technology in the Classroom Amanda Squillace, Year 2 CTEP, Sociology Major, Human Geography Minor Page 4 Do Students Learn Better With Technology?

Lisa Shimano, Year 2, Linguistics Major, French and Education & Society Minors Page 5 21st Century Learning Sarah Carey and Victoria Minchopoulos, Year 5 CTEP Page 6 Phones, Tablets, and Laptops, Oh My! Vittoria Tesoro, Year 2, English and Renaissance Studies Majors Page 7 The Cellphone Epidemic Nevoh Masliah, Year 1, Vic One Ryerson Stream Page 8-9 Buzz – It’s Technology Rija Saleem, Year 1, Vic One Ryerson Stream Page 10 Plugged In Tali Voron, Year 1, Vic One Ryerson Stream Page 11-12 Curious Ashley and Her Search for the Perfect World Ashley Gittens, Year 5 CTEP Page 13 Do Not Depart Samantha King, Year 1, Vic One Ryerson Stream Page 14 21st Century Education Cassandra Raso, Year 5 CTEP Page 14 TECHNOLOGY Dave Merritt, Year 5 CTEP Page 15-20 Feature: An Interview with OISE’s Dr. Clare Brett Interview conducted by Rija Saleem and Samantha King, Year 1, Vic One Ryerson Stream Page 21 In with the Old and the New Maria Romano, Year 5 CTEP Page 22 Embracing the 21st Century Through Technology Joe Singh, Year 5 CTEP Page 23 Assistive Technology Hannah Hong, Year 5 CTEP Page 24 The Inadvertent Effects of Technology: Rise of the Introverted Student Mehak Jamil, Year 2, English Specialist, Education & Society Minor Page 25 Engaging the Reluctant Reader Through Interactive Fiction Marissa Mark, Year 3 CTEP, Psychology Major, English Minor Page 26 Do We “Teach” Technology”?

Madeleine De Welles, Year 1, Vic One Ryerson Stream Page 27-28 Sesame Street in the Classroom Raeesah Sufi, Year 5 CTEP

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The Pros and Cons of Technology in the Classroom Amanda Squillace Year 2 CTEP Sociology Major, Human Geography Minor

Technology is becoming increasingly prevalent

in society. In many ways, our daily tasks rely immensely on technology and its many efficient uses. However, the use of technology in the classroom is still questioned.

Students love technology in the classroom, myself included. The various uses of technology, such as PowerPoint presentations, videos, interactive activities, and captivating images truly make learning more fun, creative, and enjoyable. Especially in elementary classrooms, the use of technology has the potential to grab even the youngest student’s attention and keep him engaged and interested in the material. For example, the addition of relatable videos or online games heightens students’ attention and their excitement about a lesson. More importantly, it allows students to connect with material in unique ways that traditional methods do not provide.

Technology is also a great alternative for students with disabilities. It allows them to both understand and apply the material using new and creative methods. For example, instead of printing, students can use a keyboard, mouse, or touch screen to navigate through an activity. Also, students who may have difficulty reading can use online reading tools that help guide the students with spelling and pronunciation of text on their own. These simple alternatives help reinforce the learning in the classroom at an appropriate level for each student.

In addition, the use of technology also improves the students’ technological skill set. As mentioned earlier, technology is continuously

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expanding in various forms; students must, therefore, develop an understanding of what technology is and how it works. With this implementation, students have an opportunity to engage and expand their technological comprehension.

Although there are various benefits to using technology, it does, however, imply various consequences for students. One of the major drawbacks is the students’ reduced experience with traditional methods of learning. This includes looking up words in the dictionary, researching a topic using paperback books, completing simple mathematical equations, or even spelling words correctly. There are efficient shortcuts to these simple tasks with the use of technology and, as a result, they can inevitably become underdeveloped skills. This can be detrimental to students as they fail to learn basic skills that were once essential for students and may still be necessary. As a result, students begin to rely on technology to conduct these various tasks rather than develop the necessary skills to complete them on their own.

For example, students depend on calculators, especially during math lessons. I have noticed grade six students using their calculators even when computing basic multiplication questions, such as 5 x 7. Therefore, when students refer to technology to simplify their tasks frequently, they are not practicing essential skills, such mental math, causing them to develop a heavy reliance on such devices.

Ultimately, the use of technology in the classroom relies on the teacher’s discretion. I think a healthy combination of both technology and traditional methods are essential for children in today’s society. While technology is rapidly developing and expanding into many fields, students must also learn the basic skills required for use by traditional methods. These will equip students for the best learning experience as it provides them with an opportunity to expand both their field of knowledge and their skill set. ■

Do students learn better with technology in schools?

Of course, like most or all ideas, there are some advantages and disadvantages to this idea. Some points

can depend on the age of the students: younger versus older students. Either way, it has pros and cons.

The use of technology in schools has its benefits for students. Today, society puts so much emphasis on technology; therefore, having technology in schools can be a great way of providing technological skills to students. Younger students can practice their keyboard typing and learn to type faster. Older students can easily research and find out information they are looking for by using technology. They may even write up lecture notes faster if they type them. Also, to prepare for a group project or a group presentation, it is unbelievable to think that we can now use technology to gather our thoughts and ideas on the topic online, even if we don’t have time to meet as a whole group in person. It seems to be a more time-efficient and necessary tool for work. For both younger and older students, technology can also be used to keep in contact with their former classmates or friends who have moved away. Therefore, it can help students to socialize with people from all around the world.

On the other hand, the use of technology in schools has disadvantages to students as well. Young students may not know how to control technology very well, and it can become addictive for some students. This could lead to children not having a very productive day if they are around their technology all the time. For older students, the ability to search for information on their own can decrease without technology. However, it can also become a distraction for them and for other students in the classroom.

Another important aspect is that technology cannot communicate very well feelings and emotions in the same way as socializing through human contact can. Therefore, the ability to communicate might decrease. This could be a problem for young children, especially because it is important for them to learn communication skills at a young age.

In this way, having technology in schools has both positive and negative aspects. However, if it is used appropriately, it could turn out to have a positive impact on students. Technology has the potential to help students and gradually guide them into the technological age, since it seems to be a necessary tool as students grow up. â–

Lisa Shimano Year 2 Linguistics Major, French and Education & Society Minors

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We decided to contrast insightful quotes on technology with photos of children on electronic devices to encourage readers to reflect on the role of technology in child development. Currently, we are implementing the use of electronics into our children’s schooling and home life without thinking of the possible effects and/or repercussions.

21st Century Learning As young teachers, we are grappling with what it means to teach in this technological age. We chose to explore the meaning of technology via word associations.

Sarah Carey Year 5 CTEP Major in Socio-cultural Anthropology, Minor in History

Victoria Minchopoulos Year 5 CTEP Major in French, Minor in Sociology

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In today’s technically advanced world, one cannot

help but be exposed to some sort of electronic device.

Whether it is the exposure to cell phones, tablets or laptops, they are everywhere! These devices have made their way into our lives as tools we use for professional and recreational purposes. For many children and youths, these devices have become an active part of their daily lives. This means that these devices have made their way into our schools and classrooms. Like anything new in our lives, we have become familiar with and have adapted to these social changes. Technology has become the new kid in the class: at first, everyone is a little apprehensive, but eventually they realize just how great it really is - most of the time.

I remember when teachers had to push the portable T.V. on wheels down the hall to reach their classrooms. It had a VCR attached to the bottom, so teachers could play videos for the class. You knew it was going to be an exciting class when we had the luxury of a television in the classroom. Much has changed since those days. Modern devices such as tablets and laptops are now being used by both teachers and students to explore a lesson.

As I have mentioned earlier, these devices are tools. Tools can have positive attributes as well as negative factors. Technology, in general, is a pretty good thing. It makes our lives easier and more efficient. The

Vittoria Tesoro Year 2 English and Renaissance Studies Majors

Teaching and Technology: Phones and Tablets and Laptops, Oh, My! instant access to any information from anywhere in the world is such an exciting concept to grasp. This is what is so appealing to so many young people. The endless number of search results and helpful images can easily stimulate students to learn more, all because the access is literally at their fingertips. Websites suggested by teachers during class time are appropriate sources for students to consult. The right information can result in the right kinds of learning- the possibilities are endless.

For these reasons, the influence of technology in the classroom is positive.

There are, of course, some drawbacks to this kind of access. When group work time turns into “group selfie time,” that becomes a problem. When a student starts to Facebook stalk his crush during a lesson, that becomes a problem. When students post hateful tweets about their arch nemesis during class time, that also becomes a problem. The moment a student uses a device for a personal reason in the classroom is when the problems start. In this way, the influence of technology in the classroom is negative.

By taking into consideration the advantages and disadvantages of the use of technological devices in the classroom, one can further understand how such tools can stimulate students’ knowledge about a topic, but also limit their ambition to apply their abilities. This is a choice schools need to make. Access to these tools is also a privilege. When used wisely, good learning will happen. ■ HEY, TEACH! SPRING 2015

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Technology has become a buzz word. It’s prevalence in everyday life has made it become an object of great interest. Educators and scholars alike are constantly assessing the implications of technology in education, but what are these implications?

Buzz.

Because of its popularity in education, technology has become a hot topic; yet, it has become a topic that is mostly all talk with little unified direction.

There are the die-hard supporters of technology… but there are also the disbelievers to counter.

There are those who support technological education and education involving technology, and those who don’t.

Technology,

So what should we do? How do we view technology?

Buzz.

Buzz.

It’s a buzz word Buzz.

We look at the buzz. We look at the buzz in technology, and instead of focusing on the buzz of it all, we focus on what the buzz stands for.

But what’s with the…

Buzz.

Buzz?

The buzz about technology is a wave of emotions regarding a new method of teaching.

Technology, with its rapid growth and involvement in schooling, has become a highly popular topic in educational discourse… and rightly so.

Technology provides accessibility to infinite information, promotes new learning and teaching methods, and offers, in general, greater entry to the workings of society… technology truly has proven to have endless possibilities. But as with all possibilities, two questions remain: ‘What does it do?’ and ‘What is it for?’

Buzz.

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Technology can easily take the place of a blackboard and books; it can replace journal writing and inclass quizzes - but it can’t replace learning.

Technology is a form of learning; learning isn’t technology.

Buzz.

To truly see how technology fits, we need to understand what the goals of education are.

Schooling exists in its simplest form as means

Buzz- It’s Technology Rija Saleem Year 1 Vic One, Ryerson Stream History Major

of learning: transmitting learning, transforming learning, and creating learning. Technology does nothing different.

Buzz.

It’s easy to be distracted with the buzz around a new idea.

Buzz.

It’s easy to get lost in direction and opinion.

Buzz.

But just as with any other buzz word…

Buzz. … we must read between the lines.

Buzz.

Technology is a form of teaching; it helps learning, but it doesn’t do the learning for anyone.

Technology is a helper with education, but to fully understand all the help it can give, we need to remove its buzz and focus on what it truly is.

Buzz.

Technology is here. Technology is now.

Buzz.

It is our responsibility to individually understand what technology means to education.

Buzz.

Take the buzz out of technology and we will get a clearer picture.

Technology is a tool; how we use it is up to us to decide. And with any decision, it’s best to listen to the opinions of others, listen to the buzz around it, but most importantly, truly assess our own views.

And understand the buzz that is inside of us.

Here’s a start: How do you feel about education? What is it for?

What should it do? How should it do this?

Will adding technology into the picture change your ideal view of education? Will it add to learning?

Answer these, and I believe we will be seeing the buzz of technology much more clearly. Isolate the buzz and think about what the buzz is really about. Form an opinion. Listen to the opinions of others. And only then, I think, can we form a buzz into a true philosophy.

So let’s begin: Buzz - it’s technology! ■

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THE CELLPHONE EPIDEMIC Nevoh Masliah Year 1 Vic One, Ryerson Stream

The other day, I decided to fulfill my urge toward

nostalgia by listening to songs that I enjoyed back when I was in middle school. I pulled up a link for Fergie’s 2007 hit single, “Glamorous,” and watched the music video with much amusement.

In this music video, the pop artist showcases her “glamorous” lifestyle by showing off her fullkeyboard LG cellphone, a device that is considered ancient by today’s standards. The technological advancements we have made within the past decade are just bewildering and overwhelming.

Cellphones have progressed from only being able to make and receive calls to devices that can take pictures, browse the Internet, send text messages, and access an unlimited number of apps. According to a recent statistic from a United Nations report, approximately 6 billion of the world’s 7 billion people own a cellphone.

In comparison, 4.5 billion people have access to a working toilet. Cellphone ownership is expected to grow even more within the next few years.

As cellphones become more prominent within society, more young people are obtaining these devices. This slightly worries me. I believe that the rise in cellphone usage could negatively impact young people by constructing anti-social behaviours through the limitation of social interactions. I am sure many of you have witnessed the phenomenon of groups of young people at malls, schools, or parks spending all of their time on their cellphones instead of interacting with one another. I have even been guilty once or twice of spending more time on my phone than with my

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friends while hanging out with them. Cellphone consumption is an unhealthy addiction from which many of us cannot seem to escape.

Why should we need to interact physically when we can communicate with the whole world just by using our phones? … Well, it’s because social interactions are a vital component to human growth and development. Interacting solely with our phones is an inadequate substitute.

When people spend the majority of their time on their phones, face-to-face interactions become ineffective and awkward due to the limited development of social skills. Fortunately for me, I received my cellphone late enough that I had time to develop socially, but will the young people of this generation be exposed to sufficient opportunities to acquire these skills?

Cellphones do not have to hinder our social development. It all depends on how much of an influence we decide to let them have on our lives.

We should make the effort to meet up with the individuals whom we constantly text, put away our cellphones when we’re among our peers, and engage in more in-person social contact. We must not let cellphones take over us or the youths of this generation. ■

Plugged In

It’s recess, and he is asked to stay in and finish his work.

Blonde hair tousled and green eyes brighter than ever, the rambunctious six-year-old sits in his seat, copying sentences written on the chalkboard into his notebook.

The soft scratching of his HB pencil is the only audible sound in the room. As he works diligently, I sit at the back of the room and supervise. His teacher has gone for a moment, leaving him a few tasks he needs to accomplish before the bell rings. After several minutes of meticulous concentration, he puts his pencil down and reclines in his chair.

“It’s really quiet,” he says without turning around to face me.

“I like it when it’s quiet,” I respond, reveling in the silence after a particularly loud math class.

“Well, I think it needs some TV,” he states matterof-factly, before he picks up his pencil once again. ***

She stands at the front of the room, her lesson plan echoing silently in her mind. She is particularly excited for today’s class, as her passion for Shakespeare will finally shine through in her creative modernization of Macbeth for her grade ten students. As the bell rings, she watches excitedly as the students shuffle in. A group of girls giggle loudly as they walk to their desks. Boys greet each other with elaborate handshakes and pats on the back. A handful of students make their way to their spots silently, immediately turning to their books and binders.

Soft chatter fills the room as the excitement of returning from lunch break lingers. Once the students have settled to a reasonable degree, she begins her lesson.

“Good afternoon class, today we will be working with Shakespeare’s Macbeth,” she beams. A collective sigh rings through the room. She ignores it, pushing forward with her lesson, not allowing this response to dampen her enthusiasm. Turning her back to the class, she walks over to the whiteboard to write several key words. When she turns back around, all twenty-five of her students have their heads facing their laps, fingers furiously typing on their cell-phones. ***

It’s late. On her bed, she sits cross-legged, her MacBook in her lap. Scrolling mindlessly through her newsfeed, she debates whether or not she should change her profile picture. It doesn’t seem like a big decision to make, but to her, it has significance. She always feels anxious about posting photos of herself; self-conscious that everyone may notice the flaws she sees glaring back

Tali Voron Year 1 Vic One, Ryerson Stream

at her when she looks in the mirror. Taking a deep breath, she decides she has nothing to lose and posts the one photo she actually thinks she looks beautiful in.

It takes a mere five minutes for her confidence to crumble. The notifications pour in, drowning her photo in horrifying comments. Each demoralizing word seeps into her, echoing through her mind. They have to be right, she thinks. They have to be right. ***

Technology has changed the world we live in, and in many ways, for the better. Medicine, computers, every day appliances - technology has improved it all. In the realm of education, technology has a firm presence as well. Technology has allowed us to save paper, stay connected, teach lessons in more fun and interactive ways, and it brings modern tools and techniques to the classroom. However, the consequences of technology are impossible to ignore. Cyber bullying, distractions from lessons, the inability to sit in a quiet room without feeling the need for the incessant babbling of television to fill the silence.

Children are so permeated by technology that it has become a way of life. A constant need for connection and instant access - it has become second nature. But is it really beneficial? Is it really to our benefit that young students cannot tear themselves away from their precious cell phones and focus on interactions with others for a few short hours a day? At least during the time students and teachers occupy the same space, attention needs to be given where it is due. Hidden behind computer screens, students need to be mindful of those who sit on the other side. Perhaps most painfully of all, technology has robbed us of the ability to enjoy and appreciate silence.

Turn off the cellphones, televisions, and iPods.

Maybe the only way to embrace life and live it happily amongst others is to finally plug out all of the technology we endlessly plug in. ■

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CURIOUS ASHLEY AND HER

Search for the Perfect World Ashley Gittens Year 5 CTEP Major: Book and Media Studies Minor: English & Education and Society

Once upon a time, there lived a little girl

named Ashley. Ashley was a curious little girl. She loved her life, her friends, and her family, but she felt like she was missing out. Ashley had the curious feeling that she was being left out of something important. It seemed to her that everyone she knew was in on something that she wasn’t. But what was it? Ashley knew that the world she lived in wasn’t the only one out there. Could it be that everyone was living a double-life?

One here – and one in a different world filled with mirrors of people? Or maybe a triple-life!

A quadruple-life?! This thought was too much for curious Ashley to handle without exploring further.

She went on a search for her Perfect World.

Ashley started her search with The Magical Book of Many Faces. Ashley’s friend, Michaela the Marvelous had told her about this book. She told Ashley that this book was unlike any other book because whenever someone touched it, a page was added – just for that person! The page would display the person’s name, interests, pictures and friends. The coolest thing about this book was that it made it easy to interact with other people. All you had to do was visit the book and write down or insert something into another person’s page, and whenever the person in question visited the book again, he or she would see it and respond – and so on and so on. Ashley thought this was really neat, so she went to visit this magical book and touched it. She saw her page come to life in front of her eyes! There it was! Her life (or most of it anyway) displayed on one simple page. Before she knew it, she was interacting with all of her 412 new

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Magical Book of Many Faces friends! She was hooked for a long time. But then she realized something: she didn’t really have 412 friends. A few of them were her friends, but most of them were her acquaintances… or people she had met one time at a party. Out of those 412 friends, she genuinely knew and cared about, at best, 20 of them. This disturbed Ashley. She didn’t want those 392 other people to have such easy access to her page, so she figured out a way to restrict certain information from them. Soon, Ashley grew tired of The Magical Book of Many Faces, and her visits to the book became less frequent. She considered ripping her page out of the book, but she didn’t want to be left out again, so she kept it in – just in case. Alas, Ashley knew that the Magical Book of Many Faces wasn’t the perfect world for her, and she went on her search again…

Soon after she had grown tired of The Magical Book of Many Faces, Ashley heard about a new world.

This world was called the Twitterverse, and it was full of cute little bluebirds. This world allowed Ashley to make any simple thought she had available to everyone in the universe.

All she had to do was think it, whistle, and two bluebirds would fly down to her with a banner that she could write her thought on. Then, when she was done writing, the two bluebirds would fly back up into the sky and place her banner on top of a fluffy cloud with all of her other banners. All the visitors to Twitterverse had their very own cloud filled with their banners that people could look at whenever they wanted to. Sometimes, if people really liked a banner, they responded to it on one of theirs, awarded a golden star for it, or made a copy of it and put it on their cloud. Ashley loved being in the Twitterverse because people really seemed to like her thoughts.

She had 117 people looking at her cloud frequently – many of them she knew, and some of them she didn’t – but that was okay, because she didn’t have to use

Soon after she had become annoyed with the Twitterverse, Ashley stumbled upon a brandnew world. This world was called Tumblrdia, and Ashley thought it was perfect. In this world, people could control what they had access to and what they produced. Tumblrdia is hard to describe because it seems to be whatever you make of it. Ashley’s Tumblrdia is different from anyone else’s because no two Tumblrdias are ever the same. In Tumblrdia, you can be completely anonymous if you want to be – and Ashley liked that. People came together based on genuine common interests – and Ashley also liked that. Ashley interacted with some of her friends on Tumblrdia – roughly 20 out of 70 – and she liked that, too. She laughed when she was in Tumblrdia; she learned when she was in Tumblrdia; and she had no complaints… no complaints! Ashley had finally found her Perfect World! She thought she would never need to visit The Magical Book of Many Faces or the Twitterverse again!

But then she thought, “What if I wanted to invite people to an event? The Magical Book of Many Faces is perfect for that. Or what if I came up with a short, witty anecdote? The Twitterverse is perfect for

her real name and, most importantly, they thought she was funny! Ashley’s favourite part of being in the Twitterverse was that she could interact with all of the people she watched on her tube and listened to on her radio. Even if the interactions were mostly one-sided – she knew these other people saw them, and that was enough for her. But then, gradually, Ashley started to get annoyed at some of the thoughts of some of the people in the Twitterverse. She couldn’t understand why they thought she cared about what they had had for lunch, for example. So, she decided to stop visiting some of their clouds. Ashley still frequented the Twitterverse, but not with the same excitement that she once had done. Alas, Ashley realized that the Twitterverse was not the perfect world for her, and she went on her search yet again…

that!” Ashley found herself in an awkward situation.

So she sat down and thought about what her perfect world should actually look like. And she sat and she thought, and she sat and she thought, and she sat and she thought some more. And then it finally came to her! “Eureka!” she exclaimed, and then she paused for a second because she had never actually used the word “eureka” before and found it rather strange that she did now. “My perfect world is this: One that allows me to connect with my real-life friends in as many ways as possible; one that allows me to express myself in as many ways as possible; and one that allows me to interact with people all around the universe based on our common interests.”

So, because of this newly created definition, Ashley realized that her perfect world was a combination of all of these worlds, entered into and managed judiciously. She had found a way to balance all three of them and not lose touch with her reality.

And Ashley was happy. She was offered admittance into new worlds, but she kindly refused. She had finally found her perfect world and was not about to mess it up. ■

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DO NOT DEPART Samantha King, Year 1, Vic One, Ryerson Stream English and Sociology Majors

There’s the hum

hum

whirrrrr buzz Beep Don’t let it distract you

from teaching

the truth.

This steady solid substantial method will last Do not depart from your pedagogy Do not depart from your pedagogy This has been a gluten-free broadcast Do not depart from your pedagogy Do not depart from your pedagogy Technology overruns us overrides us

overtakes us

sound pedagogy

It does not replace

Teachers – professional Teachers – preservice

Lose yourself not in the bubbling hum

Be not lost in the hubbub of buzz

Do not pick up your laptop your phone your projection your social media

In the hopes of creating a classroom

Pick up your heart

hear that beat

and don’t forget to

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Teach.

21st CENTURY EDUCATION Cassandra Raso

Year 5 CTEP Equity Studies Major, English Minor

In our world today, technology

has proved to be an increasing and crucial influence in our everyday lives. This is why it is so important for educators to incorporate forms of technology into student’s’ lives in the classroom.

Furthermore, technology allows students to learn and access information in a variety of accessible and intriguing ways. Gone are the days of pen and paper. Now, students are able to use electronics, such as tablets, smart SMART boards, projectors, Twitter, movies, phones, computers, and email to communicate, research and simply learn in a variety of ways. Technology allows people to communicate and learn from one another, essentially allowing us as educators and students to have access a large amount of information accessible to us at almost any given moment. ■

TECHNOLOGY Dave Merritt

Year 5 CTEP Genetics and Biotechnology Major

Tablets E-learning Connected Helpful Novel Online Laptops Opportunity Growth YouTube

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In this issue of Hey Teach!, we sat down with Dr. Clare Brett, a

beloved Associate Professor at OISE/UT, the current Associate Chair for graduate studies in the department of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning, and an expert in the field of technology and education. She teaches in both pre-service and graduate programs at OISE, offering courses in several areas, including computer-mediated communication.

Dr. Brett received a Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award in 2006 and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation New Opportunities Fund Award in 2003. Her research interests encompass areas of teaching and learning in online contexts and learning environments.

Feature Interview with Dr. Clare Brett Interview conducted by:

Rija Saleem Year 1 Vic One, Ryerson Stream

Samantha King Year 1 Vic One, Ryerson Stream

This school year (2014-2015) the province of Ontario has provided a $150 million technology and learning fund for schools across the province. What do you think this fund means in terms of the trend towards technology in education?

Technology has become a buzzword in education. When anything becomes a buzzword, it starts to develop a momentum of its own and sometimes, it is hard to see what is really going on. The ministry has spent a lot of money on technology in the past as well, but all of the other stuff they’ve put in is now going out of date. New technology goes out of date very quickly. So, now they are updating. The real challenge here is the teaching. The area that requires the most money is the professional development of teachers. That takes time. Teaching is something you develop continuously, and it’s always evolving. It’s not a state; it’s an evolution. I was involved in a lot of R&D [Research and Development] work with faculty here at OISE, as well as working with teachers in schools to work with them on integrating it. From my experience, it’s a 3-5 year process to become comfortable with deeply integrating technology into teaching. Technology has changed rapidly, and it’s putting pressure on teachers to be current. But we always need to go back to why we are using it: What is it good for? What aspects of learning does it support? Otherwise, it becomes simply a trend where everyone is trying to use it just for the sake of using it, and the real teaching and learning opportunities are lost.

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As technology changes rapidly and new devices are constantly being welcomed to the classroom, how do you think we should educate pre-service teachers and professional teachers about adopting new technology and incorporating it into the classroom?

The ideal way is through infusion across all the subject areas, so pre-service teachers experience its use contextualized in subject matter areas, rather than stand-alone technology courses. Yet, the latter is often how we teach it. We’re in a transitional time where we’re gradually integrating the use of technology in classrooms. Technology brings new ideas in regards to how we teach and what teaching is. It gets us reflecting about what we’re doing, and how we’re doing it. But we need to demonstrate technology as a tool to facilitate learning.

That takes time. The pace of technological change is unprecedented, and education as an institution cannot change that quickly.

Nothing really has had the broad societal impact of the rising Internet and mobile technology use that has evolved in the last few years. It’s created an anytime/ anywhere sort of thing. And the people in education right now aren’t necessarily there for the new things that we’re doing.

We hired them for what they are already doing well, not for the other things that we want to add. I expect to see a shift in the next ten years.

What shift do you expect to see in pre-service teaching?

It’s not entirely clear yet, but this generation who grew up with technology makes it easier. In order to teach well with technology, you really have to use it extensively. So this generation, fluent in technology, may find it easier to incorporate technology effectively in the classroom. We need teacher educators who are able to effectively model this in the classrooms, who are fluent in this technology, who use it in their daily lives, and who are able to apply it with ease. The people who do innovative work in this field are kind of on their own right now. We talk about them as the pioneers because they’re inventing practice. It’s not yet a deep part of the curriculum. The curriculum has objectives, but it doesn’t tell you how to do it, explicitly how to achieve these ends in technology-mediated settings. We need to understand more about educational technology through research to inform these. One thing that won’t change is the need for teachers. We will always need teachers, although their roles may change.

The research cycle is very slow, we have to observe learning in classrooms in real time, then analyze, write, publish and so forth.

Change in systems like education doesn’t happen very quickly, but technology itself evolves so very quickly. As a result, there’s a big divide, and that poses a large challenge.

In our previous issue of Hey Teach! we interviewed Dr. David Booth, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning at OISE, to discuss trends in literacy education.

Dr. Booth argues technology is a recent advancement in literacy education allowing students to gain access to new materials and information. Do you believe technology has had an impact on literacy? And if so, how?

Technology is literacy. It’s a new literacy.

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Dealing with print is a different thing than dealing with computer-based materials.

I used to teach reading, and I used little cards which I developed with the kids and which they could use themselves.

And then commercial reading tools like Leapfrog started to appear, and these kinds of tools can be a huge help for students with reading challenges. The self-directed technology that you can sit there and use – like you can with tools like the Kindle – it’s so handy, and helpful. But there’s a disjunction now because most of our current teachers grew up with books. We need to teach reading comprehension in the online space. What does it mean to teach reading comprehension online? So much of the technology available is communication technology and social technology. They were built for those purposes, and we’re now trying to incorporate these tools in education. So we are working out what we need to teach students now to learn in these online spaces. There’s a great group called Media Smarts, and they do a lot of work on media literacy, producing resources for teachers, and how to deal with issues like cyberbullying. We need to spend more time teaching examples of critical reading – including deconstructing a website, breaking down a URL, determining what site is authoritative and what a site is linked to, and how to navigate in and read a world of hyperlinks and still be able to make meaning. We still have a lot of work to do in developing new curricular practices for these contexts.

How is technology being used to help students and support different learning styles?

You can personalize your experience with technology. There is so much just-in-time information – it is very easy to find. There are options like virtual visits to museums and art galleries for students who may have

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mobility or accessibility disadvantages.

There are virtual worlds and opportunities for role play and simulations in things like Sim City and Minecraft. Using digital storytelling for identity development, supporting diverse learners, and allowing students to hear each others’ stories enables us to provide meaningful and personalized experiences for students. Of course, two things come up here– gamification and commercialization. Gamification is taking elements from gaming and using them in the classroom, such as the use of badges instead of gold stars and instant feedback. Bringing some of those ideas into educational settings creates a very open system, an open environment. You can do all sorts of things. It’s an important educational tool.

In the 1980’s, Seymour Papert developed something called Lego Logo, which was a kid environment for programming. The idea is that if you get engaged in that sort of logical thinking, it has other cognitive benefits for learning, but it is a wide open learning space. There’s a lot of flexibility and possibilities with new applications and tools. You can build all kinds of structures in a game environment like Minecraft, which is becoming a popular teaching tool. These are useful thinking skills. You get logic, thinking, and instant feedback. Animation programs, like Bitstrips, which is a free software program where you make stories and animate them, are also great for people to build different identities and an image of themselves that they want to show in an online environment.

How do you think technology affects the way we think and process information?

There’s a lot of talk about technology changing our brains, but there’s not very much evidence of that yet. We see some behavioral patterns that have changed in the way young people in particular multitask, for example, but our brains haven’t exactly been rewired. According to longstanding research work on memory, there are still structural limitations to what we can process at any moment. Maintaining attention for sustained periods of time is something that we’re doing less of, as we’re always moving back and forth between different things. We don’t yet know the full consequences of this, as it’s too early in the process. It will likely affect people in different ways – some may benefit, and some may not. It’s such a big social shift. The interfaces and tools will change, but the quick access to huge amounts of knowledge won’t change. We need to educate students about how to find, assess, and use that knowledge meaningfully.

There are enormous possibilities that we have yet to fully understand.

What are issues in technology and education today?

One important issue is access. There’s a way for technology to be inclusive, such as with shy kids who do well in online discussion but who may be less forthcoming in class.

Every time you create a new environment, it may provide opportunities for different people to engage in different ways. There’s a lot of inclusivity potential; however, there is still an access issue. For those who don’t have high-speed Internet and this sort of technology in the classroom, it can be a huge disadvantage. We make assumptions about technology and computers being so readily available, and it seems like everyone has them, but there are those who don’t have

that access. This affects their comfort, their fluency, and their fluidity with the use of technology, and it emphasizes the existing economic divides that exist in our society.

There’s a running myth about there being no access issue in regards to technology.

But there is. It’s still based on who has social power; the economic divide is still there.

It has to be recognized and dealt with. It just makes the inequities different – but the inequity is still there. It reinforces the divisions that already exist. Technology can become just another way to discriminate and another source of social difference unless we monitor this issue.

Do you think that technological literacy in the classroom will better equip students for the job market, and whether employability is a factor that should be considered?

One important thing to remember is that it’s not the technology by itself that makes the difference; it’s what you do with it. It’s all about the teaching. There’s a certain level of technological literacy demanded in the workplace: using the Internet and using Office, for example. But you also need that experience of working well with other people. An enormous current requirement in work settings is teamwork: how you can work in teams and use technology, such as video conferencing. Technology tools are part of the broader culture including the workplace. However, technology will feature more in many jobs of the future, and educational settings will have to accommodate different training needs as these emerge.

Another thing that has come with educational technology is a shift in how we understand what teaching is. It’s gone from this didactic, more traditional model to a more facilitative teaching role where students are more active learners. It is a move towards constructivism.

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It’s not just technology, but the way we teach that is shifting to reflect more participatory structures, and that is what seems to be needed in the job market.

It’s not just technology, but the way we teach that is shifting to reflect more participatory structures, and that is what seems to be needed in the job market.

What impact does the greater use of technology in classrooms have on the social development of students and on their social interactions? Many discuss negative effects regarding technology and how it affects motor skills, depression and ability to socialize in person. What do you think about this? Will we just change in the way we interact?

Change always presents challenges.

We don’t know what we’re doing at the beginning; we don’t know how it’s all going to turn out in the end. It’s a social experiment, but then again, life is, too.

I think with the use of technology, there is an intensification of things, such as cyberbullying. Bullying has existed forever, and it has to be dealt with and talked about.

Now, we do it with cyberbullying. The consequences are so much larger because you can’t take it back and remove things that are on the Internet. Our job as educators is to help kids understand consequences because these consequences are so much greater. I think some of the social consequences of being bullied and isolated are horrible, but now with technology, everyone can know.

I hope that we get better as a society with how we deal with this. Now the police are often involved, which wasn’t always the case.

There isn’t an easy way to solve this. We have to do this as a society.

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We all have a responsibility to work with kids as parents and as teachers to make this reality clear to students. It will take a lot of talk, of raising difficult issues and developing more effective social practices in relation to technology use, and this is going to take a while.

I think there’s still a lot we don’t know about the behavioral consequences of technology use. Technology is a growing part of our culture, and we’re not going to stop it, but our education system shouldn’t just revolve around that. We need to continue to develop meaningful examples of how technology supports learning.

What advancements do you think technology has helped education make in the last several years? What advancements of technology have you seen in schools? How has technology changed the learning environment in classrooms?

Knowledge Building is a good example of doing sophisticated knowledge work with young kids in a technology-based setting.

Learning starts with students coming up with their own questions that they were curious about and which motivated the inquiry cycle. The cycle of research engaged them and changes the sequence of the school day—it is motivated more by the learning needs and interests of the students.

Implementing such a learning-centered approach means that the regular school day structures get shifted to accommodate learning. The learning always came first, not the technology. These were questions the students were interested in; they got really good at asking questions and pursuing them. It was very student-directed. When the students put all of their notes up on the database, they knew all of the work that the whole class had done in this area. They’d go back and improve it, and then, they would talk about how their theories have changed.

This Knowledge Building project with principal researchers Marlene Scardamalia and Carl Bereiter has been going on for decades now across K-12 classrooms and in many different countries. I always loved how engaged students were with their learning. It wasn’t flashy technology; it was just ideas. They were so engaged in it. It’s very compelling to see children even in grade 2 or 3 so engaged in ideas.

That’s a really hard thing to do, and that’s a transformative classroom. Teachers need to be teaching in a just-in-time way; they have to be flexible and adaptive as students can come up with all sorts of questions and take the work in many different ways. Not everybody can do that, and not all schools or principals feel comfortable with that.

It’s an international initiative now; it’s an international group of people working on knowledge building, but that to me is where I would like to see technology. It is so deeply integrated into pedagogy; it’s all about the learning. The learning is first, and technology is just a means to that end.

It isn’t front and center, and it’s nearly invisible. That’s where I think we should be heading.

What made you want to explore technology in education?

Years and years ago, I was interested in learning and understanding how people learned, or didn’t learn things, and I realized that when you use technology, you have this permanent trace of what somebody was thinking reflected in what they were doing online. I was interested in writing at the time: the development of writing, and how writing reflected thinking. In online environments, you can trace how everything happens, so you can look at how it starts, develops, and changes and what you revise and where you end up. If you have that trace, it’s there for the teacher to understand more about the student, but it’s also there for the student to understand more about him or herself.

That seemed to be really powerful. That was what got me into this. I was never a computer person first. For me, it was always about the learning and the learning that was enabled.

Is there anything that you have discovered in your research on technology and education that stands out?

Education comes first. Technology itself doesn’t cause learning. It’s the way the technology is employed in the designing of the learning experience that can facilitate and move things ahead.

The end is not technology. The end is learning. It sounds like an obvious thing, but it really doesn’t seem to be—people quickly slip into saying things like the technology doing this or technology creating possibilities, but really, the technology is only a part of the learning context. We may have access to enormous amounts of knowledge about ancient civilizations, but what am I going to do with it? Now, we need to spend time organizing what we might do with the information.

I think we will move towards that, but it’s part of the developmental process about how we as a society involve technology.

It is slow, and money is part of it. But technology is still rapidly changing. We need teachers to share practices and codevelop new curriculum, and remember that it takes a long time to develop effective teaching practice and integrate technology meaningfully into the learning process. ■ HEY, TEACH! SPRING 2015

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In With the Old and the New Maria Romano Year 5 CTEP English Major

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t is almost impossible to keep track of the choices our students are making in the modern world in which they are living. One day, they’re playing Angry Birds, and the next, they’ve moved onto Skylanders, and, instead of downloading an app on my phone on my morning commute, I catch myself googling the newest trend. Instantly, I’m an adult. It’s a new feeling for a young teacher starting her career – the feeling of being out of touch, particularly for someone like myself who grew up with a healthy appreciation for good oldfashioned books. As a lover of literature, here are two books that I believe can engage your students in literacy- both with and without technology.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce

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The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore isn’t just a book; it’s a fabulous, allencompassing experience. In a beautifully written story about the power of books, Joyce pays homage to iconic references to both literature and movies with stunning illustrations. What makes this book so special though, is its interactive capabilities.

For the iPad-happy generation, downloading the app that attaches to the book will allow readers to hold their iPad up to the pictures and see their book transformed as if by magic into a moving movie. Seamlessly blending an appreciation for a love of printed books with the nuances of modern technology, this book is a must-have for any classroom teacher.

On the other end of the spectrum, Lane Smith, co-author of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, uses his unique sense of humour again in his book, It’s a Book. Not necessarily a counterargument to quick-paced technology, Smith’s book is a funny conversation between a monkey and a donkey about all the things a book is and all the thing it isn’t: no off-buttons or 140 character limits! Humourous and a little bit sassy, this book adds a major point supporting the printed word, reminding students how wonderful a tactile book can be. Fun to read in class, this book is great for older students. Fair warning, though - using the word “jackass” to describe the donkey in the story DOES happen at the end of the book, but a good teacher and a mature class will be able to handle it with ease. Absolutely consider adding this to your classroom bookshelf. ■

It’s a Book by Lane Smith

Embracing the 21st Century Through Technology Joe Singh Year 5 CTEP

It is not unusual to assume that students who

struggle to focus in class or produce work are simply incapable. However, we need to move beyond blaming our students and start reviewing our instructional strategies. Attributing the inability to focus to a lack of motivation and engagement is likely closer to the truth. As an educator and Teacher Candidate in Vic CTEP, I am constantly seeking ways to meet the demands of 21st century learners.

One way I am doing so is through the creative use of technology. I have seen teachers shy away from using technology too many times. Just like Google, technology should be every teacher’s best friend. We should embrace technology within our classrooms and encourage the appropriate use of it. Throughout my practicum, I aimed to incorporate technology into every one of my lessons – whether it was just showing a YouTube video or actually making it an integral part of my lesson. My ultimate goal was to capture my students’ attention. YouTube clips in particular were an excellent method I used to begin some of my lessons. Showing a cartoon clip about using quotation marks, a cool music video about 3D shapes, and a tribute video to remember fallen soldiers really engaged my students in what I was teaching them.

Throughout my childhood and my more recent teaching practices, I have seen the school evolve from using overhead projectors to document cameras and now, SMART boards. If a classroom is equipped with a SMART board, I highly encourage the use of it as part of a lesson. What I appreciate about SMART boards is that they can interact

with students. This is exactly how I used it in my practicum placement class. For example, in my grade 3/4 class, I would have a concept map or a sentence that needed to be corrected displayed on the board.

As I explained the lesson, I would invite students to provide information or correct the sentences using the SMART board pens. I also used the SMART board to play games that were relevant to my lessons. For instance, I created a Jeopardy game that allowed students to click on their own category and answer questions. Alternatively, there were various online games, such as sorting 3D shapes that I had the students play on the SMART board to enrich their learning. During my practicum, I actually taught a similar lesson twice to compare student engagement in a lesson involving no technology to student engagement in a lesson that involved the SMART board and YouTube clips. The response I received in the latter lesson presented greater results by far! I noticed a significant difference in students’ engagement when I used technology to teach my class. The way I see it, the majority of our students’ lives revolve around the use of technology. This being so, I continue to strive to find ways to create engaging, yet challenging, lessons to meet my students’ interests.

Another way that I embrace technology is through the teacher’s resources blog that I have co-founded with Ina Cici and Maria Romano, who are also in Vic CTEP. The three of us created jimsresources.wordpress.com because we believe that teachers are constantly learning from each other. Using an online platform was an easy way for us to share and allow access to a variety of our ideas and resources.

To conclude, I will return to how I began: In order to meet the needs of 21st century learners, we need to discover ways to engage and motivate our students. For this to be achievable, we need to develop our skills and embrace the greatness that technology has to offer! ■

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Assistive Technology Hannah Hong Year 5 CTEP

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created this illustration to show the power and voice that assistive technology provides for children and adults with special needs and disabilities. My inspiration came from my work experience last summer with two children with various developmental disabilities, as well as my current volunteer experience at TDSB’s Beverley School, a school designed specifically for children with special needs. Technology has become a huge component in special education.

Today, nonverbal students are able to communicate their thoughts and desires through communication apps on iPads, such as Proloquo2go. Children with low muscle tone can communicate using their eyes with Tobii devices, which track and record eye gaze. Children with low vision and/or developmental disabilities can also use large, brightly colored switches to make choices and to turn devices on and off independently. Technology has helped to create a more equitable world, in which students with special needs have accessible modes of communication and are given better opportunities to learn and grow.

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The Inadvertent Effects of Technology: The

Rise of the Introverted Student

use of laptops, iPads, and the like is growing in classrooms and indeed, has many benefits. While these are not the direct results of technology’s presence in the classroom, inadvertently, technology (a) turns the classroom environment from one that overvalues sociality into one that allots equitable value to sociality and academics, and (b) adapts, for a short period, the tone of the environment to suit shy students. This tends to give rise to the introverted student.

Technology can be “a distraction.”

This is the argument many teachers use when disallowing technology in their classrooms. This is understandable. Often students favour texting friends in other classes and having ear-buds in their ears rather than giving their full attention to the lesson being taught. However, when used for educational purposes, technology can distract students from the social world and, instead, entice them to focus on the task at hand. This is because students view any activity involving technology as a ‘treat,’ whereas activities involving traditional pen and paper methods are viewed as ‘work.’

Therefore, technology that is given to students who actively and constantly seek to communicate with others can be a distraction, a drawback to an otherwise seemingly ideal personality type. On the other hand, technology offered to students who will not abuse their privileges by going on Facebook or blasting a popular song to attract the class’s attention, will be more effective. And this in turn means that it is not the socialite, but ‘the quiet one’ who is rewarded.

And yet, even though it may appear that teachers view these ‘quiet’ and introverted students as ideal, the classroom environment suggests otherwise: it is set up in favour of extroverts. Susan Cain (2012) writes in her book, “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking”:

Many of the most important institutions of contemporary life are designed for those who enjoy group projects and high levels of stimulation. As children, our classroom desks are increasingly arranged in pods, the better to foster group learning, and research

Mehak Jamil Year 2 English Specialist, Education & Society Minor suggests that the vast majority of teachers believe that the ideal student is an extrovert (pp. 6).

That being said, with the introduction of technology, even if one student is on a computer or iPad, the group dynamic of that pod changes.

Children can go instantaneously from having a group discussion and working collaboratively to retrieving a computer and going about their own individual work, not wanting to be distracted by anyone else in the pod. The child using the technology does not even have to be the introverted student. Even if only one child retrieves a computer, all others in the pod instinctively know not to distract this child: technology is the candy of the modern generation. Inadvertently then, the introverted child, as well as every other child in that pod, will be left free from distractions. By creating that quick transition, technology provides a way for the introverted student to live comfortably in an environment that is very much the domain of extroverts.

This is not to downplay the value of extroversion, but it is a reminder that, in our classrooms, “Introversion—along with its cousins sensitivity, seriousness and shyness—is now a second-class personality trait, somewhere between a disappointment and a pathology” (Cain, 2012, pp. 04). Technology is one entity that places value in these characteristics. Just as there are multiple learning styles, there are varying personality types, each requiring a different approach to learning. With the use of technology, activities that previously catered to extroverted students can now also be made suitable for introverted students. This is the power of technology.

Reference: Cain, S. (2012). Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. New York: Random House Inc. HEY, TEACH! SPRING 2015

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Engaging the Reluctant Reader through Interactive Fiction Marissa Mark // Year 3 // Psychology Major, English Minor, Education and Society Minor

The

large-scale availability of digital technologies made possible by the advent of the computer creates a natural shift in the methods of storytelling and language study within the classroom. Relatedly, the methods we, as teachers, use to engage our pupils are also subject to change.

Introducing digital texts in lieu of traditional, printed novels provides opportunity for an interdisciplinary and multi-platform approach to language arts. Furthermore, both interactive and hypertext fiction offer a more active and engaging role within the storytelling process.

Interactive fiction, commonly referred to as IF, is a computer-based narrative reminiscent of the “Choose Your Own Adventure” series that allows the reader to determine a story’s procession and eventual outcome. The stories are capable of reaching multiple conclusions based on which options the reader selected. Yet, unlike printed stories, there are choices presented that may not advance the plot. Instead, these alternative

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options present further background information or constitute an instance of playful engagement with the characters. Thus, the notions of both author and reader take on a more collaborative role.

Personally, I have witnessed the benefits of introducing interactive and digital stories within the classroom. The format of interactive fiction creates new interest in students who previously fell silent during classroom novel studies. By relying on hyperlinks to redirect and advance the plot, readers experience a sense of agency.

While traditional texts are predominately content-focused, interactive fiction emphasizes the experience of reading. Interactive texts use shorter phrases that are less intimidating to reluctant or developing readers. By its very form, these digital stories give newfound autonomy to readers who may otherwise be struggling with traditional novels. ■

Do We “Teach” Technology?

Madeleine De Welles // Year 1 // Vic One, Ryerson Stream

A friend of mine once told me that toddlers have

no concept of how to turn a page. Instead, when looking through a storybook, their little fingers just push on the images in front of them, expecting another picture to appear. Basically, they treat storybooks as if they were iPads or iPhones.

Initially, I was shocked and a bit disturbed when I heard this. If children as young as two or three years old think that books and pages are iPhones, haven’t we done something wrong?

I suppose this is an issue that can be looked at in numerous ways. Should we expose the next generation to technology? Should we embrace it as the inevitable? Or should we let them choose, allowing them to discover technology on their own time? After all, in our increasingly digital world, it is important for children to understand how technology works, even if it means treating the pages on books like touch screens.

The flip side of the equation is that we nurture children and teach them the joys of hardcover books, paper, and pencils. I think there is benefit in this too. Kids, especially young kids, love turning the pages of books! And I don’t think these joys should be overlooked.

The question, therefore, is how teachers can overcome this divide. Do we stick to pencils and paper, or do we welcome technology, even as early as preschool? In reality, the answer to this question, is one of the past. Technology is here to stay, regardless of what we, as teachers, think of it. However, I don’t think we need to either oppose or embrace technology. It is not an eitheror principle of whether we should or should not teach using technology. Technology ultimately opens us up to new ways of teaching, learning, and accommodating students. It isn’t meant to

dominate the world of education and cramp our teaching styles. Rather, it is a complement to the pedagogies that evolve throughout our careers.

In the end, teaching with technology can mean a variety of different things. For some teachers, it might mean having an entire course online. In this way, we teach through technology.

For others, it might mean using the Smart Board every class without touching a single piece of chalk. Or perhaps it means playing music on your phone while your students work (with pencils and paper!) at their desks. In the end, technology isn’t going anywhere, but neither are teachers.

The beauty of technology is that, like us, it will continue to evolve for the benefit of our students, their school experiences, and, eventually for society. ■ HEY, TEACH! SPRING 2015

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Sesame Street in the Classroom Raeesah Sufi // Year 5 CTEP

The internet has provided us with an abundance of teaching resources to use in our classrooms.

However, the quantity of lesson plans, activities, and online videos can sometimes be overwhelming to sift through when looking for a quality classroom resource.

Sesame Street videos have been one of the most beneficial tools I have used in classrooms. I have found them particularly useful when teaching students about character traits. The Toronto

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District School Board has board-wide monthly themes that focus on character traits in order to encourage healthy character development. I have used Sesame Street videos to introduce many of these monthly character traits, and they have elicited a tremendous response from students.

Most Sesame Street YouTube videos are under 5 minutes long, involve celebrity actors/ actresses or musicians, and are in full colour!

In fact, new videos are added regularly, so all the content is very up-to-date. Some videos involve lively interactions between Sesame Street characters and celebrities, while others are music videos that are child-friendly, yet educational renditions of popular songs.

I used the Sesame Street “Empathy� video in a grade 2/3 classroom recently, and it served

as a highly-engaging introduction to our theme of the month. The “Empathy” video is a 2.5-minute interaction between Mark Ruffalo and Murray, a popular Sesame Street character. Mark tries to explain the meaning of “empathy” to Murray using very vivid, real-life situations. The interaction is hilarious and illustrates a comprehensive understanding of the word “empathy.” In my experience, most explanations of “empathy” focus solely on relating to the sad or painful feelings of others. Rarely do they touch on having empathy for the more upbeat feelings of others. This Sesame Street video very accurately demonstrates both sides of the word “empathy.” It provides an educationally-rich learning experience in a remarkably lively and engaging manner.

Sesame Street music videos are also very effective when introducing new concepts in the classroom. I used the Sesame Street music video

by Bruno Mars and the Sesame Street friends called “Don’t Give Up” to launch a discussion on “perseverance.” The music video is 2 minutes long and involves Bruno Mars singing to his Sesame Street friends about how to persevere

through common childhood situations. The tune is extremely catchy (I’ll admit I have most of it memorized), and the video is highly entertaining.

Student response to both videos was fantastic, and almost all students were able to explain the concepts (and sing the songs) months later!

Sesame Street has produced hundreds of educational, child-friendly videos on a wide array of topics. There are wonderful videos teaching basic literacy skills, numeracy skills, life skills, and/or problem-solving strategies. I have found them highly effective in Primary grade classrooms, and I’m sure most Junior students (and adults!) would enjoy them as well. In my experience, the use of Sesame Street videos in the classroom has been quite refreshing as they very skilfully present valuable educational content through a highly engaging and vibrant mode of technology. I really recommend bringing Sesame Street to your classroom! ■ Check out Sesame Street videos on the Sesame Street YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/user/sesamestreet

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Final Thoughts Alessia Arbitrio If I had one superpower, it would be... to remain calm during course selection.

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from the Hey, Teach!

Team

Vanessa Cataldo I could not live without... my phone.

Melody Barclay If my life were a song, it would be... “Shake it off, I shake it off, I, I, I shake it off...”

Maddy Dewelles Peace tastes like... a red velvet cupcake!

Michelle A. Brooks Peace feels like... a soft pillow when you’re more tired than you can imagine.

Hannah Hong If I could travel anywhere, I’d go... back to Musanze, Rwanda where I did my internship and reunite with my host family and students!

Sarah Carey If I had one superpower, it would be... telekinesis.

Mehak Jamil If I could have one superpower, it would be... telepathy.

HEY, TEACH! SPRING 2015

Samantha King You can always find me with... chocolate in my purse, in my pocket, or in my mouth.

Tal Oren Peace tastes like... watermelon.

Joanne Lieu If I had a time machine, I would go... back to when the hiring rates of teachers were high.

Hawa Sabriye Happines to me is... being grateful for what you have!

Kate Mahoney If I could travel anywhere, I would go to... Switzerland.

Amanda Melissa Squillace If I had one wish, it would be... to afford the fashion taste I have.

Marissa Mark If I could travel anywhere, I’d go to... Bali.

Liuba Turlova Teaching is... about passion: a passion for learning, and sharing that passion with others.

Victoria Minchopoulos Happiness to me is... finding laughter in any situation and being surrounded by people who bring out the best in you.

Brittany Yuen If my life were a song, it would be... Weezer’s “Longtime Sunshine”.

HEY, TEACH! SPRING 2015

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The staff of Hey, Teach! magazine extend their deepest gratitude to Victoria College Faculty Advisor Professor Sheila Cook, Victoria College Program Liaison Officer Pavi Chandrasegaram, and VUSAC. Thank you for your ongoing help and support.