THE FUTURE OF LEARNING TECHNOLOGY AT MULGRAVE

THE FUTURE OF LEARNING TECHNOLOGY

AT MULGRAVE

Our school has always been characterised by a desire to embed learning practices that are innovative, integrate the best technological advances, and serve our students as they develop a wide variety of skills. As our use of technology has grown in support of these goals, we recognise that there is a need to centralise our resources and focus attention on the use and application of both hardware and software.

Guiding us through this evolution is Fareed Teja, our Director of Learning and Information Technology, who was appointed at the start of the 2021 academic year. Just spend ten minutes with Fareed, and you’ll get a sense of his reflective good nature, commitment to fostering a respectful and collaborative environment, and passion for innovation, which goes hand-in-hand with good practice in process, governance, and safety. Fareed spent the year reviewing external audits, walking the halls and visiting classes, speaking with faculty and staff, discussing challenges with peers from other leading Canadian schools, and reflecting on his own extensive IT experience. The result is a transformation of our IT Department into Learning and Technology Services (LTS), which combines technology integrators, who work closely with teachers and students, with IT staff to more effectively serve the Mulgrave community. Fareed also led the collaborative development of a multi-year plan to:

1. Transform IT at Mulgrave 2. Integrate systems and data 3. Innovate in learning, teaching, and curriculum 4. Empower learning through and with technology 5. Build teacher and staff capacity

Fareed explains, “It will take time to fully implement and embed these practices into daily workflows, but the enthusiasm for the development of these action plans is there. The LTS team is partnering across the school to streamline processes and make it easier to access needed information and resources.”

WILL IT WORK?

PILOTING BLENDED LEARNING IN CYBERSPACE

Following the pandemic lockdown, we did a deep dive into online learning, vowing to take the positives - the flexibility and student agency - and integrate them into our regular teaching practices. We appointed Lian Anson as Blended Learning Coordinator, and she has overseen the pilot of a collection of blended classes, including Physics 10 and Design 10, as well as DP courses in film, math, and ESS.

Blended learning gives students the choice of in-person or supported self study. The nature of classes depends on the teacher and the subject matter. Most commonly, students attend in-person for midday blocks and have the flexibility of blended learning for start or end of the day periods. Some teachers offered blended learning through project-based work maximizing flexibility for ‘work blocks’ while others identified specific units or content that lent itself to students working at their own pace, allowing for teachers to have more individual time with students who need it.

As Lian reflects on the year, she says, “Students LOVED the ownership and flexibility. Our Seniors were especially grateful for the way they could prioritise their time, focusing on upcoming tests or deadlines when necessary and then spending greater focused time on project-based work that they could then choose to do in their own time.”

For teachers, it required more organisation and preparation in advance, but also enabled more 1-1 opportunities with students who needed more attention. “It also took some effort to make sure students had the executive functioning skills to maintain progress, but we focussed on specific AtL skills, such as self-management, organisation, and time-management.”

The reality is that our children will need to be comfortable with hybrid environments, whether as university students or employees. Lian adds, “Our students need exposure to these models; we know they will be relevant no matter what they do or what the future holds for the world of education and work.” “Design, as a subject within the MYP, lends itself extremely well to the blended learning format. Students can take control of their own projects, deciding when and where is best for them to complete their research, develop their ideas, create their chosen solution, and gather evaluative data. Students in G10 Design General and Robotics used the opportunity to successfully enrich their projects, understand the way that they progress best, but most ” importantly, make mistakes and bounce back. – CHLOE MACBEAN UPPER SCHOOL DESIGN TEACHER

“It was great to confirm that blended learning can work with a high-content class such as mathematics at the DP level. It makes it possible for advanced students to do more extension and move quickly through the tasks. The flexibility allows high-performing athletes, art students, or those that work, the chance to set a more personalised schedule. All in all, there are huge benefits to accessing blended learning, as long as students have the discipline to meet deadlines.

– KYLE PRIOR

”SENIOR SCHOOL TEACHER & DP MATH CURRICULUM COORDINATOR

“With blended learning materials in Physics 10, students can complete the course anywhere, any time, and at their own pace, as long as they meet the assessment deadlines. Giving students choice in when and how they work is a key element of personalisation. In this course, lessons take place in-person as per the timetable, but students can opt to attend all, some, or none of them by completing the corresponding online modules.

– MICHAEL MOORE,

”DIRECTOR OF ATL SKILL DEVELOPMENT & DATA FOR LEARNING / SENIOR SCHOOL TEACHER