Hastings and Prince Edward DSB 2013-14

We will be using our BIPSA guiding question, “What impact will collaborative teaching and learning, that focuses on the instructional core, have on student engagement and student achievement in K-12?” to frame our project plan. We will be exploring how Google Apps For Education (GAFE), in conjunction with iOS devices, can be used to support the following goals from the HPEDSB BIPSA: PATHWAYS: Our students will be intellectually and academically engaged in authentic learning experiences that reflect their voices and identities. LITERACY: Our literate learners will apply skills related to thinking and reflection, listening and speaking, reading and writing, and viewing and representing across all subject areas in order to understand and to create a variety of text forms suitable for a range of audiences and purposes. NUMERACY: Our numerate learners will use the mathematical processes to problem solve and communicate their thinking and apply concepts, procedures, and strategies across all subject areas and in their everyday lives. COMMUNITY, CULTURE AND CARING: Our students will see themselves as contributing citizens to a safe, healthy, respectful and inclusive classroom, school and global community. Through our BIPSA goals we aim to develop global minded citizens who: collaborate, communicate, think critically, problem solve, create, innovate, and demonstrate character, resiliency, and perseverance. The specific goal that will guide the team inquiries will be dependent on student and classroom needs. The teachers involved will direct and develop the details of their specific literacy or numeracy inquiry during the planning sessions. Additional impetus and supporting ideas for the project will be provided through the work of Fullan and the following publications: Great to Excellent: Launching the Next Stage of Ontario’s Education Agenda by Michael Fullan This document sets the stage for the next leg of the journey in education in Ontario. In this report Fullan states that a key point to moving forward is to, “Engage in focused innovation relative to higher order skills and qualities, test what works and spread effective practices… Ontario now has the capacity to make pedagogy the foundation in learning through the use of technology and new digital resources.” (page 7) Fullan also identifies the 6Cs – the purpose of these address the well-being of the whole student and society, which essentially consists of the higher levels of student achievement and the capacity to apply what one knows: Character Education Citizenship Communication Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Collaboration Creativity and Imagination He also states that we must utilize our strength in pedagogy to develop new strategies and practices that effectively integrate the power of new technologies. This will be a key goal in this project. Stratosphere: Integrating Technology, Pedagogy, and Change Knowledge by Michael Fullan Fullan’s ideas about linking the three forces of technology integration, pedagogy, and change knowledge to create a dynamic force to move education will be used to support the work in the Learning Connections project.

Professional Learning Program:

The 2013-2014 Learning Connections project will examine the use of cloud based collaborative environments – specifically Google Apps for Education (GAFE). The project will examine the web-based environment as well as the iOS app – Google Drive. This is a natural progression with our project as we have previously focused on the integration of iDevices. One of the biggest challenges coming from our previous projects is the sharing/collecting of student work, as well as collaboration. The iOS app will support the gathering of student work for assessment and evaluation purposes. The collaborative environment of GAFE, as well as the prolific use of iOS devices in our board makes exploring the us

Hastings and Prince Edward DSB - LC Project 2013-2014 Video