There are so many different educational technology issues, topics, and themes to be interested in and I’m not sure I even fully understand all the different avenues. There are two that rapidly come to mind but there’s a third that pops in quite quickly. My top 3 (because how can I possibly narrow it down) are: demonstrating student learning with technology, artificial intelligence as a teaching tool, and student digital citizenship.

Demonstrating Student Learning with Technology

We have all seen the increase in technology in the school and classrooms and it can often be seen as a barrier. At a workshop in August, the presenter made a comment about how the students who are currently in our classrooms will need to be technology savvy and many of the jobs they’ll pursue as a career might not exist yet. This threw me off and made me pause and reflect. I realized that statement has likely been true for a while now. When I graduated from high school, youtube and content creation wasn’t a career. In fact, Facebook had just become publicly accessible. Digital influencers didn’t exist and the mobile phones we carried weren’t nearly as powerful as they are today.

All of this to say, how can we benefit from the technology available to us to improve the demonstration of student learning. In BC our new reporting guidelines take a “triangulated approach to assessment” (p. 12) which is gathering evidence of learning “through observation, conversation, and product” (p. 12). These new reporting guidelines also refer to “Assessment strategies to support the student’s development of the four A’s” (p. 12), one of which is Altruism. The first point they mention under Altruism snagged my interest: “celebrate learning in any format that speaks to the students’ strengths, goals, and gifts” (p. 12). This aligns nicely with what I’m most interested in for educational technology: How can we capture student learning in a variety of ways that show what the student knows, can do, and understands. 

Graphic: Created by J. Bascombe, 2023, based on BC’s 2023 K-12 Reporting Guidelines

For example, if we’re assessing a student’s ability to hold a spontaneous conversation in French (BC Curriculum, grade 7, French Immersion, curricular competency & Big Idea), it would be reasonable to create an audio recording of the conversation to capture what the student is able to do (hold a spontaneous conversation) and what they know (about the topic), and what they understand (vocabulary and sentence structure). At this stage is when my brain is flooded with questions: how do we make the recording? What device do we use? What platform or app is the best? Is there a place quiet enough to record this discussion? 

Beyond a teacher assessing a student, how can students use audio files to demonstrate their learning? I explored the potential for this a little bit last year when my students wrote and recorded their own podcasts for an English Language Arts assignment on narrative writing. They had a great time but it was also overwhelming as they also needed to learn new skills. 

Audio files are just one example of a way students can demonstrate their learning using technology. We can’t forget the familiar Office products: Word and Powerpoint. With the increasing popularity of Canva and it’s plethora of ready to use templates, it’s quickly bypassing Powerpoint. Video files are another way students can use technology to demonstrate learning. We can also use platforms like FlipGrid for quick spontaneous responses to prompts. My preferred choice: create a choice board and give the students the freedom to choose their own method of demonstrating their learning. You’ll be amazed with what they create!

Artificial Intelligence as a Teacher’s Tool

As a current teacher who is impacted by the teacher shortage, and currently has no prep periods, I can understand and appreciate the use of AI as a teacher’s tool. 

Jessicam.Reid on Instagram is a Canadian teacher who has started using various AI platforms to help her plan her units and lessons. I can very much understand the need to eliminate some of the busy work from teaching. For example, Jessica uses AI to plan out her units for various courses based on the curriculum in her area. As a teacher, Jessica still needs to review the AI created plan and make sure it aligns with the curriculum and is appropriate for the students in her classroom. It’s also a developed skill to understand what you need to type into the AI platform in order for the tool to create a plan that makes sense. This also requires knowledge about pedagogy and understanding what works for you as a teacher and your instructional style. 

I don’t think that having the help of AI is all that different from visiting TeachersPayTeachers, MieuxEnseigner, or Jardin de Vicky and purchasing a ready made plan. Or even purchasing a teacher resource book with lesson suggestions, like this one. There are plenty of times I’ve read through available resources and realized they won’t work for the learners in my classroom. You are, as always, required to use your professional judgement to determine whether this is an appropriate lesson that aligns with your curriculum. Using AI eliminates the time labour it requires to search through a digital platform or book, read the lesson, and assess whether I can use it, need to modify it, or scrap it.

Will AI completely replace planning for teachers? No, I don’t think so. Lots of my lessons and unit ideas are developed through teacher collaboration and discussions I have with my colleagues. I haven’t seen anything that replaces the instant feedback or the understanding that’s built through discourse with your co-worker.

Student Digital Citizenship

With the rise of technology in the hands of students and the access to social media platforms, digital citizenship is an increasing necessity. 

I’m not sure about you, but was never explicitly taught how to use social media sites. My understanding of the rules of engagement on social sites was developed through trial by fire and observations. It’s taken many years to develop what it means to be a digital citizen and I am so glad that we can help students understand what it means to be responsible online before they have unrestricted freedom online.

What is digital citizenship?

According to Let’s Talk Science, a Canadian organization that helps to prepare youth for future careers with a STEM focus, “digital citizenship is about thinking critically, behaving safely, and participating responsibly and ethically in the digital world” (Let’s Talk Science, 2020).

Some key components of digital citizenship include:

  • Digital Literacy
  • Online Safety
  • Respectful Behavior
  • Ethical Use of Technology
  • Digital Footprint
  • Critical Thinking
  • Online Civic Engagement
  • Cybersecurity
  • Balanced Technology Use
  • Teaching and Learning

Anne Collier, at TEDxGeneva, does a wonderful job highlighting the importance of Digital Citizenship being incorporated into our classrooms. Watch her talk below:

Anne Collier speaking at TEDxGeneva in 2016.

References

British Columbia Ministry of Education and Child Care. (2023). K-12 Student Reporting Policy: Communicating Student Learning Guidelines. Retrieved from the Government of British Columbia website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/k-12-student-reporting-policy-communicating-student-learning-guidelines.pdf

Collier, A. (2016, June 16). The Heart of Digital Citizenship [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Uww2XHnijKw?si=REE4KxnReoDUJiTg

Digital Citizenship & Ethics | Let’s Talk Science. (2020, October 5). https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/backgrounders/digital-citizenship-ethics

Reid, Jessica M. (@jessicam.Reid). (2023, October 6). This is THE BEST slide generating tool I have seen yet! And I’ve used ALOT of teacher AI tools! [Video]. Instagram. URL