As we transition to technology-based, globally connected classrooms, it is important to carefully consider whether this move to technology is truly meeting the needs of all students. Our goal in a 21st century classroom should not be technology for the sake of technology, but differentiated instruction that develops the talents and skills of all learners. As educators we must take the time to consider which students do not thrive in a regular classroom setting and consciously plan to engage them.
I am fortunate to live in an area that has access to outdoor education programs. Just a few hours north of us lies cottage country. Hundreds of small and large lakes connected by forests and rivers pepper the landscape. Bordering the lakes are small towns, occasional farms, privately owned cottages and "camps". It is from Camp Wanakita that we have just returned. Thanks to our wonderful phys-ed teacher, Mr Verschoor, our grade 6 students enjoyed a 4-day uniquely Canadian experience: winter camp.
At Wanakita, students stayed in cottages with friends. Mealtime was in the dining hall. There, students learned appreciation for food production and the importance of avoiding food waste. Some of our students learned for the first time how to set and clear a table. They learned to wait until thanks have been expressed before eating and many who live rushed lives, learned how to engage in conversation during a meal.
Each day energetic camp counselors led activities. Students challenged their fears by climbing the high ropes (10metres to the top) They learned to cross-country ski and snow shoe. During orienteering they learned to read maps and work together to reach a goal. They skated on the frozen lake, built snow forts, and played Food-Chain Survivor in the woods. During one evening we had a lantern-lit night-ski across the frozen lake to a campfire and hot chocolate. On another night we hiked through the woods and learned to listen to the silence and see in the dark. During the evenings we danced or played games. Technology was banned during our four days - no video games, no cell phones, no "connected". On the last day as we were preparing to leave we were informed that we were snowed in
and had to stay an extra day. Needless to say, this news was greeted with rousing cheers (and a few tears from those who were looking forward to home).
What struck me during our 4 days was how the students who do not function well in a typical classroom setting were thriving in this environment. The students who can't stay on task, who arrive late with no materials, who are sullen or disruptive in class, who never have their homework done, who are often the class clowns, these students were the stars of Camp Wanakita. They rose to the occasion, mastered new skills and became leaders. Most of all, they were focused, engaged and happy. When was the last time you had a moment in your classroom where those students were truly joyful? Where pure delight beamed from those students faces? At the end of our four days I really had to wonder, how did it happen that outdoor education and hands-on playful learning became less important than literacy and math?
In my school I trace it back to the Fraser Institutes's decision to publicly rank schools based on their EQAO test scores. Up until that moment our school had a completely different atmosphere. Students were frequently out of the classroom engaged in rich hands-on learning experiences. Many parents deliberately registered their students at our school because we were known as the "trip" school. Once the rankings began, trips became far fewer as teachers, particularly in grades 3 and 6, felt obligated to teach to the test. Not all of this was bad. The Ministry of Education provided funding for teacher training based on best-practices and with the intense focus on literacy my teaching has improved. We were also given money to purchase desperately needed resources. We still have a phenomenal staff and we still run an excellent school with a wide range of extra-curricular activities. In this effort to improve literacy skills, though, something has been lost.
As we move forward designing and implementing our 21st century classrooms, we must take the needs of all learners into consideration. Students learn in different ways. The emphasis on literacy, math and standardized tests scores at the expense of all else is wrong. Rich learning opportunities exist that have nothing to do with test scores. Outdoor education and playful hands-on learning must once again become as fundamental as literacy and math.
I am fortunate to live in an area that has access to outdoor education programs. Just a few hours north of us lies cottage country. Hundreds of small and large lakes connected by forests and rivers pepper the landscape. Bordering the lakes are small towns, occasional farms, privately owned cottages and "camps". It is from Camp Wanakita that we have just returned. Thanks to our wonderful phys-ed teacher, Mr Verschoor, our grade 6 students enjoyed a 4-day uniquely Canadian experience: winter camp.
At Wanakita, students stayed in cottages with friends. Mealtime was in the dining hall. There, students learned appreciation for food production and the importance of avoiding food waste. Some of our students learned for the first time how to set and clear a table. They learned to wait until thanks have been expressed before eating and many who live rushed lives, learned how to engage in conversation during a meal.
Each day energetic camp counselors led activities. Students challenged their fears by climbing the high ropes (10metres to the top) They learned to cross-country ski and snow shoe. During orienteering they learned to read maps and work together to reach a goal. They skated on the frozen lake, built snow forts, and played Food-Chain Survivor in the woods. During one evening we had a lantern-lit night-ski across the frozen lake to a campfire and hot chocolate. On another night we hiked through the woods and learned to listen to the silence and see in the dark. During the evenings we danced or played games. Technology was banned during our four days - no video games, no cell phones, no "connected". On the last day as we were preparing to leave we were informed that we were snowed in
and had to stay an extra day. Needless to say, this news was greeted with rousing cheers (and a few tears from those who were looking forward to home).
What struck me during our 4 days was how the students who do not function well in a typical classroom setting were thriving in this environment. The students who can't stay on task, who arrive late with no materials, who are sullen or disruptive in class, who never have their homework done, who are often the class clowns, these students were the stars of Camp Wanakita. They rose to the occasion, mastered new skills and became leaders. Most of all, they were focused, engaged and happy. When was the last time you had a moment in your classroom where those students were truly joyful? Where pure delight beamed from those students faces? At the end of our four days I really had to wonder, how did it happen that outdoor education and hands-on playful learning became less important than literacy and math?
In my school I trace it back to the Fraser Institutes's decision to publicly rank schools based on their EQAO test scores. Up until that moment our school had a completely different atmosphere. Students were frequently out of the classroom engaged in rich hands-on learning experiences. Many parents deliberately registered their students at our school because we were known as the "trip" school. Once the rankings began, trips became far fewer as teachers, particularly in grades 3 and 6, felt obligated to teach to the test. Not all of this was bad. The Ministry of Education provided funding for teacher training based on best-practices and with the intense focus on literacy my teaching has improved. We were also given money to purchase desperately needed resources. We still have a phenomenal staff and we still run an excellent school with a wide range of extra-curricular activities. In this effort to improve literacy skills, though, something has been lost.
As we move forward designing and implementing our 21st century classrooms, we must take the needs of all learners into consideration. Students learn in different ways. The emphasis on literacy, math and standardized tests scores at the expense of all else is wrong. Rich learning opportunities exist that have nothing to do with test scores. Outdoor education and playful hands-on learning must once again become as fundamental as literacy and math.
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