As the world grapples with the Coronavirus pandemic, educators are forced to rethink how they can connect with students who are now learning at home. Students across the country are forced to rethink how they learn as online learning becomes their only option. Many students don’t have reliable Internet access or the necessary digital devices, which is forcing school boards to think outside the box. It may not be smooth at first, but we will all adjust as social distancing measures are mandated from coast to coast for the time being.

Teachers and students are quickly learning how to adjust to a new normal for the remainder of the school year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

How Can Educators, Students, and Caregivers Cope?

In a word? Together. Whether in elementary or high school, one hundred percent online learning is new for teachers and students alike. There will be bumps, but we’ll manage if we keep the lines of communication open. It’s important for educators to relay to parents and caregivers that they should not stress about becoming teachers themselves. Parents and caregivers need to monitor how much time their child spends online so as not to overwhelm them. Children should go online each day to find out what is expected of them, spend time completing required assignments, and then get back to family activities, such as playing games, watching movies, and baking.

“There’s really no expectation [that] overnight, parents are going to morph into teachers. Don’t put that pressure on yourself.”

Kate Winn
Education expert, teacher and parent to two daughters in Grades 6 and 8
from an article on Global News

It’s important for families to spend time together and do activities.

What Digital Resources Should I Use?

With so many digital tools available, it can be overwhelming to figure out the right education technology for your needs and the needs of those in your community. It’s also impossible to make the transfer from a face-to-face classroom experience to a complete online classroom experience—in a matter of weeks—without a few hiccups! Having said this, there are two superior digital resources worth considering: Pear Deck and WeVideo.

Remote Learning with Pear Deck 

Many educators across all disciplines are using Pear Deck to create engaging, media-rich lessons that students can participate in—either in a group or individually—while learning at home. Pear Deck integrates with tools that most teachers already use, such as Google Slides and Microsoft. You can insert text, images, and drawings into ready-made slide templates. (Hint: you can also add or delete text, or images, to the template.) You can include questions about the content of each slide and ask students to respond in a variety of ways: typing in a text or number response, dragging and dropping, choosing from multiple answers, or sketching an answer.

By creating online lessons in Pear Deck, teachers can assess students’ understanding with different types of questions, such as multiple choice.

You can view your lesson in Teacher or Student mode. In Student Mode, you can go through the lesson as a student, answer the questions, and then use this as your answer key. In Teacher Mode, you can see which students are answering which slides. (Hint: you can have two browser tabs open and be logged in as a student and a teacher.)

We recommend turning on an excellent feature called “Student-Paced Mode,” which allows students to go through the lesson at their own pace. You can also publish Pear Deck Takeaways—a record of each student’s work. You can leave comments in the document for students to review and respond to, as well as share it with parents and caregivers so they have an idea of how their child is doing. To discover more about how to use Pear Deck for online learning, visit Resources for Distance Learning on Pear Deck’s website.

Students Can Get Creative with WeVideo 

WeVideo is an online video editor that millions of students are using around the world. The Education platform enables them to creatively communicate their ideas using the editor’s massive library of templates, images, audio and video clips, backgrounds, and sound effects. They can write text and captions, import files, and record voice overs for their videos. The interface is easy-to-use and there are several tutorials to help students get started.

Students can use WeVideo’s huge library of templates, images, audio and video clips, backgrounds, and sound effects to make engaging online presentations.

Below are short examples of how students—and teachers—are using WeVideo:

• Book Talks: A teacher and two students discuss a picture book—and the teacher hilariously disappears into the story.

• Science Videos: A student created this informative video about Earth’s Connected Ecosystems using video clips, text, photos, and music.

• Historical Documentaries: To explain their understanding of an historical event, a student uses voice-over as she writes text and draws sketches on a whiteboard. (Humour included!)

You can also encourage students to use WeVideo to create podcasts, a video scavenger hunt, game shows, and stop motion/Claymation. To show your students that you’re embracing the medium, too, you may want to try creating and sharing your traditional learning resources in WeVideo. WeVideo has put together ideas on how you can incorporate the following lesson elements into your class’s online learning: Learning Objectives, Prior Knowledge, Academic Vocabulary, Questioning, Modeling, Closure, Assessment, and Independent Practice. 

. . . . .

Offering online learning support so students can learn at home is a new concept for most teachers, students, and parents/guardians. We understand that it may seem overwhelming. We are here to help support you. You can do this!

We want to thank educators everywhere for helping to ease students into learning at home as they embark on this new online learning journey during this unprecedented time in history. Stay home and stay safe.

REFERENCES

Collie, Meghan.
“Coronavirus: Parents don’t have to be teachers, but learning doesn’t have to stop.” Global News, March 18, 2020. https://globalnews.ca/news/6694643/coronavirus-homeschool-kids/

Lang-Raad, Dr. Nathan.
“Learning resources to make online learning successful.” WeVideo Blog, March 11, 2020. https://www.wevideo.com/blog/for-schools/learning-resources-to-make-online-learning-successful

On January 15, 2020 in Halifax, N.S., Nelson announced its partnership with Mount Saint Vincent University’s Faculty of Education to deliver Edwin, the digital learning ecosystem to all MSVU undergraduate and graduate Education students. This partnership continues an Edwin Pilot Program which has already delivered nearly 3,000 Edwin devices to Nova Scotia Grade 6 students.

Dr. Antony Card, Dean of Education at MSVU, welcomed Cathy Montreuil, Deputy Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, and Nelson CEO Steve Brown to a panel of educators who are using Edwin to level the learning playing field. Each shared insights about what this newfound equality in the classroom can do…

“So socioeconomics should never be a barrier to education. Education is a right.”

Steve Brown
Nelson CEO

“I often remind people, in education when we start arguing ‘this, or this…’ and turn things into dichotomies, we’re wrong. This isn’t about ‘technology or paper.’ It’s about both.”

Cathy Montreuil
Deputy Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development

“Edwin does things differently so that our teachers can do different things.”

Al Reyner
Instructor and Edwin Pilot Lead, Mount Saint Vincent University

Talk to us about how to initiate an Edwin Pilot Program, and what it can do to transform your classroom.

A topic that’s been in the spotlight lately is diversity in the classroom. More and more, educators are expected to teach a room full of students—all with different personalities, strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles—and ensure that each student feels included, understood, valued, and respected. Is it possible to successfully create an inclusive classroom learning environment?

We rolled up our sleeves, combed through research articles, brainstormed and came up with several ideas we’d like to share, including ways educational technology can help foster an inclusive classroom learning environment.

The Inclusive Classroom

1. Recognize that Diversity Exists in the Classroom

It goes without saying that it’s important to recognize that each classroom student is a unique individual who learns differently and at their own pace. But it’s not only learning styles that may vary among students. Your classroom is likely to be made up of learners with different ethnicities and religions, and who come from homes with varying household incomes. Recognizing that student diversity exists is the first step towards fostering an inclusive classroom learning environment.

2. Encourage Discussions About Diversity

Give students the opportunity to share who they are and what they feel makes them unique. It can be as simple as setting up an activity where one student interviews another. They can ask questions about the student’s family culture, home language, stories, and traditional foods, clothing, and music. If a student speaks a different language at home, encourage them to teach their classmates a few basic phrases, such as, “Hello” or “How are you?” or “Thank you!” Learning a new word or phrase in a different language each day will help foster a feeling of inclusion for everyone in the classroom.

Encouraging an open dialogue about diversity in your classroom helps to promote acceptance, and according to the Scientific American  article How Diversity Makes Us Smarter, people think harder and are more creative when they’re in a diverse group:

“Decades of research by organizational scientists, psychologists, sociologists, economists and demographers show that socially diverse groups (that is, those with a diversity of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation) are more innovative than homogeneous groups.”

3. Mix Up Teaching Styles

As mentioned earlier, students generally learn differently and at their own pace. Some are adept at gleaning information from a book or online article. Others prefer to digest information via images, instructions, and diagrams. Still others retain information better through listening or doing.

How can you appeal to each student? If you’re teaching one of Shakespeare’s plays, for example, you could provide the following options to your students: read the original text; look at artwork or a graphic novel; listen to a recording; or act out scenes with other classmates. Doing this gives students the chance to learn in the way that’s best for them and demonstrates to other students that there are different ways of learning.

4. Use Diverse Teaching Materials

Whose voices are being represented in your teaching materials? Use materials that feature a broad range of perspectives. Include authors of colour, different genders, nationalities, and age. Choose authors who speak different languages and who have varied upbringings. Presenting a variety of stories shows students that every voice counts and that every voice matters.

How Educational Technology Can Help

1. Provides Access for All

Technology improves equality in learning. If students use computers in the classroom or library, they have access to digital resources curated by educators. Technology in the classroom can help bridge the digital divide of students from low-, middle-, or high-income families. All students can become familiar with the technology that will help them succeed outside the classroom.

Digital divide
the economic, educational, and social inequalities between those who have computers and online access and those who do not

Students working together on multiple devices.

2. Breaks Down Language Barriers 

There are many digital programs that can translate words on a web page into the language of your students’ choice. These programs are especially helpful for ESL students or students with parents whose first language is not English, for example.

3. Encourages Different Ways of Learning

Educational technology offers students the opportunity to learn their own way. They can read articles, watch videos, listen to interviews, or take quizzes and participate in online discussions about a topic.

A student listening to an e-book.

4. Presents Different Perspectives 

The Internet is a vast resource of information brimming with a multitude of perspectives. With educational technology at their fingertips, students can safely research a given topic, such as the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway, from varying perspectives. Through online articles, personal accounts, diaries, letters, quotations and videos, students can consider the perspective of vested parties, such as the federal government, Indigenous peoples, and immigrant workers from China.

5. Allows for Individual Thought 

A student researching a topic online by themselves is able to form their own conclusions. They have time to think critically about the information they’re reviewing without being influenced by other students. When asked for their thoughts during a class discussion, they are more likely to present their own opinions because they have not been affected by “groupthink.” As defined in this article  on MiddleWeb, groupthink happens when…

“…people are afraid of the consequences of sharing their real thoughts and feelings. When this happens and people withhold their ideas, there is a danger that the decision won’t be the best one or the most innovative or creative. It also indicates a low level of trust in the group and a fear of conflict. People start to feel that it’s better to be quiet, go with the flow, and not challenge each other.”

Student studies while at home.

How do you address diversity in the classroom with your students? How do you use educational technology to foster an inclusive classroom learning environment? Do you have any tips on classroom management that work for you? Please share your experiences in the comments section.

REFERENCES

Phillips, Katherine W.
“How Diversity Makes Us Smarter.” Scientific American, 2014. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-diversity-makes-us-smarter/

Aguilar, Elena.
“Leading Teams: How to Avoid “Groupthink”.” Middleweb, 2016. https://www.middleweb.com/29414/leading-teams-how-to-avoid-groupthink/

Elrick, Lauren.
“4 Types of Learning Styles: How to Accomidate a Diverse Group of Students.” Rasmussen College, 2018. http://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/blog/types-of-learning-styles/

In our first article for the professional learning community, we’re excited to share our thoughts and ideas about all things edtech with you. Together, we can ponder the future of education, and hear your thoughts on teaching strategies, student engagement, classroom equity, digital solutions, and so much more.

Many of us can remember a time before the Internet when we didn’t have a vast collection of knowledge at our fingertips. Today’s students, though? They were born into a digital world with the ability to access information from the World Wide Web every second of every day from anywhere. We’ve watched students use their tablets, laptops, and smartphones to read articles, watch videos, play games, create stories, socialize with friends, and yes, to learn. There’s no denying it, the Internet has transformed—and continues to transform—education for students and teachers.

Access for Everyone

The Internet has the ability to equalize learning for all students around the world. It doesn’t matter if they live in an urban area or a rural community, or if their household income is high or low. All students can participate in the same multimedia lessons on cell division, quadratic equations, or the history of Canada—many of which have been created by educators to meet curriculum learning outcomes.

Teacher and students working and collaborating.

In the past five years alone, online learning has exploded with thousands of educational videos appearing on sites like YouTube and Khan Academy. Wikipedia is also getting into the moving pictures business, giving users the ability to upload their own videos on a subject. It’s incredible that students can choose from such an immense library of online videos, but what’s most important is the need for high-quality, vetted content linked to curriculum.

Collaboration and Communication

Online learning can increase collaboration between educators and students as well as students and peers. Your class can use wikis and cloud-based apps to share information they’ve discovered, post comments and questions, upload assignments, and reflect on their learning. As well, group work can take place outside the classroom, virtually. Distance, or the inability to physically get together after school, is no longer a barrier to collaborative work.

High school students working remotely on an assignment.

As Neil Selwyn, a professor in the Faculty of Education, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, states in the article “The Internet and Education” on OpenMind:

“The participatory, communal nature of many social Internet applications and activities is aligned closely with the fundamental qualities of how humans learn, not least the practices of creating, sharing, collaborating, and critiquing.”

Connectivity

Because the Internet connects people from around the globe, students have access to knowledge and experiences outside their geographical location. As described in Purdue University’s article “How Has Technology Changed Education?”:

“Students in a classroom in the rural U.S., for example, can learn about the Arctic by following the expedition of a team of scientists in the region, read scientists’ blog posting, view photos, e-mail questions to the scientists, and even talk live with the scientists via a videoconference. Students can share what they are learning with students in other classrooms in other states who are tracking the same expedition.”

They can then bring this new knowledge back to their classroom and discuss their understanding in small groups.

Personalization

In a traditional classroom, teachers decide how to deliver curriculum content, which often includes lecturing, photocopied handouts, and notes on the board. These methods are still very popular and useful. However, when students go online, they have the opportunity to personalize their learning in a way that works best for them. From our experience, what works best is when students use online tools that have been created specifically with the learner and educator in mind. Students can explore curricular content and dive deep into topics that pique their curiosity. They can then bring what they’ve discovered back into the classroom and share their ideas with their teacher and other students.

Educators and the Internet

While the Internet is transforming how students learn, it is also influencing the professional development of educators. For example, if you really want to attend that science seminar being held in Nova Scotia, but you live in Manitoba, distance is no longer a roadblock. You can still participate—thanks to live and recorded webinars.

The Internet is also a hub for educators to connect and collaborate with each other. Online teaching communities, such as The Edwin PLC for Teachers, give you the opportunity to ask questions, find answers, and share ideas and best practices. Many online communities also encourage teachers to upload resources they created for their classrooms.

Educator attends live webinar.

This article has barely scratched the surface of the World Wide Web’s impact on educators and students. We’d like to know what you think about online learning in your classroom. Does it enhance student engagement? How? Tell us your thoughts and experiences in the comments section. Share this article with your fellow educators! We’ll keep busy creating content for you— our creative, dedicated Professional Learning Community—so stay tuned for more.

REFERENCES

Selwyn, Neil.
“The Internet and Education.” In Change: 19 Key Essays on How the Internet Is Changing Our Lives. Madrid: BBVA, 2013.

Purdue University.
“How Has Technology Changed Education?” https://online.purdue.edu/blog/how-has-technology-changed-education

Courage and trust level the playing field

The very first Edwin Classrooms discovered that a digital learning platform could empower the core practice of teaching, and educator Kate Pellerin of Riverside P.S. reminds us that Edwin “takes some of that management side of teaching and lets me focus on a lot more of that connection side.”

Now, St. Julia Catholic Elementary becomes the first school in the Dufferin-Peel board to adopt the Edwin Pilot Program, and they welcome us to Mississauga to witness how Edwin is already transforming classrooms today. Educator Karla Cinapri encourages educators to “put your own fears aside,” and let students benefit from the additional responsibility and seamless collaboration.

While Edwin has strengthened student voice and choice, St. Julia Principal Brian Diogo notes the courage it takes allow a one-to-one classroom become a two-way street:

For us as educators to allow our fears to prevent us from providing these kids with the things that are so natural to them is not fair. We have to have a bit of courage. And we have to figure out that these kids are going to teach us.

It takes courage and trust to level the playing field. This is one of the lessons we learned on a recent Edwin classroom visit. We’re excited to share this first glimpse of our upcoming film, and invite you to see the story unfold.

The Edwin Impact Forum brought together ministries, boards, & districts from across Canada join in to share how Edwin is transforming their classrooms. Edwin is readying our kids for the future through a platform that promotes inquiry & equity for all.

A pathway built around listening

The first classrooms began to experience Edwin in September 2017, and a few months later we visited Huntsville, Ontario to see the transformation of a digital classroom at Riverside Public School. The Edwin pilot program ushers in a new way to look at 21st century education, and we hear stories of its creation from students, educators, and developers alike—including Nelson CEO, Steve Brown:

When we first talked to people about Edwin, we got some funny looks. But with the involvement of some thought-provoking educators, we brought Edwin to reality.

Direct testimony from students addresses the ways in which Edwin accommodates multiple styles of personalized learning. Parents reflect on positive changes in the first few months of their children using Edwin. And Kate Pellerin, Grade 8 teacher at Riverside, sees a transformative path for the Edwin platform in her classroom:

Clearly this is a company that sees the future of education, and realizes that it has to be interactive, it has to be digital, and it has to be engaging for the kids.

What does the future of education look like?

Introduce yourself to Edwin, the digital educational platform for the modern classroom. Brought to you by Nelson Education.

Making education better for everyone

Nelson sees the changing educational landscape, and answers with Edwin, a digital learning environment for the student in today's digital classroom. Created in partnership with students and educators, Edwin is revealed as a companion for a lifelong educational journey.