The Internet of Everything: What Does it Mean for Educators?

This fall, I visited the Mauritshuis Museum in Den Haag, Netherlands, where I learned about the famous Vermeer painting Girl With a Pearl Earring.  With the painting before me, an app guided me through its history, stories of the painter, and offered comparative works to explore right on my phone.  This is just one example of how the internet of things can assist with learning.  The Internet of Things refers to the idea that everything becomes a node on a network. It is focused on the use of smart sensing for pervasive connectivity and ubiquitous computing (University of Wisconsin-Madison). While estimates vary, it is expected that the expectation of internet connectivity for many everyday devices will begin to impact education within 4-5 years. Although opinions vary on the speed of roll out, many observers note the rapid development of sensor, miniaturization, mobile and wearable technology as key drivers.  Business Insider predicts that “there will be 34 billion devices connected to the internet by 2020, up from 10 billion in 2015. IoT devices will account for 24 billion, while traditional computing devices (e.g. smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, etc.) will comprise 10 billion (Greenough and Camhi, 2016).”

These developments emerge from outside the education sector, and to the extent they have implications for everyday life, work, consumption, decisionmaking and service provision, they will also impact the education sector.  Specifically, the Internet of Things intersects with personalized learning and adaptive technologies by creating new opportunities for real-time data to impact learning. It may also impact blended learning, since connectivity creates “Hypersituational” (Educause) learning environments such as augmented reality.

These new blended learning environments allow for wider exploration of the physical and virtual worlds in synchronous and asynchronous formats.  For example, students can tour physical spaces with supplementary sound, text, video, or interactive elements (QR codes or Google Glass).  Students can create projects that integrate crowd-sourced or networked data from physical systems in real-time.  Similarly, redesigned learning spaces may be affected by the IofT because of the integration of physical and virtual worlds that is made possible by interconnectivity.  As well, IofT may boost a focus on place-based education by localizing some aspects of the learning experience and making use of the environment in innovative ways.  Another area of potential high impact is environmental, economic, and social sustainability, as the IofT has the potential to make every institutional operation more efficient by more closely integrating systems, from building temperatures to classroom scheduling and parking.

The power and appeal of the IofT lies in its flexibility and convenience.  For learners, great benefits arise from improved efficiency and responsiveness of systems to real-time demands. On the other hand, hesitations are widespread and may slow the adoption of IofT in the education sector.  Chief among these concerns are privacy, security, automation of decision making, and information overload (Pew Research Centre).  Networked systems are vulnerable to hacking or infiltration by phishing or scam artists.  Personal information is more vulnerable on a network, and algorithms are imperfect sources of analysis for decision making.  The ability to collect data on physical and emotional states has severe implications for personal security and privacy.   At the same time, if the IofT grows as many predict it will, students will need to acquire new technical and social skills for employability.  IofT will require people to manage data, interpret and apply information, make ethical judgements, and effectively share and contextualize information.  How might you put the Internet of Things to use in your classroom?

A Caravan of Competency

 

Janelle Zebedee and Tricia Penny show us how to play

Graham Johnson starts us off

Everyone enjoying the night

An amazing night of sharing was enjoyed by all who attended our Applied Competencies: A Learning Caravan event!  Participants played, ate, drank and talked for an action-packed two hours.   Graham Johnson inspired us all to think about how competencies can form a basis for all learning.  Our takeaways were many, but here’s a few to think about:

• We all know the challenge of ‘getting through’ material – but deeper learning may mean changing course when we need to and bringing an added layer that helps learning last
• Learning happens when everybody (teachers and students) is comfortable, relaxed, aware of others, and aware of their own learning processes (metacognition)
• Competencies come from all quarters and levels – from kindergarden to graduate school, thinking of competencies means changing one’s mindset to prioritize the process rather than only focusing on a single endgoal – doing is best!

Here is an overview of our participants’ projects:

Janelle Zebedee and Tricia Penny from Health Promoting Schools shared some practical game-based ideas for helping learners develop the Personal and Social Core Competencies.  Using Rock-Paper-Scissors, the group discovered the importance of creating support communities and of including everyone in a group activity.  Health Promoting Schools project works across educational levels and can work with your students on these competencies.

As SmartEducation facilitators, they will also be offering a short ‘Taste of Smart’ workshop at upcoming Employee Wellness Symposium on Friday, February 23, 2018.

Morgan Martin, Okanagan College Instructor (Biology) described a problem she had in her Okanagan College classes:  students found it hard to remember anatomy terminology!   So, she introduced short, vocabulary-based quizzes on moodle that students could do before class to help them learn those challenging medical terms.  The experiment turned out to be a huge success!

David Williams, Okanagan College Instructor (Electronic Engineering Technology) introduced the group to robotics – specifically, Robocup!  This annual event for elementary and middle school students operates on one simple principle:  give learners a problem to solve and watch them go!  In the process, learners are able to apply and extend their knowledge to a variety of STEM-based subject areas and competencies.

Jillian Garrett from Okanagan College’s Communications Department knows how difficult it can be to create a classroom environment in which all students feel comfortable and included.  That’s what their project Managing Culturally Diverse Classrooms aims to help faculty do.  In the process, they hope to improve the educational experience of all students—both domestic and international—in culturally diverse classrooms.  The group offers both one-to-one writing assistance for students and pedagogical support to professors.  Jillian also mentioned a couple of tips:  share your teaching philosophy with your students at the beginning of the term and help to build community.  As well, use a transparent grading rubric that helps students (especially English Language Learners) to fully understand their marks.

Charlotte Jones, a faculty member in Okanagan College’s Modern Languages department, spoke to the anxiety faced by language learners and the need to facilitate self-awareness of what works and what doesn’t for each learner individually.  Especially important for Charlotte is that language learners know that it’s ok to make mistakes!

Shannon Ward of the Blended Learning Program, Central Programs and Services, of School District 23 was a wealth of information about real-world application of blended learning in a highly interactive environment. The design thinking process is embedded into every lesson. Using formative feedback from teachers, peers and themselves, students refine their learning throughout the year.  Here is an overview of the Blended Middle Program.

Rosalind Warner demonstrated a teaching/learning technique known as Immediate Feedback Assessment – Team Based Learning (or TBL).  By facilitating productive team work, this technique integrates multiple competencies, including social and cognitive.  The group had fun ‘scratching’ the cards and answering provocative questions about learning competencies, like:

1. What is the ‘best’ definition of ‘competency’?

A. being prepared

B. being good at something

C. showing talent, or

D. demonstrating a skill or ability?

Applied Competencies: A Learning Caravan

Tuesday, 23 January 2018 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Okanagan College Trades Atrium

Get your tickets on Eventbrite here ($5 in advance, $10 at the door, cash only)

Participants will be treated to light refreshments, a cash bar (one drink with entry) and a door prize!

KLO Parking Map – Lot 17 (please park in Lot #17)

KLO Campus Map Showing Trades Atrium

PDK invites Okanagan educators to a fun, interactive, and informative evening of exploring core competencies!

What is a core competency? How do we assess for it? How do we teach it? Educators at all levels strive to help learners achieve important core goals and develop the skills needed to solve problems, think creatively and critically, and grow in their personal and social development. PDK invites Okanagan educators to a fun, interactive, and informative evening of exploration! Participants will work ‘hands-on’ to experience teaching about a variety of competencies from applied design in technology, to experiential and community learning.

This event will involve a wide variety of educators from different levels (K-12, College, University) to demonstrate their methods for teaching competencies in their respective fields and levels.

Confirmed Presenters (Stay tuned for more):

Graham Johnson, Learning Technology Consultant, Central Okanagan Public Schools

NEW!  Janelle Zebedee and Tricia Penny, Health Promoting Schools
Physical and Health Education Curricular Competencies and Personal and Social Core Competencies

Morgan Martin, Okanagan College Instructor (Biology)

Vocabulary Acquisition using Moodle

Morgan’s table will showcase a set of Moodle quizzes that help students learn medical terminology.

David Williams, Okanagan College Instructor (Electronic Engineering Technology)

ROBOTS!!!! (need we say more?)

Jillian Garrett and Michael Saad, Okanagan College
Managing Culturally Diverse Classrooms: Department of Communications Innovation Fund Project

Mission: To improve the educational experience of all students—both domestic and international—in culturally diverse classrooms by offering one-to-one writing assistance for students and pedagogical support to professors.

Charlotte Jones, Okanagan College
Applied Competencies in Language Learning

Shannon Ward, Blended Learning Program, Central Programs and Services, School District 23
Blended Learning in Action

Description: Our grade 10 program is a highly interactive environment where students engage with teachers and peers on a daily basis in our online community. The core competencies are built into the curriculum and students are consistently practising and refining their skills of communication, thinking and social responsibility. The design thinking process is embedded into every lesson. Using formative feedback from teachers, peers and themselves, students refine their learning throughout the year.

Rosalind Warner, Okanagan College
Thinking Together, Testing Together: Activating Multiple Competencies Through Team-Based Learning 

Top Ten Ways to Get (and Keep) Their Attention

Recently I prepared a poster on the Top Ten ways to gain students’ attention.  It was displayed at the UBC Okanagan Centre for Teaching and Learning’s Annual Conference Engaging Every Learner on May 3rd.  As part of my project, I asked viewers of the poster to share their favourite ways to gain attention in class.  So, here is the collected list, with some additional ideas from one of the sessions I attended on Interactive Techniques with Richard Plunkett, including a list of interactive techniques prepared by Kevin Yee.

1. Involve Everyone

It can be a challenge to design activities in which everyone feels engaged, but Liberating Structures has a number of great suggestions for format, invitations, and content that can ensure that everyone has a stake in the proceedings.  Contributed: give the whole class a task that can only be accomplished by everyone fulfilling their assigned role. Another one: use ‘lecture reaction’ where students take on the roles of ‘questioners’, ‘example givers’, ‘divergent thinkers’ or ‘agreers’ and discuss in small groups accordingly. I also assign the role of ‘researchers’ who can google or search for interesting information and share it with the class.

2. Explain Yourself

Stating your purpose clearly, for the course, and for the learner, is an important first step in helping to establish a connection.

3. Make it Worth it

Accountability is important to helping learners engage.  Using quizzes or surveys to gauge the level of knowledge without giving the impression of ‘judgement’ means keeping these low-stakes and fun.  IFAT (Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique) scratch cards encourage teams to arrive at consensus before answering.

4. Apply Knowledge

Asking learners to think about a situation, case, or example immediately after explaining a concept can help concretize the material and aids retention.  Contributed variation: invite learners to attend a professional meeting or to interview a practitioner in the field of study. Use ‘finger signals’ instead of clickers for multiple choice or true or false questions (students hold up fingers against their chest so others can’t see, to indicate the correct choice).

5. Be Organized

It sounds trite, but having an agenda for the class and carefully signposting each activity shows respect for learners’ time. Include an opening, buildup and closing at the very least.  Contributed variation:  use a one-minute paper to have learners identify the ‘Muddiest Point’ and address next class.

6. Use Metaphors

Solving a tough problem can be like unravelling a ball of string.  Metaphors help learners to connect the familiar with the unfamiliar.  Contributed variation:  use a ‘Snowball’ technique with this one.

7. Use Mystery

Don’t give away the ‘answers’ prematurely!   Build up to the big reveal with hints and clues. Variation: Picture prompts, in which an image is presented without explanation, asks students to identify/explain, discuss and describe any structures or processes shown (can be written or discussion format).

8. Be Unexpected

Use incongruity, contrasts and comparisons to spur thinking.  It doesn’t have to be flashy or shocking, just curious or odd. Contributed variation: use movement, have students move to different areas of the classroom for group work, writing comments on sticky notes, posting under categories, etc.

9. Use Visuals

A picture speaks volumes.  Well, you knew that…but visual culture in the age of Instagram is even more vital. Contributed variation:  give learners objects to ‘play with’ during long lectures (colouring, playdough).  Use demonstrations.

10. Vary Your Voice

For most people, this requires increasing your volume and variability in a conscious way. It may seem uncomfortable at first, but listeners will thank you. Contributed variation:  be enthusiastic and show your passion!  Capture the emotional content in your subject to create a hook.

It Was a Magical Rainy Night

…and some fantastic Educators gathered in a cozy setting to spark some real conversations about teaching, learning, and coping in this crazy world.  Michael Saad spoke about the challenges of balancing our selves with out ‘digital selves’.  As a Communications Professor with Okanagan College, Michael had a wealth of stories and knowledge to draw from, and held us all spellbound with his topic.  Can people distinguish the ‘real world’ from the ‘fake one’?  Michael thinks not.

Thanks for the OC Library for providing this display of books on learning and teaching, and to Michelle Ward for participating in our event.

We learned some things about ourselves (like some of us play video games!) and realized that even though we thought the topics in our ‘Living Library’ were pretty different, somehow they all wove together in the end.  Michelle Nicholson, Business professor at Okanagan College, urged us to consider: when can we or should we say ‘no’?   What tools can we use to ‘guide’ learners to be more autonomous, but also to be able to make judgements about what kind of information is reliable, accurate, worth paying attention to?  We realized that students are guided by their emotional challenges and so are not always well-equipped to be critical thinkers. We realized that we probably were not all that great at saying no either, at drawing boundaries, or thinking clearly when confronted with passionate questions. Looking around the room, we began to realize that we were probably the ones who want to be in the thick of things, but how to engage others in the exciting questions and topics that inevitably come up in the learning process?

We shared stories and laughs about personal experiences and funny people we’d met.  We talked about our institutions, our peers, and how they’ve affected us.  Charlotte Jones has been a language educator for over twenty years and a language learner for over forty years, and her unique perspective on the need for trust and the fears of failure spoke vibrantly to all of us.  Linda Elmose, a Political Science professor and news hound extraordinaire, posed the question:  are there some positive opportunities in the current confusion about ‘alternative facts’ that we can use to help learners make up their own minds about what is reliable and trustworthy?  Jane Nordquist and Jody Cronquist raised their questions about introducing a new curriculum and we commiserated over the need for reflection time to aid adjustments and ways to make our strategies more effective and meaningful. Michael Conlin, also in Business at Okanagan College, brought his wealth of experience and reflection to bear on all of our ideas.

What did we learn?  We learned how rewarding and fulfilling it is to just converse, to put aside the devices and the schedules and the rushed preparations and simply reflect together on our mutual experiences.  We learned the true meaning of what it means to be a learner in this crazy world.  We agreed to follow-up with posts in the weeks to follow, to build on our Living Library by creating an online Library for all to share.  Many thanks to PDK for making this magical rainy night possible.