From 'Tell Me' to 'Show Me' and 'Involve Me'

Hello Everyone,

 

I hope you are having a great day. We have settled back into school after Winterim and spring vacation, and kids are happy and productive. One of the things that is so wonderful about Winterim is the opportunity for students to explore new areas, whether that means traveling someplace they have never been or learning about a topic that was previously unknown. While travel can be an amazing experience, teachers have provided multiple opportunities for students to explore even while sitting within Dawson’s walls.

 

One of these opportunities arose for us last week through a branch of Google called Google Expeditions. Technology specialist Sean Sissel orchestrated the day.

“Google came to campus to have us pilot their Google Expedition program. Using Google Cardboard headsets, students and teachers were able to choose from over 100 virtual reality ‘field trips’ set up with panoramic 360 degree photospheres, as well as 3D images and video which were all annotated with details, highlights and questions to immerse the students in the experience. From the depths of the ocean in the Galapagos to the summit of Mt. Everest, teachers were able to travel across the globe to integrate this innovative learning tool into their existing curriculum and coursework. The program is not yet publicly available, but they have been touring schools across the nation to showcase the product and reached out to Dawson as somewhere they wanted to pilot the program; we were very excited to have them come share with us.”

 

When Sean and fifth grade teacher Joe Cutter (who was also instrumental in bringing them to Dawson) reached out to teachers, folks responded enthusiastically. Thirteen teachers from all divisions and from several different disciplines brought their students in to experience the phenomenon. All told, 266 students had a chance to go on an “expedition.” I asked teachers to send me information about their classes’ experiences, and below is some of what I heard.

 

From Karen Hand, Seventh Grade English teacher: I took my 7th graders and we explored a little bit about the tundra, specifically in Canada around a polar bear habitat, and used it as a means of understanding a little bit more about the setting of The Call of the Wild, which we read in the fall. We had a little time left over so we also looked at space and the Great Barrier Reef for fun.

 

From Diane Yelvington, sixth grade teacher: The 6th grade participated in the "America Expands West" expedition, and the students were intrigued and excited as soon as I mentioned it. Many students had seen, or even have, the Google 360 degree viewing glasses, and were thrilled to use them in the context of our social studies class. It was an engaging experience as students were able to explore covered wagons, learn about the importance of cattle, and rationing scarce resources on the trails west in the late 1800. Although a few students felt slightly motion sick if they had the glasses on too long, this did not detract from the unique and positive learning environment. I loved hearing "this is so cool", "do you see the...?, and"what's that...?".  

 

From Faye Johnson, third grade teacher: Third Grade enjoyed the opportunity of experimenting with the Google Expedition Project. Third graders explored virtual tours of Pioneers Traveling West, Ocean Safaris, and Mt. Everest Climbing.This set of expeditions created many OOOH’s and WOW’s.

 

This was a great experience for students. You’ve likely heard the Chinese proverb (or some variation thereof) that states, “Tell me, I’ll forget. Show me, I’ll remember.”  By immersing students in the worlds they were studying, educators are much more likely to have an impact.

 

As you also likely have heard, that same proverb goes on to say, “Involve me, I’ll understand,” and that’s just what Jeff Ellenbogen’s Maker Madness Winterim aimed to do. Allowing a great deal of freedom to explore their own interests, Jeff and math teacher Kyle Miner (assisted by Dawson alum Jacob Goldman) prodded and encouraged students to create wonderful things. They displayed their creations at a recent Maker Madness Faire (love the medieval spelling!), and I was blown away by what students had made. From laser-cut phone cases to a photo booth to a fireworks display to a hydrogen converter, creativity was in full force, and it was amazing to see. This Winterim was a great example of the direction we are moving in education – teachers are no longer vessels of knowledge, charged with disseminating information, but rather coaches who guide our student to figure out what they need to know in order to create solutions to problems. Of course, this has actually been true for some time – Socratic discussions are rooted in the idea of democracy among students and teachers, giving equal value to all voices.  But more than ever, with so much information available to us at the swipe of a finger, our role as educators has to be to help our students learn how to collaborate, how to think critically, how to communicate, and, finally, to create.