Lakehead Public Schools has approved a $2.85 million plan that allows technology in the classroom to catch up to the technology students use at home.
“It’s definitely a different way of looking at teaching,” said A.J. Keene, principal of Kingsway Park and Hyde Park Public Schools, of the plan that will see all schools expand their Wi-Fi and bandwidth and bring more laptops, tablets and SMART boards into all Thunder Bay public schools.
“These kids are using technology all the time at home and it’s unfortunate that at school we haven’t been able to provide that until now,” said Keene, also the chair of the board’s IT committee.
“They’re far more engaged. It’s anytime, anywhere learning. It’s changing the types of skills we’re focusing on.”
Teaching won’t be about providing students with information as much now as having them think critically about information, solve problems, communicate and collaborate, Keene said.
“It’s teacher more as a facilitator. I think it’s going to be impossible for every teacher to try to stay ahead of the curve (with) technology when it comes to the students,” he said, adding that students will always know more about the devices that are in their hands.
“It’s still good old-fashioned teaching. It’s just using different tools,” Keene said.
The Lakehead school board started working on a plan to beef up IT used in schools about three years ago. Keene said they used pilot projects to ensure they were optimizing dollars and choosing the right wireless devices for students to use.
Kingsway Park has been the site of some pilot projects including a bring-your-own-device program where students bring in their own wireless devices to use in school.
Grade 8 student Martin researches projects on his smartphone and he said students use them in all different subjects.
For example, he uses the Google translator in French class and often uses the calculator on his phone in math.
“Instead of having to go to computer labs and do it, we can stay in our classrooms and our teachers can watch us do it,” Martin said. “Most of us treat it responsibly.”
And although there are already desktop computers in most classrooms, Martin said students are often more comfortable with their own devices.
The plan, to be rolled out over the next three years, was approved at the board’s Tuesday evening morning.
Superintendent of education Sherri-Lynne Pharand said students are already engaged in 21st century learning.
“They’re connected whether they’re at home or at school and really it’s about bringing that connectedness into the classroom,” she said.
Teaching and learning is changing and with students having access to information 24/7, Pharand said they have to help the students learn to think critically about the information and to use technology responsibly.
“I do think it’s a critical way that we connect in today’s world,” she said.
