FINAL

ANALYTIC REFLECTION PAPER: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Final Analytic Reflection Paper: Putting it All Together

Chris A. Quarrie

University of British Columbia

Masters in Educational Technology

 FINAL ANALYTIC REFLECTION PAPER: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

For my final analytic course reflection paper, I will attempt to answer three questions. First, I

would like to classify the most valuable practical teaching technology that I learned about in this

class? While many technologies were mentioned or discussed in this course, and some were

made into tutorials, there was one in particular that I had not heard about Explain Everything -

and I would like to talk about how I can make use of this technology in my day-to-day teaching.

The second question is a more broad one regarding the theory and science of learning: What is

the most valuable information I gained about the science of learning? While learning theory,

metacognition, and constructivism are topics that I have studied more deeply in other courses,

this is the first time I have been able to focus primarily on the science of learning as a science

teacher, and consider the implication of these theories in a more practical sense as it applies to

me. Lastly, I will look at some of my unanswered questions? In particular, I would like to look at

STEAM Education, particularly since my school is shifting its focus on this initiative.

1. What is the most valuable practical teaching technology that I learned about in this class?

The most valuable teaching technology that I learned about was the Explain Everything

tutorial, created by Justin Ouellette, Randy Ray, Jessica Hsueh, and Claude D'Souza. While other

tutorials were insightful and interesting from a theoretical perspective, such as the GeoGebra and

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) tutorials, Explain Everything is something that I can see

myself, and others in my department and school, using to enhance teaching from a practical

teaching standpoint. I currently teach science and ICT, so math tutorials are not particularly

useful to my teaching at the moment - though I am qualified to teach maths, so I will keep

Geogebra in mind in case I am called upon! I work at a school that is currently running a one-to-

one program, which is why the BYOD information is not relevant to my current teaching. It

took me some time to figure out what exactly Explain Everything is (something I actually
 FINAL ANALYTIC REFLECTION PAPER: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

commented on when giving feedback to the team), but I eventually sorted out that it is useful,

from a student perspective, as a way for students to demonstrate their understanding of a topic.

At first glance, I had thought it might be some sort of Prezi-style presentation software. While

presentation software is useful, I feel, at this point, I do not need yet another method for

delivering content. I am already very familiar with PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, and

Prezi, so adding another to the list is not something I am seeking. However, I am always looking

for ways to have students demonstrate their learning using technology. Some of the technology I

am currently using includes the building of stop motion movies (using apps like Stop Motion

Studio), making comic strips using websites like PowToon, and creating and collaborating on

labeled biological drawings using Google Drawings. Explain Everything is an interesting and

user-friendly (important attributes when it comes to student buy-in) interactive whiteboard

that includes elements of Videoscribe, Camtasia, and Prezi. It allows students to build

presentations that I envision being useful as a formative (and to a lesser degree, summative)

assessment tool. Although admittedly, this application would probably work better with a school

using iPads (written notes, particularly if they involve drawings or scribbles, are easier when

you can use a finger/stylus), I can see my students creating interesting and useful explanations of

scientific principles in narrated clips of various topics in science, from Grades 8 to 12.

2. What is the most valuable information I gained from the science of learning?

Bransford, Brown & Cockings book How People Learn was a very valuable learning resource

for this course. I have raised several questions over the years as a science teacher that this book

has, in some ways, helped answer. For instance: what is the difference between a novice and an

expert? As teachers, we are in some ways attempting to craft experts from our knowledge of

science, using the resources available. Simply delivering content to students does not guarantee
 FINAL ANALYTIC REFLECTION PAPER: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

that they will know how, when and why to use knowledge they glean in class. I have made more

attempts in recent years to create case studies and larger word problems that are used to

stimulate students higher-order, complex thinking and problem-solving skills. Even so,

[s]ometimes students who have done well on such assignmentsand believe that they are

learningare unpleasantly surprised when they take tests in which problems from the entire

course are randomly presented so there are no clues about where they appeared in a text.

(Bransford, Brown & Cocking, 1999). The trick is to have students look at concepts from a

holistic standpoint, rather than as discrete pieces of knowledge.

I am constantly trying to remind students of previous knowledge they have gained from both

earlier concepts and units, as well as topics they have learned about in other courses. For

example, when my Science 8 students are studying optics and looking at the primary colours of

light, they must in some senses unlearn what they have learned in art class (where students are

told that the three primary colours are red, blue and yellow), to understand how light works in

terms of wavelength and the electromagnetic spectrum - the three primary colours of light being

red, blue and green. I have been spending more time having students reflect on their own life and

school experiences when solving problems, in an attempt to get them to monitor their own

approach - to be metacognitive - when learning new and difficult concepts in science.

I have also asked myself (and Im sure my students have asked this of themselves as well), how

can I really use this in my life? In other words, how can knowledge gained in my science

classes really be used in everyday life? This is something that Bransford et all recognize:

Transfer from school to everyday environments is the ultimate purpose of school-based

learning. (Bransford et al, 1999). One way that this can be done is to have students consider

scientific problems and relate them to the things that are important to them, in their lives. This
 FINAL ANALYTIC REFLECTION PAPER: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

requires extensive knowledge of individual student interests, and questionnaires, polls, and

informal discussion that can help teachers better understand whats important and relevant to

students lives. Creating activities that allow the learners to choose their own tools for problem-

solving, and even design problems for themselves and classmates, can increase the level of

engagement, enjoyment, and overall applicability of school content. Helping learners choose,

adapt, and invent tools for solving problems is one way to facilitate transfer while also

encouraging flexibility. (Bransford et al, 1999).

3. What are my unanswered questions?

I had heard of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives, and in

fact I participated in a Science, Math and Technology specialist program as part of my Bachelor

of Education degree at OISE/University of Toronto. I worked with a student at a school in

Toronto to develop genetically-engineered bananas. For this school, the initiative was primarily

targeted at female students as they represent a much smaller proportion of students entering

engineering programs in university.

One idea that I had only really heard of, and started to explore, in this course was the STEAM

initiative. So the question Id like to answer is: What is STEAM exactly, and how can I make use

of STEAM initiatives in my daily teaching? The addition of the Arts into STEM is of particular

interest to me; I am a life-long supporter of the Arts, and have a minor in Philosophy. At my

school, I am heavily involved in the Drama and Fine Arts programs, assisting and contributing to

their development wherever possible (I usually end up doing something technical as part of the

stage crew for the school play). Students sometimes find it surprising that a science and ICT

teacher would be interested in the Arts, but I dont think this is, or should be, unusual. A strong

background in the Arts is important, if not necessary, for effective innovation in science and
 FINAL ANALYTIC REFLECTION PAPER: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

engineering. Thinking creatively and being able to problem-solve in non-linear ways accesses

parts of the brain that students who focus only on rigid, linear, logical thinking may not be able

to easily use. One of the reading supplied in this course is the introduction from the book

Emerging Technologies in STEAM Education (Ge, Ifenthaler, & Specter, 2015). I will

definitely seek out the rest of this book, as I am very intrigued and interested to learn more from

chapters such as There is an Art to Teaching Science in the 21st Century! For me, effective

professional development for teachers of science, math and technology (currently I only teach

science and technology) will involve a heavier focus on STEAM and a greater emphasis on the

Arts as part of a more well-rounded education.

While our Get Going with GAFE website touched on STEAM in a superficial sense, there are

many themes and activities mentioned in this reading that are of particular interest to me, and

one question that is unanswered, for the moment, is How can I use the Arts to enhance student

learning in my Science and Technology classes? This is something I am excited to learn more

about, and I wish I had spent more time in this course discussing such ideas with the course

participants.
 FINAL ANALYTIC REFLECTION PAPER: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

References

Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L. & Cocking, R.R. (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind,
experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Ge, X., Ifenthaler, D., & Spector, J. M. (Eds.). (2015). Emerging technologies for STEAM
education: Full STEAM ahead. New York, NY: Springer.

Ouellette, J., Ray R., Hsueh, J., and D'Souza, C. (2016). Explain Everything Tutorial. Retrieved
from https://sites.google.com/site/explaineverythingtutorial/home