Let’s Get Together

A collaboration model for schools

Collaboration has become a buzzword in the field of technology. As technology becomes ever more diverse, and the idea that “no man is an island” becomes ever more real, collaboration between schools with similar philosophies about technology is now a requirement for success. The Bishop Strachan School (BSS) and Appleby College joined forces in April 2004 to share their e-learning challenges and goals with educators in the region.

“Meeting the challenge of innovative teaching” was the theme of the day, and while the two schools are unabashedly pro-technology, the real focus was on being progressive and establishing best practices in the classroom.

The e-learning conference exemplified a new way of conducting the business of education, with two schools collaborating on how to best implement technology in a curriculum. The result? A day of workshops featuring 10 teachers on the front line, IT administrators for the two independent schools and representatives from the web portal system, Blackboard.

The schools had already compared notes on their own goals and issues, and the conference was a natural culmination of this relationship. The sessions offered were as diverse as the schools and teachers delivering them; topics covered everything from back-end administrative use of Blackboard to its implementation in the classroom. The conference welcomed 60 people from public boards and independent schools across Ontario.

What does collaboration entail when it comes to technology, and how can teachers and students benefit? Following the success of the conference, the organizers shared how they have created and nurtured this collaborative relationship when developing their technology and learning programs.

Do your homework
It’s easier now than it has ever been to integrate technology in the classroom. But before diving in, get your board’s support, identify your school’s strategic goals, determine your budget (including hard and soft costs), and explore the latest research on technology and learning.

Also, make sure that curriculum is the focus, before technology.

“Technology should be used to facilitate the curriculum that you are interested in implementing, not the other way around,” says Mike Hourahine, director of IT at Appleby.

Research is key in the classroom as well. One conference presenter said he had tried five demos for math assessment, and none met his requirements. After being introduced to MapleTA, he found that the type of assessment possibilities went beyond expectations for a software package. With the wealth of software now available, finding the best tool for each subject is easier than ever.

Network
Finding the right school with which to network can be a challenge, but it’s one worth overcoming. Both schools were happy to find peers in their attitude about technology. As Steve Poplar, assistant headmaster of IT at Appleby notes, “It’s nice to connect with BSS, because they’re also leaders and they’re going in the same direction.”

Kim Gordon, deputy head of BSS, says the school has this simple philosophy about collaboration: two heads are better than one. Networking led to a partnering for the conference, and “because we put our teachers together, we came out with a more enriched day.”

Be open to new ideas
“Both schools are very open to ideas that are different from what we’re currently doing,” Hourahine says. “We know what we do well and where we need improvement, and we’re able to help each other in that respect.”

Jennifer Wright, a social science teacher at Appleby, told conference attendees about her experiences with Blackboard as a newer teacher in the field. In her first year, she used Blackboard to share information with students, holding discussions and giving quizzes. As she became more familiar with the system, she was able to explore more advanced applications, such as digital drop boxes (no more slipping assignments under the door!), research links and organizing all her class materials online.

“You have to be bold with technology now,” she says. “If you’re not open to it as a teacher, you’re going to be left behind.”

Focus on mutual goals
When looking for a school to collaborate with, focus on school similarities, not differences. Both Appleby and BSS are laptop schools, using SMART board and digital technologies.

“We’re both trying to find out what the best model is to teach students online,” Poplar says. “It’s difficult to do as a single school, so the more resources you can bring in, the better.”

Go easy
Based on your goals, take on something that you can manage in the classroom. Gordon understands the work associated with implementing technology. BSS uses a train-the-trainer model, where a member of the IT department works with an instructional design person and a content specialist.

Each department has a key resource partner, who then brings the rest of the staff on board. The model has been so successful that there is a real momentum to take it to the next level.

Don’t be afraid to learn from each other
Too often, educators avoid bringing new technology into the classroom because they feel that they are not expert enough to teach it. Marc Prensky, a leading education and learning game designer, explains that today’s students are “digital natives.” They’ve grown up with new technology — computers, video games, digital music players, video cameras and cellphones. Their teachers, on the other hand, were not born into the digital world, and are therefore “digital immigrants.”

But “teachers don’t need to know it all before bringing it to the students,” Hourahine says. In fact, teachers learning alongside the students can boost the technological skills of both. Collaboration between students and teachers in the form of discussion boards is becoming the norm, rather than the exception.

“This is their world; they love learning in this environment,” says Mary Anne Ballantyne, director of IT at BSS. Students helping peers and teachers with technology is also a great form of leadership.

Define success
The Bishop Strachan School and Appleby College came away from the conference with a strong feeling of success. “There was a lot of energy from teachers seeing something absolutely new, or seeing a new spin on something they’re already doing in the classroom,” Ballantyne says.

One of Appleby’s measures of technological success includes page hits to Blackboard. With a fivefold increase in hits over three years, it’s clear that this is where the learning happens for Appleby students. Success is also measured by seeing who is online, tracking the number of users of Blackboard for a specific time interval during the day. More than 500 people on Blackboard at any given hour during the school day at Appleby (a school of 625), is a real testament to Blackboard being a key component in class.

At BSS, success is measured in terms of academic rigour. Kim Gordon asks, “What are our girls doing in their program that is more enriched than before we’d used technology?” They specifically look for improvement in writing, collaborative learning, inquiry-based learning, online activities and flexibility for students.

Conclusion
As teachers and schools see the benefit in sharing ideas and working together on challenges, we can count on more collaborative efforts like the e-learning conference. “There isn’t really a model out there for collaboration between schools,” Poplar says, “But being open to it is progressive in itself.” And with this new model for collaboration, meeting the challenge of innovative teaching just got a bit easier.