Wow, I didn't realize that this post in one year following the same conference in Ottawa! So many posts left in draft and I don't know if they will ever get published as they were reflections written at a different time and under very different circumstances. For now, to quote myself from last year and it still rings true:
"So grateful for the opportunity to be part of discussions during professional development sessions with educators across Canada that was designed to focus on building curriculum, but also listening to each other’s experiences from a school, system, provincial and network partner lens."
Below are a few highlights of the virtual conference capturing words of wisdom, thoughtful and meaningful discussions as we move forward in rethinking how we redesign learning experiences/opportunities for students in our class and school communities (brick&mortar or virtual settings).
Cyber Safety Education Framework session hosted by Abbey, Emily & @CaitlinQuarr as they engaged participants in discussion and reflection on cyber safety beyond the scare tactics, being informed and proactive #ActuaNC2021 #ActuaCyberSmart
https://actua.ca/en/onlinesafety/
@ActuaCEO Abbey, @RoyalChukz @VoteCamilo virtual fireside chat: Anti-Racism in STEM #ActuaNC2021
👉whose voice is present or silent, represented and address these inequities, challenge systems in our work in education-Abbey
👉I don’t get a say to shut off racism for the day-Chứk
Burden of proof placed on the wrong groups that is used to protect whiteness/ systemic barriers. Protect marginalized groups & people from whiteness. Decolonization is not a thought exercise. Resources needed for self determination & governance. -Camilo
Racism is an everything issue for radicalized people: health, education, environmental and all sectors -Chứk
Discussions about diversity > from what? centers on whiteness (as a power symbol)
Discussions about being inclusive > into what? into whiteness (as a power symbol)
There is more to learning and be vulnerable on what needs to be learning/unlearned. This is the now and future. STEM is a place to engage in these discussions as ideas & identities are expanded and engage future learning.
-Abbey
Kelly, Beedahbin, Dan, Doug, @TracyLRoss session focussed on Land-Based STEM Learning #ActuaNC2021
Supporting indigenous STEM programs is a need to improve indigenous youth education, opportunities in STEM related careers - skills set, tool set & mindset now & future innovators
Bring science out of the classroom and back to the land. Consider starting the discussions/lessons outdoors and building language, imagination and science of land based STEM. Break out of the traditional ecological environmental framework - governing structures. Hierarchy of science in western science doesn’t always fit that same as how to look at things in Indigenous science.-Beedahbin
A huge opportunity to remember/redesign what the classroom can look like for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators. Outdoor learning is not new but needs to be embedded in learning and with intentionality, looking at pedagogy. -Doug
Sports/recreation rooted in colonial history. Indigenous practices appropriated/revised to western ways of thinking. Engaging in physical culture practices beyond compartmentalizing. Indigenous peoples didn’t have words for leisure or work as it is all embodied in relationality > with each other & environment. We have a part to play on the land. Bringing youth into the outdoors and understanding that out relationship with the land is reciprocal. -Dan
Teaching about relationships with plants and the land. Think relationally about giving back to the land before taking from it. Move past just sustainability & leave barely a footprint. Embodying learning in virtual school is limiting how we connect to the land. -Kelly
Joanne, Alexandra, Karatina, Arron & @TracyLRoss Remote with Intention session focussed on programs available and the intentional shift to virtual/remote learning #ActuaNC2021 @actuacanada
Online programming can not replicate in class learning. Intentional designing of all lessons. Works both within the platform and programs. Adjustments accordingly. Virtual/remote learning must included element of feedback and engagement/participation. -Alexandra
Being aware of materials/supplies and their availability in the homes of our students as designing activities. Either no supplies required or somehow provided to students who are remote learning. Gather feedback from families on needs for remote learning. Engagement w/ students online during synchronous time, find ways to rethink/rebuild. Lean into building content that students will want to engage in. -Katarina
How do we incorporate culture in authentic ways? Invite guests, Knowledge Keepers and engage students/families in discussions. Seek out ways to listen to the voice of the learner. Students will offer feedback and educators/program designers will need to adjust. Outreach considerations in designing programs/kits too. Getting ways to engage students with water in their territories and how students can become stewards too. -Aaron
A shoutout to school and public libraries! And also giving space and being flexible when doing outreach as all branches in education/program developers need time to make adjusts, prioritize and re-engage with partners/schools.
Jonathan, Zachary & @CaitlinQuarr session AI Education Inspiration #ActuaAI #ActuaNC2021 http://actua.ca/ai (English) http://actua.ca/ia (Français)
Diverse resources, little to no coding experience required. http://actua.ca/activities has new youth activities to explore.
Discussing data sets like Sketch RNN (completes your own drawings based on a shape) or Google Quick Draw (where you are offered a prompt and challenge to complete it). https://magenta.tensorflow.org/assets/sketch_rnn_demo/index.html…
-Zachary
Survival of the Best Fit - focusses on analyzing data bias. Can automate the process based on the data that has been shared… and may request additional data as it builds a pattern. https://survivalofthebestfit.com
-Zachary
Teachable Machine: transfer learning-based AI models https://teachablemachine.withgoogle.com Machine Vision: engage in discussions about when AI is useful, does a computer identify what it sees. How might that tell us what we need & how to improve data collection https://editor.p5js.org/jernwerber/present/dQhdGqBU9…
-Jonathan
Applications of AI are explored in the resources. Designing & implementing data collection and critical analysis, recognizing patterns and building understanding of the importance ethical approaches to tech.
-Jonathan
Looking forward to building upon these conversations, putting action items together that support our youth but importantly, our Black and Indigenous youth as innovators and creators.
Thank you ACTUA for the invitation to continue being a part of the @ActuaCanada teacher network.
