An icebreaker is an activity or exercise designed to help a group of people get to know each other and feel more comfortable working together. Icebreakers are used in many different settings, including classrooms, meetings, workshops, and team-building events.
In a college classroom, icebreakers are an important tool for building community and establishing a positive climate for learning. When students feel comfortable with one another and with the instructor, they are more likely to participate in class discussions, ask questions, and take risks in their learning. Icebreakers can be especially helpful in online classes, where students may feel more isolated and disconnected from their classmates and instructor. In an online class, icebreakers can help students feel more connected to each other and establish a sense of community despite the physical distance. Here are some examples of icebreaker activities for both online and face-to-face instruction: Face-to-face:
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Reciprocal teaching is a collaborative learning strategy that involves students taking turns as the teacher and leading discussions about the text or subject matter. This strategy can be used in various disciplines such as nursing, business, social work, and other fields where critical thinking and analysis are necessary. In a reciprocal teaching session, the instructor would typically divide students into small groups and provide them with a passage or article to read or a short video to watch. The group members take turns leading the discussion, taking on one of the four roles: summarizing, questioning, clarifying, and predicting. (If predicting is a challenge, students might be assigned to illustrate the process or define significant terms.) In a nursing classroom, for example, students could read a case study or patient scenario, and each group member could take on a role in analyzing the information, such as summarizing the patient's condition, questioning the diagnosis, clarifying the treatment plan, and predicting the outcome. In a business classroom, students could read a case study about a company's financial performance and take on the roles of summarizing the company's financial statements, questioning the reasons for the company's success or failure, clarifying the economic factors that may have impacted the company, and predicting the company's future performance.
The instructor should consider several factors when using reciprocal teaching. Firstly, the instructor should ensure that the text or subject matter is appropriate for the students' level of understanding and knowledge. The instructor should also set clear expectations for each role and provide examples of how each role could be performed. Instructors should also encourage collaboration and active participation among group members. The instructor should monitor the group discussions to ensure that each student has a chance to participate and provide feedback to students on their performance. Overall, reciprocal teaching is an effective strategy for promoting collaboration, critical thinking, and analysis among students in a college classroom. By taking turns as the teacher, students can develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter and improve their communication skills. For more information: https://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/resources/articles/teachtechnique/reciprocalteaching/index.php At many post-secondary institutions, faculty is encouraged to form teaching triangles or teaching squares to sharpen practice.
With a teaching triangle, three instructors would form a mini “Community of Practice” in which they might meet regularly (once or twice a month), visit each other’s classrooms, and share discoveries and learnings with each other. I know of several departments at NorQuest that have used such a model as part of their FED work with faculty. At some colleges, such as Thompson Rivers University, teaching triangles are facilitated through their Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. I like what they explain the concept on their webpage. The educational developers from TRU are careful to point out that “the goal of each observation is not to critique the faculty member being observed, but for the two faculty members in attendance to reflect on what they have learned about teaching from observing their colleague. Over the course of a semester, each member of the triangle will be observed once and be an observer twice. These classroom visits will be preceded by an opening meeting with a CELT team member to discuss your group’s goals for the triangle and a follow-up debriefing once the observation process is complete.” More information can be found on their page The Teaching Triangles Program . Other institutions, like the University of Calgary or the University of Alberta, use a variation on this called “Teaching Squares”. In an article for Faculty Focus, Teaching Squares Bring Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives, Neil Haave (from the University of Alberta) suggests that teaching squares are an “opportunity for faculty to reflect on their own teaching in light of colleagues’ teaching examples. Could I do something like that? Would that approach work with the content I teach? I might be able to use that, but what would I need to change so that it better fits with my teaching style? Are my students ready for a strategy like that?” At both U of C and U of A, these teaching squares are meant to be cross-disciplinary. In our context that might mean that each of the four members might come from a different faculty. Variations on this might include faculty members with a wide range of experience or very different roles (teaching, curricula development, librarian, WIL support, etc.) or teaching in a different modality (face-to-face, synchronous online, Hyflex, asynchronous online). So why am I sharing this? Well, at Norquest we encourage instructors to participate in peer observations as part of your FED reflections. The FED support pages on the Academic Hub contain all kinds of resources and observation guides to help instructors do these kinds of observations. But all too often these observations are done be close colleagues who may be too close to see the big picture in your teaching. Or they might be done by someone who feels that peer observation is really another phrase for “peer evaluation”, and that would be a bit of an issue too. Observations and consultations should avoid evaluative language and critiques like “you should have…” and instead focus on “how might we…”. The rationale behind the NorQuest peer observation process is to facilitate growth and reflection on the part of both the instructor being observed and the colleague doing the observation. Perhaps teaching squares or triangles could be a natural extension of our already ongoing Communities of Practice? If you want to know more about teaching squares, I found two very helpful guides, one from Dupage Faculty Development, The Teaching Squares Handbook , and another from the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning (University of Calgary), Teaching Squares; Observe and Reflect on Teaching and Learning . Both publications are creative Commons and downloadable. In the past few weeks I have been reflecting on teacher leadership, and more specifically, the roles of team lead, associate chair and chair. While the role might seem appealing to many, it strikes me that anyone considering taking on one of these roles might first need to do a bit of soul searching. Teacher leaders that I have worked with over the years have all shared how difficult the transition could be. One day they were just another colleague, sharing a laugh in the faculty lunch area and the next day they have “gone over to the dark side” and “become one of them”. Their motives, decisions, work habits and leadership style became fair game to be questioned by others, and they felt like they lived in a bit of a fish bowl. That is not to say that these people didn’t enjoy being in this leadership position, they just had to learn that actually working in the position was a little different from observing it as another instructor. Teacher leaders are called upon to provide real and timely leadership in three different ways; they need to provide professional, administrative and instructional leadership. Depending on the size of the department and the duties assigned, this can mean: advocating for students and faculty, balancing budgets, mapping out the scope and sequence of a program, assigning course loads, scheduling classes, problem solving, and dealing with challenging personalities. On top of all these tasks, teacher leaders must be change agents, advocating for quality practice, encouraging professional reflection, and pressing for improved student learning and achievement. Complicating all of this is the fact that roles like team lead or associate chair are usually term appointments and often come with a considerable teaching load in addition to leadership responsibilities. People in these roles have said that they feel caught between two worlds; they aren’t really in the overall leadership team and stream, but they are no longer in the community of instructors. Stepping into such leadership is not easy; the work cannot be done half-heartedly. So why would one bother to take on such a role? So why take on teacher leadership?Teacher leaders have a single guiding purpose - to build capacity in others. They use their talents to influence, shape, support, and catalyze change that results in increased student achievement. Their actions reveal their fundamental belief that they more they build capacity in others, the more they contribute to sustaining long-term, deep transformation that allows others to address today’s challenges and to be prepared for facing those that arise tomorrow. (Killion, 2011, p. 11) I love this quote from Joellen Killion. Although it refers more to those who take on teacher leadership roles in the K-12 system, I think it captures the essence of why instructors consider taking on academic leadership roles like team lead, project lead, associate chair, or chair. For the most part, people take on these roles because they want to make a difference, a difference for the students and for the staff that they have come to know so well. In addition to the need to make a difference for students and colleagues, those looking to move into leadership roles may also be enticed to do so for any combination of six different factors:
Who should take on such a role? From my experience, there is no one profile of the ideal candidate for an academic leadership position. I have seen very different types become very successful leaders. Some of these people saw an associate chair position as a stepping stone in their career; they had their sights on institutional leadership (Look out Carolyn, here I come!). Others were almost reluctant leaders. They hated to leave their classrooms and the students who gave them energy, but they also felt an obligation to the program, to their colleagues and to the students, to take on a leadership role that might ensure the viability of the program. Regardless of how or why each stepped into the role, all of these new leaders needed to develop a new set of skills. Working with students in an online or face-to-face environment is much different from working with colleagues who are masters in their own domain. A teacher leader’s greatest challenge is in building trust, gaining credibility, and establishing purposeful, productive relationships. These leaders are sometimes faced with apathetic, reluctant or resistant colleagues. Often, they are “caught in the middle”, having to roll out unpopular or demanding decisions or initiatives that they might have previously had questions about. This delicate challenge means that they must instead use credibility and kinship as practicing instructors to gently lead–through encouragement, support and even courageous conversations. As such, effective leadership involves constant negotiation and it requires tremendous flexibility, tact and perseverance. What are the keys to success? Some of the important leadership actions or processes that prospective teacher leaders might ask themselves about before making the leap have to do with:
Several years ago, I asked successful “teacher leaders” to share their strategies for creating positive working relationships with their colleagues. They suggested that life will go easier if you:
References: Killion, J. (2011). A bold move forward: consortium outlines new standards for teacher leaders. Journal of Staff Development, 32 (3), 10-12. Kuntz, J. (2015). Exploring the Experience of AISI Instructional Teacher Leaders. (Doctoral Thesis) University of Alberta. Department of Secondary Education. Accessed online at: https://era.library.ualberta.ca/downloads/41687m37h (Permanent link) Forming and NormingThe NorQuest Faculty Community of Practice NorQuest has officially started. At the time of writing this we have approximately 40 members who will be participating through networking, online gatherings, resource sharing, team inquiry and mentorship. One of the first things done was to establish Learning Teams, each with a particular instructional focus. Combining some of the 8 suggestions we have settled on three independent groups:
Each group will now be looking to have an initial meeting so they might chart out their next steps. If you would like to join one these teams, just shoot me an email and I’ll add you. It is not too late, we’re only taking the first few steps! I’m hoping that, in the first couple of meetings, each team will have a chance to form and norm. They’ll need to consider their purpose, how often they would like to meet (and when) or how they would like to carry on conversations and inquiries. To support each group in this initial planning I put together a few questions that might help them focus and perhaps build a bit of a “team charter” 1) What would you like your team to be called/known as? (these names were only place holders) 2) Who are the members of your team? 3) How might you describe your team to others who may want to join? (in 2-3 sentences): 4) What are your team’s major goals? Do you hope to:
8) How will you know that the team should shut down? The last question is often one that often gets overlooked. However, from years of working with learning teams (Professional Learning Communities), I know that teams eventually lose their steam and members look to find a new challenge. This life cycle corresponds with Bruce Tuckman’s five stages of group development: forming (gathering the team and choosing a focus), norming (deciding on the processes and procedures), storming (experiencing tension as boundaries are pushed), performing (producing important work) and adjourning or mourning (fulfilling the original purpose or losing focus and energy) (Tuckman, 1965 and Tuckman & Jensen, 1977). It is important to acknowledge this cycle and perhaps even re-visit question #8 on a regular basis to check whether the team is alive and relevant. In the coming months, we will also look at developing a bit of a cross-faculty mentorship group. I realize that a number of departments already have some type of mentorship for new hires, but there is room for something that would function across the institution. When I asked if instructors were interested in participating in such a program, quite a number said that they were. Some were instructors who were new to NorQuest, but many were not. And there were instructors who said that they would like to participate as both a mentor and a mentee. There were areas of teaching that they were quite confident in, but there were some other areas where they would appreciate a sympathetic friend who might provide them with feedback or share approaches techniques or apps or help them work through the intricacies of Moodle and BBCU. It’s my belief that the larger Community of Practice together with the targeted Learning Teams and a Mentorship Program could provide an important vehicle for community building and professional development for faculty at all stages of their career in post-secondary education at NorQuest. Now we’ll just have to see if this becomes a reality! References: Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384–399. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0022100 Tuckman, B.W., & Jensen, M.A.C. (1977) Stages of Small-Group Development Revisited. Group & Organization Studies. 2(4), 419-427. https://doi.org/10.1177/105960117700200404 The Promise and Pitfalls of Professional Learning Communities Instructors learn about their craft in many different ways:
In today’s musing, I want to focus on the fifth way, collaborative professional learning through focused inquiry and sharing. This is where a small group of people meet regularly to discuss promising practices, implement thoughtful changes in their daily planning and practice, and share their efforts with the group in order to promote program improvement and optimize student learning. This kind of collaborative learning is sometimes called a “Community of Practice”, a phrase coined by Etienne Wenger in 1991 (see: https://wenger-trayner.com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice/ ). Communities of Practice involve practicing professionals (not researchers or academics) who form a learning community based upon a shared commitment or domain of interest. Another term sometimes used to describe collaborative learning is a “Professional Learning Community” or PLC. I am much more familiar with this term. PLCs are narrower than Communities of Practice; they have very specific goals and focus on tangible results. So what is a PLC? In the late 1990’s American educators such as Dufour and Eaker (1998) and Hord (1997) advocated for goal-oriented, accountable, teacher collaboration as the best way to transform underperforming schools, boost teacher morale and improve student achievement. PLC advocates were quick to link Professional Learning Communities to adult learning principles put forward in the 1970's by Malcolm Knowles (2005), successful adult learning links to need, self-concept, foundation, readiness and orientation. Professional Learning Communities should build upon:
A Professional Learning Community should value and validate teachers, drawing upon internal motivators rather than external (credits or recognition). Of course there are some preconditions; in order to be successful, PLCs need to meet regularly, sustain their inquiry and action research for an extended period (years rather than months), and focus their energies on reasonable and measureable targets (establish SMART goals). From my experience from 20 years of working with PLCs, I have seen groups that worked wonderfully well, creating a culture of continuous improvement. These PLCs encouraged teachers to learn together, explore new ideas, and implement changes that paid great dividends for their students. I have also seen PLCs that quickly dissolved into coffee socials or worse yet, bitch sessions. One group that I had a loose connection with ended up spending their allotted PLC time on rejigging the wording on their multiple choice assessments - which was a far cry from their original intention of helping adolescent readers develop the confidence and skills to meet the literacy demands of challenging texts and tasks. At one point, when certain Alberta school districts became frustrated with the inefficiency of their PLCs (some districts provided money and time for PLCs but little leadership), they tried to mandate for tangible results. They advocated for “data-driven” PLCs, but this action ended up frustrating teachers who felt that they had to tweak their teaching to get better scores on standardized exams (Provincial Achievement Tests and Diploma Exams) rather than engage in meaningful learning and reflection. In the end, this push to focus and control PLCs backfired. Teachers felt conscripted and handcuffed. Here at NorQuest, my experience with PLCs has been limited. Some faculty might want to call the Innovative Teaching Group a PLC, but the group was too large, the meetings too infrequent and the focus was too scattered for it to be a real PLC. However, the Innovative Teaching Group did foster inquiry, reflection, sharing and networking. The NorQuest Learning Circle on Intercultural Competence that Sarah Apedaile spearheaded last year was much closer to being an actual, factual PLC. This group was smaller, regularly checked in, engaged in thoughtful readings and discussion, implemented changes in their classrooms and shared their learnings. I also believe there may be other groups around the college that more closely reflect the spirit of a PLC. I know of curriculum development groups, professional reading groups and other focus groups that are making a real difference for students and instructors. Why do some PLCs thrive while others lose their way? Well, from my perspective (and from some of the literature I consulted) a PLC has to allow for ownership and agency. Externally mandated PLCs often work against instructor investment. Andy Hargreaves, a PLC proponent from Britain, cautions against PLCs which design or follow too rigid a protocol and ultimately create a “"prison of micromanagement that constrains it" and will foster a “contrived collegiality” (Hargreaves as quoted in Vause, 2009, p.88). Educators need to know that they are able to shape the direction, set the goals and respond to immediate and longer-term issues that affect them and their classrooms. All too often, teachers see PLC work as an add-on or a fad and feel that “this too shall pass”. Some teachers actually view it an assault on their own professionalism; the very fact that an institute or district mandates PLCs is an assumption that they, as teachers, are lacking in skill, commitment or collegiality. PLCs should be built from the ground up, by the teacher participants - in response to real issues, not manufactured or arbitrary agendas. Given the educational context, their experience, and their knowledge of their community, PLC members should be able to collaboratively and individually frame a vision for their department and the type of learning they hope to achieve. There also needs to be ample space for dissent as well as discussion and time enough to really reflect upon and respond to the issues they face. To be successful a PLC needs to acknowledge experience. PLCs should be about shared exploration not didacticism. Faculty developers, chairs (and associates), and lead teachers charged with leading change through a PLC process should be especially aware of this. I have observed too many well-meaning instructional leaders lose credibility because they figured they could “fix” the pedagogy of their colleagues. Especially off-putting was when leaders started preaching about “best practices” and tried to hammer home recent research. Many teachers felt their own methods devalued (since they were not using “best practices”) and their experience discounted just because something may (or may not) have been proven in an entirely different context. A PLC needs to have a mission that goes beyond student achievement and program improvement. It cannot be just “reformative” but must tilt towards being “transformative” (Servage, 2008). In most cases, the PLCs I have worked with were reformative; teachers discovered new strategies or made adjustments in the way they planned or assessed. The truly powerful PLCs I worked with pushed educators to experience significant change forcing them to rethink their whole view of student learning and their role as a teacher. These “transformations” often revealed a shift in understanding related to core beliefs about planning, curricula, assessment, engagement, program relevance, critical literacy and many other foci being were working on. These transformations gave a glimpse into what PLCs could and should be. What is the real purpose of a PLC? Most proponents of PLCs would agree that PLCs are meant to:
Educators need to ask these questions:
Ultimately, I believe the key in building and maintaining a healthy PLC is in promoting and allowing for individual agency. Those who place student achievement as the only core of PLC work (“It’s always and only about student learning.”) actually denigrate the role of teacher as learner and constrict creativity (see Servage, 2006). Student learning may be the muse, but if the PLC is to succeed and thrive as a model for professional development and adult education it must allow for self-actualization, align with the principles of adult education, and avoid getting trapped in the world of data-driven reformation as opposed to professional and personal transformation. So how does this impact NorQuest? As we move forward in response to various initiatives like Reimagining Higher Education and our efforts to create a NorQuest College culture, and as we respond to pressures associated with the current teaching conditions brought on by Covid-19 and economic and structural pressures, PLCs and/or Communities of Practice hold promise. They present encouraging models to build community and resiliency. Moreover, I am eager to support the efforts of those who would like to start one of these learning communities or nurture the efforts of an existing one. In fact, in the next few months our faculty development team will be piloting a “Faculty Community of Practice” as we move to consolidating our support materials and providing access to instructors and academic leaders at NorQuest. However, I am conscious of the pitfalls too, and I am hoping that we can build this community and accompanying PLCs from the ground up, with 1) shared vision, 2) committed participation, 3) regular, sustained and focused work, 4) meaningful and honest inquiry and discussion, and 5) inspired leadership.
References:
Bring Your Whole Self… Last Thursday and Friday, Sarah Apedaile hosted two faculty talking circles on “Learning Environments that Enhance Student Wellbeing”. The intention was to elicit ideas and strategies from NorQuest instructional staff so that we could learn from each other. Both circles were very rich in discussion and specifics and while the first seemed to focus on actions that you might do immediately, the other spent more time on proactively building a course and environment that creates a safe space. One of my favorite quotes came from an instructor on the first day, he said (and this is my paraphrase because I could not remember word for word), “Instructors need to bring their whole, authentic selves to the classroom (online or in person). This may mean sharing your own successes, missteps and failures as you have travelled through your educational journey.” Now I know this instructor, and I know that he isn’t saying that a teacher should dominate the classroom with personal anecdotes and ego-centric lessons. What he was getting at is the importance of being real, being vulnerable, and being approachable. On the weekend, I kept coming back to this thought, and I compared it to when I began teaching. In my first few placements, I came across many seasoned educators who were very willing to share their life lessons in teaching with me. Some of the most frequent messages I heard were:
Their advice was something more like an antiperspirant commercial: “Never let them see you sweat!” I remember feeling quite uncomfortable in “faking it”. I knew I had much to learn about time management, subject area content, lesson design, and relationship building and that I would make more than my share of mistakes. That said I quickly found that frequent apologizing was not the way to go. The teacher still needs to be the teacher. Just how does an educator, often given courses and materials that they have not mastered themselves, come across as “confidently human”? How do they effectively lead their students with passion, assurance and a good dose of humility? It is something that I continue to work on. One thing is for certain, in the past couple of decades the role of the educator has changed. We can longer be “experts”, the explosion of information and access has broken our shaky hold as the sole purveyors of truth! Moreover, while in many different countries the position is highly esteemed and one would never think of challenging their instructor, in North America we have learned to be less directive and more collegial, especially at the college level. We want open discussions in our classroom, where students are comfortable asking the hard questions and where we can be real in our responses and concerns. Nonetheless, as instructors we still have responsibilities that require some distancing. Ultimately, we are gatekeepers, for programs and professions. We also have high expectations, for our students and for ourselves. Moreover, as many of us have learned, there is a big difference between being friendly with our students and being friends with them. Sometimes our students can get a little too comfortable and then feel shocked or offended when we have to deliver news they don’t want to hear. So it can be very challenging for instructors to navigate and negotiate their role with each student group. Complicating all of this is the current and ongoing requirement to do most of our relationship building online. The Covid crisis has presented challenges, created distances, and generated feelings of isolation and anxiety. Our students, and many of us, need the subtle interactions and affirmations that came so easily to our in-person classes. As the instructor I quoted earlier also said, “Sometimes if you see students as students you might be missing the point in terms of supporting them. You have to see students as regular and normal human beings who go through ups and downs like all of us... and therefore, even if they are obligated to study or learn, you have to support them as much as you can to help them deal with their other challenges which are not classroom based.” Just as we bring our whole selves to class, our students should feel comfortable bringing their whole selves too. Covid has pushed this further, many of us now face listening and counseling challenges, we need to be available and “confidently human” as we deal with the new online environment and the continuing strain of pandemic and economic uncertainty. Thankfully, many of the participants in the talking circle had suggestions that might just help us in adapting to this environment, providing the support needed to our students, and finding ways to create a safe learning community. I’ve grouped and listed the thoughts of your colleagues below: Suggestions for daily or one-on-one interactions
Suggestions related to lesson design
Suggestions regarding course design
For many of our students, their studies have given them something to dive into, perhaps even as an escape from the rising Covid numbers, the imminent specter of a lockdown, and the isolation brought on by our “new normal”. Our job is to encourage, engage, support, guide and assess with an eye to the whole student. More information on ways to support students in the online environment can be found here: https://campusmentalhealth.ca/toolkits/faculty/how-to-recognize-when-a-student-may-need-support/in-the-virtual-classroom/ https://tatp.utoronto.ca/teaching-toolkit/teaching-with-technology-teaching-online/supporting-students-online It’s all about ME and six C’s Just after finishing my master’s program in 1994, I started looking at what makes an adolescent learner persevere in their learning. From research and experience, I found that teens have less patience in learning than pre-teens. When charged with teaching teens Trigonometry in Math, Poetic Meter in English, the Past Progressive Tense in French, Mitosis and Meiosis in Biology, or the Causes of the Great War in Social Studies, my students would often fire back three questions:
Now, at first, a teacher might resent such questions. After all, learning for the sake of learning is a noble pursuit, and many of us became teachers - not only because we love teaching - but because we also love learning. Nevertheless, these three student questions are significant and we needed to be ready for them. Moreover, our responses needed to be better than “because it is in the curriculum/syllabus” or “well, some day you might….” So I continued to dig into the research and surprise, surprise, I found out that perseverance in adolescent learners is dependent upon ME! You might take that in a number of different ways: 1) that it all comes down to the teacher or 2) that the single most important factor is the student and their personal (almost selfish?) needs for learning. In fact, both are wrong, what the research told me is that it all comes down to Motivation & Engagement (ME!) and the interplay of these factors in a teaching and learning environment. What is more, as I continued my odyssey in education, teaching at King’s, U of A and NorQuest, I discovered that what applies to adolescent learners aligns with much of what we know about adult learners. Just like teens, adult learners are concerned about practicality, immediacy of application, and personal and professional relevance. In other words, “So what?” and “Just how can I use this?” For our learners at NorQuest, it also comes down to ME - motivation and engagement. However, the idea of motivation is a tricky one. I have heard a number of scholars say that motivation is completely dependent upon the learner and that the teacher has no influence on this. If a student is unmotivated, either intrinsically or extrinsically, there is very little a teacher can do about it. Other educational scholars say that this is poppycock and that such teachers simply do not want to figure out what motivates their students, individually or collectively. Yes, these scholars say, motivation does come from within, but it is also very much influenced by situation, culture, necessity, and rewards (and many other factors). Teachers cannot create motivation, but they can learn and act upon the motives of their students and discover their “motivators”. This makes me think to the work I am doing now with my four-month-old puppies. Daisy’s “motivators” are food and love, Edgar is less interested in food rewards, but thrives on praise and attention, and Rufus is a very smart little dog who likes a challenge (He has already figured out how to open and close the back door.) and is motivated by play. I often catch him doing that Border Collie head cock thing where he looks like he is trying to figure out just how to get into that cupboard, or take away a toy from his siblings. Now, I am not comparing our learners to puppies (well, maybe a little…). Coming to class with a bunch of “puppy snacks” or a clicker would be absurd. However, I am saying that every learner is different and it is up to us to explore ways to use motivators to ignite and fuel their passions. Thankfully, most of our learners at NorQuest come to us of their own free will and chose programs that they see as beneficial to their development a persons, citizens, and professionals. So finding their motivators is a little easier than connecting to teens. Adult “motivators” might be self-improvement, a new career or challenge, a permanent residency card, or simply the love of learning. Junior and senior high school students do not have that same liberty as adult learners – they are conscripts in more comprehensive programming that they may or may not appreciate. Coupled with motivation is engagement. In order to tap into the motivators of our students we need to design learning environments and challenges that allow students to participate in a variety of ways and on a variety of levels. In this way, we might reach and inspire more of our students and support them in their learning journey. That still leaves us with an important question, “Just how can we better engage our students?” Well this is where the six C’s come in. In researching engagement, I found that students engage and persevere in learning, when they:
Keeping these six C’s in mind (choice, confidence, challenge, context, connections and collaboration) when we plan our courses, units and lessons, gives us a better chance in reaching our students and in making courses meaningful and relevant. Pandemic Pressures! “I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay, small acts of kindness and love.” –J.R.R. Tolkien This weekend I found myself reflecting on some very difficult things:
I found it a bit wearying. It did not help that what we are experiencing on a global scale, we are also experiencing in a more immediate way; on a NorQuest scale.
As instructional staff, we are under a lot of daily pressure. Pressure to engage and support our students at the same levels as pre-pandemic. Pressure to ensure that our students will gain the knowledge, skills and professional judgements that will ensure their success in their careers. Pressure to work from anywhere, with less opportunity to collaborate, less opportunity to commiserate. Pressure to be a “team player”, to keep working on a positive culture and to look forward to the future of teaching and learning. If you are anything like me, you’ve probably been sighing more frequently lately, and you may also fervently long for when things were a little simpler, like say, a year ago? Oh, this pressure has not necessarily been put upon us by the college itself or by our deans, chairs and managers. The NQ leadership messaging from the outset has been encouraging and full of grace. In fact, much of the pressure comes from ourselves. Most instructors at NorQuest College are “wired for service”; we desperately want what is best for our students and we often sacrifice hours and hours trying to meet their needs. We are also acutely aware of our own shortcomings as educators, as “tech facilitators”, and as care providers.
No matter the source, the pressure is there. The isolation and the steady stream of negative news does not help. This past week there were numerous articles and TV features about stressed-out teachers. My frequent interactions with faculty also bore this out. Instructors told me that:
Yikes! When I listened to all of this, I realized that I was struggling with many of the same pressures. So I asked many of these same instructors for coping strategies. How did they continue to keep their heads above water and find satisfaction in their work? Here are just a few suggestions:
These strategies, suggested by our colleagues, can be quite helpful. However, just like dieting, knowing the plan and actually sticking to it are two different things. (Guilty as charged!) It might be worthwhile to find an “accountability partner”, a friend or a colleague who can “check in” to chastise us when our self-care actions do not actually align with our intentions. One last suggestion given – and this is my favorite – reach out and start a conversation with someone new or someone you have not talked to in a while. There is a tendency for all of us to get a bit myopic, seeing the world only through our own field of vision. One of our colleagues shared that, when she feels weighted down with planning, decisions and problem solving, she seeks out conversation. Just talking to a student or a colleague from a different faculty can help us see that there is a bigger world out there. Our work is just our work. Other people have very different stressors and satisfactions, and listening to them can give us new perspectives. Opening up your heart and mind to the world of someone else can be extremely beneficial, to them and to you! After this reflection and inquiry, I know that I have some work to do on establishing a healthy work/life balance. Perhaps you do too. I am looking forward to this week’s Faculty Talking Circle with Sarah Apedaile and Sherry Greenbank. I hope you have time to join us. That’s all for this week, Jeff Building Community through Esports In today’s musing, I want to share what I have been learning about E-sports! Since the year 2000, E-sports has become a very popular form of entertainment. Not only do people train and compete in online competitions, many others have jumped in as fans. In fact, the most recent competitions for the Overwatch, Call of Duty, and League of Legends had viewership rivalling major sporting events like the Superbowl or the Stanley Cup Finals. The winners often take home multi-million dollar purses and superstar” gamers can pad their earnings by posting clips of their games on YouTube channels for their legions of followers. Still, it is something quite foreign to me. I grew up with community league sports and playing hockey in the alleyways, using garbage cans as goal posts, and reliving Bobby Orr’s spectacular game winning goal in the 1970 playoffs. The closest that I have come to Esports is when I have to tell my son to take the volume down a notch or two when he plays Call of Duty online with his friends and I can hear him warning the others about hidden threats. I think the neighbors also hear him telling others to “get down and fall back!” I’ve seen my neighbor suddenly dart behind a hedge at the force of his commands! Here at NorQuest College, Phil Switzer and Andrew Keenan (and others!) have been working to build a bit of an e-sports community. They see it as one way to engage our students, staff and faculty in friendly competition. Phil and Andrew started this endeavor before the onset of Covid and, as of late, they have invested a lot of time into making a go of it. It makes sense. In a time when a pandemic has forced many of us (faculty and students) to eschew physical community and take up our task online, we need to find new ways to have fun and build community. What Phil and Andrew are offering has the potential to do all of that. So, in an effort to find out more about the NorQuest E-sports initiative, I sat down (via Teams!) with Phil and Andrew and asked them a few questions:
What is Esports? Well, according to Phil, “Esports is happening when people play or watch electronic games with other people; Esports is the social side of gaming. Esports is about community, belonging, fun, challenge, and for some competition – for many it is just about having fun with people by playing a game.” This cleared up a misconception for me. I thought that Esports was all about disappearing into your bedroom to shout at your computer. It seemed kinda anti-social to me. I have so much to learn! Phil continued: “For NorQuest College we have Community Games Nights every week open to anyone. Soon we will also add Competitive Gaming for those who want challenges. We play games on our phones, computer, console, and we even watch some of our community members as they compete against each other. We have done everything from League of Legends, Pictionary, trivia games, and very soon, we will be doing NHL 20 here on campus November 20 for an Online Road Hockey Tournament. This will be a great way for many of our students to learn about Canada, hockey and technology.” Phil stressed that Esports is most definitely not anti-social! He stressed that Esports is all about community and belonging. Students and NorQuest employees get together to play, watch, and chat, in an atmosphere that is not loaded down with assignments and power imbalances. It is about NorQuesters getting together to have fun, meet friends, and learn new skills. Why are you excited about Esports for NorQuest? When I asked about the educational value of Esports, Andy said; “Esports provides opportunities for our students to lead. As we move towards micro credentials and recognizing student expertise, Esports gives learners opportunities to lead and to mentor their peers. At times, these students also mentor our NorQuest faculty! In fact, NorQuest Esports has already “flipped” the classroom dynamic in our student club; our student members share their best practices for community building – and faculty need to learn from the students!” I thought this was an interesting point and could see the potential for community and confidence building. Andy continued: “At first glance, Esports seems to be about video games, but really, it is about the cultures and practices that surround digital natives. These cultures and practices include new forms of communication, new online platforms, new types of community, and a primary emphasis on inclusion and diversity.” Phil echoed what Andrew had shared: “Games are core to learning digital skills. For faculty, gaming provides a way to meet our College Wide Learning Outcomes – developing teamwork, communication, problem solving, and analytical thought.” Phil encouraged the faculty to re-examine our course outlines to think of ways that we might incorporate games that will meet our course learning outcomes – games that speak to the outcomes but also help to build a positive learning community.” He continued, “In some of my courses we are playing games and have been since March. These games are fun, free, and take as little as 10 minutes to play with up to 50 people at once in a safe online space.” Andy continued, “Esports is about empowerment. We want our students to gain the digital literacy and competencies to be successful as future leaders. Esports provides a pathway to skill building and becoming comfortable in an ever-changing digital landscape. We also want to celebrate the knowledge and expertise of the students in our community who have valuable insights to share with us as an institution.” “Like Andy says, this is about real Career Skills and real careers,” said Phil. “Mount Royal University now has an Esports program, NAIT has added courses specific to Esports, and Durham College - whom we’ve been working with – now has a post-degree program in Esports. Soon more Colleges and Universities will be adding courses and entire programs in Esports Management; Esports Marketing, and more. Playing games to learn, have fun, and be challenged is only part of the story here; Esports is huge right now and projected to grow exponentially for the next few years!” What are your next steps?
It was a lot to absorb! Phil and Andrew were passionate about the initiative and eager for others to experience it in a way that they and many others had. When I asked about the next steps for this group, Andy and Phil explained that they just wanted to keep building momentum. At present, there is a solid cohort of regulars, which includes students, staff and faculty. They also have some gaming mentors from beyond NorQuest College; former professional players who would like to help build our program. Phil and Andy shared an ambitious plan that includes having NorQuest serve as a bit of a community hub and leader within the Alberta college community. However, at this point, they were careful to focus on immediate steps and the exciting opportunity presented by the NorQuest College Road Hockey event (which will be online). Keep your radar up for that one, as it promises to be quite the event! As well, Andy explained that, in the coming months “We also plan to create ways for instructors to easily incorporate games into their classroom, especially for faculty members who may not be interested in games initially. In fact, I’ve got a game I use with students to learn about how to ask probing questions and collect data. It is free and runs on a browser, called GeoGuessr. GeoGuessr uses Google maps and puts players in a random location in the world. Your job is to guess where you are. The game is both competitive and cooperative because you can have students work together to gather evidence and do research.” In the end, Phil explained, the next steps for Esports at Norquest were really up to me; it was about my next steps! Phil and Andy encouraged me (and you!) to join them on one of their Esports nights. As Phil shared: “We are open to everyone and anyone. Just email [email protected]. We already have over 20 NorQuesters (faculty, staff and students) who regularly come out to build community and connection.” At the conclusion of our little chat, I thanked Phil and Andy for their insights. I really appreciated what they had shared. It addressed one of the lingering concerns I have about our college. Since we have such diverse, practical and often short-term programming, it can be hard to build community and allegiance. Events like Inclusion Fusion help and so do faculty-student connections like the RBC mentors program, the Student’s Council, the Lighthouse, and the Indigenous Centre, but we do not have the sports teams, arts communities (and performances) or clubs that many other colleges have. Now, in the face of the disruption and disconnectedness brought on by the Covid pandemic, it is nice to hear of another way to foster community and connection. Besides, it sounds like fun! This week, the Esports group will meet on two nights, Tuesday @ 8pm and Wednesday @ 8pm. I plan to attend at least one of those nights. Will you be joining me? Will you invite your students? |
AuthorJeff Kuntz Ph.D. ImagesExcept where indicated, images used in the blog posts are personal photos, images from NorQuest College or images from Pixabay. Pixabay is a vibrant community of creatives, sharing copyright free images, videos and music. https://pixabay.com/ Archives
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