Educational Technology In Rural Saskatchewan

Educational Technology in Rural Saskatchewan Ensuring the Viability of Wawota Parkland School

ETEC 511 Assignment #3 Dr. Matuil Alam Susan Wilson November 30, 2007

Educational Technology in Rural Saskatchewan

ETEC 511

Ensuring the Viability of Wawota Parkland School

Susan Wilson

Abstract The South East Cornerstone School Division has determined that Wawota Parkland School requires monitoring for viability. Practices that ensure the viability of Wawota School must realize equitable and effective benefits for all of the school community members. Educational Technologies, distributed through Information and Communication Technologies, can enhance student learning and ensure the viability of small schools in rural communities of Saskatchewan. From Many People's Strength. Saskatchewan's motto speaks of a long-standing history of people and communities working together for a common good. Geographically isolated with an area of 650 000 square kilometres and 1.73 people per square kilometre (SK Bureau of Statistics), Saskatchewan possesses unique challenges. Can Information and Communications Technologies (ICTS) in education help ensure the viability of schools in small, rural communities in Saskatchewan? Saskatchewanians are no strangers to adversity. Extreme fluctuations in weather, precipitation and, as a result, crop production, compounded by population decrease, have been a struggle for rural communities in Saskatchewan. The more recent effects of Chronic Wasting Disease, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, and Avian Influenza, have increased the challenge for many rural Saskatchewan communities to remain viable. Saskatchewan has the second slowest growing population of any province in Canada. Over the course of Saskatchewan's history, there has been a significant shift in population from rural to urban. Currently, almost two-thirds of Saskatchewanians live in urban communities (mostly one of the two major cities, Regina or Saskatoon). The number of farms in Saskatchewan has decreased by over 60% in the last 60 years (Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, 2001). Saskatchewan also has a relatively high proportion of elderly (19% over the age of sixty) and young (20.19% under the age of 20). Many smaller communities have very few children and many middle aged or elderly adults (Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, 2001). Wawota, Saskatchewan is no different. The town’s motto, Progress through Perseverance, speaks volumes about the rural Saskatchewan attitude. Settled in 1882, the town site of Wawota was incorporated as a village in 1907. In 1961, the Canadian Pacific Railway abandoned its line causing Wawota to lose its two grain elevators. Despite such Page 2 of 13

November 30, 2007

Educational Technology in Rural Saskatchewan

ETEC 511

Ensuring the Viability of Wawota Parkland School

Susan Wilson

a significant loss to a rural community, Wawota continued to grow and prosper. Attaining town status in 1975, Wawota has continued to survive and progress through the perseverance of its community members. Today, the town’s population of 620 supports various necessary businesses, recreational facilities, community organizations and a school of 120 Kindergarten to Grade 12 students. Wawota Parkland School’s motto is Nec Aspera Terrent; Undaunted by Adversity. Wawota’s long standing history of volunteerism and community pride has helped to keep the school strong and viable. But as improvements in farming technologies; the mechanization of farming, the substitution of capital for labour, and the application of other technologies such as fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides (Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, 2001) have enabled farmers to take on more land, small farms have disappeared, taking with them a significant number of students. Now, in 2007, Wawota Parkland School has been placed on viability review by the South East Cornerstone School Division. Technology helped cause the decline of rural population. Can technology also help keep small rural schools viable? Saskatchewan has a history of innovation in educational technology. Technologyenhanced learning began as a way for geographically challenged teachers and students to supplement available print-based resources for the purpose of enriching learning. As early as the 1930's, radio broadcasts were used as supplements to available print-based materials. This evolved into audio and video cassettes in the 70's. The 1980's saw realtime audio and slow scan video communication between educators and their students using the telephone system. This was also the time period for the advent of televised instruction through STELLA, the Saskatchewan Tele-learning Association which evolved into what we now know as SCN, or the Saskatchewan Communications Network (Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, 2001). Wawota did not see this technological advancement until the late 1990's. Feeling the effects of declining enrollment and reduced capacity, Wawota Parkland School began to offer electives such as Calculus 30, senior level French, Law and Psychology through SCN. SCN classes proved to be an improvement over traditional text-based correspondence classes in Wawota School. There was a very low drop-out rate among SCN students paired with a high rate of success. Part of the success can be attributed to Page 3 of 13

November 30, 2007

Educational Technology in Rural Saskatchewan Ensuring the Viability of Wawota Parkland School

ETEC 511 Susan Wilson

that fact that the controlling school division allowed extra time be billed by support staff personnel in compensation for the added tasks associated with SCN classes; photocopying and faxing assignments as well as supervising attendance and exams. The school installed a separate telephone line to be used for communication between the SCN students and their teacher. Students could call teachers with questions or responses and teachers could call to verify understanding and attendance. ICTs helped alleviate the burden on support staff by allowing students a conduit for receiving and submitting their own assignments through web-based course management systems like Web-CT or Blackboard. These systems allowed for electronic communication between student and teacher as well as on-line examinations, further reducing the workload on support staff. Although Saskatchewan's use of digital technology in education began in the 1990's, Wawota School did not realize the advantages of ICTs until after 2001 when CommunityNet, a provincial initiative to establish a high-speed digital network was established. The formation of South East Cornerstone School Division (SECSD) in January, 2006 provided teachers in the school division the opportunity to both offer and/or receive online classes on a reciprocal basis with other schools in the division. Educational technology is important to SECSD. As stated in their strategic plan, Information technology is a tool for improving, and ultimately transforming, teaching and learning. To accomplish this, it must be an integral part of the School Division’s overall plan to move all children toward high academic standards. Furthermore, because technology will continue to play an increasingly more important role in our modern economy, integrating technology into schools is critical to help prepare students to succeed in a knowledge-based world. SECSD supports online teachers with SMART boards, a Breeze Server, a web server, required software programs specific to content area as well as applications such as Adobe Connect and Camtasia Studio. They are supporting action research into innovative practices by offering a $4000 grant to teachers who demonstrate how they can improve teaching and learning through technology integration. The school division employs three technology consultants who work under an educational technology coordinator. Professional development, classroom support and training are important functions of the educational technology department. Page 4 of 13

November 30, 2007

Educational Technology in Rural Saskatchewan

ETEC 511

Ensuring the Viability of Wawota Parkland School

Susan Wilson

SECSD takes advantage of the multi-level support for educational technology offered by Saskatchewan Learning. The Educational Technology Consortium provides free access to the content management system, Blackboard for all schools in Saskatchewan. They also facilitate the creation of web-based content and resources for Saskatchewan teachers to access in an effort to improve technology integration in Saskatchewan classrooms. There are other supports that will become available to Saskatchewan School Divisions in the future. One example, Saskatchewan’s Provincial Videoconferencing Project’s vision (January, 2006) includes implementing effective videoconferencing in every school in the province. The CommunityNet Learning Infrastructure Committee held a planning meeting in June of 2005 in which they discussed the impact on rural schools, “… panel members don't see video conferencing as a replacement for face-toface. They see it as a service to aid small rural schools with senior students in areas where perhaps there isn't the teacher expertise is a certain area.” Educational reform moves slowly. The delivery of Canadian education has not changed much since the end of WWII; "Examples of interactive learning are all around us, however; on line systems have for the most part been relegated for use as out of classroom research tools, rather than being used as the platform over which an entirely new educational experience could be delivered" (Carr, Phil, 2007). There is still prevalence of lecture based lessons, the emphasis on drill and activities that have little meaning in the context of student’s real lives. Much of our present education transmits short-term knowledge to passive recipients. Educational technology can be used erroneously in these same respects to produce the same type of outcomes. Fortunately, educational technology can also facilitate dynamic, interactive, multi-media lessons that engage learners and increase student learning. Educational technologies allow modeling and simulation; efficient revisions, and immediate access to information. A research project conducted by Szabo & Poohkay in 1996 at the University of Alberta included developing three lessons on Math 10 constructions; one lesson was created in text only, another with text plus static drawings, and a third used text plus animation. The third produced achievements that were 21% higher than text and drawings, and 35% higher than text alone. Page 5 of 13

November 30, 2007

Educational Technology in Rural Saskatchewan Ensuring the Viability of Wawota Parkland School

ETEC 511 Susan Wilson

Students may benefit from spending more time with the subject matter as they can review anything at their own pace. Computers can also bring the expert to the learner, anytime and anywhere. Learners and teachers relate differently with the elements of time and space so "education on demand" (at home, in the workplace, and in school) is a growing expectation. We need to prepare our students for their lives after high school. Demand for online courses at the post-secondary level is expected to increase; …offering this mode of delivery is becoming an important element of strategic plans for many post-secondary institutions to meet the expectations of students and faculty…over seven in ten students taking TEL courses agreed there is strong demand from students at their institution for online or televised courses and programs. (Ekos Research Associates, 2005) Students working online, responding to requests and submitting assignments electronically is similar to the reality of many business environments. Collaboration is also an authentic skill for a real-life work environment. Online learning will not only ease the transition to higher learning, it will ease the transition to the workforce. To be considered literate in today's world, a broad range of capabilities must be possessed; informational literacy being paramount. Students are required to access information efficiently and effectively; discern meaningful information from the overabundance on the internet, and judge the credibility of the information using critical and creative thinking skills. "The question is not whether high school students should be taking online courses. It is whether they should get out of high school without taking one. As students negotiate the 21st century, the skills that students employ in taking an online course are the ones they need to negotiate their productive working lives and 21st century citizenry." (Jesness, 2005) The skills developed in an online learning environment include independent thinking, self-motivation, self-directed learning, information seeking, and information giving. "Perhaps most important, the absence of a teacher’s physical presence means that the student must find inspiration from within" (Jesness, 2005). Through online learning, students develop the ability to prioritize, collaborate and produce high quality products; they develop global awareness, cultural literacy, adaptability and flexibility. Online

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November 30, 2007

Educational Technology in Rural Saskatchewan

ETEC 511

Ensuring the Viability of Wawota Parkland School

Susan Wilson

learning often requires that students make contributions to their own learning environment. Our students have the opportunity to prosper in the future by providing services such as health care, education, research and consulting to new global markets if they are well-equipped. Phil Carr (2007), believes that we can prosper, but only if Canadians come to understand that our most valuable resources are our people. In order to thrive in this new age we will need to invest very soon by connecting Canadians everywhere to each other and to the world. We must also provide them with the tools, information and infrastructure that they will need to begin to educate each other and eventually the world, over the Internet. ICT’s in education will become an essential tool to deal with the expansion of the global economy. We must understand what works best and move to train teachers so that students can reach maximum benefits of technology. The integration of technology also requires support for teachers and students. Students need to be assured that the necessary technology will function properly and that there is a resource person available to help them; either with their online work, with the technology at hand, or help them to communicate with someone who can help them. Teachers need support in terms of functioning equipment, extra time to develop and manage online material, and professional development and training to enable them to use more advanced technologies as they become available. As technology advances, the instructional methods we use must also advance. A lack of proper support can lead to frustration and reduce learning. Wawota Parkland School currently uses technology to automate administrative tasks to make them more efficient. Keyboarding and Information Processing classes are offered on-site, and Computer Production Technology is offered online. Nelson’s computerized instructional program, “The Learning Equation” has been used by the Math department for many years. Slowly, computers are beginning to be used as cognitive tools in multiple discipline areas; spreadsheets in Accounting, graphing applications in Math; desktop publishing in English and for the Yearbook. This year marks the first year that an online course has been offered by a teacher at Wawota. With two well-functioning computer labs, personal computer access for every teacher in their classroom, a multi-media room equipped with satellite (SCN) television, Page 7 of 13

November 30, 2007

Educational Technology in Rural Saskatchewan

ETEC 511

Ensuring the Viability of Wawota Parkland School

Susan Wilson

high capacity computers for CPT and Yearbook, and a Polycom system, Wawota Parkland School has a strong technological component. Microphones, a digital camera and videocamera, and a webcam are accessible to both the staff and students. Wawota School, with the support of the South East Cornerstone School Division and Saskatchewan Learning, is in a good position to expand their use of online courses and resources. Wawota Parkland School has incentive to increase their use of educational technology. With a professional teaching component of 8.4 full-time equivalents managing full Kindergarten to Grade 12 programming; staff are working to their maximum capacity. Educational technologies can help teachers with split grade classes as one grade can work independently on the computer while the teacher instructs the other. Students who miss classes for farming, sport, or family responsibilities can access their courses when and from where they are able. Students are allowed more choice in the electives that they can take. The school is able to offer high-level academic classes like Physics and Calculus even if their small rural setting does not attract a teacher specialist in that area. If current staffing practices continue, and Wawota fails to attract new community members over the next few years, the school will be in a position where it will not be able to provide necessary classes of acceptable quality to our students. Wawota Parkland School will truly be in a position of non-viability. In an effort to ensure that rural students are not disadvantaged, small schools may be consolidated and students taken by bus to larger, centralized high schools. This option has a detrimental effect, not only on the staff and the students, but also on the entire community. There is a “reciprocal, interdependent and mutually beneficial relationship” (Mulcahy, 1999) between a school and its community; and, once the school goes, the community will soon follow. Mulcahy (1999) continues to assert, If a small community school is determined to be non-viable because it lacks the capability of providing quality education, the response should not be to close it but to provide it with whatever resources it needs to become viable. Reform efforts should set out to make small schools viable, not to close them. We make them viable because we value them as necessary for the education of rural children and the future of rural communities. Page 8 of 13

November 30, 2007

Educational Technology in Rural Saskatchewan

ETEC 511

Ensuring the Viability of Wawota Parkland School

Susan Wilson

Educators focus on the principle of equality of opportunity. ICTs may be the most effective way to bring equity to rural school divisions in Saskatchewan as they can distribute content of equal pedagogical quality to students in all areas of the division. Material can be generated by local teachers, familiar with the culture and content important to students in Saskatchewan, and the content can be distributed in an efficient, effective and equitable manner. ICTs can enrich the learning process and improve access to quality education. Successes in maintaining the viability of small rural schools have been realized through the use distance education technologies. The distance education program currently operating in a number of small schools (in Newfoundland and Labrador) has been a good example of how we can use technology to help schools offer a broader spectrum of courses. This type of program should be expanded …. the information technologies that now exist make the size and location of a school irrelevant to its program capability. (Mulcahy, 1999) The Fort Vermillion School District in Alberta saw challenges with six schools spread out over 250 000 square kilometres. They created a sophisticated videoconferencing system called the RACOL (Rural Advanced Community of Learners) project which “is a distance learning endeavor which intends to use advanced communications technologies in order to provide real-time classroom instruction to students in remote regions of Alberta “ (RACOL, 2004). In addition to the SuperNet Broadband system put in place by the Alberta Government, RACOL uses advanced educational technologies. Interactive whiteboards are the focal point for the students. Each student

desk is equipped with a microphone and a button to enable students to send messages to their instructor. Video cameras about the room are able to focus on any student who wishes to address the instructor. Students are also able to participate in the lesson by writing on the actual whiteboard and their information is then broadcast, right over the media-based lesson playing on the whiteboard at the moment, to their instructor and to all other students participating in the course. The interactivity enables students and instructors to build on relationships already started at the face-to-face meeting that takes place before the course begins. Teachers are prepared and even given some coaching in theatre skills to help Page 9 of 13

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Educational Technology in Rural Saskatchewan Ensuring the Viability of Wawota Parkland School

ETEC 511 Susan Wilson

them maintain a natural demeanor while teaching. With substantial successes elsewhere in Canada, Saskatchewan is in a prime position to take advantage of what Information and Communication Technologies can mean to education. Besides the fact that educational technology, when implemented correctly, has a positive effect on student learning, it can also be used to alleviate the stress on our rural schools and communities. Learning programs can be developed and implemented online so that there can be improved viability for rural schools in Saskatchewan. Educational technology can ensure the viability of Wawota Parkland School.

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Educational Technology in Rural Saskatchewan Ensuring the Viability of Wawota Parkland School

ETEC 511 Susan Wilson

A SMART Connection in Rural Alberta, (2007). Canada Connects. Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.canadaconnects.ca/education/main/1122/ Bongard, Joan. (2007) Tradition vs Technology. Canada Connects. Retrieved November 2007 from http://www.canadaconnects.ca/education/main/1117/ Carr, Phil. Canada Connects, 2007. eLearning and Distance Education in Canada - A Call to Arms! Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.canadaconnects.ca/education/main/1119/ Davies, JoAnne, 1997. Categories of Technology Use in Education. Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/edit485/edtech/category.htm Davies, JoAnne, 1997. Trends in Technology. Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/edit485/edtech/trends.htm Davies, JoAnne, 1997. Research on Technology Use in Education. Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/edit485/edtech/research.htm EKOS Research Associates. March, 2005. Review of the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Action Plan FINAL REPORT Submitted to: Saskatchewan Learning EKOS RESEARCH ASSOCIATES INC. Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.aee.gov.sk.ca/Default.aspx?DN=5e91ede3-ec97-48de-92a21ce61d8e5b16 Future Proofing the Provincial Education Network, 2007. Canada Connects. Retrieved from http://www.canadaconnects.ca/education/main/1114/ Government of Saskatchewan. (2007). About Saskatchewan. Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.gov.sk.ca/about-saskatchewan/ Honey, Margaret A, Norris, Cathleen, Soloway, Elliot; participants in Edweek.org's Online Chat, April 4, 2007. Technology Counts 2007: The Evolution of Ed. Tech. Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.edweek.org/chat/transcript_04_04_2007.html Jesness, R. (2005). High School Online Learning Encyclopedia of Distance Learning (Caroline Howard, J. B., and Lorraine Justice, Ed.) (Volume 2, 998-1005). Idea Group, Gale Virtual Reference Library Johnson, Doug, 1996. From Now On. Volume 5, Number 5. Evaluating the Impact of Technology: The Less Simple Answer, Retrieved November 2007 from http://fno.org/jan96/reply.html Laferriere, Therese. 1997. Towards Well-Balanced Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments: Preparing the Ground for Choices Ahead. Council of Ministers of Page 11 of 13

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Educational Technology in Rural Saskatchewan

ETEC 511

Ensuring the Viability of Wawota Parkland School

Susan Wilson

Education, Canada. Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.cmec.ca/publications/infoteche.stm Mulcahy, M. Winter, 1999. CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON RURAL EDUCATION REFORM The Morning Watch; Educational and Social Analysis, Retrieved from http://www.mun.ca/educ/faculty/mwatch/win99/mulcahy.htmDennis Monk, David H. Using Technology To Improve the Curriculum of Small Rural Schools. ERIC Digest (ED308056). Publication Date: 1989-04-00 Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools Charleston WV. Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9211/small.htm Provincial Videoconferencing Project. (2005). Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.pvpsask.ca/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1 8&Itemid=32 RACOL, 2004 Retrieved November 2007 from http://www.racol.ualberta.ca/publications.html Saskatchewan Bureau of Statistics. (2005). Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.stats.gov.sk.ca/ Saskatchewan Learning, 2007. Curriculum and E-Learning. Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.learning.gov.sk.ca/Curriculum-ELearning Saskatchewan Provincial Videoconferencing Project (January, 2006). Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.pvpsask.ca/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2 0&Itemid=34 Slywchuk, Gary. (January, 2006). Saskatchewan Economy Roaring Ahead... for now. Can West Foundation. Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.cwf.ca/V2/cnt/news_saskecon_013006.php SouthEast CornerstoneSchool Division, Information Technology Strategic Plan, 20072010 Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.cornerstonesd.ca/~curriculum/documents/SE%20Cornerstone%20Stra tegic%20Plan%20Apr.doc The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. (2006). Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina. Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.esask.uregina.ca/ Tunison, Scott. September, 2004 The Nature of Instruction and Community in a Virtual High School. Saskatchewan School Boards Association Research Report #04-02. Retrieved November, 2007 from

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Educational Technology in Rural Saskatchewan Ensuring the Viability of Wawota Parkland School

ETEC 511 Susan Wilson

http://saskschoolboards.ca/EducationServices/ResearchAndDevelopment/Researc hReports/Technology/04-02.pdf Tymchak, M., et al (2000). Task force and public dialogue on the role of the school: Interim report to the minister of education, Government of Saskatchewan. Wellburn, Elizabeth. May, 1996. The Status of Technology in the Education System: A Literature Review. Technology and Distance Education Branch, Ministry of Education, Skills and Training, British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved November, 2007 from http://www.cln.org/lists/nuggets/EdTech_report.html

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