Digital+Integration


 * Digital Integration **

Although many teachers at Elgin Park have successfully integrated technology into their instructional practices, there is definitely much more that can be done to increase student engagement with their learning by using innovative technological integration in learning activities. Participation in the Digital Integration Project will allow teachers and students at Elgin Park to integrate technology on a more consistent basis. Teachers at Elgin Park will be able to use the existing technology in our school, the hardware and infrastructure provided by this project and the personal digital devices of students to encourage individualized learning and independent inquiry. At present, 81% of Elgin Park students already have wireless capable digital devices that could be used to enhance their learning. Parents have indicated that the number of students with access to personal digital devices at school is likely to rise as it becomes evident that the use of these devices will be encouraged in learning activities at Elgin Park. We are committed to providing digital access to all students at Elgin Park.

At Elgin Park teachers have been actively engaged in integrating digital tools in their instructional practices. Below are some examples of projects that have integrated technology into learning activities:

toc = Blogger = = Bubbl.us & CMaps = = Celtx = = Delicious = = Easy Bib = = Facebook = = Flickr = = Glogster =
 * Ms. Pederson's Writing 12 - Elgin Park Writing Adventures - Ms. Pederson maintains her own blog for Writing 12 and asks each of her students to blog their own writing. She encourages students to write one blog post and to comment on two or more of their classmates' blog posts per week.
 * [|Ms. Murray's Library Science 10/11] - Ms. Murray maintains a Library Science blog for the students taking Library Science 10 & 11. Students are required to complete their assignments on their own blog.
 * [|Ms. Hibbert's English Blog] - This blog is used as a communication tool between home and school.
 * Bubbl.us and CMaps are concept mapping software and can be used in any class where students are asked to brainstorm. Ms. Martin has effectively used CMaps as a concept mapping tool to help students understand the links and connections for the outbreak of WWI. Widespread access to digital devices at Elgin Park would facilitate the use of these programs by individual students to aid in focusing their thoughts.
 * This is a collaborative tool that allows students to work on the creation of screenplays, storyboards, prop lists, costume lists, and many other things associated with the development of dramatic film productions. Mr. Ingram is using this program in his Film and Television classes to facilitate the production of student short films.
 * Elgin Park Library Subject Links - To facilitate students' exposure to good websites the Elgin Park library maintains lists of subject related content on the school website. Sites are added to Ms. Murray's Delicious account and marked with subject specific tags. Any link with certain tags will be filtered in to the lists on Elgin Park's Library website.
 * Students in all classes are instructed on the use of EasyBib bibliography creation software to educate them about the need to cite sources and use information effectively and honestly.
 * [[file:Ms. Dennis' Romeo & Juliet Assignment.doc]] - Students were asked to create Facebook pages as a character study for Romeo & Juliet. Based on students' understanding of the characters, their motivations and their relationships with other characters, they were able to creatively relate how these characters would have interacted using today's social networking technology.
 * Mr. Mundi, Elgin Park's Marketing teacher is currently running an Elgin Park Logo contest which will be judged using Facebook's "Like" function. The winning student entry will win a prize.
 * Ms. Pederson and Ms. Villeneuve use Facebook as a communication tool for the Global Activists student club.
 * Facebook is often used as a form of communication for our athletes.
 * Students are encouraged to use Flickr's Creative Commons database to select images for research projects. For example, in Ms. Villeneuve's Cross Country Canada assignment, students were asked to include images from the places they were visiting. Flickr's geotagging option allowed students to search for these photos more effectively. Additionally, students were encouraged to locate images that they were free to alter under the Creative Commons licensing and use Photoshop to include themselves in the photo making it seem like they actually went on the Cross Canada Tour that the project was designed to mimic.
 * [[file:Mr. Ellett's World Religions Glogster Assignment.doc]] - Rather than complete a traditional poster project, this project required students to use Glogster to create a virtual poster. This poster included multimedia, text and images to provide a complete view of the religion.
 * Ms. Dennis' English classes have used Glogster for a short story project on Theme.

= Google Docs = = Google Earth = = Interactive Simulations = = Interactive Math Worksheets = = Moodle﻿ = = Online Databases﻿ = = Photostory = = Quizlet = = Skype = = Smartboard = = Snap Agenda = = Survey Monkey = = Tablets = = ToonDoo = = Twitter = = Websites = = Wikis = = Xtranormal =
 * [[file:Ms. Hibbert's Opposing Viewpoints Essay.pdf]] Students in Ms. Hibbert's Integrated Studies 8/9 classes worked collaboratively to write an essay about a controversial topic. They were encouraged to access the Canadian Points of View database to gather and assess information related to their topic. As a group they used Google Docs to write their essay together. This project has been modified to include a presentation component which requires students to create a PowerPoint presentation on their topic in addition to the essay.
 * [[file:Ms. Martin's Google Earth Assignment.doc]] - Ms. Martin used Google Earth in her Social Studies 11 class having students research Canadian peacekeeping missions since 1945 and representing them geographically and explaining their historical significance. View Ms. Martin's Google Earth Assignment Here
 * The University of Colorado at Boulder has an interactive demo list of physics experiments. Labs, teaching suggestions, and other teaching aids are available. Dr. Bains' and Mr. Tsang's Physics classes use this website to do virtual experiments and to emphasize visually the different concepts in the Physics curriculum. Students have their own computer and can perform their own experiments. The computer lab does limit the ability to bring the learning outside the classroom, but does offer a window into different possible learning strategies used by other educational institutions.
 * Mr. Tsang teaches Math 9 in a computer lab. Besides the normal teacher led instructions, student use a website that generates self evaluating math worksheets. Students choose the level of difficulty that will challenge them, but can still be accomplished by their individual skill set. The teacher and other students help each other in the learning processes and feel less inhibited about asking for help and working together. The computer centralizes their focus and can work more cooperatively.
 * The Elgin Park Career Centre uses a Moodle that has been developed in collaboration with the Vancouver, Burnaby, Delta, North Vancouver, Langley and Richmond to communicate with Career Prep and Work Experience Students.
 * [[file:Ms. Villeneuve's GreenFile Project.doc]]- Geography 12 students were asked to create a research question and begin identifying quality sources of information to support their research. Students were guided to use the [|GreenFile] database for a portion of their research and also perform general Internet sources. Students were then asked to evaluate the quality of the information contained in the sources they accessed during their research and explain why or why not these sources would be useful in answering their research question.
 * Photostory is a great slideshow product that allows students to take information they learned and put it into visual form. Here is an example of a photostory created in Ms. Martin's class on the King Byng Crisis**.**
 * Ms. Player and Ms. Wagner use Quizlet in their French Language classes to enhance students' learning of French vocabulary. This application can be successfully integrated in any classroom that requires students to learn vocabulary, terms, and/or concepts. Teachers can make their own flash cards or use previously created sets of flash cards to enhance student understanding. This program has mobile interfaces for iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, Palm Web OS, iPad, and Windows Phone.
 * Mr. Mundi has successfully used Skype through his personal iPhone to contact business leaders around the world. Many of these business leaders would have difficulty making a personal appearance at the school, so students are being given an opportunity to interact with these individuals through Skype.
 * We have recently installed eight Smartboards at Elgin Park. Teachers have been actively using this technology for the past few years and there is and increased level of enthusiasm for their use in classrooms. One example of a smartboard facilitated lesson that could transition with enhanced digital integration is the use of online tutorials in our Spanish Language classes. Currently, all students complete the same tutorial at the same time, but with digital integration that learning activity could be individualized based on student need.
 * Elgin Park is the pilot secondary school for a communication tool that will increase opportunities for staff to communicate with parents. This communication tool allows for parents to receive pertinent information from the school and teachers in the method that best suits them, whether it is via Facebook, Twitter, text message or email. Parents select which information they wish to receive. At the secondary school level this includes attendance as the program links to BCeSIS data.
 * Ms. Pederson and Ms. Martin have used Survey Monkey to generate data about students' feelings and opinions. It can also be used as a review tool. The availability of real time data can provide teachers with the information they need to differentiate their instruction and change the method of delivery when necessary.
 * Tablets are currently used as a teaching and learning tool in Math and Science classes.
 * Ms. Martin's students have created cartoons using ToonDoo for many historical events. Because of the story telling ability of a cartoon, students can express their understanding of a specific historical event. Click here for an example.
 * Mr. Mundi uses Twitter to interact with his Business Education students by posting information about current events in the business world and then discussing these events during class.
 * Ms. Tessier uses Twitter to communicate with members of the PE Leadership classes to coordinate their activities and student involvement in school activities.
 * First Class - Many Elgin Park teachers use First Class websites to communicate information between school and home. These websites often include information about homework, upcoming assignments, and links to supplementary websites and extension activities.
 * Ms. Martin's History 12 Wiki - Students create or modify a "Wikipedia" style page on a topic related to the course. When completed, the wiki will be a representation of the content studied in History 12 and may be used as a study guide for provincial exams and other year end assessments. The Wiki will continue in future years as students will be asked to add and alter its content to improve the quality of the information contained in it. The ongoing nature of the wiki allows students to use it to supplement the in-class instruction provided by the teacher, interact with their peers, and generate a greater understanding of the subject area.
 * Ms. Rollins' English Literature 12 Wiki - Students create or modify a "Wikipedia" style page on a topic related to the course. When completed, the wiki will be a representation of the content studied in English Literature 12 and may be used as a study guide for provincial exams and other year end assessments. The Wiki will continue in future years as students will be asked to add and modify its content to improve the quality of the information contained in it. The ongoing nature of the wiki allows students to use it to supplement the in-class instruction provided by the teacher, interact with their peers, and generate a greater understanding of the subject area.
 * [|Ms. Villeneuve's Social Studies 10 Regions of British Columbia Wiki] - Students in two classes worked collaboratively to design a wiki on the Regions of British Columbia.
 * Xtranormal is a creative way to have students synthesize material. Ms. Martin's students have created Xtranormal videos for European Countries motives for going to war (World War One). Ms. Martin created an Xtranormal video to show students how the program works.

= YouTube =
 * [|Elgin Park Library YouTube Channel] - As new books come in to the library, Ms. Murray searches YouTube for book trailers which are then added to the Elgin Park Library YouTube Channel. Selections from this channel are embedded in the library homepage and on the Destiny library catalogue home page to encourage students to sign out some of these new books and read! These book trailers are also used during book talks. They help students select novels for their independent novel study projects in English and Social Studies and encourage a passion for reading.

Header image: Kurdle, Snapping. //Apple//. 2010. Photograph. //Flickr//. Flickr. 20 May 010. Web. 1 Mar. 2011. . Used with permissions under Creative Commons Licensing.