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Chris A. Quarrie
For my final analytic course reflection paper, I will attempt to answer three questions. First, I
would like to classify the most valuable practical teaching technology that I learned about in this
class? While many technologies were mentioned or discussed in this course, and some were
made into tutorials, there was one in particular that I had not heard about Explain Everything -
and I would like to talk about how I can make use of this technology in my day-to-day teaching.
The second question is a more broad one regarding the theory and science of learning: What is
the most valuable information I gained about the science of learning? While learning theory,
metacognition, and constructivism are topics that I have studied more deeply in other courses,
this is the first time I have been able to focus primarily on the science of learning as a science
teacher, and consider the implication of these theories in a more practical sense as it applies to
me. Lastly, I will look at some of my unanswered questions? In particular, I would like to look at
STEAM Education, particularly since my school is shifting its focus on this initiative.
1. What is the most valuable practical teaching technology that I learned about in this class?
The most valuable teaching technology that I learned about was the Explain Everything
tutorial, created by Justin Ouellette, Randy Ray, Jessica Hsueh, and Claude D'Souza. While other
tutorials were insightful and interesting from a theoretical perspective, such as the GeoGebra and
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) tutorials, Explain Everything is something that I can see
myself, and others in my department and school, using to enhance teaching from a practical
teaching standpoint. I currently teach science and ICT, so math tutorials are not particularly
useful to my teaching at the moment - though I am qualified to teach maths, so I will keep
Geogebra in mind in case I am called upon! I work at a school that is currently running a one-to-
one program, which is why the BYOD information is not relevant to my current teaching. It
took me some time to figure out what exactly Explain Everything is (something I actually
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commented on when giving feedback to the team), but I eventually sorted out that it is useful,
from a student perspective, as a way for students to demonstrate their understanding of a topic.
At first glance, I had thought it might be some sort of Prezi-style presentation software. While
presentation software is useful, I feel, at this point, I do not need yet another method for
delivering content. I am already very familiar with PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, and
Prezi, so adding another to the list is not something I am seeking. However, I am always looking
for ways to have students demonstrate their learning using technology. Some of the technology I
am currently using includes the building of stop motion movies (using apps like Stop Motion
Studio), making comic strips using websites like PowToon, and creating and collaborating on
labeled biological drawings using Google Drawings. Explain Everything is an interesting and
that includes elements of Videoscribe, Camtasia, and Prezi. It allows students to build
presentations that I envision being useful as a formative (and to a lesser degree, summative)
assessment tool. Although admittedly, this application would probably work better with a school
using iPads (written notes, particularly if they involve drawings or scribbles, are easier when
you can use a finger/stylus), I can see my students creating interesting and useful explanations of
scientific principles in narrated clips of various topics in science, from Grades 8 to 12.
2. What is the most valuable information I gained from the science of learning?
Bransford, Brown & Cockings book How People Learn was a very valuable learning resource
for this course. I have raised several questions over the years as a science teacher that this book
has, in some ways, helped answer. For instance: what is the difference between a novice and an
expert? As teachers, we are in some ways attempting to craft experts from our knowledge of
science, using the resources available. Simply delivering content to students does not guarantee
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that they will know how, when and why to use knowledge they glean in class. I have made more
attempts in recent years to create case studies and larger word problems that are used to
stimulate students higher-order, complex thinking and problem-solving skills. Even so,
[s]ometimes students who have done well on such assignmentsand believe that they are
learningare unpleasantly surprised when they take tests in which problems from the entire
course are randomly presented so there are no clues about where they appeared in a text.
(Bransford, Brown & Cocking, 1999). The trick is to have students look at concepts from a
I am constantly trying to remind students of previous knowledge they have gained from both
earlier concepts and units, as well as topics they have learned about in other courses. For
example, when my Science 8 students are studying optics and looking at the primary colours of
light, they must in some senses unlearn what they have learned in art class (where students are
told that the three primary colours are red, blue and yellow), to understand how light works in
terms of wavelength and the electromagnetic spectrum - the three primary colours of light being
red, blue and green. I have been spending more time having students reflect on their own life and
school experiences when solving problems, in an attempt to get them to monitor their own
I have also asked myself (and Im sure my students have asked this of themselves as well), how
can I really use this in my life? In other words, how can knowledge gained in my science
classes really be used in everyday life? This is something that Bransford et all recognize:
learning. (Bransford et al, 1999). One way that this can be done is to have students consider
scientific problems and relate them to the things that are important to them, in their lives. This
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requires extensive knowledge of individual student interests, and questionnaires, polls, and
informal discussion that can help teachers better understand whats important and relevant to
students lives. Creating activities that allow the learners to choose their own tools for problem-
solving, and even design problems for themselves and classmates, can increase the level of
engagement, enjoyment, and overall applicability of school content. Helping learners choose,
adapt, and invent tools for solving problems is one way to facilitate transfer while also
I had heard of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives, and in
fact I participated in a Science, Math and Technology specialist program as part of my Bachelor
Toronto to develop genetically-engineered bananas. For this school, the initiative was primarily
targeted at female students as they represent a much smaller proportion of students entering
One idea that I had only really heard of, and started to explore, in this course was the STEAM
initiative. So the question Id like to answer is: What is STEAM exactly, and how can I make use
of STEAM initiatives in my daily teaching? The addition of the Arts into STEM is of particular
interest to me; I am a life-long supporter of the Arts, and have a minor in Philosophy. At my
school, I am heavily involved in the Drama and Fine Arts programs, assisting and contributing to
their development wherever possible (I usually end up doing something technical as part of the
stage crew for the school play). Students sometimes find it surprising that a science and ICT
teacher would be interested in the Arts, but I dont think this is, or should be, unusual. A strong
background in the Arts is important, if not necessary, for effective innovation in science and
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engineering. Thinking creatively and being able to problem-solve in non-linear ways accesses
parts of the brain that students who focus only on rigid, linear, logical thinking may not be able
to easily use. One of the reading supplied in this course is the introduction from the book
Emerging Technologies in STEAM Education (Ge, Ifenthaler, & Specter, 2015). I will
definitely seek out the rest of this book, as I am very intrigued and interested to learn more from
chapters such as There is an Art to Teaching Science in the 21st Century! For me, effective
professional development for teachers of science, math and technology (currently I only teach
science and technology) will involve a heavier focus on STEAM and a greater emphasis on the
While our Get Going with GAFE website touched on STEAM in a superficial sense, there are
many themes and activities mentioned in this reading that are of particular interest to me, and
one question that is unanswered, for the moment, is How can I use the Arts to enhance student
learning in my Science and Technology classes? This is something I am excited to learn more
about, and I wish I had spent more time in this course discussing such ideas with the course
participants.
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References
Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L. & Cocking, R.R. (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind,
experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Ge, X., Ifenthaler, D., & Spector, J. M. (Eds.). (2015). Emerging technologies for STEAM
education: Full STEAM ahead. New York, NY: Springer.
Ouellette, J., Ray R., Hsueh, J., and D'Souza, C. (2016). Explain Everything Tutorial. Retrieved
from https://sites.google.com/site/explaineverythingtutorial/home