Schoolchildren and future teachers co-construct at Laval University

On November 23, 2016, educational technology students at Laval University accompanied elementary school students and future teachers during their visit and offered them fun educational workshops.

through Julie chamberland, Teacher, Saint-Louis-de-France School
and Margarida romero, Professor in educational technology, Laval University

For elementary school students, university is the school for adults. A place where knowledge and sport combine to achieve excellence. To bring pupils closer to "the school of the grown-ups" and to respond to the mission to qualify from the Quebec school, the fifth-year iPad classes from the Saint-Louis-de-France school (CS des Navigateurs) spent a day at Laval University on November 23, 2016.

In the morning, the students of Julie Chamberland and Annie Giroux's class carried out techno-creative activities at the Faculty of Educational Sciences with the team CoCréaTIC. In the afternoon, they were greeted by the PEPS team where they toured the new facilities and met the Rouge et Or men's basketball team.

Julie and Annie's students with the CoCréaTIC team.

During the first period, the students acted as experts for the future teachers of the ICT integration course, offered by Professor Margarida Romero as part of the Bachelor of Education in Preschool and Primary Education (BEPEP). They were able to give their point of view on the students' projects. For example, the students gave the students the idea to use Minecraft to create a virtual city.

Then, 3 workshops were organized.

• Raoul Kamga, a doctoral student in educational technology, led an educational robotics workshop focused on problem solving: the robot race without a winner. This activity engages students in measuring, calculating, planning, and programming activities while placing them in a positive interdependent situation, where team members had to coordinate to achieve the goal of making the robots arrive. to the goal all at the same time.

• Alexandre lepage and Benjamin Lille, master's students in educational technology, led a creative programming workshop during which students got to know Vibot the robot and visual programming software Scratch. The students were then able to create their own game controller with MakeyMakey, using plasticine and other conductive materials.

• At the same time, the teachers Julie chamberland and Annie giroux joined the course with Margarida romero in order to advise future teachers on their integration projects. The teams were able to benefit from the teachers' experience and were able to discover new ideas, such as the use of the Sphero robot for a space travel project. The teams were both encouraged and challenged in their innovation process.

Students plan before programming the BeeBot robot bees.

Throughout the morning, the co-creation of knowledge between pupils, students, teachers, lecturers and the teacher produced magical moments:

“The silos of educational levels and disciplines have been overcome to focus on the essential: the co-creation of activities that allow the development of a learning adapted to the needs and opportunities of the education of the 21^e century. "

Finally, 5 students took to the tables in front of several dozen future teachers to send them an important message: a good teacher should listen, be patient and “have fun” with his students!

The students expressed their expectations to future teachers.

Find a passion and balance your efforts to achieve your goals

After this busy morning, a guided tour of the PEPS facilities was organized especially for the students, who even had a small place of their own for their meals. Two basketball players from the Rouge et Or men's team, Alexandre Leclerc and Frantson Démosthène, then told the students about their sporting and educational backgrounds.

Their message was both simple and powerful: you have to find passion and balance your efforts to achieve your goals.

The young men of course encountered pitfalls, but knew how to get up and face them, which they said with humility. The students were interested and curious, while being impressed by the colossal amount of work and effort expended by these top athletes. They were proud to then be able to attend a team practice in the new PEPS gymnasium.

The students meet 2 basketball players from the Rouge et Or.

The collaboration between pupils, students of the baccalaureate in teaching, teacher-researchers and innovative teachers has given rise to a momentum of educational innovation that has made it possible to go beyond the usual educational boundaries.

About the authors

Julie chamberland is teacher at the Saint-Louis-de-France school of the Navigators School Board : “I often say that Madame Julie C. is my artist name. You have to be an artist to create, innovate, dare and get our students to do the same. You have to be an artist to question yourself, to venture out, to make people react and to make things happen. You have to be an artist to show young people how beautiful their souls are and their infinite potential. Teachers are artists at heart and their medium is the human in all its splendor. My little humans are in fifth year and we progress together in a 1: 1 iPad class at the Saint-Louis-de-France school. The project presents daily challenges and a certain pleasure. Educational technology, collaboration and community spirit are in the spotlight. »Follow on Twitter: @MmeJulieC

Margarida romero is a professor of educational technology at Laval University. She holds a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Toulouse (France) and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain), where she obtained the extraordinary doctorate prize in psychology. His research focuses on educational technologies in formal and informal education, with a focus on collaborative learning, the use of digital games for education, educational robotics and the development of creative approaches to the uses of technologies for development. 21st century skills. She is also volunteer atLab Space et al'AQUOPS.  Follow on Twitter: @margaridaromero