A successful digital shift for two teachers

Increasing the motivation of their students by integrating digital technology and modifying their classroom management is the challenge that Anik Bédard and Sonia Lottinville set themselves for the year 2019-2020. If the project of the two teachers of 5^e The year at Saint-Charles school in Drummondville was somewhat turned upside down by the pandemic, they are now enjoying the positive impact in their class.

Before starting the project, the two teachers worked together in a flexible classroom where they used the principle of workshops a lot to get the students to work. Note that their school uses the SCP system (Support for positive behavior).

They began their transformation with an assessment of their needs. They wanted:
- Increase the autonomy and involvement of students;
- Have more time to make educational differentiation;
- Being able to meet more frequently and provide individual feedback.

In order to lay the foundations for their digital transformation, the teachers had taken steps to obtain one Chromebook computer per student. They subscribed to Classcraft, an online platform which, through a role-playing game, offers a system for managing student behavior. They also appropriated various digital resources, "always keeping in mind the educational intention before choosing a tool".

Positive effects

It was finally at the start of the September 2020 school year that the digital shift really took place in the class of the two teachers. During conference given during the 2021 AQUOPS conference, they presented projects carried out in class since the start of the school year: creation of an aquatic environment with Minecraft, collaborative writing with Canva, robotics, questionnaire on the dimensions of reading, mind map, etc. .

They also shared how they plan activities and organize typical days. Thus, students always have a routine to complete in the morning. The morning is then devoted to more formal teaching, then the students work on projects in the afternoon. Several tools they use are available on a website they created and can be used by other teachers.

“We are constantly adjusting, but we are already seeing positive impacts for students. They are more involved in the projects. They are faster and more efficient. The computer has become more of a working tool than a tool for playing. They have developed and appreciate collaborative work, ”says Sonia. “The students are also more independent and, even when they are absent from school, they continue to work from home,” adds Anik.

They ended their presentation with four tips for teachers who are considering making such a shift in their classroom:

1. Limit the number of applications you use and reuse them in multiple projects.
2. Modify an existing routine or daily activity to start (eg morning routine or workshops).
3. Allow students to show you things.
4. Accept that students are not all doing the same thing at the same time.

They concluded with one last tip: have fun above all else and don't be afraid to try new ways!

The presentation of the two teachers is available online.