speak out - open.alberta.ca · p a g e | 2 speak out – the alberta student engagement initiative...

Speak Out

A Summary of Student Voices Online

November 2008 to June 2009

www.speakout.alberta.ca

http://www.speakout.alberta.ca/

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Speak Out – the Alberta Student Engagement Initiative – A Summary of Student Voices Online

Major Themes and Issues from www.speakout.alberta.ca (Weeks of November 3, 2008, through April 3, 2009)

Theme Issues Things that are conducive to learning

Classmates that want to be there Clear objectives and instructions Small class sizes Physical comfort A structured learning environment Regular interaction with teacher and classmates Flexibility in learning pace and space

Advice for your teachers Be enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and creative Be approachable and treat students with respect Explain the relevance of material being taught Control the classroom but maintain a positive atmosphere Cater your lessons to all learning styles Be flexible with deadlines

Teaching methods that work for you

Educational field trips! When concepts are taught using various techniques Dynamic activities and assignments that involve more than simple

robotic memorization Discussions and debates of concepts A teacher who keeps discussions relevant and respectful Hands-on activities in math and science classes Small written responses help you improve your writing Opportunities to apply knowledge in real life contexts

Suggestions for improving the curriculum

Assign texts that are modern and relevant in English class Include more current and global affairs in all courses Revise the CALM content to make it more relevant to your

immediate lives Encourage participation in relevant extracurricular activities

School politics and administrative challenges

More student input in all levels of decision-making Inform students why and how important decisions are made (e.g.,

new school rules, curriculum changes) Enforce school rules in a respectful and consistent manner

Stresses of student life Sources of stress: school work, teachers, friends, family, planning for your future, and work

Social relations are just as challenging as academic endeavours What helps you handle the stress

Supportive social networks Exercise, hobbies, relaxing activities, etc. Time management Asking for help Having a place to talk and share

Graduation and post-secondary school

Post-secondary school and scholarship applications are overwhelming and time-consuming

More help with deciphering requirements

http://www.speakout.alberta.ca/

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Theme Issues Tests and diploma exams

Importance of regular study habits Proper time management is crucial Too much stress about diploma exams! Make testing environments more comfortable Practice tests are useful Teach test-taking techniques

You love to debate! Politics and society Religion and freedom of expression Philosophy and human nature School systems and rules

Dealing with bullying Speak out and tell your story to people who can help Educate students about all forms of bullying Teach self-protection and how to find help Promote tolerance and compassion through education

French language program

Learning the French language is beneficial Fear that French-Canadian culture will die out if not supported in

schools Special education Tools and training for success in all aspects of life

Improve students’ ease of access to additional help Technology as an educational accompaniment

Technology can enhance the learning experience with variety SMART Boards are great PowerPoint can be useful when used as an accompaniment Computer labs, laptops, and online school networks are useful when

used properly Don’t let technology be a distraction Don’t let technology replace teaching Don’t become dependent on technology

Advice from graduates Create a life plan with goals to work towards Keep a flexible attitude because interests will change over time Follow your own dreams Find your passions

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Description

Speak Out Website Discussion Forums Background

Launched by the Minister of Education on November 26, 2008, Speak Out—the Alberta Student Engagement Initiative—encourages Alberta’s youth to get involved in a variety of activities to share their thoughts about the education system. Speak Out has four components: an interactive, fully moderated website; Speak Out forums where small group-facilitated discussions are held at schools around the province; the Speak Out Annual Student Conference where 200 youth from around the province will gather; and the Minister’s Student Advisory Council, comprised of 24 youth ages 14 to 19. Speak Out’s website, comprised of moderated and interactive discussion boards and a daily blog, went live on November 3, 2008. Although many provinces in Canada have youth and student engagement initiatives, Speak Out is unique in that it is the only initiative to provide an interactive online presence, thus allowing students to discuss their education issues and concerns and to brainstorm recommendations and solutions with their peers across the province. Because the website is moderated, every post is reviewed by human eyes prior to posting to ensure relevance, privacy, anonymity and safety. The Community Rules for the website are clear: keep it relevant; keep it respectful; keep it safe (no names, no places, no schools, no contact info, no URLs); keep an open mind; and keep it clean. With these clear expectations, the website has a 90% approval rating. Setup and Activity

The Speak Out website features a “Discuss” tab under which students can create their own discussion topics, view the archive of discussion posts and respond to ongoing conversations. The discussion section is divided into several “forums” created by the Speak Out administration, including monthly forums that feature a different theme each time. When students join, they can create a personal profile, complete with an avatar and a signature signoff. Members can then create their own topics under the forums to talk with other students across Alberta about their school experiences and their education. Discussion topics have varied immensely across the forums—from what kind of music is best for studying, to suggestions for improving the curriculum. Students have enjoyed being able to connect and speak out with peers, as is clear from the tremendous response.

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(A) Workforce Planning Themes Issues Teaching as a career Your interest in teaching as a career depends on your teachers’

portrayals of their jobs: if it’s positive, then you’ll be more likely to consider becoming a teacher

Teaching appeals to you because teachers can have a positive influence in people’s lives by helping them to learn, to grow and to have confidence

Teaching does not appeal to you because it requires a lot of patience, involves long hours, is stressful and you believe that there are too many restrictions that hinder teachers from teaching in the manner they believe is best

How current teaching practices could be improved

English and social studies classes could be improved by including more discussions and small written responses

Math and science classes could be improved by including more hands-on and interactive activities

Teachers generally need more freedom so they can teach the subjects for which they have the most passion

“Teachers are so essential in shaping the future generations. They can be a catalyst for change. Inspire young people to do great things.”

“The best "adverstising campaign" for careers in teaching and education is the living advertising that educators are.”

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(B) School Work Themes Issues Concerns about graduation and post-secondary school

Preparation for your graduation ceremonies commands a lot of your time and energy; it brings stress but also excitement

Decisions about post-secondary school and scholarship applications can be overwhelming (how to apply, where to apply, meeting the requirements, etc.) and you need more help

Talking about tests and diploma exams

Parents and teachers place so much emphasis on diploma exams that you become more anxious and stressed about them

Practice exams, regular study habits, a positive attitude and sharing study tips and test-taking techniques help you prepare for exams

Proper time management is a crucial skill for dealing with heavy workloads

Your suggestions for increasing the excitement factor

School readings for subjects like social studies and English would be more interesting if the texts assigned to you were more modern, relevant and interesting

You’re excited by newer, non-traditional subjects like media studies, psychology and culinary studies

You enjoy class more when…

The teacher is enthusiastic and very knowledgeable about the subject; the course content includes more current affairs; the relevance and ultimate purpose of the material is explained to you (for e.g., why exactly are you learning Shakespeare?); your classmates want to be there; you’re given clear objectives and instructions; class sizes are small enough to support comfortable discussions; your assignments involve more than robotic memorization; your teacher is approachable; the material is taught using various techniques; and when you’re physically comfortable

Topics that you enjoy debating (but remain divided about) include:

The recital of pledges to school, country and God each morning; singing the national anthem; secular versus religious education; the full-year or semester school setup; public versus private schools; the use of music in class; cell phone rules; dress code regulations; and gender-segregated schools

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Themes Issues Your suggestions for improving the quality of life at school

School cafeterias need to offer more options and healthier menu selections

Schools should recognize accomplishments other than academic or sports success, such as attendance, community involvement, volunteer activities, etc.

You learn more from interacting with people who are different from you than by simply reading about them, so encourage social interaction among students of all backgrounds

Maintain a consistent and simple school schedule, so students can focus on learning and not on which day of the week it is

“it's so cool to have a place to talk about stuff that actually matters with people that are open and helpful :)”

“If you review each night, studying for an upcoming exam gets much easier because you know the material and you aren't cramming everything the night before.”

“Smaller class sizes help me learn a lot better. You have an easier time asking questions and one on one help, plus the teacher has better control over the class so class time is not spent on disciplining.”

“why do writing assignments have to be about some boring topic?...I wish that teachers would put some excitement into teaching...I would do soo much better...”

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(C) What happened in school today… Themes Issues Social relations are just as challenging as academic endeavours

Learning how to deal with friends and social drama (for e.g., gossip, bullying, peer pressure) can be exhausting and often distracts you from school work

A strong and supportive social network is necessary for your success and sanity (despite its potential for distraction)

Your suggestions for improving the curriculum

Educational field trips are an excellent (yet underutilized) activity that help you understand and apply concepts taught in class

Physical education in high school should be about developing a positive attitude and becoming familiar with an active lifestyle, not about skills

All of your courses should be revised to include more global and current affairs, so that they’re more relevant and interesting

Substitute teachers should be used more strategically and should be better prepared for the class they’re teaching

Politics and administrative challenges

You think students should be encouraged to approach the school administration with issues and not be afraid to offer solutions of their own

The student voice needs to be heard for all administrative decisions, and students should be permitted full disclosure about decisions because you’re the ones most affected

Rules and regulations within each school should be enforced in a respectful and consistent manner to avoid confusion (for e.g., dress code, cell phones, class disruptions, etc.)

“field trips can be great! it completely breaks the repetitve enviroment of a classroom. and it helps everyone who learns by doing.”

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(D) Stressed Out! Themes Issues Sources of stress include…

School, homework, friends, family, dealing with others’ expectations, extracurricular activities, teachers, university and scholarship applications, making decisions about the future, social/teen drama, diploma exams, work, dealing with lack of motivation, changing schools, lack of sleep and poor learning environments

How you de-stress Physical activity, listening to music, hanging out/talking/venting with friends, dancing, watching TV, snacking, reading, napping, using available resources for help (e.g., guidance councillors, learning centres), reminding yourself that there are people with worse problems out there, etc.

Eliminating the sources of stress

You’ve discovered several ways to help minimize stress. They include: time management (being aware of time spent on certain activities and making productive use of spare time); making study schedules and sticking to them; making school a priority so other activities don’t infringe on school work; choosing your friends wisely and reminding yourself to ignore gossip; seeking guidance and advice from informed sources, as well as doing your own research; keeping the lines of communication open with your teachers; making new friends and focusing on friendships

“what helps is just turning off the music, shutting down MSN, facebook etc and just working on one thing till I get it done. The success of getting one thing done often helps the stress levels and give me motivation to get more stuff doe.”

“Staying on top of tests and quizzes is key. Jamming it all, in one night does not work so well...”

“Is it bad that this site is becoming a hobby?”

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(E) Teaching that works for me! Themes Issues Advice for your educators

Find that perfect balance between being strict and being fun, formal and informal, demanding and flexible

Teach your subject with creativity and enthusiasm, be approachable, treat your students like adults, do your research, and explain why things you’re teaching are important to learn

Teaching methods that work

You enjoy discussing and debating concepts in class, and you appreciate your teacher keeping things on topic

Vary the teaching methods so all learning styles are catered to and to avoid monotony

Hands-on activities help you understand new concepts in math and science classes

Learning environments that make you comfortable

To perform your best, you need to be physically comfortable

Testing environments are too artificial and unnecessarily stressful; keep things calm and relaxed and you’ll avoid test anxiety

Keep course content relevant and interesting

Include more current affairs to make courses more relevant and interesting

Revise the CALM content so the material is more relevant to your immediate life experiences

“I personally need a blend of textbook work, essays, assignments, questions, labs and other hands on stuff in order to learn.”

“Teachers who take the time to make their room inviting do make it easier to learn...”

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(F) Bullying… Themes Issues Sharing your stories as victims of bullying helps you to heal

Bullying exists in many forms (for e.g., cyberbullying) and is an unavoidable aspect of school life

Sharing your story helps you to manage and move beyond the emotional pain that a bullying experience caused you

How to deal with bullying

Intervening in a bullying situation can be tough to do, especially when you don’t know the people involved

You find that it’s best to notify authority figures about an incident and to speak out as it’s occurring if you feel safe enough

How to prevent bullying Sometimes the person doing the bullying needs friends or someone to talk to

Inform students about what constitutes bullying and how to make themselves less vulnerable; let them know there are ways for them to get help and stop it

Education can help make people more tolerant and compassionate by teaching about differences

“It wasn't bullying for them, it was a way to make friends over a common enemy.”

“I challenge you to send someone a positive honesty box message just for the fun of it and to help counter the cyber-bullying that happens on facebook. :)”

“I think at some point every body has been a bully. intentionally or not. the sad part is, i think it's become human nature to tease others”

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(G) C’est ton éducation. Qu’en penses-tu? Themes Issues Pride for French language and culture

You’re proud of your francophone heritage and glad that your parents have continued their traditions through the language

Achieving a bilingual status in French and English is an accomplishment you’ll always be proud of

Advantages of learning French

You believe that knowing French will increase your education choices and job opportunities

Fluency in French will allow you to communicate with people in other cultures across Canada and in other countries

Threats to the French language program

French-Canadian culture and identity risk dying out if nothing is done to promote its existence in schools

More awareness is needed about the differences between French language courses designed for francophone and anglophone students

“je crois que le francais me donnera plusieurs avantage: pouvoire communiquer avec plusieurs autres gens, avoir un meilleurs emplois, plus de choix d<etudes secondaires” (“I believe that knowing French will give me several advantages: the ability to communicate with more people, to have a better job, more choices for post-secondary education”)

“ce que je trouve le plus important c'est que la culture elle-meme reste vivante; la langue, les fetes et les traditions.” (“what I find the most important is that the culture itself remains alive; the language, the festivals, and the traditions.”)

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(H) Where is the world in your education? Themes Issues Your want to be a global citizen

You enjoy learning about and debating current global issues, and being involved with humanitarian activities

Your optimism and enthusiasm mean you can offer a fresh perspective on the state of the world, as well as solutions that can make it a better place

Extracurricular activities that focus on raising awareness and social activism are rewarding and you wish you knew more about how to become involved in those kind of activities

School should include more global issues in the curriculum

Currently, you learn about the world and other cultures in courses such as social studies, English and other languages (French, German, etc.)

The curriculum should focus on finding solutions to the world’s problems and on learning about people and leaders who have done good, rather than focusing so much on the negative aspects of the world’s history

More emphasis should be placed on student exchange programs and school trips, because you believe that travelling and interacting with people is the best way to learn about other cultures

“That's why the quote "Think global, act local" is so great because there are so many issues and needs to be met right in our own province. (E.g., Homelessness)”

“We read about people who make or spread violence, like Hitler or Stalin but we don't spend as much time thinking about the good work of people who create or spread peace, like the Dalai Lama”

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(I) Learning Anytime, Any Place, Any Pace Themes Issues You need structure and flexibility

You benefit from a structured learning environment and from the guidance offered by regular interactions with teachers and peers

You also need flexibility to be able learn at your own speed and in the places that are most comfortable for you

How your school upholds this learning concept

Your school offers online courses that allow you to learn at your own pace and in environments that are more comfortable for you

Classes are often divided according to students’ preferred learning pace and interest level (International Baccalaureate classes)

Teachers can help by being flexible in their scheduling and by offering after-school tutorials or question periods

“The truth is that most kids aren't responsible enough to handle that amount of freedom. Students need to learn to make sacrifices in order to get the education they need.”

(J) Special Education

Themes Issues School should cater to all types of needs

School should provide the tools and training for student success in all aspects of their lives, not just academic instruction

Make better use of program funds by using resources more effectively and by finding creative solutions to student needs

Academic success should not be a determining factor when deciding which students need additional funding for their education

Altering the way we talk about and treat students with special needs

Reconsider using the word “special” to label students who require unconventional help in school (because of its negative connotations)

Separating students with different learning needs can be helpful, but should be done as little as possible so that people become used to interacting with and learning from one another

“There is lots that people with disabilities can do, it is only the matter of asking finding out what they need”

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(K) Been there, done that… Themes Issues Advice from recent graduates is respected

It’s important to create a life plan so you have a goal to work towards, but maintaining a flexible attitude is crucial because your interests will change over time

Remembering to stay true to your own dreams

While you appreciate the advice and guidance offered by family, you often feel too much pressure to live your life according to their expectations

You’re happiest when you have the freedom to follow your own dreams and the support of your friends and family regardless of success or failure

“I enjoy planning and having goals, but I definitely don't have all the answers to people's questions about my future yet.”

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(L) Using Technology to Learn Themes Issues Technology can enhance your learning if it’s incorporated responsibly

Incorporate technology into the classroom in a manner that is relevant to enhance your learning, but not in a manner that distracts you or makes you overly reliant on it in the long run

Students need to be taught to use technology in accordance with the principles of Responsible Digital Citizenship

Online learning or other high-tech tools can never outweigh the benefits of classroom interaction

Technology that helps you learn, and how you use it

Computer labs, laptops and online school networks (for e.g., Schoolzone) help you complete assignments, do research, organize your notes and schedules, and communicate with teachers

Tools like PowerPoint can enhance a lecture when used to accompany discussion, but teachers must be careful not to let it replace their teaching

SMART Boards are a great investment

Dangerously distracting technology

Cell phones are an essential communication tool outside the classroom, but are mostly distractions when used during class

Laptops are great for taking down lecture notes in class, but it would be hard for teachers to monitor inappropriate Internet use, etc.

“What I enjoy most is that as we read the slides, the teachers provide different information to enhance what is on the slide”

“At my school we also use D2L which stands for Desire to Learn and it is a pretty awesome site.”

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(M) Student Information and Modern Education

Themes Issues Substitute teachers pose some challenges for you

It is challenging to remain on schedule with your course when you have a substitute teacher, but you generally respect the job they are doing and appreciate the challenges they face as well

Substitute teachers should specialize in the course they fill in for.

Transferring personal information between schools

Transferring schools or districts is challenging because there is a communication breakdown between each school and the districts

Transferring personal information would be helpful to your new school or district, but you are concerned that you may be unfairly judged before you have the chance to prove yourself

Teachers should share information on your learning style.

This is a good idea, but teachers often teach the way they are comfortable teaching or they teach to the majority of their students’ styles rather than catering their lesson to each individual style

“The most difficult challenge for the substitutes is that they are constantly compared to their original teacher. If the administration or a TA were present in the classroom for the first day would help the new teacher.” “I don't think trying to provide a different learning method for everyone is very effective, it would be to time consuming to get any real worth out of it.”

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(N) Inspiring Education

Themes Issues The length of time students should spend in school

Twelve years is enough time in school. After twelve years, you are ready to move on

You want flexibility to complete your classes faster or slower depending on your life circumstances and the pace you want to work at

How you are assessed There should be evidence that you are progressing in your class, but you feel that the current grading system is arbitrary and does not reflect your true effort or progress

You said that sometimes grades may indicate that the curriculum needs to be updated or that there was a bad teacher instructing you rather than your actual progress

What school is and what it should be

School is a place where you learn the skills you will need in the future

School, in its current form, does not allow freedom for students to explore their desires.

Students should feel privileged to have the opportunity to attend school.

“I was just wondering what is so important about grades (or marks) in assessing people when it is just one indicator of a level of achievement at single point in time?” “School can be free, invigorating, current, modern, fresh.”

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