In reading the Programme for International Students (PISA) results, Canada is broken up by province, while all other nations report as countries. Of course, this speaks to the responsibility of education in Canada as a provincial matter while in most countries, it has some Federal coordination. While it is a provincial matter in Canada, there are times where some national engagement is important.
We often look to Finland (guilty as charged with these posts 1 and 2) as a possible model for the way forward, and look to the United States as a model we dare not, or want to, emulate (Many in Canada worry that Texas curriculum or online learning from Florida will make its way north). Yet, we spend very little time learning from other provinces. We know far more about reform in New York than we do in Winnipeg, and about improvements in Helsinki rather than Ottawa. It is quite interesting how we look outside of BC (and I think across Canada) for learning partners, examples to follow or avoid, without fully engaging in conversations across this country.
There are some efforts and organizations trying to bridge this gap. The Canadian Education Association (CEA) has been in existence since 1891, bringing together educators from a variety of roles across the country and advancing ideas for greater student and teacher engagement. This past week CEA’s Chief Executive Officer, Ron Canuel, launched a challenge around Why Do We Need Innovation in Education? The CEA has a series of projects to link jurisdictions across the country including several awards programs and a series of national research reports.
Other nationals include C21 Canada, shaped somewhat after the P21 Organization in the United States, is a not-for-profit organization advocating for the 21st Century models of learning in education, and has recently released Shifting Minds: A Vision and Framework for 21st Century Learning in Canada. Another organization, is The Learning Partnership, a national charitable organization dedicated to championing a strong public education system in Canada through innovative programs, credible research, policy initiatives, executive leadership and public engagement. Two of their more recognizable programs include Take Your Kid to Work Day in November and Welcome to Kindergarten.
There are also a number of other national organizations including the Canadian School Board Association (who will host their national conference this coming July in Vancouver), Canadian Association of Principals, the Canadian Teachers Federation, the Canadian Home and School Federation and the Canadian Association of School Administrators. Clearly, there are no shortage of education organizations working at a national level.
So, returning to my original question, and my interest in writing this — somehow, we need to have more conversations linking education work across the country. There are huge learning opportunities from other jurisdictions and while there is value in learning from Finland, Singapore, or New Zealand, there are also great possibilities in learning from our fellow provinces, many of which join BC at the top of the PISA scales. Whether it is the Inspiring Education efforts in Alberta, the work in assessment and evaluation coming out of Manitoba or the early learning lessons from Ontario, among many others, there is a lot to share.
I have also noticed another shift in the BC Education mindset in recent years –our schools are becoming less competitive with one another, and I also think the same holds true for our districts. There is no pride taken when one community in BC struggles, while others flourish; we do need to move this to a national conversation and a real sense of national ownership. This is more challenging, but is a laudable goal.
We should/will keep learning and networking with countries around the world, because that is what one needs to do as part of a global conversation, but this should be alongside rich, national conversations on the same topics.
I am part of a free event this coming Friday morning (November 30), that will try to view education through a national lens. The Action Canada Public Dialogue: Challenges and Change in Canada’s Education Systems is at the Work Centre for Dialogue in Vancouver. The event, moderated by Tom Clark, Chief Political Correspondent, and Host of the West Block on Global TV, hosts three panels: Standardized Testing in Canada: Real Accountability or an Illusion of Success?, Teaching Questions Not Answers: Adapting Canada’s Education System for the 21st Century, and Who Cares About Young Caregivers: Children’s Rights and Education. I will be part of a five-member panel on the 21st century system question. Full details are available here including registration information.
Chris, I read this post with great interest. I agree with you, even though education is a provincial matter, we all benefit from a national conversation. I am optimistic that we will continue to progress in a way that supports students and teachers (and not like the southern US models you cite), but in order to do so, we need our leaders and decision makers engaged in this type of conversation. I continue to be optimistic and excited about where we are moving. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Darcy. We just need to build on the work you and so many others are doing connecting digitally without a care for political boundaries. I appreciate having you in my network and thanks for the comment.
I’d like to add two grass roots organizations to the mix, and suggest that there are some national conversations taking place between educators, but that these conversations are not supported by any organization. Specifically, the use of the #cdned hashtag (as well as educators regularly cross-posting to hashtags in different provinces) both qualify as extending the conversation to a national level. Also, http://voiced.ca is a place recently started where some conversations about education can extend.
Absolutely we need to expand these efforts. The ability to share effective practice across provincial barriers right now is near zero for educators who are not in social media, and even those who are in social media need significant influence before what they say has much impact.
Thanks David – good additions. No doubt in our digital social media rich world, we are taking down some of the old boundaries. While we are doing this in the digital space, we still need our traditional structures (governments, school boards etc.) to fully see the value of connecting across the country.
Having taken part in the Action Canada event in Fredericton I can say that it was refreshing to look at issues through a national lens, as well as to hear from people not often consulted about the issues. It was somewhat disheartening though to realize how little we know of what happens outside our provincial boundaries.
We need to be more open to national conversations, to learning from each other and not be afraid to share our challenges. We keep talking about “made in New Brunswick” solutions, but does it really matter where good ideas come from?
Thanks Jeannine – the Action Canada event was really worthwhile in Vancouver. The session was really interesting, and learning from those who were hosting the event was also wonderful. It was great to connect with a young group of passionate Canadians, outside of education, who care deeply about a strong, vibrant, relevant public education system for now and the for the future. In our digital connected world – we no longer need “made in” solutions – we can look beyond all of these old boundaries.
Thanks for connecting.
Hi Chris-
Today we started the first open online course for High School students created by High School students in the hopes of putting the “focus” of learning back on students. I work for ADLC (Alberta Distance Learning Centre)and I am concerned about the negative connotation of online learning in your post. Online education is an alternative for all students as it meets the needs of individual students. At the same time – it fosters collaboration and offers “real and authentic” digital learning experiences setting students up for success for the “knowledge economy”. (David Cormier)
http://www.openclassroomonline.com/beyondfacebook12-open-online-course-4hs-students-by-hs-students/
I don’t think a discussion about political boundaries should include assumptions about the different mediums and methods of instructional design – we are all doing things differently in order to meet the needs of learners. In fact, when I consider twitter – one of the biggest influences in my learning as an educator- there are no political boundaries at all – I learn from everyone and anyone because of what they talk about or encourage me to look at.
The course that starts today is called #BEFA12 – Beyond Facebook12. High School students and teachers – from anywhere in the world – are working together in an open environment to create new learning opportunities for others. It is a small but energetic group who are trying to make a difference to break down classroom walls – and stereotypes about traditional learning.
The open classroom sees no geographic or political boundaries – and it also encourages intergenerational learning. We all need to learn together.
With open learning, I see a classroom with no walls. Walls and barriers include face to face classrooms that are known to limit digital connections as well as online courses that cut off students from the real world. There are opportunities everywhere to learn from and with each other – I think that Connected Education should be the focus of all learning environments.
How teachers share resources and connect their ideas is also instrumental in bridging geographic divides. OER – Open Educational Resources promote the idea of Redistributing, Remixing, Revising, Reusing our educational content and resources (David Wiley). In fact, The Ministry of BC Higher Ed is a leader in OER because they recently announced some free open online textbooks for University courses. Instead of teaching from a closed classroom, educators can share their resources and as a result – promote learning for all.
At Action Canada I hope you promote open classrooms – where students are assessed on their abilities, using competencies as a guide and ePortfolios as a template. I hope you promote the idea that adults and students need to bring different skills into the learning ecosystem and respect each other for what they can contribute. I hope that you suggest Inquiry Based Learning and project based learning encourages deeper authentic learning experiences – and I hope that you suggest technology and digital literacy is the way to connect our Open Classrooms.
But most importantly, I hope you bring up the idea that “learning is learning” f2f, online, blended, hybrid, in Finland, the US, Singapore, Alberta or BC.
Ok – I’ll stop, but within your blog post about creating one unified nation of learners…I felt a little alienated. To lessen the competitive edge we have to start by looking at even more of the great examples of “learning” everywhere.
Verena 🙂
Thanks Verena this is a really important addition to the conversation – and there is no doubt that post-secondary is moving the way you describe much quicker that K-12. I agree with the premise – learning is learning . . . we are removing the tag “online learning” or “blended learning” it is all just learning.
I was at a discussion on the future of textbooks last week for K-12 and we spoke about the recent BC announcement – hopefully this will help continue to push us in the K-12 sector.
[…] of Schools and CEO with the West Vancouver School District, writes about the need for national engagement in education. He regularly writes at Culture of […]
Just back from Australia – learned a great deal. Totally agree with the spirit of your post.
Linda Kaser
Thanks Linda – there is so much to learn from jurisdictions around the world, but as your Network of Performance Based Schools as showed us – there is tremendous things we can learn next door.
I went to ConectedEd.ca in Calgary at the end of the last school year and it was absolutely refreshing to have a truly Canadian conversation. I’m finding that the American influence of standardized testing, Common Core and teacher accountability can drown out a Canadian-focused perspective. Get a bunch of Canadians talking about our reality, without US themes flooding us, and we suddenly have a rich learning conversation happening.
A national conversation would be great. Furthermore, I think we need a provincial or national repository of learning resources… Something with YouTube style ‘likes’ & commenting (or veted in some way by the community), all Creative Commons and something educators can take from, add to, adapt & re-share. The sharing revolution has truly started & where 5-10 years ago, educators hoarded their prized lessons & ideas, now there is an appetite to share and watch others improve upon already good ideas.
~Dave
Thanks Dave. Like you, I find the American influence over our conversations frustrating – I really think we are moving in very different directions, and even when we use the same words, they can often have very different meanings. I really like your idea of a National repository of resources. For all that is wonderful about the free resources of the internet, it does not easily offer us Canadian-centric resources.
Hopefully we have many more Canadian conversations ahead.
[…] blogrolls of blogs I like and found a few more, such as Doug Johnson’s Blue Skunk Blog and The Culture of Yes (Chris Kennedy). I did try using Technocrati, but I didn’t have much luck. I think I need to […]
Final edit:
I have another take on the PISA results that “seem” to demonstrate that all is NOT for the best in the best of all possible worlds (to quote Voltaire)! One of the reasons Canada (and many of its provinces) do well on PISA tests is because it compensates –by and large– by focusing on literacy more than other countries (that have better phonemic languages), IF taxpayers are willing to pay for that kind of extra-ordinary service, IF teachers are able to put more time and sacrifice their family life to compensate, IF parents are able to pay for tutors to compensate, IF students are willing to put up with the nonsense that the English spelling system is! And, then there are those who won’t be able to read this and won’t be able to write! We put on them a label! “YOU are disabled!” Really? Isn’t the language the one that is disabled? Disabling? With tens of thousands of misspelled words? Kids are disabled? Kids cannot read? Kids cannot write? WHAT? WHEN will our educational leaders stand up and ask for some accountability on how the spelling system –the system which underpins all learning, really– is and demand that it be reset, regularized to follow –at the very least– its spelling rules, so that English phonemicity can move from being the WORST to the BEST of all Western languages! The Finnish success can be attributed –by and large– to the ease by which its language is acquired, making learning to read a logical and efficient experience, not an exercise in rote memorization of ideographs that so many educators purport to despise, that rob kids of their self-esteem, that steal years of learning from so many or steal real money from so many who struggle to make ends meet! Speaking of which, I invite readers to read a thorough explanation of all the above assertions, all evidence-based and all reference-based at http://regularizingenglishspelling.wordpress.com/ . YES! Change is possible, but it is NOT easy! Is the status quo OK?
[…] have written before about the value of a national conversation in education. Despite falling under the mandate of provincial governments there is huge value in […]