Much is being written this month as we celebrate the first anniversary of hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. From tourism to the economy to amateur athletics, various sectors are examining the impact of the Games.
It is also worth considering the effects the Games have had on education in B.C. I have written about my own participation connected to the 2010 Winter Olympics, and shared some of that in my TEDxUBC presentation. Looking back, here are some of my reflections of their effect on education:
1. To make broad-stroke generalizations across the province would be impossible. Communities that hosted sporting events (Richmond, Vancouver, West Vancouver, Whistler) clearly had more opportunity for engagement in the Games. The Board’s decision to close schools in West Vancouver during the Games is also seen, in retrospect, as a very wise decision — it was almost universally praised by staff and families. One of the legacies in adjusting the 2010 Spring Vacation calendar is that it has stimulated more discussion over the validity and suitability of non-traditional breaks in school calendars.
2. The Games linked social media and schools. While projects like Students Live were overt in their use of social media, all media outlets leveraged Facebook, Twitter and other social tools. For many schools in BC, the Olympics were the first event they had ever tracked through social media. While some classes have used social media to follow world events in Iran, Haiti and elsewhere, the Olympics brought social media into classes — and, in many places, it has stuck.
3. The Games created interest and curiosity around sports beyond hockey, soccer, baseball, and basketball. There is a range of winter sports available that were highlighted during the Games, and schools embraced these with field trips and “school-versions” of them. Primary students think about participating in luge, speed-skating and snowboard cross now – sports very few kids knew existed two years ago.
4. As much as the Olympics had an impact on education, I would suggest the Paralympics had a greater impact. Give the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the organizers of the Paralympic Games credit — they did an amazing job of getting their message to schools in advance of the Games and engaging students. Thousands of students were able to attend Paralympic events, and the Paralympic School visits leading up to the Games were powerful learning opportunities. Students had the opportunity to test-drive Paralympic events, and hear from athletes. As a result of the Games, young people in many communities have a new understanding of the word “disabilities” and they now recognize that people should not be defined by them.
5. The Games forged new relationships. In West Vancouver, they provided an opportunity for students from both public and private schools to work together toward making the Games relevant for all. That same spirit has students from public and private schools working together again this spring, on a community-wide event for youth. The Games also created a showcase for student talent — a district choir that came together for the Torch Relay has been replicated, in a slightly different form, for other events in West Vancouver. The Games brought people together, who would not normally have had the opportunity to connect, and some of those relationships and partnerships have continued on to build to new opportunities. With the Centennial approaching for the District of West Vancouver and the School District, many are looking to the Olympic experience as a model for engagement and celebration.
6. The Games tested the notion of teaching without a binder or textbook. In some ways, the technology and overall readiness were not prepared for the vision. One of the criticisms of the 2010 Olympic Education program was that there was no binder like with the 1988 Calgary Games. The vision was forward thinking – it provided learning resources, lesson ideas, content, and allowed teachers to craft and construct learning with students, and to make meaning of it for themselves. This happened in some places, and elsewhere, it fell flat. We are clearly moving into an era of fewer text books and more digital content, and I think the model will work better in five years than it did last year. That said, many districts, with the support of the Canadian Olympic Committee (with excellent resources) and VANOC, created some great learning experiences in class.
7. For many students, teachers and classes, Olympic learning is now an ongoing part of what they do. Whether it is exposure to a range of winter sports, the use of Olympic athletes as motivational speakers, or the inclusion of resources available from many sources — including the Canadian Olympic Committee — teachers and schools have, in many cases, not treated the Games as a one-time event, but have found ways to weave the lessons and values learned though the Games into their ongoing practice.
8. At a time when we are often looking to find connections between subjects to promote deeper learning, the 2010 Games modeled that topics including arts, sports, culture, politics and sustainability could all be part of the same conversation.
There was a definite concern the Games would go through our community, but that the schools and young people might miss out on the potential opportunities. One year out, not only do people reflect fondly on the experiences of the Games, there are clearly a number of legacies that continue to play out in our schools.
cultureofyes.ca 
That’s interesting, I did not know that West Van school were closed during the 2 weeks. I think that was a good decision, and it was a shame that District #39 didn’t do the same. But no use crying of spilled milk, right?
Although going to school during the Games wasn’t too much of a hinderance, in my opinion. I really like your educational take on the impact of the Games. Most peole dont analyze it in terms of how it affected students and education. Definitely the Olymipics, through SL opened the doors of social media up to me. Especially the use of twitter, which I initally thought as “lame” is a staple in my life now! And blogging, I used the believe that no one would really care what I had to say, but I learned that that aspect doesn’t really matter. It’s your own opinions and it doen’st matter if 1 person or 100 people read it, its a thing that is for myself. Blogging has definitely gotten me writing more and thinking more deeply about things. And many of the staff at my school were excited about SL and followed what we were doing!
So overall, the Olympics definitely changed the way in which I perceive education and social media. Yes, the Olymipcs really changed the city and I got to witness it, but it was what I learned afterwards- using social media to give you a voice, connecting with others across the world- that really had a great impact on me because of the Olympics.
Thanks Tanya for your response. It is great that the learning from the Games is so transferable to other areas of your life. I enjoy following your blog – you can be assured at least one other person is reading it 🙂
This is a very interesting development from the Vancouver Olympics. I live about 100 miles away from Vancouver via two ferries, and could see the economic reprocussions of the Olympics completing. While the rest of Canada was sinking into the American recession it seems B. C. was immune. As a business developer, I knew we were not that lucky. I predicted that B. C.’s economy would fall about six months after the Olympics concluded; unfortunately I was right. I knew the area was falsely inflated due to the money pumped in to support the Olympics.
After reading your post, I was pleased to see how the Olympics left a good legacy for those around it. I am sure I am not alone in saying that I was glued to the TV and websites when the Olympics were on. I am glad to see schools used the Olympics as the platform to introduce social media and other forms of technology for educational purposes. I am concerned, though, about our younger people becoming too reliant on technology. Does anyone agree there is something wrong with using technology for some things, but must be mixed with face-to-face interactions also?
I am working on my doctorate and am looking at how technology is widening the generation gap between those who are technology-savvy and those who are not. I am glad the Olympics are bringing our archaic classrooms into this century, but I must admit, this may be a bad thing also.
Hi Jennifer – this is an important conversation we are having in our District – considering exactly what blended learning looks like and what digital literacy looks like, particular at younger ages.
An interesting discussion. I thought from the beginning that it was very forward thinking for our district to take a leadership role in closing the schools for the Olympics. Some scoffed that we were just getting two weeks off and avoiding traffic hassles but that isn’t the case at all. I am still hearing stories from my students about those two weeks. Whether they were taking in the wonderful community spirit that Vancouver’s downtown adopted or were watching events in person or at home with their families, our students really immersed themselves in the games! Of course, we did lots of teaching around the Olympics to front load our students as best we could. Our primary classes even held a mini-Olympics the week before. Ask most children what they were doing during February 2010 in Math or Socials class either today or 10 years from now and most would struggle to come up with an answer. Many West Van. students will know exactly what they were learning and experiencing in February 2010 for years to come!
Interesting to hear the stories of your students. This is very similar to what I have heard from students. Even if they did not attend events, they had an experience that will stick with them for a lifetime. It is so nice we were able to embrace the Games in our schools.
[…] pins, performed at Olympic events and otherwise were hooked into the Games. I wrote previously (HERE) about the education legacy of the Games on their one year anniversary in 2011 – and my […]