Introduction
Our Project
Our goal is to enable all students in grades 7 and 8 to develop knowledge and skills (literacy, numeracy and social skills) through techno-games in all three levels of the Multi-level Support System. The multiroom team (resource teachers) works closely with the students who receive intervention at the 2nd (small group) and 3rd (individual) levels. These students support us in our first-level classroom interventions. As a result, interventions with games enable these students to develop confidence and act as a support for other students. At the same time, students and teachers in the classroom are developing their confidence and the desire to make greater use of technological tools. This project will enable us to explore various technological tools (games) and inclusive approaches to give all participants a sense of belonging.
Tell us about your team and your school community.
We are learning support teachers in the multi-purpose room at École secondaire de Clare. The school is located in a francophone Acadian minority community in southwestern Nova Scotia. At the school, technology is often used as a source of motivation for our students, and we’d like to incorporate more new technological practices in the classroom and with students with greater needs. We want to break down barriers by using tech games to help students succeed academically and create a more inclusive climate at our school.
Tell us about the importance of learning through play for your team and for your students.
Some studies have shown that learning through play is highly motivating for students, especially those who experience challenges in the classroom. “Scientists have found that it takes about 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain, except if it’s done through play, it only takes 20 repetitions.” (Purvis, K., (2007). The Connected World.) So, by working in collaboration with teachers, our goal is to lower the barriers to implementing technological games as a teaching method in the classroom.
Tell us about your interest in joining the Canadian Playful Schools Network
We look forward to collaborating with other teams across the country and discovering new pedagogical approaches through technogames. Our hope is to get students engaged in their schoolwork, and to encourage (fearless) teachers to use technogames as a teaching method.