Stay curious
Christopher Blais
Specialist, Teaching & Learning with Technology
Calgary Board of Education (CBE)
When I reflect on my own experiences as a student, I really struggled with the traditional methods of teaching. The standard practice of being taught a curriculum, memorizing the facts, and using the pencil and paper approach just didn’t work for me. Now, we’re seeing more and more complex learners in the classroom – many of which I’ve experienced teaching first-hand for nearly a decade and a half. These kids – the ‘barometres’ of the class – have inspired me (and I hope others) to adapt my teaching and reflect my practice in a way that benefits the student and their style of learning. I want to be the type of educator I wish I had when I was a student.
After transitioning to a specialist role where I support educational technology like 3D printing, robotics and coding to personalize student learning, I was assigned an exciting new project. In the fall of 2021, the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) announced a collaboration with Microsoft, the City of Calgary and the Calgary Public Library to deliver an educational opportunity for all CBE students using something they love – videogames – to help them learn. We challenged students to come up with a virtual proposal with Minecraft: Education Edition to share their vision on how they would reimagine public spaces within Calgary to ultimately enrich the lives of residents and strengthen our community. As an educator, this was my chance to create an authentic educational experience in a space that is familiar to our students, offering opportunities for educators to learn alongside students – a new way to represent learning.
"Since the launch, the ‘Level Up, Calgary!’ challenge has truly become a community initiative and has given students that ‘real world learning’ experience and has been a catalyst in introducing Minecraft: Education Edition into the CBE system."
This program illustrated why my fellow educators should sometimes take a step back and take a risk. As a teacher, you don’t need all the answers, but you do need to be curious and willing to integrate new tools, experiences, and opportunities within the classroom. Don’t be afraid to ask your students how they want to learn and with what tools. I’ve worked with reluctant readers and writers and have seen the power technology has to help these kids read and write. Complex learners will let you know if things aren’t working for them, so tweak your practice to engage these kids and encourage them to have a voice.
Learn, try new things, and stay true to your learning intentions. That “wouldn’t it be cool if…” thought in your head? Go for it. Different tools will come and go, but it is so important to recognize your students’ proficiencies, cater to their interests and empower them with leadership opportunities to set them up for success along the way.
To learn more about Microsoft’s tools and solutions for educators, please visit the Microsoft Learn Educator Centre. To learn more about Minecraft: Education Edition and become a Global Minecraft Mentor, click here.
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