Hay River school an innovator in technology
Terry Halifax
Northern News Services
Hay River (May 21/01) - A revolutionary software program that shares ideas and teaches children to teach each other is finding its way into NWT schools.
Knowledge Forum is a database program developed at the Centre for Applied Cognitive Science at the University of Toronto as a way for schools to share information.
"Knowledge Forum has been used from a kindergarten right through to post-graduate studies," Sandy McAuley, a researcher for the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, said on a recent visit to Harry Camsell school in Hay River.
"It allows people to collaborate over a local area network or the Internet."
Harry Camsell school received a $10,000 Network of Innovative Schools grant and a $30,000 Canadian Rural Partnership grant in recognition of innovative teaching techniques.
"What goes on here is going on without a lot of outside involvement," McAuley said. "They are making do with what resources they have in trying to extend this program."
The Hay River school has used the program for the last four years with Grades 5 and 6 to link with schools in Iqaluit, Toronto and most recently with the Hay River Dene Reserve and Fort Smith.
Students ask questions and exchange theories with other schools as they tackle problems on a shared project.
"There is a lot of critical thinking and assessing evidence for its validity," he said.
McAuley said some Knowledge Forum schools students are communicating with experts and challenging them with questions.
"It's shrinking the world not only in terms of its size, but also who you can connect with intellectually," he said.
"A community is not just where you are or what you're interested in; it's a group of people working on a problem and looking to understand."
The database is built by students on a variety of curriculum subjects like traditional knowledge, nutrition, weather systems and space.
"Researchers found that if you shape the curriculum based on the kid's questions the curriculum objectives are going to be met."
McAuley said some students even surpassed the curriculum objectives, by answering their own questions.
Harry Camsell teacher Tyler Hawkins was first introduced to Knowledge Forum through Education Culture and Employment (ECE).
To introduce students to the software, Hawkins had the class "tele-collaborate" with each other on interviews.
"We've been taking baby steps along the way and we've made lots of mistakes, but we've also had many successes," Hawkins said. His students had their first online interaction with Joamie Illiniarvik School in Iqaluit.
"They were doing a unit on space and we were doing a unit on space and we thought we'd meet somewhere in between and go online together and share what it was we were learning about," he said.
"It was a very powerful reaction," he said. "Within 10 minutes we had about 50 students logged-in simultaneously, entering notes and sharing information back and forth. The things that started happening were really surprising and inspiring."
Hawkins has also shared Knowledge Forum with JBT elementary in Fort Smith and Chief Sunrise Education Centre on the Hay River Dene reserve. He said the software is an excellent compliment to teaching and reviewing what has been learned.
"It's a way for us to document what we learn," Hawkins said. "It's not something that you do separate from your classroom -- it's something integrated into your classroom."
As the NWT already owns a site licence for the software, every school in the NWT could be online.
