Digital & Chardin
What should be the importance of devices and digital technology in Primary education?
This subject is one of the keys to the development of our education systems and will have a strong impact on the day-to-day operation of the classroom.
This theme should be considered from two angles. Indeed, we can teach the use of digital tools, in the sense of teaching the skills related to them (sometimes called ICTE (Information and Communication Technologies for Education) or, we can teach using these tools. One does not exclude the other without them being interchangeable. For example, we can present the first introduction to the algorithm concept without a screen (via a choreography, or with movements on a grid), or set up a collaborative writing work via an application. In the first case, it is a session devoted to digital skills without using a device. In the second case, it is a French/English session with and through digital technology. The latter assumes that both the teacher and student have prior digital technology skills .
Digital education has become (before and especially after the COVID crisis) an important social issue. Screens are indeed present in our daily life and in those of our children, starting from an early age.
Understanding how these devices work is therefore essential for the development of students' academic and later professional skills. They should not be used passively, but rather used thoughtfully and with reasoning as to why digital technologies would enhance the learning experience. Creating clear boundaries between personal use, school and professional use could also be reduced, which would be positive for all in our society.
As such, the implementation of a reference framework for digital skills via PIX in the common core of French National Education will be the same process in Ecole Bilingue Chardin
The introduction to Coding (with or without screen),the discovery of the first notions of programming and “netiquette” must thus intervene sufficiently early in the school years to meet the needs of the students on this subject without starting too early.
It is not necessary to use tablets from kindergarten for this topic. Indeed, most of these concepts are above all based on logic and mathematics. The École Bilingue Chardin relies on the work of Serge Tisseron and the 3-6-9 campaign to regulate the daily use of screens for children
From 3 to 6 years old, this use must be limited in time and accompanied by an adult.
From 6 to 9 years old, it is the angle of creation that must be favored. This can be musical, photographic or video, but it is this artistic entry that is at the heart of digital teaching at the Ecole Bilingue Chardin.
From the age of 9, it is the empowerment of children and respect for others online that must be the main focus of all teachers and parents.
This program involves constant communication and exchange with the parents on this subject because the habits of the house and those of the school will influence each other.
It therefore seems unrealistic for us to want to ban screens at all costs. It is preferable to co-construct relevant and progressive uses with students and families. The place of the teacher will then be central in this exchange.
Digital skills also influences the way the educators teach, and training in teaching by or with digital tools is an important lever for professional development for all teachers.
UNESCO has stated in this regard in its RewirEd World Declaration on Connectivity for Education that “pedagogical innovation and change are essential for the digital transformation of education”
It is, therefore, necessary to go beyond the simple framework of the use of new tools to adapt its pedagogy and modify it completely.
As such, the SAMR model is an interesting response to offer to teachers and that will be interesting to be presented to the parents. Ruben Puentedura has theorized the different levels of change that pedagogies in the classroom can and must undergo.
This theoretical model describes the different levels of integration of technologies during a class session: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition.
Substitution: The student types a text on a keyboard rather than writing it in a copybook.
Augmentation: Students answer an online questionnaire that is automatically corrected and get feedback instantly.
Modification: Instead of producing a simple essay, the student record it and publishes it on the class website;
Redefinition: Students work together to produce a video on a theme chosen by them and promote it to other schools using a sharing platform.
It is also relevant to note that this transformation model can be applied more broadly to all digital transformations in many topics.
This model is fully integrated in the preparation of lessons and in the curriculum of our establishment to serve ambitious lessons that promote the success of all.
Beyond the academic aspect, it is necessary to support students in building collaboration, group work and problem-solving skills that will undoubtedly be essential in Tomorrow’s World.
