By Pepper Parr
September 10th, 2024
BURLINGTON, ON
Part 1 of a 3 part series
They were back in their classrooms last Wednesday. The elementary students didn’t have their cellphone with them. The middle school and high school students had restricted use of cell phones in the classroom.
The province has provided funding for mental health support – there appears to be a link between the two.
Susan Drake – Brock University
Susan Drake is a Distinguished Professor at Brock University, the designation is a lifetime appointment recognizing outstanding achievement in each recipient’s academic discipline.
Drake has done the traditional writing and grants expected of academics; her most significant research impact in education has been felt in real classrooms across the globe.
She notes that: “There has been a noticeable reading lag for many students since the pandemic. Current Science of Reading research in the US indicates that about 25% of students need explicit instruction to read well using the revised Ontario language curriculum. This approach means highly structured sequential steps with a heavy emphasis on sound letter association (phonics)
“Some schools implement externally developed programs. Once the foundations are established the students apply them to texts such as a scientific description of an animal, a fictional narrative or a theme based text.”
Drake, Professor of Educational Studies, joined Brock University in 1989 as a freshly minted PhD with a passion. As a secondary school teacher, she experimented with innovations to engage students and enhance their learning.
“During my graduate studies, I discovered the educational theory to affirm my discoveries, and to expand upon them. I wanted to help teachers find the secrets to student success through engaging pedagogy and assessment.”
Her research had always been grounded in hands-on work effectively bridging the practice-theory gap.
Integrated curriculum is something Drake has worked at implementing whatever she was doing. She was a strong supporter of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). She was delighted when STEM was enlarged to STEAM – with the A standing for the arts.
The classroom focus for Drake it to teach transferable skills, problem solving and connections.
Much of her work now is curriculum and classroom assessment. She also teaches an online course at Brock University.
The cell phone resulted in students becoming unable to connect with other students. If they couldn’t connect, Drke contends students would have difficulty solving problems – which is often a group activity.
Every problem solved creates a skill that can be used to solve another problem.
This holistic approach is one that Drake comes close to preaching about. She will tell you that technology is going to change the world even more than the changes we experienced during the Industrial Revolution. The major difference being the rate at which change is now taking place.
