Embracing emerging technology, maintaining classroom stability
BY MATTHEW FLETCHER
Ensuring stability in the classroom for students still catching up after turbulent times brought on by COVID is a top priority for newly appointed Education Minister Paul Calandra, who sat down with the Review to share some insights.
Governance is top of mind for the minister.
“I think that the immediate challenge will always be ensuring student achievement meets or exceeds our expectations and preparation for the jobs of tomorrow,” Calandra says. “But I would say also one of the equally big challenges is governance, especially the role of school boards in ensuring that they deliver on their mandate of preparing our kids, supporting parents and teachers. Governance and the role of school boards in ensuring or helping our students achieve is something that I want to continue to review and set up the system for success for a long time to come.”
The pandemic caused much disruption for students and teachers alike that is still being felt. The goal for almost everyone is to keep moving towards something approximating normality.
“Yeah, so it’s stability, first of all, certainly coming out of COVID,” Calandra says. “We’re a few years outside of COVID, but one of the things that Minister Lecce was really good on as we emerged from COVID was ensuring that we had stability, and I want to keep that going for the system. So honestly, that is a very, very key priority for me.”
He emphasizes that getting students ready for their future success requires a major focus on AI and VR.
“On AI, that is something I’m very, very, very interested in. And I’ve asked the department, frankly, to get me examples, do the research that is needed to show me (other) jurisdictions that are doing this well without causing immediate stress in the system, I keep harking back to the stability, stability, stability”.
He goes on to elaborate that he wants to use “virtual reality to expose kids to some of the trades.
“The virtual reality crane operator program, for instance,” Calandra says. “(Normally) a student would never be exposed to something like that. But through virtual reality, we can start exposing them in the younger grades and into the high schools in a way that we have never been able to before. But doing it with, not only with educators, but with the outside workforce as well, the professionals in the industry. So, I’m cautious of doing it in a proper fashion, but I’m also really, really excited by the opportunity that it offers.”
“I’m actually really, really excited by these opportunities that technology gives us. I want to catch up, but I want to be cognizant of stability as well. It is something you’ll be hearing more from us on over the next number of months.”
Photo: Ensuring stability in the classroom for students still catching up after turbulent times brought on by COVID is a top priority for newly appointed Education Minister Paul Calandra. (Photo courtesy of the Minister’s office)