Setting up the CNC machine

Preamble

In the modern world of trades education, technology is key. The days of manual production have predominantly passed, and computerized machinery and processes are vital to ensure success in the trades. From the digitization to computerization of machinery, companies are more than ever incorporating technology into their work spaces, as such, it is vital that students become familiar with, and interact with, these machines in school. Acknowledging this, as part of my personal or individual mandate, (although not bound by law to do so) after taking over the trades courses at Fort St. James Secondary School, was to modernize the shops and provide the students with relevant equipment and therefore a meaningful education. 

The Story of BC’s Digital Literacy Framework and the International Society for Technology in Education

In-line with my focus on the importance of technological advancement and education in my trades courses is the British Columbia’s Digital Literacy Framework (BCDLF). The basis of this framework is as follows:

“Using standards-based techniques, a collaborative teaching environment enriched through creative integration of technology tools takes learning beyond standardized tests and enables learning that embraces digital spaces, content, and resources and emphasizes that the process of learning is as important as an end product. An increasing focus on technology-enabled participatory learning also leverages the orientation of today’s and tomorrow’s students, for whom a digital environment is expected.”

In essence, this document sets forth a number of age specific standards in which students should be meeting to be better prepared for the future in this digital age. According to Tim Winklemans, in our EDCI 572 course session on 10 March 2020, he noted that the onus of these standards is on individual School Districts, schools, and educators to ensure implementation is affected in the classroom. This makes the document fundamentally a guide, and ultimately may mean that these standards are implemented in an unequal fashion throughout the education system in British Columbia. 

Further on the creation of the BC Digital Literacy Framework, Tim Winkleman and the government of British Columbia website also indicate that the BCDLF, was based off of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). As such, it is important to understand the ISTE vision:

“ISTE’s vision is that all educators are empowered to harness technology to accelerate innovation in teaching and learning, and inspire learners to reach their greatest potential.” 

Much like the BCDLF, the ISTE vision includes a desire for educators to use technology to train students for a digital future. ISTE, however, is a much more comprehensive, and includes a plethora of learning and educational tools for professionals, individuals, and students that the BCDLF does not begin to touch upon. The concept behind the BCDLF was to then take this information and compress it into a set of standards usable by policy makers and educators. 

Although a reasonable base document, the BCDLF falls short in a couple of areas. First, it covers six key areas: research and information literacy, critical thinking problem solving and decision making, creativity and innovation, digital citizenship, communication and collaboration, and technology operations and concepts. These areas are very good at examining students digital roles and digital footprints such as online privacy and safety. They also reasonably explore concepts such as communication and online relationships. The drawback is in how broad these categories end up being with little direction in how to go about meeting the outcomes. If this document were to be laid out grade by grade, with an addendum sheet that contained grade specific examples, the document may be far more meaningful for educators. 

Second, as the BCDLF document is purported as an overarching digital and technological framework for British Columba, it would be beneficial if it included guidance for pre-kindergarten digital training for parents and even post-secondary standards for adults. It further needs to acknowledge that not all educators and not all students have the same access to technology and the internet as others. This may make certain standards difficult for students living in very rural areas. One such standard that may be challenging for some students to meet for example is “participates in society through online engagement in democratic actions.” 

Third and most substantially, the BCDLF’s greatest pitfall is not what is included, but what groups are excluded from mention. The most notably of these, within the public education system, are students with special needs, and the First Peoples of British Columba. The adaptation or modification of these standards is vital to ensure all students are able to meet a given outcome within the given constraints of their own ability. This is especially important given the predominance of personalized learning in education today. 

Principles of First Nations learning is also something that, although separate, does not need to be exclusive from the BCDLF document. The First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) offers a fantastic document on First Peoples Principles of Learning (see below). These principles stipulate ways in which learning takes place, and regardless if that learning is digital, they can be incorporated into a larger framework, such as the BCDLF or even the ISTE.

FNESC First Peoples Principles of Learning

Digital Literacy and ISTE in my Classroom and Cross Curricular Inquiry Projects: Preparing students for a 21st century trades experience

In my first blog for EDCI 572 I shared a brief overview of my digital story in which I included a segment on modernizing, computerizing, and digitizing my shops. This blog can be found HERE, and is beneficial pre-read to this section as it highlights some of the technology my students use. Although the BCDLF and ISTE do not specifically address technology in the trades, their frameworks and standards can be used to show how students can meet these competencies while doing project work in the trades. The chart below was co-created by Andrew Vogelsang, Deirdre Houghton, and myself to show how our Masters of Technology in Education project, based on cross curricular inquiry, can meet virtually every standard set forth in the BCDLF; many of which are directly related work done in the carpentry shop.

 

BC Digital Literacy Framework Learning Outcome Student Activity
Research and Information Literacy
  • Locates, organizes, analyzes, evaluates, synthesizes and ethically uses information from a variety of sources and media. (Gr. 10-12)
  • Integrates, compares and puts together different types of information related to multimodal content. (Gr. 10-12)
  • Understands the different purposes and contexts of digital image editing. (Gr. 10-12)
  • Integrates, compares and puts together different types of information related to multimodal content. (Gr. 10-12) 
  • Structures, classifies, and organizes digital information/content according to a certain classification schemes or genres. (Gr. 10-12)
  • Learners complete an Inquiry Project on Truth and Reconciliation using various research sources (website/articles). 
  • Upon completion of the Inquiry, learners create a hand-drawn motif on paper (via knowledge from inquiry project), then transfer their design to Adobe Software then finally to Aspire. 
  • Learners will then transfer their files via memory stick to the carpentry shop to upload the G-Code to the computer numerically controlled router (CNC machine). 
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
  • Creates complex models and simulations of the real world using digital information. (Gr. 10-12)
  • Can program ranging from using block building code tools to a high-level programming language. (Gr. 10-12)
  • Learners will have a defined workspace in which to print their reflective motif. They will have to measure and design their section of the feather in both the carpentry shop and in the Aspire software.
Creativity and Innovation
  • Remixes different existing digital content into something new. (Gr. 10-12)
  • Understands how meaning is produced through multimedia (text, images, audio, video) and how culture is produced through the Internet and social media in particular. (Gr. 10-12)
  • Learners will have to respect and attain permission to use any Indigenous symbology. 
  • Learners will have to design around the artifact, if used, to make sure that the representations of the symbol are used correctly.
Digital Citizenship
  • Understands the legal and ethical dimensions of respecting creative work. (Gr. 10-12) 
  • Distinguishes between taking inspiration from the creative work of others and appropriating that work without permission. (Gr. 10-12)
  • Learners using digital images will have to either design the images themselves or use creative commons licenced images. 
Communication and Collaboration 
  • Uses digital media to be part of a community. (Gr. 10-12) 
  • Makes valuable contributions to the public knowledge domain (e.g. wikis, public forums, reviews). (Gr. 10-12)
  • Is familiar with the meaning of terms commonly used in user manuals for the operation of hardware and the installation and configuration of software. (Gr. 10-12) 
  • Troubleshoots systems and applications. (Gr. 10-12)
  • Has a reasonable knowledge of available technologies, their strengths and weaknesses, and is able to make informed decisions about whether and how to use technologies to pursue personal goals. (Gr. 10-12)
  • Learners will be using digital media to create a permanent community project, that will represent the growth of our knowledge of Truth and Reconciliation as a community.
  • Learners will have to troubleshoot both digital and technical issues that arise throughout the project.  
  • Learners will have to evaluate the proper tools, both digital and physical, to create their vision.
Technology Operations and Concepts
  • Solves a theoretical or practical problem, of individual or collective interest, through or with the support of digital tools. (Gr. 10-12) 
  • Solves technical problems and knows what to do when technology does not function. (Gr. 10-12)  
  • Transfers current knowledge to learning new technologies. (Gr. 10-12)
  • Learners will have to collaborate collectively and work in a unified manner using the tools prescribed. 

 

  • Learners can work around malfunctioning software and adapt by using similar yet different software.  
  • Learners will be required to use the base functions of computer literacy from one program to another.

Created by Gary Soles, Andrew Vogelsang, and Deirdre Houghton using the British Columbia’s Digital Literacy Framework

 

An example of one of the many digital competencies that can be learned in the shop can be seen in the video below. Students learn the fundamentals of Geometric Code (G-Code) to proof and potentially debug their carving prior to running the CNC machine. Additional information on G-Code can be found here.

 

 

 

Conclusion

Regardless of the course students are taking, it is possible for them to gain skills and insight into the world of digital literacy. Frameworks such as the BCDLF, and ISTE draw attention to the importance of guiding learners to participate in technology that will inevitably be an integral part of their future. Even courses that may not immediately come to mind as relating to digital literacy (such as my industrial education classes) can, and should, incorporate a holistic education that includes aspects of digital literacy. Ultimately, to best ensure our students are properly trained for the future, we need to include literacies of the future in our practice. 

 

References

 

(2015, June 9). First Nations Education Steering Committee FNESC. Retrieved March 12, 2020, from https://www.fnesc.ca/

 

BC’s digital literacy framework. (2013, January). https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/kindergarten-to-grade-12/teach/teaching-tools/digital-literacy-framework.pdf

 

Getting Started with G-Code | CNC Programming. (2020). Autodesk | 3D Design, Engineering & Construction Software. https://www.autodesk.com/industry/manufacturing/resources/manufacturing-engineer/g-code

 

International society for technology in education. (2020). ISTE. Retrieved March 10, 2020, from https://www.iste.org/