Timeline

• • Program Start and End Date

    September 21 - December 9, 2020

  • September 2020 | Virtual teacher professional learning workshops

    Teachers will be invited to professional learning workshops via Microsoft Teams Event or Zoom. These workshops will build on the pre-recorded videos and allow teachers to meet Spark staff. The video calls will do a deeper dive into design thinking and provide opportunities for teachers to participate in online brainstorming sessions. Online resources will also be provided to assist the teachers in their learning. Video calls may cover a variety of topics or could be more specific, and can be recorded and accessed later for those participants who are unable to attend.

  • September | Virtual onboarding with students and introduction to design thinking challenge

    Teachers will be encouraged to show pre-recorded videos to their students to introduce DIY Science Centre, design thinking, and the concept of rapid idea generation (RIGs). In lieu of a visit to TELUS Spark, students will participate in a video call with Spark staff for a more detailed introduction to the project. Students will then separate into breakout rooms via Microsoft Teams Event and a Spark staff member will facilitate them in either an online brainstorm (Microsoft Whiteboard or Miro) or a RIG in their own classrooms. Sessions will be interspersed with live or pre-recorded videos of Spark staff or external partners with science tidbits (e.g. “Did you know?” segment).

  • September – October | Launch Digital workshops and pre-recorded instructional videos

    Pre-recorded videos from Spark staff (e.g. RIGs, Archaeology, tours of Spark) will be provided along with video calls to connect with mentors and experts in the field – Spark staff member always in the call with students

  • September – October | Online resources shared with teachers

    Once the on-boarding of teachers and students has been completed, resources can be shared with teachers to assist them with supporting their students in the classroom. These resources will be in the form of documents, videos, and video calls with Spark staff.

  • September - October | Brainstorming and Student Collaboration

    Students contribute individually ahead of time on online whiteboards, then use video call to discuss the different contributions. If students are in school, in-person brainstorm sessions will be encouraged, and possibly facilitated by Spark staff via video call.

  • October | Student project proposals reviewed by Spark staff

    Students will work in groups of up to 3 to write a proposal for their project. These proposals will be submitted to Spark staff for review through Google Docs, and once the feedback has been provided, students can proceed with building their prototypes. Spark staff can also be contacted via video call during office hours, or asynchronously through an online chat group or email. If students are in their classrooms, in-person peer feedback sessions will be encouraged.

  • October – early December | Prototype building phase in class or at home with virtual support

    The building of prototypes will occur over a time period of a several weeks, with students and/or teachers acquiring materials on their own. Because the building phase involves continuous feedback, there will be scheduled check-ins and live events with Spark staff and mentors/experts throughout the process. Students can share their progress on class- or school-specific Flipgrids. There is also an opportunity for Spark staff to present specific challenges or progress reports, either presented on Flipgrid or video calls.

  • December | Celebration of Learning

    Schools will host their own celebrations of learning in early December to showcase their final projects. Spark staff can connect virtually with the classes before or during the celebration of learning and videos of the projects can be uploaded to Flipgrid.