This transcript has been edited slightly for clarity. Listen to the Jamboards podcast (12:43).

Jackie – The following podcast is brought to you by the Creative Arts Curriculum Team from Secondary Learners Educational Standards Directorate of the New South Wales Department of Education. As we commence this podcast today, let us acknowledge the traditional custodians of all the lands on which this podcast will be played around New South Wales. Their art, storytelling, music and dance along with all first nations people hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and hopes of Aboriginal Australia. Let us acknowledge, with honor and respect our elders past, present and future, especially those aboriginal people in our presence today who have and still do guide us with their wisdom. Welcome to the creative cast podcast series I'm Jackie King and I'm a creative arts project officer with the New South Wales Department of Education. Today we're going to discuss the strategy of the weak with Eugenia Lewis from Kurri Kurri High School. Hi, Eugenia. How are you?

Eugenia – Hi, Jackie. Good, Thanks. How are you?

Jackie – I'm well, thank you. Thank you for joining us today. You submitted a fantastic video on our flip grid about using jam boards in dance, which sounded very interesting. But before we get started on talking about the use of Jamboards in dance. Could you give us a little bit of information or background context on your school at Kurri Kurri High School?

Eugenia – Yeah, sure. So I'm at Kurri Kurri we're sort of in the Upper Hunter Maitland area Cessnock area, But we have about 150 students that identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and we're low socioeconomic area. But we have great we have great programs running at the school. Stage four is all integrated Hub Learning got a studio school, big picture section of the school, and then we've got our mainstream and our Kuta Kaya, special education guys. So we have, a range of different students, different learners and lots of exciting things happening all the time at school.

Jackie – Fantastic. So I've chosen your video today or your strategy this week because it's like a techie strategy. And given that Edutech was on this week, I thought it was appropriate to have a discussion about a tech strategy. Before we really get into what jam boards are how do you go with access to technology and B Y O D at Kurri High School?

Eugenia – Yes. So we're really lucky, actually we're fairly advanced Technology school. We do you have a B Y O D policy, and we have also have a program for students who don't have access to their own device in terms of the loan program. So before Covid, this was a day loan program. So the students would come every day to the library, pick up their laptop, have the same laptop each day, and then they would just return it to the library. But since COVID we have now got, like, a long term loan, so the students will have the loan for the whole term if they need to bring it back at the end of term for the tech guys to, you know, do some testing or fixing up, they will. Otherwise they just keep their device. And then at the end of the year, they return that. So in terms of technology, pretty much every student in my class has access to a laptop to work in class. They don't have a laptop device or they don't have them on them that particular day, they have access to Canvas on their phone. So, yeah, we use Canvas as our main LMS and yes, so really, really lucky. And it's sort of one of the main focuses of the school. So yeah, that's pretty, pretty good with our kids.

Jackie – That's fantastic. And considering that you said it was a low socioeconomic area, having those programs where students are able to borrow laptops must be a really fantastic thing for the both the students and obviously the teachers. So we can have a bit of a level playing field as well.

Eugenia – Yeah, so Jamboard is sort of like an interactive whiteboard. It's jam board is a Google developed app. They can use it through your Google Suite, your G suite. There's also an app on them on your phone so students can download it themselves and yeah, it's basically an interactive whiteboard where you can add topics for discussion, or you can add images for discussion. And then the students can then add their sticky notes and their points in that. Everyone's all on the one jam board. But sometimes in terms of kids, you know, wanting to for the first time if they're experimenting, it can be a little bit difficult because they're, you know, they're wanting to ad and explore and experiment. But at the same time, that's also an awesome opportunity for them to explore with a new app and a new bit of technology. And they have sort of lots of fun. But yeah, basically, it's an interactive whiteboard app developed through G Suite.

Jackie – Fantastic. So how have you used the jam Board app? And why did you choose to use the jam board app?

Eugenia – So I've used it in a number of different ways. I've used it as a way to deliver content through sort of class discussion but online interactive discussion, you know, for students that may not necessarily feel comfortable verbally participating in a class discussion. So in terms of dance, Year 9 Dance Class, I first used it to introduce the idea of safe dance practice to them. So the first time that come across this content and instead of just, you know, writing notes or being quite monotonous with the content, we did it through a, discussion, question based thing. So, for example, as you went through the board or the slides but asking questions, So what do you think Safe Dance Practice involves, and then we'll have a look. And then, you know, there are seven main elements. What are the main elements and think, you know, things like that. We're just going through a question and then in between, each slide, I would have the content for for for them to check whether their answers were right So, yes. So the first term with my year 12 I used as an assessment for learning. So I went through the syllabus went through the different points and just again different question based things to see what they felt most comfortable with, what they were least comfortable with. Sort of help me with my planning, and I've also used it in terms of for reflection. So as a, for example, as a K W L chat, where the students can reflect on what they know already about a certain topic, what they want to know what they have learned. So, yeah, there's lots of different ways that you can use it. I think I'm really looking forward to exploring it with composition with my Year 12s and my stage five dance classes next year in terms of, just getting them brainstorming and thinking because you can have a different topic and a different idea on on a page. So yeah, lots of different reasons. I first came across it through a professional learning meeting an online zoom meeting that I have had done, and I found it as a really engaging way for me to engage in the professional learning. So I thought, Sure, why not try it with my students and yeah.

Jackie – And in terms of your students, how did they react to using the jam board or what do you feel like the outcome for the students was by using this piece of technology?

Eugenia – Yes, So I think it's really positive outcome. Like I said before the first time, each class that I've had have used it, you know, they've been a bit not silly with it, but they wanted to experiment and explore with that. You know, they can get a bit off track with it, but at the same time it sort of developing their sort of their curiosity and their tech skills in a new app. But the engagement levels have been really, really good, and especially in the dance classroom where we're not necessarily sitting at the desk or, you know, they don't have their devices, they might not have the devices out. I can just pop it on. And if they've got the jamboard app on their phone, they can. We can just jump in and do some content that way, and then you've got all of the answers there to for them to refer back to later. So yeah, overall, really positive. You know, you can add images, you can add gifs you can add different things. So also too they're not. They don't necessarily have to give their answers or interact with through language and through text they can export. You know they can express their ideas through images or gifs or different. You know, things like that. So yeah, overall, really positive and really high levels of engagement, which has been great.

Jackie – I love that idea of being able to communicate without necessarily using language that they can use pictures and they can use images and and that sort of thing. I suppose when it comes to brainstorming ideas as a stimulus for dance composition, that sort of way of communicating would be really great for the students. Are they able to do to put in videos or anything like that as well?

Eugenia – I'm not 100% sure about videos, I think I think it's just images you can upload from your Google drive or from your computer. But I think it's just I haven't tried in the video, but I think it's just restricted to images, although you can do gifs, so they're sort of like, you know, really small video GIF files. Yeah, I haven't actually explored that, but yeah, in terms of composition and dance and stimulus and stuff, it's it's awesome and even you. There's also like a drawing function with it, too. If they're wanting to sort of because, you know, as part of dance, we often and as part of composition process were often doing diagrams or, you know, photos or images off our shapes the body is making, or if you're looking at a full pattern, where they're going to go in the dance or formations. If it's sort of, you know, if it's a group task, they you know you've got that drawing option to to plan out all of those sort of aspect off their compositions. So, yeah, there's lots of awesome opportunities in awesome ways that you can engage in it. It's still new for me, So I'm still exploring eso. I'm not 100% sure about the videos, but I think it's just images.

Jackie – Last question. What would be your advice for teachers wanting To explore jam board or different ways in which you think teachers, particularly dance teachers, would be able to engage with Jamboard to? Activate their students in in dance or in the creative arts in general?

Eugenia – One thing one sort of bit of a advice, I would say is Make sure you have it, like, have a talk to the students beforehand about appropriate use of it. Because sometimes you know they wanted experiment. They wanna be silly. They found it hilarious that they're all adding, you know, they're all in the same document and there are all adding, so that's that's one thing that I found that's really helped. You know that as teachers, we have or as owners of the document. You can see the history of what's happened, but in terms of the dance class, just have no fears. Don't don't let it's a, It's a new bit of technology for me I was, you know, I'm still learning with it, but I'm exploring with my students, so use it for in any way that you need or in that way that you want. But like I said, so many different uses, delivering of content, reflection, you know, assessment for learning, planning for compositions. Just run with it and just yeah, experiment and have fun.

Jackie – Awesome. Well, thank you so much for sharing your strategy of the weak with us. Eugenia. I'm sure a lot of teachers would get find some use out of using the jam boards and obviously being a Google app, it's very accessible and easy to use for teachers. to put into their classrooms.

Eugenia – No worries, thanks for having me, Jackie. And can't wait to hear future strategies of the week. Come out.

Jackie – Thank you. Get involved in the conversation by recording your favorite teaching strategy using the strategy of the weak flip grid in the Creative Arts Statewide Staff Room. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter at Creative Arts Curriculum 7 to 12 or contact us via email. Creativearts7-12@det.nsw.edu.au The music for this podcast was composed by Alex Manton, and audio production by Jason King.

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