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Arcadia Weekly Oct 15, 2015
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– Photo by Toby Zhang
YouTube-Famous Science Teacher Talks Technology in School
By Jonathan Tsou
Last week, Arcadia Unified School District hosted a community information night featuring Paul Anderson. Paul Anderson is a well-known YouTuber and teacher who has helped thousands of high school and college students find a deeper understanding of science. He was the 2011 Montana Teacher of the Year and one of the four finalists for 2011 National Teacher of the Year.
Mr. Anderson graduated from Montana State University having majored in biology, and attempted to become a doctor. He later would switch to teaching, and discovered a passion for educating others. He is currently on a one-year break from teaching at Bozeman High School in Montana. He is an advanced placement biology teacher.
His visit to Arcadia High School was intended to help Arcadia transfer from traditional teaching to teaching with technology. He also discussed the pros and cons of technology in school.
On Thursday, he met privately with Craig Monden, the biology teacher from Arcadia High who first decided to invite Mr. Anderson to Arcadia. Mr. Monden indicated that Paul Anderson’s informative videos allow him to create a “flip instruction” class and allow his students to review topics that were talked about in class. A flipped instruction classroom is when teachers allow students to learn instructional content outside the classroom, while in the classroom students collaborate and work on classwork with the help of the instructor.
Later in the day, Mr. Anderson met with a group of select middle and high school students to discuss the negatives and positives of technology in school. Students discussed how the new technology allows them to have their work auto save, allows them to collaborate with other students, and allows them to search for facts at a faster pace. Although technology helps students, it does not come without its challenges. Most students believe that teachers are not allowing them to use their Chromebooks to the max potential.
After speaking to students, Mr. Anderson spoke to the community. He addressed the issues that students gave him and how the schools are changing. With over 300 attendees, he discussed what the future of school will look like and how students can adapt to it. He also did a Q&A with parents and students.
The next day, Mr. Anderson spoke with many teachers from Arcadia Unified to discuss what he has learned from the community and students.
Arcadia Unified School District’s superintendent, David Vassandell, remarked that the world is changing rapidly and that the school must continue to change with it. He also stated that many teachers have been on Twitter to discuss their curriculum with other teachers around the nation in order to enhance what they are teaching. He hopes that all teachers will continue to change to a more technology-focused teaching.
– Photo by Ryan Foran, Public Information Officer of AUSD
