The Community of Lead Practitioners (CLP) at Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board is a technology and pedagogy-focused community of practice that has functioned on a board-wide scale since 2019. Its effectiveness is legendary, amongst local RÉCIT members and provincial services like LEARN; so I dropped in on Ron Turchyniak to get a better idea of some of the work he and fellow EdTech consultant Tim Foreman have been doing with their CLP members (affectionately known just as CLPs) in the last 5+ years of its existence.
Origins and structure of the CLP as a whole
Initially supported through funds such as “Mesure 15086”, the project involved not only the establishment of the community itself, but also the organization of a means to coach educators by an expert local teacher. Generally, one or two teachers per school volunteered to become members of this coaching team. To date, there are now 64 CLPs available in schools across the board’s widespread territory.
As the first page of their SWLSB EdTech website states, the CLPs are early adopters who help colleagues integrate technology meaningfully into teaching and learning. Community members attend regular meetings throughout the year with their Edtech consultants (Tim and Ron at the time of writing), to learn about and test new technologies available to teachers and students in the board. Not only do they learn how the technology functions, but also how subject-area and generalist teachers could use that technology to support learning in the classroom. This has even involved creating lesson plans using the technology and making them available to teachers. And, it also allows them a chance to discuss and debate each technology’s use.
Ron Turchyniak and Tim Foreman, SWLSB Consultants
In this way, the CLPs help to “drive innovation, collaboration, and real classroom impact.”
Since CLPs develop early knowledge and expertise that other teachers may not yet have, the CLPs are occasionally called upon for “just-in-time support” and could even lead local sessions on how technology might be used. The CLPs also serve as a crucial and effective liaison between teachers and the board’s EdTech consultants, able to describe and explain their initiatives and services, and to actively highlight those efforts in local staff meetings, through normal school-based availability, communication channels, correspondence, etc.
Designed by and for teachers, not techies
Teachers who are part of the CLP network are often technology enthusiasts, but they don’t have to be experts. Their role as part of a techno-pedagogy support system notwithstanding, they remain educators at heart and are not expected to solve software or hardware problems on the spot, nor help with installations. Related to this role is the fact that the members themselves help to define the role of the CLP. Together, they drafted a “What we are/What we are not” document, where it’s stated that they are not IT troubleshooters, nor expected to be available at all times, but they are there to help locally to serve as mentors, and, as the name suggests, leaders.
Student-led support teams, too!
Some CLPs go beyond their core role by supporting and mentoring student technology leaders, and in some cases, helping schools establish “Tech-Sherpa–style” teams. These student-led groups provide live technical support, training, and mentorship to teachers, staff, and peers. Students may bring existing skills or be trained to develop expertise in specific technologies. Their contributions often include creating original tutorials and offering “help desk”–style assistance, helping to build a more effective, technology-rich learning environment.
Board-wide tools and services, galore
What impressed me most during my conversation with Ron last week was not just the creation of a large, active group of lead teachers connecting the EdTech team with classrooms, but the remarkable range and quality of support and services the board provides to them.
Various workshops were offered to SWLSB staff, with a strong focus on critical thinking in the age of misinformation. These sessions explored ways for teachers and students to create interactive media with built-in pause points, fake news, and detailed prompts for viewers to stop, reflect, and analyze content.
Example of a fake news activity using specific fact-checking strategies. Click on the image to zoom in.
Additional workshops supported new teachers in implementing the various dimensions of the digital competency, in using specific assistive technologies, and in applying AI in ways that are ethical, safe, and pedagogically sound (according to the MEQ document “L’utilisation pédagogique, éthique et légale de l’intelligence artificielle générative”).
Spring sessions on AI are being offered that involve international Google trainers as part of a Google AI Academy, positioning SWLSB participants among the first certified cohorts in Canada. CLPs will also receive training from Google New York representatives, including Clay Smith.
And finally, Ron recently also supported a board-wide rollout of Canva. Workshops are being planned for CLPs and other teachers, which will even include support from LEARN specialists this fall.
All of these are just a few examples of the resources, relevant PD, and assistive technology support available to the CLPs and to the teachers through the top menus on the main SWLSB EdTech page.
This blog article was written in collaboration with Ron Turchyniak, Educational and Assistive Technology Specialist with the Pedagogical Services at Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board (SWLSB). Photos courtesy of Ron Turchyniak.
