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ATHABASCA — Starting in May, Aspen View Public Schools trustees will begin meeting with Grade 7 students throughout the division to discuss their use of technology and whether the division should be taking any particular action to address their concerns over technology use.
The upcoming Student Voice sessions were an agenda item at the April 6 board meeting in Vilna, where trustees looked over a list of technology-related questions developed by the Student Services team.
Board chair Candyce Nikipelo said trustees participate in the sessions annually, though they typically change the purpose of the sessions each year and select a different group of students to speak to.
For instance, Nikipelo said they spoke to Grade 9 students last year about how they were feeling coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, what they missed and what they were looking forward to most.
As noted, trustees will be speaking to Grade 7 students this year about the types of technology they use, how it’s useful in education and whether it hinders their education.
They will also broach topics such as cheating using technology, artificial intelligence, malware, phishing and how they stay safe online.
“We decided to go with a younger group this year because their technology use is starting to get more important to them,” Nikipelo said.
She said they get the Student Services team to help prepare the students for being interviewed. Then it’s just a matter of setting up the actual sessions, which depend on class schedules and school calendars.
There’s no hard deadline to get the Student Voice sessions done, as this is Aspen View’s own initiative and not, say, the result of a provincial directive.
That said, Nikipelo suggested that they will aim to be done around the end of May-beginning of June.
“That helps us with planning for the following school year,” she said.
