Integrating Bikes Into a 21st Century Secondary Education Curriculum
École secondaire publique Louis-Riel will be offering a unique curriculum addition in the 2021-2022 school year which will allow students to develop critical thinking and hands-on technical skills through the new program, "VéloTechno". Long time customer and teacher at École secondaire publique Louis-Riel, Alain Dubuc will provide a brief detailed Q&A overview of the program below!
What are the central aims of this program?
"The name of our program is VéloTechno and its principal objective is to engage students in more holistic learning through bicycles and technology. Basically, we are integrating STEM curriculums along with arts, languages and social studies curriculums to help students actively explore their actions and how they impact their community, as well as how to learn from the community around them. As teachers, we strive to engage students in projects that apply critical-thinking skills toward solving real-world problems. In fact, VéloTechno will have a very strong community advocacy and outreach component that will allow students to discover and develop various forms of entrepreneurship, be it small business or social entrepreneurship."
Which school faculties are helping lead this program?
"Over the past year, Léo Dignard and Martin Pontbriand have really pushed the envelope of innovation in education in designing this program. I have been happy to contribute my passions for teaching the humanities and bicycles with Martin’s background in STEM subjects and Léo’s pedagogical savoir-faire. Support from the school administration particularly the principal Andrea Mathieu and our school board has been a blessing."
What kinds of tools and supplies do students have access to for the projects they will take on?
"Students will have access to what we like to call MakerSpaces, one being a full service in-school bike shop with 8 fully equipped work stations, with the second being a technology hub where students will create their own content related to various projects using video cameras, green screens and editing stations. Moreover, this is made possible by the support from school principal, Andrea Mathieu and superintendent Carl Dussault has been outstanding and inspiring.
Moreover, our friends at Full Cycle have been instrumental in getting the school bike shop outfitted with quality gear. Our students are truly blessed to have this opportunity."