Pecha Kucha Project Links Students

M.M. Robinson HS class connects in-person and virtual learners with multimedia Pecha Kucha project

M.M. Robinson High School in Burlington has engaged Grade 11 in-person and virtual learners to work as teams through the popular Japanese multimedia activity, called Pecha Kucha, to find solutions to important equity issues. 

Grade 11 students in Sunaina Sharma’s English class are using a form of media, specifically Pecha Kucha, to try and inspire a larger group of young people to make a difference to push for equity in the world.

Pecha Kucha involves presenting 20 images for 20 seconds. The slides change automatically and the speaker must synchronize their speech with the images. Sometimes called a ‘20×20 presentation’, the entire presentation lasts for exactly six minutes and 40 seconds.

Students chose a topic (from a list) to research inequity in Canada. They work with a partner (some partners who are in different cohorts worked virtually) to research, inquire and explore. They developed individual notes and synthesized them with their partner. Students then developed solutions for equity and, from there, they virtually recorded a Pecha Kucha to teach and inspire others to take action for equity. 

“Fellow teacher Wendy Lang Brouwers and I met in early September to design a task that would fulfill a number of goals,” Sharma says. “This task allowed students to engage in critical thinking by working to solve meaningful, real-life, complex problems of inequity in our community.”

Because of the global pandemic, Sharma felt it was especially important to try to find activities that could connect students who are attending school in-person and students who are learning virtually.

“With some students in class with me, I’ve been intentional in trying to ensure that the students at home don’t feel left on their own. It’s essential to engage students with digital technology so, for that reason, I’ve been working to consistently connect in-person students with virtual students. We are one class and we should feel like it.”

Students say this project approach has made them feel connected.

Kiana Khan says the partnership is “working out way better than we thought.” 

“We were able to communicate via text and then were able to record quite

easily. Between calling and texting, it worked out super well for us,” she says, noting her project addressed systemic racism. “Definitely not as stressful as I thought it would be.”

“Connecting with my partner when I was in class while he has been learning virtually has been quite easy, to be honest,” says Andy Bota, noting his project addresses the connection between COVID-19 and Canadian poverty. “It’s as simple as using the tools around us. For example, every day we use Google Meet (online meetings) to do our online class in the afternoon, so my partner and I used a Google Meet to talk while we did our work.”

Sharma says this teaching approach has been fulfilling on several levels. 

“As the class period comes to an end, students schedule evening Google Meets or phone calls so they can continue their collaborative partnership at home,” Sharma explains, noting this project connects to the Grade 11 English media studies curriculum. “I’m modelling for students the ‘try it’ philosophy so they can see that we’re all constructing knowledge together and, to do that, we need to collaborate and take risks.”

What Sharma hopes students learn from this equity project is the fact that they have the power to make positive changes in society.

“I hope this project has empowered them to use their knowledge and voice to make our world a better, more equitable place.”