For the last six months we have been part of an 8 person team working out of a kindergarten classroom in Marlborough school, engaged in opening Calgary’s newest high school – Nelson Mandela. Opening this school is a bigger project than anything any of us have ever done before; today we finally get to tour the inside!

The first time you walk into a school you always get that sense, that feeling of the school. Hopefully it’s a palpable sense of energy and excitement, but it always gives you the feeling of that school’s culture. That feeling is often deep rooted and comes from years of history. New schools don’t have that history; instead that feeling can be intentionally shaped and formed.

This September there are 8 new schools opening in Calgary, and by 2018 there will be 22.  That means 22 schools will get to build their school’s feeling, their culture.

We’ve been intentional about building that feeling. Our current off-site office is the first taste of that school’s feeling; you get a taste of it every time you walk in the door.  Small things like fashion Fridays, pot-luck lunches and day-to-day camaraderie are all part of it. If, as a staff we build relationships, have fun together, respect each other, and are innovative together; the students will see us live that and they will live it too. We are about to get a whole lot larger, but we hope the kernel of warmth we’ve kindled will grow and spread.

Jeff Thompson (@thompsojeff) is a maker, a gamer, a geeky nerd, a book-worm, an amateur photographer, a sometimes film-maker, a dad to two little boys, and a husband.

We've been a part of the Eco Club at Andrew Sibbald School for the past two years. During these years our Eco Club has implemented a comprehensive recycling program, complete with composting. These students are dedicated! This is evident in their weekly lunchtime meetings where we discuss how we can enhance our clubs commitment to sustainability as well as perform the duties of emptying paper towel and food compost from all the of the classrooms.

Earlier in the year we had the City of Calgary, perform a waste audit at our school. One of the things that the students noticed is that as a school we use a lot of Ziploc bags. In order to combat this issue as a group we decided to move towards a focus on reducing our waste. With the help of some dedicated mom’s we made reusable bags that we are going to give to each student in our school.

On June 7th our club had the opportunity to participate in the Mayors Environmental Expo, all of the hard work & dedication of 14 passionate grade 3s & 4s came to fruition. Here we documented our journey as well as made our own game that simulated our waste audit. Seeing the excited looks in their eyes, the nervousness sharing their knowledge with the public & with Mayor Nenshi, validated & informed us that the path that we are on as educators is worth every tired & exhausting moment. What a ride!

Riana McDougall Elementary Teacher, art lover, global citizen, mother and wife.  Excited about making change happen.  Class tweets at @CuriousTwos

Tasha Roa-Yaremkowycz outdoor enthusiast and passionate change maker. You can follow me @tasharoa and my grade 4 class @grade4wonders

Stacy Hutchens grade 1 teacher, class tweets @Wondering_Ones

​For most adults, a trip to the city dump is probably a mundane if not dusty task.  However, when you fill a bus with eager grade four students and bring them to the landfill you see an amazing place through their eyes!
 
There were thousands of seagulls (two different types we learned) circling the site “like a tornado of birds” as one student described it.  We wondered about the origin of a deflated basketball lying amid some tire pieces. The box from a well-known fast food restaurant caught the eye of many children as it tumbled in the wind across the landfill site. Our guide was patient as more than one child wanted to know if the birds were ever run over by the massive tires of the Trash Master truck. Many students cheered when they observed one of the city workers wearing a Calgary Flames hat. It is always truly magical to see the world though a child’s eyes and to pay attention to what they notice. As adults, our eyes can pass right by a detail that children find interesting.
 
On field trips it is also wonderful to observe students in a different setting. A normally quiet student gets really excited and verbal when the presenter is taking questions, a student who generally gives off a tough persona snuggles up to his mom his mom who is volunteering today.  I get to joke and laugh with the kids a bit more than when I am trying to get them to complete a writing assignment. We all learn so much in this out of school setting.
 
Every teacher can also attest to one of the most satisfying parts of a field trip. This happens as we are all getting off the bus, almost every time. “I don’t know how you do it,” the parent volunteers say, looking exhausted. It makes me smile and feel a little bit like a superhero every time I hear it.
 
 
Sydney Fay (@s_teachy) is an avid reader and runner. She loves field trips despite the fact that the paperwork can be daunting. Waste And Our World is one of her favourite Science units in Grade Four.

Summer school for teachers? You heard it right! The first steps into the instructional design process began when teachers from The Hamptons School spent a few summer days participating in the Curriculum and Pathways Design the Shift Summer Institute. This did indeed shift their practice. Participation in this cohort illuminated paths to student engagement in new and exciting ways that had them itching to return to the classroom in September.

Soon an ordinary study of the Inuit took on a life of its’ own when they took their classes to visit fashion designer Paul Hardy’s Kaleidoscope Anamalia exhibit at the Glenbow Museum. The students were inspired to demonstrate their understanding of the Arctic through the creation of wearable art.
 
Back at The Hamptons School, the design process began. The challenge was: How can such young children design and create at this level?
 
Students began to ideate and brainstorm. Experts were consulted, design boards were created, prototypes were developed, and hands on designing started. Students began developing skills necessary to become fashion designers. “I learned how to sew for the first time!” said one student. The project took on a life of it’s own. The students tested their designs and fine-tuned up until the end.

The fashion show was planned and performed with and for students. Students studied and wrote their own scripts.
 
When the big day arrived, students glided down the catwalk with flair, style, and most importantly, a sense of pride. Parents were astonished that their children could design and create such intricate fashions. The teachers learned that this project allowed everyone’s formerly hidden skills and talents to be realized!
 
The chance to participate in CBE’s Design the Shift Institute was invaluable for these teachers and will forever change teacher practice and student engagement in their classrooms.
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Cathy Baine, Sarah Byrne, Sasha Gardiner-Hadford and Shannon Oseen are the grade 1-2 team at The Hamptons School.

Earlier this year my students worked on a project where they were given an hourly wage and asked to calculate their annual gross and net income (using current tax brackets), create a budget, determine the type of home they could (or could not afford) and then adjust to handle an “unexpected life event”.

When I gave students their job, they were immediately invested. It was as if they had just been hired into the workforce and this was their way of life. I personalized the learning for students by handing out jobs strategically so that students could successfully calculate their net salary. Stronger students had more tax brackets than those that struggle, which allowed everyone in the room to find success in this project.

Students learned why we pay taxes, how this system works and the effect of salary on lifestyle. In creating their budgets and shopping for homes students witnessed first-hand how quickly money can be spent.

At the end of the project, students were given an “unexpected life event”. These were things that are difficult to plan for and can offset a budget causing financial struggle. When students received their life event, they went nuts as if these tragic events were actually happening to them.

Through this entire project students embodied their role in society. I love seeing the kids get so excited about math that it comes alive. Students will buy into anything when they can see the real life implications.


Justin Bechthold (@jbechthold) ~ Passionate teacher in grade 8 Math/Science. Always looking for ways to innovate & improve my lessons. Lifelong learner

​Last week was totally rad. Like really, the best week ever. For the past three years our school has hosted a group of students from Kyoto Japan. This also happens to be the third year that I have gotten to be a part of it. It was awesome the first year and it just keeps getting better.

Basically, some of our students host some of theirs and we go on field trips all week. It sounds simple, but the connections these students make is unreal and the amount of care the host families put into having a student from another country in their house is amazing. This program is a lot of work, for everyone, for teachers and parents and students. However, last week proved to me that it is worth every second.

What is most interesting, and the purpose of this homestay to me, is how different our cultures are and in the end how that doesn’t seem to matter at all. The kids made friends, regardless of the language barrier and personality differences.

In the end, kids are kids and I learned a lot from how my students were able to communicate with their homestays and the relationships they were able to create in just one week.
 
 
Ellyn Yae is a book enthusiast, a maker of perpetual mistakes and a third year grade 8 Humanities teacher at Nose Creek School. 

​Fifty-two grade six students, two teachers, two CCOM Campuses at different weeks. Of course, weighing on our minds was how to make our teaming situation work while visiting two different campuses? How would we remain aligned in what we were teaching and in what our students were experiencing?
 
My class was the first to be “left behind” as our peers went off to Aerospace School.  I was challenged with the task of creating this experience in the classroom and generating excitement about the stories behind the planes, at the same level as their peers seeing them in person. Through the use of websites, books and working together, we planned a week that aligned with one another, and, most wonderfully, we had a whole week of time, to read, discover, slow down and enjoy the world of flight.

Next, we were off to City Hall School, again, how were our classmates going to make this very different trip work as they stayed at school? Using Twitter, they were able to connect with the experts and guests we met and pose their own questions about our city. Our amazing city archives and Google Earth allowed them to virtually tour locations we visited in person. This assisted in gaining different perspectives on the effectiveness of these public spaces that led to much discussion when we reunited.

In the end, we learned that if we truly collaborate and work together we can continue to unite our students in their learning, no matter the location.


Kathleen Dewar (@kndewar) Grade 6 teacher at Olympic Heights School, exploring the world of inquiry, design thinking and project based learning.

Over the past year I have been exploring ways to engage learners through the use of design thinking and maker space within my grade three classroom. 

I was privileged to spend time with an awesome cohort of professionals through CBE Design the Shift. I expected to see the benefits of an increasing skill set associated with problem solving, as well as being able to use a variety of materials and technology to represent learning. What I didn’t consider is the impact on community both within the classroom and beyond.

As the students engaged in design challenges and explored maker stations, they started to interact with others that they may not normally socialize with. They took pride in being able to share their expertise. We also collaborated with Grade 4 students at our community middle school for the Global Day of Design. Having shared interests and expertise helped to foster relationships, as maker studio was a comfortable setting and took the pressure off of the conversations with new people.

I would say the most popular activities this year were Scratch and textile work such as weaving. Students continually build on previous skills and challenged each other to move forward. We all learned a lot from each other.


@juliequennell - I am a Grade 3 teacher at Tuscany School exploring the use of makerspace and design thinking in the classroom. I enjoys learning about innovative ways to challenge and inspire my students, as well as myself.

I am writing you today in appreciation.  I had the opportunity, nay the pleasure, of accompanying my husband Dean (a member and, Industry Expert of the IronWorkers Local 725) to your graduation ceremony last night.
Upon our arrival you greeted us with genuine enthusiasm and set forth immediately to make us feel welcome and my husband appreciated.  I could see right away that this partnership and the program itself was close to your heart.

I have to admit when Dean first told me about the program my mind went straight to troubled youth that were going through the motions to appease authority, and I have never been so happy to say that I was wrong!  These children are motivated and, wanting not only to prove their worth to others, but to themselves as well.  As they arrived I saw a sense of pride on their faces, they knew they had accomplished something great.

A lot of accolades went to the partners and the instructors themselves which granted was warranted, but I felt that something very important was overlooked.

These children did something for the partners and instructors alike,   they rekindled the passion for the trade that my husband has dedicated his adult life to.  Each night after my husband taught he would regale me with the day’s lessons, the student’s questions, their accomplishments and antics.  He would often sit down and plan out the next day’s session thinking about individual’s strengths and weaknesses, pairing up students who would push each other to do their very best, how to best express the importance of safety on the job, and how to make it fun.  He would come home excited when one of the students would perform above expectations! He often would talk about them so much so that I felt I knew these people even before laying eyes upon them.

For these reasons I would like to express my thanks to each student, they gave the instructors a sense of pride!
Often times others overlook the efforts and skill-sets required to lay the very foundations of the society they live in.  The importance of individuals who build the homes, and office buildings we live and work in each day are taken for granted. They (persons in the trades are even looked down upon) it is more than nice to know that the youth of today see the importance of such people and want to follow in their footsteps, it has reaffirmed my faith in our youth and our community.  As I looked around the room I saw parents, much like Brandon’s Mom swell with pride and sigh with relief that their son or daughter was not only going to be okay but a functional and important part of society, Fathers with chests out and heads held high, Mothers with tears in their eyes, what a wonderful way to end a day!

I thank you, your team, the partners, and especially the students!