What did I learn today?

Recent inscription on a Starbucks card from my student teacher:

Sometimes when you are running a production studio, walking across Canada and planning an art gala, you just need a little pick me up!

When I look at the words from my student teacher it makes me smile. To someone outside of education it might be hard to imagine she was talking about a grade two classroom. This year I have the pleasure of working with a group of wonderfully creative and talented students who are passionate about learning. This year has reaffirmed for me that if you truly honour the passions and interests of students, the only limitation they cannot overcome is the lack of time available in 10 short months.

Within our school are very fortunate to have access to a variety of educational technology and two favourites in our classroom this year have been green screen technology and Google Apps for Education. Green screen technology allowed students to share their learning in such an exciting way by making a ‘TV show’ about Canadian animals at risk. They collaborated to create scripts that included news reports, dancing, and even a rock video. Google Apps offers opportunities to extend learning beyond the boundaries of the school day and physical building. I introduced Google Apps in January and within a short time they were creating projects at home, collaborating with friends online, and bringing this learning back into the classroom.

I am in awe of what they are able to accomplish and the development of their competencies up to this point. What amazes me even more is to imagine them graduating 10 years from now. What will they be capable after 10 more years in similar learning environments? The learning shared on CBE182 gives me such great hope that my amazing little grade two students will continue to be engaged and empowered throughout their formative years. I leave them with this quote:

Promise me you will always remember:
            You’re BRAVER than you believe,
            and STRONGER than you seem,
            and SMARTER than you think.
            ~Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh

Julie (@juliequennell) is passionate about student voice, inquiry and educational technology. M.Ed. grad from #ulethedtech with the best cohort ever. 

The Monterey Park School Kindergarten team has learned about the power of collaboration. This year alongside the children, we have set upon a journey of exploration and adventure, creating experiences full of curiosity, joy and discovery.

We began the year by coming together as a teaching team and anticipating the road ahead through thinking deeply about our curriculum and creating our learning destinations.  From there we observed and listened to the ideas and theories of the children to build inquiries that were authentic and meaningful.  We co-constructed criteria with the children for everything from classroom expectations to what makes a GREAT story.

In January, the team embarked on a professional learning journey that took us to Opal School in Portland, Oregon. The children and educators immediately welcomed us as equals and invited us to share our perspectives of their work.  We listened to the children’s ideas, questions and inquiries and observed how the teachers intentionally prepared the classroom environment each day.  Questions were visible everywhere, art materials were laid out thoughtfully, and the children’s work and thinking was documented and made visible to the school community and the world.  It was a powerful experience that inspired us to think differently about our practice and the power of collaboration.

This year we've learned that collaboration is more than working together, it's about sharing ideas, building relationships and grounding learning in the collective. When we come together, we inspire, draw strength, create, innovate, discover, invent and learn.

Julie Ramsay (@reggioinspired), Sierra Downing (@SierraLDowning) and Kristine Church (@KristineChurch) are members of the dynamic & collaborative Kindergarten team at Monterey Park School.

The end of the school year is always a time of reflection.  It gives us an opportunity to look back and say what went well, what didn’t and what do we need to work on.  This year is no different as May and June have been a flurry of activity with graduations, year-end celebrations, and partner events.  The common element though has been students, a reminder to all of us of what is really important. 

Education is the core of our work and our values are the fundamental beliefs in which guide our work at the Calgary Board of Education.  Putting students first, knowing that learning is our central purpose and that public education serves the common good, provides focus for each one of us regardless of our role.  Because the cool thing is, we all have a part to play in public education and we are all in this together. 

From the dedicated staff in facilities who ensure safe and caring schools, some of whom have been with CBE for over 35 years (WOW), to our kind lunch room supervisors and our caring education assistants who support our students, to our specialists in planning, transportation, Human Resources and Technology who without their support our massive organization may just grind to a halt.  All these folks work tirelessly to ultimately support the work of our teachers and here is what I know; teachers are a rare breed.  They are hardworking, selfless, caring, role models to our students who put in countless hours to ensure that our students are engaged and successful.

However all of this would not be possible without our partners, over 350 corporate and non-profits who provide programs, services, supports and financial aid because they also care about student success and  making this world a better place.

Everyone has a stake in Public education and the stakes are high, as we strive to meet the demands in an ever changing world.  Dealing with change, difficult decisions that result from change and often scrutiny can be stressful and demoralizing for those intimately involved in education who have devoted their lives work to making this world a little better.  But here is the thing, we are all human and sometimes we make mistakes and we need to learn from those mistakes so that we can be better for our students and that is why we need to reflect.

CBE 182 has given our staff, students, parents and stakeholders an opportunity to share the great work that is happening each and every day in our school.  We are able to hold our heads a little higher and to showcase to the world that at the Calgary Board of Education we are determined, resilient and committed to student success. 

To everyone who is involved at the Calgary Board of Education, Congratulations for a great year, Thank you to each and every one who contributes to our organization and hears to moving forward together.

Joy Bowen-Eyre ( @JoyBoweneyre and  Joybowen-eyre.ca ) is Trustee Wards 1 & 2 with the Calgary Board of Education.  She loves running and traveling and is the proud mum of 3 #yyCBE students.

One of the many things I have learned over my 35 years in public education is that we are extremely humble and reluctant to celebrate our successes.  From the classroom to the boardroom we continually accentuate the negative and eliminate the positive.  This is at best unfortunate and at worst damaging to all involved.  I believe that we need to take every opportunity to inform our public about the great accomplishments taking place in CBE classrooms on a daily basis.

I have also learned that teacher voice is exceedingly powerful in the ongoing dialogue around students and schools.  About a year ago I commenced my own social media journey.  At that time I found that public dialogue around our schools was essentially trite and negative. The amazing successes and fulfillment which I had come to know as being an integral and constant part of our system was neither being shared or resonating through the electronic media.  One of the reasons I ran for trustee was a belief that this could be improved and changed.

I believe CBE 182 is becoming a useful instrument in the broadcasting of the great happenings in our public schools.  The real difference makers in education - classroom teachers - have taken charge and are sharing their stories.  This is striking a chord with our public.  This is what our public wants to hear.  This is what our public needs to hear.

It is my pleasure to commend those who have already contributed and I am looking forward to the stories yet to come.

Dr. Judy Hehr, 1st Term Trustee, Elected to Wards 8 & 9

The year of  Web 2.014

Our grade three and four students have been using Web 2.0 tools as a way to create, collaborate and share in the inquiry process.  Students have created 3-D storybooks entitled “The Diary of A Grizzly Bear”, a humorous account of the life of a Grizzly Bear in Alberta. We printed off story codes, which enabled us to view our stories using Ipads.  The program allows the story to come to life in three dimensions.   

Next students constructed Glog’s to share their knowledge of the regions of Alberta and the plant and wildlife that live there.  Using the Glogster program students created posters using texts, graphics, animation, attachments and recordings of their own voice. The Glog’s were all assigned a QR code, which could be read using a QR code reader.  The codes created by both the Zooburst and Glogster program allowed our students to easily share their work with the school community and they were thrilled by the positive feedback they received.

The next step in our inquiry journey is to create” Who Would Win Books” using an online storybook creator called Storyjumper. Students have chosen various animals native to Alberta to pit against each other in a virtual fight.  The information presented in the books will allow others to form their own opinion about who would win. Using Web 2.0 tools has been very motivating for our students.

When asked how to describe our classroom students came up with “in Room 5 we are busy imagining, researching and creating.”

Raman and Carla currently share a spirited Grade 3/4 classroom at O.S Geiger School.  They are passionate about fostering a love of learning in their students.

What Did I Learn Today?

Nineteen curious five year olds entered the room, greeting each other and chatting. During carpet time, we gathered together to decide how the day would unfold. Before going to their centres, I let students know that I would stop their play at some point to have them draw their thinking.

It was a busy hour of play, with students engaging in a huge variety of activities. Some worked on creating a movie with light and shadows in our shadow room.  One student settled into a beanbag to quietly research snakes. A small group built animal homes with blocks, some drew and others figured out how to remove the flesh from the coconut. Moving from teacher to guide, I assisted with materials, listened to conversations and worked on targeted strategies with some students.

Our teaching goal this year was to embed joyful writing and math throughout the classroom.  We often discuss how to show our thinking through drawings, messages and plans at different centres and ask questions about where we see math in our play. I stopped the class well into playtime to drop everything and write. I was surprised to see the students clamoring for their journals! While they sketched snakes with patterns, structures, art projects and more, the engagement was palpable.  

Later, my partners and I met for a post-dismissal chat. We have developed a protocol: we talk about what happened in our classrooms, share student, discuss the plan for the following day and then we go big with blue sky ideas.  Today, we discussed the journal entries that my class did, spent a few moments talking about our sustainability inquiry that we are developing, then our discussion turned to the importance of collaborative space.

Reflecting at the end of the day, I realized that my students are learning how to think, collaborate and ask questions and I am learning just how much student voice, collaboration and intrinsic motivation can drive my practice.

 

Stephanie Bartlett (@sj_bartlett) teaches Kindergarten FI at Chinook Park. Passionate about infusing creativity & teaching. Life long learner.

Midway through class, graphic novel closes.  James looks up at Ms. Gale thrilled, “I’ve finished all five acts!”

Now smiling, she laughs, “Well, that’s great!  You do know I’m your Social Studies teacher though, right?”  

It’s James’ turn to laugh, letting out a relieved sigh, “Yes. I just had to tell someone.”  He’s now joined the ranks of those having experienced Verona’s most woeful tale.

With this being Academic Focus time, time to work alone or collaboratively through learning plans, some learners are finishing up Energy Audits. Others are considering and reconsidering a baffling Expanding Cube problem.  The double classroom and Learning Commons are dynamic spaces right now; teachers are providing targeted support. Around James, across blended academic streams, students are determining Romeo and Juliet’s central themes, some utilizing the Shakespeare in Bits app, others skillfully rehearsing the heartbeat rhythm of iambic pentameter. 
 
It’s all a reminder: we’re better together. Connection and community aren’t exclusive to our building; personalizing, connecting, and thriving are, though, central to the learning culture at Thirsk. Our communities, schools within the school, provide many opportunities for our learners. Rigorous interdisciplinary work isn’t (always) contained to one subject area. Students have supportive peers and adults they know meaningfully. Less isolated, with intentionality and flexibility, choices and new perspectives often surface.  

Later, separately, James and Ms. Gale share with me the excitement of the day’s accomplishment.  Yet again, I’m reminded of the privilege to teach and learn, celebrating successes and sharing challenges, as a member of this learning community.

This story begins with a challenge: “Design a recreation centre for the youth of Tuscany.” This challenge came from a conversation with a visiting parent and set out to address a perceived need for this age group as there are currently few recreational opportunities for youth from 12-18 years of age in the community.

That’s it - that was the whole challenge. A simple sentence that led to weeks of survey construction, data collection and analysis, and careful architectural design.  A few teams felt unsure about how to proceed until one courageous and innovative group, with two students that did not view math as a personal strength, asked a simple question: “Can we use MinecraftEdu?”  

Suddenly, for some teams, everything changed. Using this tool they were able to create highly detailed plans for large and complex recreation centres. Instead of struggling with traditional procedures for creating scales and finding area/perimeter of large and unusually shaped areas, these teams could now show their ability to work through these challenges using a non-traditional method, one that is no less authentic or accurate in demonstrating their true understanding. Student leadership developed as these teams engaged in conversations around math concepts with ease and confidence, speaking clearly about the rigorous planning and careful calculations they were conducting in order to create their highly detailed designs, some of  which included functioning showers and food dispensers (and even a secret passage or two…)

So, what did WE learn? We learned that rigor takes many forms and that an understanding of math can be shown in many different ways.  We also learned that, sometimes, it takes a bit of ‘out of the box’ thinking (and your favourite video game) to create renewed passion and confidence.

What is the most valuable teaching tool I have adopted recently? The answer to this is tabletop white boarding! An idea inspired by the learning commons concept, these white boards are made of opaque plexiglass sheets cut into 6 pieces.

This technology has transformed my teaching practice, as well as many others’ at my school. No longer are desks arranged in in partners or rows, but rather table groups of 4-6. The white boards are pulled out as often as possible for collaboration in brainstorming, problem-solving, content organization and synthesis, and skill application. Students are engaged, leading their learning, which enables me to guide and facilitate their process.

Why do I like white boards so much?

• Students can contribute knowing that, if they make a mistake, it can be erased.
• Work is not permanent, but rather evolving. 
• White boards eliminate the need for paper copies of assignments.  Students can complete an activity and take a photograph of the finished project as an artifact for future reference. 
• White boarding lessons create a student-centered learning environment.
  
• White boarding promotes collaboration amongst students and encourages group work. 

White boards can be used by students of all ages and ability levels in active and creative ways. They are easily stored in the corner of a classroom or learning commons. I purchased mine from Industrial Paints & Plastics in Calgary.

So let’s grab some erasable white board markers and get collaborative!

Once again today, I learned about the power of collaboration!

When people are learning, whether it's students, teachers, or parents (or any mixture of those); when we work together we learn so much better - our knowledge grows faster, we often come to a better understanding of things, we learning new things, we reaffirm what we already know, we are more willing to experiment, we can help each other with fixing mistakes and we can work things out together.

I'm lucky in my day to day work. I get to collaborate all day long. Primarily, I get work with students in our school learning commons. I love helping other teachers create new projects that will help our students understand concepts in more in-depth ways. I love finding meaningful ways to integrate the use of technology that enables students to create projects that show and build their understanding of what they are learning. Being able to work through problems with students and come up with a variety of solutions shows the power of learning through personalization.

The other side of my work is working with teachers to help move practice forward and by building capacity. It's amazing to work along side another teacher and actually teach together. Being able to bounce ideas of each other, trying new things together and make adjustments to the learning cycle on the spot is so powerful. I really feel like my own learning has come so far since working in this role. I hope other teachers and especially our students are benefiting from this as well.

I love the 5th principle of the Teacher Effectiveness Framework -  TEACHERS IMPROVE THEIR PRACTICE IN THE COMPANY OF THEIR PEERS. For me this principle has been key in growing and developing my teaching practice.

Today I was reminded that we're in this together. When we work together through collaboration, we're all winners!

One of the homes of collaboration in our school - The Learning Commons