Yesterday, I started to write about the importance of learning in different environments. I was thinking of our trip earlier that day to Heritage Park with two grade 2 classes in the community program. One of our big goals this year is to be more involved in the life of the larger school community. It was remarkable to see the joy on the faces of all the students as they explored Calgary history by walking along a replica of a typical prairie Main Street from the turn of the last century. The students showed a level of interest and engagement that we don’t always see in the classroom.

Today, I had one of my best lessons in language arts with one of my students walking on the field during recess. We started with an impromptu retelling of the Three Little Pigs. We then moved on to Little Red Riding Hood. We continued the story retelling at lunch recess with Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The student surprised me with his animated and accurate retelling of the stories. Once we finished Goldilocks, I started asking him how Goldilocks felt at different parts of the story.  When I asked him how Goldilocks felt when she first approached the house in the forest. I was expecting him to say sad or scared.  Instead he said “nervous”. Walking outside surrounded by children playing, we were able to delve deeper into the story and the character’s feelings than we would have inside the classroom.

John Kershaw (@jmkershaw) teaches students with autism. He has a strong belief in helping all students find their place in the community.

What I learned today….

As we wind down the school year my students and I have been talking a lot about the past and what we have learned during grade one.  Their answers are varied and day to day they come up with something new.  There are a few who hold steadfast to the most important thing they’ve learned in grade one.  One student is committed to his dream of becoming a builder and keeps telling me “math is the most important thing I’ve learned.  I need to know how to measure.”  A second student, quiet yet very reflective shared with me that she really learned that she needed to focus on her work.  “That way you always know what is going on.”  The most common comment is what they appreciate or are thankful for in grade one.

One thing that has really struck me is observing the impact of acknowledging and showing our appreciation for the help and support we get from others whether from home or at school.  Since the beginning of the year students have been “filling each others buckets” and recently shared with the class how much they appreciate them or what they are thankful for in their day.  It touches me to witness them sharing what matters most: positive relationships showing connection, appreciation and respect.   Their demonstration of citizenship in their various ways warms my heart and fills my bucket every day.

Tamara (@TDKoach) is an elementary teacher and lifelong learner passionate about creativity and inquiry.  Also a nature lover and coach inspired to help others.

This year, we explored the relationship that humans have with water and our relationship with the rivers that run through Calgary. We asked important questions about how water shapes us and how we shape water, an interconnected relationship that requires serious, thoughtful, consideration, and time to study the topic in depth. The more we learned about the rivers, the more compelling they became. We have become hermeneutic scholars around the rivers’ origin, landforms, myths, civilizations, celebrations, conflicts, disasters and their deep meaning to us and our personal identities as beings living in Calgary at this time in history. The rivers have become a part of us, just as we have become part of the rivers. Everything is the same issue.

A reflection from Zach captures a lasting impression:

Learning about the river changed my thinking about water. I find myself thinking hard about water in different and related ways. I am rethinking local and international water issues and how we treat them. I found that one question would lead to another and once  that question was answered, it led to another, fascinating question.

The lasting impressions from our explorations around water this year have made me respect our rivers a lot more than I did before. I try to waste as little as possible, leaving  a cleaner river and a cleaner earth. I also use less water, knowing that the freshwater supply is finite. Water is a part of us and we need to take care of it. We are the river.

Margeaux Montgomery is an educator who enjoys exploring, wondering, creating and laughing with her students daily.

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.

I have learned that students have the ability to know and understand what kind of learners they are, as well as what they need in order to be successful learners. They can advocate for their learning and be part of the planning process that individualizes and specializes learning in the classroom for them as individuals. As a teacher, it’s important to take a step back and facilitate students in getting to know themselves as learners. I have tried this approach in my teaching this year and it has shown me that giving my students the opportunity to have a voice and an opinion in their learning has improved the overall learning process in our classroom. Including my students as part of the team that designs their learning helps to make the process of achieving individualized learning, as seamless as possible. Once I have delivered a lesson, each student knows what they require to accommodate their learning. They naturally use the tools or the spaces that work best for them and this helps them to stay focused and on task. As their accommodations need alterations/additions, they sometimes come to me and make suggestions that would work better for them. With the proper support, I believe this approach can work at any age level/grade. Observing my students and seeing their ability to adapt and create a successful learning experience for themselves has taught me that sometimes there is more to be learned from our students, regardless of their age or level, than we ever could have imagined.

Salimah Kassam is in her second year of teaching (elementary). This year she teaches grade 2. She is a Starbucks, BBQ & sunshine enthusiast.

Last week I took our grade six students to outdoor camp.  Every year I look forward to this week away from the classroom because I get a chance to interact with my students in an entirely different environment full of teachable moments, where I am the student and my class becomes the teachers. 

On day three of the camp my students had the opportunity to attempt traversing a climbing wall.  Everyone was excited, but as arms tired and feet slipped it became apparent that the wall was tougher than anyone had anticipated.  What happened next inspired me and taught me a lesson I will not soon forget.  

Instead of complaining, or quitting each student that slipped off the wall went back to the start to try again.  Those students that made it all the way across cheered on the rest, or walked beside their classmates that were still on the wall providing pointers and tips for tricky sections. Not everyone made it all the way across the wall but every student pushed to go further than their last attempt. As we donned our daypacks and left the wall behind us every student was laughing, smiling and celebrating their accomplishments.

So what lesson did I learn? As I watched the boys traverse the wall I realized (not for the first time) that these boys are fearless and willing to try anything. To reach my full potential as their teacher I need to also be fearless and willing to try anything. 

Dan Pye (@dcpye) teaches Gr. 5/6 at the All Boys Program. He’s passionate about empowering his students to create and collaborate.

Today, my Grade 9’s started their human sexuality unit. Standing in front of a room full of raging hormones to talk frankly about the birds and the bees is a truly joyful, and not at all awkward/terrifying/scaring experience.

We started off this unit by discussing ‘positive self-talk’, something that I have struggled with my entire life.  I tend to view the world through an overly critical lens so to teach students to recognize all the positive attributes of their ever-changing existence felt a little forced.  I could see myself in the students that were struggling to put their own perceptions of themselves into a positive light but as we started to share our lists as a class I saw tiny sparks of ‘oh yeah, me too’ in some of their eyes.  I am sure those same students saw my energy shift when the room started to fill with positive thoughts.  

I’m no hippy, but the vibe in the grade 9 hallway today was truly grooving.  All from a little bit of directed positivity injected into a world of tests, critiques, analysis, and assessments.

Phil Brayton is a former punk musician turned teacher at 12 Mile Coulee School (on a temporary contract, just saying)

This entry was inspired by Breane Pahl’s post on CBE182, day 45.  A teacher who experiences the power of social media in education, even in a division 1 classroom.  

I’ve been teaching grade six for four years now and it still amazes me how passionate, knowledgeable and determined this age group can be in achieving social and global change.  

What started as a novel study on ‘The Breadwinner’ by Deborah Ellis has turned into six months of constant connections between texts (ex. ‘I am Malala’, ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’ and ‘Hana’s Suitcase’), personal life experiences (ex. Living in Syria and Pakistan) and connections to the greater world via Twitter and Instagram.

A student approached me in early April with an Instagram photo of Selena Gomez with various handles and hashtags associated with it, such as @MalalaFund #FreeTheChildren & #WeAreSilent.  From this discovery, came a flurry of interest to participate in #WeAreSilent on April 17, 2014 to support Malala Yousafzai in bringing awareness to the millions of girls around the world who are not given the right to education.  

This students’ interest represented one voice from our classroom.  This one voice turned into 24 other students buzzing with questions.  From there, 25 mini activists channeled their energy into 3 simple, yet effective tweets.  These tweets submerged us into the conversation and awareness brought to the #WeAreSilent pledge.  On this day, students learned that their one voice turned into dozens of retweets, a handful of new followers and recognition from the @MalalaFund directly.  Although my students didn’t raise thousands of dollars like many schools did across the world, they still got to experience the power of speaking up and being passionate about issues that concern them.   

Kate Logan (@logankatej / @MarlboroughYYC) is a grade six teacher at Marlborough School.  She is inspired daily by her students’ ability to fearlessly observe, wonder and explore. 

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.