Year End Presentation of Learning

Its the end of the 2013/2014 school year and our students are excited to be putting together "Presentations of Learning". We've asked that they use the three "Core Competencies" in BCs draft curriculum to anchor their presentations and tell stories of their learning with respect to these three competencies. Here's my own Presentation of Learning.


Artifacts and Examples Shared:

• Synergy in Inquiry Blog Post
• Curiosity, Connection, and Creation Blog Post
• PBL Why, What, How Presentation 
• Chemistry Demonstration Project Outline

Last Year's POL

What we learned from Collaboration with Grade 3 students

Photo by Midiman: https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/midiman/1058720405/

"Maybe they are the role models" said one of our Grade 9 students about the Grade 3 students he had met, and he wasn't kidding. We collaborated with a grade 3 class recently to share our inquiry into space and space exploration. Their passionate engagement in their learning left a significant impression on our grade 9 students.

When our teens were asked what they liked about their time with the younger students they said again and again they were impressed by the depth of their knowledge on the planets they'd been studying. All the students were excited to share facts about their planets, and many we're making effective comparisons to put their knowledge in context. The grade 9's also really liked how eager the younger students were to share their learning. The primary class approached their learning with a sincere curiosity, a genuine interest, a readiness to learn and a deep sense of pride in their work. The effects were tangible. We work hard to create learning opportunities for our students that are full of wonder and engagement, but somehow with age and experience we become more selective about our preferred conditions for learning. Who better to remind us to let go and enjoy the ride then a young group of expert learners! Thanks for the lesson young ones, don't let anything get in the way of that curiousity and wonder. 

Are you becoming an increasingly effective communicator?

Isn`t that the question we want to be asking ourselves? Isn`t it  a question we want our students to be asking themselves?

I have been given the opportunity to work with a local group of educators to help design a communication competency continuum that will be a part of BCs new curriculum. Sharon Joerski is the consultant hired by the Ministry who`s been bringing us together and bringing together our ideas regarding communication competency .

So far we have brought a few samples of student work and have been pulling out the major themes and shifts from pre-K to grade 12. Our goal over the next few months is to identify the major elements in communication competency, and illustrate each of them with examples of student work. Once we have improved our definition of the elements of communication we can begin to more clearly describe levels of proficiency in each of the elements.

The model that`s been proposed to us is of a continuum presented in a series of concentric circles, with  elements extending from the inner circle toward the outer rings. A tree metaphor has been suggested too as an appropriate one in that additional ``rings`` can always been added as a learner improves their communication skills. This graphic would describe communication with a number of I can statements. The statements would link to examples of student work as well as resources for classroom teachers.  

As I look at the work my students are doing, and engage in professional conversations like these regarding communication, I feel more strongly then ever that our new curriculum needs to be focused on competencies that will allow today's learners to reach their full potential in tomorrow's workplaces. So as we seek to improve communication in the 21st century I am confident we are on the right track! 

Defining BC's New Cross-Curricular Competencies: Part 1 - Communication

http://www.sd20.bc.ca/tl_files/images/bcedplan_logo_rounded.jpg

This year I've been on an exciting journey toward a more holistic approach to education. I firmly that we as educators need to ensure that we are developing the whole child, and we are developing their potential in such a way that they can apply themselves wherever they choose in the future. That takes more than content knowledge.

My Teaching partner and I have made a concerted effort to embed the BC Ministry of Education's Cross Curricular Competencies in everything we do. Our students have developed rubrics on these skills, have self assessed them, have been assessed by us and others, have told stories of ways in which they've demonstrated them, and are now using them as labels for their blog posts. In our upcoming report cards we will be including our students own comments on their competencies and their own personal goals. We are excited and encouraged to look back at what they've come up with.

I am proud to say that I have also been invited to participate in a working group to help define these draft competencies. The Ministry of Education is welcoming feedback on the current plans for Transforming BC's Curriculum. I encourage you to check it out and provide feedback to them directly, or let me know what I can pass along on your behalf.