As we near June, we are winding down the Challenge Centre Program. This year, I worked 4 days, and I serviced 265 students - more than I have ever worked with before. Consequently, this year has been busy, and I have had a difficult time keeping on top of the administrative duties of my job. I chose to service students over paperwork, and now the paperwork is looming.
If you have not yet received a "challenge centre certificate", you will be receiving one by mid June. My goal is that the certificates will go home with the child's final report.
As well, I hope to get back to the schools, information detailing: the students we serviced from your school, the students that did not receive servicing, and the students that were tested this year. It is hoped that this information will be used to track students at your school, to have discussions about students that need servicing next year, and finally, for schools to make collaborative decisions about students that need enrichment and inquiry based initiatives. We are hoping to get this to the schools in June.
Finally, there was information circulating that applications for the challenge centre for next year are due on May 31st. This is not the case, however, we would like it if schools are beginning to think about students that need servicing next year. Since you have worked closely with the students and know their strengths, it is good to have discussions about these students now, instead of waiting until the fall when it takes a while to get routines established with a new teacher.
So, there will be information coming out to the schools shortly.
I just had grade one students create their own fairytales, design back drops, props, and puppets. The entire process, although really open ended, was a messy one! I provided some visual aides, but I did not provide templates for the puppets, or the backdrop. I also did not provide a template for the script.
I know that if I provided these templates, that it would have been a neater process for the kids. But, I wanted to crack open their learning and see what they could do. Basically, I wanted them to be stuck in the messy process of creating their own fairy tale and making their own props to demonstrate their learning.
The students were engaged! They were inspired to work really hard and finish their projects and share with the group. When it came time to present the fairytales, it was not a polished affair. The students were thinking on the spot, and were improvising, and trying to put it all together. But, it was great for them. They were directors, designers, writers, and artists.
Now, if I had the kids for longer, I could have refined the process. But, I really believe in giving kids the opportunity to work under a deadline, with a focus on the process, rather than a polished product. I think we learn a great deal this way. It is hard for teachers to allow this process, too! Often, we are so focused on order and having students learn the objectives, and having projects fit into a neat orderly box. This was a very different experience for the students, but creative and student driven.
Thank you grade ones...you were such a dynamic group of learners. I enjoyed working with you and you taught me so much!
The Grade Two's had a great time creating their own universe at the Challenge Centre! We designed our own language, and flag, and we created our own passport so that we could visit other countries. We learned about cultural symbols, and geography, and government, and trade. Many students created their own island community. It was nice seeing them put their ideas together in a cohesive manner, thinking about how a civilization could exist.The best book to use, when thinking about creating a new universe is one of my favourite books, Weslandia by Paul Fleischman. In Weslandia, Wesley is an outcast in his community because he is different. For his summer project, he grows his own staple crop and begins to live off the land - eating food, creating his own language, designing his own clothes, and using his own staple crop as a source of inspiration for himself. Soon, the kids who had been bullying him are interested in his project, and Welsey has a new fan club! The most fun was sharing of projects and getting our passport stamped.Great work, grade two's!
In late April I worked with a fantastic group of naturalist/ botanist/ scientists at Brock. These students created their own creatures naturally adapted to a biome.Their work, and their ideas were fantastic. I enjoyed the presentations. I felt as if I was listening to graduate students discuss their research proposals!!Always wonderful to teach these students and to have them explore The Future is Wild. Although this DVD collection is 10 years old, the idea behind the program is very current and accessible to all students. From watching this series, we discussed the ideas of Charles Darwin, the concept of natural selection, continental drift theories, the ice age, and global warming.
The question we pondered was, "if humans are extinct, a 100 million years in the future, what animals will evolve and exist?" This lead to all types of speculation. We also learned about earth's biomes and how they would change, and what types of biomes could support life.
I am hoping that a newer version of this DVD will be released in the future.
A big thank you to this group....you were such interesting and wonderful students to work with. I couldn't believe the ideas that were being discussed at the grade 3/4 level...concepts about the after-life, and aging, and family, and what it means to be a person. Some of the students wanted to stay in at recess and lunch and have philosophical discussions about life. Wow! Truly wonderful and refreshing and good to hear.
I must tell you about the best resource I have just discovered: Please visit Byrdseed which is fantastic "place dedicated to differentiating instruction for high-level learners." As the creator Ian states, "This is a place to learn new ideas, share what you know, and grow as an educator. " Wow! Ian has not only created a wonderful website, but he has developed fantastic videos for professional development. Some of his titles include: Conflict in Writing, Math Games, Morality, Ethics in the Young Elementary Classroom, and A Framework to Create. Please visit Byrdseedtv for more information. There are some free videos, but to get full access there is a fee of about $50-70 dollars a year. I think this is a great deal. What I love so much about his site is that he is a truly gifted and talented teacher who can put it all together in a visually appealing and meaningful way...Ian takes it to the next level! I now have my summer professional development plan underway!
