Easter Updates

Happy Easter!  The weather is absolutely stunning in Vancouver this Good Friday and I hope everyone is enjoying the balmy and sunny weather.

We have had the last two weeks off, and it has been great to spend time with  family and to get on top of my work!  Here are a few updates from the Challenge Centre so that you are in the loop with what is going on:

1.  I am finishing reports/certificates for the following programs and schools should have these by the following week:  Debating Gr. 6, Engineering Gr. 5/6, The Write Stuff Gr. 4/5, and Creative Think Tank Gr. 3.  Thank you schools and parents for waiting for these reports....I know they have been a long time coming, but I finally got to them!

2.  The following programs are coming up in April:  

• Mind Your Math Gr. 4/5 is being held on April 3,4,10,11th (this next week)

• Engineering Gr.3/4 runs April 8,9,15,16th

• Book Club Group 1 meets Wednesday April 17th

• Animalia Gr. 3/4 runs April 22, 23, 29, 30th

• Book Club Group 2 meets Wednesday April 24th

It is looking to be an extremely busy month!!!

3.  Invitations for Programs:

I am still sorting out invitations for programs.  The following program invitations will be sent out over the next few weeks:

• Design Your Own Universe May 6,7, and 8th
• Fairy Tale Adventures May 27, 28, and 29th
• Gizmos and Gadgets June 3, 4, and 5th NOTE THE CHANGE OF DATE

4.  Gizmos and Gadgets Change of Date:

Gizmos and Gadgets was originally to be held May 13, 14, 15th; however, I am moving that to the first week of June (June 3, 4, 5th)  due to scheduling conflicts.

5.  Planning for the End of the Year:

One of my goals this year was to lessen the paperwork for all; what I want to do is to get information back to schools, in June, detailing:

a.  for each school:  students serviced at the challenge centre this year, and students that did not receive a placement.  

• For example, if Green elementary submitted 8 referrals this year and 3 students were placed in a program, and 5 did not receive a program, then I will give this information back to the school. 
• Then, the school can decide for next year....perhaps one of the five who did not receive a spot really needs that service, so their priority will be to look at those 5 whom did not receive a program.  
• I have the paperwork for all 8 students, and I do not need the school to have to fill out new applications on their behalf again...basically they can submit the name back to me.

b.  Instead of schools having to resubmit forms, I want to keep the forms on file, and the schools, with their updated list from me, can tell me:

•  if they want that child to be considered for programs the next year
• or choose another student that was not accepted 
• or send in new forms for another student 

If this sounds confusing, do not worry; we will be sending out information that clearly explains the new process for next year.  This information will be coming out in May so that schools are clear what needs to be done for the 2013-2014 school year.

If you have any questions, please email me at:

mwiesinger@vsb.bc.ca

Happy Easter!

Learning for the future....

We had a great conversation the other day....the world is changing so fast, and how do we know what our children are learning will be relevant to their world and to their future?  How can we even imagine what their world will be like?  

Think back to your own education....when I was in high school in the early 1980's, we were learning to type on typewriters....in university a few years later, students still typed out their assignments.  Now, it is ipod this and ipad that and keep twittering to keep up; have a blog, get on facebook, and be connected every second of every day!!!!

So, how do multiplication tables, and cursive writing, and worksheets, and drills fit into our crazy world and how does this connect to our students and where they are going?  

How do you balance the old and the new?  What is important to you?  What do you think is important for your students? 

Learning for the future....

We had a great conversation the other day....the world is changing so fast, and how do we know what our children are learning will be relevant to their world and to their future?  How can we even imagine what their world will be like?  

Think back to your own education....when I was in high school in the early 1980's, we were learning to type on typewriters....in university a few years later, students still typed out their assignments.  Now, it is ipod this and ipad that and keep twittering to keep up; have a blog, get on facebook, and be connected every second of every day!!!!

So, how do multiplication tables, and cursive writing, and worksheets, and drills fit into our crazy world and how does this connect to our students and where they are going?  

How do you balance the old and the new?  What is important to you?  What do you think is important for your students? 

Unschooling Rules

I have been reading Unschooling Rules by Clark Aldrich.  I am very impressed.  I found out about this book by stumbling upon a wonderful and refreshing blog 
The Daily Prep created by  Aldrich's wife, Muffy Aldrich.  I love the clarity and authenticity of her blog and her insights. 


Now, back to the book; as an educator, who has been away from university for a while, I do not have the time to read extensive articles about education and the state of affairs of our gracious profession.  I have children, I have a busy life, and I have lots of commitments.  So, I loved how Aldrich's book is full of insights that are profound and clear statements about how we need to look at education.  The premise of the book is "55 ways to unlearn what we know about schools and rediscover education".  Each rule is a big idea that warrants thinking and discussion.  


Refreshing.


Aldrich begins by stating that there are seven C's of education:  curricula, content, coaching, customization, community, credit, and care.  He then goes into more detail about each.  


Here are some of the ideas that stuck with me:

• create and use periods of reflection
• explore, then play, then add rigor
• customization is important
• feed passions and embrace excellence
• minimize the drop off

These ideas resonate with me because these are ideas I try to bring into the Challenge Centre and use in my parenting and teaching.    I will be talking about each of these ideas in further blog posts.  Today, I like:

Create and use periods of reflection:


"A critical part of the learning process is time for quiet reflection about activities - both before and after they are undertaken.  So the busier children are the less they may actually be learning." pg. 35

Aldrich states that "School Days" should have extensive down times - that is, stretches without scheduled activities and even without the context of impending homework.  

I found this very powerful.  Often, I view The Challenge Centre as a place for students just to be.  To spend time thinking, tinkering, and talking.  Almost as a break from "regular school".  This rule also brought to mind one of the pivotal parenting experiences I had with my older son.  When he was finishing  grade one, just before summer break, I told him about all the programs he was going to be doing that summer:  art camp, violin lessons, swimming lessons, Kumon Math!  We had just finished a busy year filled with school and extra tutoring and lots of enriching activities. I was in the "hyper parenting" mode of having my child involved in everything so that he would have academic success.  


My son looked at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Mommy, I don't want to do anything this summer.  I just want to play."  It was then that my world came crashing down and I realized how my son needed down time and reflection time. He had spent this intense school year with all these activities I had done (probably more for me than for him) and he was tired and just needed to reflect.  What did our summer look like?   Lot's of reading, building lego, playing at the park, swimming without lessons, and hanging out together.  I learned a profound lesson that summer:  periods of reflection are critical to our lives. I have taken this lesson into all of my summers with my kids and we plan for "reflection".


I hope that schools and programs and parents build reflection into their lives.  I live by it. 

Unschooling Rules

I have been reading Unschooling Rules by Clark Aldrich.  I am very impressed.  I found out about this book by stumbling upon a wonderful and refreshing blog 
The Daily Prep created by  Aldrich's wife, Muffy Aldrich.  I love the clarity and authenticity of her blog and her insights. 


Now, back to the book; as an educator, who has been away from university for a while, I do not have the time to read extensive articles about education and the state of affairs of our gracious profession.  I have children, I have a busy life, and I have lots of commitments.  So, I loved how Aldrich's book is full of insights that are profound and clear statements about how we need to look at education.  The premise of the book is "55 ways to unlearn what we know about schools and rediscover education".  Each rule is a big idea that warrants thinking and discussion.  


Refreshing.


Aldrich begins by stating that there are seven C's of education:  curricula, content, coaching, customization, community, credit, and care.  He then goes into more detail about each.  


Here are some of the ideas that stuck with me:

• create and use periods of reflection
• explore, then play, then add rigor
• customization is important
• feed passions and embrace excellence
• minimize the drop off

These ideas resonate with me because these are ideas I try to bring into the Challenge Centre and use in my parenting and teaching.    I will be talking about each of these ideas in further blog posts.  Today, I like:

Create and use periods of reflection:


"A critical part of the learning process is time for quiet reflection about activities - both before and after they are undertaken.  So the busier children are the less they may actually be learning." pg. 35

Aldrich states that "School Days" should have extensive down times - that is, stretches without scheduled activities and even without the context of impending homework.  

I found this very powerful.  Often, I view The Challenge Centre as a place for students just to be.  To spend time thinking, tinkering, and talking.  Almost as a break from "regular school".  This rule also brought to mind one of the pivotal parenting experiences I had with my older son.  When he was finishing  grade one, just before summer break, I told him about all the programs he was going to be doing that summer:  art camp, violin lessons, swimming lessons, Kumon Math!  We had just finished a busy year filled with school and extra tutoring and lots of enriching activities. I was in the "hyper parenting" mode of having my child involved in everything so that he would have academic success.  


My son looked at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Mommy, I don't want to do anything this summer.  I just want to play."  It was then that my world came crashing down and I realized how my son needed down time and reflection time. He had spent this intense school year with all these activities I had done (probably more for me than for him) and he was tired and just needed to reflect.  What did our summer look like?   Lot's of reading, building lego, playing at the park, swimming without lessons, and hanging out together.  I learned a profound lesson that summer:  periods of reflection are critical to our lives. I have taken this lesson into all of my summers with my kids and we plan for "reflection".


I hope that schools and programs and parents build reflection into their lives.  I live by it. 

First Challenge Centre: Images of Greatness

Students are studying eminent people and creating their own personal interest project on these fabulous people. Eventually students will be in role, pretending they are the eminent individual, costumes and all.

First Challenge Centre: Images of Greatness

Students are studying eminent people and creating their own personal interest project on these fabulous people. Eventually students will be in role, pretending they are the eminent individual, costumes and all.