Updates from the Challenge Centre

Hello from the Challenge Centre.  I have been away for a while because of skiing:  both sons are involved in ski racing and since January, I really have not had any time on the weekends to do anything but get the boys out the door with all their race gear, ski, and get them home to a good dinner.  5:30 wake up times are difficult!  

The Challenge Centre has gone through many changes this year...and feedback that has come my way has shown that sending out the invitations for programs in November has had it's challenges.  I know that there is a great deal of delay in finding out your child has a program spot, and the program not beginning for months and months.  So, we are working on this glitch, by reminding school contacts about the programs coming up.  Right now I am contacting schools about Parent Permission forms I have not yet received.

Besides that, the programs are running at full speed:  I just finished Marvellous Math Grades 4/5 and I am in the middle of teaching Creative and Poetic Pursuits Grades 4/5.  This will take us to Spring Break, which begins at the end of this week.

The above picture is a snapshot of a wonderful workshop I was part of two weeks ago:  The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme Training.  A goal and dream of mine has been to teach the IB program someday, so I now  have the training, and I am waiting for the right opportunity to present itself!  I love the philosophy of IB, and it fits well with the work I have done in the challenge centre.  Most notably, I try to incorporate the Learner Profile that IB schools use into our programming. So students may see and hear me talking about the kind of learner that we focus on being:  reflective, inquisitive, balanced, knowledgeable, and caring learners (to name a few!)

Happy Spring Break, and I am looking forward to working with students in term three! I will soon be showing the work done with students in the last few programs!

Individual Projects

In just under a week, we will be seeing students for the seminar on "Individual Projects".  Here, we will be taking students through the steps in order to carry out research on a topic area of their choice.

I have sent out a letter to the schools requesting the following so please make sure students have the following information:

1.     Students should have an idea of something they would like to study for their individual project.  This should be a topic/person/historical event/concept they are interested in learning more about, or something they are passionate about. 

      

2.     If a student has an area of interest, he/she should begin to think about specific questions concerning their topic. 

3.     The student needs to bring in some primary sources for researching their project.  This can be books from the library, or on-line resources.  Although we have wireless internet in the classroom, we only have a few computers.  Therefore, students can bring in their own laptops, ipads, or computer devices whereby they can get online.  All items will be secured and locked up during recess and lunch, so there is no need to worry about items being lost or stolen.  

4.     WE will be learning about the following:

·      How to research using on line resources, primary resources, and how to take notes and put information into our own words.

·      How to put a project together in four days.

·      How to share and present learning to others in an original format.

·      How to create effective products of learning to demonstrate understanding.

·      It is hoped, by completing this seminar, that students are able to create their own projects in the future in a comprehensive format!

Thank you for sending your child/student to the challenge centre.  If you require more information, please feel free to contact me at Brock Elementary at 604-713-5766 or email me at:

mwiesinger@vsb.bc.ca

Images of Greatness 2011: Letting it Rip...

 When working with a group of students who you do not know, and asking them to produce a large project in a few short days is a huge "leap of faith".  

This is the Challenge Centre.....letting the students "Go For It..." and creating something spectacular.  I have to rely on the fact that  I am asking them to step out of their comfort zone and create projects that are open ended and do not have a specific format.  I want them to decide on how they will share their learning and create their own interpretations.

 I give the students lots of criteria, show them lots of examples, and give them lots of options. 

 However, I rely on them to come up with their projects.  I am there to help them and facilitate the learning, but I really leave it up to them to decide what they want to create. 

 For some students, this is new and frightening.  For others, this is what they always do.  However, I have clear expectations about how we make this place safe so that all of our learning, wherever we are, is encouraged, and accepted.

 Celebrated. 

 In this particular unit, I wanted students to learn from the lives of "famous" people....and take this learning and apply to their own lives.  I want them to ask themselves, "What did this person do?"   and "Why are their accomplishments important to us, now?"  and "what hardships did this person have to overcome?".

 I also encouraged students to dress "in role" of the person they studied, to get into character of being this person.  Because of time constraints, and depending upon who the person is, some students were able to be in role, while others found it more difficult.

Students were encouraged to bring in laptops to work on their projects

 Many chose to do powerpoint presentations: this one is on Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party

 A great project on Leonardo daVinci

 An alphabet book about Steve Jobs

 Martin Luther King Jr.

 Products of learning:  a model (bird's eye view) of Washington Monument when MLK jr. made his famous "I have a dream" speech

 Model of Martin Luther King Jr.

 Backboard projects

A painting

 Model of Anne Frank's annex; where her family and her hid; an interesting interpretation of the project....I appreciated the diversity of ideas.

 Time line of Anne Frank's life

 Project on David Suzuki; well researched and displayed.

 Project on Nefertiti, in a question and answer format.

An alphabet book was a popular choice.

 Queen Elizabeth 1

 Nefertiti time line...tea stained to make it look like an artifact.

Models of DaVinci's famous inventions.

I encourage the students to experiment, and make mistakes. I encourage them to try new things.....for example, one student spent a great deal of time on a product of learning and then decided not to use it in her presentation.  It was a valuable lesson and learning opportunity to realize we create things that may not be part of our overall plan, but it is still worthwhile to explore.

I was impressed with all the hard work and valuable learning.  We crammed all of our presentations into the afternoon and a bit of the morning, and we barely had time for questions, or feedback.

As well, I had no time to edit and proofread student's work.  If I had them for another day or two, I would have built this into the program -  so much of the work is not edited and in its "raw format".  I am always struggling with this aspect of the program, but since we have such as short time together, I have to "let this go", so to speak.

Thank you grade six and sevens; you are well on your way to being powerful and engaged learners!

Images of Greatness 2011: Letting it Rip...

 When working with a group of students who you do not know, and asking them to produce a large project in a few short days is a huge "leap of faith".  

This is the Challenge Centre.....letting the students "Go For It..." and creating something spectacular.  I have to rely on the fact that  I am asking them to step out of their comfort zone and create projects that are open ended and do not have a specific format.  I want them to decide on how they will share their learning and create their own interpretations.

 I give the students lots of criteria, show them lots of examples, and give them lots of options. 

 However, I rely on them to come up with their projects.  I am there to help them and facilitate the learning, but I really leave it up to them to decide what they want to create. 

 For some students, this is new and frightening.  For others, this is what they always do.  However, I have clear expectations about how we make this place safe so that all of our learning, wherever we are, is encouraged, and accepted.

 Celebrated. 

 In this particular unit, I wanted students to learn from the lives of "famous" people....and take this learning and apply to their own lives.  I want them to ask themselves, "What did this person do?"   and "Why are their accomplishments important to us, now?"  and "what hardships did this person have to overcome?".

 I also encouraged students to dress "in role" of the person they studied, to get into character of being this person.  Because of time constraints, and depending upon who the person is, some students were able to be in role, while others found it more difficult.

Students were encouraged to bring in laptops to work on their projects

 Many chose to do powerpoint presentations: this one is on Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party

 A great project on Leonardo daVinci

 An alphabet book about Steve Jobs

 Martin Luther King Jr.

 Products of learning:  a model (bird's eye view) of Washington Monument when MLK jr. made his famous "I have a dream" speech

 Model of Martin Luther King Jr.

 Backboard projects

A painting

 Model of Anne Frank's annex; where her family and her hid; an interesting interpretation of the project....I appreciated the diversity of ideas.

 Time line of Anne Frank's life

 Project on David Suzuki; well researched and displayed.

 Project on Nefertiti, in a question and answer format.

An alphabet book was a popular choice.

 Queen Elizabeth 1

 Nefertiti time line...tea stained to make it look like an artifact.

Models of DaVinci's famous inventions.

I encourage the students to experiment, and make mistakes. I encourage them to try new things.....for example, one student spent a great deal of time on a product of learning and then decided not to use it in her presentation.  It was a valuable lesson and learning opportunity to realize we create things that may not be part of our overall plan, but it is still worthwhile to explore.

I was impressed with all the hard work and valuable learning.  We crammed all of our presentations into the afternoon and a bit of the morning, and we barely had time for questions, or feedback.

As well, I had no time to edit and proofread student's work.  If I had them for another day or two, I would have built this into the program -  so much of the work is not edited and in its "raw format".  I am always struggling with this aspect of the program, but since we have such as short time together, I have to "let this go", so to speak.

Thank you grade six and sevens; you are well on your way to being powerful and engaged learners!