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

Welcome to Term Two and New Year's Reflections...

Hello teachers, parents, students, and colleagues!  I am looking forward to 2014.  Yesterday, in line at the grocery store, I ran into a parent of one of my former students....and I found out that this student is 27 years old and is getting married!  

It made me think...how long have I been teaching?   How long have I been doing this?  Sometimes it seems like FOREVER, and other times it seems like I am just beginning my career.  How can my job one day make me think...."I know what I am doing and I am the expert", and the next day..."I have absolutely no idea what I am doing!"?   Hmm...seems a lot like parenting...just one step ahead of the game at all times.

Well, that is the beauty of teaching...it is an ever changing and evolving job. 

So, this term.... we are focusing on our grade 4-7 intermediate learners.  Here are the programs being offered up to spring break.

1.  Mind Your Math                Gr. 6/7               January 7, 8, 14, 15/ 2014
2.  Individual Projects            Gr. 5/6/7            February 4, 5, 11, 12/ 2014
3.  Marvellous Math               Gr. 4/5               February 24, 25, 26/ 2014
4.  Creative and Poetic          Gr. 4/5                March 4, 5  11, 12/ 2014
         Pursuits      


5.  Readers are Leaders        Gr. 4/5/6/7    Feb. 6/ Mar. 6/ Apr. 10/ May 8/2014                                                                    


For those of you new to our process, we have already accepted students for our programs this year.  

In May, we will be accepting applications for the following school year - we will keep you informed about this in the spring.

Also to note:  we are working with gifted and gifted twice exceptional students in our programs and we are not separating the students into different groups.  We are working with all students, focusing on strengths and interests. 

Next week we are learning about famous mathematicians and their theories.  Welcome to 2014!

Merry Christmas from the Challenge Centre at Brock Elementary

This term has been one of great change for myself at the Challenge Centre.  There has been many changes in the back end of our programming, however, our program delivery has remained the same and we are in full swing!

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year.  See you in 2014! 

The Amazing Brain

In October we hosted the Amazing Brain Workshop for Grade 6 and 7 students. What was the Amazing Brain about?  This workshop was for students who have an Individual Education Plan and want to learn more about themselves as learners.

On the first day, we looked at the brain in order to understand how we learn.

 On the second day, we looked at ourselves as learners...what are out strengths and weaknesses as learners.

 On the third day, we looked at IEP's:  what they are, what they contain, and 
what this document means.  Realizing that our students learn in many different contexts and have many different situations, (some students have never seen their IEP,) we used this as a session to talk generally about goals.

 What goals to they have for themselves as learners?  What areas do they have to work on is school?  What areas do they need to be "stretched" in?  What areas do they need support?

 Finally, we wanted students to discover how to be advocates for themselves:  how to understand their needs as learners, and how to shape their education.

 Here students are creating art: self portraits.

 Time lines about their lives:  present, one year from now, 3 years from now, 5 years from now, and as an adult.

Creating Programs around need

This year we have asked for schools to submit applications for students who are in need of programming, and our team has decided to create programs around the interests and abilities of these students.  So, we asked schools to have conversations about their high ability students.....who needs a program?  Who would benefit from an enrichment program? Who needs to meet other like minded students in order to make connections in their learning?  Who would benefit from being challenged in an intellectual environment?

From there we have grouped students via their area of needing enrichment and extension.   We have found, via this process, that the interests fall into some common academic areas such as writing, math, science, critical and creative thinking, reading, and leadership.  So, instead of publishing our programs and schools signing up for the programs, we are creating programs based on need.

Over the next two weeks, schools will be sent invitations for our programs.  We are starting the year by servicing our grade 6 and 7 students and we will be offering the following programs:

Speech Arts
Math
Writing
Engineering
Book club
Special projects

We will be letting schools know about grade 4 and 5 programs and the primary programs over the next week.

Programs will begin in early November.  We look forward to working with students!

Deadline for Applications for Programs: October 10th, 2013

For classroom, resource teachers, and administrators that could not attend one of our nine Family of Schools Contact Meetings, our deadline for all programs this year is October 10, 2013.  

We have chosen this date early in the year so that we can place students in programs and let the schools know by mid November whether or not a student has received programming for the 2013-14 school year.  Unlike previous years, we want to let the schools know their programming options for the entire year, and not staggered, like before.  This is part of our job to refine our servicing model for schools.

So please tell your schools to be mindful of the deadline:  October 10th, 2013!

Deadline for Applications for Programs: October 10th, 2013

For classroom, resource teachers, and administrators that could not attend one of our nine Family of Schools Contact Meetings, our deadline for all programs this year is October 10, 2013.  

We have chosen this date early in the year so that we can place students in programs and let the schools know by mid November whether or not a student has received programming for the 2013-14 school year.  Unlike previous years, we want to let the schools know their programming options for the entire year, and not staggered, like before.  This is part of our job to refine our servicing model for schools.

So please tell your schools to be mindful of the deadline:  October 10th, 2013!