 Last month I had the pleasure of attending the Singapore Math parent night at Collingwood's Wentworth (JK-6) Campus as part of the Parent Speakers Series. The very well attended event outlined the philosophy and benefits of the Singapore Math program in producing flexible learners who appreciate mathematical relationships. With this in mind, topics and learning outcomes are covered in greater depth enabling mastery of concepts and greater understanding of how math works. We all agree that students MUST develop a strong foundation of basic skills. Multiplication, division, timetables and fractions require strong instruction and a great deal of practice to master. Our goal is to use the Singapore math program in conjunction with Trevor Calkin's Power of Ten, Problem Solving Strategies and a strong focus on the 'basics' to enhance our students' ability to ‘think’ mathematically. Becoming mathematically literate involves developing the ability to explore, to conjecture, to reason logically, and to use a variety of mathematical methods to solve problems. It involves the development of self-confidence and the ability to use quantitative and spatial information to solve problems and make decisions. The Singapore Math Program was fully adopted in the Jr. School in September 2011 after a great deal of research and deliberation. It frames a rich mathematical continuum and develops consistency across the grades and within each grade level. This program provides a core scheme and includes supplementary resources to extend and enhance student learning, thus meeting the needs of all learners. All of the B.C. Ministry of Education’s Prescribed Learning Outcomes are covered and we believe that it equips the students with a fantastic mathematical tool box as they move into the Middle and Senior School. Special thanks to Mandy Richmond, Melania Alvarez (UBC) Christine Stuart and Helen Gould for hosting and presenting at the event. As a parent of two children experiencing math at Collingwood, I have been very impressed by the scope and depth of the program.  Collingwood Kindergarten students working together during a problem solving activity. Yum - adding and subtracting chocolate chips in the cookie! Add Comment "Collingwood JR School infuses the library into all aspects of student learning."  When many think back to our school library experiences, we often imagine a silent, sterile space filled with stacks of books and a wooden card catalog - containing long, perfectly organized drawers. The library, I remember was run with military precision by the librarian whose primary purpose was to maintain law, order and "silence". While many schools are cutting library support as a cost-saving measure, Collingwood is increasing its investment in this critical resource because research confirms that infusing teacher-librarians and the library into all aspects of school life pays back substantial dividends in relation to student learning and achievement. The Wentworth Library operates as a collaborative classroom. The teacher-librarians, Ms. Cunningham and Ms. Harris, believe that "their primary purpose is to teach students how to think and develop a passion and love of reading." Ms. Cunningham and Ms. Harris are "Reading Power" leaders and use Adrienne Gear's strategies to teach students to become more thoughtful or “meta-cognitive” - meaning they become more aware of their thinking while reading. Their lessons are designed to provide students with a language and understanding that moves away from decoding towards genuine thinking by infusing the "thinking powers". Students learn to make connections, ask deep question, visualize images, infer meaning and transform ideas. These engaging strategies require students to deepen their understanding and go beyond the text itself. The teacher- librairans work closely with the classroom teachers to infuse the "Reading Power" into all subjects areas - developing a common language and understanding. For example, the JK's work on making connections and personalizing their learning experiences using an inquiry approach, the K-2's work on visualizing from text integrating imagination, and the Grade 3-5's focus is on asking questions - deep questions - where answers lie beyond the text. The library has become a place to learn how to think, find a personal voice, ask questions, infer, imagine and lose yourself in the telling and reading of a great story. On a related library 21st Century learning note, our students now have access to the world's collected knowledge (and the global biases, errors and perspectives) at their fingertips. Their virtual "trip to the library" may be over in a matter of minutes or seconds. The teacher-librarian's role has shifted from helping children locate information, to helping them carefully evaluate it for credibility and expertise. Today, more than ever, we have to be wiser consumers of the information that is tweeted, posted, blogged, flickr'd and youtubed. It is for this reason the Collingwood Library has an extensive collection of eResources available 24/7. The doors may be locked after hours, but the library is never closed. There are numerous databases that have been carefully selected to enhance and support the curriculum and learning needs of our community. Students, teachers and parents can find reliable information from trusted sources. Many of the providers of these sources will be likely be recognized by our students upon their first login at their post-secondary institute. For more on "The Impact of School Libraries on Student Achievement" click here. "Team Authored" using Google Docs by the Collingwood English Department  This post is an example of the power of collaboration and demonstrates how technology can promote engagement, collaboration and ownership. After sharing examples of collaborative practice taking place in our classes, we co-authored this post about the experience in a Google Doc. Sometimes as educators, we are so focused on what is going on within the four walls of our classroom that we forget what we can learn from listening to others. We tell the kids to listen and learn from each other, but do not practice what we preach. Often, some of the best activities and products come from the creativity, energy, support and passion of our colleagues. Putting time aside to collaborate with our colleagues can result in meaningful and purposeful activities that enable students to connect the classroom to their own lives. The common traits of these collaborative activities are: FUN, AUTHENTIC, ACTIVE, CREATIVE, ANALYTICAL and ENGAGING. Activities are wide-ranging and adaptable to different levels and mediums like poetry, novel studies, short stories and non-fiction. As a result, students of every skill level have a greater opportunity to exhibit their knowledge. Many of the activities presented are student centered and result in the students taking more ownership and being more accountable; teacher centered activities are not as engaging or as fun. It is important to model HOW to use a skill, and then have them explore it on their own. The students realize that they are more expressive that they would otherwise give themselves credit for. In addition, students can learn a lot from each other and are more interested in listening to each other. Thank you English Department! Your post is a great example of authentic, collaborative and progressive learning! -Ian 
 When many of us think of test taking, we visualize rows, dividers and the cramming of information, usually in the form of facts, formulas and dates. The purpose of these tests was to assess our ability to recall information from our brains - to paper - before it was lost into the abyss. I would like to share with you a different image of a test that took place in Mrs. Hobson's Social Studies class. In this test students collaborated and shared knowledge -using each other as resources. They had to apply their knowledge and skills to complete a complex task. In order to succeed, the students were required to have a deep understanding of ideologies and political theories and were required to synthesize information to create a sound political platform or analyze and assess information about the political system in Canada. When I interviewed the students, they expressed that they had to draw from a deep knowledge base. They felt a sense of purpose, responsibility and ownership, and loved that they were creating something. One student expressed that this was a "real world" learning experience and enjoyed the complexity of the test. Earlier this year, the Collingwood Faculty spent the morning with Tony Wagner from Harvard University. The focus of the session was to discuss and explore the skills that our students need in order to be successful in the ever changing landscape of their reality. We shared ideas, strategized and set goals focusing on infusing Wagner's 7 Survival Skills into our teaching and learning practices. The above "test" is an example of how we are shifting our teaching to meet the evolving needs of our students. Survival Skills Poster in all classrooms
What motivates you? Are you intrinsically or extrinsically motivated? Which types of motivation promote critical thinking, problem solving and creativity? How do we help our students develop autonomy, masteryand purpose for their learning? How do we apply the science behind motivation to build and develop a healthy and vibrant learning community? These are just some of the questions teachers at Collingwood have been discussing as part of our faculty book club.  Drive highlights the difference between what the science says about motivation and the way many businesses operate. Most systems are built on principles of external or extrinsic motivation - carrot and stick or reward and merit pay. This widely accepted external reward system works for simple tasks; however, research and studies demonstrates that it decreases creativity, and ingenuity. These are the very skills many of the 21 Century schools are trying to develop in students. Pink argues that motivation is tied to three main factors - Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose. While reading Drive, I couldn't help but make connections to the power of Assessment For Learning and the importance of building student ownership and purpose in and for their learning. Providing students with autonomy to direct their learning, going deep enough for them achieve a sense of mastery and providing purpose and context are critical to increasing student engagement and learning. "The desire to do something because you find it deeply satisfying and personally challenging inspires the highest levels of creativity, whether it's arts, science or business." Teresa Amabile, Harvard University - in Drive. Ultimately, we need to ensure that our classrooms foster creativity, ingenuity, imagination and a love of learning. Next book on our Collingwood book club list is Mindset by Karol Dweck Take a moment to watch this great video on DRIVE | AuthorIan Kennedy is the Director of Instructional Growth at Collingwood School. He is a passionate educational leader who believes that the best teachers are the best learners! ArchivesApril 2012 Categories |
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