Day 2: New Opportunities

A new school year is a chance to start fresh, reinvent ourselves, and embrace new opportunities. Students and educators alike have a second (or third, fourth, etc..) chance to carve a fresh identity, reflect on past mistakes and be even more awesome. 

That is just what we saw today: Awesomeness.  As part of the Program and Innovation team, we are lucky that we get to see and be part of awesomeness across Simcoe County every single day.

At West Bayfield Elementary School a group of kindergarten students, along with their teacher and DECE, began the first moments of the 2015-16 school year by choosing their very own capes to wear. They flew into their kindergarten classroom with pride and confidence, chatting about their extraordinary superpowers along the way.

The impact of what we witnessed sparked a conversation about how learners are like superheroes. We all have a variety of strengths that make us unique. On top of developing the inner superpowers that we currently have, we reflected on the importance of providing a wide range of learning opportunities that open up the door of possibilities to help students discover superpowers that they may not have known were hidden deep inside them. After all, most superheroes weren’t born super, but it was through their actions and mindsets that they became extraordinary.

As soon as we walked into the grade 5/6 classroom at Tosorontio Central Public School, we could feel the excitement and focus around the creative thinking and problem solving happening. The students collaborated on a challenge to design a new and improved object from their everyday lives. Through this rich learning task, the students were beginning to develop a learning environment where they felt safe stepping outside of their comfort zone. A couple of their innovative inventions include a water bottle that is divided in half and can hold 2 different drinks at the same time, and a pair of earrings that were wireless headphones.

This afternoon a group of grade 10 English students from Innisdale Secondary School began connecting with each other through a Twitter scavenger hunt.  A few of the silly challenges included group yoga poses, Where’s Waldo, and school celebrity selfies. This ice breaker was not only engaging, but ignited a conversation around digital citizenship. 

Today we were inspired by the students and educators who were beginning to discover and grow the super powers and potential within themselves. We were inspired by the exploration of new ways to engage students through deep learning opportunities. And we were inspired by the use of technology and social media as a way to connect in the classroom and beyond.

And this was only Day 1.


~Jill and Marci


Thank you to Ken and August, Mike and Rhonda for welcoming us into your classrooms.