Day 93: Mentoring Through Digital Media

If you want to learn some specific skills, why not call in an expert? 

Many schools across the county are preparing to participate in the upcoming SCDSBLive Radio Expo. In order to support the teachers and students to build some background knowledge for the project, we decided to call on a newly trained expert! Brad MacDonald, is a former student of Elmvale District High School. Before that, he attended Huronia Centennial Elementary School...and that's where he went today. 

Brad generously spent part of this morning sharing his knowledge about making effective audio recordings. In order to capture his advice and share it further, we decided to make a video recording using the school's iOgrapher kit and enlisted the help of some grade six and eight students. It was exciting to hear Brad talk about his experience as a news reader on CBC Radio One in Windsor after graduating from Humber with a degree in Journalism.  He taught us lots of "lingo" from the industry, explaining that reporters refer to their tripod as their "sticks" and the light on their camera as the "sun gun". Brad went on to give many practical suggestions for making effective audio recordings. 

Here's an example of an actual script that Brad used on one of his CBC Radio One newscasts.  

Be sure to check out the #SCDSBLive website where the full version of the video will be posted soon. You'll also find the complete list of categories for the "contest" including news reports, music spots, creative stories and many more. Share your learning in a new, creative way.  Be inspired and inspire others...just like Brad did.

Day 29: Blue Jays Fever is Alive and Well in Grade 5

We have all been swept up in the excitement of our Jays' success!!  Game 5 of the series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers sent many of us to the edge of our seats.  As fans, we were rewarded with a victory and we are now onto the next round! 

Today, I had the privilege of visiting a grade 5 classroom where the student inquiry of the day focused on baseball success.  The over-arching inquiry question presented to the students was "How does a team make it to the World Series?"

Student groups were lead through a series of questions, group inquiries, and research opportunities to find evidence as to how a MLB team could win the World Series.  They learned how the rules varied between American and National leagues, the various divisions within a league, the post-season match-ups, strategies, etc.  

What Dave Billark (grade 5 teacher at Orchard Park PS) discovered is that the more the students inquired, the more questions they had!  Students were motivated to engage in a current, real-life approach to learning.  He recognized that when the students were invested in the learning and genuinely cared about the questions they asked, they would persevere in finding the answers to their questions.  

The real teaching moments came from the student research. Guiding students in how to critically determine and analyze what they were reading and interpreting was the big challenge!  The reward?  Student-led inquiry that was meaningful for them! The grade 5's gained insight, research skills and relevant information about a current event.

I suspect even "Joey Bats" would be impressed!!

Thank you, Dave Billark at Orchard Park PS for the invitation into your class to see your students' amazing work!

               

Day 22: Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship

Today I attended ICE Training (Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship) with SHSM (Specialist High Skills Majors) champions from around the region. Fundamentally, ICE is continuation of the design thinking template. You empathize with the end-user, generate ideas and create a prototype. ICE training provides students with opportunities to connect with sector partners to find authentic and relevant problems to solve. Like so many other things, Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship is a mindset.

Students meet with community sector partners and talk about a challenge statement. Then, they enter into the ICE toolkit which involves;

1. Empathy and Need Finding
2. Ideation and Prototyping
3. Strategy and Testing
4. Sharing Innovations

Excerpt from SCDSB SHSM ICE Information Sheet 2015

While provincially, ICE training is connected to secondary students in SHSM programs, I can’t help seeing potential and possibilities for all our learners K-12. Authentic and relevant purpose and student agency are cornerstones of engagement and deep learning. I’d be interested in hearing ideas or stories about how this could work or is working across the county K-12.