Bill Gates dismisses it – this belief that children can construct their own understanding of mathematics. Many educators disagree. John Van de Walle’s student-centred approach? Marilyn Burns’ insight into how children learn math? The rationale in the WNCP curriculum? The beliefs of the BCAMT? Gates would dismiss them all. More importantly to me, he would…
Author: innovativelearningdesigns
Who is blogging in Surrey schools?
Blogging in School District #36 seems to be a rather recent phenomenon. Rick Fabbro might have been one of the first administrators to begin blogging as his first post (Rich Babbles) goes back to November 10, 2010. Many others began blogging but most of them only within the last 8 months. Seven of the administrators…
Creating Fire
Tonight we launched our Digital Discovery Series. This is a three-part series that focuses on helping leaders understand their role in moving student learning forward in a digital age. Our three key themes are Using Mobile Devices, 21st Century Learning and Social Media. We had 220 educators in the room. What did the evening look…
Ipads: Six weeks in the classroom
How are the iPads being used in our district? I sit on the District Technology Advisory Committee (DTAC), which makes key decisions about directions in technology. The Superintendent posed the question and I needed to find the answer. We have twelve schools in the Innovative Learning Designs (Digital Focus) pilot. I did a quick email…
Ramping up innovation: Leading Learning
The culture of YES! Chris Kennedy’s turn of phrase resonates with innovative leaders. He has, in a simple way uttered words that override the formal part of the school organization. The word YES opens doors and minds and feels like an exhilarating call from the informal side of the organization where innovative ideas are sparked—this energy is…
Make like recess today
I’m going to make like recess today. I’ve been thinking about that for a few weeks now. I’m on supervision duty (due to the labour dispute) at Frost Road Elementary three times a day, morning and the double recess. Each day I watch the students run out the doors of the classroom to the…
You Can’t Google This
The greatest challenge is moving beyond the glitz and pizzazz of the flashy technology to teach true literacy in this new milieu. Using the same skills used for centuries—analysis, synthesis, and evaluation—we must look at digital literacy as another realm within which to apply elements of critical thinking. Jones-Kavalier & Flannigan Often I get the…
Finding the Triangular Space
Do we need innovation in education? What are the skills that children will need to prosper in their future? Charles Leadbeater (2011) and many others suggest that reproducing knowledge will become secondary to the ability to apply “knowledge in inventive ways in novel contexts.” We won’t be providing students “with access to a fixed stock…
Tipping Point or Warning Sign?
Guest Post: Sharon Cohen, Deputy Superintendent, Surrey Schools (#SD36) shares her perspective as she explores the world of social media. This year’s BC School Superintendents’ summer conference, focusing on personalized learning, took place in mid-August. Only a year or two ago, using a PDA at such a gathering would have been considered inappropriate. This summer,…
What’s Most Important?
What is the most important message principals need to hear? As educators we are driven by the passion to make a difference in the lives of others. How might we best do that in the schoolhouse? Maximizing learning for all from carlson_e A principal’s job, like a teacher’s, is huge and complex. Where do we…