Add to the excellent ideas and work coming from the CILO – Creating Innovative Learning Opportunities time!
UNFURL – Unraveling New Frontiers – Utilizing Real Learning
Crossing the Frontier that is Student Learning…
Derek Rakowski – Educator and Principal
UNFURL - Unraveling New Frontiers - Utilizing Real Learning 
Lunnin and Lippitt
We got organized for our poetry cafe and developed a marking rubric for presentation of their poems.
We planned for our upcoming science fair, discussing how students would be assessed by by their peers and staff.
Lisa B and her team(s) worked on program reviews and transtion planning for our grades 4 and 5 Language and Literacy students.
The Grade 3 team, looked at where we were at with our story writing. We looked at student work and reviewed areas of growth. We are excited to start our story writing next week to see what wonderful imaginations we have in grade 3.
We also looked at assessment and how we will bring in student voice to assess their story writing.
The office team examined and discussed possibilities for enhancing student learning through some of the processes that involve the office, especially around communication and student behavior. We also looked at strategies to improve the lunchroom experience for our students for next year, focusing on strategies and processes that minimize issues during unstructured times.
Other questions we examined were around utilization of the library by teachers and students.
-How do we make the library more accessible for students?
-How do we create it as a beneficial learning space for students and teachers?
-How do we help kids to become comfortable in the library and enable them to access materials from books and beyond?
-How do we move toward Bev having a greater focus on literacy development versus “keeper of the computer system?”
Today I went to Erin Woods School to learn about jr hand bells, the ukulele, and the recorder. We discussed ideas for teaching these instruments and I was able to sit in on 2 jr hand bell lessons and a ukulele lesson. We also discussed class management strategies.
This afternoon I searched out resources and activities for novel studies, fine motor activities,phonics/reading skills & social skills.
What did one math book say to the other math book? You have a lot of problems!
Grade 4s absolutely devoured this time. We spent a bit of time discussing math problem solving strategies to simplify the process for our diverse learners.
Mike then joined us to hack into Alberta’s past to make our next unit tangible and accessible and interesting for our inquiring minds. We are getting excited about our next unit – quite the change from the dread we felt before.
Today the Kindergarten Team consisted of only me (Heather) as my team partner is away at a professional development workshop. I used part of the CILO time today to collect a few materials for our upcoming inquiry/research project on dolphins (topic was chosen by our students yesterday in a very formal and official vote). We have also been working to establish consistent reporting guidelines to follow as we move forward with our reporting. I worked with these guidelines today and am looking forward to getting feedback from Vanessa when she returns tomorrow. She is also generously planning to do some information sharing with me around the workshop she attended today about diversity in the classroom entitled “Here Comes Everybody”.
The Grade 5 Team spent time spent time brainstorming, planning, and preparing for student led conferences. Time was also spent presenting our L & L students for the annual review.
The fabulous grade 1 team spent this afternoon delving into our 5 Senses unit, mainly on hearing and sound. We found some websites that allowed us to use free sound bytes and pictures to help support our writing using the 5 Senses.
We also used some time to discuss community supports such as dental hygiene for our students (having a dentist come in to talk to our students) We discussed individual students academics and behaviour this week, and looked into possible future field trips.
Looked at our writing project that we began last week, spoke about teaching methods, and student responses.
Looked at student work samples. Worked together to see where students could improve their writing and how to get their work to improve.
Used the student sample booklet we created to get see what levels students were at, and how to move them forward.