Saturday, November 3, 2018

TDSB Google Camp 6.0



“What could I possibly say that would be different than what I have already shared? Well, the awesomeness continues with educators intrinsically motivated with the spirit of life-long learning!” 
-- me :)

The TDSB Google Camp is a conference for TDSB educators by TDSB educators looking to build their Professional Learning Network beyond like-minded peers continues to inspire. Yes, TDSB Google Camp 6.0 has come and gone! 600 educators registered to a SOLD OUT event in less than 12 hours! For me, this means several things… there is a demand for professional development focussed on pedagogy, global competencies and leveraging technology across all panels and at varying points of entry for educators in the TDSB. Educators across our school board came out on a Saturday to connect, learn and share… and build or strengthen relationships with colleagues within school communities and across the board. Check out all the resources at bit.ly/CampG6

Keynote Speaker Dean Shareski @shareski stayed true to form! His Keynote “What’s Joy Got To Do With It?” has us thinking about getting deep into learning and what it is all about. His hope was that we would leave with a take-away:
  • Help you Smile
  • Help you Think
  • Help you Act
Through all of this, questioning ourselves around ‘what we do about things that concern us’; more importantly our students. Dean quotes Malcolm Gladwell, “Ideas and dissonance are supposed to bring you joy”. The status quo is limiting for both teachers and students, igniting negative perceptions that school is boring and non-relatable. Learning needs to be engaging, fun and open with opportunities for students’ choice. While building a community of learners in you class communities consider ‘What do schools focus on to support students in the school community?’ and moving aware from one-off spaces. When connecting or conferencing with a student; focus on their successes/ strengths over their challenges, ‘free of bias and full of potential’! How might we better support our students’ well-being and achievement; consider moving from “What’s the matter?” to “What matters to you?” Building and strengthening relationships with our students, we need to be comfortable with relinquishing part of our control and role; being facilitators and connectors to create a community of learning. Knowing when to be Sage-on-the-Stage or Guide-on-the-Side and considering Meddler-in-the-Middle, as we are learning alongside our students. This!


Student agency and voice continues to be an invaluable part of our class community! Kamla Rambaran @kamla_sharbear and I take pride in sharing, and at times, stepping aside as students present their story/perspective of their learning journey. Today was no different! Thank you for our former Grade 4 & 5 students for joining us today and speaking to educators about being entrepreneurs, philanthropists and changemakers. Students highlighted the Design Thinking process as it guided their learning, iterations of ideas and products; the inquiry process to question and seek evidence to support their ideas; as well as reflecting on their learning and its impact on a global citizen they may never meet. Check out our slide deck bit.ly/entrepreneurshipGC18


To go through the sessions I attended today would be limiting that awesomeness of the day because I was only able to be in a small part of the learning community. Definitely check out the twitter discussions via #TDSBcamp and give yourself some time to watch a few sessions captured via @periscopeco. Thank you Spencer Shawn, Tim Barker and Navdeep Aujla for giving a window into the day for those #NotAtTDSBcamp! Check all this out https://www.pscp.tv/TDSB_TLT/follow



Robert Dunlop @dunlop3339 wraps up our high-energy, mind full of ideas and new relationships forged with a focus on “How happy are you as an educator?” Asking us to look at the peaks and valleys of our career happiness timeline; and that our ‘perceptions create our reality!’ Our happiness is unique to us, our position, our personality and experiences and that ‘teaching is the best career, if you can see it that way’. He challenges us to figure out the 40% of what we can control to strive towards happiness. And, sometimes we need a reminder or to just give ourselves permission for self-care so that we can go on being our best selves for our family and our students. Additionally, Robert encourages us to take action through Random Acts of Recognition: act immediately on an authentic thought, appreciation or gratitude and send a shoutout (email, text, tweet) to connect with that person(s) and let them know. You might be surprised at how much that moment will improve not only your happiness but theirs too.


Thank you Kevin Bradbeer, Carlo DiFelice, Shelley Lowry, Marlena Rivett, Peter Singh, Manon Gardner, Kathy Withrow, Ron Felson, Zorica Prekajski, Wayne Loo and TDSB_IT Services for the opportunity to be a part of the Google Camp crew along with #TDSBdll and #TDSBhybrid.

A shout-out to the TDSB Google Camp Committee and volunteers for making the day even more special with your support, attention to detail and all of the awesomeness that made this day great. TDSB Google Camp 7.0 can’t get here soon enough!


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Sunday, October 21, 2018

Reflection 9th Annual Canadian EdTech Innovation Summit

Reflection 9th Annual Canadian EdTech Innovation Summit


Education and industry leaders came together to highlight, encourage and reflect on pedagogy over tools. Promoting competencies to develop skills, nurture creativity and curiosity while supporting a single most simple truth: all students can learn. An innovative mindset is encouraged as it supports development of skills; as the present and future holds new opportunities and jobs not yet known.

 Click on the link below to read more:
http://mindsharelearning.ca/zelia-capitao-tavares-reflection-9th-annual-canadian-edtech-innovation-summit/
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Monday, April 30, 2018

Business Day 2018

Students connected with various guests (students, parents, board & community members) and made a true impression on how knowledgable they are as entrepreneurs and the importance of their role in Business Day and the global community.  

I know... I need to blog about the innovative, inspiring student leadership, teamwork & entrepreneurial spirit! Students who stepped up, or stepped out of their comfort zone in the months leading up to and continue to move forward since our 14th Annual Business Day event... for now, check out our twitter account for snapshots of students in action: @McMBusinessDay

So here it goes....
The participating students enthusiastically took part in this years venture experience to learn what it means to be an entrepreneur while analyzing issues about their global community and how they can have an impact on it with their own local action.  We have also been fortunate to have our business partner, Fabien Panzarella, Manager at BMO StClairAveW volunteer and guide use weekly! He has stated: "Teaching and learning entrepreneurship into a hands-on experience makes students understand the broader perspective of why we learn." "Thanks to Business Day, young students understand concepts like creating business concepts, testing them against the reality of prototyping and understanding all the ingredients for what financial success means."


Students STEM based ventures explored the nature of ‘play’ to create innovative and intriguing games; and going beyond consumers to creators of content that connect to their learning in order to spread awareness.  Ventures connected to unique ideas developed by different teams of students; within their companies, concepts evolved as students grew within the development of their company.

Students worked collaboratively and critically through problems by constantly revisiting the inquiry process, asking questions and reflecting on their accomplishments to help them move forward as a company within their company Google Sites and personal Google Sites ePortfolio.
Arcaderade: Students develop, design and build several unique interactive cardboard arcade stations that used MakeyMakey and Scratch (coding program) and Microbit and prepared fresh fruity smoothies. Additionally, they reached the inspiring Caine's Arcade and his influence on young makers.
Maze Craze Students develop, design and build several handheld and hydraulic wooden mazes. Furthermore, students shared their learning about Women in STEM and how we all have an active role in promoting STEM learning and careers.
Upcycle Genius Students develop, design and sewed bags from recycled clothes with an accompanied with keychain. The keychain has a QRcode, scanned with the Metaverse App to take part in a student designed augmented reality experience. Also, students researched the impact of Fast Fashion on our environment, while offering tips to address our impact based on our choices.
McM Infinity Students develop, design and build cardboard automatas and wooden infinity cubes! In addition to this, students conducted research about the Right to Play and just being a kid!

Students were encouraged to change their mindset by applying knowledge and understanding of content learned in class by creating, troubleshooting and coding/programming their own game app for customers to play and learn about child rights.

Team display boards have so many layers! Scan a QRcode & check our company Google Site; Scan the company logo with HP Reveal App and enjoy their commercial, Read thru infographic posters summarizing learning; use @MetaverseApp to scan and take their quiz as we build experiential learning opportunities! Learn more about student understanding, making meaning/connections and putting into action Global Competencies, Design Thinking, the Inquiry Process, spreading awareness about Global Goals, and donating proceeds to WE movement to support rebuilding schools in Sierra Leone!

Truly, I am inspired by the Grade 4 & 5 student commitment to support one another, working through the challenges of collaborating & compromise, take risks in their learning, making connections with community members/partners to bring about change with an idea that was STEM-based inspired. #entrepreneurialadventure

A shoutout to Kidder - Design Technology & Science Education for the rush on supplies needed to continue building our handheld & hydraulic mazes and automatas to sell during our Business Day event/fundraiser! Thank you to New Canadian Lumber for your donation of the board for the base of the mazes! We also received a small and much needed grant from TDSB Community-Connected Experiential Learning Project which focusses on - how it is an innovative approach to community-connected experiential learning.  How will your project positively impact student achievement, student engagement, and/or student well-being?

A special thanks to our students, teacher candidates from Niagara University and Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study University of Toronto Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Torontoand Co-Op student from Oakwood CI for tweeting out the events of the day and collecting guest feedback via Flipgrid.

 

Let's not forget the ongoing support and encouragement from our parent community! Parent: "My child can’t wait to rush to school to continue building on their ideas and projects, especially knowing that what they are learning will be helping children in another country. They are pleasantly surprised that age is not the driving force for being innovative, creative and a leader."


Check us out on Twitter: @McMBusinessDay


Building upon the core subjects within the curriculum, immersing students learning experiences with a Global Competency focus on Creativity, Inquiry and Entrepreneurship while leveraging technology. Through these learning experiences student voice is amplified as they have a broader venue for spreading awareness around empowering students locally and globally through education. What an honour to go on this adventure with my students this year!



 
 
 


 




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Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Creativity: Every Classroom a Maker Space

So very proud of students who joined me yesterday during the #2ndMentoringMondays focussing on #MakerSpace! It was so exciting to share and learn with many educators in TDSB who came out after school for PD! From Artful Mathematics to Computational Thinking to Interactive Literacy with Melissa Seco, Annika Pint, and my Grade 5 students!

 First thing to ‘make’...Drawbots!!! Students provided a sample to guide teachers as they built their own
drawbot or jigglebot. Great discussions ensued as teachers played with balance of materials, creating
a circuit, the fun of having some time to decorate their drawbots and see them in action within the
cardboard stadium. With each fail of a running bot, teachers turned to students for guidance as they
offered “have you considered… in your design?”

As Melissa, Annika and I set up the sessions we briefly share the importance of curiosity and
opportunities for questioning to let teachers and students help themselves through a new challenge.
We highlight connections to the Global Competencies @tdsb_gc as well as promoting students voice
and content producers.
Just before we invited teachers to visit each station for exploration, we had them consider these
guiding questions to take with them and back to their school communities:
  • What curriculum connections can you make with your grade?
  • What does it mean to be a maker in this space?
  • How will you embed this within your classroom culture?

Teachers were able to visit with Annika as she shared wonderful engaging examples of robotics,
including various grade levels and including curriculum connections.
While exploring with Melissa, teachers discussed the importance of loose parts for ongoing building,
discovery and flexibility of designs for various purposes.
As teachers made their way around, with my students they were introduced to ways we promote a
flexible makerspace with connections to literacy as we create a staple-free mini graphic book
with a paper circuit (supplies purchased at Kidder Education); write and setup an eBook with
accompanying soundtrack using Booktrack and how we use Augmented Reality to bring our
display boards and pages to life using Aurasma.




Alright… now that’s a loaded after school session!

What did it leave us with?
….. More wonderings on how to bring our new learning back into our classrooms!
….. Discussions around how to extend what many of us are currently exploring in our class spaces
with students taking the lead.
….. Considering the value in providing students (and teachers) space to fail and problem solve
reaching their own success. Winnie Lau says it wonderfully, “Success… After failing. We create
opportunities for success when we fail!” Students need the space, a space, any space to explore
and be curious about ideas, creating and building through challenges that they struggle and persevere
on their own.

Thank you again to Melissa and Annika for inviting both myself and my students to join you in
sharing our maker space learning journey!

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