Today at school, two of our classes and a group of senior students were involved in a North Vancouver School District video project: Personalized Learning for the 21st Century. This video is being created in collaboration with the Argyle Digital Media Academy.

Students in Mme. Zwart’s class were working on science, and were filmed dissecting chicken legs and learning about the different parts of a leg.  The students worked together in pairs, put their gloves on, grabbed their scissors and got to work, carefully cutting up the legs and identifying muscles, tendons, cartilage and bone.

There was a lot of excitement in the air as the kids were getting ready for the lesson. Mme. Zwart helped the class focus, the students met the film crew, and then the lesson began. A laptop and projector were used to illustrate the steps that the students were to follow, and expectations were clarified. There were several parent volunteers, who helped students stay focused, provided encouragement for all students, and who were able to assist children with their learning and discovering.

Across the building, Ms. La Prairie was working with her grade 7 students on some drama, creating a variety of tableaux scenes and learning the art of expressing oneself without words. The class was divided into seven groups, and the students were all given a scene to present.

After allowing the groups some time for planning and practice, Ms. La Prairie called the class together (I love her Tibetan bowl), the class settled down, and each group presented their work.

Mme. Santarosa brought together a group of grade 6 & 7 students who were interviewed about learning. Students were asked about what was not working in teaching, and what was working. Their answers were thoughtful, and showed how articulate students can be when given the chance.

I twittered a few of the comments, but I will repeat some highlights:

In response to: “What do we need more of in schools?” – “We need learning that is fun and creative.”

In response to, “What does good teaching look like?” – “A teacher who switches things up.” “She makes learning fun and gets to know everyone.”

In response to, “Do you have anything more to add?” –  “It’s the little things that teachers do that make all the difference.”

Today was a fabulous day to be the Principal of L’Ecole Cleveland School. I was witness to students engaged in their learning, and students working together in both drama and science. I was witness to students taking the time to provide thoughtful and well-articulated answers to questions about teaching and learning. I was witness to teachers creating classroom cultures where children want to learn and can try new things.

Everyday I am able to see a wide variety of engaging lessons and activities where children are given the chance to learn something new, deepen their understanding of something they know a little bit about, or demonstrate their creativity.

As a school, we are still working towards understanding and bringing to life personalized learning and meeting the needs of all learners. It will always be a work in progress, and we should always be willing to try new things and look for ways to make learning meaningful for everyone.

Today, I was engaged in learning, and so were the students.

Take care.