Pathways to Personalisation

Many of you may recall some of our conversations last year around the BC Ed Plan, specifically the parts that deal with choice, flexibility and personalisation.  While the concepts were well received, there were many questions about what exactly this might look like in our schools.



Fall Golf at HSS



It is a new year and we are already seeing examples of what choice, flexibility and personalisation look like.  September has brought many exciting changes for secondary students in the Bulkley Valley.  Both Houston Secondary and BVLC have partnered with NWCC in their respective communities, providing more pathways for students to engage in educational opportunities. Moreover, BVLC students, have access to college opportunities (and an amazing facility), and are now able to walk down the street and select courses from the broad menu at Smithers Secondary.  And this is just the beginning...

SSS Hockey Academy

Last year, the District and its high schools started a conversation to determine if the timetables were conducive to providing opportunities to students.  They were not.  As a result, the two high schools agreed upon a common timetable that has had immediate impact on students. Houston Secondary has created outdoor education course offerings that include six week units to coincide with seasonal opportunities such as hockey, angling, outdoor recreation and golf. Smithers Secondary has also capitalized on the new schedule. They were able to make this happen through staff expertise of teacher, Derek Holland, who made use of the community joint use agreement and proximity to the ice rink to offer a Hockey Academy.  We had the pleasure of watching their first session where Mr. Holland had the students turn to a partner and give them a high five and say, "Welcome to school!"  

As mentioned, this is just the beginning, but I believe we can all be excited by the potential that exists as a result of taking advantage of new opportunities and by having the courage step out of the "we've always done it this way" mindset.

Personalisation matters.

Welcome back... and more!

Welcome to another exciting year in the Bulkley Valley!  Besides the usual sensational work done in our facilities over the summer by our maintenance department, there is much to be excited about as we kick off a new year. 

The excitement started early when we were visited by Dr. Stuart Shanker on August 22.  140 guests from across the Northwest joined Dr. Shanker in a conversation about the critical importance of self-regulation in student success.

By now, many of you will have seen the Marshmallow Test (See YouTube clip)

Dr. Shanker's work builds the bridge that helps us understand why kids do what they do, and, critically, what we as educators can do to help students strenghten their ability to self-regulate. Educators often inately recognize the need to help children self-regulate. Now the science makes the connection as to why it is increasingly critical for kids to understand "how their engine runs" (See figure). Moreover, this work takes on even greater significance when we understand that a child's ability to self-regulate can be improved.

In the Bulkley Valley, two of our schools (Lake Kathlyn and Silverthorne) will be working closely with Dr. Shanker and his MEHRI Team (Milton & Ethlel Harris Research Initiative) from York University.  The MEHRI Team will be providing training for our school and district staff on Thursday, Spetember 20th as we embark on the first wave of this project.

We are excited at the many exciting possibilities that are emerging in education across SD#54, but in the scope of education and the foundational pieces we work with, at the core we need to ensure our students are "Calm, Alert, and Learning" (Shanker, 2012).

Getting the engine just right matters.

Awakening Learning

 As I noted at our Education Forum, we are well placed with quality teachers to move the learning agenda forward.  Indeed, those who were present might recall Sir Ken Robinson sharing his belief that schools should awaken students, enliven live.  He further states, that few areas enable this "awakening" more than the arts. 

Recently, our smallest school, Lake Kathlyn Elementary, dedicated a day to Dr. Seuss. Students and staff embraced the idea, and engagement was through the roof. They had Whos, Hortons, Cats in Hats, and Things One and Two, as the school community celebrated learning.

Similarly, at Silverthorne Elementary, Ms. Jennifer Moroz's class put on a dinner theatre event as part of students demonstration of their understanding of the gold rush.  Beyond being a wonderful community event, the remarkable breadth of learning outcomes touched on through the students dramatic involvement was remarkable.  While they were acting, all students were also "mining" their own knowledge through their engagement.

The flurry of arts culminated with both secondary schools earning accolades at the Regional Drama Festival.  Following their performances the adjudicator provided immediate feedback for the performers, and all members from all schools celebrated their work together.

Beyond the wonderful performances, it is fascinating to watch the effort and commitment, outside of regular hours, the students the students put into their performances... and their learning.


 

Seeds of Change

Last Fall, the BC Education Plan was unveiled and, while there might be considerable "discussion" about its timing and development, there can be little argument that the 5 key elements outlined in the Plan are (and will be) vital to the continued improvement of teaching and learning in British Columbia. The 5 elements are:

* Personalized learning for every student.

* Quality teaching and learning.

* Flexibility and choice.

* High standards.

* Learning empowered by technology.

On February 7th, SD#54 hosted an Education Forum (Part one in a series of conversations) to discuss the possibilities for increased student engagement and success through a focus on personalized learning, while discussing the opportunities we see emerging from the BC Ed. Plan.  As mentioned in previous posts, these conversations have been happening in pockets throughout the District. 

Invited to this meeting were parents, students, businesses, aboriginal partners, RCMP, college, town councils, trustees, teachers, support staff and administration.  We had an excellent turnout, with representation from all stakeholders and some lively conversations, beginning with a discussion of what stakeholders believe and educated citizen in the Bulkley Valley (who can function in a global context) should  look like.  All groups made mention to the "new" skill set required to function in tomorrow's world, tying directly into the key elements of the BC Ed. Plan. Moreover, students, parents, and other stakeholders are acutely aware that we need a flexible system in order to meet these demands.

I will post the presentation on the District web page for those who have not seen it.  At the end of the evening we left off with the need for stakeholders to spread the conversation, specifically around choice and flexibility.  Going forward, we believe stakeholders, especially students and parents, have key insights and ideas that we need to consider as we continue to ensure our schools provide all students with the best possible future.

Thank you for all who attended.  Start spreading the conversation.  Plant some seeds.

Merry Christmas!

As we wind down toward the winter break, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on some  highlights  that have stood out this year.

Once again, through the work of support staff, teachers, admin, parents and community volunteers, the elementary sports season (soccer, x-country, volleyball) has been outstanding.  Similarly, our high school teams are enjoying another strong season, having sent 5 teams to the provincial championships this year.

The Arts also continue to be vibrant with large numbers of students engaged in diverse artistic endeavours.  Drama and theatre programs have continued to entertain our communities and this year's Carolfest was another spectacular community showcase of tremendous quality. This past week, Smithers Secondary held their annual Christmas Concert for their Junior and Senior Bands (including the District 6/7 Band). A remarkable night before a packed house. Beyond the talent on display, what captivates me most is the level of engagement and enjoyment of all participants.  The students and adults that make these programs possible put in immense hours of work getting ready for the performance, and are enjoying every moment of the learning process together.  It is a pleasure to watch that interaction.

Enjoy the holidays:)

Power of Choice

What a busy and exciting time. Over the past couple of months the School District has been involved in conversations about expanding opportunities for students through examining the purpose and flexibility of our programs and facilities.  The first conversation involved a re-visioning of our alternate program, with the driving question being, "Is it meeting the needs of the students?" This conversation was begun with staff, carried on with alternate students and re-visited with staff again.  It has been a fascinating process, with all partners in the conversation pointing out that the program needs to be more flexible to permit students more choice.  Not surprisingly, the students were particularly quick to present these suggestions.  But how do we facilitate this choice?  Once you start to peel at this, the layers run deep, and hence the next conversation.

Closely tied to the flexibility and choice of the alternate students is the structure of our high school timetable.  Both of our high schools have different tumbling timetables which do not connect easily with the alternate program, other community services (such as NWCC), work experience, or other employment opportunities. To shed light on the timetable issue, Assistant Superintendent Mike McDiarmid invited the high schools and other partner groups to examine the possibilities that might arise from considering aligning the school timetable across the District and across other partner providers.  Again, the potential service to students from this conversation is stunning.  Stunning, but really not that new.  We are hearing of and seeing similar initiatives happening across the province and in other jurisdictions, but now, as students truly become aware of the choices before them, we are getting far more deliberate about enhancing personalized learning.

Learning Conversations

In the midst of the provincial dialogue, supervision schedules, and numerous other distractions, it is easy to overlook some of the remarkable professionalism that continues to flourish.  Through a partnership between the Local Union and the District, SD #54 has been fortunate to bring in Faye Brownlie to work with teachers in what is,  "A Leadership Series: Current and Effective Teaching Strategies Across the Curriculum".

In the first session, Ms. Brownlie engaged 20 local teachers, including guests from Burns Lake, Moricetown and Terrace. It was fascinating to watch Ms. Brownlie integrate specific learning strategies across a very diverse group of educators, while adjusting for and respecting the various starting points of the individual educators on this journey.  However, regardless of starting point,  there are some key questions we ask ourselves as we use assessment to inform instruction.

• What can my students do?
• What is missing? (What do I wish they could do?)
• What do I need to teach?
• Is my teaching making a difference?

Across this group, across our District, and across the Province professional activities such as this do make a difference in teaching and learning. Ms. Brownlie referenced the McKinsey Report (2007) which states:

"The top-performing school systems recognise that the only way to improve outcomes is to improve instruction: learning occurs when students and teachers interact, and thus to improve learning implies improving the quality of  that interaction."

It is through the ongoing professionalism of our educators that we will continue to lead as a top-performing system.  Ms. Brownlie is back in Smithers on December 1st for an evening Pro-D session and will continue her work with this group of teacher leaders on December 2.