Westward to Windsor
Just two week after returning from Ottawa, Deb and I headed all the way to Windsor to visit John McGivney Children's Centre School Authority. And I can say with certainty, that it was worth the 4 hour drive! We really have found, throughout this journey, that we come away from each school with something new; whether that means novel questions for reflection, important professional connections, or ideas for technology and tools, each school authority has helped to share our TLLP process and, I hope, its outcomes. In our quest for knowledge, Windsor did not disappoint! In addition to the wonderful professional dialogue and collaboration, Deb and I were blown away by the 21st Century initiatives and tools. From robotics kits for each classroom, to smart use of tech in waiting areas, to ongoing capacity building for staff, to a MIND BLOWING outdoor playground, John McGivney really sets the bar high in terms of technology to engage and support teaching and learning.
We had a lot of time to reflect on our visit during the drive back to Niagara, and talked extensively about the amazing things we were able to observe. Personally, our visit the McGivney really energized and inspired me. I was really impressed with the enthusiasm and initiative throughout the building- so much so that I find it difficult to sum up.... But I will try!
1. Classroom Robotics Kits
As part of her role as 21st Century Teacher, Amanda has created a Robotics Kit for each classroom. The school applied for, and was given, a grant for 21st Century learning, and through this, were able to facilitate the purchase of many great tools. Each class kit includes, Spheros, Codapillar, BeeBots, Marbotics, and other gadgets. When we were visiting, we observed the Spheros (tennis ball sized balls that are directed by finger motions on an app) being used for a collaborative art project in which students used Spheros to paint and design over a large piece of paper. In this really simple activity, students worked on:
a) fine motor skills
b) directional language
c) turn taking
d) hand/eye coordination
e) functional language such as 'stop' and 'go'
It was exciting for us to see this tool in use. My mind immediately traveled to all the ways we could use the Spheros in our own school and classrooms. The opportunities for open ended activities and inquiry, as well as cross curricular learning are plentiful!
3. Ongoing Building of Staff Capacity
The thing with technology is that in order for it to be great technology, you need to have people who know how to use it with effectiveness and confidence. All the fantastic tools and resources in the world amount to little more than attractive paper weights if the people utilizing them lack sufficient knowledge and understanding. The thing that impressed me the most at McGivney is the focus on ongoing staff capacity building. A significant part of Amanda's role as 21st C Teacher involves sharing new learning, resources and strategies with staff so that everyone feels comfortable in using them. Even information gained from PD is disseminated among teachers and EA's so that everyone is on the same page and has the opportunity to be current in their practice. This type of collaboration and sharing is so vitally important, especially given the fact that budgetary constraints often limit how many staff are able to directly access PD. In reality, it is often administrators who are privy to the most PD learning; it is essential then, that such information is shared often and in detail, so that all staff, and ultimately, students, are able to benefit.
4. Outstanding Playground
"Oh! I almost forgot to show you Play McGivney!" commented Amanda. "OK", we thought, expecting to see your typical, run of the mill playground..... As soon as we stepped outside, our jaws hit the ground. This was less of a playground, and more of a kids' fantasy come true! From the massive boat that rocks back and forth, to the sounds and lights area, to the bridges, ramps and swings, and finally to the spinner and exercise equipment, this place has something for everyone. Oh, and it's fully accessible! Donated by the city as part of their accessible playgrounds funding, Play McGivney is a state of the art outdoor adventure area. But, perhaps even more that the impressiveness of the structure itself, is that the area is open to community. On any given day, while students are enjoying their time with school friends and staff, you can expect to see children from the community playing right alongside them. From a community building standpoint, this makes so much sense; our goal, as educators of students with special needs, is always to maximize student potential and outcomes, and to help facilitate space and acceptance for our students beyond the walls of our schools. By providing frequent opportunities for students to interact, and be present with, members of the community, we plant the seeds of inclusion and understanding.
As I hope I've explained, this was yet another amazing school visit as part of our TLLP. Once again, we came away with much more than looking at accessible writing (the original focus of our project). During our visit to Windsor, we learned about 21st Century tools and directions, discussed staff capacity and development, engaged in dialogue about community building and parent engagement and were able to identify some similarities and differences between our two schools.
Today, we finally locked down a date for our final school visit, to Kidsability in Kitchener -Waterloo. Can't wait to cap off our TLLP having visited all of the 68s in Ontario!
We had a lot of time to reflect on our visit during the drive back to Niagara, and talked extensively about the amazing things we were able to observe. Personally, our visit the McGivney really energized and inspired me. I was really impressed with the enthusiasm and initiative throughout the building- so much so that I find it difficult to sum up.... But I will try!
1. Classroom Robotics Kits
As part of her role as 21st Century Teacher, Amanda has created a Robotics Kit for each classroom. The school applied for, and was given, a grant for 21st Century learning, and through this, were able to facilitate the purchase of many great tools. Each class kit includes, Spheros, Codapillar, BeeBots, Marbotics, and other gadgets. When we were visiting, we observed the Spheros (tennis ball sized balls that are directed by finger motions on an app) being used for a collaborative art project in which students used Spheros to paint and design over a large piece of paper. In this really simple activity, students worked on:
a) fine motor skills
b) directional language
c) turn taking
d) hand/eye coordination
e) functional language such as 'stop' and 'go'
It was exciting for us to see this tool in use. My mind immediately traveled to all the ways we could use the Spheros in our own school and classrooms. The opportunities for open ended activities and inquiry, as well as cross curricular learning are plentiful!
3. Ongoing Building of Staff Capacity
The thing with technology is that in order for it to be great technology, you need to have people who know how to use it with effectiveness and confidence. All the fantastic tools and resources in the world amount to little more than attractive paper weights if the people utilizing them lack sufficient knowledge and understanding. The thing that impressed me the most at McGivney is the focus on ongoing staff capacity building. A significant part of Amanda's role as 21st C Teacher involves sharing new learning, resources and strategies with staff so that everyone feels comfortable in using them. Even information gained from PD is disseminated among teachers and EA's so that everyone is on the same page and has the opportunity to be current in their practice. This type of collaboration and sharing is so vitally important, especially given the fact that budgetary constraints often limit how many staff are able to directly access PD. In reality, it is often administrators who are privy to the most PD learning; it is essential then, that such information is shared often and in detail, so that all staff, and ultimately, students, are able to benefit.
4. Outstanding Playground
"Oh! I almost forgot to show you Play McGivney!" commented Amanda. "OK", we thought, expecting to see your typical, run of the mill playground..... As soon as we stepped outside, our jaws hit the ground. This was less of a playground, and more of a kids' fantasy come true! From the massive boat that rocks back and forth, to the sounds and lights area, to the bridges, ramps and swings, and finally to the spinner and exercise equipment, this place has something for everyone. Oh, and it's fully accessible! Donated by the city as part of their accessible playgrounds funding, Play McGivney is a state of the art outdoor adventure area. But, perhaps even more that the impressiveness of the structure itself, is that the area is open to community. On any given day, while students are enjoying their time with school friends and staff, you can expect to see children from the community playing right alongside them. From a community building standpoint, this makes so much sense; our goal, as educators of students with special needs, is always to maximize student potential and outcomes, and to help facilitate space and acceptance for our students beyond the walls of our schools. By providing frequent opportunities for students to interact, and be present with, members of the community, we plant the seeds of inclusion and understanding.
As I hope I've explained, this was yet another amazing school visit as part of our TLLP. Once again, we came away with much more than looking at accessible writing (the original focus of our project). During our visit to Windsor, we learned about 21st Century tools and directions, discussed staff capacity and development, engaged in dialogue about community building and parent engagement and were able to identify some similarities and differences between our two schools.
Today, we finally locked down a date for our final school visit, to Kidsability in Kitchener -Waterloo. Can't wait to cap off our TLLP having visited all of the 68s in Ontario!
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