Why experiential learning is pivotal to my vision of...
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SUPPORTING THE GUIDANCE-ORIENTED APPROACH TO LEARNING SPRING 2011 – VOL. 7 NO. 3 Check the GOAL Web site for regular updates: www.learnquebec.ca/en/content/mels/goal Why experiential learning is pivotal to my vision of education Not long into my career, I coordinated work- study opportunities for some 400 high-school students of the then Protestant School Board of Greater Montréal. Those six years were intense, with frequent early morning phone calls to make sure my charges were up. Then there were the on-the-fly meetings in metro stations to give stu- dents last-minute instructions; the introductions to supervisors at work sites; and more calls in the evening to check how the day had gone. I recall one academically advanced grade 10 student who turned his six- day job-shadow- ing experience into a letter of reference, a sum- mer job and an eventual career in engineering. Some years later, he came by to thank me for the timely support that had allowed him to find his focus. At the other end of the spectrum were the teenage moms who felt trapped by a cycle of family poverty and low self-esteem. Yet some, brave enough to commit to a work-study assign- ment, were transformed by the realization that they did indeed have potential. “The kids who succeeded—and espe- cially the ones who didn’t—made me a firm believer in GOAL.” Although I didn’t know it then, this experience was my initiation to the guidance-oriented approach to learning. The kids who succeeded— and especially the ones who didn’t—made me see how vital it is to help students discover their values, aptitudes and dreams. The exploration, reflection and other activities that GOAL pro- motes in every subject area can also give stu- dents a reason to acquire positive work habits and attitudes towards school. As my mandate at the MELS draws to a close, my sincerest thanks go to all the GOAL network members and school teams I have worked with in various capacities. My thanks, too, to the edu- cational specialists at MELS who have guided me all this time. GOAL’s emphasis on integrating experiential learning into the curriculum will remain pivotal to my vision of education. Sandra Salesas GOAL (Anglophone sector), MELS GOAL network members with Sandra Salesas (far left) Photos: Future Leaders School, Uganda Making Dreams Come True I N S I D E 2 Centennial’s Dragons’ Den gives students a lesson in life. 3 Check your assumptions at the door, says renowned educator. 3 Every kid needs hope and dreams. P L U S 4 Who’s who in the GOAL network UMMM good! With help from students in Laval, these Ugandan kids enjoy fresh water and a first taste of ice cream. More on page 2
Transcript of Why experiential learning is pivotal to my vision of...
SUPPORTING THE GUIDANCE-ORIENTED APPROACH TO LEARNING SPRING 2011 – VOL. 7 NO. 3
Check the GOAL Web site for regular updates: www . l e a r n q u e b e c . c a / e n / c o n t e n t / m e l s / g o a l
Why experiential learning is pivotal to my vision of educationNot long into my career, I coordinated work-study opportunities for some 400 high-schoolstudents of the then Protestant School Board ofGreater Montréal. Those six years were intense,with frequent early morning phone calls to makesure my charges were up. Then there were theon-the-fly meetings in metro stations to give stu-dents last-minute instructions; the introductionsto supervisors at work sites; and more calls in the
evening to checkhow the day hadgone.
I recall one academicallyadvanced grade10 student who
turned his six-day job-shadow-ing experienceinto a letter ofreference, a sum-mer job and aneventual careerin engineering.Some years later, he came by to thank me for thetimely support that had allowed him to find hisfocus. At the other end of the spectrum were theteenage moms who felt trapped by a cycle offamily poverty and low self-esteem. Yet some,brave enough to commit to a work-study assign-ment, were transformed by the realization thatthey did indeed have potential.
“The kids who succeeded—and espe-cially the ones who didn’t—made me a firm believer in GOAL.”
Although I didn’t know it then, this experiencewas my initiation to the guidance-orientedapproach to learning. The kids who succeeded—and especially the ones who didn’t—made mesee how vital it is to help students discover their
values, aptitudes and dreams. The exploration,reflection and other activities that GOAL pro-motes in every subject area can also give stu-dents a reason to acquire positive work habitsand attitudes towards school.
As my mandate at the MELS draws to a close, mysincerest thanks go to all the GOAL networkmembers and school teams I have worked within various capacities. My thanks, too, to the edu-cational specialists at MELS who have guided meall this time. GOAL’s emphasis on integratingexperiential learning into the curriculum willremain pivotal to my vision of education.
Sandra SalesasGOAL (Anglophone sector), MELS
GOAL network members with Sandra Salesas (far left)
Photos: Fu
ture Lea
ders Sch
ool, U
ganda
M a k i n g D r e a m sC o m e T r u e
I N S I D E
2 Centennial’s Dragons’ Den gives students a lesson in life.
3 Check your assumptions at the door, says renowned educator.
3 Every kid needs hope and dreams.
P L U S
4 Who’s who in the GOAL network UMMMgood!
With help fromstudents in Laval,these Ugandankids enjoy freshwater and a firsttaste of ice cream.
More on page 2
Spring 2011 2
Angela Kallianiotis sums up her approach to GOAL in one pithy sentence: “School is meaningful when
you are changing the world.”
In schools around the province, GOAL is making a difference
Learners without Borders
Students who pass through this “Dragons’ Den” learn that success is earned, not given.Our information age demands
expanded notions of literacy.
The Dragons’ Den, Centennial-styleNavigating a media-rich world
To inject real-life relevance into a lesson planon children’s rights, Social Studies teacherAngela Kallianiotis and her students at LavalJunior High School decided to exchange letterswith children in a developing country.
That initial e-pal letter-exchange has evolvedinto an ongoing collaboration betweenAngela’s class and the Ugandan village ofKajjansi. As the Laval students learned aboutthe poor state of the village school, the lack ofpotable water, and the need for basic medicalcare, Learners without Borders was born. Longstory short, the Laval students are now sellingbead necklaces and bracelets handmade by 40formerly unemployed village women. In oneyear alone, the students raised $40 000 for anew water system, a freezer and other sustain-
able infrastructure projects that aredramatically improving village life.
To support their sales effort, Angela’sstudents are applying numerous QEPcompetencies. They have teamed up tosolve logistics issues, write letters andmedia releases, create ads, find spon-sors and give presentations to otherclasses, neighbouring schools and ajuvenile detention centre.
Life-changing experience
Students in nine other SWLSB schools havejoined the Learners without Borders movement.Laval Liberty High School’sWork-OrientedTraining Path students handle the project’saccounting. Special needs students at Laval
Junior, who sort and bag the necklaces, areraising money to buy traditional drums forUgandan kids. “This incredibly successful exper-iment in social entrepreneurship is changing thelives of children in both Uganda and Laval,”says Angela.
Learn more at www.learnerswithoutborder.com
For the past six years, Secondary V studentsat Centennial Regional High School inGreenfield Park have been participating in anentrepreneurial challenge modelled on thepopular CBC show “Dragons’ Den.”
Over an intensive two-month period, teamsof two to seven students develop a mar-ketable initiative of their own design. Theythen have 15 minutes to pitch their idea to apanel of “Dragons” (teachers, administratorsand consultants). Those who survive theDragons’ scrutiny of their product, team andproduction plan can access up to $100 instart-up funds. Teams use this money to pro-duce their product and offer it for sale to thestudent body during an Entrepreneurial Fairthat runs over four consecutive lunch hours.
Multiple competencies
Neal Dalzell, a Social Studies teacher, cameup with the idea because he saw it as a per-fect integrative learning opportunity for stu-dents about to graduate from high school."Starting a company, or simply executing aninnovative team project, is an essential lifeskill in today's economy. Experts on produc-tivity are constantly reminding us that
Canada's future depends on entrepreneursand intrapreneurs of all sorts.”
To date, E-Fair profitshave raised over $10 000 for global,regional, and school-based charities. The“best overall” teamearns the privilege ofdeciding where theprofits are donated.
“Students draw onmultiple competencies to move their projectahead and they see a direct relationshipbetween effort and results,” notes RiversideSchool Board GOAL consultant PattyArnold. “It is the type of relevant learningexperience they will remember for a lifetime.”
In his symposium workshop on Media Literacy,Lake of Two Mountains High School teacher LeeRother noted that 80% of what students “read,”or more precisely are confronted with day by day,are images (audio and visual). That statistic gotthe immediate attention of New Frontiers SchoolBoard GOAL consultant, Tom Muirhead.
“Most assuredly, kids’ worlds are technology-driv-en,” says Tom. “The media bombards them withinformation, entertainment, propaganda, advertis-ing, news—but what are they hearing, learning andassimilating?
“A media literacy approach in any class opens upall kinds of discussions relative to students’impressions of who they are, how the mediaaffects their thinking and how it impacts on thecommunities they live in.”
2011 GOAL symposium
Learners without Borders founder Angela Kallianiotis and stu-dents, with a display of Kajjansi beads
Countless images bombard us daily.
Need more copies of the GOAL Post?
Contact Doris Kerec at LEARN. Telephone : 1-888-622-2212
or e-mail < [email protected] >.
Teachers who take the time to understand each student’s unique“location” can set the stage for long-term success.
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Does your classroomhave experts on tap?
“Teachers aren’t experts in everything,” saysBeaconsfield High School teacher BrentCallahan—which is why he happily shares hisclassroom with partners from the community.For a grade 8 science class on technical drawing,he invited an expert in 3D-design to conduct a75-minute lesson. “I could have muddledthrough with my almost non-existent drawingskills, but instead we had an expert who rightaway knew the key things to show students.”
“Think of your school’s graduates . . .”
Brent works with Nancy Battet, the LBPSB’sCommunity and Partnership Liaison coordinator,to identify what he calls “experts on tap”—com-munity partners who have the knowledge andability to hold a class’s interest. “Ideally, youneed a point-person who liaises between thecommunity partners and the schools and who
can put together a simpleturnkey solution for teach-ers.” For schools thatdon’t have access to a partnerships coordinator,Brent suggests: “Look atthe people you know work-ing within your community.Think of your school’sgraduates.” All are poten-tial resources who can addreal-world credibility toclassroom learning.
Advice of renowned educator
Check those assumptions at the door!
Linking classrooms with the community
R E S O U R C E C E N T R A L
“Location, location, location!” That’s how Kathleen Gould Lundysummed up the combination of attitudes, needs, experience andaspirations that each student brings to school. And a wise teacherwho acts as “an instrument of enlightenment” (as opposed to “atool of torture”) takes each student’s unique location into account.
In her keynote address to the 2011 GOAL symposium, the YorkUniversity educator and author gave the example of a young boy inthe North who, one Monday morning, was asked by his teacher,“How was your weekend?” “Boring,” came the one-word response.“What did you do?” pursued his teacher. “I hunted polar bears withmy father,” he replied.
But if we listen to their stories . . .
“Imagine the rich background that kid brings to the classroom!” Kathleen Gould Lundy urged her audience. And what a wealth of
information his teacher obtained through just two simple questions . . .
As GOAL consultant for the Eastern Shores School Board, Malcolm MacPhee believes Kathleen hit thenail on the head. “We tend to judge students before we even get to know them based on past dossiers orothers’ comments. But if we listen to their stories, we can tailor learning to them and help them betterunderstand how that learning can meet their needs as individuals.”
Career documentation resources Plus Magazinehttp://plus.maths.org/content/PosterA multitude of downloadable, youth-friendly postersdemonstrating the many practical applications of math
Canadian Veterinarian Medical Associationhttp://canadianveterinarians.net/about-career-medicine.aspxPhone or email for copies of the CVMA’s poster aboutcareers in animal health. (Odd size of poster does notprint well.)
Canadian Automotive Repair and Service http://www.carsyouth.ca/orderform.cfmOn-line brochures, posters, etc.
Canadian Aviation Maintenance Councilhttp://www.camc.ca/yip/careerinfo.phpBrochures and career guide magazines
Alberta Learning and Information Servicehttp://alis.alberta.ca/ep/careershop/Many booklets, posters, and other resources for youth(Shipping fee applies.)
Web sites Career Cruising www.careercruising.comThis many featured, online, career guidance tool is rele-vant to Québec. Ask your guidance counsellor for yourschool’s user name and password.
Academos http://www.academos.qc.ca/A Québec site offering e-mentoring to youth. Teachersupport is provided. Verify your school’s Internet policy.
Canadian Youth Business Foundationhttp://www.cybf.ca“Canada’s ‘Go To’ Place for Young Entrepreneurs!”Lots of resources for students to discover entrepreneur-ship, including a “Get Inspired” section with personalstories
Heading for Success/Tout pour réussirhttp://www.headingforsuccess.comA youth-oriented site focused on vocational and techni-cal training opportunities in Québec
Newsletters Career Development Info Newsletterhttp://learnquebec.ca/en/content/curriculum/career_dev/Newsletter/index.html This newsletter targets educators in POP, Explo, ENand features some articles on the WOTP.
10 resources high schoolteachers should know
Each of these free career explo-ration resources can be adaptedto your class or school.
by Cheryl Pratt, MELS (Anglophone sector)
Kathleen Gould Lundy
Every kid needsto dreamPaulette Losierstrongly believes thathope is a prerequisitefor student success.
In her workshop“Reach Them ThenTeach Them,” she told symposium par-
ticipants: “Neuroscience is showing that thepresence of hope actually changes the chem-istry of the brain.”
As a New Approaches, New Solutions coordinatorfor the Eastern Townships School Board,Paulette cites the example of an elementaryschool with a #10 disadvantaged rating thatasked its students to write down their dreamsfor the future. Teachers shared the students’work with a local newspaper that publishedwhat the kids had written.
GOAL has always beenabout “Making dreamscome true” and this initia-tive demonstrates onemore way that educatorscan provide the caringrelationship, high expecta-tions and meaningful par-ticipation that Paulettemaintains will change stu-dents’ self-perceptionsfrom being “at risk” into“at promise.”
Paulette Losier
Brent Callahanwith Nancy Battet
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The GOAL Post Spring 2011 Vol. 7 No. 3
The GOAL Post is published three times a year by the GOAL network, in collaboration with MELS’ Secteur des services à la communauté anglophone et aux affaires autochtones, Direction des politiques et des projets.* It isprinted and distributed by LEARN. Editing and production coordi nation: Laurene Bennett, Commu nica tionsArpeggia <[email protected]> Graphic design and online coordination: Sylvie Desrochers, Conceptiongraphi que Babill-Art <[email protected]>*With financial contributions from the Canada-Québec Agreement for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction.
???Who’s who in the GOAL network
The GOAL Post is also available in PDF format on the GOAL Web site at www.learnquebec.ca/en/content/mels/goal
Last fall, experienced teacher-mentors from variousEnglish school boards were paired with one or morementees new to teaching POP, Explo or EN. Since then,they have been meeting online for half a day each monthto share ideas and resources. MELS consultants havealso been available to provide pedagogical guidance.
But the real highlight for many has been their actualclassroom visit to see course delivery in action. CreeSchool Board POP/Explo teacher, Jo Ann Buckshot,learned a lot from visiting the class of her mentor,
Sylvie Jackson, at the Lester B.Pearson School Board. “Without thementoring program, my studentswould not have had the same qualityof learning,” says Jo Ann.
Mentors benefit too!
Mentor Lynn Bourdeau, who teaches POP at the EnglishMontréal School Board, opened her classroom to severalmentees. Planning for their visit “gave me a chance toreview my teaching practices . . . [and] explain how mykids got to where they are, what tools I used to get themthere and where I was going from there,” explains Lynn.
She also took the opportunity to visit the POP class ofLBPSB mentor, Brent Callahan. “Seeing the dynamicbetween Brent and his kids reminded me that POPcourse content—unlike language or other subjects—isalways related to the students’ personalities, interests,abilities and goals. We constantly talk about what isimportant to them and lead them in their reflectionabout their future. I enjoyed my visit tremendously.”
Update
Classroom visits delightmentors and mentees
by Cheryl Pratt, MELS (Anglophone sector)
This mentoring community of practice gives new teachers timely support and resources.
Y O U R G O A L N E T W O R K
GOAL (Anglophone sector), MELSSandra SalesasTel.: (514) 873-3339 ext. [email protected]
Association of Jewish Day SchoolsTo be named
Central Québec School BoardSandra Hughes, Guidance [email protected]
Diane Labbé, Director of Student [email protected]
Commission scolaire du LittoralGhislaine Nadeau-Monger, Guidance [email protected]
Cree School BoardAndré Tremblay, Guidance [email protected]
Benoit Strasbourg, POP/Vocational Training/[email protected]
Dawson CollegeJane Valihora, [email protected]
Eastern Shores School BoardMalcolm MacPhee, Career Orientation, Youth Sector [email protected]
Eastern Townships School BoardChris Colley, Career Development [email protected]
English Montréal School BoardMarsha Gouett, Career Development Consultant [email protected]
First Nations Education CouncilTreena Metallic, Pedagogical [email protected]
Lester B. Pearson School BoardTom Conti, Guidance Counsellor, Adult Education & Vocational [email protected]
Nancy Battet, Community and Partnership [email protected]
New Frontiers School Board Chantal Bergevin, GOAL/Entrepreneurship/Work [email protected]
Tom Muirhead, GOAL/Entrepreneurship/Work Study [email protected]
Québec Association of Independent SchoolsAmanda Walbert, Teacher, Vanguard High School [email protected]
Riverside School BoardPatty Arnold, Career Development Consultant [email protected]
Sir Wilfrid Laurier School BoardSteven Scallion, Career Development Consultant [email protected]
Western Québec School BoardKelly Butler, Career Development [email protected]
MELS (Anglophone sector)Ivana Colatriano, Supporting Montréal Schools [email protected]
Nathalie Morin, Complementary Educational Services [email protected]
Cheryl Pratt, POP, Explo & EN [email protected]
MELS (Francophone sector)Christiane Daigle, Orientation et [email protected]
Lynn Bourdeauwelcomed several mentees to her class.
Each issue of the GOAL Post features different members of the network.
Marsha GouettCareer Development ConsultantEnglish Montréal School Board
I remember leaving high schoola strong student with manyinterests, yet uncertain of thepath ahead. It took a dozenyears, two degrees, a year inlaw school (I hated it!) andmany jobs before I finally
took the teacher training that led me to my niche in education.
In 2004, after more than 15 years in the class-room, I became the EMSB’s English Language Artsconsultant. On my second day on the job, Ilearned I would be responsible for somethingcalled “GOAL.” I thought the person giving me thisnews was talking to someone else. At that point,I’m not sure that I’d even heard of GOAL!
I soon became a supporter. With GOAL’s twinemphasis on self- and career-knowledge, I sawwhat an impact it could have on students, particu-larly in light of my own convoluted journey. I wasinspired, too, by my new colleagues in the provin-cial GOAL network and their commitment to worktogether for student success. Later on, when theopportunity arose to become the EMSB’s consult-ant for Career Development, I was delighted totake on the challenge.
GOAL puts all students on an equal footing.
The needs of students in just one classroom arediverse and far-reaching, not to mention the needswithin an entire school, board, or across theprovince. GOAL puts everyone on an equal foot-ing. It encourages all students to learn aboutthemselves and to find a place, or places, for theirunique abilities in the proverbial “real world.” Iwish I’d had that chance.
”“
Jo Ann Buckshot
