cmackid@hsd.ca
The world comes alive when we engage in it through a learner’s lens.
How do we invite our kids into a journey that leads towards this kind of life? I believe the answer cannot be discovered alone. Partnering with and bringing together educators is a key piece of my role as a learning coach. One of my greatest joys is getting to know students and their teachers. Together we can explore the craft of opening doors to the opportunities that lead to deeply understanding who we are. When our kids can name, notice and nurture their inner learners, they will be able to bravely and boldly thrive in our rapidly changing world. Not only for themselves, but for others as well.
I played school very well from Kindergarten to Grade 12. I knew how to “succeed” in the education system by doing neat work, listening to the teacher, memorizing the correct steps, and completing my projects and assignments on time. It wasn’t till years later that I realized I didn’t really understand the world around me, and I had little idea what my identity as a learner meant. I love the journey I am now on, and I have a great desire to help our students not have to wait so long to start this lifelong adventure.
Though I take great interest in the numeracy realm, I welcome discussions, explorations and engaging work around any discipline, deeper learning element or educational idea that may bring students and educators forward in their journeys.
I wish you and your students many joys as the school year continues!
VIEW MY SHARED RESOURCES BELOW
I recently sat down with Jon Kornelsen, Grade 8 teacher at Clearspring Middle School. He has been making significant changes in his approach to writing instruction and is excited about what he is noticing in his teaching and his students’ learning. This stems from an impactful PD experience last fall. Charmaine: Tell me about what…
The Gist Each month, the administrators at Blumenort School organize a school-wide assembly. The purpose is to promote and further educate about the 6 deeper learning competencies. The focus this year is on the character of a learner. To help students make meaning and give everyone a practical way to name and notice themselves from…
I recently sat down with Jesse Snyder, Grade 7 teacher of the 4 cores at Clearspring Middle School. He has been exploring ways to not just integrate, but to infuse his Social Studies, Science, and ELA curriculum together. This has resulted in several changes to his teaching and to the scheduling, naming and nature of…
I recently sat down with Meredith Hutchinson, a Grade 5 & 6 Music and Grade 8 Social Studies teacher at Clearspring Middle School. She has been exploring ways to reshape her planning and assessment of Social Studies content around essential questions. Please take a look at her current essential questions planning doc before you check…
The Gist “Deep Learning is the process of acquiring and growing in the six global competencies.” —Michael Fullan At the center of Hanover’s deeper learning plan lies the 6 Cs. If our goal is to design opportunities for our students to develop these competencies, then it seems logical to get a grasp on what they…
The Gist You cannot travel very far through a neighbourhood’s hallway at Clearspring Middle School before you see yet again another class up on their feet using vertical non-permanent surfaces to think through an engaging math problem in groups of 2 or 3. Teachers are embracing the research-based philosophy of Dr. Peter Liljedahl, a professor…
The Gist At Blumenort School, the Grade 5/6 class was moving through an inquiry together around the theme “every little bit counts” in regards to environmental sustainability in Manitoba. After using a question matrix to brainstorm wonderings around the topic of zebra mussels, students began digging into online sources to build their knowledge. Derek Kroeker,…