February 16, 2012

A member of our Middle School Faculty forwarded to me an article by Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post which was referencing an article published by the Independent Curriculum Group, part of a movement of leading private college preparatory schools with teacher-generated curriculum. The article is called, “Seven Misconceptions About How Students Learn”. (http://www.independentcurriculum.org/index.php)

The list to me is gratifying in that this type of research has driven so many of our initiatives related to our Strategic Plan surrounding Student-Centred Learning, and also the research and planning that has gone into the ‘Transformation HSC’ project.

To paraphrase, here are seven of the biggest myths about learning that, unfortunately, guide the way in which many schools continue to be organized in a 20th Century model.

Basic Facts Come Before Deep Learning
This one translates roughly as, “Students must do the boring stuff before they can do the interesting stuff.” Or, “Students must memorize before they can be allowed to think.” In truth, students are most likely to achieve long-term mastery of basic facts in the context of engaging, student-directed learning.

Rigorous Education Means a Teacher Talking
Teachers have knowledge to impart, but durable learning is more likely when students talk, create, and integrate knowledge into meaningful projects. The art of a teacher is to construct ways for students to discover.

Covering It Means Teaching It
Teachers are often seduced by the idea that if they talk about a concept in class, they have taught it. At best, students get tentative ideas that will be quickly forgotten if not reinforced by a student-centered activity.

Teaching to Student Interests Means Dumbing It Down
If we could somehow see inside a student’s brain, its circuitry would correspond to its knowledge. Since new learning always builds on what is already in the brain, teachers must relate classroom teaching to what students already know. Teachers who fail to do so, whether due to ignorance or in pursuit of a false idea of rigor, are running afoul of a biological reality.

Acceleration Means Rigor
Some schools accelerate strong students so that they can cover more material. Schools in the Independent Curriculum Group are more likely to ask such students to delve deeper into important topics. Deep knowledge lays a stronger foundation for later learning.

A Quiet Classroom Means Good Learning
Students sitting quietly may simply be zoned out -- if not immediately, then within 15 minutes. A loud classroom, if properly controlled, includes the voices of many students who are actively engaged.

Traditional Schooling Prepares Students for Life
Listening to teachers and studying for tests has little to do with life in the world of work. People in the work world create, manage, evaluate, communicate, and collaborate.

We are still very much in a transitioning phase between the “old ways” of learning and what we feel that  the future of education will need to be and we are trying to improve our practice daily. More and more though, if you visit classrooms from M3/JK to Grade 12, you will see this innovative practice becoming the norm. This has come with no small part of risk on behalf of the faculty as it is taking them out of their comfort zone at times, but it is a fabulous example of demonstrating lifelong learning!

January 16, 2012

With many of my entries, I like to highlight elements of our Strategic Plan progress, particularly in the areas of Student-Centred Learning and Leadership Development. Each week, I would have literally dozens of examples to share because of how professionally, readily and enthusiastically our faculty have adapted the program to teach the skills of collaboration, communication, and critical analysis at all levels of the College.

I would like to share a couple of amazing examples just from the last few days. On Friday, January 13, we hosted the first annual World Issues Conference here at HSC, which was a student-designed conference filled with phenomenal speakers, both adults and students alike. The focus was on the Grade 12 World Issues classes in partnership with the Grade 8 Social Science classes.

A wide range of topics were available in both keynote and small group sessions, from current global economics, to various conflicts, to the environment. The WIC Committee sought to recognize that the students are the next leaders of the world and we took great pride in being able to help create an event that was informative, inspirational, and fun!

The Committee made a note of recognizing that at the conclusion of 2011, a year of social, political and economic change, they were compelled to try and raise awareness amongst their fellow students. The ultimate goal for the conference was to spark action on the part of the students and subsequently motivate positive change in local, national and international communities.

I have to say that I was incredibly impressed with how prepared the students were to participate in these sessions. This was especially true of our Grade 8 students whose presentations and questions for the presenters showed a depth of understanding and critical analysis beyond their years.

I would like to thank Mr. Whittard, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Bera and the rest of the teacher sponsors for helping make this event such a success. I would also like to thank a couple of our parents, Mrs. Fareeha Saifi, and Dr. Atif Kubursi who provided their vast knowledge of global socio-economic issues to the conference as keynote speakers and were truly inspirational to the students.

Finally, I would like to thank the WIC committee for their hard work and dedication in making this event possible. Of particular note, the leadership of Alex Naccarato, James Serena, Kate Bauer and Sarah Fulton who really went above and beyond in terms of making WIC first rate.

Another recent highlight touched on our goal of developing Environment Sustainability initiatives and putting ideas into action. Our Green School Steering Committee, in conjunction with our school specific environmental committees, chose Water Conservation as our theme and focus for the year. In the fall, we had a guest speaker, Maude Barlow of the Council for Canadians, speak with our Middle and Senior School students about our water awareness and she also left the students with a challenge: Try to convince your municipality to become a Blue Community.

A Blue Community is one that:

1. Recognizes formally that access to water is a human right.
2. Provides public water and water management services.
3. Prohibits the sale of bottled water in public buildings and events.

Hamzah Khan, Adam Prowse, Carson Hobbes, Daniel Fulton and Sinclair Jeejeebhoy on behalf of the Middle School Environment Committee made a petition to Hamilton City Hall to be received as a delegation to the Public Works Committee and were received on Monday, January 16, 2012.

Hamzak Khan led the presentation where he masterfully complimented the City on their successes to date and convinced them that they were very close already to being a Blue Community. The area that he outlined the need for change for them was with point three, related to bottled water. The proposal was well received and a staff person has been appointed to work with HSC on this area with an eye on making this change city-wide.

I was so humbled by the courage and poise of these young men and I think that it was rewarding to them to have the City respond in such a positive way.

The leaders of tomorrow are leading at HSC today!

December 13 , 2011

Learning about the Learning Commons

One of the more frequent questions that I am asked when I am explaining the features of the Michael G. DeGroote Senior School is in reference to the Learning Commons which, in terms of square footage, geographic centrality and program enhancement, is one of the primary features of the new facility.

The short answer is that it is a 21st century re-focussing of a library, but the long answer is much harder to define because at its essence it will be constantly evolving. We are blessed to have a progressive and forward-thinking group of educators and information professionals who have been working on developing an information management program that will allow students to really take control of their learning. The new program will provide students with the tools to learn to acquire, analyze, synthesize, and present information in creative and ethical ways. These will be critical skills for all of our students from M3/JK- Grade 12 and the Learning Commons team are working on this support network in a variety of ways.

The Vision for the Learning Commons at HSC is that it will be known as the standard of excellence in providing information and collaboration services to empower students and teachers to build and share their learning. The mandate for the HSC Learning Commons is also to provide leadership in the integration of technology for students and teachers in support of student-centred learning.

The new Learning Commons space will have many options to support quiet, individual study, but will also offer many more collaborative areas including social work spaces and areas for students to get extra help from teachers, their peers and subject tutors. There will be breakout spaces that teachers can also book for small group discussions and seminars.

The Learning Commons staff is playing an ever increasing role in the integration of technology both in terms of direct support for students in the classroom and Learning Commons and also in the professional development of staff. Some examples of these initiatives are below:

Montessori/Junior

1. Introduction of new age-appropriate online subscriptions (PebbleGo)
2. Partnerships with classroom teachers (Grades 2 – 4 partnership)
3. Support of the iPod project in Grade 4 – Educational Rep for app solution

Middle

1. Support for eLearning – in services to all Grade 8 students
2. IT connecting with Visual Arts – Photoshop, Animoto
3. Glogs & Moviemaker as part of the Grades 7/8 History program

Senior

1. Bookmapping – Grade 12 History
2. eLearning support

Some of the new and exciting ways that the Learning Commons team is planning to increase their support for students and teachers in information management over the coming months are listed below:

1. Social Media Curriculum – (Grades 5 & 7, Senior School). The intent of the program is to teach students the ethical use of social media as they are emerging as users of such tools such as Facebook and Twitter.
2. Launch of the Learning Commons Website with resources for students, parents and teachers.
3. Creation of lists of Online Subscriptions/Software for faculty to choose from.
4. Lunch & Learn Professional Development Sessions
5. Increasing Global Connections for students and teachers
6. Developing Student Leadership in the manner of student library volunteers.

The ultimate goal of the Learning Commons is to be very “customer” service oriented, where our “customers” are our students, faculty and parents. The team wants to continue to foster relationships with students, parents and faculty by being present at many school events, participating with teachers with upfront curriculum design, and helping with parent education. The team is also seeking a balance in terms of generalist and specialist approaches to information services to best meet the needs of students when they are looking for help.

This integrated approach to research will involve teaching and learning web literacy, supporting curriculum and also teaching skills related to academic integrity within the research process. They will actively consult with faculty on collection development both in paper and digital media in addition to helping research new software and hardware in support of the entire academic program. All of this will be in addition to more traditional roles of the library in terms of curriculum support, literature circles, author visits, reading level advisory and book selection.

It is an exciting time at HSC with our expanded student-centred learning initiatives, our progress in technology, and the prospect of our new facility. We are thrilled with the leadership of the Learning Commons team and are continually impressed with how this program supports students and prepares them for independent research and study at the university level.

For more information on the Learning Commons, please feel free to contact Linda Watson at linda.watson@hsc.on.ca.

November 18, 2011

The past few weeks or so have been a time of great achievement, excitement and celebration.

A group of our Senior students are busy rehearsing for their performance of Guys and Dolls, which will be held in the Artsplex from November 24-26 under the guidance of Mr. Vedelago. The community was also recently treated to the fall Senior Music Night where each of our bands and choirs had a chance to showcase their talent. We are blessed to have such an accomplished music faculty that can help students do amazing work so close to the beginning of the school year.

On an academic front, our Model United Nations Club ventured to McGill University’s Secondary School Model UN Symposium, where our team finished second out of some 40+ schools and achieved numerous individual honours.

For those of you who don’t know, Model United Nations are academic simulations of the United Nations that aim to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda. The participants role-play as diplomats representing a nation or NGO in a simulated session of an organ (committee) of the United Nations, such as the Security Council or the General Assembly. Participants research a country, take on roles as diplomats, investigate international issues, debate, deliberate, consult, and then develop solutions to world problems. More recently, simulation of other deliberative bodies, such as the United States National Security Council, has been included in Model United Nations, even if they are completely unrelated to the UN or international affairs as a whole.

This year’s Model UN in Montreal simulated a diverse array of twenty-one committees, which spanned both traditional and special sessions of the General Assemblies and Economic and Social Councils, as well as more nuanced Specialized Agencies and Crises reflecting the diversity of thoughts and spirits during the conference.

The skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking and consensus building that our students learn under the leadership of Ms. Jan Morrison will be incredibly valuable for our students as they progress through their education and beyond.

Tuesday saw us launch our 100@100 spin on the family campaign, which is our effort to increase parents’ philanthropic financial support of ‘Transformation HSC’. This program is designed to give the Board and our lead donors the confidence for the College to go ahead and complete the entire project in the shortest possible delay. We have already had an amazing response to this initiative and we are confident that we will be successful!

On Wednesday, we had our Senior School Fall Awards and the litany of achievements and leadership shown in academics, service, music, art and athletics are too many to do credit here, but let it be said that I was in awe of the quality of student that we are lucky enough to work with every day. Of particular note, Megan Tremblay was awarded a Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s pin for her achievements in the following areas:

Volunteering: undertaking service to individuals or the community.

Physical: improving in an area of sport, dance or fitness activities.

Skills: developing practical and social skills and personal interests.

Expedition: planning, training for and completion of an adventurous journey.

Residential section, which involves staying and working away from home doing a shared activity.

Achieving a Gold Pin while still in High School is an incredible achievement and we are all very proud of Megan.

On Wednesday afternoon, I had the pleasure of travelling to Trinity College School to watch our Senior Girls’ Basketball team compete in an OFSAA qualifying tournament, where they were trying to earn a spot in the Provincial Championships for the first time since 2005. Although the girls were the lowest seeded team, they followed the gameplan laid out by Mr. Stanton and Ms. Ellis to a tee, and beat the hosts in the final to secure a place. I was extremely proud of how well the girls worked together as a team.

On Thursday morning, we were able to gather to celebrate the Middle School successes with their Fall Awards. The future is bright at HSC with this collection of young men and women, who had as much to be proud of as their Senior School mates. Our Middle School program is as rich and vibrant as any in the country and the students are taking full advantage of the opportunities before them, which is amazing.

As we head in the Winter Term, I am so excited to see what amazing things our students will do next!

October 22, 2011

One of the great joys of my role is the part that I am asked to play with our graduating students as part of their transition from high school to post secondary studies. This can be an extremely stressful time for students and their families so I am happy to offer some advice where I can.

We have an incredible Student Services team at the College ably led by Mrs. Cheryl Diefenbacher and Mr. Steve McDonald, both of whom bring a wealth of experience to the role of university counsellor. The process begins much sooner for students than Grade 12, as all students are given career and academic counselling throughout their high school years.Grade 12, especially the fall term,  is a critical time for our students in making a very big decision.

My small group meetings usually have five or six Grade 12 students sitting around the table in my office. I ask the students to share where they are in the process in terms of their thinking for program and school options. Students are all over the continuum at this point. Some students have no clue what they want to do while other students seemingly have their grad school already picked out. The one thing that they have in common at this point is they are all likely to change their mind and find a path that is yet unclear to them. My job is to let them know that that is okay!

As large of a decision as this is for them right now, over the course of their lives, they will have larger ones. Although the stakes seem really high at this point to pick the perfect program at the perfect school, the reality is that the decision is nowhere near irreversible. The barriers to switching programs and even switching schools are simply not that great anymore, so my advice is to see the campuses of their first choices and see what resonates with them.

Do you want a small school in a small town?
Do you want the big city experience?
Do you want to live in a “university town”?
Will your parents offer you a car to stay at home?

These are some of the things that we discuss in our meetings.

I also spend a lot of time reassuring our students that they are well positioned for success at university both academically and socially because of their time at HSC, and that is reinforced by our graduates’ experiences.

The explanation I share is that because they have been in a school which has very high academic standards and equally high expectations for involvement outside of class they should be accustomed to managing their time and a hectic pace. The key for them will be finding ways to keep their passions alive at university in a co-curricular in order to give some structure and discipline to their time. Idle hands can be a dangerous thing.

The piece that I do ask them to think about is where their motivation is going to come from when they get there. They are used to having the safe, caring, nurturing HSC environment to help shepherd them along with individual attention from teachers, coaches and tutorial leaders. In addition, they have the direct support of their parents to help them after school and keep them on the right path. So I ask them to envision the 8:30 a.m. Friday class when it is -20 C and what it is that will keep them away from the dreaded snooze button.

I can’t answer the question, but it is my hope that if I can get them thinking about it, they will have their own answers that will lead to their continued success next year.

September 22, 2011 - Who Do I Talk To?

Our partnership with parents is the cornerstone in our ability to deliver a first-rate curricular and co-curricular program for students at HSC. An essential part of that partnership is the ability to communicate openly with one another.

There are a number of ways that HSC communicates with the many stakeholders of the community, whether it is a curriculum night, parent-teacher interviews, or other formal events on the campus, as well as the many informal interactions that we have on a daily basis.

Sometimes though, parents have a niggling concern and may be uncertain as to how best voice that concern. When there is uncertainty about where to go to find the answers, sometimes the concern goes unvoiced or is voiced to others who can’t answer the question or who are not in a position to act on the concern directly.

For some clarity, we absolutely want parents to feel that they have a voice and that their concerns are being addressed. I would say that 99 times out of a 100, if a parent has a meeting with the appropriate party that the issues can be addressed and resolved quickly with a positive outcome. As every parent’s perspective and experience is unique, there is no substitute for a face-to-face meeting to resolve issues and strengthen the parent-school partnership.

For example, if you have an issue with an experience that your child has relayed to you from class that day and it is of concern to you, the best course of action would be to contact the teacher directly. Sometimes, as parents, we receive information that has been filtered through our child’s lens and it is important to have the teacher’s perspective as well before forming a judgement. If you are still not satisfied after that communication, then it would be most welcomed for you to make an appointment to discuss with the school Principal.

I can assure you that you would not be infringing upon his or her time. Believe me, having the half-hour meeting to clear the air and resolve the issue is always seen as time well spent.

Some parents may hesitate to take these steps for fear of some negative impact on their child because his or her parents raised a concern. I can pledge with absolute confidence that this is never the case. In fact, when a teacher or Principal is made aware of a concern, it is the only way that the student can be fully supported. What may seem obvious to you as a parent may not necessarily be on the teacher’s radar. Only by openly communicating can this be achieved.

At the end of the day, we pride ourselves on being an open school. Teachers, Principals, and even the Head (when he is not in meetings!) are always in the halls seeking interactions with the Community. We hope that you take advantage of these informal and formal opportunities to keep the lines of communication open.

Marc Ayotte
Head of College
headofcollege@hsc.on.ca

September 1, 2011

After a summer of rest and reflection, our teachers gather every year for a couple of days of collegial sharing and professional development called Links to Learning (L2L).

Last June, as part of the year-end professional development, we had an entire day where teachers presented best practices and examples of excellence in student-centred learning in their age group and discipline. It was fascinating to see the diverse and innovative ways that teachers are developing inquiry, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and leadership skills in their students every day. It was very inspiring and gratifying to witness.

After watching the presentations in June, teachers were able to participate in workshops with the presenters in the areas that they wished to learn more and used this to craft some goals for 2011/2012 and also identify some areas that they would like to learn more about at this September’s L2L. Once these areas were identified, faculty members volunteered to create additional workshops to support and develop their colleagues. This is what we experienced over the past couple of days.

I would like to describe some the areas of focus because I think that you will agree that this speaks clearly to not only our Strategic Plan initiatives, but more generally prepares teachers to ensure cutting edge, high academic standards in the classroom and a learning environment where every student feels safe, challenged, known, and cared for. Underlying it all is the premise that teachers will seek ways for students to develop themselves as advocates for their own learning and leaders in the classroom.

Below is the line up for L2L and the faculty members who lead the learning, to whom I am most grateful.

In addition to the faculty-led sessions, we also had some experts from First Class come to lead sessions on maximizing the Web 2.0 features of that program.

It was an incredible start to the school year and I will look forward to seeing the lessons learned in action in support of student success!

Yours truly,

Marc Ayotte
Head of College
headofcollege@hsc.on.ca

Please click here to read Mr. Ayotte's blogs from the 2010-11 Academic Year.