Here is an example where a balloon car can be integrated across many different areas of learning.

Here is an example of using a guitar to learn about Art, Woodwork, Math and Physics.

As you can see given new school structure that the possibilities are endless.  I hope to see your application or your child’s as we have extended the deadline until Monday February 13th.

Q: Can any student come to the program?
A: Yes any student in regular programs can enter the program.

Q: What is the criteria for becoming a NLC student and who makes the decision to accept a student into NLC??
A: 3 basic criteria – a completed application, have a laptop computer or other tablet like device, (assistance is available to those students that are unable to afford their own) and best fit based on grade level, interests, maturity, ability to show interests. The school will have a committee that will go through applications.

Q: Do you have to have a “core” group of students wanting to do the same type of activity in order for a teacher to teach it?
A: No. When possible we will be looking to see if we can group students, but we are also wanting students to explore their interests and allow them to go off and become experts in the area in which they are interested in.

Q: Can student graduate with a regular Dogwood?
In other words – when and how are core courses completed as per Ministry requirements?
A: Yes students will be graduating as all the other students in the school. The program is still offering the same learning outcomes for the core courses as prescribed by the Ministry of Education. The difference is the way the learning outcomes are learned and reported.

Q: Is there a cost for the program?
A: There is a cost for this program. Students will need a portable computer. (assistance is available to those students that are unable to afford their own)

Q: Once in the NLC can a student change back to the regular program at a later grade?
A: Yes, student can go back into the regular stream. In the future if the program is successful we hope to add other grades.

How do we measure the success of this program?
Q: As a student?
A: Student survey – we will be developing a survey to ask if we are being successful in meeting their needs academically, socially and emotionally.
Q: As a parent?
A: Survey to see if their children are more excited to go to school, working harder due to more engagement and ultimately being more successful
Q: As teachers?
A: Once teachers are hired for the NLC they will be working on curriculum and criteria for success.

Q: Is this program open city wide or just catchment area?
A: Yes it is open to all students in School District #57

Q: Out of Catchment is there bus support?
A: No, just like other choice programs it is up to the parents to provide transportation if the student is outside the Kelly Road catchment.

Q: Regular school hours?
A: Yes – we are asking if a group of students may want to start earlier in the day, if we can get a cohort of students that want to start earlier in the day and finish earlier – we will try and accommodate, similar to an X block offered in other schools.

A typical day could look like this:

8:45-9:00 Connect time – class connection time with teacher for students to talk about project goals

9:00–9:45 Physical activity – in the gym or outside, students will pick activities or sports they would like to participate in.

9:45–10:00 Nutrition break/health seminars

10:00–11:00 Direct instruction (class) – This would be class time where teacher would be teaching specific content to students.  Content specific skills or ideas that they need to know in order to proceed with their project.   Student’s classes will be organized based on number of students.

11:00–12:00 Direct instruction (seminar) – Break out into small groups where students will be grouped according to interests.  It is recognized that specific skills may need to be taught.  Students and teachers may request time to offer direct assistance with specific parts of their project.

12:00 12:45 Lunch

12:45– 3:00 Project work – After a phasing in through guided practise, students will be spending time researching and applying knowledge to complete projects.  Some time would be outside the school where connections to real life will be made.  This session could be a time to work on solutions, ask questions, consult with teachers, ask experts and apply knowledge.

As you can see this timetable offers lots of flexibility and an opportunity to explore high interest new learning.   Not unlike other new ideas we need to phase this in.  As a grade 8 or 9 student entering this program for the first time, this freedom to learning in an alternate structure will need to be phased in.  For example the first project may be more guided by the teacher then a gradual release of responsibility will take place throughout the year.

I have attached a link to Jordan Tinney  a Deputy Superintendent  in Vancouver (SD#39)  to show an example or project based learning.

The title to the left is a link to an article written in 2001 that explains how today’s students are born in the digital age and how we as educators struggle to speak their language.    The article talks about changing our methods of teaching looking at the content of what we teach our students.  The article outlines two categories of content.  Content based on “reading, writing, arithmetic, logical thinking, and understanding of the past…”  is referred to as Legacy content.  This was what we learned when we went to school.   This Legacy content is important as it is the base curriculum.   However, we must also teach the Future content the “ethics, politics, sociology, languages and other things that go with them…”

When we apply the Future content (from the Prensky article) to the Northern Learning Centre’s philosophy of 21century competencies of social responsibility, global & cultural understanding, environmental stewardship, healthy living, ethics, collaboration, creativity, innovation, critical thinking, and digital literacy you can see that the current structure and methodology to support learning needs room (flexibility) to allow these competencies to be practiced.  Our goal is to create and support digital and applied projects that allow students to be able to show multiple learning outcomes from many different curriculums.  These digital projects could be worked on and refined over time as the students learn more about the topic that they are interested in.

Please take a look at the recent ckpg news story on the Northern Learning Center.  We are pleased to announce that we are having a parent information night for the Northern Learning Center January 19th at 7pm at Kelly Road Secondary in the Multipurpose room.