In Parkland School Division, we have been trying to model our learning, both the struggles and successes, with our community. It is imperative that we are modelling for our students the process of learning and through initiatives like the 184 Project and The Learning Leader Program, we are able to share and learn both openly, and globally.
Recently, Division Principal of Innovative Teaching and Learning, George Couros, created a video for the K-12 Online conference, as a featured keynote. His video highlighted some educators from around the world, but also a great deal of work that is being done in Parkland School Division in continuously striving to model being a learning organization.
Please feel free to check out the video below and share any comments that you may have.
From the first moment we step into school, we are taught about the importance of sharing. This is something that we know is right, yet as we move on in school, it has seemingly become harder and harder to do. Parkland School Division is continuously looking at ways that we can implement sharing of best practices to benefit all students.
With technology that we have now, sharing has the potential to become a lot easier. If technology is used correctly, collaboration and sharing should just be a part of our everyday world in school. Currently at Parkland School Division, we have shared items such as the “184 Project” and have seen an immediate impact on the connections that are being made across the division and the world. All posts, sharing learning, impact people in different ways. We know there is a tremendous power in sharing our stories.
We are currently exploring the implementation of Google Apps for Education in school. Living in a world where collaboration is commonplace, and a key to success in most industries, Google Apps provides opportunities for our students to easily share and learn together. Moving away from programs such as Microsoft Word are making more sense when Google Docs just makes collaboration easier. If you have never used Google Docs, check out the video below:
As we continue to move forward in Parkland School Division, we are trying to find more ways to share our work and create opportunities to be highly innovative. Through my own experience, I have learned to connect with amazing educators using my own Personal Learning Network (PLN) to try to implement the best practices in schools. An educator who has had a significant impact on my practice is Dean Shareski, an educator from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, working for Prairie South School Division. His K-12 Online Keynote last year entitled, “The Moral Imperative“, really opened my eyes (and many others) on how as educators, we need to share our work. Parkland is continuously looking at doing this in safe yet powerful ways, to create the best opportunities for our students.
Please take the time to watch Dean’s video below from the conference. It is over 20 minutes long but is extremely powerful.