Month: April 2011

art, scienceLeave a comment

Forging Connections Kickoff

Deirdre Bailey

Tonight is an exciting kick off event for us! On October 5th and 6th, 2011, the Calgary Science School is hosting the Forging Connections Conference. This conference is a collaboration between teachers, art and science experts and parents with the goal of integrating art and science more authentically into the students’ learning. It will also provide professional development for the teachers. The two day event is designed to showcase six, 105 minute lessons that will be collaboratively designed by a local practicing scientist, artist and a Calgary Science School teacher. We see it as a Show/Tell/Do type workshop where the … Continue reading Forging Connections Kickoff

grade8, humanities, technology8 Comments

Showcasing Student Work with QR Codes

Deirdre Bailey

We believe that one of the key elements of inquiry based learning is designing student work with an authentic and purposeful audience in mind. It’s a key piece of the inquiry rubric that we use to guide our understanding of effective inquiry-based learning. We are continually trying to find places where student work can live beyond just the teacher’s desk, including submitting work to film festivals, posting student videos online, providing opportunities for students to share their ideas with Faculty of Education professors, and creating online museums of student work. However, one of the simplest, easiest and most effective places … Continue reading Showcasing Student Work with QR Codes

assessment1 Comment

Working With Student Exemplars

Deirdre Bailey

by Shelley Robinson, PhD (Vice Principal at CSS) One of the goals in our AISI Cycle 4 work at the Calgary Science School is that “teachers will find and develop student exemplars that demonstrate the expectations of the program while considering and then clarifying the standards and scope and sequence of the graded programs” (CSS AISI Report). However, when we pulled teachers together to work with some homegrown student writing exemplars (grades 4 to 9) at a professional development day (2010), with the intention of grading these using a common rubric, some interesting observations came up in conversation. We later … Continue reading Working With Student Exemplars

assessment, grade5, science, technologyLeave a comment

Using iMovie for Scientific Thinking

Deirdre Bailey

As a 1:1 school, one of our continual goals is to leverage the power of technology to support deep and intellectually rigorous work. Like many others, we believe that teaching and learning should not be about the tools, however emerging technologies, when embedded in well designed projects, can assist students in deep understanding and meaningful assessment. The research report from our school confirms that technology becomes a powerful tool for engagement, when partnered with effective teaching practices. One of the ways that we have seen technology have a significant impact on student learning is around assessment. Here at CSS we … Continue reading Using iMovie for Scientific Thinking

art, grade5, math1 Comment

Drawing Fractions: Fine Arts Integration

Deirdre Bailey

Written by Candice Shaw, Grade 5 Math/Science Specialist One of our new initiatives this year is a Fine Arts Integration Program with our grades 4, 5 and 6students. The purpose of this initiative is to deepen the collaboration between our Fine Arts program and the core subject areas. Click here to read more about our upcoming art/science integration conference. As part of this new initiative, a Fraction Art project was created in collaboration between a visual arts specialist and a math/science specialist. In math, Grade 5 students had completed most of the fraction unit when this project was introduced. The … Continue reading Drawing Fractions: Fine Arts Integration

professional_developmentLeave a comment

Inquiry Book Study: The Final Week!

Deirdre Bailey

Due to our school Spring Break – this final blog post for our Inquiry Book Study is a little tardy… This book study has been an enjoyable experience for us – and we plan on running another in the Fall. Thanks so much to all our previous bloggers! February 8th: Introduction and Chapter 1 February 22nd: Chapter 2 (Yvonne Denomy) March 1: Chapter 3 (Allison Hone) March 8th: Chapter 4 (Mark Gillingham) March 15: Chapter 5 (Sarah MacGregor) March 22nd: Chapter 6 (Joanna Sanders Bobiash) Chapter Seven: Learn the Game of Learning Bio: Keith Hadden is currently principal of Prairie … Continue reading Inquiry Book Study: The Final Week!