-by Kevin Sonico, Grade 9 Math/Science Teacher This blog post is part 2 of a series of blogs Kevin wrote summarizing his Research and Innovation Project on Research Experience and Its Impact on Teaching Practice. Theme 1: Professional Growth Teachers undertook an initiative considered to be beyond the responsibilities of a typical classroom teacher. Whether… Continue reading Teachers as Researchers: Theme 1 – Professional Growth
-by Kevin Sonico, Grade 9 Math/Science Teacher In the Inspiring Action on Education document (Alberta Education, 2010a), the Ministry of Education discussed research’s essential role in contributing to student success by informing policy and pedagogy. Charter schools would play an integral role in fulfilling the goal of infusing research into policies and practice by becoming… Continue reading Research Experience and Its Impact on Teaching Practice: Four Charter School Teachers’ Perspectives
InnovateWest is a professional development initiative that focuses on bringing educators together to share, build and reflect on exemplary teaching, learning, and leadership practices with the goal of building a network of innovative educators. This annual conference will be held on October 24 and 25, 2014 at Connect Charter School. The conference begins on Friday… Continue reading Innovate West – October 24-25, 2014
by Dan McWilliam In 2011 staff at the Connect Charter School, Calgary Science School at the time, were asked “What does exemplary teaching and learning look like?” The process and rationale for the creation of the frameworks is described here. “In addressing this question, reference was made to the work that has been done on student… Continue reading Exemplary Teaching and Learning Frameworks
Dr. Garry McKinnon Dennis Sumara, dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Calgary, talks with Grade 4 student Sasha Longley, left, as Bruce March, chairman and CEO of Imperial Oil talks with Grade 4 student Owen Leveille, right, during their science class at the Calgary Science School after Imperial Oil and the… Continue reading Launch of the Imperial Oil Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Initiative
Ivy Waite Here at CSS, we are privileged in our school’s approach to collaboration and the time that we are given to work together. The inclusion of collaboration in the Exemplary Teaching and Learning frameworks is not just another indicator. Collaboration is at the heart of the amazing things that happen at CSS. That being… Continue reading Envisioning Exemplary Collaboration at CSS
Deirdre Bailey and Amy Park The process of inquiry can seem “undefinable” at times, however, through the process of documentation, it becomes clearer and more tangible – for students, teachers, and parents.Earlier this month as part of an Action Research project, we proposed to compile a comprehensive video that effectively identified who we are at the Calgary… Continue reading The Calgary Science School: Our Story
Amy Park and Deirdre Bailey [Investigating the truth of opinions] consists not in trying to discover the weakness of what is said, but in bringing out its real strength. It is not the art of arguing but the art of thinking… the art of strengthening. (Gadamer, 1975) Abstract Although there is substantial research supporting collaborative… Continue reading Collaboration: The Art of Strengthening
-by Tanya Stogre, Grade 5 Humanities In the preceding three blogs, I have outlined the research behind why parental and community engagement is important; the differences between ‘involvement’ and ‘engagement’, as well as specific examples of each at the Calgary Science School. In the final blog of the series, I want to look at the… Continue reading Parent Engagement: Where to from here?
-by Tanya Stogre, Grade 5 Humanities In the preceding blog, #2 in my 4-part series on parental and community engagement, I discussed the differences between involvement and engagement. However, the distinction was not made to suggest that if a parent is ‘involved’, their actions, care and personal investment in their child’s education is any less… Continue reading Examples of Parent Involvement and Engagement
