Jan Campbell
Executive Director
Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario
I am very excited about this professional development initiative for our member schools, and very proud to be a facilitator, in what we hope will be a new model for effectively imbedding technology and best practices in our classrooms.Cohort 21 is the creation and vision of two outstanding educators in the CIS Ontario school community, Justin Medved and Garth Nichols. Together, their enthusiasm for teaching and life-long learning has brought about this special opportunity for educators to learn, think and share. My sincerest thanks to them both for initiating such a creative and collaborative adventure for our member school communities.
Garth Nichols
I believe that it is the elements of change and continuity that make
I am teacher with 15 years of experience in classrooms from middle to upper school levels, as a coach of basketball, soccer and rowing, and as a mentor, faculty adviser, and most recently as the Assistant Director of Personalized Learning. I am the Director of Teaching and Learning at Bayview Glen. But my Linkedin profile will tell you that. I believe that I can be a destroyer of classroom walls, but my Twitter bio will tell you that. So, you know a lot about me already…I look forward to learning more about you and your gifts as a teacher.
Justin Medved
Cohort 21 was born out of a frustration with professional development experiences that did not practice what they preached. Having attended numerous “21st century workshops and conferences” that were facilitated using using 20th century practices I felt that it was time to create the change that I wanted to see. Cohort 21 is a step in that direction. What happens when you bring together a group passionate CIS Ontario teachers and build a powerful networked learning community around them? Read their blogs to find out 🙂
Justin Medved is the Director of Learning, Innovation and Technology at The York School. He works with teachers, students and parents preparing and educating them for the demands of the 21st century. He is also one of the lead facilitators of the CAIS 2051 Project. You can read his thoughts and ideas on education, technology and leadership at by following his on twitter http://twitter.com/jmedved or the Cohort 21 Google + community.
Celeste Kirsh
Once upon a time, I decided to become a teacher because I really (really) love school and learning. I love not knowing something, and trying to find a way through a sticky puzzle. I love being part of something larger than myself and connecting with others in a community of seekers. I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes only after goals were reached that once seemed scary and lofty. I love uncovering who I am as a human by better understanding a subject area or deeply reflecting on a profound experience.
Derek Doucet
I was never traditionally the “good student” who payed attention to everything in class and got great grades. In fact, many of my former teachers are shocked that I would even think of entering the profession based solely on karma. In my first round of teacher’s college applications in 2001, my motto was “Teach the skills, and the curriculum will sort itself out”. Needless to say, I was not accepted to any Bachelor of Education program that year! That said, this idea is at the core of everything I do, both in and out of the classroom.
As a member of the first Cohort 21 group, I was inspired by not only what Garth and Justin were presenting but by the people around me. I have been very fortunate that early in my career I was able to work at some great schools with amazing people, but this was different. We were actively involved in each other’s action plans, being introduced to amazing Edtech to enhance collaboration and assessment in the classroom, and we followed each other’s progress. It was unlike any other PD session I had every experienced, in all the right ways.
Leslie McBeth
Change is one thing that I strongly believe we need to prepare our students for. In a world where app developers are making billions overnight and 14 year old kids are solving world problems from their parent’s basements, we see how the old concept of getting a job and working away at it until you retire is no longer a viable option. And if the purpose of school in the industrialized age was to prepare workers for a job, then the purpose of school in the 21st century is surely to prepare young people to be innovative, creative and entrepreneurial.
I am privileged to work at a progressive school with accomplished, motivated teachers. It is this collegial community that has also drawn me to Cohort 21. I am honored to be a part of the program this year, and I look forward to connecting with new colleagues and future friends as we learn to better design experiences that prepare young people for an uncertain (a.k.a. exciting) future.
Shelley Thomas
I’m fascinated by the intersection of learning and technology. As technologies continue to emerge and morph, they shape our students’ current global, cultural, and social experiences. And while our teaching must be sensitive to this digital proliferation, we must aim to model innovative, idiosyncratic and select use of digital tools. In doing so, we enable our students to take calculated risks, maximize their creative and analytical potential in post secondary studies, the workforce, but more importantly, in their twenty-first century lives. I’m fortunate to work at a school where “Ah-has!” abound daily. Like most of you, I wear many hats. I am Head of Innovation and Instructional Technologies and a teacher of English Literature and Film Studies. I get to take risks and be creative everyday. Whether it’s nurturing the cinematic talents of students or lending a voice to the chorus of protest, my happiest moments have been ones when students have taken the plunge and found that they can swim against the current. While some of my teachers have been fictional: Holden Caulfield, Blanche Du Bois, Chaplin’s ‘Little Fellow’, (characters that took risks and moved against the crowd) my greatest teachers have often been my students. They continue to show me profound truths about life and beauty and art.
I’m excited to be part of the rich and vibrant Cohort 21 community. I’m looking forward to learning alongside everyone, making new friends, exploring uncharted territory in our classrooms, and contributing to a culture of exploration and reflection.