c21_logo_mediumWelcome to you Cohort 21 Blog. This journal is an integral part of your Cohort 21 experience. Here you will reflect, share , collaborate  and converse as you move through the C21 Action Plan process. 

This is your first post and an opportunity to share a little bit about yourself as a learner and leader. Please respond the to the following prompts below:

1) Reflect on your own personal learning journey and K-12 education. Identify one learning experience that you can point to as having made a significant impact on some element of your own growth and development. It could be that teacher and subject that really sparked significant growth or a trip that opened your eyes to a whole new world or way of thinking or a non-catastrophic failure that you learned so much from.  Briefly describe the learning experience and identify the various supports, structures, mindsets and relational ingredients that were put in place by the teacher or facilitator that directly contributed to your growth and success. 

My best learning experience without question would have to be taking my grade 11 Science credit at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrews New Brunswick.  This hands-on educational program completely changed my way of learning. I was never an A+ student and I found studying from textbooks and handouts difficult and mundane.  This course was completely different and allowed me to learn by experience. I realized that I was very capable of getting top marks but needed the tactile and face to face interaction to fully retain the information.  The differentiated education was what I needed along with the passion the teachers shared for the appreciation and love of marine biology. It was so clear when out measuring tides at the Bay of Fundy or out on the ocean gathering plankton samples how excited the teachers were to be there and sharing their knowledge with us.

2) What is the one Learning skill (MOE) or Approach to Learning (IB ATL) that you feel is MOST important in this day and age? How do you intentionally build it into your curriculum and develop it in your students throughout the year?

I believe that the most important learning skill in this day and age is responsibility. I find it difficult at the Grade 3 level for many of my students to attain responsibility and with some students takes all year to finally establish. I strive to make positive connections with each student at the beginning of the year to develop a trusting relationship. I encourage students to communicate with me directly instead of through parents. Issues most often arise when they are having difficulties with homework, an assignment and most commonly a peer. We spend a lot of time in class on mindfulness and getting to know our emotions and needs of others. We often spend a few minutes sharing our feelings and ways in which we can help others with mindfulness activities during our morning meetings and sharing circles. The students become more comfortable with their peers and teachers this way and take ownership of the decisions they make and eventually become much more responsible for their actions.

3) Insert an image below that best captures the essence of that Learning Skill or ATL. (Click on the “Helpful WordPress Video Tutorials” link in the left hand sidebar to learn how to insert it)

http://www.mas.org.uk/wellbeing-performance/psychological_responsibility.html

5 thoughts on “My best learning experience

  1. Thanks @ltrought for this blog post,

    As someone who is deeply involved in experiential learning, your experience at the Marine Science Centre speaks to me too! I also really liked how you expanded on responsibility – usually this is taken up as a purely executive functioning skill, but you’ve highlighted it as a social-emotional skill: “The students become more comfortable with their peers and teachers this way and take ownership of the decisions they make and eventually become much more responsible for their actions.” Thanks for this!

    I look forward to learning with and from you this year… Starting Saturday!

    Garth.

  2. Hey @ltrought, thanks for sharing! I loved reading about your experiences in St. Andrews – I recently spent five years living in nearby Saint John and maintain a deep affection for that part of the world. I look forward to meeting you on Saturday and learning about some of your approaches to connect students with passion and foster a love of learning. See you very soon!

    graham

  3. What a fantastic learning experience the Huntsman Marine Science Centre provided! Hands-on experiential learning gives students an opportunity for real-world application of their skills and the possibility of making memories that will last a lifetime! Thanks for sharing this experience with us. I also enjoyed reading about how you utilize mindfulness in your classroom. This practice resonated with me as I believe we need to know ourselves, be kind and conscious of our minds, emotions, and needs before we can help as an educator. What a wonderful way to build a culture of trust in your classroom, that starts from within each of your students. I can’t wait to meet you on Saturday!

  4. Laura, I so deeply relate to your comments about experiential learning. Whether it is in the classroom or abroad, you have highlighted how this model of learning reaches learners differently. It reinforces the importance of differentiation and helping students understand their individual strengths for personal growth and better self-awareness. “I realized that I was very capable of getting top marks but needed the tactile and face to face interaction to fully retain the information.”
    Teaching mindfulness and giving your students time to connect and express their feelings makes your classroom sound like a wonderful, safe place for learning to take place. As an adult, I am learning more mindful practices, but often wonder how much further my own children are now that they are being helped to control their most valuable tool, their mind, at a younger age than any other generation before!
    Thanks for sharing your post. I am really looking forward to working with you and learning from you this year!

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