SJ WILLIS ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM
In the heart of Victoria, BC. An inner city school embracing the concepts in Universal Design for Learning.
ABOUT ME AND MY MISSION......
an "ACTION PLAN" in motion
My name is Sarah Thornber and I am a mother to 4 distinctly different children ranging in ages from 6-17. I am also a teacher and have been teaching in Alternative Education in Victoria, B.C. for the past 14 years. During this time I have met many unique students who have ended up in Alternative Education because the "one fits all" philosophy of a regular highschool does not work for this population. Through all my work with these unique and highly skilled students I have began to understand how trauma and loss play a role in why these students are not successful. I feel that our small program (only 130 students), 5 teachers, and 3 Youth and Family Counselors becomes a place where the kids are fed, listened to, allowed flexibility in their programs and eventually feel the confidence to grow on their own. This process can be painstakingly slow but we as teachers celebrate small steps in the right direction (sometimes just showing up). Everyday is a new day and eventually after having these kids for 3 or 4 years we feel great pride in sending them off with their Grade 12 graduation and moving forward with an idea of who they are and what they want and skills to do most of it.
Our attendance on Fridays had become a bit lacking due to it being a shortened day. Our staff brainstormed to come up with activities or projects "Project Based Learning Hubbub". My contribution was to start a hiking group and try to connect kids I was hiking with to projects in each of their core curriculum classes. I put up posters and tried to drum up interest sweetening the pot by offering 5 hours of PE credit (total of 100) for kids willing to attend. It didn't take long before I had 8-10 kids actively participating every week. Asking mid week where we were going and If I could bring my dog. I challenged the kids with a year end hiking trip on the Juan de Fuca trail and had 13 eager and excited kids. The kids reported that it was the best thing they had ever done with school. Considering the "at-risk" population of this group many people were thinking I was crazy but the kids were helpful, worked hard, and were full of great ideas on how to manage a trip with so many people. It's my goal to continue teaching Outdoor Education next year with students attending core classes in the morning and outdoor activites in the afternoon. We will end the semester with a week long expedition planned in part with the kids help and including some type of component where they show what they have learned.
I noticed that as the students connected with me outside the school our connection and their commitment to their schoolwork increased as well. I teach Math for the whole school (Mon-Thursday and hike Fridays) but I found that kids on the Friday hikes began not only working harder in my class but around the school, contributing to the school community and forming connections with other students that they may have not befriended before. The experience has been so rewarding and I'm so happy to have an administrator that values this "universal" approach to learning. We are busy preparing for next year. Purchasing equipment, planning trips and activities to expand their skills in the wilderness. In thinking about my "action plan" for using technology in my classroom I would like to devise an ongoing project due at the end of the semester highlighting what each student has learned. This will be learning curve for me and my students but doing a storybook, comic strip, slide show, Powerpoint (to name a few) or even their own blog (wordpress/ blogger) or website. I think this would be an ideal way to showcase each students special interests and amazing moments throughout their semester in outdoor education. The kids could work in pairs or groups and come up with a group project using some type of technology to showcase their learning and growth at the end of the semester. We could invite parents and other schools/teachers to share some type of year end event where the students present their projects.
I had never considered doing a website before and thought it would be beyond my comfort zone. Fortunately, I have found the weebly website to be very user friendly and it is my intention to continue updating my website including important dates for the school, my math class, and my new focus in outdoor education. I feel it would be a useful way for parents and students to stay up to date, view/print forms for fieldtrips or to see what they may have missed or will be missing if they will be absent.
Our attendance on Fridays had become a bit lacking due to it being a shortened day. Our staff brainstormed to come up with activities or projects "Project Based Learning Hubbub". My contribution was to start a hiking group and try to connect kids I was hiking with to projects in each of their core curriculum classes. I put up posters and tried to drum up interest sweetening the pot by offering 5 hours of PE credit (total of 100) for kids willing to attend. It didn't take long before I had 8-10 kids actively participating every week. Asking mid week where we were going and If I could bring my dog. I challenged the kids with a year end hiking trip on the Juan de Fuca trail and had 13 eager and excited kids. The kids reported that it was the best thing they had ever done with school. Considering the "at-risk" population of this group many people were thinking I was crazy but the kids were helpful, worked hard, and were full of great ideas on how to manage a trip with so many people. It's my goal to continue teaching Outdoor Education next year with students attending core classes in the morning and outdoor activites in the afternoon. We will end the semester with a week long expedition planned in part with the kids help and including some type of component where they show what they have learned.
I noticed that as the students connected with me outside the school our connection and their commitment to their schoolwork increased as well. I teach Math for the whole school (Mon-Thursday and hike Fridays) but I found that kids on the Friday hikes began not only working harder in my class but around the school, contributing to the school community and forming connections with other students that they may have not befriended before. The experience has been so rewarding and I'm so happy to have an administrator that values this "universal" approach to learning. We are busy preparing for next year. Purchasing equipment, planning trips and activities to expand their skills in the wilderness. In thinking about my "action plan" for using technology in my classroom I would like to devise an ongoing project due at the end of the semester highlighting what each student has learned. This will be learning curve for me and my students but doing a storybook, comic strip, slide show, Powerpoint (to name a few) or even their own blog (wordpress/ blogger) or website. I think this would be an ideal way to showcase each students special interests and amazing moments throughout their semester in outdoor education. The kids could work in pairs or groups and come up with a group project using some type of technology to showcase their learning and growth at the end of the semester. We could invite parents and other schools/teachers to share some type of year end event where the students present their projects.
I had never considered doing a website before and thought it would be beyond my comfort zone. Fortunately, I have found the weebly website to be very user friendly and it is my intention to continue updating my website including important dates for the school, my math class, and my new focus in outdoor education. I feel it would be a useful way for parents and students to stay up to date, view/print forms for fieldtrips or to see what they may have missed or will be missing if they will be absent.
All photos courtesy of a student on the trip who was happy to donate all photos to the school. Signed permission was received from students featured in the photos.
An article stating the benefits of outdoor education
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http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/zurich-school-competition/outdoor-learning-clasrooms-schools