Coming Home
It is tough to describe what I am feeling right now… is it joy… excitement… or utter bliss? Not sure, but I’m feeling good. Tomorrow is a BIG day for me. I am debuting at St. Mark’s College as a course instructor in the Masters program. I will be faced with the challenge of wooing Catholic School educators from around the province to take a SHIFT in their practice with the New BC Curriculum in mind. Can you imagine teaching a class of adult learners who come to the table with various backgrounds, experience, roles, subject areas, grade levels, and expertise? Many are auditing the course, some are taking the course for university credit. Some of the course is delivered online while another part of it is face-to-face. Furthermore, it’s not a course about the New BC Curriculum, but it also entails assessment for learning and communicating student learning in the context of Catholic Schools. What’s super amazing is not the diversity of this group who are strangers to me… it’s the fact that these educators are choosing to be a part of this professional opportunity, they are choosing to build a learning community, and they are choosing to engage in ongoing professional development to enact change within their practice, thus the system.
Is that super cool or what? Why are they doing this? With exception of the handful of individuals who are taking this course as an elective in their Masters Program, the dozens of educators are taking this because they are ready to take on the New BC Curriculum by JUMPING IN with two feet. Crazy. What gets me stoked about this upcoming experience is, I have no idea what to expect. I am learning how to facilitate learning online with Moodle. I am creating my own academic course at the Masters level but I do not want to spook out the ones who are auditing the course. I am going to be teaching a group face-to-face over two days on campus but half of the cohort will be Skyping in. Moreover, I am trying to keep this a BYOD course to minimize photocopying and maximize what it could be like for students in the New BC Curriculum. It is not to say that the new curriculum is about being online, but it is about creating flexibility and personalize learning. Hello? I have to do this for almost 40 educators… personalize their professional learning. I am so honoured to do so.
What a great challenge and I am so grateful to be given this opportunity. My goal is to take them through this course as if they are learners of the new curriculum. In saying that, the new curriculum is what you want to make it to be. Teachers as learners will be challenged by the possible shift in pedagogy and educational thinking. What are the BIG IDEAS? What does it mean to evaluate curricular competencies? Why isn’t the content the driving force of the new curriculum? There will be many questions, I’m sure. What I do know is, I’m not giving them a standard lesson planning sheet or handout. I am not giving them the ideal way to communicate student learning. I am not deciding what is worthwhile to demonstrate student learning. This is the work of the learner. I am not giving answers. And, there is no right or wrong. So, what will it be like to take an academic risk for teachers (and school administrators) as learners… and what are they going to do about it? This is about action. We’ll see how things unfold over time. This is going to be ROCKING and well… I’m glad. #findingmyjam