Agenda+items+for+last+full+group+meeting+-date+TBD

1 Draft Agenda for June 4
Location: Belfountain School Date: June 4 p.m. startign at 12:30

Directions -google map

Phone: 519-927-5212 ||
 * 17247 Shaws Creek Road, Caledon, ON L7K0E8

Parking -please park in the gravel lot at the south end of the school

12:30 Arrival, welcome and lunch – Belfountain staff invited to join us

1:00 Student presentation Garlic Mustard project

1:10 Site Tour and /history –Pamela

1:30 Class visits as determined by what is going on there

2:15 –in whatever order works Janice –community partnerships Jiiva –projects linked to the seasonal calendar of events and whole school projects Bryan -Integrated Learning Projects

2:50 -whole group disc –what have we seen of note that can be applied back home, what feedback can we give Belfountain?

-small group discussions –advancing change in our own practice and in our schools

-options for moving forward 3:50 closing and departure


 * Additional Topics**

-Experiences with Project based learning

-UG EE Collaborative -evaluation of the project

-where to from here options (individuals, schools, as a group)

april 5 Agenda Tentative Agenda items of interest so far -please add your yours:

Creating Transformative Learning Experiences
 * -what is it? -review the strategies in DOTS**
 * -Critical moves -timetables that support transformative learning**


 * -variius entry ints for transformative learning -Project based learning, inquiry, action projects, learning locally**
 * -generating ideas for project based learning at the various grade levels**
 * -from integrated learning experiences to report card comments -samples and examples**


 * -community partners -what are they and how to enage and work with**

Learning Locally
 * - opportunity for Pamela to share her experience - best classroom management tips for outdoor activities (behaviour management etc.) - story sharing (favourite outdoor learning experiences with her students)...what inspired her to take her kids outside...challenges that she overcame in relation to outdoor inquiry. Outdoor hike - Pamela leads the hike and models it as if we are her class of students going outdoors for the first time.**
 * -using the Step Outside opportunties that nature provides for inquiry alsso R4R and Journey North**

Inquiry Knowlege building circles **-Discuss how we address incorrect answers that are given confidently by student(s) in a knowledge building circle.**
 * -shaping student intersts so that they are pursued safely and with crriculum connections**
 * -review an example of an inquiry from Natural Curiosity**

Design a Learning Experience -from last meeting
 * -rough out a learning experinece (iunquiry, integrated -project based apporach, actino project) that you wil then apply in your calss over the next month **

Challenges to Transformative Leanring
 * -other grade teacing partners are not interestedin EE or feel we shoudl al lbe dong the same ting with our classes**

Applying Change Principles

Project Goals and Process
 * -revisiting the projects goals and criteria**
 * -revisit notes form March 20 conference call**
 * -modifying the wikispace for better use**
 * -maximizing the utuility of Pamela's inclass mentoring visits**
 * -some disucssion on what happens after this project**

Context **- the big goal is independent citizens, or engaged learners, or curious dispositions, or all of these –how does this all fit**
 * Agenda from Jan 30 Meeting**
 * hope video []**


 * -notetaker volunteer please -ideally with laptop entering directly**

1. Opening Circle over lunch**-where are you at in your practice, share a learning experience that you used that is anindication of where you are going in your practice, a chllenge, and /or what are you looking for /bringing to this gathering?**

2. Review Overall goal for our project-1:00 Project goals from earlier meeting
 * -review highlights of first meeting notes**

Tentative Project Goals for Members**


 * 1) improve student learning with particular emphaisi on student engagement through use of the environment as a learnnig context
 * 2) consolidate and support good learning practices that participants are currently applying
 * 3) Understand and Apply the 7 strategies, see Connecting the Dots -start with Learning Locally
 * 4) Engage in a professional collaborative effort (as a group and act as a pilot in your host schools –how to move the agenda ahead here)
 * 5) use the various Env Learning Centres as a context for learning

//-stay the course, modify, add?//


 * 3. Review the Agenda**


 * 4. Acknowledging Challenges** that educators who are trying to advance/change practice are facing
 * -practice with KBCs** -sharing insights
 * Our KBC** – meeting the challenge of change

Break

-Project based Learning -stan Experience based inquiry -Pamela
 * 5. Learning Strategies -Overview of Frameworks for Integration and Inquiry Learning 2:00**
 * Learning Strategies** -some useful frameworks for integrated and inquiry based learning


 * 6. Learning Locally -Community as Classroom**- Island Lake and area tour looking for grade specific opportunities linked to the curriculum –one off excusions and/or learning projects focus

-apply a format for your grade (suggest Project based learning as the approach with the most structure) -group 1 -mapping out learning projects using the ELCs for learning group 2 -other
 * 7. Design a Learning Experience**


 * 8. Revisiting Our Goals and Assessment Criteria 3:00**

-review and refinement


 * Collaboration Goal** -wiki visit-school-based group meetings

-group members -funding sources (grant sources and commissioned projects) in class mentoring –review of an in class mentoring visit –Sheila and Pam -consultative support -experience in the group -outside expertise -the literature -other
 * 9.Support available to meet our goals 3:15**

-school by school update -new members -upcoming items –Rockwood staff meeting Feb 14 -Monthly school meetings –next group meeting (the week of March 26? -to be followed by a doodle) -other?
 * 10. Other Items 3:30**

-individual reflection on the topics addressed and on meeting criteria
 * 11. Closing 3:45**-once around the circle-

-we are meeting January 30 in Orangeville and Island Lake P.S. -thank you folks for hosting
 * Agenda Prompts up to Jan 23**
 * Agenda Prompts up to Jan 23**


 * Just a note from the ILPS folks: we will be meeting in the conference room, which is located through the main office at the front of the school. You can head straight there to drop your things once you've checked in (if that's o.k. with you, Stan). See you then!*

-book your own coverage as per the same number as last time -code 5 if i recall correctly.


 * Please add your draft agenda items/issues to this page** (you have to press the edit tab and then you can make changes to this page. Once done press the save tab and what you have changed remains) and we will see what develops. If you see something on here that you support put your initials after it

Possible agenda items


 * Integration and inquiry -putting a format to these practices - JB
 * Opportunities to use ELSs as a focus for learning - JB
 * time to plan activities in small groups - DC NL TA
 * look over examples/exemplars of enviro inquiry projects that can be achieved at local schools - DC. TA -//**address in March meeting**//
 * tasks that can be done between younger and older grades with a concrete goal for each age group - the Rockwood crew is discussing how to do this consistently and how to make it meaningful (any suggestions would be appreciated) -**a page has been added to the wiki for this -will include on the agenda**
 * prioritizing: how to balance all the other demands of teaching so that this initiative doesn't feel like an add-on, or 'just one more thing'
 * planning a grade specific unit to incorportate learning outdoors and knowledge building circles (Grade 6 Air and Flight) NL (Core French) TA -**will address this somwhat under Designing a learning experience part of the agenda**
 * discuss and create a list of community partners that can/may assist enviro inquiry at each school - TA wi**l address this somwhat under Designing a learning experience part of the agenda**
 * come up with a list of funding sources for various brainstormed enviro inquiry projects (example: need birdseed) TA

Use the discussion table to discuss any issue related to the Jan 30 meeting.

Confirm you attendance by adding your name here: Stan Kozak Jenn Bailey Deepti Celetti Natalie Leitch Tamara Anderson Tracey Darling Megan Mintz Brendan Embrey Pamela Gibson Sheila Koop