DuMont's Library

  I belong to a bookclub.   But as one of my best friends and colleagues is apt to say, the first rule of our book club is that we don’t talk about books.  It’s a bit of a joke, because although we do discuss our reading, we also just discuss our lives, loves, and losses.  The six of us are trauma survivors who have grown into best friends.  We read about stories that make sense to us, and we love to talk about them.  Reading is a social event for us.  So is the food and drink, but that’s for another blog!  I was not a reader as a child, but now I am a voracious reader.  I fell in love with Agatha Christie in the summer between grade 8 and 9.  Who knew?  But that’s the point.  Who knows what kids will fall in love with?  They need to be given all sorts of materials at all levels so they can find something that speaks to their souls ( Schrempp, 2021 and James 2021 ). My own boys are also voracious readers.  They read ...

Essentials in 2022?   Absolutely!   Are these topics even connected? Yes, Ma'am!! First, we have student agency: the idea that students should be co-creators in what they choose to learn, how they choose to learn it, and how they choose to share their learning.  This is not a new concept in and of itself; it is a human construct, and one that Dewey (1922) argued characterizes human nature.  It is, however, a very necessary concept in today's world.  The young minds we are educating have access to all sorts of information and ideas.  It is within student agency that we can help develop those ideas, lean into critical and creative thinking, and advance personal and social responsibility.  If ever there was a time to give students power over their learning, it is now.   Next, the ability to share student learning - in fact, the ability for students to share their passions, goals, and understandings of the world - is paramount.  Student...

My interests are three-fold: students centered learning, digital portfolios, and working with the parent community.  Interestingly enough, they all work together in a very intricate way.  We are preparing students for an unknown future and teaching 21st Century skills though their own passions is a logical and exciting way to proceed.  Digital portfolios go hand in hand with this as students will need to promote themselves and have a deep understanding of their own growth, skills, passions, and goals.  Finally, our parent community did not experience school this way, and so generally have little understanding of these philosophies.  Since they are our most valuable partners, it is essential to loop them into this conversation to the best of our abilities. The above word cloud gives a sample of what is up and coming in KLO Middle School and in the Central Okanagan School District!  We are working on increasing student agency and student centered learning, co...