iHub Garden Build

iHub-Green-Inquiry-Garden-By-Richard-Stewart

[Cross-Posted on the HUB Blog] Last Friday three students at the Inquiry Hub Secondary School, in Coquitlam BC, organized a garden build. It started with Grade 9 student, Shauna, applying for and getting a World Wildlife Fund grant. This led to some inquiry questions around the best soil, water and temperature conditions for growing lettuce. And Friday’s garden build was the latest progress in developing an urban/inquiry garden for our school. Everything about this garden … Continue reading

Data Driven Decisions in BC

"world wide web visualization 4717 By Anthony Mattox on Flickr"

With special thanks to Assistant Deputy Minister Paige MacFarlane, I had an opportunity to spend an afternoon a few weeks ago in a working session on Open Government. Vision ~ The Ministry of Education (MEd) will adopt an approach that demonstrates the Open Government principles of Transparency, Collaboration and Participation that supports the ministry’s core work of personalized learning. Goal ~ Develop and implement a strategic plan for moving forward with the open government approach … Continue reading

Disruptive Forces

Disruptive Forces Tweet

I found myself in an interesting Twitter discussion with @backcountrynut – Sean Beaton, @adlcprojects – Jason Wiks, @laurelbeaton – Laurel Beaton, and @web20classroom – Steve W. Anderson, a few days back. In this conversation Jason said, “I think that the last disruption in ed was from elite ed to mass ed in the 1900′s” @adlcprojects Sean continued the thought, “To be disruptive it must transform the model. Really hasn’t happened for 100yrs – which is surprising. … Continue reading

Badges, Gaming, and Digital Media

  I’ve been outspoken on  the topic of adding rewards & incentives or ‘carrots‘ to courses and classroom management, and so it is rather unusual for me to be thinking about things like implementing badges. However, I’m very interested in using gaming strategies in education and I’m also interested in providing students with opportunities to both learn at their own pace, and also to represent how they have met criteria or learning outcomes in ways … Continue reading

Inquiry Hub – Rethink Learning

InquiryHub-Rethink-Learning

Here is the slide presentation from our Inquiry Hub Information Session on January 22nd, 2013. Inquiry Hub – Rethink Learning from David Truss My favourite part of the presentation was the Question period when I was able to defer questions to our students that presented with us. It speaks volumes when you think that these students have only been with us for 1/2 a year and already they have fully bought into what we are … Continue reading

Applications of Digital Literacy

DM101-Footprint

Applications of Digital Literacy is a course that I helped create for the Inquiry Hub. It is one of two courses principal Stephen Whiffin and I decided to develop as local board approved courses*, the other course is Foundations of Inquiry. Stephen humourously calls these ‘mandatory electives’ since we decided that these would be requisite courses for anyone coming to the Inquiry Hub. The idea is that we do not expect students to come to … Continue reading

New Perspective

"A-New-Day-by-David-Truss-on-Flickr"

At this time of year, I’m often absorbed in reading about the year that was and the year ahead. Goals, predictions, and nostalgic reviews are read, tweeted and shared in many places like Twitter, Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, and here on this blog. However, this year I headed into the Chistmas break feeling rather unplugged, and that has continued through to tonight. I’m currently on a ski holiday and other than posting a few photos online … Continue reading

Challenging the status quo

"Challenging the Status Quo by David Truss ~ BY::NC::SA"

Educational bloggers blogging about things that need to be changed… This isn’t a post to read from start to finish. Instead, pick a topic that may challenge the status quo in your school or district and dig in. Read, tweet, share, write your own post, comment… it is fodder for YOU to challenge the status quo! Here are the TOPICS discussed: Homework Award Ceremonies Marks/Grading/Assessment Zeros and Late Penalties High Stakes Testing (BC, Canada and … Continue reading

Podcasting Pair-a-Dimes 2 – With George Couros

Podcasting Pair-a-Dimes 2 with George Couros

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:22 — 21.3MB) | Embed Description: George Couros keynoted at the Coquitlam Principals and Vice Principals (CPVPA) Conference, October 19th-20th, 2012. This is a conversation we had on the trip back to Vancouver from Whistler, BC. We talked about leading and learning ‘out in the open’. We discuss harnessing Twitter, reflecting and learning on blogs, taking risks, and taking advantage of ‘the wisdom in the room’. Show … Continue reading

7 Ways to Transform Your Classroom

I’m honoured to have been invited as a guest on Classroom 2.0 Live this Saturday morning, September 29th, 2012. I joined the Classroom2.0 Ning back in 2007, and I think it is a wonderful network to help new and seasoned teachers engage in a meaningful social network. [UPDATE: Here are audio & video recordings of the show:  Inquiry Learning and Empowering Students and the accompanying slide show is embedded below.] I’ll be talking about Inquiry … Continue reading