Understanding Urban Sustainability

Our Grade 11 and 12 Green Industries program offers students a great opportunity to think critically about issues related to sustainability in urban environments. Recently, students in the Grade 11 class worked in small teams to plan and build sustainable farms.

This activity built on prior learning in which students looked at the components of soil. As part of this study, students learned how to use food scraps, newspaper and worms to maintain vermicomposters. This device produces “black gold,” a nutrient-dense soil additive.

Students then worked to design and build their sustainable farms; these farms include important real-life elements as seeds, aeration, and irrigation, as well as the aforementioned “black gold” soil additive. Having to develop a marketing plan for the promotion of their farm prototype adds another authentic learning dimension to the activity.

Students in this program have many opportunities for the kind of hands-on learning described in this entry. Besides engaging them fully, this approach also helps students learn to be adaptive problem solvers.

Thinking Critically About the News

Using topical issues to help students learn to think critically is another way we prepare our students for the future.

A good example of this approach was used recently in our Grade 10 English class. Students examined online articles about racism and homelessness and worked in small groups to build the skills needed to determine which stories were real and which were “fake.” Students then assessed their learning by viewing a TedX Talk by Morgan Campbell called “Race, Sports, and Telling True Stories.” Since this class is co-taught, students had ample opportunity for individual clarification from teachers.

Being able to read and think critically is a vital skill if students hope to participate meaningfully in civic life and navigate successfully the growing body of online content that is presented as truth.

Student Survey of Teachers

Asking students to share their opinion is one way of giving students ownership of their learning. This feeling of empowerment is an important part of a progressive education. In December and May of each school year, we have all of our students complete a survey developed by Panorama Education for each of their classes. The questions on this survey measure student perceptions of teaching and learning.

Teachers receive a comprehensive online report which allows them to examine the results from many perspectives. They can also track their progress in various areas over the year and from year to year. In recent weeks, our Centre for Teaching and Learning staff have helped our staff reflect on their results and use this process to develop goals for the second half of the year. This process benefits students as it allows teachers to alter approaches so that all students are engaged in learning.

We can also view these results from a whole-school perspective, which helps us to tweak our annual school goals. Doing so, has enabled us to adjust some of our upcoming Wednesday PD sessions for teachers and provide them with customized learning opportunities relevant to their survey results.  Customized learning is not only good for students, it also benefits teachers.