Noeline Burk, Head of Arts
nburk@pickeringcollege.on.ca
Pickering College Global Leadership Program - Integrating Experiential Education into the Curriculum
Graduates of the Pickering College Global Leadership Program are creative, innovative and courageous agents of ethical and positive change, true to Quaker values.
Description of how it shapes the learning experience –what is the crux of the program that is of focus in this short sharing:
- All students, JK-12, are enrolled in and benefit from the enhanced programming of the GLP
- The GLP is fully integrated into the curriculum
- Programming is extensively researched and critiqued to ensure academic rigour and 21st century effectiveness.
- Content that facilitates understanding of the world around us and inspires students to take action, skills needed to be global leaders, pedagogy that elicits these content and skills areas
Three recent examples include:
JK to Grade 5 – The Foundation Years
Culminating in Grade 5:
My Key Idea Project: The students in grade 5 will choose an area of interest to investigate, generate questions, and explain its significance. Students will recognize and express their own perspective, examine others’ perspectives and explain the impact. Students will communicate their ideas effectively and present their project, take action to improve conditions. So far this year the Grade 5 students have been learning about perspective, empathy and advocating.
Students have been learning how to begin a research project by creating a topic web listing of their ideas and information they will need to research. They have been learning how to create an effective powerpoint presentation. And Presentation skills as it relates to voice, posture and eye contact.
Grade 6 to 8- The Pillar Years
A student presentation of an experience or piece of inquiry-based research, developed through guided learning, that demonstrates growth in at least one of the three pillars (Wisdom, Adventure, and Community) and that represents a sense of who they are.
Expression of Self
Format: Presentation (3-5 Minutes) live
Audience: Teacher/Mentor Panel for first year (goal to bring in students from the MS program currently in Gr 11 and 12s by Year 5 [mentors?])
Content: Three year implementation strategy
Year 1 (Grade 6):
- Relate your work on this culminating task to at least one MS-GLP pillar
- Reflect on how this assignment impacted your personal development. Students will consult with a mentor and relevant subject specific teacher about tailoring a culminating task they are most proud of into a developed Expression of Self
- Include Grade 10 panelists
Year 2 (Grade 7):
- Guided learning through tasks to justify an area of focus
- Use identification of pursuit pillars, focus on a specific pillar
- Link learning between Curriculum and Pillars
- Reflect on growth from presentation
Year 3 (Grade 8):
- Move from guided to inquiry based learning -- Expression of Self is no longer a favourite culminating task. Expression of Self becomes a cross-disciplinary inquiry-based research project or demonstration of a significant development in skill/s.
Grade 9 to 12- The Capstone Years
Capstone Project
The Grade 12 GLP Program focuses on developing the skills needed for a successful capstone project: an academic interdisciplinary essay and a pitch presented to an expert panel. The project tasks students with developing an innovative solution to an issue of local or global significance. Some students will actually implement their solution, and be able to speak about the impact of their solution at the final pitch competition.
Some of the results/impacts:
Achievement of the Core Competencies
| Think Globally | Students are competent in analyzing culture and context, and can identify their own global responsibilities. They appreciate languages and connect languages to culture. They critically connect their learning to the world around them, academically challenging themselves to understand causes and contexts. |
| Lead and Collaborate | Students know how to apply leadership skills to a range of contexts. They demonstrate empathy and friendship and can independently generate support for a cause. They demonstrate good character, participation, teamwork and resiliency, developing commitment and the joy of effort. |
| Design and Build | Students research to innovate, invent, and problem solve. They can build models, frameworks and prototypes and use scientific method, mathematical modelling and other design processes. They are interdisciplinary and creative, and competent technology users, and can design to specifications. |
| Discover and Connect | Students learn through experiences, challenges, outdoor education and authentic classroom simulations. Students are mindful and self-aware, advocating for spiritual, emotional, physical and mental wellbeing. They develop the skills and tools to lead healthy, active lives, pursuing meaningful excursions and committing to long-term pursuits. |
| Create and Perform | Students connect with the world around them through public performances and publications in debate, the arts, radio, public speaking, writing and sport. They interpret many genres critically, engaging with their audiences and communicating effectively. They speak persuasively to inspire action. |
| Enact Change | Students actively engage with their community and advocate for important causes through environmental stewardship, social justice, service projects, and effective use of social media. They apply Quaker values to their decision making, as well as the whole school values of community, compassion, integrity, respect and responsibility. |
Benefits & What I am Working on Learning to Apply or Modify:
The programme was implemented in 2013, and has become solidly established over the past few years. This year we will have our first class of GLP graduates. This programme has transformed our entire school into a thriving, forward-thinking educational opportunity that focuses on experiential education and servant leadership while satisfying the guidelines from the Ontario Ministry of Education.For more information, please contact our Director of Global Leadership, Andrea Cleland.
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