Professional Learning Goals

• Gained a better understanding of the revised Social Studies Curriculum and how to deliver it effectively to our students
• Created a continuum for learning and teaching social studies at the junior level
• Learned how to leverage game-based learning in an effective manner within our classrooms
• Used Google Forms and Sheets to provide timely, descriptive feedback
• Created inquiry models that are user-friendly and multi-use
• Modelled how to use technology as positive, powerful tools that can be used for global good
• Leveraged technology to increase and improve student engagement
• Created and fostered an environment of teacher and student global collaboration and sharing

Activities and Resources

We began the school year by introducing world puzzles and board games (both geography-based and low organizational) within our classes to build both a sense of community and self. Both “springboards” have been incredibly powerful tools in creating global citizenship within our classrooms.

Grade 4 – a great springboard and resource to start these inquiries is the novel Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling Clancy Holling

Grade 5 – a great springboard and resource to start these inquiries is the graphic novel The Secret Path by Jeff Lemire

Grade 6 – A great springboard and resource to start these inquiries is the website Exploring by the Seat of your Pants. Google Hangouts are used to introduce students to global issues/problems and the people who endeavour to study/solve them.

Unexpected Challenges

The board game used as a foundation for the introduction of this project’s theme (global citizenship and awareness) is no longer in production. This forced us to redevelop aspects of our project with the introduction of different games.

Our initial project was including both social studies strands through the junior grades. However, as we refined our ideas, this became too difficult (as it limited flexibility in teaching styles and activities). In the end, we felt cover only one strand created more authentic learning opportunities for the students.

Enhancing Student Learning and Development

Students learn best through asking questions, play, inquiry, collaboration and knowing that their voice matters. Our project will encompass all of these areas, while at the same time providing timely and descriptive feedback to provide much opportunity for growth and success. Students will gain a unique understanding of their place in the world and their past, present and future through play-based learning, making and inquiring. They will recognize the powerful potential that technology can have, when used responsibly, and that they have a voice that matters. We aim to have students develop and understand how they can make a difference and reach far beyond the walls of our classrooms.

Sharing

We plan to share our project with our immediate junior staff members in hopes that teachers will utilize the resources provided as they will be developed based on a continuum through the junior grades. This, in turn, will create opportunities for school-wide collaboration, learning and initiatives which will foster an environment of collaboration and sharing amongst students and teachers. We intend to share all resources for our project on our website. Since there is a very limited number of resources on the revised Ontario Social Studies Curriculum and teaching through inquiry at the junior level, our sharing will allow other teachers to more effectively teach the curriculum. We intend to blog about our project and share our learning. We will share our M.A.D. project at a global level, with the hopes of getting at least 100 classrooms to join. We hope to present our project at a variety of conferences such as Connect and Bring IT Together.

Project Evaluation

Website feedback, conferences, student work