The Indian Creek Difference

We went to visit Indian Creek School in Chatham Ontario, this is a very progressive school that would alarm many traditionalists but was like a breathe of fresh air to me.  We were supposed to go there to see Minecraft lessons and samples from the staff.  What happened instead was much more valuable than lessons on Minecraft, what we witnessed was an incredible student focused school.  We learned about the norms and beliefs of the school community while going on a tour with principal Chris Moore and teachers Mr. Pattison and Mr. Aspinall.

The first hint that this school was different was when Principal Chris Moore showed our group that he had taken down the prominently displayed pictures of former principals and replaced them with current pictures of Grade 8 leaders in the school.  What this showed is that student's are placed front and centre and showed a focus on the people who are learning in the building now.  We were told that many students in Grade 7 now aspire to positions of leadership and want their pictures on the wall for a year.  What a way to instill a sense of ownership in the students.

  Another student focused thing that they do is that they minimize the amount of grades given and instead they focus on giving feedback.  A student is given at least a few feedback sessions before a student is considered done an assignment, the student receives their letter grade at the reporting period and not before.  The teachers are finding that the students make more gains under this system because the continual feedback loop keeps the students interested in learning and not just going for marks.  They have compared the new system to the old system over a number of years and have found the students are doing better with less grades and more feedback.  The kids actually improve over time because they learn how to be better learners, it is not important when the students learn but if they learn.  There is not a bonus for learning the material quickly.



One other cool thing that they do at this school is that they allow the students access to more of the building than I have ever seen.  There were students everywhere and they were well behaved.  They were working on green screens, they were working on building model playgrounds and they were quietly working on i-pads in the  French room.  The students work on passion projects and projects that they propose to their teachers.  In this way, the vast majority of the students really thrive  because they are so immersed in what they are doing!


I could add much more to this post but I won't, what I will say is that I was really impressed and here are a few takeaways:


1. This environment took 6 years to build
2. Student voice and a love for students was crucial for their success
3. Technology is big but the pedagogy behind the tech is bigger
4. We have always done it this way are dangerous words
5. Pay for your tech use by reducing other costs like photocopying and printing
6. Let your staff make mistakes without penalty- keep improving
7. Feedback can be oral too
8. Students who work on their passions are more likely to learn and less likely to misbehave

Thanks to the Indian Creek Family for the tour and keep up the great work!

Inspiring Day at Indian Creek Elementary School - Chatham

So I began the day thinking that I would be seeing decked out classrooms.  Stark white and gleaming floors.
Charging stations in hubs with whiteboards and smartboards in every class.  Some of my predictions were true, there were smartboards in every class, there is a room with a charging stations and a green screen.  But there was stuff EVERYWHERE!  One classroom looked like the basement of a frat house with ripped couches, make shift coffee table and dirty dishes.  Another room looked like a toy maker's reject closet and yet another looked like a storage space for desks and unwanted teaching supplies.  Children were all over on the floor, in a closet, on couches and at their lockers.  At face value, I wondered, how could any learning be done in these rooms.

 When I walked and looked at what was happening in the clusters of students or individuals, each child was engaged in their work.  The tools chosen varied, ipads, phones, chromebooks and laptops.  It didn't matter who I asked, each one told me what they had to do.  And, the children were happy to share, they were not shy at all.  They were proud of their work and they owned it.  FACT, there is no correlation between a super organized, alphebetized, sanitized and nice smelling classroom and student engagement.

The school has a pretty amazing culture.  The students are empowered and are able to choose how they will best be able to accomplish assigned tasks.  There is space for learners who flourish in chaos and activity.  There are areas for learners who need quiet and a more focused direction.  In many ways it is literally like a scene from the movie, Inside Out.  All pieces of the brain are able to find a space that makes them heard. The most refreshing thing to see is the freedom and the empowerment that children are given to take command of their learning.  The children are happy and engaged.  Not a single child was falling asleep or watching the clock.

A learning environment like this is definitely overwhelming and scary.  It absolutely goes against any traditional learning we have all experienced.  But that is what progress looks like.  I love that the teachers are not afraid of technology and the culture that the students are going to be living in.  They embrace it.

I get that it is difficult for teachers to separate from a traditional markbook and averages.  On an elementary level anecdotal and conferencing for marks is a little more do-able.  It is so true that students who are the A's/Level 4 will typically always be that.  The Level 2/C students will take their graded assignment and shove it in a dark corner for nobody to see.  The feedback type of marking may not necessarily always render a quantified mark however, the level of learning is better.  The directions towards meeting curriculum expectations are more personalized and focused towards individual needs.  And I believe that the students will understand more about their learning and they as a bonus, they will know how to better retain history, science, math or literacy information.  

I cannot pretend to know how what is being done at this school will fit at a high school.  From the get, secondary schools  have more to answer to such as students who need quantified work for college and university acceptance.  Perhaps let marking and more feedback.  Maybe just the idea of empowering students more.  Or maybe high schools just need more technology to begin with.  All schools need more spaces that can facilitate as a learning lounge however, I do b that there have been attempts on this but the areas have been abused, vandalized and torn apart.

Driving home I realized that I had not even talked a bit about Minecraft.  Colin touched a bit on the Makey Makey and other sweet apps.  And while I would have loved to immerse myself in a head to head geekfest about coding, I realized that technology and innovation in education is secondary to developing the right culture and philosophy of a school.  At the end of the day, it is very easy for me to compare my teaching situation to Indian Creek and say all the things I cannot do because of this or that.  For myself, I have been inspired and I know that some of my own ideas are possible.  I left the school with a renewed spirit and the possibilities of the year to come.  And although I absolutely cannot wait for summer, that crazy teacher personality in me is also super excited for September and the possibilities and challenges of course, that a new school year will bring.