Redefining What’s Possible: Real Lives

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Andrea Fanjoy

‘Redefining What’s Possible’ is a series of blogs that highlights
stand-out tech tools being used at KCS.

For all the technology at KCS, it’s a place full of the human touch. A new tool this year takes the human touch to an unusually moving, global level.

In Ontario, the grade 8 geography curriculum includes the study of human demographics in countries around the world. Students learn about the effect that such things as literacy, birth rate, maternal health and more have on mortality and quality of life. It’s one thing to ‘learn’ these things, but imagine the power of ‘living’ them. Otherwise impossible for these young Ontarians, that’s just what our students get to do using the program Real Lives.

Real Lives simulates a life for each player, based on authentic global statistics. If one-fifth of the world’s population is Chinese, then chances are that one-fifth of a class will be randomly assigned a simulated life that begins in China. They’ll be given a name, photo and detailed profile. The students’ simulated lives will start at birth and unfold naturally, as chance and statistics dictate. With each log-in, their person will age and face decision points. Gender, socio-demographics, health, disease, and natural disasters will also be assigned to these ‘real lives’ based on where they live and all other aspects of their profile. Some students will die young, others will live a long and healthy life. Malaria, famine, and drought will take many. Along the way, real life decisions need to be made by students, such as:

Will you help a friend in need, even if it harms you?
You’ve found a wallet on the ground. What will you do with it?
You are of the age to marry. Will you?
What job will you try to get?
You’ve come across a mess left by another individual. Will you clean it up?
Some friends have decided to take up smoking. Will you?
You’ve been drafted into the military. What will you do?

It’s a virtual game of life, where important decisions need to be made, all of which have consequences.

What do the students think of using Real Lives in the classroom? The students were very keen to use this program and to share what was happening to their avatar in the game. It provoked lively discussions about the consequences of life decisions and the plight of people in their country. With Real Lives, our oldest students were immersed in a world vastly different from their own. They experienced first-hand the threats faced by many. By identifying with their ‘real life’, the simulated became real and global empathy started to take root. Made intensely personal, it’s a geography unit that these lucky young Ontarians will not soon forget.

That’s technology with a welcome human touch.

Andrea Fanjoy,
Assistant Head, Academics
You can follow Andrea on Twitter @afanjoy.

Laughs at the Legislature

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Andrea Fanjoy

Our grade fives have the good fortune to learn about government. No, that wasn’t sarcasm.

Find humour is one of our Habits, and a particularly welcome one for the government unit. I’m no stranger to the passionate possibilities for a unit on government, but the content to cover with ten-year-olds leaves a bit to be desired. It’s a unit requiring special intervention. That’s where the good fortune comes in.

The culminating task designed by our grade five teachers shows all the students learn a great deal about how government works, and have a hoot while doing so. Each is asked to design a parliamentary CD cover and song list. With tongue in cheek, hit songs include:

What Does the Speaker Say?
That’s My Party
The Electoral Guitar
Speaker in the Sky with Diamonds
Most Votes Ever (Remix)
Eye of the Premier
We Are MPPs
The New Law Has a Flaw
The Page is on a Rage
Take a Seat on my Side
Happy House of Commons
and as a salute to the recent season, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Premier.

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As our students get older, they will come to appreciate the serious work of government. Hopefully, they’ll also continue to be comfortable with a little respectful rib-poking. It’s healthy and encourages a creative culture.

Thanks grade fives. Your recent showcase gave us all some great chuckles. We’ll be sending your work to the Legislature. The evening news suggests they could use a laugh too. Any contribution you make to a happy, healthy, creative year ahead in government would be welcome news indeed.

Andrea Fanjoy,
Assistant Head, Academics
You can follow Andrea on Twitter @afanjoy.

Math at KCS

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Andrea Fanjoy

You’ve likely already noticed that math is a hot topic in mainstream media these days. While newsrooms haven’t always been following the subject, we have.

Monitoring the profession from a global perspective, and debating strengths and limitations of our current practice, are part of the day-to-day work at KCS. This determination to do our best for every student over the years has led to a number of initiatives, such as:

Constantly growing collection of tools for differentiating instruction in the classroom, so all students can learn what they need at the level that’s right for them
Introduction of math workshops (small-group dedicated instruction) in grades 6 to 8
Introduction of JUMP Math in grades 2 to 5, where we think it’s the best fit
Introduction of the online math program Math Help Services in grades 7 and 8, where we think it’s the best fit
The use of Khan Academy to help support differentiated instruction
Widespread participation in the Brock University Caribou Math Challenge
The use of the University of Waterloo Math Problem of the Week in multiple grades for rigorous problem-solving
Introduction of computer programming with Visual Basic through our electives program, a language that requires significant use of advanced math

These are on top of our longstanding commitment to ensuring students master their basic math facts; avoiding the use of calculators except when appropriate and in the oldest grades; having ample experience with problem-solving; and enjoying generous use of concrete materials in their youngest years.

In the Family Satisfaction survey, a number of parents asked about our math program, in particular math in our older grades. I’m happy to report that our Canadian Achievement Test scores from last year are the best ever in the school’s history, with our senior students on average achieving in the 91st percentile across Canada in math concepts, and the 93rd percentile in computation and estimation. In fact, from grades 3 to 7, the grades that undertake the CAT test, the average percentiles were all at their highest ever, ranging from the 84th to the 94th percentile. We regularly hear from alumni and their parents that our students do very well in grade 9. Any feedback to the contrary is explored to determine what, if anything, can be done better.

Our math teachers have worked tirelessly over the years to help every student master what they need to know. For students who can’t get enough math, we won’t stop looking for more to give. For students who find math a relatively daunting challenge? Attentive teachers, with multiple tools, some being online, is great news for them too. And when news media have moved on to other issues, we’ll still be learning, debating and improving what we do.

Andrea Fanjoy,
Assistant Head, Academics
You can follow Andrea on Twitter @afanjoy.