The tweet and the post...

All the social media/web 2.0 tools (blogs, wikis, facebook, twitter) can be overwhelming and simply daunting due to the fact that it is ever changing and there is just so much of it! However, I am very aware that all this 'technology stuff' is the stuff of our students and as a principal, the leader of a team, it is imperative that I know something about it, that I am somewhat literate in this milieu. Social media is here to stay, and it's not a matter of whether it is used in our schools, but how. Therefore, part of my personal learning this past year was focused on how to use social media effectively. I was inspired by members of my staff already engaged with social media, or moving in that direction; I also wanted to inspire, to be a role model to staff, through my own learning and risk taking.


The two areas of social media that I have dipped into are Twitter and blogging. When I heard about Twitter, I was a "nae sayer", a real skeptic. Why would I want to know what a celebrity, or any other individual for that matter, is doing in their life, in 140 characters or less? Not something that I wanted to be part of. My attitude changed however, when I went to a workshop for administrators, "The Digital Discovery Series", where I had the good fortune to hear what George Couras @gcouras had to say, and show, about social media. It was at this workshop where I was convinced it was time to investigate Twitter; I came to the recognition that Twitter is so much more than what I initially and mistakenly, understood it to be. And since that fateful evening in March, I have used Twitter as an educational tool, almost daily, to read articles and blogs, to watch youtube videos, to further my professional learning in the area of 21st century learning pedagogy, leadership strategies, and other topics of interest. It is professional development at my fingertips 24/7! It is through Twitter that I have embraced my own learning and developed my personal learning network (many of whom are administrators and teachers with the Surrey School district) which has provided 'non-exhaustive' educational information and has been incredibly inspirational. Twitter is helping me to continue to evolve as an educational leader. At our last professional development day for the year, I gave a workshop on Twitter, encouraging my staff to "tweet it out", and a number of the teaching staff have since joined! All of this in just five short months.

With blogging, posting has been slower. I had three objectives in mind with regard to "Why blog"? I liked the idea of being able to share some of my professional endeavours and journey via this social medium. Second, encourage teachers and thereby students, to blog---and indeed some staff and students are blogging (a few staff members already had blogs). Third, raise the profile of NSLC by addressing such questions as "What is a learning centre?","Who attends or can attend?", "What kinds of things happen in a learning centre?". My intention was to blog once a week. My first blog was posted April 1/12; 2nd blog, April 12/12 - a little more than a week, but not bad! However, I have not been able to meet my goal of once a week. I am now working toward blogging twice a month, which is more doable. In September, with the start of a new school year, perhaps blogging will come easier, and I will be able to post a good quality blog a little more frequently. Something definitely to work toward.

LC Departments: A Year in Review

We had a 'meeting of the minds' (Department Heads and principals) at the Cloverdale Learning Centre where, for the better part of 2 hours, Department Heads from within the learning centres, shared some of the exciting works that occurred throughout the 2011/12 school year. Wow, some amazing things went on in (and out) of our schools! It is virtually impossible for me to describe all that happened; therefore, I am going to focus on some of the highlights from each department.

Physical Education - Currently, none of the learning centres have a gym (City Central Learning Centre, previously known as Newton LC, now has a gym...the envy of us all!) which, at times, makes delivering PE a feat not for the weak of heart! Yet with will, focus and hard work from the all members of the department, and a determined department leader who worked tirelessly with the school district and Surrey Parks and Recreation, a dynamic program is underway at each learning centre.

Some of the highlights:
- 3 of the learning centres are now offering daily PE, clearly beneficial for those students involved
- iPads are being used; students design their own workouts; investigate nutrition programs
- NLC has a boys' club, operating out of the Newton Recreation Centre; all young men from the other lc are invited, and encouraged, to participate

Over the past 6 years, physical education within the learning centres has evolved from where it was virtually non-existant to a program of high interest and engagement. As with any course/program, evolvement and improvements will continue as "the road to success is always under construction". An emphasis is certainly to promote and encourage healthy and active lifestyles for all our students.


Mathematics - the learning centres, as with all secondary schools, were in the second year of a three year curriculum change and implementation. Of course, this is exciting, at times perhaps a wee bit daunting, involving a tremendous amount of work for all the teachers within the department.

Some of the highlights:
 - trying on new curriculum, which involved tweaking (and tweaking again and again!), making adjustments, and rewriting curricula to best meet the educational needs of our students. A highlight you ask?? Absolutely!
 - use of moodles for AWMath 11
 - greater use of technology
 - "Math out Loud", a theatre presentation at the 'Frederic Wood Theatre', UBC. A play about math, and the kids loved it!

Career Education - there is always a flurry of activity within this department! Work experiences, partnership programs, Baristas, Pathfinders, Rona, City of Surrey, Flora Design, the list is endless.

Some of the highlights:
 - 34 students gained entry to district partnership programs
 - a new program is coming our way (February, 2013) - the Kwantlen Mentorship Program will offer dual credit (secondary and post secondary credit). **More info outlined under Social Studies
- students volunteered at 'Kent Street Activity Centre for Seniors' where they hosted and served dinners at special events - what a great way for students to connect with seniors and give back to the community!
- students volunteered at the "Surrey Food Bank"- again, a great way to connect with, and give back to the community!

Social Studies - a department that is always on the "cutting edge" with respect to reassessing, reviewing, revising and looking at best practise. Maintaining the "status quo" is not something this department aligns with!

Some of the highlights:
 - Learning Centre/Kwantlen Polytechique University partnership program - meetings have occurred with District administration and KPU to iron out the details for a new Humanities Partnership program. Temporarily under the name of "Active Citizen" partnership program, this opportunity will be available  to pilot (hopefully, fingers crossed!) in the second semester of the 2012/13 school year. This program is an extension to the work the department has been doing with KPU for the last 2 years, where students from each learning centre participate in a university course, Criminology: Justice/Injustice and receive partial credit for SJ12. This is what I mean by being innovative!
 - field trips to the 'Firehall Theatre', 'Holocaust Centre'
 - Social Justice "Goat Getters" fundraising initiative - raising enough funds to purchase goats for villages in Africa

A department certainly doing their part to connect our young learners with the community of Surrey and with our ever changing global community.

English - like the Social Studies department, this is group of forward thinking teachers - taking initiative, taking risks, always looking for ways to increase student engagement by trying to ensure that curriculum is relevant and meaningful.

Some of the highlights:
 - dipping into 'project-based' learning, with extensive use of technology to support this learning strategy
 - "Pacific Cinematheque" documentary film project, 'Signs of Ethical Living', was a huge success (see my blog Digital Film Making Boot Camp, May/12); project was presented by students to the Surrey Board of Education - how cool! All the documentaries have been posted on youtube
 - three joint "Arts Starts" events - invited artists who presented to the students were Ivan Coyote, Berend McKenzie
 - Poetry Workshop Series with Taryn Hubbard: "Uncovering Our Home: The Poetics of Place in Surrey"

And now for something really exciting - Kenneth Sutherland, a 2012 graduate of the NSLC, is a published author! Check out the Student poetry anthology at
http://issuu.com/surreypoets/docs/surrey_highschool_chapbook

Science - a team of educators who, like "Bill Nye the Science Guy" try to link the 'text book' science curriculum to the science of everyday things. By giving students lots of choice for projects, etc the department vigilantly tries to increase engagement and learning.

Some of the highlights:
 - the "Finding Nemo" project and web page creation - students created some awesome websites
 - the LORAX project on Sustainability of Ecosystems
 - concerted effort to integrate technology into the curriculum (moodle, GIZMOS)

Business Education - the accountants, the auditors, the entrepreneurs, the marketers!

Some of the highlights:
 - Visual Media Arts 12 (photography) was offered at all centres; very 'hand-ons', engaging course; all work done with the digital camera and computer
 - Business Information Management 12 also offered at all centres; again, a computer based course that all students are encouraged to take (10, 11, 120 as the skills learned are applicable to all subject areas

That folks is a small glimpse into some of the course/curriculum emphasis for 2011/12. As the principal of NSLC, I feel very fortunate to work with some very dedicated teachers and visionary teacher leaders. The learning centres are indeed a very special place to learn and play... and work.