Okanagan Mainline Fall ELN meeting

Whenever our group comes together, I'm always amazed by the wisdom and experience around the table.  Although we take time to share what our districts are doing, we seldom have a chance to go deeper on a few topics.  At our session on November 4th, Jen Kelly (North Okanagan-Shuswap) organized a World Café activity to allow us to collaborate and discuss questions that matter.  Tables with chairs arranged around them allowed for comfortable conversations.  At each table, sat a large sheet of paper with a compelling question, such as:

• In what ways would self-assessment of core competencies be most beneficial for students?
• In what ways would reporting to parents be most beneficial for the student, parent and teacher?
• In what ways does the renewed curriculum change how we teach literacy in the primary classroom?
• In what ways are you excited and/or apprehensive about helping teachers navigate the new curriculum?
• What are you thoughts on "The Rights of a Reader"?  How does this fit into a primary classroom?
• In what ways does the First Peoples Principles of Learning connect to literacy? 

Jen outlined the activity to our group, encouraging us to share our ideas and perspectives or to listen respectfully, and we were ready to begin. Many of us started to jot down our ideas down or doodle on the sheets of paper right away, as we made connections to our own thinking.  We were excited, we laughed, we listened and we learned.  After a short time we moved to a different table, with one of us staying behind to act as a 'table host' for the next group. We moved once more, then shared out with the whole group what we had learned.


As someone new to the World Café activity, I found it a great way to connect and "cross-pollinate ideas" with my colleagues.