Reflect

With a goal of creating rather than consuming knowledge, reflection about personal discoveries is essential for planning future learning experiences. This focus on the process of learning is meant to establish a strong desire in each of us to go on learning. Growth is evident when students recognize that they have replaced inefficient and ineffective strategies with efficient ones. Reasons for doing so are explored.

Students evaluate their participation in and contribution to the learning community.



During workshops and Fieldwork solutions are checked for accuracy, process, reasoning and communication. Questions from the teacher are meant to clarify for the learner what they are thinking and why.
Students are encouraged to share their thinking and solution with diagrams, caculations, models and words.
A Learning Story is a retelling of the learing process from the point of view of each learner. The story begins with the initial question and traces the steps each learner took on their way to their solution. The story can be difficult to draw because so many things are often going on all at once and not two learners are drawing out the same path. These stories are intended to be personalized and unique. Within each story evidence of the specific mathematical content and the problem solving processes can be found. Mistakes are included as loops and detours when learners pursued a path that did not take them where they had originaly planned. Instead these paths deepende their understanding of why another path was needed. Photos and work samples are included in the story as refernce points.
A learning story retold by a student or a student team can serve as a valuable assessment tool.


 Following an adventure students are often asked to complete a short quiz. Questions are drawn directly from the experience and are connected to the curricular outcomes we are targeting. The learning plans of individual students, small groups and the whole class are adjusted using this information.

Throughout the school year we refer back to a student version of the Mathematics curriculum. We identify outcomes we are successful with and those that we are struggling with. This information is kept in mind as students explore new concepts and contexts.



Snapshots, showing students at work, are included in our Learning Portfolios.

Students match the photos to curricular outcomes and write a caption about their learning.