Tuesday, January 19, 2016

BC Ed Plan: Inquiry Based Learning & More

Resource Center

BC Ed Plan: Inquiry Based Learning - Pippa Davies

One of the long time biggest draws to homeschooling is the desire of parents to empower their children to learn about things that excite them. 

The new BC Ed Plan finally acknowledges this as a value for all students. 

They call it inquiry based learning
Inquiry based learning allows children/students to follow their interests and pursue passions rather than always dictating to students what they must learn. It allows students the freedom to stray from prescribed outcomes to explore and learn about things that interest them.

For example: If a student is out for a walk and spots a family of great-horned owls and is motivated to learn more about them, there is not only the freedom to do that, students and teachers are strongly encouraged to do that.

The second piece of inquiry based learning is asking students questions and then having them discover and research the answers.

So how does inquiry fit into this plan?
  1. Watch for things that pique your child(ren’s) interest. 
  2. What gets them excited? What are they asking for books to learn about. This could be anything from dinosaurs, to drawing horses, to pulling apart ant hills.  
  3.  Ask your children probing questions.  
      1. Why do you think that the dinosaurs grew so big?
      2. Why do owls clack their beaks and spread their wings when they feel threatened?
      3. What goes on inside an ant hill? How do ants survive the winter? 
  4. Understand that you have the freedom to pursue learning opportunities and not feel restricted or tied to “the learning outcomes”. Isn’t that glorious news!?!

HCOS Resources


Mystery Science is developing a complete K-5 science curriculum. The past two years, we've been piloting Mystery Science lessons for 2nd-5th grade (ages 6-11). For the upcoming school year (2016-2017), we’ll be releasing version 1 of our 2nd-5th grade curriculum. In addition, we’ll begin piloting lessons for kindergarten and 1st grade. For a complete list of topics see mysteryscience.com.

DimensionU offers students a real-time, multiplayer video game focusing on the content that you’re already teaching or need to review! Our interactive platform allows students to compete by answering Math or Literacy questions in a fast-paced environment.  Each game is designed with unique features to bring out distinct academic and strategic skills in students, with detailed reports available for teachers.  Click the link below to download our games, or visit us at www.dimensionu.com to explore our web versions! 


Concept Mapping With Make-A-Map
Thursday, January 21st at 5:30 pm ET
Ideal For: All Users
This webinar showcases the Ideaphora
-powered Make-a-Map, which lets students create concept maps using keywords, movie clips, and other elements to connect their thoughts and illustrate comprehension. We’ll explore the theory and mechanics behind this tool and consider the best ways to design assignments and assessments around it.
Pre-register & Join • Password: moby



Google Docs- Kathy Kanda (Google teacher)
Kathy will share how to use Google docs, including the basics of Google Drive, sharing files and folders, forms, and if time permits some extensions on Google Chrome.
Where:  Blackboard Virtual Classroom
Who may attend:  Staff, parents, students.
When:  Tuesday January 19th 2016 1.30-2.30 pm PAC
Sign into the classroom here at this link on the day:

A Moment of Reflection

Optimism and hope are radically different attitudes. Optimism is the expectation that things-the weather, human relationships, the economy, the political situation, and so on-will get better. Hope is the trust that God will fulfill God's promises to us in a way that leads us to true freedom. The optimist speaks about concrete changes in the future. The person of hope lives in the moment with the knowledge and trust that all of life is in good hands.

All the great spiritual leaders in history were people of hope. Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Mary, Jesus, Rumi, Gandhi, and Dorothy Day all lived with a promise in their hearts that guided them toward the future without the need to know exactly what it would look like. Let's live with hope.
Henri Nouwen

Monday, January 11, 2016

Living the Moment to the Fullest

Resource Center

Image result for project based learningProject Based Learning can be defined as a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge. 

Have you ever witnessed your child so engaged in learning that they haven't wanted to stop?  They were so interested that for a moment you thought, "This doesn't feel like schooling!"

As parents you can watch, listen, learn and observe those things that peak the interest of your child and then given them an appropriate time to investigate. This is just one of the many gifts of homeschooling.

This week, I'll ask you to consider the question for each of your following children.

Tell me about a time of learning when your child did not want to stop.

Drop me a note! Let me know the answer. I'd love to hear from you.

A Moment of Reflection



Patience is a hard discipline. It is not just waiting until something happens over which we have no control: the arrival of the bus, the end of the rain, the return of a friend, the resolution of a conflict. Patience is not a waiting passivity until someone else does something. Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are. When we are impatient we try to get away from where we are. We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later and somewhere else. Let's be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand.
Henri Nouwen

Word from Around HCOS

Learning Camps - Just a reminder at the beginning of this year that if you and your family enjoys participating in HCOS Learning Camps it's advised to sign up for the announcement alerts. CLICK HERE We are finding that learning camps are filling up quickly.  

FSA's - If you have a son or daughter in Grade 4 or Grade 7 please be looking for emails from me about upcoming FSA's.

MissionsFest - If you live in the lower mainland please consider visiting the HCOS booth over the Missionsfest weekend.  (January 29-31)