Harnessing Interests in Middle School Students: Learning at Home

KVR Middle School in SD67 has launched a new website during these extraordinary times.  The exploratory and non-enrolling team looked for ways they could connect with their students to support their well-being as they learned at home.  They wanted to provide their students with an outlet to express their creativity, a way to harness their passions and interests, and a way to support their social and emotional well-being during a difficult time.

The educators landed on the concept of weekly challenges in each of the exploratory areas, as well as a “choose your own adventure” option that would allow students to explore their unique interests at home.

As they played with options, the website grew to include different areas, and a variety of resources for students to access.  These areas included digital reading resources, physical and digital literacy, counselling and learning support resources.  The team wanted the website to be a one stop shop while keeping it streamlined and purposeful.

The website was released a few weeks ago and has received positive feedback from students, families and staff.  The team hopes that showcasing some of the student work will further grow their community.

This resource is open to anyone wanting some creative ideas for their students to do as they learn at home.  

https://sites.google.com/sd67.bc.ca/exploringkvr/home

Explore the drop-down menus under each title.

Digital Library: provides students with websites to find books of their choice

Learning Showcase:  showcases student work from the weekly challenges. Students and families can see what others have created for the weekly challenges. Here is a sample of what the students have sent in from learning at home.

Weekly Challenge:  students are offered a host of challenges in the exploratory areas each week.  They can do as many or a few as they like - all in one area, or in as many areas as they choose.  Currently, three weeks of challenges are available.  Students/families can choose activities from any week and send in a picture or video to be showcased.  There are challenges in art, computers, home-ec., music, tech-ed or a choose your own adventure.

Each week has a theme:

Weeks 1 and 2: Connection

Week 3:  Kindness

 PHE:  offers students daily physical activity calendar and digital citizenship

More:  gives the students a way to contact resource teachers and counsellors and some additional information on staying well during this time.

This website offers so many choices to students and families for learning at home.  The options are rich, engaging and full of learning opportunities. 

Thanks so much to the team who developed the website and are willingly to share it with others.  
Thanks to:  Amanda Hooper, Amy Boef, Blake Palm, ​Devin Burroughs, Fiona Bickell, Katie Naish, Natasha Stutz, Nick Korvin, Anna Blackwell, Janice Moase, Jeremy Sherburne, Steve DeVito.