24 INNOVATION, CREATIVITY, AND CONNECTION
INNOVATION, CREATIVITY, AND CONNECTION IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC BY ZUBAIR KASSAM, DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION In March 2020, when schools around the world had to close their doors to keep students, staff and their loved ones safe, at STS we made a firm commitment to our families: a promise to not only finish the school year and cover the required outcomes, but to continue to provide enrichment and a strong sense of community while ensuring our students flourished and succeeded. To meet this lofty and at times daunting challenge, teachers, administrators, and staff came together with a common purpose in mind – the result was RAPID. While the acronym ‘RAPID’ – Remote Alternate Program Instructional Delivery – is now synonymous with STS’ plan for delivering high quality online instruction in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the adjective ‘rapid’ – happening in a short time or at a fast pace – aptly describes how quickly teachers and students took up the gauntlet to innovate, create, and connect in a virtual learning environment. This was no small feat for teachers and students to move to online learning mid-year, within a matter of days. It was not always easy or ideal but when students or teachers faltered, their peers boosted them up. Together we said, “We are STS – we will learn from this and we can do this together!” These are just a sample of the many ways that learning became dynamic during RAPID, and how our community continued to create exceptional learning opportunities despite navigating a new world overnight.
Innovation During their ‘Small Crawling and Flying Creatures’ Unit of Inquiry, Grade 2 students in Ms. Adair and Ms. Wagstaff ’s classes went on a virtual field trip via a special Zoom class hosted by Ms. O’Toole and her husband. They explained their collection of various snakes and reptiles, sharing information about what each of them needed to survive in the wild. Some students had family members join in, and all participants asked great questions. Then, inspired by the presentation, students undertook their own research projects. Students in Ms. O’Neill’s Grades 7 and 9 classes used Flip Grid to share their learning online. They explored and learned features of the app together, recorded and shared their learning, and videoconferenced to assess each other’s work. It was a creative way to learn, while gaining confidence practicing public speaking skills. In the IB Design Program, students created computer-aided design (CAD) models of chocolate bars then 3D printed them. Ms. Wellwood assembled kits with food-safe mold
