Introduction
Our project
Our learning through play project is based on an entrepreneurial project. Where learners are placed in the roles of a company. In the first few sessions, we assigned the positions (CEO, HR). Once the general management and the human resources were assigned, the whole class made a cover letter and a CV to apply for the department of their choice (marketing department, financial department, production department…). In the next class, the general management and human resources interviewed each student to determine their department and role (their “job”). We are currently doing a market study, before designing our products. We are also in the process of creating a marketing and financial plan. Our main objective is to place learners in a contextualized and meaningful learning situation where their learning is done in subtle and enjoyable ways.
You can find more about our project in this Prezi Presentation (in French only) !
Tell us about your team and your school community.
Our team is made up of 2 teachers who have recently arrived in British Columbia. Ms. Magali (New Caledonia, a small French island in the Pacific) and Mr. Philippe (New Brunswick). Our team is very dynamic and cooperation is at the center of all our learning projects. Our students are few in number, we have 18 students spread over 3 levels: 9 grade 7, 7 grade 8 and 2 grade 9. And these learners are in a very intense minority context. Only a few students speak French at home. For half of them, French is non-existent outside the school walls. In the eyes of our community, it is important to do educational projects and especially to make the Kamloops Francophone high school visible, we want to create a sense of belonging.
Tell us about the importance of learning through play for your team and for your students.
For us, playful learning is seen as an effective means of educational differentiation, where students, regardless of their strengths and challenges, progress at their own pace and in the ways they see fit to accomplish a specific task. Our students, who are in a minority context, are in school to learn, but above all to develop personally. For them, business development and play-based learning are a very interesting way to spend the school day. They say that playing allows them to learn faster (see). This approach is special because when you walk into our CCPT classes, you actually believe you are in a business. It’s super motivating, since the learners have a real goal to reach; we aim for a profit of $2000 to finance a ski trip.
Tell us about your interest in joining the Canadian Playful Schools Network.
We have an interest in joining the CPSN because we are eager to learn. We want to learn on many levels, first of all we want to learn from our project, but we also want to learn as much as possible from other teams. It is a great opportunity to grow professionally. In addition, we have the idea of continuing the entrepreneurial project from year to year, so the knowledge gained will allow us to continue learning through play, beyond this year. In short, it is a great way to teach differently, which is in line with the competency-based approach that is central to the CSF’s values.