This evening, I happened to catch some tweets in my Twitter timeline about the sustainable cities being featured at Limeridge Mall. I know that my previous school, Ancaster Meadow, was involved in this amazing project, and I was eager to see if I recognized any of the Grade 7’s in the news clip.

While the Ancaster Meadow students were not featured in the broadcast, I’m still so glad that I watched the short clip. Many students were interviewed on the air, and here are some of their thoughts:

• They loved the hands-on learning.
• They loved being able to work with their peers.
• They loved that the project requirements were open-ended and allowed for creative thought.
• They loved creating components of their city that do not currently exist. 
• They loved building.

I have only heard the most incredible things about this project, and all of the students interviewed shared this same passion about learning in this way. The two teachers interviewed talked about the benefits of learning from experts in the field and being a part of such meaningful learning that connected so well to curriculum expectations. And so I wonder, now that this project is over, how will this learning experience impact on future learning experiences for these students? This is inquiry learning, and this can be an every day reality … how do we make it one? 

Aviva