James Kennedy Ins-PI-re Project Inspires Students

October 20, 2015

The Government of BC is supporting 17 Innovation Projects as selected by the Innovation Partnership Working Group and as a part of the K-12 Innovation Partnership and the Ins-PI-re Project at James Kennedy Elementary is one of those select few chosen for this year. The provincial Innovation Project was designed to support innovative programs that support the newly re-designed BC Curriculum (more information here) as it is phased in over the next three years. Project submissions were evaluated based on the following key areas of focus:

• enhanced hands-on, project-based learning;
• supports for vulnerable and/or at-risk students;
• Aboriginal learning;
• science and technology; and
• reporting and assessment practices.

Selected projects receive funding to support teacher release time and opportunities for project leaders to collaborate and explore other projects with other innovators. There were 77 projects submitted and being approved is a great honour for the students of James Kennedy and the Ins-PI-re leaders, Ann Pimental (Resource Teacher), Michelle Guillou (Principal) and Michele Gore (Gr 4/5 Teacher).

The James Kennedy Ins-PI-re Project is designed to inspire learners to be inventors through the use of Raspberry Pi, a mini computer designed to allow children to learn about coding. Using the Raspberry Pi and Scratch, an introductory coding language for kids, students at JKE have been experimenting with a ‘Tiddleybot‘ robotics kit to build a robot they can control with an iPad. Kids kindergarten to grade 7 have participated in presentations and experiments with the project and have been inspired to learn hands-on with science, technology, education and math (STEM) outcomes.

Too often students have become passive consumers of ready-made technology – this project is about empowering students to become active creators of information technology.  We are aiming to make small steps in nurturing the creativity, digital literacy and technology entrepreneurship that our future generations need, and society lacks. Throughout our journey success continues to be seen, felt and explored in many different ways. The beauty of innovation is that engagement and exploration with the Pi improves learning and that success is seen through discovery. Success is formed through mistakes, obstacles, teamwork, looking-at-other-alternatives, and enjoying the process of creating. One of our aims is to allow the students and educators to take risks, learn from experiences and work together as a team to create and engage with the Pi and the robotics. The beauty of working together as a team is to engage with diversity of cultures, ideas and thoughts. We are excited to see the students discover by taking ownership of their learning through invention, creation and exploration.

– Ann Pimental, Resource Teacher at JKE

JKE also has an Ins-PI-re Club for vulnerable girls ages 6-9 to teach them about compassion and coding. More and more projects are planned for JKE and Langley Schools as more educators become familiar with the technology and begin to explore how it can be used in the classroom to inspire the students of Langley and support our vision of becoming an innovative, inspiring and unified learning community.