New Curriculum: British Columbia has released a draft of the new curriculum. The Staff at Torquay have started to learn about the changes and are interested, curious and excited about the positive effects it will have on our learners. To learn more about why the changes are being made and just what the changes are, see the first drafts of the redesigned curriculum that are now available for review and feedback at www.curriculum.gov.bc.ca.
Self-Regulation: At school, being self-regulated means having the ability to remain Focused, Alert, and Calm, which leads to Engagement in learning. We call this FACE time at Torquay. Optimal levels of arousal are best for learning… too little leads to boredom and too much leads to over-stimulation and anxiety. Children who are able to modulate their arousal so that they are interested enough to stay engaged yet composed enough to concentrate are in an optimal state for learning… they are engaged!
At Torquay Elementary, our School Goal for the 2013-14 year is:
To develop students’ ability to Self-Regulate and increase overall engagement in and capacity for, academic success, problem solving and demonstrating socially responsible actions in school, the community and the environment.
Canadian Self-Regulation Initiative (CSRI) site is very informative and a great place to start to learn about self-regulation.