Building confidence to face life’s challenges.

Tatlow Park, a local neighbourhood playground used by Pear Tree students, is set to be renewed next summer. The City of Vancouver put out a public …survey to help with the redesign. As their final project, Community 5 will also be redesigning Tatlow Park. For this, we went to test some other playgrounds in Downtown Vancouver.

https://peartree.school/pbl-interview-drew-perkins-teachthought-project-based-learning/

Interview: PBL & Progressive Educator – Drew …Perkins
I was delighted to have the opportunity to interview Drew Perkins, a project-based learning (PBL) proponent and educator, and who is the Director of Professional Development at TeachThought – a professional development organisation for teachers and schools for implementing project-based learning.

Drew is also the co-host of the TeachThought Podcast, and has interviewed hundreds of educators, education leaders, and thought leaders, including myself, about all kinds of views on education.

As this is a long interview, I’ve created chapters so that viewers can skip to specific parts if they don’t have the time to listen to the whole interview. There are also closed captions!

I’ve also included links below for Drew’s organisations, as well as some resources that he mentions in the video. I’ve also included the link to Drew’s interview with me if anyone cares to listen to that.

Interview: PBL & Progressive Educator – Drew Perkins – Pear Tree School

I interviewed Perkins, the Director of Professional Development at TeachThought – a professional development organisation for project-based learning…

peartree.school

Math in Context: Why Math is More Challenging At Pear Tree School

Are you wondering what the standard of math is at Pear Tree School and how… we can appropriately challenge students who are super strong or find math more challenging? Here’s a video demonstrating math in context at PTS.

Given that most people come from traditional educational backgrounds, it might seem perplexing how teaching math through themes can possibly be more challenging than in other schools, even those that top the rankings on the Fraser Institute List.

The fact is, though, that learning anything in context is both more fun and more challenging. These might seem like an impossible blend, but education done right is fun and challenging simultaneously.

Math In Context: Why Math Is More Challenging At Pear Tree School – Pear Tree School

At Pear Tree School, we can appropriately challenge students who are super strong or find math more challenging – all through using math in context.

peartree.school

It was a busy October at Pear Tree! Full of field trips, educational activities, and lots of new knowledge!

Community 3 and 5 braved the rain for their field trip to Fresh Roots, an urban farm at a local high school. Students had the opportunity to connect …to food, the land, and each other through games, learning activities, hands-on farm work, and tasting some fruits and veggies straight from the farm!

Pear Tree co-founder, Paul Romani, recently took part in an extended podcast with the team at TeachThought.

In the podcast, Paul discusses …Pear Tree's approach to progressive education and where other 'progressive' schools and educators often get things wrong – an important topic because those things give skeptics reason to doubt that progressive methods work.

Please note that this podcast is mostly aimed at teachers, but maybe of interest to some parents.

The TeachThought Podcast Ep. 307 Innovating Through Thematic Project-Based Learning – TeachThought PD

Drew Perkins talks with Paul Romani, co-founder of Pear Education and School, about their progressive education model and school.

wegrowteachers.com

Our open houses will allow prospective parents to tour the facilities, meet some of the faculty and learn about our approach and philosophy.

Community 1's Global Citizens workshop at the Museum of Vancouver!

During the workshop, students role-played buyers at the museum shop,… “The Global Village,” and visited the global marketplace and purchased objects that may or may not have been created in ethical and sustainable ways. Students explored the Vancouver History Galleries to uncover moments when Vancouverites either demonstrated good global citizenship or ignored their responsibilities. They explored different global issues and governance, including topics such as good citizenship, rights, responsibilities, and equity/equality in the global economy.

Students were challenged to think critically about their role as a citizen in the world, what it means when they purchase/consume goods that may or may not have been created in responsible, sustainable, ethical ways, and looked at the conflicting dilemmas when it comes to decisions making when information is lacking or hidden.

Community 1 and 2 took part in the municipal #studentvote today!