CDL Student Presentations - Amazing and Inspiring!
If you have attended a CDL conference before, I think you might agree that one of the most inspirational elements of the conference is when we get to hear from students how CDL has impacted their learning and their faith. These experiences are highlights for attendees because we get to see and hear how hours of planning and hard work come together in a classroom setting and how students were deeply impacted by their learning. This year we have been working closely with our Planning Team in identifying and planning a meaningful student presentation. Darren Spyksma, SCSBC (Society of Christian Schools in British Columbia) Director of Learning, has been leading this effort and offers this helpful summary below of the context and plan for this year's eagerly anticipated student presentation.
The Canadian story in regards to relationships with its Indigenous People is a tragic and lamentable story of systemic racism, often perpetrated by organized Christianity. In recent years steps have been taken at the provincial level in British Columbia to begin to right these tragic wrongs and to work to prevent similar wrongs from continuing to happen. For a school in BC to articulate a commitment to Christian Deeper Learning it must also be committed to the gospel's call to reconciliation. We are excited to share one small step in this direction with this year’s student presentation at the Christian Deeper Learning conference in Vancouver.
In partnership with local Hwlitsum artist, Jody Wilson, Richmond Christian Secondary students participated in a two-year hands-on learning experience examining the past and present realities of the local Indigenous community. A main component of this learning involved time with Jody developing skills and understanding with students of how Northwest Coast Indigenous communities use art to communicate story and identity. As a culmination of this study, students created their own unique drawings which they transformed into carvings while also contributing to a co-designed art installation that is displayed prominently in the foyer of the secondary campus. This year’s student presentation will highlight the power of apprenticeship in learning, how story effectively builds relationships and deepens students understanding of self, and how acknowledging a challenging past while engaging in the present invites students and communities to see value in viewing the world from varying perspectives.
It is our hope that as Christian schools explore and expand Christian Deeper Learning in their schools, they are also deepening their connection with their local indigenous community. It is the realization that we have much to learn from our indigenous neighbours that allows Christian Deeper Learning and reconciliation to be united. With humility, hope, and purpose, Christian schools can write a better story for their local communities.
Whova app - if you have registered for CDL6 most of you should have received information about downloading and using the Whova (pronounced Who vah) conference management app. We will be using that app to help you maximize your CDL experience - we will share all the workshop information, allow you to sign up for workshops, to connect with each other, post pictures, give feedback, view PPT's of presentations, learn more about partner/sponsors, etc. Be sure to sign up for the workshops you are most interested in - some sessions are already full or filling fast!
If you have not registered yet, time and space are running out! We now have only 33 slots left and then due to our capacity limit of 500, we will be sold out and close registration. For more information on the pre-conference offerings, our conference schedule, lodging options, etc., please visit our website and register now.
We are really excited about and blessed by the partners who will be joining us at our conference! All will be sharing information at their tables, and some will be doing workshops and EMT's (Eleven Minute Talks). We seek out partners who understand and get behind the mission of CDL and who have genuinely helpful ways to support your work. Be sure to stop by and say hi to them during the conference breaks!
If you can't make CDL6 but would like some high-quality, intensive PD on Christian Deeper Learning, then please consider attending Steven and Joanna's week-long Summer Institute!
REGISTRATION OPEN for the CDL Summer Institute!
Live it!
Knowing about God is quite different from walking day to day with God.
Knowing about Christian Deeper Learning (CDL) is quite different from being able to engage your students in CDL.
The purpose of this institute is:
To immerse you in a CDL experience that will equip you to provide a CDL experience for your students. It’s very hard to teach something with an authenticity that you haven’t experienced yourself.
To explore what it means to teach “Christianly” in all subjects and grade levels. Biblical integration sometimes happens in what we teach and sometimes in the way we learn together.
To engage you with the curriculum, instructional practices, and assessment strategies that support CDL for all your students.
To create a culture that encourages Christ-like character and invites the learner into God’s story.
To refresh and renew your spirit in a pastoral setting – a mansion on a lake with outstanding hospitality and cuisine.
We are limited to 35 participants. Last year we had a waiting list. If you are interested, please register soon. Register here.
Editor's note about the Digest: We hope to share with you each week articles of interest that you may have missed. This will include current information as well as previous blog posts from CDL that perhaps you didn’t have time to read the first time around. If you have items you think may be of interest, please feel free to get in touch with me at danbeerens@gmail.com. We are also seeking blog writers for our blog posts which are published each week on Monday and Wednesday. For more info, see our guidelines.