Build a School, but Make it a Farm

Show Notes:

• 5:10The Farm is a unique learning experience for high-school students in Airdrie, Alberta as it takes place on community donated land and engages students in authentic learning about food production.
• 10:40Mark struggled to find success in school and so he decided to do something different when he moved back to his hometown of Airdrie.
• 11:55As someone who thrives on building relationships, Mark struggled as a teacher in the traditional classroom due to outdated policies and the pressure to conform to the status quo.
• 14:30Connecting schools with the community must go beyond the artificial approach of bringing speakers into the classroom.
• 15:00The Farm is an example of authentic community engagement as the mayor and local farmers were key architects of its design.
• 19:40One of the biggest barriers that Mark faced when bringing the farm to life was navigating the different understandings of what learning looks like.
• 26:40The “Building Futures” program in Rocky View Schools provided the proof of concept for The Farm to gain support from stakeholders.
• 28:55When students enter a different type of learning environment, they must go through a process of unlearning and the discomfort of change.
• 33:10Mark is a living example of how innovation offers teachers an energizing sense of creative control over their careers.
• 36:00The benefits of learning on a farm is more unstructured time for teachers and students to build authentic relationships and an environment that students develop a deeper understanding of the interconnections in a community.
• 39:35Mark’s advice to teachers looking to take creative control of their career is to be patient, declare your intent to innovate, know your community, and look for a proof of concept by getting offsite and exploring what else is out there.