Chase the Future: Dalewood students pursuing “smart-school” technology
Ms. Coburn and Dalewood Grade 8 Students Sadhana Jeyakumar, Rand Amer, Betty Er and Daisy Li
Students at Dalewood Elementary School are making Hamilton a better place to live with Chase the Future 2041.
Chase the Future 2041 is a year-long project partnership between Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board and the City of Hamilton that encourages students to answer the question, ‘How might we make Hamilton a better place to live?’ The initiative motivates students to think about what they would like to change by the year 2041.
“As educators, one area we truly focus is our own instructional practices and where they can effectively deepen learning tasks,” says Linda Coburn, Dalewood’s teacher representative for the initiative. “Chase the Future 2041 meant the opportunity to become curious, creative, and make a difference within our own educational community.”
The project is linked to six City of Hamilton priorities: Community Engagement and Participation, Economic Prosperity and Growth, Health and Safe Community, Clean and Green, Built Environment and Infrastructure, and Culture and Diversity.
One of the projects Coburn’s class is working on is turning Dalewood into a ‘smart-school’ by using piezoelectricity to generate energy from footstep vibrations. The students explained that turning Dalewood into a ‘smart-school’ engages students and the public to lessen pollution, and will also be a beneficial start to healthier, happier, and safer communities.
Coburn’s students say that Chase the Future 2041 has provided them with real-life experiences and has helped them improve their teamwork, leadership, and critical thinking skills.
“The ultimate goal of Chase the Future 2041 is moving our students forward and being in control of their own learning,” says Coburn. “We are beginning to see enriched and deep learning embedded into our everyday learning framework.”
To learn more, visit the Chase the Future 2041 website.
Updated on Wednesday, March 29, 2017.