Beyond the Classroom Script  

Chaos as curtains open - similar to zero waste scene and even same music.

Speaker stands (along with pages) and everything gets quiet.

Speaker: I recognize the leader of the opposition

Leader of opposition: Mr. Speaker, I Want to know why the member from Scarborough Agincourt thinks education should go Beyond the classroom

Lots call out : “Here Here”

Speaker: I recognize the member from south scarborough

Member: Education in the classroom was fine for me, my father, my mother, my dog, and maybe even my pet fish….Why can’t we just leave things as they are?!

FREEZE

One student (Selena) walks up to the front of the stage and reads a quote out about changeE.g  “Everyone thinks  about changing the world. No one thinks about changing himself (or herself)” Leo Tolstoy

UNFREEZE

Kid asks to be recognized by the speaker

Speaker: This is a little unusual to recognize someone who is not a sitting member but I suddenly feel like I should be thinking about changing myself so please young person, go ahead.

Kid: (Selena)Thank you Mr. Speaker. The Beyond the Classroom program is exactly what education should be about. It’s teaching us to wonder, analyze and engage in our learning. It’s getting us excited about learning and personally, it’s making me think about so much potential for  my future.

Speaker: Most intriguing. Please continue.

Kid (Clara):The Beyond the Classroom program gives my classmates and I the opportunity to learn outside the classroom. Don’t get me wrong - great stuff happens at my school and in my classroom but who says we should always learn IN the classroom. I mean after all, isn’t the world your class//room?

Member (Mitzi) :// Kid doesn’t know anything. The world is your oyster!

Another Member (Jaden): I’m allergic to sea food!

Speaker stands and everyone gets quiet

Speaker: Please continue

Kid (Sumaya): We’ve been going outside the class and spending 3-4 days with different organizations. We get to hear from expert speakers and learn fascinating information that our teacher and principal say is all curriculum based. To be honest, I don’t care about that last part but it seems to make them happy!

Parent (Alexis C): I AM a bit concerned about when the time will be for spelling and grammar, and you know … textbook work. That’s how I learned and I turned out just fine

University student1 (Jaden): Yeah, I get that but I got to say that my little sister is in this Beyond the Classroom program and she seems pretty locked into her learning. I’m in teacher’s college right now and a lot of the stuff they’re talking about is what this Beyond the Classroom program seems to be.

University student 2 (Mitzi) My sister is writing everyday, learning new things  and learning to analyze what she’s learning. The math is all experiential based AND curriculum driven. There seems to be a lot of positives to the program.

Member of the opposition: Mr. Speaker, I demand to know why the member from Scarborough Agincourt is smiling and nodding her head.

Speaker: Well duhhhh, she agrees with the program Einstein. Ooops sorry was that out loud? I Find myself in contempt of the house. Any further outbursts like that and I will have to throw myself out. I recognize the member from Scarborough Agincourt

Soo Wong (Krizelle): Thank you Mr. Speaker. Members of the house, I do see the value in this Beyond the Classroom Program. But there’s no point in me talking about it. You need to experience it for yourselves. After all, that’s what experiential education is all about.

Member of the opposition: Oh wait, wait, a FIELD trip! I want to come. I Want to come!

Everyone starts clamouring to be allowed to go

Speaker stands and everyone quiets down.

Speaker: I think it makes sense for the traveling group to be  Premier Wynne, the leader of the opposition, and of course myself (to help keep order).

Everyone starts complaining until the speaker stands up again (add some humour by doing a bit of fake get up and down)

Speaker: Now there’s only one problem. How do we get to experience what these kids have experienced?

Sassoon: Oh no problem Homey, I got ya there. We did Throw back Thursday at our school and as part of my padlet research I created a machine to teleport us through time and space. Just step into the portal and we’ll be teleported into new learning!

Zoo key points to work in   Different from a field trip because it’s slow down and learn; take time; real life learning re math; effective communicators in talking to zoo keepers; responsible citizens in how we listened and moved around the zoo; life long learning needed some work with regards to analysis of what we learned

Leader of the O: Whoa we’re at the Zoo.

Speaker: Oh no, I thought we were leaving Queen’s Park. I deal with enough animals all day!

Wynne: No Mr. Speaker, we’re really AT the zoo

Speaker: Yes FIELD trip!

Leader of the 0: I want to go the souvenir shop

Speaker: I want to buy some pizza

Wynne: Can I go ride the camel?!

Students: SHHHHHH

Leader of the O: Who you shushing?

Wynne: They’re shushing YOU.

Student (Graham): We’re learning can’t you see?

Leader of the O: What are you learning? I just see you sitting with a notebook staring at the animals. How is THAT learning

FREEZE

Student (Selena) : Key point #1 to beyond the Classroom – SLOW down and take time to learn. Yeah believe it or not, Mr. Fernandes is telling US to slow down

Unfreeze

Student (Ethan P): By taking time to observe and jot down our reflections, we can learn more. Of course we can read about animal behavior in books, or online

Speaker: (scoff) Or come see it at Queen’s park. Wait, was that out loud again? Sorry.

Student (Shamel) : But if you can experience learning first hand, what a great way to gain knowledge

Student (Alexis B): From observing the gorillas for at least 30 minutes a day, I learned all about animal enrichment (add)

Student (Sharon): From observing the hippos for at least 30 minutes over 4 days I learned they have to separate the males from the females.

Leader of the O: Great so you watched some gorillas and hippos and took a few notes. That’s supposed to impress me? Where’s the learning? You need to learn grammar in school. You need to learn spelling. You need to learn your timestables. You know – the 3 rs reading, riting and rithmetic

Student (Clara): Alright so first of all, if you’re going to obsess about grammar/ and spelling, a quick word of wisdom, writing starts with a w, and arithmetic starts with an a

Student (Jaden): Secondly, sure we can read old textbooks, have every student learn to spell the same words and solve word problems that have no relevance, or….

Student: Why not develop our language skills from reading in context (that means the zoo info cards)

Student: develop vocabulary on words that impact our learning like animal enrichment,

Student: Why not improve our writing skills through journaling from real live analysis of animal behavior ON SITE

Student (Mitzi): And for math, check this out - at the zoo, we calculated perimeter and area of zoo enclosures and compared them to our bedrooms at home, calculated zoo admission costs in comparison to other zoos around the world, and analyzed the zoo’s budget looking for trends and factors that impacted day to day revenues.

Students: REAL LIFE MATH

Speaker: Hmmm, that’s some pretty impressive learning, and I have to say that while I still think some of that could happen in the classroom, it would seem to be way more authentic in person

Leader of the O: But I’m sure not everything went as planned.

Mrs. Stoner: Hah, you can say that again.

Mr. Fernandes But then when does life go as planned?

Teacher: We knew it was our first experience

Principal: And we knew there would time for more teaching

Wynne:: It sounds like we’re ready to go.

Sassoon: You got that straight. Sound effect, (FREEZE) lights out, portal lights up

Gov’t (it takes two to make a thing go right)

Leader of the opposition: Hey this isn’t Queen’s Park!

Speaker:  You know I’m constantly amazed by your brilliance. You’ll be premier in no time if you keep displaying  this intellectual skill.

Wynne: psssst, Mr. Speaker….that was out loud again

Speaker (whisper): It’s ok, I’m not at queen’s park. I’m on a field trip!!!!

Sassoon: Sigh….you’re still not getting it

Student (Jeevan):  Could you quiet down, we’re trying to listen to the  Mayor and Councillor Mammolitti  argue about the road tolls

Nilayah: Well of course we should have tolls. The city needs to pay for the TTC upgrades

Sumaya  Absolutely not. Tolls are a horrendous thing.

Leader  of the  opposition: This is  awful, the students are not learning anything. They’re just /arguing

Speaker:  Hah

Leader of O: What?

Speaker:  They’re learning  lots. First off, have you ever  seen yourself in question period? All you do is argue. Secondly, perspective is what  these kids are learning.

Student (Austin): Exactly.  Every issue  has two  sides and in our  government unit we  learned to take  a look  at both sides.

Leader of  O: And  how  is  that  important?

Speaker: Are you kidding me.  It  would make life so much simpler if  people recognized  that there are two sides  to every  story.

FREEZE

Student (Selena): Key point #2 By looking at both sides of every issue, it makes us better critical thinkers. Don’t just stick to what you’ve always believed in – open your mind and consider both sides….Mr. Trump….Mr Trump….you NEED perspective!

Unfreeze

K Wynne: Fine, so what  else did you learn in your government unit?

Have Money, money money song playing

Student (Sabinus): Budget determines  a whole  lot.

Student (Shamel):  For instance, we learned  that for  the municipal government, you need a balanced budget.

Student (Graham): That  means if Mayor Tory wants  to build  his transit  system….

Student (Jaden): He needs the money to do it.

Student (Fernando): So where’s the money going to come from?

Student (Sumaya): Well we know the  provincial  and federal government are running deficits so we can ask them for the money

KWynne: Good luck, there’s only so much money to go around.

Student (Mitzi): Is there enough  money to get everything done? I’m not sure but a great  line out there says “The world has enough for  everyone’s need but NOT  for everyone’s greed. Learning how to balance the budget is essential for every organization. Although governments often have a deficit budget because they spend to help our society with services like health care and education.

Leader of O: Anything  else you learned?

Student (Clara):  Well we each had  a chance  to present  an issue  of  importance  to us, to our City Councillor Jim Karygiannis, or MPP Soo Wong.

Student (Jessica): I took on the issue of opiod abuse

Student (Selena) : I took on the issue of doctor shortages

Student (Graham): I took on the issue of uber vs taxi

Speaker: That’s a lot of issues

Leader of the O – I’ll tell you who has issues…

Wynne: And what was the goal in all this?

Ms. Stoner: We wanted students to become effective communicators by talking to a politican

Mr. Fernandes: We wanted students to understand that every issue has two sides and that money is a constant battleground - money needed for ttc means money has to be raised from tolls

Ms. Stoner: Money that goes to health care means maybe less goes to social assistance

Mr. Fernandes Some good learning in this unit and of course, more work to still be done. TIME TO TELEPORT

Yonge- Dundas SquareBusy, busy with typical noises….

Speaker and Wynn walking fast trying to keep up with all; arrive at Yonge/Dundas…

Speaker panting, out of breath, saying…

Speaker: Phew, I didn’t realize this program encourages DPA as well! I don’t know if I can keep up!

Sumaya, looking up: Cool! Look at those digital boards! They are HUGE!

Krizelle: Talk about create, captivate, and connect, Cieslok’s motto! Wow!

Ethan P: Yeah, and imagine…one person sitting in one office and they can identify just one small little light out on a digital board in say Toronto, or Calgary, or Vancouver!

Speaker: You’ve got to be kidding!

Ethan P: Nope! That’s media and advertising in today’s digital age!

Sabi, looking up: The colour is spectacular!

Nilayah: Oh yeah, and that reminds me Mitzi, on our Coca Cola ad – we have to revamp and work on our colour to make it pop and improve on the quality of the font!

FREEZE

Selena Key point # 3 - Quality work comes through constant revision. It’s the message in the video of Austin’s butterfly. Do you have it in you to do what it takes? Slow down and take your time and really reflect and analyze on your work.

UNFREEZE

Nilayah The purpose of advertising?? To leave a mark on our target audience!!

Wynn, whispering to Speaker: psst I think we’re the target audience here Mr Speaker. They’re trying to get their point across about experiential learning and you know what?! I think I’m starting to be convin===

Austin cuts Wynn off: I don’t know. These boards are awesome but I can’t decide if I like the digital or the static boards. I definitely see purpose in both!!

Student (Alexis C), personal phone in hand, looking at it: I’m still blown away to think that thousands of companies are bidding “behind the scenes” (hold fingers up for quotes) to send a pop-up ad to my phone!

Wynn: Huh?? Thousands of companies bid to get an ad on my phone?? I get pop ups all the time!

Speaker: Yeah I get ads all the time for…cabbage patch dolls

Student (Jeevan) I wonder how many impressions these boards get?? It’s SO busy down here!!

Student (Sasoon): Well, Cieslok did say that that board (point) wouldn’t get as many impressions as say those boards (point) because the cars going north FACE those boards and not so much with that one; the board is behind you as you travel south!

Speaker: You even know your directions down here! Impressive! And you’re only 10

Student (Selena): Cieslok mentioned that to lease space right here at Yonge/Dundas SQ it’s the most expensive spot in Canada!! By seeing all of this action, I can see why!!

Student (Alexis B): Yeah, and I’ve been thinking about the lease idea since they told us. I STILL think there’s gotta be a way to lease space at schools.

Student(Ethan P): Yeah, we know there’s rules about advertising to kids but====

Student (Clara), (cutting last kid off): It’s a win-win situation!! A company could advertise a good, healthy product like…apples, or they could advertise a good healthy exercise like…biking!!

Student (Graham): And the school board would make money!!

Wynne ( looks at speaker with an awe look saying): I think these kids may be on to something. How come I’ve never thought o====

Student (Sumaya), cutting off Wynne: Hey, maybe we have ourselves a new enterprise!! Instead of create-captivate-and connect it could be…(big hands) Our children – healthy-hardy-happy! (All kids cheer)

Jaden: Yeah and by the time we graduate in Gr. 12?? Forget that!!! We’re already creative, reflective, holistic thinkers!!!!

Wynne: Whoa, hearing all of this, this program is beginning to make sen====

Mrs. Stoner: Math problem time. If Cieslok makes $33 profit for every $100 of its operating budget, how much profit would they

make with a $Million operating budget? Mr. Speaker, do you know??

Speaker: Uhh, uhh let me ====

Clara: Well it’s a ratio problem. Compare 100 to a 1 000 000… There is a difference of 4 0s. That means when you have 33 as a your base for profit on a 100, then the answer on $1 Million operating budget, the profit would be $330, 000!

Teleport back to Queen’s Park and the Speaker says: Gee, I’m still trying to work that problem out!!

Sick Kid-Erika Undeniable is playing

person #2 (Ethan P) :Mayday,mayday Mr.Stuffs heart beat is going down!(machine sound) CODE RED!

Person #3: (Fernando) Hurry Call Doctor Javi

*Doctor walks in*

Person4 (Alexis C):Is Mr.Stuffs going to be ok?PLSSS BE OK!

Mr.Speaker:I don't know ,don't ask me…

Doctor Javi:We’re trying our best

Beeeeep.    Beeeeep WE UNDENIABLE(SK ads  song)Beep beep beep beep

Mr.Speaker:Is this what really happened when you were at SickKids?

Person3 (Jeevan):Well we did get a teddy bear and we learned about the heart.

Mr.Speaker:Where can I get a bear?

Person Jaden):That's not important Mr.Speaker!

Person (Jessica): What IS important is that there was so much learning that took place at sick kids.

Leader of the O: Like what?

Student(Austin) : We learned about the many different jobs in the health care industry

Kid (Sumaya):BTC has opened my eyes to sooooo many job choices in the future

Person (Ethan P):We get to be inspired by speakers like Amanda who has had 24 surgeries in her life so far and she’s only 24

Person (Aliyah):We learned How important Sick Kids is to their patients

Person (Mitzi): We learned about the budget of sick kids. Sick Kids has a budget of 790 million dollars and the government provides 450 million of that amount. So for all those who complain that the government doesn’t give enough to health care….guess again because that’s a whole lot of money

Mr.speaker:Anything e-(cuts off)

Person (Fernando): -ROBOTS!FUTURE ROBOTS! (said in a robot voice)

Person (Sharon): In the future Hospitals are hoping to have robots to help them. It’s already happening right now.

FREEZE

Student (Selena) Key point # 4 – Health care has changed so much in the last 100 years and the future of health care will look even more different. Remember that just like health care…education should change with the times

UNFREEZE

Time to teleport

Food and Nutrition Scene – Grocery Store

Student (Gabby)(looking in re-usable bag): Whole wheat pitas – grain group – check! Bananas – fruit group – check!

Another student (Johan): Yogurt – dairy group – check! Carrots – veggie group – check!

Jaden: Hey guys, I think we should use strawberries instead of blueberries. Strawberries are a much better price.

Krizelle: Is there much of a difference? I prefer blueberries.

Clara: Yeah, strawberries would be good. Chef Hogan from George Brown College says to always be aware of colour in the presentation of food. Colour is important!

Speaker: Are we going to be fed in this program too? Awesome!!

Student(Sumaya): Actually, we’re slotting you into our hospitality wing. You’ll be serving the food! (Speaker reacts unfavourably)

Wynne:

Jaden: 2 containers of strawberries will do it. That’s $8 versus 4 containers of blueberries, 4 X 3, that’s $12. Easily a $4 difference!

Austin Convinced! Strawberries it is! And yum!

Ethan P: We learned that 25% of food is wasted at most restaurants. We have to make sure that when we make our menu item we have zero waste!!

Kayla: That means our master creation has to be AWESOME! Then all the food will be gone! And some!!

FREEZE:

Nilayah Key point #5 – Through every Beyond the Classroom experience we take our learning to new heights. Blooms Taxonomy is a triangle displaying learning; the very bottom of the triangle represents our new learning, but as you go up the triangle, it’s what you DO with the learning – analyze? Compare? create? Ultimately creating is what we want and with THIS experience, we did it! We created…a masterpiece!

Speaker: //So you have to create, and serve…

Wynne: So you have to plan, budget

Leader of the O: Sorry, just one at a time…you have to what??

Speaker gestures to Wynne to go ahead…

Wynne: So the kids have to plan, budget, shop, create, and serve for the whole school??

Student (Sasoon) Yup, and don’t forget Premier Wynne – we expect a 15% tip! (all the kids nod and smile…in agreement)

Alexis B: and our restaurant’s name?? (Big hands) Sylvester-a-la-mode!! (cheers??)

Jeevan Wouldn’t it be neat to actually run a restaurant?? I’d try and aim for a bigger profit than the 8% Boston Pizza makes!

Austin: Ah, I think I’d rather run a company like Cieslok and have at least a 33% profit!!

Sasoon: I’ll stick to being Premier of Ontario and I will govern with a BALANCED BUDGET!!

Wynne: Sounds like you’re after my job young man!

Krizelle: Kayla, don’t forget your re-usable container for the Bulk Barn on Thursday.

Graham: Yes! Remember…no container, no Bulk Barn!! No plastic bags for us!!

Clara: Yes, remember a container (write on hand)… And the raisins we need are 66c (cents) per 100 grams.So if I get 300grams, that’s about $2. That’ll keep us well under our $20 menu budget.

Speaker: Can you get me some sour gummies while you’re there?? I love sour anything!!

Jaden: That’s coming out of your pocket Mr Speaker, not ours!!

(Wynne shakes her head)

Stoner (and every group is now there): OK, does every group have their shopping done? Got all your ingredients?

Fernandes: And most importantly – are you all under budget, I hope?? Keep your receipts!!

Selena: Watch carrying the strawberry bag Jeevan!! We don’t want them dumped all over the bottom of the bag now do we?? (All chuckle)

All start to go and Mrs. Stoner spots Ethan: Doritos Ethan?? Really??

Jaden: Sorry, I was hungry….

: You’re always hungry!!

- Teleport -

Final scene – back at Queen’s park

Leader of the O So What have we learned from this journey?

Speaker: Well at the zoo, I couldn’t ride the camels. At the Government, no one listened to me. At Cieslok, I didn’t get to…. At Sick Kids, no one gave me a teddy bear, and at No frills, I only got a LITTLE candy. Worst field trips ever….

Students : These aren’t field trips!!!!

Wynne Let’s recap. I am impressed but let’s break it down. What are the highlights of this program?

Student: It’s all about the key points!

I had the opportunity to slow down and dig deeper by observing the hippos over several days at the zoo. THAT was….

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

By witnessing debates at Queen’s park, and Nathan Phillips Square and discussing an issue of personal importance to me with Jim Karygiannis or Soo Wong, I learned more about perspective. THAT was…

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Through constant revision a la Austin’s Butterfly and with expert advice from Cieslok Media, I learned how to create a quality media ad. THAT was…

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

At Sick Kids, from listening to the different speakers and learning about the changes that have, and continue to take place in the medical industry, I learned that progress comes with never being satisfied with the status quo. THAT was…

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

In our tasty nutrition unit, we budgeted and planned how to feed the whole school a healthy snack. Going to George Brown and the Grocery store helped me move up to the top of Bloom’s Taxonomy and create a final product – a tasty snack! THAT was…

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

And there’s so much more….I

Padlets

Learning logs and analysis

Relevant, Daily Math

Sketching

Journaling

Speaker: And c’mon a BIT of Candy as well right

Student: Yes Mr. Speaker you’re right. But what about our program, will you approve it going forward.

Wynne: I’m not making any promises yet because there’s a lot to still consider here but I’ll tell you what you students have taught us

Leader of the opposition: Key point of key points…. We can learn in the classroom and we SHOULD but wow does learning get more exciting and more relevant when we experience it in real life.

Speaker : Learning is about balancing the old and the new but we invite and encourage you to learn more about how YOUR journey can change when you go….

Everyone: BEYOND THE CLASSROOM