HGI Middle School embraces technology

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/10/2016 (3405 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Henry G. Izatt (HGI) middle school is one of 36 schools in the Pembina Trails School Division.

It opened in Whyte Ridge in 1998, just a few years before my family moved into the community. When it first opened it was attended by about 280 children from Grades 5 to 9, and now serves about twice that many.

I recently had a chance to sit down with Peggy Hobson, who has been principal since 2008, to chat about the school mandate and some of the interesting activities being undertaken.  

The current school plan priorities are focused around four strategic pillars: humanity, growth, innovation and sustainability (HGIS). In addition to participating in things such as global citizenship and community programs, flexibility has been introduced to provide opportunities for students to select activities and projects in which they have a personal interest so that they can develop a sense of ownership, curiosity and positive relationships with students and staff.  

After meeting with Peggy and discussing HGI, my overall impression was how much our educational system has changed — certainly since I was the age of the HGI children, but even since my children were this age.

The best example is the influence of technology. Over the past 15 to 20 years there has been an exponential development in communications technology, primarily through the internet and use of personal devices, which has basically redefined our sense of community and the scope and scale of how we interact with one another.

Rather than discourage or exclude potentially disruptive aspects in the school, HGI appears to have fully embraced the positive opportunities.  

There is a recognition that almost all the students have personal devices that connect them to the internet, and that they explore technology outside of the classroom.

This knowledge has been integrated into the curriculum; students are encouraged to bring their devices to school to use them in subjects such as mathematics and English, and to more formally develop expertise in research and multimedia such as 3D printing and video production.

HGI students now host information sessions for professional teams from other schools or school divisions on the use of digital technology in the school.

The fact that Peggy was named one of the Top 40 Outstanding Principals of Canada in 2015 by the Learning Partnership of Canada demonstrates that she must be leading HGI in the right direction, and I’m looking forward to writing future articles focusing on some of the specific activities at the school.  

Nick Barnes is a community correspondent for Whyte Ridge.