A group of 16 delegates from member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development toured the Community Learning Campus in Olds last week, highlighting the unique nature of the hybrid campus.The delegates on the tour were part of the Centre for Innovation and Research, a sub-group of the OECD. The OECD had a meeting in Banff from Oct. 10 to 12.Jim Gibbons, senior education advisor with the Alberta School Boards Association and former superintendent for Chinook's Edge School Division, who led the tour, said that the CLC has been recognized as one of the most innovative learning environments in the world.ìI think the way kids learn here (is unique). It's a lot more flexible, built around their careers; if they want to start pursuing their careers in post-secondary they can do it,î he said.Students can also keep the same teachers for subjects from Grade 9 through Grade 12, something that isn't done at a lot of other high schools.Delegates were shown how the high school and other aspects of the CLC such as the fitness facility and gymnasiums are integrated into one unit. Tom Christensen, principal of the school, also explained to delegates how the design of the school has allowed the curriculum to be taught in a more flexible way through the quad system rather than traditional classrooms. The idea of the quad system is to make it less like a classroom setting and more like a ìliving room,î with the idea that the environment will be more conducive to learning and the free flow of ideas.Anne Sliwka, a delegate from Germany, said she was impressed with the way community facilities and services are integrated into the high school.ìIt gives them different opportunities to learn and to connect. And I think it's a great (example) because more and more rural communities still do not have a whole lot of infrastructure to put it all in one place,î she said.Jennifer Groff, a delegate from the United States, said she was impressed with the students' abilities to pursue self-directed studies at the high school level.ìThey have more direction and ownership of that work,î she said, noting that self-directed learning is a good way to develop critical thinking skills that will allow students to apply the concept of learning beyond just the specific material to other areas as well. ìThe design offers much more of a coherent picture and that Ö should allow them to continue on a pathway rather than to be here and then move over there,î she said.
