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30 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday February 7, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com EDUCATION IN OAKVILLE Education is a process ­ Not a product While the debate rages among educators and the Ministry of Education regarding results on standardized tests, the real educational discourse should be around the process of educating our children to function in a global society. Results from standardized tests reveal a limited snapshot of a school's programs offered to students; what happens or does not happen from day-to-day in a classroom is really what matters in a school. The program must be much broader than academic achievement if our mission is to prepare our children for the society in which they are now living and to engage in the society in which they will live in the future. While Oakville Christian School has achieved its strategic goal of scoring at the 90th percentile in the Canadian Achievement Tests (CAT3), academic excellence is only a part of the total OCS experience. Academic achievement is crucial to any school; however, authentic learning must be developmentally appropriate encounters with the real world facilitated by knowledgeable teachers whose practice is differentiated depending on the students' learning styles, interests, readiness, and total learner profile. Research in the 1990s and 2000s have made huge strides adding to cognitive theory in discovering how the brain learns. It is incumbent upon educators to ensure that classroom practice reflects cutting edge educational professional research. Developmentally appropriate differentiated teaching and learning focuses primarily on differentiation principles and structures such as scaffolding, tiering, respectful tasks, and flexible grouping as it alters process, content and/or product. Education is a process of human development where teachers inspire students to have a passion for learning in an environment where students can take risks while building on their strengths. Diversity among learners begs the respond of diversity in programs to encourage development that compliments the learner. Education is a process of facilitating the development of the whole child. Standardized achievement tests measure only one aspect of a student's life. We need to be clear on the perspective of this argument: while differentiation and standardized testing may seem dichotomous to many educators, they are really not oxymoronic. As educators differentiate, they build on students' strengths and provide scaffolding to support their needs. In such an environment, students will be taught the tools to be successful in situations of limited measurement such as standardized tests. Authentic learning is very much based on real world encounters resulting in growth in ideas, insights, revelations, reflections and observations that enhance the whole child socially, physically, spiritually, intellectually and emotionally. It extends beyond limited measured standardized academic achievement to developmentally appropriate learning that challenges and empowers students to continuous learning that honours the development of the whole child and broadens the lens through which children gaze upon and learn about the world. Submitted by Dr. Aubrey J. Penney, Headmaster ­ Oakville Christian School Discover theDifference OAKVILLE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL · An academic school where Christian morals and values are taught and modelled. · A student body that ranks in the top 10% on Canada's national CAT3 tests. · A science program that produces regional science fair winners every year. · Athletic teams that compete in 9 different sports, starting as early as Grade 2. · Extracurricular opportunities that meet the intellectual, physical, social and spiritual needs of all students. · Christian service involvement in the community. · A music program that trains vocal & instrumental groups who represent the school at different community functions. · Fully networked computer lab - networked computers in every classroom. · A family atmosphere with 275 students. · On-site before & after school care. Sat., Feb. 10 OPEN HOUSE 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. At Oakville Christian School our mission is: "Nurturing Excellence in a Christ-Centred Academic Environment" Oakville Christian School 112 Third Line, Oakville (905) 825-1247 ocsadmissions@ocsonline.org www.ocsonline.org