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 (Alexis) walks up to the front of the stage and reads a quote out about change
E.g“Everyone thinks about changing the world. No one thinks about changing himself (or herself)” Leo Tolstoy
(“The secret to change is to focus all of your energy,not to fight the old,But to build the new”)BTC!
-Socrates
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:// Kid doesn’t know anything. The world is your oyster!
Another Member: 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): From observing the gorillas for at least 30 minutes a day, I learned all about animal enrichment
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 3rs 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: Mr. Speaker….that was out loud again
Speaker: 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 CouncillorMammolittiargue about the road tolls
Nilayah: Well of course we should have tolls. The city needs to pay for the TTC upgrades
SumayaAbsolutely 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 (Alexis): 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 provincialand 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? Im’ 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 Square
Busy, 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 exercise as well! I don’t know if I can keep up!
Sumaya, looking up: Cool! Look at those digital boards! They are HUGE!
Other student: 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
Clara Key point # 3 - Quality work comes through constant revision. It’s the message 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: 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: Gee, 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 with and 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)
Student: Yeah and by the time we graduate?? Forget that (phooey) We’re already creative, reflective, holistic thinkers!!!!
Wynne: Whoa, hearing all of this, this program is beginning to make sen====
Stoner: OK, time for some mental Math. Question #1….according to Cieslok, if we spend 70% of our time out of home (OOH), what is that as a fraction, a decimal, and a ratio??
Graham: I know, I know!!
Stoner: OK Graham, eventho we’re here at Yonge/Dundas SQ, we still have to show Mr Speaker that we are responsible, RESPECTFUL citizens by raising our hand. But the answers are??
Graham: 70% -- that’s 7/10, reduced of course, 0.70, and 7:10, all INTERCHANGABLE!
Stoner: Good Graham! Next question… 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 ====
Student: (Hand up) Oh that’s easy!! May I Mrs. Stoner??
Stoner: Sure Jaden, go ahead! Respectfully Mr. Speaker, over to you Jaden with the answer.
Jaden: Well you compare the numbers 100 and a 1 000 000… There is a difference of 4 0s. Add 4 0s to 33, so the answer is…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
person #2 (Ethan P) :Mayday,maydayMr.Stuffs heart beat is going down!(machine sound) CODE RED!
Person #3: (Fernando)Hurry Call Doctor Javi
*Doctor walks in*
Person4 (Alexis C):IsMr.Stuffs going to be ok?
PLSSS BE OK!(treat you better song)
Mr.Speaker:I don't know,don't ask me…
DoctorJavi:We’re trying our best
Beeeeep. Beeeeep
WE UNDENIABLE(SK ads song)