Our plan
As a former tax lawyer and mother of three children in the Toronto public school system, I observed a need for curriculum changes that would better support and engage children who were falling between the cracks, either officially or unofficially. I researched and trained in various learning systems for many years and integrated them into a program I call Fearless Mastery (FM). This is a holistic literacy program that uses proven techniques to enhance focus, motivation and literacy skills (including decoding, comprehension and handwriting) through creative uses of clay, teamwork, music, imagination, paper and pencil, and specially developed materials. The result? Improved social lives, athletic abilities and educational or professional careers. FM also encourages us to play in our learning communities, and teach what we know to others, to maximize our enjoyment and our learning. While my children were growing up I was a regular volunteer in their classrooms, assisting with reading and computer lessons. Once my focus shifted to educational reform I came to know even more schoolteachers and administrators. Some of them were familiar with positive effects that FM components had on some of their students, so when I was ready to volunteer in their schools I was welcomed with open arms. We agreed that I would provide in and out of class training for interested teachers. I have always felt that any new program should satisfy two requirements: it must be child-approved and teacher friendly. I was very sensitive to who today’s students are and how they most happily live and learn. I also wanted to offer to teachers a system that would simplify their already overloaded days.
What we did
I volunteered in several schools over four years. In one year I visited 17 classrooms per week in two schools. The students ranged from kindergarten to grade five, in mainstream, French immersion, and special education classes. I also conducted extracurricular dance classes for students who wanted to perform a punctuation rap (from the FM program) for their school’s music night. Many of the students also wanted to develop a “Punctuation Team” that would perform for students in other schools and excite them about learning punctuation. At this time I also began earning my Master of Education degree at York University in Toronto and found that I needed to put my volunteer activities on hold. During my studies I confirmed the need for a program like FM and also discovered that technology is opening many opportunities for enriching education.
Our results
One effect of my efforts is that there are many students who feel smarter, more capable and/or physically co-coordinated than they were before we met. I also hope that the teachers I volunteered with feel more appreciated for their efforts, and have tools that support them in their challenging jobs. I also found that today’s students want new teaching methods. They inspired me to conceive the Great Literacy Challenge, which uses digital technology to demonstrate FM‘s simplicity and entertain us at the same time. Once I record FM and make it available online and for pvds, we can set up an electronic hub network and invite the world to practise FM together. I would also like the GLC to connect participants with corporate donors who agree to help charities around the world— charities chosen by participants— when they complete the challenge missions. Then, by helping themselves, students can also help others.
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