Keynote Speaker – Ken Steele

Rethinking the Classroom: A Time of Transition for Teaching & Learning

Ken Steele has a unique, wide-ranging perspective on higher education, as a former academic, entrepreneur, consultant and de facto journalist. Ken is a “lapsed academic,” who earned more than 30 major graduate and undergraduate awards while studying English Literature at Western and the University of Toronto.

Ken Steele Primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions are evolving in the face of rising student and parent expectations, tightening government budgets and accountability measures, rapidly proliferating new technologies, and research insights into effective pedagogies. In this fast-paced, media-rich keynote presentation, Ken Steele will launch our conference with a broad-ranging survey of trends affecting education and school environments: from active and experiential learning, interdisciplinary and personalized adaptive learning to mobile, online and hybrid delivery, e-textbooks, virtual simulations and gamification. Bring your smartphone or tablet so you can participate in some real-time interactive polling.

   1 Core       1 LU

Break-out Session 1a

Just Start Something, A Guide to Support Transitions in Evolving Educational Environments

Concerns surround the unknown. This is no longer your grandfather’s school. However, within the halls of many schools, echoes of “What does a 21st Century School Community look like” are being heard. Today’s pedagogy has forced conversations within school districts across the country to push the limits of the built environment creating a shift in culture. This interactive conversation will provide opportunities for the audience to “take away” valuable insight from a school facility personnel’s perspective in the demonstration of Innovation and Change. This story of the presenter's journey demonstrates previously suppressed ideas of change creating holistic solutions to educational environments that are making a difference. The resulting solutions take into account of the entire environment not unlike the educators desire to educate the whole child. Examples of specific solutions include new ideas in flooring, mechanical, technology as well as a very unique line of furniture. Understanding that we cannot completely start all facilities from the beginning, insight will provide the audience a set of tools to Just Start Something in their own work. With a tenacious passion to make a difference, the presenter will demonstrate his various successes as well as lessons learned in hopes to inspire change in educational environments. Cultural-Shift continues to seek the "next" by observing the way in which educators and students utilize space while at the same time respecting historic solutions. Take an idea, demonstrate it and then nurture it, in hopes that it will begin to create transitions. Just Start Something.

David A Stubbs II, Cultural-Shift, Inc;

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Break-out Session 1b

Earthquake Risk Mitigation in British Columbia Schools; School Retrofit and Early Warning

As part of the “ring of fire” that surrounds the Pacific Ocean, British Columbia lies in the highest seismic zone in Canada. Earthquake resistant design in buildings was not considered until the early 70’s, and has evolved significantly since then. Many of the schools in BC therefore were constructed without consideration of seismic performance; to address this risk, the Ministry of Education initiated the Seismic Mitigation Program (SMP). In 2004 the Ministry engaged the Association of Professional Engineers of BC (APEGBC) with support from the University of British Columbia to assist with the implementation of the Seismic Mitigation Program. The speaker chairs the APEGBC Committee tasked to lead the APEG involvement. The presentation will centre on the unique partnership of government, academia and the professions to develop state of the art Seismic Retrofit Guidelines for BC Schools. The following questions are explored:

• What is earthquake safety?
• Why is the Building Codes seismic design methods not appropriate for existing buildings?
• What is “performance based” design”?
• How are high risk schools identified?
• How are the 317 high risk schools prioritized for retrofit?

The speaker will finish with a discussion on the latest technologies being implemented to establish an early warning system to alert students and staff in schools of seismic activity.

Andy Mill

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Break-out Session 1c

Experiential Learning Connections: A Look at the Evolution of Experiential Learning Environments in Schools and their relationships to Professional Settings

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This session will review the history of experiential learning environments from the 1960’s wood shops to today’s maker-spaces, showcasing high school projects featuring innovative project-based learning spaces, and engage participants in exploring the future of experiential learning spaces through an analysis of real-world professional environments. The team will present an overview of current work environments, and the Educational Evolution of CTE spaces to integrated STEM curriculum. Through this evolution a variety of approaches on how to integrate “Hands on Learning” has developed. Case studies highlight the range of options available to districts from specialized facilities as seen at Raisbeck Aviation HS, to a fully integrated STEM Curriculum within the Comprehensive HS at Sammamish HS, in Bellevue, WA. Exploration of real-world Research and Design spaces and futuristic approaches to collaboration and life-long learning in the present and future work environments will be presented. Attendees will engage in Experiential Learning as they apply concepts in developing approaches to prepare students for tomorrow’s professional opportunities. Groups will be challenged to consider the impacts of experiential learning.

Rebecca Baibak, AIA, LEED AP, REFP, Integrus Architecture
Michael Davis, AIA, Bassetti Architects
Caroline Lemay, AIA

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Break-out Session 2a

21st Century Education and the 21st Century University

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Ideas related to 21st Century Education have influenced the design of our Elementary and High Schools over the last several years. What may not be as apparent to those of us working in this area are the significant changes that have been occurring at the Post Secondary level. The nature of both teaching and research has been changing profoundly and rapidly in our Colleges and Universities. The same ideas of collaborative learning and discovery will be familiar to those in the K to 12 world: what we are seeing is a continuum from pre-school to our institutions of higher learning and into industry. Learning is a life-long endeavor. We are beings rooted in network behaviour. It is this core of collaborative thinking, exploration, innovation and invention that will be the source of our problems and solutions. We will explore these connections and transformations on both sides of the K-12/PS boundary. Progressive learning is moving away from lecture-based teaching to research, project-based, and collaborative models. These ideas are rooted in our big cities and the schools, colleges and universities that are a part of them. The presentation will include examples of projects illustrating the progression from pre-school to post-secondary education in the 21st Century, focusing on current trends in post-secondary education.

Leonard Rodrigues, Thinkspace Architecture, Planning, Interior Design
Ron Hoffart, Thinkspace Architecture, Planning, Interior Design
Mark Mathiasen

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Break-out Session 2b

Delivering on the Promise of Innovative Learning Environments

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In November 2013, Tacoma Public Schools, Washington State’s first-ever and only district-wide Innovation Zone for education, , gathered together thought-leaders in education, facilities design and student learners to answer the question “what are the needs of a 21st century learner?” A set of Guiding Principles emerged which define the values and relationships the District wishes to foster in the learning environment as it embarks on a program of building 14 schools. The Guiding Principles represent the District’s vision for the elementary learning environment and are an alternative to the traditional ed spec. Planning and Construction, responsible for executing the District’s Building for Achievement design and construction program and implementing the Guiding Principles, is innovating the use of an early value analysis workshop to validate that the design is following the Guiding Principles, achieving programmatic goals and delivering maximum value to the community. The workshop team is typically made up of an educational facilities planner, an educator and a facilitator who are independent from the project design team. The 2-3 day effort is held during project concept development before the design has become set, with the goals of concept testing and effecting change before the design becomes set and difficult to modify. This session will present the Guiding Principles, describe the workshop process, highlight the successes achieved and share lessons learned.

Steven Paget, CVS, LEED AP BD+C, Sazan Group, Inc
Michael McGavock, McGranahan Architects
Rob Sawatzky, Tacoma Public Schools
Kelley Tanner, BrainSpaces|Connextions

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Break-out Session 2c

The New Careerists: Preparing Students for Transition to the Workforce

In a time of economic anxiety, students and parents share a heightened focus on tangible career outcomes and short-term return on investment for their educations. Labour market projections are volatile and uncertain, yet students are enrolling in career-track programming at younger and younger ages, and attracted by work-integrated learning and entrepreneurship opportunities. Distinctions between college and university level programs are blurring, student pathways are becoming more circuitous and flexible, and even the nature of credentials and assessment may be evolving for the 21st century workplace. Ken Steele will provide some stimulating food for thought, and will engage participants in considering the implications for our schools.
Bring your smartphone or tablet so you can participate in some real-time interactive polling.

Ken Steele

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Tours

Tour 4 – North Shore (Bus Tour)

   2 Core       2 LU

Tours

Tour 1 – UBC Post-Secondary (Walking Tour)

   2 Core       2 LU

Tour 2 – UBC K-12 (Bus Tour)

   2 Core       2 LU

Tour 3 – Downtown (Bus Tour)

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Keynote Speaker – Larry Espe

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Honouring of hands-on learning and how it plays a part in the creation of optimal learning experiences for all students.

For too many people, hands-on learning and earning are considered second rate. Larry will suggest that hands-on learning experiences should not end after primary school and that they should be incorporated into inter-disciplinary projects at all age levels. He will also question current systemic structures that often act as barriers to possibility and creativity…for both students and teachers.

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Break-out Session 3a

Innovation in Theatre Design and Presentation Space for the 21st Century

Free chocolates will be provided – What is the theatre of the 21st Century? How are they different than the theatres of the past? What features in a theatre are of advantage in an educational setting? What are the pros and cons of a flexible theatre? Is all that multi-use potential worth the downsides? In a survey of past present and future theatre design trends, all of these questions and more will be explored in a thrilling multi-media presentation. Educational theatre examples will be probed to discover how flexible theatres can offer significant advantages in terms of safety and enriching the educational experience of the students using them. Recent technologies will be reviewed to weigh their efficiencies against their complexities and potential cost savings.

Robert Hamilton, Theatre Design Consultant, DWD Theatre Design, Vancouver, BC.

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Break-out Session 3b

When Buildings Are Broken: Seizing the Opportunity for Total Transformation

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Contemporary educational research tells us that each student’s path to scholastic success is unique. The diversity inherent in this recognition presents a challenge to creating physical environments that effectively address the nearly infinite combinations of learning modalities, instructional methodologies and student engagement strategies.This challenge is compounded when the program is being implemented in facilities designed to support 20th century educational practices. Change is rarely easy and the path to progress isn’t always smooth. This presentation will discuss, from both the educator and architect points of view, the six-month long process through which the Chartiers Valley School District established the design direction for a holistic revitalization of its middle and high school facilities– informed by a comprehensive self-appraisal of its educational philosophy and instructional delivery methods. We will discuss obstacles overcome, lessons learned and the critical need to synchronize facility design with educational mission and philosophy. We will also present an overview of the planning and design development processes that synthesized diverse stakeholder interests, educator biases, community preferences and educational needs into schools that will optimize student learning for the 21st century and beyond.

Greg McCracken, BLRB Architects
Brian White, Ed.D., Chartiers Valley School District
Tom Bates, FAIA

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Break-out Session 3c

Net Zero Energy Schools that make the grade

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With the emergence of established building performance targets and concerns over climate change, the push to design net zero energy buildings is stronger than ever. At the same time, growing populations and years of deferred maintenance have increased the demand for new K-12 schools, forcing administrations to balance budgets and expanded programs with maintenance and efficiency. The need to create modern learning spaces that meet these complex requirements make K-12 facilities the ideal match for net zero energy design. To achieve this ambitious goal, building teams must eschew traditional design practices and utilize an integrated process which seamlessly combines architectural elements, site features, and systems as a cohesively operating whole. In this presentation, our panel – moderator Pauline Souza, a USGBC LEED Fellow and Green Schools Advocate, and engineers from three separate net zero schools–discusses advanced technical design strategies and lessons learned from the first two K-12 certified Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) in the country, and how they are sharing those skills for the design of the possible third.  Hood River Middle School Music and Science Building // LEED Platinum (Hood River, Oregon) Operating at net zero energy since 2010, the Hood River Music and Science Building is the first NZEB certified school in the country. Mechanical principal, Andy Frichtl, will discuss how the team tapped into natural resources while protecting a National Historic Landmark site; the building’s innovative active systems, such as geothermal and integrated ventilation; and post-occupancy discoveries, including significant facility operation impacts. Sacred Heart Lower and Middle Schools: Stevens Library // LEED Platinum (Atherton, California) The new Stevens Library employed multiple strategies to reduce energy and water consumption, with building systems that were selected for efficiency as well as quietness. Certified NZEB in November 2014, it is the first library in the country to achieve this recognition. Hormoz Janssens, mechanical principal, will discuss energy conservation measures, including natural ventilation and daylighting, as well as lessons learned in energy modeling for overall campus systems. Abingdon Elementary School Renovation // NZE Goal (Arlington, Virginia) Currently under design, the renovation of Abingdon Elementary will expand its student capacity from 590 to 725. Mechanical principal, Roger Frechette, will discuss the net zero energy strategies and applications, as well as the challenges in designing the region’s first mid-rise school.

Andy Frichtl, Interface Engineering
Hormoz Janssens, Interface Engineering
Roger Frechette
Pauline Souza (moderator)

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Break-out Session 4a

Seismic Shifts – Seismic Upgrades as a catalyst for Educational Transformation

In BC, the funding for seismic upgrades is strictly for structural seismic and related work only. However, the scope of seismic work required can be so extensive as to create opportunities for significant transformation of the educational environment. This session will use seismic upgrade case studies to illustrate how strategic and cost-effective planning can lead to creative and forward thinking solutions that give an older school a fresh start incorporating 21st Century Learning concepts.

Gregg Brown REFP, Mark Hamilton REFP, Bassem Tawfik REFP, KMBR Architects Planners
Adam Bauman, Principal, Windsor Secondary School

   1 Core       1 LU / HSW

Break-out Session 4b

Innovative Learning Spaces — A Global Glimpse

Globally, educators from K-20 (kindergarten to post secondary) and considering learning environments to support 21st century thinking – thinking and tinkering. This session will share recent experiences with the design and build of innovative learning opportunities at UBC Okanagan, Aga Khan University, East Africa, a district learning centre in rural Tanzania, and K-12 schools.

Susan Crichton, Director of the Faculty of Education at University of British Columbia Okanagan

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Break-out Session 4c

Embracing Social Media: Leveraging, not ignoring, Technology

Since the onset of extensive social connectivity technology, educators have been trying to limit students usage. Nevertheless, educators must come together and embrace connectivity as a vehicle for change. Social media has the power to change the world, as seen in the Arab Spring. It has the power to unite cultures, as seen with the recent events in Paris. Social media connects us globally. We are in a transition that cannot be ignored. Educators must utilize social media in and out of the classroom. They must train students on its power, highlight and showcase its potential, and develop a dialogue on its ethics. Educators have the responsibility to help students access, and now leverage, this connectivity. This session will aim to provide actionable steps to leverage this connectivity technology.

Justin Lafazan, Millennial Marketing Strategy

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Plenary Session – John Bevaqua

From Teacher to Learner: a Catalyst for Transforming Education

Johnny has been an educator for 20 years serving as a Teacher, Athletic Director, Vice Principal, Principal and Associate Superintendent. In addition to his regular duties as an administrator, he is an Adjunct Professor at St. Mark’s College (on the UBC Campus) in the Master’s in Educational Leadership Program.

This keynote will explore current trends in school transformation across the globe and some of the key forces that are causing these changes.

As schools and educators cope with these changes many are asking: “What is the biggest “game-changer” in education?” This keynote will make the argument that a teacher’s disposition as a learner, is the greatest factor in our ability to re-imagine school.

Johnny also works with the Ministry of Education in British Columbia on various projects related to curriculum transformation, innovation and school accreditation. Johnny is currently the Principal of Vancouver College - a K-12 Catholic school in Vancouver. Students and teachers continue to be a source of inspiration and motivation for Johnny. He views parents as first educators and is humbly grateful to them for entrusting their children to his care. Within the Catholic School tradition, Johnny feels strongly that living and learning in community is “life giving”, that relationships matter and cherishes an “Ethos of Us” in schools. Most importantly, the biggest sources of inspiration are his three daughters and his incredibly supportive wife.

   1 Core       1.5 LU