Learning Plan

Austin Alyn Cove

Learning Plan

October 5, 2009

Biographical Sketch:

Austin is a 10-year-old boy who is half-Lego, half-man. He is highly sensitive and loves to create. His most creative pursuits are with LEGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He also loves to play music, draw, and build structures.

Austin likes dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. He likes to play with friends.

Austin has three brothers: Iain (15), Aidan (7) and Aaron (1.5). He lives with his Mum, Dad, Aidan, Aaron and Gemma (our nanny) in North Vancouver, BC. Iain lives with his Mum in Coquitlam, BC.

Austin’s most successful learning experiences have been in the subjects of animal biology, dinosaurs, mythology, music, language, playing with friends, sailing, swimming and SCUBA diving. Austin learned to read at the age of 4 by building up his vocabulary of sight words.

Austin is really skilled at building Lego, playing music, interacting with friends, SCUBA diving, sailing, learning new things, and retaining information. He has excellent recall and learns new languages with ease. He effectively presents analogies and metaphors using his expanding vocabulary.

Goals:

· To be a very good Lego guy

· To have good friends

· To learn how to create Lego products

· To learn to speak Spanish fluently with Spanish-speaking people

Challenges:

· Writing

· Math

· Peer relationships

Learning Focus:

LEGO !!!!!!!!!!!

Spanish

Music

Cooking

SCUBA diving

The Caribbean

LEGO !!!!!!!!!!!

Schedule / Time Line:

Weekly: Monday to Friday, 3-5 hours per day

Monthly: Review progress

Over the year: Re-assess

Expectations for Learning Consultant:

Review and feedback on weekly O4Ls and Learning Plan

Recommendations for skills development, strategies, etc. Suggestions for applicable tools and resources.

Resources:

Family

Friends

Learning Consultants

Mentors

Lego

Travel

Books

Art supplies

Software/Games

DVDs

CDs

Academie Duello

Board games

Field trips

Internet

Software: Zoo Tycoon, Age of Empires, Spore

Assessment and Evaluation:

· Ongoing parent, mentor and Learning Consultant observations (conversations and feedback)

· Self-assessment (modifying and choosing activities, articulating understanding, reflecting on understanding, planning, setting goals)

· Work samples (projects, experiments, art, Lego, music recording, book reviews, etc.)

· Affective indicators (enjoyment, interest, curiosity, participation, confusion)

· Conversations and discussions (listening, questions and answers, debates, sharing, theories, hypotheses, etc.)

· Written/online/oral tests (unit tests, quizzes, chapter reviews, etc.)

1. SelfDesign Praxis Planning (Learning to Learn, Systemic Thinking)

· Learning Plan Creation and Updates

· Learning Curve concepts

· Conversation

· Theories and Hypotheses

2. Wellness (Health, Physical Activity, Sports, Exercise)

· Daily Physical Activity

· Obstacle Course

· Playing with friends

· Basketball

· Swimming

· Swordplay

· Tag, Dino, Grounders, Dino Makeup, Made-up Tag, Lego Tag, Freeze Tag, Sneaky Statues

· Cooking healthy food

· Drumming

· SCUBA diving

3. Languaging Communication (Writing/Reading-Media)

· Reading books

· Journal writing

· Conversations

· Review educational material (eg. SCUBA diving)

· Watch DVDs

· Browse the Internet

· Read the newspaper

· Write Book Reviews

4. Humanities (Social Studies, sociology, anthropology, psychology, history, geography)

· Mythology

· History (Academie Duello)

· Dragons

· Dinosaurs

5. 2^nd Language (Cultural Connections including learning 2^nd language)

· French

· Spanish

· Baby Sign Language

· Teaching Aaron how to speak “human”

· The Culture of the Caribbean

6.Logic (Math, Analytical Thinking)

· Algebra

· Artillery Trajectory

· Zoo Tycoon, Spore, Age of Empires

· The Periodic Table of the Elements

· Times Tables

· Settlers, Seafarers, Cities & Knights, and other Board Games

· Plain Old Math

7. Living Skills (Tools for Living, Applied Skills, Information Technology, Financial Management, Career)

· Cooking

· Engine Disassembly and Reassembly

· French & Spanish

· Spore, Zoo Tycoon

· Good relationships with other people

· Be an awesome brother!

· Saving money for Lego and the Caribbean

· Playing “Hotel”

· Field trip to Dad’s office

8.Science (Ecology, Naturalistic Understanding)

· Science World Homelearners Program

· Travel to the Caribbean, learn how to conserve water, learn about nature

· The Periodic Table of the Elements

· Paleontology

· Science experiments

· Animals

9. Creativity (Artistic and Creative Activity)

· LEGO!

· Art Attack

· Music composition

· Cooking

· Building

· Storytelling

· Imaginative play with friends and family

· Movie making