For the second day in a row I got to watch student IDS – Independent Directed Study – final presentations. The last couple were from a Grade 11 on ‘Coding a Cookbook’ and a grade 12 on ‘Creating a Music Album’.

I’m so glad we recorded these. Both the depth of learning and the appreciation of the learning process were on full display. Presentations were exceptional both in design and also in delivery. This isn’t a surprise because these are skills intentionally taught at Inquiry Hub. And students do so many presentations at our school that they comfortably get in front of an audience to speak.

Still, I watch and I’m so impressed with the ability of these teenagers to be captivating presenters. And there is no better presentation to watch than an IDS, where the entire curriculum is designed by the students. Let students work on and learn about topics they are truly passionate and interested in, and they’ll very often go above and beyond expectations.