What is DCL time?
Our most unique feature at iHub is Dream Create Learn time (DCL). Named for the student-created murals in our garden, DCL is a time when individuals are encouraged and supported to pursue their interests and share their learning with their community within a high school setting where the traditional structure and control of block scheduling would not permit such an extensive time commitment. DCL is our response to the notion of student-centred learning and personalization. Rather than catering to each student as a consumer of educational services, DCL assumes that students deserve opportunities to determine their educational experiences in balance with the demands of the teacher who facilitates students’ learning with respect to prescribed curriculum, graduation requirements, and workplace and post-secondary expectations.
DCL is used to work on:
1) Courses (online assignments, project work, etc.);
2) Student-led inquiry or Independent Directed Studies work; and
3) Reflections where students curate a personal digital portfolio and comment on their learning in conversation with a teacher or peers or posting to their blogs.
DCL allows students to create or build something they themselves want, such as a song, a novel, or an app. Ultimately, Dream Create Learn is more descriptive for what students do with their time and it also reflects the degree of freedom students have in directing their work.
