Hello! I'm Justin Ouellette.
I'm an experienced upper primary international educator, grade level leader and learning technologies mentor.
What am I most passionate about in education?
Simply put: Constructivism, growth mindset, inquiry based learning, agency and educational technology.
I love constructivist pedagogy; it's rooted in reflection and building on existing knowledge. It allows for personalized learning and values the importance of the social aspects of learning.
Engaging learners in open-minded practices and instilling growth mindsets. Challenging ourselves to healthy risks, setting goals and striving to be the best version of ourselves are important aspects of 21st century learning and a healthy well-being. I do this through regular use of goal setting, conferencing, reflection and formative feedback.
In addition, I am highly passionate about teaching authentic and contextual inquiries from a concept-based approach using the work of Lynn Erickson and Kath Murdoch, respectively. This allows my learners and I to ask deep questions and construct meaning about the world that is so rapidly changing around them. The last nine years teaching under the IB's PYP framework has helped me hone my ever-evolving skills in this area.
Furthermore, learner agency is a pivotal aspect of my practice. I do this by creating an environment that honors personal, proxy and collective agency. One where we value all voices, co-construct through risk-taking and respect, offer choice in how to capture our thinking and taking ownership of our learning.
Last, but certainly not least, I am quite tech savvy, possess a master's degree in educational technology and have completed several certifications in this domain. I love sharing my skills and passions in this area by innovating, implementing, integrating, modelling and encouraging a wide variety of ways to make thinking visible. I equally enjoy mentoring my fellow colleagues, just as much as my students, particularly in ways that we can nourish creativity and redefine learning.
I'm an experienced upper primary international educator, grade level leader and learning technologies mentor.
What am I most passionate about in education?
Simply put: Constructivism, growth mindset, inquiry based learning, agency and educational technology.
I love constructivist pedagogy; it's rooted in reflection and building on existing knowledge. It allows for personalized learning and values the importance of the social aspects of learning.
Engaging learners in open-minded practices and instilling growth mindsets. Challenging ourselves to healthy risks, setting goals and striving to be the best version of ourselves are important aspects of 21st century learning and a healthy well-being. I do this through regular use of goal setting, conferencing, reflection and formative feedback.
In addition, I am highly passionate about teaching authentic and contextual inquiries from a concept-based approach using the work of Lynn Erickson and Kath Murdoch, respectively. This allows my learners and I to ask deep questions and construct meaning about the world that is so rapidly changing around them. The last nine years teaching under the IB's PYP framework has helped me hone my ever-evolving skills in this area.
Furthermore, learner agency is a pivotal aspect of my practice. I do this by creating an environment that honors personal, proxy and collective agency. One where we value all voices, co-construct through risk-taking and respect, offer choice in how to capture our thinking and taking ownership of our learning.
Last, but certainly not least, I am quite tech savvy, possess a master's degree in educational technology and have completed several certifications in this domain. I love sharing my skills and passions in this area by innovating, implementing, integrating, modelling and encouraging a wide variety of ways to make thinking visible. I equally enjoy mentoring my fellow colleagues, just as much as my students, particularly in ways that we can nourish creativity and redefine learning.
