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What is it?
Through Mediated Learning, WISDOM offers parents an effective method of interaction, intended to benefit all learners, regardless of learning or behaviour difficulties, levels of giftedness, age, or background.
To learn more about specific Mediated Learning workshops, click here.
The parent is the best person to help a child make learning progress. Using a specific method and set of strategies, the parent can help their child think effectively and work to a place of success when faced with problem solving. WISDOM teaches a system that concentrates on three things: process, meaning, and change. WISDOM's parent training program focusses on how to learn more than what to learn. Parents learn how to stimulate brain change in the learner, overcome weak areas, and use a child’s strengths. In a series of effective learning events offered in various Alberta locations, parents are presented tools and strategies to strengthen any learner’s ability to think.
The mediational method develops optimism in the child, opens up a greater desire to learn, and stimulates enthusiasm to work to a place of success. Improved parenting and teaching skills use a gentle approach by asking questions that exercise reflective thinking in the child. The more the brain is intentionally exercised (especially where there is a weakness), the greater the resulting brain change. No child is stuck in their behaviour, emotion, or learning challenges.
Mediated Learning usually involves:
- Asking questions rather than providing answers to a learner. The mediator encourages "thinking".
- Encouraging children to think about the meaning of a lesson or activity. “Why? and How?”
- Taking advantage of teachable moments, when a child’s questions or body language show they are curious.
- Asking children to explain something in their own words; offering or asking for an analogy.
- Posing process questions that guide children to think logically.
- Helping children form and use strategies to work past barriers.
- Helping children to organize, make deductions, and think through their decisions.
- Helping children who are distracted, having difficulty remembering, are oppositional, or have lost the love of learning.
- Helping children who are gifted in one or more areas of endeavour, but also struggle in other areas of learning or behaviour.
- Helping children in specific weak capacities such as in reading, mathematics, writing, understanding and processing verbal communication, expressing themselves.
- Helping children who have challenges with planning, goal setting, and staying to task.
- Helping those that experience anxiety, depression, or anger.
- Helping with attachment issues, or difficulty with relationships.
This program can help any individual. Nobody is trapped by challenges. Parents are the key to making meaningful and positive changes in their children. Mediated Learning is a means of positive, permanent change.
Q: What is Mediated Learning?
A: The human brain is constantly changing. It is supple and receptive. Mediated Learning is a proven system that takes advantage of this plasticity by exercising brain activity through the asking of good questions. The parent facilitates the child's ability to problem solve by placing herself/himself between the learner and the challenge at hand. By not just giving the child answers, but interacting with the child as mediator, the parent helps the child to think effectively.
Mediated Learning is much more about process than outcome. Focussing on the “how” and “why” of thinking, Mediated Learning transforms passive learners into active learners. No one needs to stay stuck in their struggles with behaviour, academics, or life skills. All learners develop new pathways in the brain to overcome barriers to learning. Enhanced learning is for every member of the family.
Q: Isn’t this precisely the role of a home schooling parent?
A: Yes; parents make the best mediators, as they are most consistently present to the child. They act as guide or intercessor, helping the child to gain confidence by always thinking with a plan in mind. The learner responds by developing new thinking skills, gaining better planning skills, developing self-control, and experiencing success. Mediation is the key. By learning the tools of effective mediation, parents overcome many struggles in their home.
WISDOM’s parent training events in Mediated Learning equip parents to better observe their children in order to see how they think and to determine which areas need mediation. The goal is to bring all children to a place of success. The home setting is ideal for on-going observation and consistent mediating of change.
To learn more about specific Mediated Learning workshops, click here.
Q: Is Mediated Learning specifically for children with learning problems?
A: ML is for everyone, because we can all grow in our thinking abilities. ML is a workout for all thinkers.
Those who struggle as learners or are challenged with behaviour issues have a wonderful track-record of great improvement. Solutions are offered for those who face difficulties in reading, numeracy, writing, focus, memory, organization, self-regulation, and a host of other learning weaknesses.
Q: Do you offer assessment services?
A: WISDOM offers assessment to children 8 years and older, using the Mediated Learning method. Dynamic Assessment is a service that helps parents zero-in on their child's weak cognitive areas. Parents are encouraged to be present at assessments, and they will see learning changes occur right within the assessment process itself.
We are here to support your family's unique needs, offering encouragement and expert advice as you need it.
WISDOM Home Schooling is the home education department of The Gilbertine Academy. When you join us, you will see the school name or association name (The Gilbertine Institute) listed on various documents and resources.
When you submit your notification via our parent portal, we will ensure all the information is correct and create your enrollment. A member of the team will send you a welcome email. After that, we will assign you a facilitator, who will make contact and assist you in your home school planning and implementation. They can help you set a vision for your home school, as well as help you tailor a unique program that fits your students' individual learning needs.
In high school, we'll discuss post secondary choices, and help you decide what avenue of completion to pursue, whether it be an Alberta High School Diploma, or a WISDOM Completion Diploma and Parent Verified Transcript (see High School for more).
WISDOM does our best to meet you at your needs. Some families prefer more interaction with our office staff, PAC, and facilitator, while others feel confident in their path and prefer more independence. Please do let us know what you prefer. Remember to keep the lines of communication open to help us to serve you best.
Though the funding deadline is September 29, we will accept families throughout the year, pending an approved education program plan. We do appreciate those un-funded families who are able, to consider sending us a donation to help cover our operating costs, even if it's just a small portion of the $850 student support amount.
WISDOM exists solely to serve the traditional home schooling family. Join us!
The WISDOM Home Schooling community began in 1995 when two home educating couples saw the need for parents to be supported with maximum freedom over their own schooling at home, deciding what is taught to their children, as well as how and when it is taught.
As a result of the founders' promise to uphold parents as primary educators, all decisions and policies are developed with the intent of supporting parents as they educate their children. Because the members of our facilitating team, our office staff and our Parent Advisory Council are home schooling parents or were home educated themselves, their responses and service reflect this insight and commitment. We support all teaching methods from highly structured to unschooling, classical to eclectic to world-schooling.
We are Christian, serving families with a wide variety of religious beliefs, as well as families who do not profess any particular faith. Our mandate is to build culture through supporting home education and family life, whatever that looks like for you. We serve home schooling families everywhere in the province of Alberta, Canada.
Looking for more information? Attend an Open House event.
WHAT IS REQUIRED
To home educate with WISDOM, a family must:
- Notify us of your intent to home educate with the WISDOM Home Schooling department of The Gilbertine Academy.
- A parent must conduct an evaluation of the progress of the student at regular intervals and maintain a record of the methods and dates of those evaluations, and must maintain dated samples of student work and a general record of the student’s activities, (Alberta Home Education Regulation 4(1)(a))
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meet for two facilitator evaluations each year, either in their home or in a mutually agreeable location.
We work with individual issues and extenuating circumstances as best we can. Every situation is unique, and we desire to serve our families at their individual needs.
Note: when a family does NOT meet minimum requirements above despite best efforts, The Gilbertine Academy is unable to meet the minimum requirements of Alberta Education. In this case, we would not consider enrolment for the following year, and may make a note in the student file recommending a program with higher levels of accountability. This policy protects the freedom of all home educators.
WHERE ARE WE?
- The Gilbertine Institute operates an associate private school, The Gilbertine Academy, supervising and supporting home education programs under the banner of WISDOM Home Schooling. Our society board, in-school and home education administration and staff are wholly supportive of home education. The Gilbertine Institute and Gilbertine Academy campus program are based in Calgary.
- WISDOM is made up of home schooling families all across Alberta, so in that sense, WISDOM is "everywhere"! Some of our families, while Alberta residents, are living temporarily (military, travel or ministry) all over the globe. Our magazine has subscribers from all around the world as well.
- You can find the WISDOM office staff working out of the home education office near the small town of Derwent, Alberta.
- Your facilitator probably lives somewhere reasonably near you, as we do try to keep them closer to their home (and their own home schooling family). Our facilitators live all over Alberta. They visit your home twice a year, and are also available via phone and email at all times.
- Our in-person events span the province, wherever there is enough interest and a suitable location.
- Our Mediated Learning Program holds workshops province-wide as well as in 3-session online modules.
We are also on Facebook, Instagram and X - join us!
Our office is usually open Monday through Friday, from 9am-noon and 1-4pm.
Chat: during office hours, click the chat button in the lower-right corner to talk with us. If no one is available, you can leave a message and we'll follow up as soon as we can.
Phone: 780-741-2113 or toll-free 1-877-425-8546
Email: office@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Family Funding department: finance@wisdomhomeschooling.com
Mail:
Box 78
Derwent, AB
T0B 1C0
We are also on Facebook, Instagram and X - join us!
For contact information for specific members of the team, go to their bios:
