Imagine This - Ideas & Stories for Creative, Meaningful Teaching

When Field Trips Become Field Work—Animal Documentaries at the Vancouver Aquarium

Dylan Ismail — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 04:45:00 -0700

What changes when students stop going on field trips as visitors and start showing up with a job to do?

In this episode of Imagine This, Dylan sits down with fellow Classmate teammate and Educational Technology Coach, Jen, to explore a project that transformed a traditional visit to the Vancouver Aquarium into a full-scale documentary filmmaking experience.

Instead of simply observing exhibits, Grade 6 students arrived as filmmakers, researchers, and storytellers. Armed with iPads, shot lists, and documentary techniques inspired by professional filmmakers, students captured footage, interviewed experts, studied animal behaviour, and created advocacy documentaries from the perspective of the animals themselves.

Jen shares how the project evolved across multiple years and classrooms, what they learned from their first attempt, and why pre-production, scaffolding, and authentic purpose completely changed the way students approached both the aquarium and their learning.

This conversation dives into documentary storytelling, field trip design, media literacy, inquiry learning, and the power of giving students meaningful roles in real-world learning experiences.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make field trips feel more purposeful, immersive, and memorable, this episode is full of practical ideas and inspiration.

About Jen

Jen is an educational technology coach with Classmate who collaborates with teachers to design engaging, creative, and inquiry-driven learning experiences. With a background in science education and experiential learning, she is passionate about helping students move beyond passive consumption and into authentic, hands-on learning roles.

Through projects that blend storytelling, technology, media creation, and curriculum integration, Jen helps classrooms rethink what learning can look like both inside and outside of school.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

[00:00:29] Turning field trips into field work
[00:07:23] How the Vancouver Aquarium project began
[00:11:21] Recon day and planning the experience
[00:17:51] Students filming documentaries at the aquarium
[00:24:16] Teaching documentary and filmmaking skills
[00:30:57] Pre-production meetings and shot planning
[00:36:24] The Caiman footage moment
[00:40:15] Students naturally using filmmaking language
[00:41:48] Editing and reflection back at school

Get Your Tickets to the 2026 Deeper Learning Canada Conference: July 2–4 in Chilliwack, BC

Classroom Chronicles articles mentioned:

Resources discussed in this episode:

—

Contact Classmate:

Finding Your Voice: How One Kindergarten Class Uses Nature and Technology to Tell Their Stories

Dylan Ismail — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 04:30:00 -0700

How do you teach five-year-old students not just to speak, but to communicate with purpose?

In this episode of Imagine This, Dylan sits down with kindergarten teacher Caterina Gabriele to explore how intentional language routines, outdoor learning, and purposeful technology use can transform even the youngest learners into confident communicators.

From daily “I can” messages to a powerful outdoor soundscape project, Caterina shares how she builds the foundations of communication in her classroom. We talk about how her students learn to give meaningful messages, reflect on their experiences, and connect their emotions to their learning, all before they can fully write it down.

The conversation also dives into a standout project at Cates Park, where students use iPads to document the world around them through sound, video, and reflection. What starts as a simple science field trip quickly becomes something much deeper: a cross-curricular, inquiry-driven experience that brings out the best in every learner.

This episode is full of practical strategies and inspiring moments for educators looking to build student voice, foster authentic reflection, and use technology with purpose, not as a reward, but as a tool for learning.

About Caterina Gabriele

Caterina Gabriele is a kindergarten teacher in North Vancouver with a passion for early literacy, communication, and student well-being. With a background in dance and a Master of Education from UBC, she brings energy, structure, and creativity into her classroom. Caterina is deeply committed to helping young learners develop the language and confidence they need to express themselves, advocate for their needs, and engage meaningfully with the world around them.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

[00:00:16] Introduction to Caterina and the energy of a Friday afternoon recording
[00:01:10] Caterina’s journey into teaching and why she chose kindergarten
[00:06:13] Using performance and storytelling to build classroom buy-in
[00:07:34] Teaching communication through “I can” messages and body awareness
[00:09:47] Why real-life experiences matter more than repetition in language development
[00:11:08] Building a classroom-wide language system across subjects
[00:12:00] Helping students advocate for themselves through structured communication
[00:14:08] How strong language skills lead to clearer assessment and faster insight
[00:16:21] Capturing authentic learning through Seesaw and ePortfolios
[00:17:38] Moving beyond “wow work” to show real student growth
[00:19:42] The origin of the Cates Park soundscape project
[00:21:50] Designing a cross-curricular outdoor learning experience
[00:22:38] What happens when learning moves beyond the classroom walls
[00:24:12] How the field trip is structured for success (with parent support)
[00:25:49] Why participation skyrockets outside
[00:26:34] Using senses to drive observation, reflection, and emotion
[00:27:56] Recording student thinking through audio and video
[00:28:51] Tracking growth from one-part to multi-part student messages
[00:29:43] Seasonal changes and how they shape student observations
[00:30:55] Introducing iPads as tools—not toys—in kindergarten
[00:33:14] Building routines and expectations for meaningful tech use
[00:34:47] Rethinking screen time in an educational context
[00:37:55] The importance of specificity when using technology in learning

Classroom Chronicles articles mentioned:

Resources discussed in this episode:

—

Contact Classmate:

What 300 Classrooms Taught Us About Meaningful Tech Integration

Dylan Ismail — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 04:15:00 -0700

What does it actually look like to support over 300 classrooms every year?

In this episode of Imagine This, Dylan, Jen, and Carlo take you behind the scenes of their work as educational technology coaches. From co-planning lessons with teachers to jumping between kindergarten and grade seven classrooms in a single day, they share what they’ve learned about designing meaningful, engaging learning experiences with technology.

This conversation explores the evolution of their role, from early days focused on teaching tools and devices to a deeper, more impactful focus on curriculum, competencies, and student learning. Along the way, they unpack what makes classroom projects truly successful, why technology should feel invisible when done right, and how small moments of support can lead to big shifts in teaching practice.

They also walk through real classroom examples, including podcasting projects, terrarium-based science lessons, and collaborative inquiry work that connects students beyond the classroom.

Whether you’re an educator, school leader, or just curious about what’s possible in modern classrooms, this episode offers a candid look at the realities (and possibilities) of meaningful tech integration.

About Classmate

Classmate partners with educators to co-create engaging, meaningful learning experiences in the classroom. Rather than focusing on technology for its own sake, they work alongside teachers to design projects that spark curiosity, creativity, and real student engagement.

Through a blend of instructional coaching and technical support, Classmate helps schools bring ideas to life, making learning more collaborative, purposeful, and connected to the real world.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

[00:00:22] Introduction to the podcast and the Classmate team
[00:01:00] What it means to support over 300 classrooms each year
[00:02:03] Explaining the role of an educational technology coach
[00:04:17] What a typical week looks like across multiple schools
[00:05:59] From kindergarten lessons to grade seven podcast projects
[00:09:37] How the role has evolved from tech training to curriculum integration
[00:12:14] Why foundational tech skills matter (and how they’re applied)
[00:12:51] Teacher isolation and the importance of collaboration
[00:16:38] The terrarium project: bringing the water cycle to life
[00:21:53] Why technology should support learning—not be the focus
[00:22:34] The immigration podcast project and authentic storytelling
[00:25:13] Why real audiences make learning more meaningful
[00:29:04] Iterating on projects across classrooms and schools
[00:33:20] The fur trade survival guide and collaborative learning design
[00:38:03] Why time and structure matter for successful projects
[00:39:45] What teachers should know when starting with tech integration
[00:45:02] Why curiosity matters more than age or experience
[00:46:04] “We don’t teach technology”—we use it with purpose

Classroom Chronicles Articles discussed:

Resources discussed in this episode:

—

Contact Classmate:

Turning Dungeons & Dragons Into a Classroom Storytelling Adventure with Patricia Berlanga

Dylan Ismail — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 04:00:00 -0700

What happens when a teacher turns storytelling into a live, collaborative classroom experience?

In this episode of Imagine This, Dylan sits down with Grade 7 teacher Patricia Berlanga to talk about a creative project that brought the spirit of Dungeons & Dragons into her classroom. What started as an idea inspired by tabletop role-playing became a full-day, Scooby-Doo-themed storytelling experience where students built characters, rolled dice, solved a mystery, and discovered that every decision has consequences.

Patricia shares how she adapted the mechanics of D&D into something manageable for a classroom setting, why she chose to focus on character creation and choice rather than full game rules, and what surprised her most as students began thinking more deeply about collaboration, perspective, and story structure.

This conversation is full of practical ideas for teachers who want to make learning more immersive, playful, and memorable (without needing to be a hardcore D&D expert!)

About Patricia Berlanga

Patricia Berlanga is a dedicated educator with experience teaching Gr.6-8 and a passion for helping students grow both academically and personally. She has been teaching for 6 years and has taught in Prince Rupert and New West. She is focusing on building strong foundational skills while encouraging curiosity, creativity, and confidence in learners.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

[00:00:37] Dylan and Jen introduce the episode and Patricia’s classroom project
[00:03:10] Patricia shares her teaching background and relationship-first teaching style
[00:05:22] How a Dungeons & Dragons session inspired a classroom storytelling project
[00:10:16] Why Patricia decided to adapt D&D for a short story unit
[00:12:36] Simplifying the game: focusing on character creation and choice instead of full D&D rules
[00:16:12] Why Scooby-Doo became the perfect framework for the project
[00:18:03] How students created character archetypes, strengths, and weaknesses
[00:23:29] Building the mystery story and planning for student decision-making
[00:27:32] Using props, sound effects, and role-play to immerse students in the experience
[00:30:22] How students tracked clues, motives, and suspects like real investigators
[00:31:28] The moment students began using their character sheets to guide decisions
[00:35:04] The unforgettable “punch them in the face” moment and what it taught about consequences
[00:41:19] Student reflections on collaboration, group decision-making, and missed opportunities
[00:45:04] How the project led into students writing their own short stories with branching endings
[00:47:47] What Patricia would change next time and how she wants to expand this idea into other subjects
[00:50:29] Patricia’s advice for teachers who want to try something similar in their own classrooms
[00:55:28] Invitation to Dylan’s Deeper Learning Canada Conference deep dive on role-playing games as storytelling

Get Your Tickets to the 2026 Deeper Learning Canada Conference: July 2–4 in Chilliwack, BC

Resources from Patricia’s Class:

Resources discussed in this episode:

—
Contact Classmate:

Contact Patricia Berlanga:

Trailer: Imagine This

Dylan Ismail — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:00:00 -0700

Imagine This is a podcast about what’s possible in classrooms.

Hosted by Dylan Ismail from Classmate, a team that partners with educators to co-create fun, collaborative learning experiences, this podcast blends reflection and storytelling. Each episode, Dylan talks with educators from across the school-age spectrum, and sometimes with his own colleagues, to explore the innovative and creative ways they’re inspiring students, and what they’re learning in the process.

What surprises educators? What works with their students? And what are they trying to figure out? Join Dylan and learn everything you need to know about Classmate and creating ambitious ways to inspire learning in students.

—

Contact Classmate: