David Lloyd Grant

Year: 2016 – Province: Ontario

Certificate of Achievement Recipient

David Lloyd Grant

Crescent School
2365 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, Ontario  M2L 1A2

Principal: Michael Fellin
School telephone: 416-449-2556
School email: info@crescentschool.org
School website: http://www.crescentschool.org

Subjects and grades taught: Science, Exploring Technology, Tech/Robotics, grades 9 and 10

Called a "disruptive technology" by his former principal, David Grant believes in the effectiveness of hands-on learning, particularly through robotics. He has brought a whole new approach to teaching and learning to his school.

Teaching approach

Mr. Grant promotes student success through the principle of learning by doing, and succeeding by failing and then trying again. By engaging with the content and material resources, students form and answer their own questions, effectively creating their own knowledge and learning.

Outstanding achievements

  • Created the school's first robotics team 16 years ago; it consistently attracts students who then succeed in national and international competitions; the school now has a full slate of popular robotics classes; graduates are sought by universities; a number have gone on to be successful high-tech entrepreneurs.
  • Introduced, with a colleague, the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics competitions to Canada; co-founded a national not-for-profit organization that now involves 15,000 students from across Canada.
  • With the adoption of a modular cross-curricular approach, shaped the school's grade 3 to 12 science and technology curriculum. The Grade 9 Exploring Technologies course, for example, integrates media arts, robotic design technology and software applications.
  • Instrumental in bringing a hands-on and interactive design and technology lab to the school in 1995, long before such teaching approaches were widespread.
  • In 2015 presented the keynote speech on the benefits of incorporating hands-on learning into the curriculum to an international conference about boys' schools.Appointed as the school's Dean of Studies to bring his vision and experience building the successful robotics program to other areas of the curriculum.

Rave reviews

"I'm convinced that [David's] influence changed the trajectory of the school and its culture. I know that he's had a transformative effect on a generation of students."

Former headmaster

"[David] prides himself on building strong relationships with his students in order that they develop the confidence to reach their full potential."

Nominator