"To make a difference in the life of a child ... I made the commitment to tell my personal story," says educator Lisa Godwin. In this moving talk, she shares her experience of overcoming childhood trauma with the quiet, unwavering support of a teacher and school counselor — and shows how educators can help students and families navigate hardships by sharing their own stories.

Take Our Kids to work day is an optional learning experience for Sun West Grade 9 Career Education Students. For a student to participate in this opportunity, Principal approval as well as consent from Parent/Guardian and Workplace Employer is necessary. 

A resource for parents on how best to talk to children about the coronavirus (COVID-19).

News of the coronavirus COVID-19 is everywhere, from the front page of all the papers to the playground at school. Many parents are wondering how to bring up the epidemic in a way that will be reassuring and not make kids more worried than they already may be. Here is some advice from the experts at the Child Mind Institute.

This New York Times article details advice from experts on how parents can help teens be prepared and have the right information about the coronavirus.

Tawow, Welcome to Pow-Wow Country is a collection of photographic artifacts and information dating back to the Indian Act of 1876 as digitalized by Saskatchewan Council for Archives and Archivists. Patricia Deiter describes the history and acceptance of the pow-wow from the early 1900s to the contemporary pow-wow. Also included is information about the various dances and regalia.

A great video on Explicitly teaching. A must watch!

Welcome!! The student take ownership in this activity that encourages creativity, voice, and choice. My students have told me that often this is the highlight of the year! I also feel that many executive functioning and classroom environment skills are enforced as well in this Unit. Students will need a generous amount of time to complete this extensive unit. 

"Teachers use Diffit to get “just right” instructional materials, saving tons of time and helping all students to access grade level content"
*change reading levels
*write video transcripts
*generate learning materials for any grade or topic - the more specific you can be, the better. Include the SK outcomes you are working on! (images, summaries, vocabulary lists, multiple choice, short answer, prompts, student activities)
*translate it all to other languages (many!)
*do this for a video or article
*cut and paste in any text

Both a short and long form writing progression for K-12. Very useful for seeing what writing should be done by grade level. Developed from https://www.stf.sk.ca/professional-resources/saskatchewan-professional-development-unit/resources/english-language-arts?field_spdu_category_tid=281

"Hitting a wall? Explore self-care strategies to battle teacher burnout, and rediscover your inner superhero to bring excitement and creativity back into your classroom."

The Fair Dealing Decision Tool helps teachers decide whether "fair dealing" permits classroom use of print materials, artistic works, or audiovisual materials without first getting copyright permission. The tool helps teachers determine whether a specific intended classroom use is allowed by the Fair Dealing Guidelines.

Teachers! Thinking of using a copyright-protected work? Use this tool to find out if the use is allowed under fair dealing.

Download this free phonemic awareness today!

Recent discussions occurring online, in journals, and at conferences are creating uncertainties about what phonological awareness instruction will be most effective with which children. This guide addresses some of these questions by using what we currently know from the scientific research, from teacher experiences, and from observations in clinical teaching environments for children who struggle with reading.

The outline of the resource includes:
Section 1. Reading Research, Instructional Practice, and Phoneme Awareness
1.1 When should reading research influence instructional practices?
1.2 What is Phonological Awareness? Why is it Important?
Section 2. The Who, When, What, and How of Teaching Phonemic Awareness
2.1 Who needs to be taught phoneme awareness?
2.2 When should phonological awareness instruction begin?
2.3 What phonemic awareness skills should be taught?
2.4 How should phonological awareness instruction begin?
2.5 How much phonological awareness time should involve phonemic awareness activities?
2.6 Is there any value in beginning phonological awareness instruction with larger units, such
as syllables?
2.7 Do onset-rime activities have a role in early phonemic awareness instruction?
2.8 What are manipulatives and how can I use them when teaching phoneme awareness?
2.9 Is it important to teach phoneme awareness with tasks like phoneme deletion and
substitution?
Using sound chains to teach phoneme awareness

" Translate the current research on reading into classroom practices that teachers can deploy tomorrow. We know that reading is an active process that is impacted by the text, task, and sociocultural context in which the reading occurs."

The Rick Hansen Foundation School Program is a comprehensive set of resources for administrators, teachers and students designed to:

increase disability awareness, accessibility and inclusion; and
empower young people to make a difference in their school, community and the world.
The RHF School Program Resources are:

FREE – English and French
Easy to implement – ready made lessons
Updated each year
Designed with Universal Design for Learning principles
Supported with Differentiated Instruction
Toolkits available online and/or in hard copy
Supported by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education, and
Connected to Saskatchewan Curriculum Outcomes and Ministry Education Priorities

This is a quick start guide from Microsoft to help teachers get started using teams.

"Founded in 2007, MakeUseOf is an online publication that issues tips and guides on how to make the most of the internet, computer software, and mobile apps. Our mission is to help users understand and navigate modern trends in consumer technology."

A great first stop when trying to troubleshoot or fix your tech problems!

Definitely check out the cheat sheets. The productivity bundle is great.