These tasks, rubrics, and exemplars support high quality instruction and assessment practices.
This resource was created to support high quality writing instruction and assessment practices in grade 1.
In this article Lee Taal examines" Canada has a problem: we need more workers." A number of challenges are considered.
Information processing model: Sensory, working, and long term memory (video)
Learn about the information processing model of human memory.
This entry includes a video to support your learning as well as text to help you learn how to successfully analyze running records to inform your teaching using Meaning, Structure and Visual information.
The 5-Step Process for Authentic Learning Experiences That Hit Standards and Your Curriculum
"While Canadian society is growing more diverse and inclusive, there is still resistance when it comes to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and two-spirit (LGBTQ2) youth in schools. Although recent research indicates that the vast majority of Canadian teachers (85%) now support LGBTQ2-inclusive education, many report not yet having the knowledge or training to feel confident in creating safer and more inclusive schools for LGBTQ2 youth.
Here are four key factors that can make a positive difference for LGBTQ2 students in K-12 schools"
Eleven of the ninety-four Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) final report are specific to education. Call to Action 63, “Building student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect,” challenges Canadian education systems to focus on students’ understanding of Indigenous human rights and social justice initiatives. Non-Indigenous students are now beginning to learn about the truth of residential schools, treaties and other long-standing issues facing Indigenous communities such as lack of clean drinking water, housing and food shortages. Truth and reconciliation is a spiritual and emotional journey required of all students and educators – from the head to the heart – that will unfold differently for everyone.
In a “post-truth” era where people are increasingly influenced by their emotions and beliefs over factual information, fact and fiction can be difficult to distinguish, and fake news can spread rapidly through mainstream media sources and social networks. Moreover, fake news is often meant to do harm, by tricking us into believing a lie or unfairly discrediting a person or political movement.
Given this malicious intent, students must learn to approach news and information with a critical eye in order to identify intentionally misleading sources (although recent studies confirm that this is an uphill battle for both adults and young people). Teachers therefore play a crucial role in ensuring that their students develop the skills to decipher the many streams of information available to them.
Cognitive psychology and neuroscience have begun to dissect the neuronal mechanisms of literacy using brain-imaging techniques. During reading acquisition, our brain circuitry recycles several of its pre-existing visual and auditory areas in order to reorient them to the processing of letters and phonemes. The nature of this "neuronal recycling" process helps explain many of the children's difficulties in learning to read. Our growing understanding of the child's brain has important consequences for how education should be optimally organized.
Understanding how the brain learns to read can help us all be more effective in teaching students to read.
This is a cheat sheet on how to access CLEVER for student support teachers.
his article by Lee Wantanabe-Crockett examines a series of tips and tricks for fostering classroom discussions.
"User experience design theory (sometimes abbreviated as XD, UX, UXD or UED) focuses on the user experience of a platform. This might include accessibility, usability, enjoyment, and the overall flow of the experience. UX design focuses on both on how we use digital tools and on how we inhabit digital spaces. It focuses on systems in a way that is deeply human. What does it feel like for people? What does it look like for them? What are their processes? "
This is a fantastic article from The Global Digital Citizen Foundation by Lee Wantabe-Crockett.
This article discusses strategies to have students use feedback in their work.
How to PeBL ELA – A Scaffolded Lesson for Teachers
A "standard" lesson, based on "I Do" planning and execution, often results in the teacher identifying the outcome to be learned, selecting the resources, designing the comprehension questions and/or activity, and finally using some form of teacher-made assessment (ex. Unit Exam).
In an effort to personalize learning and encourage a "We Do" mentality, the following lesson was developed.
Note the teachers language at different times throughout the lesson. The teacher has still ensured students are utilizing grade/course appropriate content and some control over the lesson development, but has also increased student voice and choice.
"I have selected an ELA A30 text for us to view.
"Together, we will decide which outcomes we want to connect to the text and our assessment of those outcomes."
"Looking at our framework, which outcomes could we achieve..."
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention provides the most up-to-date information about the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
This infographic from Homewood Health provides tips for people (including students) working from home and staying productive.
This article looks at how to personalize learning for secondary students.
During the 2019-2020 Professional Learning Communities in Sun West, the Early Learning/Phonological Awareness PLC created this recourse to help Teachers in their ELA programming with an overview of learning to read.This continuum may also be helpful to parents, Educational Assistants, and other people in a student's educational team!Find the resource and a short webinar on how to use the resource here.