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INSIDE: Jan/Feb 2012
Introvert? Extrovert? Over the years I've noticed that my introverted students have a hard time adjusting to some aspects of learning because of their introversion, which could be expected to further complicate the situation by undermining their self-esteem. This is not a problem coming from them alone.
Family Literacy This article provides a little peek at one of the well attended sessions at the 2011 Vancouver Island Children's Book Festival. Bookfest is an event that is organized by a dedicated group of volunteers for the families of Nanaimo and the surrounding area. Authors and illustrators gather to speak directly to children about writing, illustrating and making books in a day-long event held in May each year.
Overseas Placements Build Skills Short-term teaching placements, particularly in less-developed parts of the world, can be a wonderful way for Canadian teachers to enrich the learning experience of students and to transfer skills to other teachers in the host country. But these placements can also be of tremendous benefit to the teachers who take time for a placement program.
Whole Brain Teaching Whole Brain Teaching has changed my teaching style—dramatically. Often I imagine myself as a young, green teacher, and I am certain I would not even recognize my older self. My stress level is down, the enjoyment level is up and my students are learning more than ever.
Discipline Tips Students who are engaged in learning are not misbehaving. Your ability to keep students productively engaged will determine much of your success in the teaching profession. Here are ten ways to keep your students engaged in learning.
A Short History of the High School Poster Art teachers are often called upon to supply institutional graphics. I have always prided myself in creating eye-catching newsletters, flyers, programs and newspaper advertisements for my school. As I reflect on a career of more than thirty years in public education, it is interesting to see how the technology to create information design has evolved.
Engaging Adolescent Learners: One School's Journey
Intellectual engagement - when students hearts, hands and minds are engaged in learning – is a compelling idea for educators; but, does it translate into practice? Follow the journey of one school as they describe their experiences with What did you do in school today? and what it took to raise levels of student engagement across grades and subject areas in an entire school. by CEA ACE
News
Explore Cuba
Authentic Cuba Travel is offering some interesting programs for Canadian teachers. Visit www.authenticubatours.com for details.
Free Webinar - Connecting with Struggling Readers: Resources, Tips, and Advice to Engage and Inspire.
On Jan 31, 2012 at 1 pm CST, join Orca Book Publishers, Saddleback Educational Publishing and Teachingbooks.net for a free webinar from Booklist Magazine. Register now to learn new ways to connect with your struggling readers. In this free, hour-long webinar, a lively panel including Nick Glass from Teachingbooks.net, Andrew Wooldridge from Orca Book Publishers, public librarian Christin Hirleman from South Carolina and Tim McHugh from Saddleback Educational Publishing, will discuss strategies and resources (both books and classroom materials) to help engage struggling readers. Register here.
Correction for Moroccan Vegetable Curry Recipe Oops! We left off the last three steps for making the Moroccan Vegetable Curry dish in the November/December 2011 issue. Please go to the following link for the complete recipe.Moroccan Vegetable Curry Recipe.
Digital Literacy Tutorials for Alberta Students
Alberta Education has licensed MyWorld: A digital literacy tutorial for secondary students for all secondary schools in the province. The interactive tutorial – developed by Media Awareness Network (MNet) – offers students simulations of popular online sites to teach them about cyberbullying, hate speech, online marketing ploys and privacy protection. MyWorld also contains information on authenticating online information, reputation management, dealing with online relationships and ethical use of the Internet. MyWorld builds on an existing licence agreementAlberta has for MNet’s complementary resource for elementary students Passport to the Internet. For more information on MyWorld, visit http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/catalogue/products/descriptions/myworld.cfm.
ExploraVision Science Competition
Now in its 20th year, ExploraVision is a science competition that challenges young minds and inspires a love of science (presented by Toshiba and the National Science Teachers Association). ExploraVision is designed for K – 12 students of all interest, skill and ability levels, and is open to students in the US and Canada. Teacher sponsors lead students in groups of 2 to 4 as they study a technology of interest and predict what that technology might be like 20 years from now. Generous prize packages are awarded to the winning teams, and this year, in celebration of its 20th anniversary, Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision is offering prizes for the teachers and the school with the largest number of qualified projects. www.exploravision.org
Stop A Bully
This program, developed by a teacher in B.C., allows any student in Canada to submit a bully report directly to school officials by choosing the "Make A Report" option on the stopabully.ca website. Schools can let students know that this service is available to them, and if the staff wishes to implement the program fully, the school can join and pay a membership fee that covers the costs of the program. www.stopabully.ca.
Grade 4 & 5 Snowpass Program
The Grade 4 & 5 Snowpass Program allows students to ski and snowboard for free. Learn about the program at www.snowpass.ca or email Laura Rice at info@snowpass.ca for application forms or more information.
K.I.D.S. Website
The Kids Development Society, featured in the May 2010 issue of Canadian Teacher Magazine, has launched a new website that provides information about Rick and Adrianne's work to benefit families and communities in Southeast Asia. www.kidsdevelopmentsociety.org.
The Story of Food
USC Canada's new short, animated film will get you thinking about our broken food system. It identifies what's gone wrong, and what we can do to rebuild it. Watch it here.
Canadian School Calendar
The Canadian Education Association prepares a school calendar each year,
which is free online at www.cea-ace.ca/publication/2011-2012-school-calendar.
The School Calendar provides all opening and closing dates for primary
and secondary schools in every Canadian province and territory.
ScrubClub.org
NSF International, a not-for-profit public health organization, has developed
a web site scrubclub.org that
teaches children how to properly wash their hands. Interactive games,
including the one that features the evil villain “Influenza Enzo – Stop
Fluin’ Around,” teaches children how illnesses are spread
and how to prevent them. “With the cold and flu season already
in full swing, hand washing is more important than ever,” said
Cheryl Luptowski, NSF Public Information Officer. "By teaching children
proper hand washing practices, we can make a difference in preventing
the spread of the flu and other serious illnesses.” Materials,
such as a Scrub Club® membership card and educational materials
for teachers and parents, can be downloaded directly from the site.
Resources for Rethinking
One year ago, thirty teachers came together with Learning for a Sustainable
Future to launch “Resources for Rethinking,” an online
database of teacher-reviewed, curriculum-matched classroom resources
that promotes the development of an environmentally, socially, and
economically sustainable society. “Resources for Rethinking” can
now connect teachers at no charge to more than 500 quality resources,
each one having met rigorous evaluation criteria and offering excellence
in both sustainability education and pedagogical principles. “Resources
for Rethinking” allows users to search its inventory by sustainability
issue, subject, grade or Province/territory, in both English and French.
Not only does the database address a range of topics relevant to sustainable
development, but each resource has also been reviewed by an experienced
classroom teacher. Visit www.resources4rethinking.ca and
discover tools for active, relevant, and interdisciplinary teaching
and learning. Get involved in the project by sending in your favourite
resources for The Resources for Rethinking team to review.
