TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION

Rex Murphy is a Rhodes Scholar who very succinctly, makes key points on current events.

Below he presents his view on the amazing opportunity we have in Canada to follow through on the 94 Recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

I hope as he points out, that this is not just going to be another flare that goes up with a bang and quickly passes.

As educators, we have an amazing opportunity now to acknowledge this unfortunate historical event and put a monitored, cyclic action plan in place to ensure our students, parents, teachers, administrators and support staffs, move toward a diverse and inclusive school community that engages the indigenous populations and make them a part of moving forward.

Recommendations 6 to 12 focus the next steps necessary, to improve the aboriginal education experience.

Click here for Rex Murphy's Presentation: http://www.cbc.ca/thenational/content/abouttheshow/correspondents/rex_murphy.html


Click here for the Commission's 94 Recommendations:
http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf

PISA and OECD Results Are Damaging Education

The letter below outlines how PISA and OECD are damaging the morale of Ministries of Education world wide, Boards of Education, educators, and students. It's systems for assessment are outdated.

This letter to the PISA administration is signed by a number of International Academics that say PISA testing results are not the standard to which we should aspire. It is an incompetent measuring tool and does not take the whole child into account or the real purpose of education. Isn't education at the elementary and secondary level, meant to prepare students for participation in democratic self-government, with a well developed moral compass, ready for a life of personal development, growth and wellbeing, and to ready oneself for further education or career choices? Isn't about developing the skills necessary for the 21st century, and resilience for a world of rapid growth and change?

If you want to improve the standards of education world wide, and improve teaching pedagogies and best practices, then a collaborative, teacher performance appraisal framework, by highly trained administrators that are focussed on improving educators as role models of the Standards of Practice, is most effective.

Look at the top education systems in the world. They use personal performance appraisal systems at the school level. They don't need international testing devices to plan their next steps.

Read this short assessment of PISA and the impact it is unfortunately having.
How do we better assess our international performance in education if that is necessary.
It surely can be done without ruining student self images and the morale of hard working teachers.

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/may/06/oecd-pisa-tests-damaging-education-academics

Sir Ken Robinson on Standardized Testing. 

bit.ly/1GP7HeD

Excellent short 2 minute video.

We need HIGH Educational Standards and we must fight against the common movement toward Standardized Testing.

We are all different and do things in different ways due to our personal learning experience. Personalized education is needed before standardized testing.

Classroom Management Ideas 

This link has been posted in my blog under classroom management strategies!!

Have a look!! Some great ideas you can build on!!!

Click here:  http://www.buzzfeed.com/weareteachers/27-attention-getters-for-quieting-a-noisy-classroo-h0xt

The Brain And Restorative Powers

Great video clip by CBC on the brain and learning and its restorative powers.

Interesting information on Autism, Parkinson's and more.

Check it out.

Click here: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152678385612686

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Developmental Stages of School Aged Children

An excellent resource worth bookmarking!

Click this link: bit.ly/1EY5SON

Technology Implementation in Schools - Here's How!

Bill Torrens ‏@bill_torrens Principal at Gatestone School 

tweeted out a wonderful reflective blog entry on 

how to develop and implement a Technology Plan in your 

school.  


Click the link below to see the whole article. 

• Build a shared vision –  This is vital if the goal is a sustained, cross-curricular application on a routine basis. Especially when you leave the school.

• Develop a strategic plan backed by action – Why is this change needed? How will it be implemented? What resources are needed? How will we monitor progress and evaluate on a consistent basis? What other challenges have to be overcome? 

• Access matters – During the planning process it is imperative that there is a critical analysis of existing infrastructure. 

• Ensure ongoing professional development – I cannot overstate the importance of this suggestion enough.  Teachers need training on how to develop pedagogically sound lessons and quality assessments aligned to higher standards.  They also need to be exposed to a variety of tools and ways that they can be seamlessly integrated to support specified learning outcomes. School leaders need professional learning opportunities that assist them to effectively observe and evaluate digital learning in classrooms.   Professional development should be ongoing and embedded throughout the school year.

• Monitor with intent – The vision and planning process provides the focus, but consistent monitoring helps to ensure sustainable change leading to transformation.  School leaders need to consistently monitor and provide feedback on digital learning activities through observations, evaluations, walk-throughs, and collecting artifacts.  

• Provide support – Throughout the initial implementation stages, and well after the initiative gains steam, ongoing support needs to be provided. Support comes in many ways such as empowering teachers to be innovative, giving up control, being flexible, encouraging risk-taking and providing a budget.

• Model the way – To put it simply, don’t expect others to do what you will not. Attempt to model at a basic level the expectations that you have when it comes to digital learning. Don’t be afraid to roll up your sleeves and work along side your colleagues. 

Excellent synopsis. Check it out. 

Click this link: http://Click esheninger.blogspot.ca/2015/03/digital-learning-prospers-with-right.html?m=1 …

The 6 C's for the 21st Century Teacher and Student

The "6  Cs" for the 21st Century Teacher 

Michael Fullen, Ontario's education researcher guru has set our next focus for teachers.
He has called it the 6 C's for Teaching and Learning. Here they are listed below. Check the attached short article to learn more!!

• Character education— honesty, self-regulation and responsibility, perseverance, empathy for contributing to the safety and benefit of others, self-confidence, personal health and well-being, career and life skills.
  
  
• Citizenship — global knowledge, sensitivity to and respect for other cultures, active involvement in addressing issues of human and environmental sustainability.
  
  
• Communication — communicate effectively orally, in writing and with a variety of digital tools; listening skills.
  
  
• Critical thinking and problem solving — think critically to design and manage projects, solve problems, make effective decisions using a variety of digital tools and resources.
  
  
• Collaboration — work in teams, learn from and contribute to the learning of others, social networking skills, empathy in working with diverse others.
  
  
• Creativity and imagination — economic and social entrepreneurialism, considering and pursuing novel ideas, and leadership for action. 
  

Click this link to learn more: The 6 C's: From Great to Excellent

This link is also posted in my Favourites List on the home page.

Gender And Diversity

In our Methods Class, Faculty of Education, Brock University, we have been working on Diversity and Differentiation. 

If you get  chance take a look at this article on Gender and Success at School. 

Boys are behind girls academically across the grades our statistics revealed in class last week. 

Have a look at this article from the Economist- Click Here: 

www.economist.com/news/international/21645759-boys-are-being-outclassed-girls-both-school-and-university-and-gap?fsrc=scn/tw/te/pe/ed/theweakersex

JAMES BOND - INNOVATIVE EDUCATOR

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