The week of March 21-April 1, 2022
HAPPY SPRING or HAPPY CAPITAL POTHOLE SEASON (your choice and they’re not mutually exclusive)
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We hope you are all keeping well and looking forward to a beautiful spring full of blooming flora and jobs for you!!! What a significant time to be starting your career in education. We hope you will let us know what you are doing after you leave the Faculty. Speaking of leaving the faculty, graduation is on the horizon. We know that many of you have been working on completing all of your 3151 assignments as well as other coursework. We are sending out reminder notes if you are missing some key projects such as the S4C inquiry project. As you know, we are responsible for assessing your work and providing a Pass/Fail mark to the Academic Secretariat.
Digital hub presentations start this week on March 24th. We hope you experienced/experience excellent presentations on the 24th or 31st. Enjoy the opportunity to tell your education story – so far. Heather will be one of the reviewers on the 31st.
We are all watching the witnessing the horrors of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Some of you might have strong links to that part of the world. Our thoughts are with you.
April 7 H/HH class and April 14 year two celebration
Our last H/HH class will be online on Thursday, April 7th at 9:45. This will be our opportunity to say Farewell and to hear from you all. We know a number of you have been interviewing for OT lists at different boards as you have let us know and we are receiving requests for references.
So, for the April 7th meeting, we will do a “How’s it going” Circle, and then we thought we could have a question and comment forum. Because of the few hours available for cohort meetings this year, and the need to cover assignments and accompanying pedagogy, and practicum stuff, and the fact that we never have had the chance to have those important ad hoc conversations with you after an actual on-campus class — there have been few opportunities to ask and answer really practical questions about our own experiences as educators and administrators. So, think of some questions and let us know.
We will not be at the April 14 Faculty celebration so there is no H/HH cohort class that day at 8:30 – 10:00 as published on Brightspace. We hope to be at graduation.
Here is some information from Shari Orders and the Faculty about the April 14 celebration.
When you accepted your offer of admission waaay back in 2020, no one could have imagined how the next two years would unfold, or how the pandemic would impact each and every one of us. Well, the finish line is (finally!) in sight and it is time to acknowledge and celebrate your hard work, perseverance, and endless adaptability. YOU ARE AMAZING.
You are invited to participate in a Kudoboard for the Graduating Class of 2022. Think of it as our collaborative digital yearbook; a place to share photos, memories, and messages to commemorate our time together in the B.Ed. program.
What you share is up to you, but here are some ideas to get you started:
- photos of an event, activity, or class
- an alternative grad photo
- screenshot(s) from a virtual class
- photo of you “in action” on practicum
- message of appreciation for a colleague, professor, practicum supervisor, or support staff
- meme or cartoon
- something or someone you are proud of
- a meaningful memory or “take away” from your time in the program.
Feel free to post as often as you like! Photos, videos, memes, artwork and other artifacts are appreciated.
Please remember to include your first and last name, cohort, and section with each post. Deadline for posting is April 10th, 2022.
Let’s keep this space inclusive and fun. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or difficulties!
Here’s the link: https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/nwL9sF3o
Cheers,
Shari Orders (sorders@uottawa.ca)
Final Celebration- April 14
On April 14 we will be holding our final celebration. In addition to the Kudoboard, we would like to create a slideshow of the past two years. It would be great to have all Year 2 candidates represented. Could you please send a photograph or photographs representing your journey as a teacher to tcrowe@uottawa.ca. By sending your photographs you are consenting that they can be shared with the teacher education community. The deadline for submissions is April 12 at noon.
Right to Read: a public inquiry into human rights issues affecting students with reading disabilities
Please keep up with the Royal Commission looking into the many issues regarding literacy and reading instruction and learning in our province. U of O faculty, such as Prof. Jess Whitley, are closely involved. As an educator – in whatever grade, subject or school – reading and comprehension will be issues. We encourage all of you to follow the work of the Right to Read commission and its work, and to seriously think about taking Spec. Ed One soon in your career, and to take advantage of any literacy professional development. We include a link to the commission site and a link to a very compelling CBC story about a 19-year old who finally started to comprehend the written word.
https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/right-read-public-inquiry-on-reading-disabilities
CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN! (or at least a few)
Some side information for your perusal: Paul and I and a band of trekkers are once again preparing for a 2023 trip to Tanzania and to climb Mount Kilmanjaro. This was supposed to happen in 2020 but that kind of backfired. So we are up again and if any of you are interested or know someone who might be interested in seeing a full moon from the Roof of Africa and support the Christie Lake Kids Foundation, please direct them our way.
Kilimanjaro – Paul and Heather attempting once more to climb to the Roof of Africa in 2023
Paul’s photos
and then, for the curious…
A new study suggests it’s becoming increasingly common for octopuses to use bottles, cans and other human trash to shelter themselves, camouflage their dens and even house their eggs. https://t.co/gP1BxaQ00E https://t.co/9LroXQm14l
(https://twitter.com/
WORDLE – MAke your OWN
https://mywordle.strivemath.com/
and finally, something beautiful, “Somewhere” sung by Rita Moreno in the 2021 film, “West Side Story”, lyrics by Sondheim, music by Bernstein. Moreno was in the original film in the ’60s.