Pedablogy

University of Ottawa Faculty of Education

Jan
31

By

The week of January 31 – February 4, 2022

Category: welcome to the week! Tags: , , Leave a Comment

ENTERING the SECOND CHAPTER OF YOUR EDUCATOR JOURNEY

Road, Travel, Banner, Header, Journey, Outdoor

CONGRATULATIONS! Most of you have now completed your second-year practicum and others will be done by June. You are now entering part two of the Great Developing Educator Journey. We are so admiring of how you have persevered through many difficult months of online learning and teaching, and how you have rallied and performed so well in your practicum placements. It has been a complete delight to read the incoming final reports that speak of such great work, effort, natural talent and developing skills. We hope you will take some time – at some point – to reflect on your journey so far. You are now firmly pointed toward your career in education

THIS WEEK:

  1. There will be no 3151 H/HH online class at 9:45 a.m. on Thursday, February 3rd. We will be at a funeral celebrating the life of Paul’s mother, Barbara McGuire, a wonderful spirited and talented woman. We will prepare an asynchronous activity, posted on Brightspace in the H/HH section, that allows you to reflect and represent your practicum experience, and we will be e-mailing you with a time for an open drop-in session in the week of February 7th. Thank you for your understanding. We will ‘see’ you on February 17th online, and will be looking at your work for the 3rd.
  2. All final reports should have been submitted to the practicum office and to us by you by January 28th unless other arrangements were made.
  3. Check out the winter semester format and schedule as posted on Brightspace. if you need a room on campus on Thursdays during 3151 time, they are posted there. Some of the schedule message is below.
  4. Catch up on your 3151 work, please. We will be assessing you (pass or fail) on your two blogs, reading responses, digital hub, S4C project.
  5. Check Brightspace for updated information on OCT temporary certification and overall accreditation. You are responsible for ensuring you have submitted all of the requisite information for registration with the college.
  6. The National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec Coty Mosque Attack was on January 29th – information below.
  7. International Holocaust Remembrance Day was on January 27th, the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945.
  8. Check your e-mail for messages from us regarding the online, open hour (TBD) and any notices about work outstanding.
  9. TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF YOURSELVES. HAVE SOME FUN THIS COMING WEEK.
  10. A beautiful poem about a journey by Mary Oliver. http://thepracticelondon.org/poetry/poems-of-transformation-the-journey-by-mary-oliver/

PED 3151 Winter Semester Format & Schedule

As PED 3151 is a full-year course and was designated as online in September, it will continue online following the same format as the fall. Please refer to the course syllabus for important dates.

  • Large group sessions with Tracy Crowe and PLCs will continue to be online. Same Zoom links will apply.
  • Cohort Section Meetings will continue to be online. Professional Inquiry Sharing and Digital Hub Sharing will be virtual. Mock interviews will be virtual.
  • Individual cohort professors may arrange in-person opportunities to meet on campus but in these cases, teacher candidates will be given the option of also attending online.
  • If you are on campus on Thursdays for an in-person course and need a place to participate in our online PED 3151 sessions, you will be able to use the rooms assigned to PED 3151 from 8:30-11:30 am.

The National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia – January 29th.

This day serves as a reminder that we must continue to work together to eradicate hate and racism in Canada and remember those who lost their lives by this terrible act.   Please share the following resource to faculty members and teacher candidates as we learn about creating inclusive and diverse classrooms and communities with respect for all.  https://www.nccm.ca/greensquare/

Nov
15

By

The week of November 15 – 19, 2021

Category: welcome to the week! Tags: , , , , Leave a Comment

Good day –

It is raining and snowing and finely sleeting this afternoon as we send this blog to you. Good grief!

16: 2017 Episode 16 : Good Grief | FilmstudyBaltimore

We are really looking forward to seeing you on Thursday. The meeting will be from 9 am to 11:15 am and will focus on getting you all together into groups to talk about some of the big issues you have been chewing on as you read Kendi, and what you have noticed and wondered about in your schools. We will be looking at the S4C project and giving as much time as we can to your upcoming practicum. It seems (actually, it is true) that we have had very little time with the H/HH cohort this term. Please, please always feel welcome to touch base with us with questions or concerns.

As your 3151 UCC instructors, we trust you are keeping up with your reflections and reading responses on Kendi, and absorbing all of the excellent resources in the UCC content regarding racism and inequality.

November 19th is the official deadline for filing your AEL two-week placement. If you are having trouble thinking of what to do, contact us!

Now is definitely the time to not only get ready for practicum but also get your S4C social inquiry research project started. It is not a big project – it is a rich project and your classroom is your ‘laboratory’. Your digital hub is your way to convey how teacher education, pedagogy and practical learning and experience are informing and shaping you as an educator. The first blog for the second year – which will be part of your digital hub – is due on November 25th. You have a lot to draw from as you reflect on being a teacher candidate in these evolving, chaotic times.

If you have any questions about your 3151 assignments and projects – just contact us. We like to talk to people and be busy.

We are persevering to stay positive during year XXXX of the pandemic. Paul, head down, is working through his first year of his Ph.D. and doing some consulting work. Heather is tutoring most days of the week and has started supply teaching, mostly in grades 2 and 3. It all contributes to the storytelling and our ongoing learning. Paul’s major issues have to do with critical theory; Heather’s with how to escort 23 youngins through the halls and not lose anyone.

See you at 9 am on Thursday, November 18th.

AGENDA FOR THURSDAY MEETING – anything to add? Let us know.

Check-ins and hellos 

9:10 – 9:55     UCC Book Club

          –        focus for today – small group discussions

          –        plenary – biggest learnings, how to apply

9:55                    s-t-r-e-t-c-h

10:00 – 10:20   Students For Change (S4C) Action Research

  • project process and ideas outlined
  • sharing ideas

10:20 – 11:10   Practicum Prep

– general information/timelines and sage advice!

– small groups based on subjects – exchange information, trade ideas

– Plenary

11:10 – 11:15     Upcoming, Questions, Farewell to 2021

We will stick around after class for questions/conversations.

 

SWAIL/MCGUIRE CONTRIBUTIONS

Louis Riel

NOVEMBER 16TH IS LOUIS RIEL DAY marking the day of Riel’s 1885 execution. He was accused and found guilty of treason against the Canadian government, as one of the leaders of the Métis rebellions.  https://www.metisnation.org/culture-heritage/louis-riel-day-info/ 

Alice Ball, now credited with finding the first effective cure for leprosy.

LEARN ABOUT BLACK SCIENTISTS FROM THE PAST IN NORTH AMERICA

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/black-scientists-history-1.5918964

NOVEMBER 20TH IS INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S DAY. Do you know of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child? Check it out on the UNICEF website right here.

Convention on the Rights of the Child: A group of children play in a school playground in Bangladesh.

KATHERENA VERMETTE just won the first Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Literary Prize for Fiction. Katherena (she/her/hers) is a Red River Métis (Michif) writer from Treaty 1 territory, the heart of the Métis Nation. She has worked in poetry, novels, children’s literature, and film.

.

Nov
8

By

The week of November 8 – 12, 2021

Category: welcome to the week! Tags: , , , , , , Leave a Comment

WELCOME TO ANOTHER WEEK IN NO-OOOOOOOOOOOOO-VEMBER –

Welcome to the week everyone. November can be a challenging time. Assignments are coming due, the days are getting shorter and practicum awaits. It is really important now more than ever to make sure you are taking some time for yourself. Even a small walk outside can make a positive change. To do a good job as a teacher, you must be mindful of how you are doing first. 

Make sure you use your supportive networks – friends, family, fellow classmates. Remember, we are always here if you need anything. We will see you on the 18th to prepare for practicum and our final session of 2021.

Paul and Heather

 

 

 

1918 - For What by Frederick H. Varley | 150 years 150 works

For What by Frederick H. Varley, 1918

Alex Colville, Infantry, Near Nijmegen, Holland, 1946 | Art Canada Institute

Alex Colville, Infantry, Near Nijmegen, Holland, 1946
Oil on canvas, 101.6 x 121.9 cm
Beaverbrook Collection of War Art, Canadian War Museum, Ottawa

 

An Afghan woman waits for transportation in front of a street art mural painted on a barrier wall of the National Directorate of Security in Kabul. The public art campaign by the group called the Art Lords first appeared in July. (Rahmat Gul/Associated Press). 2015

THIS WEEK

November 11 – Equity and Inclusive Practices PLC – series of workshops covering issues such as anti-black racism, Islamophobia, Indigenous perspectives, resources on equity and inclusion for teachers. This PLC is mandatory and offers incredible learning opportunities

https://uottawa.brightspace.com/d2l/le/content/241277/Home?itemIdentifier=D2L.LE.Content.ContentObject.ModuleCO-3734192

“HOW TO BE AN ANTI-RACIST” – IBRAM X. KENDI

This UCC Book Club response is due November 16th.

  1. Read Kendi chapters 14–18, watch a 2-minute video of Crenshaw explaining intersectionality in relation to schools here  (Kendi discusses Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality (pgs. 188, 191-192, 199). Then, watch this 5-minute video featuring Paolo Freire to get a bit of background on his work here.
  2. Post your responses to the following questions in this week’s discussion board thread. We invite you to respectfully engage with each other’s posts by commenting, posing questions, drawing links between the posts, hyperlinking to other posts and other writing, etc.

NEXT WEEK 

NOVEMBER 18TH – last H/HH cohort class of the year. 8:45 am – 11:15 – any requests for discussion topics? We will post the agenda on the blog next Monday.

ASSIGNMENTS/TO DO’s

BLOG #1 – due November 25th

AEL Placement

S4C inquiry project

Digital Hub – on-going curation

 

Swail – McGuire Contributions

Climate Change resources

https://resources4rethinking.ca/media/climate-change-resources.pdf

https://davidsuzuki.org/our-work/

Remembrance Day

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/people-and-stories/black-canadians

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/people-and-stories/indigenous-veterans

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/art-hub/five-milestones-for-women

Peace Activists

Sep
12

By

YEAR II The Week of September 13th

Category: welcome to the week! Tags: , , , , , Leave a Comment

Hi everyone! Welcome to Year II at the Faculty of Education

Welcome back, we hope you all had a great summer. Most of you are just returning from your first practicum session and we know you have stories to tell and questions to ask. As we did last year, we will be sending out a weekly blog and invite you to contribute if you would like to (and we will accept even more photos of marmots).

Typically, we will be meeting every second Thursday starting this Thursday, September 16. Please check the UCC 3151 course syllabus for exact dates. This Thursday, after the 8:30 – 9:30 session with Tracy, we will be having a general welcome with Linda Radford and Geordie Walker. We will break up into our specific cohort sections at about 10:45 so our first session will be short.

This will be an incredible year for all of you and we are glad to be a part of your experience. Major 3151 projects/activities this year include: practicum, course work, UCC Book Club, developing your digital hub, Students for Change project,  and preparing to find work 😃

As one of your first 3151 course activities, please remember to read (2 minutes) this Returning to the Place of Origin

When young people can develop the ability to connect with others and act on behalf of and in solidarity with a larger community, then they can not only thrive in their own lives and paths but also uplift those around them. A collectivist mindset disrupts the alienating prioritization of the individual.

Gerardo Muñoz

The author mentions an incredible video that will be a key part of our book study later in the semester

Abolitionist Teaching and the Future of Our Schools

This Week

Plan for Thursday, September 16

Linda will give an overview of the UCC capstone project regarding the Students For Change assignment.  Geordie will be joining us for about 15 minutes to speak to our teacher candidates about the interview process and how he and other OCDSB principals have been changing interview questions to gather information regarding commitment to antiracism and culturally responsive pedagogies.  The timing looks like this:
8:30-9:30        Tracy’s large group session
9:45-10:35      UCC Year Two Orientation

10:45-11:20.   Faculty Supervisors – we will send out our link to you on Wednesday night.

Aside from Tracy’s comprehensive list in her September 12 Brightspace Announcement. Here are some priorities for this week.

Make sure your practicum folder is up to date and that you have shared this link with your AT. Please make sure we can access the folder as well – throughout the year. We have gone through the links and have requested access where we don’t have this yet. . Once again, here is the link to the folder https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15UViiWVJMroq0IcGXkHmiAKhjXyEF5V-vYkCMHrsz-E/edit?usp=sharing 

Please make sure you have a copy of the Kendi book – it is actually a great read with lots of personal stories by the author.

 

There are two Virtual Open Door sessions that are available next week to check in or ask questions.

  • Monday, September 13-  2:30-3:30 pm
  • Thursday, September 16- 2:30-3:30 pm

UCC Bookclub – introductory video

 

Gros Morne Park, Tablelands

What are the Tablelands?

Geologists once believed that the Tablelands were the remnants of molten rock that had oozed up from deep inside the earth. However, at nearby Lobster Cove, a discovery was made by geologist Robert Stevens that proved they were wrong. He found pieces of rock containing chromite that was over four hundred and eighty-five million years old, which was much older than other rocks found in the area. These tiny pieces had eroded from the Tablelands. 

Stevens discovery lead to the fact that the Tablelands, are actually the remains of an ancient ocean floor that existed five hundred million years ago. This ocean, called Iapetus, once lay along the eastern coast of North America from Newfoundland to Florida. Tectonic forces pushed remnants of this ocean upwards so that they were preserved within the super continent, Pangea. It is a truly awe-inspiring sight to behold, as you make your way over these huge slabs, which were once part of the ancient Iapetus Ocean floor.

The Tablelands, are predominantly made of ultramafic rock (peridotite), that lacks the usual nutrients required to sustain most plant life, hence the barren landscape. Because of this, there’s virtually no wildlife, which is an odd concept considering the entire park has thousands of moose. The rock is very low in calcium, very high in magnesium, and has toxic amounts of heavy metals. Peridotite is also high in iron, which accounts for its reddish-brown colour. Underneath this weathered zone, the rock is really a dark green colour.

Feb
22

By

The week of February 22nd – 26th, 2021

Category: welcome to the week! Tags: , , , , Leave a Comment

Greetings 3150 H/HH!

We hope you have enjoyed some outdoor time under clear skies and sun – at least here in Eastern Ontario. We did a 12 km urban walk on Saturday and found a Rideau River Snow Road between Old St.Patrick and Sussex. Heather was kind of excited…

May be an image of nature May be an image of 2 people, snow and nature May be an image of snow and nature

 

 

And, only 4 weeks to spring!!!!! Technically.

On Tuesday, at 10 am, we will be meeting and you will be going into small discussion groups of 5-6 to talk about what you have learned, reflected on and written about in this first year of teacher education (AKA weirdest, most convoluted, unpredictable year of teacher education and life). Remember, for your digital hub presentation which will be done informally in small groups, we are asking you to bring one big idea, one major revelation, one surprise etc.. to talk to your group about. Five minutes tops, and if you want to include a slide or two we have the technology – thanks to Attilio, Taylor and Tyler who counselled us after class last week.

Image result for meme we have the technology

H and P will be popping in and listening to the groups as you present. Be ready to talk. and present right away, please. In second year, around this time, you will be presenting two years of your curated digital hub or learning inventory to professors and will be asked to address and be assessed don:

  • Which BIG  IDEA in your digital hub best exemplifies your philosophy of education in action?
  • How will you communicate your personal philosophy of education with those in your professional learning communities, including parents?
  • As a professional, what are three possible learning opportunities or fields of interest you would like to explore for further professional development?(From Brightspace)

The Women of Mars

Well, there was some good OURSTORY going down – or up – this week with the landing of the rover Perseverance on Mars. What really stuck out for us was the wonderful number of women on the NASA team and their articulate, intelligent and passionate commentaries. Here is an article we found on the Women of Mars. Inspiring for your students – we think. We hear that the NASA team played David Bowie’s 1973 “Is There Life on Mars” when the rover touched down successfully. Here’s the video from an incredible musician.

Image result for mars missions nasa 2021

 

“The world will not starve from lack of wonders, but from lack of wonder. (Supernova 2021)

Your practicums – please let us know if you have any questions now or going into the 5-week solid practicum. It is important to ask questions and we are always here for you. We have been around the block quite a few times and may be a good source of advice.

On March 2nd, there will be a PLC on inclusivity in education and we will be focusing on some websites, readings and blogs on inclusive education in our next blog.

Speaking of erudite sources of advice, TikTok can be a salve for this pandemic. Paul found a series of dancing dog videos featuring Morty which we thought you might like. https://www.tiktok.com/@mortythemisfit/video/6931461477006085381?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fuccuottawa.edublogs.org%2F&referer_video_id=6922215989027376389&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

TAKE CARE AND KEEP SAFE.

Feb
16

By

The week of February 15th – 19th, 2021

Category: welcome to the week! Tags: , , , , , , Leave a Comment

Image result for snoopy valentine

We hope you took a break this long weekend – Family Day and Valentine’s Day – and enjoyed some outdoor or indoor fun, and chocolate, of course. And, Happy Chinese New Year 2021, celebrating the Year of the Ox.

Image result for chinese new year 2021

WHAT’S UP

As you would know by now, March break (March 15-19) for Ontario schools has been delayed. For first-year TCs this week remains a study week. You will not have classes nor practicum. As well, quoting from a letter from Tracy Crowe:  “Year 1 practicum will start on March 22, 2021 for the five-week block. The week of April 12 to 16, changed to be March Break as announced by Minister Lecce, will be considered as practicum days. Teacher candidates will not be in schools during that time but will be expected to be planning, assessing student work, and preparing for their final week in practicum. Year 1 teacher candidates will complete their practicum on April 22, 2021 with their final evaluation due on April 23, 2021. On April 23, 2021 Year 1 candidates will be expected to attend their PED 3150 class and an orientation session for the upcoming year 2021-22.”

The focus this week for 3150 is Building Inclusive Learning Environments – how to understand, develop and adapt teaching and learning strategies for diverse learners. A huge, weighty subject but we will cover some of the basics with regard to approaches, strategies, and differentiation principles. This week we will also discuss how you will be sharing what you have learned so far as reflective learners/teachers, and how you can share aspects of your developing digital hub with the class next week on February 23rd.

AGENDA FOR THIS WEEK’S CLASS – slides here

  • quick check in (candy or chocolate that represents you or that you love to eat)
  • the latest on practicum and schedules; resources from last week’s PLC on mental well being
  • Creating, Facilitating, Sustaining an Inclusive Classroom – the strong connection between critical, reflective learning and inclusive teaching
  • another incredible resource for educators is VoiceEd Radio, here is a series they have on inclusion

  • Digital Hub talk – what we all expect and will prepare for next week’s class.
  • Two-year process
  • Present one big idea in your blog/one major reflection to a small group of classmates and Heather and Paul. Five minutes – TOPS! (next week)
  • Small group discussions with H and P popping in
  • Assessment rubric:
  • Which BIG  IDEA in your digital hub best exemplifies your philosophy of education in action?
  • How will you communicate your personal philosophy of education with those in your professional learning communities, including parents?
  • As a professional, what are three possible learning opportunities or fields of interest you would like to explore for further professional development?(From Brightspace)

 

Mental Health and Wellness Resources from last week’s PLC

School Mental Health Ontario 

Pathways to Success – Ontario Government

Equity and Inclusive Education – Government of Ontario

Some local organizations and resources:

OCDSB “Supporting Our Youth” website

OCSB Mental Health Resources for Families

First Nations and Inuit Hope and Wellness Helpline: 1-855–242-3310

24/7 YSB-Crisis Line:  613-260-2360 www.ysb.ca

24/7 Online crisis chat:  www.ysb.ca/services/ysb-mental-health/24-7-crisis-line/

24/7 Distress Centre:  613-238-3311

Kids Help Phone:  1-800-668-6868

Kidhelpphone.ca/live-chat  www.kidshelpphone.ca/live-chat

LGBTQ Youthline: 1-800-268-9688

Rideauwood Institute

 

SOME HUMOUR

Feb
3

By

Mid-week post for you all

Category: Our mid-week post Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment

What Adaptive Teaching strategies you have seen as a student, are seeing as a developing educator and have or will use in your own teaching.

ideas from you?    (pretty quiet so far😁)

Because we know you wanted to know!!

FORMAL AND IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS: ACCOMMODATIONS, MODIFICATIONS, MODIFIED used in IEPs and in Teaching

ACCOMMODATIONS: refers to special teaching, assessment strategies, human support and/or specialized equipment required to enable a student to learn and to demonstrate what they have learned. Accommodations do not alter the provincial curriculum expectations for that grade. Many students only have accommodations on their IEP. Accommodations can be changed and should be changed according to the assessed development of the student and changing needs.

Examples:

Instructional: buddy/peer tutoring; duplicated notes; graphic organizers; assistive technology such as speech-to-text or text-to-speech, extra time

Environmental: strategic seating; headphones; alternate, quiet setting; reduction of audio/visual stimuli

Assessment: extended time; verbatim scribing; oral responses; prompts to return attention; extra time; reduced tasks to show understanding

MODIFICATIONS: are changes made in the age-appropriate grade-level expectations for a subject or course in order to meet a student’s learning needs. These changes may involve developing and following expectations that reflect knowledge/skills of a different-grade level, curriculum expectations, and/or increasing or decreasing the number/complexity of the regular grade-level curriculum expectations. Often, students will have modifications in one subject area and not in another. Generally, language and math modifications are geared toward a different level as these subjects are based on a spiral curriculum and are taught every year. Other subjects like social studies typically involve modifications that change the number or the complexity of the curriculum, grade-level expectations.

Before we embark on today’s class, a bit of humour and an example of adaptability by sportscaster, Andrew Cotter (no marmots or meerkats)

and on blogging – a new timeline for you that has been added to Brightspace

Discovery Education

request a demo here

More info for you!

portfolio timeline (6)

Dear Educators,

Welcome to the event page for the second webinar in our new 2021 webinar series: Embracing the Shift: Sharing Our Pandemic Stories of Connecting to Land and Children’s Natural Curiosity! In 2020, we brought you Natural Curiosity in the New Normal, a four-part conversation about getting outside and staying outside amid COVID-19. We highlighted an Indigenous lens on the current crisis in education and invited educators to slow down and embrace the natural world as co-teacher. In our continuing series, we hope to build on these foundational ideas, with more educator stories to further unpack the principles and practices laid out in Natural Curiosity 2nd Edition.

If you are interested, here is the sign-up form

 

Let’s get together

We’re hosting a virtual event and we’d love to see you there! Join us for Sharing Indigenous Education Resources on February 4th, 4:30PM – 6:30PM or February 23rd, 6:00PM – 8:00PM (EST)

Register for this FREE event by using the following link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sharing-indigenous-education-resources-tickets-137217405955

We hope you’re able to join us!

If you experience any technical difficulties registering, please join us directly on February 4th or February 23rd using this Zoom link: https://zoom.

Feb
1

By

The week of February 1 – 5, 2021

Category: welcome to the week! Tags: , , , , Leave a Comment

 

Good morning, Ottawa! - CityNews Ottawa

                                                     Adawè Crossing on the Rideau River, just east of U of O

The Theme for this week is Building Bridges – developing a safe learning environment for all students. This is a HUGE, ongoing, evolving challenge for all educators. It really comes down to educators putting energy and mindfulness into knowing and understanding their students. Listening, watching, reflecting, we are always trying to understand where our students are at – emotionally, academically, physically and socially and keep them safe.

Check out BrightSpace for the readings and links for AYERS and Ministry documents.

 

17 Repeatable Quotes From 'Groundhog Day'

WHAT’s UP? (certainly not the temperature!)

 

Tuesday’s class: GROUNDHOG DAY! Module 13

  • check-in and questions/information about re-opening of schools
  • Identify the components of positive environments for learning.
  • Discuss evidence of responsive or adaptive teaching/learning and challenges in addressing diversity in classrooms: what have you seen re differentiation and accommodation?
  • Understand the professional responsibilities of teachers in terms of safe schools, child abuse reporting, and bullying.
  • Digital Hub – review of what you can, should, want to include

 

REMINDERS

  • Digital Hub presentations on Tuesday, February 23rd. Those who have deferred practicum should still be organizing and filling their digital hub with articles, resources etc..
  • Blog #2 – due after practicum

 

MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS CHECK-IN

The origin of the word courage is heart. Real courage comes from compassion and understanding for oneself and others. As a teacher candidate during an unprecedented pandemic you are being challenged on many levels: how to cope personally with isolation and uncertainty; how to get to know people and collaborate with others in an online environment at school; how to go back and forth between online and in-class teaching; and, how to feel a momentum and a growth as a new educator as circumstances are changing all of the time.

We appreciate how hard you are working at school and in your own personal life. We understand the difficulty of not being able to move freely and to be with community in a normal way. We also know that you are developing really special skills in being adaptable and flexible, and in learning new online pedagogy.

Please take care of yourself. Do simple things that make you happy. Reach out to others. And, if things seem to be getting overwhelming, reach our for support. We are here for you with your other U of O contacts.

CMHA – “Tips to Manage Mental Health During COVID-19” is a brief, succinct article on the basics of keeping mentally healthy during these COVID times.

Here is a short piece from the poet and wordsmith, David Whyte, on courage:

Courage
is a word that tempts us to think outwardly, to run bravely against opposing fire, to do something under besieging circumstance, and perhaps, above all, to be seen to do it in public, to show courage; to be celebrated in story, rewarded with medals, given the accolade, but a look at its linguistic origins leads us in a more interior direction and toward its original template, the old Norman French, Coeur, or heart.
Courage is the measure of our heartfelt participation with life, with another, with a community, a work, a future. To be courageous, is not necessarily to go anywhere or do anything except to make conscious those things we already feel deeply and then to live through the unending vulnerabilities of those consequences. To be courageous is to seat our feelings deeply in the body and in the world: to live up to and into the necessities of relationships that often already exist, with things we find we already care deeply about: with a person, a future, a possibility in society, or with an unknown that begs us on and always has begged us on. Whether we stay or whether we go – to be courageous is to stay close to the way we are made.
from Readers’ Circle Essay, “Courage”
©2011 David Whyte

TECH TIPS

Please continue to share apps, software and strategies that are working for you in your practicum. We are building an inventory so you can all have access to others’ suggestions and ideas.

https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2015/11/tools-and-apps-for-creating-educational-comics-in-class.html

https://www.storyboardthat.com/storyboard-creator

HUMOUR and ADAPTABILITY

Sportscaster Andrew Cotter found himself out of regular work when the pandemic hit Britain. So, he improvised applying his professional sportscasting skills to covering the lives of his two Labradors, Olive and Mabel. 

 

Image may contain: 1 person, text that says 'Teachers keeping students engaged during a virtual lesson Their spouse, sitting nearby, also working from home 00'

Nov
23

By

The week of November 23rd, 2020

Category: welcome to the week! Tags: , , , , Leave a Comment

 

WINTER AND FIRST PRACTICUM ARE HERE!

 

COMMUNICATION

Here is the link to the syllabus – this gets updated each week as we progress through the course. Please see Pages 14 – 26 – week-by week

(From Tracy Crowe) Survey – We have received 153 responses to our survey, which is just short of 50% of Year 1 candidates. Your feedback, as well as the information collected by FESA, has been very valuable and we have started to work on addressing your concerns for the second semester. We will share the results next week.  It would be great to hear more of your voices. If you would like to add your opinion, the survey link is https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/QK3VV2S.

 

WHAT’SUP

Class tomorrow at 10:00 am – we will send out the Zoom link first thing Tuesday plus the link to our slides.

Placement information should be coming out today (Monday)

 

REMINDERS

  1. PRACTICUM GUIDE – read and be familiar with
  2. PRACTICUM BINDER – SHARE TRACKER 
  3. November 17 PLC– It was great to see over 300 participants in Noa Daniel’s session. The slides and the recording are under PLC   Creating Equitable Learning Environments For All on BrightSpace. 

Blogging – Introduction to the Digital Hub

BLOGGING – how to use widgets

 

Some blogs for modeling and for professional development:

www.cultofpedagogy.com

https://tweenteacher.com/blog/

https://www.edutopia.org/latest

https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/9-reasons-why-teachers-should-blog

(From Tracy Crowe) Academic Challenges– We know that its is crunch time, many of your larger assignments are due.  If you are experiencing challenges completing your work by the deadline or have outstanding assignments, please speak to your professors about possible accommodations or extensions. If this issue is extending to a number of courses and may require additional University resources, please feel free to contact David Trumpower or Tracy Crowe at teached@uottawa.ca. 

Nov
16

By

The week of November 16th, 2020

Category: welcome to the week! Tags: , , , , , , Leave a Comment

 

Happy Monday, everyone. November in Ottawa. Hmmmmm. We hope you enjoyed and benefitted from the session last week. Thanks for your questions and input.

 

 

WHAT’s UP

We are now at Module 9.

From Linda for this week:

  1. This week is blog writing week (BLOG #1) and we hope you will check in with your faculty supervisors if you need any support. This blog post will be a great addition to your digital hub and will likely become one of many by the time you finish the Bachelor of Education program.
  2. This week in the Urban Communities Cohort we also are focusing on your Digital Hub. The article below is important for you as future teachers and fits in well with the work we have done on Sensoy and DiAngelo.

Ontario Teachers Can Now Face Consequences For Racism

ANOTHER article that continues the conversations in Sensoy and DiAngelo:

Peel board changing specialty program criteria to increase access for Black, Indigenous students 

And, here is a link to an exchange with the author, Ta-Nehisi Coates, to whom Sherwyn made a reference on the Principals’ Panel.

 

3. Also, this week, another survey, this one from Tracy Crowe:

Today you should have received an email with a link to our Year 1 survey. We hope you will take the time to complete it. The survey can be found at this link https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/QK3VV2S 

This is helpful information for us at the UCC, so please fill this in – thanks!

 

CURIOUS, WATCHING (no longer nagging) Instructors

  • Blog #1
  • start your Digital Hub – your library as a developing educator
  • As you get ready for this week and your Digital Hub, here is a video we made especially for you – please give this a view.

  • read the Practicum Guide for the big ideas and expectations. Remember, this is the first session of practicum. Your focus will be on observing, learning, reflecting and developing a partnership with your AT and students.
  • MOOC on on-line teaching and learning

TECH TIP

Top 10 reasons teachers should blog

This has some good reasons why teachers should blog – taken from

Start Your Teaching Blog: Resources, Advice, and Examples in Edutopia

GOOD NEWS

Professor Molly Shoichet of the University of Toronto has just won the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal, Canada’s highest honour for science and engineering research. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

 

 

 

« Older Posts
Skip to toolbar