The week of January 18th – 22nd, 2021
Good Morning PED 3150 H/HH!
We hope those of you in Ottawa got out and enjoyed the snow. We got out in our snowshoes for the first time this year. Good workout, especially getting them off!
WHAT’s UP
This week’s theme for the Urban Cohort is “Hearing the Student”. You have a Ministry-presented PLC on Tuesday morning at 8:45 (Zoom link in BrightSpace) and then a cohort meeting at 10:00 (link will be sent by e-mail tomorrow am). At the cohort meeting, we will be talking about English Language Learners – what you have experienced yourself or as a developing educator, current understandings, practices and challenges for teaching ELL and Ayers’ third chapter on creating a conducive learning environment. We also hope to have enough time for you to share your stories about teaching online. We will also speak briefly about the interim report process.
Reading resources on teaching EL learners are posted in BrightSpace. We recommend you read them all.
We hope you enjoyed and benefited from last week’s two-part PLC given by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and by EQAO.
From Tracy Crowe: Follow-Up from January 12 PLC– We have run into a bit of a technical glitch in converting our recordings of the sessions but we are working on this and will post as soon as possible. You will find the EQAO powerpoint provided under 21st Century Learning PLC- January 12 . The presenters, Lindsay and Tiffany, value your feedback about their presentation, if you have a few moments can to complete the following survey https://forms.gle/SwH6ojPknpXK8VhW7
Town Hall– David Trumpower and the Teacher Education Team will host our next town hall on January 18 at 2:30-3:30 pm. Please use this link Join Microsoft Teams Meeting.
COMING UP
Next week, there is another PLC on Teaching Language, “Every Teacher is a Language Teacher” brought to you by the U of O Second Language Education Cohort. As this is a 3-hour PLC, there will be no cohort section meeting.
On Wednesday, January 27th from 9 – 10 am you have a New Math Curriculum: Ministry of Education Workshop. Details can be found at New Math Curriculum- Ministry of Education For those of you in practicum, your Faculty Supervisors will send out information to your ATs to ask if you can be permitted to attend. As indicated by the EQAO representatives last week, all teacher candidates should have a good understanding of the math curriculum (especially the front pages of the curriculum document) to prepare for the Math Proficiency Test.
Math Proficiency Test– As mentioned in the EQAO presentation, the Match Proficiency Test is still a government requirement for certification. There are still many questions about the administration of the test and who will be permitted to write the test this year. Please see https://www.eqao.com/the-assessments/math-proficiency-test/ for further information and updates. To help prepare for the test we have created a Custom course on your BrightSpace that was developed by teacher graduates from last year. We will also follow up with workshops and tutorials in the next few months. This support will also be offered next year when you are in Year 2.
REMINDING INSTRUCTORS SECTION
Digital Hub – ongoing creation. Keep organizing and adding to your Practicum Binder. Thanks to all who have shared their links and their materials with us. We strongly suggest you add an online pedagogy section to collect ideas, links for websites and apps.
Interim Reports – are due on January 20th. All Associate Teachers have been reminded of the report and links, and also advised that given the current situation, there is leeway on completion of the interim report. The most important thing about the interim report is the conversations you have with your AT about your progress and areas you want to work on and strengthen. You are responsible for submitting a copy of the Interim report to the practicum office and a copy to us, your faculty advisors.
Wednesdays at school – we understand that local school boards and Ottawa Public Health will be making a decision on how learning will be conducted in elementary and secondary schools by January 20th.
TECH TIPS AND INVENTORY
Thanks to those of you who shared ideas and resources for online teaching. As we promised, we are maintaining an inventory of your ideas and excellent resources. Keep ’em coming!
A WEE CHALLENGE (sorry, Robbie Burns Day coming up)
To continue to build our community and get to know each other, we thought it would be fun to invite you to share a photo of a special time in your life. We are starting it off with our own photo from the early 80s (yes, the early 80’s, 1980’s not 1880’s) when we were tree planters in BC. This photo was taken on our tea break in some burned, devastated cut in the BEAUTIFUL area of the Princess Louisa Inlet.
And – some humour. Ok, we find marmots and meerkats endearing, and humour is especially important teaching and getting through difficult times. A French network, France 3, has created a series of brief videos featuring “les marmottes” in various sports and activities. It’s been a “thing” in France since 2015.
THINGS TO DO OUTSIDE IN OTTAWA
https://www.rideauwintertrail.ca/
https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places/experience-your-winter-capital-ottawa-gatineau
https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places/rideau-canal-skateway