Since receiving the OCT memo about the extension of the OCT Temporary Teaching Certificate yesterday, we have begun developing our internal procedures for those who wish to apply – we will be communicating more details of the application process over the next few days.
As can be seen in the OCT requirements (OCT temporary certificate requirements.), the temporary certificate only applies to our 2nd-year teacher candidates who are on track to successfully complete their second practicum in January 2022. No teacher candidate should be supply teaching before receiving a certificate.
This holiday season we will be featuring some of our favourite Canadian feel-good stories from 2021. #GoodStuffCBC FULL STORY: https://bit.ly/3Exsaun
Hello Everyone – hope you are having a good week and enjoying some of the sunny, autumn weather – even if it is a practicum day.
We wish you all a very good Thanksgiving weekend – a time to reflect on what we can be grateful for and to collect energy for the rest of the fall term. As we said on Thursday, we do apologize for there not being adequate time for small group discussions of the Kendi book and discussion questions. There will be more time available in our next class together on October 14th, based on chapters 6-9 in Kendi. Please take time to read each others’ responses on the UCC Book Club discussion boards as they will enrich your understanding of racism and anti-racism. UCC Book Club: Discussion Board 3 responses are posted and are due October 12th for class discussion on October 14th: https://uottawa.brightspace.com/d2l/le/241277/discussions/topics/295804/View
We hope some of you had the opportunity on September 30th to learn more about reconciliation. We will continue to offer ideas for inquiry and education.
Tomorrow, you have a mandatory PLC given by the Ontario College of Teachers. There will be lots of information imparted and many good questions and discussions.
Here – in italics – is the excerpt from Tracy Crowe’s section on Brightspace highlighting 3151 general “to do’s” for this week and next.
AEL (Alternative Experiential Learning): By now, you should be looking into and securing a placement – typically at a school or community agency – for between 60 – 80 hours either in the winter term or between April 18 – 29, 2022. This is a credited requirement for year two. Here is the link to the Brightspace description which gives you details on AEL. Please read it carefully.: https://uottawa.brightspace.com/d2l/le/content/241277/Home?itemIdentifier=D2L.LE.Content.ContentObject.ModuleCO-3740313 . The topic of AEL was discussed at the September 16th PLC with a presentation by a representative of the U of O Centre for Community Engagement. The centre will help you find and secure engagements with non-profit agencies https://servingothers.uottawa.ca/students. Tracy has posted a few ideas on Brightspace: https://uottawa.brightspace.com/d2l/le/content/241277/Home?itemIdentifier=D2L.LE.Content.ContentObject.ModuleCO-39720943151. In the AEL section you will also find a registration form. Thank you to those of you who have contacted us to make inquiries about your AELs and to explore and vet ideas for placements. We are happy to help.
STUDENTS FOR CHANGE – UCC INQUIRY/RESEARCH PROJECT
YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS Some of you have been sharing some ideas, projects and units – which we really appreciate. This week, thanks to Emily, Matthew, Jessica and Ashley.
Still Separate, Still Unequal: Teaching about School Segregation and Educational Inequality
Thousands of students, parents and educators rallied in Brooklyn in 2015 demanding an end to what they described as separate and unequal education in New York City schools. Related Op-EdCredit…Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Here are some book recommendations from Emily to complement your reading of “How to be an Antiracist”: “Caste: The Origins of our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson, and Canadian journalist, Desmond Cole’s “The Skin We’re In”.
learning about Reconciliation: listen to the CBC podcast, “Unreserved” with Rosanna Deerchild; https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-105-unreserved?cmp=DM_SEM_Listen_Titles
Here are two videos for you – one from the NFB on finding peace during a pandemic and second, a very serious video on a beaver in captivity eating cabbage.
Here are the Coggles that we were able to see – if you don’t see yours, you can send them to us when they are public – good for you for participating!!
Coggle 1
Coggle 2
Coggle 3
Coggle 4
Videos for you this week
OCT Presentation
Principals Panel
Video recording of highlights from our Oct 20 class
Quotations from one of our readings for this week – Achieving Excellence: Weaving together Student Achievement, Equity, and Well-Being In Conversation with Kahontakwas Diane Longboat, Nouman Ashraf, and Carl James
the critical piece for educators is this: know that when that child walks into the classroom you are dealing with a human being who has an incredible wealth of family life history. It is experience that originates in their cultures, their languages, their faith traditions, their families, and their communities. I call it cultural capital.
Conversation with Kahontakwas Diane Longboat
To me, diversity is a fact of the human experience. The question is not, “What do we think about diversity?” The question is, “What are we doing with it? Are we simply tolerating it?” If that’s the case, we are certainly setting the bar far too low. “Are we engaging it in a way that actually allows for people to feel valued? Are we leveraging it, so we actually find ways in which we would learn from each other and about each other and through each other?”
Conversation with Nouman Ashraf
In the classroom, as I always say, you need to know the student who is sitting in front of you. What I mean by this is knowing students, not as we imagine them to be because of the construct we have from the media or from things we’ve read or observed, or who they truly are. This involves making the effort to truly understand students – through observation, through conversations, through learning about their experiences and identities, and by understanding their perspectives. It also means recognizing that students come to us from parents and caregivers, from a community, from significant others who have influenced their ideas. When we interact with students, we interact with all these things. Of course, we will get to know students through their work, their assignments and so on, but we will only understand our students fully by committing to getting to know them as unique individuals.
Hi everyone Here are a few reminders for you. Thanks for a great class yesterday, a really interesting discussion yesterday – so much to discuss!
Please continue to send us notes when things don’t make sense.
Here is a summary of our session recorded yesterday – we have taken the outtakes, etc out – and did some creative editing!
Here is a link to the PowerPoint on the Digital Hub – this is a short video for you all with annotation. Please take your time going through this. If there is certain training you want for the Digital Blog please let us know.
Leah Dorion
Leah Dorion
Here is the link to add a Kahoot question: