Westcast at Brandon University has come and gone and the reports seem to be that it delivered. The entertainment, food, keynote speakers, and most importantly the sessions were all wonderful.
I was a presenter at Westcast and proud of it. I think that everyone seemed to bring their A game and they were all very professional and prepared so I was happy to be involved with such a good group of people. Again just as it is for children some of the greatest insight and learning took place from what I hear during the social events, dinners, and in the hallway discussions.
Our presentation was on bullying and so I wanted to just say that personally I was a little worried to present but everyone was so supportive and considerate that I felt fine going in to it quite quickly. It was unfortunate that due to time constraints we couldn't present our topic in full but I think my team did a great job condensing and highlighting the most important points. I did find that our audience was mostly senior stream and probably were looking for a lot of information on cyberbullying specifically, so I looked up some stats and information, as our time constraints did not allow us to get in to too much detail. I found a good site that details the legal ramifications of cyber bullying as this question came up in our presentation but also for my knowledge as well for when I teach.
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/teaching_backgrounders/cyberbullying/cyberbullying_law2_h4.cfm
So, in short not only did Westcast teach a lot in the sessions provided I think that being both presenter and audience member allowed us to really walk away with a very enriching experience in our lives.
Congratulations everyone the success looks good on all of you!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
All Day Kindergarten
There is some talk about having an all day kindergarten program and I think that it would be a wonderful idea, if some guidelines were put into place and the goal was to enrich a child's day over a longer period of time but at the same time being aware that they are still so young and they need the classroom and the teachers to provide and environment of fun, active, and creative learning. Essentially, I think that the kindergarten class needs to have a real homey comfortable feel for kids at that age especially.
I worked at a "high risk" school and they had an all day kindergarten program I think essentially because the children in that community needed it. I asked the kindergarten teacher one day how she liked it and what she did with the full day. She replied that she thought it was a great idea and felt that the children, in her class at least needed the full day. She would cover the curriculum for the most part in the morning she said and then she would allow them to play in the afternoon. Now some people that aren't aware of the benefits of play may feel like this was a waste of time but those of us who see all the learning that goes on with that play know that this is very beneficial. It is like the children learn some skills in the morning and then they go out in to the world and practice and use some of those skills in the afternoon under the watchful eye of their teacher.
I personally like the idea of full day kindergarten. We know this is an important time of learning in a child's life and they can benefit immensely from all forms of learning. I also think that in todays' world that most parents work and so they need the full day if they have no alternate care set up. I think for this reason many parents would be for it. I know for me as a single parent it is hard enough figuring out what to do when my children have inservices and 2 early dismissals a month. Full day kindergarten would benefit both parents and children, but like I said the one main thing I think that we need to be aware of is that the children's day needs to really focus on what the children's emotional and social needs are as well as their cognitive needs
I worked at a "high risk" school and they had an all day kindergarten program I think essentially because the children in that community needed it. I asked the kindergarten teacher one day how she liked it and what she did with the full day. She replied that she thought it was a great idea and felt that the children, in her class at least needed the full day. She would cover the curriculum for the most part in the morning she said and then she would allow them to play in the afternoon. Now some people that aren't aware of the benefits of play may feel like this was a waste of time but those of us who see all the learning that goes on with that play know that this is very beneficial. It is like the children learn some skills in the morning and then they go out in to the world and practice and use some of those skills in the afternoon under the watchful eye of their teacher.
I personally like the idea of full day kindergarten. We know this is an important time of learning in a child's life and they can benefit immensely from all forms of learning. I also think that in todays' world that most parents work and so they need the full day if they have no alternate care set up. I think for this reason many parents would be for it. I know for me as a single parent it is hard enough figuring out what to do when my children have inservices and 2 early dismissals a month. Full day kindergarten would benefit both parents and children, but like I said the one main thing I think that we need to be aware of is that the children's day needs to really focus on what the children's emotional and social needs are as well as their cognitive needs
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Governance
The levels of Governance in the school system is a little confusing. Generally though the hierarchy from top to bottom goes as follows: provincial government, school division and school board, superintendent of schools, principal, vice principal, teachers and staff. Basically the Government level is responsible for the laws in education, the Board level stipulates the rules and the school division puts the rules in to policy to be implemented by the school.
Knowing this hierarchy and what each level is responsible for is very important to me as a teacher. I must be aware of where decisions are being made and who the people are making them. I believe in order to be effective and make changes, if needed, you need to know how the system that you are part of works. Like the financial aspect of the education system it is part of my job to know who controls what and who to go to if I need something or want to implement a change. I also need to know my role and what I personally have control over. I wouldn't want to make a decision and then later find out I had no authority to make that decision. That would reflect poorly on me and the school I work for. It would also be important for me to know what the Education Act entails as it is that document that the Provincial Government follows in making their decisions, and it is the law that I must as a teacher abide by. It is a necessity that I know what my responsibilities are as a teacher and how the education system is governed.
Knowing this hierarchy and what each level is responsible for is very important to me as a teacher. I must be aware of where decisions are being made and who the people are making them. I believe in order to be effective and make changes, if needed, you need to know how the system that you are part of works. Like the financial aspect of the education system it is part of my job to know who controls what and who to go to if I need something or want to implement a change. I also need to know my role and what I personally have control over. I wouldn't want to make a decision and then later find out I had no authority to make that decision. That would reflect poorly on me and the school I work for. It would also be important for me to know what the Education Act entails as it is that document that the Provincial Government follows in making their decisions, and it is the law that I must as a teacher abide by. It is a necessity that I know what my responsibilities are as a teacher and how the education system is governed.
Money, Money, Money!!!
How are schools funded? That is a good question and it seems it varies quite a bit. I think that is the most surprising part of my learning about the financial side of education, that there is so much variance between schools, provinces, and even districts. I was under the mistaken assumption that our education system was more consistent from one school etc. to another. I did not realize that the area and the value of the land in that area plays a huge role in the amount of funding the province gives a school. In a nutshell if the school is in an area with high taxes then the province does not contribute as much funding. Local taxes are taken in to account and then the province will decide how much they need to contribute to each school. I was also not aware that the per pupil amount was more for rural schools but that makes sense so that they can accommodate for there smaller class sizes.
This is important information for me to know as an upcoming teacher as I will need to be aware of the funding available because it obviously affects many things. Funding for programs, extracurricular activities, salaries, etc. If the money is not there then things will get cut. It is also important for me to know when I go to work at a school what funding they have. Are they a "high risk" school and have extra funding to help families cope with various issues? Are they in a low property tax area and rely heavily on government funds to pay for teachers salaries and the programs they offer? These are all important questions to ask and be somewhat aware. I think that in order to be a contributing member of a team you need to know how the team operates. For this reason I see it as important to know where the funding is coming from and how much is being given when I work at a school. As well as where the money is being spent. I have worked as a daycare director and I have been responsible for a budget. Every once and a while you will get a staff member that thinks that the money is never ending and until you make them aware or give them their own budget to work within the requests for funds never stops. I believe to be a professional teacher and contributing member I need to be aware of all aspects of my position, the team I work with, the school district, and community I work within.
This is important information for me to know as an upcoming teacher as I will need to be aware of the funding available because it obviously affects many things. Funding for programs, extracurricular activities, salaries, etc. If the money is not there then things will get cut. It is also important for me to know when I go to work at a school what funding they have. Are they a "high risk" school and have extra funding to help families cope with various issues? Are they in a low property tax area and rely heavily on government funds to pay for teachers salaries and the programs they offer? These are all important questions to ask and be somewhat aware. I think that in order to be a contributing member of a team you need to know how the team operates. For this reason I see it as important to know where the funding is coming from and how much is being given when I work at a school. As well as where the money is being spent. I have worked as a daycare director and I have been responsible for a budget. Every once and a while you will get a staff member that thinks that the money is never ending and until you make them aware or give them their own budget to work within the requests for funds never stops. I believe to be a professional teacher and contributing member I need to be aware of all aspects of my position, the team I work with, the school district, and community I work within.
Monday, February 7, 2011
History of Education
Wow, the history behind our education system is very interesting. I was only partly aware of what a strong influence religious groups had on the development of our education system. It is very intriguing to hear about all the different nationalities and their role in the development of our education system and their beliefs about education. I was also surprised by how different each provinces beliefs and practices could be from one another depending on who inhabited that province and who migrated in.
As a teacher I think that it is important for me to have a good understanding of the history behind our education system and to also know where it is going and what factors today will influence it. This is important because I need to be able to teach my students for the world we live in today.
I need to prepare them for today and the future and meet them where they are at, because we all know kids today are much different from the kids of generations past. Children have a lot more to say and have a lot of issues outside the classroom to deal with as well. Teachers themselves and their role is also different. They don't have the power they once did and can not assume the same role or use the same behaviour modification methods they once did, but at the same time they are dealing with much more on a daily basis. Our school of thought has also changed from a worksheet, solo practice type thinking to a more open, group sharing collaboration of ideas. And we can see that kids of today need that and we know it is often more effective. Some of the other more current needs are the ability to teach a variety of developmental levels and children with various learning, behavioural, emotional, social and cognitive needs. All of these changes need to have a place in my teaching and my need to stay current is important for the children in my class to get what they need and consequently be what society needs. Technology is also of huge importance in today's schools and this will have to be taught at a rate close to that of the needs of our society to make sure we have the students to go out in to the world and be successful. Just as they did in 1919 when they decided that more technical education was needed I will need to stay abreast of the needs and changes and adapt. In order to do this it is important that I also know the history of our educational system and what influences brought it to where it is today.
As a teacher I think that it is important for me to have a good understanding of the history behind our education system and to also know where it is going and what factors today will influence it. This is important because I need to be able to teach my students for the world we live in today.
I need to prepare them for today and the future and meet them where they are at, because we all know kids today are much different from the kids of generations past. Children have a lot more to say and have a lot of issues outside the classroom to deal with as well. Teachers themselves and their role is also different. They don't have the power they once did and can not assume the same role or use the same behaviour modification methods they once did, but at the same time they are dealing with much more on a daily basis. Our school of thought has also changed from a worksheet, solo practice type thinking to a more open, group sharing collaboration of ideas. And we can see that kids of today need that and we know it is often more effective. Some of the other more current needs are the ability to teach a variety of developmental levels and children with various learning, behavioural, emotional, social and cognitive needs. All of these changes need to have a place in my teaching and my need to stay current is important for the children in my class to get what they need and consequently be what society needs. Technology is also of huge importance in today's schools and this will have to be taught at a rate close to that of the needs of our society to make sure we have the students to go out in to the world and be successful. Just as they did in 1919 when they decided that more technical education was needed I will need to stay abreast of the needs and changes and adapt. In order to do this it is important that I also know the history of our educational system and what influences brought it to where it is today.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Sergiovanni's Professionalism Blog
Sergiovanni's Four Commitments to Professionalism:
*Commitment to Caring
*Commitment to Practice in Exemplary Ways
*Commitment to One's Own Practice, but also to the Practice Itself
*Commitment to Valued Social Ends
I unfortunately missed this discussion in class but I researched it and found lots of articles involving Sergiovanni's Commitments and Transformational Leadership. What I took away from my readings is that in order to encourage professionalism in teachers they need to feel involved and that the authority and responsibilities of the school need to be distributed. I think that we need to take on some of this responsibility ourselves as teachers and get involved with all aspects of the school we teach in. I know that I will try to show my students, parents, colleagues, community, etc that I am happy to be part of the team and that I am willing to do any of the work that needs to be done to make our team successful. I will also do my part as a professional to stay abreast of the newest findings in my field. This will require attending professional development sessions, networking with colleagues, and personal research. I think that continual improvement, caring, and involvement are key and that my students, school and community deserve that. To be a professional I need to bring all of those components Sergiovanni outlines to the position I hold.
MTS Code of Professional Practice Blog
The Manitoba Teachers' Society Code of Professional Practice is the standard by which we as teachers must meet. It outlines thirteen codes of conduct that we as teachers can refer to and to which parents and society can assume that we will uphold.
I think that it is always good to have a clear code that people can refer to and be expected to follow. We often assume that people will use their common sense but that is not always the case and everyone has a different idea of where common sense will lead them. The biggest code that I think I need to keep in mind as a new teacher and all new teachers out there should keep utmost in their mind, is the very first one where it states that; "A teacher's first professional responsibility is to her or his students." I believe we all have those feelings of inadequacy when we are the new kids on the block and we can often allow ourselves to be swayed by those that have been teaching for years, parents, etc. Or we just don't feel confidant enough to make any waves so we disregard our own good sense. I think that if I keep that first statement in mind I will be off to a great start and really that is what it is all about. We can't really go wrong if our students are always our top priority in our decision making process.
I think that it is always good to have a clear code that people can refer to and be expected to follow. We often assume that people will use their common sense but that is not always the case and everyone has a different idea of where common sense will lead them. The biggest code that I think I need to keep in mind as a new teacher and all new teachers out there should keep utmost in their mind, is the very first one where it states that; "A teacher's first professional responsibility is to her or his students." I believe we all have those feelings of inadequacy when we are the new kids on the block and we can often allow ourselves to be swayed by those that have been teaching for years, parents, etc. Or we just don't feel confidant enough to make any waves so we disregard our own good sense. I think that if I keep that first statement in mind I will be off to a great start and really that is what it is all about. We can't really go wrong if our students are always our top priority in our decision making process.
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