February 1 is Digital Learning Day

February 1st 2012 will be the first Digital Learning Day in the US. Here is a quotation  describing Digital Learning Day …”is a nationwide celebration of innovative teaching and learning through digital media and technology that engages students and provides them with a rich, personalized educational experience” . 

The site includes a very comprehensive description of the term ‘digital learning’ and what it encompasses, such as: online and formative assessment, adaptive software, the application of technology, participating in professional communities of practice…

The best page, however, is a Toolkit page that includes links and references for educators that help you think about how technology may strengthen instructional strategies. There are toolkits for: Teachers and Librarians, District Leaders, Parents, Getting Started, School Leaders.

Another site to check out.

Rowan

Trent Math Education Research Collaborative

Here is an interesting web site for math educators, TMERC.  The site is dedicated to innovative studies  in mathematics education including:  mathematics teaching and learning (early math success is crucial to student success and graduation); teacher and student efficacy (your gotta believe in your abilities to be successful); technology (check out their page on interactive whiteboards).

The site includes math links, research and publications (if the resources are not available full text, the Professional Library can try to obtain them on your behalf), and a section called  Digital Papers. Digital Papers is a video document (with other resources) on the following: collaborative action research, lesson study, effective questions, demonstration classroom.

Check it out! It is so nice to recommend Canadian sites; there aren’t enough of them.

Rowan

Single sex education/schools

The library has updated its bibliography on single-sex education/schools: Single-sexEducationJan2012Delinked

TDSB teachers may contact the Professional Library and we’ll email you articles, (416) 395-8289.

Rowan

Teaching Strategies – new books

Here is a list of new books with Teaching Strategies as the general theme TeachingStrategiesJan12

TDSB teachers may request books by phone (416) 395-8289 or email professionallibrary@tdsb.on.ca.

Rowan

 

Social Justice – new books

Here are 3 new books on the theme of social justice:

1. Connections: A kindergarten to grade eight resource for everyone interested  in understanding gender-related issues, and working for social justice (ETFO, 2008)
2. Poverty and schools in Ontario: How seven elementary schools are working to improve education (Park, and Flessa, 2011)
3. Social justice begins with me (ETFO, 2011). This is the long awaited revised and updated edition of Erasing Prejuduce for Good and each set includes an overview or Resource Guide  plus individual volumes for the Primary,  Junior and Intermediate grades.

TDSB teachers may borrow the books by contacting the Professional Library at (416) 395-8289.

Rowan

Digital learning – new books

Here are some exciting new books on digital learning:

1. Apps for learning: 40 best iPad/iPod touch/iPhone apps for high school classrooms (Dickens and Churches, 2012)
2. Cyber savvy: Embracing digital safety and civility (Willard, 2012)
3. iWrite: using blogs, wikis, and digital stories in the English classroom (Wilber, 2010)
4. Literacy is not enough:21st century fluencies for the digital age (Crocket, Jukes, Churches, 2011)
5. Making the move to K-12 online teaching: Research-based strategies and practices (Rice, 2011)

TDSB teachers may contact the Professional Library at (416) 395-8289 to borrow.

Rowan

TDSB Academies for elementary students

Registration for five new Elementary Academieshas kicked off, providing exciting new opportunities for students to explore their individuality and creativity within the TDSB.

The five new Academies – including Boys’ Leadership, Girls’ Leadership, Sports and Wellness, Health and Wellness and Vocal Music – are slated to open in nine schools across the Board this September. These Academies build on the TDSB’s record of creating programs that promote excellence and encourage the talents of students in new and innovative ways.

“These Academies will promote the talents of our future musicians, artists, health experts and leaders,” said Director of Education Chris Spence. “If we offer programming that interests young learners and ignites a passion inside them to want to learn, then I think we’re going to see something special happening. Students will want to come to school, they’ll want to get involved, and they’ll want to help shape what their school day looks like.”

Students attending an Academy will be part of a culture that balances academic excellence with a focus on personal leadership, character development and innovation. They will be provided a dynamic array of learning options to follow their own path to success. There are no specific admission requirements – just interest and passion.

For more information or to register, visit www.tdsb.on.ca/academies

Effective schools, and then some.

Effective Schools research is a huge topic because it is not just one thing. There is no great 5 page article that summarizes what you need to know about ‘effective schools’.  It includes (amongst others):  teaching practices, school environment (safety), assessment practices, role of the principal, engagement and expectations, special education, community, etc.  As you can imagine when the library receives this as a question, we need to ask a lot of probing questions to learn what  the teacher really means and wants and sometimes we have to guide them towards a manageable topic (espcially if this is for an AQ essay).

If this is a topic of interest to you, here are some recently reviewed sites or documents that are great places to start your research and the first 3 are Ontario sites!:

1. Characteristics of  high- or low-achieving English-language Schools (EQAO Research Bulletin #8);
2. Supporting Leadership Excellence in Ontario Schools (The Institute of Education Leadership; open the research page for reports on characteristics of high performing school systems in Ontario) ;
3. What did you do in School Today? Teaching Effectiveness: A Framework And Rubric (by Sharon Friesen, includes 5 principles of effective teaching practice) ;
4. The School Principal as Leader: Guiding Schools to Better Teaching and Learning, (by the Wallace Foundation, includes 5 principles of what effective principals do).

Rowan

 

Online math help for Ontario students

By now, everyone  will have heard of the Khan Academy, an online website that provides instruction and demonstrations of different math processes and problems.

There are a couple of similar Ontario sites that you should also check out:

1. Leading Math Search Tool for instructors, parents and students: links to websites, access to learning materials, lessons, activities and research on mathematics topics), and
2. Math Homework Help:  Free online tutoring help (evenings); online video tutorials, online notes and quizzes. This is TDSB /Independent Learning Center  partnership and students need parent permission to join and need to register. using the OEN. 

Rowan

Motivation and reading

The November 2011 issue of  Reading Teacher includes a great article by Linda Gambrell titled: Seven Rules of Engagement: What’s most important to know about motivation to read.

The seven rules are:

Students are more motivated to read when

1. the reading tasks and activities are relevant to their lives
2. they have access to a wide range of reading materials
3. they have ample opportunities to engage in sustained reading
4. when they have opportunities to make choices about what they read and how they engage in and complete literacy tasks
5. when they have opportunities to socially interact with others about the text they are reading
6. they have opportunities to be successful with challenging texts
7. classroom incentives reflect the value and importance of reading

TDSB teachers may contact the Professional Library for a copy of the article (we’ ll email it to you) at  (416) 395-8289.

Rowan