December 14 , 2007 EdInfo is a bi-weekly electronic digest of education news and information distributed by the BC Ministry of Education to all those with an interest in the K-12 community. To add or remove your name from the EdInfo distribution list, please use the subscribe page.
Annual Teachers’ Congress SummaryThe second Annual Teachers’ Congress took place on Friday, November 30, in Vancouver, providing over 130 educators from public, independent and band schools around the Province the opportunity to dialogue with each other and with Education Minister Shirley Bond. The theme of this year’s conference was Reaching Higher for Students and the keynote presentation was delivered by Shawn Atleo, B.C. Regional Chief, Assembly of First Nations. The keynote was followed by presentations and follow-up discussions on literacy, healthy schools and Aboriginal learning. Further information and a summary of the second Annual Teachers’ Congress will be available within a few weeks on the Annual Teachers’ Congress website. The ministry runs the Annual Teachers’ Congress as part of a commitment to communicate directly with B.C. education partners and to seek out their ideas for positive change. In addition to the Teachers’ Congress, the Ministry of Education also runs congresses for parents and students. The 2008 Annual Parent Congress will take place on January 28, 2008 in Vancouver. Please see the item below for more information on the Parent Congress. The 2008 Annual Student Congress will take place in April. More information will be available in the New Year. 2008 Parent Congress – Applications OpenFollowing on the success of the first-ever Parent Congress, held on November 16, 2006 in Kelowna, a second Parent Congress will be held on January 28, 2008 in Vancouver. The Congress gives parents from around the Province the opportunity to come together with the Minister of Education to discuss important issues and the role of parents in British Columbia’s education system. The Parent Congress is an annual event that complements similar conversations taking place at the Annual Teachers’ and Student Congresses. This year, the theme of the Parent Congress is Working Together: Parents as Partners in Education. The Ministry of Education is looking forward to a productive day of dialogue and innovative thinking. Close collaboration with British Columbia’s parents is essential to ensure that students continue to receive an education that prepares them for the changing world ahead and that our teachers and schools employ a blend of cutting-edge and community-based thinking to maintain B.C.’s global reputation for excellence. Any individual who is a parent or legal guardian of a child enrolled in a public, independent or band school in British Columbia may apply to attend the Congress. Participants to the Congress will be randomly selected from the total number of applicants, with consideration given to ensure that there is adequate geographic and demographic representation. The online application site is now open and applications will be accepted until noon on December 21, 2007. For more information and to access the online application form, please go to www.bced.gov.bc.ca/apc/. Rural Education Network’s Online CommunityThis past October 10 – 12, over 300 delegates representing 12 professional organizations and 44 school districts attended the Rural Schools Renewal Conference in Richmond. At the Conference, Education Minister Shirley Bond demonstrated the use of an electronic interactive classroom that brought together students and elected officials for a chemistry lesson. The conference also focussed on the future of education and brought new rural educators together with mentors in order to help teachers learn more about technological tools to support learning. One of the most commonly heard comments coming out of the Rural School Renewal Conference was that rural educators in BC wanted a venue to continue to share their stories, successes and questions. In response, the Rural Education Network has created an exciting new online community which will help rural educators and administrators stay connected. B.C. educators are invited to join the community to learn about professional development offerings, network, collaborate, and self-publish using a variety of tools. FRIENDS For LifeFRIENDS For Life is an evidence-based, anxiety prevention and resiliency building program being offered to all grade 4 and 5 students in B.C. FRIENDS is classroom based and designed to be delivered by teachers and school counsellors. Anxiety has the highest prevalence rate of all mental disorders in children and youth, affecting approximately 65,000 B.C. children. Early intervention programs have been shown to prevent anxiety disorders, increase emotional resilience and promote positive coping skills. Social and emotional skills affect performance in school and are a fundamental importance to success in life. A universal FRIENDS program ensures that all children will benefit. FRIENDS provides children with coping and life skills in a fun, interactive and engaging way. It is a 10 week program that addresses many learning outcomes in the Health and Career Education K-7 curriculum including goal-setting, problem-solving, valuing diversity, positive thinking and friendship skills. In support of the Child & Youth Mental Health Plan for BC, the Ministry of Children & Family Development is providing certified FRIENDS trainers for the required one-day training of teachers/school personnel along with the FRIENDS leaders manuals and student workbooks for delivery of the program to grade four and five students. For more information about FRIENDS in BC go to: www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/mental_health/friends.htm or email: mcf.cymhfriends@gov.bc.ca B.C. Students Among Top in the WorldB.C. and B.C. students have recently excelled in two sets of international studies, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The PIRLS results were released by a global co-operative of national research institutes and governments. More than 215,000 Grade 4 students in 40 countries and five Canadian provinces participated, including over 4,100 students from British Columbia. B.C., Alberta and Ontario were recognized by PIRLS as three of the highest achieving participants. B.C. was recognized as having one of the smallest differences between male and female student achievement of any jurisdiction in the world. Girls generally score higher on these tests than boys, and in many countries by a wide margin. The PIRLS survey questions also identified B.C. students as having a high level of reading for pleasure, a key indicator of success. Since 2001, the government has invested over $130 million in literacy for British Columbians through the Province’s literacy strategy, ReadNow BC. These programs have delivered approximately $32 million in literacy funding for schools, teachers, parents and others; $25 million for new textbooks; $30 million for early learning; $25 million for adult literacy; and $15 million for libraries. The PISA results showed that B.C. g rade 10 students were in the top-performing range worldwide, with only Finland doing significantly better in the science category. In reading, only Finland and Korea were above B.C.’s range, while in mathematics, five jurisdictions were above B.C.’s range. When comparing average scores, B.C. ranked fourth in science, sixth in reading and thirteenth in math. Generally, the 2006 results for B.C. students show scores similar to the 2003 results. The PISA survey also identified British Columbia as the best Canadian example of a jurisdiction that has minimized the effect of socio-economic status on performance while still maintaining a high level of student performance. Draft K to 9 Daily Physical Activity Documents Available for Review and ResponseEffective September 2008, all students will participate in 30 minutes of daily physical activity per day. Students will be able to meet these requirements in school during instructional or non-instructional time, as well as through daily physical activity undertaken in the community. In preparation for the commencement of the Daily Physical Activity requirement, the British Columbia Ministry of Education has posted two draft Daily Physical Activity documents for public review and response. The Draft Program Guide for Daily Physical Activity: Kindergarten to Grade 9 and the Draft Daily Physical Activity Resource: Kindergarten to Grade 9. Both are available on the following Ministry of Education web site: www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/drafts/welcome.htm The Ministry of Education is interested in receiving feedback on these drafts from education and community partners. Please feel free to share this link with anyone you feel would be interested in providing feedback. Feedback can be provided to the Ministry of Education by printing the Response Forms, completing them and then faxing them to the location listed at the bottom of the form. The Response Forms can be used for either individual or group feedback. Please complete the Response Forms and mail or fax them BEFORE January 15, 2008 To: Daily Physical Activity Project Special Education DVD ResourceTeachers, parents and students across B.C. will be interested to know that this week the Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Ministry of Children and Family Development, distributed copies of the critically acclaimed documentary DVD The Boy Inside, directed by Marianne Kaplan, and a study guide for teachers. The DVD chronicles a difficult school year for Adam, a 12-year-old boy who has Asperger Syndrome, an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Both the DVD and study guide aim to increase teacher and student understanding of Asperger Syndrome, and to foster a safe, supporting and caring school environment. Special Education Association 2008 Crosscurrents ConferenceThe 2008 Special Education Association Spring Conference will be held on March 13–14, 2008 at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver. Workshop sessions will address a broad spectrum of special education topics that relate to all educators and paraprofessionals. The Crosscurrents Conference addresses the special education concerns of regular classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, special educators & parents. The early bird registration fees for teachers are $145 for one day and $205 for two days; the rate for TAs and parents is $135 for one day and $175 two days. To qualify for the early rate, please register before January 31, 2008. For registration information please visit the Special Education Association website at www.bctf.BC.ca/psas/SEA. Or contact BJ Foulds, phone: (250) 964-8267, email: bjfoulds@telus.net |
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