Wednesday 26 December 2012

Thank You!!

I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas!

     This Christmas was the first time my fiance and I have had Christmas at our house with just the two of us (all other years we have traveled back and forth between our parents' places). The reason for this is because this year we are all traveled out after spending the 8 days before Christmas in the Dominican Republic!! We traveled with my fiance's family and it was an amazing time, we are so thankful that we got to go on such a fun trip. Although going from +32C to -30C was a big shocker!!


     Since we have gotten back I have been cooking a lot. I hosted Christmas Eve supper at our house and have also been doing a lot of baking that I plan on delivering to friends and family this evening. I have also been organizing our home because we have a newly renovated office!! Although we are still waiting to purchase desks and filing cabinets, we have brand new flooring and....... a brand new BOOKCASE!


     Ah the organization! My wonderful dad, with help from my fiance, built this bookcase for me to house all of our books that had previously been sitting in boxes. I am so excited!! We still have a lot of unpack and organize but it is slowly coming together. We finally have a place for all those teaching resources we have been accumulating. The room had previously just been used as storage and was pretty much unusable space but now it is organized and beautiful. Thanks dad! :)

____________________________________________________________

     I would also like to thank the wonderful ladies who participated in my 12 Days of Christmas Linky Giveaway! It was my very first time hosting a linky party and I wish I could have drawn more people out but, as you now know, I was in the Dominican and had to rely on scheduled posts! Perhaps if I was around I could have done more networking but that's ok! I still had three great blogs link up and participate :)
     
     If you haven't already taken an opportunity to check them out, here they are:

1 ) Mrs. Meador at WBT in Middle School

2 ) Cynthia at 2nd Grade Pad
Welcome to 2nd Grade Pad

3 ) Ms. Chrissy B at Buzzing with Ms. B
Buzzing with Ms. B Button

Thank you again ladies for linking up and participating in my first linky event!

Happy holidays everyone :)

Tuesday 25 December 2012

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway! Day 12


Merry Christmas everyone!!

Welcome to Day 12 of my 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

giveaway, free classroom resources, free lesson plans, christmas giveaway

Everyday, yes, EVERYDAY for 12 full days I have been giving away a classroom resource that I have developed to everyone who visits!

I'd like to thank everyone who linked up and helped spread the Christmas spirit by hosting giveaways of their own :)

12 Days of Christmas: Day 12 Giveaway!! 
The Great Migration PowerPoint Presentation

Yesterday I posted a lesson plan on the Great Migration so now I thought I should include the accompanying PowerPoint presentation! I use PowerPoint presentations like this to help my visual learners and to provide some basic note points for my linguistic learners.
This 17 slide PowerPoint presentation covers the Great Migration in regards to various immigrant groups, push factors, pull factors, the voyage over, and more!


great migration teaching resources,
Full 17 slide PowerPoint presentation is available via Google Docs at https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bwf6KR9URrBaY2M2UXBwM0I2T2s 
Thanks again to everyone who visited and took part in the giveaway! 
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays :)

Monday 24 December 2012

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway! Day 11

Welcome to Day 11 of my 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!
Can you believe that it is Christmas Eve already!? I hope that everyone is having an amazing time getting ready for the holidays :)

giveaway, free classroom resources, free lesson plans, christmas giveaway

Everyday, yes, EVERYDAY for 12 full days I am giving away a classroom resource that I have developed to everyone who visits! It is, however, the holidays so I'd love for you to spread the Christmas cheer as well and link up to give away a resource of your own

You can link up and celebrate with us for 1 day, 2 days, or all 12 days! 
I don't care, as long as you host one giveaway to spread the Christmas spirit :)

12 Days of Christmas: Day 11 Giveaway!! 
The Great Migration Lesson Plan

Canada is known as a multicultural society but have you ever thought about when that first started? The Great Migration essentially started Canada's multicultural status even before Canada reached confederation!
This 2 page lesson plan can be modified to meet the needs of your class and includes activating, acquiring and applying strategies for your students!


immigration in Canada, teaching about Canadian immigration, the Great Migration teaching resources
The full 2 page lesson plan is available via Google Docs at https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bwf6KR9URrBaN19rTVFhU2ZFX0k 
Tune in TOMORROW for the last opportunity to take part in my giveaway and please link up and share in our celebration!

Sunday 23 December 2012

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway! Day 10

Welcome to Day 10 of my 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

giveaway, free classroom resources, free lesson plans, christmas giveaway

Everyday, yes, EVERYDAY for 12 full days I am giving away a classroom resource that I have developed to everyone who visits! It is, however, the holidays so I'd love for you to spread the Christmas cheer as well and link up to give away a resource of your own

You can link up and celebrate with us for 1 day, 2 days, or all 12 days! 
I don't care, as long as you host one giveaway to spread the Christmas spirit :)

12 Days of Christmas: Day 10 Giveaway!! 
Settlement Patterns PowerPoint Presentation

Yesterday I featured a PowerPoint presentation on population so it seemed natural that the next resource would build on that.

As some of you may know, I live in a community of only 300 people so I definitely do not fit in with settlement pattern trends!
 This 20 slide PowerPoint presentation covers Settlement Patterns in regards to Canadians facts, dispersed patterns, concentrated patterns, population density, mega cities, and more!

settlement patterns lesson plans, teaching about settlement, human geography resources
Full 22 slide PowerPoint presentation available via Google Docs at https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bwf6KR9URrBaQVBrdTQyVTVYd28
Tune in EVERYDAY for the next 2 days to take part in my giveaway and please link up and share in our celebration!

Saturday 22 December 2012

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway! Day 9

Welcome to Day 9 of my 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

giveaway, free classroom resources, free lesson plans, christmas giveaway

Everyday, yes, EVERYDAY for 12 full days I am giving away a classroom resource that I have developed to everyone who visits! It is, however, the holidays so I'd love for you to spread the Christmas cheer as well and link up to give away a resource of your own

You can link up and celebrate with us for 1 day, 2 days, or all 12 days! 
I don't care, as long as you host one giveaway to spread the Christmas spirit :)

12 Days of Christmas: Day 9 Giveaway!! 
Population PowerPoint Presentation

Isn't it crazy to think about how the world's population is now over 7 billion? This 17 slide PowerPoint presentation covers Population in regards to interesting facts, defining demography, rates vs. numbers, dependency load, and more!
I originally created this PowerPoint presentation to accompany a lesson while I was student teaching in a small community next to my university. Although it contains some local material, you could easily modify it to make it relevant to your area.
population lesson plans, teaching about population, 7 billion people in the world, teaching dependency load, teaching birth rate
Full 17 slide PowerPoint presentation available via Google Docs at https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bwf6KR9URrBaTmZIaFZqeWd2NVk
Tune in EVERYDAY for the next 3 days to take part in my giveaway and please link up and share in our celebration!

Friday 21 December 2012

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway! Day 8

Welcome to Day 8 of my 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

giveaway, free classroom resources, free lesson plans, christmas giveaway

Everyday, yes, EVERYDAY for 12 full days I am giving away a classroom resource that I have developed to everyone who visits! It is, however, the holidays so I'd love for you to spread the Christmas cheer as well and link up to give away a resource of your own

You can link up and celebrate with us for 1 day, 2 days, or all 12 days! 
I don't care, as long as you host one giveaway to spread the Christmas spirit :)

12 Days of Christmas: Day 8 Giveaway!! 
Aboriginal Perspectives Curriculum & Resource Portfolio

This resource is actually a website that my fiance and I created as one of our final projects this semester. This  curriculum portfolio features 30 different online resources that can be used to incorporate Aboriginal perspective into your classroom.
Each resource is linked to specific curriculum outcomes, information on how to access the resource and detailed suggestions on how it can be used in the classroom.

aboriginal resources, aboriginal perspective classroom resources, integrating aboriginal perspective, first nations resources
Access the full portfolio online at www.aboriginalresources.weebly.com
Tune in EVERYDAY for the next 4 days to take part in my giveaway and please link up and share in our celebration!

Thursday 20 December 2012

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway! Day 7

Welcome to Day 7 of my 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

giveaway, free classroom resources, free lesson plans, christmas giveaway

Everyday, yes, EVERYDAY for 12 full days I am giving away a classroom resource that I have developed to everyone who visits! It is, however, the holidays so I'd love for you to spread the Christmas cheer as well and link up to give away a resource of your own

You can link up and celebrate with us for 1 day, 2 days, or all 12 days! 
I don't care, as long as you host one giveaway to spread the Christmas spirit :)

12 Days of Christmas: Day 7 Giveaway!! 
Diverse Perspectives on Natural Resources Lesson Plan 
& Seven Teachings Assignment


In the Grade 10 Geography curriculum students look at natural resources. This 5 page lesson plan, assignment, and assessment rubric addresses how First Nations communities may look at natural resources by showcasing the Traditional Seven Teachings.
This is a great lesson plan because the Seven Teachings touch every aspect of our day-to-day lives so this idea can be modified to meet the needs of any classroom subject!
This 5 page lesson plan includes activating, acquiring and applying strategies for your students!
seven teachings classroom resources, the seven teachings, traditional seven teachings, the seven grandfathers
Full 5 page lesson plan, assignment and assessment rubric available on Google Docs via https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bwf6KR9URrBaUU5SSE9BRkV6eW8


seven teachings classroom resources, the seven teachings, traditional seven teachings, the seven grandfathers
Here is a picture of the completed assignment courtesy of my Grade 11 class during student teaching!

Tune in EVERYDAY for the next 5 days to take part in my giveaway and please link up and share in our celebration!

Wednesday 19 December 2012

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway! Day 6

Welcome to Day 6 of my 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

giveaway, free classroom resources, free lesson plans, christmas giveaway

Everyday, yes, EVERYDAY for 12 full days I am giving away a classroom resource that I have developed to everyone who visits! It is, however, the holidays so I'd love for you to spread the Christmas cheer as well and link up to give away a resource of your own

You can link up and celebrate with us for 1 day, 2 days, or all 12 days! 
I don't care, as long as you host one giveaway to spread the Christmas spirit :)

12 Days of Christmas: Day 6 Giveaway!! 
War of 1812 PowerPoint Presentation

Day 6 and half way done!
We now have a War of 1812 lesson plan, an assignment and assessment rubric, and now we have the accompanying PowerPoint presentation! I had a few people get a hold of me and ask how I taught about the War of 1812 so here it is. I use PowerPoint presentations like this to help my visual learners and to provide some basic note points for my linguistic learners.
This 22 slide PowerPoint presentation covers the War of 1812 in regards to roots & causes, important people, major battles, results of the war, and more!

War of 1812, war of 1812 resources, war of 1812 classroom resources, war of 1812 lesson plans, war of 1812 freebies
Full 22 slide PowerPoint presentation available via Google Docs at https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bwf6KR9URrBaSTRYbFNMRUF2NXc
Tune in EVERYDAY for the next 6 days to take part in my giveaway and please link up and share in our celebration!

Tuesday 18 December 2012

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway! Day 5

Welcome to Day 5 of my 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

giveaway, free classroom resources, free lesson plans, christmas giveaway

Everyday, yes, EVERYDAY for 12 full days I am giving away a classroom resource that I have developed to everyone who visits! It is, however, the holidays so I'd love for you to spread the Christmas cheer as well and link up to give away a resource of your own

You can link up and celebrate with us for 1 day, 2 days, or all 12 days! 
I don't care, as long as you host one giveaway to spread the Christmas spirit :)

12 Days of Christmas: Day 5 Giveaway!! 
War of 1812: Major Battles Lesson Plan

Yesterday I posted a Graphic Novel Project to help students review and understand the War of 1812 and there was lots of downloads from Google Docs! I think it was a success because I have many American and Canadian followers and it is an assignment that could fit with both curriculum. Yay!
To keep that good thought going, I thought I would keep the War of 1812 resources going to offer up a lesson plan to cover some of the major battles.
This 4 page lesson plan can be modified to meet the needs of your class and includes activating, acquiring and applying strategies for your students!

war of 1812 resources, war of 1812 classroom resources, war of 1812 lesson plans, war of 1812 freebies
Full 4 page lesson plan available via Google Docs at https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bwf6KR9URrBacTJ5VUtMVnpXTW8
Tune in EVERYDAY for the next 7 days to take part in my giveaway and please link up and share in our celebration!

Monday 17 December 2012

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway! Day 4

Welcome to Day 4 of my 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!
It is also Monday, so consider this my Resources To Start Off Your Week post as well :)

giveaway, free classroom resources, free lesson plans, christmas giveaway

Everyday, yes, EVERYDAY for 12 full days I am giving away a classroom resource that I have developed to everyone who visits! It is, however, the holidays so I'd love for you to spread the Christmas cheer as well and link up to give away a resource of your own

You can link up and celebrate with us for 1 day, 2 days, or all 12 days! 
I don't care, as long as you host one giveaway to spread the Christmas spirit :)

12 Days of Christmas: Day 4 Giveaway!! 
War of 1812 Graphic Novel Project

This multi-day project asks students to create a collaborative Graphic Novel by each creating frames covering a significant person or event. When completed, each student's frames are put together to create one cohesive story line about the War of 1812.
This project page includes project guidelines and an accompanying assessment rubric. While it was originally made for the War of 1812 it could be modified to cover any historical event or person.
See the Graphic Novel that inspired this project :)

free war of 1812 projects, war of 1812, war of 1812 in the classroom, war of 1812 classroom resources
Full assignment details and assessment rubric available via Google Docs at  https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bwf6KR9URrBaUTdCX1RaeEhIS3M
Tune in EVERYDAY for the next 8 days to take part in my giveaway and please link up and share in our celebration!


Sunday 16 December 2012

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway! Day 3

Welcome to Day 3 of my 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

giveaway, free classroom resources, free lesson plans, christmas giveaway

Everyday, yes, EVERYDAY for 12 full days I am giving away a classroom resource that I have developed to everyone who visits! It is, however, the holidays so I'd love for you to spread the Christmas cheer as well and link up to give away a resource of your own

You can link up and celebrate with us for 1 day, 2 days, or all 12 days! 
I don't care, as long as you host one giveaway to spread the Christmas spirit :)

12 Days of Christmas: Day 3 Giveaway!! 
First Nations - Treaty Process Lesson Plan & PowerPoint Presentation


The first two days of the giveaway focused on Science and now we are shifting over to Social Studies! This 47 slide PowerPoint presentation covers First Nations and the Treaty Process in regards to history, the Royal Proclamation, the Indian Act, residential schools, reserves, hunting rights, human development, and more!
The accompanying lesson plan covers up to 4 days but can be modified to meet the needs of your class and includes activating, acquiring and applying strategies for your students!

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Full 47 slide PowerPoint presentation available on Google Docs at https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bwf6KR9URrBabVVwcUxVZVBjN0k
free first nations lesson plans, free treaty process lesson plans, treaties, teaching about treaties
Full 4 page lesson plan available on Google Docs at  https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bwf6KR9URrBaaXh1SkhhbGpyTHc
Tune in EVERYDAY for the next 9 days to take part in my giveaway and please link up and share in our celebration!

Saturday 15 December 2012

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway! Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of my 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

giveaway, free classroom resources, free lesson plans, christmas giveaway

Everyday, yes, EVERYDAY for 12 full days I am giving away a classroom resource that I have developed to everyone who visits! It is, however, the holidays so I'd love for you to spread the Christmas cheer as well and link up to give away a resource of your own

You can link up and celebrate with us for 1 day, 2 days, or all 12 days! 
I don't care, as long as you host one giveaway to spread the Christmas spirit :)

12 Days of Christmas: Day 2 Giveaway!! 
Grade 5/6 Electricity: Simple Circuits Lab Stations & Safety Signs

Yesterday's giveaway offered up my Grade 5/6 Electricity Unit Plan and today I'd love to expand on that! This 6 station lab activity covers simple circuits, parallel circuits, insulators/conductors, switches, the bell and an ultimate challenge! This is a fun, hands-on activities that students love :)

Additionally, I've included a set of Safety Signs that I had set up in my classroom during student teaching.

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Full 6 station lab activity available on Google Docs at https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bwf6KR9URrBaRzFYb2g1WXBibVU 
classroom safety signs, school lab safety signs
Full set of 5 safety signs available on Google Docs at https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bwf6KR9URrBaZkdEcUF3cFdZT00 
Tune in EVERYDAY for the next 10 days to take part in my giveaway and please link up and share in our celebration!

Friday 14 December 2012

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway! Day 1

I've mentioned multiple times over the past few weeks that I LOVE the holidays 
and to celebrate I decided to undertake another blogging milestone.... 
I'm hosting my very first linky event!

giveaway, free classroom resources, free lesson plans, christmas giveaway

Everyday, yes, EVERYDAY for the next 12 days I will be giving away a classroom resource that I have developed to everyone who visits! It is, however, the holidays so I'd love for you to spread the Christmas cheer as well and link up to give away a resource of your own

You can link up and celebrate with us for 1 day, 2 days, or all 12 days! 
I don't care, as long as you host one giveaway to spread the Christmas spirit :)

12 Days of Christmas: Day 1 Giveaway!! 
Grade 5/6 Electricity Unit Plan

You might have seen this resource floating around my blog earlier in the spring but it hasn't been publicly available for quite a while! Due to popular demand I have decided to bring it back and have it as my FIRST giveaway of the linky party :) 
This 32 page unit plan features a comprehensive day-by-day activity guide, webquests, online activities, labs, tech integration and safety lesson plans!

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Full 32 page unit plan available on Google Drive at https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bwf6KR9URrBaZThGTjR0UzFia0k
Tune in EVERYDAY for the next 11 days to take part in my giveaway and please link up and share in our celebration!

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Teaching of Aboriginal Studies Exam Review

     Tomorrow is our final exam in our Teaching of Aboriginal Studies class. Here is my completion of our exam review, wish me luck! :)

10 Ways to Assess for Racism/Sexism in Classroom Resources
1 ) Look at the Illustrations
     - Is there "tokensim"?
     - Who is doing what in the image?
2 ) What is the Story Line
     - Does the character need to adopt "white" traits to be successful?
     - Who solves the problem in the story?
     - What is the role of women?
3 ) What is their Lifestyle
     - Can you tell their social class?
     - Employment?
     - Housing?
4 ) What are the character's Inter-personal Relationships
     - Who is the authority figure?
     - Who makes the decisions?
     - What is the family structure?
5 ) Who is the Hero
     - Whose interests does the hero serve?
6 ) What effect does the story have on a child's Self-Image
     - How would the story make a child feel about themselves?
     - Is their race portrayed positively?
     - Would they feel like they are being stereotyped?
7 ) What is the Author's Background
     - What qualifications does the author have?
     - Are they of the same race as the characters in the book?
8 ) What is the Author's Perspective
     - Cultural context?
     - Personal context?
9 ) Look at Loaded Words
     - Tricky
     - Sneaky
     - Lazy
     - Docile
10 ) When is the Copyright Date
     - Is it outdated?
     - What were the thoughts of that time period?
 
Things to AVOID when Picking Books
- Inaccurate Information (mixing cultures together)
- Stereotypes
- Generic Portrayals of "Indians"
- Loaded Words (see above)
- Negative Images
- Isolated Information (no context and/or background)

Things to LOOK FOR when Picking Books
- Authentic Information
- Modern Descriptions of Aboriginal People
- Diverse (shows that there are many groups of people)
- Respectful Language
- Positive Image
- Relevance (local to your area)

Chapter 7, pg 175
Kanu, Yatta. (2011). Integrating Aboriginal Perspectives into the School Curriculum: Purposes, Possibilities and Challenges. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

     Studies find that teachers think that incorporating Aboriginal perspective is important in the classroom but these factors create difficulty:
- lack of knowledge/understanding about Aboriginal people
- teachers are excluded from decisions on how to integrate
   Aboriginal perspective
- lack of suitable classroom resources
- lack of long-term support from admin
- school structure doesn't mesh with traditional Aboriginal
   education
- a teacher's personal beliefs and biases

James Banks Levels of Integration of Multicultural Context

1 ) Contributions Approach
     - Incorporates heroes and holidays
     - No context for the information
     - Firm cutoff
2 ) Additive Approach
     - Incorporates a unit (April Raintree)
     - Doesn't change any of the outcomes
3 ) Transformations Approach
     - Looks at information from different points of view
     - Changes the outcomes/curriculum
4 ) Social Action Approach
     - Students learn about issues and take action to solve them
     - Decision making process

Chapter 7, pg 169
Kanu, Yatta. (2011). Integrating Aboriginal Perspectives into the School Curriculum: Purposes, Possibilities and Challenges. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

     Teachers believe the integrating Aboriginal perspective is crucial for these reasons:
1 ) There is a need to learn from Aboriginal peoples. Some cited examples are,
     - stories & their message
     - spirituality
     - caring for an extended family
2 ) Learning needs to be culturally relevant
     - represents our student's history, culture and experiences
3 ) Improvement of self-image & identity
     - there are many negative images in the media
     - we need to improve how Aboriginal students see themselves
4 ) Economic results of dropping out
     - Aboriginal populations are growing fast and have many young people
     - Canada as a whole is an aging population and needs more skilled people in
        the work force
5 ) Need for inclusion
     - Canada is a multicultural democracy
6 )  Need to inform Aboriginal students and other students of this
      information
     - all students need to understand Aboriginal background & understand
        how it has shaped Canada

Chapter 7, pg 173
Kanu, Yatta. (2011). Integrating Aboriginal Perspectives into the School Curriculum: Purposes, Possibilities and Challenges. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

     Here are some examples of things that a teacher has done that have incorporated Aboriginal perspective into her classroom:
- displays of artifacts
- posters
- current event flyers
- books by Aboriginal authors
- sharing circles
- guest speakers
- legends
- sharing of her personal vision quests
- using Aboriginal art and symbols
- positive content
- respect and warmth
- follows the mood of the class

Chapter 7, pg 191
Kanu, Yatta. (2011). Integrating Aboriginal Perspectives into the School Curriculum: Purposes, Possibilities and Challenges. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

     What does it mean to be a Facilitator of Integration? How can we facilitate the integration of Aboriginal perspective? Here is what teachers said they needed in order to facilitate the integration of Aboriginal perspective:
1 ) Teachers Professional Efficacy
     - teachers need knowledge of Aboriginal cultures
     - teachers need knowledge of appropriate Aboriginal pedagogy
2 ) Resource Adequacy
     - teacher need easy-to-use materials for students and themselves
3 ) PD Opportunities
     - teachers need PD opportunities to better prepare themselves
4 ) Sustainable Funding
     - teachers need to be able to have funds so that they can draw on the
       First Nations communities around them for resources
     - admin needs to be supportive and accountable
5 ) Change in School Culture
     - overhaul
     - things can't change is the school culture wont change

Chapter 7, pg 194-97
Kanu, Yatta. (2011). Integrating Aboriginal Perspectives into the School Curriculum: Purposes, Possibilities and Challenges. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

     Here is a shortened version of the 12 Point list that is summarized at the end of Chapter 7 in regards to what needs to be done to be Facilitators of Integration:
1 ) All teachers need knowledge and understanding about Aboriginal:
     - history
     - issues
     - pedagogy
     - culture
2 ) School supports need to be in place (like funding & PD opportunities)
3 ) Curriculum development should include teachers
4 ) Easy-to-access resources
5 ) Curriculum/textbooks should feature Aboriginal culture, content, issues, pedagogy
6 ) High quality research on school culture (general and specific)
7 ) Strong/supportive admin who take action
8 ) More Aboriginal teachers
9 ) Funds allocated for Aboriginal integration
     - school liaisons
     - guest speakers
     - resources
10 ) Use elders to teach what you can't (or what you shouldn't)
11 ) Involvement of Aboriginal parents
      - guest speakers
      - committee members
      - volunteers
12 ) Change to the school structure
      - scheduling

MASS Position Statement on Aboriginal Education
      "The way forward must draw upon the knowledge and expertise found among Manitoba's Aboriginal people."
A ) Find ways to live in harmony & balance with yourself and the universe
      through sustainable & generative relationships
B ) Create & maintain healthy & diverse learning communities by using
      authentic learning contexts for all students
C ) Foster and support Aboriginal languages & culture
D ) Instill & fulfill the beliefs of responsibility (individually and community)
      in the classroom

4 R's of Aboriginal Education
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Reciprocity
- Relevance

The 4 Imperatives
1 ) Historical
     - Need to respect treaty obligations
     - Achieve equitable outcomes
2 ) Moral
     - Gaps in quality of life
     - Higher drop out rates
     - Higher health concern rates
     - Higher incarceration rates
3 ) Economic
     - Dwindling work force with baby-boomers retiring
     - Economy needs full participation in the work force
4 ) Demographic
     - Aboriginals are the youngest and fastest growing population
     - Over 50% attend provincial schools
     - By 2016, 45% of Kindergarten students with be Aboriginal

Good luck to everyone else out there finishing up final exams and projects!


Monday 10 December 2012

Resources To Start Off Your Week 47

     If you noticed, I haven't been blogging as much lately and this week I wanted to share with you why that is. The resource that I am sharing this week is actually 30 resources all in one!! As always, I will be adding this to my lists of resources under the Fav Websites heading.

     One of the classes we have to take is, Teaching Aboriginal Studies, and our final project was to create a Curriculum & Resource Portfolio displaying resources that could be used to incorporate Aboriginal perspective. Luckily for me, my partner was also my fiance, which made this project MUCH easier! :)

Resource & Curriculum Portfolio
- This portfolio features 30 resources that can be used in the classroom to
   incorporate Aboriginal perspective. Each resource references the
   curriculum outcomes, how to access the resource and how it can be used in
   the classroom.
- There are resources that are appropriate for Social Studies, English, Phys-Ed,
  and multi-subject lessons.
- www.aboriginalresources.weebly.com

aboriginal resources, first nations resources, aboriginal perspective in the classroom

Happy Monday everyone!

Thursday 6 December 2012

Professional Portfolio Feedback

     Yesterday I posted about how I was presenting my teaching portfolio in class today as part of a "portfolio fair" in my Science Methods class. In addition to presenting it to my peers, I also posted it to my Facebook and Twitter accounts as well to try and get more feedback.

     As promised, here are some of the comments & suggestions that I got:

1 ) Good use of pictures
     - People liked that I had photos in addition to text so they could really visualize
        what I was trying to get across

2 ) Play up the fact that it is electronic
     - What does it offer that couldn't be offered through a traditional hard-copy
        portfolio?
     - I think I am going to add a video or audio clip introducing myself instead of
        just having the paragraph that I have now

3 ) Well organized and easy to read
     - This was one of the things that I liked about using Weebly to create my
        portfolio, it is easy to use and requires no personal HTML formatting

4 ) Double up information
     - I had difficulty re-posting information more than once in my portfolio (for
       example, if I had something listed under employment on my resume, I might
       have not had it listed under "teaching experience" which was a different
       heading)
    - My prof pointed out that there is no gaurantee that someone will look at
      EVERY page, so make sure they don't miss any information that they might
      be looking for

5 ) Good highlight of volunteer background
     - I hope that this will show that I am willing to be involved in other aspects of
       the school instead of just my own classroom

     These were just a few of the comments that I received and once I re-do my portfolio again I will re-post it and share again :) Thank you to everyone who took the time to go through it and share their thoughts :)

Wednesday 5 December 2012

More on Professional Portfolios

     Tomorrow in my Science Methods class we are having a "portfolio fair" in which we take turns sharing our professional teaching portfolios. We are able to see what other people have included, get formatting/organization ideas, critique for errors, etc. In case you missed it the first time, I actually took a very big step (for me) and decided to share my portfolio to the world via a blog post last month.

     While I can't say I received any constructive criticism, I did receive a lot of kind and supportive comments so that must mean I am doing something right! :) Right?? Since that time I have tweaked a few areas and added some new information:
- Completed my philosophy on education
- Edited grammatical errors
- Added in various work samples under various subjects

     Although it is still a work in progress and I know I will be modifying it right up until a teaching interview I wanted to share it again since I will be sharing it in class tomorrow with my peers.

http://kirstenlanden.weebly.com/

     Like last time, any comments would be appreciated because I would really like it to be the best that it can be! I will post again this weekend and let you know the feedback I received in class.

** All contact info that is on my portfolio is available on other places on the web so there is no sensitive information being shared without permission!

Monday 3 December 2012

Resources To Start Off Your Week 46


     Happy December! It is officially the holidays and I couldn't be more excited! We are done school for the semester next Thursday and it is definitely a good feeling. That means that there are only 6 more months until I am graduated and only 7 more months until I am a married woman! Of course, there will also be teaching interviews somewhere in that time frame as well. So many exciting things! :)

     In the meantime, here are some neat resources I found this week. As always, I will be adding them to my lists of resources under the Fav Websites heading.

1 ) History Detectives
- History Detectives is a television series on PBS that explores, "historical
  mysteries that connect local folklore, family legends and interesting objects."
  It is also a great online resource for the classroom! If you are interested in
  spicing up one of your history lessons this is definitely a site to visit for
  inspiration! Users can learn more about historical investigations and even
  watch full length episodes.
- They even have a specifically designated "For Educators" section that
  includes detailed lesson plans and suggestions on how to use History
  Detectives in the classroom!
http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/

pbs, history in the classroom, history classroom resources

2 ) The Physics Front
- Teaching physics or physical science? Then this is the database for you!
   The Physics Front is boasting over 1,500 resources that are easy to find
   as they are categorized by subject, level, author, cost and much more!
   This seems like a really good website to go to if you need lesson plan
   ideas, supplementary material or need something quick for a sub.
- This is definitely something to put in your back pocket in case you end
   up teaching in this area!
http://www.thephysicsfront.org/index.cfm

physics lesson plans, science lesson plans, physical science lesson plans, physics classroom resources

Happy Monday everyone!

Sunday 2 December 2012

December Currently!

   Tis' the season! I love the holidays but they seem to go by so quickly!! There is always so much family to see, Christmas parties, get-togethers with friends, etc. We only have 8 classes left until we are officially on holidays and only 29 days until our wedding social!

     I am told that wedding socials are a local event that other people don't necessarily celebrate so if you are not sure what a wedding social is, it is a public dance hosted by the bride and groom that is used as a fundraiser to raise money for a wedding. Tickets are sold for admission, drinks are sold, there are raffle prizes, etc and it is a great way to celebrate with the community and raise money for your wedding!

     If you haven't encountered a "Currently" post before, it is just a fun post at the beginning of each month that serves as a way to share what is Currently going on in your life! You can link up and share your own "Currently" post by visiting the wonderful Farley over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade.


Oh Boy fourth Grade, currently

Thursday 29 November 2012

My Thoughts on Headphones

     Last week I read a blog post  over at The Spicy Learning Blog that really got me thinking about some of my thoughts on classroom procedures and what type of policies and procedures I would have in my future classroom. During my student teaching placement at "S-School" I was told by many teachers that the school policy was that students were to not be wearing headphones while in the classroom. There were some specific students, however, that had permission to wear headphones to assist in their attention while working on projects and assignments.

     What I found though was that this policy varied classroom to classroom based on what worked for that teacher and their specific students. Being a student teacher and only being in the class a short period of time, however, I decided to maintain whatever policy my cooperating teachers had in place prior to my visit so that the students had consistent routines. If I did have my own classroom though, I definitely think that I would allow my students to wear headphones! Here are some of my thoughts that came up while reading The Spicy Learning Blog's post and reflecting in general about it:

- Headphones are perfect for those students who are auditory learners
  (whose to say that headphones HAVE to mean that students only use them
  for music? They could be listening to podcasts or watching TEDEd lessons on
  the subject we are learning about)

- There would have to be clear procedures about when headphones could be
   used. I wouldn't be comfortable with students listening to music or videos
   while I or another student was presenting information.
   (only during "work time")

- Headphones could help create that solitude that students may need sometimes
  (especially students who may be more introverted)

- Students may be cheating if they listen to headphones during tests (by having
   recorded answers)

- Headphones may help students focus on the task at hand, whether that is a
  writing assignment, project, studying, etc

- As a teacher, I could have an iPod or iPad loaded with a pre-set playlist so that
  students could listen to that music during a test and I could ensure that they weren't
  cheating

What are your thoughts? Does you school have a policy on headphone use? 
What are your pros and cons?

Monday 26 November 2012

Resources To Start Off Your Week 45

     So I spent the better part of the last month posting about First Nations resources so I have decided to switch it up and showcase a few different resources this week. As always, I will be adding these to my lists of resources under the Fav Websites heading.

1 ) Periodic Table of Comic Books
- Learning about the Periodic Table of Elements? This is a fun version that
  I'm sure will entertain the comic-book lovers in your class. Two professors
  from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Kentucky have put
  together an interactive Periodic Table of Elements that showcases comic book
  characters/events associated with a specific element.
- This could be a neat way to gain student interest and present information in
   a way that is relevant and fun for your students. The great thing is that once
   their interest is peaked, they can not only learn about the comic books, but
   also link to Web Elements to learn more about the element itself!
http://www.uky.edu/Projects/Chemcomics/index.html

university of Kentucky chemistry department

2 ) Manifest Destiny: The Story Of The US Told In 141 Maps
- As you can probably guess, this website shares the expansion of the US with
  141 different interactive maps.  By clicking on a specific map, users can hover
  over the different territories and read about what changes happened during that
  specific time period.
- Whether you are covering manifest destiny, teaching an American history
   course or covering the evolution of settlement, this website is definitely
   useful! Think of how helpful it could be for our visual learners.
http://michaelporath.com/projects/manifest-destiny/#overview

Manifest destiny, american expansion


3 ) UK National Archives Education Site
- The United Kingdom has an AMAZING National Archives education website
   that students and teachers can use to review primary and secondary sources from
   events dating back to medieval times!
- If you happen to be in the UK area, teachers can book workshops with the
   National Archives historians. If you are like me and are a bit too far away, the
   website also houses study skills for students, activities and games, and projects
   to help understand primary sources.
- The information covered in these archives can not add to a social studies based
   lesson but you could also use resources to accompany an ELA or science lesson
   as well! The possibilities are endless.
- http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/

national archives lesson plans, national archives classroom resources


Happy Monday everyone!

Sunday 25 November 2012

Connecting, Reflecting & Creating: Why We Blog

     I have exciting news I want to share! A fellow student teacher, Tyler L, and myself will be presenting our very own Professional Development sessions!!

    Tyler and myself are both avid bloggers and we have actually spent some time this year sharing our experience with first year Faculty of Education students in their "ICT in Education" class. After some consultation with a professor we began working on our own Professional Development session on how blogging can benefit educators. What resulted was, Connecting, Reflecting & Creating: Why We Blog.

     "From being used as a reflective tool and a means to gain meaningful feedback 
      from peers, to creating primary resources that can be used in the classroom 
      and building a valuable PLN, this session will demonstrate the benefits of 
      blogging as an educator. This session will provide an overview of the many 
      ways that blogging can positively impact your teaching through first hand 
      accounts, examples and hands-on activities. You are encouraged to bring 
      laptops/devices but they not essential."

    Tyler and I both approach blogging from different point of view and have each used our blogs for very unique things so I am excited that we were able to come together and showcase all of our different experiences! We will be presenting this PD session on January 15th at our university as well as February 23rd at the 9th Annual BYTE Conference.

Byte Conference in Neepawa, BYTE, BYTE manitoba, ICT conference in Manitoba

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Case Study of Aboriginal Content

     One of our assignments that we worked on completing while student teaching was a case study of Aboriginal content in our schools. Was Aboriginal perspective being incorporated, was education inclusive to Aboriginal students, what would we have changed, what did we do, etc. For the most part, we had free reign in regards to what topics we discussed but it had to be within five pages. This did limit me to what I could cover but I tried to touch on as much info as I could. Here is what I created:

________________________________________________

Where I Was
            I completed my third student teaching practicum at a Kindergarten to Grade Twelve school in a small rural community approximately thirty minutes west of "E/F First Nations". The community itself is just under two-thousand people and has primarily an agricultural background. Approximately forty percent of the students at the school have an Aboriginal background and a few students used to attend school on-reserve in "E/F".
            I had some previous substitute teaching experience in the school and I knew that one of its school-wide goals was for teachers to incorporate Aboriginal perspective lessons at least three times per semester. This was a goal that was transferred over to this school year as well and it, in addition with others, was displayed in the front hallway as soon as you enter the school. The display also has open spots for teachers and students to write down their accomplished goals for all to see.
Grade 11/12 Global Issues (Formally World Issues)
            One of the classes I was part of was the Grade 11/12 Global Issues class, formally referred to Grade 11/12 World Issues class. Based off the inquiry nature of the curriculum, I had a lot of flexibility in regards to what subject areas I covered and how they were approached. After discussion with my cooperating teacher it was determined that I would be teaching a unit on Indigenous Peoples of the World but had free reign in regards to what type of information was covered. When I began discussing my plans with my cooperating teacher, she was quick to state that she was happy I would be covering this unit because, “It would meet the school’s Aboriginal goal requirements and she wouldn't have to do it later on.”
Global Issues, Manitoba curriculum
This is the title slide of the PowerPoint presentation I created for our unit.
I found my cooperating teacher’s reaction quite odd as she is very well traveled and had  previously taught in "P-Town" (an Aboriginal community) as well. It seemed strange to me that she would be hesitant to incorporate Aboriginal perspective when I had assumed it would be something she had a lot of experience in.
Grade 11 Canadian History
            In addition to Global Issues I was also part of the Grade 11 Canadian History class, which actually had eight out of nine of the same students from my Global Issues class. Due to the chronological nature of the new Grade 11 Canadian History curriculum I was automatically assigned the next unit which would be, British Colonial Rule following the fall of New France. This was a topic that I had some experience teaching from a previous student teaching experience but I did need to adapt it to appropriately reflect the new curricular outcomes.
This is the title slide of the PowerPoint presentation I created for our unit.
Talking the Talk
            While I have only mentioned two classes above, I was actually in four different classrooms throughout the day and with four different teachers. My placement covered Grade 4 through Grade 12 and gave me an opportunity to work with teachers from very diverse backgrounds and experiences. What I found during my student teaching practicum was, that although there was a lot of talk about First Nations inclusion and Aboriginal perspective, the teachers I was with did not go out of their way to meet these goals. It was not as if I witnessed anything that I would blatantly label as racist or oppressive, but the goals were just not being addressed in the manner that I expected.
            What surprised me more, was that the Grade 11/12 Current Topics in Native Studies class had never been offered at the school before. It is, however, a very small rural school and Social Studies based courses unfortunately have to be slotted against upper years Science courses in order to make the schedule work within the staffing restrictions. Although students had been given options in regards to scheduling in the past, the upper years Science classes hold priority based on their university entrance possibilities.
While I Was There
            I absolutely loved my time student teaching at this school and I feel very confident about the units that I covered during my time there. Using information from this course, as well as Professional Development sessions that I attended during the MTS Fab 5 Conference, I felt like I was able to create lessons that were inclusive to all students without specifically labelling a lesson as, “Aboriginal”.  Here are some examples of projects that my students completed during my student teaching placement:

The Seven Grandfathers, seven teachings classroom resources
To learn more about this project, read this post.
Seven Teachings Collaborative Poster
Each student was responsible for appropriately depicting a specific teaching (outside wedges) or for the Seven Teachings in general (center circle portions). In addition to creating a visual representation, students were also asked to complete a written portion explaining what the Seven Teachings meant to them and 

how it affected their life. This project was part of a virtual“competition” over Twitter with another teacher's Native Studies course as they were completing a similar project at the same time.

Post Secret Post Card Project
Negative treatment of Indigenous groups are often referred to as that country's "secrets" because they are not often discussed openly. Based off of the Post Secret public art project, students created post cards depicting one of these secrets. In addition to creating a visual representation, students were also asked to complete a written portion explaining the significance behind their secret choice and why they believe it should be shared with others.

TRCM, speakjers bureau, TRCM speaker in your school
Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba Speakers Bureau
A central focus of traditional First Nations education involves Elders and community members passing information to younger
generations through story telling. This photo is my Grade 11/12 class with Mark Young, a guest speaker I brought in from TRCM. Mark not only spoke about treaties but also introduced information on First Nations world view and challenges that First Nations people can encounter.


Community Resources Comparison Poster
Why do reserve communities have less available resources than other communities of similar populations? After completing online research, as well as personal communication with community representatives, 
students created posters comparing available resources in two different communities of similar size. In addition to creating visual depictions, students also handed in their written research.

Historical Perspectives
A central focus of my teaching philosophy is to provide students with an opportunity to learn history from different points of view. When learning about the period of British Colonial Rule, my Grade 11 class created posters depicting the major events as they were seen from the perspective of the British, the French, and the First Nations citizens. We learned that different groups can interpret history quite differently!

Bibliography

Houle, Wade. (2012). Teaching Aboriginal Topic Conference Package. MVSD: 
Dauphin Regional Comprehensive School.