On February 28, two members of the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation visited our Professional Teacher class to talk about global citizenship in the classroom. This was such an inspiring, and thought provoking presentation about the amount of knowledge that students possess on global citizenship, and ways they are becoming involved in areas to better our world. A survey done by the MCIC of grade 10 students showed that these students possessed a lot of knowledge on sustainable development, yet not many were doing anything to help eliminate poverty or waste. By helping students gain a better understanding of areas that could use their assistance around the world, the students may begin to do some deeper thinking, and devise a plan of action to help a place in need.
One way that students learn best is by playing an active role in a lesson. This was done in the presentation, where we took the place of students who go to conferences put on by the MCIC. The simulation games shown to our class served as powerful examples of what students in other parts of the world may experience everyday. This approach makes the situation feel much more real, and in turn provokes the students to do something to help solve the tragic problems that fellow members of their human race are being faced with on a daily basis. One of the simulations in which we participated dealt with the issue of water and sanitation in countries such as Sudan and South Africa. Two teams were formed, each consisting of three girls and one boy. The two boys were each given a challenging puzzle to complete, that would symbolize them being in school. Meanwhile, the three girls had to do a relay race, carrying jugs of water on their head back and forth across the room. Only once they had done a specific number of laps were they able to go help the boy on their team at school. The girls on the Sudan team did not get to attend school, even after they had carried water, for there are no washrooms available to them. This simulation was great, and I believe it would be very eye opening to a lot of young students.
Another simulation which our class participated in was titled "Pennies for Wealth". Several students were picked to participate in this game where they were each given an individualized special instruction that would determine how many pennies they could collect. The amount collected by each individual differed greatly. This simulation served to demonstrate that even though there is wealth in the world, different people have different levels of access to it. Some people are faced with obstacles that prevent them from gaining economic wealth.
Often we take much of the opportunities we are given for granted, such as being able to use a bathroom or attending school. It would be very beneficial for our students to see the struggles that their peers in other countries are faced with. This simulation would lead to some great discussions, and potential plans to help their global partners.
MCIC is very supportive of students fundraising for projects in other countries, and recently helped a highschool group of students raise money to build girls washrooms in Tanzania. They also went over there with these students to help build the facilities. These are great examples for everyone to see, not just students. In school, we teach our students about humanity, caring, respect, and friendship. Raising funds and supporting other students so that they have the opportunity to gain an education supports all of these goals.
I believe that what MCIC is doing is very powerful and inspiring, and serves as a great model to all our students in helping others. By teaching these young students about the importance of global citizenship, we are taking the first step in helping to create a better world. For these students will soon be adults, who can help influence even more people to make a difference, and assist in the sustainable development of other countries. Many children today are growing up in poverty all over the world, but with the support of programs such as the MCIC, there is potential for all children to be fed, receive education, and fall asleep in a safe place. As teachers, we need to plant this seed in our students, so that one day it will become reality.
http://www.mcic.ca/
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
And we were the hostesses of this tea party...
Once upon a time, in a small city named Brandon, there lived a group of friends. Now these friends were all very special people, for they had one thing in common; they loved school. Infact, they all loved school so much that they wanted to stay there for the rest of their lives. They decided to become teachers so that they could travel from school to school, and never have to grow up. One day, these friends were given a very exciting message, their school would be hosting WestCast! None of them were quite sure what it was, but by the way the professors were talking, they felt it was very important. They soon learned that it would be like a large party, where other people from western Canada who loved school as much as them would attend. Brandon University would be the gathering place for this three day tea party, and all the friends would get to play host and hostess. Immediately they became excited and began anticipating the arrival of the guests.
The conference was fast approaching, and the friends were getting anxious. Each of them would be doing a presentation at the conference, to share with their peers their love of teaching. Math games and bullying powerpoints were being worked on around the clock. Volunteers of all sorts were being recruited to make sure that this event would go off without a hitch!
Finally, Wednesday, February 23 arrived! The friends all struggled sitting through classes that morning, anticipating the events of the evening. As soon as their professor read her last warm fuzzy, the friends raced home to prepare for the wine and cheese that would take place later on. After getting dressed in their best teacher/business dress, the friends met at the school. Here they were donned with a blue and yellow striped scarf with a BU on it, to show the new visitors their school pride. The guests began to arrive shortly following, and everyone began to mingle and discuss their education programs. Words of wisdom were passed on from other people who too shared the loved of school and the classroom. New friends were met, beverages were consumed, and fine music was enjoyed. Soon, the cracker platters had turned to crumbs, and the excited friends went home to rest for the following day.
On Thursday morning, the students of the conference were blessed to get the opportunity to listen to Mr. Ian Ross. His speech was both entertaining and full of wisdom, for not only teachers, but for every person. The friends shared laughs many times throughout the morning. Soon, it was time to carry on to the sessions, and each friend left with their brain stretched wide open, hoping to fill it with new knowledge by the time the day was over.
The Education building that the friends had grown accustomed to seemed to have a different glow about it when they arrived. Members of many School Divisions greated the prospective teachers, handing them pens, lunch bags, oatmeal, apple pie, and applications. The friends dispersed throughout the school, in order to attend different sessions, and gain knowledge which they would later share. Some of the friends were presenting a session on math games, others one on bullying, and others went to listen to the wisdom of our peer students and educators. A wealth of information was available in all aspects throughout the day.
When they arrived home in the late afternoon, the friends shared many thoughts and new wisdom with each other, before heading out to their evening destination. Here, they were thoroughly entertained, and some even a little freaked out, by a crazy magician named Anders. Drinks and dance moves were shared with students from across the country. The Brandon University girls showed off their true country dance moves, and led the crowd in the line dance to Boot Scootin Boogie. This was done much to the amazement of a British Columbian boy, who had to video tape the crowd to show to his friends back home. Many new friendships were formed on the dance floor, as in true Manitoba social style. The evening ended with smiles, as several of the friends left with wonderful prizes, including an i-pod touch!
Friday morning, the friends were moving a little slower when they met for coffee to start the day. Each of them was thirsting for knowledge, yet their thirst for caffeine was a little stronger. After recieving a good dose of motivation about the potential of classroom learning, the friends again dispersed for the day. They learned many things on their journey around their transformed residence, including what principals are looking for, how to use LEGO to teach, how to bring more culture into the curriculum, and overall, how to be a wise, resourceful, wonderful educator. The friends gathered that evening to celebrate all the learning, by testing some of their old knowledge, in a friendly game of "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" Thankfully, all the teachers of the next generation passed, and those that were smartest were rewarded with more beverages, just what was needed after another long day.
Saturday morning, February 26th had arrived very quickly agreed the friends, when they arrived on campus the next morning. Each prospective teacher gained a wealth of knowledge about what it means to be a truly good person from a young girl by the name of Hannah Taylor. Only fifteen years old, she was much younger than her audience, but her humanity and confidence was greater than that of many of her seniors. Several of the friends were brought to tears by the inspiring message of this young voice, who felt that we could do a lot to help our world, just by showing a little compassion and care to our fellow human beings. Every audience member left that dining hall feeling inspired, motivated, knowledgeable, and eager to make their mark on the world, and encourage their students to do the same.
After spending three awesome days together, the friends departed to head home for the rest of their weekend. They all smiled and waved goodbye to their new friends from other provinces, and assured them that they would reunite next year in Calgary for WestCast 2012. The party was over, but it had been amazing, so all the friends went home for a much needed nap, and all the teachers and students lived happily ever after.
The conference was fast approaching, and the friends were getting anxious. Each of them would be doing a presentation at the conference, to share with their peers their love of teaching. Math games and bullying powerpoints were being worked on around the clock. Volunteers of all sorts were being recruited to make sure that this event would go off without a hitch!
Finally, Wednesday, February 23 arrived! The friends all struggled sitting through classes that morning, anticipating the events of the evening. As soon as their professor read her last warm fuzzy, the friends raced home to prepare for the wine and cheese that would take place later on. After getting dressed in their best teacher/business dress, the friends met at the school. Here they were donned with a blue and yellow striped scarf with a BU on it, to show the new visitors their school pride. The guests began to arrive shortly following, and everyone began to mingle and discuss their education programs. Words of wisdom were passed on from other people who too shared the loved of school and the classroom. New friends were met, beverages were consumed, and fine music was enjoyed. Soon, the cracker platters had turned to crumbs, and the excited friends went home to rest for the following day.
On Thursday morning, the students of the conference were blessed to get the opportunity to listen to Mr. Ian Ross. His speech was both entertaining and full of wisdom, for not only teachers, but for every person. The friends shared laughs many times throughout the morning. Soon, it was time to carry on to the sessions, and each friend left with their brain stretched wide open, hoping to fill it with new knowledge by the time the day was over.
The Education building that the friends had grown accustomed to seemed to have a different glow about it when they arrived. Members of many School Divisions greated the prospective teachers, handing them pens, lunch bags, oatmeal, apple pie, and applications. The friends dispersed throughout the school, in order to attend different sessions, and gain knowledge which they would later share. Some of the friends were presenting a session on math games, others one on bullying, and others went to listen to the wisdom of our peer students and educators. A wealth of information was available in all aspects throughout the day.
When they arrived home in the late afternoon, the friends shared many thoughts and new wisdom with each other, before heading out to their evening destination. Here, they were thoroughly entertained, and some even a little freaked out, by a crazy magician named Anders. Drinks and dance moves were shared with students from across the country. The Brandon University girls showed off their true country dance moves, and led the crowd in the line dance to Boot Scootin Boogie. This was done much to the amazement of a British Columbian boy, who had to video tape the crowd to show to his friends back home. Many new friendships were formed on the dance floor, as in true Manitoba social style. The evening ended with smiles, as several of the friends left with wonderful prizes, including an i-pod touch!
Friday morning, the friends were moving a little slower when they met for coffee to start the day. Each of them was thirsting for knowledge, yet their thirst for caffeine was a little stronger. After recieving a good dose of motivation about the potential of classroom learning, the friends again dispersed for the day. They learned many things on their journey around their transformed residence, including what principals are looking for, how to use LEGO to teach, how to bring more culture into the curriculum, and overall, how to be a wise, resourceful, wonderful educator. The friends gathered that evening to celebrate all the learning, by testing some of their old knowledge, in a friendly game of "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" Thankfully, all the teachers of the next generation passed, and those that were smartest were rewarded with more beverages, just what was needed after another long day.
Saturday morning, February 26th had arrived very quickly agreed the friends, when they arrived on campus the next morning. Each prospective teacher gained a wealth of knowledge about what it means to be a truly good person from a young girl by the name of Hannah Taylor. Only fifteen years old, she was much younger than her audience, but her humanity and confidence was greater than that of many of her seniors. Several of the friends were brought to tears by the inspiring message of this young voice, who felt that we could do a lot to help our world, just by showing a little compassion and care to our fellow human beings. Every audience member left that dining hall feeling inspired, motivated, knowledgeable, and eager to make their mark on the world, and encourage their students to do the same.
After spending three awesome days together, the friends departed to head home for the rest of their weekend. They all smiled and waved goodbye to their new friends from other provinces, and assured them that they would reunite next year in Calgary for WestCast 2012. The party was over, but it had been amazing, so all the friends went home for a much needed nap, and all the teachers and students lived happily ever after.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Who's the Boss? - Governance in Education
As teachers, just as in any career field, it is always important to know who your boss is, who has influence on the decisions made upon you, and where to go if you want things changed. The ladder of influence and decision making for Education is long, with teachers and staff being close to the bottom. Above them are the principals and vice principals, who are superceded by the Superintendent. The Superintendent is influenced by the School Division and School Board, and on the top rung of the ladder is the Provincial Government.
It is important for teachers to see ourselves as a part of a large team of people, in which every member is doing their best to ensure that our students receive the best education available to them. Each and every member of this team has a very specific job; some are in charge of finance, others in charge of hiring, and some in charge of educating the students. None of these are more important than the others, and in fact each position relys on each other in order for it to exist. If there were no teachers to instruct the students, the curriculum would not have a purpose, and if there was no one in charge of hiring teachers, there would be no one for teachers to apply to in order to gain a job.
The Provincial Government is responsible for the Education Act, which states that teachers must attend all meetings called by the principal, and the curriculum. I believe this is important, as all the students from the Province of Manitoba should be recieving a similar education, so that they all possess the same skills and are at the same educational level when they attend the Provincial universities and colleges. Teachers are the people that can see first hand how the students are handling the curriculum, so they should be able to have a strong voice in case any alterations or revisions need to be made. Even though the curriculum and the Education Act supercede all factors of Education, each rung is given a responsibility that allows each School Division to differ and be a little unique. Each board is responsible for creating its own policy manual, and each division is responsible for making its procedures manual.
I believe that each teacher should have a voice on how money is being spent on teaching resources in their school, as they have first hand knowledge of the resources that can help their students learn to their potential. This information works its way up the ladder by being passed on to the principal, who reports it to the Superintendent, who brings it up with the School Division. Every person at each level of the Governance ladder has different experiences and knowledge, which will lead them to their own opinion. All these opinions must be valued, and points weighed, in order for the final decision to be made.
School Board members are elected officials, who take on the position of ambassadors for their community. These people are not teachers, but they are often the parents, grandparents, or neighbours of the students we are teaching. It is important for them to represent their ideas and opinions on what should be happening in our schools, as they bring in the community values perspective. I believe its nice to have someone not in the school community sitting on the school board, as they can have an "outside looking in" opinion on how our school is functioning. As teachers, we often only have one perspective of the school, and it is valuable to gain knowledge of another opinion.
Our system of Governance for Education is set up like a ladder, but we must remember that the sides of the ladder connecting the rungs extend from the very top to the very bottom. Just as these sides connect all the rungs together, every member in the Education ladder is also connected. Each of us has our own responsibilities, but it is important to share our thoughts and listen to those on the different rungs. Just as messages can be passed down the ladder, they can also be passed up. Every person in our Governance team has the best interests of one group in mind, our students, and it is important to put all our knowledge and opinions together to create the best learning experience for each and every one of them.
It is important for teachers to see ourselves as a part of a large team of people, in which every member is doing their best to ensure that our students receive the best education available to them. Each and every member of this team has a very specific job; some are in charge of finance, others in charge of hiring, and some in charge of educating the students. None of these are more important than the others, and in fact each position relys on each other in order for it to exist. If there were no teachers to instruct the students, the curriculum would not have a purpose, and if there was no one in charge of hiring teachers, there would be no one for teachers to apply to in order to gain a job.
The Provincial Government is responsible for the Education Act, which states that teachers must attend all meetings called by the principal, and the curriculum. I believe this is important, as all the students from the Province of Manitoba should be recieving a similar education, so that they all possess the same skills and are at the same educational level when they attend the Provincial universities and colleges. Teachers are the people that can see first hand how the students are handling the curriculum, so they should be able to have a strong voice in case any alterations or revisions need to be made. Even though the curriculum and the Education Act supercede all factors of Education, each rung is given a responsibility that allows each School Division to differ and be a little unique. Each board is responsible for creating its own policy manual, and each division is responsible for making its procedures manual.
I believe that each teacher should have a voice on how money is being spent on teaching resources in their school, as they have first hand knowledge of the resources that can help their students learn to their potential. This information works its way up the ladder by being passed on to the principal, who reports it to the Superintendent, who brings it up with the School Division. Every person at each level of the Governance ladder has different experiences and knowledge, which will lead them to their own opinion. All these opinions must be valued, and points weighed, in order for the final decision to be made.
School Board members are elected officials, who take on the position of ambassadors for their community. These people are not teachers, but they are often the parents, grandparents, or neighbours of the students we are teaching. It is important for them to represent their ideas and opinions on what should be happening in our schools, as they bring in the community values perspective. I believe its nice to have someone not in the school community sitting on the school board, as they can have an "outside looking in" opinion on how our school is functioning. As teachers, we often only have one perspective of the school, and it is valuable to gain knowledge of another opinion.
Our system of Governance for Education is set up like a ladder, but we must remember that the sides of the ladder connecting the rungs extend from the very top to the very bottom. Just as these sides connect all the rungs together, every member in the Education ladder is also connected. Each of us has our own responsibilities, but it is important to share our thoughts and listen to those on the different rungs. Just as messages can be passed down the ladder, they can also be passed up. Every person in our Governance team has the best interests of one group in mind, our students, and it is important to put all our knowledge and opinions together to create the best learning experience for each and every one of them.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Show Me the Money!
Sometimes opposites really do attract. Take, for instance, my best friend Jessica. We both may seem like similar people, but there is one key difference that splits us right down the middle; our career choices. I love working with children, but Jessica doesn't seem to appreciate kids quite as much. Rather, she chose to obtain a different university degree, and now has a promising career at BDO. She's an accountant, and whenever she even mentions her work place, I feel a headache approaching. So, you can imagine my thoughts when I learned we were going to be discussing the finance aspect of education in our professional teacher course.
It's not the math part of finance that gives me a headache, as I actually really enjoy math and find it kind of fun. Rather, it's all the factors that weigh into every decision that has to be made. Truth is, being in charge of the financial aspect of a school division must be a rather strenuous job. Funds for education never seem to be enough to cover all the costs, so decisions are constantly being made on what to cut and what alterations to make, in order to balance the budget. Many of the decisions made are usually met by opposition, which is frustrating, because there is nothing that people actually want to cut from the budget. No one wants to see teachers get fired, extremely large class sizes, or Arts programs being cut, but it all comes down to the money.
One of our assignments in class was to act as a member of a school division who had to cut over 1 million dollars from the budget. Every aspect of the division was included in this budget, including buses, staff, support staff, cafeteria, librarians, etc. This was a very challenging process, as everyone had different opinions about what was more important in school, and what needed to remain. No one's opinion was wrong, however if we listened to everyone, we would only have been able to shave a few hundred dollars off the budget.
This lesson was very valuable for all of us prospective teachers, for our resources, salary, and job are affected by the finance aspect of education constantly. It is easy for us to request computers for our classroom, new books, and learning carpets, but we have to realize how tight the budget is. We can do our job to help save on smaller things, such as creating our own learning carpets out of a piece of leftover carpet from our renovations. It was good to be reminded that just because a school sends in a proposal for more money or a new building, does not mean they are going to recieve it. There is only so much money to be shared across the province, so many times schools are chosen over others, leaving them having to do the best with the resources they have for the time being. Any one of us could end up teaching in a school that is facing this exact situation, so it is good to be prepared for it.
Throughout our class discussion, one point was brought up that I was rather intrigued by. This was the idea of carrying forward extra funds if a surplus was available, in order to save up for big projects down the road. I believe that it is good to try to save money in some areas, with instruction being an exception. The children in our school system today should be our priority, and our job as educators is to provide them with the best education we are able. If this means hiring a few more teachers to create smaller classes, or just getting the best resources for them, we owe it to our students to do so.
Learning about finance was beneficial for me as a teacher, as it helped gain an understanding of where all the money goes in Education. Working for the school division in this area is not a career I would enjoy having, so kudos to all you like my friend Jessica, who enjoy working with budgets and numbers. I recognize all the hardwork you have to do, and after just one class of cutting budgets, I am so glad I just have to worry about teaching the children.
It's not the math part of finance that gives me a headache, as I actually really enjoy math and find it kind of fun. Rather, it's all the factors that weigh into every decision that has to be made. Truth is, being in charge of the financial aspect of a school division must be a rather strenuous job. Funds for education never seem to be enough to cover all the costs, so decisions are constantly being made on what to cut and what alterations to make, in order to balance the budget. Many of the decisions made are usually met by opposition, which is frustrating, because there is nothing that people actually want to cut from the budget. No one wants to see teachers get fired, extremely large class sizes, or Arts programs being cut, but it all comes down to the money.
One of our assignments in class was to act as a member of a school division who had to cut over 1 million dollars from the budget. Every aspect of the division was included in this budget, including buses, staff, support staff, cafeteria, librarians, etc. This was a very challenging process, as everyone had different opinions about what was more important in school, and what needed to remain. No one's opinion was wrong, however if we listened to everyone, we would only have been able to shave a few hundred dollars off the budget.
This lesson was very valuable for all of us prospective teachers, for our resources, salary, and job are affected by the finance aspect of education constantly. It is easy for us to request computers for our classroom, new books, and learning carpets, but we have to realize how tight the budget is. We can do our job to help save on smaller things, such as creating our own learning carpets out of a piece of leftover carpet from our renovations. It was good to be reminded that just because a school sends in a proposal for more money or a new building, does not mean they are going to recieve it. There is only so much money to be shared across the province, so many times schools are chosen over others, leaving them having to do the best with the resources they have for the time being. Any one of us could end up teaching in a school that is facing this exact situation, so it is good to be prepared for it.
Throughout our class discussion, one point was brought up that I was rather intrigued by. This was the idea of carrying forward extra funds if a surplus was available, in order to save up for big projects down the road. I believe that it is good to try to save money in some areas, with instruction being an exception. The children in our school system today should be our priority, and our job as educators is to provide them with the best education we are able. If this means hiring a few more teachers to create smaller classes, or just getting the best resources for them, we owe it to our students to do so.
Learning about finance was beneficial for me as a teacher, as it helped gain an understanding of where all the money goes in Education. Working for the school division in this area is not a career I would enjoy having, so kudos to all you like my friend Jessica, who enjoy working with budgets and numbers. I recognize all the hardwork you have to do, and after just one class of cutting budgets, I am so glad I just have to worry about teaching the children.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
What Has Lead Us to Become the Teachers and Students We Are Today? - History of Education
"Only once we possess a strong knowledge of our history, are we able to better understand the present and make alterations to prepare ourselves for the future".
Being a teacher, we are a part of something much larger than our classroom or our school; we are part of the educational system of Canada. Every child under the age of eighteen is required to obtain an education, and except for a few cases, they will be receiving this knowledge from us. Knowing the history of the educational system allows us to develop a greater understanding of the policies, principals, and teaching methods that are present in today's schools.
Canada is a fairly new country that was created by many cultures of immigrants, and this has lead us to become the beautiful mosaic which we are. With each of these groups of immigrants came their values, beliefs, religion, and educational tradition. Over a few classes we were introduced to the educational traditions of French, English, Scottish, and the First Nations people.
The religious component of the French and English traditions played a strong role in our countries school system for a long time, and in some places it still exists. When I was attending Manitou Elementary School the prodestant religion was a small part of our daily routine, however it still did exist within the school. Every morning after singing O Canada, we would recite The Lord's Prayer and listen to our principal read us a passage from the Bible. When education began in the prairies, instruction was primarily religious. Catholic religion came first and then the Prodestant religion followed. In today's public schools, many different religions exist, so schools have begun eliminating all religions from their classrooms, in order to prevent offending anybody and their beliefs.
I feel that the school system of today's world has many similarities to that of the Scottish tradition, where the focus is on that of the whole child. Gender or class structures did not exist in this educational tradition, as in today's school system. Almost all kids attended school, similar to today's law that requires all students to be in school until the age of 18. The curriculum of the Scottish tradition included both science and art, rather than just the basics of the three R's. Today's schools include programs such as health, physical education, art, music, band, home ec. and shops to help develop all aspects of the child. This Scottish tradition was less religiously strict compared to the French and English traditions, which helped to solve some of the problems that religious differences were causing.
Even though we have many similairities to the Scottish tradition, I feel that our society could have been greatly benefited by incorporating some aspects of the education tradition of the First Nations people. Assimilation did irreparable damage to not only the culture of the First Nations people, but to all other cultures of Canada as well. First Nations people taught their children the things that they needed to live in their society: unity of all life, honourable conduct, family responsibility, individual responsibility, the importance of sharing, self-reliance, and survival skills. I believe there are many students that did not possess many of these skills today, even though they are the basics to being a contributing member of society. Each of these skills would be very beneficial for the students in today's school system to learn.
In our multicultural country, we have amalgamated many traditions together with the product being the school system we will currently teach in. It is great to reflect back on the many traditions that formed the base of our education tradition. It's really inspiring to see how far we've come from the days of class and gender separation in school and strict routines to our present system, where the learning abilities of each child are considered when we are educating our students to achieve their potential. There is a large variety of amazing schools, exceptional teachers, and brilliant instructing methods and material in our education system today, and all of these trace back to the beginnings of education from our founding countries.
Being a teacher, we are a part of something much larger than our classroom or our school; we are part of the educational system of Canada. Every child under the age of eighteen is required to obtain an education, and except for a few cases, they will be receiving this knowledge from us. Knowing the history of the educational system allows us to develop a greater understanding of the policies, principals, and teaching methods that are present in today's schools.
Canada is a fairly new country that was created by many cultures of immigrants, and this has lead us to become the beautiful mosaic which we are. With each of these groups of immigrants came their values, beliefs, religion, and educational tradition. Over a few classes we were introduced to the educational traditions of French, English, Scottish, and the First Nations people.
The religious component of the French and English traditions played a strong role in our countries school system for a long time, and in some places it still exists. When I was attending Manitou Elementary School the prodestant religion was a small part of our daily routine, however it still did exist within the school. Every morning after singing O Canada, we would recite The Lord's Prayer and listen to our principal read us a passage from the Bible. When education began in the prairies, instruction was primarily religious. Catholic religion came first and then the Prodestant religion followed. In today's public schools, many different religions exist, so schools have begun eliminating all religions from their classrooms, in order to prevent offending anybody and their beliefs.
I feel that the school system of today's world has many similarities to that of the Scottish tradition, where the focus is on that of the whole child. Gender or class structures did not exist in this educational tradition, as in today's school system. Almost all kids attended school, similar to today's law that requires all students to be in school until the age of 18. The curriculum of the Scottish tradition included both science and art, rather than just the basics of the three R's. Today's schools include programs such as health, physical education, art, music, band, home ec. and shops to help develop all aspects of the child. This Scottish tradition was less religiously strict compared to the French and English traditions, which helped to solve some of the problems that religious differences were causing.
Even though we have many similairities to the Scottish tradition, I feel that our society could have been greatly benefited by incorporating some aspects of the education tradition of the First Nations people. Assimilation did irreparable damage to not only the culture of the First Nations people, but to all other cultures of Canada as well. First Nations people taught their children the things that they needed to live in their society: unity of all life, honourable conduct, family responsibility, individual responsibility, the importance of sharing, self-reliance, and survival skills. I believe there are many students that did not possess many of these skills today, even though they are the basics to being a contributing member of society. Each of these skills would be very beneficial for the students in today's school system to learn.
In our multicultural country, we have amalgamated many traditions together with the product being the school system we will currently teach in. It is great to reflect back on the many traditions that formed the base of our education tradition. It's really inspiring to see how far we've come from the days of class and gender separation in school and strict routines to our present system, where the learning abilities of each child are considered when we are educating our students to achieve their potential. There is a large variety of amazing schools, exceptional teachers, and brilliant instructing methods and material in our education system today, and all of these trace back to the beginnings of education from our founding countries.
Miss. Clayton's Classroom website
Recently in our ICT course we were required to create a website that could be for future use in our classroom. I'll provide the link to my websitete, and if you have any ideas or alterations I could make, I would be happy to hear them!
Thanks!
http://missclaytonsclassroom.yolasite.com/
Thanks!
http://missclaytonsclassroom.yolasite.com/
Saturday, January 22, 2011
MTS Code of Professional Practice
Every occupation has a set of rules, policies, or guidelines which all its employees must abide by, and teachers are no exception. In Manitoba, the Manitoba Teachers Society (MTS) has a code of professional practice, which contains thirteen required standards of conduct for all its members. Once you have entered into the Faculty of Education you are considered a member of MTS. I have provided a link to this document if you wish to read each of the standards of conduct.
To be honest, I was a little surprised when I read through the code of professional practise, due to the simplicity of it. I guess I was expecting a long paper on all the expectations and guidelines of being a member of MTS. I was quite pleased by the layout of this document, as its easy to see the thirteen standards which all teachers are to follow. Each of these standards makes so much sense, and some seem like common sense for anyone who knows the school system.
In reading through this code, it was interesting to see the similarities between our definitions of professionalism and the thirteen standards of conducts printed here. In a class discussion of defining professionalism we came up with the following definitions: "Meticulous adherence to unwavering commitment of the education of society (students, parents, and colleagues) and to the practice of education itself. A person must always uphold their standards and values as well." and "A manner in which an individual adheres to a code of conduct, ethics, and values of the teaching profession. There is an assumed commitment towards students, parents, the school, and community which must be upheld at all times. Professionals must also be willing to be life long learners." In both of these definitions our class managed to reach well over half of the standards of conduct printed by MTS. This is a good sign since all of us are now members of MTS, and will be for many years to come.
I'm very glad that we covered this document, as there were a couple standards that I was not previously certain of. One of these was number seven, where a teacher is told that if they are having a problem with another teacher, they must direct their complaint to that person directly before going to the appropriate officials, with the other teachers awareness. I had always assumed that if there was a problem in the school the principal would be the person to talk to, but after becoming familiar with this document I have come to see how it is best to just confront the person you are having the issue with and try to solve it internally, before getting others involved. This prevents a lot of talking behind people's backs, which is not appropriate for a professional place of work. Another standard that I had never been quite certain of was number twelve, where a teacher can not accept a position at a school if the school is in dispute with MTS. I was glad to learn that Manitoba teachers can not strike, so hopefully I do not have to experience this situation.
I believe this was an important document to familiarize myself with and to learn while I am student teaching and acquainting myself with others in the profession of teaching. These are all serious standards of conduct for anyone who wishes to be considered a professional teacher, and I would not want to put myself in the position of not abiding by one due to my ignorance of the code of professional practise.
http://www.mbteach.org/inside-mts/professionalcode.html
To be honest, I was a little surprised when I read through the code of professional practise, due to the simplicity of it. I guess I was expecting a long paper on all the expectations and guidelines of being a member of MTS. I was quite pleased by the layout of this document, as its easy to see the thirteen standards which all teachers are to follow. Each of these standards makes so much sense, and some seem like common sense for anyone who knows the school system.
In reading through this code, it was interesting to see the similarities between our definitions of professionalism and the thirteen standards of conducts printed here. In a class discussion of defining professionalism we came up with the following definitions: "Meticulous adherence to unwavering commitment of the education of society (students, parents, and colleagues) and to the practice of education itself. A person must always uphold their standards and values as well." and "A manner in which an individual adheres to a code of conduct, ethics, and values of the teaching profession. There is an assumed commitment towards students, parents, the school, and community which must be upheld at all times. Professionals must also be willing to be life long learners." In both of these definitions our class managed to reach well over half of the standards of conduct printed by MTS. This is a good sign since all of us are now members of MTS, and will be for many years to come.
I'm very glad that we covered this document, as there were a couple standards that I was not previously certain of. One of these was number seven, where a teacher is told that if they are having a problem with another teacher, they must direct their complaint to that person directly before going to the appropriate officials, with the other teachers awareness. I had always assumed that if there was a problem in the school the principal would be the person to talk to, but after becoming familiar with this document I have come to see how it is best to just confront the person you are having the issue with and try to solve it internally, before getting others involved. This prevents a lot of talking behind people's backs, which is not appropriate for a professional place of work. Another standard that I had never been quite certain of was number twelve, where a teacher can not accept a position at a school if the school is in dispute with MTS. I was glad to learn that Manitoba teachers can not strike, so hopefully I do not have to experience this situation.
I believe this was an important document to familiarize myself with and to learn while I am student teaching and acquainting myself with others in the profession of teaching. These are all serious standards of conduct for anyone who wishes to be considered a professional teacher, and I would not want to put myself in the position of not abiding by one due to my ignorance of the code of professional practise.
http://www.mbteach.org/inside-mts/professionalcode.html
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