Image Credit: http://www.emergingedtech.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/TodaysMeet.png Check out this awesome resource that I learned about in tonight's OTF Connect session "Deep Learning" by Jaclyn Calder.
TodaysMeet is an online tool designed to give every student a voice in discussions. It supports deep learning for all students, as it facilitates discussion in a way that allows everyone to contribute in a meaningful and comfortable way. https://todaysmeet.com/ I hope that you can find a way to use this in your classrooms!
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Image Credit: http://www.otffeo.on.ca/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/11/otf_connects_logo_en.png This past week I attended my first OTF Connects webinar session. Just as a refresher, OTF Connects is the resource I bragged about in an earlier post as being my favourite professional development discovery of the year. These sessions are diverse in nature, offered consistently throughout the year, and are...wait for it....ENTIRELY FREE! For those of you who have never participated in a webinar before, it is a great way to learn! You get to listen to experienced educators talk about a subject they are passionate about, participate as you choose (or just listen to the instructor and other participants as I sometimes do), all while curled up in your PJs eating some chips. It is the least intimidating way to learn, in my opinion. If you are still on the fence about signing up for one of these webinars, I have included my notes from my first session to convince you! This session was titled "Developing Global Citizenship through Collaborative Inquiry Based Learning". The session was led by Jim Carleton and Mali Bickley. Educators from all over Ontario participated in this session. Have a read through my notes - I hope that you learn something new, and find some resources to use in your classroom! Here is the OTF Connects website if you choose to sign-up for a session: http://www.otffeo.on.ca/en/learning/otf-connects/sessions/
Image Credit: http://www.metrokelan.com/oc-content/uploads/124/13064.jpg A big shout-out to all Permanent, LTO, and Occasional teachers on World Teachers' Day! You have the power to make a difference in the lives of many - do not take this power lightly. Take every opportunity as a learning/teaching opportunity. Enjoy the benefit of seeing the world through the eyes your students - they are the reason why you pursued this job in the first place. They are the reason that the long nights of lesson planning, the early morning supply calls, and the job insecurity are worth it! The students infuse a curiosity, happiness, and passion for life into teaching that is not present in any other job. "Teachers who love teaching, teach children to love learning"
- Robert John Meehan Image Credit: http://www.bitpad.com/.a/6a00d834202e5653ef0120a4fc28d8970b-pi Fellow Occasional Teachers: I was made aware of something amazing tonight and I felt as though I just had to share it with everyone; yell it from the rooftops, as they say.
I discovered this amazing piece of information at the bottom of an email that I receive every few weeks from one of the school boards that I work for. A dedicated woman at the board (bless her heart) sends out an email to all Occasional Teachers with a list of professional development opportunities being offered within the board for the month. Usually I scroll through, get excited about one or two sessions, and then promptly forget to pay the fee, or decide that I don't want to drive to a school on a weekend. However, tonight I scrolled to the bottom of the email and found something that I could really get excited about! A series of webinars offered by the Ontario Teachers' Federation that are.... wait for it.... COMPLETELY FREE!! NO MORE getting excited about a session and then worrying about the cost of it - FREE. NO MORE getting excited about a session, and then having to commit to driving to a far away school on a weekend - they are webinars, so you can participate from the comfort of your own home on a boring old weeknight! This time, I could just stay excited! So I promptly signed up for no less than fifteen sessions. Oopps! After spending seven years paying for lectures (some of which I enjoyed and some of which I did not), I can finally choose lectures that I am interested in... for free! (Have I emphasized that enough?). The webinars are called OTF Connects. OTF Connects is dedicated to helping teachers from around the province connect, learn from, and collaborate with one another. For all of you Occasional Teachers who have been craving some professional development, but were not sure how to find it... Enjoy, and spread the word! The link to the website is below: http://www.otffeo.on.ca/en/learning/otf-connects/sessions/ |
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