Themes - Community and Change
- Community - I know I write about community a lot on the blog but it still continues to baffle me when community-building can actually occur during such a short-term event. I was pleasantly surprised by the great conversations I had with Student Teachers around the country at WestCast and I really loved the time we had to bond and discuss school policies. While there were a few comparisons and judgments made, it was also an awesome opportunity to celebrate this awesome profession we're about to embark upon.
- Change - Change is on the minds of many Albertans as the province's political and educational climate continues to change and shift. To me, and wonderfully to those around me at these events, change is a continuously exciting and positive thing. The promise of something different is, although a little terrifying, incredibly welcomed.
Tidbits
- This amazing quote from a great presentation about building outdoor classroom spaces --> "In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught." - Baba Dioum
- In order for students to empathize with literature themes then need to really experience them -- how can we create a classroom experience in which students are actually living the struggle?
- Dual Language Books (which are actually a thing!) can help ELLs develop metalinguistic learning, plus it raises their confidence!
- I also went to an amazing sessions on assessment! I found so many of her tips revolutionary (not to mention incredibly organized). The presenter really helped me to better understand assessment "as" learning and how to build it into the classroom environment. The more you use it, the more effective it will be!