Are you struggling with a particular feature(s) of Connect, want a quick recap or just need to discuss the structure of your course materials? Do you have questions about copyright or need help creating your course reserves lists? If yes, come to the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology’s all day drop-in – talk to the specialists and get one-on-one assistance with your Connect course! This drop-in session will be held: 

Jan 9, 2014

9:00am – 4:00pm

Irving K. Barber Learning Centre – Seminar Room 2.22A/B

We are also offering virtual ONLINE support on January 9, 2013 between from 9-4pm. Please see this link below for more details: 

https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/launch/meeting.jnlp?sid=2011438&password=M.6DD1F08077A390BF589B2EB9803A6E

Registration is not necessary for this event.

Robyn Urback, columnist for the National Post argues that math isn’t hard, but teaching it is.

Click here to read the article. 

Moira MacDonald takes a look at productive failure in this article published by University Affairs.

Please click here to read the article. 

Simon Chang’s life as an internationally renowned fashion designer is far removed from the reality of life for students at Vancouver’s Britannia Secondary School.

But Chang, who grew up the youngest of four children living with his family on Keefer Street in Chinatown, once walked the halls of the east-side school as a student and grad in the Class of ’67.

On Wednesday, Chang, whose schedule is so hectic it is mapped out a year in advance, found time to return to his alma mater to inspire students by sharing his story — a story that took him from the halls of Britannia to the Order of Canada.

Click here to read the entire story. 

Story by Gillian Shaw, Vancouver Sun

A teacher of preschool children who uses puppets in the classroom is one of 13 B.C. recipients of the 2013 Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence.Nadia Vassev, who teaches at Urban Academy Junior Kindergarten, was selected as an example of teaching excellence in Early Childhood Education.

“I’m overwhelmed and excited,” she said. “I think it’s a great thing. It’s a great advertisement for the school.”

Vassev teaches three- and four-year-olds. Now in her eighth year at the private school, she started using puppets in her New Westminster classroom because of her background. Before emigrating to Canada, she spent 15 years as a professional puppeteer with Bulgaria’s national puppet theatre.

(Article by Kevin Griffin, Vancouver Sun) 

Click here to read the entire Vancouver Sun article. 

As we enter the Year of Teacher Education please join us at an exciting event: BC’s New Education Plan:  School Libraries at the Centre of Learning.

Description: 

Personalized learning for every student, quality teaching, flexibility and choice, and learning empowered by technology – these goals of the BC Education Plan are central to effective school library programs.  Teacher-librarians collaborate with teachers so that kids engage in inquiry and have greater opportunities to employ critical thinking and creativity.  Never before has there been a better time for teachers to learn to teach with teacher librarians than now. Join our National School Library Day conversation, to hear from our panel as they talk about the role of teacher-librarians and school libraries in the BC Education Plan. 

Speakers:

Jacqueline Van Dyk, Director, Libraries and Literacy, BC Ministry of Education

Patricia Finlay, Teacher Librarian Mentor, Burnaby School District  

Gino Bondi, District Principal, Specialty Programs, Vancouver School District

Details:

When- October 22, 2013   4:30-6:00 p.m.   

Where- Dodson Room, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, UBC

Refreshments will be served. 

Hosted by the Education Library and UBC iSchool. 

The Vancouver School Board is thinking of implementing a social media policy that would prohibit teachers from being friends with their students on social media sites. Teachers and students would only be permitted to communicate on these sites for educational purposes (ex: asking/answering questions about a classroom assignment, contributing to a class blog, etc). 

Click here to read the article by CBC news. 

A report released by The Canadian Parents for French indicates that French language education in B.C. needs to improve in the following three areas:

• “program access”
• “providing for students with learning disabilities”
• “dealing with a shortage of qualified French teachers”

To read the entire Vancouver Sun article, written by Kim Pemberton, please click here.