The West Kootenay Teacher Education Program has a new home! Beginning on August 1, 2015, WKTEP will be situated in downtown Nelson, B.C. The new facility at 266 Baker Street is in the old Nelson Daily News building, one of Nelson’s many heritage sites. Check out the link below for the full story, a picture, and some exciting partnerships for UBC and the Nelson community.
On Saturday, January 17, UBC-WKTEP students had the opportunity to help out at the recent L.V. Rogers Winter Classic Debate Tournament. A large group of our teacher candidates acted as judges in the tournament and were able to observe both junior and senior secondary students displaying their public speaking skills. This annual tradition continues to be an exciting and insightful experience. Thanks to coordinator Jeff Yasinchuk and the staff and students of L.V. Rogers Secondary School.
WKTEP teacher candidates put on a Science Fair at Brent Kennedy Elementary in South Slocan last Friday, Dec. 5th. The teacher candidates each designed a station highlighting their own water-related inquiry project. The stations were set up throughout the school for students to explore and discover. It was an engaging, hands-on learning experience.
Local Art teacher from Trafalgar Middle School in SD8, Val Holtz, led UBC-WKTEP elementary teacher candidates in an morning of visual exploration, representation, and reflection. They were able to explore the elements and principles of visual arts in a variety of media, working both individually and collaboratively. The group work produced some very colourful products.
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UBC-WKTEP wishes all the best to our teacher candidates as they take part in their two week fall practicum. Many thanks go out to our local school districts and the individual schools which have so warmly welcomed all of our teacher candidates:
SD8 – Kootenay Lake
Hume Elementary School
L.V. Rogers Secondary School
Mt. Sentinel Secondary School
Redfish Elementary
Trafalgar Middle School
SD10 – Arrow Lakes
Lucerne Elementary/Secondary Schools
SD20 – Kootenay-Columbia
J.L. Crowe Secondary School
Rossland Summit School
Stanley Humphries Secondary School
Twin Rivers Elementary School
SD51 – Boundary
Grand Forks Secondary School
J.A. Perley Elementary School
SD93 – Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique
École des Sentiers-alpins
UBC-WKTEP welcomed back Marion Hunter in October to present Action Schools‘ workshops on Physical Activity and Healthy Eating. Marion is a long time Actions Schools presenter as well as a UBC-WKTEP Faculty Advisor. Teacher candidates got active, learned lots, and had a great time working with Marion for the afternoon.
The UBC-WKTEP teacher candidates were fortunate to be able to work with Faye Brownlie this week in Nakusp, BC, located on the shores of Arrow Lake in the heart of School District No. 10. The focus of the day was on co-teaching and collaboration to improve student learning. It was an excellent day filled with great conversation and rich learning.
WKTEP-UBC teacher candidates traveled to Kokanee Creek Provincial Park last Friday for their first Community Field Experience using “Kokanee” as a theme to explore place-consciousness in teaching. They took part in a typical school interpretive program focusing on local geology, the Kootenay watershed, and the life cycle of fish (including a fish dissection). Led by Monica Nissen, coordinator for Wildsight, one part of the day was a WildBC “Get Outdoors” workshop which encourages and supports teachers in getting their students outdoors.
Last Thursday, our UBC-WKTEP teacher candidates had their first field trip to these small villages in the Slocan Valley. Working in small groups, they explored the histories, cultures, and landscapes of the these unique communities as a way to discover the principles of place-conscious teaching with their instructor, Dr. Linda Farr Darling, Eleanor Rix Professor of Rural Teacher Education. The citizens of New Denver and Silverton were happy to engage with the class and share their perspectives on life and learning in a rural setting. Many thanks to them and Terry Taylor, Superintendent of SD 10 (Arrow Lakes) and WKTEP instructor, whose hospitality and insights were greatly appreciated by all.
The 2014-15 cohort of the West Kootenay Teacher Education Program kicked off their orientation week on Monday with a barbeque in Nelson. Teacher candidates had an opportunity to meet and mingle with each other as well as some of their instructors in a beautiful and relaxing setting.
