The policy aims to maintain high standards, improve
student learning, and benefit students, parents, and teachers in The Educators
Academy. Successful implementation of this policy depends on the professional
judgement of educators at all levels, as well as on their ability to work
together and to build trust and confidence among parents and students. A brief
summary of some major aspects of the current assessment, evaluation, and
reporting policy, with a focus on policy relating to The Educators Academy, is
given below.
The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is
to improve student learning. The following seven fundamental principles lay the
foundation for rich and challenging practice. When these principles are fully
understood and observed by all Educators academy teachers, they guide the
collection of meaningful information that helps in informing instructional decisions,
promoting student engagements, and improving student learning. To ensure that
assessment, evaluation, and reporting are valid and reliable, and that they
lead to the improvement of learning for all students, teachers use practices
and procedures that:
·
are fair, transparent, and equitable for all
students;
·
support all students, including those with special
education needs, those who are learning the language of instruction (English or
French), and those who are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit;
·
are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum
expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests,
learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students;
·
are communicated clearly to students and parents at
the beginning of the school year or course and at other appropriate points
throughout the school year or course;
·
are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered
over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to
demonstrate the full range of their learning;
·
provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear,
specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement;
·
develop students’ self-assessment skills to enable
them to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for
their learning.
Assessment for Learning and as
Learning
Assessment is the process of gathering information
that accurately reflects how well a student is achieving the curriculum
expectations in a course. The primary purpose of assessment is to improve
student learning. Assessment for the purpose of improving student learning is
seen as both “assessment for learning” and “assessment as learning”. As part of
assessment for learning, The Educators Academy’s teachers provide students with
descriptive feedback and coaching for improvement. Our teachers engage in
assessment as learning by helping all students develop their capacity to be
independent, autonomous learners who are able to set individual goals, monitor
their own progress, determine next steps, and reflect on their thinking and
learning. The Educators Academy’s assessments and evaluations are, plan
assessment concurrently and integrate it seamlessly with instruction;
- share
learning goals and success criteria with students at the outset of
learning to ensure that students and teachers have a common and shared
understanding of these goals and criteria as learning progresses;
- gather
information about student learning before, during, and at or near the end
of a period of instruction, using a variety of assessment strategies and
tools;
- use
assessment to inform instruction, guide next steps, and help students
monitor their progress towards achieving their learning goals;
- analyse
and interpret evidence of learning;
- give
and receive specific and timely descriptive feedback about student
learning;
- help
students to develop skills of peer assessment and self-assessment.
A variety of assessment and evaluation methods,
strategies, and tools are utilized in student assessment. Students have multiple
opportunities to hone their historical skills through formal presentations,
response journals, artwork, writing in role, and persuasive paragraph writing.
Assessment information is obtained through a variety of means with
differentiation of product allowed on many assignments (within teacher-selected
options) supporting Universal Design principles.
Assessment options include:
- Journal
writing from a historical perspective
- Ongoing
descriptive feedback
- Diorama
of battlefield scene or battle
- Questionnaires
- Evaluation
of Primary documents
- Interpretations
and deconstructions of secondary documents and evidence
- Descriptive
point-of-view paragraphs
- Informational
Cause-and-Consequence paragraphs
- Explanations
of Ethical Judgments
Evidence of student achievement is collected from
various sources with a focus on most consistent work with consideration given
to most recent work. These include:
- Media
presentations
- Culminating
Activity Essay
- Final
Exam
Evaluation
Evaluation refers to the process of judging the
quality of student learning on the basis of established performance standards
and assigning a value to represent that quality. At The Educators Academy,
student’s achievement of the overall expectations is evaluated on the basis of
his or her achievement of related specific expectations. The overall
expectations are broad in nature, and the specific expectations define the
particular content or scope of the knowledge and skills referred to in the
overall expectations. Educators Academy uses their professional judgement to
determine which specific expectations should be used to evaluate achievement of
the overall expectations, and which ones will be accounted for in instruction
and assessment but not necessarily evaluated.
Assessment Strands:
The Educators Academy will ensure
that student’s work is assessed and/or evaluated in a balanced manner with
respect to the four categories, and that achievement of particular expectations
is considered within the appropriate categories.
Knowledge and
Understanding (K/U)
Thinking and Inquiry
(T/I)
Communication (C)
Application (A)
Assessment Strands
Student achievement is communicated
formally to students and parents by means of the Provincial Report Card. The
report card provides a record of the student’s achievement of the curriculum
expectations in every course, at particular points in the school year or
semester, in the form of a percentage grade. Report
cards are issued upon completion of the course. Each report card will focus on
related aspects of student achievement. The percentage grade will
represent the quality of the student’s overall achievement of the expectations
for the course and will reflect the corresponding level of achievement. The
Educators Academy will record a final grade for every course, and a credit is
granted for the course in which the student’s grade is 50% or higher.
Final Assessment and Evaluation = 100%
The teacher also
provides written comments concerning the student's strengths, areas for
improvement, and next steps (E–Excellent,
G–Good, S–Satisfactory, N–Needs Improvement).
The report card indicates whether an OSSD credit has been earned or not. Upon
completion of a course, Educators Academy sends a copy of the report card back
to the student's home school where the course is added to the ongoing list of
courses on the student's Ontario Student Transcript. The report card is also
sent to the student's home address for parents’ communication.
Evaluation Instruments/ Strategies:
Rubrics Observation
Checklist Project
Work
Peer Interviewing
Self Researching
Group Conferencing
Technology Application
Assessment and Evaluation:
Final Assessment and Evaluation = 100%
A Summary Description of Achievement
in Each Percentage Grade Range
and Corresponding Level of Achievement
|
Percentage Grade
Range
|
Achievement Level
|
Summary
Description
|
80-100%
|
Level 4
|
A very high to outstanding level of achievement.
Achievement is above the provincial standard.
|
70-79%
|
Level 3
|
A high level of achievement. Achievement is at the
provincial standard.
|
60-69%
|
Level 2
|
A moderate level of achievement. Achievement
is below, but approaching, the provincial standard.
|
50-59%
|
Level 1
|
A passable level of achievement. Achievement
is below the provincial standard.
|
below 50%
|
Level R
|
Insufficient achievement of curriculum
expectations. A credit will not be granted.
|
THE
ACHIEVEMENT CHART: CANADIAN AND WORLD STUDIES, GRADES 9–12
Categories
|
50–59%
(Level
1)
|
60–69%
(Level
2)
|
70–79%
(Level
3)
|
80–100%
(Level
4)
|
Knowledge
and Understanding - Subject-specific content
acquired in each course (knowledge), and the comprehension of its meaning and
significance (understanding)
|
|
The student:
|
Knowledge
of content (e.g., facts, terms, definitions)
|
– demonstrates limited
knowledge of content
|
–demonstrates some knowledge
of content
|
– demonstrates considerable
knowledge of content
|
– demonstrates
thorough knowledge of content
|
Understanding
of content (e.g., concepts, ideas, theories, interrelationships, procedures,
processes, methodologies, spatial technologies)
|
demonstrates
limited understanding of content
|
demonstrates
some understanding of content
|
demonstrates
considerable understanding of content
|
demonstrates
thorough understanding of content
|
Categories
|
50–59%
(Level
1)
|
60–69%
(Level
2)
|
70–79%
(Level
3)
|
80–100%
(Level
4)
|
Thinking
– The use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes
|
|
The student:
|
Use
of planning skills (e.g., organizing an inquiry; formulating questions;
gathering and organizing data, evidence, and information; setting goals;
focusing research)
|
– uses planning skills with
limited effectiveness
|
uses
planning skills with some effectiveness
|
uses
planning skills with considerable effectiveness
|
– uses
planning skills with a high degree of effectiveness
|
Use of processing skills (e.g.,
interpreting, analysing, synthesizing, and evaluating data, evidence, and
information; analysing maps; detecting point of view and bias; formulating
conclusions)
|
uses
processing skills with limited effectiveness
|
uses
processing skills with some effectiveness
|
uses
processing
skills with
considerable
effectiveness
|
uses
processing
skills with
a
high degree
of
effectiveness
|
Use of critical/creative thinking
processes (e.g., applying concepts of disciplinary thinking; using inquiry,
problem-solving, and decision-making processes)
|
uses
critical/
creative
thinking
processes
with limited
effectiveness
|
uses
critical/
creative
thinking
processes
with some
effectiveness
|
uses
critical/
creative
thinking
processes,
with considerable
effectiveness
|
uses
critical/
creative
thinking
processes
with a high degree of
effectiveness
|
Categories
|
50–59%
(Level
1)
|
60–69%
(Level
2)
|
70–79%
(Level
3)
|
80–100%
(Level
4)
|
Communication
– The conveying of meaning through various forms
|
|
The
student:
|
Expression and organization of ideas
and information (e.g., clear expression, logical organization) in oral,
visual, and written forms
|
expresses and organizes ideas and
information with limited effectiveness
|
expresses
and organizes ideas and information with some effectiveness
|
expresses
and organizes ideas and information with considerable effectiveness
|
expresses
and organizes ideas and information with a high degree of effectiveness
|
Communication for different audiences
(e.g., peers, adults) and purposes (e.g., to inform, to persuade) in oral,
visual, and written forms
|
communicates for different audiences
and purposes with limited effectiveness
|
communicates for different audiences
and purposes with some effectiveness
|
communicates for different audiences
and purposes with considerable effectiveness
|
communicates for different audiences
and purposes with a high degree of effectiveness
|
Use of conventions (e.g., mapping and
graphing conventions, communication conventions), vocabulary, and terminology
of the discipline in oral, visual, and written forms
|
uses conventions, vocabulary, and
terminology of the discipline with limited effectiveness
|
uses conventions, vocabulary, and
terminology of the discipline with some effectiveness
|
uses conventions, vocabulary, and
terminology of the discipline with considerable effectiveness
|
uses conventions, vocabulary, and
terminology of the discipline with a high degree of effectiveness
|
Categories
|
50–59%
(Level
1)
|
60–69%
(Level
2)
|
70–79%
(Level
3)
|
80–100%
(Level
4)
|
Application
– The use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and
between various contexts
|
|
The
student:
|
Application of knowledge and skills
(e.g., concepts, procedures, spatial skills, processes, technologies) in
familiar contexts
|
applies
knowledge
and
skills in
familiar
contexts
with
limited
effectiveness
|
applies
knowledge
and
skills in
familiar
contexts
with
some
effectiveness
|
applies
knowledge
and
skills in
familiar
contexts
with
considerable
effectiveness
|
applies
knowledge and
skills in
familiar
contexts
with a
high degree
of
effectiveness
|
Transfer of knowledge and skills
(e.g., concepts of thinking, procedures, spatial skills, methodologies,
technologies) to new contexts
|
transfers
knowledge and skills to new contexts with limited effectiveness
|
transfers
knowledge and skills to new contexts with some effectiveness
|
transfers
knowledge and skills to new contexts with considerable effectiveness
|
transfers
knowledge and skills to new contexts with a high degree of effectiveness
|
Making connections within and between
various contexts (e.g., between topics/issues being studied and everyday
life; between disciplines; between past, present, and future contexts; in
different spatial, cultural, or environmental contexts; in proposing and/or
taking action to address related issues; in making predictions)
|
makes connections within and between
various contexts with limited effectiveness
|
makes connections within and between
various contexts with some effectiveness
|
makes connections within and between
various contexts with considerable effectiveness
|
makes connections within and between various contexts
with a high degree of effectiveness
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Submission
of Assignments
All assignments should be submitted for grading on the stated due date.
Any late assignments may be subjected to a 10% penalty.
Work not submitted within 5 school days after the stated due date will be
assigned a mark of 0.
If a student is ill or away for a documented reason, all assignments must
be submitted upon return to class, unless arrangements are negotiated with the
teacher.
It is vital that the student realize the potential consequences of
incomplete work and absences, including failure to gain the credit for the
course. It is the responsibility of the student to catch up on all work missed
from being absent.
Program Planning
Considerations
Effective instruction is a key to student success. To provide effective
instruction, The Educators Academy teachers consider what they want students to
learn, how they will know whether students have learned it, how they will
design instruction to promote the learning, and how they will respond to
students who are not making progress.
Effective teaching approaches involve students in the use of higher-level
thinking skills and encourage them to look beyond the literal meaning of texts
and to think about fairness, equity, social justice, and citizenship in a
global society. At The Educators Academy, motivating students and instilling
positive habits of mind, such as a willingness and determination to persist, to
think and communicate with clarity and precision, to take responsible risks,
and to question and pose problems, are also integral to our high-quality
language instruction.
An understanding of students’ strengths and needs, as well as of their
backgrounds and life experiences, The Educators Academy teachers plan effective
instruction and assessment strategies. Our teachers continually build their
awareness of students’ learning strengths and needs by observing and assessing their
readiness to learn, their interests, and their learning styles and preferences
Effective lesson design involves several important elements. The
Educators Academy teachers engage students in a lesson by activating their
prior learning and experiences, clarifying the purpose for learning, and making
connections to contexts that will help them see the relevance and usefulness of
what they are learning. At The Educators Academy, teachers introduce a rich
variety of activities that integrate expectations from different strands and
provide for the explicit teaching of knowledge and skills. They also provide
frequent opportunities for students to rehearse, practise, and apply skills and
strategies, and to make their own choices.
Planning Program
for Special Education Needs
The Educators Academy’s classroom
teachers are the key educators of students with special education needs. They
have a responsibility to help all students learn, and they work collaboratively
with special education teachers, where appropriate, to achieve this goal.
The Educators Academy is committed
to ensuring that all students, especially those with special education needs,
are provided with the learning opportunities and supports they require to gain
the knowledge skills, and confidence needed to succeed in a rapidly changing
society. The context of special education and the provision of special
educators programs, and services for exceptional students in Ontario are
constantly evolving.
The Educators Academy believes
that:
•
All students can succeed.
•
Each student has his or her own
unique patterns of learning.
•
Successful instructional practices
are founded on evidence-based research, tempered by experience.
•
Universal design and differentiated
instruction are effective and interconnected means of meeting the learning or
productivity needs of any group of students.
•
Classroom teachers need the support
of the larger community to create a learning environment that supports students
with special education needs.
•
Fairness is not sameness.
At The Educators Academy, students
may demonstrate a wide range of learning styles and needs. Teachers plan
programs that recognize this diversity and give students performance tasks that
respect their particular abilities so that all students can derive the greatest
possible benefit from the teaching and learning process. The use of flexible
groupings for instruction and the provision of ongoing assessment are important
elements of programs that accommodate a diversity of learning needs.
In planning courses for students
with special education needs, our teachers will begin by examining the current
achievement level of the individual student, the strengths and learning needs
of the student, and the knowledge and skills that all students are expected to
demonstrate at the end of the course, in order to determine which of the
following options is appropriate for the student:
v
no accommodations or modifications;
or
v
accommodations only; or
v
modified expectations, with the
possibility of accommodations; or
v
alternative expectations, which are
not derived from the curriculum expectations for a course and which constitute
alternative programs and/or courses.
There are three types of
accommodations:
·
Instructional accommodations are
changes in teaching strategies, including styles of presentation, methods of
organization, or use of technology and multimedia.
·
Environmental accommodations are
changes that the student may require in the classroom and/or school
environment, such as preferential seating or special lighting.
·
Assessment accommodations are
changes in assessment procedures that enable the student to demonstrate his or
her learning, such as allowing additional time to complete tests or assignments
or permitting oral responses to test questions
If the student
requires either accommodations or modified expectations, or both, The Educators
Academy will take into account these needs of exceptional students as they are
set out in the students' Individual Education Plan. Our courses offer a vast
array of opportunities for students with special educations needs to acquire
the knowledge and skills required for our evolving society. Students who use
alternative techniques for communication may find a venue to use these special
skills in these courses. There are a number of technical and learning aids that
can assist in meeting the needs of exceptional students as set out in their
Individual Education Plan.
If a student requires
“accommodations only” in French courses, assessment and evaluation of his or
her achievement will be based on the appropriate course curriculum expectations
and the achievement levels outlined in this document. The IEP box on the
student’s Provincial Report Card will not be checked, and no information on the
provision of accommodations will be included.
Program
Considerations for English Language Learners
Ontario schools have some of the
most multilingual student populations in the world. The first language of
approximately 20 per cent of the students in Ontario’s English language schools
is a language other than English. Ontario’s linguistic heritage includes
several Aboriginal languages; many African, Asian, and European languages; and
some varieties of English, such as Jamaican Creole. Many English language
learners were born in Canada and raised in families and communities in which
languages other than English were spoken, or in which the variety of English
spoken differed significantly from the English of Ontario classrooms. Other
English language learners arrive in Ontario as newcomers from other countries;
they may have experience of highly sophisticated educational systems, or they
may have come from regions where access to formal schooling was limited.
The Educators Academy course
provides a number of strategies to address the needs of ESL/ELD students. This
course is flexible in order to accommodate the needs of students who require
instruction in English as a second language or English literacy development.
The Educators Academy teachers consider its responsibility to help students
develop their ability to use the English language properly. Appropriate
accommodations affecting the teaching, learning, and evaluation strategies in
this course are made in order to help students gain proficiency in English,
since students taking English as a second language at the secondary level have
limited time in which to develop this proficiency.
During the start of education at
The Educators Academy, English language learners receive support through one of
two distinct programs from our teachers who are specialized in meeting their
language-learning needs: English as a second language (ESL) and English
Literacy Development (ELD)
English as a Second Language (ESL)
programs are for students born in Canada or newcomers whose first language is a
language other than English, or is a variety of English significantly different
from that used for instruction in Ontario schools.
In planning programs for students
with linguistic backgrounds other than English, teachers at The Educators
Academy recognize the importance of the orientation process, understanding that
every learner needs to adjust to the new social environment and language in a
unique way and at an individual pace. For example, students who are in an early
stage of English-language acquisition may go through a time during which they
closely observe the interactions and physical surroundings of their new
learning environment. They use body language rather than speech or they use
their first language until they have gained enough proficiency in English to
feel confident of their interpretations and responses. Students thrive in a
safe, supportive, and welcoming environment that nurtures their self-confidence
while they are receiving focused literacy instruction. When they are ready to
participate, in paired, small-group, or whole-class activities, some students
begin by using a single word or phrase to communicate a thought, while others
speak quite fluently.
Responsibility for students’
English-language development is shared by our classroom teacher, our ESL
teacher and other staff at The Educators Academy. Sometimes volunteers and
peers are helpful in supporting English language learners in the language
classroom. Teachers at The Educators Academy adapted the instructional program
in order to facilitate the success of these students in their classrooms.
Appropriate adaptations include:
·
modification of some or all of the
subject expectations so that they are challenging but attainable for the
learner at his or her present level of English proficiency, given the necessary
support from the teacher;
·
use of a variety of instructional
strategies (e.g., extensive use of visual cues, graphic organizers,
scaffolding; previewing of textbooks, pre-teaching of key vocabulary; peer
tutoring; strategic use of students’ first languages);
·
use of a variety of learning
resources (e.g., visual material, simplified text, bilingual dictionaries, and
materials that reflect cultural diversity);
·
use of assessment accommodations
(e.g., granting of extra time; use of oral interviews, demonstrations or visual
representations, or tasks requiring completion of graphic organizers or cloze
sentences instead of essay questions and other assessment tasks that depend
heavily on proficiency in English).
Environmental
Education and Canadian and World
Studies
Helping students
become environmentally responsible is a role assumed by The Educators Academy.
The first goal is to promote learning about environmental issues and solutions.
The second goal is to engage students in practicing and promoting environmental
stewardship in their community. The third goal stresses the importance of the
education system providing leadership by implementing and promoting responsible
environmental practices so that all stakeholders become dedicated to living
more sustainably. There are many opportunities to integrate environmental
education into the teaching of Canadian and world studies. Students also
analyse the environmental sustainability of current behaviours and practices,
explore ways in which environmental stewardship can be improved, and make
connections between local, national, and global environmental issues,
practices, and processes. In Civics and Citizenship, students learn that the
responsibilities of citizenship include the protection and stewardship of the
global commons, such as air and water, on a local, national, and global scale.
Good curriculum
design following the resource document - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9-12:
Environmental Education, Scope and Sequence of Expectations, 2011, will assist
The Educators Academy’s staff to weave environmental education in and out of
the online course content. This ensures that the student have opportunities to
acquire the knowledge, skills, perspectives and practices needed to become an
environmentally literate citizen.
Healthy Relationships and Canada and World
Studies
Every student is entitled to learn in a safe, caring environment, free
from violence and harassment. Students learn and achieve better in such
environments. The safe and supportive social environment at The Educators
Academy is founded on healthy relationships between all people. Healthy
relationships are based on respect, caring, empathy, trust, and dignity, and
thrive in an environment in which diversity is honoured and accepted. Healthy
relationships do not tolerate abusive, controlling, violent,
bullying/harassing, or other inappropriate behaviours. To experience themselves
as valued and connected members of an inclusive social environment, students
need to be involved in healthy relationships with their peers, teachers, and
other members of The Educators Academy community.
The most effective way to enable all students to learn about healthy and
respectful relationships is through the school curriculum. The Educators
Academy teachers can promote this learning in a variety of ways. For example,
they can help students develop and practise the skills they need for building
healthy relationships by giving them opportunities to apply critical-thinking
and problem solving strategies and to address issues through group discussions,
role play, case study analysis, and other means. The Educators Academy can also
have a positive influence on students by modelling the behaviours, values, and
skills that are needed to develop and sustain healthy relationships, and by
taking advantage of “teachable moments” to address immediate relationship
issues that may arise among students.
Anti Discrimination Education
The implementation of
antidiscrimination principles in education influences all aspects of school
life. It promotes a school climate that encourages all students to work to high
standards, affirms the worth of all students, and helps students strengthen
their sense of identity and develop a positive self-image. Antidiscrimination
education encourages students to think critically about themselves and others
in the world around them in order to promote fairness, healthy relationships,
and active, responsible citizenship.
The Educators Academy ensures that
school-community interaction reflects the diversity in the local community and
wider society. Consideration is given to a variety of strategies for
communicating and working with parents and community members from diverse
groups, in order to ensure their participation in such school activities as
plays, concerts, and teacher interviews. Families new to Canada, who may be
unfamiliar with the Ontario school system, is provided a special outreach and
encouragement in order to feel comfortable in their interactions at The
Educators Academy.
Learning resources that reflect the
broad range of students’ interests, backgrounds, cultures, and experiences are
an important aspect of an inclusive English program in The Educators Academy.
In such a program, learning materials involve protagonists of both sexes from a
wide variety of backgrounds. Teachers at The Educators Academy routinely use
materials that reflect the diversity of Canadian and world cultures, including
those of contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples, and make them
available to students. In The Educators Academy’s inclusive programs, students
are made aware of the historical, cultural, and political contexts for both the
traditional and non-traditional gender and social roles represented in the
materials they are studying.
It is important that teachers of
Canadian and world studies create an environment that will foster a sense of
community where all students feel included and appreciated. When leading
discussions on topics related to diverse ethnocultural, socio-economic, or
religious groups or the rights of citizenship, The Educators Academy teachers
ensure that all students – regardless of culture, religious affiliation,
gender, class, or sexual orientation – feel included and recognized in all
learning activities and discussions. By teachers carefully choosing support
materials that reflect the makeup of a class, students see that they are
respected. This leads to student understanding of and respect for the
differences that exist in the Educators Academy classrooms and in the multiple
communities to which they belong.
Financial Literacy in Canada and World Studies
The document A Sound Investment:
Financial Literacy Education in Ontario Schools, 2010 sets out the vision that:
Ontario students will have the skills and knowledge to take responsibility for
managing their personal financial well-being with confidence, competence, and a
compassionate awareness of the world around them. Since making financial
decisions has become an increasingly complex task in the modern world, students
need to have knowledge in various areas and a wide range of skills in order to
make informed decisions about financial matters.
The Educators Academy considers it
essential that financial literacy be considered an important point of a
well-educated population. In addition to acquiring knowledge in such specific
areas as saving, spending, borrowing, and investing, students need to develop
skills in problem solving, inquiry, decision making, critical thinking, and
critical literacy related to financial and other issues. The goal is to help
students to acquire the knowledge and skills that will enable them to
understand and respond to complex issues regarding their own personal finances
and the finances of their families, as well as to develop an understanding of
local and global effects of world economic forces and the social,
environmental, and ethical implications of their own choices as consumers.
One of the elements of the vision
at The Educators Academy for the social studies, history, geography, and
Canadian and world studies programs is to enable students to become
responsible, active citizens who are informed and critically thoughtful.
Financial literacy is connected to this element. In the Canadian and world
studies program at The Educators Academy, students have multiple opportunities
to investigate and study financial literacy concepts related to the course
expectations. This course also provides students with opportunities to explore
issues related to government expenditures and to analyse, in the context of
issues of civic importance, how limited resources are allocated.
Critical Thinking and Critical Literacy in Canada and World
Studies
Critical thinking is the process of
thinking about ideas or situations in order to understand them fully, identify
their implications, make a judgement, and/or guide decision making. Critical
thinking includes skills such as questioning, predicting, analysing,
synthesizing, examining opinions, identifying values and issues, detecting
bias, and distinguishing between alternatives. At The Educators Academy,
students are taught these skills so they become critical thinkers who can move
beyond superficial conclusions to a deeper understanding of the issues they are
examining. After this, they are also able to engage in an inquiry process in
which they explore complex and multifaceted issues, and questions for which
there may be no clear-cut answers.
Students use critical-thinking
skills in The Educators Academy’s course for Canadian and World Studies when
they assess, analyse, and/or evaluate the impact of something and when they
form an opinion about something and support that opinion with a rationale. In
order to think critically, students need to examine the opinions and values of
others, detect bias, look for implied meaning, and use the information gathered
to form a personal opinion or stance, or a personal plan of action with regard
to making a difference. In this way, students approach critical thinking in
various aspects. Some students find it helpful to discuss their thinking,
asking questions and exploring ideas. Other students may take time to observe a
situation or consider a text carefully before commenting; they prefer not to
ask questions or express their thoughts orally while they are thinking.
The development of these
critical-thinking skills is supported in the Canadian and World Studies course
at The Educators Academy. As students work to achieve the curriculum
expectations in their particular course, our students frequently need to
identify the possible implications of choices. As they gather information from
a variety of sources, they are able to interpret what they are listening to,
reading, or viewing; to look for instances of bias; and to determine why a
source might express a particular bias.
Literacy, Mathematical Literacy and Inquiry Skills in Canada
and World Studies
Literacy,
mathematical literacy, and inquiry/research skills are critical to students’
success in all subjects of the curriculum and in all areas of their lives.
Many
of the activities and tasks that students undertake at The Educators Academy in
the Canadian and world studies curriculum involve the literacy skills relating
to oral, written, and visual communication. In addition, they develop the
skills needed to construct, extract information from, and analyse various types
of maps and digital representations, including topographic, demographic,
thematic, annotated, choropleth, and geographic information systems (GIS) maps.
In all Canadian and world studies courses, students are required to use
appropriate and correct terminology, including that related to the concepts of
disciplinary thinking, and are encouraged to use language with care and
precision in order to communicate effectively.
The
Canadian and world studies program at The Educators Academy also builds on,
reinforces, and enhances mathematical literacy. Many courses in Canadian and
world studies provide students with opportunities to reinforce their
mathematical literacy in areas involving computational strategies and data
management and, in particular, the ability to read and construct graphs.
Calculations and graphing are often used in field studies: students engaged in
a field study focusing on traffic congestion. In addition, our students use their
mathematical literacy skills when interpreting data from various types of maps
and when creating maps to communicate their findings.
Inquiry
and research are at the heart of learning in all subject areas. In Canadian and
world studies courses, our students are encouraged to develop their ability to
ask questions and to explore a variety of possible answers to those questions.
The questioning they practised in the early grades becomes more sophisticated
as they learn that all sources of information have a particular point of view
and that the recipient of the information has a responsibility to evaluate it,
determine its validity and relevance, and use it in appropriate ways. The
ability to locate, question, and validate information allows our student to
become an independent, lifelong learner.
The Role of a Library in the Canada and World Studies Program
The
Educators Academy’s library program can help to build and transform students’
knowledge to support lifelong learning in our information- and knowledge-based
society. The Educators Academy supports student success across the curriculum
by encouraging students to read widely, teaching them to read for understanding
and enjoyment, and helping them to improve their research skills and to use
information gathered through research effectively.
The
Educators Academy library program enables students to:
- develop a love of reading for
learning and for pleasure;
- acquire an understanding of
the richness and diversity of literary and informational texts produced in
Canada and around the world;
- obtain access to programs,
resources, and integrated technologies that support all curriculum areas;
- understand and value the role
of public library systems as a resource for lifelong learning.
Our
classroom teachers develop, teach, and provide students with authentic
information and research tasks that foster learning, including the ability to:
- locate, select, gather,
critically evaluate, create, and communicate information;
- use the information obtained
to solve problems, make decisions, build knowledge, create personal
meaning, and enrich their lives;
- communicate their findings for
different audiences, using a variety of formats and technologies;
- use information and research
with understanding, responsibility, and imagination.
The
Role of Information and Communication Technology
Information and communications technology (ICT) provides a
range of tools that can significantly extend and enrich teachers’ instructional
strategies and support student learning. ICT tools include multimedia
resources, databases, websites, digital cameras, and word-processing programs.
Tools such as these can help students to collect, organize, and sort the data
they gather and to write, edit, and present reports on their findings. ICT can
also be used to connect students to other schools, at home and abroad, and to
bring the global community into the local classroom.
In The Educators Academy,
therefore, according to the needs of students, they are encouraged to use ICT
to support and communicate their learning in Canadian and World Studies
curriculum. Students working individually or in groups have a full access to
use computers and portable storage devices to store information, as well as DVD
technologies, digital cameras, GIS maps, interactive whiteboards, and
projectors to organize and present the results of their investigations to their
classmates and to others. As a result, our
students develop transferable skills through their experience with word
processing, internet research, presentation software, and telecommunication
tools, as would be expected in any other course or any business environment.
Although the Internet is a powerful learning tool, there are
potential risks attached to its use. All students must be made aware of issues
related to Internet privacy, safety, and responsible use, as well as of the
potential for abuse of this technology, particularly when it is used to promote
hatred. Our teachers understand that ICT tools are
valuable in their teaching practice, both for whole class instruction and for
the design of curriculum units that contain varied approaches to learning to
meet diverse student needs.
The Ontario Skills
Passport and Essential Skills
The
Ontario Skills Passport (OSP) is a free, bilingual, web-based resource that
provides teachers and students with clear descriptions of the “Essential
Skills” and work habits important in work, learning, and life. The Educators
Academy can engage students by OSP tools and resources to show how what they
learn in class can be applied in the workplace and in everyday life. The
Essential Skills identified in the OSP are:
•
Reading Text
•
Writing
•
Document Use
•
Computer Use
•
Oral Communication
•
Numeracy: Money Math; Scheduling or Budgeting and Accounting; Measurement and
Calculation; Data Analysis; and Numerical Estimation
•
Thinking Skills: Job Task Planning and Organizing; Decision Making; Problem
Solving; Finding Information; and Critical Thinking
Education
and Career/Life Planning through the Canadian and World Studies Program
The
goals of the Kindergarten to Grade 12 education and career/life planning
program are to:
•
ensure that all students develop the knowledge and skills they need to make
informed education and career/life choices;
•
provide classroom and school-wide opportunities for this learning; and
•
engage parents and the broader community in the development, implementation,
and evaluation of the program, to support students in their learning.
The
framework of the program is a four-step inquiry process based on four questions
linked to four areas of learning: (1) knowing yourself – Who am I?; (2)
exploring opportunities – What are my opportunities?; (3) making decisions and
setting goals – Who do I want to become?; and, (4) achieving goals and making
transitions – What is my plan for achieving my goals?
Cooperative
Education and Other Forms of Experiential Learning
Planned learning experiences in the community, including job
shadowing and job twinning, field trips, work experience, and cooperative
education, provide our students with opportunities to see the relevance of
their classroom learning in a work setting, making connections between school
and work, and exploring a career of interest as they plan their pathway through
The Educators Academy. In addition, through experiential learning, students
develop the skills and work habits required in the workplace and acquire a
direct understanding of employer and workplace expectations. Experiential
learning opportunities associated with various aspects of the Canadian and
World Studies curriculum help broaden students’ knowledge of employment
opportunities in a wide range of fields, including interpreting, translating,
and publishing and other media-related industries. Students who choose to take a
two-credit cooperative education program with a Canadian and World Studies
course as the related course are able, through this package of courses, to meet
the Ontario Secondary School Diploma additional compulsory credit requirements
for Groups 1, 2, and 3.
Planning
Program Pathways and Programs Leading to a Specialist High Skills Major
At the Educators Academy, Canadian and World Studies courses
are well suited for inclusion in Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSMs) or in
programs designed to provide pathways to particular apprenticeship, college,
university, or workplace destinations. In some SHSM programs, courses in this
curriculum can be bundled with other courses to provide the academic knowledge
and skills important to particular economic sectors and required for success in
the workplace and postsecondary education, including apprenticeship training.
Canadian and World Studies courses can serve as the in-school link with
cooperative education credits that provide the workplace experience required not
only for some SHSM programs but also for various program pathways to
postsecondary education, apprenticeship training, and workplace destinations.
Health and Safety in Canadian and World Studies Program
As
part of every course, students must be made aware that health and safety are
everyone’s responsibility – at home, at school, and in the workplace. Teachers
must model safe practices at all times and communicate safety requirements to
students.
Health and safety issues not usually associated with Canadian
and world studies education may be important when the learning involves field
trips and field studies. Out-of-school field trips can provide an exciting and
authentic dimension to students’ learning experiences, but they also take The
Educator Academy teacher and students out of the predictable classroom
environment and into unfamiliar settings. The Educators Academy teachers must
preview and plan these activities carefully to protect students’ health and
safety
Ethics in Canadian
and World Studies
The Canadian and world studies curriculum provides varied opportunities
for students to learn about ethical issues and to explore the role of ethics in
both public and personal decision making. During the inquiry process, students
may need to make ethical judgements when evaluating evidence and positions on
various issues, and when drawing their own conclusions about issues,
developments, and events. Teachers may need to help students in determining
appropriate factors to consider when making such judgements. In addition, it is
crucial that teachers provide support and supervision to students throughout
the inquiry process, ensuring that students engaged in an inquiry are aware of
potential ethical concerns and address them in acceptable ways.
At The Educators Academy, teachers ensure that they thoroughly address
the issue of plagiarism with students. The skill of writing in one’s own voice,
while appropriately acknowledging the work of others, must be explicitly taught
to all students in Canadian and world studies classes. Using accepted forms of
documentation to acknowledge sources is a specific expectation within the
inquiry and skill development strand for each course in the Canadian and world
studies curriculum.
Resources:
v Textbook
v Notes
v Online Research
v Internet
v www.historysociety.ca/edu.asp?subsection=web
v www.cbc.ca/archives/
v www.cln.org/themes/fn_history.html