INSPIRE
Inspire
The Journal of Literacy and Numeracy for Ontario
Last Updated: November 24, 2008
Bloom says Professionalizing Education the Way to Go
In the medical model of professional learning, expectations are clear. When a patient is lost, everyone debriefs to find out what went wrong and what could have been done differently.
It's an approach Gary Bloom wishes education would emulate. Bloom is associate director of the New Teacher Center at the University of California, Santa Cruz and the lead author of Blended Coaching.
"When was the last time we did that for a student who drops out of school?" asks Bloom. "We believe in best practices for medicine, but why not foreducation?" Read more
Last Updated: October 9, 2008
Why Student Voice Matters
As a writer and a teacher in the inner-city, instilling in my students the belief that their writing, and more importantly their voice, matters is critical to me. It is my belief that a teacher cannot 'teach' someone to use their voice in writing. However, writing teachers have a duty to teach the mechanics of good writing, to model and guide students in developing their own unique voice and, most significantly, to encourage students to take risks in their writing.
By doing all of the above, a teacher will be enabling and inciting a passion for writing in his or her students. In turn, students will be more dedicated to writing in which they have a vested interest and which allows them to cultivate and use their voice. Though this seems straightforward, teachers know this process is not as easy as it sounds. There are many factors to consider when teaching writing. Some students, particularly boys, seem turned off from reading and writing as they reach pre-adolescence. Students may rush through their written work and/or are indifferent to the assignments they are given.
Literacy itself is a socio-cultural construct and, with the rise of new technologies, the relevance of textual versus visual, media-driven literacy in our students' lives is another issue that frustrates many teachers. There is little doubt that literacy is evolving at a rapid pace as evidenced through the proliferation of email, text messaging, blogging and social networking taking place throughout the world. In the future, the need to be a competent writer in terms of being able to construct lengthy text may be eradicated. However, at this point in time, enabling our students to write with voice and clarity in a variety of genres and forms is still an empowering and necessary skill. Read more
Last Updated: September 12, 2008
Deputy Minister Steve Marshall on Effective Leadership
According to Deputy Minister Steve Marshall, good leadership means moving forward on complex public policy agendas with confidence, thinking outside the box and networking.
At the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat's July 2008 symposium, entitled "Building Networks for Learning," the Deputy Minister spoke to hundreds of educators, principals and supervisory officers from across Ontario about the importance of being strong leaders.
"You have to lead with confidence and esteem," he said. "And you have to move forward on complex agendas, deepening inquiry as you increase strategic intent." Read more
Last Updated: August 1, 2008
Unleash Informal Leaders Throughout Schools: Katz
Unleashing informal leaders throughout individual schools and whole school systems is an effective strategy for widespread student success, according to an expert in cognition and learning, Dr. Steven Katz.
"Formal leaders can't do everything," Dr. Katz told an assembly of hundreds of principals, supervisory officers and teachers recently in Toronto. The day was hosted by the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, with a focus on Building and Connecting Learning Networks.
If a school has informal leaders in such areas as Reading Recovery, he said as an example, "then they need to be unleashed for the good of the school." Read more
Interim CEO of LNS Says Teacher-Learning Networks Position School System for Success
In her remarks at a recent education symposium, the interim CEO for the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, Ann Perron, said teacher-learning networks promise success for the province's education system.
Perron spoke to the hundreds of educators, principals and supervisory officers who were taking part in the July 2008 two-day Symposium, Building Networks for Learning. The symposium featured a host of special guest speakers and small-group sessions, a format that proved effective for participants.
"Powerful learning occurs in a community of practice," Perron said. "Teacher-learning networks work when they have a clear purpose and focus." Read more
Last Updated: June 23, 2008
Strong Writing Skills May Enhance Students' Chances for Success
"Writing isn't easy--let me just make that perfectly clear. Anyone who tells you that writing is easy is either lying to you or doesn't understand what quality writing entails. Writing requires careful thought, a great deal of planning, constant review of your work-in-progress, and a great deal of skill, which can only be gained through experience and practice." Read more
Inspire: The Journal of Literacy and Numeracy for Ontario, is published by The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat of the Ontario Ministry of Education.
