"Educators understand the curricular, conceptual and methodological foundations of education and of the subject areas they teach. Educators must be able to communicate effectively in English or French. Educators teach students to understand relevant curricula in a Canadian, Aboriginal, and global context. Educators convey the values, beliefs and knowledge of our democratic society."
Evidence 1: Resource Evaluation Summary (FNESC)
The first piece of evidence that I have chosen for TRB Standard 6 is a summary of a First Nation's educational resource - The First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC). I wrote this summary for my EDPB 508: Social Studies Methods course at Vancouver Island University. We were tasked with an assignment to find an educational resource for Elementary Social Studies, and then study the resource, create a summary, and present it to our colleagues. After choosing FNESC, I wrote this summary which consists of the strengths and challenges, as well as important aspects that the committee offers. My summary also provides information on how to utilize FNESC, so that educators can introduce First Peoples knowledge within their teaching in a respectful way.
As evident in my summary of FNESC, I learned a great deal on how to bring First Peoples knowledge into my teaching through learning about this resource. Incorporating First Nations content in the classroom is a key part of BC's new curriculum. Through Aboriginal Education, BC teachers are now finding ways to shape lessons and units around First People's knowledge with the help of tools and resources such as the First Nations Education Steering Committee. By studying and educating myself about FNESC, I now have a much greater understanding on how to effectively deliver First Peoples content to my students. Standard 6 emphasizes the importance of teaching students "to understand relevant curricula in a Canadian, Aboriginal, and global context." Creating this summary allowed me to learn new ways and discover a tremendous resource that I will utilize in my teaching in order to support my students' learning and understanding of Fist Nations culture.
It is vital for educators to introduce Aboriginal Education to our students, so that they will learn the culture and traditions of the First Peoples. Through creating this evidence piece and learning more about First Nations learning, I have realized how important it is to incorporate Aboriginal Education in my teaching. FNESC is an excellent tool that will enable me to bring lessons into my classroom that contain First Peoples knowledge.
My summary contains an example of one of the units that FNESC offers. The unit is titled All About Me and is derived from one of the several FNESC resources - In Our Own Words, K-Gr. 3 Authentic Resources (2012), This resource contains many units and lesson plans which support First Peoples knowledge, and how to bring that content into the classroom respectively and effectively.
The first piece of evidence that I have chosen for TRB Standard 6 proves my commitment to the standard through a thorough summary which presents the information that I have learned by studying the First Nations Education Steering Committee. By choosing FNESC for this assignment, I found an excellent resource that I will use in my teaching of Aboriginal Education. This summary allowed me to discover FNESC, and I am now able to deliver content on First Peoples knowledge derived from FNESC resources. In my opinion, this is a strength of this evidence, because I am now more competent and informed on how to introduce First Nations content in my classroom.
As supported by BC's New Curriculum, "There are over 60,000 students in B.C.’s school system who self-identify as being of Aboriginal (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) ancestry." In order to better our students' learning on First Peoples knowledge, it is our duty as educators to do the following: "Improve the success of these students and to support all students learning about Aboriginal Peoples." From writing this summary, I now have a much better understanding on how to introduce First Nations content to my students, which is a vital aspect of being a teacher working with BC's new curriculum.
As I continue to grow and advance in my career as an educator, I will hold this standard true by always looking for ways to improve my understanding on how to introduce content from the new curriculum - which will ultimately enrich my students' learning experience, One of my goals as an educator is to consistently introduce First Nations content in my classroom so that my students will learn and gain an understanding of Aboriginal context. I will seek out additional resources for not only Aboriginal Education, but other teacher tools that I can use to further my own understanding of certain aspects of the curriculum, and how to effectively teach those subject areas to my class. It is my belief that TRB Standard 6 is extremely important for teachers to hold true as we progress throughout our careers - especially being elementary teachers, where we are needed to be competent and informed in several subject areas each day. Therefore, by utilizing teaching resources, my own knowledge on certain curricula will advance continuously, and so will my ability to teach.
As evident in my summary of FNESC, I learned a great deal on how to bring First Peoples knowledge into my teaching through learning about this resource. Incorporating First Nations content in the classroom is a key part of BC's new curriculum. Through Aboriginal Education, BC teachers are now finding ways to shape lessons and units around First People's knowledge with the help of tools and resources such as the First Nations Education Steering Committee. By studying and educating myself about FNESC, I now have a much greater understanding on how to effectively deliver First Peoples content to my students. Standard 6 emphasizes the importance of teaching students "to understand relevant curricula in a Canadian, Aboriginal, and global context." Creating this summary allowed me to learn new ways and discover a tremendous resource that I will utilize in my teaching in order to support my students' learning and understanding of Fist Nations culture.
It is vital for educators to introduce Aboriginal Education to our students, so that they will learn the culture and traditions of the First Peoples. Through creating this evidence piece and learning more about First Nations learning, I have realized how important it is to incorporate Aboriginal Education in my teaching. FNESC is an excellent tool that will enable me to bring lessons into my classroom that contain First Peoples knowledge.
My summary contains an example of one of the units that FNESC offers. The unit is titled All About Me and is derived from one of the several FNESC resources - In Our Own Words, K-Gr. 3 Authentic Resources (2012), This resource contains many units and lesson plans which support First Peoples knowledge, and how to bring that content into the classroom respectively and effectively.
The first piece of evidence that I have chosen for TRB Standard 6 proves my commitment to the standard through a thorough summary which presents the information that I have learned by studying the First Nations Education Steering Committee. By choosing FNESC for this assignment, I found an excellent resource that I will use in my teaching of Aboriginal Education. This summary allowed me to discover FNESC, and I am now able to deliver content on First Peoples knowledge derived from FNESC resources. In my opinion, this is a strength of this evidence, because I am now more competent and informed on how to introduce First Nations content in my classroom.
As supported by BC's New Curriculum, "There are over 60,000 students in B.C.’s school system who self-identify as being of Aboriginal (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) ancestry." In order to better our students' learning on First Peoples knowledge, it is our duty as educators to do the following: "Improve the success of these students and to support all students learning about Aboriginal Peoples." From writing this summary, I now have a much better understanding on how to introduce First Nations content to my students, which is a vital aspect of being a teacher working with BC's new curriculum.
As I continue to grow and advance in my career as an educator, I will hold this standard true by always looking for ways to improve my understanding on how to introduce content from the new curriculum - which will ultimately enrich my students' learning experience, One of my goals as an educator is to consistently introduce First Nations content in my classroom so that my students will learn and gain an understanding of Aboriginal context. I will seek out additional resources for not only Aboriginal Education, but other teacher tools that I can use to further my own understanding of certain aspects of the curriculum, and how to effectively teach those subject areas to my class. It is my belief that TRB Standard 6 is extremely important for teachers to hold true as we progress throughout our careers - especially being elementary teachers, where we are needed to be competent and informed in several subject areas each day. Therefore, by utilizing teaching resources, my own knowledge on certain curricula will advance continuously, and so will my ability to teach.
References
Aboriginal Education in British Columbia - Province of British Columbia. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/ways-to-learn/aboriginal-education
Ministry of Education. (2012, January). Standards for the Education, Competence and Professional Conduct of Educators in British Columbia. Retrieved from https://www.bcteacherregulation.ca/documents/AboutUs/Standards/edu_stds.pdf
Aboriginal Education in British Columbia - Province of British Columbia. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/ways-to-learn/aboriginal-education
Ministry of Education. (2012, January). Standards for the Education, Competence and Professional Conduct of Educators in British Columbia. Retrieved from https://www.bcteacherregulation.ca/documents/AboutUs/Standards/edu_stds.pdf
Evidence 2: Inclusive Education Presentation (EdExpo)
The second piece of evidence that I have chosen for TRB Standard 6, is a PowerPoint presentation that my EdExpo partner and I created. This PowerPoint was used for our presentation on the topic of: Inclusive Education: Meeting the Needs of Students with Special Needs. We presented our findings to 28 attendees in the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Education program that chose to view our presentation. Our PowerPoint includes information about what type of research we did to prep for the EdExpo, as well as hands-on activities that led to great, interactive discussions within our presentation.
Within this standard, the description states that, "Educators understand the curricular, conceptual and methodological foundations of education and of the subject areas they teach." Inclusive education is an extremely important conceptual and methodological aspect of education. In my opinion, teachers should be well aware of the term and idea of inclusive education, and how to implement it in their own classrooms. This includes different teaching aspects such as: seating plans, utilizing fidgets (tools vs toys), providing inclusive lesson/unit plans, and more. Through the creation of this PowerPoint presentation along with our website on inclusive education, my EdExpo partner and I really reflected on the importance of us using inclusion in our own classrooms, while also acting as role models for our colleagues in order to promote classroom inclusion within our schools.
This piece of evidence addresses the learning theory of inclusive education, and the importance of providing a learning environment that allows all students - no matter how diverse - to learn together in the same environment. As stated in The Value of Inclusive Education, "Inclusive education values diversity and the unique contributions each student brings to the classroom. In a truly inclusive setting, every child feels safe and has a sense of belonging" (Open Society Foundations, 2015).
A strength of this evidence piece is how it clearly demonstrates the diligent work that my EdExpo partner and I put in towards further understanding the importance of inclusive education. Our effort and determination to have a clear understanding of this foundation of education allowed us to present our findings and expertise effectively to our peers. Both my partner and I have had previous experiences of working with students that had high behavioural needs, designations, and/or dealt with family breakdown issues - so our interest and previous experiences involving these students helped make for an educational presentation that involved some of our personal experiences. Along with the PowerPoint, my partner and I designed an informative website that our peers and future colleagues may utilize to help them build an inclusive classroom - which reflects our knowledge and understanding of inclusive education.
During the creation of our presentation and website, my partner and I were able to learn about different aspects of inclusive education from each other. We reflected on previous practicum experiences and compared notes on how to create inclusive lessons and units for all students in the classroom. My partner introduced me to different inclusive education ideas such as Shelley Moore's Circles of Inclusion. After further learning about the Circles of Inclusion, my partner and I were able to include this within our own presentation on classroom inclusion, and allowed our peers to be put in the shoes of those students who have been forced to deal with issues such as exclusion and segregation - this led to great discussions within our presentation on how we can focus more on providing inclusion for those students to allow a feeling of safety and a sense of belonging. With respect to this TRB Standard, these powerful discussions guided me to an appreciation for the importance of sharing our expertise and understanding of "conceptual and methodological foundations of education" - such as inclusive ed.
The importance of teachers having areas of expertise in different foundations and subject areas of education is vital for all educators to succeed. We are in a profession of reflecting and sharing, which leads to all teachers sharing their knowledge and expertise with others - resulting in the growth and development of teachers as professionals. In order to hold this standard true throughout my career, I will seek out additional professional development opportunities which will broaden my knowledge on inclusive education. One of my goals as an educator is to provide inclusive lesson and unit plans which will allow for all of my students to have equal educational opportunities, as well as having a sense of belonging in our classroom community.
Within this standard, the description states that, "Educators understand the curricular, conceptual and methodological foundations of education and of the subject areas they teach." Inclusive education is an extremely important conceptual and methodological aspect of education. In my opinion, teachers should be well aware of the term and idea of inclusive education, and how to implement it in their own classrooms. This includes different teaching aspects such as: seating plans, utilizing fidgets (tools vs toys), providing inclusive lesson/unit plans, and more. Through the creation of this PowerPoint presentation along with our website on inclusive education, my EdExpo partner and I really reflected on the importance of us using inclusion in our own classrooms, while also acting as role models for our colleagues in order to promote classroom inclusion within our schools.
This piece of evidence addresses the learning theory of inclusive education, and the importance of providing a learning environment that allows all students - no matter how diverse - to learn together in the same environment. As stated in The Value of Inclusive Education, "Inclusive education values diversity and the unique contributions each student brings to the classroom. In a truly inclusive setting, every child feels safe and has a sense of belonging" (Open Society Foundations, 2015).
A strength of this evidence piece is how it clearly demonstrates the diligent work that my EdExpo partner and I put in towards further understanding the importance of inclusive education. Our effort and determination to have a clear understanding of this foundation of education allowed us to present our findings and expertise effectively to our peers. Both my partner and I have had previous experiences of working with students that had high behavioural needs, designations, and/or dealt with family breakdown issues - so our interest and previous experiences involving these students helped make for an educational presentation that involved some of our personal experiences. Along with the PowerPoint, my partner and I designed an informative website that our peers and future colleagues may utilize to help them build an inclusive classroom - which reflects our knowledge and understanding of inclusive education.
During the creation of our presentation and website, my partner and I were able to learn about different aspects of inclusive education from each other. We reflected on previous practicum experiences and compared notes on how to create inclusive lessons and units for all students in the classroom. My partner introduced me to different inclusive education ideas such as Shelley Moore's Circles of Inclusion. After further learning about the Circles of Inclusion, my partner and I were able to include this within our own presentation on classroom inclusion, and allowed our peers to be put in the shoes of those students who have been forced to deal with issues such as exclusion and segregation - this led to great discussions within our presentation on how we can focus more on providing inclusion for those students to allow a feeling of safety and a sense of belonging. With respect to this TRB Standard, these powerful discussions guided me to an appreciation for the importance of sharing our expertise and understanding of "conceptual and methodological foundations of education" - such as inclusive ed.
The importance of teachers having areas of expertise in different foundations and subject areas of education is vital for all educators to succeed. We are in a profession of reflecting and sharing, which leads to all teachers sharing their knowledge and expertise with others - resulting in the growth and development of teachers as professionals. In order to hold this standard true throughout my career, I will seek out additional professional development opportunities which will broaden my knowledge on inclusive education. One of my goals as an educator is to provide inclusive lesson and unit plans which will allow for all of my students to have equal educational opportunities, as well as having a sense of belonging in our classroom community.
References
Ministry of Education. (2012, January). Standards for the Education, Competence and Professional Conduct of Educators in British Columbia. Retrieved from https://www.bcteacherregulation.ca/documents/AboutUs/Standards/edu_stds.pdf
Open Society Foundations. (2015). The Value of Inclusive Education. Retrieved from https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/explainers/value-inclusive-education
Ministry of Education. (2012, January). Standards for the Education, Competence and Professional Conduct of Educators in British Columbia. Retrieved from https://www.bcteacherregulation.ca/documents/AboutUs/Standards/edu_stds.pdf
Open Society Foundations. (2015). The Value of Inclusive Education. Retrieved from https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/explainers/value-inclusive-education
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