A Battle for Process Over Product in the Age of Chatbots For Christmas, we tried to pare things down. Our kids each got to request one gift from Santa and we supplemented with a board game — for my son, an 8yo strategist, chess player, and self-proclaimed gamer (which is really just for an hour…
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Title: Point-less: An English Teacher’s Guide to More Meaningful Grading Author: Sarah Zerwin Publisher: Heinenmann Grade(s): 6 -12 Originally Published: July 2020 Genre(s): Education, Destreaming, English Language Arts Teaching, Assessment, Student-Centered Learning, Literacy Pages: 171 Content + Trigger Warnings: n/a The Point is Not the Point: Reimagining Student-Centered Classrooms for Destreamed English It’s…
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As we’re approaching the end of our second year of pandemic teaching, I think it’s safe to say we’re all feeling the grind. As such, the ELAN Ontario panel discussion, Amplifying Joy in the Classroom, proved to be a profoundly welcome respite on Sunday, May 1st. Hosted by ELAN executive member and newly-minted DPCDSB secondary…
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Blog post written by Degmo Gedi. twitter account: @GediDegmo ELAN Reading Reviewer Coordinator/ History/Math/English Teacher, Toronto DSB Immigrating from East Africa to Canada in the early 90s, I had mixed emotions as I navigated through the educational system in Toronto. On one hand, I was hungry to devour new literature and learn about new cultures…
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Title: We Got This. Equity, Access, and the Quest to Be Who Our Students Need Us to Be Author: Cornelius Minor Publisher: Heinemann Release Date: 2019 Genre(s): Education, Social Movements, Literacy, Anti Racist, Leadership Pages: 144 Content + Trigger Warnings: n/a “Education is about two things – teaching young people to create opportunity for…
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Typically, Indigenous book lists emerge annually in June – to recognize National Indigenous History Month. But why should all of the talented, Indigenous authors on Turtle Island only be given attention for 1 month out of the year? These books and authors should be celebrated year-round, so you’re encouraged to pick up one of these…
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Title: Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy Author: Gholdy Muhammad Publisher: Scholastic Inc. Release Date: January 1, 2020 Genre(s): Education, English Language Arts Teaching Materials, Literacy Pages: 176 Content + Trigger Warnings: n/a When someone asks you to describe the students in your school what comes to mind first? Where do…
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On the road of teacher practice, there can be certain grooves that become so well-worn they may actually become ruts. One well-trod path has had English teachers select novels for the whole class to study together, even when they need to urge their weary students to “plough on” through classics of the literary canon because…
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by Valerie Carnaghan “The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning” Introduction The Ministry of Education’s 2010 publication Growing Success flew off educational bookshelves everywhere, surprising administrators and re-igniting a passion for their profession that many teachers had lost during the barren Harris years and their subsequently lean aftermath in Ontario schools. Maybe?…
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Intro to Twitter chats Much of our work as educators occurs in the classroom, surrounded by students, bringing literature to life, helping young people to find their voices, both as writers and witnesses to the world around them. But when the bell rings, and the students file out with their binders and backpacks and our…
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