On teaching people a lesson

  Love this blurb from this blog:

You're actually not teaching them a lesson, because the people who most need to learn a lesson haven't, and won't. What you're actually doing is diverting yourself from your path as well as ruining your day in a quixotic quest for fairness, fairness you're unlikely to find.

Sure, you can shut someone down, excoriate them, sue them or refuse to let them win, but odds are they're just going to go try their game on someone else.
When you fire a customer and politely ask them to move on, you are withdrawing yourself from their trollish dance. When, instead, you focus on the good student, the worthwhile investor, the delighted vendor, you improve things for both of you. The sooner you get back to work (your work), the sooner you can move toward your best outcome, which is achieving what you set out to achieve in the first place.
The real tragedy of the person who dumps on you is that you pay twice. The second time is when you get bent out of shape trying to get even.




Via: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2013/05/on-teaching-people-a-lesson.html?utm_source=Seth+Godin&utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email

Student Digital Portfolios for assessment and learning

Really enjoyed this blog post on Assessment using Student blog-portfolio's: http://plpnetwork.com/2013/05/30/digital-porfolios-thinking-assessment/

It is unfortunate that many schools don't have the capabilities to do this (not enough ipads, laptops, computers in classroom, bandwidth, wi-fi, money, etc.) but I do like the idea. I have used forums and such for independent novel studies and interactive class activities in the past, but I would love to use blog portfolio's for students. It would be interesting for them as well to have and be able to look back on.

The post explains:

Verbal explanations
I have always used formative assessment in my classroom, but our digital portfolios give me much richer information than our paper portfolios ever did. Because my young students are still beginning writers, it is often difficult for them to explain their learning through writing. They can, however, explain their learning verbally. There are lots of apps (including my current iPad favorites Educreations and Draw & Tell) that record voice over an image. These digital artifacts allow me to understand a child’s thinking in a much deeper way.

The beauty of digital portfolios is that as the children and I are constantly assessing their learning in a formative and summative way, the students are also demonstrating their growing knowledge for a wide audience and learning about digital citizenship and appropriate online behavior. What great by-products of the assessment process! 

Please check out the entire article here: http://plpnetwork.com/2013/05/30/digital-porfolios-thinking-assessment/

App: Haiku Deck - graphing feature

Haiku Deck is a great FREE app - I wrote about it briefly in a previous post here

If you are not familiar with Haiku Deck it is an app similar to Power Point that lets you create slick and simple slide shows. The best feature is the ability to search 1000's of creative commons pictures within the app that can be easily added to the presentation. I certainly suggest checking out all the app can do but for this post I am going to focus on the graph feature. (which is new!)

When you first open the app you will be given a brief tutorial and then land on a screen similar to the one below. Click the plus sign to get started with your first deck.

Here is how I used the app in my class to graph our favorite ice cream flavors. First, we made a list on the white board of different kinds of ice cream and from that list I picked five for our graph. As you can see in the image below I used the "Tt" (blue arrow) option so the first slide would have a format with a title and numbered choices. To edit the text on the slide all you have to do is touch the area you want to edit or type on. Once we had this slide complete I had my class vote for their favorite flavor and I collected that data on the whiteboard. Using that data we moved to the next step of showing the data in a graph and added a new slide to our deck using the plus sign (yellow arrow.)

For the next slide I picked the image option (red arrow below). Next select the graph option (orange arrow) and then pick the type of graph you want to use. We used the bar graph this week (green arrow) and will work with the pie graph next week. Last click the "Done" button to create the slide. Also want to point out that you can switch between the slide you are editing at the bottom of the screen (blue arrow)

After you finish the step above you will see a screen similar to the one below. Editing the data is super simple with Haiku Deck which is why I love this app. To add more columns to the graph click the plus sign (red arrow) and to delete a column press the red "x" (green arrow.) Editing the label for each column simply by clicking the word under each column (yellow arrow.) Changing the number or total for each column by dragging the dot at the top of each column (blue arrow.) I know it seems like a lot of steps but if you practice it once it is very simple to repeat. The last tip is to edit the units for the graph (orange arrow.) This will allow you to change the Y-axis units to better match the data in your graph.

Sharing the deck is also very easy by going back to the main menu (top left of the app) and then pressing the share button for your deck. When you choose share you will be given the options below. Click here to see the finished Haiku deck from this post.

 

This post is from http://www.technologytailgate.com/ by Matt Gomez. You can connect with him on mattBgomez.com, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.

Coquitlam Centre Anti-Bullying Flash Mob Video

Times Colonist Editorial:Ten-year deal no path to peace

 Times Colonist - Ten-year deal no path to peace:

Far from creating 10 years of peace, Premier Christy Clark’s insistence on a longer-term contract with B.C.’s teachers guarantees four more years of bitter wrangling. 

In January, Clark said she would seek a 10-year labour deal with teachers in which salary increases would be indexed to increases received by other public-sector employees, calling it a framework that would bring a decade of stability to classrooms. Teachers would still have the right to strike, but not over wages.
Predictably, the plan was quickly dismissed by the B.C. Teachers’ Federation as an election ploy.
Meanwhile, the BCTF and the B.C. Public School Employers Association went to work figuring out a mutually acceptable structure for contract negotiations, and appeared to have developed a respectful atmosphere. The two sides were scheduled to sit down for more talks this week, but Clark has poked a stick into the hornets’ nest by resurrecting the idea of a long-term agreement with teachers.
The premier claims she has a mandate to pursue the 10-year deal, but it was not an election issue. The B.C. Liberals’ platform was focused on the economy, holding the line on taxes and paying down the debt. Besides, how can anyone say British Columbians voted for a particular plank in a platform? It’s just as likely they were voting against the New Democrats as they were for anything in particular offered by the Liberals.
Far from fostering peace, Clark’s plan will only anger teachers further. The government already wields the big club — the ability to legislate the teachers back to work — and imposing an unpalatable and unworkable framework on the negotiations won’t smooth the rough relationship between government and teachers. It’s disrespectful and heavy-handed.
The Liberals’ strengthened majority might give Clark new muscle in telling government what to do, but she can’t tell teachers how to think and feel.
A 10-year agreement would be bad for both sides. No one knows what the economy and the demographics will be like 10 years down the road.
One of the main reasons for periodic negotiations is to work out an agreement that takes into consideration changing conditions.
Clark is not wrong in wanting labour peace for B.C.’s schools. Others want it, too — that’s what motivated the school boards and teachers to work out a new and respectful approach to bargaining. It would not have created an instant Shangri-La in which everyone was happy and everyone had everything they wanted, but it was a step in the right direction.
Clark should leave well enough alone. There’s no shame in proposing a new plan. The shame is in clinging to that plan long after it’s obvious the plan is unworkable.
The relationship between government and teachers has been strained for many years. If Clark wants 10 years of labour peace — and it’s a commendable goal — she should seek to build a trustful, respectful relationship with teachers, one in which hard bargaining can take place without acrimony. That can’t happen if she unilaterally imposes new rules on the negotiating process.
It’s disturbing that the premier thinks she can put out the fire by throwing gasoline on it.
 

http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/editorial-ten-year-deal-no-path-to-peace-1.306825

Teacher Resignation Video - Everything I love about teaching is extinct

Huffington Post shared this article about a teacher who was among several given involuntary transfers to other schools due to "poor climate"

"I was proud to say I was a teacher," Rubenstein tells the camera, after describing how she abandoned a career in public relations to "do something meaningful" with her life. "But over the past 15 years, I've experienced the depressing, gradual downfall and misdirection of communication that has slowly eaten away at my love of teaching." "Raising students' test scores on standardized tests is now the only goal, and in order to achieve it the creativity, flexibility and spontinaety that create authentic learning environments have been eliminated. ... Everything I love about teaching is extinct," she continues.

Teacher Resignation Video: Ellie Rubenstein Explains 'Everything I Love About Teaching Is Extinct'

Editorial: Education Issues

Education was hardly a burning issue in the provincial election, leaving many educators, trustees and administrators — not to mention parents — scratching their heads.

Cash-strapped school districts from Prince George to New Westminster, including School District 43, were expecting to hear something specific about a long-term vision for funding a 21st century education system. But whatever was in the political kit bags of the two party front-runners was lost in debates over who would better handle the economy.

Meanwhile, districts across the province are slashing budgets to keep spending in line with funding. SD43’s funding problems are magnified by revenue and expense miscalculations during last year’s budget process. But SD43 isn’t the only district cutting back and few would argue that the education system is awash in cash.

Rather, it is merely holding the line while expectations for smaller classes, support for special needs and help for children with learning disabilities, technology and other demands increase.

So where was the talk about building a sustainable funding system for schools? Where was the leadership given last year’s labour unrest that resulted in many clubs and sporting events being cancelled?

It was drowned out by political recriminations on both sides. Now though, Premier Christy Clark is re-floating an earlier trial balloon to seek a 10-year labour agreement with teachers. While it’s true that labour peace would surely benefit the education system, it’s hard to see how making the BCTF eat crow so soon after the election (many teachers thought they’d be dealing with a friendly NDP government) is going to bring this about. And because the issue hardly came up, it’s hard to argue the 10-year deal is part of her mandate.

For many people, what’s needed first is a new, more equitable funding formula that doesn’t pit urban school districts against rural districts for scarce cash. Once a long-term vision for funding is revealed, then Clark might be in a better position to work with teachers on the vaunted 10-year labour deal.

But until then, all she’ll accomplish with re-writing the teachers’ labour contract is more instability in schools.

So, um, good luck with that.


Via http://www.tricitynews.com/opinion/209560321.html

CTA AGM 2013

Last night was the CTA AGM. This meeting, held the last Wednesday of May most years, is where Coquitlam Teachers elect their executive committee, pass the budget, including fees, and discuss issues in education through motions and reports.

Last night I was successfully elected for a two year term as Local Rep, a position I am excited to take on. I am so grateful to the teachers who voted for me, most appreciated!!

Last night, Charley King was elected as our new CTA President, as Teresa Grandinetti steps down as past president and returns to the classroom in September. Chris King stayed on as 1st VP and Ken Christensen was elected as 2nd VP.

Ken resigned from his LR position and Jason Giles was elected for a one year term as LR, while Henry Theissen and myself were elected for the two year terms as LRs.

Finally, there were five members at large elected: Shelly Hawley, Natalie Malakoff, Sheila Drysdale, Mike Galliford and Deither Malakoff (who dropped down from 2nd VP running)

After the elections however, things got even more interesting.

While the gym started off packed with over 300 teachers, many left after elections. One teacher, for whatever reason, decided to call quorum and after a count it was discovered that there were only about 132 teachers left. Quorum is 150 teachers. This teacher decided to call quorum, which is allowed and is in the rules of order, but meant the meeting ended immediately and will now need to be rescheduled.

Now, we started the meeting with quorum, 300 teachers, well over 150 needed. The meeting has been set for a year (no joke, the CTA office books the gym well in advance and spends hours upon hours planning and preparing for the meeting) and all the teachers still there, then had to go home.

Now, we wait as the CTA Office tries to reschedule this meeting before the end of the school year (finding a venue, printing budgets again, booking the accountant to come review and answer questions on the budget, etc. etc.) It is another evening teachers have to spend away from their homes, families, friends, committments, to be at the meeting, which may not have quorum again.

I guess my frsutration is that in the past, even without quorum, business has continued, because those who want to be there are, and it is open to all teachers, it is their choice to attend, or not, to stay, or not....

More frustating is that this teacher left promptly, and I still do not know WHY she called quorum... was it in protest of the budget and proposed fee increase? Was it because she hoped to achieve something in particular?

No idea...

But, we got through only about half of the business of the meeting and will have to attend another meeting again in the next couple weeks...

That meeting will address the budget and all other matters we did not get to, my question is this... will be have quorum? Will teachers return to a 2nd meeting? Will others who weren't at 1st meeting attend?
Time will tell.

Mini-Vowel Boxes

Love these little decorated boxes you can get for $1 and use for a variety of things. In this example, the teacher has word cards and students can sort the word cards into the correct vowel sound box.

What else might you use these boxes for? math? reading?

Holy Onomatopoeia Batman!

Loved this lesson idea and had to share. Would be great for teachers doing figurative langauge or if a TTOC wanted to do a mini-lesson that was fun and creative.

 

 

Open with an introduction on onomatopoeia's by showing an old clip of Batman. Here is one from youtube:

 

 

Next show them the art project, some examples can be found at Splish Splash Splatter Art  

 

 Then students can pick out 3 different colors of construction paper. (one for their background, one for their "zig zag" design, and one for the onomatopoeia word) You will also need newspaper.

 

Here is a close up of one of the examples:

 

 

 There are a lot of different ways to create these, students will be able to use the paper to create their own onomatopoeia word designs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Via: http://crouseallstars.blogspot.ca/2013/03/holy-onomatopoeia-batman.html

Build Your Wild Self Website

I really love the site Build Your Wild Self. The site allows you customize a person by using many different animal parts as you can see in the image above. It is simple to use and FREE. What a neat way to use technology and creativity.... Here is an example of student work:

Via Tech Tailgate

Next School Year....

It is linky party time with http://joyin6th.blogspot.ca/

Linky party means you participate with other bloggy-teachers and link up to each other's blogs.. it's a nice way to discover other education blogs and share ideas.

If you want to participate go here: http://joyin6th.blogspot.ca/2013/05/what-will-you-do-differently-my-first.html

Now, Next school year, I am definitely going to.....

• put aside some "me" time.
• do more PBL - it's worked so well this year.
• take some Pro D that is new and exciting for me - try something new.
• Buy travel crates to keep everything filed and organized, instead of just putting it all into one bin that needs sorting at the end of the year.
• Take time each day to connect with a student I don't usually hear from.

How about you?

Message to grade eights from High schoolers - cute video!

I really love this video... the highschool leadership students created this for the grade eights who will be coming to their school next year:

Monday Quote

Source: scribbler.co.uk via Amanda on Pinterest

Globe & Mail: Why ten year contract did not work in Alberta

Globe and Mail
Canadian Press
July 5, 2004

Talks involving teachers, school board trustees and the Alberta government that appeared headed for a 10-year collective bargaining deal have collapsed.

A government-appointed mediator walked away from negotiations on the weekend, the Alberta Teachers' Association said Monday.

"The (Alberta School Boards Association) is the problem," association president Frank Bruseker said in a news release.

"They refuse to move off their proposal of 10 years of frozen collective agreements and have shown no serious interest in resolving some of the major stumbling blocks through mediation."

To view the rest of the article, click here.

VSB Draft policy around social media

Vancouver Sun blog - The BC Education Report
Janet Steffenhagen
May 26, 2013

Don’t post anything on social media that reflects poorly on you or your school district.

That’s the main message from the Vancouver school district in proposed guidelines for employees using Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc.

The guidelines, among the first to be developed in such detail by a B.C. school district, are on the agenda for discussion at a meeting Tuesday of the board’s education and student services committee.

To view the rest of the blog posting, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vancouver School Board: Draft Policy and Regulations: - Acceptable Use of Technology - Social Media Policy for Employees

Alberta Teachers' Association: Why Ten? Editorial on the proposed ten year contract for teachers...

ATA Magazine
Donna Swiniarski
Volume 39 - 2004-05

Humans have 10 fingers, so it isn’t surprising that those 10 handy digits likely influenced the metric system, which is based on the number 10. Ten has held significance throughout the ages— God handed down 10 commandments to Moses, a rosary is divided into sections of 10 beads, a decathlon is a track and field contest of 10 events, and special meaning surrounds the 10-year milestones of anniversaries and birthdays.

No wonder Learning Minister Lyle Oberg proposed 10 as the number of years for a long-term agreement with Alberta’s teachers. But what would 10 years mean to teachers and to public education in Alberta?

In Oberg’s view of a perfect world, 10 years of labour peace in public education would mean a decade in which teachers would collectively close their classroom doors and remain silent. It would mean silencing teachers’ demands for smaller class sizes or resources to meet the needs of the children they teach. Oberg’s dream decade would see collective agreements frozen, and school boards alone would decide on local issues such as class size and composition, preparation time, extra-curricular activities and teacher health benefits. No wonder the Alberta School Boards Association supported the learning minister.

To view the rest of the article, click here.

Peace in B.C. schools requires deal with K-12 support staff as well as teachers

Vancouver Sun blog - The BC Education Report
Janet Steffenhagen
May 25, 2013

Premier Christy Clark is promising labour peace in B.C. public schools and says a 10-year deal with teachers is the ticket.

Negotiating such a deal will be a challenge for sure – and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) isn’t the only union in K-12 schools. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 27,000 support workers, is also a force to be reckoned with.

To view the rest of the blog posting, click here.

LBR: What happens when one side refuses to bargain in good faith?

What can be done if one side refuses to meet or negotiate in good faith?

For the Record:

Labour Relations Board - British Columbia
Guide to Labour Relations Code
Chapter 5 - Collective Bargaining
Section 3 - What can be done if one side refuses to meet or negotiate in good faith?

The requirement for good faith bargaining generally means both parties must be sincere in their attempts to reach an agreement. This includes meeting with the other side and making every reasonable effort to conclude an agreement. The bargaining process calls for a certain amount of give and take. Failure to agree with the other side's bargaining demands does not, in itself, mean that a party is not bargaining in good faith. However, a deliberate strategy by either party to prevent reaching an agreement is considered to be bad faith bargaining. If one party engages in that kind of conduct, the other party can lodge an unfair labour practice complaint with the Labour relations Board.

10 year deal would be 'difficult to pull off'

The Tyee.ca
Katie Hyslop
May 25, 2013

Unlike the BC Teachers' Federation, the BC Public School Employers Association wasn't shocked by the letter it received from Deputy Education Minister James Gorman reiterating government's mandate for a 10-year teachers' contract.

"We knew that there was a chance that the mandate wold change after the election regardless of what party was elected, and this is in relations to the platform that the BC Liberals had released prior to the election," said Silas White, vice chair of the BC Public School Employers Association (BCPSEA) and trustee representative at the bargaining table.

But that being said, White says a 10-year deal by June 30 would be hard.*

To view the rest of the article, click here.

Ten Years 'Working Together for Students'

BC Government White Paper on Teacher Bargaining - Working Together for Students - January 2013

Primary activity: COlours and Co-ordination

 

Neat way to have primary students practice colours and coordination.

Summer Bucket List....

Linky Party - http://acupcakefortheteacher.blogspot.ca/2013/05/summer-bucket-list.html is hosting this one and wants to know what all the education-bloggy-teachers have on their Summer Bucket List.... Here is what is on mine:

• Sort the boxes of resources that are in my garage.
  I have a lot of resources from different subjects and levels. I have had a few friends come by this year to go through and take what they want, I have also had a number of retired teachers donate resources for me to distribute. Since I am the TTOC Committee chair, and mentor, I am in touch with a lot of new teachers and hope to sort the resources so it is easier to give them away (instead of having people over to go through dozens of random boxes)
  
• CAMP! Last year was the first year, probably in my entire life, that I did not get a chance to go camping, like tent camping... we did do a few small road trips and such, but I want some good old fashioned camping at the lake.
  
• Plan. I am laid-off and will be recalled (hopefully) to a class, a grade, a subject... none of this is known yet, and probably won't be until mid to end of summer at which point I will plan.... for my new school year!
  
• READ!
  I want to read a bunch of novels I have sitting on my shelf and on my kobo, waiting for me.
  
• BEACH!
  I need some beach time, maybe to read, maybe while camping, regardless, sunny beach days are a must this summer.
  
• Summer Conference.
  It wouldn't be summer if I didn't attend the BCTF summer conference. I will be facilitating once again this summer and love re-connecting with all my teacher buddies and getting hyped up for a new school year!

**AND I am going to San Diego Comic-Con in July #nerdalert

Monday Quote

Source: wanelo.com via Amanda on Pinterest

J.K. Rowling's spreadsheet plan for Harry Potter Order of the Phoenix - Pre-Writing is important!

I love this... One of J.K. Rowling's brainstorm / planning sessions for her novel. Show this to students to show the extent of pre-writing and how important it is!



Sometimes kids (and grown-ups) think books "magically" appear fully written. Show your students J.K. Rowling’s spreadsheet plan for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to help them see the work and planning that goes in to writing! (from flavorwire.com/)

Reach for the stars... goal setting craft

Source: art-m.marshalles.schools.pwcs.edu via Amanda on Pinterest

Inferencing with Photos

I use a lot of photos and picture books to do regular inferencing with my class and also as a TTOC it is a fun way to do a quiet write... show a photo, allow for some brainstorming or sharing and inferencing, then write..... a story, description, perspective, whatever.... for a photo.

This pintrest page has some great photos you could use to print, put on SMARTboard or projector and use in a variety of ways.

Here are two examples from the page....

Inspiration

Source: imgfave.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Incentive Jar

 

Source: gingersnapstreatsforteachers.blogspot.com via Cynthia on Pinterest

As a TTOC you can easily draw this on the board and use for the day with a class. No materials really required.

Keep Calm and...

Inspiration

I have been doing Monday Quotes, but it's Friday... and I figure, why not have an end of week inspirational quote for the weekend too?

Source: teachingblogaddict.com via Amanda on Pinterest

We Vote - for public education

Emergency ParameDIX

Standardized Testing... funny!

Source: sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net via Amanda on Pinterest

Expand your writing....

Source: teacherspayteachers.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Pizza Box Folders

Source: shspana.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Monday Quote

Source: plus.google.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Cupcake Contractions

Source: teacherspayteachers.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Writing Prompts....

Source: carrieelle.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Science Fairs, Learning Fairs...

Recently read this blog post on Science Fairs: http://wbtforme.blogspot.ca/2013/05/geniushour-and-sciencefair.html

This teacher discovered Genius Hour and decided to try something knew with her grade 6 science class.

http://www.geniushour.com/what-is-genius-hour/

This connected with me because this week at our school board meeting several students presented their science fairs from http://www.gvrsf.ca/ and some of the topics were exceptional. I spoke with the students before the meeting and learned so much about how much fun they had researching their topics.

I remember in Elementary and Jr. High loving science. The Science Fairs were the best part! I missed that when I got to High School and my love of science faded (luckily not entirely!)

Two years ago I was teaching Grade 6/7 and while my teaching partner covered the Socials Studies curriculum, I did Science. We did a number of experiements and labs, however, we did not do Science Fairs and I think if I were to teach that again, I would certainly explore this idea.

This year in my grade 8 class we are doing a Renaissance Fair. All the grade 8 classes do a week of rotational lessons, each station a different area of the Renaissance. Then they choose an area of inquiry to explore further. They then spend several weeks doing PBL on a topic of their choice for a final presentation - the Renaissance Fair.

This is an annual thing at our school. In the past, as a grade 6/7 teacher I have enjoyed attending the fair and bringing my classes to see the displays and projects Grade 8s prepare. I can't wait to see it all come together next month!

Burnaby Now: Union prez says district issued 75 layoff notices

Burnaby Now
Cayley Dobie
May 3, 2013

The Burnaby school district sent out layoff notices to teachers in the district last week after only days before publicly approving a budget that didn't include any actual staffing layoffs.

According to Burnaby Teachers' Association president James Sanyshyn, 75 full-time teachers were given layoff notices last week. While he understands the trustees have no choice but to balance the budget - even if that requires layoffs - the secrecy in which the notices were sent out isn't acceptable, he said.

"Right after the board passed its budget, what that did was enacted about 75 layoff notices for teachers," he said. "They would have approved that in an in-camera session prior to the public session."

To view the rest of the article, click here.



This is of high interest to me. Many districts are facing lay-offs. Here in Coquitlam, we have lay-off each year, then recall (when teachers are recalled into a (usually) new position) This year is my first year being laid off. It is exciting (the first time) but with recent budget concerns here in our district, I fear that I may not be recalled into a position... time will tell. But my eyes and ears are open with keen interest regarding lay offs in surrounding districts.

Orange Crush

Source: harbourliving.ca via Amanda on Pinterest

CURRENTLY: May

Listening - to my fan blowing, it is actually hot enough to turn it on today =) Summer is near!
Loving - my puppy snuggles, she is 5 months old now!
Thinking - about the election coming up May 14, I am doing a lot with the local candidate I support as well as some work with my local union to call and remind teachers to vote for public education!
Wanting - to get rid of the cough I have... busy week, not enough rest, the cold/sinus infection I have has got the best of me!
Needing - to re-organize my work bag, it is stuffed with things from a very busy week, lot's of meetings, lengthy to do list.
Summer Bucket List - camping... tent, camp fire, swimming in the lake... we didn't get to it last summer and I regret it entirely!

Check out Farley's awesome blog - she is the fab blogger who does "CURRENTLY" each month!!
http://ohboy3rdgrade.blogspot.ca/2013/05/may-currently.html

Tri-City News: Wider scope for annual audit: Coquitlam board chair

Tri-City News
Diana Strandberg
May 2, 2013

School District 43 will be expanding the scope of its annual financial audit to ensure procedures are in place to avoid problems with budgeting in the future.

 

SD43 officials provided that assurance at a board meeting Tuesday but the promise is not enough to assuage the concerns of the Coquitlam Teachers' Association (CTA) and CUPE Local 561, whose members are worried about $12.1 million in cuts to next year's operating budget.

The two unions are calling for a forensic audit, something that is usually associated with negligence or white collar crime, and plan a campaign to raise the issue publicly in the coming weeks.

To view the rest of the article, click here.

Cranbrook teachers greet the Premier on her stop in the Kootenays.

Cranbrook teachers greet the Premier on her stop in the Kootenays.

24 Hour News: Front Page Story... Advertisement...

The Tyee.ca blog - The Election Hook
Natascia Lipny
May 1, 2013

The cover of today's 24 Hours Vancouver is a paid advertisement by the BC Liberals -- an editorial decision that has some readers upset over a perceived lack of clarity that the ad is indeed an ad.

The front page features a large photograph of the premier emblazoned with the headline "Poll: Christy Clark stands tall in debate." followed by "Comeback Kid." Beneath it, a caption and Ipsos Reid poll results mimic 24 Hours' layout style.

The advertisement continues on page two, followed by the paper's actual front page.

------------------------------------

I showed my class this front page as part of our studies and participation with Student Vote. I presented it unbiased as an educator, and asked what they noticed about the front page. Then once they discovered the "paid advertisement" and I revealed the other front page (the real one, about the Canucks game) we discussed the pros and cons of doing a full page, front page, advertisement like that.

Among their comments:

-clever way to get people thinking about her before the vote
-makes people think she is the better candidate after the debate

-costs a lot of money, who pays for it?
-people may not trust Christy Clark because she tried to trick people

Smart kids eh?

Teachers Rock!