Features

Children and Families

A wonderful line in The Spyglass by RichardPaul Evans reads “You have seen what might be, now make it so.” The book tells of a once great kingdom now in ruins, where many nights villagers went to bed hungry.

Recently ETFO asked me to review the research and professional literature on the relationship between poverty and schooling so that the federation work with members to develop practices and approaches that will help all students succeed.

In the summer of 2006 Nathan Toft downloaded Apple’siTunes software, curious about the 99-cent songs hehad heard about. This move introduced him to the exciting world of podcasting. He quickly got Janehooked and the two teachers, who are both joggers,loaded up their iPods with a variety of shows theydownloaded from the Internet. This was the start oftheir pod-casting adventure.

Juliette, Kiera, and Michelle, 11-year-old students from Barrie, are online asking their new friend Rawa what it is like to live in Iraq. Michelle asks, “What is it like knowing that there is war so near to you?

As a storytelling medium, comics have come of age in the last few decades. With an enduring history in North America as a venue for superhero quests, they have entertained many a young reader.

It is five o’clock. and the agenda indicates that the staff meeting should be wrapping up, but the principal mentions some interesting trends in the recently released schoolwide scores and asks staff to stay and discuss them.

Teaching children in the early years is a challenge and an opportunity. it can be one of the most rewarding teaching jobs, as very young children experience enormous learning curves.

Something amazing happens when teachers openly discuss how to meet the needs of all students. The discussion begins to take the form of a lively debate on what has been tried, what worked, and what needed tweaking.