Literacy

Erin Oxland writes about using a new resource called NewsWise to help her students learn critical thinking, navigate misinformation online and learn news and information literacy.

What do you do when you can’t find a resource to start important conversations in your classroom? You create one, of course. Peel teacher Greg Maxton (who writes under his married name, Kentris) had become increasingly frustrated with the persistent, intentional and casual homophobia that he saw in his middle school teaching environment.

In 2011, the advocacy group People for Education published a startling report called Reading for Joy. The study, which is downloadable at peopleforeducation.ca, revealed that there has been a dramatic decline in students who report that they like to read.

In the tiny community of Jarvis, Ontario, children from the grade 1 class of Jarvis Public School huddle in small groups to discuss a story they are creating together.

You know you are doing something right when your students beat you into the classroom! Our Thursday night literacy classes at the Oshawa YWCA are eagerly anticipated by the women who arrive early, and greet us with a pot of fresh coffee and completed homework, proudly displayed.

Joyce Public School is located in northwest Toronto, in an unprepossessing one-storey brick building. The Joyce school community, with a majority of immigrant families, is multicultural and multilingual. Many families have low incomes.

Member concerns about EQAO testing dominated ETFO’s 2010 annual meeting. President Sam Hammond called on the government to temporarily halt province-wide testing and reduce the resulting number of Ministry initiatives.