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Annie Kidder
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online meet-up at conf...
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Special Education
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Less Testing: Educati...
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21st Century Schools @...
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Annie Kidder's Discussions
Annie Kidder's Page
Latest Activity
I think a long thing I just wrote got lost, but I'm going to wait and see if it comes back before I re-write it. It was so good too. Ah, the joys of computers
I just want to clear up one thing. No, we weren't at a round table to develop Bill 177. There were a number of steps in its development.
First, they had a committee look at school board governance. (Madeleine Chevalier. trustee and past chair of t...
Hi everyone,
Just to let you know, it appears that all PICs will be sent the Parent Engagement Policy tomorrow, along with the long version of the policy and a list of questions for parents to consider.
The deadline for feedback will also be exten...
I agree completely that parents shouldn't be receiving information only from People for Education. We have very limited resources, we can only get things out to people who want to be on our mailing lists, AND we're not the government.
Okay, now it...
I guess we have some explaining to do. I'm not sure where to start, but I'll try.
First Bill 177
We did opposed parts of Bill 177, particularly the huge powers it will give this and any government over both school boards and Parent Involvement Com...
Hi there,
We got the policy as members of the Provincial Education Partnership Table, but I think you have a very good point about the communication policy.
Perhaps it's something that we can discuss at our conference next Saturday.
The policy is ...
make that "slippery slope" - oops.
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Annie Kidder's Blog
School Information Finders, new education Bills and elementary curriculum reviews
I'm going to try and keep everyone updated at least once a week about all the goings on in education - and maybe with bits of gossip from the front. We go to a lot of meetings and there are lots of plans afoot in education - Bills that are going to mean big changes to the way boards work, potential changes to curr… Continue Posted on October 17, 2009 at 6:00pm — 11 Comments
Talking to urban leaders
I know there are people who write blogs every day – but I don’t know how they do it. There are so many things going on, that it’s hard to find the time to stop and write about them.BUT - We’re continuing the Schools @ the Centre dialogues and they are so interesting. Yest… Continue
Posted on November 19, 2008 at 6:30pm — 3 Comments
New report calls for new policy
“Education is universally seen as one of the best ways out of poverty and as a sound investment in the future of individuals, families and communities, and thus in the social fabric of our society.”So says the McMurtry/Curling report on the Roots of Youth Violence. The rep… Continue
Posted on November 19, 2008 at 6:30pm — 2 Comments
Measuring from the bottom up or from the top down?
So today I spent an hour writing up all my notes from the Schools at the Centre workshop I participated in at the People for Education conference on November 8. For now, we've decided to put them in a template where we'll keep track of five things:
• the components participants suggest should be present in a great 21st century school (with the acknowledgement that there could be many different models)
• how those great schools would be connected to their communities
• how the scho… Continue
• the components participants suggest should be present in a great 21st century school (with the acknowledgement that there could be many different models)
• how those great schools would be connected to their communities
• how the scho… Continue
Posted on November 12, 2008 at 5:42pm — 3 Comments
How does Schools at the Centre actually work?
We're finally really doing it!
After months of thinking, planning, getting advice, and lying awake at night wondering if it would work - we launched Schools at the Centre at our conference.
We'd tried out the process earlier - with a fabulous group of student trustees from across the province, and with two different parent groups - but Friday and Saturday were the first official dialogues. And everyone seemed excited, filled with ideas, and ready to "re-imagine" our schools.
On Fri… Continue
After months of thinking, planning, getting advice, and lying awake at night wondering if it would work - we launched Schools at the Centre at our conference.
We'd tried out the process earlier - with a fabulous group of student trustees from across the province, and with two different parent groups - but Friday and Saturday were the first official dialogues. And everyone seemed excited, filled with ideas, and ready to "re-imagine" our schools.
On Fri… Continue
Posted on November 11, 2008 at 10:56am — 6 Comments
Comment Wall (16 comments)
- At 2:05pm on October 30, 2009,
Gay Stephenson said…
- wow - it's so neat to make this connection with Jennie. Perhaps we should put her in touch with Jacqui on parent engagement... I'm in the library trying to get my workshop together... okay I haven't done any work on it yet. The children's librarian is in the quiet room (with me) practicing her puppet show by whispering the whole thing while doing it. It's making me giggle :) (inside so she can't hear me)!
- At 7:05am on October 30, 2009,
jennie de Neefe said…
- hi Annie I am an australian primary school teacher of 30 years experience. I have 3 boys 16, 21,& 23. The australian federal government has a blueprint for suicide & drug prevention and gave a substantial sum of money to education systems in various states for them to design how best to foster youth connectedness and prevent the rising youth suicide rate. The system i work in is the catholic one in victoria. They have designated their funds to funding a wellbeing co-ordinator for a day a week in every primary school. we undertake to view the big picture of prevention and early intervention strategies such as Social & emotional learning within the curriculum. At some stage we must also undertake to complete our Master of Education (Student Wellbeing)from Melbourne University. I am about to complete mine and I have ubdertaken ation research in parent engagement. the federal government has also set up a Home school partnership website that sends regular emails and this is where i found tis website.
- At 12:52pm on October 21, 2009,
Kendra Grant said…
- Hi!
Thanks for the warm welcome! If you ever need a speaker/presentation please let me know. It would be my pleasure. I just got back from presenting at Closing the Gap in Minnesota and from 3 days of workshops with a school in Bermuda. It would be nice to do more in Ontario!
I present on special education, 21st century learning, inclusive technology implementation, digital learning (Inspiration software) and Interactive White Board (Promethean).
I have also written several articles for Dr. Dave Edyburn's magazine SETP. They talk about implementing assistive technology and the role of AT. They are available if you think they may be of interest to anyone.
Thank you again. I look forward to learning and sharing.
Kendra
- At 1:55pm on September 19, 2009,
Alison MacGillivray said… - The school that I work at has large numbers in our primary grades; all over 20. In fact we lost a teacher. We have been told that the regulations for primary class sizes have quietly changed for the current school year, but we have been unable to find out if this is true and if it is, what the new regulations are. Do you have any information on this?
- At 6:41am on February 4, 2009,
Niels Damgaard said… 
A little about working with Web 2.0 and School Libraries in Norway
I made a discription of out experience in Norway working with on-line students and Web 2.0 in this IFLASL-blog.
Here you will find 4 numbers and all the themes from these 4 numbers when I was editor for this newsletter
I would like to have contact with persons in Canada or else - active to provide online cources for TL using Web 2.0 tools as DIMDIM or WiQZ as virtuel meetingprograms.
- At 5:57am on February 4, 2009,
Niels Damgaard said…
- Hi Annie,
Thanks for the kind words about Norway!
Yes we have around 3.000 Teacher-Librarians in primary (age K-16 years). These are educated mostly online via 3 cources at 30 studypoints at the Universty of Agder (Kristiansand) - south in Norway
and around 400 Librarians in the upper secondary school (16-19 years)
These are educated at the LIS-schools in Oslo or in Tromsø - and we have given local cources for these 5 days running a school year.
Read more about this here: IFLA Newsletter # 42
About Web 2.0 read here
Nordic spaces for SL (in the Scandinavian languages)
I have set up a Nordic NING and a "suprglu"-blog collecting news from the Nordic countries about School Library.
Regards Niels
Oslo
- At 2:45pm on January 28, 2009,
Jennifer Motha said…
- Annie sorry its taken me so long to get back...I am quite busy...Yes I am interested in wholistic eduction and midfulness...meditation...I also have done a lot of work in literacy, oral and written language as well as reading. I have been giving a lot of thought to social justices issues and I feel their is a great deal to be explored in the area of compassion and how to infuse it with social justice. I have also read Susan Roy's comments and agree with her compleltey. Prior to beginning my studies I taught at an inner city school for approximately 10 years.
- At 9:21pm on January 24, 2009,
Brenda Hopkins said… - HI Anne, thanks it is good to see you too.
Nope I am not heavily involved at the board at all anymore (except one committee that I enjoy)... long story but would be happy to explain sometime. I am still involved in other places though such as a board member of Ophea and a Violence in Media Committee at OPSBA. I just can't stop volunteering :) If you need me to help out with anything at P4E just let me know, I have the room now that I am not spending all my time at the board!
Nope, my kids are not quite grown yet - grade 12 (but coming back for 5th year) and grade 10.... getting close though!
Brenda
- At 4:35pm on January 24, 2009,
Susan Phillips said…
- Hi Annie,
I'd found you're site last year when my son entered JK and was having a tough time....the school had called for Developmental Assesments/I.Q tests (for a 3 1/2 year old???), and I'd found this site to be incredibly helpful.
I'm a freelance hairstylist, and have forwarded this site often to my clients (and friends).
A parents ally in navigating the school system...yay!
- At 10:55am on January 23, 2009,
Jennifer McKenzie said…
- Hi Annie,
I found you through your e-newsletter. Had been meaning to write to say thank you for all you've been doing for urban/suburban schools and the multitude and complexity of issues we face. It's all very much needed and appreciated!
Jennifer
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Less Testing: Educati...
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Jacqui's Conference Highlights
Yeah, yeah, the speakers were great and the workshops were informative, but the real highlights were behind the scenes…
Take One Parent, One Student, and One Teacher, and what do you get?
A trio of awesome volunteers! Anahit Harutyunyan (parent), Shamair Garib (student) and Jonathan Lau (teacher) worked tirelessly from the crack of dawn through to the very end of the conference, and met every challenge we gave them. Jonathan became the true hero of the day when he managed to hunt down someone to re-stock the toilet paper.
Knit One, Purl Two, Register a Participant.
I loved watching our conference registrar, Jan Sugerman, and Kathy Bradden, the Chair of People for Education’s board, madly knitting at the registration table while listening to speeches and answering questions. It was a perfect P4E moment. I better get a really nice pair of wool socks, though.
More Incredible Volunteers
Cathy Boote, Arlene Morell and Verna Ferencik, registration queens. Your warm welcome and jolly spirit made the registration process fun and easy.
Monique St. Aude, our student from last year, who came back again to help this year. It paid off big-time – her conversation with Dennis Shirley led him to encourage her to apply to do her Ph.D. with him. Go for it, Monique!
Greg Laws, who tirelessly moved tables and chairs, alphabetized name tags, then moved some more furniture.
Garret Titus, our student this year, who also happens to be a musician – he was our go-to guy for help with recording the speeches, and bravely took on moderating a workshop too.
All of our amazing speakers and moderators, who volunteered their time, expertise, and talent to make the day a huge success!
More Student Stories
At the end of a long day, after the dinner was over, there was still some food left. It made my day to be able to offer it up to the incredibly grateful ‘starving students’ who were hanging out in Stong College. They were utterly charming, and thrilled with all the food, especially the cookies. They even backed me up and vouched for my lack of craziness when some more students wandered in and I made them the same offer. There are seven very well-fed students wandering campus now!
It was a great day all round, and there are probably a million more stories to be told. Thanks to everyone who came, and I hope to see all of you out again next year.
Take One Parent, One Student, and One Teacher, and what do you get?
A trio of awesome volunteers! Anahit Harutyunyan (parent), Shamair Garib (student) and Jonathan Lau (teacher) worked tirelessly from the crack of dawn through to the very end of the conference, and met every challenge we gave them. Jonathan became the true hero of the day when he managed to hunt down someone to re-stock the toilet paper.
Knit One, Purl Two, Register a Participant.
I loved watching our conference registrar, Jan Sugerman, and Kathy Bradden, the Chair of People for Education’s board, madly knitting at the registration table while listening to speeches and answering questions. It was a perfect P4E moment. I better get a really nice pair of wool socks, though.
More Incredible Volunteers
Cathy Boote, Arlene Morell and Verna Ferencik, registration queens. Your warm welcome and jolly spirit made the registration process fun and easy.
Monique St. Aude, our student from last year, who came back again to help this year. It paid off big-time – her conversation with Dennis Shirley led him to encourage her to apply to do her Ph.D. with him. Go for it, Monique!
Greg Laws, who tirelessly moved tables and chairs, alphabetized name tags, then moved some more furniture.
Garret Titus, our student this year, who also happens to be a musician – he was our go-to guy for help with recording the speeches, and bravely took on moderating a workshop too.
All of our amazing speakers and moderators, who volunteered their time, expertise, and talent to make the day a huge success!
More Student Stories
At the end of a long day, after the dinner was over, there was still some food left. It made my day to be able to offer it up to the incredibly grateful ‘starving students’ who were hanging out in Stong College. They were utterly charming, and thrilled with all the food, especially the cookies. They even backed me up and vouched for my lack of craziness when some more students wandered in and I made them the same offer. There are seven very well-fed students wandering campus now!
It was a great day all round, and there are probably a million more stories to be told. Thanks to everyone who came, and I hope to see all of you out again next year.
Latest Activity
Jacqui, I agree with you that
"off all the many sided things, it is the one with the most sides".
Could you put the quote in context for those of us who were not at the conference and not familiar with the work of Mr. Mills ....
From the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: h...
What a great discussion topic! As chair of my son's high school council, I too have found a difference in the role we play. I think there is a natural progression toward less direct parent involvement in school activities as our kids get older. I ...
Would any SEAC members like to meet members from other jurisdictions to discuss issues in your district?
Just confirming my own question here! The due date for input is this Thursday the 12th.
Yes, so it seems. Also, are we trying to figure out what we should become in this world and for the future? I found this idea mentioned in the 21st Century Learning session very interesting; Think of education this way, not as being best IN the wo...
Everyone is welcome: this group begins at our conference on Saturday. It's a support group for people who want to learn more about using technology to communicate. How to do stuff here, or to start an e-news listserv, or group & more!
Dennis Shirley, in his presentation at the conference, quoted John Stuart Mill's view of education as being that "of all the many sided things it is the one with the most sides."
I wonder if this is so because education is directed learning and l...
I wasn't able to be at the conference - what was the gist of things as far as attitudes toward testing at the conference - is their clear division, or do people think that p4e is moving toward a consensus position?
You were right, Annie, and the discussions and presentations were great!
Sorry we missed you this year, Tanya, but thanks for joining here! Can't wait to listen to the panel again LIVE on TVO!
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