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How many times has your school had trouble deciding what PD to complete? How many times have you sat in the math PD? How many times have you thought, "I'd rather be learning about something more relevant to my own learning/class/current times"? Well, imagine educators were, just like students, provided frequent and meaningful opportunities to further develop their skills. I often find that I ask myself the questions, "Well if we do it for children, why don't we do it for adults? What changes? Why?" Just like students, educators should be provided with opportunities to "feel good" about their learning and have a voice in that learning. In order to continue developing their learning skills, they too need to practice these skills often.

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Highlights

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Self-directed professional development (SD-PD) can enhance teaching practices.

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SD-PD articulates two processes: collaborative work with peers and with researchers.

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SD-PD is more effective the linkage between the two processes is richer.

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SD-PD centred in teaching practices and in searching for evidences to improve them.

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SD-PD enhances teaching practices, students' learning, and teachers' development.

Abstract

The purpose is identifying the conditions and tools that ensure an articulation between the two processes that mediate self-directed professional development (SD-PD). We accompanied a physical sciences teacher who was interested in improving the quality of her teaching practices in the classroom. Over a ten-year period, we gathered data from her career and from three action-research cycles. The results show that SD-PD has an impact on the quality of teaching practices when it is based on tools and used as a focus for teaching practices. Furthermore, the richer the linkage between the two processes is, the more effective SD-PD is.

View full text

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Self-directed professional development to improve effective teaching: Key points for a model

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Self-directed professional development (SD-PD) can enhance teaching practices. * SD-PD articulates two processes: collaborative work with peers and with researchers. * SD-PD is more effective the linkage between the two processes is richer. * SD-PD centred in teaching practices and in searching for evidences to improve them.

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WHAT THEY SAID....^^^^^^^^

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Well-being 2030 - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

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Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, what happens between kindergarten and grade 1 when we go from detailed framed approach for assessments in report cards to a higher focus on letter grades and percentages in later grades? I cannot tell you how many times I have found educators just using the copy and paste method in reports. It kind of makes me think back to that "box" idea. The need to fit a child into a boxed letter grade or percentage, working our way from meaningful  to no-meaning at all. For example, that idea where I can have a student to get's As in math, but has no will or want to learn or collaborate. But again that's okay because As.....The need to change our values in assessing and reporting must change to focus on competencies that also welcome connections to a variety of cultures. For example, the seven grandfather teachings or the four R's. Going back to the fundamentals and values that should be discussed in detail about an individual that will directly impact their learning journey. (Educators getting one line to write about a student takes me again back to that "box" idea)

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You can feel it in the air coming well ahead of time, as longer evenings slowly encroach upon scorching afternoons and the smell of falling leaves overpowers the fresh flowery scent of summertime. Fall is on its way, and along with it comes a brand new school year.

In the weeks to come teachers everywhere will return to their schools and start creating warm and welcoming learning environments for all. There are halls and classrooms to be arranged, organized and decorated, new classes to prepare for and lessons to be planned. Needless to say, right now is a busy time in the world of education! Especially, some would say, in the age of Reconciliation.

Most Canadians grew up in an education system that did not teach about Indigenous Peoples. The history of colonization (including the residential school system), contemporary Indigenous issues, and Indigenous cultures, traditions, and worldviews are therefore unfamiliar to many Canadians - including teachers. This can make the prospect of teaching Indigenous content, and teaching in a way that supports Reconciliation, a daunting one.

...reconciliation is about establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in this country, (The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015, p. 6).

According to the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada, "reconciliation is about establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in this country," (p. 6). The Commission goes on to call upon Canadians to take action and change behaviours to support and build this mutual respect.

The work of two renowned Indigenous scholars, Verna J. Kirkness and Ray Barnhardt, can help teachers who wish to take action and take steps to decolonize their teaching practice. In "The Four Rs - Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity, and Responsibility," (2001), Kirkness & Barnhardt teach us that when educators and schools:

Respect First Nations cultural integrity

Provide education that is relevant to First Nations Perspectives and Experience

Foster reciprocal relationships

Demonstrate responsibility through participation

we can begin to Indigenize and decolonize schooling. While the framework was originally created for use in higher education settings, it can be adapted to any level to Indigenize education as we know it. In this blog post, we offer suggestions that any educator can use in any context. This blog post is by no means comprehensive, but rather a guide for those who would like to get started on this work, based on the Four Rs as listed above. Read on to get your feet wet, and feel free to consult this annotated bibliography to learn more!

Respecting First Nations Cultural Integrity

Respect is a concept that often feels more abstract than action-based. It can be difficult to think of specific actions that demonstrate respect, however, small steps can make a big difference. Some simple ways educators can build their understanding and knowledge to demonstrate respect might include:

Reading up on key concepts like colonialism and privilege

Recognizing negative emotions that arise when confronting these topics and investigate the discomfort

Reading books and articles by Indigenous authors and consuming art by Indigenous artists

Taking ownership of their own learning

Finding other teachers who are interested in decolonization to share and process experiences together

Making Education Relevant to First Nations Perspectives and Experience

Indigenous worldviews are based on deep connections with the land. Sacred places dominate the Canadian landscape and many Indigenous people adhere to protocols and ceremonies, traditions and norms that the education system does not include or acknowledge. In order to provide an education that is relevant to First Nations perspectives and experience, teachers might consider:

Taking time to catch up on the Indigenous history of the region and share their learnings with their classes

Learning about sacred places and landmarks nearby

Using Indigenous place names

Reaching out to local Indigenous organizations for information, resources, and opportunities to work together

Inviting members of the Indigenous community into the classroom to share teachings and stories

Developing Reciprocal Relationships

According to Indigenous traditions, education can look very different from the typical schooling we see today. In many Indigenous cultures, learning is a process of observing, making attempts, working through failures and eventually, mastering the skill at hand. Learning is also most often considered a life-long journey, and it is understood that every person has things to teach.

This can be freeing for teachers, who often feel a great deal of pressure to be the expert all the time. When all relationships are understood as give-and-take, teachers can learn alongside - and even from - their students. Ways that educators can begin to foster reciprocal relationships include:

Allowing students to participate in decision making

Making an effort to teach holistically

Expressing care for students' overall wellbeing

Not being afraid to say, "I don't know, let's find out together"

An example of student-led decision-making in the classroom can be found below. During the first week of school, I led my grade 10/11/12 class through the establishment of a code of conduct for everyone (including myself) that was based on the Dene Laws, instead of presenting students with class rules. The activity went deeper to recognize that each person is the sum of all the relationships in their lives, and the class created a detailed plan for their individual and collective success. The results were displayed prominently in the classroom and students were proud of the work they had done, often referencing the posters on the walls as the year progressed.

Taking Responsibility Through Participation

Participating in the conversation around reconciliation, and in Indigenous events and activities when appropriate can represent a step towards reconciliation. Here are just a few ways educators can take responsibility through participation:

Support Indigenous students' participation in traditional activities in concrete ways (creating make-up assignments, homework packages, etc.)

Attend community activities hosted by Indigenous organizations

Lead by example by talking about decolonizing and Indigenizing education with colleagues

Seek out Indigenous business people, motivational speakers, craftspeople, artists, etc. when seeking guest speakers

Plan field trips to Indigenous events, exhibits, landmarks, and the like

Conclusion

In order to Indigenize and decolonize education, education must draw upon Indigenous worldviews and ways of knowing, teaching and learning. This blog post is intended to serve as an introduction, but the real experts are the Indigenous Elders, scholars, artists, and community members fighting for decolonization and Indigenization. Check out our annotated bibliography for some incredible resources, and best of luck for the year ahead!
*Note: This blog post is based on my graduating paper, "Decolonizing Practices for Settler Educators in Indigenous Contexts: Drawing upon the Four Rs of Indigenous education for meaningful curriculum change," written for partial fulfillment of the Master's of Education in Curriculum and Leadership at the University of British Columbia. It is an analysis of works by Indigenous and Indigenist scholars in education who have written about themes of culturally responsive pedagogy.

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Teaching Through the Four Rs of Indigenous Education: Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity and Responsibility - Learning Bird

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Fall is on its way, and along with it comes a new brand new school year. In the weeks to come teachers everywhere will return to their schools and start creating warm and welcoming learning environments for all. Especially, some would say, in the age of Reconciliation.

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Sorry you can't attend this school...... EXCUSE ME!?! You want to talk about equitable opportunities, inclusion, and fair and equitable access to learning, but we still determine who gets to attend which school based on the area in which you live.... and then wonder why some communities continue to loose opportunities and be oppressed... This is the first and one of the most important learning opportunities decision made in a student's learning career (In my opinion). Just something to think about next time you look at the TSDB's Learning Opportunities Index...

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Having a plan and guide is great, but who says what is most important in learning and education, more specifically what and when is best to learn? Developing a curriculum that welcomes all types of cultures, and people to the table and still allows space to include is vital to the future of education. A curriculum that allows students to explore their own passions, interests and cultures, cannot always be molded to fit inside the current curriculum box. We need to support students in developing a "feel good" sense about learning and that means letting them take the lead more often than not. You feel like learning about frogs today and your in grade 9? GREAT! You want to share an oral story today instead of writing? GREAT! If we want individuals who are going to be innovators in developing ground breaking solutions to real world problems, they need practice thinking outside of the box (curriculum/box...they're quite similar if you think about it...).

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What? You can actually think and teach outside of the set curriculum? Yes you can! Many teachers and education students think that curriculum is a set plan to follow word by word. In reality, curriculum should act as guidelines to the subject being taught. Yes, there are many things that have to be taught, but what about the things outside of curriculum? These can be found... IN THE MARGINS.

It is so important to move beyond curriculum (when appropriate), especially within a science classroom. There are so many things that connect, are unknown, and are needed to be experienced to fully understand.

Ann E. Haley-Oliphant gives insight into the abstract and creative concept in Exploration, Risk-Taking, and Wonderment: Traveling to the Margins of Instruction.

Introduction to the Mysterious Margins

What do you think of when you hear the term margin? I personally think of the margins of a piece of lined paper. A majority of people believe that these are supposed to be clean, unused, and clear of writing.

Time to prove those people wrong!

The margins of this piece of paper can be used to provide:

Why should this space be wasted? Many things that one would not include within the paper can be done within these margins.

You may be asking, how does this piece of paper relate to teaching? Well, here is your answer. These margins exist all over curriculum and within teaching. These margins are the places in which lessons provide opportunities for thinking outside of the set guidelines.

A journey to the margins within the classroom should never be wasted. This should be one of the most valued events that can possible take place. It also is one of the most fun aspects of learning!

Don't be afraid to think outside of the box. Get your students to want to come to class every day. Get out of the norm. Dive into those margins! #welcometothemargins #scienceteaching #EDT431 #NSTA @AnnMacKenzie

- Miss Welsh (@MissWelsh3) September 19, 2018

How Does a Classroom Get a Ticket to the Margins?

A trip to the margins can come about from various different points within curriculum. These journeys can come about when a set curriculum:

Cross-connects with other curriculum

Opens up the floor to new ideas

Leaves room for thoughtful questions

Introduces unexpected discussion

Connects with real-world events

Encourages critical thinking methods

Simply asking "why?"

While following curriculum to a dime may seem incredibly attractive, think about what is beyond! How can you as an educator provide opportunities for your students to find a one way ticket to the MARGINS? @AnnMacKenzie #EDT431 #NSTA #triptothemargins

- Kate Yezierski (@KYezierski) September 19, 2018

Critical thinking often plays a huge part in traveling to the margins. If a student can think past what is right in front of them, the margins are broadened and ready to be filled!

The video below dives deeper into critical thinking methods that both benefit students and teachers:

Important Note: The margins cannot exist without set curriculum, but curriculum can exist without the margins. Use this idea to think about how important a knowledge base is to exploration!

So, What Do the Margins Within a Science Classroom Look Like Once You Have Arrived?

The margins are a sight to see from a teacher's perspective. In the margins, one will be able to observe students:

Creating their own set of questions related to the curriculum

Diving deeper into a topic than maybe anticipated

Connecting curriculum to something that is observable in the classroom or outside world

Sparking ideas on an impromptu activity related to the topic

Researching further ideas related to the topic

Arguing different sides of the topic and working together to come up with a consensus

Being engaged and excited

The coolest thing about being in the margins is that you do not know what is going to happen! The margins are completely unpredictable, which gives so much flexibility to the list above. What would you like to see within your classroom margins?
Examples of trips to the margins in the science classroom could include:

A student asking why the periodic table is set up the way it is leading to an impromptu lesson on periodic trends

Exploring the contents of acid rain and its effects during a time of high pollution/poor air quality

Exploring the behavior of the class animal while it is pregnant to further understand living organisms and their mannerisms

Are the Margins Just Teachable Moments?

The short answer to this is NO! The margins are a very unique setting in the classroom because of how unpredictable they are. Teachable moments typically:

Are short term lessons/discussions

Have a simple black or white answer

Somehow within the curriculum

The margins can be:

Long term lessons/discussions

Open to multiple answers or opinions

Incredibly complicated

Outside of the curriculum; but stem from it

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Thinking Outside the Box...Or Curriculum

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What? You can actually think and teach outside of the set curriculum? Yes you can! Many teachers and education students think that curriculum is a set plan to follow word by word. In reality, curriculum should act as guidelines to the subject being taught.

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Bringing down school walls and opening up our doors and minds to the endless possibilities of learning in any place. We have already witnessed learning and schooling at home, more so during the pandemic than ever before. But what about at the park? At the community centre? At the farm? At the parliament building? No I am not talking about a field trip, where you have exactly 20 minutes to see the entire building. I mean a week where learning happens at the parliament building. Learning at the source of government and law. Real hands-on, field study learning becoming the norm not the treat....

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Yukon high schoolers are MLAs for a day | CBC News

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Twenty-two high schoolers took part in a model parliament where they prepared members' statements, took part in question period, debated motions and even took part in a media scrum.

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Imagine a world where you don't have to pre-schedule a specific short period of time to use the chrome books, which is often spent troubleshooting and not actually completing the activity you had planned. Imagine a world where each student recieves a device for their entire educational career, with options to get them serviced and specific opportunities to teach to and learn more about the technology. Providing equitable access to education for ALL students no matter the time or place.  Imagine the possibilities....As author and educator George Couros put it, "Technology will never replace great teachers, but technology in the hands of great teachers is transformational."

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Building brighter futures through technology.

Empowering Canadian students with the technology to dream big and do great things.

Better technology. Better education. Brighter futures.

At Best Buy, we believe that access to technology has the power to build a student's confidence and creativity - qualities that open doors to future possibilities. And when it comes to student learning and development, we don't want anything standing in their way.

The Best Buy School Tech Grant program exists to help Canadian schools bring new technology into their classrooms to keep students inspired while they learn and grow. Through these grants, students will have access to the latest technology to motivate their learning and set them up for success.

Explore our tech grants

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Best Buy School Tech Grants.

We offer grants of up to $10,000 to public schools looking to bring new technologies into their classrooms to advance student learning.

This could include tech for literacy programs, libraries, STEM courses, special needs classrooms, and so much more.

Samsung Galaxy Book Grant.

We've teamed up with Samsung to offer two schools 30 Samsung Galaxy Book Go laptops. This tech grant is available for schools looking to boost interest in STEM learning among their students.

Portable yet powerful, the Galaxy Book Go laptop can help your students stay connected and productive - wherever they are. Use them to set up or enhance your STEM programs and promote collaboration among students.

Google Chromebook Grant.

We've teamed up with Google to offer one school 30 Google Chromebooks. This tech grant is available for schools looking to boost interest in STEM learning among their students.

Chromebooks are built for optimal web browsing and can be used to set up or enhance robotics clubs, math programs, coding courses, maker spaces, digital media courses, and more at your school.

How to apply

2. Choose a tech grant.

Decide on the right tech grant for your school. Schools may only apply to one grant program per submission period.

3. Prepare your application.

Get students, teachers, and staff involved in drafting your proposal. It must be approved by the principal.

4. Apply online.

Applications are now closed. Winners will be announced in January 2023.

Connect with us

Contact us for more questions about the program or help with your application.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are some of the grants focused on supporting programs for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math?

There is a recognized skills gap in Canada in the area of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). At Best Buy, we believe it's important to help educators provide students with the right tools to keep students inspired, motivated, and empowered to continue their education in these areas. We hope that by focusing grants in these areas, we can encourage schools to engage students in their STEM education.

How will the winners be selected?

The winning applications will be determined by a diverse panel of Best Buy employees. School Tech Grants will be awarded based on the merit of the submission and expressed need. In some cases, Best Buy may call or visit the school (with permission) or contact the school board or district to help determine the final recipients.

Who should be involved in creating the application?

Applications can be created by one teacher, or by several staff with the support of their students, parents, and/or school board leadership. The most successful applications are generally those developed by a team of stakeholders. The application must be approved by the principal of the school.

Am I only allowed to spend my grant money at Best Buy?

We pride ourselves on having the latest and greatest technology that students need to excel in school and have a dedicated team who can help teachers with their purchases. Our Best Buy for Education team has access to products and devices that are specifically designed for teachers and is happy to assist recipients and make the most of their grants. We do, however, recognize that schools are bound by school district-approved vendors impacting the technology that can be purchased, installed, and serviced in schools; which is why we provide monetary donations.

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At Best Buy, we believe that access to technology is a key component to building a student's confidence and creativity, qualities that will open doors to future possibilities.

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With our abilities to connect globally, what will this look like for education in the future? Welcoming and encouraging connections from around the world to support education by providing equitable opportunities for international teachers and for the students in our classroom. For example, teachers from around the world can join a classroom virtually to share their perspectives and approaches to education in math, language, etc...Like a Japanese teacher sharing with students the Japanese education system style/approach to mathematics. This also allows students to develop a deeper understanding of their own cultures and identities.

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Goodbye 5 day work/school week burnout! Since the pandemic began we could see the structural shift to how we live. Flexibility is key in prioritizing and supporting our mental health and overall wellbeing. This is not only for staff, but for students and their families as well. Options in the future to learning will be essential. Do you prefer school in the winter or summer? What works best for you? A later start time or an early start time? Shorter day or a longer day? Virtual or in-person? We know that each person learns best in their own specific way and with the de-structuring of other jobs in the economy, families will require options. I don't know about you but I can tell you I feel better and learn better during later start times and during in the spring/summer months.