TEACHERNewsmagazine of the BC Teachers’ Federation

Volume 20, Number 6April 2008

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On the insideRights Not Wrongs Conference 5Aboriginal education in Comox Valley 7Teacher inquiry: New directions 9AGM 2008 10Exclusive interview Roxanne Harris 12FSA tales 14Alphabet flashcard project 20

Over 300 parents, students, andcitizens lent their support to a rallyheld on the steps of the BCLegislature, April 2, 2008, in protestof school land sales. The protestwas organized by LANDS! (Let’sAgree Not to Dispose of Schools!),which is a group of concernedparents on Vancouver Island. Thedemonstrators heard numerouspassionate speakers declare the

By Murray Dobbin

The closure of public schools inBC has reached crisis level and isunprecedented in the history of BC.Enrolment has dropped in the past,and some schools are always closedin such situations, but the extent ofthe closures this time around isunique and the callous attitude ofthe provincial government has noprecedent. The current raft ofclosures—150 since 2001 and 45more scheduled for this year—isrationalized by declines in enrol -ment. But there is a much strongerdriving force behind these perma -nent losses of schools and schoolproperty and that is the ideology ofthe current provincial government.The application of neo-liberalideology (or radical free-marketideology) is at the root of this tragicloss of schools and the devastationit causes students, parents, neigh -bourhoods, and communities.

University of Toronto economicsprofessor Janice Gross Stein hasidentified the key piece of thatideology that underpins theCampbell government’s attitudetoward the closures. In her bookThe Cult of Efficiency, Stein says“...efficiency is often a cloak forpolitical agendas. ...the discussionof efficiency in the delivery of publicgoods, such as education andhealthcare has risen to prominencein post-industrial society. When it[efficiency] becomes an end ratherthan a means, a value often moreimportant than other values, andwhen we no longer ask thequestions, ‘efficient at what?’ or ‘forwhom?’ efficiency becomes a cult.”

It becomes the victory of ideologyover common sense.

The Campbell government hasclearly elevated efficiency to the cultlevel. Today’s abundance of schoolclosures—between 2001 and thiscoming fall, BC will have closed 11%of its public schools—is driven bythe rigid application of the efficiencyprinciple as virtually the onlycriterion for whether or not a schoolsurvives. To have a new schoolbuilt, districts have to demonstratethat their schools are operating “atcapacity.” If they are not, closuresmust be made so that students canbe concentrated in fewer schools toachieve that capacity.

This perverse formula virtuallydismisses other values: the impacton students (22,000 have beendisplaced in the first 150 closures);the effect on education (that is, thevalue of small schools in qualityeducation); the stress causedparents; and the role of the schoolas the heart of the neighbourhood.This is a students-as-widgetsfactory model of education.

Ironically, even though the modelallegedly borrows from the world ofbusiness, these school closurescontradict business principles. Nobusiness that wants to be trulysuccessful and build for the future,would apply the efficiency test inthe absence of other businessprinciples. Hiring on a strictly“efficiency” basis could mean thecollapse of quality customer service,for example. In practical terms,these closures are bad for localbusinesses. The closing of schoolscan have a negative effect onattracting new, young employeeswho are raising families. Theclosing of scores of schools acrossthe province when there is a grow -ing labour shortage and an agingworkforce, is an especially short-sighted policy.

Schools are homes for public education

SYLVIA BISHOP PHOTOS

importance of keeping school landsin public hands for the benefit offuture generations. BCTF PresidentIrene Lanzinger brought greetingsand a message of support on behalfof all BC’s teachers. Lanzinger citedthe perpetual underfunding ofpublic education as the root causebehind school land sales, withboards struggling to bridge fundingshortfalls. LANDS’ spokespersonJessica van der Veen spoke,stressing, “These [school] landswere given to future genera tions in

public trust. They are not ours tosell.” Other speakers em phasizeduniversal public education as acornerstone of our society.

Although no Liberal MLAs werepresent, numerous NDP MLAs wereon hand to lend their support,which was followed up by avigorous Question Period. TheOpposition repeatedly asked theLiberal government to explain itspublic education policies.

Concerned citizens, attendingfrom all over Vancouver Island andMetro Vancouver, were treated tothe Raging Grannies singing anoriginal song composed for theoccasion, music performed by ajazz/rock band donated its time,colourful balloons, and numeroushome-made banners all under aclear blue sky.

– Sylvia Bishop

LANDS’ spokesperson Jessicavan der Veen spoke,stressing, “These [school]lands were given to futuregenerations in public trust.They are not ours to sell.”

School closures andthe‘cultof efficiency’

When it [efficiency] becomesan end rather than a means,a value often more impor -tant than other values, andwhen we no longer ask thequestions, ‘efficient atwhat?’ or ‘for whom?’efficiency becomes a cult.”

– Janice Gross Stein

Of course it is not just thisparticular pre-occupation withefficiency that is at the root of theproblem. Another businessprinciple—the ruthless slashing ofcosts to enhance profits—underliesthe Liberal government’s approach.The chronic underfunding ofeducation means that boards arefacing increasing pressure to closesmall schools to reduce mainten -ance costs. Some schools are closedbecause the cost of renovating themor earthquake-proofing is greaterthan the cost of building a newschool.

See CLOSURES page 4

More than 300 parents, students, and citizens lent their support to a rally held on the steps of the BC Legislature, April 2, 2008, in protest of school land sales.

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2 TEACHER April 2008

Down with homeworkRegarding “Down with

Homework!” (Teacher, Jan./Feb.2008). As a teacher of seniorEnglish, I have gradually moved to ano-homework policy (the onlyexception being the reading ofnovels, for which there is simply notenough class time). Senior studentshave athletics, hobbies, social lives,and jobs, all of which areinescapable if not essential parts ofmodern life. I want to respectstudents’ needs to become fullyrounded individuals rather thanbeing overstressed, always-studyingeducational automata.

Students are given enough classtime to do the work, resulting inmuch more work being done, skillsbeing developed, and attitudestoward school being improved.There has been no loss of skill ormarks as nearly as I can tell, onboth in-school assessment and onprovincial exams.

We have also moved into fullystudent-directed literature studies,where students choose the novelsand stories they read. We have ourstudents doing 15 minutes of non-school-related (but for-credit, ifstudents so choose) silent readingdaily. The result? Kids are readingmore, enjoying reading, and in aschool of 1,300, we have 1,200books signed out of the library atany given time. You know you aredoing something right when thelibrarian has waiting lists for novelsand buys more books because thekids have so many signed out—thisin a school with a high ESLpopulation.

The upshot of all this is thatgiving students less homework andmore choice seems to be paying off.Chris Stolz Surrey

Isn’t it a great feeling when yourown classroom philosophies and

TEACHERNewsmagazine of the BC Teachers’ Federation100–550 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4P2604-871-2283, toll free 1-800-663-9163, Fax 604-871-2289E-mail: newsmag@bctf.ca Web: bctf.ca/newsmag

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President’smessage

Irene Lanzinger

Readers writepractices are supported by widelyknown “colleagues”? Hooray forAlfie Kohn in the Jan./Feb. 2008Teacher!

I have been retired for more than10 years, after a 35-year elementaryschool teaching career beginning in1961. My connection with theclassrooms now consists ofsupervising student teachers as theycomplete their practica in localclassrooms.

I continuously question thepracticality of assigning homeworkspecifically to be done at home. “Itteaches them responsibility; itcreates interaction with parents; thedrill work makes for more completeunderstanding.” I don’t accept muchof any of these arguments. Mostparents, at the end of their workshifts, have had enough for the dayand do not carry “extra practice”home with them from their clerical,labour, or professional occupationaltasks, and it doesn’t make sensethat children should be asked to dothis. The confusion and ill feelingscreated when even one or twostudents return to class withouthaving completed an assignmentmakes the assignment disruptiveand, frequently, worse than useless.Many parents are reluctant to getinvolved with students’ homeworkas their children are criticized fornot doing their own work.

I believe there are reasonablesituations for direct homework to beassigned: completing work whichthe student was not able tocomplete in a suitable time providedat school (but in which the studentdoes not require further teacherinstruction); completion of specialreports or projects, especially thosein which there is the expectationthat a parent or other suitable adultwill be able to aid and support thestudent; and assignments thatrequire studying at testing time.

I do understand that there are

greater demands on students inupper grades (8 through 12) but Idon’t believe they “learn to do”homework or to enjoy their schoolyears by being assigned homework.I always believed those students inmy care achieved scholastic andwork habit standards at least ashigh as those in the classes of mycolleagues who created homeworkassignments for their students, and Ibelieve my students enjoyed theirschool time far more than did theirfriends in other classes.

I always enjoy reading Teacher—keep up the good work!Jack SandbergCranbrook

From the article “Down withhomework” …high-school teacherLeslie Frothingham watched her owntwo children struggle with enormousquantities of homework in middleschool. The value of it never seemedclear to her. “What other ‘job’ is therewhere you work all day, come home,have dinner, then work all night,” sheasks, “unless you’re some type-Aattorney? It’s not a good way to liveone’s life. You miss out on self-reflection, community.” Thus, whenshe became a teacher, she chose tohave a no-homework policy.

The other “job” is called being ateacher!Debbie KeelMaple Ridge

Correspond with Cuban teachers

I am a 28-year-old Cuban Englishforeign language college teacher. Iwould like to exchange some tipsand ideas about teaching languagesand to develop a wonderfulfriendship with teachers fromCanada. I will be willing to shareideas about both language andeducation.

My e-mail is luiscc@iscm.vcl.sld.cuLuis Miguel CamposCuba

I work as an English teacher inVilla Clara, Cuba. I am very proud ofthe BCTF because I had an in-service course from Debbie Casselsand Suzanne Aubin.

They gave us a course ofstrategies for language learning:interactive oral language activitiesand communicative approaches toevaluation in foreign languages.

I think they are the best teachersall over the world. I like the waythey teach methodology. I learned alot of things about the way we canteach here in Cuba, as well asactivities in the classroom.

It has been three years since wefirst had teachers from the BCTF inVilla Clara, and ever since ourrelationship with you people hasgrown stronger. This connectionwith you people has been anexample of sincere human relation -ship between people from differentcountries, one a developed countryand the other one trying to developand trying to overcome a longblockade imposed by the USA.Thank you BCTF.Yanetsys Calderin DugueVilla Clara, Cuba

[NOTE: If you would like to exchangeletters with Yanetsys Dugue, you canget her address by sending an e-mailmessage to afield@bctf.ca.]

Shortage of special ed teachers?

I find it confusing that the BCTFsays there is a shortage of specialeducation teachers. Certainly thereare not enough to get the job doneadequately, or to have a reasonableworkload for resource teachers andlearning assistance teachers.However, when it comes to hiringtime, good luck finding a permanentfull-time job. If one is lucky, theycan afford to teach part-time, or findbits and pieces of a job to patchtogether. I’m an LAT with a part-time continuing (50–60%) and apart-time temporary that adds up to100%, at least until the end of theyear. After that, I don’t know whatI’m going to do. I am terrified! I’lleither find a full-time continuing(few and very far between) oranother piece that hopefully addsup to full time, or move to God-knows-where. Without a continuingfull-time job, have fun getting amortgage. I’ve been in teaching fornearly 13 years, and this is my thirdin the public school system. I stillrent a basement suite. I don’t wantto come across as negative, and I dolove this profession. But please,when you tell university studentsabout the shortage of specialeducation teachers, please have thekindness to tell them what they aregetting themselves into.Heidi TesterChilliwack

FSA testing Resisting FSA testing is a radical

and essential stand for the BCTF tobe taking on behalf of all children inpublic schools. As a retired teacher,I cheer from the sidelines the

leadership of the BCTF, the localunions, and all the teachers andparents who have joined thispowerful resistance movement.

Whenever I was faced with a bigdecision to make with respect to mystudents I would ask myself, Willthis action empower my students? Ifthe answer was no, I did not do it.The Federation knows FSA testingdoes not empower students, it onlyempowers those intending tocontrol and privatize education.Gale TylerVancouver

We have too much stuffA few days ago I had a delightful

conversation with a class of Grade 4students. The topic was standard ofliving, defined as the quantity andquality of the things deemed neces -sary for a healthy and productivelife. We brainstormed a huge list ofitems from food, water, heat, cloth -ing, homes, vehicles, schools,healthcare, jobs, training, hospitals,schools, parks, swimming pools,vacations (theme parks in particu -lar), TV, computers, video games,toys, etc. I then asked the kids whatthey thought about their standard ofliving. “Not bad,” “Pretty good,” wasthe predominant response. “So, doyou think everyone deserves tohave these things?” I asked. “Ofcourse they do!” “Are you sure thereisn’t some group of people some -where on the planet that doesn’tdeserve these things?” “Absolutelynot!” they replied. “Well then, howmany planet earths do you think arenecessary to provide everyone withthe same as what we enjoy?” Puz -zled looks and blank stares facedme. “At present 20% of the globalpopulation (us) consumes 80% of allthe energy produced and naturalresources extracted. If everyonewere to adopt the lifestyle of atypical americanadian, we wouldneed three planet earths!” Silence.Then a very small voice from theback of the class said, “Mrs. Kaljur,we have too much stuff!” Excellentobservation...class dismissed.Susanna KaljurCourtenay

Julia Johnson’s legacyIn each and every issue, Julia

Johnson shared her strong sense ofpersonal well-being, aligned to thejoys and demands of teaching. Asshe reflected, so did her readers. Iconsistently felt enriched afterreading her monthly article and willmiss her sage advice.

From her columns, I alwaysimagined her experiencing life tothe fullest, following her owncounsel of being well. She professedwonder and gratitude, belief andpositivity—all within her monthlycolumn for teachers. She was, andwill remain, testimony to the posi -tive impact of the written word, andEnid Bond is correct in her state -ment: “We honour her memory byliving well.” It’s Julia Johnson’slegacy to Teacher readers.James HarcottVancouver

schools. Since the Liberal govern -ment came to power in 2001, 150schools have closed. This June, 21more schools will close their doorsand 24 more are threatened withclosure.

When my youngest son was inKindergarten, I took a leave frommy teaching job in Vancouver totake advantage of my last opportun -ity to spend time with my twochildren before they were in school“full-time.” It was a wonderful time.I took my kids to school and pickedthem up. I formed lasting friend -ships with the other parents fromthe community. We had greatdiscussions in the school yard whilewatching our kids play.

Schools are more than placeswhere our children learn. They are

the heart of our communities. Ourchildren meet lifelong friends atschool and we meet our neigh -bours. They provide the location forplant sales and flea markets andHalloween celebrations. They arethe key to new families (andbusinesses) moving in and theestablished ones staying.

The closing of schools is not theinevitable result of declining enrol -ment. We have had declining enrol -ment in this province before and notclosed schools. The current declineof 5%–6% in enrolment since 2001 ispredicted to level off in 2013 andbegin increasing again in 2016. Lastyear’s predicted decline of 7,000turned out to be just 4,000. The pre -dicted decline over the next year isjust 1,000 students—less than 0.2%.

Schools are closing because theprovincial government is obsessedwith a single criteria for makingsuch decisions—efficiency. Itscapital funding policy is anindustrial model—not a communitymodel. It clearly does not valueneighbourhood schools enough toprovide the moderate fundingneeded to keep them open.

Yet the evidence is strong thatsmall schools produce bettereducational and social results. InFinland, only 3% of schools havemore than 500 students and nonehas more than a thousand. InCanada—Newfoundland, Quebec,and Ontario all have policies inplace to protect small schools fromclosure. Governments, at their best,are a reflection of community; at

their worst they undermine them. The good news is that the public

agrees with us and shares ourstrong commitment to our schools.A recent Mustel Group poll wecommissioned showed 67% believethat the “broader role in the neigh -bourhood” should take precedenceover “cost effectiveness” whendeciding whether or not to close aschool. Just 25% said cost effective -ness should be the higher priority.

In many communities, strongcoalitions are forming to pressurethe government to keep theirschools open. We will be there—andwe need to work as hard as we canwith everyone who is willing to joinwith us in the fight for our neigh -bourhood schools. The educationand well-being of our children andour communities depends on it.

The school closures issue isheating up across the province andin the last few weeks I haveattended several community meet -ings organized to save local

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TEACHER April 2008 3

From 30 years agoThe item in the “30 years ago”

section of the Looking back columnin the March 2008 issue of Teacherbrought back memories of visitingMacCorkindale School for its veryfirst Open House.

What I remember clearly fromthat visit were the movable coatracks that had been arrangedaround the “open area” to makewalls for the different classes!Jane GaffneySurrey

TILMA designed by big business

Thank you to Larry Kuehn for agreat article on the problemsinherent in TILMA, the new tradedeal with Alberta. I am glad to seethat Teacher has not painted TILMAas a benign agreement as has theBC College of Teachers, ("The Roadto TILMA," TC Magazine, winter2007).

I have been following the TILMAnegotiation process between theministries of education in bothprovinces, as this issue has beenone of great concern for me. Themembership of the BCTF and BCSTAhave raised grave concerns aboutthe lowering of teaching standardsin BC to meet the overall lowerteaching standards of Alberta. Thereis no benefit for teachers orstudents in this.

The claim that we must removethe few and largely warrantedbarriers to labour mobility forteachers is no more than a smoke -screen for a corporate agenda thatseeks to substantially reduce therole of government as regulator andservice provider. For teachers, thismeans that the changes to certifi -cation under TILMA are only onepart of a slow erosion of both oureducation standards that willgreatly affect the quality of studentcare, and also our ability to protectour communities, which will affectall of our citizens. In fact, ratherthan being a benign agreementbetween provinces, it is an agree -ment designed by big business tofacilitate the Security and ProsperityPartnership with the US.

As citizens who are concernedabout democratic process, we mustdemand that BC withdraw fromTILMA.Catherine HayRichmond

TILMA storydisappointing

I read with some disappointmentthe article on TILMA by Larry Kuehnin the Jan./Feb. issue of Teacher.There is often confusion in discus -sions that involve the College ofTeachers when people forget thatthe college is a regulatory body—not a political or advocacy body.Irrespective of how the legislationcame into existence, the collegereceived a legislated directive toestablish common certificationstandards with Alberta. The firststep in meeting this mandate was toengage in discussions with educa -tional partner groups to reviewexisting certification requirementswith a view to establishing a set ofbargaining objectives. After thebargaining objectives wereestablished they were circulated toall partner groups, including theBCTF. The only “secret” discussionsthat were held were two days ofbargaining with Alberta to reach adeal. This is quite normal in abargaining process.

When the deal was signed, a jointpress release was prepared by thecollege and the government. Thepress release was put on the collegewebsite and disseminated by thegovernment through their normalchannels of communication.

Kuehn’s analysis concludes thatqualification requirements havebeen reduced in BC as a result ofthis deal. While there is some truthto this conclusion, it regretfully

neglects to put the changes into thecontext of existing certificationrequirements. Kuehn’s conclusionwould be valid only if the collegerequired the college’s “professionalcertificate” for all teachers in BC.This is not the case. Prior to theTILMA agreement the college wasissuing restricted certificates,standard certificates, and profes -sional certificates. Last year thecollege certificated 350 studentswho graduated from BC universityteacher education programs whohad completed a four-year course ofstudy. Some of these graduateswould not have met the minimalqualifications now required inAlberta. Indeed, there are manyteachers throughout BC workingwith restricted certificates andstandard certificates who don’tmeet any of the requirements notedby Kuehn as “losses” under theTILMA Teacher Mobility Agreement.

Should a teacher trained in onepart of the country be able to teachin another part of the country andhave their teaching certification andexperience recognized? Critics ofthe agreement argue that keepinghigh requirements for teachers isgood for the profession. Yetaccording to the governmentalagencies who publish internationaltest results, while BC’s standingsare good in relation to the rest ofthe world they are generally aboutthe same as Alberta and Ontario.Ontario currently has the lowestminimum teaching certificationstandards in Canada. Teachers inAlberta and Ontario are also muchbetter paid than their counterpartsin BC. Food for thought!Richard WalkerChair, BC College of Teachers

New four-year teaching degrees

How about an article on the newfour-year teaching degree? Studentswill soon be graduating with four-year degrees. What chance does aTOC with a five-year degree have ofgetting a job once these cheaperdegrees show up? In the 1970ssome school districts sortedapplications into two, three, four,and five years of university andlooked in the cheaper piles first.Thank you Gordon Campbell!Bill NesbittAlberni

Teacher shortage?I was just thinking about Patrik

Parkes’ article in the Jan./Feb. issue“The teacher shortage: myth orreality?” and no where within itdoes he consider the rate of attritionfor teachers. I was wondering if theBCTF has any data on that sort ofthing; the Internet seems to comeup with mostly American informa -tion. I think his conclusion ofteacher oversupply is off the markespecially when we didn’t haveenough TOCs at my school onTuesday! A Tuesday in earlyFebruary and we don’t have enoughTOCs!Steve BruggerSurrey

Nanaimo MLAappreciates Teacher

As the MLA for Nanaimo, I justwanted to say how much Iappreciate getting the Teacher, butmore importantly how much I enjoyworking with the executive of theNanaimo District Teachers’ Associ -ation who work long and hard tosupport public education in theprovince.

As an Opposition memberrepresenting a large portion ofSchool District 68, where manyschool closures are threatened, thegovernment fails to provide ade -quate resources and I am wellaware of the challenges faced bythe BCTF and its members.Continue the fight and never give in.Leonard KrogNanaimo

The Philosophers’ Café programis looking for a few keen secondaryschool teachers to head up aPhilosophers’ Café for teens. SimonFraser University will help you get itrunning. The goal of the SFUPhilosophers’ Café program is tobring accessible dialogue to the

community through cafés locatedthroughout southern BritishColumbia. We think teenagerswould enjoy participating in theirown café—especially if it is conven -iently located in their school.

Secondary school students arejust beginning to flex their intellec -

tual muscles and are discoveringthat we live in a very complex worldwhere there are many sides to everyissue. This “club” gives them achance to discover and voice theiropinions on topics that are relevantto them. Given the opportunity,most will have a passionate opinionon such issues as public vs. privateeducation, following your head oryour heart, and the meaning of yourappearance. This is not a debatingclub, students do not need toprepare, nor even show up everyweek, but what they will hopefullycome away with is a tolerance forother points of view and an appreci -ation for critical thought. Lunch isan ideal time for feeding the body aswell as the mind.

There is no cost to your school,just a commitment to work withus—we will provide you with on -going guidance and support. As ateacher, you are an ideal moderatoralready. You know how to introduceinformation that will pique curiosityand provoke discussion. Eventually,let students choose or submit topicsthemselves. Or you may prefer pro -viding the topics (or choose fromour list) if it gives you more controland makes it more interesting toyou. We think this program is idealin terms of simplicity, but powerfulin how it stimulates and provokes,and we look forward to partneringwith BC teachers on this excitinginitiative.

Please feel free to contact me(Diane Mar-Nicolle) for moreinformation (dmarnico@sfu.ca, 778-782-5215) or visit our website atwww.philosopherscafe.net.

Looking back70 years ago

Parents are right in wanting theteachers of their children to be soabundantly alive that their vitalitywill be infectious. The men andwomen with whom their childrenspend five hours a day must bepeople of culture. They must bepeople of broad reading, ofcomprehensive outlook, of soundscholarship. Trustees want teacherswho are in touch with the best andthe latest thought on educationaltopics. They know that withdisconcerting frequency a promisingteacher dies upon their hands longbefore an undertaker can legally beemployed. Without provision ofsabbatical years, or some suchsystem of leave, the problem facingtrustees, parents and teachers willremain unsolved and insoluble. It isa problem which they have incommon and which should besolved in co-operation. What arethey going to do about it?

– May 1938, The BC Teacher

50 years agoThe always-tricky question of

how far the teaching profession isjustified in going to press salarydemands is getting another airing inBritish Columbia and doubtlessteachers all across the country are

looking on with interest. Theteachers are seeking a boost insalary ranges from about $3,500-$5,900 to $5,000-$9,000 forsecondary schools. The right tostrike in the case of teachers andother persons in essential publicservices has been curtailed in manyparts of the country. By supinelyaccepting their lot, teachers may—and, in fact, probably do—allow theteaching profession to become sounattractive that no capable youngpeople will be attracted to it. And ashortage of teachers is certainly notin the best interests of the public.

– April 1958, The BC Teacher

30 years agoThe United States has witnessed

a major reorganization of theeducational structure for students inthe middle school years. Thenumber of middle schools hasgrown from fewer than 500 in 1963to more than 2,500 in 1977. Themost common reason given forestablishing the middle school wasover-crowding. Before we embracethe middle school concept, weshould be very clear about itsprojected goals, and plansufficiently to ensure that it iscorrecting the educational ills thatmake it worth considering. Anychange in the established pattern

offers the opportunity to makefundamental improvements. Inconsidering the middle school, wemust be sure it can meet its goals,so that it does not become anotherdevelopment in education thatfailed to live up to its promise.

– March-April 1978, The BC Teacher

10 years agoIt is wrong to connect school

systems with short-term economicgrowth. Grade 5 students scoringwell on math tests are notproducing wealth. If school systemswere responsible for economicprowess, then we would now belooking to American schools asmodels. I don’t see too manyjournals touting the virtues of hiringuncertificated teachers, neglectinginner-city schools, and valuingfootball over algebra. Schools areimportant in cultivating the skillsthat will enable students tocontribute to the economy, butschools are far better at cultivatingthe attributes of citizenship andbuilding communities that willsustain democracy in a diversesociety.

– March 1998, Teachernewsmagazine

Chris Bocking, Keating ElementarySchool, Saanich

Teen philosophers?

Teacher newsmag:good news divisionThe BCTF is, necessarily, engaged

in defending public education,students’ rights, and teachers on thefront line of teaching and learning.That often means stories aboutstruggles with the government overfunding or FSAs and schoolclosures, or fights with schoolboards over cuts and FSA marking.

It’s easy to get the impressionthat everything involving public

education involves a fight or issomehow negative.

But we know that simply isn’ttrue—and we are determined to tellthe positive stories, too. Because it’sthe positive stories that givepeople—including teachers—hope.

There are scores of them and weneed you to tell them—aboutextraordinary teachers, aboutcreative student projects, about

students with special needsovercoming their challenges, aboutschool boards and teachers actuallyworking well together, or wheresuperintendents stand up for publiceducation rather than parrot thegovernment line.

Positive stories. We know they’reout there.

Send them in and we’ll publishthem (newsmag@bctf.ca).

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4 TEACHER April 2008

Some schools do close becauseof declining enrolment. However,that is not the case in the majorityof closings in BC. The currentdecline of 5% to 6% in enrolmentsince 2001 is predicted to level off in2013 and begin increasing again in2016. Last year’s predicted declineof 7,000 turned out to be just 4,000.The predicted decline over the nextyear is just 1,000 students, less than0.2%.

schools in Finland have more than500 students, and no school hasmore than 1,000 students.

Teachers are acutely aware of theimpact of the closures as they seethe impact on students, parents,and their own ability to teach.Catherine Alpha teaches in theSooke School District:

“In Sooke, Metchosen Elementarywas the first school to be closed.Metchosen is a small farmingcommunity with roots that go backto the 1850s. The great grandchil -dren of those founding families arestill there.

“When that school closed, it wasreally hard on the children but itwas also very difficult for theparents and the community becauseit wasn’t just the school, it wascommunity life that the school alsosupported. It was a place that spoketo history and helped the childrenfeel connected to the roots of theland around them, and that kind ofthing is a powerful agent in buildingthe self-confidence of thosechildren.”

Opposition is growingAs more and more schools close

the alarm about the trend growswith it. Almost every school districtin the province is facing schoolclosures because of the perversecapital-funding rules imposed bythe provincial government. And invirtually every case the closure isopposed by teachers, parents, andoften local political leaders.

Cowichan is just one example ofmany. People packed the MercuryTheatre demanding that no moreCowichan schools be closed and thelands sold. Those at the meeting

Elementary School we are takingaway our trust and faith in thesystem.” The opposition by thecommunity led the board to avoid adecision by asking the educationministry to appoint what amountsto an overseer to take the heat off—delaying the decision for yetanother month.

Vancouver Island now has anorganization devoted to stoppingmore school closures. LANDS (Let’sAgree Not to Dispose of Schools) isan ad hoc group that says it wantsto become a provincial organiza -tion. Its spokesperson, Jessica VanDer Veen, an Oak Bay resident, iscalling for a moratorium on the sale

of public school lands. “Communi -ties are dealing with it on a com -munity level instead of unit ing andturning their faces to the province,”Van Der Veen said. “They need tocombine forces.”

The issue is bound to continuegrowing as the impact of the next45 school closures sinks in andboards face even more closuresnext year. The opposition in thelegislature has been hammering thegovernment on the closures withNDP leader Carole James and at

The closing of schools canhave a negative effect onattracting new, youngemployees who are raisingfamilies.

Impacts of school closureson students and parents

BCTF President Irene Lanzingerhears countless stories of thehardship caused by these closures:“When students are displacedbecause of school closures, theyoften face longer days, travelling bybus or family vehicle to a schooloutside their community rather thanwalking to the neighbourhoodschool.” It also makes it harder forstudents to participate in extra-curricular activities or to receivehelp after school from theirteachers. Parents find it harder tovolunteer or attend school events,especially if they are working.

“The stories I hear from parentsthroughout the province areheartbreaking,” recounts Lanzinger.“One six-year-old child spends 15hours a week going to and fromschool in Kimberley because herlocal school has been closed.Parents in the district, who wereonce very active on a daily basis intheir children’s school, are nowunable to participate. Furthermore,the roads can be very dangerousbetween Wasa and Kimberley in thewinter and parents are very worriedfor their children’s safety travellingto school and back each day.”

The closures and the ever-largerschools that result ignore thebenefits to students and parents ofsmall schools. Finland for example,the country that scores the highestin international tests, has manysmall schools. In fact, only 3% of

Last year’s predicted declineof 7,000 turned out to bejust 4,000. The predicteddecline over the next yearis just 1,000 students, lessthan 0.2%.

included sitting NDP MLAs DougRoutley and John Horgan but alsoMike Walker, a potential Liberalcandidate for the newly formedSouth Cowichan provincial riding.Cowichan elder Albie Charlie, asurvivor of resi dential schools, said,“If we close the Koksilah

…it wasn’t just the school, itwas community life that theschool also supported. It wasa place that spoke to historyand helped the children feelconnected to the roots of theland around them…

least six other MLAs demanding thegovernment address the issue.

The school closure issue crossesall political lines and social classes.Canada is still a strongly communi -tarian culture and the vast majorityrecognize the importance of schoolsto viable, dynamic communities. Apoll conducted for the BCTF by theMustel Group tells the story. Only25% said “the cost effectiveness ofkeeping the school open” should bethe most important determiningfactor, while 67% said “The broaderrole and benefit of the school to theneighbourhood,” should take“higher priority” in any decisionabout closing a school.

As momentum builds on theissue, it is easy to imagine what oneof the key issues will be in the fallschool board elections—and theprovincial election in May 2009.

Murray Dobbin is an assistant direc-tor, BCTF Communications andCampaigns Division and acting editorof Teacher newsmagazine.

Garibaldi: small school, big heartBy Gary Dobbin

There are many stories of parentsand teachers fighting to save theirschools—no school is closedwithout affecting the lives offamilies. The story of the fight tosave Garibaldi Annex is just one ofthem, but one that involved thewhole community and a compre -hensive plan on how to make theschool viable.

Last fall, the Vancouver SchoolBoard (VSB) removed GaribaldiAnnex from the EducationalFacilities Review Process becausethe senior management felt thatenrolment was so low— 41students—that closing the school tosave money was a no-brainer. Thecursory process that followed gaveno chance for parents or the com -munity to respond. On December12, 2007, the District ManagementTeam (DMT) presented the boardwith their recommendation to closethe school as of this June, but after

listening to the impassioned wordsof parents, the board gave thecommunity three months to comeup with a viable proposal.

The community responded withunprecedented energy, collabora -tion, and good sense. Working withthe support of Frog Hollow Neigh -bourhood House, PAC members andcommunity residents conducted asurvey of local families, held fourcommunity meetings, formed aGaribaldi Action Commit tee, andgave a chance for all to suggestideas for keeping the school openand financially viable.

The result is an innovative,comprehensive, and financiallysustainable model that not onlycomplies with all of the most recentVSB mission and values state -ments—including the ECD Memo -randum of Understanding—butwould actually be the first time thatECD, childcare, and distributedlearning (a hybrid home-learningmodel in which kids come forclasses two days a week) have been

integrated in a Vancouver school.The model is unified by a theme ofArts, Culture, and SustainableCommunity and by attracting newchildren from outside the VSB,which will generate new fundingfrom the Ministry of Education.

The VSB met on the evening ofApril 21 to look at the proposal. TheGaribaldi community had over 80families (including about 15children) at the meeting wearingGaribaldi t-shirts and holding signsand teddy bears.

All trustees agreed with the VSBReview Committee Report that theeducational criteria had been morethan met by the proposal, as hadthe criteria regarding appropriateuse of additional space (by theproposed Reggio Daycare). The onlyquestion was the financial sustain -ability of the model. The decisionwill be made at the VSB openmeeting on May 5 at the VSBoffices.

Gary Dobbin is the executive director,Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House.

CLOSURES from page 1

Teachers, parents, students, and concerned citizens rally on the steps of the BC Legislature on April 2, 2008 to protest school land sales and school closures. The protest was organized by a group of Vancouver Island parents—LANDS!—Let’s Agree Not to Dispose of Schools!

SYLVIA BISHOP PHOTO

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TEACHER April 2008 5

Education &technologyDistributedlearning: Solutionsor new problems?By Larry Kuehn

Is distributed learning an appro -priate form of education forstudents with special needs? Thatwas a central question posed in aworkshop facilitated by DavidComrie at the BCTF Equity andInclusion conference. Comrie is thepresident of the BCTF Educators forDistributed Learning PSA.

Distributed learning (DL) is acatchall name for a range of educa -tion offerings where the student andteacher are at a distance. Althoughmost think of it as online education,a lot of it is still text delivered byCanada Post and some is offered byvideo-conference.

Comrie told the workshop thatfrom his experience, students whosucceed in distributed learning havethree things in common: they haveself-discipline, good reading skills,and adult support. Not manystudents with identified specialneeds have all three.

He expressed a concern that, insome cases, schools are pushingstudents who are a problem intodistributed learning programs ratherthan addressing the problems.While DL may be appropriate forsome, it is not for a high percentageof students with special needs.

Comrie told the workshopthat from his experience,students who succeed indistributed learning havethree things in common:they have self-discipline,good reading skills, andadult support.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that theDL programs are sometimes usedinappropriately. The Ministry ofEducation in its “vision” for distri -buted learning says that it is“specifically providing choice forstudents who have restrictedoptions, especially students in ruralcommunities, students with specialneeds, and Aboriginal students.”(www.tinyurl.com/43672a)

That “vision” was challenged byMarge Dumont, the chair of theBCTF Aboriginal Education AdvisoryCommittee and a participant in theworkshop. She pointed to the diffi -culty that her own daughter faced inan online math course. In addition,she told the group that manyAboriginal students don’t haveaccess to a computer and theInternet at home. She alsowondered what cultural andlanguage offerings DL programsoffer for the targeted extra funds adistrict gets for Aboriginal students.

The mix of teachers, parents, andschool trustees in the workshopexpressed views that went beyondthe issues of equity and specialneeds, with many contending ideas.

Many expressed concerns: It canlead to the isolation of students. Thecontributions students could maketo the school culture are missing.DL is used to avoid problems, ratherthan addressing them. Somestudents just don’t get work done ifthey don’t have the structure of theclassroom. The course completionrates for online programs are betterthan the old distance education, butstill less than for students inclassrooms.

While DL promises more optionsfor students in small schools, it canalso take away choices. A smallclass might have enough studentsto offer it face-to-face in the school,but a couple of students opt for

Many participants said that theyhad taken courses or whole mastersprograms online and found it a verypositive educational experience.However, they also pointed out thatadult learning and motivation isdifferent from many students in theK–12 system.

A school trustee pointed out thatthe Metro Branch of the BC SchoolTrustees Association had beendiscussing distributed learning.They felt that what was really atissue in looking at distributed learn -ing is the underlying philosophy ofeducation. The choice was framedas one of whether the public schoolis a community hub, or just acollection of course credits. Is it acollective social experience? Or is itan individualist activity?

Larry Kuehn is director of the BCTF’sResearch and Technology Division.

What do you think? Join thediscussion on the BCTF website atbctf.ca.

On April 3–5, 2008, teachers andother trade unionists came togetherat the BCTF and BC Federation ofLabour’s jointly sponsored humanrights/social justice conference heldin Vancouver. Rights, Not Wrongs:The role of unions in creating a betterworld keynote speakers includedAdele Blackett, Gillian Creese, ChiefEd John, Stephen Lewis, EmmanuelRozental, Jinny Sims, and PaulShaker. Workshops ranged fromcreating social justice unions tojustice for migrant workers. Therewas a roundtable discussion onorganizing and a panel presentationasserting that workers’ rights arehuman rights. There was somethingfor everyone.

Watching the conferencedelegates gravitate toward thedisplay tables, in particular, thedisplay call “Stand for the Home -less” was one of the highlights. TheStand table, as it came to be known,offered trade unionists kits forcreating their own Stands in theircommunities (www.my-calm.info).Homeless Stands have their roots inthe actions of the women inArgentina whose family membersdisappeared during the militarydictatorship between 1976 and1983. They stood in the city squaresof Buenas Aires. Every week foryears they stood, demanding justice

Districts are put intocompetition with oneanother to get more DLstudents so they get morefunding. The funding systemrewards administrativeentrepreneurship overeducational leadership.

Homeless Stands have their roots in the actions of the women in Argentinawhose family membersdisappeared during themilitary dictatorshipbetween 1976 and 1983.

By Jane Turner

What happens when you bringtogether close to three hundredmembers of various unions, allmembers of the BC Federation ofLabour to discuss human rights andsocial justice issues? Let’s just saythere was enough energy generatedon the conference level of the HotelVancouver to light up the city forabout 10 days. Conferenceparticipants listened, learned,talked, debated, and networked fortwo-and-a-half days.

Districts are put into competitionwith one another to get more DLstudents so they get more funding.The funding system rewardsadministrative entrepreneurshipover educational leadership.

The promotion of DL led to30,000 students signing up this year.Because provincial educationfunding was not based on that largea number, the ministry changed thefunding formula in the middle of theyear. They redistributed money,taking it from districts with no orfew students in DL and shiftingmore to districts running big DLprograms. The mid-year fundingchanges angered even schooldistrict secretary-treasurers.

A number of participants talkedof advantages of DL.

Paula Schmidt, a district PACchair, said we have to get on withmaking online education workbecause we have not just a genera -tion of kids immersed in onlineexperience, but also parents ofyoung students who are computersavvy.

For some students, such asserious athletes or artists, theflexibility of DL lets them carry onboth intensive work and school.That flexibility can be key for giftedstudents who are not beingchallenged in the regular program,as well as other highly motivatedlearners.

Many expressed concerns: Itcan lead to the isolation ofstudents. The contributionsstudents could make to theschool culture are missing.DL is used to avoid problems,rather than addressing them.

online. Now the class is too smalland online is the only option for allthe students.

Some secondary students areusing it to shop around, takingcourses online and in class so theycan choose the best mark. Theydon’t have to tell the school or eventheir own parents that they havesigned up for online courses.

The teaching demands can beintense. The online teacher isexpected to be in contact with eachstudent individually and frequently,and may be offering many differentcourses. The ministry auditorsdemand logs of online and phonecontact, valuing record-keepingover educational outcomes.

from the government. From the eagerness of the

participants for the Stand kits, itwas clear that this wasn’t just aplace to talk about social justice andhuman rights. It was an opportunityto get ideas for action. Over 44members from different unionlocals around the province boughtkits in order to begin their Standagainst homelessness. Keep awatch out in your community foractivists standing with their bluescarves and banners. Better yet, jointhem.

Another highlight was the panelpresentation, “Workers’ rights arehuman rights.” Chief Ed John,Gillian Creese from UBC, and Dr.Emmanuel Rozental from Columbiaall spoke of the interconnection ofhuman rights to their particulartopic. Chief John talked about thestruggle of Aboriginal people tohave their human rights recognized,and the example of Australia, whichhas recognized and apologized forthe historic wrongs done theAboriginal people of that continent.He contrasted that to our federalgovernment’s opposition to theUnited Nations resolution torecognize the rights of Aboriginalpeople worldwide. Gillian Creese’supdated analysis of poverty(www.tinyurl.com/53rjwa) showedthat the poorest among us arerecent immigrants, women, andwomen of colour.

Last on the panel was EmmanuelRozental, a medical doctor fromColumbia. His short, 15-minutepresentation brought people totears and to their feet with astanding ovation. Rozental wovethe comments of Stephen Lewis, thekeynote speaker from the eveningbefore, the remarks of Chief Johnand Gillian Creese into hispresentation on the need for socialjustice activists to work togetherand work quickly, as the fate of ourearth is hanging in the balance.Connecting Stephen Harper’sblockage of the United Nations’attempt to declare water as ahuman right, to the development ofthe Alberta tar sands oil extraction,Rozental described the urgency ofthe need for people to take backcontrol of their rights so that we cancontinue to inhabit our planet, notdestroy it.

social justice lens as a tool to aidunion activists in their work(www.tinyurl.com/6j3z6c). As Dr.Paul Shaker, another keynotespeaker, reminded us that “beingsocial justice activists is in our ownself-interest” because it creates abetter world for ourselves andothers.

Jane Turner is an assistant director,BCTF’s Professional and Social IssuesDivision.

Chief John talked about thestruggle of Aboriginalpeople to have their humanrights recognized, and theexample of Australia, whichhas recognized andapologized for the historicwrongs done the Aboriginalpeople of that continent.

Participants heard from StephenLewis, Canada’s former UnitedNations’ envoy. Lewis detailed thelitany of human rights’ abuses thatcurrently are taking place across theglobe. He closed with an exhorta -tion for all of us to become humanrights and social justice activists.

In order to help participantschange the world, they heard aroundtable discussion on how toorganize for social justice. Tenpanelists shared their stories, theamusing to the overwhelming,about doing grassroots organizing.Some principles they identifiedwere: be respectful in your work—”nothing about us without us” wasthe slogan used, keep in mind thatwe are part of a long line ofactivists, find the strengths of thepeople you are working with, valuethose who are key, and have funand be creative in your organizingwork. The stories from the round -table were rich and deep. Hopefullythey will help the participants makethose changes that we know are sonecessary.

Everyone who gave a workshopor interacted with others throughoutthe conference spoke of the needfor unions and their members totake on social justice and humanrights issues. The BCTF offered the

Rights, Not Wrongsconference a great success

The display table “Stand for Housing,” offered trade unionists kits for creating their own Stands in their communities.Over 44 members from different union locals around the province bought kits in order to begin their Stand againsthomelessness.

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6 TEACHER April 2008

Global perspectives for healing and hopeBy Marian Dodds

Visualize this. An ESL teenagegirl’s eyes welling up with tears anda huge smile spreading across herface as she enters your classroom tothe sound of marimba music from aCD you purchased on a recentvacation in Central America.“Teacher, that music is from mycountry!” she exclaims. Knowingonly that the music was lively andenergizing, you had chosen to playit to introduce the day’s lesson. Youhad purchased it from a streetvendor not knowing that it includedsongs this lonely new ESL studenthad not heard since she left herhomeland. Synchronicity is at play.Of course, you later give her the CDto play at home. In this scenario, thesubject was a unit of Latin Ameri -can cooking in an ESL foods class,but it could as easily have beenSpanish, tourism, English, socialstudies, and so on. Imagineexpanding the use of the arts inyour classroom.

Creativity is a powerful catalystfor student engagement. It creates a“welcome in” to our teaching con -tent, but most importantly it con -nects us to the wonderful humanbeings who are our students. Takinga creative leap, we never knowwhere a nerve may be struck andsocial-emotional learning opens theworld to deeper connections.

Foundational to globaleducation is caring andcompassion for people andour planet, resulting inconscious action toward abetter world for all.

Let’s get personal. Why did youbecome a teacher? What triggeredyour involvement in our nobleprofession? Think back. I’ll bet ithad something to do with caring,compassion, and justice as well as apassion for an area of study. Maybeyou already are teaching from aglobal perspective without even

being aware of it.Foundational to global education

is caring and compassion for peopleand our planet, resulting in con -scious action toward a better worldfor all. It means going further than acharitable donation to a goodcause, looking deeper and gettingcloser to the roots of the problemsthat made such charity necessary inthe first place. We prefer to think ofglobal education in terms of coreconcepts that define a global per -spective rather than a stand alone“subject.” While global education isbeing taught as a subject through asprinkling of excellent and engagingBoard Authority/Authorized (BAA)courses that are flourishing in somedistricts, such courses reach a verysmall number of students. Theirsuccess is grounded in the passionand commitment of individualteachers, and these colleagues havemuch to contribute to their peers asresource persons in the field.

Such efforts are applauded, butconsider this: every single teacherin this province could choose to seeherself or himself as a globaleducator by infusing a globalperspective into their own practice.

A global perspective enrichesteaching and mutually benefitsteachers and students. It is healthyto recognize that our own world -view may not be universally sharedand to develop receptivity to otherperspectives. At the recent BCTF/BCFed Social Justice/Human Rightsconference, SFU Dean of EducationDr. Paul Shaker urged his audienceof social justice activists to use thearts and creativity in their work. Hesuggested that working in socialjustice is actually in one’s ownenlightened self-interest and madereference to concepts from depthpsychology, including self-actualization.

Shaker makes important pointsfor us to consider and that, I wouldargue, global education, in part,addresses. Looking deeper into ourown motivations and intentions aseducators and opening ourselves upto the learning that our students

bring to us, enables us to expandour world view and appreciate otherperspectives. Teaching from aglobal perspective is rooted inexcellent teaching practice. It isstudent-centered and co-operative.It fosters both critical and creativethinking. Key aims of globaleducation include understandingthe interconnections of systems,perspective consciousness, deepknowledge of the health of the

…every single teacher in thisprovince could choose to seeherself or himself as a globaleducator by infusing a globalperspective into their ownpractice.

planet, and the development ofskills to become involved inmeaningful, respectful, andsustainable ways to create positivechange in the world. Workshopfacilitators notice that the sense ofinclusiveness that global educationsupports resonates with our pre-service teachers at BCTF Days onCampus. We regu larly hearexperienced teachers speak ofleaving workshops re-energizedwith new ideas for remodelinglessons to make them more global.

Creative leaps may be risky butare potentially very rewarding. Let’srevisualize the ESL student who wemet at the start and imagine herglowing heart-felt expression. Astudent who understands that herteacher sees her as a whole humanbeing with a rich background andpotential can mean the world toboth parties, blurring the boun -daries between the teacher and thetaught, expanding world views inthe process. If we truly desire worldpeace, international solidarity, and ahealthy, safe, and just world, whatbetter place to work than in a publicschool teaching from a globalperspective?

Marian Dodds is an assistant director,BCTF Professional and Social IssuesDivision.

Tibetan Buddhist monks need your old ESL materialsBy Carole Nakonechny

At Tergar Monastery, near BodhGaya, India, 50 young Buddhistmonks, from ages 5 to 24 years, arevery enthusiastically learningEnglish. Their teachers from Canadaand the United Kingdom donatetheir time and expertise. Theclassroom blackboard is a gnarledold piece of plywood painted black;the students’ desks—the floor theysit on. There are no basic supplies,

textbooks, or a photocopy machine.Teachers use the world aroundthem and a lot of work to cobbletogether curriculum.

As a retiring ESL teacher withover 20 years experience, I intendedto make sourcebooks of my bestwork to bring with me when Ijoined the project. When I returnedto my old school where mymaterials were being stored, therewas a moment of shock. My threefiling cabinets were gone, and I

learned that my 20-year career hadbeen accidentally recycled.

So I am now putting out a call forhelp. We need ESL materials (0literacy up to and including level2/3 beginner)—favourite lessonplans, worksheets, unit plans,projects, books. All would be useful.

Please contact CaroleNakonechny, 302-2455 West 2ndAve., Vancouver, BC V6K 1J5, 604-734-5063 (phone collect),carolenakone@gmail.com.

Every drop is part of the wave: Getting started in global educationFrom 2002 to 2008, the BCTF

received project funding from theGovernment of Canada through fourCanadian International Develop -ment Agency (CIDA) Global Class -room Initiatives. Funds have beenused to develop and support ourglobal education work throughoutBC.As a result we have:• developed three global educationworkshops for BC teachers and pre-service teachers: Global education:In and beyond the classroom, Globaleducation for gender equality, andGlobal education for a sustainablefuture. Since 2004, over 150 of theseworkshops have been delivered byBCTF-trained volunteer facilitators.View a PDF file about the work -shops at www.tinyurl.com/3rt96m.Contact the BCTF Training Depart -ment to book a workshop for yournext conference or PD day.• a cadre of 40 workshop facilita -tors who continue to receive in-service through online support andattendance at symposia that enable

them to build connections withuniversity experts and NGOsworking in the field, expanding theirexpertise by linking theory topractice.

• a website for teachers to learnabout global education methodolo -gies, explore a webliography withhundreds of Internet resources inthe field, and download over 50 BCteacher-created global educationlesson plans. Find this resource atwww.tinyurl.com/3zg8jw.

• mentored and supported over 60BC teachers to develop globaleducation teaching resources. Usethe navigational tool found atwww.tinyurl.com/3zg8jw to searchby grade, subject, and/ordevelopment theme.

• worked with SFU to establish agraduate diploma program (Teach -ing and Learning for Global Per -spectives). Find details about thisdiploma program in the Spring 2008BCTF Social Justice newsletterfound at www.tinyurl.com/4lxsbx.

Reported elsewhereTesting for tots

While stadardized testing is amajor issue in BC and elsewhere inCanada, it has not reached theabsurd levels evident south of theborder. The US federal governmentspent $100 million over four yearstesting four-year-olds. Thankfully,as reported in Mother Jones, theprogram has been axed—but thestory shows how ideology cantrump common sense. Full story: www.tinyurl.com/35mmcj

P3 school costs soarIn Alberta, the Stelmach

government’s estimated cost tobuild 18 new schools in Calgary andEdmonton under a public-privatepartnership has skyrocketed 156%to an estimated $512 million,according to Treasury Boarddocuments unearthed by theLiberals.Full story: www.tinyurl.com/3btupt

Beyond bullyingLisa Moy, writing in TheTyee.ca,

says: “I’m going to stop using theword “bullying.”... I’m nervous thata singular focus on bullying inschools as a means of addressingviolence is ineffective and,ultimately, unfair to young people.Think about it for a second. Howmany times, and in how manyways, is the word bullying drawnupon to explain the myriad ofrelationship dynamics, conflicts,complexities, and tragedies that

happen to, and between, students?”Full story: www.tinyurl.com/ytffzp

Generation MySpace is getting fed up

Annoyed with the ad deluge onsocial networks, many users arespending less time on the sitesaccording to Spencer E. Ante andCatherine Holahan in BusinessWeek.Full story: www.tinyurl.com/3xyq49

What makes Finnish kids so smart?

According to this recent WallStreet Journal article by EllenGamerman, Finnish kids are someof the smartest in the world. “High-school students here rarely getmore than a half-hour of homeworka night. They have no schooluniforms, no honour societies, novaledictorians, no tardy bells, andno classes for the gifted. There islittle standardized testing, fewparents agonize over college andkids don’t start school until age 7.”Full story: www.tinyurl.com/346urp

The new onlineomnivores

Laptops in class: Shutting out oropening up? We teachers mustadapt to our wireless students saysBC teacher Crawford Kilian: “We arenow dealing with students whohave no memory of a pre-webworld. They live in the web.”Full story: www.tinyurl.com/36s8ce

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TEACHER April 2008 7

Aboriginal education a workingagreement in Comox ValleyBy Mary Lindsay

As another school year windsdown and the next one is in theworks, families across the provinceconsider changes that will impactwhere and how their childrenattend school. In the end, theirdecisions are crucial because basiceducation funding, as well assupplemental resources, are tied tostudent registrations; the former tonumbers and the latter to kids. Inthe eyes of the Ministry of Educa -tion, certain kinds of studentcharacteristics qualify for supple -mental funding to promoteequitable access to learning. BeingAboriginal falls into this specialcategory and brings additionalmonies into a school district.Consequently, student registrationin the BC public school systemgenerally asks parents to voluntarilyindicate if their child has Aboriginalancestry—to check the box on theregistration form, if applicable.However, what significance doesthis box of Aboriginal ancestryhave? In SD 71 (Comox Valley), weare opening this box and seeing aweb of relationships that supports amore holistic development ofAboriginal students.

…enhanced funding isintended to provide“culturally appropriateeducational programs andservices to support thesuccess of Aboriginalstudents.”

According to the Ministry ofEducation, its allocation ofenhanced funding is intended toprovide “culturally appropriateeducational programs and servicesto support the success of Aboriginalstudents.” As a result of thistargeted funding, students in SD 71have benefited from a variety ofexcellent and worthwhile initiativessuch as Big House experiences, TheQueneesh Project (a video andaccompanying curriculum about alocal legend), community culturalresources to schools, culturalpresentations, as well as academicsupport from resource aides—strengthening Aboriginal identityand increasing non-Aboriginalstudents’ awareness.

Still, the achievement of non-Aboriginal students, as indicated byenrolment in examinable secondaryschool courses and graduationrates, surpasses that of Aboriginalstudents. In special educationcategories, over-representation inbehaviour programs and under-representation in the area of gifted -ness are ongoing concerns. Thesecomparative data suggest thatstrategies of “indigenizing” thecurriculum and deficit approachesto teaching are not as effective asanticipated in bringing about socialand educational equity for Aborigi -nal learners. However, theAboriginal Education EnhancementAgreement, another compensatorystrategy initiated by the Ministry ofEducation, has been a more usefulprocess to uncovering Aboriginaleducation.

An Aboriginal EducationEnhancement Agreement (EA) is aworking agreement between thelocal Aboriginal community, aschool district’s Board of Education,and the Ministry of Education. Insetting forth a collaborative partner -ship in shared decision-making and

At the same time, collaborationswith Aboriginal Head Start (AHS)grew. AHS, open in the ComoxValley since 1997, had alreadyworked with SD 71 to maketransitions from their program toregular Kindergarten as seamlessand comfortable as possible. Withthe implementation of an AboriginalKindergarten program, manyparents of AHS graduates elected toenrol their children in regularKindergarten for the morning andhave them attend AboriginalKindergarten in the afternoon.

An Aboriginal EducationEnhancement Agreement(EA) is a working agreementbetween the local Aboriginalcommunity, a school district’sBoard of Education, and theMinistry of Education.

specific goal setting, an EA isprimarily intended to improveschool success for Aboriginallearners. As part of the develop -ment of the first EA in SD 71(October 2001), the repre sentativesof the Aboriginal community asconstituted by the AboriginalEducation Council (AEC) began tomore publicly and collectivelyquestion the goals and processes ofpublic education. They asked whyso few Aboriginal children wereselected for Challenge, the schooldistrict’s program for giftedstudents. Low numbers perpetuatedperceptions of deficiency andinferiority when in a societygiftedness, like intelligence, is acultural construct. They areconcepts built on characteristicsesteemed by a particular culture.The AEC decided to support aninquiry into what the Comox ValleyAboriginal community valued interms of giftedness. Being a diversecommunity, in itself, consisting ofFirst Nations status and non-status,living on and off reserve, Métis andInuit all residing on the traditionalterritory of K’ómoks First Nation,the gifts would represent character -istics and qualities esteemed by ablended cultural group unique tothe Comox Valley. After two years ofconsultation with local Elders andcommunity, the gifts of listening,storytelling, spiritness, leadership,and arts emerged. Subsequently,with the implementation of anAboriginal Kindergarten in SD 71,these gifts were to find a morevisible place in public education.

Aboriginal Kindergarten is sup -plemental to regular Kindergartenand is supported through Ministry ofEducation funding for all-dayKindergarten. Aboriginal studentsare one of the focus populations.The explicit mandate of AboriginalKindergarten is to provide a“culturally appropriate” program butin some jurisdictions, a tacit agendaof early intervention may prevail. InSD 71, Aboriginal Kindergartenteacher Susan Leslie, saw her roleand challenge in how to address theculture directive as her studentscome from diverse backgroundsand she, herself, is from theM’ikmaq Nation. Gifts served as afoundation from which a programwould emanate and later could beelaborated on to incorporate thegoals elicited from the second EA—sense of belonging including senseof place and identity, achievementand holism, Aboriginal culture/traditional values and wisdomaccessible for all students, andleadership.

To further align AHS andAboriginal Kindergarten, Eldershave central and regular particip -ation in Aboriginal Kindergarten.The Aboriginal Kindergartenprogram is now in its fourth yearand will become a full-day programin September; merging regular andAboriginal Kindergarten compon -ents. However, instead of theprovincial Kindergarten curriculumbeing indigenized, the indigenouscurriculum will host the provincialone.

Beyond Kindergarten, Aboriginallearners feel welcome and areacademically successful in contextswhere educators have workedmainly within their own divisions:at elementary—early intervention;

at secondary—Aboriginal human -ities, role model and leadershipprograms, Ravens, and Nala’atsiAlternate Program. However,teachers in these programs are

…in a society giftedness, likeintelligence, is a culturalconstruct. They are conceptsbuilt on characteristicsesteemed by a particularculture.

extending their learning communi -ties. For instance, students fromAboriginal Humanities at the middleschool engage with students inAboriginal Kindergarten. Secondary

students at Nala’atsi interact withElders as the program is housedwithin the Wachaiy FriendshipCentre. Encouraged and supportedby the servant-leadership of LynnJoseph, teachers are reaching out todisassemble conventional schoolboundaries and seeking morenaturalistic learning relationshipswith other Aboriginal peoples bothinside and outside the schoolsystem. By doing so, threads ofAboriginal education in SD 71—gifts, Aboriginal values, communitygoals, and relationships are seenand strengthened in connection toeach other.

Mary Lindsay is a professor,Malaspina University College and aretired Comox Valley teacher.

(Top) Drumming in the Aboriginal Kindergarten classroom where children learn drum protocol and song. (Bottom) Aboriginal Kindergarten graduation/end of year. A parent has just shared a celebratory song from her nationand everyone has paused to note the eagles soaring overhead.

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8 TEACHER April 2008

“Mon auteur préféré–c’est un auteur francophone!”

New teachers’conference

Par Alicia Logie

« Je déteste la lecture- surtout enfrançais! C’est ennuyeux!” «Je n’aijamais lu un bon livre en français”

Je ne sais pas combien de fois j’aientendu ce genre de commentairesdans ma classe d’immersion ausecondaire, pour ensuite mepréparer à expliquer les avantagesde “lire même si vous ne l’aimezpas!”. Ça fait déjà plusieurs annéesque je n’entends plus ces commen -taires, et je ne force plus les élèvesà lire par punition. Après tout,combien de livres est-ce que j’aiaimé qu’on m’ait forcé à lire? Puis-je me rappeler plusieurs occasionsoù, après avoir terminé un roman,j’ai pensé avec enthousiasme“Excellent! Maintenant je peuxécrire un rapport de lecture!” ouencore “Quel plaisir! Un paquet dequestions auxquelles je doisrépondre!”. Je sais que ces tâchesauraient enlevé tout le plaisir de lireun bon récit. Bien sûr, en enseign -ement, nous ne sommes pas libresde tout simplement faire ce qu’onaime, ou ce que les jeunes aiment.Nous nous intéressons surtout à ceque nos jeunes APPRENNENT. Mais,ces deux concepts, doivent-ilss’exclure mutuellement?

Les élèves d’immersion,peuvent-ills aimer la lecture enfrançais?

Un de nos buts en immersion estde motiver les élèves à utiliser leurfrançais après que la porte de lasalle de classe se ferme derrière euxpour la dernière fois. Dans cedessein, un des points d’accès leplus simple est la lecture enfrançais. Nous devons instaurerchez les jeunes une passion pour lalittérature dans leur langueseconde. Pas facile vous dites! Jepartage votre point de vue, maislaissez les élèves et de bons livresen français vous convaincre quec’est possible!

Il y a plusieurs années, inspiréepar le travail de Nancy Atwell,enseignante américaine, j’aitransformé ma classe en « atelier »de lecture et d’écriture. Lesconcepts clés dans l’œuvre d’Atwell

: la modélisation, le temps, le choix,et l’interaction avec le texte et entrelecteurs. Sa philosophie a pourcible, d’engager les adolescentsdans leur propre apprentissage enlittératie. Elle encourage les élèvesà faire ce que les vrais lecteursadultes font : choisir leurs propreslectures, lire à leur rythme souventen partageant leurs pensées et leurscommentaires avec d’autresadultes et si le livre leur plait, lerecommander à un ami.

Pour les élèves c’est souvent lecontraire. L’enseignant choisit lelivre, (interdit de laisser tomber)leur dit combien de pages à lirechaque soir et ne leur donne pas ledroit de lire plus loin (même si lelivre est fascinant!) -une recetteparfaite pour qu’ils détestent lire enfrançais!

Le choixPour que les jeunes en immersion

commencent à aimer lire enfrançais, il faut leur donner un choixde bons livres qu’ils auronttendance à aimer! Au début c’estl’enseignant qui doit recommanderles bons romans mais, rapidement,ce doit être les jeunes quicommencent à recommander destitres. Une communauté de lecteursse construit à force de les laisserpartager leurs critiques et leursintérêts. Ils découvrent lapertinence de la littérature dansleurs vraies vies!

Les élèves doivent avoir le droitd’abandonner un livre qui ne lesintéresse pas ou qui est tropdifficile. Il est essentiel par contre,que l’enseignant ou l’enseignantecontinue à leur lancer des défis :d’autres genres de livres ou unroman encore plus difficile, et ce aulieu de les laisser lire ce qui est leplus facile. Le choix libre motiveplus souvent les jeunes à lire audelà de leur niveau de lecture toutsimplement parce que le roman estfascinant.

Avant tout, il faut que lesenseignants modélisent la lecturede bons romans en français, enlisant pour, avec et devant lesjeunes, les livres qui les intéressent.

Enseignement expliciteAfin de montrer aux élèves

comment questionner leurs livres,interagir avec le texte et lescomprendre à fond, je construis desmini-leçons pour alimenter lespériodes de lecture et de discussionen classe. Les sujets variés de ces

leçons viennent souventdirectement des questions et descommentaires des élèves dans leursjournaux de réflexion et non pas deleçons de grammaire ! En effet lesromans existent plutôt pourcommuniquer les idées et raconterles histoires (pas pour démontrer lesstructures grammaticales) les mini-leçons traitent plutôt du style del’auteur, de la reconnaissance del’effet des mots choisis, de lamanière de trouver les thèmes duroman, de l’interaction entre lespersonnages et de la structure del’intrigue du livre. Avant tout, il fautmontrer aux élèves commentréfléchir et parler de leur roman etsurtout comment en choisir unautre qu’ils aiment encore plus.

Le tempsEt oui! Tout ce beau travail de

trouver le plaisir dans la lecturenécessite du temps. Les jeunes ontbesoin de temps pour trouver leslivres qui font rire, qui font pleurer,qui font peur, qui caressent le cœuret qui stimulent l’imagination. Il leurfaut du temps pour découvrir leslivres qui les passionnent et ceuxqu’ils détestent et pourquoi.

Le temps consacré à la lecture ensalle de classe est essentiel à ceprocessus. Trop souvent la lecturedevient un devoir et le tempsimportant en classe est réservé pourles tâches importantes!

Si nous respectons la lecturecomme activité essentielle aucurriculum et encore, commehabileté utile dans la vie, noussommes obligés de consacrer uneplace importante à la lecture ensalle de classe. Le temps privilégiépour les élèves de se perdre dans unrécit fabuleux, et dans un espace oùpersonne ne les dérange, pour unepetite demi-heure tranquille... Cesmoments n’arrivent pas souventdans la vie d’un adolescent!

Si on leur donne le choix, letemps, une façon d’en parler et departager leurs lectures avec unecommunauté de lecteurs aussiengagés qu’eux, ils peuvent arrêterde lire assez longtemps pour dire «Je ne pensais jamais que je pourraisautant aimer un livre! Je ne peuxpas arrêter de le lire » (extrait dujournal d’un élève). C’est ce qu’onveut comme enseignantsd’immersion n’est-ce pas?

Alicia Logie, conseillère pédagogique,Surrey.

US teachers losing ground on payAccording to a recent study by

the Economic Policy Institute in theUS, teachers in that countrycontinue to lose ground comparedto other university graduates. Thestudy, “The Teaching Penalty:Teacher Pay Losing Ground” showsthat public school teachers in 2006earned 15% lower weekly earnings

percentage points, from a relativewage advantage of 14.7% in 1960,to a pay disadvan tage of 13.2% in2000. Among all public schoolteachers the relative wagedisadvantage grew almost 20percentage points over the1960–2000 period.

There has been a substantialerosion in teachers’ relative payover the last 10 years. Teachers’weekly wages were nearly on parwith those paid in comparableoccupations in 1996 but are now14.3%, or $154, below that ofcomparable occupations. “In 15states, public school teacher weeklywages lag by more than 25%. Incontrast, there are only five stateswhere teacher weekly wages areless than 10% behind, and no statewhere teacher pay is equal or betterthan that of other collegegraduates.”

For the complete study go to:www.tinyurl.com/3ys4vc.

By Mohamed Chelali

New teachers represent therenewal of our profession and theirneeds and interests are of utmostimportance to our society. The BCTFNew Teachers’ Conference isdesigned to welcome, support, andguide new teachers entering theprofession. It is one of the finestprofessional development eventsthat one can attend. The conferenceis always popular because thepresenters are almost all activeclassroom teachers and they

volunteer their time and energy toshare their passion and knowledgewith their colleagues. The needs ofbeginning teachers are different asthey enter the era of teaching in thedigital age. Beginning teachers notonly require initial assistance,advice, and information, but alsoneed ongoing support during theirfirst few years of teaching.

This conference was designed toexplore best teaching practices,current challenges, research, andinnovation. It is always the BCTF’sgoal to offer workshops that areinteractive, collaborative, practical,analytical, and cover a range ofteachers’ needs from elementary tosecondary. They are also designedto cover different subjects andtopics.

The 2008 conference featuredpresentations on BCTF services andinterests such as wellness,pensions, the collective agreement,research, classroom management,integrating students with specialneeds, student assessment,teaching and learning withtechnology, and working withparents.

Justin Look from Surrey wasimpressed by the 2008 conferenceofferings. “It was a good way to notonly attend helpful workshops butto meet a wide array of teacherswith whom I could share informa -tion and ask questions. It was greatto meet others in the field who caninspire ‘newbies’ like myself. I wasglad to have a conference like thisright at the beginning of my career.”

Ashley Filipe, new teacher fromSoutheast Kootenay, explains “Justlooking around the room, I seehundreds of other people just likeme—beginning teachers eager tolearn more, grow, share, interact,and reflect.”

Unlike most 2008 conferenceattendees, Trisha Shlakoff, fromSurrey, already has some teachingexperience and found the 2008conference very helpful. “I only wishI had taken this workshop prior tomy first-year teaching job, as therewere many ideas I could have usedin the beginning of the year.”Student teacher Krystle Kalanj fromSFU was impressed by the quality ofpresenters. “The conferenceprovided a sense of beingprofessionally valued. I attended aworkshop titled, New teacher triage:practical ideas for creating thedynamic classroom. It was brilliant.The presenter provided experiencedinsight and valuable resources. Theonly downside was running out oftime.”

Who are the best teachers ofteachers? Teachers of course...justask them about their own learning.Who inspired them to becometeachers? Who helped them whenthey became teachers? To whom dothey constantly turn for advice?Where do they get many of theirideas? The most common answer isalmost universal—other teachers.And this is why the whole theme ofthe BCTF conference was partneringfor success—teachers helpingteachers. Once again, we had verytalented and skilled workshoppresenters. Susan Ruzic gave aworkshop on ADT/War Toys toPeace Art. She said, “It is veryrefreshing to work with teachersnew to the profession. They are veryoptimistic and keen to try newideas.”

Most attendees affirmed that theyhave gained a great deal of advice,instruction, strategies, and practicalideas that they can use directly intheir classes.

Teaching is a never-endingstory—it is a journey of passion andhope.

“…I see hundreds of otherpeople just like me—beginning teachers eager tolearn more, grow, share,interact, and reflect.”

– Ashley FilipeSoutheast Kootenay

Beginning teachers teach fromthe heart—they are the new guidesnot only to teach but also tostimulate and motivate. They knowhow to instil in the minds of thecitizens of tomorrow the love oflearning and the passion ofeducation and social justice.

Mohamed Chelali is an assistantdirector in the BCTF’s Professionaland Social Issues Divison and co-ordinator of the BCTF FrenchPrograms and Services.

Créer une passionpour la lecture dansune classed’immersion

Teachers’ weekly wageswere nearly on par withthose paid in comparableoccupations in 1996 but arenow 14.3%, or $154, belowthat of comparableoccupations.

than comparably educated workers.The report states that, “Recenttrends represent only a small part ofa long-run decline in the relativepay of teachers. ...the pay gapbetween female public schoolteachers and comparably educatedwomen grew by nearly 28

Beginning teachers not onlyrequire initial assistance,advice, and information butalso need ongoing supportduring their first few yearsof teaching.

Amanda McGaughey, Coquitlam The workshop with Dave Comrie,

Dealing with difficult students, took avaluable approach to its format byexamining our own personal storiesand cases and applying his ideas toour unique experiences. It was awonderful change and a nice way toexperience a workshop.

Kim Daniels, Southeast Kootenay I have a practical “To Do” list and

great new ideas to try. The confer -ence provided an opportunity to feellike I’m not alone in what can besuch an overwhelming profession.It’s a great way to meet newteachers who are in the same stageof their career as I am. A greatopportunity to network and shareresources.

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TEACHER April 2008 9

Teacher inquiry: Some new directions for the BCTF

Teacher Inquiry is a form ofprofessional development thatinvolves:• reflection on practice.• collaboration. • professional conversation—

accessing our own knowledgeand the knowledge of peers.

• moving out of individual andisolated space.

• extending understanding ofpractice through criticaldiscourse.

• planning and initiating someform of action for change.

• distributed leadership.A new report “Teacher Inquiry in

the BCTF: A focus for supportingteachers’ professional development”has recently been produced by aworking group with reps from localpresidents, PD chairs, several BCTFcommittees, and BCTF staff. Thereport links inquiry to BCTF goalsand objectives as contained in the“Support for Teaching and LearningAction Plan.” It also reviews recentliterature and considers how tosupport teacher inquiry in moreBCTF locals. Check out the reporton the Teacher Inquirer web page:bctf.ca/publications/TeacherInquirer.aspx.

Other Teacher Inquiry at the BCTFPilot projects in three BCTF localsVESTA—exploring inclusion andequity issues

The VESTA inquiry projectemerged through the union’s call forteachers who wanted to pursuetheir interest in the area ofinclusion. Eight teachers whoarticulated questions about variousaspects of inclusion were invited toan initial meeting. The first meetinggenerated an animated discussionabout the challenges of teachingdiverse learners, especially withoutthe needed supports in place andwith too many needs in one place.Teachers have met several timesthis year and have decided on arange of approaches in which theyreflect on and discuss meeting theneeds of diverse learners. Oneinteresting discussion emergedaround the issue of being part of a“leaderless” group. The teacherstalked about how they so rarely hadthe opportunity to direct their ownprofessional lives that it was not aneasy or a comfortable role to slipinto. The VESTA inquiry group hasmet four times and has set up aschedule of monthly meetings.

North Vancouver—using inquiry,specifically collaborative dialoguemodels, to sustain a culture ofprofessional development thatfosters teaching and learningpractices

This pilot study engages teachers,school administrators, the NVTA,BCTF, district co-ordinators, andsenior administration in a commoninquiry around what a system cando when its staff works togetheraround a common goal: to promoteongoing, powerful professionaldevelopment that will sustain thework of the district’s five-yearInstructional Institute with BarrieBennett. Collaborative conversa -tions, led by members of the pilotgroup and held in schools andgroups throughout the district, havebeen the main strategy for assess -ing the use of the teaching strate -gies and for surfacing key

Some teachers arecelebrating their professionalexperiences throughpublishing their narratives inVoices of Teaching, TeacherInquiry, Fraser-Cascade,Teacher Research in theBackyard, and Teaching forSocial Justice.

professional approaches to use inexpanding the circle of teachers andschools involved with this work.Some of the questions beingconsidered include: How can webuild community within our ownschool? How do we get all membersof an educational community to feelvalued in order to promote dialogueand make everyone feel empower -ed? How do we overcome barriersin order to make collaborationhappen? What are the conditionsthat promote powerful learningenvironments? The group will meet

six times and are preparing to hosta joint session, using conversationmodel, at the culmination of theirinquiry.Kootenay-Columbia—consideringhow to support new teachers insecondary schools

In the Kootenay-Columbiaproject, the inquiry group is ayounger group of teachers, anddemonstrates that union-led inquirycan attract new and youngerteachers into union offices andactivities. The areas of focus haveranged from the pragmatic (teach -ing strategies and district policies)to a more esoteric discussion on thefuture of teaching, using a chapterfrom an Andy Hargreaves book(Teaching in the Knowledge Society)as a basis for discussion. Meetingsalternate between the local teacherassociation office and a schooldistrict centre, and both the localpresident and the district assistantsuperintendent have been involvedin setting up the program andsupporting the group.

Program for Quality Teaching (PQT)Background

The BCTF’s Program for QualityTeaching (PQT) provides teachers,through the process of peer mentor -ing and collaborative inquiry, aframework within which they canengage in inquiry of their own andeach other’s professional teachingpractices. Supportive, learning-focused mentoring gives teachersan opportunity to assess currentpractices and to thoughtfully adaptelements of new programs intotheir classrooms.

It is through this approach to thestudy of teaching that discovery ofnew educational knowledgeemerges for the benefit of immedi -ate colleagues and teachers else -where. The PQT also providesopportunities for sharing profes -sional knowledge gained bypractitioners acting as classroomresearchers through action research

and models of teacher inquiry.PQT is based on the principles of

collegiality, mutuality, and suppor -tive professional relationships.Participants become equal partnersin pursuit of strengthening theirpractice and advancing theirprofession.

In addition, the PQT develops anetwork of teachers who areinterested in sharing the results oftheir professional explorationsbeyond their immediate colleagues.Many teachers practicing PQT gaina deeper understanding of thepractical, theoretical, and personalmeaning of their approaches toteaching through structured,systematic action research projects.Some teachers are celebrating theirprofessional experiences throughpublishing their narratives in Voicesof Teaching, Teacher Inquiry, Fraser-Cascade, Teacher Research in theBackyard, and Teaching for SocialJustice. PQT provides a naturalforum where teachers might sharethe results of their classroomresearch with other teachers, andthus expand the professionaldialogue beyond the school.

BCTF research projects 2007–08• A Vancouver Elementary schoolstaff’s inquiry into their use ofinteractive whiteboards. This is ajoint project with UBC faculty.• Mentoring/professionalconversation project for resourceteachers, Kamloops (2008) • An inquiry study of teacherleadership (2008). In this researchwe are linking teacher leaders fromBC with an Aboriginal teacherleader in Hobart, Australia, and adeputy principal in Scotland. Allthree teachers are working withinthe teacher union in their respectivecountries.

New Teacher Inquiry web pagelaunched by the BCTF

This web page provides a placefor teachers to publish their inquiryreports, as well as accessinginformation about Teacher Inquiry.While still at a very formative stage,the Teacher Inquirer was launchedwith reports from teacher research -ers in Chilliwack. Check out the newweb page:bctf.ca/publications/TeacherInquirer.aspx.

– Charlie Naylor, Nancy Hinds Jane Turner, Marian Dodds

Social responsibilitythrough the Coin-spiracy

The Coin-spiracy is a socialresponsibility program designed forschools and youth groups. Theprogram allows children theopportunity to give and receivekindness, realizing that even asmall act of kindness has positiveripple effects for the giver andreceiver. The Coin-spiracy is anexcellent way for a school toachieve their social responsibilitygoals and celebrate the socialresponsibility activities alreadytaking place.

In joining the Coin-spiracy, theschool, class, or individual studentcommits three acts of kindness: onefor self, one for the environment,and one for another. The recipientof the third act of kindness is theninvited to join the Coin-spiracy, andreceives the symbol of the Coin-spiracy, the gold-coloured kindness

coin called the “UNI” (short for theuniversal nature of kindness).Subsequent coin holders join theCoin-spiracy tradition by alsocommitting three kind acts andpassing the UNI along to therecipient of their kind acts...and sothe UNI travels along, inspiringkindness along the way.

Each UNI coin is uniquely codedand its travels can be tracked on itsown journal page on the Coin-spiracy website. Since 2002, UNIcoins have inspired kindness in over45 countries.

Encourage your school to join theCoin-spiracy and create a greener,happier, healthier world one kindact at a time!

Visit www.investinakinderworld.com for further information or e-mail info@kindacts.net.

Registrations for the 2008–09school year are being accepted.

“This program taught us veryvaluable lessons. It showed us howone act of kindness goes a long wayand how being kind to others is agift that makes everyone feel muchbetter. It feels really nice to makethe world kinder. We encourageeveryone to participate in thisprogram. We had a lot of fun and itmade us aware of how important itis for each of us to help make theworld a better place.” – Student,Champlain Heights CommunitySchool, Vancouver

Healthcare workshop:The price is right?

Check Your Head: the YouthGlobal Education Network and theBC Health Coalition have teamed upto offer a new youth engagementworkshop that gets youth thinkingabout public healthcare.

Should healthcare be a right forall or a privilege for some? Thisworkshop engages participants ininteractive activities that ask thequestions: What do youth believemakes a healthy community? Howdoes Canada’s public healthcaresystem work? and What doesprivate participation in healthcaremean for public health? Youth willlearn how to take action to ensurehealthcare is accessible for all.Healthcare made fun (finally!)

Check Your Head also offers atrain-the-trainer workshop, whichequips educators with the knowl -edge and resources to facilitate theworkshop on their own.

These fun and interactiveworkshops are available until theend of June, so book now! Eachworkshop runs approximately onehour and 15 minutes and themaximum is 30 participants perworkshop. Check Your Headfacilitates workshops in the LowerMainland and beyond!

Call or e-mail CYH: Check YourHead 604-685-6631 orhealthcare@checkyourhead.org

South Park School:Memories Through theDecades

This book written by teachersDebbie Marchand and LindaPicciotto, tells the history of SouthPark School in Victoria. The schoolwas built in 1894, before theEmpress Hotel and the legislativebuildings were completed. Theheritage building is the oldest inWestern Canada that has been incontinuous use as a school.

The book contains many interest -ing and entertaining memoirscollected from former students andstaff, which give readers a feelingfor the school and community at thetime. The earliest is from 1900 andthe latest from 2007. The authorsused many photographs fromschool archives and linked theschool stories to local, national, andglobal history through the “Factsand Events” sections. It is thehistory of a school, but also thehistory of education from the late19th century to the present.

A selection of quotes from thememoir sections will give readersan idea of some of the contents.Note the quote from 1969: NDPLeader Carole James was a studentat South Park in the late 1960s. Hermemoir describes her first politicalaction, a strike to protest girls notbeing allowed to wear pants to

school.1907: “...so each Friday the girls

walked over the rocks, wearingaprons and carrying pot holders.”

1916: “There was hardly a day thathe wasn’t strapped for some mis-demeanor.”

1930: “He was so good looking, andbesides he held a lot of spellingbees.”

1946: “...it was necessary to heat upthe horse-hoof glue to make ituseable.”

1969: “...walked out of the schooland went on strike.” [studentCarole James]The publication, a 196-page

“coffee table” book, was madepossible in part by grants from theVictoria Foundation and the City ofVictoria. The cost is $25 (includingtaxes) and it can be purchased atSouth Park School (508 DouglasStreet in Victoria) or from LindaPicciotto (250-598-3450) or DebbieMarchand (250-598-1588). See ourwebsite at www.southparkbook.ca.

The Kootenay-Columbia project group (above) is a younger group of teachers,and demonstrates that union-led inquiry can attract new and younger teachersinto union offices and activities.

CHARLIE NAYLOR PHOTO

Yours for the asking

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10 TEACHER April 2008

Teachers from across theprovince—some 700 strong—flowedinto Vancouver for the 2008 AnnualGeneral Meeting, held at the HyattHotel from March 15 to 18. It was arich and busy four days as delegatesstruggled to get through dozens ofresolutions. They didn’t manage toget through them all—many wereleft for the next Rep Assembly—butmany critical issues were dealt withand decisions made. Among themore significant:

Elections• Irene Lanzinger was elected

president for a one-year term.• Susan Lambert was elected first

vice-president for a one-yearterm.

• Jim Iker was elected second vice-president for a one-year term.

• Michelle Davies, Fred Robertson,and Robert Tarswell were electedfor two-year terms.

• Gail Chaddock-Costello waselected for a one-year term.

• Rebecca Blair, PatriciaGudlaugson, Carole Gillis, and JillMcCaffery will be completingtheir two-year terms.

Leadership reportRecommendation 1—Priorities for2008–09That the priorities for 2008–09 be:1. To improve classroom conditions

in BC schools through reductionsin class sizes/caseloads andincreased support for inclusionand class composition that sup-ports effective teaching andlearning.

2. To actively involve members inmunicipal and provincial elec-tions and to ensure that supportfor public education is a vote-determining issue in the May2009 provincial election.

3. To enhance the work of the BCTFin professional development andto assert the professional auton -omy of teachers and our primaryrole in all professional issues.

4. To achieve greater equity in ourschools and society through astrengthened social justice net-work and inclusion of a socialjustice lens on all of our pro-grams and initiatives.

5. To actively involve the member-ship in preparation for our nextround of bargaining, includingthe training of new bargainers,with the intent to improve work-ing conditions, salary and bene-fits, and health and welfare ofteachers.

Political actionRecommendation 13—ProvincialElection

That the Federation develop acampaign leading up to the May2009 provincial election that:1. publicly highlights teacher con-

cerns about classroom condi-tions, professional concernsabout curriculum and assess-

ment, and social concerns aboutequity and inclusion.

2. seeks to make public education avote-determining issue in theelection.

3. ensures a high level of local andmember involvement in allaspects of the election.

4. co-ordinates BCTF efforts withthose of community groups andlabour.

Recommendation 14—PublicEducation Defence Fund

That $3,000,000 be transferredfrom the Collective BargainingDefence Fund to the Public Educa -tion Defence Fund for the 2008 –09fiscal year to support the BCTFcampaign.

Aboriginal educationRecommendation 2—StandardizedTesting

That the Federation endorse thefollowing principles regarding theimpact of the proliferation of testingon Aboriginal children.Professional statement asAboriginal teachers:• We believe the misuse and over-

use of standardized testing fur-ther discriminates againstAboriginal children and rein-forces negative stereotypes.

• We believe paper-and-pen testingdoes not acknowledge the gifts ofour children.

• We believe this is a colonial toolthat perpetuates negative feelingsand undermines our children’sability to learn.

• We believe there is a problemand more testing will not addressour children’s needs.

• We believe our children are enti-tled to equal access to andappropriate support for their suc-cessful high school completion.

• We believe we need to focus onstrategies and solutions to helpAboriginal children.

Membership fee for 2008–09Recommendation 9

That for the 2008–09 membershipyear, the fee for those who aremembers under By-law 1.1(a) shallbe 1.45% (same as last year) of theactual salary of the member,allocated as follows:• 1.31% to the General Operating

Fund• 0.06% to the Collective

Bargaining Defence Fund• 0.05% to the Public Education

Defence Fund• 0.02% to the Provincial

Bargaining Fund• 0.01% to the Contingency Fundexcept that the fee for activemembers who are teachers on callshall be 0.36% of the actual salary ofthe member allocated in the sameratio as above.

Honorary lifememberships

Honorary Life memberships in theBCTF were conferred upon KitKrieger (West Vancouver), DonReader (Vancouver Elementary),and Carroll Whitwell (BCTF staff).

where they went to school. And allthis is before factoring in the powerof one-on-one tutoring.”

Bracey used the AGM opportunityto continue his debunking activity,looking at the frequent comparisonsof US education results with thosein Asian countries. His main argu -ment: Asian students are trained todo well on tests, American studentsare judged on a much broader basis.As an example he quoted TharmanShanmugaratam, the minister ofeducation from Singapore:

“We both have meritocracies.Yours is a talent meritocracy, oursan exam meritocracy. There areparts of the intellect that we are notable to test well—like creativity, asense of adventure. Most of all,America has a culture of learningthat challenges conventionalwisdom, even if it means challeng -ing authority. These are areaswhere Singapore must learn fromAmerica.”

Bracey argued that Singapore,which does so well on tests,produces very few of the world’stop-ranked scientists, engineers, orresearchers.

To what extent this description ofUS education still applies may beopen to debate, but Bracey’sanalysis will resonate with teachersacross Canada resisting the testingand accountability agenda of right-wing provincial governments.Standarized tests, like the FSAs inBC, are an intellectually impover -ished method of assessing a child’sprogress not only as a student butas a critically thinking citizenengaged with the world. Bracey hasmade a list of qualities andcharacteristics not measured bytests.Personal qualities not measured bytests: Creativity, critical thinking,resilience, motivation, persistence,curiosity, question asking,endurance, reliability, enthusiasm,civic-mindedness, self-awareness,self-discipline, empathy, leadership,compassion, courage, cowardice,sense of beauty, sense of wonder,sense of humour, resourcefulness,spontaneity, playfulness, humility,arrogance.

Listing these untested educa -tional measures might just be anexercise that Education MinisterShirley Bond and BC’s schooltrustees could usefully engage in.

AGM

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Keynote speakerdissects the testingagenda

One of the keynote speakers atthe AGM was Dr. Gerald Bracey, oneof America’s most determined andeffective critics of an educationsystem obsessed with standardizedtesting and struggling with theeffects of decades of underfunding.On his website (www.america-tomorrow.com/bracey), Braceyintroduces himself and his work asfollows:

“Welcome to the EducationDisinformation Detection andReporting Agency (EDDRA). EDDRAis dedicated to analyzing reports,dispelling rumors, rebutting liesabout public education in the UnitedStates.

An example of what I expect toaccomplish here: On March 24,1999, reports appeared calling theoutcomes of home schooling“amazing” and “fantastic.” ...thereport was largely a publicity stuntby the Home School Legal DefenseAssociation. The study was legit,but, given the demographics ofthose involved, it could be arguedthat home schoolers are under -achievers. The parents taking partin the study were affluent, well-educated, and living together; 98%were two-parent families. Their kidswould have done well no matter

Dr. Gerald Bracey

MURRAY DOBBIN PHOTO

MURRAY DOBBIN PHOTO

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TEACHER April 2008 11

went was to the BCTF building. Mymother, Marion Runcie, was on theExecutive and so we stopped at theBCTF Executive meeting on the wayhome from the hospital! When Ibecame a teacher I couldn’t wait tobe an AGM delegate.

My first AGM was just as great asI had imagined it would be. Thedebates were fascinating. I learnedso much about important educationissues. As a member of the BCTF’sTeachers Teaching On Call AdvisoryCommittee, I enjoyed discussingTOC issues with delegates from allover the province. It wasencouraging that this year therewere so many younger teachersincluding the second-generationdelegates. This is very importantbecause so many activists will beretiring in the near future.”

– Alex Peters (Burnaby)

“This was my 15th AGM, but myfirst time as a delegate. I have fondmemories of attending the AGM asa child: running up the downescalators of the Hyatt with AlysonWorboys (daughter of former BCTFPresident Neil Worboys and Jackie),anticipating and then excitedlywatching the results of manyelections and contemplating thenumbers as the chair announcedthem. (I never quite understoodwhat “spoiled” meant). After thesessions we sat in the hospitalitysuite late into the night listening toViewpoint folks sing union songs.With those as memories, how couldyou not want to be a BCTF activist?”

– Anna Chudnovsky (Vancouver)

Geoff Peters teaches at Lord Baden-Powell Elementary School,Coquitlam.

AGM delegatesvote to leave theCanadian Teachers’FederationBy Irene Lanzinger

The BCTF is leaving the CanadianTeachers’ Federation (CTF)—theresult of a decision made at theFederation’s Annual GeneralMeeting. The Vancouver ElementarySchool Teachers’ Association andthe Vancouver Secondary Teachers’Association brought the followingresolution to the AGM:That:1. The BCTF withdraw forthwith

from the Canadian Teachers’Federation and, concomitantly,that the BCTF work with otherteachers’ unions within theCanadian Labour Congress toestablish a representative teacherorganization.

2. All related policies and proce-dures in Section 6 of theMembers’ Guide to the BCTF berescinded.

3. The BCTF seek its own member-ship in Education International,independent of the CanadianTeachers’ Federation. The resolution passed and as a

result, effective August 31, 2008, theBCTF will no longer be a member ofthe Canadian Teachers’ Federation.

The BCTF played a key role ininitiating the formation of theCanadian Teachers’ Federation in1920. Throughout our history, wehave been supportive of a nationalorganization that brings togetherteacher organizations across thiscountry to discuss issues of mutualconcern, to support each other intimes of crises, and together torepresent the views of Canadianteachers in international gatheringsof teachers. We continue to supportthis concept.

Over the past seven or eightyears, however, the BCTF hasstruggled with our membership inthe CTF. We understand andappreciate the differences amongstthe various teacher organizationsthat are members of the CTF. Everyorganization has its own cultureand set of historical experiencesthat shapes them politically andsocially. That is why we gainedsome comfort when the CTF re -structuring several years ago wasbased upon a consensus model oforganizational representation thatwas inclusive of all organizationswith cost matters being determinedon a weighted vote. It was thisconcept of inclusivity, regardless ofan organization’s politics, that heldsome promise.

In spite of what one might assessas positive reasons for continuing towork within the CTF there are twofundamental reasons that are at theroot of the AGM’s decision to with -draw our membership. Those are

the issues of the escalating costs ofmembership and the failure of thepromise of ensuring fairness andequity for all member organizations.

When the Ontario SecondarySchool Teachers’ Federation left theCTF, the national organization wasfaced with a major financial crisis.While some adjustments were madeto reflect the reduced revenue,ultimately the fee increases were farin excess of inflation and seemedintended to restore the CTF to itsformer role and function. The CTFTask Force on Structures andGovernance decision that CTFshould be an umbrella organizationof teacher organizations was neverrealized in decisions regarding whatprograms and services would beappropriate in such an organization.The BCTF and other organizationsexpressed concerns about expendi -tures, but fee increases continued topass at annual general meetings.This left the BCTF with major,escalating expenditures (in excessof $800,000) over which we hadlittle influence.

During the earlier part of thisdecade, the BCTF was dealing withmajor budgetary problems of itsown caused by a significant loss ofmembers due to government con -tract stripping. We found littlesympathy at the CTF table for ourcontinued attempts at advocatingcost-reduction measures for CTF.We know that other memberorganizations of CTF have hadconcerns about the increasing costsof belonging to CTF.

The promise of fairness andequity for member organizationsemanating from the findings of theCTF task force was intended toensure all member organizations ofthe CTF would find their role recog -nized and appreciated, regardless oftheir specific views on issues. Yet, inpractise, this promise has failed tomaterialize. The CTF’s ExecutiveCommittee currently has not asingle representative from the fourwestern provinces of BC, Alberta,Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. If theCTF really intends to be an inclusiveumbrella organization, it needs agovernance structure more inkeeping with that role.

The BCTF will continue to workwith individual teacher organiza -tions on issues of common concern.We will support our colleagues inany province or territory when theyare faced with regressive legislationor attacks by their governments orwith the need to take strike action.It has been said many times that ifthere were no CTF, teacherorganizations would create one.Perhaps the BCTF leaving the CTFwill prompt the kind of debate anddiscussion worthy of determiningthe nature of any national organ -ization of teachers that mightcontinue to exist.

Irene Lanzinger is BCTF president.

Peruvian teachers’ president inspires

Julia Enriquez, the women’ssecretary of the Peruvian teachers’union, SUTEP, gave an inspiringspeech to the assembled BCTFdelegates and her story of thedetermination of her colleagues todefend education was one of theAGM’s clear highlights. Put besidethe struggles of Canadian teachers,the Peruvian union’s battles seemformidable. Yet, underlying both arethe same neo-liberal policies of cutsto social programs, demonizingteachers, and trying to break theirunions. It’s a matter of degree, notsubstance. The assault on teachersbegan with former president AlbertoFujimori (who was imprisoned in2007 for abuse of authority).“Education was turned into acommodity...” under Fujimori, said

Enriquez.Private schools proliferated,

along with private teacher traininginstitutes that were in effect“certificate factories.” The resultwas 180,000 unemployed teachersas authorities hired the less well-trained.

The current government ofPeruvian President Alan Garciabrought in a law making educationan “essential service.” When theteachers went on a strike that wasnow illegal, the leaders of the unionwere thrown in jail for a time. Thegovernment imposed a College ofTeachers on the union but when theunion put up its own slate for theboard and won, the governmentensured the college was ineffective.

The government also imple -mented voluntary unionism andrefused to collect union dues, orpension contributions, forcing theunion to sign up individual teachers(of whom there are 360,000 in Peru,with 100,000 in Lima alone).

Teachers remain extremelypopular in Peru and the illegal strikebrought the Garcia’s popularitydown by 25 percentage points.Neither side is giving up. The latesttactic by the government is tocompletely deregulate teachingdeclaring that you don’t need acertificate to teach—meaning thatpotentially, anyone can do the job.

L-R Back row: Members-at-Large Patricia Gudlaugson (Vancouver Elementary), Jill McCaffery (Mount Arrowsmith), MichelleDavies (Central Okanagan), Robert Tarswell (Princeton), Carole Gillis (Kamloops Thompson), Fred Robertson (Vancouver IslandNorth). Front row: Gail Chaddock-Costello (Langley), 2nd Vice-president Jim Iker (Burns Lake), President Irene Lanzinger(Vancouver Secondary), 1st Vice-President Susan Lambert (Burnaby), Member-at-Large Rebecca Blair (Creston Valley).

Julia Enriquez

Long-time activistparents and theirdaughter/delegates

Anna and David Chudnovsky

Jennifer and Chris Johns

Alex and Geoff Peters

Kimberley and Carol Rees

Andrea and Louise Thibodeau

John and Jennifer Wadge

Katie, Neil and Jackie Worboys

Executive Committee 2008–09 ALISTAIR EAGLE PHOTO

GEOFF PETERS PHOTOS

BCTF renewal: A family value

Second generationteacher activists

By Geoff Peters

Organizations that want to thriveand remain dynamic have to renewthemselves. Activists, after all, retirelike anyone else and when teachersretire their teacher activism goeswith them. The AGM highlighted theprocess of teacher activism renewalby featuring a number of secondgeneration activists—seven youngdelegates—most there for the firsttime as elected reps, who werecontinuing a family history ofactivism.

The conference chairperson, BarbParrott (Vancouver Elementary)welcomed the daughters of two pastBCTF presidents, five past or currentBCTF Executive members, localtable officers, and long-time AGMdelegates.

So what inspired these youngteachers to activism and what didthey think about the AGM experi -ence this year? Here are a fewresponses:

“Coming from a family of teacheractivists, some would say it was inmy blood, but I saw how hard bothof my parents had to work andwanted nothing to do with it! I soonfigured out I couldn’t fight nature,and have been teaching in aprimary classroom for the last threeyears. I felt that the 2008 AGM (myfirst) was an excellent experiencefor a new teacher...and a ratherconfusing one at the start! The AGMexperience provided the opportunityto converse with others around theprovince which is helpful comingfrom a rural local. I was honouredto be able to sit beside my father,Chris Johns, during his last AGM.Happy retirement Dad, and thanksfor passing on the teaching activistgene.”

– Jennifer Johns (Cranbrook)

“Going to the AGM wassomething I always looked forwardto when I was a child. It must run inthe blood, or maybe it is becauseafter I was born, the first place I

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12 TEACHER April 2008

On December 18, 2007, teachersaround the province woke up tomedia stories about the apparent“seizure” (some even tossed theword kidnapping into the mix) of ateacher at North Oyster ElementarySchool in Nanaimo. The teacherwas Roxanne Harris, a member ofthe Chemainus band and a teacherof Grades 4 and 5. Over the nextfew days the media terminologychanged and the initial confusionand alarm faded away as it wasrevealed that the seizure was partof a traditional Coast Salishceremony that involved escorting areluctant initiate to the traditionalLong House.

already spoken to the schoolprincipal and kind of pre-arrangedit, saying that I wouldn’t be there forthe following week, all I could thinkwas—what about my job? I wasthinking of the kids.

I just, at the first second I was like“no,” reluctant to go. And then Irealized that, it’s just going tohappen, so I thought ok, here I go. Ididn’t really put up a big fuss.Stewart: Has participating in thiscultural experience affected yourrelationship with your teachercolleagues?Harris: The first day back was kindof off, but after that, and kindatelling them what I could and thenkind of having one-on-ones with acouple of other people. It’s likerunning a marathon, it’s really hard,but then you get through it. When Idid come back, I felt reallywelcomed by the kids because theyknew where I went and they wereprobably there... Even the non-Aboriginal kids were accepting.Stewart: How has the experienceaffected your relationship with yourteacher-colleagues at your school?Your students?Harris: I was worried at first howthe teachers were going to acceptme back to the school knowingwhat had happened but it was justlike after a couple of days back atwork, it was back to normal andback to the routine... It was just amatter of clearing the air a little bitwhen I got back and explaining tothem.Stewart: The union filed agrievance—how do you feel aboutthat? Was it done on your behalf?

Harris: Like my safety wasn’t everreally jeopardized, they need to stepback and look at the situation for asecond, instead of reacting soquickly. It goes back to our culture,you kind of step back, look atwhat’s going on first before you

By Helesia Luke

When the controversy eruptedrecently about one million dollars ofplayground grants randomly dis -tributed through a lottery processrun by the BC Confederation ofParent Advisory Councils (BCCPAC),I have to admit I was not surprised.

Over the years, I have beenconcerned about a lack of financialinformation from BCCPAC and itsreluctance to answer questionsabout its financial situation. Whenfinancial statements are presentedat BCCPAC AGMs, it is common forsomeone in attendance to “call thequestion” after only a few membershave had a chance to raisequestions about the organization’sfinances.

Because of this practice, BCCPAChas answered very few questionsabout its finances, questions suchas:• Why is the organization so

extraordinarily dependent ongovernment funding (over 70% ofBCCPAC’s revenue comes fromgovernment grants)?

• Why does BCCPAC carry overlarge, unrestricted surpluses eachyear when, typically, governmentgrants must be spent prior toMarch 31?

• How has the organization carriedout numerous publicly fundedprojects during a period of timewhen its number of paid staffdeclined? Last spring, after a string of

Ministry of Education fundingannouncements for BCCPAC, Idecided that a deeper inquiry intoBCCPAC’s financial position was inorder. I initiated a Freedom ofInformation (FOI) request. Thisrequest turned up much more than Iexpected.

I was looking for documents thatwould be generated in the course ofcarrying out the work of developingand running a project. Thesedocuments, I hoped, would providea more detailed picture of howBCCPAC was using millions ofpublic dollars.

Instead, the information I re -ceived painted a startling picture ofan organization awash in cash withlittle or no reporting requirementsand few staff members in place tocarry out meaningful work.

Over three years, BCCPACreceived more than $4 million fromthe Ministry of Education. Thisincluded three contribution agree -ments—two in the amount of$268,000 for core operatingexpenses and $85,000 for TheAdvocacy Project. Both core-funding agreements requireBCCPAC to “co-operate with theProvince in making such publicannouncements regarding theservices and the details of thisagreement as the Provincerequests.” As “the collective voice ofparents” it seems a bit at odds thatBCCPAC would agree to co-operatewith the province on announce -ments and meet with the provinceto review its role, objectives, andactivities. Surely, it is parents whoshould be reviewing the role of aparents’ organization.

As I mulled over BCCPAC’s goodfortune in receiving ever-increasingcore funding during a period ofintense cuts to public education, Iread through the additional infor -mation in the package. Here wasthe biggest surprise—20 Letters ofAward issued from the minister’soffice between May 2004 and March2007 amounting to a whopping$4,004,000.

These single letters covered arange of topics from $150,000 givenfor “improving student achieve -ment” to $600,000 for “developing amultiyear parent leadershipprogram.” Most of these letterscontained few if any conditions. Allrequired BCCPAC to acknowledgethe province’s largesse. The lastLetter of Award in the packagestated that a grant of $1 million wasbeing advanced for “developing agrant program to enable PACs topurchase playground equipment”and that “a cheque for that amountis enclosed.”

Surely, these single-page,sparsely worded letters were not theonly documents related to $4 mil -lion of spending by a governmentnormally preoccupied with account -ability. Referring back to my originalrequest for work documents, I had aseries of follow-up calls withministry staff.

In those calls I asked for reportsabout these projects:• How was the money spent? • What were the outcomes? • Is there a proposal from BCCPAC

related to the $1 million for play-grounds?

• Is there a plan for how to distrib-ute it? No, I was told, on all counts. We

understand your request, ministrystaff said, but they had sent me allthe documentation about thisfunding that they had on file. Theonly other documents I might beable to obtain, they said, werephotocopies of the cheques madebefore they were mailed. EvenBCCPAC’s financial statements werenot on file with the ministry despitetheir contractual option to ask forthem.

According to BCCPAC’s recentlyposted annual report, the organiza -tion has cash assets of over $2.4million and revenue in 2007 of over$1.6 million. With a small staff anda volunteer board it is hard toimagine how this small organiza -tion is going to carry out any of theprojects for which they receivedfunding.

After this story broke, so tospeak, a few weeks ago in TheVancouver Sun, ministry staff calledthe reporter to say they would beproviding further documentationrelated to this spending. To date, theministry has not been able to shedmore light on how these financialgifts were managed and why thisparticular organization is situated toreceive millions in funding forprograms it seems ill-equipped todeliver.

Coincidentally, a few days afterThe Vancouver Sun story appeared,BCCPAC’s president announced anew grant program for parentswanting to hold a “parent educationday” that includes a session oncrystal meth. Interestingly, fundingfor this program—$500,000—wasadvanced to BCCPAC over two yearsago, in March 2006, yet this seemsto have been the first publicannouncement that grants wereavailable.

We still don’t know what, if any,other programs were delivered withthe millions of dollars expended.Unfortunately, my search for aclearer understanding of howprecious public education funding isspent in this area has raised manymore questions than answers.

Helesia Luke is a parent and publiceducation advocate.

Exclusive interview with Roxanne Harris

I went reluctantly at first,because I was kind ofshocked. I was just told thatit was my time to go. It’s thatinitial shock, and I thinkthat’s part of the ceremony.

As it turned out, the principal andthe school board were aware theevent was going to happen butother teachers were not. Much hasbeen written about the events ofthat day and the developments thatfollowed, but Roxanne Harris hasnever told the story from herperspective. Teacher newsmagazineasked Christine Stewart, assistantdirector in the BCTF’s Professionaland Social Issues Division—andAboriginal herself—to interviewHarris about the events and theirimpact.Stewart: Perhaps we could juststart by asking you to describe theevents of that day, as youexperienced them.Harris: Not many people witnessedit, and so a lot of third-hand orfourth-hand knowledge had goneout. The principal knew before I gotinitiated that it was going tohappen, and so she arranged it so Iwould never be in front of aclassroom. I was probably about 10steps from the doorway, and I wentreluctantly at first, because I waskind of shocked. I was just told thatit was my time to go. It’s that initialshock, and I think that’s part of theceremony.

Not knowing that my parents had

...what I got from our unionrep, it wasn’t about theculture, it wasn’t about me,it was about a safety issue.

Harris: It was a safety issuewhether our ceremony should takeplace in the school, or whether itwas just...what I got from our unionrep, it wasn’t about the culture, itwasn’t about me, it was about asafety issue. One teacher said to methat, “we were just worried aboutyour safety.” Stewart: What would you haveliked the union to do—how should ithave responded in your view?

I feel protected by the union,that feels good, because inan independent school youdon’t have that, you don’thave a union. To me I reallydo feel good that I belong tothe NVTA and the BCTF.

talk, but it’s just like they got theball rolling and didn’t stop to thinkfirst. I mean I feel good working inthe district, I feel protected by theunion, that feels good, because inan independent school you don’thave that, you don’t have a union.To me I really do feel good that Ibelong to the NVTA and the BCTF.Stewart: Do you have any advicefor the BCTF and your local unionabout how to develop policy thatcan respect both human rights andAboriginal culture, so that this kindof misunderstanding does nothappen again?Harris: I wonder if there is awillingness to learn. I don’t know, Idon’t sense that. I think in thatsense there needs to be morelearning because if you are standingthere teaching and 60% of your kidsare Aboriginal and 40% are fromChemainus First Nation, wellshouldn’t all of the staff in theschool have some understandingabout the Coast Salish Culture?

I just think if they should havesomething like this again, maybethey should have someone they canconsult with, even if it was just withthe district, phone the Aboriginalprincipal, say that this and this andthis happened, or speak to an elder.

And I should state for the recordthat I don’t mean to offend anyoneby talking about it. I also want tosay that I consulted with my familybefore doing the interview and theythought it would be good to set therecord straight.

– Christine Stewart

International Women’s Day celebrationBy Carol Tirk

On March 10, 2008, in the farnorth of British Columbia, in thesmall town of Fort Nelson, femaleteachers came together to celebrateInternational Women’s Day. Theevent was organized by two youngteachers—Lindsey Kingsfield andKarla Duchene—the co-chairpersons of social justice fortheir teachers’ association.

In her welcome to the womengathered that evening, Kingsfieldsaid, “When Karla and I were freshlyappointed social justice chairstrying to decide what we weregoing to do at the beginning of theschool year, we both agreed veryearly on that we wanted to dosomething to honour the womenwe work with. We both felt that thisdistrict was probably the best placewe could have chosen to work infor our first couple years of teachingbecause of the tremendous sense ofcamaraderie we felt from day one.Never have I meet a group ofwomen so willing and eager tomake new staff feel welcome andsupported. I believe that we share aunique experience working in thisdistrict where competition isreplaced with compassion andindifference with a desire to help

each other succeed at our jobs.“This sense of compassion and

camaraderie is not lost when deal -ing with our student body. Womenin this district work tirelesslycoaching teams, hosting clubs, andstaying after school to offer studentsadditional help so that they maysucceed. We are not a group ofwomen who fear change, we adaptand develop curriculum and lessonsas needed and work together toprovide students with the bestexperience we can. We are educa -tors and this work we love willcontinue to make a difference in thelives of our students. HappyWomen’s Day 2008 and thank youfor all the hard work you do!”

Kingsfield and Duchene hadasked veteran Fort Nelson teacherKim Tofte to deliver a keynotespeech that evening. Kim Tofte hasbeen teaching in the northernregions of BC since 1982 and is wellknown for her wit, humour, andinsights. She provided thisbackground. “It wasn’t until the late1960s that women were allowed toteach while being pregnant andshowing. It was in the early 1970sthat women were regularly usingMs. and not Miss. Wages were notthe same as men’s until the early1970s. In the 1980s, fewer womenwere going into teaching as more

professional occupations werebeginning to open up for women.”

Tofte also spoke about thechanges she had seen over time inFort Nelson where women haveassumed jobs that werepredominantly male in the past.Women are teaching senior mathand science courses and womenhave become principals. Fort Nelsoneven has a female superintendent.

The women in attendanceenjoyed a wonderful turkey dinnerand then, adorned with glow-sticknecklaces, marched to town andback celebrating what women haveaccomplished and thinking about allthe things that still need to happenor change.

In addition to the InternationalWomen’s Day march, Kingsfield andDuchene organized a food andclothes drive at the secondaryschool, a raffle for door prizes at thedinner, and the lighting of tea lightsto support the women’s shelter inFort Nelson.

Congratulations to these twoyoung women activists whoaccepted a position in their teacherassociation, applied for a socialjustice grant, and organized thiscommunity event.

Carol Tirk is an assistant director inthe BCTF’s Field Services Division.

Behindcloseddoors: BCCPAC’squestionablefinances

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TEACHER April 2008 13

“The true journey of discoverylies not in seeking new land -scapes but in having new eyes.”

– Marcel Proust

By Hilary Spicer

I recently attended a CanadianStudies Conference at the Universityof Havana, sponsored by theCanadian Embassy. The focus wason Cuba/Canada collaboration, adiversity of topics being presentedand discussed ranging from theTrudeau/Castro relationship andCanada’s role in Latin America, toeducational projects that currentlyexist between Cuban and Canadianinstitutions. Dianaleis Mores madea passionate presentation about theBCTF project and its impact oneducation in Santa Clara, where sheteaches. As I listened, I was againinspired by the impact that thisproject has had on many of us herewho have had the privilege ofparticipating on a BCTF team,working with Cuban teachers onestablishing communicativelanguage learning/teachingclassroom communities. I alsorealized how strong the roots of thisproject are, and how far reachingthe effects. There are severalprojects that are currently going onin Cuba because of the relationshipsestablished through the BCTFinitiative, in Santa Clara and inPinar del Rio.

The Instituto Pedagogico SuperiorFelix Varela in Santa Clara has,since 2003, been encouraging eachof its language teachers to betrilingual—Spanish, English, andFrench is being required of allgraduating language teachers. Withconsistent collaboration fromAlfredo Camacho Delgado, whovisited us in Vancouver in 2006,Simon Fraser University has beensending teams of student teachersto Santa Clara since 2005. Studentswho choose to participate in thisinitiative, live on the Felix Varelacampus, participate in Spanishclasses, history lectures, and adiversity of cultural events, as wellas focussing on a one-monthFrench teaching practicum in aCuban secondary school. Each SFUstudent teacher is partnered with a

Cuban student teacher with whomthey prepare, present, and reflect ontheir evolving second-languageteaching principles. Generouscolleagues from BC’s Lower Main -land have donated a wide range ofFrench materials that are used atboth the Instituto and the secondaryschool. Santa Clara is the onlylocation in Cuba where such aproject is taking place and enfrançais. Comments from studentsinclude: “The Cuba project allowedme to grow as a person and aprofessional and develop valuesthat will stay with me forever.” “MyCuba experience enabled me to takea step back and for a time view theworld from a different angle,through another’s perspective.”

Lasting friendships have beenformed through this SFU experi -ence, with new teachers from bothCanada and Cuba continuing to

continue their language studieswhen they have frequent opportuni -ties to listen, view, and eventually,read creative works in the targetlanguage and respond to them inpersonal ways.”

The result of this conversationwas an international conference co-chaired by Juan Silvio CabreraAlbert and I: Language and Culture:Building Bridges through the Arts.

Workshops focussed on how tointegrate theatre, poetry, painting,and literature into our teaching oflanguage. The Language of Theatre,Creative Writing through Imagery,and Choreographing Grammar wereamong the topics presented. Amajor goal was to create interactivesessions, often held in an art galleryspace, a theatre space, thus involv -ing participants in a “through-the-arts” environment. Field trips tocommunity art projects were a partof the four-day program, offeringparticipants the opportunity toexperience the power of the arts ina community centre, as well as theeffects that art is having amongDown Syndrome young peoplethrough a project called Amor yEsperanza (Love and Hope).

Some comments from partici -pants from Mexico, Italy, France,Canada, and Cuba included: “Theemphasis on culture, broadlyconceived, was fantastic, as was theeffort to move us away from thetraditional academic conferencemodel.” “What I found inspiring wasthe contact with so many people,art everywhere, the quality of thesessions and the settings, so muchartistic talent, and also concreteacademic ideas.”

We are currently planning a“Language and Culture: BuildingBridges through the Arts” No. 2 forApril 2009.

These are a few of the projectsand events going on in Cuba todaybecause of the BCTF/SNTECDcollaboration. The networkingamong Cuban and Canadianteachers and educators is strong,the friendships and collaborativepossibilities continue to growthanks to this project. Merci!Gracias! Thank you!

Hilary Spicer is a BCTF Cuba projectmember and adjunct faculty associ-ate, Simon Fraser University.

By Larry Kuehn

When it comes to developing cellphone policy there is great reluc -tance by the groups that have theauthority, such as ministries ofeducation and boards of education,to make systemic policies. That maybe a good thing. Broad policies canimpose in ways that are inconveni -ent or damaging and with a rapidlyevolving technology, the policyprocess is generally too slow toreally be on top of issues. On theother hand, individual teachers maywish for someone else to make arule that deals with the negativeaspects of cell phone use. Enforcingexternally set rules can be easierthan having to create the rules—especially if students find differentrules as they go from class to class.

distractions showed up in schools.Like the other toys, the cell phone,iPod, and PSP simply need to be putaway. The only difference? Someteachers and some students mayfind educationally sound uses forsome of these devices and someteachers and students will whileaway their time on YouTube!

3. Cell Phone Policy for KalamalkaSecondary School in SD 22 presentedto students February 4, 2008: Cell phones have become a signifi -cant disruption to the learningenvironment at KAL Secondary.Each day instructional time is lostdue to cell phone use, e.g., talking,texting, games, etc. In order toreduce this disruption to the learn -ing environment; the followingpolicy has been created. Staff,students and parents have beenconsulted and they have providedinput in the development of thispolicy. Acceptable use: Students may usetheir cell phone ONLY during NON-instructional time, in or out of thebuilding. This means that studentsare NOT permitted to use their cellphone during instructional time, i.e.,teaching time, in or out of class -rooms, including hallways andwashrooms.Consequences of unacceptable use:

• If a student is found usingtheir cell phone during instructionaltime anywhere in the building, astaff member may confiscate thecell phone.

• All confiscated cell phoneswill be turned in to the office, andthe student may retrieve the cellphone at the end of the school day.

• After the third confiscation ofa student’s cell phone, a parent/guardian must meet with theadministration to have the cellphone retrieved. Staff process for handling confiscated cell phones:

1. Bring confiscated cell phonesto the office.

2. Place cell phone in envelope,with student name, your name, anddate of confiscation.

3. Place envelope in cell phonebox.

4. Clerical staff to record studentname on log book, documentingstudent name and date ofconfiscation.

5. Student may retrieve cellphone at the end of the day—after3:00—from the office.

6. Upon third confiscation,administration contactsstudent/parent-guardian to arrangea meeting to discuss the student’scell phone use and retrieve the cellphone.

For the whole policy go to:www.tinyurl.com/2lnfld

So what do you think? Are rulesnecessary? If so, why? What shouldthey be? Who should set them?Join in the conversation atwww.tinyurl.com/26md2m.

Larry Kuehn is the director of theBCTF’s Research and TechnologyDivision.

Each SFU student teacher ispartnered with a Cubanstudent teacher with whomthey prepare, present, andreflect on their evolvingsecond-language teachingprinciples.

strengthen the bridges initiallyconstructed through the BCTF.

The University of Pinar hasbecome another offshoot of theinitial BCTF team visit there in 2002.There have been contributions tothe Social and Humanistic Sciencesdiploma program offered to Englishteachers from around Pinarprovince. The focus of the BCcourses has been reflective practiceand transformative inquiry asessential ingredients in ourteaching/learning practice.

In a conversation with a Univer -sity of Pinar language teacher, theintegration of the arts into alanguage course as a powerfulcomponent was discussed. The BCLanguage Curriculum has alwaysstressed that “students learn alanguage most efficiently when theyexperience and enjoy the languagethrough music, film, video, poetry,and other forms of creative expres -sion. Students will be motivated to

BCTF Cuba project

What you said aboutcellphones in the classroom

No one, including most stu -dents, would disagree thatthere should be some degreeof respon sible use ofelectronic devices but aredistrict- or school-wide rules,notoriously difficult toenforce, the right response?

In the January/February 2008issue of Teacher, we published anarticle (www.tinyurl.com/26md2m)on cell phones and asked you toadd your comments. Here’s whatthree of you had to say:

1. And the issue isn’t merelyabout cell phones: the same thingapplies to MP3 players and camerasin general; what sort of rules areappropriate, necessary, and realis -tic? No one, including most stu -dents, would disagree that thereshould be some degree of respon -sible use of electronic devices butare district- or school-wide rules,notoriously difficult to enforce, theright response? As soon as yourback is turned, out come thedevices. How much time should youspend enforcing a rule? Someteachers, myself included, don’t feelthat this is any more difficult orproblematic than any other conductchallenges: your classroom, yourrules. No hats means no hats, nogum means no gum. I would add, infavour of more flexible orclassroom-based rules, there aretimes when black-and-white rulesare counter-productive. Specifically,I sometimes like when my studentshave headphones on because theireffort and focus sometimesincreases. When I need them tolisten I rarely, if ever, have a prob -lem getting them to remove theubiquitous earbud.

2. I agree with the above post—issues will change however, class -rooms, in one form or another, willremain and teachers will need to setexpectations. I have found thatalthough many want a quick knee-jerk reaction to technology in theclassroom (“I heard that a studenttook a picture of Mrs. So-And-Sowhen she was yelling at herstudents and posted it on somewebsite!”) my reality has been nodifferent than the one slightly over20 years ago when the first portablecassette players (ghetto blasters!)then the Walkman, and other

HILARY SPICER PHOTOS

(Top) Students sing both the Canadian and the Cuban national anthems.(Above) A Cuban student teacher and an SFU student teacher, pictured here with two Cuban students,team up to prepare, present, and reflect on their second-language teaching principles.

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FSA tales

14 TEACHER April 2008

Health and safetySupport the PublicCompensationCoalitionBy Mark Keelan

As you may be aware, in 2002 theprovincial government made drasticchanges to the Workers Compensa -tion Act. Compensation paid forwage loss was cut, opportunities toappeal WorkSafeBC decisions werereduced, compensation for chronicpsychological injuries was all buteliminated, and the inflationadjustment on benefits waschanged to Consumer Price Indexminus 1%. All of these changes takemoney away from injured workersand put it in the pockets ofemployers.

The change that is havingperhaps the most significant long-term effect has to do with pensionsawarded to workers who suffer

The Liberal government’schanges to the waypermanent disabilitypensions are awarded haveresulted in a huge reductionin benefits paid to disabledworkers.

permanent disabilities as a result ofworkplace injuries. In general, priorto 2002, permanent disabilitypensions took two factors intoaccount. First, compensation wasawarded for the extent to which thedisability prevented the worker fromfully functioning. For example, aperson who lost an arm wasprobably prevented from doingmany of the things that she or hecould previously do. The disabilityaward provided some compensa -tion for the difference. Second,compensation was awarded for theloss of earnings that resulted if thedisabled worker was not able toreturn to the job she or he previous -ly held, or to a job that providedearnings similar to those earnedprior to the injury. Of course, sincethe disability was permanent, thedisability pension was paid for life.

The Liberal government’schanges to the way permanentdisability pensions are awardedhave resulted in a huge reduction in

benefits paid to disabled workers.The criteria for awarding loss ofearnings pensions have beennarrowed to the point that it isalmost impossible for an injuredworker to get compensation for lossof earnings. In 2002, 927 loss-of-earnings pensions were awarded. In

In 2002, 927 loss-of-earningspensions were awarded. In 2006, the number dropped to 39.

2006, the number dropped to 39.The average value of a loss-of-earnings pension in 2002 was$198,000 and in 2006 it was$100,300.

The Canada Pension Plan pro -vides a modest pension for peoplewho are totally disabled. Prior to2002, workers who became totallydisabled due to workplace injuriesand who were eligible to claim theCanada Pension Plan DisabilityPension could receive those benefitsin addition to their WorkSafeBCpensions. The Liberal government’schanges now reduce the WorkSafe -BC pension by 50% of the amount ofthe worker’s Canada Pension PlanDisability Pension. BecauseWorkSafeBC pension benefits arenon-taxable and CPP pensionbenefits are taxable, the effect ondisabled workers’ disposableincomes is compounded.

A group of British Columbiaactivists has decided to take actionto attempt to restore permanentdisability benefits and pensions topre-2002 levels. The PublicCompensation Coalition (PCC) hasproduced a variety of resources,including a fact sheet, a back -grounder, pull-tabs, posters, andother materials to help educateBritish Columbians about the issueso we can fight back against thedevastating changes to thecompensation system in thisprovince.

The following two scenarios arefeatured on the PCC website:

Scenario 1Susan is a 37-year-old personal

care aide earning $34,000 a year.While leaving the house of a client,she slips on an icy sidewalk, badlyinjuring a disc in her lower back.Susan is no longer able to handlethe heavy lifting at her job. She

secures another job as a lighthousekeeper that pays only $20,000per year. Susan lives to age 85.

Scenario 2Edward is a 43-year-old

warehouse worker earning $42,000per year. One day, a pallet he isloading collapses, breaking bones inhis right ankle. After extensiverehabilitation, Ed is still unable toperform his warehouse job.Eventually, he finds another job thatpays him only $32,000 per year.Edward lives to 85.

You may be surprised to knowthat the combined lifetime financialloss to these two workers due to theLiberal government’s legislativechanges is almost three-quarters ofa million dollars. Check out the PCCwebsite: www.tinyurl.com/2xyexe, tosee how that is possible.

At the BCTF Executive Commit -tee’s March meeting the followingresolution was passed:

“That the BCTF endorse thePublic Compensation Coalition’scampaign to restore WCB loss ofearnings benefits and pensions andthat they encourage locals andmembers to support the campaign.”

What can BCTF members do to help?

Look at the PCC’s website. Signthe online petition. Order materialsfrom the PCC and give them tocolleagues, family members,friends, and neighbours. Talk topeople about the issues andencourage them to fight back.Contact your MLA and tell her orhim that you expect support for thecampaign to return WCB permanentdisability benefits and pensions toat least the level they were prior tothe 2002 legislation. Ask your local

The Public CompensationCoalition (PCC) has produceda variety of resources,including a fact sheet, abackgrounder, pull-tabs,posters, and other materialsto help educate BritishColumbians…

to sign on as a PCC supporter. Youmight even want to make afinancial contribution to the PCC toassist them in this importantcampaign.

Mark Keelan is the BCTF’s Healthand Safety officer for prevention.

PCC website: www.tinyurl.com/2xyexe

By Moira Mackenzie

Recently, the Vancouver Suneditorial pages brought to light thestory of a principal in Texas whothreatened to kill a group of scienceteachers and himself if the standar -dized test scores did not improve,finishing his comments with, “Youdon’t know how ruthless I am.”

While we may be used to thestranger-than-fiction stories comingout of the US, we can fully expect tosee more here at home as thegovernment strives to importAmerican-style education schemes.The recent FSA saga, for example,brought to light a few strange talesmade in BC.

The new e-component of theFSAs created its own set oftales, which would belaughable were it not for thefrustration teachers andstudents experienced.

In the face of teachers’ resistanceto marking the FSAs, school dis -tricts began trying to pull teachers’onside with offers of money, hotelrooms, meals and refreshments. Ina particularly novel approach, oneschool superinten dent encouragedteachers to sign up for a Markathonfor Charity, wherein the funds theboard received for marking wouldbe donated to a charity in thecommunity.

The new e-component of theFSAs created its own set of tales,which would be laughable were itnot for the frustration teachers andstudents experienced. We do knowthat the ministry piloted the e-component ahead of time. What wedon’t know is how on earth therecould have been so many e-problems in a process that wasanticipated, planned, tested, andpromoted well ahead of the fatefultesting period.

Some of the e-foul ups, reportedby teachers around the provincewere:• students having to try eight or

nine times to log on and begin. • the wait time on the program

causing students to double clickin impatience, only to find that adouble click logged their class-mates out, and the process hadto begin again.

• students who didn’t press sub mitat the end of the e-compon ent,could return to working on thetest at home.

• the questions and text beingcompletely out of sync in the splitscreen questions about readingpassages.

• students and teachers in districtsin the Mountain time zonesbeginning the test but having itall crash as soon as the rest ofBC logged on.

• the FSAs knocking out theBCeSIS system at the criticalsemester turn around time. Then there was the case of the

“bad words” on the ministry web -site. As reported in the press, wellinto the testing period, parentsbegan expressing concern about thenaughty language that showed up

when various PEN numbers wereentered to log in. One has toassume that it was not e-frustrationat the ministry that led to thissituation and was more likelysomeone from outside getting

…parents began expressingconcern about the naughtylanguage that showed upwhen various PEN numberswere entered to log in.

around the system intending to setup a prank. However it happened, itcertainly called into question thereliability and security of the pro -cess and results, especially whencoupled with the many e-botch-upsoutlined above. The ministry,strangely quiet as the many prob -lems were reported publicly, even -tually made reference to “logisticalproblems” in the administration ofthe online components of the FSA.

Moving beyond logistics intodynamics, it was interesting to notethe types of response administratorsgave to parental requests to opttheir child out of the FSAs. Thepositions ran the gamut from insist -ing there was no ability to opt out toadvising that students be kept homefor the FSA period to accom -modating the request respectfully.However, one tale best exemplifieswhat can happen when FSA pres -sure runs amok. An elementaryteacher reported that in one school,the parents of a handful of Grade 7students had requested that theirchildren be opted out. In responsethe principal met with the studentsto tell them that they had to writethe tests or an upcoming dance,students’ council meeting, andextracurricular activities could becancelled. It was also reported thatthese parents and many otherparents were understandably upsetwith this reaction and, as a result,three quarters of the parents in theclass wrote requesting that theirchild be exempted as well.

…the principal met with thestudents to tell them thatthey had to write the tests oran upcoming dance,students’ council meeting,and extracurricular activitiescould be cancelled.

On one level, these stories arehumorous, but more importantly,they serve to underscore whatteachers have been saying all along.These tests take valuable time awayfrom teaching and learning. They donot provide useful information forteachers, students, or parents.Teachers, as professionals, believein fair, effective and reliable assess -ment and cannot endorse the publicrelations exercise masquerading asstudent assessment.

Moira Mackenzie is director of theBCTF’s Communications andCampaigns Division.

Have a stranger-than-fiction FSAstory to tell? E-mail: fsa@bctf.ca

BCTF supports RickMoore appeal ofBC Supreme Courtdecision

Irene Lanzinger, BC Teachers’Federation president, has expressedthe support of BC teachers for RickMoore’s appeal to the BC Court ofAppeals. Moore’s complaint allegesthat the school district of NorthVancouver and the Ministry ofEducation discriminated againststudents with severe learningdisabilities when they failed toprovide proper accommodation forhis son, Jeff.

In the early 1990s while in Grade2, Jeff Moore was diagnosed with alearning disability. The schoolpsychologist recommended hereceive support in the district’sDiagnostic Centre. However, shortlybefore he was to begin there, theschool district closed the DiagnosticCentre as a cost-cutting measure.Moore was forced to enrol his sonin a private school that couldprovide the support Jeff required.

Moore filed a human rightscomplaint against the district andthe ministry. The BC Human RightsTribunal found in his favour.However, in early March 2008, theirdecision was overturned by the BC

Supreme Court. The Supreme Courtconcluded that as long as thosesuffering a different or more severetype of disability did not receive asimilar benefit or specializedprogram, there was no discrimina -tion against Jeff Moore.

“We were very disappointed withthe decision of the Supreme Court.This case is a real setback for allstudents with special needs,” saysLanzinger. “Imagine the SupremeCourt deciding that it is okay todiscriminate against students withlearning disabilities so long as allstudents with learning disabilitiesare discriminated against in thesame way.”

Since 2001, BC schools have lostover 600 special education teachersand over 10,000 classes have fouror more students with specialeducation needs. In addition, 3,179classes have more than 30 studentsenrolled.

“Many students with specialneeds in our schools today arestruggling without the support theydeserve,” says Lanzinger. “Thissituation for students with specialneeds is proof that the educationminister’s mantra about providingthe highest funding ever for BCschools is false.”

Toronto board tocut homework

The Toronto school board hasentered the homework controversyby deciding to issue some newguidelines regarding the amount ofhomework assigned and when itcan be assigned. The new rulesprohibit the assigning of homeworkbefore holiday long weekends sofamilies can get the full benefit ofwhat is supposed to be a break.

The board also intends to drop itsprevious benchmark of 10 minutesof homework a day per grade year.It recommends some work at homefrom Grades 1 to 6, but mostly inthe later years. By Grades 7 and 8,one hour or less across all subjectswould be appropriate. The goal forsecondary school, is a ‘hard’ cap oftwo hours.

Dr. Paul Cappon, president of theCanadian Council on Learning inOttawa, supports the move. Thenew policy emphasizes homeworkthat enhances in-school lessonslearned rather than introducing newmaterial. “That’s what drivesparents to distraction, when theyhave to teach their children,” saysCappon, citing a recent councilreport showing that 72% of parentsare stressed because they can’t dotheir kids’ homework.

– Staff

Stranger thanfiction

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TEACHER April 2008 15

Project Overseas NigeriaBy Geoff Stubbs and Leigh Howard

The adventure began in October2006, when we answered theadvertisement in the Teachernewsmagazine, asking for appli -cants to Project Overseas (PO). Thisis a joint endeavour of the CanadianTeachers’ Federation (CTF) and itsmember organiza tions. Started in1962, PO has given assistance inover 50 countries in Africa, Asia, theCaribbean, and the South Pacific. Inevery project, the Canadian teach -ers work with the host teacherunion overseas to meet the needsthat they have requested from theCTF. In the summer of 2007, 50teachers from across Canada (4from BC) worked in 13 countries tohelp improve teacher skills andcompetence of their overseascolleagues, to help strengthen andimprove the teacher organization,and to promote understanding andgood will among teachers.

On July 5, 2007, 50 teachers fromacross Canada arrived in Ottawaand began three days of orientation.Here we got to develop the teamgoing to Nigeria, finalize the teach -ing assignments, and generallyprepare for the assignment ahead.

Nigeria is located in WesternAfrica, between Benin andCameroon, and is Africa’s mostpopulous country, with about 127million people. The govern ment is arepublic and is currently transition -ing from military to civilian rule.Elections were held in the spring of2007 and there was a sentiment ofhope for positive change in thepeople we spoke to. The mainreligions are Muslim and Christian,and while both religions are evidentthroughout the country, the Muslimslive primarily in the North and theChristians in the South. There areabout 213 different languagesspoken in Nigeria, and almosteveryone can speak some English.Nigeria is rich in oil along the coastand, in the areas we visited, thereappeared to be suffi cient freshwater and fertile land.

After landing in the modernAbuja Airport, we were struck bythe hot, humid African climate. Wemet our hosts from the NigerianUnion of Teachers (NUT), Nnina andPeter, and headed off to begin ourincredible experience.

Our safety was the number onepriority with our hosts. All ourhotels were secured by gated wallsand had security police at the entry.We were escorted everywhere by a

representative of the NUT, and wetried to travel only in daylight. Itwas a pleasure to spend time withour escorts. We became friends withour drivers and depended on themto help us communicate in a culturewho saw us as rich oyibo (whiteman).

Our first official duty in Abujawas at the formal introductionceremony, where we met theGovernor General of the NigerianUnion of Teachers, as well as manyother dignitaries. At this time wepresented the gifts we had broughtfrom the Canadian Teachers’Federation. After that, we weretaken sightseeing around the city.

Going to the Wuze market wasone of the most memorableexperiences of the trip. It was ahuge outdoor market where youcould buy anything from rope toeyeglasses. Nnina, our guide, wasexperienced at bartering and it wasfascinating to listen to her and theshopkeepers negotiating prices inloud voices and with dramaticgestures.

The classroom consisted ofrough wooden desks and asmall worn-out black board.The ceiling tiles were fallingin, and there was neitherelectricity nor glasswindows. The students,however, were delightful…

We visited the Federal Govern -ment Boarding School; again weexperienced very formal introduc -tions. The school itself was inshocking disrepair. We were takento a classroom of intermediatestudents dressed in state schooluniforms. The classroom consistedof rough wooden desks and a smallworn-out black board. The ceilingtiles were falling in, and there wasneither electricity nor glasswindows. The students, however,were delightful and were amazed tohear that in Canada there is nocorporal punishment, as caning andstrapping are still accepted practicesin Nigeria.

After Abuja, we traveled south -east to Akure, in Ondo state, tobegin our workshops. The smooth,four-lane highway leading out ofthe capital ended quickly, and wetraveled on a paved, but potholed,two-lane road in what we affection -ately called the NUT Van. On eitherside of the road, for the majority ofthe six-hour trip, there were lean-to

structures selling potatoes, pine -apples, plantains, and other localcrops. At each intersection of thehighway, or at the gas stations, wewere quickly surrounded by“hawkers” selling everything fromphone cards (cell phones areprevalent and inexpensive) tohousehold goods.

In Akure, we met our co-tutorsand made some last-minuteplanning and scheduling for thefive-day workshop for scienceteachers. The first day of the work -shop was the formal opening andthen our work began. It was apleasure to work with the Nigerianteachers. Many had traveled longdistances to attend this workshop—they were excited and enthusiastic.Many of these teachers had taughtfor years and this was the firstprofessional development activitythey had ever been offered. Most ofthe teachers had university degrees,but no teacher training, so theirteaching methods are generally astrict lecture style. They were keento learn about co-operative teach -ing methods and learning games. Abig hit was when our team member,Chris, taught them about wavesusing a slinky—something they hadnever seen before.

The most powerful lessons camewhen we brought out the twolaptops. Most of the people attend -ing had limited experience withcomputers and they enjoyed playingwith the mouse and using the wordprocessor. A make-shift computerlab was set up in the localcybercafé, complete with slowInternet and intermittent powerfailures. Participants signed up foran e-mail account and for access tothe Internet. The participants’

excitement over these experienceswas incredible and made me realizejust how much we take things forgranted here in Canada.

Part of our course was to teachabout blood pressure and stress, soI used the money given to me by theBCTF for the trip to purchase twoportable blood pressure monitors.Many of the participants had nothad their blood pressure takenbefore and it was interesting forthem to use the monitor.

We left Nigeria feelingenriched by their teachers,who have an amazingenthusiasm for teaching inspite of the fact that theywork long hours with hugeclasses, in dilapidatedbuildings with very fewsupplies.

The last day of the workshop inAkure was sad, because we hadcome to know the 65 participantsquite well. Their humour andeagerness to learn was impressive.As a closing activity each of theregions represented treated us to adisplay of the dance and music oftheir area. The costumes andinstruments were exquisite and thepresentations were upbeat andhappy. These people were proud toshare their culture with us.

From Akure we went east toLokoja in Kogi state, where wepresented the same workshops to asecond group of participants. Againthe participants were grateful tohave the opportunity to be attend -ing the Professional Development

and were interested in learningdifferent methodologies. Many ofthe participants in this workshopwere Muslims and would go to prayin the mosque (which was part ofthe NUT complex) at specific timesduring the day. It was interesting towitness the different religiouspractices as part of the daily sche -dule of life.

During our time in Lokoja wewere able to visit three moreschools. All of these campuses weresadly lacking in facilities andsupplies, but were populated withchildren who were happy, mischie -vous, and loved to have theirpictures taken on digital cameras.Most classes in these schools haveenrolments of 45 to 50 studentswith very minimal supplies and veryfew books. Thanks to the moneyfrom the BCTF and some funds fromthe Canadian Teachers’ Federation,our team was able to purchasebooks to donate to each school. Weknow that the books will be valuedand well used at each location.

Our last day in Nigeria found ustraveling back to Abuja to theairport. The twenty-one days hadbeen an intense learning experiencefor us. We left Nigeria feelingenriched by their teachers, whohave an amazing enthusiasm forteaching in spite of the fact thatthey work long hours with hugeclasses, in dilapidated buildingswith very few supplies. We wereinspired by their dedication to theteaching profession and their desireto educate the children so Nigeriawill be a better place in the future.

We would like to thank the BCTFand the CTF for providing us, andour team, with the opportunity totake part in Project Overseas. It wasa life-changing experience!

Geoff Stubbs is a retired Alberniteacher and Leigh Howard teaches atChief Dan George Middle School,Coquitlam.

Reading your member’sbenefit statement

In May or early June you willreceive your 2007 Member’s BenefitStatement. This blue & white docu -ment provides you with an esti mateof your future pension based onyour service and salary up to, andincluding, December 31, 2007.Things to look for:1. Is your personal information inSection 1 correct and complete? Forexample: Have you married/divorced and now have a newsurname? Is your birth date/SINcorrect? If corrections are needed,contact both your school districtand the TPP with the update(s). 2. If you have recently married,have you told the TPP, as yourspouse is now automatically yourbeneficiary (unless she or he signs aspousal waiver). Conversely, if youhave recently separated/divorced,is your ex-spouse still your bene -ficiary? This may be something youwant to change!

3. On the issue of ex-spouses, didyou know that pensions are con -sidered family assets by law and aformer spouse may have entitle -ment to part of the pension? If youhave agreed to divide your pensionas a result of a separation/divorceagreement, that division is notreflected in your Member’s BenefitStatement. You will need to contactthe TPP for a manual calculation ofyour portion of your pension.4. Your future is online! Visit MyAccount at tpp.pensionsbc.ca toaccess your personalized pensioninformation. If you have not yetaccessed My Account, your username and temporary password areprovided to you in Section 1 on yourstatement.5. Check the amount of pension -able service (PS) and contributoryservice (CS) you accrued during the2007 calendar year in Section 3 ofyour statement. If you worked full-time during this time period, youshould have accrued 10 months PSand 10 months CS. Check also the

service and salary shown in Section5 of the statement. If you think thereis an error in either of thesesections on your statement, contactyour school district employer, asthis is who reports your service andpensionable salary to the TPP.6. Read the message area inSection 3 of your statement. If youmade a purchase, transferredservice from another pension plan,or applied for childrearing credit inthe 2007 calendar year, there shouldbe a personal statement to youhere, advising that this additionalservice has been included in thepension estimates listed in Section2 of your statement.7. To find out more about readingand understanding your Member’sBenefit Statement, register for thepension seminar entitled “YourPension, Your Future,” a seminarparticularly designed for new tomid-career teachers. Visit the BCTFwebsite, www.tinyurl.com/5u8vkz

What happens to your group lifeinsurance plan when youterminate employment?

Your BCTF–BCSTA Group LifeInsurance coverage ceases at theend of the month in which youterminate employment.

However, you may exercise theconversion option. This option pro -vides you with the opportunity toconvert your group life insurance toone of the various types of indivi -dual life insurance policies withGreat-West Life, without having toprovide medical evidence of goodhealth (termed “evidence ofinsurability”).

To qualify for this individualpolicy, you must make applicationand payment of the first premium tothe insurance company within 45days of termination of employment.If you should die within this 45-dayperiod, your beneficiary will receivethe amount of life insurance thatyou would have been able to con -vert to an individual policy. Contact

the teacher payroll department atyour school board office to obtainthe Group Life Conversion PrivilegeNotification form.

Note: If your local was part of agroup life insurance program otherthan BCTF–BCSTA, check with thedistrict teacher payroll office forconversion information.

Factor 88? Don’t wait!Teachers who have reached the

age of 64 or the factor 88, age pluscontributory service with the teach -ers or municipal pension plan, youmay voluntarily withdraw from theBCTF plan. If you have reached age65 or factor 90, you are no longereligible for long-term benefits andshould withdraw. It is up to you toapply to withdraw.

Send a completed withdrawalform, available from IncomeSecurity, local presidents, or onlineat www.tinyurl.com/6ezovj to theBCTF Income Security Division.

Please also discuss this issue inyour staffrooms.

Teachers’ Pension PlanGeoff Stubbs demonstrates keyboarding skills on one of the laptop computers prior to setting up a computer lab in thelocal cybercafe where participants were able to sign up for an e-mail account and access to the Internet.

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16 TEACHER April 2008

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It may not exactly be an originalthought, but here’s some advice foranyone planning a cruise vacation:buy as much cruise as you canpossibly afford. Many people nevergive upscale lines a second thoughtwhen they get down to making theircruise plans. That could be amistake.

A standout in the luxury cruisecategory is Crystal Cruises. Here aresome reasons why you might wantto think about moving up to aCrystal cruise.

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For more information, contact 1-877-778-8717 or go to bctf.ca.

A fundraising programfor kids, run by kids.

Students sponsorwishes for childrenwith life threateningillnesses.

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For more information contact:Make A Wish Foundation® of BC & YukonToll Free: 866.277.9474 or 604.688.7944

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The program is managed by thekids: forming committees,developing project ideas andfundraising.

Build school spirit while helping kidsin your community.

New BCTF lesson aids1LA 9984—A is for Apple:

Grading Achievement in Schoolsproduced by Frog Hollow Neighbour -hood House, 35 minute DVD, ©2007.An Eastside Vancouver high schoollaunches a media campaign tocounter its low marks on the FraserInstitute’s annual school rankings.This sparks a community project toexplore public education issues andmentor student volunteers in docu -men tary filmmaking. Questioning thegrowing emphasis on standardizedtesting, A is for Apple tests the valueof authentic learning experiencesoutside the classroom. Blendingstylized interviews and behind-the-scenes coverage with archival foot -age, the film wryly uses the propa -ganda film form to encourage medialiteracy and youth citizenship; stimu -lating discussion about the purpose ofeducation and its assessment. Usefulto parent groups, pre-service, film andvideo production, and language artsteachers at the senior level. This DVDis for individual classroom use. Forprivate, school and district use pur -chase through www.froghollow.bc.caGrades 11 and up. $50.

2LA 8211—Pioneer Sounds:Lower Fraser Valley, BC by

Patricia Godwin and Florence Nichol -son, 32 p. ©2007. An historical sketchof pioneer life in the early settling ofthe Lower Fraser Valley. BC in the late19th century held many challengesand rewards for the people whocarved lives for themselves in theseforested lands. Never-ending workwas bearable with the help and inter -dependence of neighbours. This bookdetails, in engaging cartoon format,aspects of the lives of the first settlersby describing some of the sounds thatwould have been part of their lives.Background information for pioneersounds is included on each featuredalpha betical word as well as a pioneersounds word search. The book has alink to a Teachers’ Guide for SocialStudies 2 to 3 learning outcomes atthe website www.blacktuskpublishing.com. Grades 2 and 3. $13.95

3LA 9186—Multigrade Format:British Columbia K–7 Lang uage

Arts (2006) Learning Outcomes byHeather J. Johnson, 40 p. ©2007. Thisdocument pro vides multigradeteachers in BC with a more manage -able format of Learning Outcomesacross the elementary school grades.This format provides a teacher of anyconstellation of grades, quick accessto all grade-level expecta tions foreach learning outcome. Such a formatillustrates the expected growth inlearning from Kindergarten to Grade7. There are 35 different learningoutcomes in the Language ArtsCurriculum for K-7. For the most part,only a small increase in skill, alongwith a slight shift in the application orpurpose of each skill, is expected ateach grade level. $4.50

4LA 8006—Critical Challenges forPrimary Students by Tami Mc -

Diar mid, Rita Manzo, Trish Musselle,128 p. Rev. ©2007. This revised editionis a collection of 20 detailed lesson

plans inviting Kinder garten to Grade 3children to think critically about arange of topics drawn from languagearts, mathema tics, science, and socialstudies. The teaching activities areorganized around five themes:community/environment, moraldilemmas, teaching and learning fromothers, human nature, and family. Theresource features such challenges as:designing a com mun ity; learning toask powerful questions; making alasting contri bution to someone in thecommun ity; and solving a schoolyardprob lem. Includes newly createdassess ment rubrics for every chal -lenge in both collections, many morestudent activity sheets to scaffold theirlearning, and an enhanced focus onteaching the tools to think critically.Recommended by the BC Ministry ofEducation. K–3. $31.95

5LA 9517—Anatomy: OverheadTransparencies, Student Repro -

ducibles, Assessment Tools byCreative Teaching Press, 34 p. ©2003.Each of the five sections in this illus -trated resource features informationand activities related to the differentsystems of the human body: thenervous, circulatory, skeletal, respira -tory and digestive systems. Basic factsare interwoven with hands-on activi -ties, and five full-color trans parencieshelp students visualize each topic.Each section includes a page toreview or assess student learning. Canbe taught independently or used tosupple ment an existing scienceprogram. Grades 4 to 8. $11.95

6LA 8212—From a PioneerCommunity to a Modern Day

City: How a Community Changes byDianne Varty, 53 p. ©2008. This illus -trated resource is a hands-on activityfor Grades 2 to 3 on how to develop amodel of a community. Students workin groups to discuss and create, and tounderstand how a community candevelop, and some of the benefits of anew community and some of thedisad vantages that can occur. The unitoutlines 14 days of activity develop -ment activities includ ing templates forcreating a wide variety of com mercialand community buildings and homes,plus suggestions for creating modelsof wildlife, trees, waterways, landuses, etc. Also included are languagearts activities and a Christmas orEaster bread recipe. $5.95

7LA 8095—Sequencing by EvanMoor Educational Publishers, 114

p. ©1998. Sequencing practice,whether picture stories or simple wordstories, provides young learners withmany important skills. This bookprovides a wide variety of reproduc -ible cut-and-paste sequenc ing acti -vities for children from preschool tobeginning readers. The book isdivided to the progressively difficultsections: real-life sequencingexperiences; three-, four-, and six-part picture stories; sequencing wordsinto sentences, and sentences intosimple stories. Grades K–2. $16.95

8LA 9184—Grammar: Grade 7 byCreative Teaching Press, 114 p.

©2005. This resource helps preparestudents to communicate effectivelyas writers. Students learn how to craftsentences and para graphs for variouspurposes and even edit their ownwork. Suitable for ESL students also.Students receive instruction andpractice in many key writing skills,including: grammar, usage,punctuation, capitalization, spelling,combining and expanding sentencesand paragraph structure. $8.95

9LA 3207—What Am I Seeing? byKarin Clark, 64 p. ©2007. This

guide book is designed to give thereader a glimpse of Pacific NorthwestCoast Aboriginal art and to give adeeper understanding and whet thereader’s appetite for learning moreabout today’s vibrant, complex Abori -ginal cultures. Three sections showwhere to look to identify many of thethings the reader will see—from three-dimensional objects like bentwoodboxes, ceremonial houses, masks andcanoes, to crest deigns, to the maindesign elements in Pacific NorthwestCoast Aboriginal art. Includes 112colour illustrations and photos andillustrations of 10 well-known objectsand 19 crest designs from the PacificNorthwest Coast along with meaningsand stories, and identifies seven maindesign elements along with variations.Grades 4–12. $14.95

10LA 3210—Cross StitchPatterns based on Pacific

Northwest Coast Native Indian ArtStyles: Book 1 Thunderbirds by JimGilbert and Sheron Ruffell, 36 p.©2005. The first of a series, this bookcontains the three full-size colourcross-stitch patterns from the West,Mid, and North Coast shown on thefront cover. Patterns are full size andare approximately 37cm x 27cm witheach based on accurate, traditionaldesigns. Also included is a FirstNations area map, Aboriginal artwithin a cultural context, Aboriginaldesigns used in cross stitch explana -tion, illustrated cross stitch instruc -tions. Grades 4–12. $19.95

To order the above lesson aids,enclose a cheque payable to the BCTFor authorized PO to BCTF Lesson AidsService, 100-550 West 6th Avenue,Vancouver, BC V5Z 4P2 or call 604-871-2180, toll free 1-800-663-9163,ext. 2180, with a Visa or Master card.GST, postage/ hand ling are includedin prices. Orders sent by return mail.Lesson Aids office and display roomhours: 9–5 p.m. Mon. to Fri. from Sept.to June; 9–5. Tues. to Fri. during Julyand Aug.; 9–12 on Sat. during Sept.,Oct., Jan., and Feb. bctf.ca/LessonAids.

Important notice:BCTF’s new travelinsurance

A new travel insurance packageis now available for BCTF members.

Before renewing your previousinsurance or buying coverage foryour next trip, please review thenew coverage designed for BCTFmembers at bctf.ca (click on the“Advantage” symbol) or call 1-877-778-8717.

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TEACHER April 2008 17

www.boatschool.com info@boatschool.com

Silva Bay Shipyard SchoolGabriola Island, B.C.

3 and 6 month courses in Wooden Boat Building and Ships Cabinetry & Joinery

Courses from 4 days to 2 weeks long: Build a Cedarstrip Kayak or a Nutshell

Pram Oar and Paddle Making Steam Bending Wood Making and Using Wooden Hand Planes

Legal Literacy for Youth:Learning for Active Citizenship

The Centre for Law, Education andSociety (CELS) at the Faculty ofEducation, Simon Fraser Universityis pleased to announce a new cross-curricular project, sponsored by theLaw Foundation of BritishColumbia, involving educators andyouth in Grades 6 through 10.

Goals• To teach fundamental legal

concepts such as the “rule of law”and the “just society”.

• To develop modules pertaining toCitizenship, Human Rights,Identity, Language and Culture,and Environmental Sustainability.

• To conduct research, developmaterials and field test modulescross-referenced with pertinentIRPs in English and French simultaneously over three years.

A special inaugural Forum foreducators and students will beheld on November 5, 2008 at theWosk Centre for Dialogue SFU Harbour Centre.

For further information regarding this project and Forum, pleasecontact CELS@sfu.ca

La littératie légale pour lajeunesse : apprendre à devenircitoyen engagé

Ce projet, sous l’égide de la LawFoundation de Colombie-Britanniqueet entrepris par le Centre pour l’éducation, le droit et la société dela Faculté d’éducation de l’universitéSimon Fraser, vise à familiariser lesjeunes de 12 ans à 15 ans ( de la6ème à la 10ème année ) avec les concepts liés à ‹‹ la primauté dudroit ›› comme outil fondamentalpour promouvoir une sociétééquitable. Le projet de trois ans sefera en français et en anglais.

Le modules développés traiteront dedifférents sujets et questions, partic-ulièrement pertinents pour des adolescents et liés aux concepts de :• citoyenneté, droits de la personne,• identité, culture et langue, et• durabilité environnementale.

Un forum inaugural pour ce projetaura lieu le 5 novembre 2008 au Wosk Centre for Dialogue à SFU Harbour Centre.

Pour plus de renseignements sur laparticipation à ce projet, veuillez contacter Dr. Cynthia Lewis,lewisinc@telus.net ou CELS@sfu.ca

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS | Free Teachers’ Resources

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1) This year BC schools will throw away over 2 million toxic whiteboard markers into local landfills.

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Take your students on a life-buildingeducational experience. We specialise in

school tours – cultural, historical, community projects. We have sent schoolgroups to the Galapagos, Africa, Central

America, Europe, and Australia.

West Vancouver Secondary SchoolGlobal Education Program trip to Nicaragua

Call Dori Giffin, Group TravelSpecialist at 604-734-5494 or

1-800-519-1819, ore-mail: dori@travelbydesign.ca

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One-week intensive programs in July and August.

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00 April08 Master_MP.qxd:Layout 1 4/30/08 9:12 AM Page 17

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TRAVEL VACATIONQUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS/ HAIDAGWAII Fabulous “mother ship” kayaking,wilder ness adven ture, unforgettableexperiences. 1-888-559-8317,www.TourHaidaGwaii.comWHISTLER GETAWAY Pinecrest Estates,4-5 bd., 1.5 bath, 1400 sq.ft. cabin,sauna, deck with BBQ, fully-equip.kitchen, DW, WD, wood stove (woodprovided). Seasonal rates.glush@shaw.ca or 604-936-3346.WHISTLER Condo. Sleeps 4, views, closeto village, 604-943-9423,preddyplace@telus.net.WHISTLER CREEKSIDE 3 bdrm. town-house for rent, sleeps 6-8 comfortably,2 bath. 604-535-9315.BLACKCOMB Luxury 2 bd/loft, 3 bath,sleeps 8, ski-in, ski-out, 604-940-0156.WHISTLER 1 bd. condo (Whistler Creek -side) sleeps 4, F/P, hot tub, swimmingpool, sauna, fully equip ped kitchen,u/ground parking, walk across thestreet to lifts and stores. Book early toavoid disap pointment. Call Jan or Johnat 604-530-0958.SUN PEAKS RESORT Stone’s Throw Unit49, Luxurious brand new condo2bd/2bath sleeps 5, ski-in-ski-out,Mountain Views, Private hot tub, F/P,BBQ, 6 appli ances, Plasma TVs. FreeWireless Internet. All amenities. NS/NP.To reserve call 1-866-425-5872 or go towww.stonesthrow49.directvacations.comReservation code: Teacher FRANCE. Ultimate vacations, pri vatelyowned, beautiful furn. 1 bd. centralParis. Provence lovely furn. house closeto Avignon. Wkly/ mthly. 604-738-1876,604-298-3904, irene.roland@gmail.com,www.ultimateparis.comKIHEI, MAUI Large selection of fullyequip ped condos. Great beaches. Nearshopping centre. Call Alf, 604-291-1751, kihei@telus.net.KIHEI, MAUI Privately owned, beauti fulfully furn. 2 bd., 2 bath condo acrossfrom Kamaole beach es. Great complex,Great location. 250-598-6955, F: 250-598-6965.WHISTLER BLACKCOMB Ski-in/out, quietluxury condo, sleeps 5, pool, hot tubs, 3night min. www.at-blackcomb.com,Sheila 604-929-6589.GULF ISLANDS Deluxe waterfrontcottage, 1 bd./sleeps 4, winter andsummer rates, call Alma 250-629-3008,www.ainsliepointcottage.comOKANAGAN Osoyoos lakeview cherryorchard private house rental. Weekly insummer, long term out of season.www.lakeviewcherryorchard.com or callCarol 604-209-7220.SATURNA Gulf Island Getaway, www.lyallharbour.com, 1-877-473-9343.FRANCE FRANCE 2008 holiday rental.Well renovated stone houses in ancientvineyard village, SW France, greatwalking, cycling, food, wine.C$741/C$880 week per family unit. E-mail mjcapper@hotmail.com, visitwww.ourhouseinfrance.com.auFRANCE Tranquil farmhouse for rent inthe French countryside.www.frenchfarmhouse.caGABRIOLA ISLAND BC 2 bdrm. cottage,private, fully equipped, starting $900/mo. or $450/wk. 250-247-9883.boysen@shaw.ca, www.gabriolacottage.netfirms.com GOLF-WINE TOUR in Osoyoos w/front, 2bdrm. condo, N/S, N/P, Call George forweekly rates, May–Sept. 604-520-1001.QUALICUM BEACH Vancouver Island,character home, 2 bd., 2 bath, oceanview, across from golf course. 6 blks totown, 1.5 blks to magnificent sandybeaches, Barbeque, porch. N/S, N/P.Perfect location to explore VancouverIsland and Gulf Islands. $900/wk. June-Sept. Call John 250-382-0411 or cell250-752-3342.WHISTLER condo, 2 bd. sleeps 6, quietfamily area, 10 min. to village. Allamen., F/P, jetted tub, etc. Rates from$100 to $225/night depending onduration and season. Ron 604-988-8231, rhsargent@shaw.caCOMPASS ROSE SAILING TOURS 1/2 andfull-day charters from Secret Cove.Group rates. Bruce Arbo 604-740-0656.COWICHAN LAKE Beachfront cottage forrent on sunny Cowichan Lake. Beau -tiful, new, luxury cabin avail. weekly.Colleague discount 250-656-9711. Visitwww.members.shaw.ca/watermanproperties/ForRentAtCowichanLEARN TO SAIL on a week long cruise.See www.plainsailing.caOSOYOOS 1 bdrm, waterfront apt,private beach, sleeps 2, adults, N/S,N/P, near golf/wineries, 604-876-9668,see www.vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/32506.html

PUERTO VALLARTA Waterfront Condo inBucerias

2 bdrm. 2 bath – www.condoplayalinda.comFor special rates:

gwwood-linda@hotmail.com or 1-250-697-6273

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Going awaythis summer?

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TEACHER April 2008 19

Classified PD CalendarVANCOUVER Kits, fully furnished, 1 bd.condo for rent near beach between May& July. daphnoucho@hotmail.com or call604-737-7181.NORTH VANCOUVER home, 4 bdrm,large yard, mid-July to mid-August,$2000/mo. or $750/wk. contact RoxieGiles, rgiles@sd45.bc.caBURNABY 3 bdrm. furn. house for rentJuly/Aug. Near SFU. N/P. 604-522-5734.QUALICUM BEACH Vancouver Island,charming 5 bdrm, 3 bath home. Walk toshops, beach, golf. Private gardenterrace. Avail. year round. Weekly ratesfrom $900. 250-954-8472.N.DELTA/SUNSHINE WOODS Teacherretiring in June, would like to houseshare with another teacher. Veryreasonable rate. Will be travelling for4-6 mo. of the school year.scullin@dccnet.comVANCOUVER 1 bd. furn. condo in Fair -view slopes (Oak/Broadway area).Large deck with 180º view of FalseCreek, d/town, mtns. Min. from VGH,Granville Island, buses, downtown.Avail. July/Aug. plmilliken@yahoo.caRENT/EXCHANGE Will exchange deluxewaterfront accomm. at Cultus Lake (for2-3 people) for condo or apartment onVancouver Island anytime in June, Julyor Aug. 604-316-1235. X-COUNTRY. Do you want to x-countryski out your door? 35 km of profes -sionally groomed trails and a cozycountry home to enjoy from Nov.08 toMarch09, call 250-674-3821 orguysuz@mercuryspeed.comVICTORIA Family neighborhood homefor rent near Thetis Lake. Available inAugust 2008. e-mail csparanese@shaw.ca or 250-294-3569 for details.PENTICTON townhouse, lakeview, min.to park and beaches; exchange forIsland/Coast property for kayaking,hiking, 10 days min. July 2008. N/P,children, smoking. travels123@hotmail.comVANCOUVER Newly renovated, furn.studio apt. in West End. $450/wk.,$1350/mo. jthompson@sunshinecable.comWANTED Professionals seeking rentalaccomm. on Mayne Island. On-sitestudio space an asset. Call Sherry at604-531-1471 or 778-847-1650. VICTORIA Furn. 2 bd. house very closeto Camosun College, UVic, a shoppingmall and on bus routes. 10 min. todowntown and 5 min. to beach. Sunnybackyard and private deck. N/P. Avail.July 2008. E-mail: sunny21_ca@yahoo.caVICTORIA 1 bd. self-contained suite nearUVic, beaches, private entrance, quietresidential home. All utilities, internet.$800/mo. jfhewson@shaw.caUBC new, furn., luxury condo, 2 bd., 2bath, stainless, granite, flatscreen,u/ground parking, avail. May 1-Aug.1,some flexibility in dates, $2600/mo.incl. utilities. 604-538-6587 VICTORIA Comfortable 5 bd. home.Sept.25–Oct.31. contact rxfrost@shaw.caVICTORIA Fully furn. 2 bd. ground levelsuite in Cook St. Village. Walkingdistance to downtown/ocean/localparks. On bus routes. In-suite laundryand internet. $800/mo. all-incl. Avail.July/Aug. 250-516-0015, mklb@shaw.caHOME EXCHANGE international anddomestic, cottages-to-castles, advancelisting for 2010 Olympics. 604-987-3262, info@homelink.ca,www.homelink.caYALETOWN summer rental, furn. bd. +den with great view (23 flr.) steps fromthe seawall. Pool, gym and securedu/ground parking. N/P, N/S. July and/or Aug. $1600/mo. Call 604-562-3361. HOUSE EXCHANGE Nelson—Vancou verarea. Family of 4 in Nelson looking tohouse exchange. First 2 weeks in July.Interested? Call 250-352-3246.WHITE ROCK Tastefully appointed 2 bd.home w/panoramic oceanview, heatedpool in landscaped garden, 2 cats.Avail. June 13 – July 14, $1600. 604-531-9033, cooper8@telus.netVICTORIA comfortable 2 bd., 2 bathhome central to all amenities. $1500/mo. all incl. Call 250-595-7572 orcattcamp@shaw.caWANTED 56-year-old woman wants tospend 1 month in rural Kootenay area,anytime July/Aug. Will housesit, gar -den, house swap, or rental. Call Anna780-439-5196 or radyoanna@yahoo.caVANCOUVER False Creek townhousenext to seawall near Granville Island, 2 bd. + den with 650sf roof deck withcity, mtn. and water views. Mid-July tomid-Aug. $2200. kjones@vsb.bc.caVANCOUVER Central location, 4 bd.house for rent from July 8–Aug.10 Largepatio, garden, bicycles. Ideal for families$850/wk. or $3500/5 wks. Call Alain604-876-5199, alainthibault@shaw.ca

MAY 20083 Vancouver. Investigating OurPractices 2008. Please join us for IOP2008, featuring 25 exciting presenta -tions. Teachers from different educa -tional contexts will convene at UBC toshare their investigations, understand -ings and questions. Registration fee:$25 (Students $15.) Lunch & refresh -ments included. Door prizes! ScarfeEducation Building, 2125 Main Mall,UBC. Information: www.eplt.educ.ubc.ca/workshops/ or Judy Paley, 604-822-2733, judy.paley@ubc.ca

8–9 Castlegar. Eighth Annual EarlySuccess Symposium. Selkirk College.Target audience—those who workwith early learners, birth to age 8.Keynote speaker is Colleen Politano.Sponsored by School Districts 5, 6, 8,10, 20, and 51. Con tact, Pat Dooley,pdooley@sd8.bc.ca

9 Whistler. 3rd Annual Support ingStruggling Students PracticalStrategies in Literacy and Mathfeaturing Dawn Reithaug, MaryMoody and Beth Sparks. Forclassroom teachers, LA teachers,education assistants and principals.Fee $125. For details and onlineregistration please go towww.pita.ca. Contact whistler-registrar@pita.ca.

9–11 Campbell River. UBC offers aFrench and Spanish Immersionweekend. Teachers can use theirTuition Fee Certificate toward the$250 tuition fee. April Point Resortoffers a great two nights, four mealspackage to all participants. Call toll-free 1-866-528-7485 or visit www.frenchcentre.ubc.ca/weekend.html

31–June 3 Vancouver. UBC,Canadian Society for the Study ofEducation (CSSE) research confer -ence. Sessions run every one and one-half hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.There will be a reception for teachersattending the conference on June 1from 4:30–6:00 p.m. in Room 310,Scarfe Building, 2125 Main Mall, UBC.To attend, contact Jacinta via e-mailjacinta.harris-marcadier@ubc.ca byApril 30. See “Teacher Involvement”link, CSSE 2008 website for registra -tion details: http://educ.ubc.ca/csse

JUNE 200819–22 Abbotsford. Canadian ChefEducators’ Association (CCEA)conference. “Back to the Land—SlowFood Movement, Organics, andLocally Grown Products.” June 20 isAGM and Education Day featuring aspeaker from the Ministry of Agricul -ture, and a forum of speakers from theSlow Food Movement, local organicproducers, and those interested inagricultural sustainability. June 21includes a Circle Farm tour of organicfarms in the Agassiz area. ContactTerry Larsen at tolarsen@uniserve.com

30–July 17 Quebec City. Institutde Français, UBC à Québec, FrenchBursary Program for Teachers. ThisFrench immersion program is intend -ed for all teachers and administratorsinterested in learning or improving

their French language skills.www.frenchcentre.ubc.ca/quebec ortoll-free 1-866-528-7485.

JULY 20082–4 Jordan, Niagara, Ontario. World-class professional development.Explore literacy across the curriculumusing dance, music, drama and visualart. Learn to use the arts for literacy aswell as across the curriculum, andtotally engage and inspire yourstudents with the process. View thebrochure at www.ltta.ca Register atwww.regonline.com/exploringactiveliteracy.

7–9 Richmond. First SummerInstitute on Imaginative Education,“Achieving Educational Goals withImagination” features 2 days ofworkshops using hands-on, practi calapplications of Imaginative Educationthat will engage teacher-practitioners,principals, and associated educators.Open-discussion roundtable feast onthe 8th! Day three is a full day of con -ference workshops and panels byinternational and local imaginativeeducators. More info at www.imaginativeeducation.org/institute

AUGUST 200811–13 Parksville. 5th AnnualAchieving Excellence in WritingSeminar. Presents an exciting andeffective method of teaching writing.Teachers will leave the workshopready to teach a repertoire of writingskills. The workshop is informativeand practical, offering an extensive setof skills to take back to the class room.Contact Susan Augustynsaugustyn@shaw.ca or 250-248-6434

21–22 Abbotsford. Seminars byDawn Reithaug: Three Tiers of Inter -vention for Reading August 21. ThreeTiers of Intervention for BehaviourAugust 21. Functional BehaviouralAssessment with Planning August 22.E-mail dreithaug@shaw.ca (for abrochure) or phone 604-926-4714.

26–28 Toronto. Explore medialiteracy by creating your own shortfilm. Professional artists will lead youthrough script writing, directing andacting, filming, and editing-includingsound design, take active strategiesback to your students to help themengage critically in media literacy.View the brochure at www.ltta.ca.Register at www.regonline.com/lttasummer2008Future October PSA days(BCTF procedure statement 30.A.14)

2009–10: October 23, 20092010–11: October 22, 20102011–12: October 21, 20112012–13: October 19, 20122013–14: October 25, 20132014–15: October 24, 20142015–16: October 23, 2015

PSA PD Day October24, 2008

PD Calendar website:bctf.ca/ProfessionalDevelopment.aspxAdditions/changes:

msteele@bctf.ca

NEW ZEALAND privately owned fullyfurn. 4 bdrm., 3 bath, house in OhopeBeach on the North Island’s Bay ofPlenty. Steps from beach. 3 hrs. drivefrom Auckland, 1 hr. to Rotorua.Wkly/mnthly. gailmay@shaw.ca,www.ohope.netQUALICUM BEACH, Van. Island., 1 bd.cottage, N/S, N/P. $650/wk. June–Aug. Call John 250-382-0411 or cell250-752-3342.WHISTLER Awesome lakeview 1 bdrm.furn. condo for vacation rental,cmilne@direct.ca or 604-984-0021.DISCOVER RURAL FRANCE on TwoWheels—easy-going routes mean derthrough France’s scenic land scapeswith little traffic so inexperi encedcyclists can pedal at a care free pace.Farmhouse style accom. with regionalcuisine and local wines. Guided byenthusiastic retired Francophileteacher. Explore enchanting chateauxin the Loire; prehistoric treasures in theDordogne; or the rolling vineyards ofBurgundy. Destinations by DesignTravel Ltd. (BC Reg 39159) 1-888-703-0163, www.destinationsbydesign.ca,shelagh@destinationsbydesign.caMEXICO Puerto Vallarta, waterfrontcondo in Bucerias. 2 bdrm. 2 bath.www.condoplayalinda.com, for specialrates: gwwood-linda@hotmail.com or250-697-6273 (Linda).DEEP BAY, BC. Waterfront 2 bdrm.cottage, Vancouver Island, over lookingDenman, Hornby Islands. Relaxing,private. Sleeps 4-6 people, N/S, N/P.Avail. June to Sept. 604-939-0121 orchuck_denison@telus.netCOTTAGE New waterfront cottage forrent daily/weekly, S. Nanaimo. Forinformation, contact Sheila atgreg.buchanan@shaw.caENJOY A HOLIDAY at beautiful CultusLake. Deluxe waterfront accomm.suitable for 2 adults is offered at rea -sonable prices. Phone 604-316-1235.BEAUTIFUL HORNBY ISLAND Spacious 2bd. house with large sunny deck. Sleeps5. Forested, private. 3 blks. from beach.250-748-7920 or www.sunflowerinn.casummer rental.HEFFLEY LAKE. Cabin on the lake.Sleeps 6. Good fishing and swim ming.40 km. NE of Kamloops. Wkly or dailyrate. jfornell@telus.netSUNNY OKANAGAN Beauty, luxury,economy! 1 bdrm. home, sleeps 4.http://members.shaw.ca/myranda1SUNSHINE COAST Kayaker’s dream!Rare oceanfront cottage at PenderHarbour. Private beach and dock juststeps from garden level entry to rentalsuite. shower, kitchen, radio, DVD.Sleeps 2-4. Minutes to nearby lakesand world famous Skookum chuckRapids. July books fast. $500/wk. Susan604-467-3978, susanwalker@telus.net,www.penderharbourcottage.caMAYNE ISLAND Fairview Farm B&B.Small B&B with 2 generous roomsfacing the water. Local organicbreakfasts, ensuites, private entrances,beach access. Easy getaway. 1-866-539-5582, www.fairviewonmayne.comKNOUFF LAKE Cabin, near Kamloops,boats, fishing, quiet, secluded, woodstove, propane lights and stove. Sleeps6, $420/wk or daily. normanmoss@shaw.caCOURTENAY Van. Is., serene 3 bd., 2.5bath, home. Gardens, courtyard, privatedecks. Steps to beach. Mt. Washingtonbase 15 min. drive. Avail. year round.Weekly rates from $800. 250-335-3154.HAWAII Maui, Kihei & Honokawailocations. 1 bd. with ocean views.209-599-5248 or www.maui342.comOKANAGAN Vernon lakeview studiosummer rental $500/wk. 250-549-4886,www.members.shaw.ca/tlvoykin/studioSHUSWAP LAKE cabin for rent. Sleeps 4-6. Lake view, wkly rentals from June-Sept. Call 604-525-9558.LAKE ERROCH Cozy cottage for rent 1.5hrs. from Van., 30 mins. from Harrison.Sleeps 4-5. Golfing, hiking, fishingnearby. Call 604-525-9558.THINK SUMMER! Think Salt SpringIsland! Oceanfront acreage on sereneLong Harbour. Our 2 bd. cottage orB&B suite that sleeps 4 awaits you! 50' dock, pool and more!Call 250-537-1059 or www.longharbourbedandbreakfast.com

RENT/EXCHANGEVANCOUVER Clean, bright, quiet, cen -trally located condos at Robson & Bute.1 bdrm. $95. Daily/wkly/mthly rates.604-608-4268, dbemc@hotmail.comVANCOUVER “Yaletown” luxury studio,privately owned condo. Availableweekends, weekly or monthly. Secureunderground parking. 604-626-8523.

VANCOUVER 1 bd. furn. condo inFairview, close to transit/downtownwith view. Avail. July. baritone@telus.netRICHMOND Steveston, fully furn., 1 bd.condo near the river and min. walk toSteveston Village between May & Sept.contact fmerlai@shaw.ca or 604-649-1667.BURNABY 2 bd. July & Aug. Big, fullyfurn., clean, updated. Nr. SFU &Lougheed Mall. $1300/mo. Contactschool teachers at 604-617-4569.

RESOURCESRETIRING? Undecided about the JointLife option? Order “Choos ing the RightOptions” a straight forward guide/workbook for selecting the best optionfor your situation. workbook $15, CD$15, both $25. Mail: Ken Smith, 5120Ewart St., Burnaby, BC V5J 2W2 orBCTF Lesson Aids.BURNS BOG Book a field trip that em -powers your students and satisfies yourscience curricu lum. Contact Bree atBurns Bog Conservation Society. 604-572-0373 or 1-888-850-6264.THE SUBSTITUTE You want to TEACH?www.thesubstitute.ca

MISCELLANEOUSMASTER OF EDUCATION (Special Educa -tion) by course work offered by FlindersUniversity in S. Australia is recog nizedby the B.C. TQS. Degree avail ableentirely in distance mode. Apply nowfor com mencement of study in semes-ter one (late Feb ruary) or semester two(late July). More infor mation at:ehlt.flinders.edu.au/north america orfrom the pro gram co-ordinator,Bernice.Burnip@flinders. edu.auRETIREES. Use your teaching skills tosupplement your pension and secureyour future. 604-946-8955,bgmcclure@gmail.comSCHOOL TATTOOS 1000 tattoos withyour school’s logo $149. Great forschool spirit, teams or fundraising. Visitwww.schooltattoos.ca or e-mailinfo@schooltattoos.ca or tel/fax 613-567-2636.USE YOUR MOUSE to find your house!Thinking of buying or selling in GreaterVictoria, Sooke, or Sidney? Click on oneof Victoria’s top real estate web sites forfree reports and MLS listings with fulladdresses at www.carollivingstone. com.Carol Livingstone, B.Ed, Re/Max Camo -sun, carol@carolliving stone.com, tollfree 1-800-663-2121 or 250-744-3301.PACIFIC GARDENS Cohousing Commu -nity is a new, environ mentally friendlycondo project in Nanaimo on a spec -tacular 4.37 acre property close todowntown. Enjoy a strong sense ofcommunity, social interaction and over7000 sq.ft. of common facilities. Findout more at www.pacific gardens.ca,250-754-3060 or e-mailjoinus@pacificgardens.caGLASSWORK for teachers…a good thingfor ProD days… seafireglassworks.comUNIQUE EDUCATION BUSINESS FOR SALE.Well-established (8 yrs), profitableTutoring company with over 350contacts and clients in the FilmIndustry throughout Western Canada islooking for a buyer. Chance for ateacher or business person to step intoan exciting lucrative opportunity.Serious buyers only, please. Contactemail poppetinitaly@gmail.comINSPIRING, INSIGHTFUL “Honouring theChild: Changing Ways of Teaching” byPamela Proctor,www.honouringthechild.comSEE CHINA for free & teach English.Short term teaching 10 wks close toShanghai. Return flight, accommo da-tion, meals in exchange for teaching.Small class sizes. Great support.Immediate openings April to June 08plus next school year. Contactgrahammu1@gmail.com – CCEA CanadaChina Education Association.GLASSER CHOICE THEORY and RealityTherapy Training: Aug. 28, 29, 30, 31,2008. Contact 604-983-2202.lscott@realitycounselling.caTEACHER EXCHANGE Wolfville, NovaScotia high school English teacher(from the beautiful Annapolis Valley)looking for job exchange (and possiblyaccomm.) with teacher from Victoria,BC, for the 2008-09 school year. Ifinterested, e-mail: pclothier@eastlink.caor call 902-542-7986.REDUCE STRESS Would you like toreduce stress in your life?www.acourseonmeditation.comFOR SALE HAWAII. Own a piece ofparadise. A unique opportunity! RVwith pro perty on the Big Island ofHawaii. Winne bago in excellentcondition with new floors, foam/upholstery, tires, RV battery. Heavy

duty front and rear racks (Cino scooterincluded), air conditioning etc. Lot60x130 cleared, planted trees, septicsystem, specially designed RV carport,vinyl shed, plus much more. $125,000.Phone 250-630-2125, emaildritchie@prn.bc.caPIANO FOR SALE $975 obo. Canadianmade Sherlock Manning 40% studioupright, walnut (medium brown),excellent condition, wonderful tone.SN128395. Matching bench with musiccompartment. Well kept in constantlocation. Modest use. East Richmond.streckos@hotmail.com or 604-524-3006.TURN RECORDS & TAPES INTO CDS. Ifinterested, phone Keith at 604-851-2860 or 604-556-4667 or e-mailkeith53@shaw.ca or visit website atwww.capespearconnections.comDRAMAWORKS 2008 - Theatre Albertapresents a variety of work shops tocollectively engage edu cators, amateurs& profession als. workshops in acting,directing, playwriting, design & more!2.5 & 3.5 day weekend workshopsrunning July 3-13 at the Citadel Theatre,

Edmonton. Early bird pricing in effectuntil May 30. Ask about Artstrek, oursummer program for teens! Visit theatrealberta.com or call 780-422-8162.WHY SEND A CARD when a gift bookis better? From the Seawall on a crispautumn afternoon, to a moody portray -al of the Hotel Europe in Gastown, 27icons of our city are presented inVancouver Landmarks featuring highquality b&W photography with accom -panying historical background. Hardcover, 64 pages. www.vancouverlandmarks.ca for outlets or direct sale,$19.95 including tax and shipping.U.S. CERTIFIED TEACHERS WANTED forunique tutoring positions in the BC filmindustry. Must have full time availabil -ity. Certification must be current orwilling to renew. Prefer ence will begiven to California Studio teachers orthose holding California teachingcertificates, single or multiple subjects.Other USA certification considered.604-729-8184 or emailpoppet2@mac.com

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By Heidi Clark

In 2006, to further my students’knowledge and skills of the FineArts, I applied for and received anArtist in Residence grant. During thespring of 2006, Susan McCallum,VSB resident artist, who specializesin children’s literature illustrationand facilitates drawing workshopswith Vancouver students of all ages,visited my multicultural classroomand taught my Kindergartenstudents how to draw in perspec -tive, in scale, and in three dimen -sional shapes. Each student createdhis or her own beautifully illustratedaccordion book. We were thrilledwith how the children’s self-confidence grew during her time inthe classroom.

Susan McCallum and I shareda synergy and envisionedtaking this process a stepfurther. We saw the benefit ofhow a collaborative process couldimprove students’ self-esteem. Wewanted to em power young childrenwith the knowledge that they couldcreate a meaningful learning tool.We envisioned students creating aset of alphabet flashcards. Conse -quently I put together a grantproposal and applied to theNightingale’s Parent AdvisoryCouncil for funding, and to VSB’sArtistic Legacy grant. A sincere

20 TEACHER April 2008

We brainstormed words for eachletter of the alphabet, created lists,and acted out our favourite words.By the time McCallum arrived,students were prepared for our up-coming project.

McCallum has developed uniquedrawing methods in how to drawpeople, portraits, and objects inperspective. Encouraged by herenthusiasm, the Kindergarten

We created our own simplealphabet books. Webrainstormed words for eachletter of the alphabet,created lists, and acted outour favourite words. By thetime McCallum arrived,students were prepared forour up-coming project.

thank-you to Nightingale’s PAC andVSB’s District Fine Art’s Co-ordinator Peggy Bochun for havingprovided us with the funds toundertake this unique project.

As a classroom teacher, I did a lotof preparation with my Kinder -garten students prior to McCallum’sarrival. I engaged my students indirected drawing lessons. Itaught my class thefollowing lines: horizontal,vertical, diagonal, andcurved. We did an infiniteamount of work learningthe letters and soundsof the alphabet. I readnumerous alphabetbooks to the class.We created ourown simplealphabet books.

They gained confidence withthe sketch of each letter. Theclass was very involved inwhat image they wanted todraw to represent each letterof the alphabet and decidedby consensus.

students delighted in their verysuccessful drawings. They gainedconfidence with the sketch of eachletter. The class was very involvedin what image they wanted to drawto represent each letter of thealphabet and decided by consensus.On occasion two images weredrawn. This was a collaborativeprocess and the children’s imagina -tion was central to the success ofthis project. It was important thateach student’s drawing be chosenfor at least one letter. Sometimestwo students’ drawings wouldappear on one flashcard. After thestudents completed the drawingsMcCallum graphically designedthe flashcard, hand drew theletter in upper and lower case,and printed the appropriateword. She then coloured itprior to publishing.

The project surpassed ourexpectations. The images thechildren created are magical,endearing, and whimsical. As thisproject was so successful wewanted to share the fruits of ourlabour with others. Nightingale’scurrent Kindergarten students eachrecently received a pack of thesecharming flashcards.

Heidi Clark teaches at NightingaleElementary School, Vancouver.

For information about the project,contact Susan McCallum directlyat onepaintbrush@shaw.ca, orHeidi Clark at hclark@vsb.bc.ca

The flashcards and frieze arenow available to the public forpurchase through: • VSB’s CurriculumPublications. Revenuegenerated will fund our nextproject to create an AlphabetBook.

• Alphabet Flashcards,BCTF Lesson Aid #8096A. 26 cards, 21 cm x 28 cm,$26. bctf.ca/LessonAids

The alphabet flashcard project

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