December 1997

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The College of Teachers successfully made the case to the government that Ontario students have the right to be taught by College members who have demonstrated their commitment to quality education by becoming qualified, certified professionals.

Most of the College’s focus in recent weeks has been on the proposals in Bill 160 which appeared to undermine our mandate to certify and set standards of qualification and practice for the teaching profession.

Government Withdraws Bill 160 Clauses on Non-Certified Instructors

The Ontario College of Teachers took a stand against provisions in the Education Quality Improvement Act, 1997 that undermined the College’s public accountability for ethical and professional standards in Ontario’s classrooms. The government has now withdrawn four clauses in the bill that would have allowed cabinet to put non-certified instructors in sole charge of classes and courses.

TVO - Television That Matters

Since TVOntario’s inception as the Ontario Educational Communications Authority, with limited airtime and a mainly southern Ontario audience, programming has changed and it seems its focus has shifted.

The voice is instantly recognizable, even over the phone. Less recognizable is the speed and enthusiasm with which he talks, not the measured, sedate tones you hear during the CTV nightly news. "Newman (Mike) O’Leary taught me English literature. I had him at Stratford Collegiate and Vocational Institute in the late 40s, early 50s. He was the most inspirational teacher I’ve had by far," says Lloyd Robertson. "He used to have us act out the various parts of Shakespeare. He made education fun."

Take Another Look at Our
Students’ Science Ranking

A critical look at the international test scores shows that, contrary to what today’s headlines say, our students do extremely well. We educate more of them than do countries that scored higher than Canada. In fact, Canada ranks at the top when it comes to the percentage of its citizens who complete primary, secondary and tertiary education.

Jets Fly High in Japan’s Schools

It’s the beginning of the Grade 7 English lesson at Inagakuen High School in Saitama, a commuter suburb north of Tokyo. Some 40 blue-uniformed students are warming up under the direction of Sensei. First they repeat "fat" and "hat" and "fog", then move on to sounds that don’t exist in Japanese – putting tongues between teeth to get "th" and upper teeth on lower lips to get "f."

The Blue Pages

New appointments to Council
Council Approves Bylaw Change
Council Approves Two Key Regulatory Changes
New Professional Misconduct Regulation Sets Clear Rules
1998 Membership Fees
Membership and Service Fees
Highlights of the Ontario College of Teachers Brief on Bill 160
Information Sessions Link College to Providers

Accounting For Yourself
The Challenge of Voluntary Accreditation

Eight people have gathered in a meeting room at Rosseau Lake College on a sunny October Sunday. Outside, everyone else is admiring the fall colours. But these eight educators – an accreditation team from the Canadian Educational Standards Institute (CESI) – barely have time to think about the scenery.

The Kidsmuse Project

What surprised me was how many people were there during their summer holidays," says Lori McBrien Ralph. "Very exciting," Olga Kobylansky reports. "It was a dynamic group of people." These two were among the 500 elementary teachers from the Greater Toronto Area who spent time this summer cooped up inside the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Activ8 Hits the Mark

Today’s children are at risk. According to the Canadian Medical Association, in the past 15 years obesity has grown by more than 50 per cent in children aged six to 11 and by 40 per cent in those aged 12 to 17. Research also indicates that 40 per cent of children aged five to eight are obese.

Teachers in the Vanguard
of the 21st Century

In Canada and around the world, the status of the teaching profession is in decline, yet teachers and education are central to global development. According to UNESCO, the status of the teaching profession is in decline and pay levels are diminishing everywhere. Working conditions are no longer attracting the most gifted to the profession, nor are they encouraging the best teachers to remain.

Implementing Integration in Special Education

In the spring of 1996, the administration at Mount Hope Public School in Mount Hope could see that special education needs outstripped the capability of the existing model — a phenomenon many schools are experiencing. Although the government promised not to cut special education funds, if needs grow and funding fails to keep pace the effect is the same.

A Successful Partnership

Thirty-five students in the French immersion program at Langstaff Secondary School in Richmond Hill are listening intently to a presentation by Canada’s commercial attaché to Mexico. The topic is commercial and cultural exchanges between Canada and Mexico under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Nothing out of the ordinary here, except that the presentation is taking place at the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City.

 

Reviews "B" is for Bully

Enseigner, scénario pour un métier nouveau

God in the Classroom

Public Schools and Political Ideas

Multimedia Authoring in Our Schools

Paper and pencil were once the primary communication tools of young authors. Today, our students have a new set of tools. They’re accessing information and creating presentations in a very powerful way, using an ever-increasing variety of computer-based multimedia sources, including encyclopedias, databases, simulations and instructional software, as well as the Internet.

 

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