PS News
Québec Ponders the
Creation of a College of Teachers
The debate over the creation of a
college of teachers in Québec brought educators from
all over the province together for a lively
roundtable discussion.
Organizers at
Laval University, site of the December gathering,
invited Lise Presseault of the College’s
Professional Affairs Department to share the
experience of Ontario teachers and explain what
motivated the creation of a college in Ontario.
"For the
Ontario government, the College is essential to
improving the quality of public education in
Ontario," Presseault told the audience. "By
giving teachers the power to regulate their own
profession, the government is putting the
responsibility for the quality of education in the
hands of those who are best qualified to know what a
teacher should be today and in the future."
Participants at
the roundtable included representatives of the
Centrale de l’enseignement du Québec (CEQ), the
academic community, the education field, the Conseil
pédagogique interdisciplinaire du Québec (CPIQ),
and the College. Teachers, students, members of the
public as well as university, government, unions and
media representatives attended the roundtable and
participated in the question period.
The CPIQ is
leading the debate in Québec. It supports the
creation of a college based on a survey showing more
than 75 per cent teacher support. The CPIQ presented
a request for the creation of a college to the Office
des professions du Québec in June last year. The
office advises the government on professional matters
and is expected to make recommendations on the
creation of a college of teachers in the coming
months.
Professional
standards and recognition, accountability to the
public and transparency are central themes of the
public debate in Québec as they were and continue to
be in Ontario.
"The
College’s standards of practice define the
specific qualities of teachers," said
Presseault. "For the general public, they
reflect Ontario teachers’ commitment to provide
the best education possible and to acquire the skills
and knowledge necessary to meet the needs of today
and tomorrow."
Québec’s
equivalent to the Royal Commission on Learning –
called Les États généraux du Québec and published
in 1996 – did not touch on the issue of the
creation of a college for the teaching profession. In
Ontario, the Royal Commission strongly supported the
creation of a college.
"The
issues and questions raised in Québec reaffirmed our
leadership and the validity of our priorities in
Ontario – establishing standards of practice and
a code of ethics for the profession, accrediting
in-service and pre-service programs and dealing with
complaints about professional misconduct and fitness
to practise issues," said Presseault.
Laval
University Press intends to publish a report of the
roundtable later this year.
A&E Honours Teacher
Innovation
A&E Canada – the Arts and Entertainment specialty channel
– is looking for submissions for the 1998
A&E Canadian Teacher Grant, which recognizes
Canadian teachers who apply innovation in the
classroom. A&E started the educational award
program in 1993 to recognize teachers’ inventive
use of A&E productions in the classroom.
To participate,
teachers must create a unique classroom project using
A&E programming. The grand prize winner will
receive $2,000 in personal savings bonds. The first,
second and third place winners will receive $1,500,
$1,000 and $500 respectively. Each prize
winner’s school will also receive a colour TV,
VCR and A&E Video Library.
Registration
forms are available by calling 1-800-722-6146 or
writing to A&E Canadian Teacher Grant, P.O. Box
337, Station F, Toronto ON M4Y 2L7. The deadline for
submissions is April 1.
College Member Receives
Award
for Science Promotion
Ontario College of Teachers member
Diane Lawrence is one of this year’s seven
laureates of the Michael Smith Award for science
promotion. Lawrence received the award at a special
ceremony held this fall at Science World in
Vancouver.
An adjunct
instructor of science elementary education at
Queen’s University, Lawrence has dedicated her
career to bringing environmental education into the
classroom and instilling in youth and teachers a deep
sense of commitment to science and the environment.
Recently,
Lawrence developed and co-authored The Bay of Quinte
Remedial Action Plan Environmental Education Manual,
which translates scientific research into hands-on
activities for teachers in middle schools.
The Michael
Smith Awards honour Dr. Michael Smith who donated
funds from his Nobel Prize to science promotion
activities. A panel of non-government experts in
science promotion and education selects award
recipients.
A Magazine for a Small
Planet
The Green Teacher, a quarterly
magazine dedicated to promoting environmental issues
to teachers, says it’s "not slick, just
resource-full." Editors Tim Grant and Gail
Littlejohn produce the periodical "for educators
to enhance environmental and global education across
the curriculum at all grade levels."
Feature
articles in past issues have dealt with classroom
pets, the celebration of Earth Week, and the molding
of clay pots – not from pre-packaged clay –
but from natural resources.
In its seventh
year now, Green Teacher is a non-profit venture that
boasts practical articles and ready-to-use,
cross-curricular activities from Kindergarten to
Grade 12. For subscription information, phone (416)
960-1244, fax (416) 925-3474, or visit www.web.ca/~greentea .
Discover Germany and its
Neighbours this Summer
The Institute for Foreign Cultural
Relations in Germany is offering a series of two-week
seminars this summer that take participants to
regions of Germany and neighbouring countries.
The seminars,
open to teachers from the U.S. and Canada, include
presentations concentrating on the German political,
economic and education systems and the role Germany
plays in a unified Europe.
There are six
distinct seminars being offered throughout July,
including Germany and the Alps; Germany and Belgium;
Germany, Austria and Hungary; Germany and the Czech
Republic; Cultural Richness of Germany; Germany and
the Baltic Sea.
Participants
also have the opportunity to earn three graduate
credits through the University of Maryland University
College in Germany. For more information, e-mail
stellmach@ifa-ev.de or write Institut für
Auslandsbeziehungen, Seminar Department, Postfach 10
24 63, D-70020 Stuttgart, Germany.
New Teaching Award for York
Grads Marks Faculty’s 25th Anniversary
York University’s faculty of education alumni association has
introduced its first-ever Excellence in Teaching
Award. The winner, to be announced in May, will
receive $1,000.
All graduates
of York University’s faculty of education, now
in its 25th year, are eligible for the award.
Nominees should:
• be
teachers who have enhanced students’ lives
through the act of teaching
• have
created collaborative, innovative teaching
environments
• advocate
for teachers and the teaching profession
•
continuously model teaching as a respected
profession.
The deadline
for nominations is March 11. For more information and
nomination forms, contact the York University Faculty
of Education Alumni Association at (416) 736-5002.
PS
Calendar
If you would like to
list your conference or event in Professionally
Speaking or on the
conference listing on the Library page of the College
web site, please contact us with the information: fax
(416) 961-8822; phone (416) 961-8800 ext. 679 or
e-mail library@oct.ca
The calendar of
conferences resides at the College Library page.
