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INTROVERT? EXTROVERT?
Family Literacy
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 CANA D I AN T E A C H E R MAGAZINE
what’s inside from the editor
4 From the Editor
features
6 Introvert? Extrovert?
~ by Shawn Thompson
10 Family Literacy: Children’s Book Festival
I subscribe to a service that sends a quote to my Inbox each week day. These
quotes are mostly to do with happiness, and serve to remind me daily to
ref lect on my mental state and how I am managing my life. Here is one I
received recently.
~ by Brenda Boreham Since every man is obliged to promote happiness and virtue, he should be careful not
12 Encourage Literacy at Home to mislead unwary minds, by appearing to set too high a value upon things by which
~ by Ashley Tilley no real excellence is conferred.
14 Can Write: Meet Chris McMahen — Samuel Johnson
~ by Margriet Ruurs I think this quote has particular significance for teachers and is worth thinking about at this time when many
16 Overseas Placements Build Skills people make resolutions for the new year. You may not believe that promoting happiness and virtue is your most
~ by Victoria Plaskett and Wilson Mondal pressing professional goal, but then again, perhaps every other more concrete objective ultimately leads to happiness
18 A Short History of the High School Poster and virtue, and so it is an admirable overarching goal that every teacher could aspire to. If you were to replace “every
~ by Irv Osterer man” with “every teacher” and think of students as the “unwary minds” (maybe parents should be included in that
from the classroom category) then this bit of wisdom could make you ask: Am I setting too high a value upon things by which no real excellence
is conferred? What is truly important to the present lives and future success of the children I am tasked with evaluating each day?
20 Breaking Through the “I Don’t Knows”
~ by Victoria Gauthier
Am I helping to develop strong values of honesty, co-operation and respect in my students? And are they happy? Or, am I empha-
sizing outdated skills and competitive attitudes, and assigning tasks that lead anywhere but to happiness and virtue?
22 Reading Detectives: activities for all students
~ by Brenda Boreham At this point in the school year, when you have had time to establish relationships with the young people who
24 Whole Brain Teaching gather around you each day, and classroom routines that help to make your time together run smoothly, perhaps
~ by Liann Nutini some time is available for reflection and a checking in with the lofty goals that inspired you to become a teacher. I
hope you take this opportunity to reaffirm those goals, celebrate your successes and make action plans to promote
26 Discipline Tips
~ by Ronald Morrish
happiness and virtue.
28 book reviews Best wishes for good health and happiness in 2012.
retirement
30 Ideas… Enhanced and Advanced
~ by Enise Olding and Carol Baird-Krul
Want to be the first to see the latest issue of Canadian Teacher Magazine?
travel Follow us on Twitter!
32 The Kennedy Space Center http://twitter.com/#!/canteachmag
~ by Alan Boreham
34 news
We welcome your reaction to the ideas presented in Canadian Teacher Magazine and your thoughts
37 events about education today. Share your ideas and class projects with your colleagues across Canada in the
38 the bulletin board magazine or become a CTM Blogger. Write to the editor for details:
[email protected]

CANADIAN TEACHER MAGAZINE

Jan/Feb 2012 Issue, Volume 8, Number 3, Copyright 2012 Subscribe to receive your own copy…
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Editor Diana Mumford

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INTROVERT? EXTROVERT?
Tips for a Balanced Classroom
by Shawn Thompson

O ver the years I’ve noticed that my intro-

verted students have a hard time adjust-
ing to some aspects of learning because
of their introversion, which could be expected to
further complicate the situation by undermining
and can persevere and be loyal.
Yet, says Laney, introversion is “pathologized” in
our society and labelled as anti-social. “We live in a
culture that has a negative attitude about reflection and
solitude,” says the psychologist. “Introverts aren’t anti-
Knowing all this is ultimately relevant to the sense
of understanding and well-being that a student needs
in order to learn. For example, here’s a response from
a former university student, a mature, thoughtful and
highly intelligent young woman, when I suggested
their self-esteem. social—they are just social in a different way.” that she read, after her graduation, Laney’s book The
This is not a problem coming from them alone. Introverts thrive in the inner world of thought and Introvert Advantage.
Their teachers and classmates can misunderstand intro- ideas and in close, intimate relationships. Extroverts
version and increase the pressure that the introverted thrive in the outer world of interaction and large, con- Marti Olsen Laney’s book moved me to tears—of rec-
students feel. stant social exchange. ognition and relief—more than once. I have been reas-
I ought to know, because I am an introverted That would naturally reflect what both groups like sessing myself and my past through a new perspective
teacher who has struggled for years without under- and dislike as learners. where I no longer feel ashamed or embarrassed for things
standing introversion myself. Introverts don’t always Juggling the differences in the classroom can be I have (or haven’t) done, and ways I’ve reacted in social
understand introversion. I know that I didn’t. perilous, though, like Gulliver trying to navigate the settings. Even my mother—who is introverted herself—
Introversion is an innate temperament beginning conflict between whether it is right to break an egg at pressured me as a child to be more social, and suggested
at birth that reveals itself in a collection of preferences the big end or the little end. Both sides see the world something was wrong for wanting to spend time quietly
in behaviour, according to a source I rely heavily on, the from their end of the egg. or alone. I recall her knocking on my bedroom door and
psychologist Marti Olsen Laney, the introverted author But it is extroversion that is praised and rewarded confronting me on the Saturday afternoons I decided
of the 2002 book The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in our society, and the classroom sometimes mirrors to stay in my room and read or write or play a game.
in an Extrovert World. the social values of society by favouring extroverts, who She thought this meant I was having problems with
People span the spectrum of introversion and naturally dominate socially because they are three- the other children at school, or that I was depressed. As
extroversion from a high preference for one or the quarters of the population and are skilful in dominating an adult, I’ve felt guilt and anxiety over taking time for
other, to varying degrees of a balance somewhere in the socially. That may be amplified if the teacher is an extro- myself, wondering if I was agoraphobic or would sud-
middle. The main differences that identify introverts vert and the extroverted students assert their power. denly become a recluse… Had I known more about
and extroverts are the source of their personal energy, An extroverted classroom can be a lively and ener- introversion before going to university, I feel I would have
their sense of boundaries and their comfort zone. getic public forum with a group of people interacting, been more confident in, and accepting of, myself. There is
The simplest way to explain the difference is that conversing, thinking spontaneously. It is fast paced, something quite liberating about knowing that needing
introverts are energized by quiet, privacy and being changing direction frequently, with distractions, noise time alone to “recharge” is typical of introverts—not of
alone or in small groups, and are drained by noise, dis- and high stimulation. Marks, favours and other rewards sociopaths, recluses or “weirdos.”
traction and crowds. They are oriented toward an inner are given for extroverted participation and those who
life. Extroverts are the opposite. They are energized by don’t participate the way that extroverts do can be This student went on to do an advanced degree in
crowds and stimulation, and drained by being alone. neglected or singled out. nursing and will probably make a strong contribution
They are oriented toward an outer life. All this has an effect. I see that my introverted uni- to society.
The differences begin in biology. The main neu- versity students have been burdened for years in grade My own motivation to do something about the sit-
rotransmitter used by introverts is acetylcholine, which school and high school with a sense of shame and uation came from the crisis of having to deal with stu-
also stores information during sleep, and there are bio- alienation as introverts for not fitting the social mould dents having difficulty with group activity in a univer-
logical differences in the ways the brains of introverts of teachers and students who are extroverts. Tasks in sity course that I taught about newspaper production.
and extroverts work. learning that require extroversion are harder and more The first year that I sensed that a preference for
According to the literature on the subject, intro- stressful for them. They don’t like large group activities introversion could affect the group activity of the class,
verts have positive and valuable attributes. They are and they don’t like being put on the spot and forced to I did a short survey from Laney’s book which indicated
good at listening, planning, taking time for thought, say what is on their minds. that almost fifty per cent of the class was strongly intro-
focusing, concentrating on tasks for long, uninter- And there is nothing wrong with that. It is perfectly verted and only fifteen per cent was strongly extro-
rupted periods of time. They can form strong and inti- normal for what we now know about the temperament, verted, a remarkable situation that confirmed my intu-
mate bonds with people. They can act independently, brain chemistry and brain physiology that explain the ition. This mix could be expected to affect how the class
listen well, can step back from a situation to analyze it, differences between introverts and extroverts. functioned as a group.

6 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

 For comparison, I did the same survey the same would like to work on their own and ten per cent had gered memories of feelings of having to cope with situa-
year with my photojournalism class and found that no preference. In this class, fifty per cent said they like tions in the past. I have to “build up steam” before I can
thirty per cent of the class was strongly introverted, ten to listen and observe quietly and fifty per cent said they launch myself into a classroom, especially one with new
per cent was strongly extroverted and sixty per cent like to talk and engage others in conversation. students. Now I know why I even put off writing this
was in the middle. That would affect how photography I wondered how structured I should make the article for several years.
assignments were done since the emphasis was put on course and how flexible it should be to change. The The literature on introversion recognizes these
interacting with people to take their photos. I also noted survey showed another stand-off, with forty per cent kinds of issues and helps by providing strategies.
how different the two classes were in terms of intro- preferring an orderly, planned structured environment, Carl Jung, the introverted psychologist who gave us
version and extroversion and expected the dynamics fifty per cent preferring an environment open to spon- our basic understanding of introversion and extrover-
would be different between them. taneity and change and ten per cent with no preference. sion, believed that one personality type of either intro-
The following year, I did a survey of the newspaper The mere fact of doing the surveys—perhaps a sign version or extroversion dominates in the individual, but
production course using elements of preferences found of my own introversion—made me pay more attention the other type is still within us and can be balanced and
in the literature of introversion and extroversion. That to the variety in the preferences of my students and the developed against its opposite without needing to dom-
year, thirty-eight per cent reported they were strong way my courses could reflect that variety. It made me inate unnaturally.
introverts, which was a drop from the previous year, but aware of what differences there could be in the dynam- The insights of Jung were developed into the
still higher in introversion than the general population. ics of a class from year to year. popular Myers-Briggs personality types. Katharine
That year and the next year I expanded the surveys I wondered if the same course material could be Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers
to explore how comfortable the students were with delivered in different ways at the same time to students adapted Jung’s character types of introversion and
group work in various ways. Those results could have with different preferences, particularly towards intro- extroversion by classifying people by four categories
been affected by other factors, such as the way the uni- version and extroversion, which affect deeply the moti- of opposites, beginning with introversion and extro-
versity makes learning an individual competition that vation of the students and their sense of well-being and version, producing sixteen combinations of charac-
pits student against student and scepticism among stu- integrity. ter types. There is only space in this article to deal with
dents that everyone will do his or her fair share of the After several years, I settled on the option of letting introversion.
work in a group activity. But the point is that instead of the students decide whether to work in small groups For teachers, there is a book by Gordon Lawrence
insisting on group work, I was considering how well stu- of their own choosing or to work individually, which devoted to the topic of educating introverts and extro-
dents could adapt to it and how that affected what they seems to produce the most satisfying results. verts, called People Types and Tiger Stripes, originally pub-
were learning in the course. Courses like these were also a challenge for me per- lished in 1979 and available online through the Center
In the third year of surveys I asked if the students sonally as an introvert who has to interact with extro- for Applications of Psychological Type. Lawrence says
would like to work on a publication as a group. The verts in the classroom and extroverted colleagues that teaching attracts introverts, that extroverts and
feed back was a dramatic divide that felt like a stand- outside the classroom. Even writing this article on introverts are equally represented at all levels of teach-
off, since fifty per cent said yes, forty per cent said they introversion was distressing for me because it trig- ing, and that college students are more evenly divided

A Contest for High School Visual Arts Classes!

Let the budding artists shine! Emond Montgomery Publications is giving students
the chance to redesign the cover of our Art Works text from scratch. The winning
submission will be the cover of the Art Works ebook. The contest begins January 2012.

Go to artworks.emp.ca for contest details.

CANADIAN TEACHER magazine January/February 2012 7

between introverts and extroverts, unlike the general and social media. • Empower introverts with the awareness that they
population where extroverts dominate in numbers. • Break the assignments into multiple, staged smaller have the right to set boundaries that make them
He also says that the personality types are seen in how assignments, since introverts can be overwhelmed feel comfortable dealing with others.
the individual organizes his or her energy and that by deadlines and the way they think at length about
they affect motivation, interests, learning styles and large tasks. There are those who might argue that giving intro-
aptitudes. • Give introverts breaks to restore their energy. verts some introverted options undermines the chal-
In order to help introverts in my classes, I’ve given • Give the introverts privacy by letting them keep the lenges they need in order to grow and avoids the kind of
students self-reflective assignments where they have results of their work private. conditions in the outer world where they have to cope
the option of writing about the experience if they want, with situations that favour extroverts.
• Be aware that tests favour extroverts, and disad-
which helps them, as well as helping me to understand My response is that we want to create the best con-
vantage introverts. Introverts need conditions
the process of learning for them. This was particularly ditions possible for learning. We can be optimistic and
that allow them to focus and concentrate without
useful with assignments involving interviewing or believe that, given the right support, students will natu-
distractions, tasks that allow them time to process
photography. I find that introverts want to write about rally take challenges and develop when they are ready.
information, which suggests they learn better with
this, whereas extroverts find this kind of introspection In the end, we want to bolster the strengths of intro-
long-term assignments than tests with surprise
annoying and pointless and perhaps even stressful. verted students without them being disadvantaged in
questions. (I remember that when I was a univer-
Here are some strategies for helping introverted the classroom, but at the same time to give them strat-
sity student I adjusted for this situation by trying to
students, from The Introvert Advantage and People Types egies for adjusting to an extroverted world. Eventually
predict questions before a test and writing out the
and Tiger Stripes, with a few tweaks from me: the introverted students need to learn extroverted skills,
answers beforehand.)
but the extroverted students need to learn introverted
• Give the students options in assignments and class- • Give the introverts strategies for interacting with
skills too, and so do teachers.
room activities that allow introverts and extroverts people, such as preparing a script beforehand.
to choose which helps them learn and develop best. Introverts are stressed by having to interact with Shawn Thompson is an assistant professor of journalism and
One option is allowing students to choose whether others verbally in spontaneous situations, includ- communication at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops,
ing talking on the phone, and by having to attend BC. His latest book is The Intimate Ape: Orangutans and the
to work in groups or individually. Secret Life of a Vanishing Species. (2010) The behaviour of
long meetings with large groups. Being able to take
• Give introverts the time to process information orangutans is introverted compared to the extroverted
notes helps them adjust. chimpanzees and gorillas. Email: [email protected]
and respond later. They need time to process infor-
mation at their own speed and a private space • Give the students work with cameras. Like taking 
without distractions and overwhelming stimulus. notes, cameras allow introverts to mediate with the
world in a separate, reflective way and, at the same
• Allow written dialogue and interaction, which now
time, give them a framework for developing inter-
work well with computers, cell phones, the Internet
action and social skills.

8 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

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 features

Family Literacy
The Vancouver Island
Children’s Book Festival

by Brenda Boreham

Some other titles by Eugenie include:

Canadian author and illustrator, Eugenie Fernandes, speaking at the 2011 Vancouver Island Children’s Book Festival. Kitten’s Summer
Kitten’s Autumn

T
Kitten’s Spring
his article provides a little peek at one of the well attended sessions at
A Difficult Day
the 2011 Vancouver Island Children’s Book Festival. Bookfest is an event
Sleepy Little Mouse
that is organized by a dedicated group of volunteers for the families of
One Hen
Nanaimo and the surrounding area. Authors and illustrators gather to speak
Waves in the Bathub
directly to children about writing, illustrating and making books in a day-long
The Tree that Grew to the Moon
event held in May each year. This festival celebrated its 25th anniversary on
Saturday, May 7, 2011.
It is ten o’clock on a rainy Saturday morning. The children’s section in the base-
ment of the Literacy Nanaimo building is filled with an air of anticipation. A crowd
BOOKFEST HISTORY
of young people, sitting on colourful floor mats, fills up all the available floor space.
Parents are perched on chairs and benches along the back wall. They are all here to 1986 The Nanaimo Children’s Literature Roundtable was formed for the sole
visit with the well known Canadian author and illustrator, Eugenie Fernandes. When purpose of presenting Canadian children’s authors and illustrators to local
everyone is settled in she begins… children. The first year the event was organized by a group of teachers, book-
sellers and librarians.
I am going to start by telling you something that you already know. You just don’t know
that you know. What you already know is that once, a long time ago, I was a child just like 1987 The second year Malaspina College (now Vancouver Island University)
you. became a sponsor and provided an on-campus site for the festival which was
held on the first Saturday in May. Face painting, bubble blowing, bookmark
So off we go into a fun filled hour packed with stories, drawing demonstrations,
making and musical acts were some of the events offered over the lunch time.
and a look at the illustrative techniques used by Eugenie in her books. She often uses
Hundreds of children lined up for the book signing at the end of the day’s
plasticine and a wide variety of found objects to create the pictures in the books for
sessions.
which she is famous. She quickly teaches the audience some of her little tricks with the
plasticine and provides each child with a printed recipe for home made modeling clay 1988 – 2010 A scholarship program was set up for children who do not have the
and step by step instructions for creating an imaginative creature. money to attend the event. The tickets were distributed through the school
Eugenie is visiting us from Peterborough, Ontario. Her home studio is set in a district.
wooded area which provides her with lots of opportunity to observe birds and other Committees were formed to take care of fund raising (for the cost of the
small creatures that live there. She tells her audience that, as a child, she loved to reading fees and travel expenses of the authors, as well as the noon hour enter-
explore outdoors and often recorded her adventures in her own little books. As an tainment). The authors were billeted and fed in the homes of the volunteers.
adult she has continued to combine this interest in nature with bookmaking. She now
An online Art Auction was established as a fundraiser. The art pieces were
has an impressive list of titles, many of which are found in classrooms and libraries
donated by the book illustrators presenting at the event.
right across the country.
In September 2011, Eugenie published the fourth in her series of little kitten books. A committee was formed to book authors into schools for readings before
Kitten’s Winter is written in simple rhyming text and tells the story of the kitten’s strug- and after the festival. Authors and illustrators often stay on for a week or two
gle to reach home on a stormy winter’s day. As kitten hurries and scurries through the after the festival to visit local schools and libraries. This means that in addi-
blizzard we are treated to a glimpse of the wild creatures living in the fields and wood- tion to the 500 to 1,000 people who attend Bookfest, another 6,000 to 9,500
lands surrounding the farmhouse. After sharing the story with her audience Eugenie children hear the authors in their schools or public libraries. During the 25
delighted the children by producing one of the original pieces of artwork used to illus- years of the festival’s history, over 150,000 children have had the opportunity
trate the story. to listen to a Canadian author or illustrator. Transportation of the authors to
the schools was provided by volunteers.
The Vancouver Island Regional Library offered a Mother Goose program for

10 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

 parents, babies and toddlers during the day of
the festival.
2011 The 25th anniversary celebration was held.
Students Discover
their Full Potential
The reading sessions and activities were
moved from the university campus to venues
throughout the downtown area.
2012 Visit www.bookfest.ca for information about at
this year’s Bookfest. Canada’s Largest Youth Forum – Encounters with Canada

r Nutrition J o u rn al is t
R C M P O f f ic e ist cian
Lawyer D o ct o r Politi
T
hinking that this is an idea worth considering in your
community? Here are some of the highlights in the An exceptional opportunity for Canadian high school
students to explore career options, get them the answers
Bookfest timetable. For more detailed information and advice they crave.
you can check out their website: www.bookfest.ca
Here’s wHat awaits tHem:
Before Bookfest • Interactive workshops
• Festival tickets are sold online through • Meetings with experts
the local theatre box office. The cost • Visits to museums, famous landmarks,
research institutes, colleges and universities
is $10 for each 5 to 12 year old child
(accompanied by an adult; the adults’ Plus: Students discover their country, get to know
admission is free) and $25 for a family of their nation’s capital and make friends with other
three or more. young Canadians from across the country in an
unparalleled bilingual environment.
• The children are able to attend three ses-
sions and make their choices from a list 12 exciting themes to choose from to help them map out their future career.
of nine authors and illustrators at the
time of purchasing the tickets. encounters-rencontres.ca
• A map of the reading locations is issued
with the tickets.
• A wine and cheese event is held on the
Friday evening at a downtown art gallery
to give the authors and illustrators a CdnTeacher-Stranger_Layout 1 12/21/2011 11:59 AM Page 1

chance to gather and visit.

• All the venues are set up for the readings.
During Bookfest
• Free activities are offered in the library
Don’t miss the moving sequel to
for pre-schoolers too young to attend FATTY LEGS: A True Story 12
awards
the Bookfest sessions (puppet shows
and Mother Goose Rhyme-Time).
• The registered children attend (with an
adult) three 45 minute sessions. The pre-
senters use a variety of presentation
techniques including story telling, read-
ings, technology, demonstrations and
singing.
A STRANGER AT HOME
• During the lunch break, entertainment A True Story
is offered in the open plaza next to Christy JORDAN-FENTON
the library. Many families bring picnic
& Margaret POKIAK-FENTON
lunches or eat in nearby restaurants.
• Books and festival t-shirts are on sale Artwork by Liz Amini-Holmes
throughout the festival day. After two years at residential school, 10-year-
• An autograph session is held after the old Margaret can barely wait to be reunited
last reading session. with her family, but what was supposed to be
a joyful homecoming turns to disappointment
After Bookfest
as Margaret realizes she has become an out-
• A celebration dinner is held after the fes-
sider. Featuring archival photos and striking
tival. The presenters, organizers and vol-
artwork, this personal account of a young
unteers are included in this event. This
girl’s struggle to find her place will both move
year it was held in the museum amongst
and inspire readers of all ages.
the many wonderful historical displays!
Ages 9 and up | 112 pages

Now available! Free interactive Book Talk for Fatty

Brenda has 35 years of classroom experience. She has presented workshops on Legs. Check out our website for more information.
literature based themes and literacy strategies, and has written a number of

.
resources for teachers. She remains passionate about matching up kids with books

| annick press | sample chapter and podcast available at www.annickpress.com
CANADIAN TEACHER magazine January/February 2012 11
 ENCOURAGE
OUT IN THE OPEN LITERACY AT HOME
BY DAV E DEVEAU
Let’s Make Learning Fun!
Out in the Open is
an honest look at
homophobia, friendship, Disney English focuses on children at the peak of
social pressure
and navigating the their language learning potential, between the
complicated truths of ages of 2 and 12, teaching them in our uniquely
teenage relationships.
Adam and Stephen Disney way. At Disney English, we blend our
get lost in the woods treasured stories, characters and immersive
and have to come to
terms with a secret technology with the English language to create an
that threatens their
friendship. innovative program. Disney English is looking for
(Grades 8 and Up)
Out in the Open pictured: Gaelan Beatty and Raes
energetic individuals to live in China for a year or
Calvert (photos: Dennis de la Haye, 2011)
more, educating the young children of China in all
B.C. Tour: Spring 2012 things English at one of the following locations:
National Tour: Fall 2012
“[...]a realistic portrayal of a relevant issue which
 Beijing Qualified candidates have a
would have the students sit up and take notice”  Chengdu Bachelor’s degree, two years of by Ashley Tilley
-Runa Bjarnason-Wilson, Teacher, BC SD 6  Guangzhou work experience, and a passion
“Tremendously clever, well-written and
humorous [...] It was very well-received by
staff and students and led to some meaningful
classroom discussions in the days following the
viewing of the play”
 Hangzhou
 Nanjing
 Ningbo
 Shanghai
for teaching. If hired, Disney
offers a competitive
compensation and benefits,
including housing and travel.
C hildren raised in literate households are
likely to enter grade one with several thou-
sand hours of one to one pre-reading expe-
rience behind them. But what about children who
have limited access to learning opportunities at
-Roger Wiebe, Vice-Principal, BC SD 39
 Suzhou
Contact us today home?
 Tianjin
to book a performance! Approximately nine million adult Canadians suffer
 Wuhan
604-254-4055 from low literacy; hundreds of thousands of these indi-
[email protected] viduals have children. Unfortunately, some of these chil-
Learn more and apply at:
dren end up falling behind in school because they are
greenthumb.bc.ca http://disneycasting.net/disneyenglish not given the same opportunity as their peers to read at
home and engage in early learning activities.
Encouraging parents to take time every day to read
or do a learning activity with their children is crucial to a
child’s development. Even just fifteen minutes a day can
improve a child’s literacy skills dramatically, and can
help parents improve their skills as well.
We know that parents lead busy lives and may not
have time to read to their children. Add to that parents
who have low reading confidence, and the result is that
some children almost never enjoy a bedtime story.
Teachers have an opportunity to remind parents
about the benefits of learning at home and at school. To
ensure both children and adults are improving their lit-
eracy skills, encourage parents to do fun activities that
are part of daily routines or that don’t feel like learning—
playing a board game, writing out a shopping list, count-
ing out change at the grocery store or following a recipe
all incorporate literacy and learning.
Alternatively, assign homework that involves the
whole family to get parents involved in their children’s
learning. Ask children to write a story with a parent or
guardian, or perhaps create a family tree together.
Family Literacy Day, taking place across Canada
on January 27, is the perfect opportunity to encourage
learning at home. There are so many learning opportu-
nities in daily life—we just have to embrace them!
For more information on Family Literacy Day,
including tips, activities and event ideas, visit www.
FamilyLiteracyDay.ca.
Ashely Tilley is the Communications Coordinator at ABC Life Literacy Canada.


12 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

 February 6 – march 30, 2012

Tips and Tricks To reduce your energy use

With these great energy saving ideas, you can make a real difference in your classroom,
at home and for your planet!

aT school aT home Too

1. Ask your parent/guardian for permission to 1. In the summer, keep your windows covered during
carpool, take public transportation, walk or bike the day to reduce the need for air conditioning. In
to and from school. the winter, allow the light to shine through and save
on heating.
2. Use reusable lunch bags and containers.
3. Use a refillable water bottle rather than a 2. Turn off all lights when not needed.
disposable one. 3. Unplug electronic devices when not in use. This will
reduce wasted power.
4. Make sure to use both sides of a piece of
paper. Create a bin for paper that is still blank 4. Take short showers instead of filling the bathtub.
on one side. 5. Try eating a vegetarian or vegan meal one day
5. See how you can reuse non-recyclable items for a week, or follow a vegetarian diet for one week
art projects, pencil holders, textbook covers, etc. a month.

Join The challenge noW! regisTraTion closes January 20, 2012

• Fun and educational classroom challenges Amazing prizes including 50 Flip Video
Cameras, two SMART Board Systems and more
• A public service announcement video contest
than $8,000 in cash prizes!

www.canadiangeographic.ca/cedc

CANADIAN TEACHER magazine January/February 2012 13

 CAN WRITE
Meeting Canadian writers and illustrators of children’s books.
What inspires the writers of the books your students read? How does an illus-
trator decide what to draw? Is it true that most authors and illustrators don’t
know each other? This column will feature a different Canadian children’s
book creator in each issue and show you the story beyond the covers. Margriet Ruurs is the Canadian author of over 27 books
for children and educators, including fiction, nonfiction
and poetry. Margriet conducts author visits to schools
by Margriet Ruurs around the world. www.margrietruurs.com

Meet Canadian author Chris McMahen

Margriet: You are surrounded by books every day Margriet: Do your students know that you write, and how, do you think, does it
as a teacher-librarian. What prompted influence them to be readers and writers themselves?
you to start writing your own? Chris: Yes, my students all know that I write. I read my most recent book, Box of
Chris: My accountant told me writers could Shocks, to my grade four class before it was published, and they gave me
get really sweet tax deductions. Just some insightful feedback. Also, when the book was accepted for publica-
kidding! tion, I shared with them the whole process an author goes through when
I started writing when I was a grade a book is published. They found the interactions with my editor particu-
three teacher. I discovered that the best larly fascinating.
way to motivate students in any subject Part of my teaching assignment is working in a classroom teaching cre-
area was for them to see me not only as ative writing. I love this part of my job as I get to try out some experi-
a teacher but as a participant. In phys. mental, unorthodox writing activities with my students. We have a ton
ed., I’d be doing the Canada Fitness test. In art, I’d be attempting a self- of fun creating wild and crazy pieces of writing, and I find it very reward-
portrait (with desperately drastic results, I might add). In writing, I’d ing when reluctant writers in September transform into enthusiastic
be scribbling a short story. Not only did my students love hearing my authors as the year progresses.
stories, I also discovered I actually loved the creative process of writing. Margriet: Do students help you with ideas for new stories?
I became a teacher-librarian a few years later, so being immersed in the
world of children’s literature day after day gave me plenty of inspiration Chris: I’ve never had an idea specifically come from students. Usually, it’s a
to pursue my writing. circumstance within a school that gives me an idea for a story. In my
second novel, Klutzhood, I wanted to write about a student moving to
Not only is being surrounded by books every day a great place for a a new school in a new town in the middle of the year. I’ve seen so many
writer to be, I’m also interacting with my audience. As I work with chil- students go through this very trying experience, so I thought it was an
dren ages five to eleven, it really helps me to gain an appreciation for how important topic to write about. In my third novel, Tabloidology, I wanted
they view their world–what they find hilarious, what is meaningful to to take a look at the media bombardment our students are experiencing
them, and how they interact with each other. When I’m writing dialogue, and give it some perspective in a school setting.
it’s easy to imagine a conversation between two ten year olds, as I hear
them arguing over a book in the library, shouting at each other on the Margriet: What do you do during an author visit?
playground during a soccer game, or riding the bus on a field trip. Chris: First and foremost, I try to bring enthusiasm, energy and a sense of
Margriet: As a full-time teacher-librarian, how do you find time to write? Do you playful fun to my performances. I like to engage the young readers with
write daily? Late at night? as much audience participation as possible with activities like The Great
Klutzhood Trivia Challenge, and Story in a Box. Of course, I also share
Chris: I wish I could write daily, but I certainly don’t. When I started to write with them insights into the creative joys of writing, how to avoid writer’s
more seriously, I still had a young family, a day job, and everything else block, and give other pointers to budding authors.
life threw at me. The only time I found to write was late at night. Now,
I’m able to write during more civilized hours and get more than five ≈
hours of sleep a night. Books written by Chris McMahen
Buddy Concrackle’s Amazing Adventure (Coteau Books)
When I work on a writing project, I’m more like a sprinter than a long Klutzhood (Orca Book Publishers)
distance runner. I can work very intensively for an hour or two at the Tabloidology (Orca Book Publishers)
Box of Shocks (Orca Book Publishers)
most, then my brain decides enough is enough.
I find writing incredibly exhilarating. To be completely immersed in Find out more about Canadian author Chris McMahen here
http://www.chrismcmahen.blogspot.com/
writing, lost in a world of images and words, is something I absolutely http://www.cwill.bc.ca/search/member_detail/174
love. Even though I don’t write every day, I certainly know when I’ve
missed a few days in a row. I get an itch to write that needs scratching. 

14 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

 Looking ffor
or rrecentl
ecentl
ecentlyy published books
from Canad
from Canadian ian author
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and/or publisher
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or your sc
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school
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ary?

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receive are the very best deemed age and content
available from a variety of appropriate are recommended
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content is current and relevant book packages, providing the
to today’s students. You have best value to meet your school
our guarantee of quality. budgets and curricular needs.

Visit our website today to view our preselected basic packages or

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CANADIAN TEACHER magazine January/February 2012 15

 Overseas Placements Build
Skills for the Canadian
Classroom
by Victoria Plaskett and Wilson Mondal
Victoria Plaskett with her students in rural China where she taught English to teachers.

S hort-term teaching placements, particularly in less-developed parts of

the world, can be a wonderful way for Canadian teachers to enrich the
learning experience of students and to transfer skills to other teachers
in the host country. But these placements can also be of tremendous benefit to
the teachers who take time for a placement program. There are several possible
Teaching in these environments does have its advantages; it may help a teacher
re-connect with good teaching practice, without being so reliant on tools. The large
classroom sizes in China (60 is common) also build a teacher’s skills in engaging large
groups, which may be important if budget constraints in Canada continue to push
classroom sizes upwards. 
career benefits to overseas placements.

WORKING WITH DIFFERENT CULTURES

Canada is increasingly a multicultural country, and this is not just noticeable in
our country’s big cities. Even in smaller communities, teachers must learn to work
with parents and students from different cultures. This includes developing abilities to
work with students with only a limited grasp of English, with learning styles that are
different from those of their classmates.
Teaching overseas, in a classroom full of students from another language and
culture, can be an intense, challenging and rewarding way to rapidly build effective-
ness in multicultural situations. 

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Today’s elementary and high school students already live in a world that is more
globally aware than ever before. Many use Skype and Facebook to connect with
people in other parts of the world, which may include their countries of origin. They
will need this international perspective if they, and Canada, are to compete on a global
stage. International placements give teachers a wider perspective, which they can pass
on to their students when they return to teach in Canada.
Having a greater awareness of how learning happens in other countries can also
aid a teacher in working with parents and students from other cultures. For example,
in China much of the learning is done by rote, using memorization. Students have
traditionally not been encouraged to think critically. International placements can
EFFECTIVE TEACHING WITH LIMITED RESOURCES help Canadian teachers understand where their newcomer students are “coming from”
While teachers in Canada may wish they had more resources, particularly in both in a geographic sense and pedagogically, so they can better work with these
these difficult economic times when many budgets have been reduced, the truth is students.
we’re blessed with a wide range of teaching tools. This includes textbooks, workbooks, An international perspective comes not just from meeting students, teachers and
networked computers, white boards, laptops, e-readers, AV equipment and many parents in the host country. The placement may also be a chance to meet other volun-
other aids. teer teachers from around the world, and share their methodologies for teaching in a
That wealth of resources stands in stark contrast to conditions in less wealthy culture that is foreign to them as well.
parts of the world. For example, in many Chinese classrooms and in classrooms in
many developing countries, the students aren’t even provided with chairs—they sit GETTING THE MOST FROM A PLACEMENT
on the floor, stools or benches. In a successful international placement, attitude is everything. A positive attitude
will not only impact the students in the classroom but also go a long way in smooth-

16 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

ing tensions that inevitably arise among the teaching security briefing) and are always available to deal with
group and hosts. Teachers should be aware of the image issues as they arise.  
they are portraying of their country, province, city and Teaching or being otherwise active in another
school during lunch breaks, dinners and sight-seeing. A country is a far different and often better way to learn
good conversational guideline is to talk less, ask ques- about the culture than merely being a tourist. Having
tions and listen more. said that, it is important to take time to travel during
the engagement, and afterwards when the teacher has
learned more about the culture and geography and can

monthly
appreciate what is available.
An overseas placement can be a highlight of a
teaching career, providing a renewed enthusiasm for
the profession and for what it does for the rest of society. language arts
program
POINTS FOR SUCCESS for grades 6 to 8
Following her placement in China, Victoria
Plaskett offers these suggestions:
• Cooperative learning strategies work
everywhere, so be prepared to give those
EASY-TO-USE,
skills a workout: community circle, role TEACHER-CREATED
playing, skits, repetition and drill.
• To communicate with students whose first Comprehension
language is not the same as yours, learn exercises
to be clear and concise, to use illustrations,
and to be encouraging. Reading & writing
• Be prepared to buy some resources with
your own money—many placements are
activities
Victoria and the cast member of a Kung Fu play at the Red Lantern Theatre.
with schools that are not as well supplied Assessment rubrics
as are Canadian schools.
In setting up a volunteer placement, one of the
most important first steps is to choose an organization
• Learn ahead of time about the culture to Readers Theater
which you are going, so you don’t inad-
that is affiliated with a group that is trustworthy, such as
vertently cause offense. This includes
local non-government organizations (NGOs) working issues such as gift-giving. Covers virtually all
with the micro communities, or the educational faculty
• If appropriate, take along some small gifts ELA learning outcomes
of a college or university. Ensure that the group han-
such as pens, mugs, t-shirts and notepads
dling the on-the-ground logistics has local knowledge
and capability. This includes current knowledge of any
as souvenirs from your school, city, prov- T2R is delivered to your
risks—any civil unrest, disease and natural hazards
ince or country. inbox each month as part
such as hurricanes. The program operator should have • Bring along some maps, pictures, post- of an annual subscription.
local staff members who meet teachers at the airport, cards and other printed material about
organize cultural orientation, in country services (such Canada or have them shipped ahead of
as linking with the host agencies, accommodations and
time so you don’t have to take them in
your luggage.
Resource Links
• Learn to cope with the weather. Reusable “The Year’s Best 2011”
adhesive gum such as Sticky Tack may be
the only way to make paper stick to walls
in high humidity. When the temperature
is high and the air conditioning breaks
down, hold class in the courtyard.
• Be prepared for the realities of post-trip
reverse culture shock—when you get
home you may be surprised to look at
reality with new awareness after your
experience overseas.

Victoria Plaskett, Ed.D., is an English teacher in the Special Education Department of

Sign up for a free 7-day
Durham District School Board in Ontario. She taught English to teachers in Jiangsu
Province, China with JESSIE and the University of Toronto in July, 2011.  
trial today!
Wilson Mondal, Executive Director of Toronto-based Global Perception (www. www.text2reader.com
globalperception.ca) uses his international development background to arrange
volunteer placements in developing nations.

CANADIAN TEACHER magazine January/February 2012 17

 A Short History of
the High School Poster

by Irv Osterer

When I arrived at my first teaching gig at A.Y. vents, oil based ink and poor ventilation, silk screened
Jackson Secondary School in Kanata, Ontario in 1978, I posters became harder to justify. Water based inks were
brought my squeegee with me. By this time, photocopi- an option, but they proved difficult to manage and pre-
ers were in every school, but even though their repro- sented their own problems with stencil making and
ductions were cheap, they could not visually compete cleanup.

A
with the impact of a silk screened image. I later moved
rt teachers are often called upon to supply
to Confederation High School when an art coordina-
institutional graphics. I have always prided
tor’s position became available.
myself in creating eye-catching newsletters,
The posters created for our school art shows and
f lyers, programs and newspaper advertisements for
events were designed by students, who pulled editions
my school. I reasoned that it cost the same dollars
of 50 to 100 and distributed them in the school and
to print something poorly designed as it did to print
throughout the community. Students and staff looked
something that looked good. I also believe that
forward to getting their own copies of the limited
every printed piece distributed is a ref lection on
edition show posters every year.
what is going on in the building—and that our com-
munity forms opinions based on the material they
receive and the images they see. That is even more
true today as these images gain so much more cur-
rency when posted on the Internet.
As I reflect on a career of more than thirty years in
public education, it is interesting to see how the technol-
ogy to create information design has evolved.
I was fortunate to attend Fisher Park High School,
where my art teacher, the late Willie McKay taught us
the art of silk screen printing. At that time, the fabled
spirit duplicator and the messy Gestetner stencils
ruled—and when Willie and his commercial art expe-
rience arrived on the scene, the visual impact of his craft
immediately captured everyone’s attention. Silk screen-
ing’s signature is bright, flat, opaque colour—and since
we had screens of all sizes, the posters we created always
eclipsed the common 8.5 x 11 and 8.5 x 14 threshold.
The closure of Confederation High School meant
Willie taught us how to carefully hand cut Ulano Sta-
the end of the large industrial sink and pressure washer
Sharp film and how to register colours. As we progressed,
I used to manage the process. When I arrived at my
he passed on other stenciling techniques including the
new post at Merivale High School, I knew that my silk
use of photographic emulsions.
screening days were probably over and that it was time
My studies at the Ontario College of Art exposed
to embrace more modern technology.
me to further experimenting with the poster genre
Offset lithography proved a reliable, albeit more
through projects with acclaimed Canadian graphic
expensive option, but because of the expense, we were
designers Jim Donoahue and Ken Rodmell. I also dis-
always limited to printing in one or two colours. We
covered the magnificent work of Theo Dimson and
employed the use of spot colour and duotones effec-
Ottawa’s Neville Smith, whose silk screened Black Cat
Unfortunately, the silk screen process had some tively to maximize our palette and took advantage of
Café poster remains a personal icon. At OCA, I also had
downsides, and as schools and teachers became more larger sheets of coated paper and longer press runs.
the opportunity to create several serigraph editions and
aware of the health and safety issues associated with sol-
improve my silk screening technique.

18 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

 I had already embraced the Mac, desktop publish- Today, it is possible to create artwork using Quark
ing and image editing software in my classroom and
had the technology to generate 13 x 19 inch artwork on
XPress or inDesign, Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator
and generate a high resolution PDF file that can be ENDING THE SILENCE
our Epson 1280 inkjet printer. This would not prove to opened on any computer and printed anywhere. A DOCUMENTARY FILM
be practical in making a large number of posters, but With my students, I can now supervise the creation ABOUT YOUTH CAREGIVING
served as a fitting introduction to the world of digital of posters and have them printed very economically by
printing which held a significant economic advantage sending the files to our school board’s Print Services. An estimated 12% of young
over offset technology and screen printing in that, the The process is restricted to a tabloid 11 x 17 format, but people in Canada are provid-
ing major support to their families, usually due to
number of colours used would no longer be a factor in I am able to secure terrific results without leaving my
their parents' physical or mental illness, disability,
the cost. classroom, and the printed posters are usually dropped
addiction or other difficulties. This compelling
off within a two-day window, to everyone’s satisfaction. documentary film and curriculum guide reveal
My responsibility centre has shifted and I now find the joys and challenges that these youth face,
myself department head for all the arts. The digital rev- often alone and unaided, and suggest ways that
olution could not have come at a better time as I find they could be supported.
myself continually helping colleagues by creating
theater, music, art and event posters. CURRICULUM PACKAGE INCLUDES:
When we have to broach the tabloid format, our • DVD 1 - Documentary film
Curriculu
for the film m Guide

lengthy partnership with Custom Printers of Renfrew

(25 minutes)
has always served us well. They have a digital press that ENDINGTHESI
A DOCUM
LENCE
is capable of printing to larger dimensions and if the • DVD 2 - Supplemental interviews
ENTARY ON
YOUTH CAR
EGIVING

event being promoted warrants that step, we do so.

• Easy-to-use curriculum guide for
middle and high school teachers,
guidance counsellors & social workers.

COST : $25 Complete Curriculum Package

To order, contact: (including S & H)
[email protected]
Youth Caregivers Project
www.youthcaregivers.org
www.familycaregiverssupport.org

We experimented with colour laser printing, and

although costly, prints could be generated much like a
regular photocopy.

give the giFt

Because no conventional pre-press, inking, plates oF a LiFetime
or press maintenance are involved, digital printing is Leave a Legacy in your WiLL
significantly cheaper and although the quality is not
By remembering Variety - The Children’s
quite the same as high fidelity offset lithography, the gap Charity in your will, you can help
between the technologies is narrowing every year. The children who have special needs in
flat colour on the finished digital work actually shares the province. Your generosity will
many of the properties of those wonderful silk screened provide hope, enrich lives, and build a
posters I printed by hand in another time and space. better future for children like Xander.

Irv Osterer is currently the Head of Fine Arts at Merivale High School in Ottawa, where For more inFormation on
he also coordinates the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s Communication and hoW to Leave a Legacy:
Design SHSM/ Focus initiative. He is the recipient of the OCDSB’s Director’s Citation,
Fine Arts Leadership Award and a winner of the Ottawa Centre for Research and Call 604.320.0505 or
Innovation (OCRI) National Capital Educator’s Award and the Marjorie Loughrey Toll-free 1.800.381.2040
award for lifetime achievemet in the arts by the Ottawa-Carleton District School or visit our website at
Board.  www.variety.bc.ca/legacy.htm

CANADIAN TEACHER magazine January/February 2012 19

 from the classroom

Breaking Through the “I Don’t Knows”

Five Practical Strategies to Unlock Student Writing Potential

by Victoria Gauthier

T o many elementary school teachers, it is a

familiar scenario: it is time for language arts,
and students are asked to conjure something
up—a story, play, skit, poem, essay or other form
of written expression. Some pupils are eager, seem-
between what students know and what they want to
express. They provide strong writers with an opportu-
nity to be more creative in their story-telling, while striv-
ing ones can rely on a solid beginning to build upon.
Whole-group activities like pass-the-pen-and-
adult.
To aid in starting the creative process and help jour-
naling become a daily routine, start by playing some
soft music. Reading a short poem or descriptive para-
graph or asking students to close their eyes and visual-
ingly unable to wait to put pencil to paper and make paper games are useful for coming up with creative and ize a scenario that is explained to them can help get cre-
their inner visions a reality. Others give an answer sometimes very amusing story introductions (these ative juices flowing. Asking students to take a moment
that, although honest, we as educators hate to hear: need to be monitored closely to make sure they remain of silence and meditate on a meaningful quote before
“I don’t know what to write.” Quickly we suggest the appropriate). Another method is drawing slips of paper they begin writing may also aid in generating ideas.
tried-and-true—the brainstorming, mind mapping out of a jar that contains beginning sentence(s) for a Time the free-writes to about ten minutes to ensure
and list-making techniques that we ourselves some- journal entry or free-write. they don’t take up too much lesson time, and change
times rely on to get us out of a creative bind. Here up music styles and read-aloud materials frequently to
are five more strategies to help students unlock the Stimulate the Senses maintain interest.
originality that lies within. In order to describe something with accuracy, stu-
dents have to experience it. Have fun with your class by Allow Conversation to Create Written Dialogue
Feature Fine Art bringing in various objects and asking them to think of Sometimes children ache to chat, and what better
Visual learners often need stimulation in order to descriptive words and sentences for that item using the way to let them do so than to combine readers theatre
generate ideas, and what better way to introduce a piece five senses as a guide (be aware of possible allergies with and writing in order to teach a lesson about dialogue?
of history into language arts than to display a promi- students when focusing on taste or scent). Small groups of younger students can be given copies
nent piece of fine art and use it to lead a group sharing With field trips increasingly becoming few and far- of short plays and have fun taking turns reading the
session? Choose something that is easy to create a story between, get your students out of the school to explore various roles using voice expression, while older stu-
around, preferably a famous piece by a well-known the surrounding neighbourhood looking for articles dents may appreciate the challenge of coming up with
artist, such as The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. that can be easily described in a piece they are working their own group-written script for a teacher-assigned
Students may have seen the work before (and if they on. Weather permitting, allowing students to write “on scenario. Through experiencing and learning about
haven’t, so much the better). Explain that they’re going location” outdoors also helps to relieve boredom and changes in vocal tones and emotion in relation to the
to use the mood and features of the painting to create provide fresh ideas for projects and assignments. written word, students will be able to carry this knowl-
the basis for a storyline. Discuss elements such as loca- A list of adjectives compiled from a brainstorming edge into their creative endeavours, forming interest-
tion, possible characters, events and feelings associated session focussing on the five senses posted in the class- ing and realistic dialogue between their characters.
with the work, having students jot down notes of only room can both ease the writing process and expand Readers theatre also serves as an excellent icebreaker to
the ideas they find most interesting for use in their own vocabulary. get those who are unfamiliar with each other interact-
writing. Try not to explain the painting or its origins ing, adding to a greater sense of classroom community.
until the session is finished, allowing the students to Include Time for Writing Without Rules
find their own connections to the work. They will now It is no secret that students are often so stressed Although there is not one quick fix to break through
be equipped with several ideas to incorporate into their about following the rules associated with writing that every “I don’t know” moment in the classroom, some-
writing. they struggle to be fully productive when the time times using our own left-brains a little more when it
This method is a great way to incorporate technol- comes to actually express themselves. By providing stu- comes to writing activities helps to spark the same reac-
ogy use in the classroom, either by allowing older stu- dents with creative free-writing or journaling time, stu- tion in our students. Don’t be afraid to modify, intro-
dents to find their own fine art pieces for inspiration in dents can jot down what comes to mind without wor- duce, or delve deeper into a completely new subject
a computer lab, or displaying a piece to a large group rying about spelling, punctuation, grammar or even or strategy in order to explore all the possibilities and
using an interactive white board or overhead projector forming complete sentences. Free-writing has the shake things up to make writing a little more exciting.
which allows them to view the work up close. added benefit of providing mental clarity, in that they After all, as William Goldsmith stated, “The easiest
are given the opportunity to let go of any issues that are thing to do on earth is not write.”
Provide a Jumping-off Point bothering them before being asked to engage with their
Victoria Gauthier, OCT is a certified elementary teacher happily residing in Sudbury,
Sometimes when students are stuck, they have an writing on a more formal level. Skimming submitted Ontario with her husband and dogs.
idea of what to write, but just don’t know how to begin. journals is good way to get to know students because 
Whether teacher-provided or student-generated, jump- they provide hints that a student may be bullied or have
ing-off points are useful because they bridge the gap other issues they may need to discuss with a trusted

20 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

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CANADIAN TEACHER magazine January/February 2012 specifications are subject to change without notice. 21
 the planning department

READING DETECTIVES – activities for all students

Brenda has 35 years of classroom
experience. She has presented
workshops on literature based
by Brenda Boreham themes and literacy strategies, and
has written a number of resources
for teachers. She remains passionate
about matching up kids with books.

G iven the diverse range of reading levels in

your classroom, are you searching for ways
to make the information imbedded in crit-
ical pieces of text accessible to all your students? Do
you have a short poem, song or passage that you want
text to the class, erase the letter every time
you come across it.
entire text and the students will be able to
“read” the invisible chalk!

VARIATIONS
all your students to learn for an assembly or other • Keep score (teacher vs. students). Each
presentation? Would you like all your students to be time the passage is read with minimal error
fully engaged in the learning process regardless of and with full participation, the students
their reading level? Here are some fun activities that score a point. If there are any major blun-
ders the teacher scores the point (needless
take little or no preparation time and have proven to
to say, I always lose, at this game).
work well with primary and mid grade students to
• Students can take turns erasing the letters
introduce a unit or reinforce key concepts.. (but they have to be able to read the text
aloud as they do this).
THE INVISIBLE CHALK GAME
REFLECTIONS
Note: This activity is meant to be fun, quick (15 At the end of the week have each student talk
to 20 min.) and repeated over a number of days. to a partner about the game. Ask them: How
As it is an oral lesson, students with a wide range are you able to read the words when they are
of reading levels can be included. It works well invisible? What is the main idea of the text?
for students in Grades 2 to 6, and de-emphasizes What connections can you make to the text?
different reading levels in the group. Do you have any questions about it? Have stu-
dents report out their responses to the whole
GOALS class.
Each student will:
• commit a piece of text to memory WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? WHY?
• connect the text to recent learning 7. Now, challenge the class to read the text Questioning as a Reading Strategy
• identify the main idea of the text with you, with this letter missing.
8. Compliment the class. Act astonished. How Note: This activity is especially good for reading
MATERIALS did you do that? etc. non-fiction text that is written at the instructional
• a copy of the text you want the students 9. Ask one student to choose another vowel level for most of your students. Depending on the
to learn printed on the chalkboard from the list. length of the text, this activity could take place
• a list all of the vowels printed on the 10. Repeat the above process with another over a number of lessons.
chalkboard beside the text vowel.
11. When you feel that they are ready, chal- GOALS
PROCESS lenge the class to read the text without Each student will:
1. Have the students sit on the floor close your support. Continue to act surprised at • identify the main idea of the text
to the chalkboard. their mysterious ability and give them lots • ask and answer “on the page” questions
2. Explain that you are going to teach them of encouragement.
to be word detectives. They are going 12. Keep the time frame short. When you MATERIALS
to do the impossible—they are going to are finished, leave the text and the list • a copy of the text book for each student
learn how to read invisible letters! of vowels on the chalkboard so that you
3. Read the whole text to the class. Quickly can pick up the game the following day. PROCESS
discuss the meaning and check that all Eventually the vowels will all be eliminated. Before Reading
the vocabulary is understood. By this time the text will have been read 1. Prepare by reading the text and chunking
4. Have the students read the text aloud many times and it will almost be commit- it into short sections.
with you (students at lower reading levels ted to memory—even by those students 2. Explain to the class that a good reader will
will be echo reading). who may not be able to read all of it. At often read non-fiction text up to three
5. Ask one of the students to choose a this point you can choose to eliminate con- times before the content is really assimi-
vowel from the list. sonants or even entire words. By the end lated and understood.
6. Take the chalk brush, and as you read the of the week you will be able to erase the 3. Explain that asking and answering ques-

22 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

 tions helps the reader to understand the | F A C U LT Y O F E D U C A T I O N
text.
4. Explain that some questions are easy to
MASTER of
answer because the information is in the EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY (MET) Collaborate. Innovate. Educate.
text. These are sometimes called “on the
page questions.” Complete your Master’s
degree. From anywhere.
5. Recall that some useful question words
are: did, are, who, what, where, when,
why, how, does, can.
UBC’s cutting-edge Master of Educational Technology program is delivered in a
convenient online format that is ideal for in-career teachers across Canada.
First Reading
1. Read all of the chunks orally to the class. Become a leader in the use of digital technologies for teaching and learning.
Stop to examine any pictures (read the
captions), sidebars, charts, etc. http://met.ubc.ca/ct.htm
2. Use partner talk to discuss the key ideas
in the text.
3. Determine the meaning of all the vocab-
ulary (use the glossary if there is one). Teachers’ Tutoring Service is looking for Physics,
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second chunk.
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you challenge the class with three “on www.tutor.bc.ca • [email protected]
the page questions.” Have them partner
talk to find the answers.
3. Continue switching roles back and forth
until all the chunks have been read.

VARIATIONS
Keep score (teacher vs. students). Each
time you, or a student, offers a correct
answer to the “on the page question” a
point is scored. Canada International Conference on Education (CICE‐2012) 
June 18‐21, 2012 
Third Reading: Choose One Of The Following Toronto, Canada 
1. Fill in the blanks: Re-read all the chunks www.ciceducation.org 
to the students. At regular intervals stop  
and leave out a word. The students must The CICE is an international refereed conference dedicated to the advancement of the theory and 
follow closely and “fill in the blanks” by practices in education. It is a forum for networking, sharing knowledge and good practices that 
give participants the opportunity to critically and creatively engage with new ideas and research. 
reading aloud the missing words.
2. Partner reading: Each student reads
with a partner of similar reading ability.
Students who might be challenged by Humanitarian
Travel.ca
the level of the text could gather as a
group to read with you.
3. Independent reading: This is a good
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dents matches the text.

REFLECTIONS
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to discuss: What do you think is the main Nicaragua Surf Lodge
idea of the text that you have been reading?
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CANADIAN TEACHER magazine January/February 2012 23
 Whole Brain Teaching
A New Way of Life

by Liann Nutini

W hole Brain Teaching has changed my teach-

ing style—dramatically. Often I imagine
myself as a young, green teacher, and I am
certain I would not even recognize my older self. My
stress level is down, the enjoyment level is up and my
Intelligence learning styles, differentiated instruc-
tion, covers Bloom’s Taxonomy, and keeps the class-
room ticking like clockwork. Plus, and this is a big one,
it requires students to take ownership of their learning
and behaviour, by utilizing student leadership, student
As I continued to learn about Whole Brain
Teaching with the guidance and support of the WBT
staff through forum posts, email, blogging and live
video conferences, critical thinking became a Whole
Brain Teaching focus in accordance with the needs and
students are learning more than ever. What is Whole led teaching, and student/peer accountability. desires of its teacher following. The founder, co-creator
Brain Teaching? and college professor, Chris Biffle, brainstormed with
There is a large amount of educational research his dedicated, talented, enthusiastic team (one of whom
Whole Brain Teaching is one of the fastest growing, which shows that students are more successful is Andrea Schindler) alongside teachers from all over
education reform movements in America. It rests when they participate in student learning teams the world to create Brain Toys used when teaching the
upon the principle that teachers at every level share than when they study alone. Not only do weak class or your neighbour. These toys, Because Clappers,
the same difficulties: students lack discipline, back- students benefit by being taught by other students, Example Poppers, to name two, help students practise
ground knowledge and fundamental problem but strong students gain increased subject mastery key critical thinking thought processes in such a stimu-
solving skills. From kindergarten to college, teach- when they have the opportunity to instruct their lating, cheap (they’re free), and easy way that kindergar-
ers face students who have difficulty with reading peers. (Biffle, 2007) ten to college students are begging to play with them.
and writing. Nonetheless, our students respond I was impressed with the fluidity, adaptability and cre-
to challenges, enjoy well-designed learning games, Two aspects convinced me that Whole Brain ativity of my new found teaching friends and these inno-
and can make, in the proper setting, astonishing Teaching was the teaching method for me: during vative teaching methods. Every time I turned around
educational progress. (Biffle, 2007) classroom activity the whole brain is being stimu- the WBT staff had collaborated to come up with some-
lated—every concept, spoken direction and nuance thing new, exciting and practical to help teach core con-
I stumbled upon Whole Brain Teaching as I was of the classroom is mirrored, meaning each action has cepts or acceptable behaviour in the classroom. Whole
searching for professional development and inspira- a gesture, a visual, and a verbal attachment. Hence, all Brain Teaching is meant for the uniqueness of every
tion for my teaching. I had heard the term “brain gym” areas of the brain are wholly stimulated. teacher and classroom.
at a previous conference so I typed it into Google to Currently, I have been using Whole Brain Teaching
see what I could find. Third or fourth on the list of hits A significant quantity of modern brain research in my grade one classroom for over a year and a half. In
were two Youtube videos that caught my eye. The first demonstrates that we learn best by seeing, saying, a short period of time, I have seen numerous improve-
was Andrea Schindler teaching kindergarten using the hearing and doing. When we see information, we ments in all my students, both academically and behav-
Whole Brain Teaching method. I was mesmerized as employ the visual cortex near the rear of the brain; iourally. Whole Brain Teaching has given my below
I watched her kindergarten class focus and engage in when we say and hear information, the language average students the ability and the confidence to shine
every minute of the lesson. The transitions from carpet centers, Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area in the and many opportunities to share their knowledge orally,
to desk work, from practice to review, were flawless. brain’s left hemisphere are active. When we engage rather than always through written work. My gifted stu-
Ms. Schindler was in complete control. Moreover, she in a physical learning activity we employ the motor dents have been challenged more than ever through
and her class were so happily intent on teaching and cortex, our most reliable memory storage area, critical thinking and lessons that allow for learning
learning their lessons. I could see the joy and pride on located in a band across the top, center of the brain. beyond grade level. My average students demonstrated
their faces as her students taught the class and taught (Biffle & Vanderfin, 2009) talent and growth in all areas; many surprised me with
each other core behaviour and academic concepts. In their ability to lead the class or teach their neighbours.
a period of an hour, I watched the video over and over Secondly, not just your keen and knowledgeable Also, my teaching has immensely improved—Whole
again. I even took my iPhone to bed with me so I could students are sharing their delightful musings and new Brain Teaching challenged me to look at how I relay
watch the video three more times. I was determined to understandings—the entire class is meant to follow concepts to my class and has provided a model for how
create my own Whole Brain Teaching classroom. along with gestures and words, and then they must to develop my delivery. Furthermore, I have tightened
Whole Brain Teaching isn’t merely classroom man- teach their neighbour. Oh yeah! Everyone is expected up my classroom management methods and provided
agement or a method of teaching concepts. It is both to participate and work hard to be a good teacher to one sound logical backup plans to meet the needs of chal-
combined into one. It meets the needs of all Multiple another. lenging behavioural situations. Last, I have been able to

24 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

learn from and help other teachers by sharing my own If you would like to learn more about this dynamic
experiences, successes and quandaries. brainstormed and practised good compli- new teaching lifestyle that is Whole Brain Teaching,
Below is an excerpt from My Whole Brain Teaching ments. To facilitate this, every so often for please visit www.wholebrainteaching.com or contact
Blog. the rest of the day I would say, “Compliment!” me at [email protected]
and everyone would compliment one
another. I am going to try to keep this up References
Super Speed 100 and More with the objective being to create a more Biffle, C. & Vanderfin, J. (2009). First grade language arts power pix. Retrieved from
Super Speed 100 was a hit this week with my positive, supportive environment! www.wholebrainteaching.com/docman/Page-2.html

class! Although it is the end of the year, I felt it Biffle, C. (2007). Teaching challenging teenagers. Retrieved from
was the appropriate time for this group and www.wholebrainteaching.com/docman/Page-3.html
their skill level. I made sure that my seating ≈
For more stories of my experiences in the class- Liann Nutini is a grade one teacher at St. Joseph Elementary School in Kelowna, BC.
arrangement consisted of one partner who
room check out my blog at mywholebrainteachingblog. 
was a little more advanced in reading than
blogspot.com
the other partner. Also, before we started, I
had my students review the words for that
level so that when it came time to begin
they weren’t scrambling or lost. As well, I had
them decide who would start first. My stu-
dents have stickers on their desks so some-
times I would say reds will start for the
first round and purples would start for the
second round. They really ate it up! Yum!!
Today, I had one of the grade 2 teachers
come and observe my class in action! I was
SO nervous! I divided my scoreboard so that
it was girls vs. boys. The kids were amazing
- students taught the class, they taught
each other, they taught their sockless hand
Growing Success with Quality
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CANADIAN TEACHER magazine January/February 2012 25

 Discipline Tips
Ten Great Ways to Keep Students Engaged

by Ronald Morrish

S tudents who are engaged in learning are not

misbehaving. Your ability to keep students
productively engaged will determine much
of your success in the teaching profession. Here are
ten ways to keep your students engaged in learning.
nique is part of maintaining orderly control of
the learning environment. The problem is that
some students never raise their hands. They just
sit there completely detached from everything
that is going on. That’s why best practice teach-
tant, but it doesn’t just apply to the way lessons
are presented. When possible, give students a
variety of ways to demonstrate that they have
learned the material. One student may decide
to do a multi-page written assignment. Others
1. Infect your students. ers question every student in the classroom, not could decide to work as a group and produce
No, not with a virus—with your enthusiasm. just the ones with their hands up—and they a multimedia presentation. And someone else
It’s always been said that a teacher must be like are particularly quick to ask questions of those could take on the role of a reporter and do inter-
an actor on the stage. It’s actually a very basic who start talking to their neighbours or looking views combined with the writing of a mock
rule: No student gets excited about learning some- out the window. newspaper column. Students are far more likely
thing that the teacher is not excited about teaching. 5. Variety is the spice of life—and lessons. to be engaged when they are given some choice
For every lesson, bring your passion for teach- It’s actually okay to do a lecture-style lesson when it comes to assignments.
ing. It’s infectious and it gives the students their every so often. Every teacher does. But if you 9. Like the actors say, “What’s my
passion for learning. teach that way all the time, the students will motivation?”
2. Keep your voice on the lesson. be asleep. So mix it up. Get the students out Some students are motivated by marks. Others
When you interrupt your lesson to comment of their seats measuring, building, research- aren’t. That’s why best practice teachers weave
on student behaviour, all the other students ing, interviewing, debating. Use all the different various types of motivation into their lessons.
lose their focus and go off task. Teachers who modalities—kinaesthetic, oral, visual, tactile, Challenges, competitions, beat the clock, rec-
use “best practice” techniques use their voice etc. Interchange individual work and group ognition, rewards and special incentives are
to keep a lesson flowing and ensure everyone work. Change the pacing of your lessons. all part of the mix. Into every lesson, add a
stays engaged. For behaviour, they use mostly 6. Connect lessons to real life experiences spoonful of motivation and your results will be
non-verbal techniques such as prompts and and student interests. improved dramatically.
cues, eye contact and proximity. When they use It’s one thing to read about climbing Mount 10. Model the engagement you want from
their voice, it’s for questioning, not scolding. In Everest; it’s another thing to Skype someone the students.
effective classrooms, learning is the focus, not who’s actually accomplished the feat. Similarly, If you disengage from the lesson to do another
behaviour. arithmetic becomes more meaningful when task, the students will do likewise. When stu-
3. “Wrap” your topics. the students are calculating the costs of an dents are working on an assignment, move
Many topics in the curriculum are boring—but upcoming field trip. When lessons are mean- around the room, ask and answer questions,
that doesn’t mean the lesson has to be boring. ingful and relevant, the increase in student check work, and redirect those who are losing
The trick is to wrap up the lesson in something engagement is dramatic. their focus. Be available. If you sit at your desk
that makes it engaging. Don’t tell your students 7. Use technology as an everyday teaching to mark the work from the previous class, you
that today’s topic is the format of a formal busi- tool. may find yourself getting annoyed with your
ness letter (yawn). Tell them that the lesson Today’s students have never known a world present class.
is about writing to the city’s mayor and invit- without electronic wizardry. To them, texting Ronald Morrish is an educational consultant and speaker from Fonthill, Ontario.
ing the mayor to visit the school. Designing a friend is as natural as getting a drink of water. He has written two books, Secrets of Discipline: 12 Keys for Raising Responsible
Children, and, With All Due Respect: Keys for Building Effective School Discipline. For
a French cafe is far more exciting than “now There’s no point arguing about whether tech-
more information, visit his web site at www.realdiscipline.com or contact him at
we’re doing lesson 46 on page 93,” even though nology is good or bad for education. Like it or [email protected].
the learning may be exactly the same. There’s not, it’s part of the real world. Whenever appro- 
always a way to make a topic interesting and priate, weave it into your lessons. Use it as an
that’s why great teaching is an art. everyday tool, not as a special privilege.
4. Question everyone. 8. Assignment “menus.”
Some teachers were taught to only interact Different people learn in different ways. That’s
with students who raise their hands. This tech- why differentiated instruction is so impor-

26 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

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Medieval Times $18.95, 108 pp, coil, b/w, gr 5–8 Download for $19.99 (REG. $59.95) 594 pp,
by Teresa Eveleigh and Dawna Blas Designed for students in BC to learn
Download for $2.99 (REG. $12.95) 90 pp, gr 1–6 about their province, particularly about the
A School 0f Readers - Book Three
The authors (adaptive behaviour and multi- resources that shape the lives of people who
A Student Centred Reading Program for Canadian Titles
level classroom teachers) created this unit to live here.
span curriculum areas and to accommodate Recommended for Grade 5 Science and Social Studies by the BC Ministry of Education.
by Maryam Moayeri & Jean Lawrence
different age, interest and ability levels in the classroom. Download for $9.99 (REG. $29.95) 198 pp, gr 4 – 12
Level 1 for grades 1–3, Level 2 for grades 4– 6. Teacher’s Guide — Download for $19.99 (REG. $49.95) 150 pp

CANADIAN TEACHER
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE RESOURCES OR TO ORDER, VISIT: www.classroomresources.com 27
magazine January/February 2012
 book reviews See www.CanadianTeacherMagazine.com for more book reviews.
Thirteen year old Theodore Boon is the only child of two lawyers. They live in the small town of

WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? WHY? Strattenburg. Theodore is knowledgable about the law, is well liked by adults and his peers and has
a reputation for solving small legal issues (like rescuing dogs from the pound). When Theodore’s
best friend April disappears from her home in the middle of the night, the town is gripped with
Stories of Mystery and Intrigue fear. The police chase down several false leads but after several days no progress has been made
in locating her. Everyone fears the worst. Theodore and his friend Chase apply their investigative

C rammed with clues, and packed with enough twists and turns in the plot to keep skills to the problem and eventually succeed in locating her in Virginia. With his parents out of
them guessing, there is nothing like a good mystery to keep young readers engaged town, Theodore turns to his Uncle Ike for help and they are able to travel through the night to bring
and challenged. And while you have their attention, a good whodunit would be a April home.
compelling way to focus on questioning as an effective reading strategy! Classroom Connections: The abrupt writing style gives this book the feel of an old detective
In this issue we are highlighting a number of mystery titles. While the protagonists range in age and novel—perhaps something like an edgier Hardy Boy’s story. Although it takes place in the United
gender, the story lines are all intriguing and deal with issues that kids can relate to. There are, of States it does supply some general information about the legal system in a kid-friendly way. April’s
course, many other excellent books available in this genre. Here are just a couple more: increasingly disfunctional home life also provides a platform for a discussion around issues of
support for children in crisis. Any student who enjoys suspense (violence free) stories or enjoys
• The Source of Light by David Richards,Thistledown Press, 2011 unravelling puzzles and mysteries would like this book. As with other books of this genre, it also
• The Haunting of Amos Manor by Richard Stevenson, Magpie Books, 2011
provides teachers with an opportunity to focus on questioning as an effective reading strategy.
Reading Comprehension Strategy: Asking Questions [Review by Brenda Boreham.]
Good readers ask questions when they wonder about the story before, during and after
reading it. When talking to students about questioning it is important to emphasize
that: Max Finder Mystery
1. Asking and answering questions helps the reader to better understand the text. Collected Casebook, Volume 5
2. Some questions are easy to answer because the information is right in the text. by Craig Battle
3. Some questions require a lot of thinking because the answer is not in the book. illustrated by Ramón Pérez, created by Liam O’Donnell
These questions: Owlkids Publishing, 2011
• often do not have one right answer ISBN 978-1-926818-12-2 (pb)
• make the reader think outside of the story $11.95, 96 pp, ages 8+
• often create more questions for the reader www.owlkids.com
4. Some useful question words are: who, what, where, when, why, how, would, is,
should, if, did, do, are, does, doesn’t, can, can’t, could, couldn’t. This graphic novel is the fifth instalment of the popular and award-winning series that was
originally published in OWL Magazine. Max Finder and his friends from Central Meadows
Junior High School team up to solve ten cases. Included in this volume are two new stories,
an article on “How to be a Detective” and a short interview with the creators. Each case is
Missing presented in four to six pages that feature full colour illustrations, and the solution with an
by Becky Citra explanation follows. Things like graffiti on the walls, sabotage of a school show try-out, the
Orca Book Publishers, 2011 disappearance of exam answer sheets and bullies are all life experiences of the intended
ISBN 978-1-55469-345-0 (pb) audience and so these cases will be familiar. Max Finder mysteries are popular in my schools
$9.95, 179 pp, ages 9 – 14 and I bet in yours as well.
www.orcabook.com Classroom Connections: Graphic novels are a wonderful way to introduce visual literacy.
After the death of her mother, Thea and her dad find themselves The pictures are still and the reader can take all the time necessary to focus on details. But
constantly drifting from one small town to another in the Cariboo to solve these mysteries, the reader most also look for clues in the dialogue bubbles and text
district of British Columbia. Trying to run away from their pain, they boxes. Attention to detail is definitely a skill that is reinforced here. For the teacher, there
never stay long and so never have time for friendships. But then her are tips on how to use Max Finder in the classroom with an emphasis on reluctant reader
father takes a job renovating a ranch. Here, Thea encounters an abused horse which she tries to strategies. [Review by Mary Moroska.]
rehabilitate. She stumbles upon an old story about the disappearance of a four-year-old girl who was
never heard from again. She works with a local boy, Van, to find out what really happened. As they
uncover that story and face some disturbing episodes, Thea starts to finally come to terms with her Mystery of the Missing Luck
own losses. by Jacqueline Pearce
Reading this first person narrative, I became truly enthralled. Becky Citra’s thirty years’ experience of illustrations by Leanne Franson
ranch life and horses shines as does her powerful writing. The descriptions engage the senses. The Series: Orca Echoes
pacing will keep the targeted readers out of breath as they quickly turn the pages to find out what Orca Book Publishers, 2011
happens next. The characters are engaging and alive. And who does not have troubles that they wish ISBN 978-1-55469-396-2 (pb)
they could run away from? $6.95, 61 pp, ages 7 – 9
www.orcabook.com
Classroom Connections: This well-structured mystery is a good choice for examining techniques
such as foreshadowing in the “whodunit” genre as well as the many strategies used in reading such Why is business not going well at Sara’s grandmother’s bakery? Could
as predicting, asking questions, connecting the text to the world, visualizing the story, inferring from it be because it has lost Maneki Neko, the cat statue with the raised paw
the clues gathered. Related topics include horses, family secrets and sibling rivalry. [Review by Mary that is said to attract customers and good fortune? Sara wants to help her grandmother, and when
Moroska.] one night a mysterious cat appears, she and her friend Jake work out a plan that might help them find
the statue and restore the bakery’s lost luck.
This is a wonderfully warm and clever book that will captivate the target audience. The chapters are
Theodore Boone: the abduction short and fast-paced. There is suspense or mystery with a hint of magic. (Was it or was it not magic?
by John Grisham After all, this age group still wants to believe in magic.) The manga style pen and ink illustration adds
Penguin, 2011 another initiation layer. The story is a great introduction to many facets of Japanese culture, and the
ISBN 978-0-525-42557-1 pictures reinforce the sense of immersion. Well done!
$19.50, 272 pp, ages 10 – 13 Classroom Connections: This is an interesting introduction to both the Japanese culture (and by
www.penguin.com/youngreaders extension, other Asian cultures as well) and to the mystery genre in literature. Other good topics for
John Grisham’s name is legendary in the publishing world. He has written discussion would be what brings luck, what are superstitions, favourite foods in the various cultures
twenty-three novels, one work of non-fiction and one collection of short represented in the classroom, and of course, grandparents. [Review by Mary Moroska.]
stories. Since 1988, all his books have become international bestsellers. He
is best known for his legal thrillers, and Theodore Boon: the abduction is the second novel of this genre
that he has written for young readers.

28 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

 The Mystery of the Cyber Bully The Money Pit Mystery
by Marty Chan by Eric Walters
Thistledown Press, 2010 Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2011
ISBN 978-1-897235-82-9 ISBN 978-1-55455-123-1
$10.95, 215 pp, ages 8 – 11 $9.95, 289 pp, ages 8 – 14
www.thistledownpress.com www.fitzhenry.ca
What school-aged child doesn’t know about bullies and bullying? Eric Walters has created a wonderful and powerful novel combining the
This is an action-packed mystery aimed at younger readers with thrill of a treasure hunt with the difficulties of family dynamics. Being
a focus on the emergence of bullying through the perceived the annoying younger brother, Sam is frustrated that his sister pays no
anonymity of the Internet. It is filled with metaphors and similes, attention to him and his passion for magic. Sam doesn’t understand
allowing children to create vivid images of the story in their mind making the answer to the Beth’s interest in boys and is annoyed that he has to fight with her for
mystery itself the only struggle throughout the book. attention from Buzz, their island friend. To complicate matters more, their grandfather is becoming
more and more forgetful, to the point where the local doctor thinks he may be developing
Marty, Remi and Trina are three friends who are well known in the grade six class for solving
Alzheimer’s and takes away his driver’s license. It’s enough for the whole family to worry about!
mysteries. The trio work together—armed with their friendship, walkie-talkies and sleuthing
skills—each contributing their unique gifts to solve the mystery of the cyber bully. It begins with But at the heart of it all is where their grandfather has been spending all his time and money—at
just one student in the class, then suddenly it seems as though everyone is the target of emails, the Money Pit, where rumours have it Captain Kidd’s treasure is buried. Also, his house is filled with
messages or online posts aiming to embarrass or hurt them. Samantha is picked on because of her more than a dozen cats and his bills have been unpaid for years—since the time their mother had
fashion, Mikayla because of her social life, Nathan, his karate skills. No one is safe. a fight with him and stopped their yearly visits. Sam and Beth are worried for their grandfather but
they’re also excited to be back on the island, back with their grandfather, and back treasure hunting.
This book brings awareness to bullying, as Marty says, “Bullies don’t need a reason. They need
Their energy and enthusiasm to solve the mystery of the Money Pit overshadow the hardship of the
victims.” (p. 54). The book is also useful for introducing the dangers of the Internet and helping kids
family troubles. As with all good mystery stories, it all works out in the end. This is a great novel for
understand how to get help if they know that someone is being bullied online: “Cyber bullies pick
older children and younger adolescents as it spans a range of interests from magic tricks and treasure
on their victims through the Internet. At least with a real bully, you were safe at home. With cyber
hunting to dating and family troubles. A great read all around—and a great mystery, too!
bullies, home was the worst place to be, unless you didn’t have a computer, because they could send
you messages anywhere and at any time. Often, they hid their identities. Some kids believed this Classroom Connections: Great for a classroom library or as a read-aloud. Not as focussed for
was because schools had strict no cyber-bullying policies, but I believed it was because cyber bullies literature circles as its strengths lie in the vivid imagery and the suspense of the mystery. A great text
were cowards.” (p. 52) for encouraging students to make connections and to initiate classroom discussions about aging
grandparents, family difficulties, and the importance of balancing personal goals and dreams with
Classroom Connections: This is an excellent short text to open discussions on Internet safety,
the day-to-day responsibilities in life. [Review by Amanda Parker.]
character education (including social groupings, good friends and bad friends) and anti-bullying
strategies and would make a great novel study before November’s Bullying Awareness and Prevention
weeks. You could also use this book to investigate dialogue in reading and writing as well as using
similes and metaphors (especially around April for poetry month). Reading Comprehension
Strategies: Making Predictions, Inferring, Visualizing. [Review by Amanda Parker.]
Case Files
40 Murders and Mysteries Solved by Science
by Larry Verstraete
Scholastic, 2011
Old Photographs ISBN 978-1-4431-0000-7 (sc)
by Sherie Posesorski $7.99, 149 pp, glossary, index, ages 9 – 12
Second Story Press, 2010 www.scholastic.ca
ISBN 978-1-897187-78-4 Workers digging a ditch discover the skeleton of a girl wrapped in a carpet. Who is
$10.95, 224 pp, ages 13 – 18 this nameless person? Can she be identified?
www.secondstorypress.ca
A boy is viciously murdered. Other than an oily smear on his jacket, there is little evidence at the scene. Can an
The summer is dragging by slowly. To avoid the tensions at home oily stain prove who committed the murder?
Phoebe spends her days riding her bike, reading and texting her new
Weathered bones are discovered buried in a field. There are two bodies, but the lower limbs are intertwined in
friend Yuri who is spending the summer in Tokyo. Phoebe is bored
a strange way and the lower legs of one are missing entirely. What happened to these two people? What is the
and her sense of isolation grows by the day. She has spent the last
explanation?
school year in a new city and with a new stepdad, separated from her
old friends and family members. To help escape her loneliness, Phoebe, with Yuri’s encouragement, A painting is up for sale. Some say it is a masterpiece. Others claim that is ts a clever forgery. Which is it? Can
is reading through the Agatha Christie series of detective novels. the controversy be resolved?
One day while riding her bike along the Tour de France route, Phoebe stops at a garage sale. She Case Files is an intriguing book filled with mysteries that have all been solved by careful investigation
ends up spending the day helping Mrs. Tomblin—a sweet but confused older woman. When a and scientific knowledge. It is organized into four chapters with each one focussing on a particular
few days later the house is broken into and Mrs. Tomblin is robbed and hurt, Phoebe takes it upon goal of science detection: identify, prove, explain and resolve. The branches of science that
herself to watch out after her elderly friend and to solve the mystery of the robbery. are involved in the investigative work include entomology, geology, archeology, anthropology,
chemistry and physics.
Classroom Connections: Could Mrs. Tomblin’s collection of old photographs be the motive
for the robbery? Why was Mrs. Tomblin’s son Richard harassing her to sign the insurance claims Classroom Connections: The high interest level of the case studies and stories, combined with
forms? Just how vulnerable are people with Alzheimer’s in our society? What supports are available the book’s many features of non-fiction text (sidebars, lots of curious photographs, captions, glossary,
for people like her? These are just a few of the many questions that arise while reading this novel, index, etc.) are a winning combination. This book would be useful in any mid grade classroom that
making it a great choice for literature circle discussions and the teaching of questioning and was engaged in the study of non-fiction text. Paired with a good selection of mystery stories and
inferring as two powerful reading strategies. [Review by Brenda Boreham.] novels it would also be a good choice for literature circles. [Review by Brenda Boreham.]

REVIEWERS
Brenda Boreham Helping young students to discover the magic of reading has been one of the Amanda Parker loves reading and learning and shares this with her classes. She is currently an
most satisfying aspects of Brenda’s teaching career. intermediate teacher with the London District Catholic School Board.
Mary Moroska has been a teacher and a school librarian in French Immersion schools in
Interested in reviewing? Contact: [email protected]
Montreal for over 30 years.

CANADIAN TEACHER magazine January/February 2012 29

 retirement

Ideas …
Enhanced and Advanced
©
Enise Olding Carol Baird-Krul
Carol and Enise ([email protected]) are the creators of a series of pre-
retirement and post-retirement planning workshops: Transition to Retirement:
The Uncharted Course©, Recently Retired: Charting a New Course© and Ideas
... Enhanced and Advanced©, and authors of Transition to Retirement: The
by Enise Olding and Carol Baird-Krul Uncharted Course. Previous articles on retirement may be viewed in back
issues at www.CanadianTeacherMagazine.com.

T he majority of the columns that we’ve written for

Canadian Teacher Magazine have focused on
you, the teacher, as you begin thinking and plan-
ning for retirement. We’ve accomplished this by fea-
turing the varied experiences and personal insights of
1. Getting To Know You
• You have hidden talents and abilities—search
for them in the activities or interests you have
pursued outside your work.
forged ahead and turned the idea into a successful series of
contracts.
4. Ideas Advanced – Getting Started
• Seek out those close to you, pose any tricky ques-
• Keep thinking about all your attributes and the tions you may have and see what they have to say
former educators who have shared these thoughts and experiences you have had in life and consider how about it all.
ideas with us. they might be brought forward and used to advan- • Research: read, keep an eye open for news items,
Over time and through our questionnaires we have tage in the future. send emails or make phone calls to anyone you
noticed that often, after the first flurry of excited retire- • Record your talents and skills. Start with the think can give you information or shed some light
ment, travel, moves and personal free time indulgences, major ones and branch out from there. on an issue or venture you are considering.
people come to an abrupt halt and start to wonder what Example: Brent was very good at helping people resolve prob- • Move another step towards actually formulating
to do next. After years of working in their chosen field lems and had used computers extensively in his job, so after your idea and putting it into action: give it a name,
they know they have skills and abilities, but they can’t much thought he decided to use these skills and found an slogan, catch phrase and give yourself a title. Note:
quite put their finger on what they can do with them enjoyable part time job at an electronics store. you’re not stuck with this, you can always change
now that they are no longer directly involved in teach- it. By taking this step your idea becomes some-
ing. Usually, however, most don’t see the incredible 2. Ideas – Unveiling Your Venture
• Let your mind free-flow allowing all ideas to thing tangible and this provides you with the key
range of skills and abilities they have, and they need to open doors and start spreading the word.
help in recognizing them. As an extension of the work- surface regardless of how wild and crazy they may
shop and book Transition to Retirement: The Uncharted seem. Example: Dave knew he was good at conducting meet-
Course© we developed a two part workshop that encour- • Record all of your ideas and don’t dismiss any ings and offered his services to organizations using the idea
ages participants to first look carefully at their career until you really assess them individually. of “have gavel will travel.” He kept and eventually used the
and themselves, then define and list their unique skill • Share your ideas and thoughts with others by descriptor to successfully promote his unique service.
set. After this, we help them consider how to best use articulating them in a way that they will under- In the next two issues we’ll go on to feature some
these special skills to enhance and advance their life in stand and that will also help you clarify your retired educators who have used this method to put
retirement. Ideas… Enhanced and Advanced© is that thinking. their own particular palette of skills to good use as they
workshop, and we are going to give you the gist of it here, Example: Meg had a big house and arranged unstructured forged ahead enhancing and advancing ideas that went
so that you will have a head start and can begin cata- gatherings of alternate care professionals. Very soon this new on to become exciting new ventures in their retirements.
loguing your own talents, skills and abilities well before venture became established, branching off into an interactive 
you retire. information email forum that was both useful and enjoyable.
3. Ideas Enhanced – Identifying The Pros And Cons
WHEN YOU CAN’T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES • Spend time focusing on different aspects of your
Project into your future: You’ve retired, or you venture/idea. This will allow you to identify, in a
have left your primary job for some reason, or perhaps balanced way, the pros and cons—and decide if TRANSITION TO RETIREMENT
your job has changed so much since you first started, THE UNCHARTED COURSE
the pros outweigh the cons.
it is hardly recognizable and no longer satisfying, and • Take into account and give credence to your own One day you are at work, the next
now you’re wondering what to do next. You may have hunches and intuition; with a lifetime of experi- day you are retired.
enjoyed the heady joy of freedom that comes after retire- ence behind you, these insights are based on a What can you expect to
ment; but now, for some reason, are stuck and possibly more solid foundation than you might realize. experience—joy, relief, freedom,
frustrated, wondering what to do with your spare time. boredom, loss of identity, a lack of
• Be creative and think how you can and would structure?
You know you’ve got a great deal of life experience, turn a negative into a positive; and a positive into
expertise and know-how, but what to do with it now This book will help you recognize
something unique. the markers on your life’s chart and
that it is not being used in your long time job? This is
when you have to take some time to focus on just what Example: Because of her volunteer work with the provincial plot a course for smooth sailing into
Carol Baird-Krul
Mental Health Association, Jean felt that there was a need Enise Olding
retirement.
are your skills and abilities, and how you might go about
using them in the future. This is not a complicated job, for someone to provide training for people who work with the $18.99
Pacific Edge Publishing Ltd.
mentally ill. The audience would be businesses, organizations Download as eBook
but neither is it a small one. It takes time and honesty $9.99 www.PacificEdgePublishing.com
and will be the means by which you can begin to make and unions. There were lots of cons—tough sell, lots of ground
decisions about future ventures, activities and occupa- work, etc., but despite the negatives she felt her hunch was spot
tions based on your new reality. on and she had the necessary skill set to make it happen. She

30 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

 Drink Better. Live Better. ™

Nestlé Waters Canada’s objective

is to provide you with a great tasting,
healthy beverage option while helping to
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Its leading brand Nestlé® Pure Life® offers a variety of formats and flavours to help you meet
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Nestlé Waters Canada helps you drink better so you and your environment can live better.

www.nestle-purelife.ca
1
©2011 Nestlé Waters Canada
Statistics Canada
2
According to the provincial stewards responsible, 2009.

CANADIAN TEACHER magazine January/February 2012 31

 travel

The Kennedy Space Center

Out of This World

by Alan Boreham

2 011 was a landmark year for the American space program. It was the 50th
anniversary of America launching its first astronaut into space as well as
the 30th and final year of the space shuttle program. Having grown up
during the early part of the space era and been fascinated by the exploration of
space ever since learning about Sputnik and watching Neil Armstrong take his
full scale replica shuttle Explorer to tour, an interactive display for children, and the
Rocket Garden where you will see examples of the rockets used to launch astronauts
and satellites into space over the last five decades, including the Redstone, Atlas and
Titan. Climb into the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo capsules on display to experience
how tiny these space vehicles were and you will gain an appreciation for the fearless-
“one small step for man,” I wanted to visit the Kennedy Space Center to see close ness of the astronauts that rode in them.
up the amazing technology that has taken men to the moon and given us a view The bus tour will take you around the complex to see the Vehicle Assembly
into space. Building where rockets are prepared for launch. It was originally built to assemble the
Saturn rockets and Apollo capsules and later modified for the shuttle program. At 160
metres tall, the building is more than twice the height of the Statue of Liberty (mea-
sured from base to torch) and has the tallest doors in the world with an opening of
139 metres. From here you will see the Crawler Transporter that delivers the space
vehicles to the launch pads and the specially-built roadway designed to support their
massive combined weight. The tour will take you to the observation gantry for a pan-
oramic view of the Launch Control Center, the Vehicle Assembly Building and the
launch pads where you may see preparations being made for an upcoming mission.

Rocket Garden.

The Kennedy Space Center is located on Florida’s Atlantic coast, not far from
Orlando. It’s a short drive to the Visitor Center from Orlando or nearby towns, or
you can take one of the many coach tours that are available. Whichever way you
get there, be sure to plan your visit ahead of time since the site can be very busy. The
price of admission allows you two days to visit the Kennedy Space Center and the
Astronaut Hall of Fame in nearby Titusville. It includes a two-hour bus tour through
Saturn V rocket.
the Kennedy Space Center with stops at various points of interest. These tours begin
at 10 a.m. and run every fifteen minutes.
For an additional fee you can participate in special programs such as guided tours This tour also takes you to the Apollo/Saturn V Center that features a 110 metre
and lunch with an astronaut. There are also week-long summer programs for children Saturn V rocket, the largest and most powerful rocket ever made. This is the type of
and overnight camp-outs for youth and school groups. NASA welcomes schools to rocket that propelled American astronauts into space on their way to the first lunar
the Kennedy Space Center and has an Educator Resource Center for teachers and orbit in 1968. The rocket is held aloft horizontally with its stages separated, complete
students. They provide workshops on subjects like rocketry, living in space, math in with lunar command module, so that you can walk around and under it to appreciate
space and robotics. the scale of the entire vehicle. Here, too, you can see the lunar rover, touch a moon rock
I stayed nearby in Cocoa Beach for a few days to take advantage of the two estimated to be 3.7 billion years old, and see a collection of Apollo mission artifacts
day pass, and spent an entire day at the Kennedy Space Center as well as half a day like the space suits worn by the men who walked on the moon.
at the Astronaut Hall of Fame. If you have an interest in space then it’s all there. At There is a cafeteria at Apollo/Saturn V Center as well as other facilities at the
the Kennedy Space Center you can see displays that explain the development of the Visitor Center to eat or relax so you won’t have to feel rushed. And of course, there are
American space program and experience a shuttle launch in a simulator. There is the two well-supplied gift shops where you can find souvenirs of your visit.

32 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

 An interesting aspect of the Kennedy Space Center for me is how it fits into the With that in mind I took a hotel nearer the waterfront parks that dot the Titusville
sensitive Florida environment. The 56,700 hectare Merritt Island National Wildlife coastline, known locally as the “Space Coast,” where I would watch the launch. These
Refuge was established in 1963 as an “overlay” of the Kennedy Space Center and parks are about thirteen kilometres from the launch pad and provide good views. I
is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife National Wildlife Refuge System. It contains a arrived before dawn for the 4:50 p.m. launch and was soon joined by increasing
variety of coastal, saltwater and freshwater habitats, supporting over 1500 species of crowds of people until by noon the shoreline was overflowing with visitors. People
plants and animals. On the bus tour the guide pointed out giant nests that have been were very friendly and the atmosphere was like a big country fair. I met people from all
occupied by generations of bald eagles, the protected wetlands that support alliga- over the U.S., some who had driven from as far away as Virginia and Colorado to see
tors and waterfowl, and kilometres of waterways that allow the movement of water the launch and others who had come across the event as they were driving somewhere
through the entire area. else and just decided to stay to watch.
The event was not without drama. Just five minutes before launch, NASA discov-
ered a problem with a downrange computer and stopped the countdown. With only
a ten minute launch window, that meant that the technicians had only five minutes
to fix the problem. There were tense moments until, with less than twenty seconds
remaining, the countdown was restarted and a cheer erupted from the crowd, audible,
it seemed, from miles away down the beach. The crowd counted down the last ten
seconds in unison until liftoff and the huge plume of steam erupted from the launch
pad. Everyone cheered again as Discovery rose above the steam cloud into the sky.
It took about thirty seconds for the sound to reach us, the concussion of the rockets
arriving with a trembling roar. There were more cheers and applause and the shuttle
arced away from the earth, higher and faster, finally discarding the solid rocket boost-
ers just as it was disappearing from sight.

Large alligator in natural habitat.

Crossing the Indian River causeway takes you to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of
Fame. It claims to house “the largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia
ever assembled” and from what I saw there I believe it. There is an incredible variety
of items. The displays include copies of Life Magazine from the era, profiles of every
astronaut who has ever trained there, displays of space suits, uniforms and equipment
plus Mercury and Gemini capsules. You can even take a ride in a G-force trainer that
will spin you around until you experience up to four times the force of gravity. If inter-
active exploration is what you want, then try using the simulators to dock a vehicle
with the space station or land a space shuttle.

Visitors gathering for shuttle launch.

With the end of the shuttle program the U.S. has announced that it will place
the decommissioned shuttles for public viewing at four sites around America. Atlantis
will return home to the Kennedy Space Center and the others will be housed at the
Smithsonian in Virginia and at museums in New York and Los Angeles.
There will be no more shuttle missions but there is still a lot of activity at Cape
Canaveral and always more launches to see, like the recent launch of the new Mars
rover Curiosity. For now, though, American astronauts will be delivered into orbit
by Russian rockets. Private corporations are expected to be ready to take over by the
middle of the decade.
As NASA completes its programs at the space station and continues with its plans
to return to the moon and reach further out into space to land astronauts on Mars,
there will no doubt be new exhibits coming to the Kennedy Space Center. I will surely
be going back.
US Astronaut Hall of Fame, Titusville. References
Kennedy Space Center http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/
Visitor Center map http://kennedyspacecenter.com/interactive-map.aspx
I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Florida in February to see the last Educator Resource Center http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/nasa-educator-resource-center.aspx
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge http://www.fws.gov/merrittisland/
launch of space shuttle Discovery. I arrived two days before the scheduled launch Mars Rover Curiosity http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4lF5Wzl0ek
so that I could see Discovery on the launch pad during the bus tour of the Kennedy ≈
Space Center, if only from the underside that houses the big orange external fuel tank Alan Boreham is a world traveler and writer.
and the two reusable solid rocket boosters. This was to be the 133rd shuttle launch and Blog: alanboreham.wordpress.com

the second-last one before NASA mothballed the fleet (the 135th launch in July was
added later) so the media was predicting a lot of interest.

CANADIAN TEACHER magazine January/February 2012 33

 news See www.CanadianTeacherMagazine.com for more News.
WaterCan Native American friends on the road to a powwow. Life build its extensive library of full-length videos and clips,
Ever wonder what it would be like to live without access on the Reserve highlights the significant challenges and teacher resources, lesson plans and multimedia files.
to clean water? Worldwide, almost a billion people— hopes of people living on reserves, as told by the resi- For more information on Learn360 or to sign up for a
about one-seventh of the world’s total population— dents. For more information and to order films, visit free 30-day trial, visit www.Learn360.com.
lacks access to safe drinking water. Over a third still www.firstnationsfilms.com
lack access to basic sanitation facilities. Clean water for Online Safety
health and sanitation is something most people take for BEADFORLIFE CURRICULUM While the Internet offers many benefits, there remain
granted in Canada, but there are ways to improve this BeadforLife offers a free service-learning tool for the risks for children, from inappropriate material to
situation around the world. If global access to clean classroom: Understanding Global Poverty, How Youth Can offenders trying to lure them online. To help parents
water is important to you and your students, WaterCan Make a Difference. The BeadforLife curriculum includes and educators teach kids how to not get caught in the
offers resources to help. five lessons and the option to raise funds for your own net, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and
WaterCan is a Canadian charity dedicated to helping school or community. Easy to download, BeadforLife Shaw Communications Inc. have distributed Zoe and
the world’s poorest people gain access to clean water, includes step-by-step instructions, reproducible hand- Molly Online safety kits to schools free-of-charge across
basic sanitation and hygiene education, and encourages outs, videos and original African music. The program Western Canada.
Canadians to lend support. By providing resources and is designed for grades 6 to 12 and is easily adapted for
The Zoe and Molly Online initiative is designed to help
information suitable for classrooms from K to Grade 10, both younger and older students. The lessons explore
parents and educators engage in an important conversa-
WaterCan is bringing information about water and san- the broader issues of resource scarcity and distribu-
tion with children in a non-threatening way. It encour-
itation to Canadian classrooms. There are many ways to tion, as well as a new section about what it’s like to live
ages children to trust their instincts and speak to a safe
introduce water education to your students, from teach- in extreme poverty. Students will use hands-on activi-
adult before they share information or if they encoun-
ing about the importance of water in Canadians’ daily ties and simulations, and engage in discussions to better
ter inappropriate material online. Designed to help chil-
lives to helping students identify the ways in which the understand global poverty and ways they can take con-
dren 8 to 10 years of age learn about online safety, the
human body depends on water for survival and health, crete actions to help. 
Zoe and Molly Online initiative includes a website (zoean-
and learning about waterborne diseases such as Guinea You can download BeadforLife’s free curriculum (full dmolly.ca), a new Grade 3 Caught in the Net comic book
worm and Typhoid. If you share the belief that teaching version or one-day condensed version) which includes: to teach children what to do if they come across inap-
youth about the importance of water, both in Canada PDF of curriculum, BeadforLife DVD, two songs from propriate material online, as well as Grade 4 resources
and around the world, can help them to become better “The Heart of BeadforLife,” and additional resource to teach children the importance of not sharing per-
informed and involved global citizens, visit www.water- materials, or purchase a printed version of the curricu- sonal information online.
can.com/students where you will find resources for lum: http://beadforlifestore.org/curriculum.asp
To complement the important safety messages
lesson plans, a school by school fundraising challenge, To take advantage of the Fundraising with Curriculum addressed by the comics, the Zoe and Molly Online
and ways to turn your students into Water Warriors. Program: teach the curriculum, host a bead party, and website includes additional safety information, activi-
give back to your school or community. Your selected ties and games which educators and parents can access
Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision organization will receive a donation of 20% of funds with their children. For additional Internet safety infor-
For the past 20 years, hundreds of thousands of stu- raised at your Beadparty. mation, visit the Canadian Centre’s The Door That’s Not
dents across the U.S. and Canada have gained an Visit:  http://beadforlife.org/curriculum.html Locked Internet safety website (thedoorthatsnotlocked.
understanding of how they can use science and tech-
ca).
nology to change the world through Toshiba/NSTA Interactive Media-On-Demand Service
ExploraVision, the world’s largest K–12 science and Learn360, an interactive media-on-demand service for God(s): A User’s Guide Exhibition
technology competition. As the program has evolved K to 12, has announced the update of its online video A print depicting the familiar face of Jesus Christ—but
over the past two decades, it continues to encompass a content to correlate to Common Core Standards and in the distinctive graphic style of the Tsimshian, a West
wide variety of potentially beneficial student ideas and 21st Century Skills. Teachers, parents and students Coast First Nation. A fierce, dramatic and colourful
technological innovations, always remaining true to its will have access to video content correlated to the new Indonesian wooden sculpture of the eagle god Garuda,
core mission, to encourage excellence and motivate stu- standards, in addition to existing provincial standards. who plays a role in both Hindu and Buddhist mythol-
dents in STEM disciplines. Applications for this year’s Designed to be relevant to the real world, the standards ogy. An elaborately decorated ark (a receptacle con-
competition are available online at exploravision.org reflect the knowledge and skills that young people need taining a synagogue’s Torah scrolls) carved in 1923 by
and are due by February 1, 2012. to succeed in post-secondary schooling and careers a Montréal artisan for the thriving Jewish community
to ultimately contribute to an increasingly compet- in Glace Bay, Cape Breton Island. These are only a few
New from First Nations Films itive global economy. Video content correlating to of the artifacts presented in the exhibition God(s): A
First Nations Films distributes and creates award-win- Common Core Standards includes language arts, math, User’s Guide at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in
ning documentary films and videos for, by and about science and socials studies. Video content correlating to Gatineau until September 3, 2012.
First Nations people. Recent releases include Unbowed, 21st Century Skills link to all subject areas and grade The exhibition offers visitors experiential insights,
a provocative feature film dramatizing the historic levels, with focus on the following key areas: learning through a combination of 225 exquisite and evocative
attempt to force assimilation of America Indians in the and innovation skills, information, media and technol- sacred objects and other artifacts, sounds, multimedia,
late 1800s, and telling an interracial love story—a story ogy skills, and life and career skills. lighting and interactive elements, into the practices and
about the courage to love, even when it is forbidden. In
Learn360 offers thousands of digital video titles, beliefs of the world’s major religions. Its eleven themes
Search of Hamat’sa traces the history of the Hamat’sa
images, articles, audio files and podcasts. These trusted bring into focus how the universality of spiritual ques-
(the Cannibal Dance) and presents some of the ways
resources are provided by top educational publish- tioning is expressed through specific and diverse reli-
in which diverse attitudes about this history inform
ers such as Encyclopedia Britannica, AETN (which gious practices. Whether believers or non-believers, vis-
current performances of the dance. Dancing on the
includes A&E, History and Bio), PBS and National itors will find God(s): A User’s Guide a fascinating and
Moon is a funny, sad and sometimes scary story of three
Geographic, among others. Learn360 continues to mind-opening look at their fellow citizens’ religions,

34 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

and a means of understanding how religions influence random (five educators and three IT professionals). To experience the Burgess Shale Online Exhibition,
our multicultural society. Winning educators will each receive a CDW Canada visit: www.burgess-shale.rom.on.ca
gift certificate valued at $200. Winning IT adminis-
Teaching with Technology Contest trators will each receive a CDW Canada gift certificate Listen, I read
CDW Canada, a provider of technology solutions valued at $1,500. Through its Imagineaction program, the Canadian
for Canadian organizations in the public and private Deadline for entries in all contests is 11:59 p.m. ET on Teachers’ Federation (CTF) is partnering with
sectors, has launched its fourth annual Teaching with February 29, 2012. Complete rules and regulations for all the Canada Council for the Arts, the Canadian
Technology™ Contest, providing Canadian educators, contests are available at www.TeachingwithTechnology. Commission for UNESCO (CCU), the Public
school administrators and IT staff the opportunity to ca Lending Right Commission (PLRC) and Indigo Books
win information technology for their classrooms and and Music to launch a project called Listen, I read. This
schools. The contest runs until February 29, 2012 with Credit Card Education Centre initiative will bring Canadian students together with
winners receiving gift certificates which can be used to An online education centre has been set up to educate authors and books to encourage them to share their
purchase CDW Canada Teaching with Technology teens about the responsible use of credit cards.Its goal is opinions and to use literature and video to become
sponsor products. Teachers and administrators of K to to empower the next generation of cardholders with the socially involved.
12 are eligible to win prizes in one of four ways: information they need to use credit responsibly and to After choosing a Governor General’s Literary Award-
Story Contest: Entrants are invited to submit stories prosper financially without the burden of excessive debt. winning book, teachers and students will read and
between 200 and 500 words that describe the role www.creditcardscanada.ca/education-centre/ analyze it, discuss it with the author, translator or illus-
technology plays in their schools or classrooms. Two trator, and then make a video illustrating the social
winners will be selected by a panel of expert judges to Burgess Shale Online Exhibition action the book inspires.
each receive a CDW Canada gift certificate valued at The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) and Parks Canada The objectives of this initiative are to: promote contem-
$5,000. has launched the Burgess Shale online exhibition, as porary Canadian literature and reading; combine new
Video Contest: A new component this year invites part of the Virtual Museum of Canada. The website technology with the processes of creativity and learn-
educators and administrators to enter via the Teaching provides, for the first time ever, an immersive journey ing; make students aware of literacy issues; use the arts
with Technology Video page. Entrants are asked to into the world of the bizarre prehistoric creatures that to help youth find their voices as citizens.
submit videos no longer than three minutes in length, formed the foundation for all animal life on Earth half
For more information visit www.imagine-action.ca
demonstrating how they are incorporating technology a billion years ago. Through the use of never-before-
into their classrooms and the benefits they are seeing as seen visuals, including stunning virtual animations, the
Cyberbaiting
a result. The winner of this contest, selected by a panel website brings to life over 100 years of research and dis-
The latest edition of the Norton Online Family Report
of judges, will receive a CDW Canada gift certificate coveries, in which the ROM and Parks Canada play a
sheds new light on the realities and risks of growing up
valued at $5,000. vital role.
in the digital age. This year’s report identifies the new
The online exhibition showcases Yoho National Park’s
Tweet UR Tech Tale Contest Entry: Entrants are issue of “cyberbaiting,” a growing phenomenon where
500-million-year-old Burgess Shale fossils. Considered
asked to tweet entries (with a 140-character limit) kids taunt their teachers, then capture the distressed
the most current and comprehensive resource for
describing how technology is used in the classroom. reactions via cell phone videos.
knowledge on the Burgess Shale, the website features
One winner will be selected by a panel of judges to Overall, almost 62 per cent of kids across the world said
an authoritative fossil gallery including approximately
receive a CDW Canada gift certificate valued at $500. that they have had a negative experience while online.
200 species, almost every Burgess Shale species ever
Sweepstakes Contest Entry: With two categories— Nearly four in 10 (39 per cent), however, have had a
described. The creatures are highlighted by a rich col-
Educators and IT professionals—this contest will serious negative experience online, such as receiving
lection of high resolution images and life-like models or
result in a total of eight winners who will be drawn at inappropriate pictures from strangers, being bullied or
digital reconstructions for over 70 species.

CANADIAN TEACHER magazine January/February 2012 35

becoming the victim of cybercrime. The report also • 68 per cent of children in Canada said that they have Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction
shows that kids who are active on social networks open had a negative experience online Valerie Sherrard’s new novel, The Glory Wind, has won the
up more doors for content or situations that can be • 88 per cent of teachers reported that being friends Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young
tricky for them to handle: 74 per cent of kids on social with students on social networks exposes them to People. Administered by the Canadian Children’s Book
networks find themselves in unpleasant situations online risks Centre, the Geoffrey Bilson Award rewards excellence
online, compared to 38 per cent who stay away from in the writing of an outstanding work of historical fiction
• Only 6 per cent of Canadian teachers are friends
social networking. for young readers. The Glory Wind was also the winner of
with students on social networks, compared to 34
One of the more shocking examples of using social per cent globally the 2011 Ann Connor Brimer Award, a bronze medalist
networks for bad behavior is cyberbaiting, where stu- for the 2011 Independent Publisher Book Awards, and
• 8 per cent of teachers have personally experienced
dents first irritate or bait a teacher until he or she cracks, a nominee for the 2011 Canadian Library Association
or know another teacher who has been cyberbaited
filming the incident on their mobile device so they can Book of the Year for Children Award and for the TD
post the footage online, embarrassing the teacher and • 71 per cent of teachers call for more online safety Canadian Children’s Literature Award.
the school. One in five teachers has personally experi- education in schools, a position supported by 68 per
The Glory Wind follows a young boy who must come to
enced or knows another teacher who has experienced cent of parents.
terms with the moral prejudices of his small town in the
this phenomenon. • Only 5 per cent of parents in Canada say they have prairies in the ’4 0s when he befriends the daughter of a
Perhaps because of cyberbaiting, 67 per cent of teach- no idea what their children do online, but 17 per cent young widow who moves in next door. Gracie is unlike
ers say being friends with students on social networks of children in Canada think their parents are clue- anyone Luke has ever met—fun, charming, imagina-
exposes them to risks. Still, 34 per cent continue to less and have no idea about their online activities tive and full of life. But when the townsfolk discover
“friend” their students. Only 51 per cent, however, say • 32 per cent of parents suspect their child changes that her mother’s past is less than completely honour-
their school has a code of conduct for how teachers and the way they act online when parents are watching able, they set out to isolate both mother and daughter.
students communicate with each other through social them – and 41 per cent of children said they some- This new novel from Valerie Sherrard explores themes of
media. Eighty per cent of teachers call for more online times stop what they are doing online if they know friendship, loyalty, hypocrisy, and forgiveness.
safety education in schools, a position supported by 70 their parents are watching
per cent of parents. For tips on how to keep your kids and yourself safe Help for Stutterers
In Canada: The Breakdown online, visit: http://ca.norton.com/familyresources. A typical school day can be fraught with painfully embar-
• 69 per cent of Canadian adults surveyed have fallen For more findings from the Norton Online Family rassing situations for children who stutter. “I don’t raise
victim to cybercrime and 37 per cent of children Report globally and by country, visit: www.norton. my hand in class because I’m worried about what others
reported being victims as well. com/cybercrimereport. might think,” says 14-year-old Juan. Parents and teach-
ers who notice a child beginning to stutter should seek
help right away. “In the past, experts incorrectly believed
that giving attention to a child’s stuttering would exac-
erbate the situation,” said speech-language pathologist
Lisa Scott, Ph.D., of The Florida State University. “We
now know that children who stutter will have signifi-
cantly less disfluent speech and a higher recovery rate
if they are treated when they are young.” To help adults
gain a better understanding of stuttering, the Stuttering
Foundation offers a free streaming video of Stuttering
and Your Child: Help for Parents at www.StutteringHelp.
org. For a free copy of the newly-updated brochure, If
You Think Your Child Is Stuttering, parents and teachers
can call the Foundation’s toll-free helpline at 800-992-
9392 or visit www.StutteringHelp.org.  The site also
offers a worldwide referral list of specialists in stuttering.

National Youth Arts Week

The Arts Network for Children and Youth is planning
ahead for National Youth Arts Week, May 1-7, 2012.
Projects and events for and by youth will take place in
communities across the country, providing an oppor-
tunity for young people to express and exchange ideas
and to showcase their talents. Visit www.youthartsweek.
ca for more information and to find out how to plan an
event in your community.

36 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

 events
February 2 – 4, The Early Years Conference 2012. The
Development of Children’s Mental Health: How Do We
Become Who We Are? Vancouver, BC.
www.interprofessional.ubc.ca/EarlyYears/
February 13 – 17, Nunavut Wide Teacher Conference.
Iqaluit, NU. www.ntanu.ca
February 16 – 18, BC Art Teachers’ Association
Conference:Visual Celebrations. Vancouver, BC.
http://visualcelebrations.wikispaces.com
February 16 – 20, American Association for the
Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting.
Vancouver, BC. www.aaas.org
February 23 – 24, National Reading Recovery and
Early Literacy Conference. Toronto, ON. www.etfo.ca
February 24 – 25, Autism Awareness Centre Conference.
Vancouver, BC. www.autismawarenesscentre.com
March 1 – 2, BC Special Education Association 37th
Annual Crosscurrents Conference. Vancouver, BC.
www.bctf.ca/sea/
March 8 – 10, 2012 Women’s Issues Symposium. Living January 14 - Lindsay, ON January 23 - Medicine Hat, AB April 14 - Toronto, ON
as an Ally: Individually and Collectively. Winnipeg, MB. Academy Theatre Esplanade Theatre Toronto Centre for the Arts
www.ctf-fce.ca January 15 - Orillia, ON January 24 - Lethbridge, AB April 15 - Brandon, MB
Opera House Yates Theatre Western Manitoba
March 19 – 20, Prince Albert & Area Teacher’s January 18 - Victoria, BC February 11 - Brockville, ON Centennial Centre
Convention: Building a Better World. Prince Albert, SK. McPherson Playhouse Brockville Arts Centre May 4 - Regina, SK
http://local.stf.sk.ca/paata January 19 - Nanaimo, BC February 18 - Mississauga, ON Conexus Arts Centre
Port Theatre Living Arts Centre May 11 - Corner Brook, NL
April 11 – 13, Digital Learning Spring Conference. January 20 - Abbotsford, BC March 2 - Markham, ON Arts & Culture Centre
Vancouver, BC. http://conference.learnnowbc.ca/ Abbey Arts Centre Markham Theatre May 12 - St. John’s, NL
January 21 - North Vancouver, BC March 30 - Brampton, ON Holy Heart Theatre
April 13 – 17, American Educational Research Centennial Theatre Rose Theatre
Association 2012 Annual Meeting. Vancouver, BC. January 22 - Kelowna, BC
www.aera.net Kelowna Theatre

April 22 – 26, 2012, Canada International Conference

on Education. Toronto, ON. www.ciceducation.org Gerry Dee is the star of CBC's new sitcom Mr. D, and also appears on
April 25 – 27, Awasis 2012 Aboriginal Education Gerry Dee-Sports Reporter on The Score and NBC's Last Comic Standing.
Conference. Saskatoon. SK. www.awasis.com
April 29, Canadian Association for the Practical Study
Catch Gerry Dee on his Life After Teaching Tour.
of Law in Education 2012 Conference. Ottawa, ON. This former Canadian Comedy Award winner
http://capsle.ca/
May 1 – 7, National Youth Arts Week. for Best Comic in Canada is a
www.youthartsweek.ca
comedian you do not
May 2 – 4, Saskatchewan Physical Education
Association Conference. Saskatoon, SK. www.speaonline.ca want to miss. Touching
May 5, Investigating Our Practices 2012, 15th Annual upon marriage,
Conference. Vancouver, BC. www.interprofessional.ubc.ca
May 6 – 8, Child and Youth Mental Health Matters. fatherhood and his
Vancouver, BC. www.interprofessional.ubc.ca/CYMHM
years as a teacher,
May 6 – 9, Canadian Society for the Investigation of
Child Abuse Conference. 2012 Joining Together: Taking Gerry Dee will certainly
Action Against Child Abuse. Calgary, AB.
www.csicainfo.com provide you with a night of
May 7 – 8, Saskatchewan IT Summit 2012: E-merging laughter you will never forget.
Learning. Saskatoon, SK. www.stf.sk.ca
May 9 – 12, Canadian Association of Speech and
Language Pathologoists Conference 2012. www.caslpa.ca
May 10 – 12, Ontario Association For Mathematics
Education Annual Conference. Kingston, ON.
http://web.me.com/tchapman22/oame2012/index.html
May 11, British Columbia Rural and Small School
Teachers’ Association Annual Conference: Learning
from Each Other. Alert Bay, BC.Contact: cmacdonald@
sd85.bc.ca or [email protected]
June 18 –21, Canada International Conference on
Education. Toronto, ON. www.ciceducation.org Everyone's favourite teacher…just ask him.
July 9 – 11, Barbara Colorosa’s 2012 Summer
Institute: Teaching With Wit and Wisdom. Toronto, ON.
www.kidsareworthit.com
July 16 – 20, All Things Marine: A Summer Field
Course for Teachers and Adults.St. Andrews, NB.
www.huntsmanmarine.ca/html/adult_teachers.html
 w w w . g e r r y d e e . c o m

CANADIAN TEACHER magazine January/February 2012 37

 the bulletin board
• opportunities/events •
CliCk and Save
AUTHOR VISITS Canadian Resources for Canadian Classrooms
make a lasting impression
PRINCIPALS - TEACHERS and turn students into excited readers! • easy instant online ordering

Margriet Ruurs • downloadable resources—save 70%

speaks at schools around the world
Looking for the Ultimate Cultural Experience? “Best author visit we ever had!” • FREE activity sheets/resources

With 3 Ontario certified secondary school

campuses in China (Shanghai, Quanzhou and
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Business & Social Science. Familiarity with ESL
programs/services an asset. Book now for the 2011/12 school year
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Terms: Competitive compensation (CND$/
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The Law of the Teacher - If you stop growing today [personal
This is an ideal opportunity for retired teachers development], you stop teaching tomorrow.
or beginning teachers or teachers on “teacher
Visit www.booksforlife.ca to start your personal development plan. Free
funded leaves” to experience the culture and teacher motivational seminar “I Touch the Future - I Teach.”
mysteries of China. www.bflseminars.ca

Apply Now – Forward resume and cover letter

to:
Supervising Principal • resources •
Tel: 416-763-4121• Fax: 416-763-5225 Eating Disorders
Email: [email protected] food and weight preoccupation

www. .ca
16th AnnuAl National Eating Disorder Information Centre

the trusted source

SEARCh ASSoCiAtES for information and resources
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38 January/February 2012 CANADIAN TEACHER magazine

CANADIAN TEACHER magazine January/February 2012 39
 201
Sum
Pro me
2
gra r
m
Beijing 8 Days $1199* Beijing

Beijing Xi’an 10 Days $1599*

Beijin Sun Village - The village is now a home for over 100 children
of incarcerated parents aged from 1 year to 18 years. The sun vil-
lage was set up 1995 without any government aid. The head of
the village, Mrs Zhang Shuqin is the founder of Sun Village.
Beijing Xi’an Guilin 13 Days $1899* Chuandixia Village - Chuandixia is known for its architecture
and natural beauty. It is home to 500 well preserved courtyard
homes dating to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Many of these
Departure Date: July 9th & Aug 1st homes have been converted into inns offering food and lodg-
ing to travelers.
Departure City: Vancouver, *Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto Mutianyu Great Wall - Mutianyu is a section of the Great Wall of
China located in Huairou County 70km northeast of Beijing. The
Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is connected with Jiankou in
LOVE IN THE SUN 2012 the west and Lianhuachi in the east.

Tiananmen Square - Tiananmen Square is located in the center

Dear Guests: of Beijing,and it is the second largest city square in the world . It
has great cultural significance as it was the site of several impor-
When we enjoy our happy life in the sun, there are still many children whose parents are tant events in Chinese history.
behind the bars wishing to receive our love and concern.
We would like to help these children, and you’ll have the same opportunity to do so by join- The Forbbiden City - The Forbidden City was built during the
Ming dynasty. It is actually a city-within-a-city; with 9999 rooms
ing us on this trip and visit the Beijing Sun Village. On behalf of our company and our tour spread over 250 acres. During the Ming and Qing dynasty, 24
members, we’ll donate $10 for every tour member registered for this program. emperors made their home in the Forbidden City

BEIJING SUN VILLAGE 2008 Olympics Games Sites -The National Stadium serve as the
main venue of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The design was
Beijing Sun Village was founded in 1995 by Mrs. Zhang Shuqin. It is a home for over 100 awarded to a submission from the Swiss architecture firm Her-
children of incarcerated parents aging from one to eighteen. zog & de Meuron in April 2003.

As a non-governmental charitable organisation, Sun Village has been dedicated to provid-

ing foster care and education for the children of convicts for over ten years. Sun Village is
committed to bring these minors together in a stable and warm family. This environment
enables them to grow-up both happily and healthily, just as other children would. Our chari-
table services include tailored educational programmes, psychological counselling, rights
Xi’an Xi’an Guilin Guilin
protection and vocational training. Giant Wild Goose Pagoda Terra Cotta Warriors Reed Flute Cave Li River
SNA Educational Program 2012 *Add on fare $200 for round trip
*Plus airport taxes & fees, fuel surcharge are subject to airlines approve by government

Testimonials
What a fantastic tour! The old saying, “If it’s too good to be true, it prob-
ably IS too good to be true,” is NOT true. The China trip through SNA was
so fantastic and incredible and it seems too good to be true, but it was
better than we could have ever expected!

Bob Fleischmann
Director at Mesa Public Schools
Phoenix, AZ

Thank you ever so much for the wonderful opportunity your company
as provided for our family and our first visit to China. It has been an
awesome experience as well as an educational one! What a welcom-
ing country China is, highlights for the visit to the Great Wall, and many
sights. We feel very well taken care of by your tour guides. They were
always as helpful and willing to make accommodations. I would highly
recommend this to my fellow teachers.
#240 - 8877 Odlin Crescent,
www.snatours.com Richmond, BC V6X 3Z7 Canada Patti Berry, Principle
Tel: 778-297-5593 Wye Elem School
Fax: 778-297-5578 Sherwood Park , AB
info@ snatours.com