First Nations Language Keepers Conference December 1st and 2nd, 2010

I attended the conference Theme “ Empowering the Youth”. The workshops I attended are: December 1st, 2010 Opening Ceremonies/Prayer/Welcoming Address Review of the Research Literature on promoting Programs, Practices, Curriculum and Teacher

Development for Indigenous Language Education. Dr. Blair, Violet Okemaw, Martin Zeilder The workshop was very interesting because it mentioned that the weakness in Indigenous Language Programs are that there is no follow-up on how the student is using their language outside the classroom are the supports system in place in the community. How is the community promoting the language etc. At the end of the day all stake-holders has to support the value of indigenous languages.

Creating and Developing Culturally Responsive Schools First Nation and Metis Unit, Saskatoon Public Schools. Compelling Reasons for becoming Culturally responsive Components of Cultural Responsiveness Indicators of Culturally Responsive Schools Community based (partnership between child, family, school system and all the people in the community) Respectful of cultural Diversity. A Disposition Qualities/Beliefs/Actions

Invest in Professional Leanings and Understandings Indigenizing Curriculum Tamara StarBlanket

The SICC is developing a curriculum to support the newly released book called “Cultural Teachings: First Nations Protocols and Methodologies. This curriculum will provide info. And teachings as understood by the First Nations In Saskatchewan. The curriculum will have four units providing information and teachings on land, language First Nations Law, Elements of Nationhood and so forth. The unique facet about this curriculum is Elders teachings and First Nations oral history is utilized to bring the perspective of the First Peoples into the Fabric of Sharing.

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The Write Tools – Improving Literacy Instruction

“Strategies that make an Immediate Difference in the Classroom” Facilitated by: Alice Greiner

North Battleford, SK

I attended a one day workshop. The workshop offered reading and writing strategies we could use in the classroom. Greiner states if we want our students to be writers, they need to write everyday in all subject areas, not just English Language Arts. She also stresses that consistent instruction equals common language, common strategies, and common vision. She also notes that teaching is modeling. The strategies she shared with us are; Responding to Reading: Free Response, Building Better Sentences, Types of Writing, Planning for Writing, and Paragraph Writing: Stand-Alone Paragraph. She had us doing hands-on activities and using concrete materials for all of these strategies. I was very excited to come back and use these strategies with my students. I will share the writing strategies with my colleagues as well.

Donna Janvier Grade 3 La Loche Community School

Steffany Kuhn

LLCS - Dene High

I recently attended the workshop “Teaching to Student Strengths 1”, presented by the SPDU. The outline for the day included an overview of the adaptive dimension, what can and cannot be adapted, how to plan for adaptations, key principles and areas of differentiation and examples to support them. Through this workshop, I gained practical strategies for use in adapting and differentiating. Some of these activities were: tiered activities, anchoring activities, centres, curriculum compacting and using students’ learning styles to motivate and differentiate.

The second workshop, “Teaching to Student Strengths 2: Linking Adaptations to Student Needs” was a continuation of the previous days’ learning. This workshop included recognizing that diversity is the norm and the learning environment is one very easy way to adapt for students. Specific areas of need were investigated and so I decided to focus on FAS/FAE and EAL. Planning for diversity through unit planning, backwards-design and assessment strategies was also shared.

I thoroughly enjoyed both of these workshops. They were both worth the money and the presenter was engaging, knowledgeable and very helping in answering specific questions about specific needs. I plan on sharing some of the new strategies I learned through Staff PD and through my job as an LNC. I will definitely attend more SPDU sessions next year.

Date: January 21, 2011 To: Elaine Greschner From: Sean Lockwood Re: NATA PD - Reflection on ECERS-R Workshop (November 1-5, 2010) in Regina Dear NATA, I took professional development training in ECERS-R (Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale – Advanced Training) from November 1-5, 2010 in Regina. In this workshop I learned how to use the ECERS scale to properly assess and evaluate early childhood education sites. Upon mastering the use of the ECERS scale, our instructor taught us how to write reports and relay information to directors of early childhood sites. In the training, we had to assess early childhood sites in Regina, then conduct interviews with the directors of the early childhood sites we were given. This practical training made this workshop one of the most valuable workshops I have ever attended. This training was facilitated by the Ministry of Education. I had to posses level 1, 2, and 3 ECERS training before taking this workshop. I also had to write a statement to the Ministry of Education stating why I would benefit from this training, as it was part of the application process. I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the training workshop and it was one full-week of intensive training. What did I get out of this workshop? I am now:

a) Confident in assessing and evaluating my own Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms at Gordon Denny Community School.

b) Able to write reports for my teachers on early childhood environment scales, which improves supervision and evaluation in our schools early childhood program.

c) Provide teachers feedback on how they can improve their early childhood environment. d) Able to ensure our early childhood youth are receiving a quality educational program to meet the

needs of all learners. e) Educated on the importance of early childhood education and understand the impact it has on

literacy, math, and social skills development. f) Confident in educating the rest of my staff about the importance of “brain development” in early

childhood learners and how important it is for children to have access to a quality education, prior to entering Kindergarten and grade one.

g) Certified and contracted out by the Ministry of Education to review early childhood education sites and provide detailed reports and feedback to directors of these programs.

I want to thank NATA for supporting our area teachers in professional development opportunities. I am requesting travel reimbursement from La Ronge to Regina for my professional development expenses. If you have questions or concerns regarding this request, please do not hesitate to contact me at your earliest convenience. Sincerely, Sean Lockwood – Principal of Gordon Denny Community School Bag Service #7300, La Ronge Saskatchewan, SOJ 1L0 Ph # 306 425-2997 E-mail: seanlockwood@nlsd113.net

March 3, 2011 Dear NATA Membership: In mid-February, 16-18, I attended the Learning and the Brain Conference: iGeneration: How the Digital Age is Altering Student Brains, Learning & Teaching in San Francisco. The three-day conference was one of the best I have ever attended. There were nine keynote speakers, three each morning, and many sessions every afternoon. Neurologists, professors, and educators shared current research which was informative and fascinating. One of the afternoon sessions I attended was with John Ratey, MD. He has written a book, entitled Spark: The Revolutionary New Science Of Exercise And The Brain. Local evidence from a school in Saskatoon has since been documented (including on W5) when a teacher there, after reading his book, implemented many of his suggestions and saw academic results in a very short time, due to the physical movement strategies on which she and her students embarked. He showed the W5 documentary, so it was nice to be on the map, so to speak, at an international conference where Saskatchewan success stories were shared. At our last staff meeting after the break I shared with our staff several of the key points and we also watched a link to Schools in Finland, by the BBC, to foster some discussion on their strategies and how we may benefit from doing the same or similar activities. I also, on behalf of the NLAA, ordered the CD Rom of the speakers and their presentations from the conference, to share at future administrative meetings to invite discussion. I highly recommend future conferences from Learning and the Brain organization. I am willing to talk to any members about specific studies. I also can share sites and research documents if desired. Here are two: www.johntratey.com www.LearningAndTheBrain.com I am grateful for the PD opportunity. It is exciting to think of the possibilities that even small changes can make. Sincerely, Martina Cain

Awasis Conference 2011 May 11, 12, and 13th, 2011. (Held at the Saskatoon Inn, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) This year I chose for my professional development the Awasis (Aboriginal Education Council) Conference in Saskatoon. I had never gone to this conference before and it was my intent to learn more about “Teaching Treaties in The Classroom”. I traveled down Wednesday evening and arrived just in time to register before the desk closed at 9:00 p.m.. I was able to take in four workshops; two for each day. The first workshop, “Teaching Treaties in the Classroom” was a very lucky hit for me!!! The woman who was delivering the material was a Grade Two teacher and all of her examples fit exactly into my own curriculum. I came away with many good ideas and some web.sites that will help me to enhance any material I may want to pull together in the teaching of this subject. It was specifically noted by this teacher that First Nations, Metis, and Inuit material should be imbedded in all areas of curriculum, an idea which I whole heartedly agree with. The second workshop, “World History of Racism in Minutes”, was more of a hands-on session and was designed more for the high school student. I still came away knowing more about racism and really enjoyed the session. Everyone is racist to one degree or another no matter what ethnic group they may belong to. The third workshop, “Awareness and Prevention of Suicide” was a heavier session but very informative. I am always looking to learn more about this topic because for me it is such an illusive concept. So many young people not wanting to go on. This topic hits very close to home for me. The woman who delivered this session has lost six people in her immediate family over the last four years. She was amazingly strong and she said the message has to get out there that we are all counselors in our own way and if we pick up on any clues we need to intercede. The fourth workshop, “Who is in Our Community? –including those not found in our Social Studies Classes” was another session which particularly interested me. We are faced with new Social Studies Curriculum in the provincial schools. I take any help I can get developing my new units. This woman (A professor at the University of Saskatchewan) gave us a particularly unique spin on who makes up a community and why the need to include EVERYONE is essential in maintaining a healthy community. I would highly recommend this conference for anyone who might think they need to learn more about aboriginal culture and worldview. I am so happy that I went. I learned a lot; came away with many new materials that I am excited to try in my next years’ plan for Grade 2. Marlette McLaughlin, Grade 2 PreCam

I attended a weekend conference in Edmonton called Tribes - A Learning Community. I had heard about it from a friend in Ontario who also took part in the workshop. The basic training was a three-day workshop that dealt with a new style of learning environment in the classroom. The basic premise is for the teacher to facilitate a safe, friendly, and inclusive environment. Facilitate is the keyword, as the teacher attempts to stay back from an instruction-based method and create individual leaders within the classroom. Tribes Learning is not an add on to an existing method of teaching, but rather an entirely separate style of teaching and learning. The conference was amazing and it was a great way to hear what other teachers in different provinces are doing with their students and communities. I would highly recommend this conference to all teachers! Thanks, Bryan Kosmack

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I attended the conference in Saskatoon about Adaptive Dimension and Differentiated Instruction. It was a two-day workshop that offered great insight into how to be better equipped to deal with ever-changing classrooms. Each student has a different way of learning and these courses gave examples and methods that every teacher can use in their classroom. I would recommend the workshops to every teacher - regardless of the age group that they teach. The workshop allowed me to make connections with other teachers from the province and it made many of me realize what I am already doing to make a difference and also simple ways to incorporate adaptive dimension and differentiated instruction into my classroom. It isn't overwhelming to make small changes in your class and these workshops helped me realize that. There are also great tidbits that can be brought back to any staffroom. Overall, a worthwhile workshop!

Thank you,

Lisa Rosenberger

N.A.T.A Professional Development Assistance Report SPEA/SHEA 2011 Conference “Kick Off to Curriculum & Wellness” May 4 – 6, 2011, Saskatoon, SK. From May 4th to the 6th, I attended the 2011 SPEA/SHEA conference in Saskatoon to hopefully gain more understanding of the new curriculum for P.E. and to gain some tools and tips for doing evaluation of the physical education indicators. During the conference I attended all sessions. The conference began with the keynote address, by Father Andre Poilievre, on the STR8 UP program for individuals wishing to leave the gang life. My first session was Functional Fitness Brain Blasts, about Thompson publishing’s Active Healthy Living program and FUNctional fitness charts. It was full of good ideas for fun fitness activities and how to connect to the curriculum. Next, I attended Outdoor Education: More Than Just a Club. The presenters discussed their school courses that involved outdoor activities as credit courses in the high school. Then I attended a session on Assessment in Elementary Education where I got exactly what I, and all elementary teachers need, to assist in evaluating the indicators. The presenters noted the website, www.growingyoungmovers.com , which has spreadsheets on all grade for all indicators, as well as a developmental progression of skill chart, with evaluation tools, as well as other great resources. After that, I went to the session FITSats – web based fitness assessment tracking system. This system will take raw fitness test results and convert the data into useable reports for students and parents. The next 2 sessions were on Learning to Canoe where I learned some different ways of teaching canoe skills to students. I also learned about the new requirements for tripping with students. Finally, I attended the session HPC: Don’t just move – move well! This years conference was very good and the resources on evaluating students made the 10 hours of driving very worthwhile. Chris Fettig Minahik Waskahigan School

Saskatchewan IT Summit May 9th -10th 2011 Joel Stange and Jared Richards

Summary: The keynote speaker was Mr. D. Shareski. He spoke of social learning and the inquiry model which ties into the Saskatchewan curriculum focus of inquiry based learning. He challenged us to rethink the way we have students learn by not just attaining knowledge, but actually putting that knowledge to use, and challenging the students to discover the answer. This can be used in both local and global contexts with the aide of technology. The capabilities now exist within the classroom for students to reach out to a much larger learning base than we have previously had. Complimenting the keynote speaker were workshops geared towards teaching teachers to use technology to reach Shareski’s outcome. The workshops we attended are as follows:

1) Transforming Digital Storytelling a. Using programs that assist children in creating professional looking stories that

anyone could view online. b. Allows for peer to peer assessment. c. A new tool for authentic story writing.

2) Past Math and Writing a. Posing a problem and having the students create the question. b. Giving Higher Order Thinking questions.

i. For example: Does this question have baby questions? ii. Is this question “google proof”

3) Creating Learners for a 21st Century a. Helping students develop a real identity. b. Engaging student learning through the on-line community. c. An individual’s efforts can be reflected collectively in the social media. d. Teaching empathy through community.

4) KODU Game Design a. Microsoft game creating software geared towards student learning. b. Great for critical and creative thinking. c. Challenges students to create and solve problems in a fun, game like environment. d. Endless possibilities in terms of creations. e. Can be as complex or as simple as the creator wills.

5) How New Media Shapes Our Society and Why it Matters a. Teachers no longer have all the answers. b. Engage students through questions that no one can answer at present. c. Teacher models the process with the students.

6) Google Apps For Education a. Showed the benefit of having an on-line workspace for every student which

provides a word processor, spreadsheet, and powerpoint like program. b. Allowed students to work on assignments anywhere that they were able to connect

to the internet. c. Allowed e-mail within the classroom between students and teachers. d. Simple and easy to use administration. e. Constantly being upgraded and updated with numerous educational/administrative

applications that can be purchased and installed with the click of a button.

7) Primary Digital Portfolios a. Creating a blog to store and exhibit student work. b. Parents able to access via the internet at any time. c. Constant assessment through peer review of student work. d. Increased student accountability.

i. Student name must appear on blog site. ii. Teaches students about internet “etiquette”.

e. Community is always observing. 8) Using SMART Response

a. Learning how to use the SMART Response system effectively. b. Creating multiple forms of assessment that can be formative and summative in

nature. 9) Connecting and Collaborating in the 21st Century

a. A list of educational tools that can be used to assist students in taking action on a global scale.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- regarding the 2011 Awasis conference I attended four workshops .Session one 'metis knowledge sharing and crafts' they talked briefly about the lives of the metis people,followed by a hands- on craft.All participants made a mini metis sash we were also provided with a hand-out.Session two'Using humour to deal with difficult students'they talked about techniques of using humour when dealing with difficult students.Session three'The significance and teachings of the tipi' the teachings relate to nuturing the four aspects of self; the spiritual,physical, emotional and mental.We were given a hand-out very interesting.The Session four 'Teaching of the drum' they discussed the importance of the drum and the significance of the drum in ceremonies.I now have new and interesting ideas to use in my cree class.Your help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you Florence Rediron, Cree Teacher

Report On The P.I.R.S Conference in Saskatoon Friday: We had a guest speaker named Colleen Politano. She focused on brain research and how different activities can stimulate a child’s development. She showed a lot of examples of how we can exercise a child’s brain, how we can calm a child and how to stimulate a child’s mind so that they are fully involved in our activities. She touched a little on each areas of development in a child such as language, gross motor, fine motor, cognitive development, social and emotional development etc. Her examples are very user friendly and can easily be incorporated into the daily routines of a Preschool classroom. Saturday: Saturday consisted of different mini workshops. To start the day we had a guest speaker named Bonnie Mihalicz. She spoke about “Understanding and Listening to Our Children”. She spoke about the opportunities she had to really get to know a student. She encouraged teachers to slow down in their daily routines and take the time to talk and listen to the students. This was a very good reminder for me considering a pre-school day could be very rushed. She talked about how little things like a picture can tell a lot about a child and that we should use opportunities like that to listen to a child. Session One: Story Telling Through Finger plays and Songs In this session Katherine Bennett a librarian from Saskatoon gave all the participants handouts of various songs and finger plays to use in our classrooms. She then demonstrated various ones for all of us. We sang and did actions with her to many songs. She then touched a little on the importance of voice when telling stories to children. This was a good session because of her demonstrations. I would feel comfortable using these finger plays and songs with my students. Literacy is very important for children and I was more then happy to pick up extra ways to incorporate fun ways to teach my students. Session Two: Music and Movement The presenter was a Preschool Teacher and her name was Daphne Shearer. Daphne demonstrated and performed many ways of getting children to be active learners and participators during circle. She gave us handouts on various dances and songs she uses with her class and she also demonstrated them for us. We did a lot of dancing and singing in this session. I learnt that there are many simple ways to get children learning about movement and special awareness no matter what size your classroom may be. The presenter also showed us many ways in which she modifies dances for her students. She also liked to incorporate a lot of natural things like shells into her circle time. This was an interesting session, which I enjoyed. It was also very nice having an actual Pre-K teacher presenting because she showed us things that work with that specific age group. Session Three: Exploring The Elements Of Art The presenter for this session was Sara-Jane Scott who is a Fine Arts Teacher. Sara-Jane gave us a printout of various resources she likes to refer to when talking about Art in the classroom. Her session was very good and I was able to take many of her ideas back to my classroom. She talked about free drawings where she gives the children tools to create. We do this a lot in my classroom so it was just reassuring me that this is a good way to let the students express themselves. I did a lot of crafts in my classroom and am realizing after I took this session that it is better to provide students with the materials and let them create instead of having specific outcomes in mind. All in all this was a very well organized conference, which I would definitely attend again. There were plenty of opportunities to network with other Teachers in my teaching area. Adrienne Durocher Pre-K Teacher PreCam (AHS Kikinahk)

Professional Development for Tammy Grass and Tracy McFarlane

February 10, 11 and 12th, we attended, Assessment for the Classroom, aput on by the Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit at the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation.

Day 1 – Supporting Student Learning Through Assessment Practices

• Learn about 8 big ideas in assessment that should guide assessment practices in all schools.

• Develop personal assessment literacy by reflecting on current practice and connecting that to literature and research on assessment.

• Explore and identify ways to use assessment information in supporting learning outcomes.

Day 2 – Assessment Essentials: Formative Assessment Practices

We focused on formative assessment; past practices of summative driven instruction verses new trends of a more formative assessment driven classroom.

• “Assessment should be a powerful tool for learning, not merely a political solution to perceived problems over standards and accountability.” – (Association of Teachers and Lecturers, Doing our Level Best, 1996)

• . . . evidence suggests that the [assessment] reforms have encouraged teachers to develop their understanding of, and skills in, assessment. However, the very high stakes attached to test results are now encouraging teachers to focus on practicing test-taking rather than on using assessment to support learning. – (Assessment for Learning: Beyond the Black Box. Assessment Reform Group, 2006)

• Pupils are increasingly seeing assessment as something which labels them and is a source of anxiety, with low-achievers in particular often being demoralized. – (Assessment for Learning: Beyond the Black Box. Assessment Reform Group, 2006)

Day 2 – Grrrr . . . adding and Reporting on Outcomes

• Examine traditional and contemporary beliefs and practices related to grading. • Develop common understanding and practices related to grading and reporting on

outcomes.

The days were filled with lots of useful information and ready to use ideas. We would both recommend one or all of these workshops to others.

We also enjoyed our breaks when we had the opportunity to access the Stewart Resource Centre.

April 14, 2011 I attended my first Saskatchewan Reading Conference this year in Saskatoon. I had been looking forward to the conference but was a little concerned about how useful the workshops and sessions would be, since I teach a Grade 7, 8 and 9 Bridging Class and have found that other conferences seem to focus more on the primary grades. However, I was very pleased with what I found offered. Although there were a number of sessions offered for the younger grades, there were also plenty for me to choose from that were age/grade-appropriate for my students. There were enough choices, in fact, that I had a hard time making my selections. Fortunately, when I arrived early Friday morning and began checking out the books and resources available I immediately found both Ellin Keene’s Assessing Comprehension Thinking Strategies and Gerald Duffy’s Explaining Reading. Both are well structured; appear to be very user-friendly with practical applications, examples assessment strategies, and/or rubrics. This made my choice of workshops much easier. Ellin’s workshop “Using Comprehension Strategies Across the Curriculum” was both informative and engaging, giving insight into how to recognize the more subtle signs that students understand content, other than those obvious “Aha!” moments, which we know and love. This was also laid out for us in her guideline “Using the Outcomes and Dimensions of Understanding”. Even better, she provided us with examples, also included in the guidelines, of how to respond to the student to enhance the likelihood of the student’s ability to retain and develop their understanding. I highly recommend her book and other resources. For more detailed information you may want to explore her website at ellinkeene@earthlink.net . Gerald Duffy’s workshop entitled: “Effective Guided Reading in Grades 4-8, was not what I expected. But it was simple, straightforward information regarding using the basic concepts of guided reading in any curriculum area to increase students comprehension of content. This was not, as I thought it might be, teaching the Guided Reading program that we are currently using in our school division. However, I found it to be information that I could practically apply in my classroom at any grade level, with any student or with all students. I am now very much looking forward to attending next year’s Saskatchewan Reading Conference! Sincerely; Bethany Speller

Sask. Reading Conference April 7th and 8th Saskatoon, Sask. We attended Jacquie McTaggart‘s keynote speech on Reading Instruction: Myths and Misnomers on Thursday evening. She spoke on common myths regarding the way students comprehend materials they read. On Friday we attended two sessions given by presenter Ellin Oliver Keene. Her keynote speech dealt with what is essential when focusing instruction to improve comprehension. Her second breakout session talked about using comprehension strategies across the curriculum. She explored what teachers can do to ensure that students understand content area material, and remember and reuse what they learned in new context. Last of all, we attended sessions by Gerald Duffy. He spoke on the difficulties of teaching comprehension well. He also discussed strategies for integrating comprehension instruction and guided reading techniques. Joy Needham Halyna Zlipko

Pre-Cam Community School

Bag Service #7400, La Ronge, SK, S0J 1L0 Telephone: (306) 425-2226

Fax: (306) 425-3054 precam@nlsd113.net

www.precamcommunityschool.ca

Saskatchewan Reading Council (SRC) Conference: Building Bridges Through Literacy, April 7-8, 2011

I was interested in attending this conference as I find myself struggling in my role as Literacy-Numeracy Catalyst Teacher at La Loche Community School – Dene High. My background is not in special education, but in Secondary Practical and Applied Arts. Though this provides me with a set of skills and abilities which make me a creative and adaptable teacher, my teacher toolbox does not contain skills which help foster literacy. I felt this conference might help with my overall professional goal of adding to my repertoire as an LNC. The session that I found most significant in attending this conference was “Effective Guided Reading in Grades 4-8” which was facilitated by Gerald Duffy. Our school has recently begun a guided reading program for all of our grades 7’s to 9’s. Though it is in it’s infancy we are already seeing some improvement with our some of our readers, however the challenge has been to engage our really reluctant and struggling readers to participate in the program. Our school intends to make the guided reading school wide in the next year; including all the students from grade 7-12. What I found so helpful about Mr. Duffy’s session was his acknowledgement that teachers in the secondary and middle school are not trained to teach basic reading skills; it is assumed students will arrive in our classrooms with those skills already mastered. He also recognized that it is not only recommended, but necessary that high school teachers be ready to teach guided reading. He felt that the “best place to teach comprehension is in the content areas”. This is good news for our students as many struggle daily with their basic texts. He further went on to state that the “poorest readers can learn the content if we get it through their ears rather than through reading”. Mr. Duffy provided several strategies to use with struggling readers, using the curriculum content and texts. I reflected these would be helpful to bring back to our non-ELA teachers at the high school level. For example, content area teachers can boost comprehension by pre-teaching vocabulary, providing study guides, and modeling and explicitly teaching study skills. Duffy’s model of guided reading requires those of us who teach senior students to put aside our assumptions about students’ dexterity with reading, and explicitly teach the purposes of reading, activate and value students’ prior knowledge as well as provide opportunities for students to read beyond the provided text.

Mr. Duffy suggested a model which promotes a cycle of questioning, predicting, and reading where the student starts and stops reading rather than reading something from beginning to end, then thinking and answering questions. By overtly doing this process the teacher overtly models and practices the process that good readers apply implicitly. By using the content area texts, the reading is always with purpose and is related to things the students are already thinking about.

The final bit of content I have taken back to my school, is the idea of grouping students not by

reading level but by strategy deficit. For example, who are struggling with predicting would be grouped together and be given reader-friendly texts to work with as well as activities to practice the skill of predicting reading. My concern with this strategy is that as a new teacher, especially one who is trained for the secondary school, I may not necessarily recognize strategy deficits, and therefore not be able to create helpful groupings for students. This will be an area of further research for me and my practice.

Beyond this session, I found the rest of the conference to be focused towards younger learners, and

the suggestions and strategies made for literacy were not developmentally appropriate for the students I work with. I think I would recommend this conference for teachers of younger learners, particularly those of division II (grade 2-4).

Sara Saganace LLCS Dene

On April 7th and 8th I attended the SRC reading convention. As usual it was extremely well organized and contained may great speakers. The conference was downsized a little this year as it did not continue to Saturday morning. Thursday evening we listened to 2 local writers ,Bev Brenna and Mary Harelkin, both of which were very entertaining. We also listened to Jackueline McTaggart who informed us of some of the reading Myths that are out there. Friday there were Keynote speakers and breakout sessions. The keynote speaker, Ellin Keene, recalled her meeting with the Canadian customs. She was very entertaing but also conveyed a great deal of information concerning the reading process in both her keynote and breakout session. Gerald Duffy was also very good. He discussed how reading strategies should and can be used across the curriculun, especially in middle years. Elizabeth Cassell LLCS Ducharme

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I attended the Saskatchewan Reading Council Conference in Saskatoon on April 7th and 8th in Saskatoon. This is always an informative and rewarding conference.

The featured speaker for Thursday evening was Jacquie McTaggart. She presented some “truths” about literacy.

Friday morning began with the keynote speaker Ellin Keene. Her presentation “Comprehension and the Development of thought: Focusing on the Essential” provided helpful information about learning to find a balance between teaching comprehension and decoding. We learned how effective literacy instruction is dependent how we focus on the three surface structure systems (graphophonic, lexical, syntactic) and the three deep structure systems (semantic, schematic, pragmatic).

Next I attended “Get the Dirt on Teaching Writing – Engaging Students in Writing” with Mary Bishop. In this session we learned about co-constructing criteria and writing continuums. She also emphasized the importance of connecting reading and writing.

Gerald Duffy’s presentation on effective guided reading was also quite informative. He explained the importance of teaching reading beyond grade five. Students often do not get better at reading after grade five because we stop teaching it.

Gerald Duffy was also the final keynote for the day. He spoke to us about the importance of teaching comprehension and the difficulties that come with finding the time to teach it, especially in the upper grades.

Overall the conference was very good and I came away having learned many things that I can take back, use, and share with my colleagues.

Lisa Larson

Pre-Cam Community School

April 14, 2011 I recently attended the SRC Reading Conference in Saskatoon, SK. There were two breakout sessions as well as a plethora of guest speakers motivating teachers to teach reading and writing more effectively. Most of the speakers highlighted teaching a student at their level using their interests to engage them. The two breakout sessions I attended were led by Kathleen Gould Lundy. They were “Humanizing the Curriculum: Teaching Hard Skills in Soft Ways” and “Teaching Fairly in an Unfair World.” The sessions focused on co-creating a supportive classroom community using Kathleen’s expertise in Fine Arts. The main activity was making poems titled “I am from…” where the teacher gives a prompt and the students must use descriptive, creative language. This was the foundation for building confidence in oral language. Some of the activities focused on kinesthetic research which shared the belief that students need to get up and move every 20 minutes. The activities were engaging and respectful towards students’ backgrounds. They focused on teaching students how to make exciting oral presentations through oral language confidence building and writing and reading activities that were meaningful. In addition, the activities sought to encourage students to find similarities while respectfully celebrating differences between each other. The main activity was making poems titled “I am from…” where the teacher gives a prompt and the students must use descriptive, creative language. The SRC Conference was an opportunity to increase professional development. I would suggest for teacher to attend if the workshop was more than 1 full day with an evening of guest speakers. Also, I would have appreciated more PD and less guest speakers. I would have appreciated clearer marketing because we were under the impression it was 2 full days, but the first evening was not what I expected. Steffany Kuhn La Loche Community School – Dene High

Teaching to Student Strengths Part 1 & 2 Saskatoon May 16 & 17

Day 1 of the workshop was designed to support teachers in answering key questions about the

adaptive dimension. We spent the better part of the morning defining the adaptive dimension, discussing

what can and what cannot be adapted, discussing specific areas of modalities, and discussing ways one can

plan for adaptations. The rest of the day was spent exploring the ways in which differentiated instruction

can work in collaboration with the adaptive dimension to support our students’ learning. Our workshop

leader provided valuable information on the above with a nice blend of activities. She also modeled the

suggested strategies through planned activities. The information and activities for the day focused on: key

principles of differentiation, areas of differentiation, and examples of differentiation. Some of the

strategies modeled and suggested include: independent study, curriculum compacting, tiered activities,

learning contracts, centers, and anchoring activities.

Day 2 of the workshop focused on linking adaptations to specific student needs. The structure for

the day was similar to the first, blending lecture material with specific activities. Together we identified

ways to address classroom diversity through the components of the adaptive dimension and gained

practical strategies for use in responding to specific special needs in the classroom. Through various

activities we explored the following: diversity as the norm; the learning environment; responding to

specific areas of need such as EAL, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, learning disabilities, and FAS-

FAE; planning for diversity, unit planning, and assessment tools.

As a beginning teacher I found this workshop to be extremely informative, helpful, and

meaningful.

Sarah Greensides

La Loche Community School

Saskatchewan Physical Education Association May 4-6 2011 May 4th Registration and touring of booths. Many different and new ideas are presented with ways that you can incorporate them into a quality physical education program. May 5th QDPE award presented 8:15-10:00 am Guest speaker – STR8UP Presentation focuses on gangs and drug users and their paths to becoming clean and gang free. The eight members of a group of 40 spoke their stories and their fears. Teachers and health professionals in the province learned that teachers need to begin to listen instead of just hearing if we want students especially of First Nations and Metis ancestry to open up to us. If we don’t provide a more open and trusting bond, then the students will have a higher chance of becoming involved in jail, gangs, and drugs. 10:15 – 11:15 Say no to Quack! Are you a Duck or an Eagle? Everyone wants to be a powerful strong bird not a wading follower. Gang members feel that the gangs provide power, safety, strength, respect, and family. Gangs actually don’t provide all these things. if we give gangs the power to desensitize ideas and feelings, then the members will not be able to see that gangs really put their safety in jeopardy and that they are powerless as they take orders from people above them who aren’t happy when they want to back out. Instead of guessing who is part of a gang we need to only focus on indicators. Just because someone wears a colour or has a tattoo does not mean anything until they are willing to admit they are. 11:30 – 12:30 STR8UP Presentation about the wellness wheel. Dealing with sick and healthy wheels. We need to look at children and how things happen from conception to the age of 10. We need to focus on how they are raised from the early years. if they are given bad things their whole lives then all they will know are bad things and in their teenage years, all they will be able to give in bad stuff. 1:15-3:30 New curriculum with Dan Manning Discussing year and unit plans and how the new curriculum was created. Spent time creating a unit plan for 7.4 cross training. May 6th 9:00 – 10:00 Learn to Wrestle – Learn basic wrestling moves and how to use your body and forces to break down the skills and to escape the pins: Chicken wings, Half Nelsons, Single leg takedowns 10:15 – 11:15 Zumba A mix of different styles of dance in a fun upbeat dance style with little talking. Not a course you can teach in a class unless you have been to the training but a great workout. 11:30 – 12:30 Yoga Vinyasa style Yoga – not a course to teach but a relaxing way to end SPEA. Laura Lockwood LLCS Dene

On record To whom it may concern,

The SPEA conference was a great experience in general. It provided opportunities to meet and network with other physical education professionals as well as members from the private and public sector who support wellness objectives. The professional development provided a variety of choices surrounding different strands of wellness including student, staff, and community. Many of the sessions included active involvement which really engaged participants and helped to enhance the whole experience. I will certainly attend next year’s conference in hopes of attaining more great resources, ideas, and friendships. Sincerely, Ali Williamson ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPEA Conference May 4,5,6 2011 attended by: Gordon Laxdal Pre Cam Community School, La Ronge Hi, I attended various workshops at the spea conference in Saskatoon. Some of the highlights were yoga, rock climbing, the keynote speaker, online fitness testing and various low organizational games activities. I went o 2 different yoga workshops. One was yoga for students and the other one was yoga for teachers. Both were informative and a very good workout. I especially appreciated the one for students as it gave suggested materials and website links. There was also a question period where some teachers talked about some difficulty bringing yoga into the schools and offered suggestions on how to overcome obstacles. I learned new poses and new sequences to incorporate into the present program. The rock climbing was a good refresher for me as we have a bouldering wall here at Pre Cam and it kept me upgraded. The keynote was about a program in Saskatoon called “Straight Up”. The presentation was by Fr. Andre Poilievre and another colleague. They talked about the gangs in Saskatoon and how they work with individuals to try and get themselves out of the gangs and become drug free. These reformed individuals are now helping counsel kids at Vincent Massey school in Saskatoon and has been very successful. Fitness testing was interesting as it gave me ideas about various programs available we can use at school to compare various student fitness levels and make it relevant. Another Great Conference this year. Thanks, Gordon Laxdal

To N.A.T.A. members,

This past May I attended the annual Saskatchewan Physical Education Association (SPEA) conference. The focus of the conference was Kick Off To Curriculum & Wellness.

I have been a grade 7 teacher at Minahik Waskahigan School in Pinehouse Lake for two years and the Athletic Director for a year.

This conference was a great opportunity to gain resources and new ideas to implement the new curriculum. I had the opportunity to participate in some great workshops including Zumba, Yoga for teacher and student wellness, Aboriginal Games, Boot Camp and Functional Fitness Brain Blasts.

The key note speaker at the conference this year was Father Andre and some of the members of Straight Up. This group was very inspirational. They spoke of their struggles with gangs and drugs.

Laura Keranen