Submit a proposal to present at BCTELA's Fall 2012 Conference

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BCTELA 2012 conference proposal form.doc (183 KB)

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BCTELA’s conference theme this Fall is Re-imaging English Language Arts: Teaching for Joy and Justice. We are looking for workshops that help educators develop their capacity to build students’ capacity to engage with, honor and take up diverse perspectives and literacies and make a difference in their world. The deadline for proposals is February 29th.

Conference participants include teachers with a wide range of backgrounds, interests and perspectives.

This year our conference will be held at Cariboo Hill Secondary School, in Burnaby, B.C. The conference runs from October 18-20, 2012. Sessions are 2 hours on Friday or one hour as part of a themed institute on Saturday. Attached is the conference proposal form. Proposals are accepted through a refereed process.

Looking forward to your proposals,
Leyton Schnellert and Shelley Moore
Conference Co-Chairs

A Novel Pairing Can Become a Text Set

I have seen a number on articles recently on connections between education and justice systems. As I read and contemplate these articles, I start thinking about how challenging it can be to discuss penitentiary systems with students in a way that is meaningful for them. I am also always looking for ways to engage students in topical news articles. At our BCETLA Executive meeting today, during our morning sharing session, Cindy Miller (our president) shared a text pairing which sounds pretty cool.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers and Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen are both novels found in many book rooms – maybe yours. Both novels deal with young protagonists who have become involved with their respective local justice systems. Wouldn't it be interesting to read them both – all together, or split the class in two and then switch – and then discuss the different justice systems? Magazine and newspaper articles and/or short stories could be added to make it a text set that could generate some thoughtful discussion on issues ranging from personal choices and their consequences to questions of how a given society deals with crime and rehabilitation.

I think this novel pairing could work at either the elementary or secondary level. The difference would be in the other texts chosen to fill out the set and the “essential question” from which you work. I work in an elementary library and we already have a lit circle set of Monster which is used by some of our grade seven teachers. I am looking forward to buying some copies of Touching Spirit Bear and building this text set (it will be my school's first).

Any suggestions of other texts would be appreciated.

- Celia Brownrigg, BCTELA Vice-President

Great Critical Literacy Conversation

We had a terrific conversation about critical literacy today! As an executive we have committed to starting BCTELA Exec Meetings with professional learning. For each meeting we have a theme for our sharing and everyone brings an artifact (classroom activities, professional books, research articles, student samples, texts we are using/reading...). We rotate the role of facilitator. Today I was up!

To start today I had everyone google "critical literacy". We spent 7 minutes reading and working with a partner to share what we learned. Then we had a rousing group discussion:

Kate highlighted the importance of looking at what students read and helping them be more aware of the various ways a text can influence them. Bryce talked about helping kids mediate the image of themselves they produce in texts and their digital thumbprint. Susan found a quote that is 42 years old that rings true today, critical literacy "views readers as active participants in the reading process and invites them to move beyond passively accepting the text message to question, examine or dispute the power relations that exist between readers and authors. It focuses on issues of power and promotes reflection, transformation and action." Freire, 1970. Cindy pointed out that critical literacy is a lens to focus on dismantling power structures and inequities. In essence teaching for social injustice.

It looks like we have a focus for this year's conference!

Leyton Schnellert, PhD
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
University of British Columbia, Okanagan
Email: leyton.schnellert@ubc.ca

Leyton Schnellert, PhD
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
University of British Columbia, Okanagan
Email: leyton.schnellert@ubc.ca

Don Blazevich's presentation Developing Voice in a Community of Young Writers from BCTELA's Fall 2011 Conference

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Writing With Voice- Don Blazevich.pdf (4.09 MB)

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Don Blazevich's presentation Developing Voice in a Community of Young Writers from BCTELA's Fall 2011 Conference

Leyton Schnellert, PhD
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
University of British Columbia, Okanagan
Email: leyton.schnellert@ubc.ca

Shelley Moore's presentation from the Multiple Pathways Institute - Modified Scmodified - BCTELA Fall Conference 2011

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Shelley Moore modified scmodified.pdf (17.24 MB)

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Shelley Moore's presentation from the Multiple Pathways Institute - Modified Scmodified - BCTELA Fall Conference 2011

Leyton Schnellert, PhD
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
University of British Columbia, Okanagan
Email: leyton.schnellert@ubc.ca

Deborah Roos' materials from her Middle Mosaic presentation ; Practices in mindful awareness for a compassionate classroom - BCTELA 2011 Fall Conference

Deborah Roos' materials from her Middle Mosaic presentation, Practices in
mindful awareness for a compassionate classroom, BCTELA 2011 Fall Conference

Leyton Schnellert, PhD
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
University of British Columbia, Okanagan
Email: leyton.schnellert@ubc.ca

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Club.docx (21 KB)

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Diamond.docx (13 KB)

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Heart.docx (28 KB)

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Spade.docx (15 KB)

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Critical Thinking - Quality of life - lesson plan for "economic" lunch.pdf (13.5 MB)

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Partner Breathing Activity .docx (129 KB)

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References.docx (13 KB)

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Liisa House's Poetry in Voice: Old School Poetry Recitation Makes a Comeback presentation from BCTELA's Fall 2011 Conference

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Liisa House, Poetry in Voice.pdf (4.16 MB)

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Liisa House's Poetry in Voice: Old School Poetry Recitation Makes a Comeback presentation from BCTELA's Fall 2011 Conference

Leyton Schnellert, PhD
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
University of British Columbia, Okanagan
Email: leyton.schnellert@ubc.ca

Ilona Weiss' Middle Mosaic presentation, Untold history: Understanding the impact of Indian residential school on Canada Aboriginal peoples - BCTELA Fall 2011 Conference

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Ilona Weiss ABORIGINAL LITERATURE RESOURCES.doc (54 KB)

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Greetings all,

Ilona’s presentation is on Prezi. In order to access the Prezi, you can google "prezi.com" then, in the search box, enter "Untold History" this should allow you to access it. Also attached is her resource list.

Leyton Schnellert, PhD
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
University of British Columbia, Okanagan
Email: leyton.schnellert@ubc.ca

Pamela Smith's presentation handout from Finding our voices: Ways to help students become mindful and find their voices in all that they do from BCTELA Fall 2011

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BCTELA Pamela Smith handout Fall 2011.pdf (191 KB)

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Pamela Smith's presentation handout from Finding our voices: Ways to help students become mindful and find their voices in all that they do from BCTELA Fall 2011 Conference

Leyton Schnellert, PhD
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
University of British Columbia, Okanagan
Email: leyton.schnellert@ubc.ca

Venessa MacDowell's Engaging middle/secondary students with 21st century literacy resources (BCTELA Fall Conference 2011)

Leyton Schnellert, PhD
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education
University of British Columbia, Okanagan
Email: leyton.schnellert@ubc.ca

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Venessa MacDowell BCTELA Oct 21_2011.pdf (27.31 MB)

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MacDowell building a rubric template[1].doc (39 KB)

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MacDowell Criteria T-Chart.doc (39 KB)

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MacDowell English 11 Belonging Inquiry Unit[1].txt (3 KB)

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MacDowell Flight by Sherman Alexielearning intentions.doc (33 KB)

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MacDowell Give One, Get one Template.doc (56 KB)

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MacDowell Literature Circle Discussion Group REFLECTION.doc (30 KB)

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MacDowell Literature Circle Discussion side 2 REFLECTION.doc (35 KB)

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