[Replicable Practices] Ontario Ministry of Education: Think Literacy Library

The Ontario Ministry of Education using the student success umbrella presents the Think Literacy Library. 

Teachers can find:

• Subject-Specific Strategies, Grades 7-12
• Professional Learning
• Professional References: Boys' Literacy Teacher Inquiry

[Replicable Practices] What are essential skills? Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

One of the most difficult tasks I have yet to successfully overcome is the task of convincing my students there is a greater purpose to understanding concepts taught within a lesson.

Before I get into a specific lesson using the resources listed within this post I ask my students to navigate through the Workplace Skills site and the Essential Skills site. Once they had a period to do so I often ask a very general question such as "What did you discover?" 

Taken from What are Essential Skills:

The Government of Canada conducted extensive research to examine the skills people use in the workplace. From this research and through interviews with workers, managers, practitioners and leading researchers, over 350 Essential Skills Profiles have been developed for various occupations. The essential skills that people need for learning, work and life. They are used in the community and in the workplace, in different forms and different levels of complexity.

[Replicable Practices] Choices Into Action

I recently discovered the Choices into Action: Guidance and Career Education Program Policy, 1999 (PDF) via the Ontario Ministry of Education site. It is a document that can be found under the Administrators Policy and Reference page. The reason why I chose to blog about this as a Replicable Practice is because guidance is no longer an area that specifically contained with the guidance offices of a school or the guidance counselor. It needs to be addressed by the classroom teacher as well. Just think what the ultimate goal is that we have as teachers for our students. Taken directly out of the document:

Choices Into Action describes the purpose and importance of Ontario’s guidance and career education program, its content, and its unique approach to teaching and learning. It describes the approaches that principals and teachers are expected to take when teaching students how to develop their learning skills, interpersonal skills, and knowledge and skills in the area of career planning. It also outlines program planning strategies, accountability measures, and the roles and responsibilities of all involved – principals, teachers, students, parents, and community partners.

Choices into Action: Guidance and Career Education Program Policy, 1999

[Replicable Practices] Individual Education Plan (IEP)

Looking for a specific reference to a particular section in one of my student's IEP I was searching within the school for the Individual Education Plans: Standards for Development, Program Planning, and Implementation, 2000 booklet. Having no luck tracking a paper copy down I resorted to the online version. One can navigate through the Ontario Ministry Of Education website to find it, along with curriculum documents, and other policy and resources documents.

• Update: The Individual Education Plan (IEP), A Resource Guide, 2004 (PDF) 

[Replicable Practices] Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC)

Identification, Placement, and Review Committee

The (IPRC) is created under the authority of Ontario Regulation 181/98, which provides information about the Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC). The Education Act requires all publicly funded school boards to provide special education programs and services to students who have been identified as exceptional pupils.

1. Written request from a student's parent(s)/guardian(s) or the principal of the school must refer the student to an IPRC. The parent(s)/guardian(s), as well as a student who is sixteen years of age or older, have the right to attend the IPRC meeting and may request that the IPRC discuss potential programs that would meet the student's needs.
   
2. The IPRC will decide whether the student is an exceptional pupil and, if so, what type of educational placement is appropriate. On the basis of these discussions, the IPRC can recommend the special education programs and/or services that it considers to be appropriate for the student.

•  A regular class with indirect support
• A regular class with resource assistance
• A regular class with withdrawal assistance
• A special education class with partial integration
• A full-time special education class

[Replicable Practices] Special Education Funding

Ontario Ministry of Education

How does Ministry of Education fund our public education system? Each year the ministry provides funds to school boards through a series of grants. This Education Funding contains information on this year's grants, plus links to information on grants from previous years.

School Board Funding Projections for the 2010-11 School Year (PDF, 463 KB)

Special Education Funding Guidelines: Special Equipment Amount (SEA), 2010-11 (PDF, 437 KB)

Special Education Funding Guidelines: Special Incidence Portion (SIP), 2010-11 (PDF, 1.02 MB)

[Replicable Practices] eWorkshop.on.ca

eWorkshop.on.ca

I try to better myself in the the areas of Literacy, Instruction and Leadership. In order to promote replicable practices without trying to improve myself is a meaningless message and not very professionally satisfying. The Ministry of Education of Ontario has a collection of resources at eWorkshop for Literacy and Numeracy for K to 6 teachers.

If you are not sure, then let me tell you . . .

What is literacy and what is my role as a teacher?

What is numeracy and what is my role as a teacher?

[Replicable Practices] Ontario Ministry of Education

The Ontario Ministry of Education has an excellent site devoted to Ontario's education system. On the site you can explore links to specific pages devoted to Students, Parents, Teachers, Administrators, About the Ministry and News.

I frequently visit the Teachers page. There I am able to find links to Special Education, Student Success, Literacy and Numeracy, Teaching Tools, and General Information.

In order to keep up with Ontario's educational pulse I suggested you look at the Top News Stories, Popular Topics and Frequently Asked Questions page.

Minister of Education

Join OPEN (Ontario Provincial Education Network)