To candadites and teachers completing this course, feel free to reach out if you are looking for a teacher (Canadian, BC, AB and ON certified) to interview or speak to about any projects you might need to interview in regards to or questions you might have about the ESL/ELL/ELD curriculums/pathways.
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Question 1: Using the Leadership framework, discuss 2-3 areas and how you demonstrated leadership?
Question 2: What makes you a leader? Why is an ESL teacher a leader?
Question 3: How can you effectively convey the message that technology should be incorporated in to daily tasks to staff members? What will create a positive change and attitude in the use of technology for teachers?
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Question 1:
After watching the edugains video "School and System Leaders" (that can be found at the link below), I believe that there is a system in which takes responsibility of the ESL/ELL/ELD programs in schools. I was unaware of an "actual system" that does this because generally speaking, it seems like it would be a "departmental responsibility", but what seems to be the most effective way ensure a system is functional is to share responsibility throughout the school. This looks like many things, in the video a school staff participates in professional development opportunities in staff meetings as guided by community leaders who advocate for ESL in the community.
(http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesELL/WebCasts_WebClips/Video/ELD_mp4/5_School_and_system_leaders.mp4)
In regards to a "framework" I am familiar with BC's new frameworks as they have designed these for each department to ensure that the required learning is accountable, modified accordingly and made aware to the administration in an accessible and user friendly model. As far as frameworks go to accomplish a departmental goal such as this, I think its pretty interesting to see where teachers are meeting expectations as well as where they could be developing. This framework provides opportunity for schools and systems to develop based on the success and experience of other schools in these specific areas.
I, myself have had success in the following areas; improving the instructional program; and building relationships and developing people. I am accomplished (or felt accomplished) in these areas while working in a heavy ELL needs school. I have worked with many different forms of ELL as well as with many teachers of varying experience.
In regards to "Improving the instructional program", I held a Department Head position in the Careers department of our school until I decided to focus on a different subject area. As a department head I was able to ensure adequate preparation time for teachers; provide constructive feedback after an observation as well as advice on how to solve problems between themselves and students or students and students. One outstanding experience in my mind that I resonate a lot with in regards to my time as a department head was during a time when the school began the integration of a new technology called "myblueprint" this technology was supposed to act as a technology platform for student research/work while also integrating learners of the 21st century workplace skills. Although the technology seems easy to use, there is a learning curve. Not all students were privy to technology in general and those who were adept at using it were moving to fast for teachers who are new to the technology to keep up. In regards to students who were unaccustomed with technology, the teacher mainly though the student was simply, "being lazy" in choosing not to do the work. After coming in and communicating with the student, I was able to find out that the student was too shy to ask for assistance and simply made it look like they were clicking things, looking busy in class until the teacher would say something. But the teacher's "inpatient attitude" (which was simply a misconception by the student), made the student nervous to as any questions. I meditated a little bit about how to read body language and that questions were important. I advised the teacher on how to develop/utilize the student tutorials provided by the website. In the end, the teacher was able to better reach their student who was struggling due to language/technology barriers and the student was able to better communicate with their teacher.
When I am reflecting on "building relationships and developing people" I am mostly thinking back to the close relationships I held with my colleagues. Some may have been closer than others because of our common interests and others may have been strictly professional. Overseas teaching doesn't grant one a lot of room to socially express themselves outside of their professional circles, so it gets "-interesting?" at times, but since my first year of teaching overseas I felt I had developed people a lot and built a lot of professional relationships. In particular, I worked with colleagues on professional learning experiences with the staff to increase their confidence and teacher toolbox resource depth. A colleague and I introduced "Classcraft" which is a great online learning tool to support elementary and game-based learning where learning earns experience points. After my first year of teaching I was honoured with responsibility of the Foods Lab and classes. I was asked to build department depth and to bring in another teacher to split the courses between as I was needed desperately in the English department. After that year though I began offering professional learning to teachers who thought they would be interested in learning new recipes and/or teaching the class. I was successful in developing interest, we brought in another teacher who has long since been successful at integrating charity work into the course.
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