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 Have You Heard of the Consumer Learners Generation?
This summer my 14 year old son agreed to be a Counsellor in Training for a local camp. Each day when I picked him up, I heard a variation of his 'that-was-so-boring' theme. Having grown tired of hearing this, I presented him with two choices: a) complain and be miserable all week or b) think of ways you can support the campers and make it the best possible camp experience for you and for them. My husband on the other hand had three words of advice "Suck it up"!
The experience with my son reminded me of an interesting article I read this summer "Your Kids Bored at School? Tell Them to Get Over It" The article addresses the fact we "...have created a generation of consumer learners. Many of whom do not see education as a privilege. They see it as a product." Therefore it becomes a teacher's job to make all learning exciting!
Like parents who compete with apps, games and on-line videos at home, teachers are feeling the pressure to combat apathy by continually finding new and innovative ways of reaching students. As parents and as educators, how are we going to teach this generation of consumer learners to be self-motivated? One way that we approach this at Foothills Academy is through our evidence-based practices based on Self Determination Theory which "is concerned with supporting our natural and intrinsic tendency to behave in healthy & effective ways". At some point, in every person's life, either at school or in a job or in a marriage, he/she will have to buck up and say "This is hard. This is boring. I don't want to do this. But I am doing it anyway. And I'll do my best!" You can learn more about Self-Determination Theory through this link: www.selfdeterminationtheory.org.
In this age of Pokemon Go!, do you agree that teachers are being expected to put more of an emphasis on entertaining their students, than teaching them? Register your opinion in our quick Doodle Poll. We'll let you know the results in our next issue of E-News for Educators.
Kim Tackaberry
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 Read/Write Training (Phonological Awareness)
Aug. 22 & 23 or Aug. 24 & 25 (In Person Workshop)
During our training, teachers are invited to learn how to creatively teach the following:
Part # 1 (Foundation) i) consonants & vowels ii) simple syllables
Part #2 (Next Step) iii) vowels/vowel digraphs/dipthongs iv) complex syllables
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Supporting Anxious Students (Webinar)
Date: Wed. September 28, 2016
Time: 4:30 - 6:30 pm (MDT)
Cost:
$45
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders in youth. Sometimes anxiety is easy to identify in the classroom, but other times it may present itself in unexpected ways, such as tummy aches, disruptive behaviour, restlessness, clinginess, or attendance problems. Serious untreated anxiety tends to get worse over time and may lead to serious consequences. The good news is that children and adolescents can learn to manage and overcome anxiety, and you can help them do that. In this session, you will learn practical strategies for helping your students overcome anxiety. Presenter: Nicole Caines, Registered Psychologist Click here to register for this webinar.
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Looking Beyond the Behaviour:
Motivating and Supporting Students with High Functioning ASD in the Classroom (Webinar)
Date: Wed. Oct 26 & Nov. 16
Time: 4:30 - 6:30 pm (MDT/MST)
Cost
: $45
Navigating the world as a child on the Autism Spectrum can be a confusing and many times frustrating experience. Learn practical tools designed to help you guide your high functioning ASD students towards success in the classroom. This webinar is designed to explore the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder as it appears in the classroom, with a focus on children with high functioning Autism (formerly referred to as Asperger's Syndrome). We will explore methods of functional behaviour assessment, classroom intervention, and proactive behaviour management. Presenter:
Melissa Miller
To register for this workshop, click here.
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Understand Me: Living with ADHD (Webinar)
Date: Wed. October 5, 2016
Time: 4:30 - 6:30 pm (MDT)
Cost:
$45
Les Redick knows what it's like to have ADHD. He grew up with ADHD; has raised a child with ADHD; and, he has taught students with ADHD for over 20 years. Through Les' personal stories, parents will gain a clearer understanding of what it is like to be a child, as well as an adult with ADHD. They will also gain insight into what ADHD is and how it reveals itself at home. Les will share examples of how children with ADHD struggle with Executive Functioning and share strategies to provide support at home. Be prepared to be teary one minute and laughing the next!! Presenter: Les Redick Click here to register for this webinar.
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Gamified Learning (Webinar)
Date: Wed. Nov. 23, 2016
Time: 4:30 - 6:30 pm (MST)
Cost:
$45
We've all been there at some point in our careers... Standing in front of a class of students with blank stares, completely disengaged in what they should be learning. If you have been in this situation, you most likely asked yourself some of the following questions: How can I make this subject matter more interesting to my students? How do I keep my students motivated to learn? How do I help my students to connect this information to their own experiences?
This session will hopefully help you to find solutions to the above questions. Gamified learning is a relatively new concept in the educational world. However, by turning units or lessons into a collaborative game, students will become more engaged, more intrinsically motivated, and able to relate their experiences to the content being taught. As an added bonus, both you and the students will also have fun. Presenter: Danielle Manchak Click here to register for this webinar.
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How Mindfulness can Help Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD (Webinar)
Date: Wed. November 30, 2016
Time: 4:30 - 6:30 pm (MST)
Cost:
$45
Mindful Schools states that mindfulness means 'maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment'. Ayra will share specific techniques to help students with LD/ADHD manage stress and develop mindful ways of thinking, both at home and at school. Participants will leave with simple and easy ways to integrate these methods into classrooms of all levels. Presenter: Ayra Kelly
Click here to register for this webinar.
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Upcoming Public Parent Workshop
Google Apps for Education - Much More than an Email Address!
Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Cost:
$10
Location: Foothills Academy, 745-37 Street NW, Calgary
Many students now have Google Apps for Education (GAFE) accounts; but what does this mean? What will it look like at home? What benefits does it have for your child and how can you support him/her in its use? You will be given an overview of this online environment and demonstrate the many relevant and engaging learning tools available to students. Heather will show how working at school and at home is seamless through the use of the Chrome browser together with the student's GAFE account. Parents will come away with an understanding of how the use of apps, extensions, Google Classroom and the ability to collaborate and share has redefined the role of technology in their child's education. Presenter: Heather Blackwell, Manager of IT Services & Google Educator
Click here to register for the Google Apps for Education workshop.
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Partnerships and Collaborations
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Enhancing Executive Functions in the Classroom Webinar Series
(presented by Calgary Regional Consortium)
Date: Wed. October 19, Nov. 2 & Nov 9, 2016
Time: 4:30 - 5:45 pm (MDT/MST)
Cost:
No Fee to attend but pre-registration is required
Understanding executive functions can improve motivation, grit and overall student efficacy in classrooms. This 3-part series is designed to support teachers in understanding the role of executive functions in the classroom and how to implement "executive functioning friendly" strategies in classrooms:
Webinar 1: Executive Functions: Who's the Boss?
Webinar 2: Engaging Students From the Moment They Enter Your Classroom
Webinar 3: Simply Add Executive Function Strategies to Your Lesson Plans
All three webinars are being presented by Foothills Academy Society's Tanya Keto
. Tanya is a Provisional Psychologist who has completed her Masters of Education in Child and Applied School Psychology at the University of Calgary. This webinar is being offered by the Calgary Regional Consortium. Registration is free thanks to a grant from Alberta Education. Pre-registration is necessary and is done directly through the CRC website. To learn more,
click here to get a copy of the flyer
.
Click here to register for this webinar.
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The Right to Read Online Workshop
Teaching Kindergarten or Grade One for the first time? Our online workshop is the perfect refresher of the developmental reading continuum. Learn how to screen your students and discover which students would benefit from more reading support and in which particular areas. A manual specifically designed with activities to support these students is included along with a guide to share with parents as well.
Registration is ongoing online through this link.
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Why Not Bring a Foothills' Speaker to You?
Are you interested in having one of our presenters bring a workshop to your school or conference? We can arrange to come in person or through videoconfering or webinar. Check out our full list of workshop offerings. We are happy to customize our workshops to meet your needs. Contact Kim Tackaberry at k[email protected] or call 403-270-9400 ext. 236 for details.
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