EdCamp

This week we discussed, then made up an Edcamp for ourselves where multiple educators discuss topics around education. For this session I collaborated with my peers discussing the topic: Promoting positive student skills

During our meeting we discussed

General Skills:

• Typing skills/games -> Tux typing, Type Racer etc
• Sign language to encourage inclusivity of non-verbal students- for example ten words in each class that apply to lesson content
• Improving spelling – instead of random spelling tests, scaffold spelling
  • English: in-class written essays/paragraphs/text
  • Cursive – ability to read old documents, and improve
• Teaching assertiveness – to reduce bullying, and self-confidence/assurance

Student Social Skills:

• Bringing back presentations
• Team building/ice breaker games
• Group project skills
• Model and scaffold public speaking skills – include skits in all subjects
• Partner practice throughout a lesson
• Modelling general social skills – incorporates well in PHE or CLC/CLE

The topic I was most engaged with was the discussion on bringing back/utilizing more presentations in the classroom. In recent years many educators have limited the number of presentation assignments they hand out as students struggle with presentations skills which can often lead to anxiety, however how are students supposed to improve these skills without the opportunity to practice them. We discussed using similar tactics as seen elsewhere in teaching like scaffolding their presentations starting with 1 on 1 or small group presentations then working their way up to full class presentations. These skills are crucial in many professions and are skills which students should learn by the end of high school