Planning & Pedagogy

HelloCoding is a set of instructions given to a computer to produce different kinds of output. Learning to code involves a variety of  competencies that can be introduced or developed in K-12 classrooms across the curriculum.

HelloEmbodied, for our purposes, means that the learner has initiated a physical gesture or movement that is well-mapped or linked to the content to be learned.

HelloEngaging in species identification and classification is a common and, many would argue, necessary aspect of science education. There are many tools, digital and analogue to assist us as we explore and learn about the world around us. In a recent collaboration with the Education Library, we showcased a few resources and approaches to support […]

HelloCongratulations! You made it to the Bed program, and you have made it through a busy two months! You have probably got a sense of the weekly tasks and potential study routine(s). Since the start of the BEd. program, we (peer mentors) have had several discussions with teacher candidates about study tips for the Bed […]

HelloDesign Thinking is a series of steps that can help people understand the nature of a problem, then consider and test solutions. These steps are part of a cyclical process: the proposed solution may not solve the problem, and then participants will have to go back to earlier steps and work their way through again. […]

HelloHybrid Approaches to Facilitating High-Impact Experiences With the global pandemic, teachers are being challenged to teach online, face-to-face or both. The current situation, in addition to shifting practices in education over the past decade or more, causes us to wonder: How can we virtually facilitate high-impact, place-based learning experiences with our students? What practices might […]

Hello“Cyborg writing must not be about the Fall, the imagination of a once-upon-a-time wholeness before language, before writing, before Man. Cyborg writing is about the power to survive, not on the basis of original innocence, but on the basis of seizing the tools to mark the world that marked them as other.” ~ Donna Haraway […]

HelloCreating a multimedia presentation for your coursework at UBC is a great way to learn a new digital technology that you might then bring to your practicum class. Rather than relying on an ‘old standard’, consider this as an opportunity to take a risk and/or select a digital technology that might be of interest to […]

HelloIf you’ve been following the media in the past while related to generative AI (artificial intelligence) including ChatGPT (links to external resource), you may find the following resources of value as you consider the impact on teaching and learning. Many teachers are already incorporating or considering how to incorporate teaching about these technologies in their […]

HelloKnown also as fab labs, tinkering areas, or hackerspaces, makerspaces are generally areas where people can gather to make, create, and experiment with a variety of materials and tools. As the name suggests, makerspaces are spaces where people can make stuff. While these creations are often physical things, digital productions can also be included. Varying […]

HelloWhat are student-centered classrooms? The following video discussed that student-centered classrooms are focused on students’ interests and curiosities. In this sense, students choose not only what but also how they will learn. Consequently, student-centered classrooms have many specific characteristics different from traditional ones. However, these features can bring many advantages to students learning. Source: Edutopia […]

HelloWhat are classroom discussions? Classroom discussion can be defined as an oral activity where teachers and students develop together a specific curriculum content or competency through each other ideas. “The purposes of a discussion are to build collective knowledge and capability in relation to specific instructional goals and to allow students to practice listening, speaking, […]

HelloWhy make good questions matter? Teachers Creating/designing effective questions for students is one of the most common and powerful pedagogical strategies used by teachers during the process of teaching and learning. Questions can bring benefits to both teachers and students. Reinhart (2000) states that questions can… Teacher: support teacher decisions. encourage students’ participation. communicate to […]

HelloWhat is eliciting students’ thinking? According to Teaching Works Team (2022, May 9), eliciting students’ thinking involves classroom practices that develop, interpret, and access student thinking, such as questioning, discussions, and assessments with the purpose of identifying students’ prior knowledge, understanding, and misconceptions. It is a pedagogical approach where… “Teachers pose questions that create space […]

HelloUnderstanding the Core Competencies According to the Ministry of Education, there are some essential understandings related to the Core Competencies and how they are connected with the other parts of the BC Curriculum: “The Core Competencies are sets of intellectual, personal, and social and emotional proficiencies that all students need in order to engage in […]

HelloWhat are concept maps? “A concept map is a type of graphic organizer used to represent knowledge of a topic, forge connections between ideas and create visual representations of one’s understandings. Concept maps begin with a main idea (or concept) and then branch out to show how that main idea can be broken down into […]

HelloGuest post by Ariane faria-dos santos, Peer Mentor, PHD student EDCP 2022 The BC curriculum presents some challenges for teachers to plan because it requires that teachers combine Big Ideas, Contents, and Competencies. The purpose is to create clear goals which will guide teachers to design assessments and activities to develop concepts and skills in […]

HelloHandout: Gearing Up Resources for TCs_Dec 23 During our session, we can help you with finding & evaluating resources to support your planning, suggest approaches to planning & teaching or work with your to get started or refine your Unit or Lesson plans. Before our session, we recommend looking at these resources to get a […]

HelloDigital literacy “literally” means a new way of being literate – not with books and printed materials, but now with digital materials. These skills are becoming increasingly important in an ever more digitally connected world.

HelloWhat is ADST in the British Columbia Curriculum? The British Columbia Curriculum presents an area called “Applied Design, Skills and Technologies” or “ADST” which has a group of content and skills from traditional and First Peoples practice, existing disciplines of Business Education, Home Economics and Culinary Arts, Information and Communications Technology, Engineering and Technology Education, […]

HelloPerformance Assessment is a way to integrate not only students’ knowledge and competencies but also the teaching and assessment process. Students will learn in a more contextualized and deep way! What is a performance assessment? This type of assessment evaluates students’ knowledge in a more complex way because students need to show what they know […]

HelloThe big picture of planning: There are many ways of thinking about planning. Wiggins, Wiggins & McTighe (2005) suggest teachers are designers of activities and experiences to support students’ learning. As designers, teachers may think about planning as a puzzle they are building: a lesson is a group of pieces that together form a bigger […]

HelloTeachers can feel overwhelmed trying to support the different needs of their students. A group work activity can be a perfect strategy to make students work together and support each other, improving the skills of all students. What is groupwork? Cohen & Lotan (2014, p. 1) define groupwork as “students working together in a group […]

HelloEducators and researchers have long considered the benefits of students actively engaging in the classroom and how this can lead to gains in student learning. One way to achieve such engagement is by effectively incorporating all-class response or a student response system (SRS) as a part of your classroom assessment (and teaching) approaches. Be sure […]

HelloThinking Outside the Sandbox was created in summer 2020 as the result of a collaboration between two graduate students Belén Guillemin and Nashwa Khedr, together with Yvonne Dawydiak, Learning Design Manager, Teacher Education as part of the 2020 Scarfe Sandbox team. The inspiration for the podcast series came about as Belen and Nashwa interviewed Faculty […]

HelloThe Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to action and recent changes to the BC curriculum require teachers consider and incorporate Indigenous voice, issues, resources and perspectives in their teaching.

HelloUsing the art of storytelling to teach STEM subjects. “Maybe stories are just data with soul” – from TED Talk “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown Storytelling can be an effective method for engaging students with STEM subject areas – and this has been shown to be the case for girls especially (1, 3, 4). […]

HelloTeaching dance steps can be an effective and  engaging  way to demonstrate and explain the concept of pattern recognition. Pattern recognition  is one aspect of computational thinking and is integral to the Applied Design Skills and Technologies Curriculum (ADST BC Curriculum). It is useful in fields such as: mathematics; computer science (programming and machine learning); […]

HelloThe Learning Design Blog is a resource developed by Claire Rushton, Director TEO & Yvonne Dawydiak, Learning Design Manager. We have gathered some templates from across school districts and developed some resources with faculty to support TCs in planning for practicum. As TCs develop their understanding of planning and begin to engage in designing learning […]

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HelloAs part of your journey in Teacher Education here at UBC, it is required that you critically reflect on your practice and develop a year-long inquiry into teaching and learning. One way to record your reflections and share your inquiry is by developing professional blog or an e-portfolio. Doing so can also provide you with […]

Hello“Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe.” Galileo Galilei The last three episodes (episodes 7, 8, and 9) of our Thinking Outside the Sandbox podcast, are dedicated to discussing possible creative ways of teaching Math outside abstraction, in ways that embody more physicality and representation. Dr. Kerry Renwick, Dr. Susan Gerofsky, […]

HelloIn such unprecedented moments with more time spent online for learning platforms and surfing news, several skills are required by teachers and students to deal with the complex challenges emerging with the increased use of technology. Digital Citizenship Digital citizenship is concerned with creating empathetic, active, digital citizens who engage online respectfully, determine the validity of […]

HelloDigital literacy is a critical element as we look to enhance teaching and learning in today’s classrooms. In Episode 2 of our recently launched Thinking outside the Sandbox podcast, Dr. Jennifer Jenson, Dr. Marina Milner-Bolotin, and Dr. Sandrine Han share their ideas and experiences with respect to digital technology integration and the development of digital […]

HelloClasses transitioned online about a month before the end of the semester. At first, I felt relieved from the continuous fidgeting that occurs throughout the day, the juggling between different tasks, attending classes, doing readings, working, and doing some housekeeping tasks such as grocery shopping, cooking, and laundry. However, I soon started missing meeting people! […]

Hello“If you don’t teach your kids about race and about racism, the world will.” ~Dr. Handel Wright, UBC education professor in CBC interview Several scholars interviewed in the CBC article, How to Talk to Kids about Race,  recommend that learning about race should start at an early age. Current events can provide learning opportunities to […]

HelloAssessment as an opportunity for growth Assessment helps guide the learner towards understanding their misconceptions and can help them use feedback to set new learning goals. In other words, it allows students to know where they are, where they wish to go and what they need to do to grow. “Assessment is today’s means of […]

HelloThe recent announcement (May 19, 2020) by the Ministry of Education, while clarifying many aspects of what schooling will look like for the balance of this school year, has also caused concern and questions for both in-service and pre-service teachers. Below, I’ve shared a few resources that might support BEd TCs as they plan for […]

HelloSharing video to youtube or teachertube and embedding on a website or sharing via URL is an efficient way to share video with others. Sometimes, however, we do not want to make content available in these platforms. In particular, when working with students, Canadian data housing and FIPPA compliance are essential. In the case of […]

HelloArt can be one of Education´s best ally! Wether it be by witnessing, or creating it, Art gives students and teachers the oportunity to engage with knowdlege in multiple ways.

Hello  “The goals of passion-driven education is to preserve and perpetuate the senses of awe and excitement all young children inherently have, fuelling a lifelong love of learning.” Connor Boyack in his book Passion-Driven Education (p. 128)   Children are naturally curious! Alternatively, the world is full of learning opportunities and puzzles to be solved […]

Hello“Questioning is one of the thinking processing skills which is structurally embedded in the thinking operation of critical thinking, creative thinking, and problem-solving” (Cuccio‐Schirripa & Steiner, 2000, p. 210).   Young children as natural inquirers Young children ask an estimated 10,000 questions per year before they begin formal schooling (Harris, 2012). Preschoolers increasingly use questions […]

HelloWhile the title of this post may sound a bit cheesy, I am quite serious in saying that, as educators, we are in a sharing and caring profession and one way we show this care is by freely and openly sharing teaching resources we have created or curated. Did you know that contributing to the […]

HelloChildren have the right “to voice their opinions on activities and decisions which shape their lives, and the right to receive and share information in different ways” Articles 12 & 13, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (Bucknall, 2012, p. 4) Why? Providing choice in student learning has multiple benefits […]

HelloTeaching and working remotely brings about new challenges many of us haven’t considered. Authorizing documents through your signature may seem complicated when you cannot sign a digital screen with your pen. Thankfully, there are many solutions to this issue. Note that this post only covers electronic signatures and not digital signatures. Digital signatures involve cryptographic […]

HelloWith school closings and the shift to online learning, we want to ensure all teacher candidate have access to all available  free online resources, as well as knowledge of how to make your own read aloud material that complies with copyright.

Hello“Kids of the same age aren’t all alike when it comes to learning any more than they are alike in terms of size, hobbies, personality, or food preferences”. ~ Carol Ann Tomlinson in her book “How To Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms” British Columbia’s Policy for Student Success emphasizes student-centred learning, quality teaching and leadership, […]

Hello11 years have passed since the 2009 N1H1 pandemic hit México, and back then online learning was not an option. I imagine teachers gathering, like you are doing now, and mustering all their imagination and creativity to keep student learning.

HelloCommunication is a large part of what teachers do and it is important that we consider how we communicate, what we communicate and with whom. We are in uncharted territory to some extent but there are norms around digitally enabled professional communication from which we can draw. The tips below are from one educator to […]

Hello  My hope is that images and knowledge of the local natural world will become etched in students’ minds–they will come to know the Place in great(er) detail. Each walk can provide deeper understanding, clarity, richness, and detail to students’ understanding of Place. We can see how Mathematics or Science or Social Studies teaching can […]

HelloMy colleagues in UBC’s Faculty of Education Educational Technology Support team have developed some excellent video resources to support instructors in designing learning online. While typically UBC Instructors utilize Canvas as a learning management system, these resources are tool agnostic and, instead, take up important pedagogical considerations when designing online learning. At the time of […]

HelloHow private is our information really? Giving up some level of your privacy is almost an unavoidable consequence of using the internet. While it is arguable that internet culture has made us more eager to share, users of the internet should be knowledgeable about what they are sharing, who they are sharing it with and […]

Hello  When teaching online or when integrating digital technologies in a face-to-face or hybrid class, you will have access to records created by your students that may include personal information. Knowledge of how to protect personal information and the privacy rights of students is therefore essential. It is also important to know the privacy risks […]

HelloThe National Council of Teachers of Math (NCTM) “is an international association advocating for high-quality mathematics teaching and learning for each and every student.” They are currently offering free memberships and providing access to research based resources including articles, learning plans and more. Given our current situation, teachers may find that parents and students are […]

HelloGetting kids active may (also) help them process the new normal during this uncertain moment of their lives. Play is important to help children process their own emotional responses to adversity and stress. Outdoor physical activity can provide children with a sense of control and agency over their own actions and is important for physical-emotional […]

HelloSocial and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. CASEL The social and emotional well-being of our students has always been of tremendous import to educators. Today, […]

HelloDesigning a cross-curricular unit plan that incorporates aspects of student inquiry is a major assignment in LLED 351, Literacy Practices and Assessment, and also excellent practice for practicum and future planning. To support you in completing this assignment, I’ve been working together with our knowledgeable education librarians and some of your instructors and to develop some […]

HelloMoving beyond a fragmented and isolated approach in lesson planning towards an interdisciplinary approach to unit planning with connections to social realities, this blog post takes you step-by-step through one approach to designing an interdisciplinary unit.

HelloSocial Networking, defined by Gunawardena et al (2009) as the “practice of expanding knowledge by making connections with individuals of similar interests” is a potentially powerful tool for both Post-Secondary Faculty and the K-12 classroom teacher. Through this networking, students are afforded the opportunity to co-create knowledge within a Community of Practice (Wenger et al, […]

HelloAs part of any study into current assessment practices, you will want to explore the potential of integrating digital technologies, including multi-modal creation/communication tools and/or student response systems (SRS), into your teaching. MultiModal creation and communication When creating an inclusive learning environment and planning for all learners (Universal Design for Learning), it is essential we […]

HelloPlay-based, hands-on learning activities appeal to our creativity and our curiosity. When combined with specific prompts and tasks, they encourage children by providing greater success and a more rewarding experiences (McLean & Harlow, 2017) as they learn about the world around them. When you combine a 9V battery with a handful of playdough and a […]

HelloInteractive WhiteBoards (IWBs), like the SmartBoard, became commonplace in schools about a decade ago. Today, many sit idly or have been replaced by less expensive interactive (or non-interactive) projectors like the Epson. These newer projectors turn any surface into an interactive touch screen. Newer Smartboard products even include multi-touch surfaces. IWB’s afford access to a […]

HelloOne cannot truly experience science without experiencing its technological dimension. As a result, emergent technologies have increasingly shaped students’ experiences with science as well as influenced their relationships with natural/physical world. (Oliveira et al, 2019) This fall, I had the pleasure once again of working with two of our Science Ed instructors, Leslie Johnstone and […]

HelloTeacher Candidates (TCs) in the BEd program at UBC Vancouver experienced an interactive session in the Education Library as part of their orientation to the library and to library and information literacies. The Education Librarians developed a series of questions and delivered these questions to students working in groups via a randomized qualtrics survey. The […]

HelloInterdisciplinarity can be understood as a response to the rapid changes our world is facing today, particularly social, technological, and environmental changes. Yet interdisciplinarity does not advocate for an end to traditional subject disciplines. Rather, it calls on each discipline to “develop open, dynamic, and transactional approaches capable of depicting research in a network representation […]

Hello“Play is nature’s way of teaching children how to solve their own problems, control their impulses, modulate their emotions, see from others’ perspectives, negotiate differences, and get along with others as equals. There is no substitute for play as a means of learning these skills.” (Gray, 2013) Through play, children of all ages, including adolescents, […]

HelloI’d like to take this opportunity to welcome all of the incoming #UBCBEd2021 teacher candidates (TCs) to the Faculty of Education at UBC and let you know about some valuable digi-tech related opportunities you have as a UBC student. I’ll make this brief with bullet points. Please touch base if you have any questions and […]

Hello“…challenge and learning are a large part of what makes good video games motivating and entertaining. Humans actually enjoy learning, though sometimes in school you wouldn’t know that” (Gee, 2007). An increasingly large body of work supports the notion that game-playing  can promote engagement and and deepen student learning. By playing games, an activity deeply […]

HelloThe role of digital technologies in society is evolving faster than most of us could ever have imagined only a few years ago. So too has the infusion of digital technologies in teaching and learning contexts increased. Due to the rapidity of this change, it is sometimes problematic for educators to know what kinds of […]

HelloThe digital culture of the computer has become our students’ way of learning, thinking, and communicating. Slowly but surely it has transformed what it means to learn a foreign language, what we mean when we talk of ‘communicating’, ‘negotiating meaning’, and, ultimately, ‘understanding the other’ (Kramsch, 2013 p. xii)

HelloThank you for participating in the Science Rendezvous event at UBC, for visiting the Faculty of Education and welcome to the Scarfe Digital Sandbox, an open educational resource to share digital technologies and STEAM learning resources and ideas for teaching and learning! If you took part in the Teacher Ed Green Screen, you can find […]

HelloNOTE: As of June 2021, Google Tour Creator is being discontinued (and this post and accompanying video resources will be archived/removed) Have you considered how 360° video, images, Augmented and Virtual Reality might help spark your students’ creativity and, perhaps, engage them in the ‘place’ or setting of a novel? In the past, such technologies […]

HelloExplore and be inspired by gardens that were, that are and that might be. Create and share eco-poetry in an online map. Consider the possibilities and issues with respect to outdoor learning and digital technology integration.

HelloOver the past school year, I have had the opportunity to work on a small Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (TLEF) project dedicated to developing French teacher candidates understandings of technology and open education resources. Our team has conducted workshops, developed online resources on Scarfe Digital Sandbox and worked alongside French teacher candidates. As part […]

HelloOn February 14th, 2019, I worked with Danny Bakan and Marjean Brown and their cohorts to help uncover ‘big picture’ planning. We worked with the TCs to demonstrate the importance of the big picture and how we might weave in unique learning experiences as we plan for teaching. This was a valuable and enjoyable opportunity […]

HelloThis week, I had the privilege of meeting with WKTP (West Kootenays Teacher Ed Program) candidates in Nelson via web conference to answer their questions and support them in selecting technologies to support teaching and learning. They are preparing their inquiry presentations and will be presenting using a digital gallery-style walk so are looking for unique ways to present.

HelloWe shared some activities to help spark discussion about the possibilities and considerations when incorporating digital technologies in a language learning context. I was impressed by the level of critical thinking and engagement teacher candidates were demonstrating as they participated (especially on the final day of class!). Thank you all!

HelloRecognizing how to effectively select a digital technology and appropriate teaching strategy is important work for teachers. Given the very busy job of teaching and the complex task of learning to teach, it is particularly important for pre- and early career teachers to spend time thinking about how the lessons they design can best support […]

HelloAs part of any study into current assessment practices, you will also want to explore the potential of integrating digital technologies, including student response systems and multi-modal creation/communication tools into your teaching. To help you get started thinking about this, please read on...

HelloBy allowing students time to explore any technology (be it a digital or analogue tool such as a math manipulative), we engage their naturally curious brains, allowing them to 'play out' the technology. Doing so can lead to more purposeful use, peer teaching and even student-driven innovation.

HelloReal-world experiences, even those mediated by digital technologies such as web-cams, increase student motivation, engagement and learning at all grade levels (NREL, 2005).

HelloWith the practicum just around the corner, we want to remind TC's that technology integration, planning and resource selection and evaluation support is available as they plan and prepare.

HelloL’équipe Cyber Café est chargée de développer les compétences et des ressources numériques pour les candidat.e.s de français inscrit.e.s au programme de formation des enseignant.e.s de UBC (2018-2019). Le 7 novembre 2018 nous avons exploré une ressource qui connecte des gens à travers le monde, Skype dans la classe. Comme les candidat.e.s du B.Ed français […]

HelloLearn more about integrating digital technologies and emerging technologies into a Chemistry Classroom. This post shares the resources co-developed with Leslie Johnstone, a UBC Science Instructor, for use in her UBC BEd Secondary Chemistry Methods course.

HelloOn a demandé aux candidat.e.s du B.Ed français, et à leurs professeur.e.s, ce qu’ils.elles voulaient pour les aider ou ce qu’ils.elles avaient besoin en matériel pour soutenir l’enseignement.  Notre équipe a répondu à l’appel. Pour le mois d’octobre, l’atelier Cyber Café a préparé une présentation sur les différentes ressources de grammaire qui sont disponibles. Il […]

HelloCommunication is a large part of what teachers do and it is important that we consider how we communicate, what we communicate and with whom. In this post, I look at professional communication in an Inquiry classroom with UBC instructor, Dawn Allen. With her EDUC 450 class, we discussed innovative uses of social media, blogs and other digital tools to support inquiry sharing. At the same time, we 'troubled' the benefits and issues involved in digital tech integration.

HelloBC’s classrooms and school populations are evolving which includes a growing number of English Language Learners who are entitled to support. To help Teacher Candidates in LLED 360 begin to consider this need, we worked with some instructors and their classes with some digital tools that will help ALL students, including ELLs. We discussed the […]

HelloWalking away from this afternoon’s session working with Secondary Jr. Science Methods TCs and their instructor Leslie Johnstone, I realized I hadn’t taken a single photo to help capture the engagement in the classroom. Ah, well, the moment will live in my brain at least ;D. Below are some promised links and notes about our […]

HelloBEd Teacher Candidates (TCs) this year will have opportunities to flex their digital technology muscles by creating presentations for course assignments and by planning ways to engage their own students on practicum in using digital technologies. In particular, elementary TCs in most sections of LLED 350 Classroom Discourses  will create a multi-media presentation in response […]

HelloAu mois de septembre les candidat.e.s du BEd français ont participé à deux ateliers : le “MakerSpace” et le premier atelier de la séries Cyber Café.  Les deux ateliers ont permis aux candidat.e.s d’explorer les différentes façons d’inciter les élèves dans les écoles élémentaires et secondaires à participer. MakerSpace – est géré par Yvonne Dawydiak […]

Hello“Making Literacy” – a centers based approach to integrating Applied Design Skills and Technologies and Making in K-12 classrooms was presented in the Neville Scarfe Education Library in September 2018. During the month of September, every teacher candidate in the Bed program (elementary, middle and secondary) had the opportunity to participate in some ‘Makerspace’ stations […]

HelloDigital Storytelling has gained significant ground in recent years and continues to be a tool suitable for language learners of all ages. This July, my team and I had the opportunity to collaborate with LLED 361 instructors and their French secondary teacher candidates to explore the use of digital storytelling, les histoires numériques. This session […]

HelloIn July 2018, I had the opportunity to collaborate with LLED361 instructors and their secondary teacher candidates to explore the use of augmented and virtual reality for furthering the development of multiliteracies in high school. AR/VR have been emerging technologies that are becoming more and more popular in education at all levels*, and these sessions allowed […]

HelloThis concept map aims to be a first one-stop shop for finding relevant EdTech tools and resources. Are you looking for a useful tool for your context but you're not sure where to start? This visual layout can help in teasing out different categories and options.

HelloOver the past few weeks, I had the opportunity to co-plan and teach with Beverley Bunker, Adjunct Teaching Professor and SEL cohort coordinator. We shared some activities in LLED 352, Teaching and Learning French as a Second Language to help spark discussion about the possibilities and considerations when incorporating digital technologies in a language learning […]

HelloIn EPSE 310, Assessment and Learning in the Classroom, you will learn about the principles and practices for effective, high quality classroom assessment. You will also likely become familiar as you prepare for practicum and as you teach, with the BC Ministry document on Assessment and Reporting. As part of any study into current assessment […]

HelloBeverley Bunker and Yvonne Dawydiak had the opportunity to work with Danny Bakan and Marjean Brown’s students to help uncover some of the processes involved in planning unique learning experiences by applying  UbD (Understanding by Design) and UDL (Universal Design for learning)  perspectives. Thank you for sharing your time, ideas and questions with us this […]

HelloDesigning a cross-curricular unit plan that incorporates aspects of student inquiry is a major assignment in LLED 351, Literacy Practices and Assessment, and also excellent practice for practicum and future planning. To support you in completing this assignment, I’ve been working together with our knowledgeable education librarians  some of your instructors and to develop some […]

HelloI recently had the opportunity to work with the Middle Years Self-Regulated Learning teacher candidates at their Inquiry school site in Surrey, BC. This group of engaged TCs meet weekly with their instructor, Charlotte Brenner and Faculty Advisor, Cheryl Angst at Royal Heights Elementary, the same school in Surrey where I had my first teaching […]

HelloIntegrating Digital Technologies in classroom practice is an ongoing ‘project’ or challenge for educators. As someone who has been teaching for over 25 years, I am still ‘on the road’ to mastery and enjoyed the opportunity to share examples and engage in critical dialogue with the teacher candidates in Christine Bridge’s LLED 360 Classroom Discourses […]

HelloClaire Rushton, Director TEO, and Yvonne Dawydiak, Tech Integration Mentor, had the opportunity to meet and work with the teacher candidates in the UBC West Kootenays Teacher Education Program in Nelson this week!  We found the growth mindset orientation of, and critical discussion with, the TCs to be a powerful learning experience. Thank you to […]

HelloThis month, in the Scarfe Digital Sandbox (Scarfe 155) every teacher candidate in the Bed program (elementary, middle and secondary) will have the opportunity to participate in a ‘Makerspace’ as part of your orientation to Library and Information Literacy with your LLED 350 and LLED 360 course. In Scarfe 155 (through the ed lib), we’ll […]

HelloAs part of the large TLEF project, “Enhancing Secondary Teacher Candidates’ Digital Competencies”, coordinated by ETS and Yvonne Dawydiak, Technology Integration Mentor, students and instructors in each section of ESPE 317 had the opportunity to partake in lectures and workshops that modeled digital technology integration and centered on the importance of assistive technologies and open […]

HelloAssessing and integrating digital technologies is of interest to educators around the world. In July 2017, Liza Navarro, TLEF graduate academic assistant, and Wendy Zhang, TLEF co-op student, had the opportunity to interact with a group of English teachers from Tokyo, Japan who were visiting UBC as part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education […]

HelloAssistive technologies (AT)  refers to various technologies that teachers can use or make available to students to support equity in the classroom.  Integrating assistive technologies following Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles can help all students find  success as they share in an equitable and meaningful educational experience. In particulary, these digital technologies support students […]

HelloIntegrating Digital Technologies in classroom practice is an ongoing ‘project’ or challenge for educators. As someone who has been teaching for 25 years, I am still ‘on the road’ to mastery and shared in class the story of my rather bumpy start on the road. I had the pleasure of working alongside Wendy Zhang, TLEF […]

HelloTaking and editing your own photographs can be a challenging, yet rewarding way to enhance your web spaces. Further, this virtually eliminates copyright issues! Still, if you are looking for web content you can use, here are a few places to look: Creative Commons Image Search NB: you still need to be aware of licensing requirements […]

Hello“A concept map is a type of graphic organizer used to represent knowledge of a topic, forge connections between ideas and create visual illustrations of their understandings. Concept maps begin with a main idea (or concept) and then branch out to show how that main idea can be broken down into specific topics”. There is […]

HelloA collaboration between the Post Cards Canada project and the Scarfe Digital Sandbox allowed participants in the BEd program in 2016-2017 to virtually place themselves inside a landscape, a work of art or any creative commons image using ‘GreenScreen technologies’ in order to create unique projects. This unique digital-technology infused art project was developed as a collaboration […]

HelloEngaging students, maintaining that engagement and also ensuring you are gathering valuable formative assessment to support planning, teaching and learning are critical aspects of day to day teaching. Digital Technologies, when incorporated mindfully, can support both engagement and assessment. In our ‘TC mini-conference’ session, participants experienced some active learning strategies and tried out two student […]

HelloDo you have access to iPads or tablets, do your students come to school with mobile tech? Are you looking to explore how to incorporate this digital tech on the upcoming practicum? Are you wondering how you can increase student engagement AND student learning? Bring your own device is an ongoing issue in education, with […]

HelloInteractive WhiteBoards, like the SmartBoard, have become commonplace in many schools over the past decade. IWB’s afford access to a variety of learning styles and can support inclusion according to Universal Design for Learning theory (Pellerin, 2013). They promise the ability to increase student engagement by providing a focal point for instruction, interactivity, gaming and […]

HelloThe following post was written for the NAME 2016 One World: United By Water Conference at Pearson College in Metchosin, BC. Story (including but not limited to narrative) is a powerful vehicle for learning. I would even call it a force! Below, I have created and collected some resources to support your exploration of story […]

HelloTry:  ‘Plickers’ – The very low tech, high tech version of an SRS. All you need is some downloadable class cards and one smartphone. The students hold their cards up based on their answer (A, B, C, D), the teacher scans the cards from anywhere in the classroom using a smartphone, tablet or ipad, or […]

HelloHave you heard of the online educational community being offered through Skype? Visit the Connected Classroom page here in the sandbox for more in depth info! Skype in the Classroom helps to match classrooms with experts in their fields on Skype to support classroom units. You can sign up and search for lesson plans and […]

HelloHere are a few articles to give you some ideas on how Google Earth might impact your history classroom. History Today Teaching History – A Digital Classroom Using Google Earth in History https://sites.google.com/site/googclass/

HelloEarly literacy typically begins in a child’s first three years. According to this source from OISE, Toronto, literacy development follows several stages (https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/balancedliteracydiet/Stages_of_Literacy_Development.html): Foundations for Literacy Beginning Literacy Consolidation/Fluency Literacy for Growth Below are a few online resources to support early literacy: Unite for Literacy is a free open educational, multilingual non-fiction ebook website. Students […]

HelloBring your lunch to the Scarfe Sandbox and practice incorporating portfolio based assessment using FreshGrade with your class. FreshGrade is a free application being used in Districts across the lower mainland and BC to support interactive, learner centered, formative assessment and communicating student learning with parents. *FreshGrade is ‘FOIPPA’ compliant – all data is house […]

HelloA Learn to Code ‘club’ starts on Tuesday, January 12th and will be ongoing on Tuesdays for the next month or so… or until we all get too busy or lose interest or just ‘learn all there is to learn’ ;D We’ll be accessing resources and tutorials available free online that you could then plan […]

HelloI’ve recently been exploring the world of App Smashing as a way to create digital stories with students. The use of several apps, rather than relying on a single app to ‘do everything’, more closely mirrors real world applications. Ask any multi-media developer, film-maker or videographer and they will likely report the use a suite […]

HelloVisit one of our ‘pop up’ mini-makerspaces in the Scarfe Digital Sandbox – Scarfe 155 (Tuesday 12:45 – 2 beginning September 29th & the last Wednesday of each month 12 – 1pm). Explore ways to bring hands-on learning to your classroom through activities that spark imagination through playful exploration and invention. This activity is particularly […]

HelloSandboxSkype_MysterySkype Handout On Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015, the Scarfe Digital Sandbox hosted a ‘Mystery Animal Skype Session’. We Skyped with a kindergarten class who are learning about animals and will participate in a “20 questions style” video conference where they try to guess our animal and we try to guess theirs. This is another version […]

Hello“The term reference is used in many spheres of human knowledge, adopting shades of meaning particular to the contexts in which it is used.” When citing other sources in your blog or website, it is very important to give ‘credit’ where credit is due (and it is always due!). For online sources, you can simply […]

HelloBy request, some resources to support resume writing and interview prep. Career Planning – Resumes + Interviews Resume Guides: WWU Guide for educators: http://www.wwu.edu/careers/docs/resumehandout_foreducators.pdf BCTF Guide for new teachers: http://bctf.ca/OpportunitiesForMembers.aspx?id=5500 https://wwu.optimalresume.com/ https://careercenter.depaul.edu/_documents/resume guide for teachers final revised.pdf Resume Samples: http://students.ubc.ca/sites/students.ubc.ca/files/BEd – Public School Teaching – Mia Kiota.pdf http://www.tc.columbia.edu/i/a/document/14268_ElemEd.pdf Sample Interview Questions: http://www.clarke.edu/page.aspx?id=7876 Career Prep/Interview prep […]

HelloAre you busy searching for articles and resources to complete your inquiry project or to support your lesson and unit planning? Did you know that the UBC Ed library has links to your school district’s online resources and resource catalogues? Visit the Resource tab in this blog for more info. You can also download this […]

HelloWelcome to another year of learning in the Teacher Education Program! We know that it has been a very full week or so and we hope those new to Scarfe are finding their way. Here in the Library Computing Commons – SCARFE 155 – you can explore digital technologies on your own or through our […]

HelloA GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is a file format for both animated and static images. Gif files are well-suited for the web due to the level of ‘compression’ (how small they are and how fast they load). Gif files can be ‘static’ images or animated. Consider how you might ‘perk up’ your presentations using these […]

HelloDeveloping a PLN through social media can enrich your practice and broaden your connections with individuals around the globe whose interests intersect with your own. PLN’s support a diverse exchange of ideas and are great for helping to build and share your knowledge! Drop by the Scarfe Digital Sandbox in room 155 on Wednesday November […]

HelloWhat do we really mean by technology integration? How is technology integrated into our learning culture? In what ways does it enrich and deepen our teacher education program? Come to the YTE seminar to learn more about the Scarfe Digital Sandbox, an initiative of the Teacher Education Office, Education Library and Educational Technology Support. Jo-Anne […]

HelloLearning to access resources from various modalities, evaluate them based on a set of clear criteria and curate them using a personal digital library can aid students and teachers in conducting inquiry or simply preparing for class! Below, you will find a pdf file of a presentation we developed to support an inquiry based unit […]

HelloI recently came across a rather fanciful marketing video about Smart Boards that kind of blew my mind and also challenged me to consider the potential and possibilities of this technology. There are many Smartboards sitting idly in classrooms or being used as expensive projection systems across our districts (and in our own building here […]

HelloInspired by the place based, time based environmental art of Andrew Goldsworthy and others, Alison Diesvelt’s section of EDST301 experimented with digital photography and created a virtual Mandala on a Padlet page. The whole thing began with a walk to the beach on a sunny winter’s day to create the ‘real world’ Mandalas in the […]

HelloHot off the Presses! We’ve had many students and instructors asking about registering for computer lab accounts since the closure of Room 1. Just this week, we received the following information: “With the closure of Room 1, students can now register for computer lab accounts in the Education Library. All the public computers now have […]

HelloMoving from a knowledge-transfer teaching stance towards a more personalized and active approach where students are co-creating knowledge is within reach in many of today’s classrooms. The iPad as an innovative and accessible technology affords so many possibilities. With it’s long battery life, built in messaging, camera, GPS and accelerometer, the iPad truly does allow […]

HelloLooking for a digital media library? Wishing to Connect with educators who are passionate about using digital media? Want to  share with and learn from others? Visit: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/community/about.cfm Become a STAR Discovery Educator. It’s easy. Just remember STAR: S – Share something you’ve learned  about using Discovery Education resources with your colleagues T – Teach […]

HelloLike all good lesson planning, planning with a mind to technology integration should begin with your learning outcomes – not necessarily just the Ministry Prescribed “PLO’s”, but also your ‘big picture’ goals and learning targets. Consider HOW your students will share, develop, create and apply knowledge and how you will assess their learning. Further, you’ll […]

HelloTechnology use for technology’s sake is not what we are striving for in education today. Transforming learning by providing opportunities that would not otherwise be afforded is a goal that, with emerging technologies and increased access, may be achievable. This transformation can be as simple as allowing for as-needed differentiation, as is the case when […]

HelloFrom noon til 1pm each Wednesday and Friday in the Library Computing Commons (room 155), we will offer drop-in workshop sessions about particular topics of interest to TC’s and Faculty alike. We hope you take advantage of one of these sessions to further develop your ease with and understanding of technology integration. A schedule of […]

HelloDid you know that each district has a variety of online learning resources available… you just need to know where to look on the District Website. You’ll also need passwords for some of these – your SA, school administrator, or librarian should be able to help with this. A teaser for our upcoming ‘lesson planning’ […]

HelloWV teacher-librarian @DoniGratton on connecting generations using digital storytelling #bced #sd45pln http://t.co/Kt51EBANim — Chris Kennedy (@chrkennedy) October 2, 2013 Storytelling tools – some of the links on this site are no longer active unfortunately, but still, many good sites for online/cloud based story creation: StoryTools Screencastr is a digital storytelling tool that is easy to […]

HelloI just came across this website with some excellent Hook examples and links. Check it out!  

HelloExplore Educational Technologies Visit the Scarfe Digital Sandbox in Room 155 (library computing commons) Wednesdays and Fridays 12:00 pm – 2:00pm Session 1 – Sept. 20th, 2013 – IWBs in the classroom: be SMARTboard Savvy