ELAN and OECTA (or the life of a booth kitty and speaker)

 This was a busy week, considering it's August. I attended the two-day English Language Arts Network Summer Virtual Conference, followed immediately by just the first day of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association Beginning Teachers Conference at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in downtown Toronto. Here are some of the highlights.

ELAN Ontario Virtual Summer Conference 2023

Conference Reflections by Diana Maliszewski

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

10:00 am - Opening Keynote: Angela Stockman

Summary: (copied from program) Angela Stockman is the author of several books, including Teacher’s Guide to Multimodal Composition K-5 and Teacher’s Guide to Multimodal Composition 6-12. She has taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels before becoming a professional learning facilitator. In addition to her work with young writers, Angela is a sought-after consultant, working with schools and districts to improve literacy instruction and develop innovative teaching strategies.

3 Key Points

1. We need to be humbled by our students, and this is why documentation matters. We need to be "documentarians".
2. Students will lower the complexity of their ideas to match their print power if the focus is on writing; therefore, take a multimodal approach (e.g. use loose parts, make with Lego, record orally, etc.)
3. Teaching and writing are both full of false starts and that's okay. Look at David M. Bird's Beecorns as a wonderful example of multiple kinds of composition with different materials. Give students a chance to tell the same story multiple times using different materials.

So What? Now What?

I love Angela Stockman. I love how she lifts (my One Word focus for 2023) and elevates the students she works with. I love how she introduces me to new terms, like graphocentrism (the idea that the writer word is superior to other forms of communication). My next step is simple: buy Angela's new book (The Writing Workshop Teachers Guide to Multimodal Composition, K-5) and probably The Gift of Playful Learning by Nadia Kenisha Bynoe and Angelique Thompson.

Media Artifacts

12:45 pm - Get Your Head In The Game: Diana Maliszewski

Summary: (copied from program) Seymour Papert described games as "hard fun." James Paul Gee opined that the theory of human learning is built into good video games. How can educators engage their learners, address multiple expectations, and differentiate for a variety of students using games, especially video games, without leeching the joy out of them or losing all decorum and control? Come chat and play with the co-VP of the Association for Media Literacy to see how everyone can win by incorporating video games into their Language Arts curriculum. The new curriculum will be addressed as part of this talk.

3 Key Points

1. The new curriculum has both more and less about media literacy in it.
2. Games of all sorts can be used to address language expectations, as long as you recognize that school and games have separate (and sometimes conflicting) modes of interaction and conduct.
3. You don't have to play all these video games in school - you can discuss them from an approach centered on curiosity/interest rather than judgement.

So What? Now What?

This was the session I ran, so I can't comment too much on what people got out of it. I was really delighted with the post-talk conversation I had with Christina, my ELAN-assigned moderator for this time slot. We discussed the nature of virtual workshops, how influential the keynotes can be, how that directly impacted the number of breakout rooms and flow of today's talk, and how I might alter it for tomorrow's identical session. Christina's immediate feedback was so valuable that I applied it the next day.

Media Artifacts

I scribbled on my desk notes for changes to the flow of my next workshop.

2:15 pm - Critical Literacy Through Exploring Identity: Jehan Lalor

Summary: (copied from program) Picture books, videos and images are strong tools to get students to critically think about the world around them. Rich media texts will be shared along with lessons aimed to combat Hate, Bias and Racism. We will explore how we can use powerful language and illustrations to unpack student identities, build student voice and foster joy for one another.  A display of recommended reads, activities and samples of student work will be shared to help strengthen educators' Responsive Literacy Program.

So What? Now What?

I chatted so long with Christina that I clicked on the Google Meet link late. I waited for a few minutes but I wasn't "let in". I promised myself that I would be more punctual the next day.

Wednesday, August 23, 2020

10:00 am - Opening Keynote: Rebekah O'Dell

Summary: (copied from program) 

Rebekah O'Dell is an educator and writer with a passion for empowering students and teachers alike. She is the co-author of Writing with Mentors and Beyond Literary Analysis (with Allison Marchetti). She also writes a blog, Moving Writers, which is helping middle and high school teachers transform their writing instruction. She has been featured in numerous educational publications and has presented at conferences and workshops around the world. Whether she is working with students or educators, Rebekah is committed to helping everyone find their voice and reach their full potential.

3 Key Points

1. "Artificial Intelligence" programs cannot write with personal voice and the perspectives of real students, so lean into this.
2. By putting the words of professional writers in front of students, it becomes aspirational and inspirational, and is as natural as seamstresses studying clothing as a mentor text or football players re-watching NFL games to understand plays they might employ in their own games.
3. Turn on your "read like a writer" radar and use the predictable pattern of a) reading the mentor text sample, b) noticing things and considering why the writer might use this technique, c) naming this technique, d) trying this technique in our own writing - by doing this over and over, students know what to expect in the lesson and teachers can focus their energy on the student learning rather than managing the activity.

So What? Now What?

I had never heard of Rebekah O'Dell before, and at first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to attend her keynote, as the original Wednesday K-6 speaker was unavailable. However, she really spoke well and made a lot of sense. When I had my own classroom, I used to do mini-lessons (what she calls "mini-moves") and I really liked her message that you don't have to strictly abide by certain writing standards we were told in the past (such as "don't' start a sentence with a conjunction" or "always italicize foreign words"). I'll need to try out some of her techniques in my own writing.

Media Artifacts

12:45 pm - Get Your Head In The Game: Diana Maliszewski

Summary: (copied from program) Seymour Papert described games as "hard fun." James Paul Gee opined that the theory of human learning is built into good video games. How can educators engage their learners, address multiple expectations, and differentiate for a variety of students using games, especially video games, without leeching the joy out of them or losing all decorum and control? Come chat and play with the co-VP of the Association for Media Literacy to see how everyone can win by incorporating video games into their Language Arts curriculum. The new curriculum will be addressed as part of this talk.

3 Key Points - see notes from Tuesday August 22

So What? Now What?

My ELAN-assigned moderator this time was the wonderful Lyndsay Buehler. I believe that the advice Christina gave the day before paid off well. I gave a decent ratio of  "gum" and "chewing" (content and process) time on Wednesday. The participants were fantastic. They generated such marvelous ideas and suggestions for online versions of games. I hope that many of these thought migrated to the ELAN Padlet page for resources.

Media Artifacts

2:15 pm - Engaging Student Voice and Choice in Book Clubs: Lesley Davidson

Summary: (copied from program) How can educators support junior students in exploring their understanding of books at deeper levels and engage in accountable talk with their peers? Book Clubs provide opportunities for students to choose what they want to read, develop critical reading skills and make meaning of texts as they become lifelong readers. In this session, teachers will explore the role of the teacher in book clubs, strategies on how to leverage student engagement in reading, and investigate “use it tomorrow strategies” for setting up, and assessing book clubs. Come and learn how you can create a learning environment that engages and challenges students in developing a deeper understanding of the books that they are reading.

3 Key Points

1. Whole-class book studies aren't effective.
2. It's okay to change your practice. Lesley used to assign the "literature circle roles" but even the inspiring author behind the book that recommended them says to move away from such restrictive jobs.
3. The teacher is a facilitator and lets the students lead, with private chats if he/she/they notice student patterns that are concerning (e.g. lack of participation, surface level responses, etc.)

So What? Now What?

I am a goofball. I made a point of clicking the link before 2:15 pm and was puzzled when I was still waiting. I emailed ELAN and the every-patient Paula Nevins kindly pointed out that the workshop I was attempting to enter was already over! (My initial attempt was to join Rabia Khokhar's talk.) Instead I joined Lesley and enjoyed seeing all the evidence she has collected about how she runs book clubs.

Media Artifacts

This is me in the waiting room, waiting for a session that had already ended!

This is the program schedule, to show how very clear what was happening when.

I want to thank all the organizers and participants at the ELAN conference. It was my first time with this organization and it was a positive experience.

OECTA Beginning Teachers Conference 2023

Various subject associations were invited to set up tables in the Frontenac foyer of the Westin Harbour Castle hotel. There were eleven tables on Wednesday morning. This is how I set up the table for the Association for Media Literacy.

I must confess, it was a quieter than I expected during the morning. We were on the lower level, and the escalator directly connecting us to the main hub was out of order. The bad thing about this was we weren't reaching the new teachers. The "good" thing about this was the representatives from the various subject associations had plenty of time to talk. I even talked so much with Theresa Aqui that we co-wrote a blog post for AML! You can find it here, on https://aml.ca/5-easy-ways-to-keep-canadian-news-in-your-day/ .

I decided that we needed to attract more traffic to our location. We ate our catered lunch before the regular participants, because they were in session. I put on my black cat paws and my black cat head, wrote a promotional sign with markers from the OAEA booth, and then stood right by the lunch buffet. I didn't take photos of me by the lunch buffet, but I grabbed a few images of our exhibitor spot.

It worked! The other subject associations said that more people started to come down to visit after lunch. New teachers came to the AML table to take free handouts, grab a free Hershey's Kiss, and even play a couple of short board games with me to see how we are surrounded by media and it is relatively easy to teach through and about media; we are all media educators!

I'd like to thank OECTA for including us, and to all the subject associations and their representatives for being present and supporting new teachers.

From left to right: Tess from the Council of Ontario Drama and Dance Educators (www.code.on.ca), Theresa from the Ontario Family Studies Home Economics Educators (http://ofsheea.education) me from the Association for Media Literacy (www.aml.ca), Marianne from the Ontario Association for Geographic and Environmental Education (www.oagee.org), Terry from the Science Teachers' Association of Ontario (www.stao.ca), Michelle from the Ontario Art Education Association (https://ontarioarteducationassociation.org/) and Jordan from the Ontario Association of Music Educators (https://omea.on.ca/) 

Accepting Age

Many educators use their summer vacations to book medical appointments. I'm no different. In the past two weeks, I've had a dentist appointment, an ultrasound, and an eye examination.

At the optometrist, I had to finally come to terms with a decision I had been avoiding and delaying. I finally consented to getting progressive lenses, aka bifocals. Two years ago, when I last had my eyes examined, I needed a prescription for both near sightedness and far sightedness. I balked at the idea of getting progressive lenses. I wasn't even fifty years old at that point! Instead, I spent way more money than I needed to and bought two new pairs of reading glasses and one pair of regular/driving glasses. I justified it by saying they were fashion accessories. Thing is, it's a pain in the rump to switch glasses. It's fine when I'm on the computer working on the AQs for a long period of time. It's another matter when I'm at a restaurant and have to take off my prescription sunglasses, put on my reading glasses to check out the menu, then replace those with my third pair of glasses.

I'm not sure why I was so resistant. After all, I've been much more accepting of my silver hair.  Or have I? I have had a few strands of grey hair since I was in my early twenties. Both my maternal and paternal line lean towards early greying. In my thirties and forties, I played with my hair colour a lot. I've been everything from red to blue, pink to purple, black and white, rose-gold and all sorts of shades and hues in between. I've taken turns being a redhead, brunette, and blonde. My husband says that the lockdown was the major reason why I stopped dyeing my hair regularly, although blog evidence shows that I took a hiatus from coloring between 2018-19 and have taken other breaks to be a "silver fox". I wonder if it's because of those "innocent but stinging" comments that young children are so adept at delivering. I've had to explain many times to students that no, I'm not a grandma because I have grey hair. 

Well, right now, I'm 51 years old. 50 is not as old as it used to be, supposedly. Start to type "50 is" into your Google search engine and you get "50 is the new 30" and "50 is not that old". People Magazine pointed out that the age of the characters in the first season of The Golden Girls is the same age of the characters in the Sex In The City sequel's first season of  And Just Like That. 

There are certain things that I'm going to accept as part of my age.

• my need for bifocals
• my grey hair (although I'll still dye it for fun or when I'm bored)
• my need for more sleep (and naps!)
• my dated musical tastes (happily stuck in the 1980s and 1990s)
• my clothing size (it took me forever to realize I'm more a size 14 than a size 10 like before)
• my hearing might not be as good (still waiting to hear back from the ear doctor)
• my occasional memory lapses
• the need to moisturize more than I used to

There are other things I'm not going to accept as part of my age.

• becoming stagnant in my learning (I may take my Media Part 2 AQ in the fall)
• refusing to consider new perspectives on my worldview (we can all be a bit less racist/abelist)
• the deterioration of my physical health (I'm still going to Cross Fit Canuck three times a week)
• staying put (my sister and I have plans in the works for another potential trip together)
• withdrawing into myself / shrinking my social circle (make new friends!)
• dressing a set way (I'll pick clothes that flatter my figure but that won't limit me from leggings!)
• neglecting romance (I still get "lovey dovey" with my hubby)
• trying new experiences (I have a plan of possibly getting a dog in 5-8 years)

I'm sure I'm missing a few things from each of these lists. I've ordered my new glasses with progressive lenses. They say it'll take a couple of weeks to get used to training my eyes to use the new prescription.  I've been promised that if I truly cannot manage, I can always switch back to single prescription lenses. Now to figure out how to fit in those wonderful mid-day summer naps once I return to school! 

Day Trips and Meals with Special People

 We are deep in the thick of August. AQ courses are finishing up (Queen's U Summer 2023 TL Specialist and York U July 2023 TL Parts 1 & 2) or starting up (York U August 2023 Parts 1, 2 & Specialist). Conferences are fast approaching (ELAN, OECTA, and TDSB TL). Medical appointments were made and kept. It's been a work-heavy summer for me. Since "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" (or Diana a cranky girl), I've had a few little day trips sprinkled into the mix. This is a mini-highlight reel (with a big treat at the end).

Whitby Farmers Market

In July, I went with several of my work friends to the Whitby Farmers Market, followed by a delightful brunch. The Food and Art Café in Whitby serves the best London Fogs I've ever drunk and the large group ate brunch there after our market sojourn.

St. Jacob's Farmers Market

I went twice to this "mother of all farmers markets in Ontario". The first time this year, I attended with my family. They had never been before and enjoyed the variety. We purchased yummy cheese, delicious fudge, and more. The second time I travelled west, I went with a small number of colleagues from school. Because my family knew what was in store, they sent requests! I returned with fresh pretzels, gourmet perogies and more fudge.

Uptown Toronto

Having lunch with a friend at a Korean restaurant near Yonge and Finch is the perfect recipe for relaxation.

Hibachi Teppanyaki

I could have sworn I mentioned enjoying this meal performance with my husband, daughter and her boyfriend earlier on my blog. Since I cannot find it, it provides me an excuse with posting more photos of the flames and feast.

Kensington Market

What do you do when your original plans to go to Paris (Ontario) aren't possible? Scale back. Another friend and I wandered Kensington Market, searching the vintage thrift stores, sipping on fresh juice, and eventually making our way to the Danforth to have a late lunch at a café. 

Backyard BBQ

This past weekend, hubby and I were invited to a BBQ. It's been ages since we attended something like this and I forgot how lovely it can be. We didn't know everyone there but we were familiar with enough people to have many conversations with new and old faces, and the grilled meat and salads fed us well.

High Tea

I've never had high tea before but there's always a first time for everything. Three of us went to "My Cup of Tea" Dessert and Tea House (at Leslie and Highway 7 in Richmond Hill) for a scrumptious feast for the eyes and taste buds. This location is not as pricy as some high tea spots and the food and atmosphere were lovely.

Credit for the following photos goes to Farah Wadia. You can see the originals on her Instagram account.

Bonus Feature - Audition Video for Family Feud

You'll notice a lot of the same faces popping up in the pictures. I'm pretty close with many of these people I've hung out with during the summer. In late June, I alluded to a secret project. The secret project was that a team of teachers were filming an audition video for the Teacher Week Canadian edition of Family Feud. The sad news is that we didn't get chosen. (We heard via Twitter that another TDSB school made it to the second round of auditions - good luck, Ellesmere-Statton PS; we are rooting for you!) Since we didn't make it, I think it's safe to share the eight-minute video that our team created as our entry. As everyone involved in the project said, it was just fun to be part of creating this media text.

If big travel plans aren't feasible for you, either financially or due to schedule restraints, I hope you are able to enjoy a short day trip or at least a satisfying meal with people that mean a lot to you.

Make Time

 This past week most closely resembled a typical middle-upper class "summer vacation". (I nearly typed "WASP", but does anyone use that acronym anymore?) On Tuesday, I went with three of my work friends to the St. Jacob's Farmers Market in St. Jacob, Ontario. On Wednesday, after recording the broadcast of "This Week in Ontario Edublogs" with Doug Peterson and Stephen Hurley, my husband and I went to Cedar Grove Lodge near Huntsville, Ontario for a 3-night getaway in the same cottage we rented for our honeymoon 26 years ago.

James and I had a delightful time. We went to Cedar Grove in 1997, 1998 and then in 2000 with our then-6-month-old baby. We hadn't been back since then.

My husband has this photo, taken during a "boat cruise" during our honeymoon, sitting on his desk.

I hope you get the sense of the contentment and bliss emanating from both of us. 

Here's one of my favourite photos that I took during our most recent visit. No filter. No makeup. Just a quick selfie as we took a hike in the woods (and got nipped by bloodsuckers and we tried to navigate the path unsuccessfully). The sign up sheet boat trip around Peninsula Lake filled up too quickly for us to replicate our 1997 sojourn, but I may use this photo in our annual holiday photo insert for 2023.

Cedar Grove Lodge itself remains remarkably unchanged physically. It opened in 1927 and still has the bird-themed cabins. The communal hot tub has been replaced by a mini-gym and in-house meals have been reduced to breakfast and snacks but it was still perfect for us and our needs.

This vacation forced me to "make time" for various things.

1) Make Time to Read

I tend to overpack when I go on trips. This applies to reading material as well. I asked some friends for title recommendations and brought way more books than I was able to read. That's okay. I started and finished the latest instalment of the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. I have been saving this urban fantasy novel since James bought it for me and I loved reading it. It's funny to admit as a teacher-librarian, but sometimes it's hard to find time to read, especially for pleasure. I have no choice but to quickly read all 50 books nominated for various Forest of Reading awards between October and December because it's part of my job. That intense burst of reading requirement can tucker me out, and then other things (like reading posts by AQ participants) take precedence over other kinds of reading. I've got a good pile, with a mix of all sorts of things (including "good for me" reading that will be linked to professional learning), so hopefully I can make a dent in it before I have to return them. Ironic that on my honeymoon long ago, we bought matching sweatshirts from a tiny bookstore that said "So Many Books, So Little Time". How true that is! (Thanks Tippett Centre and the TDSB Professional Library Department for the loans!)

2) Make Time to Connect

For the longest time, I used to have a note stuck to the side of my computer, reminding me to devote exclusive quality time to my husband. Why on earth would I need such a written reminder? The truth is, I can get hyper-focused. Other people and events demand attention and it's easy to take for granted the people who are there with you daily. From August 2-5, it was just the two of us. We spent a lot of time together eating, walking, talking, reading and enjoying each other's company.

3) Make Time to Relax

Despite having many time-saving devices and practices (e.g. dishwashers, air fryers, Roombas, microwavable meals or take-out), life still feels busy. Even during the summer, I have my "to-do list" running, with medical appointments to book, grocery shopping / errands to undertake, workshops to plan, skinny pigs to clean, emails to send, and online courses to teach. James has even more duties, since he runs the house and takes care of all the chores, in addition to his writing. I deliberately did not bring my laptop with me on this trip, and only brought my cell phone along for navigation and to contact the kids if necessary. The pace slowed down. Daytime naps are delightful. We didn't HAVE to do anything. We wandered the streets of downtown Huntsville (population 20 000). We watched a presentation on local wildlife. We took our time eating at yummy local restaurants (Huntsville Brewhouse, On The Docks Pub, and Westside Fish and Chips).

4) Make Time to Enjoy Nature

Stop and smell the roses. Touch grass. I'm not exactly the outdoorsy type, but there's something soothing to to soul to be near water or surround yourself with trees and rocks that have been there for generations. I think it's why my friend Diana Will-Stork has said that it's important that when people "do" land acknowledgements at school, they need to see or feel or be near the actual land. It's too easy to become disconnected from the earth. Hearing the loons call on the lake - there's nothing quite like it.

Okay, so it's time to acknowledge some privilege here. This "little getaway" wasn't cheap. As a teacher, I had ample time to put these plans into action. Not everyone has the financial ability or schedule flexibility to stay at a resort lodge. Is it possible to replicate this in other ways, or during the school year, or even at school? My answer is an optimistic "maybe yes". The public library is free. Friends and family can be just a phone call away. If something is important enough, you can try and carve time out for it (just like I ensure I write a blog post every week). Schools have yards and communities have parks or even outdoor education centers. 

The trick is to make time.