Blog Posts

Language instruction helps build the cultural competence of individual cultures and those worldwide. When educators foster culturally sustaining inclusive environments, it creates opportunities for students of all cultures to thrive. When students see themselves within texts, language, and materials, this helps build engagement, trust, and a sense of belonging.

Did you know that we have a whole team of people here at the Curriculum Department ready to support you in learning more about Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction?

Earlier this school year, leaders in our organization had the opportunity to learn from renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Shimi Kang on the subject of mental health and wellbeing.

There has been much news around the latest AI Chat Bot called ChatGPT. Some people call it a game changer; others have concerns about society’s reliance on technology to do our thinking for us.

At the Information Technology (IT) Department, we have been playing around with the platform and have even successfully used it to create, modify and troubleshoot some of the scripts we use for basic automation tasks.

For fun, I wondered how well ChatGBT might know the K-12 system. So I asked it a few questions. Here are its answers, which took approximately 2 seconds to create:

The EA Peer Mentor program started as a pilot three years ago and is now in its 2nd year of permanence. It currently has two full-time Education Assistant Peer Mentors, Connie Hampson and Alicia Kroeker, who support any/all EAs interested in the voluntary program. Upon registration, the two parties schedule their time together with the convenience of the mentees’ schedule in mind. EA Peer mentors collaborate with mentees to support them in their role and work together to help the mentee feel more confident, provide encouragement, and strengthen their skills.

“Now let us begin. Now let us re-dedicate ourselves to the long and bitter, but beautiful, struggle for a new world.” -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We are looking forward to hosting Shared Learning 2023 at Abbotsford Senior Secondary School. The Shared Learning Conference committee has been busy planning for 60 engaging sessions for support staff, operations, teachers, and leaders. This year’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Jean Clinton. Dr. Clinton is an experienced speaker that is well known for her engaging and informative keynote addresses. Dr. Clinton will share her knowledge about mental health and wellness, belonging, and human connection.

Noticing a shift in literacy instruction across the district? Wonder what is going on in the classroom down the hall?  

It has been my practice for the last few Januarys to make predictions about possible changes in the K-12 sector. This practice goes back as far as 2015 when I highlighted the top ten issues facing our education system and some things to watch for as we sought to transform it.

Imagine going to work every single day and failing to understand what your boss is saying, despite your best efforts. Worse yet, your colleagues don’t seem to be struggling at all. This could be how some of your students experience school. Next time you observe a student in your class who struggles to follow your instructions, who never seems to know what to do, who talks around and around what he wants to say, who misses jokes or sarcasm, consider DLD.