Literacy today: The knowns and unknowns of learning to read – Phi Delta Kappan Journal, May 2022

This issue of Phi Delta Kappan attempts to sort through the arguments in the reading wars for the best practices for literacy development in children today.

View Whole Issue (Phi Delta Kappan, May 2022)

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Feature Articles:

• What does research say about the texts we use in elementary school?
• Making sense of reading’s forever wars
• Teaching for transfer can help young children read for understanding
• Teaching reading: Development and differentiation
• A look back: A chronicle of Kappan’s coverage of the reading wars
• Taking stock of the science of reading: A conversation with Amanda Goodwin

Additional Reading:

• Cummins, J. (2020). Ontario Human Rights Commission Right to Read Report: Sincere, Passionate, Flawed. Journal of Teaching and Learning, 16 (1), 85–92. (Article)
• Right to read: Public inquiry into human rights issues affecting students with reading disabilities Summary Full Report
• Early Literacy (Resource Guide)
• Reading Intervention (Resource Guide)
• Structured Literacy/Science of Reading (Resource Guide)

If you want to find out more about this topic or need help finding articles and resources on other topics, please reach out to the Professional Library where the education specialist Librarians are waiting to assist you.

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Equity Every Day – Educational Leadership, February 2022

This issue of Educational Leadership focuses on improving equity in schools.

View whole issue (Educational Leadership, Feb 2022)

Feature Articles:

Accessing the articles – you will be automatically authenticated with your TDSB credentials

• Liz Kleinrock on Antiracist, Antibias Teaching
• Paving a Coherent Path to Equity
• Trading Baby Steps for Big Equity Leaps
• Looking at Data Through an Equity Lens
• Countering Anti-Asian American Invisibility in Schools
• Strengthening Equity Work in the Face of Opposition
• Getting Beyond “Stuck” on Equity in Schools
• Why Classroom Equity Strategies Aren’t Always Equal
• Open Doors to Advanced Courses
• Which Curriculum Audit is Best for Your School
• An Open Letter to Equity-Driven Educators

Additional Reading:

• Anti-Racism and Equity Resource Guides

If you want to find out more about this topic or need help gathering articles and resources on other topics, please reach out to the Professional Library where the education specialist Librarians are waiting to assist you.

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Outdoor Education – Resource Guide, 2022

Ready to take your students outside for some outdoor learning experience? Take a look at the Outdoor Education Resource Guide (2022) from the TDSB Professional Library to find out some helpful ideas, activities and strategies to make the outdoor learning experience more fun and engaging for your kids.

Select e-Resources from the Guide

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• 10 Strategies for Strengthening Outdoor Learning at Your School: An Iterative Sequence for Multiple Age Groups (2021) Article
• Big questions in the great outdoors (2018) Article
• Connecting with Nature Guides (David Suzuki Foundation, downloadable lessons) Website
• Joyful math: Invitations to play and explore in the early childhood classroom (2020) eBook
• Let’s take it outside!: Teacher-created activities for outdoor learning (2012) eBook
• Math learning—and a touch of science—in the outdoor world (2017) Article
• Muddy Play: Reflections on Young Children’s Outdoor Learning in an Urban Setting (2020) Article
• Outdoor education toolkit for grades 1-8  and 9-12 OPHEA (2020) Website
• Outdoor Learning Tips COEO (2022) Website
• Outside enrichment: How designing an outdoor learning space can lead to new levels of student engagement and achievement (2021) Article
• Nature-based learning for young children: Anytime, anywhere, on any budget (2018) eBook
• Provocations for learning in early years settings: A practical guide (2020) eBook
• Reconnecting children through outdoor education: A Research Summary COEO (2007) Website
• The sky above and the mud below: Lessons from nature preschools and forest kindergartens (2020) eBook
• The school garden curriculum: An integrated K-8 guide for discovering science, ecology, and whole-systems thinking (2019) eBook
• Teaching STEM outdoors: Activities for young children (2017) eBook

If you have any questions or want more information about other topics, please check out the LLR Resource Guides or contact the Professional Library where the education specialist Librarians are ready to assist you.

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Reading Instruction in the early years: Educational Leadership Special Issue

What are some of the effective reading instructions? This issue of Educational Leadership is all about reading instructions at the early years.

Educational Leadership, Feb 2020

• Accessing the articles – you will be automatically authenticated with your TDSB credentials

View whole Issue

Select Articles in the Issue:

• Phonetically Sound Teaching
• Drawing on Reading Science Without Starting a War
• A District Leader’s Education in EARLY READING
• How I Learned to TEACH READING
• Invitations to Read: For reading, especially, one-size-fits-all fits no one
• Cracking the Reading Code: The science of reading instruction is clear. Let’s listen to the research
• Leadership for Literacy
• Planning Effective Reading Instruction
• For Reading Comprehension, Knowledge Is POWER

Additional Reading:

• Right to read: Public inquiry into human rights issues affecting students with reading disabilities Summary Full Report
• Early Literacy – Resource Guide
• Reading Intervention – Resource Guide

If you want to find out more about this topic or need help gathering articles and resources on other topics, please reach out to the Professional Library where the education specialist Librarians are waiting to assist you.

TDSB Professional Library

Math teaching and learning: read the latest NCTM journal articles online!

The eJournal Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12 (2020-) is available full-text to TDSB staff via TDSB Professional Library.

If you are inside TDSB network or VPN, you can seamlessly access the journal directly from NCTM. If you are outside TDSB network or VPN, please contact professionallibrary@tdsb.on.ca to request journal articles to be sent by email.

How to access the former NCTM Journals that merged into the new title?

• Mathematics Teacher, Teaching Children mathematics, Mathematics in the Middle Schools have all merged into the new NCTM journal since 2020
• The archival issues (up to 2019) of the former journals can be accessed when outside TDSB network or VPN from JSTOR using bit.ly/PLpasswords

Need any help accessing this NCTM journal or gathering articles and resources on a topic? Please give a shout out to the Professional Library where the education specialist Librarians are waiting to assist you.

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Accessing National Council of Teachers of English (NTCE) Journals for TDSB educators

Looking for literacy articles to support your professional learning or instruction? Then start with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) journals available to staff to view in full text via the TDSB Professional Library.

NCTE Journals

• Language Arts  NCTE
• Voices from the Middle  NCTE
• English Journal  NCTE
• English Education  NCTE
• Talking Points   NCTE   EBSCO
• English Leadership Quarterly  NCTE   EBSCO
• Research in the Teaching of English  NCTE   EBSCO
• College Composition and Communication  NCTE
• College English  NCTE  
• Teaching English in the Two-Year College  NCTE

How to access the NCTE Journals?

• All the above NCTE journals can be accessed directly from NCTE when you are in a TDSB school/location or connected to the TDSB VPN
• When you are outside the TDSB network, please contact the Professional Library to obtain any articles from the NCTE journals that are only accessible via NCTE
• Some NCTE journals are also available in the journal database, EBSCO
• If you are prompted to enter an EBSCO username and password for access please use the TDSB Professional Library Password page

If you have any questions about accessing the NCTE journals or would like some assistance with any journal article searching, please reach out to the TDSB Professsional Library where the PL librarians will be very happy to help you find your articles.

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New eBooks for Spring at your TDSB Professional Library

Check out our 30 newest eBooks for TDSB Staff: PL New eBooks March 2021

Our featured titles are:
Partnering with parents in elementary school math : a guide for teachers and leaders
The anti-racist writing workshop: how to decolonize the creative classroom
Dive into deep learning: tools for engagement
Five practices for equity-focused school leadership
Through a child’s eyes: how classroom design inspires learning and wonder
The Distance learning playbook for school leaders: leading engagement and impact in any setting

Especially chosen for educators in virtual schools, and for our on-site staff who love the ease of 24/7 eBook access.

Watch our 3-minute video on Professional Library eBooks to learn more, or read the instructions below.

eBooks can be accessed via our  ebooks Pinterest Board (Pinterest account required) or directly from a search of the Library Catalogue (always use your Catalogue Login at top right of screen using the padlock icon before you begin).

Simple steps to access eBooks on our Pinterest Board:

1. Tip: it’s easiest if you Login to the Library Catalogue in your browser before you go to Pinterest.
2. Select an eBook from the ebooks Pinterest Board by clicking on the image of the eBook.
3. Click on the image again which takes you to the book record in the Library Catalogue .
4. Click on the Click here to access link in the Catalogue.   If you are prompted for a password it can be found at:  bit.ly/PLpasswords  NOTE: If you’re not already logged into the Library Catalogue within your browser before you start,  you will need to backtrack a bit  — Login at top right of screen using the padlock icon and then go back again to the Pinterest board and click on the image for the book you want to read. 
5. Read the eBook online or temporarily download a chapter at a time for offline reading (you may have more than one option, depending on the publisher: PDF, EPUB or HTML format).

NOTE: Some of our eBooks have limited numbers of copies available, and we do not yet have a PLACE HOLD function, if all the copies of the title you want are currently in use please try again later.

Please Contact Us if you have any trouble accessing our eBooks or want to learn more about download options. For our on-site Educators we also have a growing collection of new print books that you can request for loan by courier delivery to your school.

Treaties Recognition Week 2020 – First Week of November

#TDSB celebrates Treaties Recognition Week which falls in the first week of November.

This annual event honours the importance of treaties and helps students and residents of Ontario learn more about treaty rights and relationships. By learning more about our collective treaty rights and obligations, we can create greater understanding and nurture these relationships. Government of Ontario

Here are select Online Resources to support your lessons and activities on Treaties Recognition Week:

Internet

• The Canadian Encyclopedia. (2017). Treaties with Indigenous Peoples in Canada
• EFTO. (2019). An Introduction to Treaties: Compilation of Online Resources.
• Government of Canada. Library of Congress. (2020). Treaties, Surrenders and Agreements. 
• Government of Ontario. (2020). Backgrounder on Treaties in Ontario (incl, Treaties Recognition Week);  The First Nations and Treaties Map; The First Nations and Treaties Map of Ontario: Information for Educators
• Historica Canada. (n.d.).  Treaties in Canada: Education guide.

Videos (TDSB Virtual Library Passwords)

• CBC Curio. First Nations Land Disputes. (2015). 18 min. Gr 6-8.
• CBC Curio. Treaties, Reconciliation and Indigenous History in Canada. (2016). 54:04 min. Gr 6-8.
• McIntyre Media. The history of treaties in Canada. (2016). 14 min. Gr 9-12.
• McIntyre Media. Learning about treaties in Canada. (2016). 18 min. Gr 6-8.

eBooks via TDSB Virtual Library (TDSB Virtual Library Passwords)

• Big Timber Media. (2018). Treaties.
• TabVue. (2011). Aboriginal Treaties.

Check out all the resources in PL Resource Guide: Treaties Recognition Week (First Week of November)

TDSB Professional Library is here to serve you online, and we have started to circulating our books to TDSB locations. Please don’t hesitate to Contact Us to help you with your information needs.

Orange Shirt Day 2020 -September 30

Orange Shirt Day is observed on September 30 this year to provide an “opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind.”

The following sites contain classroom lesson ideas and activities to mark the day:

• British Columbia Teachers’ Federation. Gladys we never knew: The life of a child in a BC Indian Residential School. 
• ETFO. Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters.
• The Manitoba Teachers’ Society. (2016).  Orange Shirt Day Lesson Plans. (lessons in English and French)
• The Orange Shirt Day Society. Teacher Resources. (lessons in English and French)
• Toronto District School Board. (2019). Orange Shirt Day Resource Package.

eBooks on Residential Schools:
Passwords are found in http://bit.ly/VLpasswords

• A stranger at home
• Fatty legs
• Not my girl
• Stolen lives : the Indigenous peoples of Canada and the Indian Residential
• Truth and reconciliation
• When I was eight

Resource guides to check out:
Includes books and eBooks, articles, streamed media and internet resources

• Indigenous Education Month Guide (November)
• Residential Schools
• Treaties Recognition Week (First Week of November)

Mediagraphy on Residential Schools: https://bit.ly/3c0VsE2
Includes streaming media, ebooks, DVD, novel sets in English and French covering all age levels

TDSB Professional Library is here to serve you online, and we are planning to resume print circulation shortly. Please don’t hesitate to Contact Us to help you with your information needs.

Self-Care for Teachers

This September is not just another start to the school year. It’s starting the most unprecedented and challenging school year most of us have ever known, due to the pandemic.

Now, more than ever, teachers need self-care strategies to stay strong physically, mentally and socially. Here are some strategies and tips, drawn from the links below, for teachers to enhance their self-care during this unusual school year.

We can’t control the situation. But we can control how we respond.
If we take control, plan our days and our time and our actions, then we can
feel more powerful. We can do something. We grow stronger.
– Mindful Teachers

Physical Self-Care

• Exercise regularly
• Eat healthy with more home cooked meals and mindfully
• Sleep well with a regular sleep routine as well as regular exercise and healthy diet
• Take breaks from tasks and screen to move and stretch your body and rest your eyes

Mental Self-Care

• Set aside some personal time to decompress, reflect and recharge your mental energy
• Go for a refreshing walk to appreciate nature and shift your focus away from your anxious thoughts
• Be grateful and appreciate what’s good around you to focus on the positive
• Seek opportunities to learn new skills to improve your pedagogical skills
• Celebrate your accomplishments with your colleagues, and your students
• Accept that things are always changing – adapt as best as you can

Social Self-Care

• Take care of important relationships in your life
• Stay connected to your family and friends via social media or even phone
• Have a confidant at school with whom you can share or unload your week’s trials, tribulations, and small or large student academic or behavior victories

Sources

• Classroom Educator Mental Health and Well-Being Resources. TDSB
• Don’t Forget About Yourself Words of Wisdom on Special Education Teacher Self-Care. Teaching Exceptional Children (TDSB Ebsco Password)
• Prioritizing Self-Care While Working From Home. Edutopia
• Self-Care amongst First-Year Teachers. Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research (TDSB Ebsco Password)
• Teachers Self Care. Mindful Teachers.

TDSB Professional Library serves the TDSB education community. Please contact professionallibrary@tdsb.on.ca if you have an information request.

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