Education Library Blog

Stay up to date on news, events and special features.

Twitter in the classroom

While still mocked in some quarters, the social networking service Twitter is gaining respect among B.C. educators and has even wormed its way into a few classrooms.Teachers who experimented with classroom tweeting during the last school year say it encourages concise writing because tweets are limited to 140 characters and opens a new channel for discussions, especially for students who are too shy to speak in class.

This Vancouver Sun article features opinions from teachers who have used Twitter to improve student learning outcomes.

B.C. Teachers confirm job action to begin on 6 September

British Columbia’s teachers have confirmed they’ll be going on limited job action when classes resume next week.Students and teachers alike will head back to school on Sept. 6, but teachers will do so under what they’re calling “Phase 1” of job action, which will eliminate day-to-day administrative duties typically handled by teachers.The 72-hour strike notice came as no surprise after six months of failed negotiations between the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF), and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA), left the province’s teachers without a contract.

Click here to read the full article, published in the Vancouver Sun.

Study finds full-day Kindergarten a success

According to a new study, the introduction of full-day kindergarten in half of B.C. elementary schools last year was a remarkable success.

Click here to read the full post, on Janet Steffenhagen’s blog.

Abbotsford school recognized for anti-bullying program

An Abbotsford school has been recognized for a program that allows students to report bullying anonymously.Rick Hansen secondary is the recipient of a 2011 Safe School Award from a Canada-wide anti-bullying program called Stop a Bully.

To read the full post from Janet Steffenhagen’s blog, click here.

Sir Ken Robinson’s Top 3 Tips for Teachers

In order to be successful, teachers need to embrace their freedom and creativity and be prepared to learn from their students. To read the full post on Janet Steffenhagen’s blog Report Card, click here.