Focused Education: Virtual Pro-D Day

For my blog post for this week, I am discussing my key takeaways from the online pro-d day sessions I attended. I went to one session about Focused Education resources for K-8 and another session dedicated to the Live It Earth website and resources. 

The session about Focused Ed covered the various resources available on the website. It was very useful as I found it built upon the classroom session we had about Focused Ed, and gave me more information about how to navigate and use the site to its full potential within my own teaching practices. 

The Live It Earth session introduced the website and highlighted the information, programs, and resources available there. What I found very helpful was that we received a link to create our own account, so I now have access to the site and all available resources. Having direct access to the website turns these resources into practical supports I can actively utilize in my teaching practices. The site covers a wide range of topics, primarily in science and social studies, offering videos, activities/challenges, and teaching resources for each topic. Something I found very interesting about the Live It Earth website was that you could find resources for specific curricular connections and grade levels. This means that all the teacher resources available on the website can be filtered based on the grade you are planning a lesson/unit for. Also, you can download the resources and personalize them to best suit your lesson and the needs of your students.

Explore Live It Earth here.

The Focused Education and Live It Earth websites are valuable resources that will be extremely helpful to utilize for our upcoming practicum placements and in our teaching practices. These websites are not just a wealth of resources, but also help support inclusive educational practices. Accessing adaptable materials means that, as a teacher, I can respond to students’ varied learning needs quickly and effectively. The resources available have built-in flexibility, so teachers do not have to rely on a one-size-fits-all design. Students can access learning using these resources through multiple means of engagement, representation, and action.

Both of these platforms also support cross-curricular planning. Science, social studies, and English language arts learning are integrated across both these sites, and can help to foster critical thinking skills and bring in real-world applications to students’ learning. Many of the resources on these sites are specific to Canada, British Columbia, and even Vancouver Island, helping bring relevance to students’ learning. This can help students make connections between concepts such as ecological sustainability and community responsibility, and apply what they learn to their local environment. There are many resources (especially on the Focused Education website) that provide a wealth of information and teachings related to different Indigenous communities across Canada. These resources are quite in-depth and are, without a doubt, a valuable tool that can support place-based learning and education regarding Indigenous history, cultural values, and ways of life. Integrating Indigenous perspectives into teaching practices is vital, especially when talking about the local environment and land. While these resources offer positive entry points for integrating Indigenous perspectives, they also require thoughtful implementation in a classroom setting to ensure the information is incorporated in a meaningful and authentic way.

Overall, the primary value of these websites is their ability to support responsive and inquiry-based teaching practices. The resources on these websites serve as useful tools for increasing student engagement, critical thinking skills, and place-based learning when used intentionally. As I move forward into my first practicum, I aim to use these platforms to create learning experiences for students that are flexible, relevant, and inclusive of diverse ways of knowing.