July 2020 Newsletter: Canadians Deserve A Better Internet

This was an interesting item from a Canadian outlet that could have major implications for K-12 distance, online, and blended learning in Canada.

Member Newsletter

July 2020 Canadians deserve a better internet

New report: Canadians Deserve a Better Internet 2020 CIRA’s latest report details Canadians’ views on key digital and internet policy issues that will help inform policy discussions ahead of the Canadian Internet Governance Forum. Overall, the report shows Canadians’ growing anxiety about cybersecurity-related issues, including a significant drop in their willingness to disclose personal information for better content and services online. In 2019, 72 per cent of Canadians said they were willing to disclose some or a little personal information in exchange for valuable content or service. Only one year later, with the exception of online banking services, the vast majority of Canadians say they are unwilling to share their personal data in exchange for better online services. Read the full report here. Contribute to the discussion by registering for the fully-virtual free event, which has been rescheduled to November 24th and 25th due to COVID-19. Registration will re-open in October—stay tuned! CIRA’s Board of Directors Election: Help shape Canada’s digital future! Earlier this summer, interested and qualified individuals had the opportunity to apply for the Nomination Committee slate in the Board of Directors election. Applications are currently being reviewed and the candidates who will appear on the final Nomination Committee slate will be posted on our election site on July 29. This same day marks the launch of our next round of nominations where interested and qualified CIRA members will have another opportunity to apply to be a board director, through the exclusive Member slate. If you have the skills and experience we’re looking for in a board director, consider applying to join CIRA’s board. Community Investment Program: This year’s grant recipients are announced! One June 25, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) announced the latest recipients of its annual $1.25 million Community Investment Program granting initiative. The 20 funded projects will help improve internet infrastructure, digital literacy, and cybersecurity “street smarts” for students and Indigenous, rural, and Northern communities across the country. To date, the Community Investment Program has awarded $7.95 million across 171 projects. Learn more about this year’s list of grant recipients.

More about the 2020 Board of Directors election: What CIRA members should consider when voting for board members in September. What skills and experience are we looking for in candidates? Get ready for the 2020 Board of Directors election cycle: the process and upcoming milestones How CIRA is building a trusted internet for Canadians Canadian businesses pivot online as CIRA sees record number of .CA domain registrations How CIRA’s Internet Performance Test can help speed up rural broadband deployment Here are five projects CIRA funded to help get more Canadians online

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is the organization that manages Canada’s .CA domain name registry, develops and implements policies that support Canada’s internet community and represents the .CA registry internationally. You are receiving this email because you have an account with the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), or because you are a CIRA member. CIRA’s privacy policy 979 Bank Street Suite 400 Ottawa, ON K1S 5K5 Canada info@cira.ca | 1-877-860-1411 Copyright © 2020 Canadian Internet Registration Authority. All rights reserved.

In Today’s Online Learning News – Audrey Watters Warns About Surveillance In Online Learning – Bulletin de l’apprentissage en ligne

A newsletter from a Canadian-based online learning organization.

July 1, 2020 | View Online | Archive | Subscribe | Contact Us La version française suit

Audrey Watters Warns About Surveillance in Online Learning Monday, July 20, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (ET) Join Audrey Watters, a self-described “education writer, independent scholar, serial dropout, rabble-rouser, and ed-tech ‘Cassandra’”, as she examines the real threat of fast spreading surveillance in post-secondary education. How we often overlook surveillance, one of the most pervasive trends in education technology over the last few decades and rarely featured in lists of “what’s new” and “what’s hot”. How by embracing surveillance as a core tenet of education technology, we are sacrificing students’ privacy and their safety. How too often in education and ed-tech, we confuse surveillance for care. We need to watch students closely, we tell ourselves, because we want them to be safe and to do well. How caring means trusting, and trusting means being able to turn off a controlling gaze. How we can imagine (and build) a different set of ed-tech practices, one founded on trust rather than suspicion, on care rather than on control. Dr. Paul Prinsloo, Research Professor in Open and Distance Learning (ODL), University of South Africa (UNISA) and Research Associate, Contact North | Contact Nord, is the host of this free webinar by Audrey Watters. Register for Building Anti-Surveillance Ed-Tech! Audrey Watters is a journalist specializing in education technology news and analysis. She has written for Edutopia, MindShift, O’Reilly Radar, ReadWriteWeb, and The Huffington Post, in addition to her own blog, Hack Education. Audrey Watters is author of The Monsters of Education Technology, The Revenge of the Monsters of Education Technology, The Curse of the Monsters of Education Technology, as well as a book arguing that students should control their digital identities and digital work, Claim Your Domain. Her next book, Teaching Machines, is being published by MIT Press.

The Centre for Higher Education Development at the University of Cape Town Social justice, excellence in research, teaching and learning and a focus on building a truly African nation drives the work of the University of Cape Town. Within the University, the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED) is tasked with using innovations in technology-enabled blended learning and online learning to enable the University’s social justice agenda: changing society through learning and research. Read how CHED is fighting digital apartheid and developing a new sense of digital democracy.   Ten Guiding Principles for the Use of Technology in Learning Colleges and universities are investing significant funds, time and energy in technology for learning, especially during and post-COVID-19. The following ten principles provide a (far from definitive!) guide for reflecting on the purpose and use of technology in learning: Adding value A pedagogical focus Quality Sustainability Access Scalability Sharing Choice Continuous, lifelong learning Customization To find out more about these principles, read Ten Guiding Principles for the Use of Technology in Learning. Developing a Class Response System to Promote Active Learning During Online Courses at Seneca College Learn how Dr. Ken Kwong-Kay Wong, Professor at the School of Marketing at Seneca College in Markham, Ontario, Canada, developed a class response system called Presentria that helps to promote active learning and enhance engagement in online classes. The tool pushes polls and questions to the student’s device to encourage group discussion with innovative questioning techniques, which get more students involved in class participation. In addition, there are advanced features such as team competitions, speed challenges, peer review, peer feedback and experiential learning.   Register Now! Free Webinar: How to Teach Online Effectively  Using Zoom (6th Offering) Wednesday, July 8, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (ET) College and university faculty and instructors, literacy and basic skills and training providers are increasingly using Zoom to teach and train. Zoom is fast becoming a learning platform of choice. Join Contact North | Contact Nord Research Associate, Dr. Ron Owston, for a free webinar focusing on: How to use Zoom effectively to engage with and involve students in their learning; How to use Zoom, not just to deliver lectures or make one-way presentations to students, but to facilitate small group work, class challenges, and student presentations; How to move from talking head to active learning with Zoom; How to make learning valuable and successful when teaching via Zoom; and What are the “top tips” users have from using Zoom for teaching. Register for How to Teach Online Effectively Using Zoom Moving your classes online due to COVID-19? Have questions about teaching online? Ask an expert! Contact North I Contact Nord’s world experts from Canada, the United States, Europe and Africa are volunteering to help you. e-Mail your questions about anything related to teaching online to askanexpert@teachonline.ca or submit your question online on teachonline.ca and receive a response within 2 business days. Questions and answers will be posted for quick reference. The search tool on teachonline.ca is available to help with your immediate requests. Enter keywords in the search tool and it displays a list of relevant resources. Read the selection of questions and answered submitted Read Dr. Tony Bates’ Blog Post Read Contact North I Contact Nord Research Associate Dr. Tony Bates’ blog post. Can artificial intelligence transform higher education? What does research say? Must-Read Books on Online Learning Must-Read Books on Online Learning features books and articles of interest to those involved in the expansion and improvement of online learning. Johnson, A. (2013) Excellent Online Teaching: Effective Strategies for a Successful Semester Online. Denver, CO: Aaron Johnson. This book is simple, practical and full of useful tips and suggestions – rubrics, lists, guides and suggestions. Written by someone who teaches online every day and whose experience and study has enabled him to “discover” his way to effectiveness, the book has an immediacy which is attractive. There is also a companion website, which adds to the suggestions in the book. Browse all Must-Read Books Registration Now Open! The 8th Annual McMaster Conference on Education & Cognition July 16-17, 2020 Fully Online #EdCog2020 is a two-day event that brings together educators, cognitive scientists and policy-makers to explore how cognitive science can be applied to educational policy and instructional design. In addition, there will be posters, a discussion panel and evidence-based workshops to provide practical guidelines for essential teaching skills. To register, view archived videos and get additional information, please visit edcog.mcmaster.ca.   Most Popular Resources on teachonline.ca A New Pedagogy is Emerging… and Online Learning is a Key Contributing Factor  Contact North | Contact Nord Webinars How Communities of Inquiry Drive Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age What Is Next for Online Learning During and After COVID-19  Five Key Lessons Learned from Faculty and Instructors Moving Their Courses Online as a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic Visit teachonline.ca today and see why more than 250,000 faculty and instructors, administrators, technology providers, and policymakers from across Ontario and around the world use the resources available from the portal. Do you have colleagues who might be interested in receiving the Online Learning News? Join our mailing list. Contact North | Contact Nord 1139 Alloy Drive, Suite 104 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6M8 807-344-1616 oln2@contactnorth.ca

Le 1er juillet 2020 | Voir en ligne | Archiver | Souscrire | Contactez nous Les hyperliens dans ce bulletin donnent accès à des documents disponibles en anglais seulement. Audrey Watters nous met en garde contre la surveillance dans l’apprentissage en ligne Lundi 20 juillet 2020 de 11 h à 12 h (HE) Venez vous joindre à Audrey Watters, elle qui se décrit comme « une écrivaine spécialiste de l’éducation, une érudite indépendante, une décrocheuse en série, une fautrice de troubles et une “Cassandre” des technologies de l’éducation ». Lors de cette séance, elle examinera la menace réelle de la surveillance qui se répand rapidement dans l’enseignement supérieur. Nous négligeons souvent la surveillance, l’une des tendances les plus répandues dans les technologies de l’éducation au cours des dernières décennies et qui figure rarement dans les listes des « nouveautés » et des « sujets brûlants ». Comment sacrifions-nous la vie privée et la sécurité des étudiantes et étudiants en faisant de la surveillance un principe fondamental des technologies de l’éducation. Dans le domaine de l’éducation et des technologies de l’information, nous confondons souventefois la surveillance et le souci. Nous nous disons que les étudiantes et étudiants doivent être surveillés afin d’assurer leur sécurité et leur réussite. Se soucier de l’autre signifie de leur faire confiance et d’être capable de renoncer à cette surveillance. Comment concevoir (et développer) un nouvel ensemble de pratiques en techniques de l’éducation, fondé sur la confiance et le souci plutôt que sur la méfiance et le contrôle. M. Paul Prinsloo, Ph. D., professeur de recherche en enseignement ouvert et à distance à l’Université d’Afrique du Sud (UNISA) et associé de recherche à Contact North | Contact Nord est l’animateur de ce webinaire gratuit organisé par Audrey Watters. Inscrivez-vous à Building Anti-Surveillance Ed-Tech (Établir des technologies de l’éducation anti-surveillance) Audrey Watters est une journaliste spécialisée dans l’actualité et l’analyse des technologies de l’éducation. Elle a écrit pour Edutopia, MindShift, O’Reilly Radar, ReadWriteWeb et The Huffington Post, en plus de son propre blogue, Hack Education. Audrey Watters est l’auteure de The Monsters of Education Technology (Les monstres des technologies de l’éducation), The Revenge of the Monsters of Education Technology (La revanche des montres des technologies de l’éducation), The Curse of the Monsters of Education Technology (La malédiction des monstres des technologies de l’éducation), ainsi que d’un livre soutenant que les étudiantes et étudiants devraient avoir le contrôle de leurs identités numériques et leurs travaux numériques, Claim Your Domain (Réclamez votre domaine). Son prochain livre, Teaching Machines (Les machines d’enseignement), est publié par MIT Press. Le Centre pour le développement de l’enseignement supérieur de l’University of Cape Town La justice sociale, l’excellence dans la recherche, l’enseignement et l’apprentissage et la volonté de construire une véritable nation africaine sont au cœur de l’University of Cape Town. Au sein de l’université, le Centre for Higher Education Development ou CHED (Centre pour le développement de l’enseignement supérieur) est confié à l’utilisation des innovations dans le domaine de l’apprentissage mixte et en ligne à l’aide de la technologie pour mettre en œuvre le programme de justice sociale de l’université : transformer la société par l’apprentissage et la recherche Veuillez lire comment le CHED lutte contre l’apartheid numérique et crée une nouvelle perspective de la démocratie numérique.   Dix principes directeurs pour l’utilisation de la technologie dans l’apprentissage Les collèges et les universités consacrent d’importantes sommes de temps, d’énergie et de ressources financières dans la technologie pour l’apprentissage, en particulier pendant et après la COVID-19. Les dix principes suivants constituent une vue d’ensemble (loin d’être exhaustive!) pour alimenter votre réflexion sur l’objectif et l’utilisation de la technologie dans l’apprentissage : Une valeur ajoutée Une orientation pédagogique La qualité La durabilité L’accès L’évolutivité Le partage Le choix La formation continue, tout au long de la vie La personnalisation Pour en savoir plus sur ces principes, lisez les Ten Guiding Principles for the Use of Technology in Learning [Dix principes directeurs pour l’utilisation de la technologie dans l’apprentissage]. La conception d’un système de réponse en classe afin de promouvoir l’apprentissage actif lors des cours en ligne au Seneca College M. Ken Kwong-Kay Wong, Ph. D., professeur à l’école de marketing du Seneca College à Markham, Ontario, Canada, a conçu un système de réponse en classe appelé Presentria. Cet outil contribue à la promotion de l’apprentissage actif et à une meilleure participation dans les classes en ligne. Pour stimuler la discussion de groupe, l’outil transmet des sondages et des questions vers le dispositif de l’étudiante ou l’étudiant avec des techniques de questionnement innovantes. Cette stratégie fait participer davantage les étudiantes et étudiants à la classe. De plus, il y a des fonctionnalités avancées telles que les concours d’équipe, les défis de vitesse, l’examen par les pairs, la rétroaction des pairs et l’apprentissage expérientiel. Incrivez-vous dès maintenant! Webinaire gratuit : How to Teach Online Effectively Using Zoom [Comment utiliser Zoom pour bien enseigner en ligne (en 6e reprise)] Mercredi 8 juin 2020 de 11 h à 12 h (HE) Zoom est utilisé de plus en plus par les cadres professoraux, les membres du personnel enseignant des collèges et des universités, et les prestataires de services d’alphabétisation et de formation de base pour enseigner et offrir de la formation. Zoom est en train de devenir une plateforme d’apprentissage par excellence. Joignez-vous à Ron Owston, associé de recherche de Contact North | Contact Nord, pour un webinaire gratuit portant sur : l’utilisation efficace de Zoom pour susciter l’intérêt et la participation des étudiantes et étudiants dans leur apprentissage; l’utilisation de Zoom pour non seulement donner des conférences ou faire des présentations à sens unique aux étudiantes et étudiants, mais aussi pour faciliter le travail en petits groupes, les défis de classe et les présentations des étudiantes et étudiants; comment passer de la « tête parlante » à un apprentissage interactif avec Zoom; comment rendre l’apprentissage utile et fructueux lors de l’enseignement via Zoom; les « meilleurs conseils » à tirer de l’utilisation de Zoom pour l’enseignement. Inscrivez-vous aujourd’hui à How to Teach Online Effectively Using Zoom [Comment utiliser Zoom pour bien enseigner en ligne] Vous devez offrir vos classes en ligne grâce à COVID-19? Vous avez des questions sur l’enseignement en ligne? Demandez à un expert-conseil! Les experts-conseils mondiaux de Contact North | Contact Nord du Canada, des États-Unis, de l’Europe et de l’Afrique se portent volontaires pour vous aider. Faites-nous parvenir vos questions sur tous les sujets liés à l’enseignement en ligne à expertconseil@teachonline.ca ou soumettez votre question en ligne sur teachonline.ca. Vous recevrez une réponse dans les deux jours ouvrables. Les questions et les réponses seront affichées pour consultation rapide. Pour répondre à vos besoins immédiats, veuillez utiliser l’outil de recherche sur teachonline.ca. Entrez des mots clés dans l’outil de recherche et il affiche une liste de ressources pertinentes. Consultez la sélection des questions et réponses soumises Lire les billets du blogue de  monsieur Tony Bates, Ph. D. Veuillez lire la série de billets du blogue de monsieur Tony Bates, associé de recherche à Contact North I Contact Nord. Can artificial intelligence transform higher education? What does research say? [L’intelligence artificielle peut-elle transformer l’enseignement supérieur? Que nous apprennent les travaux de recherche?] Les lectures essentielles sur l’apprentissage en ligne Les lectures essentielles sur l’apprentissage en ligne nous proposent des ouvrages et des articles d’intérêt pour les personnes qui s’investissent à accroitre la portée et à améliorer l’apprentissage en ligne. Johnson, A. (2013) Excellent Online Teaching: Effective Strategies for a Successful Semester Online (L’enseignement en ligne par excellence : des stratégies efficaces pour un semestre en ligne réussi) . Denver, CO : Aaron Johnson. Ce livre est simple et pratique et regorge de conseils et de suggestions utiles — rubriques, listes, guides et indices. L’œuvre d’un individu qui enseigne en ligne tous les jours et dont l’expérience et les études lui ont permis de « découvrir » son chemin vers l’efficacité, ce livre séduit par son caractère immédiat. Il existe également un site Web complémentaire, qui complète les conseils du livre. Consulter l’inventaire de lectures essentielles sur l’apprentissage en ligne L’inscription est maintenant ouverte! La 8e conférence annuelle de McMaster sur l’éducation et la cognition 16 et 17 juillet 2020 Entièrement en ligne #EdCog2020 est un événement de deux jours qui réunit des éducatrices et éducateurs, des spécialistes des sciences cognitives et des responsables politiques afin d’explorer comment les sciences cognitives peuvent être appliquées à la politique éducative et à la conception de l’enseignement. En outre, il y aura des affiches, une table ronde et des ateliers basés sur des preuves afin d’offrir des directives pratiques pour les compétences essentielles en enseignement. Pour l’inscription, les vidéos archivées et des renseignements supplémentaires, veuillez consulter le site edcog.mcmaster.ca. Les ressources les plus populaires du portail teachonline.ca A New Pedagogy is Emerging… and Online Learning is a Key Contributing Factor [Une nouvelle pédagogie émerge… et l’apprentissage en ligne en est un facteur d’influence] Contact North | Contact Nord Webinars [Les webinaires de Contact North | Contact Nord] How Communities of Inquiry Drive Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age [Comment les communautés d’enquête propulsent l’enseignement et l’apprentissage à l’ère numérique] What Is Next for Online Learning During and After COVID-19 [Les prochaines étapes de l’apprentissage en ligne pendant et après la COVID-19] Five Key Lessons Learned from Faculty and Instructors Moving Their Courses Online as a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic [Ce que nous enseignent les cinq principales leçons qui découlent de la mise en ligne de cours par les cadres professoraux et le personnel enseignant à la suite de la pandémie de la COVID-19] Visitez teachonline.ca dès aujourd’hui afin de constater vous-même pourquoi il attire chaque mois plus de 200 000 visites du personnel enseignant et de formation, des administrateurs, des fournisseurs de technologie et des décideurs de partout en Ontario et dans le monde pour se servir des ressources disponibles sur le portail. Vos collègues aimeraient-ils recevoir le Bulletin de l’apprentissage en ligne? Joignez-vous à notre liste de diffusion. Contact North | Contact Nord 1139, promenade Alloy, bureau 104 Thunder Bay (Ontario) P7B 6M8 807 344-1616 oln2@contactnorth.ca

August 24: SI Registration Opening Date

An item from a Canadian-based K-12 online learning program.

August 24: SI Course Registration Opening Date View this email in your browser

There was an error in our Supporting Your Students in Your Schools | June 15, 2020 newsletter regarding the SI course registration opening date for 2020-21. SI courses open on August 24 rather than August 17. We apologize for any inconvenience. As always, please visit our website for the most up-to-date information. If you have any questions, please give us a call at 1-866-774-5333, ext. 5378 or email info@adlc.ca. Alberta Distance Learning Centre Supporting your students in your schools. ADLC is committed to helping students reach their potential through partnerships with schools and providing Grades 1 to 12 students from diverse backgrounds with high quality, innovative resources in an inclusive and flexible learning environment.

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Copyright © 2020 Alberta Distance Learning Centre | ADLC, All rights reserved. You received this email because you’re a partner with ADLC or you opted in at our website. Our mailing address is: Alberta Distance Learning Centre | ADLC Box 4000 4601 – 63 Avenue Barrhead, AB T7N 1P4 Canada

Supporting Your Students In Your Schools | June 25, 2020

A newsletter from a Canadian-based K-12 online learning program.

Supporting Schools for Re-Entry, Completing Students, Summer Extensions, PASI Dates, Important Information for 2020-21 & More! View this email in your browser

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2019-20 Year-End Information Completing Students As part of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are supporting students by completing the courses, where appropriate, which may have otherwise been withdrawn. This will allow more students to receive credits. Summer Extensions Summer extensions begin June 29. Please note that students with granted extensions will see their teacher change for the duration of the extension. Current ADLC teachers will communicate information to students about their summer extension teacher. The summer extension course completion deadline is July 31. Please ensure your school’s distance education contact information in the ADLC Student Information System (SIS) is up-to-date including the school contact for the summer extension period. PASI Prep Important Dates Reminder of the following important PASI dates: July 3, 2020 – June 2020 Non Diploma School Mark Deadline July 3, 2020 – August 2020 Diploma Exam Registration Deadline July 3, 2020 – June 2020 Diploma Exam School Mark Submission Deadline Students can find diploma information in myPass. 2020-21 Information ADLC Supports Alberta Schools in Re-Entry Plans School divisions across the province are planning for three possible re-entry scenarios for the fall. ADLC can support you in not only your re-entry preparation but also in the event that your scenario changes during the year. To read about how ADLC can assist you with resources and instruction, at no cost, click here. 2020-21 Course Registration Opening Teacher Support (TS) courses open for registration on August 17. Student Instruction (SI) courses open for registration on August 24 (instruction begins September 2). Career & Technology Studies (CTS)/Elective Course Registration Limit Due to limited resources, for the 2020-21 school year, there will be a two-course limit on concurrent CTS/Elective (physical education, CALM, etc.) course registrations. Course Start Dates When students are registered into SI courses, the start date will now be the date of registration and can no longer be modified. Accessing Teacher Support (TS) Services 2020 was a big year for our TS services. We created a simpler process for users to access TS resources. While the pandemic pushed our timeline ahead on this project, we are happy to report great success. Beginning August 17, all TS users will go directly to TS Moodle to access TS services. Learn more about how to access TS services on our Accessing Teacher Resources webpage. 2020-21 Calendar Important Dates August 17 – TS courses open for registration August 24 – SI courses open for registration September 2 – First day of school, ADLC teachers begin instruction September 7 – Labour Day, ADLC closed While some dates have yet to be finalized, the basic 2020-21 ADLC calendar is available, in PDF format, and on our website. More information will be added as it becomes available. All important date information can be found on the Calendar page of our website. If you have any questions, please give us a call at 1-866-774-5333, ext. 5378 or email info@adlc.ca. Summer extension teachers will be available until July 31 and support staff are available throughout the summer. Have a great summer! We look forward to working with you in the new school year. Alberta Distance Learning Centre Supporting your students in your schools. ADLC is committed to helping students reach their potential through partnerships with schools and providing Grades 1 to 12 students from diverse backgrounds with high quality, innovative resources in an inclusive and flexible learning environment.

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Copyright © 2020 Alberta Distance Learning Centre | ADLC, All rights reserved. You received this email because you’re a partner with ADLC or you opted in at our website. Our mailing address is: Alberta Distance Learning Centre | ADLC Box 4000 4601 – 63 Avenue Barrhead, AB T7N 1P4 Canada

Fall Re-Opening Plans, New Math Curriculum, EQAO Cancelled

A newsletter from an Ontario-based general education organization.

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Ministry announces beginnings of plan for fall re-opening Boards to plan for a range of “scenarios” When schools re-open in the fall, students could be attending on alternate day, or even alternate weeks; they could have different start times or new busing arrangements; they could be learning through a combination in-class and online instruction; and they could be divided into “cohorts” – groups that they will stick to throughout the school day.The Ministry has made clear that the return to school is voluntary, and that if families choose not to send their child or children back to school, that school boards must offer remote education. School boards have been asked to prepare plans to cover a range of scenarios under three possible categories depending on the public health situation. Along with the re-opening plan, the Ministry released details about school boards’ funding for the 2020/21 school year, known as the Grants for Students’ Needs. The grants do not appear to include funding to support things like class sizes of 15 students, nor are there substantial changes to funding for technology, as recommended in People for Education’s report: Technology, a tool and a strategy. Time for education task force People for Education has recommended that the Minister constitute a Task Force – with  participation from all the education partners, including directors of education, teachers’ federations, principals’ councils, trustee associations, provincial student organizations, deans of education, Indigenous education associations etc. – to ensure that the plan for education during and post-COVID is both comprehensive and coherent.The Minister is having a series of one-off conversations with a range of organizations and individuals, but it appears no Task Force is planned. Read People for Education’s full synopsis and list of questions about the fall re-opening plan New elementary math curriculum coming this fall The Ministry of Education introduced new math curriculum on June 23rd. The curriculum contains five main areas of focus: Social emotional learning skills: developing confidence; learning to use a range of strategies to cope with challenges, think critically, and learn from mistakes Numbers: fundamental number skills, learning multiplication, and about fractions in earlier grades Algebra: learning about patterns, mathematic modelling, using math to make predictions Data: collecting, organizing, displaying and analyzing data to make convincing arguments, informed decisions and predictions Spatial sense: using measurement and geometry to describe and explore the world Financial literacy: developing skills and knowledge about the value and use of money Several organizations, including People for Education, have raised concerns about introducing a substantially new curriculum at the end of the school year and in a pandemic. The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario had recommended a two-year implementation plan to allow for more professional learning for teachers and development of resources for students. Read the curriculum and parent guide EQAO tests cancelled for Grades 3 and 6 for 2020-21 New tests will be developed by the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) to align with new mathematics curriculum. In the meantime, Grades 3 and 6 students will not be tested in the 2020-21 school year. However, high school students will continue to participate in the Grade 9 and Grade 10 mathematics assessments and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). School re-entry recommendations from SickKids released  A new report from pediatricians and others at Toronto’s SickKids Hospital includes 12 recommendations to support re-opening schools. The authors say the goal of the report is to provide “general guidance” and to “help provide a framework to keep everyone safe.” The report states that it is “not intended as an exhaustive school guidance document or implementation strategy”.View full report. Education Resources We have new resources in our Education Resources for our Public Education Future UNESCO’s International Commission on the Futures of Education has just released Education in a post-COVID world: Nine ideas for public action. It includes concrete recommendations focused on preparing to educate students in a post-COVID world, starting with strengthening education as a common good. This week’s featured resource – Raising and Teaching Anti-Racist Kids – is from the Library at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. It provides a list of books and articles – many of them Canadian – for parents and educators to talk to children about race and racism. We need your support to continue to provide an independent, evidence-based voice for education Covid-19 is having an economic impact on all of us, including the not-for-profit and charitable sectors. People for Education, like other charities, is struggling to maintain our financial base in continuing essential and important work. Please consider People for Education if your personal philanthropy can continue – our efforts to provide research, insights, advocacy and expertise on public education are more important than ever as our education system aims for the best path forward. Follow us for regular updates on education policy and research

People for Education People for Education 728A St. Clair Ave. West 2nd Floor Toronto, Ontario M6C 1B3 Canada info@peopleforeducation.ca http://www.peopleforeducation.ca/