With more public school boards such as that of Brampton and Mississauga joining force to voice their concern about poor performance of students in the province-wide standardized mathematics and literacy test, an old debate has been renewed: does this type of assessment truly capture students’ learning and if not, why does the province insist on
Many decades ago, typing was an essential school subject that would improve students’ chance of obtaining future employment. Some twenty years ago, computer class was an elective course, auxiliary to the “more important” subjects of math, science, history, and English. Today, Canadian children are learning to read and write HTML code. Our culture and technological
Learning French as a second language in Ontario offers you a long list of advantages when you want to join the Canadian workforce. You don’t have to live in Quebec or New Brunswick to come across bilingualism or a knowledge of French as a job application requirement. Bilingualism will serve you well in every province
Children have been learning from home since the advent of education. The school system as we know it today is a relatively new concept, and before the provincial government took charge of schooling, our parents, family members, and neighbours were responsible for our education. Today, homeschooling is considered an alternative form of education; however, it
Are you nearing that age where everyone is expecting you to make up your mind about the next phase of your academic career? Half of you reading this likely have a solid plan for the next four years of your life, while the other half is having greater difficulty deciding. College or university isn’t for
The age-old question, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” may be starting to feel like a weight on your shoulders by now. While many students knew from a young age they wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, video game designer, or actor, not everyone is fortunate enough to know for sure.
Critical Thinking and Ontario Schools A recent student of ours was caught copying the main information in their essay from various dubious internet sources. We found this upsetting on many levels. One disheartening aspect of this situation is that beyond the dishonesty the student did not truly comprehend their reasons for the plagiarism. They didn’t
Getting away from the constant threat of bullying can be one of the reasons to leave a traditional learning environment. If you do see yourself as a victim, you may not feel empowered to fight back. Bullies can make our lives quite miserable. Not only do our grades begin to suffer, but so does our self-esteem and not
