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Leadership, Opinion, School Community

Cdn EdWire – Toronto Ball Ban Kerfuffle Makes National Headlines

With children denied the right to bring their hard balls to school, parents question how far we will go to protect our children on the playground. Meanwhile, a landmark decision to open Toronto’s first Africentric high school gains approval.

by: Max Cooke

Students revolt: “We want our balls back!” – Toronto Star

Toronto school bans hard balls – CBC

Parents cry foul after elementary school bans balls over playground safety – National Post

Students revolt: “We want our balls back!” – Toronto Star

Toronto school bans hard balls – CBC

Parents cry foul after elementary school bans balls over playground safety – National Post

‘Let them play ball,’ parents say of school’s ball ban – Toronto Star

balls

OTHER NEWS

Africentric high school wins board’s blessing – Toronto Star

Aboriginal education boost may yield billions – Saskatoon Star Phoenix

Kids aren’t as corrupted by marketers as we think – Globe and Mail

Little change for local schools in report – Moncton Times and 
AIMS’ 9th annual report card ranks Atlantic Canadian high schools

Kindergarten in Victoria suburbs takes to the woods – Globe and Mail

Selling higher education to those who aren’t buying – Ottawa Citizen
In Ontario today, there are more students than ever on college and university campuses, but too many people still don’t see post-secondary education as an option. Matthew Pearson reports

BCTF fires back on issue of report cards during job action – Vancouver Sun

Teachers don’t friend students on Facebook: Survey – Toronto Sun

Tune-Up Tech Education in BC: Teachers – The Tyee
New report says proper trades training requires more funding, improved equipment and smaller class sizes.

INTERNATIONAL

Shanghai educational triumphs a lesson in test-taking – Globe and Mail

The Single Best Idea for Reforming K-12 Education – Forbes

Research doesn’t back up key ed reforms – Washington Post

How Children’s Play is Being Sneakily Redefined – Washington Post

EDUBLOG HIGHLIGHTS

Making a Case for Change in a Highly Successful System – Culture of Yes (Chris Kennedy) 
Why make the case for change in a system with an outstanding track record of education outcomes? Because there are potential pitfalls and challenges ahead:

  • A skills shortage
  • Difficulty integrating 21st century skills into curriculum
  • Too strong a content orientation
  • Inadequate and ineffective use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) in Education
  • A growth of differing and conflicting learning outcomes
  • Low satisfaction levels in schools
    Read more…
Discomfort in Play – The Principal of Change (George Couros) 
Currently, I am working on my K-12 Online Keynote which has been a real stretch in my learning.  The title that I have (so far) is “Playing in Public”, and the basis of the idea is that we are seeing ashift of people learning and struggling (openly) online.

Now I have been struggling not only with the creation of the video, but also the idea of “play”, which is the theme of this conference.  The term “play” to me, has always been synonymous with fun.  But when I stepped back and thought about the times that I “played”, fun wasn’t always apparent but engagement was.  Playing basketball (which I loved) was often times frustrating, but part of that frustration was what put me in that state of “flow” that kept me always wanting to get better.   Thinking of video games, how many times have I actually thrown the controller down on the ground after losing, to only pick it back up, and jump right back in.  Play to me, is not always fun, but I am always interested and challenged in whatever it is that I am pursuing.  If it is too easy, you will lose interest. Read more…


Meet the Expert(s)

Max Cooke

CEO

Max Cooke is the CEO of the EdCan Network.

Max Cooke est le directeur général du Réseau ÉdCan.

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