This week instead of having our regular class, we had the opportunity to sign- for several professional development day sessions, specifically about resources from Focused. The three sessions I signed up for provided some valuable resources to explore that were helpful and informative to use in a classroom across different grades.

Image from Focused website

Session 1

This first session I attended was “The Digital Classroom for K-7”. Within this session, we mostly reviewed a lot of what we learned last week about the educational resources that can be found on Focused. I did find that this session was more in-depth for some of the resources we were examining such as those from World Book. World Book Discover was designed for younger grades and consists of more icons and images to make it easier for students to navigate. As well, teachers have the ability to translate articles into different languages for students, making it more accessible for students who are learning English as an additional language (EAL). Further, text-to-speech is also an option to use. World Book Advanced can be used for students in higher grades and provides a wider breadth of resources when researching topics.

Session 2

The second session I attended was “Live IT! Bilingual Place-based Learning K-7”. I really enjoyed learning about this resource. Live It is a highly website consisting of several programs and resources about nature for teachers and students to use. These programs can be cross-curricular and focus on inquiry-based learning. Additionally, what I really liked about Live It is the integration of Indigenous perspectives and knowledge. One of the more interactive resources on Live It includes access to Q&A’s where students have the ability to post questions they have about topics and experts will then later answer their question. Further, there is a section on the Live It website that can connect the BC Curriculum to content and programs on their website.

Session 3

The final session I attended was “I Am Because We Are: Grade 6-9 Black Canadian Learning Resources”. I was really looking forward to this session because I think Black History in Canada as well as lived experiences are something that is only being taught recently and I want to ensure I am informed properly. The website we were provided includes a huge range of resources which include Ubuntu Philosophy, Black Joy, African Diaspora, Heroes and Rebellion, Erasure, Black Identity, and Black Excellence. As well, there as a teacher’s guide provided on the different section mentions above, and how they can align with the BC Curriculum. I’m really looking forward to being able to use this resource one day.

Focused Resource on Black Canadian History and Lived Experience