The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Resources For Teaching Somali And South Sudanese Children

The Canadian Multicultural Education Foundation and the Alberta Teachers’ Association, with funding from Alberta Culture and Community Services, have released two new resources for teaching immigrant children: Teaching Somali Immigrant Children: Resources for Student Success and Working with South Sudanese Immigrant Students—Teacher Resources.

Many children from recent immigrant families face special challenges in school—cultural, linguistic and social. Those challenges become their teachers’ challenges. These two resources have been developed by teachers and community resource people with the assistance of a professional development consultant.

The booklets are available free of charge on the Canadian Multicultural Education Foundation website: www.cmef.ca.

Cyberbullying Documentary

Cyber Bullying is a unique DVD and comic book produced by Edmonton-based BearPaw Media Productions. Its goals are to teach youth about the effects of technology and encourage them to stop cyberbullying. Cyber Bullying offers a glimpse into the true nature of harassment and persecution carried out through modern communication platforms. The documentary follows the lives of four kids, explores how technology affects the way they relate to each other, and highlights the dangers of instant and public communication. Canadian cyberbullying expert Dr. Shaheen Shariff appears in the film. Cyber Bullying was screened at the 37th annual American Indian Film festival, in San Francisco. The film is 23 minutes long; it is accompanied by a comic book entitled CLICK: Stories of Cyber Bullying, which presents three stories about bullying. BearPaw Media is the production arm of Native Counselling Service of Alberta (NCSA). NCSA produces Aboriginal legal and educational video resources and provides wellness and addictions services to families. For more information, contact Kelly Roos. Phone: 780-429-9301; e-mail: Kelly-roos@ncsa.ca; website: www.bearpaweducation.ca.

Revamped Website For Careers In Trades

Two national organizations, the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum and Skills/Compétences Canada, have partnered to revamp the popular Careers in Trades website and ensure Canadian youth have access to up-to-date information on skilled trades careers.

“Apprenticeship stakeholders across trades, across sectors and across Canada tell us promoting careers in the skilled trades is a fundamental priority,” said Sarah Watts-Rynard, Executive Director of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum. “With skills shortages looming in many trades, ensuring youth and students have opportunities to explore career options in the trades is as important to the Canadian economy as it is to individuals suited to hands-on, well paid and highly-satisfying work.”

The revamped website features step-by-step information on how to take up an apprenticeship, lists the advantages of a career in the trades and offers youth, educators and parents stories from real apprentices across Canada. Over the next few months, additional resources for educators and students will also be updated.

The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum is an inclusive national body that brings together all of the stakeholders in Canada’s apprenticeship community to share common challenges and identify solutions, promote careers and research apprenticeship barriers and best practices. Skills/Compétences Canada is a national, not-for-profit organization that actively encourages and supports a coordinated Canadian approach to promoting careers in skilled trades and technologies to Canadian youth. 

Visit the new site at www.careersintrades.ca. For more information, contact Marie Bilodeau. Phone 613-235-4004, ext. 207.

Literacy-In-A-Box

Literacy-in-a-Box is an innovative resource developed by Calgary Reads to help educators promote family literacy in fun, engaging and effective ways. Research shows that the family is one of the best ways to support the development of children’s literacy skills. Literacy-in-a-Box contains three family literacy events, including invitations, agendas, handouts, electronic presentations, speaker notes, supply lists and to-do lists. As well, there are guides for forming a literacy action team, family engagement resources and family literacy resources. Calgary Reads offers seminars highlighting the resource. Visit www.calgaryreads.com for more information.

Oxford University Press Launches Ibooks For English Language Learners

Oxford University Press announces the launch of iBooks textbooks for English language learners, available exclusively on the iBookstore in the UK, U.S., Canada and Australia. Made with iBooks Author software, these titles harness the interactive capabilities of iPad to enrich the experience for students learning English. The first iBooks textbook, All About Space, features integrated videos, a gallery of colour photographs with the option to zoom in, interactive activities and audio in American English, and  allows students to discover 3-D models of the planets. Oxford Read and Discover was developed as a non-fiction series for young students from 8 years, to make learning English through other subjects exciting. Transformed into iBooks texbooks, the rich content, carefully graded language and activities develop language and critical thinking skills. As iBooks textbooks, they provide a different learning experience while making students better informed about the world and improving their language skills through reading in English. Oxford University Press's All About Space iBooks textbook is now available on the iBookstore on iPad. Price 8.99 GPD/$14.50 CAD. For further information, contact mary.franklin@oup.com.