Category: Principals

Do We Really Need School Counsellors? You May Be The First One …

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The First One…

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As a school counsellor you may be the first one

  • To listen to the story of a young man who does not believe he is good enough because his step dad who is alcoholic repeats that he is not good enough everyday in a number of ways
  • To be there when a young person comes out for the very first time
  • To listen to the dying words of a student who has cancer, but still wants to come to school
  • To listen to students who are having suicidal thoughts and don’t know how to cope or to students who need to be hospitalized and you are the first to assess the risk
  • To recognize that a student has psychosis and send them to the hospital where they get diagnosed and the family starts the process of treatment
  • To understand that a students cutting is way of coping with pain for them
  • To sit with a student as she tells her mom that she is pregnant at 15
  • To hear of a students years of repeated sexual abuse that they are now disclosing at 17 years old
  • To refer young people to a group for dealing with clinical depression
  • To work with a student who has been bullied since grade two and wants it to stop
  • To help students who feel caught in the middle because of a parents divorce
  • To recognize that a student needs treatment for their mental health
  • To get help for a young woman or young man who has an eating disorder, but doesn’t want anyone to know
  • To listen to the buried fears of a young man coping with an anxiety disorder
  • To recognize a learning disability in a young person and have them get help
  • To be present to the impalpable grief of a brother who lost his sister in a tragic accident
  • To help students face the unbearable
  • To reach out to a student with a drug and alcohol problem who feels nobody understands and encourage them to seek treatment
  • To show compassion and assist students who are suspended from school
  • To work with students who are in an unhealthy relationship and help them understand how to get help
  • To assist students with their confusion about which post secondary school to go to
  • To get students help for their academic challenges and start to achieve what they are capable of
  • To let students know that whatever they are going through they will get through it. You will be with them along the way and assist them with resources to help them when they have finished school
  • To listen to the unspoken dreams of a young person
  • To let students know they can start over
  • To reach out to the student who no one knows how to
  • To be present and teach mindfulness to the student
  • To encourage students to engage and include all students with special needs
  • To trust the student
  • To listen to their stories and share stories that can help them
  • To believe in students
  • To help students find courage
  • To not give up on the student
  • To be their champion
  • To lift them up
  • To celebrate and make them aware of their strengths
  • To help, to really help students not just survive , but thrive
  • To recognize the gifts that a student has and encourage them to utilize them
  • To give HOPE to a student who has felt hopeless
  • To be the one person that matters for that one student

The School Counsellor may just be the first one students decide to share their stories with. The student might feel safe enough in their school to trust an adult with their most precious and often their painful secrets and that person could be you. Students want help and School Counsellors are trained and want to help students. There are so many stories out there everyday and in every school all across the world that need and are being shared.

I believe School Counsellors can and are saving the lives of students.

Do we need School Counsellors? What do you think?

For any of you who are considering School Counselling, I want you to know it is the best career in the world. I also want to thank all the School Counsellors from across the world that saved a student’s life TODAY or yesterday or a year or maybe even several years ago and remind you that you do make a difference.

Always remember you may be the first one …

 

School Counsellor Talk on Grief

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Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them.

– Leo Tolstoy 

School Counsellors often have to assist students with the grief process. Over the years I have seen students who have lost parents, siblings, friends, classmates and family members.

When a school experiences the loss of a student everyone feels the loss as expressed  here by a note left to a student who died.

Dear_____,

Even though we haven’t formally met, I look at your spot in English class and I am deeply saddened that you are not here with us…

It is never easy seeing a student in deep pain especially if the loss was tragic or sudden. Often times school counsellors need to ensure that they have dealt with their own issues surrounding grief so that they can best help others. School Counsellors need to be aware of vicarious trauma or counsellor burnout when assisting students who have experienced traumatic events.

Wendy Kurchak who is a retired school counsellor and now certified thantologist defines trauma loss as “a type of loss resulting from a sudden unexpected loss which is perceived as traumatic by the griever. It involves grief response + trauma response = complicated grief.” The suicide of a student is one of the most tragic a school counsellor will ever have to deal with and can most certainly bring about this kind of a response.

The school counsellor will often be dealing with the grief of several students and possibly the adults around them in any situation where a loss has affected the school community.

It is extremely important that a school counsellor takes care of their own selves as well as being present to the grief of others. To learn more about your own level of compassion fatigue go to: http://www.proqol.org/

Grief is a process and not an event. Every person’s grief is as unique as the individual or situation of loss. School counsellors may need several resources to assist students in their school community with a loss.

Students need to be reminded:

  • To grieve in their own time and way
  • That it is OK to cry and grieving comes in waves (sometimes unexpectedly through a song, a smell, or a picture. Anything can trigger moments of grief)
  • Writing in a journal, creating songs, painting, creating a space and a place to grieve may help
  • Dr. Allan Wolfelt is a leading expert in this field and offers great information
  • It is ok to talk to someone like your school counsellor, a teacher, friend, parent or your local hospice

The school counsellor can use the following sentence completions with students:

  1. Grief is …
  2. You can help me by…
  3. Something I can do to help myself is…
  4. Others should realize that I…
  5. When I am sad I …
  6. My loss feels…
  7. I don’t know what to do when I am feeling…
  8. The hardest part of my grief for me is…
  9. If I could teach someone something about grief it would be…
  10. I can turn to _________ to help me.

School Counsellors can also find resources in my live binder:

Click here:

Livebinder on Grief

If you have any grief resources you want to share , please feel free to tweet me @SSpellmanCann.

Canadian School Counsellors Connecting…School Counselling Today Touches Tomorrow

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photo by CRobi-Blog cc

To Touch The Soul of One Human Being Is To Walk On Holy Ground

Stephen Covey

One of our tasks as school counsellors is to help students separate themselves from outside evaluations and erroneous self- concepts, so that they may discover their own being. We need them to remember, regain, renew and strengthen what they once had as a baby, but now seems lost! By focusing on a student’s strengths we are better able to assist them.

Developing a positive relationship with students is essential and a key into their world; if we accept all students with respect and regard we will be effective in helping them.

Paraphrased from Windows to Our Children by Violet Oaklander

 

School Counsellors have an extremely important job to do. No matter what the situation is they are helping students and relationship is extremely important. It is the cornerstone of what school counsellors do. School counsellors are often privileged to have the time to sit down with a student to really understand their world and what it is they need.  Part of the school counsellor’s role is to enhance the students development both personally and academically.

School counsellors across the country have a variety of skills. In my district we have to have a teaching degree as well as a Master’s degree in counselling.

When students come to the school counsellor they know they can get assistance in a number of areas with a variety of issues.

Coordinating Comprehensive School Counselling Programs which recognize the developmental needs of students is vital to the work that a school counsellor does. They provide responsive services in minor and major crisis while also coordinating wraparound services for school/community agencies as well as service providers for education, mental health, justice, newcomers and health care.

The Guidance Council of Alberta has some great resources to provide school counsellors in Canada with a background and framework for what we do.

 Click here: http://www.guidancecouncil.ca/?page_id=29

The role of the school counsellor has changed and is evolving. Ask a school counsellor what they do and you may be surprised. Helping students is what school counsellors do. They want to make a difference in students lives so that they can better navigate the world around them.

Wanting more information about School Counsellors in Canada? The following websites are helpful:

  • Newfoundland: No website available at the present time
  • Northwest Territories: No website available at the present time
  • Nunavut:  No website available at the present time
  • Ontario School Counsellors Association: http://www.osca.ca/
  • Prince Edward Island Counselling Association:  http://www.peica.org/
  • Quebec: No website available at the present time
  • Saskatchewan School Counsellor Association: http://ssc.stf.sk.ca/ssca/ssca.html
  • Yukon Territory: No website available at the present time

The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association School Counselling Chapter keeps up on school counselling programs across Canada and promotes and supports the role of school counsellors.

http://www.ccpa-accp.ca/en/chapters/schoolcounsellors/

School Counsellors love what they do and more are beginning to connect on twitter for professional development. We also love connecting with school counsellors from all over the world. So please join us follow the hash tags:

Canadian School Counsellor Chat:  #cscchat

American School Counselors:  #scchat

You can follow me @SSpellmanCann

Note to all school counsellors everywhere. If you have a HAIKU DECK that you have created please share with me @SSpellmanCann and I will share with EVERONE as well as putting in a place for all school counsellors to use.

Here is one example:                                                

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Click here:

http://www.haikudeck.com/p/VT42oMjCFM/positive-connections-school-counselling

  • Hope you join in on creating haiku decks that students and you can use.
  • Looking forward to connecting and working together to create FREE school counselling resources that students and school counsellors across the WORLD can use  to make a difference in the lives of our students.

Top Ten Technology Tools Every Educator and School Counsellor Should Use

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  1. Haiku Deck  A personal favorite of mine. This app helps students, teachers and school counsellors share stories that can make a difference.
  2. Twitter A fantastic tool for teachers and school counsellors to utilize for professional development.
  3. Livebinders A wonderful virtual 3 ring binder that helps educators and school counsellors not have to reinvent the wheel as there are so mant fantastic school counselling and educational binders already made. You can copy and use the binders available or create your own.
  4. Jux  A beautiful, visual  space that teachers and school counsellors can use to share ideas or important information. I use it for a school counselling website  www.sspellmancann.jux.com
  5. Pinterest  A wonderful place for teachers and school counsellors to find great resources and share them with othes.
  6. Google plus. Here are a few  tutorials on you tube to get you started.  
    A must site to be able to share with colleagues and those from across the world. Google hangouts are a must. 
  7. Animoto This is a nice app to use for easy videos. Teachers can sign up for a free account . Make sure you check that feature out. Check here: Animoto for Education
  8. Flipboard  A great educational and personal app that can curate information you can access easily.
  9. Tellagami   A fun easy tool that you can use to send messages to parents and students.
  10. Ted Ed An inspirational place to find videos for PD or to use with students.

For more tools go to  SCOPE School Counsellor Online Professional Exchange and  Go to:

My live binder on Resources for the School Counsellor

Have fun and if you know of any great apps or resources , please share !

Haiku Deck A Fantastic App for School Counsellors

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HAIKU DECK is a fantastic app to use for School Counsellors. It is no secret that I love this app. I love this app because it is easy to use and creates professional looking beautiful presentations that I can easily use in my counselling office or as a professional development tool that I can use in presentations with other school counsellors. Stunning visuals have the ability to evoke emotion, a powerful tool for school counsellors to utilize. By being an active champion of both learning and technology school counsellors can use Haiku Deck to create amazing visuals that not only assist students in learning , but they can actually help students.

If you would like to try the web app please click  here: You are invited to try the Haiku Deck web app.

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Click here to see this deck:

The newest version of Haiku Deck is even better than before. Check out the Haiku Deck blog for some hot tips on how to make new and exciting presentations.

The truth about stories is, that ‘s all we are”.

Thomas King

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School Counsellors can use this app to:

  • Share stories (while still keeping confidentiality)
  • Engage students brain to help them remember what is important
  • Share small and/or  big ideas
  • Present topics to other counsellors
  • Share ideas or topics with students ( easy to share in your office as topic starters)
  • Have students create decks on coping skills or to tell their story
  • Co create a deck with students
  • Create positive quotes and have them rotating in your office
  • Post Haiku Deck’s on your schools facebook site.
  • Tweet decks to students in your school with messages that promote school counselling
  • Tweet decks to other school counsellors.

Please feel free to share ideas you come up with so we can remix and share the best Haiku Deck’s for School Counsellors ever.

Parents might also like getting Haiku Deck’s. It is a great way to promote your School Counselling Program.

Because HAIKU DECK has a Creative Commons license, finding a picture that fits your ideas is fast and easy and as school counsellors this is extremely helpful. It’s as easy as 1-2-3 to set yourself up and share.

How to use Haiku Deck for school counsellors:

STEP 1 Go to: http://www.haikudeck.com/

STEP 2: Sign up for Haiku Deck and create a password

STEP 3: Download the app on your IPAD and start creating

Haiku-Easy-Steps

Need ideas and visuals go to the gallery where you will find all kinds of great HAIKU DECKS.

Start using Haiku Deck now and your life as a school counsellor will become be enhanced because you’ll get to share great presentations with others that look like it took you forever to create!

You can view more presentations in Haiku Deck’s Gallery, Haiku Deck’s Pinterest boards, and make sure you follow and share your experiences with Haiku Deck on Twitter (you can even tweet your fantastic presentations to them with #setyourstoryfree ) .

Check out  Susan’s Pinterest HaikuDecks for school counsellors to get you started with some ideas. 

Follow Haiku Deck on twitter @haikudeck

School Counsellors please share your counselling haikudeck’s with me on twitter @sspellmancann. I would like to pin and share with others. let’s work together to make some of the best deck’s ever for students. 

Click below to see Erin Luong’s Haiku Deck ( high school counsellor)  that she co- created with a student.


 HD Tips and tricks

YOUR School Counsellor discusses YOUR REPUTATION ON AND OFFLINE

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photo by zenobia_joy cc attribution

It is our choices … that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
– J. K. Rowling (Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets)

If I search the internet …what will I find about you?

Your reputation is very important to you on and off line so how do you keep or get a positive reputation?

  • Act As If The World Is Watching. (because they probably are) Make sure you become the person you want to be on the internet. Everything we do nowadays is recorded. It seems every move we make someone is either taking a picture or videoing us. So it is up to you to be the kind of person you want the world to see, because they just might.

   

Your Digital Dossier . Think about it!

 

  • What You Give Out Is Probably What You Will Get Back. So give out the positive vibes that you want to get back. Treat everyone as you would like to be treated on and off the internet. Put out positive messages on and off line. Flood the internet with positive posts by you. You decide what you want your reputation to be. Don’t wait for others to create it for you.
  • Self- reflect. Check out who you are on and off line.  It is always a good thing to do. Do a search on line to see what is being said about you. Google yourself on a regular basis. Build up positive stories on line if nothing is out there. Decide who you want to be and become that person. Who do you admire the most? What qualities do they have? Work on those qualities in yourself and be honest about who you are online.
  •  Be Real Be Yourself. All of us are not perfect and all we can really be is who we are, so discover the real you and make sure your reputation is really what you want it to be. If you were writing a news story about yourself what would it say? Be authentic.
  •  Live and Learn. If someone makes a bad remark about you on or off line. Don’t give it any energy. Don’t react, don’t retaliate. You know who you are and if you respond you will only fuel the fire and often that is what people want is to see your reaction. So believe in yourself and make sure you are surrounded by positive people who know who you really are. Build your allies. Block people who are inappropriate.
  •  Use Common Sense. I know this sounds easy, but some people really don’t understand this concept. Ask yourself would I make that comment to someone I respect on or off line? THINK before you post. THINK before you say something you will regret.
  • Recognize That You Are Someone Who Can Make a Difference Having a positive influence on line and off is really up to you. You can create what it is that you want. Be your own PR person. Start with making a decision to have a positive reputation.
  • Just for Today recognize that you can build a positive reputation. Even if you have said or done negative things in the past, start today to be honest, reliable and reputable.
  • Get supports Helpful and healthy relationships are important. Ask for guidance from people who know how to be ethical. Read more about being an ethical person on and off line. Learn how to have healthy relationships. Go online to research how to be the best person you can be. Take leadership courses. Volunteer. Help others less fortunate. Learn from great leaders. Who do you know that has a great reputation on and off line? Ask them how they did it. Tweet them … they just might respond.
  • Your reputation is created by you SMILE your on YOU TUBE. . How you act, what you say, what you do. It is all up to you! Build the kind of reputation you want. The world is watching now more than ever before.  
  • Safety Are you sure you are being safe on line? Ask for help if you need it.

Inspired by Janine Wariner’s talk at the Telus Convention Centre March 2010

Check out her video here:

http://jcwarner.com/speeches.html

I value digitally responsibility. I am a learner won’t you join me?

Digital Citizenship is a concept which helps teachers and technology leaders understand what students should know to use technology appropriately. But Digital Citizenship is more that just a teaching tool, it is a way to prepare students for a society full of technology. Too often we are seeing students as well as adults misusing and abusing technology. The issue is more than what the users do not know but instead what is considered appropriate technology usage.

Alec Couros

 

For School Counsellors Resources:

Check out the University of British Columbia’s Information on your  Digital Tattoo .

My livebinder on DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP which will be updated as we move along in the next two weeks

Videos on cyberbullying:

A very helpful resource for Creative Commons that can assist in students being digitally responsible:

http://search.creativecommons.org/

For parents:

Digital Citizenship is so important . Our digital identity begins at birth. We need to be more vigilant than ever before about becoming the person we want to be. It doesn’t mean we won’t make mistakes. It means we need to learn and grow and be responsible for who we are and will become.

Maybe because the world may be watching ,we will all become better citizens.

Teacher Advisor Second Collaborative Post

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At Bishop Carroll High School, the Teacher Advisor program is central to the working of a self-directed model. Teachers are committed to ensuring that each individual is known personally by at least one adult. There are many components to the teacher advisor program including continuous dialogue. Advisors meet at least once a week for fifteen minutes or more with each student in their TA. They also meet daily for 15 minutes. The Teacher Advisor stays with this student throughout their three years of high school.

There is a 69 page document that Bishop Carroll has developed that describes the TA role to new staff members. The advisory role is taken very seriously at this school,so much so that teachers are thought to be teacher advisors first and subject teachers second.. It is a big reason why Bishop Carroll works so well.

According to CCSDL http://ccsdl.ca/ (The Canadian Coalition of Self- Directed Learners) “the single most important relationship between student and teacher is embodied in the teacher advisor program.” Teachers serve as coaches, mentors, facilitators and guides as well as stressing collaboration and high expectations.”

At Bishop Carroll one of the focal points of our ( ePD) embedded professional development, is on the TA role and how we can continue to engage learners and assist them in every way possible.

Heather Enzie and Kevin Warriner, Religion teachers at Bishop Carroll, have some creative ways to engage their students in their 15 minute check-in each morning. “We want kids coming to school each morning engaged and ready to go – we want them to be excited to be here,” explains Warriner. The two educators, who’ve shared a “check-in space” for the past two years, have developed daily themes that are meant to inspire the 55 students that check-in with them explains Enzie. “I like to find good, short videos to show to the students, meeting them on their turf. We’ve developed themes for each day such as:

  • Motivational Mondays
  • Trivia Tuesdays
  • Wacky Wednesdays
  • Thoughtful Thursdays
  • Pop Up Video Vendredi’s (Fridays referring to the music videos from the late 90’s which are both educational and entertaining.

According to Warriner, the different themes are drawing a crowd, “Kids are engaged – they’re excited. There is anticipation for the themes each day.” Enzie argues that perhaps the most important trend that has come about from this initiative is student involvement, saying, “Our students send us videos. They see stuff online and send them to us thinking it would be a good fit for check-in. More and more they are taking ownership of the content that is shared during check-in.”

Both Warriner and Enzie feel that the check-in themes provide students with many different tools to help them succeed in a self-directed learning environment and develop skills and habits to becoming a life-long learner.

Check in varies from TA to TA, but ideas are shared and generated regarding best practices through our ePD. Some TA’s like to celebrate breakfasts, lunches and birthdays with their students. Also, information about post-secondary options is encouraged, supported and provided in TA. Susan Spellman Cann has initiated a daily tellagami where she sends her TA daily quotes.

These are but a few ideas for celebrating our students. Sharing, collaborating, connecting and problem solving are all modeled through the TA relationship. Engaging our students is an ongoing process, but the benefits of a lasting positive relationship are lifelong.

What do you do to engage students in your teacher advisory group? We’d love you to share your ideas.

Collaborative post by :Susan Spellman Cann, Kevin Warriner and Heather Enzie

The nice thing about collaborating on a post is that several ideas come out of the discussion. We thought of all kinds of ideas for each day after we discussed this post. All of which will benefit students.

Check out this haiku deck . It is one of many you can share with students.

http://www.haikudeck.com/p/tkA9BQRtVD/one-kind-word

Sharing: Unlocking the Key to My Filing Cabinet and Keeping it Open … HOPE

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This blog is the beginning of me keeping my filing cabinet open. I have many resources I have wanted to share with school counsellors,but did not realize I could do it. This blog is how and the time is now thanks to the fantastic open sharing in ETMOOC and especially because of Alec Couros. The process stated with me being referred to Alec’s work by Vianne Timmons, so I went to his workshop and got going on twitter. So began the best PD ever. I have been following the fantastic work of Dr. Erin Mason and other school counsellors in the United States and beyond, but I was still not ready to jump into a blog. Fears got in the way. I have been fortunate to have many, many great dialogues with Erin Luong which also helped with my decision making. ETMOOC was the final push and as a result I believe I will share, share, share and in an OPEN EDUCATOR way. I have so much more to learn and as I do this I am very GRATEFUL for all of ETMOOC participants who have inspired me to share openly.

My first THEME HOPE.. I hope school counsellors can use some of the ideas and materials. Take what you like REMIX ( a term I now really understand because of ETMOOC ) and leave the rest.

“Once you choose hope, anything is possible” Christopher Reeve

HOPE is essential when it comes to school counselling. School Counsellors can take a leadership role when it comes to instilling hope in students. Listen to Derek’s story of not giving up which demonstrates the power of HOPE. We know that if students are resilient they are better able to self- regulate and that means they can cope more effectively. According to Barbara Frederickson a psychological researcher at the University of North Carolina, “a positive mood makes people more resilient physically”.  Resiliency and hope definitely go hand in hand.

Shane Lopez, psychologist and author of Making Hope Happen helps us understand more about hope and the steps needed to help students be more hopeful. www.Hopemonger.com

We want students to never give up and if we can access resources to help us do this we will make a difference and possibly save a life.

How can we spread hope throughout the school in a digital way?

  • We can post videos like Derek’s story on our counselling website.
  • We can tweet out to stories of hope on twitter.
  • We can post stories of hope on our school Facebook site as well as our school website.
  • We can embed Hope themes and pictures into our curriculum guides

Hope is an Open Heart a book by Lauren Thompson can be used with younger students to discuss losses and the overcoming of hardship.

Students could be encouraged to:

  • Make videos of HOPE
  • Create Art pieces around the theme of HOPE
  • Make @haikudecks on iPad with a HOPE theme
  • Design hopeful songs or music
  • Find people who inspire HOPE and write about them
  • Brainstorm ways to inspire hope in others
  • Make bulletin boards on themes of HOPE and Suicide Prevention
  • For younger students they could make trading cards the size of hockey cards and design cards of HOPE that they can trade with others
  • Performing Random Acts of Kindness can inspire hope as well.

RESOURCES:

  1. At http://www.helpothers.org/ you can find smile cards which you can download and hand out.
  2. Who I am Makes a Difference ribbons can be ordered at www.blueribbons.org. These ribbons are great to use in a Celebration of HOPE assembly or as a beginning of the year activity.
  3. Some great books for school counsellors are called :The Power To Prevent Suicide  A Guide To Helping teens by Richard E Nelson, A Parent’s Guide for Suicidal and Depressed Teens by Kate Williams Beyond the Blues a workbook to help teens overcome depression by Lisa M Schab
  4.  At http://www.values.com/ you can make your own bulletin boards or make them and post for all kids to see.
  5. At pinterest you can see some ideas for HOPE on this board http://pinterest.com/susansc/hope-theme/
  6. Search institute has done extensive research on what adolescents need to be resilient. They have great resources. Go to http://www.search-institute.org/content/40-developmental-assets-adolescents-ages-12-18

As a school counsellor incorporating a suicide prevention theme with the theme of hope just makes sense. Running suicide prevention workshops for your students at the beginning of the school year is also very valueable.

Look Listen and Link is a video which could be very helpful for Suicide Prevention for teens. You can find it on Youtube. Here is another message of hope.

The Centre for Suicide Prevention has fantastic resources for school counsellors. www.suicideinfo.ca

  1. A great book for students is When Nothing Matters Anymore by Bev Cobain

At the APP store students can access a digital blue ribbon that they can share with others sending positive messages to anyone they feel makes a difference. You can find a link to the blue ribbon in my livebinder.

Finally you can access my livebinder on HOPE for more ideas.

These are but a few ideas. Please share yours so we can help students everywhere.

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=425596

This blog post will be a work in progress and as I continue to learn. I will share more and more.

Topic #4: The Open Movement – Open Access, Open Educational Resources & Future of Education … So Much to Think About …

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Think

What do I think about topic 4? Well I think there are so many things within this topic that I will reflect on for a long time. ETMOOC is just a piece of the process when it comes to challenging what I believe about these topics.

Open Movement: While I had heard about this before ETMOOC, I had not really given it much thought. I certainly love the philosophical discussions I have been having with colleagues and most likely will continue to have discussions around this movement.

RIP Remixer’s Manifesto was interesting to view. It challenges my belief system around fair use, remix, copyright and makes me question where are we going in society around these issues. How does this impact students and where do I stand on these issues? There is so much to think about. I am hoping to learn more about these issues and as a result I will better be able to reflect on my beliefs as topic 4 progresses.

The future of education… I think that could be a whole book. I appreciate the time to reflect on these issues as they impact what I do and how I will reframe my own thinking.

I am slowly realizing why the ETMOOC has been set up the way it has. It is purposeful and process oriented. I look forward to hearing others thoughts and ideas.

Being in ETMOOC has made me think, challenge what I think, reflect, revise what I think and continue to learn and challenge myself and as a result impacts what I say and do.

Hope in My Ideal School … What Does Your Ideal School Look Like?

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After listening to Will Richardson’s blackboard collaborate talk I had to reflect on what it is that I would really want my ideal school to look like. I believe this will be an ongoing reflection as I continue to engage in my own process of learning in this digital age.

I believe I am very fortunate to be working in a self- directed learning model. I love the way students learn at Bishop Carroll High School. This model has been in action for over forty–years and is fantastic, but still evolving.

As I really reflect on what it is I would like to see in a school, the school counsellor comes out in me as my first thought is a school filled with HOPE.

Do hope and technology go hand in hand? I believe they most certainly can.  This video I discovered after receiving a tweet demonstrates the importance of HOPE. Shane Lopez’s interview expresses why I want my ideal school to be full of HOPE.

http://www.gallup.com/video/123893/Engage-Students-Improve-Community.aspx

The next video called, “If students designed their own schools” made me want what these students have done in their school to be a part of what I would want in my ideal school.

What might my ideal school look like? :

  • Hope filled
  • Engaged students and staff
  • Mutual Respect
  • Low student teacher ratio where all students can be heard and helped
  • Creativity is encouraged and abounds
  • Grades would not matter
  • Teachers would not ever feel they had to teach to tests
  • Counsellors would be essential in every school starting in elementary to high school
  • Counsellor to student ratio would be low and every school counsellor would not have to teach a class, but would engage students through workshops or through resources online or groups or whatever the schools and most importantly the students needs were
  • Exercise would be a part of every students and teachers day
  • Positive Connections would be evident
  • Capable, confident students would emerge and have opportunities to move in the direction of their dreams
  • Students would have available to them a variety of resources and opportunities
  • A students needs and personality would be highly considered
  • Safe Learning Spaces
  • The building would feel more like a comfy home than an institution
  • Students and staff are in a constant process of being technology savvy and literate
  • Professional development is ongoing and supported. Funding is readily available
  • Breaks where students and staff were nourished and had time to connect happen on a daily basis
  • Celebrations of staff and students occur on a regular basis
  • Passion is evident

I think I could go on and on, but for today I will stop here.

HOPE abounds in my ideal school, but what will schools look like in the future? I really am not sure.

After watching the video The Future of Education: Epic 2O20.  I have to really wonder are schools really prepared for what education might look like in 2020.

What do you think?

For today, my ideal school is right where I am.  I love working and counselling in a Self- Directed High School.  It makes me very happy and it is a very hopeful place where  I belong.