News Archive

This series of two Webinars focuses on assessment and evaluation in the Ministry of Education’s newest policy document - Growing Success – that private schools are required to implement. The Webinars will take you step by step through the three types of assessments: Assessment for Learning, Assessment as Learning and Assessment of Learning. We will take an in-depth look at each type of assessment and the implications for the classroom, and we will provide tools to help in their implementation.

Webinar #25, part one, deals with the use of assessment information for the purpose of improving learning. We will look at the essential steps in Assessment for Learning and Assessment as Learning, including their application to assessing students’ development of learning skills and work habits.

Webinar #26, part two in the series, focuses on evaluation that is based on Assessment of Learning and looks closely at the process involved in gathering evidence through observations, conversations, and student products, as well as in judging the quality of student work. Taking such a comprehensive view of achievement has significant implications for grading and reporting, which we will touch on in detail.

Click here for more information!

During our webinars, we encourage attendees to ask questions based on the material to ensure they have the knowledge and understanding of the topic that they are looking for.

At the end of our last rebroadcast of Webinar #23, Social Media in Education – Legal Implications, we had the following questions answered by Alan Wolfish, Q.C.:

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The Ministry of Education recently issued Ontario Schools: Kindergarten to Grade 12, Policy and Program Requirements, 2011 (OS). This document sets out the requirements of that govern the policies and programs of publicly-funded elementary and secondary schools and inspected private schools in Ontario. Principals of private schools must have a very good understanding of OS because those policies form the foundation of school operations and of Ministry inspections. It is critical for principals to recognize the policies in OS that apply to private schools and to have a firm understanding of how to use the policies to benefit the school and the students. PDS professional educators and policy experts can help.

Click here for more information!

Social networking presents educators with a new generation of potential benefits and problems.

This webinar describes the legal implications of social media for private schools and provides practical defensive strategies.

Private schools, as employers, must be more aware than ever before about their legal duties. Since the law requires teachers to teach by example as well as by lesson, and that example is set just as much by their conduct outside the classroom as within, what legal risks do social networks present? What privacy issues arise? What do private schools need to know about cyber-bullying and threats? Are there free speech issues?

Click here for more details!

As we move into the second semester, our office has received many requests to rebroadcast three recent webinars:

Supporting the LD Student in Your Classroom: Wed. March 21, 2012 – 1:00PM – 2:00PM

Helping Anxious Students in the Classroom (Internalizing Behaviour): Wed. March 28, 2012 – 1:00PM – 2:00PM

How Can I Teach This Student? Externalized, Challenging Behaviour:  Wed. April 4, 2012 – 1:00PM – 2:00PM

Teachers and principals found these webinars to be particularly useful in the past, and many requests were made to rebroadcast them. I would like to invite your and your staff to join us for these rebroadcasts and learn from experts in the field.

Many requested that the rebroadcasts occur over the lunch period as this would allow for several teachers to meet, use a projector, and take part in the webinar together. Such an arrangement is also cost effective as the payment will be for one computer login only. For an additional small fee we can broadcast the webinar at a date and time that is most convenient for your school.

Fees:

$80 (plus HST) for a single webinar login; OR $150 (plus HST) for all three webinars (one login per webinar).

$100 (plus HST) for a single broadcast on the day and time of your choice.

To register, click the links above and add your selections to your cart.  As requested by a number of schools, we have added the Paypal option for payment.  Now you may choose to pay either by Email Money Transfer (EMT) or by credit card via Paypal.

As we move into the second semester, our office has received many requests to rebroadcast three recent webinars:

• Implementing ‘Growing Success’ in H.S. Mathematics Courses, (Feb. 22, 2012, 1:00-2:00 PM)

• Assessing Using Professional Judgment, (Feb. 29, 2012, 1:00-2:00 PM)

• 15 Point Ministry of Education Inspection Checklist, (March 7, 2012, 1:00-2:30 PM)

Teachers and principals found these webinars to be particularly useful, and many requests were made to rebroadcast them. I would like to invite your teachers to take part in this opportunity to learn from experts in the field.

more »

For those of you looking for a short cut to Alan Wolfish’s webinar.

Click Here

Law without education is a dead letter. With education the needed law follows without effort and, of course, with power to execute itself; indeed, it seems to execute itself.
Rutherford B. Hayes

Welcome back everybody to another New Year. Hope everything has been going well in your respective schools. Hope you have noticed some updates to our menu bar

Here are some shortcut links to get around the site for January Events

Lunch and Learn with a Ministry Insider

Making Sense of the OS for Inspected Schools

Social Media in Education: Legal Implications

Knowledge is Power -School House Rock

Happy Holidays from PDS to you.

Please have a safe and Joyous Season!

Please Click on *NEWS FLASH* on your left side menu bar for more information on the immediate changes that have come with the Ministry changing the OSS to OS!

Also ensure you register for Jim Sebastian’s Webinar -

Making Sense of OS for Inspected Schools

***UPDATE*** For those of you who were trying to make payments by PayPal due to traffic the Shopping Cart Crashed.

The Issue has now been resolved and feel free to make payment with PayPal

To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.
Winston Churchill

The buzz about the Lunch and Learn has been very good as we continue see seats being filled very quickly. Make sure to register soon.

Upcoming Webinars

Beth Lisser – Assessing using Professional Judgement – Seats are limited register here

Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.

Hello Folks, We have two very important webinars this week. First is tonight Webinar 11 – Helping Anxious Students in the Classroom (Internalizing Behaviour). Tonights webinar will be run by Carol Balint. Further to that, this Friday we will have John Rennie with “Webinar 14 -Success Criteria From the Students’ Viewpoint”

We also have some big news coming up soon, so keep your eyes out for it in future emails.

‘I think therefore I am’

Wrapped up Webinar 9 last night, for those of you who missed it please contact PDS to arrange a replay.

And do not forget to register for Webinar 10 and 11.

Please download your copy of the recent Memorandum below

Memo From the Ontario Ministry of Education

Webinar 9 by Carol Adler is this week and we have a few spots remaining. If interested REGISTER NOW.

Thanks to everyone who attended webinar 8 last night. And special thanks to Helen Rees who stepped in last minute to do an exceptional job for us. Repeat performance’s will be made available soon… for more information please email questions to pdsmedia@professionaldevelopmentseminars.ca

PDS is getting very busy lately. We have an exciting amount of events coming up

Differentiated Instruction Webinar 8-11

Seminar 26 – TBA

And don’t forget to contact PDS to set up your in school workshop for your next PD-DAY

Tonight Ms. Flanny Alamparambil will present

Webinar #7 – Implementing Growing Success in High School Mathematics Courses

Click Here for more information

Jim Sebastian will be expanding on his points from Seminar 25 on Thursday Oct 6th at 7Pm To register click here

PDS is proud to announce a series of new webinars in the coming months.

Webinar #7 – Implementing Growing Success in High School Mathematics Courses

Webinars #8-11 - Differentiated Instruction: The Key to Meeting the Needs of All Your Students

Webinar #12 – Assessing Using Professional Judgment

Webinar #13 – Social Media in Education: Legal Implications

Click here for more information as well as dates and registration instructions or navigate to our Webinars page to see all of the webinars, both past and future, that PDS has to offer.

PDS has prepared PLAR Challenge material for the following courses:

Food & Nutrition   HFN2O
Introduction to Business   BBI2O
Career Studies   GLC2O
Civics   CHV2O

The material includes:

1. All the assessments for each of the units with reference to course expectations
2. The administrative forms related to the PLAR Challenge.

We are currently developing the material for additional PLAR Challenge courses, they will be available early next year.

The fee for each package is $475.00 + 13% HST

Contact us at info@professionaldevelopmentseminars.ca for more information and ordering details.

PDS is now selling software to produce official Ontario Student Transcripts at your school.  The software allows you to easily and seamlessly integrate your students’ academic information into the proper OST format and print it on official OST paper.

The cost of this software is $399 + 13% HST.  Contact us by phone or by email for ordering information.

Phone: (905) 333-5444
Email: info@professionaldevelopmentseminars.ca