University of the Fraser Valley: Call for proposals
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Call for Proposals: Summer Institute in Teacher Education:The Teacher Education Department at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford is proud to offer a Summer Institute in Teacher Education: Innovative Teaching Practices for 21st Century Students in July 2016. The SITE provides exciting opportunities for local, national and international educators to engage in powerful professional development and qualify for possible TQS (Teacher Qualification Service) upgrade. We envision recent Teacher Education Program graduates, TTOCs (Trained Teachers On Call), teachers in their early years of teaching and/or teachers in career transition as our target audience. Our theme for SITE 2016 is Enabling Innovation. SITE is designed with practicing teachers in mind. It is flexible, it provides a wide array of courses (1-, 2- and 3-credit), and it puts the needs of school teachers first. We take great care to offer coursework in subjects and topics that matter most to educators.

Call for Proposals:

We are seeking active, engaged instructors to teach our courses who are specialists in their field and who are interested in providing powerful and memorable learning opportunities to our students. For more information and/or to submit a proposal, please visit our website: http://www.ufv.ca/site/
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Comment se souvenir?

Students in grades 4 – 12 (grades 4 - secondary V in Quebec) are invited to submit a written piece or visual artwork to the How We Remember contest.

This contest challenges students to create a piece of writing or artwork around the theme of remembrance of either the First or Second World War. Remembrance and commemoration are challenging endeavours, and complex questions may arise when considering these conflicts – questions such as:

• What should we remember?
• Whose experiences should be commemorated and how?
• What are the ethical dimensions of remembrance?
• Should heroism, sacrifice and injustice all be commemorated in the same way?

These are some of the questions artists and authors should consider in their piece.
How We Remember is part of Historica Canada’seducational campaign on the First and Second World Wars. Education Guides, learning tools with additional activities and other resources are available to assist students and teachers during the creative process and to supplement classroom learning.
Entries will be reviewed by the contest jury and winners will be selected from three grade categories: Elementary (grades 4-6), Junior (grades 7-9, secondary I-secondary III in Quebec) and Senior (grades 10-12, secondary IV –V in Quebec). A classroom prize will also be awarded to a group entry from a grade 4-11 (grade 4 – secondary V in Quebec) class with 6 or more participants.
Each entry must include a written artist or author statement (max. 300 words).
There will be a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prize for each category. Please see the rules and regulations for additional guidelines.
Enter for the chance to win an iPad or iPod!

May 6th 2016 Whistler Joint Conference
(Provincial Intermediate Teachers, Teachers of English Language Arts, Teachers of Modern Languages)

Have you ever wished that you had more time for your favourite PITA conference workshop?
Do you have an area that you love to teach and can’t ever learn enough about?
Then join us at the Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa for half-day explorations with six exciting and passionate presenters.  You will come away with great new ideas and handouts and meet other teachers who share your interests.

Link: Conference Brochure                  Link: Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa
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Friday, May 6, 2016, 9:30am – 3:30pm
BCTF members: $125 until April 10, $145 starting April 11.
Non-BCTF members, out-of-province, and administrators: $145.
Register as a group of three or more and receive 10% off
TTOCs, Retired teachers, para-professionals and SEAs: $65

Click here to register now through Whistler Partner BCTELA

Planning to join us at Whistler?  Need a hotel room for the night? To get the special myPITA room rate at the Whistler Hilton, you need to contact the hotel directly, rather than going through the Hilton’s central reservation service.  Contact the In House Reservations team at reservations@hiltonwhistler.com or call 1-800-515-4050.  We hope you can join us!

The BC Teachers' Federation (BCTF) is seeking 12 public school teacher representatives willing to participate as BCTF representatives to the Ministry of Education’s Provincial Classroom Assessment Development Team in the areas listed below.

In addition to public school teachers, the Ministry will appoint educators from independent schools. These team members will not be appointed by the BCTF.

General information
In order to support the new curriculum, the Ministry is seeking input on aligning classroom assessment frameworks with the new curriculum. Classroom assessment includes formative assessment, summative assessment, and communicating student learning to parents. The Ministry is seeking teachers from K‒9 who are well-versed in classroom assessment to provide ongoing feedback, input, and guidance in establishing an assessment framework, including the identification of necessary assessment resources.

Members will be appointed as representatives to the Provincial Development Classroom Assessment Team for a one-year period. The term of appointment will be from January 2016 to January 2017. TTOC costs and travel expenses for team members will be covered by the Ministry, and any time required outside of meetings will be compensated according to government guidelines.

Typically, the team meets three to four times during the year in Victoria, Richmond, Surrey, or Vancouver. Each meeting is scheduled for one to two days. Team members may also be asked to complete tasks individually to support the development of effective principles of assessment and provide materials in support of the new directions. More details will be provided by the Ministry.

Selection criteria
    teaching experience in grade levels and subject areas from K‒9
    knowledge of approaches to assessment for, of, and as learning
    experience in effective classroom assessment practices and proven leadership in this area,
e.g., provided workshops, mentoring, participated in provincial, district, local and/or school- based assessment committees
    a thorough familiarity with the redesigned curriculum including an understanding of the core competencies and how they take expression in the curricular competencies
    excellent writing skills and the ability to write lessons and support materials for teachers 
    the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment, meet deadlines, and beenthusiastic and committed to an innovative approach to the redesigned provincial curriculum and classroom assessment 
    active BCTF membership status 
    awareness of the role and responsibilities of representing the BCTF and the teaching profession 
    balance of diversity—gender, Aboriginal, regional representation, etc., will be sought.

Team Representatives
Provincial Classroom Assessment Development Team K‒2                3
Provincial Classroom Assessment Development Team 3‒5                3
Provincial Classroom Assessment Development Team 6‒7                3
Provincial Classroom Assessment Development Team 8‒9                3

Copyright
Members of the classroom assessment development team will be expected to observe the requirements of copyright legislation.

Deadline: Tuesday, December 15, 2015, at 5:00 p.m. (late applications will not be accepted) British Columbia Teachers’ Federation 100-550 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver BC V5Z 4P2 604-871-2283, Toll free 1-800-663-9163, Fax 604-871-2289—bctf.ca

To apply: Complete the BCTF CV form
Fax: 604-871-2286 or email your application to applications@bctf.ca
Direct enquires to: Janice Neden, jneden@bctf.ca, 604-871-1845, or 1-800-663-9163 local 1845

Because the BCTF has an affirmative action policy, each applicant may wish to provide on a voluntary basis, the information as to whether she or he is female or male, a person of colour, an Aboriginal, a person with a disability, or a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.
http://www.bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Public/Opportunities/MinistryCommittees/PCA-DevTeamsCV.pdf 

Youth 4 German Cinema Program The Goethe-Institut’s Step Into German program and the Berlin & Beyond Film Festival are seeking students from across the US, Canada and Mexico (ages 13-18) to participate in the third annual program of Youth 4 German Cinema. This offers the opportunity for young people with an interest in German arts and culture to come to San Francisco and be part of the 20th Berlin & Beyond Film Festival in January 2016.

http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/saf/prj/stg/ger/awa/en14808172.htm

The Award of Excellence is an annual contest dating back to 1991. Every year a short video portrays some aspect of German life and students complete a quiz on the video to win one out of three fantastic stipends for a teenage summer camp in Germany. This is an interesting contest for all Middle and High School students, no German required!

Note to BCATML members: Contest ends December 20th, 2015… there's still time to encourage your students to take part!
-Angela Kleine-Buning, BCATML German Rep

Films for November & December
PROGRAMMING
Environmentally Focused Films
Shakespeare on Screen
French Focus 
Vancity Favourites


CONTACT 
If you are interested in attending or discussing these events further, please contact morgaine.jennings@viff.org at your earliest convenience.

From the latest Canadian Association of Second-Language Teachers bulletin:

Dis-moi dix mots
CASLT 
« Dis-moi dix mots » is a French-language awareness campaign that runs all school year long. It is organized by France's Ministry of Culture and Communication. For this initiative, the Ministry of National Education organizes creative academic contests where students are invited to play with a set of ten words and to use them in a literary or artistic fashion. This year, the contest invites students to discover French as it is spoken in the different countries of the Francophonie with the ten following words: from France, "chafouin" and "fada"; from Quebec, "poudrerie" and "dépanneur"; from Belgium, "lumerotte" and "dracher"; from Switzerland, "ristrette" and "vigousse"; from Haiti, "tap-tap"; and from Congo, "champagné." This contest is open not only to French public and private schools but also to affiliated French schools under the umbrella of the Agency for French Education Abroad [Agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger (AEFE)] and the Mission laïque française. It is also open to French and bilingual classes (FLE/FSL) at secondary schools outside of France. For more information and details about how to enter, visit the contest website: http://www.dismoidixmots.culture.fr/. 
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