CONT814: Orientation to Teaching in Ontario
This course will cover Ontario’s curriculum, policies, frameworks, strategies and guidelines informed by evidence-based research and practices. You will explore course content by examining instructional best practices and developing practical tasks, exploring effective ways to support all learners in the classroom, collaboratively developing individual education plans (IEPs), and investigating impactful assessment and reporting strategies. This course is designed to view education through a lens of equity, diversity and inclusion, and it also focuses on how to weave Indigenous pedagogies into one’s learning environment in a respectful and appropriate manner. Collaborative discussion with colleagues will be an important aspect of learning throughout this course, and it will conclude with the compilation of a final portfolio.
Learning Outcomes
What You Will Learn and Do
In this course, you’ll have the opportunity to
- explore and interpret Ontario’s curriculum, policies, frameworks, strategies and guidelines informed by evidence-based practices
- examine the processes involved in creating and sustaining safe, healthy, equitable, holistic and culturally responsive, relevant and inclusive learning environments that honour and are responsive to diversity, facilitate learning, foster learner voices and perspectives, encourage critical thinking and promote social and collective justice
- apply and deepen your understanding of universal design for learning (UDL), differentiated instruction (DI) and assessment and the tiered approach in program planning development and implementation
- critically explore processes for fostering a collaborative community of empowered and engaged learners
- integrate assessment, evaluation and reporting practices that align with the principles and processes of Ontario’s curriculum, frameworks and policy documents
- explore a variety of effective communication and engagement strategies for authentic and professional collaboration with parents, families, caregivers, guardians, school/board personnel and community agencies
- analyze the convergence of current and evolving research in various fields and evidence-based teaching practices and its impact on teaching in Ontario
Assessments
Module 1
Ontario Policies, Curriculum and Programs Overview
Module 2
Creating an Inclusive Classroom Climate
Progress Update 1
Module 3
Indigenous Pedagogies and Environmental Education
Module 4
Instructional Best Practices
Progress Update 2
Module 5
Assessment and Reporting
Module 6
Special Education in Ontario
Progress Update 3
Module 7
Educational Leadership Portfolio
Final Report