Standards of Practice and Education Committee
The Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession and the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession represent a vision that guides the daily practice of College members. The standards describe the knowledge, skills and values inherent in Ontario's teaching profession.
It’s been an exceptionally busy year for the Standards of Practice and Education Committee. The committee advises College Council on the development, implementation and review of the ethical and practice standards and the professional learning framework that helps to maintain the standards. In 2013, the committee reviewed more than one hundred Additional Qualification (AQ) course guidelines and helped develop new partnerships in the technology, science and First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities. It has also supported innovative consulting methods using technology such as Adobe Connect and SharePoint to encourage additional participation across the province.
The Committee:
- integrates the standards within teacher education and professional practice
- communicates and educates about teacher professionalism and the standards
- develops and distributes standards-based research and resources
- develops policy related to Additional Qualification course guidelines
- develops and implements policy related to the standards and teacher education
- researches ethical leadership and professional practices.
Teacher Education: AQ Course Guidelines
Each year, thousands of Ontario teachers engage in a wide range of learning activities to expand their professional knowledge, increase their skills and prepare for career changes. Many valuable courses and opportunities are offered by universities, colleges, teacher federations, principals’ organizations, school boards, subject organizations and community organizations.
Additional qualification courses are offered by providers across Ontario. The content is based on policy guidelines developed by the College which establish learning expectations, instructional strategies and forms of assessment. The Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession and the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession are the foundation for these guidelines that help enhance educators’ professional knowledge and practice in Ontario.
In 2013, the College held 54 sessions to develop 223 AQ course guidelines – a record number. The guidelines were in subjects such as English as a Second Language, music, dance and the visual arts. These guidelines were developed through collaborative writing sessions and many groups used Web-based technology to easily connect and share documents across Ontario.
In addition, the committee reviewed 121 AQ draft and revised course guidelines with the help of several thousand members of the profession and the public.
Special Education
The review of the three-session Special Education AQ course guidelines involved consultation through the College’s Facebook discussion forum, an online survey, a popular Open Space Technology session and focus groups. More than 3,500 members of the public, educational partners and the profession provided extensive feedback regarding the content and expectations of these important qualifications for teachers.
Aboriginal Teacher Education
Provincial sessions were planned and co-facilitated with members of the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program at Nipissing University, Queen’s University and Lakehead University, the Métis Nation of Ontario and the Tungasuvvingat Inuit Community Centre in Ottawa to develop Aboriginal teacher education AQs.
Elders, educators and students participated in discussions to inform the development of AQ course guidelines related to Native studies. Aboriginal education institutes partnered with the College to develop AQ course guidelines related to various Native languages. Writing sessions for the following AQ course guidelines related to Aboriginal teacher education also occurred in 2013:
- Teaching First Nation, Métis and Inuit Children (Schedule C)
- First Nation, Métis and Inuit Peoples: Understanding Traditional Teachings, Histories, Current Issues and Cultures (Schedule C)
- Native Languages (Schedule A, D and E)
- Native Studies (Schedules A, D and E)
- Schedule C: (One Session)
- Teaching Cayuga
- Teaching Cree
- Teaching Delaware (Lenape)
- Teaching Mohawk
- Teaching Ojibwe
- Teaching Oji-Cree
- Teaching Oneida.
Technological Education
The College worked with the Ontario Council for Technological Education to develop draft guidelines for additional qualifications listed in Schedule F of the Teachers’ Qualifications Regulation.
There are 64 additional qualification courses designed to help teachers further develop technical proficiency within their broad-based technology subject area as determined by Ontario’s secondary school curriculum.
The following 59 draft guidelines were developed in 2013 (the other five were drafted in 2012):
|
Teaching Construction Technology (7 courses)
|
Construction Management and Science |
|
Civil Engineering |
|
|
Carpentry |
|
|
Electrical/Network Cabling |
|
|
Heating and Cooling |
|
|
Masonry |
|
|
Plumbing |
|
|
Teaching Manufacturing Technology (9 courses) |
Mechanical Engineering |
|
Robotics and Control Systems |
|
|
Computer Aided Manufacturing |
|
|
Industrial Maintenance |
|
|
Precision Machining |
|
|
Robotics and Control Technician |
|
|
Machine Operator |
|
|
Sheet Metal |
|
|
Welding |
|
|
Teaching Transportation Technology (6 courses) |
Auto Service |
|
Auto Body |
|
|
Heavy Duty and Agricultural Equipment |
|
|
Light Aircraft |
|
|
Small Engine and Recreational Equipment |
|
|
Truck and Coach |
|
|
Teaching Hairstyling and Aesthetics (4 courses) |
Advanced Shaping and Styling |
|
Chemical Hair Services |
|
|
Fashion and Theatrical Make-up |
|
|
Spa Services |
|
|
Teaching Health Care (7 courses) |
Child Development |
|
Dental Services |
|
|
Laboratory Services |
|
|
Nursing/Medical Services |
|
|
Pharmacy Services |
|
|
Therapy Services |
|
|
Gerontology |
|
|
Teaching Hospitality and Tourism (6 courses) |
Applied Nutrition |
|
Baking |
|
|
Cooking |
|
|
Culinary Arts and Management |
|
|
Event Planning |
|
|
Tourism and Travel Planning |
|
|
Teaching Computer Technology (7 courses) |
Computer Repair |
|
Electronics |
|
|
Information Technology Support |
|
|
Interfacing |
|
|
Network Support |
|
|
Networking |
|
|
Robotics and Control System |
|
|
Teaching Technological Design (5 courses) |
Apparel and Textile Design |
|
Architectural Design |
|
|
Interior Design |
|
|
Mechanical and Industrial Design |
|
|
Robotics and Control System Design |
|
|
Teaching Green Industries (8 courses) |
Agribusiness |
|
Agriculture |
|
|
Floristry |
|
|
Forestry |
|
|
Horticulture |
|
|
Horticulture Management and Science |
|
|
Landscaping Architecture |
|
|
Landscaping Construction and Maintenance |
|
|
|
|
Religious Education
The review of the Religious Education AQ course guidelines in Schedule D was conducted with the English-language Catholic community and the French-language Catholic community.
The writing team for these AQ course guidelines included representatives from the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association, the Institute for Catholic Education, l’Office provincial de l'éducation de la foi catholique de l’Ontario and le Centre franco-ontarien de ressources pédagogiques. The College provided various opportunities to all Catholic district school boards, faculties of education and educational partners to shape these AQ course guidelines.
The review produced seven core course components that provide a conceptual framework for these guidelines:
- The Bible as Sacred Scriptures
- Spiritual, Sacramental and Liturgical Life
- The Church: Past, Present and Future
- Ethics and Morality
- Faith in Action
- Pedagogical Practices within Catholic Education
- The Faith Journey.
This framework for Religious Education supports and informs professional knowledge, judgment and practices within the additional qualification course.
Teaching Students who are Blind/Low Vision
The College reviewed the AQ related to Teaching Students Who Are Blind with the public, education partners and the teaching profession. Consequently, the College is developing a new draft guideline for this complex additional teaching qualification.
Teaching Students Who Are Deaf-Blind
The College consulted with the public, the teaching profession and course providers about the Teaching Students Who Are Deaf-Blind AQ. These consultations revealed the depth and complexity of professional knowledge and skill required of teachers to support learners with this profile.
Standards Education
Standards resources continue to influence and support teacher education and leadership development nationally and internationally.
In 2013, staff made 44 standards-based presentations to 729 participants, including teacher candidates, new teachers, teacher educators and leaders, principals and internationally educated teachers.
Standards Educative Resources and Research
A number of research-based standards resources have been developed in 2013 to support the teaching profession. These include:
- Inquiring into the Ethical Dimensions of Professional Practice
- Exploring Ethical Professional Relationships
- Knowledge Keepers Visual Narrative – a nine-minute, two-part video that shares the story of Debbie Debassige, a member of the M’Chigeeng First Nation who pursued her dream of becoming a teacher. The story reveals educational challenges often encountered by First Nations’ students and teachers.
