Teacher volunteers organize 500 curriculum sessions for 30th provincial PD day on October 25

HALIFAX, Oct. 24, 2013 /CNW/ - Friday is a day off for students, but the province's teachers will be attending class for Provincial Professional Development Day. On October 25, classroom teachers, specialists, administrators, school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, school guidance counsellors, APSEA teachers and Community College faculty——all members of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union— will participate in one of 22 teacher-organized conferences. To date, some 6,600 NSTU members will attend conferences in Antigonish, Clare, Milford, Sydney, Westville, Yarmouth and the HRM featuring 500 keynotes, plenary sessions, panel discussions and workshops. This year marks the 30^th year of the province-wide PD day.

"This premier professional development opportunity enables teachers to receive resources, learn new strategies and come to new understandings of practice to support students," says NSTU president Shelley Morse. "It's just one way our members engage in life-long learning to improve their professional practice for student success."

Each conference, organized for elementary and young adolescent teachers, math, science, social studies, English and French teachers, or for adult educators, guidance counsellors and other specialists, is planned, developed and implemented by volunteer educators. "The organization of these conferences represents the incredible dedication of teachers to the improvement of education in the province," continues Morse. "Committed NSTU volunteers plan and deliver an astounding array of workshops and sessions for each professional association."

Some of the many conference highlights include:

• Saint Mary's University's Dr. Anthony O'Malley's keynote, Ironies & Paradoxes in Teaching About the Social World: Delivering the Old and Creating the New in a Globalized World at the Social Studies Teachers Association Conference, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary;
• South African Sharon Katz's keynote about her ground breaking project, The Peace Train that united hundreds of South African children through the power of music at the Nova Scotia Music Educators Association Conference;
• The Mayo Clinic's Dr. Ruth Stoeckel, a clinical speech-language pathologist who will provide a workshop on Childhood Apraxia of Speech at the Speech-Language Pathologists & Audiologists Association Conference;
• Kelly Murumets, ParticipACTION president will speak at the Teachers Association for Physical and Health Education Conference;
• George Washington University's Steven G. Feifer, school psychologist and renowned author in the field of learning disabilities will conduct a day-long workshop on the neuropsychology of learning disabilities at the Psychologists in the Schools Association Conference.
  
  
  

"Provincial PD day provides an opportunity for thousands of members to enhance their practice and knowledge, and teachers leave these conferences with new understandings and relevant resources to bring directly back into classrooms, schools, campuses and worksites," concludes Morse.

Detailed information on the October Professional Development Day is available on the NSTU website at http://nstu.ca/default.asp?mn=1.22.92.424 and clicking on the particular professional association.

SOURCE: Nova Scotia Teachers Union

Angela Murray, NSTU Public Relations Coordinator
Telephone: [phone], Cell: 902-497-0194, Email: [email protected]