Professional Learning Resources
Most of these learning resources include videos with reflection prompts and activities. Educators may work through on their own, but we recommend sharing the experience with one or more colleagues. Resources can also be used for facilitated group sessions.
- Student-Centred Assessment to Support Inquiry-Based Learning: Practical strategies on student-focused assessment (with examples from kindergarten and high school).
- Building Compassionate Communities in a New Normal: Ideas and strategies to create compassionate learning environments for students.
- Continuing our Learning Journey: Indigenous Education in BC: How to include authentic Indigenous knowledge, perspectives, and content in BC’s curriculum.
- B.C.’s Redesigned Curriculum: From Theory to Practice: Identifying connections for purposeful, accurate and efficient implementation.
- Trauma-Informed Practice: Four workshop packages supporting developing compassionate learning communities. Each package includes a presentation (with videos), facilitator’s guide, participant’s booklet, and tip sheet.
Teaching Tenaciously
Webinar Series to Support Educators as They Navigate Through Times of Uncertainty and Change
The Ministry of Education is hosting a series of webinars to help educators navigate the uncertainty and change brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Subject matter experts present on a range of topics relevant to educators’ interests and changing teaching and learning environments.
Open Course Resources (OCR)
Several professional learning courses are available through our online platform. Courses are self-paced so learners can work through all topics or just those of interest to them. Register for a free account to access.
K-12 Educators
This course is designed to provide tools and strategies for incorporating blended learning into your classroom. It consists of three components: foundation, application, and collaboration. The foundation section focuses on the “what” and “why” while the application section focuses on the “how”.
Both sections come together in collaboration: a community of practice where teachers across B.C. interact to ask questions, share resources, and discuss experiences.
How do you know which resources are most appropriate for your students?
This course, from Focused Education Resources, provides details on the review process and provides a framework of selection criteria. Working through the four course modules will help you develop your understanding, knowledge, and confidence in selecting the best learning resources for your classroom.
Explore key components of design thinking and making and consider how to integrate them in your classroom. Design thinking and making helps students develop ADST competencies as they work collaboratively to create innovative and sustainable solutions to complex problems. Includes 32 sample design challenges.
Early Learning Educators
The course Introducing the Early Learning Framework is freely available outside the OCR.
The exams for the course are within the OCR for tracking purposes. There are three exams available, each aligning to a section of the Early Learning Framework. Successful completion of each exam can count towards professional development requirements for Early Childhood Educators.
A video-based course, with completion certificate, for practitioners who work with young children and their families. Working through the course will help learners develop increased confidence and open-mindedness in building positive relationships with diverse families.
Teaching Resources
A collection of activity plans and resources to use with students.
- Focusing on Competencies in Math: Activity plans (Grades 8-12) and videos demonstrating a competencies-based approach to secondary math. Teachers at any level or subject may find inspiration in the approach and teaching strategies used in these activities.
- Bamboo Shoots: Chinese Canadian Legacies in B.C.: Grade 5 and Grade 9 Social Studies lesson sets that acknowledge contributions of Chinese Canadians and the historical injustices they faced. The resource includes a gallery of historical photographs, archival documents and personal stories.
- Great Bear Rainforest Education and Awareness Trust: Grades 7–12 activity plans and companion resources on the geography, community, and biodiversity within the Great Bear Rainforest.
- Youth Explore Trade Skills: Tools for Teaching: Activity plans for: Core Skills (safe work practices, employability skills), Auto Technician, Baker, Carpenter, Cook, Design and Drafting, Electrician, Electronics and Robotics, Metal Work, and Plumber. Also a self-directed student module on entrepreneurial skills in trades.
- My Seasonal Round: An integrated unit for Grade 3 Social Studies and Science. Five lessons offer an inquiry-based approach to exploring a seasonal round through the perspective of local Indigenous people.
- Extreme Environments: A cross-curricular Science and Applied, Design, Skills, and Technologies module for Grade 6.
- Shouting Whales: A marine science teaching resource for Grades 6 to 8. Explore marine soundscapes, mammals and the impacts of noise pollution through multimedia, activities and projects.
- Speaking Up, Speaking Out: A unit for English Language Arts 10 to help students find and share their unique voices to communicate issues of importance.
- Blackline Masters: Resource materials to complement our suite of K-12 courses.
- OSBC Course Introduction Assignments: Stand-alone assignments to complement our suite of K–12 courses.