Page 8 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: Technological Education, 2009 (revised)

Effective ways in which parents can support their children’s learning include attending parent–teacher interviews, participating in parent workshops, becoming involved in school council activities (including becoming a school council member), and encouraging students to complete their assignments at home. In addition to supporting regular school activities, parents may wish to provide their daughters and sons with opportunities to question and reflect on current affairs, including news about developments in various areas of technology.
Teachers
Teachers and students have complementary responsibilities. Teachers develop appropri- ate instructional strategies to help students achieve the curriculum expectations, as well as appropriate methods for assessing and evaluating student learning. Teachers also sup- port students in developing the reading, writing, oral communication, and numeracy skills needed for success in their courses. Teachers bring enthusiasm and varied teaching and assessment approaches to the classroom, addressing different student needs and ensuring sound learning opportunities for every student.
Using a variety of instructional, assessment, and evaluation strategies, teachers provide numerous hands-on opportunities for students to develop and refine their problem- solving skills, critical and creative thinking skills, and communication skills, while discovering fundamental concepts through activities and projects, exploration, and research. The activities offered should enable students to relate and apply these concepts to the social, environmental, and economic conditions and concerns of the world in which they live. Opportunities to relate knowledge and skills to these wider contexts will moti- vate students to learn in a meaningful way and to become lifelong learners.
Teachers need to help students understand that problem solving of any kind often requires a considerable expenditure of time and energy and a good deal of perseverance. Teachers also need to encourage students to reason, to explore alternative solutions, and to take the risks necessary to become successful problem solvers.
Teachers are also responsible for ensuring the safety of students during classroom activi- ties and for encouraging and motivating students to assume responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others. They must also ensure that students acquire the knowl- edge and skills needed for safe participation in all technological activities.
Principals
The principal works in partnership with teachers and parents to ensure that each student has access to the best possible educational experience. To support student learning, prin- cipals ensure that the Ontario curriculum is being properly implemented in all classrooms using a variety of instructional approaches. They also ensure that appropriate resources are made available for teachers and students. To enhance teaching and learning in all sub- jects, including technological education, principals promote learning teams and work with teachers to facilitate their participation in professional development activities. Principals are also responsible for ensuring that every student who has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is receiving the modifications and/or accommodations described
in his or her plan – in other words, for ensuring that the IEP is properly developed, implemented, and monitored.
INTRODUCTION
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