Page 34 - Foundations of Professional Practice, August 2016

ONTARIO COLLEGE OF TEACHERS
Contexts that support ongoing professional learning
PROFESSIONAL INQUIRY
As you consider your own professional learning journey, you may want to reflect on the following self-directed inquiries:
• Critically reflect on the diverse and varied contexts that have fostered your ongoing professional learning.
• Identify additional contexts, settings or forums that could nurture your ongoing professional learning.
• Explore how your professional learning is supported through each of the contexts identified in the matrix (for example, classrooms, schools, school board, provincial and community).
• Generate professional learning goals for supporting your ongoing growth and development.
Additional Qualification courses
Additional Qualifications ... extend teachers’ knowledge, skills, collaborative abilities, professional learning, and support student learning and enable educators/practitioners to stay informed of the ever-evolving nature of our practice.
—Member of the Teaching Profession
An Additional Qualification (AQ) is a program of study designed to inform and enhance professional practice, and taken in addition to initial teacher education in an area of study based on theory, research, pedagogy, the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession, the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession and the application of theory to practice.
AQ courses are another form of self-directed professional learning designed to reflect the rich diversity and complexity of Ontario’s educational system. They support professional practice by inviting educators to engage in reflection, critical inquiry, research, as well as pedagogical and curriculum leadership to foster positive, safe and accepting school cultures. AQ courses also support ongoing professional learning in various areas of teaching, and enable educators to gain qualifications associated with various leadership roles such as Principal qualifications and Supervisory Officer qualifications. Regulation 176/10, Teachers’ Qualifications Regulation, made under the Ontario College of Teachers Act, identifies over 370 qualifications available for Ontario educators in both English and French (oct.ca/members/additional-qualifications/ schedules-and-guidelines). (See Figure 11.)
AQ courses are accredited by the College and offered by approved providers. Successful completion of an AQ course is recorded on a teacher’s Certificate of Qualification
and Registration.
32 FOUNDATiONS OF PROFESSiONAL PRACTiCE