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FASD Programs for Schools & Educators
Pro-D Workshop Series for Education Professionals
The Whitecrow Village Education Programs’ workshop series for educators typically spans 3-4 days (these may be consecutive or spaced over district Pro-D days). Successive workshops are designed to provide teachers and EAs with a solid foundation in the Whitecrow Village philosophy and core principles by which we believe effective teaching strategies can be designed and implemented. Activities in these sessions are both academic and experiential in nature, and teaching teams (Teachers & EAs) are encouraged to attend and work together in order to develop a common understanding of FASD and a success-engendering language. Topics for exploration in this series include:
For bookings or inquiries, please email jenn@whitecrowvillage.org
Support for Educators The Whitecrow Village education team is available for consultation & mentorship in individual classroom situations in FASD related areas including:
As well, we routinely speak to groups of educators on select topics and provide directed training, insight, or guidance in specified FASD related focus areas at staff or parent meetings and at district levels. To inquire about having a Whitecrow Village education team visit your school, contact Jennifer-Leigh at 1-250-716-3231 ext. 3 or email jenn@whitecrowvillage.org
Please note: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a complex and nuanced condition. It is the experience of the Whitecrow Village team that a brief exposure to training on FASD can lead to the dangerous and false illusion of a thorough understanding of the full range of characteristics of FASD. For this reason, we do not routinely do short workshops about the academic points of FASD. We do, however, offer comprehensive workshops on specified, focused topics and in the context of the Whitecrow Village community model.
Whitecrow Village Panel Presentations
The internationally acclaimed Whitecrow Village presentation panels can be tailored to inform and address issues specific to a range of social, political and professional domains. Panelists are drawn from the Whitecrow Village community (encompassing both FASD affected and not affected staff, adults, youth, children, parents, and community professionals). Speakers share their personal and professional understanding of issues related to FASD and describe the experiences, understanding, and unique learning that they have gained through working together in context of the life-changing Whitecrow Village vision and philosophy. Audience members are invited to engage in discussion and to interact with panelists and with each other. Past panels specifically designed for educators and school administrators have addressed such topics as:
Presentations for educators generally span 90 minutes (60 minutes speakers' presentation/ 30 minutes open discussion period). Educators have commented that the experience of the Whitecrow Panel Presentations has provided them with an holistic insight and broadened understanding of the daily realities faced by individuals with FASD (beyond the classroom) which, in turn, has inspired and informed their teaching practices and has equipped them with a set of concrete principles by which to design effective teaching strategies within their own unique classroom dynamic.
To arrange for a Whitecrow Village Panel Presentation at your school or in your district, please email Ken Kissinger
Live In FASD Education (L.I.F.E.) Sessions
**Note: We are able to tailor the formal training portion of these sessions to be specific to education professionals/ groups or to provide intensive Educator focused L.I.F.E. Sessions upon request. To inquire about this possibility, please email Jennifer-Leigh.
Professional Development & Volunteer Opportunities Click here to learn about current volunteer opportunities at Whitecrow Village | ||
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In the contemporary teaching reality of provincially prescribed curricula, IRP mandates & protocol; busy (often over sized) classrooms of students with diverse personalities, learning abilities and needs; compromised time for lesson planning, preparation, assessment, and reporting; IEP planning; parent and student conferences; and extra curricular responsibilities, the role of an educator is not without challenge. The Education Programs at Whitecrow Village are designed with this in mind. Our experienced staff, advisors, and consultants include classroom teachers, E.A.s, educational psychologists, and education consultants who have first hand knowledge and understanding of both the classroom reality and of what is necessary to assist school staff and students with FASD to have manageable, positive, and successful experiences together. At present, our core education programs for schools and educators encompass the following:
Our core Live-In FASD Education (L.I.F.E.) Sessions offer an experiential and heuristic training opportunity for both families and professionals who are involved with those who are affected by FASD. These sessions typically run for 7-8 consecutive days and provide participants with a unique opportunity to learn together as a community. Participants of L.I.F.E. Sessions have the opportunity to interact with each other in a variety of contexts, to engage in classroom and experiential activities which offer them an enriched understanding of the support needed for individuals affected by FASD, and to experience an environment where the contributions made by those with FASD are recognised and valued. Professionals who attend L.I.F.E. Sessions routinely describe their time at Whitecrow Village as having been life changing, and claim that the unique learning gained has changed the way they approach their professional work. 