4P28 Lecture Notes

o Multicultural literacy o Global literacy o Mental health literacy  Critical Literacy: o Focuses on issues of power and promotes reflection, transformation, and action  Encourages readers to be active participants in the reading process: to question, dispute, and examine power relations  It also asks us to second guess what we believe is true, ask harder and harder questions, see beyond the texts, and see how these texts establish and use power over us, over others, on whose behalf, and in whose interest o Critical literacy is not something to be added to the literacy program, but a lens for learning that is an integral part of classroom practice o Critical literacy empowers students to shift from being consumers of information to asking critical questions about the purpose of a text/media, the message being shared, and the perspective emphasized by the content's creator.  Critical Media Literacy: o Explores the impact and influence of mass media and popular culture by examining texts such as films, songs, video games, action figures, magazines, newspapers and other popular media  Moral Literacy: o An interconnected set of skills and knowledge necessary to make right ethical choices  Digital Literacy: o An ability to find, evaluate, and compose clear information through writing and other mediums on various digital platforms  Coding literacy: o The ability to use a symbol system (a programming language or a natural written language) and a technological tool (a tablet and computer) to comprehend, generate, communicate, and express ideas or thoughts by making a sharable product (a text, an animation, a robot) that others can interpret  Environmental Literacy: o The capacity to perceive and interpret the relative health of environmental systems and to take appropriate action to maintain, restore, or improve the health of those systems  Financial Literacy: o The ability to understand finance. More specifically, it refers to the set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions through their understanding of finances  Critical Indigenous Literacy: o The ability to conceive of other ways of knowing and being and to focus on issues of structures and relations of power in settler colonialism

 Transformative critical literacy practices o They may contribute to changing inequitable ways of being and problematic social practices o Students who engage in critical literacy from a young age are prepared:  to make informed decisions regarding issues such as power and control  to engage in the practice of democratic citizenship  to develop an ability to think and act ethically: they would be better able to contribute to making the world a more equitable and socially just place  Critical literacy questions to ask in the classroom o Whose voice(s) is/are heard in the text? o Whose voice(s) is/are not heard? Why not? o What assumptions has the author made about what we already know or believe? How do you know? o What assumptions has the illustrator made about what we already know or believe? How do you know? o What is the point-of-view shared in the book? How do you know? o What would this text look like if it were written from another perspective? What details would you include and why? o What did you find challenging about this text? Why? o What might other people find challenging? Why?  Questions to ask while researching and evaluating information o Who created this information and what are their credentials? o Why was this information created? o When was this source created and is it still current? o Is the author part of the community they are writing about? o Who is claiming to be an authoritative figure on the topic? o Whose voices are being privileged? o Can I find any authors to cite who are part of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of colour) communities, LGBTQ2S+ communities, or be inclusive to other voices? Lecture 2 (contd.) Integrated Curriculum Planning  Integrated approach: o The interdisciplinary approach connects subject areas with a common theme/issue. o Planning follows backward design, and the Big Ideas, Enduring Understandings, or 21 st -century skills provide the common focus of the curriculum  Benefits: o provides opportunities for high-quality student projects o helps students and teachers make connections across academic disciplines o links academic and technical content and skills

o Changing public thinking to correspond with professional thinking may reduce stigma and lead to improvements in help and treatment outcomes o People who have information about mental illness are less stigmatizing and more supportive of others who have mental health problems o A number of change strategies have been applied to enhance the mental health literacy of health professionals and the public, with varying degrees of success o 20% of adolescents suffer from mental illness  Interactive vs. Critical mental health literacy o Interactive mental health literacy: Used for building personal skills and knowledge. Should result in an increased personal capacity to act on knowledge. o Critical mental health literacy: Development of skills to critically analyze and use information to mobilize for social, political, and individual action  Social determinants of health: o Economic stability, housing o Food security o Social context: freedom from discrimination and violence, social inclusion o Environment o Education o Healthcare systems  Youth mental health: o Mental health is as important as physical health, particularly during adolescence. o During adolescence, students are passing through a vulnerable time of neurodevelopment that can have a serious effect on all aspects of their life. o Mental disorders represent the most common and disabling condition affecting young people and thus have major implications for students and for schools. o The causes of mental illness may be the result of a complex interaction of genetics, environment, and neurodevelopment. o In Canada, about 20% of youth may be suffering from some form of mental disorder, which translates to one in five students in the average classroom. These include anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, anorexia nervosa, bipolar disorder, and panic disorder.  Teacher’s role: o Mental disorders may impact the young person’s ability to make and retain a strong and supportive peer network or appropriate relationships with adults. o Teachers represent a prominent and positive adult role model in the student’s life. It is part of their role to be supportive and aware of student difficulties and direct them to the appropriate resources for help if needed.  3-Pronged Approach to Addressing Mental Health at School 1. Reducing stigma o Even though the understanding, treatment, and awareness of mental health disorders has improved, the public’s perception about it has been slow to change

 communicating  collaborating  problem-solvers  decision-makers o They must become lifelong learners, updating their knowledge and skills continually and independently  Critical media’s 5 key questions for analyzing texts o Who created this message? o What creative techniques are used to attract my attention? o How might different people understand this message differently? o What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, this message? o Why is this message being sent?  Critical media’s 5 core concepts o All media messages are ‘constructed.’ o Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules. o Different people experience the same media message differently. o Media messages have embedded values and points of view. o Many media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power.  Critical thinking skills students should explore o D istinguishing advantages and disadvantages of different media. o D efining factors that go into news judgments. o C omparing and contrasting various techniques of persuasion. o A nalyzing the role of sound effects, music, and dialogue in media messages. o U ncovering the ‘points of view’ embedded in news and information media. o S ummarizing the differences between generalizations and stereotypes.  Projects to be included in lessons: o adding sound effects to a story or scene from a play o taking digital photos to explore elements of visual language o rewriting a story from a missing point of view o creating an ad campaign for a specific target audience o developing and defending a lineup of news stories for the nightly news. o conducting a research project on gender and age preferences for different movie genres  Media and technological literacy within curriculum: o Geographic inquiry and communication:  Gather geographic information from primary sources (field research, surveys, interviews) and secondary sources (reference books, mainstream and alternative media, CD-ROMs, the Internet) to research a geographic issue

 The ability to imaginatively discern various possibilities for acting in a given situation and to envision the potential help and harm that are likely to result from a given situation.  empathy, efforts to imagine ourselves in the situation of another  “Thinking outside of the box” and considering creative alternatives  an appreciation of the humanity of others  the ability to develop trust and be able to act in ways that are and are perceived as helpful  an appreciation of the suffering and joys of others, even when they are quite different from our own  a sensitivity to nonverbal cues that help us better understand others and the situations they are in  Questions for the classroom: o Whose values should be taught? o Should moral/character education remain part of the school’s hidden curriculum? o Should values intrinsic to education and teaching be transparent, intentional, and public?  Approaches for the classroom: o Intentional instruction  Children are best equipped when they master a set of skills required for responsible membership in a democratic society. o No specialized curriculum  Moral development is an outcome of effective teaching.  Caring classroom environments are associated with both academic achievement and moral character formation.  Ontario Practices from the Early 21 st Century o Character Education document “ Finding Common Ground: Character Development in Ontario Schools, K-12” introduced in 2007 as a discussion paper. o Final version was released in 2008  6 Pillars of Character Education: o Trustworthiness o Respect o Responsibility o Fairness o Caring o Citizenship  TDSB o Character development is about helping students learn and practice positive character attributes. When we build good character, we build strong communities. o In the school community, character development is woven into programs and practices - it becomes a way of life.

o interact successfully and respectfully with others o take responsible action toward sustainability and collective well-being  Developing intercultural competence o knowledge: requires cultural self-awareness and culture-specific insights as well as an awareness of global issues o skills: the ability to see the world from another perspective and listen patiently where required o attitudes: respect, curiosity, and openness towards other cultures  Global citizenship education (GCED) o a transformative, lifelong pursuit that involves both curricular learning and practical experience to shape a mindset to care for humanity and the planet o To equip individuals with global competencies to undertake responsible actions aimed at forging more just, peaceful, secure, sustainable, tolerant and inclusive societies o aims to be transformative, building the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that learners need to be able to contribute to a more inclusive, just and peaceful world  Key elements for responsible global citizenship  Conceptual dimensions of global citizenship o Cognitive: To acquire the knowledge, understanding, and critical thinking about global, regional, national, and local issues and the interconnectedness and interdependency of different countries and populations o Socio-emotional: To have a sense of belonging to a common humanity, sharing values and responsibilities, empathy, solidarity, and respect for differences and diversity

o Attitudes of concern for the environment and motivation to improve or maintain environmental quality o Skills to identify and help resolve environmental challenges o Participation in activities that lead to the resolution of environmental challenges o Teaches individuals how to weigh various sides of an issue through critical thinking and enhances their own problem-solving and decision-making skills  21 st Century Environmental Challenges o Climate change  How can we mitigate/adapt to climate change and improve the resilience and adaptability of our communities in the face of climate change? o Environmental degradation  How can we provide food for all without weakening terrestrial ecosystems and reducing soil quality? o Biodiversity loss  How can we advance behaviour changes that conserve habitats and reduces the threats of extinction to species? How can we pursue a quality of life for all, in ways that are more harmonious with nature? o Pollution and waste  How can we clean up our industrial process of production? How can regenerative systems of a circular economy dominate over linear flows of ‘resource to waste’? o Fresh water scarcity  How can everyone have access to clean water, free from conflict, and without overharvesting natural water supplies for future generations?  Environmental Education Approaches o Formal  linked to formal education and usually takes place in a school setting o Non-formal  organized educational activity outside the formal school system – includes activities or programs provided by community organizations, youth groups, museums, zoos, nature/interpretive centres o Informal  provided outside an organized educational/institutional structure – learning about the environment through the media, personal reading, everyday experiences, and interactions with others  Curriculum documents: o Shaping our school, shaping our future: Environmental education (2007)  Ontario’s education system will prepare students with the knowledge, skills, perspectives, and practices they need to be environmentally responsible citizens. Students will understand our fundamental connections to each other and to the world around us through our

relationship to food, water, energy, air, and land, and our interaction with all living things.  “Literacy in today’s world also requires the skills, knowledge, and perspectives to engage as an active, committed, and environmentally responsible citizen” o Integrated approach:  Grades K-8: In the arts, health and physical education, French/Anglais/Native languages, language, or mathematics courses  Grades 8-10 and 12: Geography, science, and civics courses  Kusi Kawsay School in Peru: Winner of the 2021 UNESCO-Japan Prize on ESD o In remote areas of the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Peru, the Kusi Kawsay Andean School has been promoting the protection and preservation of Indigenous people’s rights, culture, values and livelihoods over the last decade. o Based on Waldorf pedagogy, the project addresses many key elements of education for sustainable development  respect for indigenous and local culture and values that promotes human dignity  community-based approaches  action to respond to global challenges.  10 things to do: o Don’t leave water running o Save water from some tasks (washing hands/using the sink) for other tasks (watering plants) o Consume less meat products o Use reusable things o Recycle/compost (reduce, reuse, recycle) o Plant a tree/flower/something o Spread awareness o Take courses on environment/environmental literacy to expand your own knowledge o Donate to groups that support/help the environment o Sign petitions Lecture 8: Digital and Coding Literacy  What is digital literacy: o the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills o A person’s ability to perform tasks effectively in a digital environment ... includes the ability to read and interpret media, to reproduce data and images through

digital manipulation, and to evaluate and apply new knowledge gained from digital environments  Digital literacy and students o Technology in the classroom tools o Social media o Cloud computing o Digital databases o Virtual collaboration o Evaluate information found online o Digital citizenship (cyberbullying, legality of online material, buying stuff online, digital footprints, privacy, and safety while traveling the digital world)  Key Digital Literacy Skills (DOs) o Evaluate information effectively. Students need to learn how to evaluate the quality, credibility, and validity of media.  o Protect their and others' private information online. With so many ways to share information, students need to learn internet safety basics, such as creating strong passwords, using privacy settings, and respecting their friends' privacy. o Use digital resources ethically: Giving proper credit when using other people's work.  o Understand digital footprints. Students need to know that whenever they create a profile, post something, or comment on something, they're creating a composite profile potentially viewable by others. o Respect each other's ideas and opinions.   Critical Digital Literacy o a civic education, emphasizing the social and moral obligations that need to be developed as part of an individual’s digital literacy competencies. o Without the proper resources, pedagogy, and educational practices, technology has the potential to increase the existing divisions of cultural capital, power, and wealth.  Web 2.0 and Social Media o Web 2.0: A ‘participatory culture’ o Social media: A ‘networked public’ o Deals with concepts of freedom, democracy, and civic engagement. o Developing a critical disposition towards digital media and questioning what concepts like free, friend, link, like, community, share, collaboration, and open in the digital context might result in a more mindful mode of engagement. o People should question assumed definitions and explore how and why these phrases have been redefined in the digital context.  Fake news o Definition: News articles that are intentionally and verifiably false, designed to manipulate people’s perceptions of real facts, events, and statements

o Information is presented as news that is known by its promoter to be false based on facts that are demonstrably incorrect, or statements or events that verifiably did not happen.  o Fake news lacks the news media’s editorial norms and processes for ensuring the accuracy and credibility of information. o Fake news overlaps with misinformation (false or misleading information) and disinformation (false information purposely spread to mislead people).  Strategies to help students become critical readers o Move beyond traditional information evaluation checklists (e.g. RADCAP, CRAAP, and CARS) o Teach about fact-checking strategies such as reading laterally (cross-referencing a variety of websites instead of digging further into the website at hand) o Help them become familiar with information verification websites (e.g. FactsCan, Factcheck.org, Snopes, and Hoax Slayer) and tools like Google’s ‘search by image’ feature or the VerificationHandbook.com resource. o Teach students to identify bias using tools like a media bias chart: https://my.lwv.org/california/torrance-area/article/how-reliable-your-news-source- understanding-media-bias-2022 o Bring real-world fake news examples into the classroom to prepare for authentic situations (ex. finding the true origin of a viral image/video, potential bots/trolls) in order to better understand the characteristics of fake and malicious social media accounts  Deepfakes o Term: Mash of ‘deep learning’ and ‘fake’ o Leverages deep learning architectures, a branch of machine learning and artificial intelligence. o Definition: False media content created by manipulating a person in an existing image or video, using powerful machine learning methods.  Importance of coding literacy o Computer codes are fundamentally languages o Teaching coding can be viewed as teaching how to read and write in a language for machines. o Computer programming becomes part of an array of communication skills important in everyday life. o Coding engages students in new ways of thinking, communicating, and expressing ideas. o Coding literacy ensures participation in decision-making processes and civic institutions. o Those who cannot read and write are left out of power structures; their civic voices are not heard. Will this be the case for those who cannot code/think in computational ways?  Soft skills learned from coding

o Enhances Problem-Solving  Computational thinking breaks down complex problems into smaller, more manageable pieces, and then follows a set process to create an algorithmic solution that can be replicated by humans or computers.  These problem-solving skills are transferable to a wide range of applications.  o Improves Creativity  Helps to analyze a situation or goal and then determine and implement a solution, empowering students to solve complex problems in creative, effective ways. o Builds Persistence  The process of trial and error reinforces that in life many problems require persistence to solve effectively o Increases Confidence  Coding empowers students with applicable skills such as creativity, problem-solving, and persistence,  It helps them to face a variety of challenges and opportunities. o Supports Digital Equity  Digital equity: Having equal skills to access, choose and effectively use digital technology to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, background, or other factors. o Future-Ready Career Skills  Provides a basis of knowledge that can help strengthen students’ career prospects for positions that require process improvement and creative problem solving.  Coding apps o Designed to teach students types of logical thinking, problem-solving, sequencing, and planning required for coding computer programs. o Students may learn the concepts and types of thinking related coding without coding in these apps o Coding has moved beyond a skill for employment in high demand fields to include elements of expression, collaboration, and creativity - a literacy. Lecture 9: Financial Literacy – March 14, 2023  Definition: o Having the knowledge and skills to make responsible economic and financial decisions with confidence. o The ability to use knowledge and skills to manage financial resources effectively for a lifetime of financial well-being .

o Financial literacy education can provide the preparation Ontario students need to make informed decisions and choices in a complex and fast-changing financial world  Budgeting and Managing Expenses o List total income, and break expenses up into categories, such as rent, utilities, and groceries, car payments, insurance, cell phone bill, clothes, and entertainment. o Income and expenses can fluctuate month to month, so tracking over time is important. o Identify needs that take priority and wants that can be cut to save money.  Credit o Understanding credit is an important first step towards financial literacy: A lender loans money and expects repayment pay by a due date or with interest.  Not repaying a line of credit/credit card, will make getting leases, mortgages, cars, jobs, and other life essentials more difficult.  The better credit you have, the lower your interest rate may be on credit cards, mortgages, and car loans. o Credit scores are based on payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit, recently opened accounts, and types of credit in use. o A low number will negatively impact your ability to get loans, leases, and other necessities  Students Loans: o 70% of Canadian students who receive a bachelor's degree have education debt by the time they graduate, in the form of  personal loans  bank-issued student lines of credit  government-backed installment loans o Average student loan debt is now $28,000 for a bachelor's degree, $15,300 for college grads o Planning for student loans  The standard repayment period for student loans in Canada is 114 months (9.5 years); the amortization period may be extended to a maximum of 174 months (14.5 years) - through the National Student Loan Service Centre.  If you’re unable to pay:  apply for student loan forgiveness (Canada Student Loan)  decrease payments for a defined, short period  extend your loan’s repayment time  make interest-only payments  Saving o Saving a percentage of your income is important - save for multiple goals (e.g., an emergency, a down payment on a home)

o Money can grow when invested properly. While there are risks, investing can earn tens of thousands of dollars over the course of 20 years  Investing o Stocks - you purchase a small amount of ownership in a company. If the company performs well, your investment becomes more valuable. o Mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) - pools of money from many investors are used to purchase a diverse range of investments. Since they hold dozens or hundreds of securities, or investments, they are less risky than purchasing stock in a single company. o Bonds - you lend money to a government or a business for a specific length of time at a fixed interest rate. While they’re lower risk, bond earnings are lower- yield investments o Risk and Diversification  Invest in many companies to lower risk  Giving o If supporting a cause/organization is important, make giving part of your financial plan. o If you plan to use this gift as a tax deduction, the charity must be recognized as tax-exempt o Benefits of Financial Literacy  People who are financially literate are generally less vulnerable to financial fraud.  A strong foundation of financial literacy can help support various life goals, such as saving for education or retirement, using debt responsibly, and running a business.  Key aspects to financial literacy include knowing how to create a budget, plan for retirement, manage debt, and track personal spending.  Access to banking o In 2022, nearly 1.7 billion people globally are unbanked (no chequing or savings account) o Most financially inclusive countries: Singapore, followed closely by the US, Sweden, and Hong Kong o 6% of Canadians are unbanked making cashing cheques and paying bills costly and time-consuming.  Sustainable development goal: End poverty o 10% of the world lives on less than $2 a day o 1 in 3 people does not have a formal bank account o 61% of the world's employed population works in the informal economy o Potential solutions:  Microloans provide small-scale entrepreneurs the financial resources they need to build their businesses, support their families, and send their children to school.

 Group Loans: a group of 10 to 30 entrepreneurs ensure the risk of one another's loans. They meet on a regular basis to receive training, make payments, and manage their collective resources.  Micro and group loans help entrepreneurs invest their loans into their businesses—purchasing supplies, inputs, machinery, or inventory— and are able to grow their operations, increase their sales, and improve their livelihoods.  Theory to Practice o Math and Financial Literacy:  One of the most common reasons for students to disengage with mathematics is the issue of relevance.  Financial literacy appears to be a natural solution to this issue because all students have some familiarity with money related matters.  The aim of the project in the reading was to improve engagement with mathematics and provide a foundation of financial literacy to positively impact children’s lives. o Ontario’s Vision for Financial Literacy  Ontario students will have the skills and knowledge to take responsibility for managing their personal financial well-being with confidence, competence, and a compassionate awareness of the world around them o Financial literacy education can provide knowledge and skills to Ontario students to make informed decisions and choices in a complex and fast-changing financial world.  In addition to learning about the specifics of saving, spending, borrowing, and investing, students need to develop skills in problem solving, research and inquiry, decision making, critical thinking, and critical literacy related to financial issues, so that they can analyze and manage the risks that accompany various financial choices.  They also need to develop an understanding of world economic forces and the effects of those forces at the local, national, and global level. To make wise choices, they will need to understand how such forces affect their own and their families’ economic and financial circumstances.  To become responsible citizens in the global economy, they will need to understand the social, environmental, and ethical implications of their own choices as consumers. o Strands in the Math Curriculum (2020)  The expectations in the 2020 mathematics curriculum are organized into six distinct but related strands:  A. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills in Mathematics and the Mathematical Processes  B. Number  C. Algebra  D. Data

 E. Spatial Sense  F. Financial Literacy (includes Consumer and Civic Awareness)  Grades 1 to 8: F1. Money ● money concepts  Grades 4 to 8: F1. Finances ● financial management ● consumer and civic awareness Lecture 10: Difference, Diversity, and Human Dignity – March 21, 2023  Indigenous Worldview o instead of trying to define Indigenous worldview, the process of understanding would be more important, requiring the inquirer to be open to accepting different realities o Belief systems are based on  recognizing and respecting the delicate balance of interdependence within oneself and with all living and no-living entities in the environment.  Indigenous people’s recognition of a spiritual realm that is understood as being interconnected with the physical realm (Cajete, 2000; Rice, 2005).   an approach to knowledge that is metaphysical, holistic, oral/symbolic, relational, and intergenerational  coming to know, understand, and practice the teachings represent an individual’s lifelong learning  the belief that as we receive from others, we must also offer to others (Rice, 2005). Reciprocity reflects the relational worldview and the understanding that we must honor our relationships with other life.  Colonial knowledges o Colonial knowledge tends to be broken into disciplines - mathematics and linguistics, logic, rationality, objectivity, and the measurement of observable phenomenon are emphasized. o Western science is anthropocentric (humankind as the central or most important element of existence) and reductive (presenting a subject or problem in a simplified form). o Western researchers often treat knowledge as a thing, rather than as also involving actions, experiences, and relationships. o Western thinking tends to view the land as an object of study rather than as a relation. o Within Western ways of thinking some research paradigms that are more compatible with Indigenous ways of thinking. (e.g., feminist schools of thought give rise to methodologies that are somewhat compatible with Indigenous methods such as storytelling)

 Risks of Trying to Integrate Indigenous and Colonial Knowledges – Don’t push power inequalities o Weakening Indigenous traditions by generalizing and taking them out of context. o Denying cultural differences in order to find commonality. o Assimilating Indigenous knowledge in a way that it becomes invisible. o To address philosophical differences and power imbalances, Western researchers/educators must seek to learn about, preserve, and build upon Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing.  Refugees o At the end of 2022, an estimated 103 million people were uprooted and displaced as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations; this includes an estimated 36.5 million children under 18 years of age o A refugee – one who is forced to flee from persecution and who is located outside of their home country o An internally displaced person – one forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders o A stateless person – one "not considered as a national by any state under the operation of its law" o An asylum seeker - a person who applies the right to international protection in another country - may be a refugee, a displaced person, but not an economic migrant  Rights to Education – Education is an undeniable right o States Parties recognize the right of the child to education, and with a view, they shall, in particular:  make primary education compulsory and available free to all  take measures to encourage regular attendance at schools and the reduction of drop-out rates.  Schooling challenges for refugee children in camps o As stateless people, uncertainty exists about the society in which refugees should socialize their children as members, resulting in debate/dispute within the refugee community, host country ministries of education, and humanitarian organizations.

o Millions of children live for years in refugees camps; however, planning for education is often done for refugees by external actors, rather than with refugees.  Trauma o Definition  actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence that is either directly experienced or witnessed  learning that any traumatic experiences have happened to a loved one, or having repeated exposure to details of traumatic events  Prevalence varies by sociopolitical context; countries affected by war have much higher levels of trauma o Adverse outcomes to trauma  deficits in executive functioning  developmental delays  behavioral and health problems  difficulty regulating emotions and behaviour  academic performance and IQ - memory, attention and language/ verbal ability  substance abuse  health and psychiatric disorders (e.g., depression, separation anxiety)  Trauma-informed approach in schools o Adopting a trauma-informed approach is not accomplished through any single particular technique or checklist. o It requires constant attention, caring awareness, sensitivity, and possibly a cultural change at an organizational level. o Engagement with community stakeholders may help embed an approach. o Studies to explore the understanding and need for trauma‐aware schooling identified the need for comprehensive training and support for school personnel. o While there have been increased efforts to create trauma‐informed approaches in schools, relatively little is known about the benefits, costs, and how trauma‐ informed approaches are being defined and evaluated (Berliner & Kolko, 2016). o Creating an effective and sustainable trauma-informed approach in schools proves to be a challenging, time-consuming and complex process  What should educators do about trauma o Ensure children and adolescents are safe and that their basic needs are addressed. o Allow them to be sad or cry. o Let them talk, write, or draw pictures about the event and their feelings. o Limit their exposure to repetitive news reports about traumatic events. o Try to stick to routines o Help them feel in control by letting them make some decisions for themselves o Pay attention to sudden changes in behaviors, speech, language use, or strong emotions.

o Contact a health care provider if new problems develop, particularly if any of the following symptoms occur for more than a few weeks:  having flashbacks (reliving the event)  having a racing heart and sweating  being easily startled  being emotionally numb  being very sad or depressed  What should educators not do o expect children and adolescents to be brave or tough o make students to discuss the traumatic events before they are ready o get angry if they show strong emotions. o make promises you can’t keep (such as “you will be ok tomorrow” or “You will go home soon.”) 