RETSD Welcomes Over 3,000 International Students and Advances Digital Literacy
In the past three years, the River East Transcona School Division (RETSD) has welcomed over 3,000 students from various countries. Our middle and senior year teachers participated in a workshop with the University of Manitoba, focusing on digital media production for teachers of newcomer students. The project aimed to enhance digital literacy skills among these students.
Several teachers took part in the workshop, improving their skills using various digital equipment such as sound boards and microphones for podcasting, and green screens and recording equipment for videography. Following the teacher training, students were invited to the tech lab at the University of Manitoba to record and videotape their stories of coming to Canada.
The teachers found great value in collaborating to learn new skills and develop a new repertoire of teaching ideas. One teacher shared, “I really appreciated the time to share ideas with my colleagues who are doing the same work as me. This experience has made me a better teacher.”
Once learning the new skills, Elena Tepperman and Ariel Fernando, EAL teachers at College Miles Macdonnell Collegiate, now incorporate a podcast as a one of the ways students can show their learning when studying the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. “Students interview each other to show what they know about one of the articles in the Charter that speaks to them. They can use this information to make instructional videos for other newcomers to inform them about Rights in Canada.”
For many high school students from refugee backgrounds, this is their first experience with formal education. Technology can transform their learning by bridging gaps that would otherwise take years to close. A student remarked, “School in Canada is the best. They help me learn the things I need to know to get a good job.”
“Students coming from conflict or war situations rarely have the privilege of education. By working together as educational institutions to build the technological skills of some of the most vulnerable students, we open doors that would otherwise be closed due to language barriers. We can learn their stories, hear their voices, and build a more welcoming community.” Jennifer Jantz, Consultant for Newcomer Canadians RETSD.
