January 25, 2014 
Standing Committees

Education Committee   

Topic:  Ontario Teachers for a Changing World--Digital Technologies for Teaching and Learning

Speakers: Dr. Diana Petrarca and Dr. Julian Kitchen

The afternoon session titled, Ontario Teachers for a Changing World-Digital Technologies for Teaching and Learning, was led by Dr. Diana Petrarca with Dr.Julian Kitchen adding ideas. We began by discussing tweets, and smart boards and how teachers can use these to do surveys and to make lessons more interactive. These technologies can draw students who normally won't speak up in class to type their questions or opinions on their tablet or smartphone. Smart boards can be good for an activity as long as it is not used as just a replacement for a blackboard.

The emphasis should be on the best way to help students learn, not just using the new technology. The emphasis should be on the learner rather than the teacher. How does the technology enhance the 4c's-creativity and innovation, communication, critical thinking and collaboration.

When change happens in the classroom there must be:

• Vision

•  Authentic student engagement

• Inspired and inspiring teachers

• Skills for a digital age

• Responsible digital citizenship

• Equity of access and equity of opportunity

Any new technology can be applied in meaningful ways. The individual must:

• Generate new and worthwhile ideas

• Be open to diverse perspectives

• Adopt new ideas

• View failure as an opportunity to learn

Students need to learn good communication in a variety of forms and contexts. They need to learn proper netiquette (internet etiquette and ethics) and how to evaluate the websites they use. Students are able to use the internet to share ideas. They can write and publish stories on a closed site and use discussion boards to post observations. The emphasis is using any technology to enhance learning, not on the technology itself. Technology is constantly changing and students must learn to adapt. Students should be producers, not just consumers.

With thanks to Marilyn Lind who took excellent notes during the entire day.

 Myrtle Greve and I wish to thank all the members of CFUW-Ontario Council-Education who have attended our sessions throughout the past 2 years. We have had many great speakers and all have been impressed by your questions and insightful contributions to the discussions. Myrtle and I will be concluding our work with the Standing Committee at our next meeting in March. We have really enjoyed our time with you and we encourage any of you who may wish to take up this important work for the next biennial. If anyone would like speak to either Myrtle or I about the position please do so. As Co-chairs, Myrtle and I have had a wonderful time sharing the work, the fun and the comraderie at Ontario Council. We need strong leadership and we have been impressed with all of you so we know that one or two of you can step into the role. Co-chairing has been a great experience for us.

Myrtle Greve (myrtle.greve@gmail.com)

Arleen Midriak (amidriakcfuw@gmail.com)

Status of Women &
Human Rights Committee   

The Status of Women and Human Rights Standing Committee met in Toronto as scheduled on January 25, 2014 despite the weather, and in the absence of the chair and a few club representatives who had fully intended to make the trip, but after shoveling their driveways, thought better of it.

The speaker for the meeting was Barbara Kilbourn, who spoke on her work with the Ontario Women's Health Network, specifically, Our Words, Our Health. The Ontario Women's Health Network works with women, health and social service providers, community organizations and others to support equitable, accessible and effective health services for all women in Ontario. 

Barbara's experience spans careers in the private sector and public sectors. She has worked at the management level in a large corporation and co-owned a small business. She has extensive experience in the public sector with several non-profit charitable organizations, as a volunteer board member, executive member or president [Elizabeth Fry Society of Toronto, Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, Sistering, SisterShare Living, and Seniors Health Knowledge Network-Stewardship Council]. Barbara has also been a senior administrator for several small non-profit organizations. Her most recent experience is as a board member with Care Watch and with Canadian Pensioners Concerned, Ontario Division, where she is currently serving as President, Board of Directors. She retired most recently from part-time work with the Ontario Women's Health Network.

I'd like to thank Lenore Begley of CFUW Belleville, who kindly agreed to take notes, and of course Brenda Robertson, who welcomed Barbara in my absence and introduced her.

The purposes of the study were to:

• identify women's health topics of interest
• learn how women find health information and gauge its trustworthiness
• capture the challenges women experience to be healthy
• identify elements that make it easier to maintain and/or achieve good health

Ontario women represent a diverse demographic. Their lived experience and perspectives are informed by where they live in Ontario (urban, suburban, rural, northern), by race, class, age, marital status, immigration status, ability, sexual identity, sexual orientation, language, experience of violence and other factors, all of which have to be taken into account when developing policies, program, services and conducting research and analyzing findings.

Data Collection Function:

• 2062 participants.
• 1933 participated in on line survey
• 14 focus groups with 129 participants

The top three women's health issues were mental health, cancer (particularly breast cancer), reproductive and sexual health.

Factoids        

• The original priorities of the LHINs (Local Health Integration Networks) were seniors, Mental Health and Disabilities.
• SDH (Social Determinants of Health) For the first time poverty and housing are considerations in the SDH formula

Women's Voices:

"There is no health without mental health."

"I wish doctors asked me about mental health more often."

"Stigma of mental health is huge. Access and navigation through a complex mental health system is significant; difficult to find the right door to access services. Need to know someone in the system to determine best match of services. Family doctors too busy to be fully apprised of existing services."

Suggestions included:

• Medical Students need more training on mental health and mental health issues
• Need for more providers and more services having to do with mental health in generally, including for women
• Need for greater emphasis on diversity (class, linguistic and ethnic)

Findings:

• There was a high degree of consistency amongst the findings
• The differences in the response were influenced by race, class, sexual identification and sexual orientation and identity
• There is a design for an increased understanding of the issues faces by women in their community.

Barriers to credible information:

• Information source
• Diversity of perspectives
• Commercial affiliation
• Information date
• Writing style
• Internet related factors
• Women's skills and agency
• Information verification
• Accessibility of information format
• Relatable to women's lived experiences

Education aimed at two primary areas

• Continuing education and training of physicians and other health care providers
• Health promotion activities to increase women's personal and community capacity for being informed about their health and the health of their families.

Research Questions

• How research should be conducted: Women wanted research that was specifically conducted on women as there is research that does not have women participants yet the results are extrapolated to women.
• What research should be conducted: Respondents want health research to be women-focused and that recognizes that women are different from men and that therefore this should have impact on how research is conducted.

Services

• Women highlighted the support and care they received through Telehealth, nurse practitioners, midwives, Community Clinics, Family Health Teams.

Frustrations

• Stigma, ageism, homo/trans phobia, racism, negative stereotypes affect doctors' judgments and level of care

Key recommendations can be found online at:   www.owhn.on.ca

SW&HR Ontario Council Advocacy Chair

Cheryl Ambrose

 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS

CFUW Ontario Council AGM 2014

The Times They Are A' Changin'

Hosted By CFUW Barrie & District

May 9-10, 2014

Monte Carlo Inn--Barrie Suites

CFUW Annual General Meeting

Our Emerging Mosaic

Hosted By CFUW Kitchener-Waterloo

June 19-22, 2014

Waterloo Inn 

accommodations also available at Wilfrid Laurier University