< Back Educational History with Canada’s Coolest Women Journey through the history of education in Canada via historical and modern Canadian women to celebrate Women’s History Month Previous Next Aristos Education Services October 2023 Newsletter Educational History with Canada’s Coolest Women Journey through the history of education in Canada via historical and modern Canadian women to celebrate Women’s History Month Dear Aristos Community, October is a month of great significance in Canada, as we come together to celebrate Canadian Women's History Month. This is a time to reflect upon and honor the invaluable contributions of Canadian women to our society, particularly in the realm of education. Join us as we pay tribute to the remarkable women who have shaped Canada's educational landscape. 1645: Jeanne Mance - Canada’s First Hospital Born in 1606, Jeanne Mance was a woman ahead of her time. In an era when women were confined to traditional roles, she defied societal expectations and embarked on a mission that would change the course of Canadian healthcare forever. Her vision was clear: to establish a place of healing and care, irrespective of gender or social status. Jeanne arrived in Canada among the founders of New France in 1642. She provided hospital care out of her own home until 1645, when she established Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal - Canada’s first hospital. She did most of the care directly herself until 1657, when she hired her first employees, three sisters of Religieuses hospitalières de Saint-Joseph, so she could take a director role. Her unwavering commitment to providing healthcare to the sick and vulnerable set a groundbreaking precedent. Jeanne Mance's hospital was not just a place of medical treatment; it was a symbol of empowerment and a harbinger of women's liberation and place among healthcare. 1853: Mary Ann Shadd Cary - First Black Newspaperwoman in North America Born in 1823, Mary Ann Shadd Cary was a woman of unwavering conviction. In the tumultuous 19th century when Black folks and women were denied basic rights and often relegated to the margins of society, she refused to accept the status quo. Determined to challenge the prevailing norms, she embarked on a remarkable journey of activism and journalism. Mary’s family was heavily involved in the abolition of slavery and the Underground Railroad. Growing up, her family home was a safe haven for escaped slaves. Her parents believed in the importance of education, and would run an informal school for the folks they cared for. But when it became illegal to educate Black children in the state of Delaware, the family moved to Pennsylvania, dedicated to pursuing freedom for Black folks in North America. In 1840, she would found her own school in East Chester, Pennyslvania, inspired by the staunch activism of her parents and her own education at a Quaker school.In 1850, the Fugitive Slave Law was passed, putting Mary and her family in jeopardy. In order to continue their work, they moved to Canada. Soon after, Mary established an integrated school to bring education to the Black folks of Windsor, and by 1853, she had founded "The Provincial Freeman," a newspaper dedicated to advocating for the rights of Black people and marginalized communities. This groundbreaking publication served as a platform for her voice and the voice of Black Canadians, advocating not only for the abolition of slavery but also for women's rights and empowerment. Mary Ann understood that women's liberation was inextricably linked to broader social justice movements, and she fearlessly championed both causes, regardless of the risk and danger she faced. 1981: Joy Kigawa - Publishing of Obasan Born in 1935 in Vancouver, Canada, Joy Kogawa grew up in a world marked by prejudice and injustice. Her family's internment during World War II, and her subsequent experience as a Japanese Canadian woman left her with a lot to say. It was through her writing that she found a voice to articulate the profound impact of these issues, and became an enduring symbol of women's liberation and the transformative power of education. In "Obasan," Kogawa's seminal novel published in 1981, she sensitively explores the experiences of Japanese-Canadian women during and after the internment. Through the eyes of the protagonist, Naomi Nakane, Kogawa paints a vivid picture of the hardships endured by women, highlighting their resilience, strength, and capacity for liberation in the face of adversity. Joy’s work not only sheds light on the injustices faced by Japanese-Canadian women but also underscores the vital role of education in understanding and overcoming systemic discrimination. Joy went on to produce more works for both children and adults including Itsuka/Emily Kato (1992/2005), The Rain Ascends (1995), and Naomi’s Road (2005). Joy also produced poetry throughout her life, published in various poetry selections including A Garden of Anchors: Selected Poems (2003). 1985: Mary Two-Axe Earley - Passing of Bill C-31 Born in 1911, Mary Two-Axe Earley was a proud Mohawk woman from the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in Quebec. Her mother, a nurse and teacher named Juliet Smith, died treating patients while they were living in South Dakota when she was young, leaving her to her grandparents at Kahnawake. It became her true home as she developed a deeper connection to the community during the rest of her childhood. After she married, herself to a non-native man, Mary Two-Axe Earley became a vocal advocate for Indigenous women's rights, particularly concerning the archaic Indian Act, which stripped Indigenous women of their status and rights if they married non-Indigenous men. This rendered these women incapable of passing indigenous status to their children and of owning land and living in their own communities. Mary traveled extensively, tirelessly lobbying Canadian policymakers to rectify the discriminatory provisions. Her efforts culminated in the passing of Bill C-31 in 1985, which restored status and rights to Indigenous women and their descendants, marking a monumental victory for women's liberation and Indigenous rights. Throughout her campaign, she stressed the importance of spreading the word, giving many talks and submitting works to educate folks on the nature of the issue. Later, she would serve on the board of directors for the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women. Local Resources and Events about Women’s History Month Hamilton Public Library Link to Women’s History Month page for 2023: https://www.hpl.ca/womens-history Indigenous Market at Central branch HPL: Saturday, October 15 - 10:00am-4:00pm Artist Talk: Ellen Ryan at Dundas branch HPL: Friday, October 14 - 2:00pm-3:00pm Make Art for teens (Program) at Waterdown HPL: Monday, October 2 - 6:00pm-7:00pm Canadian Women's History Month is a reminder of the progress we have made and the work that still lies ahead. By honoring the contributions of Canadian women in education, we ensure that their legacy continues to inspire future generations. International Cybersecurity Awareness Month This month we also want to call attention to international Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Cybersecurity Awareness Month, observed every October, serves as a critical reminder of the importance of safeguarding our digital lives. In an era of increasing cyber threats, this annual campaign seeks to educate individuals and organizations about the ever-evolving landscape of online security. It promotes best practices, encourages vigilance against phishing scams, malware, and data breaches, and underscores the significance of strong passwords, regular software updates, and two-factor authentication. By raising awareness, Cybersecurity Awareness Month empowers people to take proactive measures in protecting their sensitive information and digital assets, ultimately contributing to a safer and more secure online environment for all. Cyber-Hygeine Tips Strong Passwords: Use unique, complex passwords for each online account, combining letters, numbers, and symbols. Consider using a trusted password manager to store and generate strong passwords. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enable 2FA wherever possible. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring you to provide a secondary verification method, like a text message or authentication app code, in addition to your password. Regular Updates: Keep your operating system, software, and applications up to date with the latest security patches and updates. Cybercriminals often exploit known vulnerabilities. Beware of Phishing: Be cautious of unsolicited emails, messages, or links. Verify the sender's identity and avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. Phishing is a common method for cyberattacks. Thank you for entrusting Aristos with your educational goals. We hope to educate folks of all ages on the importance of security when using the internet. And we hope to foster a deeper appreciation for Canadian women's history and empower students to create a more equitable future. We are here to support you every step of the way. Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Happy learning! Warm regards, READ MORE ON OUR WEBSITE info@aristoseducation.ca (365) 889-3756Admin: contact@aristoseducation.ca (289) 858-6065

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TECHNIQUES BY ACADEMIC SKILL Assistive Technology resource tree at ATSelect.org (list options or tree) Homework Completion Homework completion is a common area of concern and requires a number of skills and strategies for consistent success. Tools for success: DUE DATE TRACKING One of the first skills a student needs to complete homework is to learn, record, and plan according to the due date. An agenda is usually the best resources for due date tracking in the early grades, but other options such as a wall calendar or a digital calendar on a device are options, depending on the student. Effectiveness should be the ultimate criteria and students may need to be open to changing methods if one does not work well. -estimate of time needed (will need to develop this skill) -scheduled time (broken into manageable sessions) -rubric -text or reference material -make use of any accommodations from IEP Test Prep Test preparation, when done effectively, is a complex process that requires many of the EF skills discussed. Some students think that studying means just reading over the material. The best studying is active studying. The more involved, or active, with the material, the more likely it is to be understood and retained. Having a plan in place helps to alleviate stress and can avoid activating procrastination if the preparation is in manageable sections well in advance of the test or exam Tools for Success: -review previous tests for a) types of questions, b) common errors, c) teacher particularities -review unit material and estimate time needed to study -plan what kind of studying technique is best for each type of content -schedule specific times that include a) the specific time frame, b) the material to be covered, c) the study method employed (flash cards, short answer composition, etc) -E.X. Wednesday 4pm-5pm, Outsiders novel study short answer prep, create 4 mind-maps BACK TO COACHING PORTAL

INTRODUCTION The purpose of the Academic Behaviour Coaching (ABC) program is to develop and supplement Executive Function (EF) skills in elementary aged students. Part of the motivation for this is improved academic performance and the building of life-skills that are necessary for professional and social success This is accomplished in 3 ways: 1) the instruction of skills on a conceptual level, 2) the application of those skills to daily life and routine, including academic responsibilities, and finally, 3) the development of habits and behaviours that support and extend these skills. The role of the academic coach in this process is to serve as instructor, guide, and supporter of the students. The coach must be knowledgeable, not only regarding these concepts and skills, but also how those skills are developed into behaviours and habits. It is the goal of this manual to provide a reference to support the coach in developing and promoting these skills in elementary students. The manual strives to provide clear direction for the effective development of executive function skills in elementary students. Background: Academic Behaviour Coaching is a system of executive function development for elementary school aged children; it shares a theory of personality and psychopathology with Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and implements research-driven, evidence-based practices. Academic Behaviour Coaching also implements elements of Cognitive Behaviour Play Therapy which has been shown to be effective with younger students (Hirshfeld-Becker et al. 2010, Freeman et al. 2008) Academic Behaviour Coaching is designed to build executive function skills such as those that may be identified to be deficient by a Psycho-educational Evaluation or relevant care-giver survey. BACK TO MANUAL CONTENTS

Executive Function refers, generally, to the skill sets of cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory. Deficits in these areas are common to students diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, and Autism Spectrum Disorder but can occur independently of such a diagnosis.

SESSION STRUCTURE AND CONTENT First Session One of the key goals of the first session is for the student to understand how these sessions will help and to feel positively about the coaching relationship. It is the best opportunity for the coach to understand how the student is thinking and feeling about academics and also to demonstrate to the student that the coach is going to be of help to the student. The first session primarily has 4 objectives: to learn pressing needs from the student to establish confidence in, and rapport with, the coach to inform the student of how the session will help and what kinds of skills will be developed to engage the student to feel positively about the session Depending on student attitude and optimism about the program, the first session may contain no substantive EF activities but be spent exclusively discovering needs, rapport building, and discussing the skills to be developed. Some games and fun activities should be used so the student gets some idea of the play-based approach that will be used to help develop certain skills. It is important the the coach establish an understanding in the student that the coach and student compose a team that will be working together to achieve the student’s goals. The student should be introduced to goal setting by discussing a personal, non-academic goal that the student has. This can be used to introduce how planning and breaking the goal down into steps can help the student achieve personal goals as well as academic goals. Some students will struggle with identifying an appropriate goal. The coach should learn about the student’s hobbies and interests to help uncover or suggest a relevant goal for the student. Some students may also choose goals that reflect a habit of doing just enough to get by, rather than a goal that reflects a desire to accomplish. The coach should allow the student to choose the first goal but guide the student to identify a goal that is possible but also requires some additional effort from the student for future goals. Subsequent Sessions Sessions should be scheduled for multiple times in a given week, ideally 2-3. Sessions will need to be appropriate to the attention span of the individual and age group. Usually 30 minutes per session will be the norm but cues should always be taken from the particular student. While there is no maximum number of weekly sessions, a minimum of 2 sessions and 60 minutes of contact time per week should be achieved to expect meaningful skill development. There is evidence to support intensive sessions to accelerate skill development The total number of sessions needed by a particular student will depend on a number of variables, including the quantity and severity of the deficits needing to be addressed, the frequency and consistency of the session meetings, and the rate at which the student understands and adopts the techniques and behaviours. The structure within each session and the longer-term goals of the sessions should be clear to the student in a level of complexity appropriate to their age and comprehension. The outside session work (do not use term “homework” this will have specific, often negative, connotations for the student) that is assigned is not discursive but rather play-based or directed toward noticing opportunities to apply session skills. This should be called practice, rather than homework, to extend the idea of skill development, rather than extra work. Session Components : -welcome/Rapport building -follow-up on previous session and interim activities -check-in about new and current needs -plan/describe session with/to student -content: skill instruction/ review/ application -skill progress tracking toward mastery -review and conclude session -write and submit session notes Welcome/Rapport Building Each session should begin with a few minutes of small talk based on the interests of the student. The topics should not include any topics that will be, or often are, the subject of the session’s content. The coach should connect with the student as a person with specific interests and values not related to school or the area of support. Follow-Up The session should always begin by following-up on the previous session and anything that was supposed to be accomplished (assignments, skill development) between that session and the current one. Often this will include following-up to see if the agreed upon plan from the previous session was followed. If some aspect was not completed (study session did not happen, skills was not practised as agreed), use this as an opportunity to develop problem solving and demonstrate cognitive flexibility. Have a discussion about uncovering the reasons why the plan did not work (Was the time slot selected not appropriate? Was the student not motivated to start? Was the work area not adequate?...). The coach should acknowledge that it sometimes happens that plans are not followed, we should be prepared for this eventuality and develop the skill of adapting with a new plan. A new plan needs to be made that accounts for the cause of the previous plan not being accomplished. The student should be involved in the planning as much as is appropriate to the level of this skill in the client. Use Socratic questioning to help guide the student toward possible solutions. If the student successfully followed the agreed upon plan, specific praise and reward points should be awarded, and the success should be recorded in the skill mastery tracker. Check-in: New and Current Tasks Once all previous work and plans have been addressed, the coach will check-in with the student regarding ongoing projects and all new assignments and due dates. Coaches with regular teacher contact may already have this information but it is important to habituate the student to being aware of, retaining, and reporting this information. Reward all new reports with specific praise and reward points. For students developing the scheduling skill, additional points should be awarded if new items were independently recorded. Relevant records can be made on the skill mastery tracker. Plan and Explain Current Session Content Once the coach understands what was and was not accomplished since the last session, and has any new information from the teacher and student, a coherent plan for the current session can be made. The session plan should always be shared with the student and student input should be welcomed and incorporated to an appropriate degree. The long-term goal is to have the student confident with the skills and knowledge necessary for setting the agenda for the meetings but early sessions will need to be organized by the coach. The plan for the session should be very clear to the student and should be repeated as each section of the session is completed. A session will be a combination of introducing new skills demonstrating the application of skills, and opportunities for independent application play-based applications and games Introducing New Skills The number of skills being developed at a time should reflect the coach’s ongoing understanding of what is appropriate for a student but generally should range from 1-3 skills at a time. The student will have a complete list of skills needing development, from this list of total skill needs, 1-3 will be prioritized to be actively worked on. These ‘active’ skills Are worked through to mastery and then a new skill from the total needs list will be made active and worked on during the sessions. A coach should not introduce more than one new skill in a single session. When introducing a new skill, a description of the skill should always include the way it applies to the student’s current needs. This component of the session is the most one-directional as the coach is teaching a new concept to the student. It may be necessary to go beyond examples and incorporate applications to help the student understand the mechanics of a particular skill. 2. Demonstrating the Application of Skills Once a student has an understanding of the concept of the skill, the coach must demonstrate how that skill is applied. This is best done by direct application to the student’s work whenever possible. If no appropriate school material is available, draw on material that is age and ability appropriate and reflects the interests of the student. The demonstration of how skills are applied is the main component of the sessions. It is here that the student learns how to properly employ the skills being developed. Consistent repeated demonstration of application is the core of developing skills that the student will be able to apply independently in the future. Use of the Skill Mastery Tracker will help ensure the correct skills are focused on for the correct amount of time. The focus of the sessions can sometimes be pulled in multiple directions simultaneously Consider the following example: A student has begun progress on a particular skill, paragraph writing for example, but an urgent need is discovered in the form of a multiple-choice test at the end of the week; multiple choice questions being an area of need equal to writing. In the interests of serving both the long-term and short-term needs of the student, it is appropriate to defer the planned writing focus for another session in order to work on multiple-choice question tips. It is the role of the coach to adapt to pressing needs and so it is appropriate to put a skill on hold to address a more pressing need. The Skill Mastery Tracker will ensure that the coach returns to the prioritized skill. 3. Opportunities for Independent Application The ability to recognize opportunities to apply skills in novel or extended contexts is itself a skill that needs development. Students need to be able to identify how a skill can be implemented more broadly in their life. After each application session, the coach should invite the student to think of ways to apply the skill independently. The coach should guide the student with Socratic questioning if needed. After completing the requisite demonstration sessions for a skill, applying the skill independently should be among the student’s scheduled responsibilities between sessions. 4. Play-based Applications and Games Elementary students respond very well to instruction delivered through play. Some developmental psychologists consider play to be the primary means of conceptualization and communication among elementary students. Additionally, skill instruction lends itself particularly well to play-based instruction and demonstration. The use of play and games has also been shown to improve and maintain student engagement in instruction and produce a positive attitude toward sessions. For these reasons, play-based instruction is to be used whenever possible and games that develop the relevant skills should be used as rewards to be played as the final activity of a session. Skill Tracking Skill Tracking template in Word Skill Tracking template in pdf The tracking of progress toward skill development is important for a number of reasons. It provides clarity and structure to the content of the sessions, it provides clarity for the student on what to expect from the sessions, it provides a record of student progress, it can alert the coach when a new strategy is needed to help a student with skill progression. For each skill developed, the following is recorded: Date and content of initial skill instruction Date and context of first shared application of the skill (usually same date as initial skill instruction) Date and context of subsequent shared applications Date and context of independent applications Dates of re-introducing skill (if needed) Date of Mastery Date of Short-Term Retention Check (within 2-4 weeks) Date of Mid-Term Retention Check (within 2-3 months) The student should be aware of and involved in the skill mastery tracker’s use. The mastery tracker allows the student to be an active participant in knowing which skills are being worked on and the progress that is being made in each skill. Reward points should be awarded for progress along the mastery tracker as well as for effort and engagement in general. It is also important for the student to be aware that ‘backsliding’ and other setbacks are to be expected in the development of a skill. It is important that the student understands that this is a normal part of the process and does not reflect a failure on the part of the student or the sessions. Appropriate analogies to video games and sports should be made: sometimes you have to try a level or play a team multiple times before a successful strategy is discovered. In the majority of cases, at least 3 successive examples of independent skill application should be recorded before a skill is considered mastered. This guideline will vary by skill and student, and the ultimate decision of demonstrated mastery should be deferred to the coach’s judgement. Review and Conclude Session Time should be reserved at the end of the session to review the material that was covered in the session and to reaffirm the planning and scheduling for the coming week, month, and term. It is important for the student to complete the session on a positive note. For this reason the last interaction with the coach should once again, as with the welcome/rapport building component, be informal discussion of things the student enjoys: hobbies, upcoming events. The final minutes of the session should be spent connecting with the student as a person, discussing topics that put the student at ease. Session Notes After each session the coach completes a brief summary of the session to be shared with the parent or caregiver. The notes should contain: -information on the skills developed in the session -a report on student engagement -an update on skill mastery progression for each active skill Given the young age of the students, the coaching notes provide important insights into the coaching sessions for the parents. Students are not always able to completely report on what was covered in the session (though the session review is intended to help with this) and so parents rely on these notes to stay informed and assured that progress is being made through the assigned skill set. See example session notes in the Appendix. BACK TO MANUAL CONTENTS

MOTIVATION AND REWARD PROGRAM Having a motivated student is important for productive sessions and skill progress. It is a long-term goal of coaching to have the student be self-motivating and to have internal motivation for effort. However, having an external reward system is effective for achieving initial buy-in from the student and can serve as a good motivator while internal motivation is being developed. Reward programs are effective when they are cumulative so that the student is working toward a goal that is not accomplished in a single session. The tokens toward a mid-range goal should provide some immediate motivation within the session. Tokens that count toward the reward should be awarding with specific praise connected to student effort, rather than results. This is consistent with the overall approach to build confidence and reward development rather than static ability. Reward Token Tracker in Word Reward Token Tracker in pdf See the Session Structure and Content page for more details on implementing the reward program. BACK TO MANUAL CONTENTS

Headteacher's Welcome I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It’s easy. Just click “Edit Text” or double click me to add your own content and make changes to the font. Feel free to drag and drop me anywhere you like on your page. I’m a great place for you to tell a story and let your users know a little more about you. This is a great space to write long text about your company and your services. You can use this space to go into a little more detail about your company. P.Miller, Principal Meet Our Teachers Tina Alba 1st Grade Mark Jones 2nd Grade Reece Peters 3rd Grade Grace Squires 4th Grade Aiden Paul 5th Grade Robert Sanders 6th Grade

Dr. Michael Bruder CEO and Director of Research Dr. Bruder received his PhD from McMaster University in Philosophy and brings over a decade of experience in private education to his role of Director of Research at Aristos.

TECHNIQUES BY EXECUTIVE FUNCTION This section contains techniques and approaches relevant to executive function skills such as those related to WORKING MEMORY , ORGANIZATION , PLANNING , and INHIBITORY CONTROL . Working Memory: Working Memory allows us to keep information ready at-hand in out thoughts while incorporating new information, or performing an operation. Some students will have very different working memory abilities for visual versus auditory information, and also meaningfully related versus unrelated information. For students who struggle with working memory relative to unrelated information, creating a personally meaningful narrative out of seemingly unrelated or abstract information can be an effective strategy. Working Memory training not only improves recall of specific items but also fluid reasoning and reading comprehension (Zhang et al. 2018). For this reason working memory training should be implemented along with other reasoning and reading skills as appropriate. Students who need support in this area may struggle with the following skills (click to jump to section): DUE DATE TRACKING MULTI-STEP INSTRUCTIONS AND MULTITASKING REMEMBERING ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS RECALLING NEW INFORMATION DUE DATE TRACKING: -decide on a method (agenda, digital device, wall calendar) and discuss the value of knowing dates for events that matter to the student in extra-curricular life. Connect this to academic date tracking, not only what is due but how many days until the weekend, holidays, etc. -the student will need to build the habit of recognizing that the teacher is mentioning a due date. -role-play listening for clues that the student should be recording a date -make a game of noticing dates, script: "At some point during the session today, I'm going to mention a date, see if you can notice and write it down without me asking you to". MULTI-STEP ISTRUCTIONS AND MULTITASKING: Depending on the level of ability and degree of working memory deficit, different strategies may be more or less effective. Students with very low working memory should build the habit of short note taking on a pad that is always on hand, on top of the desk/table. Students who require this level of support should have an accommodation allowing this in the classroom. Build the habit of recognizing when a list or set of instructions is about to be given and when multitasking is required. Discuss some topics that would likely include a set of steps ("ok class next we are going to....), and some that would not ("We are going to discuss our favourite part of the book"). Practise noticing cue words: after, before, first, next, starting with, while, during, at the same time, etc. Have the student visualize a hero figure completing the steps as they are described and make it into a story the student can repeat back to you. Multitasking activities should be broken down into the different tasks and recorded on a note pad for reference. Working memory has been shown to not only affect the speed of multitasking but also the accuracy of the completed work (Buehner et al. 2006). For this reason, students should always review and compare the final product with assignment expectations. REMEMBERING ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS: Remembering the rules of a game while playing is an excellent analogue for remembering assignment requirements while working. Students who struggle with working memory may lose track of assignment requirements while working and this results in completed work that does not meet classroom expectations. Playing simple games can help build the habit of keeping expectations in mind. Have the student retell the rules before playing; students who struggle with working memory to a more severe degree should have a short a reference sheet and get in the habit of checking it as they play. This sheet should be provided by the coach initially but eventually students will learn to create their own. Using a villain/foil can be a fun way to anticipate rules/requirements that would be broken or not followed by the character. Students should regularly check in with assignment instructions as they are working and always do so before considering work completed. RECALLING NEW INFORMATION: Narrative Association is a powerful tool to establish new information. To help students remember new information, make connections and associations for the student through narrative and play-based activities. These must be consistently used and reinforced by the coach. I.e. if a fictional character is used to demonstrate poor inhibitory control, the same character should not be used as the ideal of inhibitory control (unless the character is an example of how these behaviours can improve). Acrostics and Acronyms are excellent tools for learning lists of items. It is easier to create these with non-sequential items but the technique can be used for sequential items as well. The student will remember these more easily if they have a personal meaning for them or are silly and unusual. Categorize large numbers of items into sub-categories and have the student then study each category separately (an acrostic can be made for the categories themselves if there are 3+). Flash Cards : single term per card, term on one side, definition on the other. The definition must be brief, point form, in the student’s own words. Formulating the definition briefly engages the student to conceptualize the concept more clearly. Creating definitions using four or fewer words has been shown to increase retention of larger concepts (Schultz and Evans 2015). Note-taking : outline style, Cornell, fill in the blank (guided notes). Having a note-taking method has also been shown to reduce distraction in the classroom (Schulz and Evans 2015). After instructing and guiding note-taking, independent attempts at note-taking should be reviewed with detailed feedback from the coach with reference to instructional points. Organization: Students with a diagnosis of ADHD are often disorganized in terms of their possessions, thoughts, and behaviour (Schultz and Evans 2015). This is also true of students without a diagnosis of ADHD but with weak executive function skills. -Physical Organization tracking (use skill mastery sheet to track overall progress): select a personal item or area (book bag, binder, room, study area) and have the student describe what this would look like when organized. Create an organizational checklist from this description and have the student do a self-assessment at each session. The coach should offer constructive feedback and make suggestions as necessary after the student self-assessment. The checklist should be consulted until mastery is achieved for each item needing organization. Once the coach feels the student is ready (multiple organizational items mastered), the student can attempt to independently organize a new item and identify items/areas in need of organization. -it has been noted by some researchers that an organization skill can take around 16 sessions to show consistent improvement. The most common trend of development is seeming inconsistency between sessions but an overall trend of improvement (Schultz and Evans 2015). The organizational checklist for a backpack may include the following: -no loose papers/papers filed in folder or binder -stationary materials in a pencil case -no old lunch food -completely closed with nothing sticking out -clean -binders or folders -agenda Students may also need a checklist to consult when packing the backpack to go to school and and packing it to come home from school again. If possible, these checklists should be fastened to the bag zipper so that the student is reminder to check the list when opening and closing the backpack. These lists may include: -lunch containers -water bottle -any outdoor gear (boots, umbrellas, mittens, etc) -mask(s) (during Covid protocols) -agenda -assignment sheets Students should be encouraged to decorate the list with drawings, stickers, etc. with colours and characters that they enjoy. Symbols or pictures can be used in place of words to create a checklist for those who are still learning to read. Students can sometimes feel at the mercy of events that are part of their daily life. Discussing the morning routine so they can understand its purpose and anticipate it can give the student a greater sense of involvement in the daily routine, and it is a great way to introduce the concept of planning. Planning: Planning and time management are among the most important base skills for academic success in general and these skills can be particularly challenging for students with ADHD. -agenda/calendar use -practise estimating how long different activities take, record estimate, time actual work and compare results -enter precise timeframe for each scheduled activity and note if the time scheduled is too much or too little -enter exact activities to be accomplished in the scheduled event. I.e.rather than “5pm-5:30pm Study” the student should enter “5pm-5:30pm create flash cards for definitions 1-10”. -enter social and non-academic events and responsibilities as well to show how organization is about life, not just about school. -enter time for activities the student enjoys that are not school-related -learn to set, snooze, and edit digital alerts and notifications (discuss best use) -consult online calendars, resources, and classroom teacher notes -being in contact with the classroom teacher ensures effective planning of due dates until the student develops independence Inhibitory Control: Inhibitory control refers to the ability to resist our initial, reflex reaction to a situation or question and consider alternatives and options before acting. This ability is important in situations ranging from emotional response management to multiple choice quizzes. There is evidence that control over response can be developed by practicing similar activities (Zhang et al. 2019). There is even some evidence to suggest that improving inhibitory control also improves working memory (Zhao et al. 2015), perhaps because we need to hold rules or exceptions in mind to resist an initial reaction. Types of activities that are used to practice and assess inhibitory control include: the Stroop task, Go/No-Go task, Stop-signal task, and the flanker task. The Stroop task presents students with the names of colours, but written in a coloured font that may or may not match the colour name. For example YELLOW , RED , etc, and asks students to respond with the colour of the font rather than the word written (the correct example responses would be Green and Yellow respectively). The student must build the habit of resisting the existing habit of reading the word, and instead think about the font. Cards or slides can be created by the coach to practise this task. This activity is not recommended for students who are still learning to read colour names. An online demo can be found here: https://www.psytoolkit.org/experiment-library/stroop.html Go/No-Go tasks present students with two types of of stimuli; one type requires a response (Go), and the other requires the student to resist responding (No-Go). An example could be created using a deck of playing cards and having the student respond quickly when a black card is dealt but resist responding when a red card is dealt. The Stop-Signal task is a more complex version of the Go/No-G o task in which there are still two types of stimuli, but each type does require a response, unless a third signal is present, in which case the student must resist responding. An online demo can be found here: https://www.psytoolkit.org/experiment-library/stopsignal.html The Flanker task asks student to provide a response based on whether the focal stimulus is from one of two groups, but the stimulus is flanked on either side by contrary or irrelevant stimuli. An online demo can be found here: https://www.psytoolkit.org/experiment-library/flanker.html Coaches can easily create quick games that employ these principles. Some card games that have elements of inhibitory control practice include go-fish, and war. References: Buehner, Markus & König, Cornelius & Pick, Marion & Krumm, Stefan. (2006). Working Memory Dimensions as Differential Predictors of the Speed and Error Aspect of Multitasking Performance. Human Performance. 19. 253-275. 10.1207/s15327043hup1903_4. Zhang, Wang, C., Zhao, Q., Yang, L., Buschkuehl, M., & Jaeggi, S. M. (2019). The malleability of executive function in early childhood: Effects of schooling and targeted training. Developmental Science, 22(2), e12748–n/a. https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12748 Zhao, Chen, L., Fu, L., & Maes, J. H. . (2015). “Wesley says”: A children’s response inhibition playground training game yields preliminary evidence of transfer effects. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 207–207. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00207 ORGANIZATION Working Memory Due Date Tracking Multi-step Instructions Remembering Instructions Recalling Information Planning Inhibitory Control BACK TO COACHING PORTAL

< Back Episode 4 - Cyber Civil Liberties Michael: Welcome to the Cyberethics Podcast. I am joined today by a very special guest. Rory Mehr is the Associate Director of Community Organizing at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. They coordinate EFF's support of local advocacy groups, primarily through the grassroots information sharing network, the Electronic Frontier Alliance. Prior to joining the EFF, Rory studied activist pedagogy and adolescent use of social media as a doctoral student of psychology. As a student, instructor, and researcher, they advocated for student and worker privacy, open science, and open education on campus. They were also active in several New York City community projects like the SciPIR Collective, an EFA member group focused on accessible digital security trainings. Welcome, Rory. Read More Rory: Thanks so much for having me. Michael: Well, it's our pleasure. So to get started, I'd like you to just give us a brief history of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and some examples of the kinds of projects that they work on. Rory: Sure. So yeah, the Electronic Frontier Foundation is a nonprofit civil liberty law firm that has about thirty-three years of history behind it and has had a lot of different iterations in that time. It started off as a project answering new infringements on folks' digital rights. It's most famously kicking off with the Secret Service raiding Steve Jackson games, a small GameMaker in Texas, under suspicion of file sharing and whatnot. And our founders basically identified this as, hey, this is a clear infringement, but it's not getting those same legal protections because it's in the digital space. And basically rallied support for legal representation. EFF's early days were really meant to be a foundation. It's no longer really a foundation for getting legal support to folks that are facing those sort of issues. And then it kind of iterated into, well, we'll have some hired lawyers that can build the expertise in that area and be also a law firm. And then that was the case for a while. Tried to have chapter organizations. So there's a few other electronic frontier locals still around. But then it really came at a point in close to the late nineties of like, we need to actually advocate for better legislation, not just fight it in the courts, even though courts are really important to the lawyers. But, you know, if you have better legislation, you can make better legal arguments. And that's when it really expanded into what it is today. Essentially, a civil liberties defending lobbying group that yeah, wants to make sure that our civil rights apply even when a computer is involved, which is often treated as this, like, magical, like, you can't infringe on people's rights when there's a computer. And so, yeah, and that we've been doing that since and have been growing really rapidly more recently in light of the growing threats. And our mission is to make sure that technology works for everyone in the world. and defend privacy innovation. And yeah, digital technology is now touching every subject. So our scope has definitely expanded quite a bit in that time as well. That's right. Michael: Yeah, it makes a lot of sense that the organization has grown in light of the, as you say, increasingly online lives that we live. As you mentioned, digital aspects of existence are creeping into ever new areas as the technology advances. Thank you for that. Tell us a little bit about your own background. How did you come to the EFF? Rory: Yeah, so I was always into nerdy stuff like hacking and putting together like my own server and stuff like that growing up. But I was really going on a different path of how digital technology can improve and education equity was. I had kind of a roundabout path, but that's where I landed, going to grad school for that. And in that time, I really dove a lot into community education as like a form of praxis and as a way of taking these often, you know, political things that require action to improve our lives and make technology more equitable through uh, grassroots education. Um, and I started doing that kind of as a side project when procrastinating, uh, during my, um, doctoral studies, which, um, so much great organizing work happens with procrastinating, uh, grad students. Um, and yeah, during that time, um, I, uh, co-founded Cypric Collective, um, a digital security, um, education group that, uh, initially was really focused towards activists and, um, helping, uh, improve the OPSEC of, our operational security of activists we were working with. And then had a good arrangement with the public library to do regular trainings just for the public and found that was actually really what made our work able to accelerate more. We were doing it more regularly. We were kind of seeing more regular cases of regular concerns folks were having. And yeah, in that work, that group joined the Electronic Frontier Alliance right when it started in the year of the Elephant, which you mentioned in the intro is an information sharing grassroots network that the EFF maintains. And through that, we got a lot more promotion. We were able to meet a lot more of other groups and kind of like up our trainings and up our presence. And in doing that work and getting to know EFF more immediately, not just as like a fan from afar, actually meeting folks working here. Yeah, eventually a job opened up on the activism team that worked with the EFA. I joined that team in twenty twenty and I've been with EFF since. Michael: Well, that's great. Sounds like a great fit. Rory: Yeah, it was really. I wouldn't have left my grad studies for any other job. Right. Right. Michael: Yeah. And I mean, the education component is so important, right? Especially in, like we said, with this kind of technology that's ever-changing, ever-developing at a pace that's difficult for the professionals to keep up with, the people who are just trying to live their lives and have these necessary digital components, you know, really value that kind of education. to have someone who can translate what the cutting-edge advances actually mean for us trying to live our everyday lives. Rory: For sure. Definitely. Michael: Perfect. So towards that point, I understand that one of the projects that you're working on, or one of the topics that you're always interested in, is privacy concerns. So just tell us a little bit about some of your work and how it touches on concerns surrounding privacy. Rory: Definitely. And that definitely comes from that background of meeting with everyday folks and the concerns that they're having. Because as much as folks can kind of succumb to privacy nihilism, where they're like, the big companies have everything anyway, who cares what's, you know, but then, you know, you meet people who are actually being impacted by that surveillance, which, you know, anyone can be. when you're being surveilled, that information can always be used against you. But at different points, people encounter those kind of sharp points of, oh, this really abusive person in my life is manipulating my phone in ways I don't understand, or, you know, you know, simply like this information about me is online and I have no real way of controlling it. And even just having those creepy moments where you search for something online and then you get a bunch of advertisements on a bunch of different apps about that thing. You know, different degrees of things that kind of raise that concern. So I definitely see it as a really important thing about. Privacy is really essential for preserving individual autonomy in society, but also collective autonomy. I really think communities, you know, there's a lot of like treating people like islands and digital security, where if you just harden everything, if you install Linux and you only use Tor and all these like really difficult things, then you'll be this perfectly preserved egg. But at the end of the day, privacy is a team sport. You're only as private and secure as the folks in your community and you're working with. So I think, yeah, there's the individual trainings of like risk mitigation, making sure folks understand the technology they're using. There's encouraging folks to work together and form new norms in how they're working together. And then there's the big societal thing of it does require advocacy at the end of the day to kind of ensure that you know, your ring doorbell isn't just giving information to the police if you don't want it to. Michael: Right. Yeah, it's a couple of interesting and really important points that you make there. I like your phrase privacy nihilism. I think that that is a problem. A lot of people suffer, right? They sort of throw up their hands and they feel like it's a battle that's already been lost and maybe they don't see the significance of it. But but but it's an important point that you raise. Some people learn too late the significance of not having proper privacy protections. And then there is the knock on effect. Like you said, we are an interconnected web. And so our privacy decisions have an effect outside of our personal lives. Rory: Yeah, and for some folks, privacy, frankly, isn't as important because they're in a relatively safe position in society or a privileged position, and they can kind of just ignore it. But even for those folks, I'd really encourage thinking about the other people in your life. Not everyone is, you don't actually know to what extent folks have things that they need to preserve. So just out of compassion for other people, in your community and in your life, doing some kind of basic privacy work, I think, is really essential. Michael: Right. Yeah, absolutely. So you might be from a population that doesn't regularly face difficulty from the authorities, but that doesn't mean that other populations aren't facing that leverage. Rory: And then there's the not to be too doom and gloom. But, you know, you might be OK with the current powers that be. You might trust current tech executives and current leaders in government. But information lasts longer than that. There can be new powers that arise in your life that you don't trust as much, and that information doesn't expire, typically, and can still be used against you. Michael: Yeah, that's an incredibly important point, I think. So not only in terms of corporations, but also governments, right? You might be fine with your government having that information about you now, but regimes change. And do you want it to be the de facto position that whatever regime has power has access to this information about you and the population? Rory: Yeah. And frankly, we, that's, we saw a lot of that. I wasn't with the EFF at the time, but in twenty sixteen, there was a big growth support of EFF. And I experienced as a trainer, we went from kind of a fringe kind of nerdy meetup group too. We were doing multiple trainings a month because everyone was really freaked out by Trump winning the election and what that meant for their personal security and safety. So, you know, it's always around the corner, maybe not when you expect it. Michael: Context can change pretty quickly. Rory: For sure. Yeah. Michael: Perfect. Another topic that we mentioned last time when we were chatting was concerns around artificial intelligence, right? So it's the hot topic these days. And so obviously there are as much excitement as there is. There's also concerns that come with any new prevalent technology. And so with artificial intelligence, one of the initial concerns that have been raised by other content creators is intellectual property rights and how those are affected. Could you speak a little bit to that topic? Rory: Yeah, definitely. So I think like the really core concerns with artificial intelligence that I, as I think of it, one is the underlying data set, which I think is what this is getting at, where we want to make sure it is transparent and whenever possible consensual by the folks that are in that data set. There's some even privacy concerns that come out of that. If an AI is trained on personal information, let's say your personal emails or something, You know, there's the risk of it kind of regurgitating snippets of that personal information to someone else because it kind of forms this mosaic of the underlying data that it's trained on. So, you know, it also hallucinates. So there's a little bit of plausible deniability if it does do that. But, you know, it's that kind of thinking of like people want to have a say in whether or not they're in a data set. At the same time, kind of counter to that re-expression online includes being able to scrape information and remix it and put it together in a new way. So I think there's a lot of questionable copyright claims being thrown on as a way to combat the negative uses of AI. Not to say that those impacts aren't negative, but copyright likely isn't the best tool for it. And I think a really current example is with workers' rights, basically the fear that AI is going to train on a screenwriter's writing and then just write for the screenwriter, and the studio will just pocket all that money because ChatGBT wrote it instead of a writer. And I think that sort of concern is very present and something that really falls under labor. And I think you know, labor regulations around how AI is used is probably the most appropriate way to address it. Throwing copyright stuff onto it is a little more, it has a knock-on effect that would affect free expression, not from AI. Yeah, we're wary of those precedents. Michael: That's very interesting. I hadn't thought about that side of things. Obviously, I thought about, you know, our remix culture and the right to reuse things. But I hadn't thought about the viability of approaching AI or large language models and trying to sue them for copyright infringement or something like that. And the knock-on effect on what we might consider valid or accepted reuse and remixing. Rory: Yeah. And one of the main ones that is coming up is basically using personas as a new copyrighted class of things that you can't use someone's face in, you know, just CG or use AI to put it on an actor or something, and then not pay the actor for that, which again, I think is more of a labor concern that having that sort of wide reaching thing and an actor's contract that by the way, we can use your face forever, that kind of right to publicity. thing is concerning. But, you know, being able to use a public figure's face is essential for expression. If you want to do a satire of, say, the president or some other powerful person, being able to use their face in an animation is, you know, protected expression. So generally, copyright is not the right tool for addressing very legitimate labor concerns in a lot of cases. Michael: Right. That's very interesting. Um, and then another topic I'd like to touch on with you is I know, um, when you're, you're talking about your background and the way you come up, I know that education is a passion of yours. And so did you want to talk a little bit about open source education? Rory: Yeah. So this is something, um, while in my graduate studies, I've learned more about, um, I was always into open source as a concept, this kind of everyone collaborating on this transparent project together. Um, you know, again, doing little nerdy hosting servers and stuff as a teenager. But it wasn't until I was in grad school and learning more about kind of critical pedagogy. And I was part of a program that talked about specifically critical use of technology and pedagogy that I learned more about open education and open access, which I think has a lot of intuitive, especially on the open access side of, you know, publicly funded research, the fruits of that, the findings of that should be shared to the public and science is inherently collaborative. It doesn't really make sense to hide results from other scientists if you're working to the same end. And I think the same really holds to education as well. I don't think teachers are particularly protective of their lesson plans or use, they're not usually. And are often, you know, I experienced I would have had a much harder time teaching if I didn't have other instructors. just give me their lesson plans and say, here's everything I've done, you know, make it your own, and being able to pick and choose from different things I saw. So that collaborative process is already there. What things like open education does is let's it be posted online and be more open to not just rely on those kind of connections that people have to different instructors. And that has the same empowering effect that open access does when we talk about things on a global scale, where someone who doesn't have a friend that works at Columbia or something, you know, can still access these high quality materials based on current research. And then, you know, I mean, for the students, it's free textbooks and not making students pay hundreds of dollars for often kind of outdated textbooks. These are easy to keep current, are more peer-reviewed because it's more collaboratively written. It's just less known about. Generally, when instructors learn about it, they're very quick to adopt it in their own classrooms. Michael: Right. That's interesting. Yeah, I know that there's also a sort of push amongst educators or some pressure being put on colleagues to publish with journals that are open access rather than the ones that are behind paywalls. Rory: Definitely. Yeah. And there's a lot of. now publishers are kind of finding these sort of mitigations of like, it'll be open access after a few years or these sort of different halfway points because it is a popular idea and they have to kind of adapt to it. Yeah, unfortunately, one of the adaptations and there's a group called spark or scholarly publishing and academic resource coalition that actually recently has been writing about how publishers and adapting to the popularity of open access are going for more, you know, the articles are more readily available. However, they're on the lockdown platforms that actually surveil academics and kind of collect information about you know, who's reading what and who's being productive with what. So like, they recently released this interesting report on Elsevier and its data collection. So we're seeing publishers kind of meeting halfway with the open access movement with some more surveillance heavy offerings and offering more data surveillance work. Michael: And is that with a model to try to then monetize the data that they're collecting? Rory: That seems to be. Yeah. Michael: Subscriptions for the journal. Rory: Yeah. Michael: It's concerning. Rory: Right. And, you know, and it's part of the same, like, kind of fake open access alternatives and fake open education alternatives, where it's like you buy a subscription to a suite of things that gives you free access to these things, but you can't then take it and remix it and it's not free. You know, there's all these kind of, you know, embracing open access because it's popular, but in ways that still let them leverage control. Michael: Right. Well, that's interesting. And I'm sure it's going to be an area of growth. As you mentioned, more and more journals are going to try and find alternatives to revenue that they were getting through per journal charges or or subscriptions. Rory: Definitely. But I do see it as a mark of success for the open access movement that an open education movements that people are aware of it. They see it as really valuable when they have good research. They'll often advocate like, I'm only going to publish this if it is open access. And yeah, as more academics do that. Yeah, this information will become more readily available. And I think, again, that open education thing to highlight not only does it help universities in different parts of the world that might have fewer resources, it's also nice for people who aren't in university and are just trying to learn about things on their own. Having those educational materials can let people kind of build expertise and introduce themselves to an area on their own. Michael: Absolutely. Yeah. It fits much more nicely with the concept of these things being public institutions, right? Rory: Exactly. Yeah. Michael: Thank you so much for all that Roar. That was very informative. A lot of our listeners will be people who are about to enter the profession, digital professions in various capacities. Given your experience in the sort of wide net that the EFF casts and the experience that you have, is there any advice that you'd give to people who are about to enter the digital professional sphere? Rory: Yeah, I mean, I think already thinking about ethics going into these careers is essential. It's something that Yeah, a surprising number of folks don't teach or prioritize when going into it. And remember that you as a worker for these companies have a lot of say, that we've seen a lot of good pushback from developers when a company wants them to implement an unpopular or invasive feature. So thinking about, you know, is my work empowering users? Is it? Yeah. allowing for autonomy of the users, and kind of thinking about those questions at every step in the development process, not just at the very end when there's a PR push, and advocating for the changes in their own workplace. You know, of course, I'll have to say, going to EFF and keeping up to date on what are the current issues and our positions on things can be a helpful guide in that process. But also in your own community, I really encourage folks to, in a way of giving back, tech professionals really have a unique ability to go into, say, an activist space or just a community group that they're sympathetic towards and offering that expertise to regular people and hear how they're experiencing the tech what difficulties they're running into and taking that back in in your own work. You know, I think generally people are happy to complain about tech and the ways that it's annoying to them. And it's often usability. And I think usability and access is really important. But, you know, sometimes people will voice like this thing. Why can't I just do what I want to do? Why can't I read this book I bought in Germany? um, on my American Kindle, right. Um, and those frustrations, I think letting those lead their, uh, work, um, and yeah, speaking up in the workplace when it's not, um, doing right by their user. Michael: Right. That's, that's great advice. Yeah. I think sometimes people feel a bit lost, especially if they're part of a larger organization, but I think you're right. Those people who are there as sort of the grassroots or the fundamental level can have an impact. Rory: Definitely. Um, Yeah, and I definitely think that inside outside approach is really essential to moving the needle, advocating in the workplace and working with folks outside of the workplace to understand the needs and maybe even do some advocacy with EFF. Michael: Right. Well, that leads perfectly onto my next question. I was going to ask if you want to tell people where they can learn more about EFF or some of these projects and any other resources you'd like to promote. Rory: Definitely. So you can become a member of EFF at EFF.org slash donate. You can follow our writings at eff.org slash deep links. We have RSS and all that, if you'd like. And if you'd like to kind of get involved in a more hands-on way, I administer that Graphroot network I mentioned earlier, the EFA, eff.org slash EFA. And there you can learn a little bit more about organizing. We have a tool, a few toolkits to get you started. And you can reach out to us at organizing at EFF.org . Unfortunately, we are currently just in the US. So unfortunately, Canadian groups wouldn't be able to join the EFA. That said, always welcome to reach out to us. We're always excited to help people and guide them on their local advocacy work. And then if you ever find yourself in hot water, and maybe need some legal representation, you can always reach out to info at EFF.org . Our legal intake coordinator is really great. You'll get a quick response. Either EFF will take your case, or we make sure that you're referred to a volunteer attorney that will take it on our behalf. So yeah, so those are kind of the best ways to get connected. Yeah, and like I said, reach out to organizing at EFF.org . or Rory at EFF.org . If you have any questions or want to get involved with EFF, I'm happy to chat with people. Michael: Excellent. Thanks so much. And we'll put links to all of those things in our show notes. Great. I want to thank you, Roy, for coming out today. We covered a wide gamut of topics from privacy concerns to AI and IP to open source education. I really appreciate your valuable insights on this wide range of topics. So thanks so much for joining us today. Rory: Yeah. Thank you for having me and for raising these issues. < Previous Episode Next Episode >