The drop in global oil demand and subsequent economic shakeout continue to shake up Alberta’s real estate economy. With home prices down, Calgary along with the rest of the province is turning into a renter’s market. Even in the luxury residential market, Calgary home rental rates are 20% below the levels of one year ago. In Calgary where dependence on the oil market is a powerful economic force, this latest downturn has left office spaces and homes vacant, and leasing agents struggling to appeal to tenants. While those at the lowest income levels may still not find affordable housing, the new economic shift has provided an opportunity for those with moderate amounts of money to spend on rent. Landlords have lowered rents and are offering extra incentives to encourage new residents to sign affordable housing leases.In business news, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business indicates that its members’ confidence is at the lowest level since March of 2009, with a Business Barometer index of 52.3. British Columbia small businesses are more optimistic, registering an increase in the index to 62.5. In contrast, Alberta business owners’ confidence is at a low 26.5. The March 2016 report indicates that the biggest challenge facing Alberta businesses is a lack of domestic demand. This comes as little surprise. The Alberta government points out that every downturn in Alberta since 1980 has been triggered by a drop in oil prices.Opportunity is KnockingBut all is not doom. The combination of an excess supply of office space and luxury homes in Calgary is an open opportunity for investors and growing businesses alike. With lowered rates and ample space, new businesses should take advantage of this downturn to settle in for the long term. The availability of affordable housing means that growing companies can expect a steady supply of employees to fuel their expansion. The latest economic reports indicate that Canada’s economy has started to rebound with double the expected growth for January. Economists had originally predicted just 0.3% growth after a mere 0.2% showing in December of 2015. Based on the new 0.6% figure, Bank of Canada is predicting economic growth for the year at 1.4%.As Canada rebounds, Alberta can expect to rebound as well. A shift in businesses and workers to the region will result in the increased consumer demand that businesses need to soon experience greater levels of optimism. In fact, Calgary is already buzzing with public and private sector projects. The low Canadian dollar has boosted demand for exports, encouraging Canadian manufacturers to invest in production capacity. In a recent interview, Finance Minister Bill Mourner said that he believes “we’re starting to see the green shoots” from those investments.Timing is EverythingWith its rich resources and strong infrastructure, it is only a matter of when, not if, Calgary real estate will recover from this latest economic dip. There can be no doubt that, whether investing in commercial or residential properties, the opportunity to buy low and sell high is here now. During this time of transition, our team has the skills and experience to assist you in finding the best location for your staff or managing your residential assets. With our knowledge and expertise, you will be well positioned to join Calgary’s coming economic rise.
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Increasing Student Success Through Instruction in Self-Determination
An enormous amount of research shows the importance of self-determination (i.e., autonomy) for students in elementary school through college for enhancing learning and improving important post-school outcomes.
Findings
Research by psychologists Richard Ryan, PhD, and Edward Deci, PhD, on Self-Determination Theory indicates that intrinsic motivation (doing something because it is inherently interesting or enjoyable), and thus higher quality learning, flourishes in contexts that satisfy human needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Students experience competence when challenged and given prompt feedback. Students experience autonomy when they feel supported to explore, take initiative and develop and implement solutions for their problems. Students experience relatedness when they perceive others listening and responding to them. When these three needs are met, students are more intrinsically motivated and actively engaged in their learning.
Numerous studies have found that students who are more involved in setting educational goals are more likely to reach their goals. When students perceive that the primary focus of learning is to obtain external rewards, such as a grade on an exam, they often perform more poorly, think of themselves as less competent, and report greater anxiety than when they believe that exams are simply a way for them to monitor their own learning. Some studies have found that the use of external rewards actually decreased motivation for a task for which the student initially was motivated. In a 1999 examination of 128 studies that investigated the effects of external rewards on intrinsic motivations, Drs. Deci and Ryan, along with psychologist Richard Koestner, PhD, concluded that such rewards tend to have a substantially negative effect on intrinsic motivation by undermining people’s taking responsibility for motivating or regulating themselves.
Self-determination research has also identified flaws in high stakes, test focused school reforms, which despite good intentions, has led teachers and administrators to engage in precisely the types of interventions that result in poor quality learning. Dr. Ryan and colleagues found that high stakes tests tend to constrain teachers’ choices about curriculum coverage and curtail teachers’ ability to respond to students’ interests (Ryan & La Guardia, 1999). Also, psychologists Tim Urdan, PhD, and Scott Paris, PhD, found that such tests can decrease teacher enthusiasm for teaching, which has an adverse effect on students’ motivation (Urdan & Paris, 1994).
The processes described in self-determination theory may be particularly important for children with special educational needs. Researcher Michael Wehmeyer found that students with disabilities who are more self-determined are more likely to be employed and living independently in the community after completing high school than students who are less self-determined.
Research also shows that the educational benefits of self-determination principles don’t stop with high school graduation. Studies show how the orientation taken by college and medical school instructors (whether it is toward controlling students’ behavior or supporting the students’ autonomy) affects the students’ motivation and learning.
Significance
Self-determination theory has identified ways to better motivate students to learn at all educational levels, including those with disabilities.
Practical Application
Schools throughout the country are using self-determination instruction as a way to better motivate students and meet the growing need to teach children and youth ways to more fully accept responsibility for their lives by helping them to identify their needs and develop strategies to meet those needs.
Researchers have developed and evaluated instructional interventions and supports to encourage self-determination for all students, with many of these programs designed for use by students with disabilities. Many parents, researchers and policy makers have voiced concern about high rates of unemployment, under-employment and poverty experienced by students with disabilities after they complete their educational programs. Providing support for student self-determination in school settings is one way to enhance student learning and improve important post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. Schools have particularly emphasized the use of self-determination curricula with students with disabilities to meet federal mandates to actively involve students with disabilities in the Individualized Education Planning process.
Programs to promote self-determination help students acquire knowledge, skills and beliefs that meet their needs for competence, autonomy and relatedness (for example, see Steps to Self-determination by educational researchers Sharon Field and Alan Hoffman). Such programs also provide instruction aimed specifically at helping students play a more active role in educational planning (for example, see The Self-directed Individualized Education Plan by Jim Martin, Laura Huber Marshall, Laurie Maxson, & Patty Jerman).
Drs. Field and Hoffman developed a model designed to guide the development of self-determination instructional interventions. According to the model, instructional activities in areas such as increasing self-awareness; improving decision-making, goal-setting and goal-attainment skills; enhancing communication and relationship skills; and developing the ability to celebrate success and learn from reflecting on experiences lead to increased student self-determination. Self-determination instructional programs help students learn how to participate more actively in educational decision-making by helping them become familiar with the educational planning process, assisting them to identify information they would like to share at educational planning meetings, and supporting students to develop skills to effectively communicate their needs and wants. Examples of activities used in self-determination instructional programs include reflecting on daydreams to help students decide what is important to them; teaching students how to set goals that are important to them and then, with the support of peers, family members and teachers, taking steps to achieve those goals. Providing contextual supports and opportunities for students, such as coaching for problem-solving and offering opportunities for choice, are also critical elements that lead to meeting needs for competence, autonomy and relatedness and thus, increasing student self-determination.