Spring/Summer 2016
MEALS ON WHEELS The Humber Food Truck’s Tasty Teaching and Learning
INQUIRING MINDS Launching A Groundbreaking New Scholarly Journal
FOREVER FITNESS Humber’s Healthy Changes Program Could Be A National Model
Humber’s Cutting Edge Drone Pilot Program Takes Flight see p.18 for the full story
CONTENTS 3
Letter from Eileen
Humber Gets Noticed 4
Ashley Watson’s Vision for Humber’s Galleries
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The Inaugural Sports Management Leadership Summit
The Humber Community 8
The Humber Food Truck’s Rolling Classroom
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The New Healthy Changes Program Could Be A National Model
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The Traditional Chinese Medicine Program
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Student Sleep Lounges Combat A Significant Barrier To Learning
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The VAW Program Trains Leaders Who Help Society’s Most Vulnerable
NEXT Tech 16
An In-Development App That Will Assist The Visually Impaired
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Humber’s Drone Pilot Program Attracts More Than Just Amateur Filmmakers
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The Dejero Helps Journalism Students Tells Stories Anywhere
NEXT Scholarship 22
Launching A New Journal Dedicated To The Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning
Teaching & Learning Excellence
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Cover photo courtesy of Andrew Ainsworth of School of Media Studies & Information Technology
A SPECIAL THANK YOU FOR YOUR CREATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS:
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The Arts Commons Building Fosters Creative Collaboration
The 2015/16 students of the new Professional Writing and Communications Program, who collectively wrote and helped edit and shape this issue.
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Humber Professors Who Bring Their Creativity Into The Classroom
Nathan Whitlock, Managing Editor, Humber Press
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How Three Professors Inspire Learners
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Ask NEXT
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Dekel Chui and Andrea Chan, Graphic Designers, The Centre for Teaching & Learning Darren Richards, Manager, Creative Productions, The Centre for Teaching & Learning
The faculty, programs and schools featured in the stories of this issue of NEXT are pushing the boundaries of traditional education and are deliberately introducing innovations that will most certainly disrupt and challenge existing approaches to learning. Evidence of this is once again demonstrated in stories that feature leadership in areas such as technology, health and wellness, evidencebased practice, innovation and experimentation. Perhaps what is most exciting about these featured stories is that they represent the best of what a Polytechnic Education has to offer: students learning by doing, solving real problems and making a difference in their communities. Clearly, Humber faculty are embracing opportunities to deliver a modern and relevant education to our students. I am proud to share these stories with you and congratulate all Humber faculty on a tremendous 2015-2016 academic year. I am looking forward to another year of innovative learning and to what is coming NEXT. Eileen de Courcy Associate Vice President, Teaching & Learning
LETTER FROM EILEEN | 3
By Natalie Richard
HUMBER CURATOR ASHLEY WATSON PRESENTS HER GALLERY VISION AT THE ONTARIO MUSEUM ASSOCIATIONS CONFERENCE This past November, the theme for the Ontario Museum Associations’ 2015 conference was “Barriers.” Humber College’s curator, Ashley Watson, represented the college at the conference and spoke about the potential for postsecondary school galleries to overcome the barriers of the traditional gallery space. The tradition of the “white cube” gallery exists across many post-secondary campuses. These spaces are suffocated by the formality that comes with the word “gallery,” which suggests one must be of a certain cultural capital to not only enter the gallery but to engage with the exhibitions. For an innovative institution like Humber College, those kinds of limits simply don’t work. The L Space Gallery, located on Humber’s Lakeshore Campus, opened its doors in 2011. From the beginning, the space represented a place for challenging dialogue and engagement. Watson felt the L Space Gallery would have more impact on the Humber community as an alternative learning space with student and faculty engagement as the goal. She is attempting the same
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thing with the new North Space Gallery on the North Campus. “It is great to have these spaces where people can come and see different things and as a class unpack topics with other students,” Watson says. During her OMA presentation, Watson spoke about a recent partnership between Humber and an external organization called Photo Sensitive to highlight the potential for creative learning when the gallery and the classroom come together. Last November, Humber’s School of Social and Community Services and Photo Sensitive opened their exhibition, Aging and Diversity. Several facilitated sessions were held for Humber students that paired classroom theory with the photographs in exhibition. Watson sees the Aging and Diversity exhibition as a model for the potential pedagogy between multiple disciplines in an alternative learning space. “Different modes of learning start to push the learning boundaries in different ways,” Watson says. “These gallery spaces are a different way.”
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TURNING SPORTS FANS INTO SPORT PROFESSIONALS
THE INAUGURAL SPORT MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP SUMMIT GIVES STUDENTS THE EXPERIENCE THEY NEED TO SUCCEED By Jessica Blakemore
This past November marked the launch of the Sport Management Leadership Summit, an event organized by professor Lisa Buchanan, of the School of Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism, as part of her third year Advanced Leadership course. The summit, which was inspired by a Designing Differentiated Learning workshop that Buchanan had attended, gives students in their final year an experience and insight into the professional development they’ll experience going forward. “They come to us as sport fans and leave as sport professionals,” says Buchanan. “It’s a signature piece of our program.” The inaugural event featured 16 industry professionals, three panels, and a keynote speaker. The first panel
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consisted of industry leaders; the second panel was drawn from the program’s advisory committee; and the third was composed entirely of program alumni. The keynote speaker was Kristina Schaefer, Executive Director of Partnerships at the Canadian Olympic Committee. Buchanan’s plan for future summits is for them to become increasingly engaged with industry partners and alumni, and to increase the visibility for Humber and its Sport Management program and its students. It’s the kind of event, she says, that could only happen at Humber College. “I’m thrilled that Humber provides the opportunity for myself as a professor to be able to design these unique experiences and to continue to challenge the way we do things,” she says.
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MEALS (AND LEARNING) ON WHEELS HUMBER’S NEW FOOD TRUCK OFFERS A LOT MORE THAN TASTY LUNCHES By Rachel Waller
The School of Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism is taking learning out of the classroom and driving it out into the real world. Last September, the Humber Food Truck officially launched with a healthy fusion of flavours, free samplings and dedicated stakeholders. The instructors and students use the truck’s resources to teach and learn applied culinary skills through state-ofthe-art cooking equipment, award-winning recipes, truck driver training and management of city permits. Susan Somerville, Dean of the School of HRT, wants to ensure that her students are consistently exposed to current trends in the culinary landscape. “The Humber Food Truck was started because we are always looking for ways to keep the curriculum relevant and current with what’s happening in the industry,” says Somerville. 8 |
This innovative venture offers experiential learning opportunities and provides a student-centered operation across various academic schools and programs. A marketing machine on wheels, media students were invited to design the food truck skin with a healthy living focus that promoted Humber, the program and the students. The winner was a sleek black design with the tagline, “fresh, food, fast!” Event Management students plan the logistics for food truck events, such as the recent Restaurants Canada Show.
students use the food truck kitchen to cook healthy items for paying customers during operating hours. “We use the Humber Food Truck in a la Carte Cuisine on Fridays,” says Sebastian Nunez-rios, a second-year Culinary Management student. “I’m learning a lot because it’s a different environment than a restaurant. It’s more efficient and fast-paced because it’s smaller.”
The Humber Food Truck also hires HRT students, interested in the field, for work-study contracts after school, on weekends and during the summer. The course even inspired Nunez-rios into thinking of opening a truck of his own. “You don’t need much to start it up, and everything I learned here I can apply to my own food truck,” he says.
Although food trucks are known as hip places to eat, many still only include unhealthy options like burgers and poutine. The plan for the Humber Food Truck is unique to the industry. Nutrition students do recipe analysis and provide tips to maintain a wholesome food truck menu. Culinary
Follow /FOODTRUCKHUMBER on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for hours and locations.
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By Cristina Williams
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HUMBER’S HEALTHY CHANGES PROGRAM COULD BE A MODEL FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY According to James Manson, coordinator for Humber’s new Healthy Changes Program, the college is leading the charge on developing healthy lifestyles. And, he adds, if the Canadian government is serious about health, they ought to get on board. The Healthy Changes Program is a collaborative, multidisciplinary undertaking that unites fitness, nutrition and culinary skills. According to Manson, who has a PhD in Kinesiology, a multidisciplinary approach is the future of health care. “People tend to focus too much on fitness as performance – how strong can I get, how skinny can I get,” he says. “This is a health tool that covers a lot of variables between nutrition, mental health and wellness, with the behavioral change piece.” Behavioural change, often the weak link in achieving a healthy lifestyle, is one of the strengths of the Humber program. While people know they need to exercise and eat nutritious foods to achieve health, they’d often prefer to not actually change what they’re doing. Stretched over eight months, the Healthy Changes Program is ideal for tackling behavioural change. It allows clients to create and reinforce new thinking patterns with the help of workshops taught by various experts in the program. The program works for students because it focuses on experiential learning by replicating the real world of health and fitness. With support from the Dean and Associate Deans, and led by Sergiu Fediuc, Michael Teune, Sarah Power, and Noah Gentner, a number of people in the HRT school created the program. Program coordinators from Fitness, Nutrition and Culinary were also involved. The Healthy Changes Program is currently only available to Humber students, faculty and staff, and to their business partner Longos, but it has the potential to help people in the larger community. Manson, for one, hopes it can be opened to people outside the college. “Eventually, as we grow, we’re hoping to do it at a larger scale as well so we can help more people with healthy changes,” he says. It may even be a model for national change: partnering with institutions like Humber would be a smart and affordable way for the Canadian government to rollout a multidisciplinary approach to health. Whatever happens, change is coming.
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BACK TO THE FUTURE
THE NEW TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE DIPLOMA IS A GROUNDBREAKING PROGRAM WITH ANCIENT ROOTS By Risa de Rege
Humber School of Health Sciences recently announced the launch of a groundbreaking new program: the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) advanced diploma – the first of its kind in Canada. Michael O’Leary, the school’s Associate Dean, says the need for this program became clear when the Ontario government began regulating Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2013. As an educational leader in health sciences, Humber saw an opportunity to produce the medical professionals needed by the province. It’s a situation similar to the one that gave birth to Humber’s paramedic diploma program, O’Leary explains: just a few decades ago paramedics were seen as medical bus drivers, the carriers of the sick and nothing more. Now, they are recognized as the front line of medical care, and Humber’s training program has grown to be one of the best in the world.
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With the evidence-based practices of TCM now government-regulated, Humber hopes to clear up many of the misconceptions about it. The program will offer courses in acupuncture, herbal remedies and pharmacology, all taught by faculty with a broad range of experience. Some are practitioners with decades of experience, from Canada and China. Others are researchers familiar with TCM lab work. O’Leary anticipates a variety of students coming to the program in September, ranging from people fresh out of high school to established medical professionals who want to add to their repertoire of knowledge.
As is common for Humber’s practical programs, O’Leary predicts the most rewarding part of the diploma will be the bounty of hands-on experience. Through six clinical placements, students will realize the impact of their work and hopefully alleviate any anxieties about working both with patients and TCM. The new program is yet more evidence of Humber acting as “a leader on the global stage,” says O’Leary, and every new program it adds provides students with new interdisciplinary opportunities to teach, learn and expand medical knowledge.
NO MORE SLEEPWALKING NEW STUDENT SLEEP LOUNGES TARGET A SIGNIFICANT BARRIER TO LEARNING: LACK OF ZZZZZZS By Natalie Bogdanski
Sleep has a huge impact on a person’s everyday life. For a student, it could be the difference between a passing and failing grade. The Humber Student Federation (HSF) recently launched a new student sleep lounge this year at Humber North and Humber Lakeshore to target students who may find themselves sleepwalking around campus, desperate for a cat nap or a quick place to rest their eyes. The lounge provides students with a quiet, secluded space to rest or nap for up to an hour a day. The lounges are aimed at combatting the corrosive effects of too many late nights spent studying. Mary McGrory,
practical nursing professor at Humber’s School of Health Sciences, says that the main symptoms of lack of sleep are confusion and lack of awareness, which can be detrimental to a student’s performance in the classroom. McGrory emphasizes the importance of sleep in her classroom by teaching her nursing students different ways to ensure they are getting enough sleep. “I tell my students at the beginning of the term to log their weekly goals for the semester and to get lots of sleep,” she says.
uses her nursing and teaching experiences as tools in the classroom. Mary also suggests to her students that to sleep better, they should be around greenery by going for walks outside and taking extra time for selfcare, and that good diet and exercise go a long way in getting enough sleep. “It’s also important to oxygenate and rejuvenate,” she says. McGrory’s sees Humber’s new sleep lounges as potentially very helpful. “It’s good to have quiet time and will help students with their performance as well,” she says.
Having worked as a nursing professor at Humber for over 10 years, Mary | 13
By Morgan Radbourne
THE VAW PROGRAM TRAINS LEADERS TO HELP SOME OF SOCIETY’S MOST VULNERABLE Every night in Canada 200 women fleeing violence are turned away from already-full shelters. Thankfully, the federal government recently promised to invest $89.9 million over the next two years towards building and repairing shelter spaces. While the need for more shelter spaces is alarming, Humber’s progressive Managing in the Violence Against Women (VAW) Sector Certificate Program is creating a rare bit of positivity around an otherwise awful situation. The program is training a new generation of leaders who will help women reach safety and self-sufficiency. Leaders who – as Kim Paven, director of the School of Social and Community Services, told The Globe and Mail – will “change people’s lives.” Developed in partnership with The Toronto Region VAW Shelter Network, the program prepares students to work in managing position, offering support to women in need of housing, immigration, legal and health services. “They want to have that feeling, everyday, that they’ve done something to help someone have a better life,” as Paven told The Globe. Students develop a firm understanding of the history of the VAW sector and the root causes of violence against
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women. They are taught to meet the individual needs of women seeking services and gain valuable insight into how unequal power structures affect the women they help, as well as their own careers. With this knowledge, students are better prepared to advocate for themselves in the workforce and learn to lead by example, demonstrating to at-risk women how to effectively resist oppression in everyday situations. The practical training prepares each cohort to assess the needs of organizations and implement effective changes under budgetary constraints, which afflict non-profit and community service organizations. Demand for these unique and essential services is expected to increase over the next few years. If even half of the promised federal spending is used to build new shelter spaces for women and children escaping violence, there will still be a critical need for experienced and empathetic workers to fill essential leadership roles. Humber is leading the way in compassionate and critical skills building to create stronger communities across Canada.
The program is training a new generation of leaders who will help women reach safety and self-sufficiency. | 15
A VISIONARY APP
IN DEVELOPMENT: HUMBER-DEVELOPED SMARTPHONE TECH THAT HELPS THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED By Eileen Magill
Everyone has heard that “there’s an app for that.” Most often, it’s true. But there are still some very important digital niches to be filled. For example, what about an app that helps the blind navigate large, busy areas?
technology to ensure that every student at Humber who is visually impaired is aware of all of the services Humber offers. He originally wanted to name to app Lazarillo, which in Spanish means “a blind person’s guide.”
That’s exactly what George Pavarantes, the coordinator of Humber’s Multimedia Design and Development program, and Fernando Lopez, one of his students, are currently designing: an app that uses voice navigation to guide the visually impaired. When a person using the app walks by a corresponding beacon – a Bluetooth emitting device that is triggered by movement – the app will speak to its user to guide them to their destination.
This isn’t the first time Pavarantes has been involved in the production of new technology. After graduating from Humber, he worked in media design at Nokia in Finland, Volkswagon in Germany, and Blackberry in Toronto. He had a role in the design of some of Blackberry’s next generation operating systems.
The app, which will be called Wayfairer, was conceived as a way of extending the usefulness of smartphone tech to people who might need it for more than selfies or restaurant recommendations. “We were asking ourselves how to evolve this common technology that we all take for granted to help assist someone who doesn’t have that same opportunity,” Paraventes says. “We don’t see it as something that would replace their seeing-eye dog but it would be assistive to existing accessibility devices. It would complement other things in their life.” It began when Lopez had the idea to use Bluetooth emitting 16 |
“The next step in this project would be to launch it as a research project in the summer and then have a prototype by the fall,” Pavarantes says. “It’s not quite ready to be put into production. We’re taking the incremental steps to make sure it’s moving in the right direction. One of my favourite sayings is ‘think big, start small.’”
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Photo courtesy of Andrew Ainsworth of School of Media Studies & Information Technology
FLYING HIGH HUMBER’S DRONE PROGRAM NAVIGATES NEW TECHNOLOGY By Patricia Phelan
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The UAV Pilot Ground School course attracts working professionals, many in the field of emergency first-response specialty continuing education course called UAV Pilot Ground School. (UAV means “Unmanned Ariel Vehicle.) The buzz around drones and the increased accessibility of the technology inspired Andrew Ainsworth, director of Continuing Ed for Media and IT, to initiate the program. He hired 31-year-old Zhao to teach the course because she’s already an expert in the field. “Zhao is not only a filmmaker, but she’s an excellent aviation person who has respect for safety and operation of the equipment in the flying space,” Ainsworth says.
In the fall of 2011, Yifei Zhao stood on a cliff of La Cloche Mountains overlooking Killarney Park. Her husband and business partner, Alex Shvartsev, had carried up loads of the company’s film equipment to photograph the spectacular autumn view. As they were admiring the beauty of the valley below, Zhao said: “There has to be a better way to capture this.” The seed was planted for their company, Non-Titled Film Group (NTFG), to shift its focus to low aerial filming with custom made drones. Last year, NTFG partnered with Humber’s School of Media Studies and Information Technology to create the
Ainsworth thought the course would interest film students who wanted to “bump up” their small niche credentials. But according to Zhao, the course attracts working professionals, many in the field of emergency first-response. Her students: police officers, firefighters and hydro line inspectors, opt in for the 12-hour intensive course based on Transport Canada compliance safety regulations. Craig Williams, a professional freelance photographer and UAV Ground Pilot School graduate, wanted to meet the government requirements for operating a drone for commercial purposes. He is now equipped with a certificate that allows him to operate a drone legally in Canada. “I just need to get out and practice,” Williams says. To give students practical flying experience, Humber plans to debut the UAV Pilot Flight School this fall. The plan is for Zhao’s husband Shvartsev to teach the course in a safe air space north of Pearson airport. Zhao is passionate about Humber’s program and the role it will play in the drone industry. Whatever the direction the industry takes, Humber’s drone program keeps students on the cutting edge of this new technology.
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TELLING STORIES FROM ANYWHERE THE DEJERO DEVICE OFFERS NEW MODES OF REPORTING FOR HUMBER JOURNALISM STUDENTS By Elizabeth Andrews
Communication and conversation has become easier in the passing years as advances in technology promote new avenues for expression. Currency is challenging in a time of mobile devices and instantaneous access to Twitter. To be first at a story, time is of the essence. Humber’s journalism program has taken these factors into consideration, bringing in new technology to aid in the broadcasting process. One such transmitting device has been a significant addition. The Dejero, available at both the Lakeshore and North Campus, allows students to stream live video remotely, an exciting opportunity. The Dejero LIVE+ operates by transmitting video back to the Humber newsroom. It’s about the size of a small suitcase and it
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operates using the cellular network. Its speed is comparable to a satellite truck, making it a far more efficient alternative. Journalism professor Dan Rowe applauds the success of the Dejero for its broadcast-quality images and versatile, portable benefits, “It’s been really helpful for our students to be able to go out and cover stories live and feed it back into our newsroom or into our production to do live streaming,” Rowe says. Lauren Courtenay, a student in Humber’s journalism program, has worked with the Dejero on two major stories for Skedline.com. She, along with four other students, travelled to Montreal to cover the Trudeau and Mulcair election night events. She also went up to Old City Hall during
Photos courtesy of Humber College
The Dejero is about the size of a suitcase and transmits video back to the Humber newsroom.
the Ghomeshi trial. “It was very cool to have industry professionals come up and ask us, students, about our equipment,” Courtenay says. “Most of the time they were shocked and impressed that we had access to, and were able to use, the Dejero.” The ability to work with others is another skill honed through the use of the equipment. Student Mehek Mazhar also covered the Ghomeshi trail. She says the process helped her collaborate with the “catchers” in the newsroom who received and edited the clips. “My classmates and I know how to pitch stories, gather and interview sources, and come up with the content necessary for a final written, video, or audio report,” Mazhar says. “What I’ve learned with the Dejero is how to work with a team of people who know how to do all of this just as well.”
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PUBLISH AND PROGRESS
HUMBER’S NEW SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING JOURNAL By Sarah Fox
As if hosting this year’s Polytechnics Canada conference were not enough, Humber President Chris Whitaker used the occasion to announce the launching of a journal dedicated to Innovation in Polytechnic Education and to open the call for submissions. The open access, peer-reviewed journal builds upon the work being done by the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) team in the Centre for Teaching & Learning, and aims to promotes scholarly inquiry into teaching and learning in the polytechnic institutions. Its first issue will be published in the new year through Humber Press. According to the journal’s editor and director of SoTL, Heidi Marsh, the idea of it being open concept is central to the its vision. “We want it to be freely available so that people – not just within Humber, but in the scholarly community in general – can access it,” she says.
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SoTL’s distinct approach to teaching and learning presents the opportunity for college faculty to conduct scholarly research that is typically cultivated only by universities. The journal will provide examples of pedagogy strategies and how they affect student learning, motivation and engagement in empirical papers, review papers and brief reports.
Photo courtesy of Humber College
The SoTL initiative re-visioned Humber’s Teaching Innovation Fund, allowing faculty members to receive funding for the start up of research projects and support throughout the process. There are seven projects currently underway and 12 in development that will launch in September. But that’s not all. To motivate and assist faculty in their research endeavours, SoTL offers weekend writing retreats, workshops and online resources to assist them in their research and writing ventures.
classroom, but if you keep it to yourself nobody else can benefit,” she says. “The second step is going public and getting your research out to the broader scholarly community.” And that is exactly what the SoTL journal intends to do. The journal, focusing on polytechnic education, will cover topics such as multi-disciplinary approaches to teaching, nurturing relationships between students and industry members and active and applied learning approaches that foster the entrepreneurial spirit. “There is literature that shows that engaging in this kind of research increases job satisfaction, excitement about teaching and beyond,” says Marsh. “We are making things better for students, for professors and ultimately benefitting the institution.”
Marsh believes publishing scholarly research is essential to the field of teaching and learning and is a worthy investment that aligns with Humber’s innovative attitude. “It’s great to have research and results about your | 23
BUILDING COMMUNITY
THE ART COMMONS BUILDING FOSTERS CREATIVE COLLABORATION By Vanessa Hojda
Traditional teaching methods can be comforting to both students and teachers. But the professional world is dynamic, surprising and full of the unexpected. This reality is the driving force behind Humber’s commitment to teaching and learning, and one of the ways to see this commitment transformed into action is at the Lakeshore campus’s Art Commons building. The building, which has been in use for a year, features a dynamic studio space on the main floor. Instructors can modify the space to suit the needs of projects depending on the medium. It is equipped with monitors, sinks with oil-solvent disposal and a street-facing gallery where
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students can display their work. The second floor has a photography studio, state-of-the-art ventilation and a figure drawing room. Every wall inside the building is available as a display space for students to showcase their art. “Students don’t just work in the classrooms. We give them a project and they’re occupying all the spaces, right down to using the washrooms as a space to showcase their work,” says Noni Kaur, head of the Visual and Digital Arts Program. Her program is one of two that use the Art Commons, along with a one-year Arts Foundation certificate. Students in both programs often work together.
This collaborative approach to teaching and learning gives students in both programs the opportunity to step away from conventional textbook learning. It equips them with critical thinking skills and dialogue about the creative process, the results of their work and the larger professional world that awaits them. The building facilitates creative collaboration because of its location, which is slightly removed from the rest of the campus. (The building faces Lakeshore Boulevard.) We’re re-inventing and creating a new culture in this building,” says Kaur. “We are always finding ways to make more connections. Coming out with new ways of art-making, cross-collaboration between other programs. We’re reaching out and people are noticing.”
Pushing the students to find solutions together, to feel confident in working with others, accepting feedback and managing projects where co-dependent creative input is necessary – these are some of demands that arise in the professional world. The Art Commons building, and the faculty running the programs taking place inside, are ensuring that all of the students walk away from their programs feeling inspired, and ready to take on any challenge that may come their way.
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GETTING CREATIVE THREE HUMBER PROFESSORS BRING THEIR ARTISTIC PRACTICES TO CLASS By Emily Kovacs
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In addition to being dedicated Humber professors, John Bourgeois, Cathy Bidini and Meaghan Strimas are masters of their respective arts. By incorporating key aspects of their own artistic practices in their lessons, these talented teachers enhance the classroom and encourage students to develop their own creativity. John Bourgeois is a professional actor as well as the Program Director of Acting for Film and Television at Humber College. “Teaching and acting are complementary. I’m a better actor because of my teaching, and I know I’m a better teacher because of my acting. When you bring that immediate perspective back into the classroom, the students realise that you are speaking from a place of experience and authority. You’re not lecturing theoretically; it is very real to you. Going into the arts is a very difficult thing if you hope to make a career of it. We at Humber have proven that we know the business part of show business. We teach it by example.”
We at Humber have proven that we know the business part of show business. We teach it by example.
Photos courtesy of Humber College
Cathy Bidini, Program Coordinator of Media Communications at Humber College, is an accomplished photographer. “I like to lead by example. Having strongly identified my own creative image-making process helps me to guide the students and help them to identify their own creativity. Students need an environment where the instructor can model taking creative risks and model how taking these risks can free up new ideas. They need a chance to explore and play.”
Meaghan Strimas is a writer and published poet, and the managing editor of the Humber Literary Review. She is a professor of English in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “I embrace the concept that writing is in the act of revision. It’s not a one-shot thing. This can make students crazy! But they look back at their drafts and see their own progression. It amazes them how different and improved their work becomes. At the same time, if the students get too serious, too focused on grinding stuff out, it takes away the joy of the actual writing process. Sometimes you have to be flexible and try different teaching approaches. Writing is all trial and error. Teaching is, too.”
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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GOOD CLASS AND A GREAT ONE MAY HAVE MORE TO DO WITH STUDENT MOTIVATION THAN TEACHING METHOD By Sarah Dziedzic
Teachers would love students to come to class chomping at the bit and ready to learn, every time. But the reality is, even the most eager students occasionally need a little nudge now and then. Two Humber professors, recognized for being an inspiration to freshmen and faculty alike, share their thoughts on engaging and encouraging a class. Annette Borger is a professor and program coordinator for the Public Relations postgraduate program at Humber. But to the students she teaches, Borger is so much more. Sitting in her colourful office, she presents a passion for PR that is almost palpable. For her, inspiring students starts with being available and wholeheartedly believing in them. Meeting with students one on one is a part of fostering student motivation. Every semester she makes the time for every one of her 80+ students to get a sense of their goals and individual ideas of success.
Shirantha Beddage, a professor, baritone saxophonist, composer and Head of Music Theory, epitomizes inspiring instruction on every level. For Beddage, motivating such creative cohorts means he is in a constant process of exploring new ideas in music and teaching. He keeps up with industry trends by using apps like Doceri, which allows users to add annotations to PowerPoint slides, and by employing his very own “piano cam”, which shows students a bird’s eye view of his fingers on the keys. Beddage likens inspiring instruction to throwing a dinner party: the ideas is to “be very prepared but also willing to let things go.” The only thing smoother than his jazz albums seems to be his ability to motivate his students and supporting their creative voices in the classroom.
With a personality as vibrant as the jellybeans on her desk, Borger explains that a supportive environment is crucial to inspiring her students. “We take their success seriously,” she says. “We want them to succeed, and sometimes it’s just a matter of saying ‘Hey, you’re doing well.’ It’s not all about marks.” NEXT wants to hear your strategies for motivating students. Send ideas to humberpress@humber.ca. | 29
ASK NEXT
WE TACKLE SOME OF YOUR TRICKIEST TEACHING ISSUES
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Q
One of the things I love about teaching at Humber is the amazing diversity of the student population here. It sounds like a cliché, but it really makes me excited and eager to teach when I encounter so many people from different backgrounds and cultures. However, one challenge I often have is keeping on top of and accommodating a lot of different religious and cultural holidays and observances. I want to make sure all my students feel respected, but at the same time, it can be frustrating to be facing half a class and not know where everyone is. How do I handle this situation without being a jerk about it?
A
The benefits of a diverse student population are probably self-evident – one of the biggest being that the learning tends to go both ways, with faculty being as enriched by their classes as the students. But yeah, it can be tricky to navigate so many different cultural calendars. The answer – according to Bianca Sorbera, who teaches in the Culturally Inclusive Educator certificate program – is less about handling a situation than working to ensure there isn’t one in the first place. “Cultural awareness and humility starts with openness and awareness,” Sorbera says. “Begin by having an open conversation about absences at the beginning of your course. Make your absence expectations clear, ask for feedback from students, and come to a mutually agreeable policy. Design and incorporate a questionnaire that allows students to share their preferred learning styles, interests, and any other pertinent information you should know about.” Bringing students into the process early on is a great way to keep that two-way learning cycle going.
Q
I’m teaching a course for the fourth time this year. Every time I’ve taught it so far, it has gone well, but this time out, I don’t know – things don’t seem to be working like they usually do. Students aren’t responding to my lessons, the assignments seem to miss the mark, the overall timing of the course seems off. Should I chalk it up to bad luck, or rework the course a little? I can see some improvements I can make, but I’m hesitant to start monkeying with the syllabus midway through the semester. Should I bite the bullet? And if I do decide to make changes, who can I get to help with some advice?
A
Figuring out what works with every new classroom full of learners is what makes teaching a challenge, and it’s part of what makes it fun. Your caution is a good instinct: you don’t want to hit the panic button just because a course doesn’t seem to be landing. If a course has worked in the past, chances are it has “good bones,” as they say, but may need a few tweaks. Katie Baillard, an Instructor with School of Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism who teaches teaching workshops through the Centre for Teaching and Learning, recommends consulting those who’d be most affected by changes: the students. “Get specific, balanced and constructive feedback from ALL students (or as many as possible) before making changes,” Baillard says. One way to do this is with a “Stop, Start, Continue” exercise, wherein students write down suggestions for each of those categories as they relate to the course, and submit them anonymously. Next, ask around: “Consult other faculty who teach the course, faculty who teach other courses to the same group of students, and your program coordinator.”
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