Acadia School of Education Newsletter Vol.3 Nov. 2022

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

It has been a tremendously busy and productive summer and fall A highlight for all School of Education community members has been a return to in person learning! What a treat it is to see our buildings alive with pre service teachers and counsellors.

There is quite a bit to report This summer, Acadia hosted the Summer Institute of the Inter University Doctoral Program in Educational Studies, a program jointly offered by Acadia, Mount Saint Vincent University, and St Francis Xavier University It was a pleasure to have so many bright scholars on our campus this summer You can meet one of our current PhD students, Kayla Mansfield Brown, in a feature article on page 9.

Our MEd Counselling Program recently received accreditation from the Council on Accreditation of Counsellor Education Programs (CACEP). This came as no surprise given the strength of our program, but very much is a significant milestone for our School The Counsellor team is now busy working on an ambitious and exciting proposal for a Community Wellness Clinic for Teaching, Research, and Counselling. We are turning our attention to our 2023 intake and are pleased to be dedicating our Part time 2023 cohort solely to School Counsellors in response to the dire shortage in Nova Scotia. We profile a recent graduate (Kate Cole) and current student (Charisma Grace) on page 8

In our other MEd programs, the first cohort in MEd Inclusion, Social Justice and Equity got off to a terrific start in July 2022 For a full update, see the article on page 12 The application portal for the 2023 intake has opened and more information can be found in the advertisement, also on page 12. We are also launching our new MEd Curriculum cohort with a focus on Outdoor Learning Across the Curriculum Please see the advertisement on page 6

Our Teacher Education program continues to thrive! In this newsletter, you’ll meet some of our wider community members who make up our program, including Christine MacKenzie from Port Williams Elementary School, who serves as an Associate Teacher, current students, Bailey Ross and Victoria Eyoma, and recent graduate, Thomas MacDougall We are also pleased to profile part time instructor, Maria Carty, on page 9 We also pleased to showcase some innovations to our curriculum in relation to outdoor learning (page 5) and Makerspace pedagogies (page 3)

BEd Student Profile: Bailey Ross

Bailey is currently in his second year in the Bachelor of Education program. Originally from Digby, Bailey did an undergrad degree in French and History at Universite Ste. Anne. “My first year has been nothing but positive, a trend that I expect will continue until my time here expires,” he says.

Bailey is working hard to develop the skills necessary to become the best educator possible. His aim: to be an open-minded and dynamic teacher who can meet the needs of all students. “As educators, we need to recognize that we are very privileged to be able to mould the world of our youth. In turn, this means that our professors and the School of Education have an incredible responsibility to ensure that we are capable of responsibly working with our students.”

“The desire to become an educator stemmed both from fantastic and horrible experiences in school. I think each one of us can relate to that statement," he says. "I also remember being the “gay kid” who could not relate to anybody because I was one of the few LGBTQ kids in my small town. As an

educator, I wish to mould my educative style based on the lessons I have learned from former teachers. However, and more importantly, I also wish to give a voice to those students who do not feel like the others, who feel left out. I want them to have an equal seat at the table with all their peers. I hope to give them an environment in which they may thrive and bloom into the best version of themselves."

Bailey is fortunate to have a two-year contract with the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) which will keep him in Nova Scotia. He will continue his work with Canadian Parents for French–Nova Scotia, a committee of which he is Vice-president, to promote the need for a French education for all of those who consider Canada home. The ultimate goal of his career is to reach the world of politics. Bailey likes hiking, running, curling, golfing, and baseball. He tries to read when he can for pleasure, but textbooks tend to be his primary source of literature throughout the academic year.

Snapshot: Place and Outdoor Based Teaching and Learning Methodologies

EDUC 4773 students recently explored the cultural and historical stories of the landscape by identifying keystone tree species and learning basic bushcraft skills on the Gaspereau River. During a morning hike along the river, students discovered how the Eastern white pine tree ("The King's Pine") was a catalyst to the American War of Independence and the mass migration of Loyalists to Nova Scotia.

Maker Pedagogy

Page Murphy

Creativity, prototyping, and design-thinking are making their way to the forefront of educational considerations. Provincial policy-makers and curriculum specialists are calling on educators to radically change their teaching practices to integrate maker-related learning experiences. This means we, as educators, must analyze and interpret provincial curriculum with new eyes.

The renewed Grade 7/8 Nova Scotia curriculum re-envisions how middle grade learners acquire and share knowledge. It asks teachers to move their practice beyond Piaget’s constructivist theory and embrace the theory of his protégé, Seymour Papert. Papert took his mentor’s theory and re-imaged education in a digital age. Coining his theory “constructionism”, Papert believed students’ interactions and experiences would be more robust if learners were engaged in creating public, shareable artifacts, such as robots, inventions, and prototypes. He foresaw the rise of learners’ imaginative use of personalized computers decades before the first homecomputers became a reality. In Papert’s world, learners would move beyond constructing knowledge to engaging in the production of tangible knowledge itself using digitalized tools in specially resourced ‘makerspace’ classrooms.

Papert’s theory was considered novel, if not ludicrous at the time; but making and primitive forms of makerspaces are not new. It is an inherent part of human nature to ideate, collaborate, and create things with our hands and with tools. However, the meteoric rise of individualized access to digital capabilities means we are experiencing a global shift over the last fifteen years from people as passive consumers of information to people as producers of our own innovations and solutions, just as Papert envisioned.

Recognizing the changing landscape of teaching and learning, the School of Education offered a new elective for secondary preservice teachers this summer, Makerspaces, Maker Pedagogies, and Design Thinking. Over a ten-day intensive, students dived into the theory and tools that enable P-12 learners to construct their knowledge of curriculum outcomes through the creation of physical artifacts.

In partnership with Brilliant Labs, an Atlantic STEM charity, 25 soon-to-be teachers got busy collaborating, considering, and creating artifacts for a series of mini-design challenges. They mixed cob to make pollinator hotels, used Makedo screws to create cardboard costumes, manipulated electricity to turn bananas into musical instruments, raided tickle-trunks to make greenscreen films, and coded b.Boards and servos to produce specific light and sound sequences among other tasks. Each challenge led up to a final project.

For the summative assessment, pre-service teachers were introduced to an authentic issue in the Town of Wolfville – the current housing crisis and the development of greenspaces into high-density residential areas. Guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, students were tasked with meeting with select members of the community to determine what features of community design foster a sense of community and belonging for them. Acadia students then drew upon their previous days’ experiences with various maker-tools and using the design-thinking process created a low-fi, rapid prototype of a neighbourhood feature that would enhance their client’s sense of place.

The results were marvelous: trolleys that alleviated traffic congestion, improved active transportation amenities along the Harvest Moon Trail, public art installations, enhanced nature-habitat outside lowincome senior housing (including a squirrel obstacle course), imaginative children’s playscapes, public gathering spaces of inter-generational experiences, and more. Each prototype embraced their specific client’s needs and incorporated the ‘making-mindset’ Seymour Papert advocated. As these Acadia students begin their professional practice this fall, they will be equipped with the ideas, theory, and experience necessary to interpret and enact existing and future inquiry and project-based curriculums –and they’ll have some fun memories, too.

BEd Student Profile: Victoria

Eyoma

Victoria is from Nigeria and is in her first year of the 2-year Education program at Acadia. She studied Microbiology for her first degree and has a great passion for the sciences: "Everything about science interests me."

Victoria chose Acadia University because of Acadia’s views on equity, diversity and inclusion and also because of the small class sizes which fosters engagement with students and professors. "I hope to learn about practices to make me a great teacher in the 21st century," she says.

Coming from a lineage of educators, Victoria has seen first-hand how they have transformed lives with their skill, art and knowledge of teaching and learning. She is committed to carrying on the torch in an improved and informed manner.

Besides spending as much time as possible with her family and supporting her three daughters, Victoria hopes to become a professor someday and contribute her quota in the field of education while “leaving her footprints in the sand of time.”

I am very fortunate to work at Port Williams Elementary School (PWES). Having grown up in the Annapolis Valley myself, with a mother who also worked at this same school, I can say without a doubt that the staff, administration, and community are not only great people to work with but also very student-centred. I reside in one of the connecting school communities with my partner, Steve. We enjoy walking the many local trails, travelling to as many of the local NS beaches to comb for sea glass and trying to take part in some of the many great things the Annapolis Valley has to offer.

This is my third year at PWES and this current year I am teaching grade 3/4. After the past two COVID years of school, I find that the beginning of this school year feels very different in that we are finally able to reopen our classroom to volunteers and families. I am thankful that during that time preservice teachers were still able to come into classrooms as I believe it is a great experience for all involved. Students love having another adult around to connect with, pre-service teachers get to experience the profession in a safe learning space, and I as an associate teacher also get to learn from each one of my pre-service teachers as they come with a different perspective and new ideas. It provides a valuable learning experience all around. I work hard to provide my students with a safe learning environment and a place to be themselves and I strive to do the same for my pre-service teacher. I model expected behaviours and things I have in place that works for me and my students while also letting them know they have a space where they can explore who they are as a teacher.

I’d say when it comes to future goals it would be to eventually move from mentoring preservice teachers and push myself into becoming more comfortable with being in a position to mentor other teachers in areas I am passionate about, like technology and math. I enjoy and recognize the value of having mentors in my classroom and am always up to learning new things that will help expand my knowledge along with that of my students. One of the many things I truly love about this profession is the opportunity to keep learning and expanding my practice.

Associate Teacher Perspective: Christine MacKenzie

Learning Outside the Classroom Workshop Page Murphy

Just as I had anticipated, the teachers and I stood in an awkward circle on the lawn of SEM and looked down at the wet grass. Everyone was reluctant to sit down. This was the moment I had hoped for – being uncomfortable.

One of the biggest barriers to taking curriculum outdoors is physical comfort. The vast majority of students, and teachers, are hesitant to take learning outside if they foresee being cold or wet –and the dew-soaked lawn promised both. A second hurdle to teaching and learning beyond the school doors is having the knowledge and skills to connect outdoor spaces and places with provincial curriculum outcomes. Being outside the chain-link fence doesn’t necessarily mean students are going to have a powerful learning experience.

With this in mind, this fall Acadia’s School of Education designed two outdoor learning workshops for pre-service and in-service teachers. Recognizing that teachers’ comfort levels in the outdoors varies, the workshops were targeted to the different goals of educators in the province – those interested in tackling adventure and wilderness education experiences with their students, and those wanting support and ideas for their first foyer into the neighbourhoods and greenspaces adjacent to their schools.

The two-day Outdoor Pursuits Weekend-Away Workshop was set to be hosted at Sherbrooke Lake Camp on Saturday, September 24th and 25th. The teaching and learning experiences were designed around acquiring and demonstrating the skills and knowledge foundational to adventure education in the renewed grade 7/8 physical education curriculum. Topics included fire-making, shelterbuilding, mapping and orienteering, and outdoor leadership skills. Unfortunately, a hurricane blew through the province that weekend. Fiona cancelled the Outdoor Pursuits workshop for this year, but we intend to host it again in the fall of 2023.

At the end of October on a beautiful autumn day, we hosted our second outdoor education workshop, Learning Outside the Classroom. This six-hour workshop focused on taking curriculum into the spaces and places within walking distance of school property. It was at the beginning of this workshop that fifteen adults found themselves hesitant to sit down, providing the perfect segue into an activity emphasizing the importance of being prepared to take students outdoors.

Fortunately, I had brought a wagon with sit-pads made of various materials for each of us to try out. As we circulated and tested the seating options, workshop participants provided critical reviews regarding each sit-pads’ comfort, insulative-value, and portability. Once comfortably seated on the ground, we dove into the theory and practice of taking learning outdoors.

Throughout the morning we considered and discussed the routines and readiness of our teacher-selves and our students for learning outside the classroom as related to Vygotsky’s theory of proximal development. We examined the key documents related to policies, procedures, laws, and liabilities for taking learners off school grounds. And, we identified and experienced core routines for tuning students into their outdoor environs and group management beyond the four-walls. In the afternoon, we headed out on a walking-curriculum experience through the downtown core of Wolfville seeking outcomes in the everyday.

The urban, green, and wildspaces in our communities are rich in curriculum connections. Our task as educators is to breathe life into provincial documents by identifying, emphasizing, and utilizing the opportunities offered by outdoor and community spaces. Just remember to take along something to sit on, too.

Profile: Thomas MacDougall

Thomas graduated from the 16-month program in May of 2022: “Acadia was a great place to get schooled on schooling! The education program offered me, time and time again, professors that brought unique insights into this vocation. I am still regularly contacting many of them for advice, insights, and resources.”

Thomas recently accepted a Grade 6 unfilled position at Pine Ridge Middle School (PRMS. The team-teaching structure there has been a fantastic way for him to begin his career. Teamed with fellow graduate Sara Jones. Thomas says it has been an adventure getting to navigate this career with such a great person who brings forward some of the unique ideas and strategies they picked up from Acadia. Thomas is teaching the students ELA, Social Studies, Healthy Living, and Visual Arts, so there have been lots of opportunities for him to structure material that fosters student creativity and voice and choice.

“The primary reason for pursuing a career in teaching has always been fuelled by my passion for assisting our youth in achieving self-growth, personal development, and building their own sense of independence within a safe and inclusive learning environment,” he explains.

Future plans for Thomas include honing his craft and learning from the pros he is surrounded with at PRMS. He looks forward to taking a Masters in Inclusive Education, but for right now, he wants to concentrate on how he can best serve the students in front of him.

The bulk of his time is spent with his young family. Consisting of his wife and seven and four-year-old, he is on the run quite a bit. Between coaching, shoreline adventures, and building lego cities, it's tough for Thomas to find a spare minute. He has been working on bringing music into the classroom which has given him a great excuse to play some more guitar around the homestead as well.

New Faculty: Marie Edwards & Debbie Toope

Dr Debbie Toope and Marie Edwards are two of the School of Education’s newest contracted faculty members.

Debbie’s work in universities began in 2003 at Memorial University and in 2009 she joined the team at Acadia for the first time. Marie began her university work on the other side of the world at the University of Tasmania in 2018 where she commenced her doctoral research, arriving here at Acadia as learning programs were going online in response to the pandemic.

Some of you may know these two educators from their work in the BEd program; Debbie is currently teaching Assessment and English Language Arts while Marie is teaching Principles and Practices 1, Healthy Learning Environments, and Classroom Management.

Both bring a rich background of in-school experiences to their university work including classroom teaching, specialist roles, and school administration. They also share a passion for working with pre-service and in-service teachers in their fields of interest.

On the research front, Debbie and Marie are currently teaming with Darlene Barr from the AVRCE, conducting research around culturally responsive pedagogy in elementary classrooms, alongside other research interests. When asked what she most loves about teaching at Acadia, Debbie shares, “It’s my dream job. I love the students, the cohort model, and working with my colleagues.”

For Marie, being able to work with aspiring educators and helping them consider and develop their teacher identity through the lens of Self-Reg is incredibly exciting and rewarding.

While both educators love their work here in the School of Education, they also share a love for time with family and time in nature.

Snapshot: 16 month BEd Students

MEd Counselling Student Profile: Charisma Grace

Charisma Grace immigrated from Jamaica nine years ago where she worked as a registered nurse. Although her initial thinking was to explore her options as a nurse in Canada, she also had a passion for Counselling. Charisma decided to enroll at Dalhousie University where she did a double major in Social Anthropology and Psychology. Charisma delved into the relationship between people of African descent and their African culture:“I have a keen interest in understanding how people of African descent connect with Africa when they have never visited the African continent or experienced the African culture.”

Her passion for people and interest in these areas of study have led her here to Acadia where she is currently enrolled in the Master of Counselling program. Charisma wants to make a difference for people through her interest in multicultural counselling practices that reflect cultural diversity. “There as only one course throughout my program, Culturally Responsive Mental Health, lectured by Dr. Keas Munroe-Anderson, that allowed me to explore counselling and healing practices that are non-Eurocentric. Through research and further exploration, I learnt about Ubuntu-oriented therapy, which is grounded in an Afrocentric framework.”

Charisma is particularly interested in Ubuntu-oriented therapy which is practised mainly in South Africa as a therapeutic option. Ubuntu philosophy emphasizes the interdependence, connection, humanity, and community amongst all. Integrating Ubuntu into counselling fosters connection of mental health to bring about healing in the individual through family and community. Charisma believes an Afrocentric model in counselling is essential because it responds to the gaps that currently exist in the counselling practice and offers clients of African descent a therapeutic option that reflects their way of living and being.

Charisma is planning to do doctoral studies to become a Clinical Sexologist. Currently, her internship experience is focussed on using narrative therapy to assist people who use violence in their intimate partner relationships, to re-author their identity. During her spare time, Charisma enjoys working out at the gym, watching Sci-fi movies, and taking some solitary time for herself. She is extremely proud of her daughter, Jo-Elle, who is currently studying medical sciences at Dalhousie.

MEd Counselling Graduate Profile: Kate Cole

Kate Cole (they/them) is working in rural Nova Scotia as a middle school English teacher. They are in their 9th year teaching and just completed the MEd (Counselling) program at Acadia University. They are an avid gardener and just began canning this fall. They took a thesis route in the program and successfully defended on #ThesisThursday in August 2022. The title of the study that was completed is: "Experiences of Queer Educators in Nova Scotia: A Queer's Query".

"What drew me to the counselling program was meaningful choices in my post-secondary education," says Kate. "Acadia's accredited counselling program was the perfect fit; luckily, I found out after I had already applied to the program how sought-after the program was. The experience in the program was life-changing, both professionally and personally. The rigor of the program ignited a fire in me that I did not know existed as I branched into reflexive and scholarly work. I was in a cohort of 18 throughout a three-year part-time program, while I worked full-time as an educator. The scaffolded approach to learning made the largest impact as I had time to digest and dig into the material that the program delivered in their courses. It sounds cliché, but Acadia changed the trajectory of what I thought my life might be. I have since dreamed bigger dreams, and want to continue to strive for excellence."

"My future goals include continuing down the path of academia to learn more about research and the impacts it can have on systems and individuals," adds Kate.

Student Profile: Kayla Mansfield Brown

Kayla Mansfield-Brown (Dancing Deer) is an active and recognized member of the Native Council of Nova Scotia (NCNS) community, a Lecturer within the Department of Education, and a Mom of four. Over the past year, Kayla has been a full-time learner within the Nova Scotia Inter-University Doctoral Program of Nova Scotia where they have dedicated their efforts to highlight the ongoing impacts of colonialism, resilience, and the significance of Indigenous storywork, specifically within Mi’kma'ki.

Through this, they have developed the topic of Weaving Narratives: Nourishing Kinship through stories of Self-Determination within the Mi'kmaq nation. In collaboration with the Native Council of Nova Scotia (NCNS).

With the guidance of the NCNS, Kayla continues contributing to the ongoing dialogues of inherited treaty rights and obligations within the Native Council of Nova Scotia community. Through their doctoral program, Kayla hopes to explore stories of self-

determination throughout the NCNS 13 zones across Mi'kmaq territory, creating a comprehensive body of knowledge. This learning journey aims to dismantle the dominant eurocentric narrative and paradigms of identity through community-based practices of transmitting and mobilizing stories. Additionally, Kayla is an Alumnus of Acadia University, with a Master of Education in Leadership (M.Ed.) completed in May of 2019, a Bachelor of Community Development (B.CD) with a major in Environmental Sustainability Studies in 2014, and a Diploma in Recreational Leadership from the Nova Scotia Community College, completed in 2012.

As a part-time Lecturer within the School of Education, Kayla has successfully developed and led the courses EDUC 42K3Indigenous Education and Culturally Responsive Pedagogies multiple times and EDUC 4333 - Equity and Inclusive Education. Furthermore, in 2019, Kayla developed and implement CODE 1963 - Decolonizing Community Development. This was the first course of its kind within the Department of Community Development. Each course offers insight into the complexities of Mi’kmaq ways of knowing and being, community care and lifelong learning. Through her personal and academic responsibility to her nation, Kayla's advocacy was awarded the Nova Scotia Innovation & Research Graduate Scholarship (2021/2022), the Acadia University Outstanding Young Alumni Award (2021), and the Dwight Dorey Youth Advocacy Award through the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (2020).

With story and truth woven into every aspect of her life, Kayla uses lived experiences and her family's story of resilience, as a valid form of examination and information within her journey. By reflecting on their own experiences, she hopes to remain grounded in Mi'kmaq worldviews, furthering her dedication to communal kinship and dismantling the dominant narrative of the past and for the next seven generations.

Faculty Profile: Maria Carty

Maria works for the Annapolis Valley Regional Center for Education as the Coordinator of Student Achievement, Assessment, and Mathematics. Her role is to work closely with mathematics coaches and administrators as they collectively support teachers and strive to increase student achievement. Helping every student achieve success is their commitment.

Maria is in her third year teaching 'Literacy Across the Curriculum' to secondary students in the School of Education at Acadia. “Pre-service teachers are the future of our profession and will profoundly impact the future of the next generation of students," Maria says. "Working with prospective teachers is important to me as it is a way to pass along some of the things I have learned over the past 30 years. It is also inspiring to see the energy and enthusiasm pre-service teachers bring to the field of education. Each year as I finish teaching at Acadia, I leave feeling hopeful about the future generation of teachers.”

Maria and her husband Bill have three children between them as well as four grandchildren. Spending time with family, especially at their summer home in Prince Edward Island, is always a highlight of the year. When not working or spending time with our larger family and friends, Maria is often supporting their daughter as she pursues her passions- this involves spending many, many hours in arenas and soccer fields around Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Travel is another passion and Maria looks forward to exploring many new places, both near and far.

It is with profound sadness that we share with you the passing of Professor Linda Wheeldon this past Friday November 11. Linda has been a beloved colleague and friend to the Acadia Community since she joined the School of Education in 1993.

Linda Wheeldon (née Inglima) was a central member of the School of Education, in both the Teacher Education and the Counsellor Education teams. She saw us through many changes and brought a stability, warmth, and expertise that allowed our program to navigate many transitions by providing a grounding presence. Linda embodied all the attributes and abilities that the program aspires to develop with students. Linda was a powerful presence and exuded unconditional acceptance, kindness, and genuineness to all that she worked with. She also brought a wit and humour that reminded us all not to take ourselves too seriously and to appreciate the beauty and gifts in life.

Throughout her career at Acadia, Linda made an impact on the students and colleagues she worked alongside with her wisdom, curiosity and wonder, creativity, and her gentle challenge to think complexly and critically about our work. Linda was an exceptional writer and presenter, and unapologetic feminist, publishing numerous manuscripts on the courageous topics of feminist ethics, power, and privilege and giving many conference presentations on similar topics spanning teacher and counsellor education and practices. In 2019, Linda celebrated the publishing of her first book, co-authored with Michelle Forrest, on Scripting Feminist Ethics in Teacher Education. For anyone who knows the gift of dialogue with Linda, the book embodies her spirit of invitational exploration and curiosity to have necessary and difficult conversations, held in a space filled with acceptance and love. Her way of being with others, and in all her work, defies description but those who knew her could feel that they were in the presence of authenticity and brilliance.

While Linda was a skillful educator, she was a clinician to her core and provided service and support to so many of her fellow Nova Scotians and colleagues over the past thirty-five years. She was an active member of the counselling professional community, including being a founding member of the Nova Scotia Association of Integrative Psychotherapists, as well as served as president and chair of the Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists, and as chair on the Nova Scotia Social Justice Chapter of the Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association. Through these roles, and many others that she held in her career, Linda promoted the profession to uphold the high standard of ethics and integrity that she practiced and centred, and resultantly has had a substantial impact on the professional identities of teachers and counsellors all over the province and across Canada. Not only did Linda consistently and generously give back to the profession of counselling and teacher education, but to her community as well through her support of organizations and business aspiring to have a positive impact and who also embodied an ethics of care. Linda’s service was honored through receiving the Nova Scotia Community Service Award in 1993 and the Nova Scotia Volunteer Award in 2019, recognizing the significance of her impact on her community. All of Linda’s work, whether it be educating, supervision, counselling, research, or volunteering, was intimately connected to who she was as a person. Linda was a highly admired member of our faculty and many of our students ask themselves ‘what would Linda say’ when they are feeling stuck, insecure, and lost in the work. Her spirit and energy will endure through the practices of the many counsellors, teachers, clients, students, and community members she has supported in their journey.

Undoubtedly Linda loved her work and would joke about not wanting to retire because she was doing exactly what she had always wanted to do. However, her love of her work and practice paled in comparison to the love and adoration she held for her family. Linda was a devout mother, grandmother, sister, partner, and friend. She would remind us all to keep our priorities focused on what really mattered as she would share stories about the weekend plays she would put on with her grandchildren and their adventures in the garden and outdoors, her cherished travels and visits with her family who were afar, and her infectious laugh as she recounted the humour and playfulness that was centered in her world.

Linda will be irreplaceable, and we will miss her dearly, but her laughter rings in our ears and her words or wisdom in our minds, and the warmth she gave all of us who worked with her will fill our hearts for many years to come. We share these words of memorial with a depth of gratitude that we had the pleasure of getting to work alongside this remarkable woman. Please join us in sharing our condolences with her loving family, partner David, her children Johannes, Caleb, Seth, and Morgan, and her grandchildren, daughters-in-law, and sisters. In honor of Linda, her family encourages those mourning her to donate their time, effort, or funds to local organizations that serve women in crisis, children in distress, or others in need of support. Gratitude from the family goes to the palliative care team, Dr. Colin Burgoyne, and the Victoria Order of Nurses (VON). If so moved, you may donate to the VON here: von.ca/en/donate-von

10th Anniversary Celebration of the Delmore Buddy Day Learning Institute

The Acadia School of Education team enjoying a night of celebration for the 10th anniversary of the Delmore Buddy Day Learning Institute (DBDLI) in Halifax They have done a remarkable job of creating educational change by improving educational experiences, opportunities, and outcomes for Nova Scotian learners of African ancestry Their work serves as an inspiration for all of us in the School of Education as we continue our work in the area of equity, diversity, inclusion and antiracism

New M.Ed SJE Cohort Story Dr Lynn Aylward and Dr Késa Munroe-Anderson

Acadia’s School of Education recently marked its centenary. At many times during its 100 years, we have been challenged to stay relevant and responsive to the communities we serve. To lead, not to follow. In July of 2022, we selected and welcomed our first graduate cohort of educators into the Master of Education in Inclusive Education: Equity and Social Justice stream. Initial feedback from the graduate students’ summer study included comments like “transformative”, “powerful” and “motivating”. Students explained how the learning further sparked their curiosity while at the same time as Dr Késa Munroe-Anderson says, “making folks comfortably uncomfortable.”

From the choice of the instructional team, course development and course delivery, the main aim of this MEd study focus is to provide experienced educators and leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to continue to make progressive social change in their professional practice environments. The content study is research-informed, transdisciplinary and framed by the analytic lenses of systemic oppression and decolonization. Foundational to all coursework are anti-racist pedagogies and intersectionality. Educators will be prepared to participate in the policy-making, curriculum planning, instruction and assessment that are vital for living out the principles of Equity and Social Justice across public education and community contexts.

Through a Capstone Project, program participants will have the opportunity to explore, in-depth, a focus area or passion project that is related to their personal and professional goals. This two-year cohort-based MEd program has an annual enrolment of 25 educators and leaders. Course facilitation is anchored with in-person learning, and also integrated with synchronous and asynchronous learner engagement.