KEEPING ALUMNI CURRENT FALL EDITION 2006
Snakes, Fire and Bug Spray: A 1948 Northern Teaching Experience G w y n B a i l e y, ’ 4 9 B E d
The Power of Puppets
Welcome Back, Randy Wimmer!
Aspiring Teacher’s Declaration
VOLUME 8
NUMBER 3
The Orange is the Faculty of Education’s alumni magazine. Published twice a year by the Faculty’s Office of External Relations, the Orange is distributed to alumni, friends, faculty, students and staff.
Greetings from the
Dean
D e a n of Education
Fern Snart D i r e c t or of External Relations/Editor
Michele Shea E x t e r n al Relations Team
Sean Mowat, Asheley Cowie, Dawn Ford, Thea Hawryluk G r a p h i c Design
Creative Services Contributing writers and photographers Dawn Ford, Michael Holly, Gordon McIntosh, Sean Mowat, Michele Shea, Richard Siemens, Fern Snart
Send your comments to: Office of External Relations Faculty of Education University of Alberta 4-107 Education North Edmonton, AB T6G 2G5 Tel: 780.492.7755 Fax: 780.492.0155 E-mail: education.alumni@ualberta.ca www.education.ualberta.ca
September is always a special time of year, full of promise for the year ahead. The energy and excitement on campus is palpable as we welcome new and returning students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends to the Faculty of Education. As I write this message on an exceptionally warm day in early September, I thought I would share with you some of the highlights of a busy and rewarding summer. I had the pleasure of traveling to Washington, DC in June for the “Alberta at the Smithsonian” event and was proud to represent our university and faculty at various events and meetings. One of the highlights was the opportunity to host a dinner for our Washington area alumni. Where possible, I plan on hosting similar events as part of my future travels. Inspired by President Indira Samarasekera’s Dare to Discover; A Vision for a Great University (available online at www.president.ualberta.ca), we completed the faculty’s contribution to the university’s academic plan this past May. A truly collaborative effort led to the development of the plan, which will guide our activities in the months and years ahead. The Faculty of Education co-hosted the 7th annual Canadian Indigenous Language and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDI) this past July. CILLDI’s mandate is the preservation of endangered Indigenous languages by developing research skills and teaching expertise in those who speak the language. CILLDI also offers a Cree immersion program for children ages 6-12, which has been very successful to-date. The School of Library and Information Studies was recently granted a full seven-year accreditation by the American Library Association. MLIS graduates are certified to obtain professional work in the field across North America. This stamp of approval speaks to the strong MLIS curriculum and the School’s outstanding faculty and staff. We celebrated the 23rd anniversary of the Korean Teacher Education Program (KTEP). KTEP provides a four week professional development program of active learning for middle school and high school teachers of English from Kangwon-do, Alberta’s sister province in Korea. Similarly we hosted a group of Japanese teachers within the Hokkaido Teachers of English Program (HTEP). The first graduates of the Master of Education in Educational Studies (MES) program crossed the stage at the June convocation ceremonies. The MES program is an alternative delivery graduate program for working professionals and offers three strands of specialization focusing on leadership, educational improvement and site-based research. The program has met with great success and we plan on adding a 4th stream in the next year. By the time you read this, Reunion Weekend 2006 will have come and gone and planning will already be underway for 2007. As you may know, Reunion 2008 will mark the university’s 100th birthday and all alumni are invited to come back to campus for this milestone celebration. We’d love to see you. I hope you will enjoy the fall edition of the Orange and that it fosters a sense of connection to, and pride in, the Faculty of Education. Indeed we have much of which to be proud. I encourage you to stay in touch and to come back and see us when you can. Fern Snart, ‘79 PhD Dean
KEEPING ALUMNI CURRENT FALL EDITION 2006
VOLUME 8
NUMBER 3
COVER STORY 10
Snakes, Fire and Bug Spray: A 1948 Northern Teaching Experience Gwyn Bailey, ’49 BEd, recalls her many adventures while teaching in northern Alberta in the late 1940’s.
FEATURES
4 The Power of Puppets
13 MES Program Celebrates its First Graduates
Marshall Wynnychuk, ’60 BEd, ’65 Dip(Ed), talks about using puppets in the classroom to help his students succeed.
The Faculty of Education celebrates its first graduates of the Master of Education in Educational Studies (MES) program
16 Research and Discovery for Education’s Undergrads The first recipients of the Faculty of Education’s Roger S. Smith Award talk about how they spent their summer.
DEPARTMENTS 8 Reunion Weekend 2006 18 Alumni Awards
6 Welcome Back, Randy Wimmer! Randy Wimmer, ’87 BEd, ’96 MEd, ’03 EdD, returns to the U of A after a three year stint at the University of Saskatchewan.
19 Upcoming Alumni Events 19 Class Notes 14 Aspiring Teacher’s Declaration: Never Say Never Kuen Tang, ’06 BEd, is determined to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a teacher.
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The Power of Puppets By S ean Mowat When Marshall Wynnychuk, ’60 BEd, ’65 Dip(Ed), was a young boy in the late 1930’s, he spent many hours in the Vegreville “jungle”, which is what the residents of the time unaffectionately called the area by the grain elevators. Marshall, showing uncharacteristic compassion for a young boy, would not only bring food to the homeless men who called the jungle their home, but he would also spend time with them, listening to their stories and learning the art of beadwork. As a gift of appreciation, one of the homeless men gave Marshall a rudimentary plaster-of-paris puppet, aptly named “Monko” for its resemblance to an ape. Unbeknownst to Marshall at the time, his “jungle” experience was a defining and prophetic moment in his life. Marshall began performing magic and puppet shows for his Vegreville neighbours when he was just eight years old. At the age of 15, Marshall moved his act onto the stage as a regular at the “Vegreville Amateur Night”. He recalls, “My shows back in those days were mostly magic but, lacking a pretty assistant, I had to use Monko-the-puppet instead.” It wasn’t until 1953, when Marshall began his teaching career in Vermillion, that the real magic started and Marshall discovered that puppets were powerful educational tools. “At first, I had the children using puppets only in Christmas concerts every year, but after I saw how much puppetry increased student enthusiasm, I decided to try using it to teach subject material,” explains Marshall. “The students made the puppets, wrote the scripts and performed the plays, which encompassed everything from stories out of the readers to the Canadian explorers we were studying in enterprise (social studies).” “I was amazed at the effect the puppets had on the students,
especially the problem students,” he says. “Not only did student motivation and excitement increase, but knowledge retention improved dramatically. Students would spend extra time researching the character and writing the story for a puppet show because they wanted it to be good.” Marshall adds, “Most students might re-write a regular report twice, if pushed, but when writing a puppet-play students would re-write the script as many times as it took to get it right and they did it without me having to tell them.” He adds, “Students were more confident when reciting reports, performing and answering questions using puppets, because it was the puppet that made the mistakes and was corrected, not them. One student, who stuttered during normal conversation, never stuttered when he was performing with a puppet.”
subjects and earned the adoration of many children and the honour of being recognized by the Puppeteers of America as the first educational TV show in Canada to use a puppet. As a member of the Puppeteers of America, Marshall attended several of their conventions and during one of them he was approached by the legendary Jim Henson. “This was preSesame Street,” Marshall says. “Jim asked me if he could see my puppets in action, so I showed him a video, after which he said, ‘your puppets are doers, and mine are real yappers!’”. Marshall recalls the time he introduced his young son to the now famous puppeteer. “By this time Sesame Street had become a household name,” he says. “Upon being introduced to Henson my son quipped, ‘My Dad is a puppeteer, but he is not as good as
“Students were more confident when reciting reports, performing and answering questions using puppets, because it was the puppet that made the mistakes and was corrected, not them.” In 1966, when Marshall was teaching at Sherbrooke Elementary School in Edmonton, he was offered the opportunity of a lifetime. The Department of Education wanted to produce an educational series for children to be aired on CBC, and they asked Marshall if he would be interested in creating a series with a puppet theme. “Obviously I was very honoured to be asked and I was excited at the prospect of being able to teach on television. I needed a puppet that could pick up things, like chalk and books, so I specially designed a caterpillar-like puppet for the show which my wife’s classroom children named Clarence Catermation.” On-screen Marshall taught, Clarence played the role of the student who solved the problems, and Marshall’s wife, Mary, did the manipulation. “I made it so Clarence didn’t talk, because I thought that the children should be the ones talking for him. Usually before Clarence could finish solving a problem the children would shout out the answer for him.” From 1966 until 1972, Clarence and Marshall performed 35 shows covering nine different
you!’ Every time after that meeting, whenever Jim and I were together, he would say, ‘Are you any better yet?’” Marshall successfully used puppets in his teaching until he retired from the Edmonton Public School Board in 1993. Reflecting on his teaching career, and how puppets influenced the lives of his students, he explains, “Problem kids throughout the city were often sent to my class. The students always improved and actually began enjoying school. Parents would often tell me that this was the best year their child ever had.” Puppets and teaching worked like magic for Marshall with his pupils whether they were in the classroom or watching his show on television. Marshall explains, “My love for the children was best expressed through my puppets, and the children really loved the puppets, so they worked harder for them than they ever would have if it had just been me.” Sean Mowat, ’95 BEd, is the Faculty of Education’s Development Officer.
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Welcome Back, Randy
Wimmer!
By G ordon M c Intosh Readers who enjoy television comedies about teachers and students may remember the 1970’s show “Welcome Back, Kotter!”. Gabe Kotter, full of enthusiasm, good ideas and high ideals, returns to teach in the school from which he graduated years before. The results are both hilarious and heart-warming. The Faculty of Education has its own Gabe Kotters. In this article, we welcome back one of them, Dr. Randy Wimmer, ‘87 BEd, ‘96 MEd, ‘03 EdD, who worked with many Alberta teachers during his ten years as an administrator in the Faculty of Education, mostly in Field Experiences where he organized classroom placements for student teachers. Except for five years – two years as a high school teacher in the County of Athabasca, three as an assistant professor at the University of Saskatchewan – the locale for Randy’s adult work and studies has been exclusively here at the University of Alberta. “The U of A has been my second home. At times, even my first home,” he says. Three years ago, as he was completing his doctoral dissertation in the Department of Educational Policy Studies, he was given good advice: “Go away. Take a position at another university,” he was advised by Larry Beauchamp and Fern Snart, the former and current deans of the Faculty of Education. His experience at the University of Saskatchewan these past three years confirmed the wisdom of this advice. The expectations for him at the U of S were uncomplicated by years of previous associations. “I was seen to be a young academic, nothing else,” Randy says. “They had no previous association with me as an undergraduate or a graduate student or as an administrative officer.” Life transitions are very important to Randy, both in his personal life and in his scholarly work. He remembers clearly an early transition from his County of Barrhead two-room rural school to the junior high school in town. “The transition to junior high was very difficult,” he recalls. “I was a very quiet and very shy boy. I was just another student in this huge school. For the first time, I had no
room that I could call home. No desk of my own. Just a locker in a hallway.” I asked Randy to talk about what he enjoyed most about his experience at the U of S. “I was deeply moved by the commitment and wisdom of the people I worked with,” Randy replied. “They were outstanding people. And they were good people. Many of them had prairie roots and they were the ones I was drawn to.” Was there a difficult adjustment to make? Randy said, “The transition was intense. New home. New city. New province. Near as they are to us, there are differences in the way things are done in Saskatchewan. And my family and life partner – who have been foundational for me -- were left behind. As well, my father died after a long illness that last summer before I left for Saskatoon.”
“There was another very important aspect to the transition. As a doctoral student you work within a structure. You have a lot of independence but you have a supervisor and you have a supervisory committee. So there’s a set of important relationships that provide support.” “As a beginning academic you have a new structure to build. One day you’re a graduate student working within a structure. The next day you are on your own, teaching and supervising your own graduate students. It’s a huge jump!” The Holy Grail for a beginning researcher in education is a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant – a SSHRC grant (pronounced “shirk” with all its inappropriate connotations). Randy brings two SSHRC grants with him from the U of S to his new position at the U of A.
In one of these, he is a co-researcher with two U of S colleagues in a three-year study of field experience programs offered by professional faculties in universities. This national study embraces the full scope of faculties that require a field component as part of their academic program – medicine, nursing, engineering, education, of course, and all the other faculties involved in placing students in field settings. Already Randy and his research team have learned that the scope of these programs in universities is very broad. “Nearly every faculty has some kind of field component. It’s a very positive trend. The university is more and more involved with the community,” he says. Randy is the principal investigator of a second SSHRC grant for a study of Aboriginal teacher education that is just getting under way. This study involves a unique collaboration between the University of Saskatchewan and the Prince Albert Grand Council. Randy will continue to lead this project from his new position at the U of A. I asked Randy if he is aware of being in any way different as a result of his U of S experience. “Yes, I am aware of differences,” he replied without hesitation. “I see things differently.” “I have a much clearer sense of myself as a scholar; specifically in the direction of my research. I have a lot more figured out. At the U of S I had, for a time, a sense of being overwhelmed by my workload. When I discussed this with Cecilia Reynolds, my Dean at the U of S, she suggested a metaphor that I’ve found very helpful in managing my vari-
ous responsibilities.” “She said to me, ‘Suppose you have four projects on the go. Think of them as four pots on a stove. Three pots are simmering on the smaller burners and you have a very active pot boiling on the large burner. The art of being a successful academic is to move the simmering pots, in turn, to the large burner as you finish what is needed to be done with the active pot.’ I like this metaphor. You see the importance of managing your time and attention well.” I asked Randy if he brought with him ideas from the U of S for how we might improve what we do at the U of A. “I liked the way the needs of K-12 educators were responded to by the U of S,” Randy replied. “They work with educators in the field very well. I liked their focus on pre-service teacher education. I liked their concern for rural and northern and Aboriginal education. They emphasized this in their community service work and their research. I was very impressed with the U of S in this work.” Randy talks about the built heritage of the rural schoolhouses that we are losing in both Saskatchewan and Alberta. “Our history is being torn down without being recorded,” he says. He plans to write a book about the rural schoolhouse. “It will be a coffee table book with lots of pictures and the stories of the people who attended and taught in these schools. I want to capture their experience before it is too late.” In addition to his academic goals, he will seek a positive overall balance in his personal and professional life. “I throw myself into
my work,” he says. “But I want to seek balance as well. There’s a great deal of pressure on a beginning scholar. It’s especially an issue for women scholars with children. To be successful we all have to be very clear about our priorities but it’s particularly true for women with young children. They have to be very clear about how they see themselves as scholars and they have to be able to say ‘No’ to a lot of things, including good things that are worth doing. It takes a toll on relationships and marriages because the lifestyle can be so consuming. If we go back to the metaphor of the pots on the stove, one of the burners has to be our personal life and relationships.” Randy is enthusiastic about U of A President Indira Samarasekera’s “Dare to Discover” vision for the U of A – including working with the community (especially the potential he sees in the Bay project downtown), international involvement, and recognition of cultural diversity – but he would add another commitment for the University, a commitment to rural Alberta and the north. The University itself has several pots on the stove and, like young academics, has to learn to move them adeptly from the back burners to the big burner at the front. Rural and northern and Aboriginal Alberta must have time on that front burner as well. “It’s really great to be back,” he says. “I’m back where I want to be and I’m grateful for this. But I’m not leaving the U of S behind. I want to stay connected.” Welcome back, Randy! Gordon McIntosh is a professor emeritus in Educational Policy Studies at the U of A.
Dean Hosts Education’s Academic All Canadians In recognition of their stellar performance both athletically and academically, the Faculty of Education has awarded a $1,000 scholarship to each of the Faculty of Education’s 2005 Academic All Canadians. Dean Snart personally handed out the scholarships to each of the recipients at an early morning reception this past September and acknowledged and congratulated them on their outstanding achievements. We are very proud of all 18 of our Academic All Canadians who had to maintain a minimum 3.2 GPA while honouring their rigorous team commitments in order to qualify.
Pictured with Dean Fern Snart (l-r) front row: Nikki Jeske, Michelle Mueller, Trisha McNeill, Deanna Iwanicka; back row: Adam Sillery, Kaye London, Lindsay McAlpine, Ashleigh Evaniew, Dianna Berezowski
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Reunion
Weekend 2006
“May I borrow this chair? I’ve run into some people I haven’t seen in years!” It is fair to say that this statement was the unofficial theme for the Dean’s Brunch at Reunion Weekend 2006. The fourth floor lounge in Education North was alive with the sounds of rekindled friendships, laughter and of memories being shared. Many of the friendships being rekindled this year were between professors emeriti who at one time or another worked side by side or in conjunction with each other in the Faculty of Education. This year saw a record turn out of professors emeriti with 15 joining in the celebration of Reunion Weekend at Saturday’s brunch. The crowd heard from Dr. Stephen Leppard, ’86 BEd, ’92 MEd, ’03 EdD, the faculty representative on Alumni Council and from Dean Fern Snart regarding changes and growth in the faculty and the upcoming celebrations for the University’s centenary in 2008. The brunch was once again a wonderful success thanks to those alumni who came back to campus and we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at Reunion 2007 from September 27th to September 30th.
oldaway, PhD, Ted H 7 ’6 , en d, g er , John B D, Ken War son, ’61 BEd MEd, ’73 Ph er 6 tt ’6 , Pa u b n . o n er B -r): , Raj Pa ny Fish Back row (l n McIntosh ’68 PhD, To , ’63 MSc, PhD, Gordo 8 Sc B ’6 , 2 ’6 Ed , M er ’66 te Brouw 7 MEd, Wyz arfinkle, ’65 BEd, ‘6 ith, Harry G n, Alan Sm so g d o H ie -r): Ern Front row (l ridge e, Pat McFet rn o sb John O
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Snakes, Fire and Bug Spray:
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11
A 1948 Northern Teaching Experience By S ean Mowat It was May 1, 1948 and Gwyn Bailey (Cook), ’49 BEd, was settling into her seat on the Northern Alberta Railway train bound for Peace River from Edmonton. Gwyn felt an enormous amount of independence, mixed with a hint of sadness, at having just waved goodbye to her family from the train’s observation deck. Gwyn’s mother was initially against her daughter going to teach in the very remote area of Fort Vermillion, but changed her mind when Gwyn reminded her that she, and her mother and grandmother before her had all taught and survived the rural teaching experience. “I felt very fortunate to have been selected for the Fort Vermillion teaching position and was looking forward to a great summer and being well paid for it.” Gwyn adds, “The pay was $9.75 a day plus an extra twenty dollars a month as an isolation bonus, which was very good for a teacher in those days”. Gwyn’s overnight train ride would be followed by a three-day boat ride to Fort Vermillion, and then five months teaching a year’s worth of lessons in a one room schoolhouse during which time Gwyn would earn every penny of her seemingly grand salary, and have an adventure of a lifetime. “It was a real treat traveling by steam engine,” she recalls. “I remember everything: the rhythm of the swaying lanterns, the clank of the dining car dishes, the screeching of the hissing steam, and the smiling porter telling me, ‘Missi, your berth is ready’”. The following morning Gwyn arrived in Peace River where she boarded the O’Sullivan freight barge with her suitcases, schoolbooks, iron pills, mosquito spray and her high school bicycle. Propelled by paddle wheel the eighty-foot O’Sullivan made its way northward on Peace River carrying a full complement of twelve passengers, who for the next three days and nights would be Gwyn’s very close neighbours. She ended up sharing a bunkroom with the famous Sheridon Lawrences who were the first farmers, millers, trappers and schoolteachers in Fort Vermillion at the turn of the century. “I felt fortunate to share a room with the Lawrences, as not only were they interesting, but they were friendly,
and not at all frightening like some of my other shipmates.” She explains, “One mystery woman and a young boy had obviously both dyed their hair red, and they always made themselves scarce whenever I pulled out my camera. I found out later that the woman was escaping from the United States to avoid prosecution for some crime she had committed.” Upon arriving at the tiny village of Fort Vermillion, Gwyn was taken by kicker boat from the O’Sullivan to the south shore that was occupied by several teepees where the Indigenous people lived during the summer. “It was so interesting to see the teepees and watch the native people living like I had only read about in books.” The village of Fort Vermillion was very small and had only a few essential businesses: a dry goods store with a Hudson’s Bay outlet, a post office and strangely, a car garage. “There weren’t many cars,” Gwyn explains, “The Bittmans, my adopted family, were
one of the few families who owned a car and it was an old 1930’s Model ‘A’ Ford.” The Bittmans were waiting for Gwyn at the docking area when she arrived. “My excitement at finally meeting the Bittmans soon changed to despair when Mr Bittman said in a commanding German voice, ‘Miss Cook, please open your suitcases here on the road so that we can spray your clothing; we don’t want any bugs in our house’ and proceeded to pull out a huge insect spray pump.” This was the first of many sprayings Gwyn’s belongings had to endure, as everything including the books she loaned from the library had to be showered with insecticide before they were allowed into the Bittman home. Living with the Bittmans was a pleasant experience for Gwyn, and they all grew to enjoy each other. “Initially, I was quite upset when I found out that for $35 dollars a month room and board I was expected to sleep in the same bed as their 20 year old daughter, Doris, and eat meals of rhubarb and pork fat - at least for the first month or so. There was no electricity and the kerosene lamps were strictly rationed, to be used only when necessary. Our drinking water was melted
ol
t Scho
rt Poin
Lambe
The O’Sullivan
ice that was stored in the ice-house after being chopped from the river the previous winter.” The Bittmans were hard working farmers and trappers and had a family of five children ranging in age from four to twenty, and all were expected to do their share of the chores, including Gwyn. “It took awhile for the Bittmans to accept me, a city girl, and I think the turning point was when they taught me how to milk a cow. I ended up becoming great friends with Doris, my bedmate, and she and I would go to all the social events together.” Gwyn fondly remembers her time teaching at Lambert Point School; a one room, log and mud schoolhouse that was seven miles from town. Confident in the knowledge provided by the legendary U of A professors M.E. Lazerte and Mamie Simpson, she was ready to begin teaching her new students. “The students were absolutely wonderful and didn’t require any classroom management at all. They felt privileged to be in school and were very eager to learn.” To emphasize her point, Gwyn tells the story of coming home from school one day and discovering that Lorraine Bittman, who was not old enough to go to school, had built a school desk from an old wooden apple box with the hope that if she provided her own desk she could go to school. “The real challenge teaching at Lambert Point was creating lessons from the very limited resources available. I only brought a few books from home, the other material I received by mail from the department of extension and the correspondence school.” Lambert Point School was built in the early 1900’s and, because there had been no willing teachers, it had been abandoned for several years. Gwyn explains, “The school was old and dusty and full of blackflies and mosquitoes, which could only be kept at bay by creating a heavy haze of smoke in the room by burning leaves, moss and paper in the ‘Puff and Billy’ stove.” She adds, “The bugs weren’t the worst of it. I was marking at my desk after school one day and turned around to find out what was making a rustling noise behind me and saw, to my horror, a snake poking its head through the paper that covered the interior of the walls. The next day the heroic boys in my class brought DDT to dispatch the more than one hundred snakes that had made the school their home.” She later learned that the schoolhouse had been built on an old snake pit. Gwyn had to close the school three times during the five-month school term. “The
man farm
w on the Bitt
Milking a co
These true pioneers considered an education to be a treasured privilege, and I felt honoured for the privilege of teaching them.”
first time the school was closed was due to a fire that threatened the entire area for three days. The secretary of the school board was sent to the school to protect it from the fire, while I did the same at the Bittmans by putting out the sparks that landed on the roof of their buildings, and protecting their valuables by burying them in the yard. The next time I had to close the school was when the buffalo and the wolves that had been displaced by the fire began attacking cattle and horses and there was fear that the children might be attacked while going to school. The school also had to be closed when a serious bronchial flu hit the area and I myself got sick while applying mustard plasters to the Bittman children who took ill. Help was in short supply, as the only people trained to deal with the flu outbreak were a nurse from the Catholic mission and a retired doctor
from Edmonton, who was working as the Anglican minister in Fort Vermillion.” At the end of Gwyn’s term as the teacher in Fort Vermillion, the mud road was completed and she was able to travel back to Peace River by car. The completion of the road marked the end of isolation for the Fort Vermillion residents. Gwyn reminisces, “What a wonderful opportunity it was for me - how many people get to experience turn-of-the-century pioneer life in the late 1940s?” When asked to explain what teaching was like in the secluded Alberta north, Gwyn answers, “Despite all the hardships it was the most adventurous and spiritual experience of my life. These true pioneers considered an education to be a treasured privilege, and I felt honoured for the privilege of teaching them.”
MES
Program Celebrates its First Graduates
by N atasj a L arson The lineup to walk across the stage during spring convocation for the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research was a little longer than usual, particularly for the Education students receiving a master’s degree. The inaugural cohort from the newly-created Master of Education in Educational Studies (MES) program added 38 students to the list of convocants on June 7th, 2006. These MES alumni represent the first group of students to graduate from the University of Alberta’s new program. Proud parents, family and staff enjoyed a celebratory luncheon before cheering each student who crossed the stage. This achievement was the culmination of their hard work and dedication over the past two years. And, it was not easy. Most students are full-time teachers or school leaders who lead demanding lives, multi-tasking between work, studies and family. In addition, they have become pioneers and partners helping to build a first-rate program that boasts rigorous standards. Through the experience, many of the students have formed bonds with their colleagues that they say will last a lifetime. The MES program requires students to attend two three-week, full-day residencies on cam-
pus during the summer yet allows students to attend classes on-line in the fall and winter. This way, they may continue to keep their jobs and retain geographical normality. According to many students, not having to suspend their employment is a large factor in choosing a program. The need for a program accessible to all educators, rural and urban, across the provinces has been growing, and a variety of technologies make it all possible and easy. Now offering three strands for specialization, the MES program focuses on leadership, educational improvement and site-based research both as a way to build agency and to promote service to organizations and community. Students range from K-12 edu-
cators to post-secondary educators and into expanding educational areas beyond traditional schools. Prospective students working in fields such as medicine, human resources and government have inquired about the program. The MES program is one way the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta impacts Canadian society as well as schools. For further information about the Master of Education in Educational Studies program please visit their website at http://www. uofaweb.ualberta.ca/mes/. Natasja Larson, ’01 BEd, is the MES Program Administrator in the Faculty of Education.
Carol (Weston) Reid Medal Awarded The inaugural Carol (Weston) Reid Medal was presented to Tyler Perry, ’06 BEd, during convocation week this past spring. Established by Dr. David WJ Reid, ’54 BSc, ‘56 MD, to honour his wife Carol, ’55 BEd, in recognition of her 50th anniversary of becoming a teacher, the award is presented annually to the student who has achieved the highest academic standing in Career and Technology Studies: Human Ecology Major or combined Human Ecology/Bachelor of Education Degree. Pictured in the photo (l-r): Dr. David Reid, Tyler Perry, Carol Reid
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13
Aspiring Teacher’s Declaration:
Never Say Never by D awn Ford Days before she was to begin the final year of her education degree, Kuen Tang, ’06 BEd, lost control of her vehicle and drove over the side of a mountain. She woke up in the hospital to discover she was a quadriplegic. Despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that lay ahead, Kuen was determined to do everything in her power to become a teacher. “I was so close to finishing. I told my husband that I wanted to go back to school as soon as I was out of the hospital. He was so supportive that he put his own studies on hold for me,” says Kuen. “I never thought of all the complications ahead. I don’t think I thought of anything else but teaching.” Yet she discovered quickly that not everyone shared her enthusiasm towards pursuing her dream. “Initially, many people were negative about my situation. Many told me that I would not be able do this, that a quadriplegic teacher in an elementary classroom was simply not possible.” Kuen was surprised by this initial reaction, because she had earlier attended an inclusion conference in Edmonton where an elementary school was presenting on disabilities in schools and the education system. She felt this school would be willing to give her a chance. “My counselor from U of A’s Specialized Support and Disabilities Service (SSDS) and I went to that school for an afternoon visit in hopes of finding a placement for me. Everything went well until our meeting with the classroom teacher and the vice principal. I was surprised by their reaction, because they had made up their minds about my inability to teach without even talking to me.” She was determined to find another way. Through many late nights of research on the Internet, she learned that although there were a few teachers who were paraplegic and teaching in classrooms, she could find only one who was quadriplegic.
“I immediately contacted him in Timmons, Ontario, and he gave me the reassurance I needed and answered many questions that I had, particularly my concerns about my energy level. I was really mad at myself, because there were different times throughout the day when I would get very tired.”
In the past, the faculty had arranged school placements for students with sight and hearing impairments, but they had never placed anyone with the degree of challenges faced by Kuen. Collectively it was decided that the best way for her to have a successful student teaching experience was to supply Kuen with a teaching assistant.
“I never thought of all the complications ahead. I don’t think I thought of anything else but teaching.” In addition to the reassurance her colleague gave her, Kuen discovered support centres at the University of Alberta such as the Steadward Centre for Personal and Physical Achievement and SSDS.
With the support of her faculty, her family and the willingness of teacher Patsy Ho, her teaching assistant Nelly Coones and the administration at Callingwood School, Kuen was ready to face her students and her peers.
“I learned that it’s okay and normal for a quadriplegic to have really low energy and that there are things you can do about it. I just wanted to have enough stamina to keep up with the students,” she says.
“I was very nervous the first day of class, because I did not know how the students would react,” she says. “But I don’t think the kids really saw my disability. I don’t think it mattered to them that I was in a chair.”
Over a period of two months working with the Steadward Centre, she was able to raise her heartbeat from 60 to 120 beats per minute. She knew then that she was ready for the classroom, and she was determined to convince her faculty of the same.
Still, she was concerned about falling asleep and prepared her mentoring teacher for this possibility.
Using adaptive technology, Kuen prepared a demonstration on how to teach students to make an origami box. The results were impressive. “She sold us right there,” says Marion Ramsey, the Field Experience Associate in the Faculty of Education’s Undergraduate Student Services office who was instrumental in finding Kuen a placement with Callingwood Elementary School.
“As soon as Patsy saw me about to nod off in my chair, she said, ‘come and teach.’ When I was in front teaching, my fatigue went away, and my energy level tripled. I have learned so much from Patsy. She gave me room to make mistakes, and she believed in me.” Inspired by her grandfather who was a teacher, Kuen felt for a long time that teaching was the path she would follow. “My grandfather inspired me to teach. He was a very dedicated elementary teacher in China. He was devoted to his students. I remember when I was younger, I always admired him
“I need to prove a point... I want everyone to see me for who I am and not see my chair first. Physical disabilities do not necessarily affect other abilities. My motto is ‘never say never.’ As long as you are determined, you can do anything.” Kuen Tang and U of A Dean of Education Fern Snart at Kuen’s convocation. because of the way people treated him, the way his students respected, loved and looked up to him.” Armed with her Bachelor of Education degree, she is more convinced than ever to continue pursuing her dreams and to be an advocate for what she believes.
“I need to prove a point... I want everyone to see me for who I am and not see my chair first. Physical disabilities do not necessarily affect other abilities. My motto is ‘never say never.’ As long as you are determined, you can do anything.”
After convocation, Kuen returned to Callingwood School to volunteer and keep in touch with her students. She is presently searching for a teaching position. Dawn Ford, ‘00 BEd, is Director of Communications for the Faculty of Education.
Dean’s Citation Recipients Keep it in the Family Dean Snart recently met with the 2006 Dean’s Citation recipients at the university’s annual Celebration of Teaching and Learning event which took place in early September. This year’s winners, identical twins Rebecca and Rachel Bock, and are both in secondary education and majoring in Chemistry. The Dean’s Citation, valued at $7,500 over three years, is awarded annually to two students enrolling in the Bachelor of Education program. Selection is based on superior academic achievement (minimum 95% average from high school) and a minimum GPA of 3.5 on a full course load each year, including the preprofessional year. Rachel (l.) and Rebecca (r.) pose for a photo with Dean Snart.
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Research And Discovery
for Education’s Undergrads
By D awn Ford Gone are the days when research was reserved for graduate students and faculty members. Thanks to the Roger S. Smith Undergraduate Student Researcher Award and a host of supervising academics, 11 undergraduate students in the Faculty of Education spent their summer immersed in research. “This summer has been the best of my life,” says Jana Nehring, third year student in Secondary Education and this year’s President of the Education Students’ Association. “I have learned so much about the university, the library, future educational possibilities and life in general,” she adds. Under the guidance of Drs. Ingrid Johnston and Joyce Bainbridge, Nehring explored contemporary Canadian picture books in search of multicultural perspectives and representations. “These books were written or illustrated by a Canadian author and were published after 1990. They portrayed contemporary life situations for children from various cultural backgrounds,” says Nehring, who reports feeling surprised that she did not uncover a larger multicultural representation in Canadian picture books. “It is really sad how the school curriculums are primarily white, European focused. I think that we are working together to change this, but the history is strong in that aspect.” Alexandra Benitez, an after-degree student studying under Dr. Donna Chovanec, immersed herself in testimonial narratives about the Chilean women’s movement. “This experience has broadened my knowledge of educational research more than I could have imagined,” she says. ”It gave me a greater appreciation for the work that women have done in Latin America to achieve democracy.” Under the direction of Dr. Olenka Bilash, Shaina Crook explored student awareness of community and leadership with particular focus on the student teaching experience.
left to right: Shaina Crook, Sukaina Rajani, Dr. Roger Smith, Dr. Bill McBlain, Danielle Land, Erin Marceau, James Pihooja, Alexandra Benitez, Jana Nehring Crook reports experiencing a change in the way she views her own teaching. “Before this research, I wasn’t even sure if I had a teaching philosophy, but I do now. The classroom should be a safe place to learn and there must be a commitment to the community, a common goal.” Exploring linear systems of equations in Mathematics 20 curriculum and under the guidance of Dr. Elaine Simmt, James Pihooja reports having a greater sense of his role as a teacher. “This project has allowed me to understand my role as a teacher in much greater depth and has allowed me to comprehend just how much creativity and work is behind each topic and lesson,” says Pihooja.
“In critiquing the specific sources of information and tools, I have gained a greater insight into when technology both helps and hinders the educational process,” he adds. With Dr. Lisa Given, Joyce Chan explored information behaviours in undergraduate students with specific focus on the use of photography as a way of eliciting a more comprehensive understanding of student experiences. “When I started, I knew virtually nothing about qualitative methodology or the role of the visual in research or the nature of photography. Now I feel as if I’ve learned so much.” In celebration of their work, each student prepared a poster for presentation during the faculty awards ceremony on September
“This experience has broadened my knowledge of educational research more than I could have imagined.”
13th. Special guests included Sr. Associate Vice-President Research, Dr. Bill McBlain, and the award’s namesake, Dr. Roger Smith.
A vision made real by the University of Alberta’s Vice-President Research, Dr. Gary Kachanoski, the Roger S. Smith Award, worth $5,000, provides for 10 weeks of
research-based activity over the summer and is intended to cultivate and support research partnerships between third and fourth year undergraduate students and faculty members.
Education’s Roger S. Smith Undergraduate Student Researcher Award Student
Research Subject
Supervisor
Alexandra Benitez
Launching Research on the Chilean Women’s Movement: A Website Project
Dr. Donna Chovanec
Jodi Buker
Literacy Assessment Associated with Scientific Selections in Commercial Reading Programs
Dr. Linda Phillips
Joyce Chan
The University as Information Space: Exploring Undergraduates’ Information Behaviours
Dr. Lisa Given
Shaina Crook
Learning communities (LC) and leadership in APT
Dr. Olenka Bilash
Danielle Land
Digital Storytelling and Incarcerated Youth
Dr. Diane Conrad
Erin Marceau (Smith)
Identifying Competencies for Postsecondary & Community Adult Educators
Drs. Paula Brook
Jana Nehring
Responses of Student teachers to issues of identity in Canadian multicultural picture books
Drs. Ingrid Johnston & Joyce Bainbridge
James Pihooja
Developing prototypes for use in the teaching of systems of linear equations
Dr. Elaine Simmt
Sukaina Rajani
Teacher Motivation in Diverse Settings
Dr. Rob Klassen
Janine Reed
Reading Development from Grade Three to Six
Dr. Rauno Parrila
Colleen Sereda
Learning and Technology Integration (LaTI): Supporting Collaboration and Modeling Effective Practice
Drs. Jill McClay & Norma Nocente
Saluting Teaching Excellence In May 2006, Alberta Education celebrated this year’s Excellence in Teaching Awards in Calgary. These awards, which honour teachers from across the province for their outstanding creativity and innovative teaching in Alberta schools, included the following University of Alberta Faculty of Education graduates:
Dan Cavanagh, ’87 BEd, from Anne
Deborah Stirrett, ’84 BSc, ’95 BEd, from
Fitzgerald Elementary School in Edmonton
Ross Sheppard High School in Edmonton
Maureen Cimino, ’86 BEd, from Jasper
Willemina Gurtler, ’84 BEd, from Manning
Place Composite High School in Edmonton
Elementary School in Manning
Michelle Dupuis, ’82 BEd, from St. Jerome
Karen Tang, ’01 BEd, from Glenmary High
Elementary School in Edmonton
School in Peace River.
Jennifer Grassick, ’99 BEd, from St.
Rod Ayres, ’74 BPE, ’75 Dip(Ed), from Ashmont Secondary School in Ashmont
Edmund Elementary/Junior High School in Edmonton
Martin Poirier, ’03 MEd, from William
Lorel Trumier, ’99 MEd, from St. Vincent
The following University of Alberta Education graduates were recipients of Alberta Education’s 2006 SMARTer Kids Innovative Use of Technology Award:
Aberhart High School in Calgary
School in Edmonton
Doris Meinczinger, ’76 BEd, from Busby
Marlene Edwards, ’70 BEd, from the
Jeffrey Johnson, ’00 BPE, ’02 BEd, from
Elementary School in Busby
Learning Together Program at Chester Ronning School in Camrose
St. Brendan Elementary School in Edmonton
Darren Fleischhacker, ’92 BEd, from
Morag Brenneis, ’83 BEd, from Storefront
T. Scott Bezubiak, ’95 BEd, from Ross
School in Leduc
William E. Hay Composite High School in Stettler
Howard Molstad, ’94 BEd, from Ottewell
Ielah Watt, ’76 BEd, from Vermillion
Junior High School in Edmonton
Elementary School in Vermillion.
Sheppard High School in Edmonton
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Awards Congratulations to the following recipients of the 2006 Alumni Recognition Awards:
ALUMNI HONOUR AWARD Recognizing the significant contributions made over a number of years by University of Alberta alumni in the local communities and beyond.
Genevieve C. Balogun, ’75 BLS, is well known and respected for her abilities as a teacher, but most readily known as a strong promoter of multiculturalism and putting an end to racism. Balogun works with many organizations in her tireless pursuit of equality and inclusion for all races and cultures.
Bruce Coggles, 72 BEd, ’75 BA, is principal of Edmonton’s Jasper Place School which was named Canada’s top overall high school by Maclean’s magazine in 2005. Coggles is an innovative educational administrator and is deeply committed to helping his students and staff succeed.
Dennis M. Kadatz, ’60 BPE, ’61 Dip(Ed), ’65 MA, is a highly respected coach and athletics administrator. In 2005, Kadatz was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. Kadatz is also a member of the University of Calgary’s Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Alberta Sports Wall of Fame.
Barbara Rocchio, ’61 Dip(Nu), ’64 BSc(Nu), ’88 MEd, is a nationally recognized nursing professional who has had immeasurable impact on thousands of nurses as a mentor, teacher and colleague. In 2005, she received the Lifetime Achievement in Nursing Award from the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta.
ALUMNI AWARD OF EXCELLENCE Celebrating outstanding, recent accomplishments of University of Alberta Graduates.
Wallis Kendal, ‘69 BEd, is an accomplished artist, author and social activist who has dedicated his life to helping high-risk youth. Kendal is the co-founder of iHuman Youth Society, which is considered one of North America’s best support groups.
Seokhee Cho, ’86 PhD, is recognized as a pioneer in the education of gifted children in the Asia-Pacific region. Acting in many executive capacities within gifted children organizations, Cho has help developed an innovative educational system that challenges gifted students and ensures economically disadvantaged gifted students are included.
For more information about alumni events, contact the Office of Alumni Affairs by phone at 780-492-3224 or (toll-free in North America) 1-800-661-2593 or by email at alumni@ualberta.ca. For Faculty of Education alumni events, contact Asheley Cowie, Alumni Relations Officer by phone at 780-492-9404 or by email at asheley.cowie@ualberta.ca. Date: Friday, November 24, 2006 Location: Calgary, AB Annual Alumni Theatre Event Contact: Office of Alumni Affairs Date: Saturday, November 25, 2006 Location: Victoria, BC Annual Alumni Christmas Celebration & Afternoon Tea Contact: Office of Alumni Affairs Date: Sunday, November 26, 2006 Location: Vancouver, BC Annual Alumni Christmas Brunch Contact: Vic Harrison, ’58 BSc(Pharm), (604) 922-8879 Date: Thursday, December 7, 2006 Location: Lethbridge, AB
Annual Alumni Dinner Contact: Pat Brown, ’61 Dip(RM), pjbrown@theboss.net
Night Championship Contact: Anthony Tam, ’81 MBA, atatam@vtc.edu.hk
Date: December, 2006 Location: Hong Kong Annual Christmas Party for Alumni and Families Contact: Anthony Tam, ’81 MBA, atatam@vtc.edu.hk
Date: Saturday, March 3, 2007 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Annual Alumni Branch Contact: Norm Nichol, ’58 DDS, ’71 Dip(Ed), ’73 BEd, at (480) 396-4491
Date: February, 2007 Location: New York, New York Skating & Pasta Party in Central Park Contact: Office of Alumni Affairs Date: February 2007 Location: Hong Kong 3rd Annual U of A Invitational Bowling
Date: Thursday, March 22, 2007 (TBC) Location: Lethbridge, AB Annual Alumni Branch AGM and Dinner Contact: Pat Brown, ’61 Dip(RM), pjbrown@theboss.net Date: April 2007 (TBC) Location: Edmonton, AB First Year Teachers’ Reception Contact: Asheley Cowie
Class
Notes
Ronald Ralph Jeffels, ’42 BA, ’47 BEd, retired in 1986 from his position of President at the Open Learning Institute following a distinguished career as an educator. He has published over 500 articles, short stories and essays in Canada, Britain and the USA and has participated in over 300 broadcasts on CBC and CILK (Kelowna). After retirement he lectured in journalism at Kwantlen College for four years and he is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the International Scholarship Foundation in Toronto.
Class of ’49 Supports CMASTE
Neil Edgar Allen Ronaghan, ’46 BEd, writes “Since my retirement as a teacher, I have specialized in history and am now researching and writing in the field of western Canadian history.”
Gordon Peacock, ’49 Dip(Ed), ’59 BEd, ’90 LLD(Hon), was recently named a recipient of the City of Edmonton’s Salute to Excellence Award for his contributions to arts and culture.
Dr. Frank Jenkins, the director of the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (CMASTE), hosted a special tour of the centre for the Class of ’49 to show his appreciation for their class gift. The Class of ’49 donation was used to purchase a number of books to start a mini-library on science-pseudoscience. CMASTE is nationally known for its research-based, curriculum-appropriate material which is readily used by educators because of its success in the classroom. Appearing in photo (l-r): Jack Reid, Gwyneth Bailey, Gwendoline Molnar, June Hunt and Frank Jenkins. Contributors from the Class of ’49 not appearing in the photo: Dorothy Husband, Marion Black, Lois Verchomin and Edith Ruck.
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Upcoming Alumni Events
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The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia recently honoured Robert (Bob) Hedley, ’60 BEd, with the 2006 Barrymore Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is given in recognition of an individual who has, over the course of many years, devoted his or her time, talent, and energy to the Greater Philadelphia theatre community, making a significant contribution to the artistic landscape of the city and region. Mr. Hedley is currently a professor of theatre at Temple University in Philadelphia.
Erich A. von Fange, ’62 PhD, writes “I served as Academic Dean of a new Lutheran institution, Concordia University, in Ann Arbor, Michigan and continued serving there until I retired in 1987. My special interests include world travel, researching and writing articles and books on the ancient history of the Bible Lands.”
Linda Collier (Ross), ’65 BEd, ’79 Dip(Ed), ’92 MEd, was recently profiled in the Edmonton Examiner newspaper for her community spirit. She retired from teaching in 1999 and volunteering is now her full-time job. She was instrumental in the organization of the 10th anniversary of the Edmonton and Athabaska District Historic Festival and the 100th birthday of the Queen Alexandra School. Linda has a life-long love of history and next May she will become the president of the Historical Society of Alberta where she has been a volunteer for nearly 20 years; www.historicedmonton.ca Donald Blake, ’65 BA, ’67 MA, retired in June 2005 as professor emeritus of political science from UBC. He and Lorna Blake (Krahulec), ’66 BEd, continue to reside in Vancouver, where they live close to their youngest daughter and two grandchildren.
Wallace Anderson, ’67 BEd, ’92 MEd, retired from teaching in 2000 and is now self-employed owning and managing two businesses.
Hazel Ann Kent (Henderson), ’68 BEd, and her husband, Trevor Kent, ’69 BSc(Eng), live in Barbados, where they own and operate Butterfly Beach Hotel with their family. They can be reached at www.butterflybeach.com.
Mary Writer (Chrismas), ’68 MEd, of Bellingham, WA, writes, “I’m enjoying grandmother-hood for the first time. This is my 21st year of partnering with my husband, Jerry, in a marine electronics business. I retired from
my learning services and the diagnosing and teaching of individuals with learning disabilities several years ago.”
Donna M. Smith (Loughlin), ’70 BEd, ’74 Dip(Ed), ’85 MEd, ’93 PhD, recently retired from Alberta Education and is currently working as an educational consultant and doctoral student advisor in the field of education. “The U of A has made a tremendously significant impact on my career pursuits for the past 36 years! It offers the highest of standards for post-secondary education in North America.”
Margaret Welwood (Bamford), ’70 BA, ’89 Dip(Ed), has just finished editing To Teach, To Learn, To Live: The Complete Diabetes Education Guide for Health Care Professionals (2006) by Diane O’Grady, RN, BSN, CDE (diabeteseducationconnection.com). The incidence of type 2 diabetes is believed to be doubling every 10 to 15 years, with 14 million Canadians at heightened risk. This book addresses the health care professional’s need to present complex information about diabetes prevention and care at the patient level.
M. Jennie Frost, ’70 BA, ’82 BEd, is a professional storyteller who tells stories for audiences K to adult in festivals, concerts, conferences, libraries and schools. In 2005 her narrative poem The Courtship of Hippodameia won an honourable mention in the Mellen Poetry Press long poem contest. In 2005 she also published a Canada Council sponsored 2-CD set called Pygmalion and Other Greek Myths.
Pierrette Requier, ’71 BEd, was recently profiled as a “Woman of Vision” by Global Television for her poem To the Beach. In her creative writing workshops she promotes beginning writers and well-published writers. She believes poetry feeds the soul of individuals and of a society and is at its best when read aloud or performed.
Laurier Levasseur, ’71 BEd, recently retired from teaching music at St. Paul Regional High School where he has been teaching since 1974. He married Irene Ogrodiuk, ‘90 BEd, also a teacher, in 1966 and the couple had four children including two who have become teachers. Mr Levasseur will continue to live in St. Paul conducting the adult choir.
Dean Wood, ’72 MEd, ’91 PhD, writes “I now live in Edmonton and work for Alberta Advanced Education as Acting Director of the Public Institutions Branch. In 2003 I retired from Keyano College as Vice-President,
Academic after 22 years of service with the college in several different roles. While this is my first experience working outside of a school or a college, I feel I continue to be an educator working with each of the post-secondary institutions in the province.”
Heike Juergens, ’72 BA, ’79 MEd, ’87 PhD, was recently elected University of Alberta Alumni Association president for 2006/07. A chartered psychologist with Psymetry Psychological and Counselling Services and a U of A Alumni Council member since 1999, she has been a member of the Minister’s Advisory Committee on Advanced Education and Manpower as well as serving as a key-communicator for Edmonton Public Schools and as a Discipline Committee member for the College of Alberta Psychologists.
Robert McPhee, ’72 BEd, ’75 MEd, ’97 PhD, has recently joined the U of A as Director of Field Experiences in the Faculty of Education’s Undergraduate Student Services. In January 2006 he retired after 34 years as a public school educator in both rural and urban settings in Alberta. Most recently he was superintendent of Elk Island Public Schools.
Katherine Gibson (Evans), ’73 BEd, has published Pause: Putting the Brakes on a Runaway Life. The book shows readers how to inject moments of fun, adventure, self-care and serenity into each day. Gibson, who conducts workshops and frequently appears on radio and television, will be on a cross-country book tour this fall.
Val Anderson, ’74 BEd, recently retired after 30 years of teaching in Edmonton and abroad. “I continue to enjoy traveling to the Caribbean – most recently to Jamaica, Grand Cayman Islands, Costa Maya, Belize, and my favourite, Martinique”. When Val is at home in Edmonton, she loves her volunteer work at a hospital art gallery.
Shauna C. Miller, ’74 BEd, ’78 LLB, was recently inducted into Edmonton’s Sports Hall of Fame.
Denise Roy, ’76 BA(RecAdmin), ’01 MEd, was recently named a recipient of the City of Edmonton’s Salute to Excellence Award for her contributions to arts and culture.
Dr. N. Carol Rolheiser, ’76 BEd, is the Associate Dean, Teacher Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Dr Rolheiser was recently honoured as one of five University of Toronto faculty members who were the inaugural recipients of the President’s Teaching Award. The award recognizes faculty who have made career commitments to excellent and innovative teaching.
Etty Cameron (Shaw), ’76 Dip(Ed), ’93 MEd, received the Senior’s Centennial Award from “Changing Together: A Centre for Immigrant Women” in November 2005 in recognition of her successful teaching career and her unselfish contributions to the community. As a volunteer she visits shut-ins, drives for Capital Health, and works with organizations including the Delta Kappa Gamma Society and the Council of Canadians of African and Caribbean Heritage. But Etty is perhaps best known for inviting international students to her home for Christmas dinner, a practice she started years ago as a new U of A student.
Marilyn Granger, ’77 BEd, and Marilyn Pottage, ’71 BEd, ’98 MEd, on behalf of Tools for Schools Africa, recently collected more than 50,000 books, including over 50 sets of encyclopedia, plus a large batch of school supplies and almost $28,000 to purchase African literature – enough to fill two 40-foot containers to send to schools in the Damongo area of Northern Ghana. Both will be traveling to Africa this fall to see the results of their work first-hand.
Brian Vaasjo, ’78 BEd, ’81 MBA, has been
Kingston, ON, setting up story and craft times for children while they are visiting a father in prison, with the goal of supporting the family during a very stressful time in their lives.”
David Doyle, ’79 MSc, ’91 BEd, of Sherwood Park, AB, was recognized by the National Association of Biology Teachers with the 2005 Outstanding Biology Teacher Award for Western Canada.
Peter Nnabuo, ’83 PhD, ’81 MA, has been promoted to the rank of academic professor of educational management at the University of Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Nigeria.
Joanne McNeal, ’82 MEd, was working in Yellowknife, where she managed a campus of Aurora College until January 2006. At the college, she worked with Elders on campus to support the student body, which is 80 percent Aboriginal. Joanne now lives in Point Roberts, WA, and continues to work on her book of Western Arctic women artists, which is based on her doctoral research at UBC and in the N.W.T. and the Yukon.
Loraine Lundquist (Louth) ’84 BEd, completed her MBA in 2004 at Athabasca University and is working for the City of Calgary with the Calgary Housing Company.
Orriel M. Vobeyda, ’83 BEd, writes, “I moved from the farm to an acreage near Barrhead in October 2005. I enjoy square dancing, round dancing, clogging and old-time dancing.”
Robert Iles, ’84 PhD, reports that after 13 years as Principal of The Scots College in Sydney, Australia, he will be retiring at the end of 2006. During his principalship, The Scots College has grown from 1250 to over 1600 boys from transition (4 years of age) to year 12. Dr. Iles was recently awarded an Order of Australia.
Raymond Pryma, ’84 BSc, ’86 BEd, and his wife, Maura Pryma (Sharkey), ’97 BMus, ’99 MMus, are happy to announce the birth of their daughter Brynn Marie, in June 2006.
Sandra Brenneis, ’86 BEd, ’93 MEd, was recently profiled as a “Woman of Vision” by Global Television. Sandra wrote the musical “Mary’s Veil” as a fundraising initiative to establish an affordable housing project for seniors in Villeneuve, AB. After four years of fundraising, including sales from the musical’s CD, $210,000 was raised and construction of the West Sturgeon Seniors Residence began in June 2005.
Education Alumni Meet in Washington, DC This past June, Dean Fern Snart hosted education alumni in Washington, DC as part of the “Alberta at the Smithsonian” showcase at the 40th annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
named Chair of the Board of Directors for the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region for 2006/2007. Mr Vaasjo is the Executive Vice President and President of EPCOR’s Energy Division.
Trish McMordie (known as Pat Salt while at the U of A), ’78 BEd, just completed her MEd at UBC, specializing in early childhood literacy. Trish teaches elementary school in North Vancouver, BC.
Joyce V. Townsend (Waddell), ’79 BEd, writes “I have written a book called Children in Prison: A History of the Development of Programs for Children Visiting a Family Member in Prison / Les Enfants en Prison: L’Histoire de l’Elaboration des Programmes pour les Enfants visitant un Membre de leur Famille en Prison. It is based on my experiences in Edmonton and Peace River from 1979 through to 1986 and then later in
Pictured in the photo (l-r): Vannie Taylor III, Esq, Dr. Adriane Dorrington Taylor, ’86 MEd, Dr. Bernard Masters, ’71 MEd, ’73 PhD, Dean Fern Snart, ’79 PhD, Gerry Kendal, ’73 BA, Dr. Jacqueline Leighton, ’93 BA, ’95 MEd, ’99 PhD, Dr. Greg Anderson, ’97 BA, ’99 MA.
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Jonathan G. Bayley, ’86 MMus, ’88 BEd, has been appointed Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Research and Continuing Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Windsor in Ontario.
Laura Storey (MacGregor), ’87 BEd, of Sexsmith, AB, is a teacher in the Catholic school district in Grande Prairie, AB. “I started my career teaching music in a tiny, mostly Aboriginal village called Kitwange, where I taught for three years and took up skydiving.” After teaching in several other BC communities, getting married and having two sons, Laura returned to Alberta in 2003. “I have morphed into a junior high school French teacher, although I still have music as part of my teaching assignment. I particularly enjoy teaching the junior high kids to be lifelong learners, as I have been living that principle myself.”
Douglas Sader, ’88 BEd, is finishing his Master’s degree from Gonzaga University. He is still happily teaching his energetic grade ones at Kelowna Christian School, where he has been teaching for 16 years. He is also instructing the Blended Sound-Sight Program of learning to fellow teachers in the summer and operates Webster’s Academy, teaching writing to students. Doug and Chris now have 3 children under 5, and he is one busy guy!
Tine Steen-Dekker, ’88 BEd, writes that she is “moving back to Alberta and the City of Champions! So glad; can’t stand the dark green environment all year long; it’s depressing without the snow.” Tine had been living in Ladysmith, BC. Robert Pollard, ’85 BSc, and Tracy Thompson, ’91 BEd, were married July 1, 2005, in Edmonton. Robert works at Celanese Canada as a utilities shift supervisor, and Tracy works for Capital Health as a speech language pathologist assistant.
Melody Ulmer, ’92 BEd, of Barrhead, AB, writes that she is enjoying every minute of her new “appointment” as a mother of three children. “I continue to travel to soccer, skating, the park, etc., and I think I’ll soon be promoted to executive president of the never-ending laundry department.”
Karen Andrews, ’93 BEd, ’05 MEd, writes “As the Research Manager for Alberta Education and the project lead for the Smithsonian SuperNet Education showcase, I’m very excited to have been part of the select group of people to have represented Alberta in Washington DC at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. I was responsible for 10 hours of programming that
connected Alberta kids and teachers to the Smithsonian via live, interactive videoconferencing over the Alberta SuperNet.” A well-know educator on lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified and queer (LGBTQ) human rights, PhD candidate Kristopher
Wells, ’94 BEd, ’03 MEd, is a recipient of the Alberta Award for the Study of Canadian Human Rights and Multiculturalism. The $10,000 scholarship will help Wells to continue to develop a framework that looks at Canadian law, human rights legislation and how educational leaders, policymakers and other community stakeholders have responded to policy changes that foster diversity in K-12 schools. Wells’ research is part of an ongoing research collaboration with his supervisor, Dr. André Grace, a professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies. They have co-authored numerous research articles in leading journals, including the Canadian Journal of Education and Adult Education Quarterly. Jim McQuaid, ’95 BSc(Eng), and Naomi McQuaid (Ward), ’96 BEd, are moving to Calgary after spending 10 years in Edson, AB. Jim will be working as a mine engineering consultant, while Naomi looks for a new teaching job and, as she writes, “spends time being a mom.” They have a four-year-old boy and a seven-month-old girl.
Kristy Redding-Komljenovic, ’97 BEd, reports she was married in the summer of 2004 and in late 2005 became mother to a beautiful baby girl. She’s enjoying being a stay-at-home mom.
Real Hryhirchuk, ’98 BEd, writes “I just moved to Macau, a special administrative region of China where I have accepted the principalship of the International School of Macao. The school will be accredited with Alberta Education for 2006-2007 – Alberta’s first and only out of province school. The students will be learning the Alberta curriculum and will be graduating with Alberta high school diplomas. There are over 30 Canadian teachers at the school with several from Alberta and many are U of A graduates.”
Ronee Tam, ’98 BA, ’01 BEd, writes “After graduation, I taught in Alberta at the junior high/high school levels for 2 years.
Then I joined the army and was posted to CFB Petawawa for 2 years. I left the army and currently am a research analyst for the federal government in Ottawa.”
Carla Taylor, ’99 BEd, is an international exchange teacher from Lloydminster teaching 4th grade at C.A. Roberts Elementary School in Dallas, Georgia. She has recently been named an outstanding cultural ambassador in the United States for excellence in educating U.S. students about Canada’s culture.
Michelle (Sheli) Squire, ’00 BEd, writes that she has just moved back to Korea to add more ESL teaching time to her 4.5 years already spent there. She says “I’ll probably be here until 2010 or until I finish my Master’s online, then I’ll head back to Canada for my PhD.”
Al Fraser, ’00 BEd, a twenty-six year RCMP veteran, worked in Thailand for six weeks in 2006 with the Thailand Tsunami Victim Identification (TTVI) operation as a media relations officer. Some of Al’s responsibilities included preparing of media releases, conducting media/diplomatic tours with both national and international media, and liaising with the Royal Thai Police media officer on developments of the TTVI. Al notes, “I am proud to be counted as one of those who worked on the TTVI. I will never forget the experience or Thailand.” Jason Friesen, ’98 BSc(Eng), and Sheila
Friesen (Gangopadhyay), ’01 BSc, ’03 BEd, are proud to announce the birth of their son, Rohan Anthony.
Adam Bourque, ’03 BEd, reports that he is currently teaching English in South Korea and is having quite the experience. “My Korean teacher is part of a team that is researching aspects of co-teaching or team teaching for foreign language instruction.”
Angela Irvine, ’03 MEd, recently received an Alumni Advantage Scholarship – Graduate Studies. She is working on her PhD thesis about the social inclusion of individuals with development disabilities, and she plans to work in the field of special education as well as become a chartered psychologist.
Dan Coles, ’03 BEd, writes that he and his wife, Meghan Kallal, ’02 BEd, have both recently accepted new teaching positions. Meghan will be teaching French and English at Jean Vanier School in Sherwood Park and Dan will be teaching closer to home at Holy Redeemer School in Ardrossan. Dan is currently teaching at R.F. Staples School in Westlock. Dan and Meghan have two daughters – Bethany turned 2 in June and Kaitlyn turned 1 in July.
Trent Gillespie, ’03 BEd, writes “I miss the U of A. I am currently covering a maternity leave at Cochrane High School teaching Drama to grades 9 – 12. I really like it. I married Alison Webster, ’03 BSc(PT), who graduated from the U of A the same year I did from the department of Rehab Services, Physiotherapy and we now live in Calgary. Hope to one day return to Edmonton.”
Colleen Heffernan, ’04 BEd, of Edmonton, won the R. Ross Annett Award from the Book Publishers’ Association of Alberta for her first novel for young adults, A Kind of Courage, published by Orca Books last year. The novel, a story of conscientious objectors during World War I, has also been selected for the New York Public Library’s “Books for the Teen Age” list.
Asheley Cowie (Just-Nielsen), ’05 BEd, writes “Greg and I were married on July 1st, 2006 in Edmonton and I have recently joined the Office of External Relations, Faculty of Education at the U of A. The wedding was beautiful, complete with fireworks, and the new job is both challenging and rewarding. It has been an absolutely wonderful year!” Back row (l-r): Liza Fehr (Jenne) ‘05 BEd, Curt Stalanhoeff ‘05 BEd, Andrea Seiler ‘05 BEd, Asheley Cowie (Just-Nielsen) ‘05 BEd, Vanessa Wood ‘04 BEd (RDC Collaborative), Caitlin Fox (Chapman) ‘05 BEd (RDC Collaborative), Myrna Kampjes ‘05 BEd, Charity Field ‘04 BEd Front Row (l-r): Rob Hartery ‘02 BEd, Dave Wiens ‘03 BEd (RDC Collaborative)
Where are you now? What’s new? What are you doing?
Class
Notes
Share your news with us, and we will include your update in the class notes section of the next Orange!
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