SPRING/SUMMER EDITION 2010 VOLUME 10
NUMBER 4
U of A Educator Olenka Bilash
Scores Canada’s Gold for Teaching
Heidi Janz wins top Canadian award in disability studies Dressed for Success the Nellie McClung way Fern Snart reappointed as Dean of Education U of A says farewell to distinguished dean Robert Patterson KEEPING ALUMNI CURRENT
Education’s artist in residence paints mural for ATEP
Butchart Gardens April, Victoria
Greetings
from the
The coming of spring each year reenergizes the ‘flora and fauna’ on our beautiful University of Alberta campus. Similarly, it reinvigorates our students, faculty and staff as exams come to an end, conference season begins, and walks across campus take us past rock gardens and waterfalls, rabbits and squirrels. The excitement of our work continues despite the reality of fiscal challenges. In this current edition of The Orange, we are proud to share the story of one of our stellar teachers within the Faculty, Dr. Olenka Bilash, whose most recent accomplishment is receiving Canada’s top national teaching prize. Color and creativity prevail as we describe the Artist in Residence initiative that brought Jerry Whitehead, an acclaimed Aboriginal artist, to visit and spend time with us as he painted two large murals in the education lobby one week in January; murals that now grace the seventh floor of the Education South building. Further innovation is highlighted through the accomplishments of our alumni who are involved in the all-girls schools within the Nellie McClung Academy. We pay grateful tribute to an amazing alumnus and teacher, Sgt. George Miok, whose life tragically ended in Afghanistan, December 2009. We highlight the research of Dr. Dianne Conrad and her recent success authoring a theater production focused on incarcerated youth and the national research impact of Dr. Linda Phillips through her ongoing work in the area of literacy. And we share exciting news from graduate students who are charting new territory. We hope the variety and depth of content will bring you a sense of pride in the work of the Faculty.
Dean
Fern Snart, Ted Harrison (‘77 BEd), Desiree Kendrick, Sean Mowat (95 BEd)
I also encourage you to visit the Faculty of Education website as we are making wonderful progress in updating the format and content. On the site, you will see additional stories and news items related to research, awards, and announcements that involve our Faculty of Education family. I would like to make you aware of one of the changes that will become necessary as we find ways to maintain what is important, within our new economic reality. Beginning
with our next edition of The Orange, we will be moving from a print to an online format. Thank you very much for your ongoing support and encouragement, and specific thanks to the wonderful, positive, and engaging alumni who attended our dinner and luncheon in Victoria in April – what a treat it was to spend time with you! Happy Summer to all. Sincerely, Fern
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THE ORANGE I SPRING/SUMMER 2010
KEEPING ALUMNI CURRENT SPRING/SUMMER EDITION 2010
VOLUME 10
NUMBER 4
ON THE COVER: 6 O lenka Bilash scores Canada’s gold for teaching U of A 2010 3M Canada Teaching Fellowship winner Olenka Bilash promotes teaching philosophies aimed at transforming the way students view the world
FEATURES 9 Researcher wins top Canadian award in disability studies
10 Fern Snart reappointed as Dean of Education
Heidi Janz on a quest to unite disability and palliative care communities
From strong to remarkable programs over the next five years
16 Education’s artist in residence paints mural for ATEP
23 U of A says farewell to distinguished dean
Make your people proud says Jerry Whitehead
DEPARTMENTS
Robert Patterson is remembered as a shirt sleeve dean with a paternalistic flair
5 Linda Phillips on human interaction and literacy
19 U of A librarian to intern at Washington’s Smithsonian Institute
10 Korean Exchange Students learning & teaching on campus
20 Best article of 2009 for Phd student in policy studies
12 Art educator piercing her masterpiece for pedagogy
22 Fallen soldier George Miok remembered
18 Dressed for Success at Nellie McClung School
24 Class notes – teacher Erin Clark carries Olympic flame
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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.
The Orange going online
Dean of Education
From the editor
and news ~ and in a more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly way. We are still in the early stages of development and are interested in suggestions you may have.
Dear Readers,
I invite you to write me directly at dawn. ford@ualberta.ca. Please continue to check the Faculty’s evolving new website at www. education.ualberta.ca.
Fern Snart Executive-Editor
Director of External Relations/Development Neil Hayes Editor
Our new online venue will give us a fresh and interactive place in which to share with you timely educational stories
Dawn Ford (’00 BEd)
Director of Communications Dawn Ford E x t e r n a l R e l a t i o n s Te a m
Desiree Kendrick Sean Mowat Carrie Potvin Graphic Design
Penny Snell, Creative Services
Greetings
from the Director of Development This magazine marks the beginning of a new and more vibrant way of keeping in touch. The change has already started with our new faculty web pages. And this fall we will be beginning the design of a new online edition of The Orange. The online version will be more cost effective during these times of increased budget challenges and will give us the added benefits of higher interactivity and quicker access to stories and news that affects you.
C o n t r i b u t i n g w r i t e r s a n d photographers
Michael Brown, Dawn Ford, Jamie Hanlon, Neil Hayes, Michael Holly, Desiree Kendrick, AnnaLeah King, Sean Mowat, George Richardson, Fern Snart, University of Alberta’s New Trail, file contributions Although we cannot name everyone, we thank each of you who contributed photos and copy to our new edition. Your participation enriches our work in so many ways. 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 Email: education.alumni@ualberta.ca www.education.ualberta.ca
During these early planning stages, we ask that you send in your email addresses so that we can forward you our new online edition once it is up and running. During this past six months we have deepened friendships and truly valued your ongoing financial support. Recently in Victoria, I met with one of our long term donors, a retired teacher who has supported the Faculty for many years with monthly gifts. She was pleased to hear how her regular donations make a big difference. Regular annual or monthly gifts fund our most needed programs, including emergency student bursaries, and allow us to offer ongoing support to students who have unplanned personal or family emergencies. Many students find that family issues or financial costs are too much to bear, and this is where you can help make a difference in the life of a student. Please take time to fill out and mail in the donation card included in this issue. Thank you for all your gifts, notes, letters, emails and phone calls. We know we are not alone in continuing to build legacies in education. Together, we can navigate the difficult times and celebrate the sucesses of life together. Call us to let us know how we can best serve your needs or simply drop us a note to say hello and let us know how you are doing. See you soon, Neil Hayes, CFRE Director of Development
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THE ORANGE I SPRING/SUMMER 2010
Human interaction
at the core of early literacy training, says U of A researcher B y D aw n F ord
According to literacy expert Linda Phillips (82 PhD) reading is the perfect way to help babies explore their senses and experience the human interaction they crave from the moment of birth. “That human interaction is important and should be nurtured through talking with children, holding them to develop their sense of trust, singing to delight and soothe them, and reading to them to develop their oral vocabulary,” says Linda Phillips, an education professor and director of the U of A’s Canadian Centre for Research on Literacy. Yet reading alone is not enough says Phillips, who last year launched an online handbook designed to help parents and practitioners see the big picture of language and literacy development beginning from infancy. A holder of numerous national and international research grants and awards, Phillips has published extensively in the social and medical sciences. Most recently, she has partnered with CBC to promote public awareness of language and literacy issues across Canada. “Draw children’s attention to the parts of a book and point out the title, the author and the illustrator. Talk about the pictures, and encourage children to tell you what they see,” she said. “It’s not the book you choose for your children but rather how you engage them in the reading that matters most. Most of what children read in school is controlled by someone else often leading to a lack of interest in the material,” says Phillips.
read to your baby everyday if you can says Phillips
Adults can never be sure of what will catch the interests of a child, she says, so be guided by the child’s interests. Rich reading opportunities can be found in multiple types of print not just children’s literature and they include comic books, magazines, newspapers, the Internet, and more. “Pictures in books can be the centre of discussion of ‘what’s that? That’s a duck,’ where
the caregiver both asks and answers the questions while pointing and engaging the preschooler with our voices,” said Phillips. “It’s how you work with the books you have, how you use them to engage children in language, develop their vocabulary, their sense of story as well as their memories. And start reading to them as babies and engaging them in what you read. Engagement is key”
5
Olenka Bilash scores
Canada’s Gold
for Teaching
B y Daw n Ford
“She is my role model for everything that I want to achieve,” says fourth-year education student Lisa Bradley. Olenka Bilash is one of two U of A recipients to receive a prestigious 3 M Canada Teaching Fellowship and is being hailed by her students and peers for her work in second language education. “Dr. Bilash crosses cultural borders and through deep reflection and insight, guides others to cross the cultural borders of postsecondary education no matter where they are located in the world,” says her nominator Campus Saint-Jean’s Normand Fortin who calls her as a “woman of vision” and a “catalyst of change.” Known for her animated and interactive teaching style and for her rigorous academics, Bilash advocates for teaching philosophies aimed at transforming the way students view the world. “Even in our global age, the future of peace in our planet begins with the acceptance of the alternative world views found in our immediate presence. I believe that if a student does not transform his or her world view as a result of attending university, then we as an institution have failed him/her,” says Bilash who is a strong advocate of discovery learning.
“The journey of transformation is always full of discoveries and joy for them (and me), as students come to better understand themselves as human beings and develop a vision for their personal and collective futures,” she says. In 1999, Bilash was awarded both the U of A Rutherford Award and Faculty of Education Award for Excellence in undergraduate teaching and has received multiple awards to develop Native and heritage language programs as well as the Alberta Government centennial medal for her contribution to Ukraine-Alberta International relations. Earlier this year, she was also one of 16 delegates from around the world invited to sit on the advisory board for UNESCO’s Linguapax Institute, created to bringing a linguistic solution to specific issues in the areas of peace research. “Olenka Bilash has the energy and intellect of a brilliant teacher and she definitely puts both into practice fully; Olenka’s gift as a teacher is bone deep,” says education dean Fern Snart. The 3M fellowship recognizes excellence in undergraduate teaching and is the only national award of its kind in Canada. Cosponsored by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, the fellowship is awarded annually. This year’s recipients mark the University of Alberta’s 31st and 32nd National Teaching Fellows.
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THE ORANGE I SPRING/SUMMER 2010
“I never imagined a professor like her existed at any university in the world,” says fourth-year undergraduate student Amélie Leblanc about Olenka Bilash.
7
Best of Bilash
Teaching Philosophy:
“Dr. Bilash crosses cultural borders and through deep reflection and insight, guides others to cross the cultural borders of post-secondary education no matter where they are located in the world,” says her nominator Campus Saint-Jean’s Normand Fortin who calls her as a “woman of vision” and a “catalyst of change.”
Faith in the future and the goodness of people: Young people are the future of a profession, a society and our planet. Invest in them as people and in the way they see the world, and the decisions they make about how to live in it. Clarity of vision through creativity: People are meaning makers and meaning seekers. Not only do we seek to make, create and express meaning but in the process enjoy the surprise twists and turns of discovering it, too. Power of discovery: The ‘aha’ moment or ‘insight’ acts as a catalyst for ongoing intellectual stimulation. Since we learn more through discovery than from being told, dialogue and group interaction yield not only practice and increased competence in problem solving but also respect for peers and eventually for alternative perspectives. Influence of opportunity: Young people
graphics designed by Jessie Beier
are not usually aware of their potential for achievement: Offer and create opportunities for them and then watch them rise to the challenge, confront and overcome their fears, succeed and (hopefully) see the world differently.
participants more comfortably ask for more detail from one another we establish the use of the phrase “Could you please give me more granularity?” This is safer and more accepted than ‘I don’t understand’ or ‘please clarify’.
Empowerment through challenge: In the process of learning students often face adversity, which can manifest itself in emotional or physical ways. Maturana (1971) called these uncomfortable moments perturbations in our equilibrium and acknowledged that they are necessary to overcome in order to grow. Empowerment comes from overcoming challenges and builds increased awareness for social responsibility and local, national and global citizenship.
Guided Reflection points to my role as facilitator – by posing questions that require analysis, synthesis and evaluation, by creating inductive activities for students to experience and then reflect upon through discussions, applications to real world cases and assignments, I offer opportunity for discovery and ‘aha’ moments.
Philosophy in action I believe that if a student does not transform his or her thinking and world view as a result of attending university, then we as an institution have failed him/her. I have found three tools to be of particular short-and long- term value to students on their transformative journey: granularity, guided reflection and big idea. Granularity means working for or towards clarity by refining what one knows: “Grain”+clarity = granularity. To help course
Big Ideas: To help learners connect with the big ideas of our time I always introduce 5-7 key terms on the first day of class and let them linger in students’ minds throughout the term. Some of my favorites include: conscientization (Paulo Freire), perturbation (Humberto Maturana), system’s thinking and complexity (Peter Senge), community of practice (Lave and Wenger), reflection on and in action (Donald Schon), and aporia (Aristotle). Students visit and revisit the terms every few days through guided questions and mini case studies and interconnect the details of the course to these bigger questions about how the world works. Personal anecdotes help students make connections.
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THE ORANGE I SPRING/SUMMER 2010
Daring to speak the
unspeakable,
U of A researcher wins top Canadian award in disability studies community to seek out palliative care for concern they are risking a “devaluation of their lives.” “Most members of the medical profession, particularly those working in palliative care, have tended to be unaware of or bemused and perhaps somewhat offended by the reticent attitude within the disability community towards palliative care,” says Janz. “They generally feel that the basic objectives of palliative care, namely to ease or eliminate suffering as a person approaches the end of their life, really has very little, if anything, to do with the issues of euthanasia and other forms of death-hastening.” To unveil these contrasting debates, and with an underlying hope to bridge the gaps between these two communities, Janz uses her gifts as a playwrite to disseminate her work. In addition to a number of plays performed locally at Edmontons’ fringe festival, Janz’s “Voices at Dying, Dying to be Heard” was performed at the International Congress on the Care of the Terminally ill in Montreal in 2006. “I very much welcome the opportunity to engage in work that bridges, blurs, or transgresses the approaches that the medical profession, ethicists, disability studies scholars, and people with disabilities traditionally bring to discussions and debates surrounding end-of-life issues affecting people with disabilities” says Janz. Working under the supervision of Dr. Dick Sobsey, Associate Director of the JP Das Developmental Disabilities Centre and Director of the John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre, Janz was nominated for this national award by University of Manitoba professors Zana Lutfiyya and Nancy Hansen.
By D awn F ord Heidi Janz has won the Tanis Doe award for Canadian Disability Study and Culture, the highest of its kind in Canada. Janz is a post-doctoral researcher in educational psychology and is working with the John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre at the University of Alberta. She is on a mission to bridge disparities between the disability community and the medical/bioethics community about the needs of people with disabilities at the end of their lives. According to Janz, the challenge is that the two communities often have diverse views on end-of-life issues affecting people with disabilities. “A primary reason for this is that there is a historical tendency for society in general and the medical profession in particular, to pathologize both the disabling condition itself and the person who has the disability,” says Janz. Consequently, she reports a reluctance among many in the disability
“One of the reasons she is so fitting for the Tanis Doe Award is that she combines impeccable scholarship with creative ways of disseminating her analysis and engaging people in a discussion about it,” says Lutfiyya. “She is an incredible artist for the whole concept of disability culture,” says Hansen. According to the Canadian Disability Studies Association, this national award honors an individual who dares to “speak the unspeakable” in advancing the study and culture of disability, and who has enriched through research, teaching, or activism, the lives of Canadians with disabilities. Tanis Doe (’93 PhD) was a Métis (Ojibway/French Canadian) Deaf woman, who was a wheelchair user in the later part of her short life, received her Doctoral Degree from the University of Alberta. She was the first deaf woman to receive a doctoral degree in Canada. In the summer of 1988, Janz was a student intern for Doe on a research project examining issues affecting women with disabilities. “In many ways,” Janz says, “working on this project with Tanis was my very first introduction to the field of Disability Ethics.”
9
the exchange students participated in lessons with students in the Faculty’s Child Study Centre
Learning and teaching exchanges
are the spice of U of A life by J amie Hanlon What she lacks in experience, Lee Eun-Ju makes up for in spirit and enthusiasm. At 21, Lee is the youngest of the five exchange students from the Gyeongin National University of Education in Incheon, South Korea. In her second year of the elementary education program, she is also the only sophomore in the group. But that did not stop her from embarking on a trip to study at the University of Alberta. The partnership between the University of Alberta and the Korean institution, which was signed in May 2009, is one of two student exchange programs established by the International Initiatives office in the Faculty of Education. The other is with Peizheng College in Guangdong, China. For George
Richardson, associate dean of international initiatives in the Faculty of Education, these types of exchanges, and students like Lee, offer a multitude of benefits to students and faculty of both institutions, and ultimately to the live of those they touch. “Incoming exchange students from other countries enrich our own teacher education programs with the insights they bring from their home countries and educational systems,” said Richardson. “Exchange programs represent one way to internationalize education on campus. What we are really doing through exchange programs is bringing the world to the U of A while bringing the U of A to the world.” Lee’s decision to come to the U of A was
quite pragmatic. Being an education major, she is keenly interested in educational theories. As many of the popular theories emanate from English-speaking countries, studying in one of those countries made sense. But, before deciding to make the leap across the Pacific Ocean, she consulted with one of her fellow students who had been an exchange student. “She told me the experience in another university is very worthwhile, that you can learn a lot,” Lee said. “ Lee is taking full advantage of her time here and marvels at the variety of courses available to her because her home institution is geared solely towards educating fledgling teachers. But, one of the first courses she
took last semester, an elementary arts curriculum course, opened her eyes to the richness of Canadian artists, including the many Aboriginal artists. The effect of the course also inspired her to think about her own knowledge of art closer to home. “I don’t know much about our modern Korean artists, but I know a lot about traditional things,” she said. “It inspired me to think about modern Korean artists and musicians.” Lee was also exposed to a pre-internship experience in an Edmonton public school and noted many differences between the Korean and Canadian institutions. While Lee says that both countries produce quality teachers, she appreciates the differences in the roles of Canadian and Korean teachers. In many Asian countries, including Korea,
teacher-student interaction is based largely on recitation and memorization. “Here, teachers organize everything for the students,” said Lee. “The role of teacher is also like that of a guide; they assign a project and students research a topic and write about it and discuss it with their classmates.” Carol Leroy, an associate professor in elementary education, was impressed with Lee and one of her fellow students who attended her class last semester. Leroy says that the amount of thought that Lee has put into this experience and her willingness to undertake this personal academic adventure is what really stands out about her. “It’s quite impressive to see someone so young thinking so deeply about things,” said Leroy.”What she’s learning about Canadian ways of doing things, which they might not
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be doing in Korea, she’s thinking about, particularly in relationship to her long-term goals as a teacher.” Lee’s self-declared passion for creativity and expression may be what fosters that critical thinking. She has already started contemplating how she can apply the Canadian model to her own style of teaching once she has completed her schooling and takes to her first classroom. “I want to give the students the opportunity to understand themselves and give them opportunities to raise their own ability levels,” said Lee “I want to encourage that because there is not much interaction in the Korean education system between teachers and students, so I want to make things in the classroom more interactive, more liberal.”
“Incoming exchange students from other countries enrich our own teacher education programs with the insights they bring from their home countries and educational systems,” said Richardson.
Lee Eun-Ju, 21, is the youngest of five exchange students from South Korea
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artist invites students to
pierce her masterpiece “We gain pleasure from viewing the landscape and recreating it through art. But how do we make meaningful connections between these myriad images of wilderness landscape in our visual culture and the ways we actually live in it?�
Patti Pente is not afraid to take risks when it comes to teaching. An art professor in elementary education, Pente recently challenged her students and colleagues to a unique experience that included piercing holes through an original Canadian landscape painting she had created and for a few months displayed in the main floor of education’s Coutts library. “I invited all who use the library. Some watched, some cut and prepared the materials, some taped wool, and some pierced the painting with needles. The two-day performance created a community of learners, with decision-making continually being shared among the participants,” says Pente. According to the teacher and artist, the performance raised questions relating to people’s uneasiness about putting holes in something of beauty that clearly took many hours to create. As a professor, it meant taking risks, yet she says, it was one of the better lessons she taught this year. “Students raised questions about the kinds of values we commonly place on artworks, and the differences between art as a beautiful object and art as an event that critiques those aesthetic values.” “I suggest that the very images we love can lull us into complacency with regard to sharing, preserving, and caring for the land and for each other in the land,” adds Pente, who notes that the paradox raises questions about the kind of values we communally place on artworks.
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THE ORANGE I SPRING/SUMMER 2010
“We gain pleasure from viewing the landscape and recreating it through art. But how do we make meaningful connections between these myriad images of wilderness landscape in our visual culture and the ways we actually live in it?” she says, admitting the lesson was risky. “Let’s face it, my crawling up and down a ladder, stringing wool across a room, stumbling over lines of wool in an increasingly difficult space is not the average image of a university professor at work, but this is about disrupting the normal, every day spaces of learning so that students can begin to raise questions about the relationships of power embedded in social life.” “I want student teachers to be willing to consider if and how they will authentically share power with their students. Such sharing can lead to children experiencing what it means to share responsibility as part of a community.” In 2008, Pente was awarded the Elliot Eisner doctoral research award from the American National Art Education Association. The award recognizes the value of doctoral research to the profession of art education and its related disciplines, to advocate on behalf of such research, and to foster continued support of doctoral research in art education. She was also awarded the 2008 Gordon and Marion Smith Prize in Art Education from UBC, an award given for the most promising artist and educator and in 2008 was awarded the Canadian Society for the Study of Education Arts Graduate Research Award (ARTS).
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Fern Snart reappointed as Dean of Education B y Michael Bro wn The University of Alberta has reappointed Fern Snart as dean of the Faculty of Education for a second five-year term of office, effective July 1, 2010. “The University of Alberta is extremely fortunate to have a dean of education as distinguished as Fern Snart,” said Carl Amrhein, provost and vice-president (academic). “She inspires by her passion and dedication; recognizes and positions talented people in roles of responsibility, and seeks to partner with colleagues in developing vision, strategies, and solutions. “Fern knows how to listen effectively and this makes a difference in her support to others.” Taking the time to listen, led Snart into an
early career in clinical psychology. Born and raised in Dauphin, Manitoba, she began her university studies at Brandon University where she received a bachelor of arts in psychology, before working as a junior psychologist at an inpatient facility for adults and children. It was there that Snart says she developed an interest in clinical psychology. “As a young psychologist my contact with parents and teachers shone a light on the importance of teachers,” said Snart, who would go on to complete a master’s of arts in clinical psychology at the University of Saskatchewan, and then make what would be her final move to the U of A. “My PhD research focused on developmental memory, basically looking at cognition and the various ways that children
experience challenges to learning, and this led to looking at various kinds of process-based remedial programs for children with different types of learning disabilities.” Snart worked for a year at the Glenrose Hospital after graduating before joining the U of A’s Department of Educational Psychology in 1980. It wasn’t long before her research and teaching began to flourish. In 1993, Snart was awarded the Faculty of Education’s Undergraduate Teaching Award. In 2001, Fern’s three-person research team, which included Margaret Haughey and Joe da Costa, received the Alberta Teachers’ Association Educational Research Award for their study of the effects of small class size on the achievement of inner-city students.
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“The University of Alberta is extremely fortunate to have a dean of education as distinguished as Fern Snart,” said Carl Amrhein, provost and vice-president (academic). Snart says her foray into administration was never a move she intended. The transformation began in the mid-1990s, first as the associate chair of her department and then as graduate co-ordinator. Enjoying success working with graduate students, she didn’t hesitate to accept the offer of then-dean Larry Beauchamp, when he asked Snart if she would become associate dean (undergraduate). From there, she was named vice-dean and then, in 2004, was asked to take over as acting dean when Beauchamp left for University Hall. In 2005, Snart became the 10th dean of the Faculty of Education. With a clear interest in Aboriginal education established as part of her portfolio as vice-dean, Snart says education’s selection committee also identified international outreach and research productivity as areas that needed to become faculty strengths. “In terms of international, we didn’t have a leadership position at that time, so in the first year I appointed a part-time co-ordinator of international initiatives and things started happening,” said Snart. “We had a lot going on previously, primarily very strong individual projects, but it was often not well known or co-ordinated. In 2005-06, we created an associate dean international position and the results have been remarkable.” The turnaround has been transformative. Some of education’s undergrads are now able to do their final student teaching placement in Macau, China, and all senior students can apply to do a field experience in global citizenship education in Ghana. The Ghana initiative now encompasses students from other faculties, and two teachers from Ghana each year, and it is an example of the strength of interdisciplinary study. Education researchers are, in fact, collaborating in 40 countries. The faculty has also had a marked increase in both undergraduate and graduate students coming to study from many countries worldwide. “The Faculty of Education’s Aboriginal Teacher Education Program has also been an outright success, providing better access to the U of A’s bachelor of education degree by delivering the program through tribal and provincial colleges in Alberta,” said Snart. “We have a 96 per cent Aboriginal graduation rate, which is quite stunning,” she said.
“Almost all of these graduates are teaching within their communities and many are nominated for and receive teaching awards. It really is a wonderful success story.” Snart has also implemented programs designed to ensure Aboriginal students are given an opportunity to grow beyond the undergraduate level by designing and implementing an Aboriginal PhD Completion Award. In her time as dean the research productivity of her faculty has more than doubled, from $15 million to $32 million. Of the 41 doctoral Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council awards at the U of A, 14-or 34 per cent-went to education grad students in 2009. While her first five years as dean might be a tough act to follow, Snart has already begun mapping out her faculty’s future. “We have almost finished a three-year review of our undergraduate offerings,” she said. “We developed principles, reviewed the research and have a committee that has been working on updating the curriculum model. The next two or three years will be very important.” Snart says part of that curriculum overhaul will be attending to content and opportunities for pre-service teachers in areas such as teacher identity; the appropriate inclusion of students with a variety of learning needs based on diversity of language, physical and cognitive differences; cultural differences, including those of Aboriginal families; the appropriate integration of technology within various areas of pedagogy; sustainability in its various forms, and global citizenship education. “Our program, frankly, is one of the stronger ones in Canada right now, but it is going to be remarkable.” And just like the previous five years, Snart says she knows she can count on the full support of the university’s administration. “Our current university leadership has a perception and appreciation of what a Faculty of Education can do. Unfortunately that is not always the case on campuses in Canada and the United States,” said Snart. “The support and the respect at the U of A for the work of the faculty and for our researchers are remarkable. For me, that makes a huge difference.”
Education Dean’s Brunch Every decade may have its own fashion but Education never goes out of style! Join us on: Date: Saturday, September 25th, 2010 Time: 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Place: 4th Floor Lounge, Education North Building Cost: $10 per person. A portion of the ticket cost (50%) will go towards a student bursary – The Education Student Support Fund.
RSVP: Please check the Alumni Events website www.ualberta.ca/alumni/ weekend Don’t be fashionably late - register early as this event is very popular and gets sold out quickly. Attendees must register with the Alumni Affairs office as this is a registered event and tickets for sale will not be available at the door.
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Make your people proud says U of A artist in residence Jerry Whitehead By Anna - L eah King ( ’ 8 9 B Ed ’ 0 4 M Ed)
If you had a chance to walk through the Faculty of Education’s main corridor south building in mid January, you may have seen Jerry Whitehead quietly painting or talking with students and faculty about his art. Set in a sun-lit corner of what he terms “the gallery of potential”, Whitehead answered people’s questions and shared stories of his art such as the time he was invited to be the artist in residence at a gallery with the late Norval Morriseau. “We spent a week together painting. At the end of the week, I worked up the courage to approach the artist for a trade,” says Whitehead. “Norval was willing to give me one piece of his work for two of mine. I was elated.” A Cree artist from James Smith, Saskatchwan and currently residing in Vancouver, Whitehead who is the Faculty of Education’s
artist in residence, was painting a mural for the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program (ATEP). I first met Jerry while working at an all-Native high school in Saskatchewan. I was a new teacher then and remember him coming to see the art teacher to share his art . He introduced me to local artists and it was clear that he was the voice of the community. He reminded me of my responsibility as a new teacher. “Make your people proud,” I remember him saying. Whitehead studied at Saskatchewan Federated College and received his Bachelor’s degree from University of Halifax. He presently resides in Vancouver where it is reported rare to see a prairie artist who has made his way into the art market in Vancouver. While on University of Alberta campus, Whitehead gave workshops to elementary
education art students and Aboriginal art students and shared his tips with elementary art teachers to enrich their own perspectives and teachings of Aboriginal art. He has been invited to illustrate several children’s literature book and has painted murals in a number of schools and given art workshops in schools from Saskatchewan to British Columbia. Whitehead’s mural can be viewed on the 7th floor of education’s south building at the University of Alberta. *Anna-Leah King is co-director of ATEP program at the University of Alberta Links: Jerry Whitehead’s website: www.jerrywhitehead.com/
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17
Dressing for Success
The fabric of the Nellie McClung Program -an all girls program in Edmonton Public Schools D esiree K endrick In the community of Oliver stands a 1910 red brick school, formal in structure yet rich in history. The building houses an elementary and a junior high alternative program. The Nellie McClung Girls Junior High Program is part of the Edmonton Public Schools. Walking the hallways one is quick to notice a sense of community, camaraderie and an excitement for learning. Although the required student uniform appears traditional and reserved, it is the fabric of the program that reveals a different picture. There are three Nellie McClung sites in the Edmonton Public School system, Bannerman, Avonmore and Oliver. At Oliver I spoke with principal, Dr. Gail Brierley, ’77 BEd, ’99 MEd, ’02 EdD. All of the teachers in the Nellie McClung Oliver program are alumni of The Faculty of Education. Talking with the teachers reveals how rich and dynamic the all girls program has become and strips away a consistent misconception that Nellie McClung is an exclusive private school. Four parents committed to a strong public education founded the Nellie McClung Program. They wanted to allow young girls the opportunity to discover and develop their personalities and interests in a safe and encouraging environment. While research is split on the benefits of a single gender education, there was strong support for an all girls learning environment. In 1995 Oliver School opened its doors to the program, teaching the Alberta curriculum while staying true to the original Founder’s intentions. So what makes it an alternative program? What types of students would be attracted to this program? Besides being all girls, the school encourages independent learners who are motivated and driven with a quest for learning. The students may have the internal desire to learn but lack the confidence to ask questions or the self esteem to believe in their own abilities. They may be strong academic students who struggle with social issues in their current
school environment or a student who is eager to be more creative in their learning. Principal Dr. Brierley says, the program is not a “fix me alternative nor is it a program for all children”. One of the components of the program is leadership. Every student has an opportunity for leadership through CEEDS (Curriculum Enrichment and Extension Days). Grade levels are combined to form a CEEDS team and they work together on special projects. Students lead school assemblies, organize fund raisers and represent the school at public events. Volunteering allows students to give back to their community and build relationships both locally and globally. The program is also math and science focused. Coming out of elementary many teenage girls believe they can’t succeed in science and math. “Here they learn (that) they can do anything anyone can”, remarks Assistant Principal Marjorie Carter, ’79 BEd. “It is our role to take a child and move them
forward”. The students are involved in their own education and are asked what they want to accomplish. Why have a uniform in a program that encourages creative thinking and independent learning? The Founders saw the uniform as an integral part of the program. They believed it gives the girls a sense of pride, belonging and unity. Some would suggest that an added benefit has been no boys, no clothing choices, no drama! Teacher Brianne Savoy, ’04 BEd, admits she was initially hesitant about the uniform policy, thinking it would take away creativity. After one month on the job she was pleasantly surprised when a grade nine student told her, “I proudly wear my uniform ….I am not judged by my clothes”. With an even playing field there was no pre-judging. Another student stated that while some girls express themselves through their clothing, the uniform allows her to express herself through her personality and actions.
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U of A librarian student heading to Washington
The girls arrive as young school girls in knee socks, hesitant and unsure of what lies ahead. The school helps them mature where they can articulate for themselves and continue on to high school as confident young women. As science teacher Janelle Benedet, ’06 BEd, puts it, “seeing them illuminated, when a concept becomes apparent, it’s that light bulb moment that is so rewarding. Dr. Brierley agrees, “Watching the girls blossom and reach the levels they do is continually astonishing”. Whether it is in the detail of their art work, their language arts interpretations or the analysis and scientific exploration of their science fair project, the girls all rise to the challenge. All the teachers agree there is a closeness to the students that goes beyond the typical teacher student relationship. In some cases working with girls only allows for conversations that would not normally happen in a coed environment. Teacher Brianne Savoy recognizes that she has become a little protective, like a big sister, and though there is an obvious professional line not to be crossed, the rapport and warmth felt is much like a supportive family. Madame Louise Dubé, ‘86 BEd, attended an all girl’s school when she was a youth and has been teaching in the program for the last fourteen years. She loves the kids and admits that feeling like family can be emotionally draining but also rewarding. Watching the girls move on, makes grade nine graduation an emotional time for all. As Dr. Brierley puts it, “to be a teacher in this program requires a great deal of passion. You have to believe in the program and recognize
learning happens both in and out of the classroom. You have to be giving of yourself and willing to take a risk, then you will discover a dimension of yourself that you never knew existed. Going to Bamfield with the girls was one of the best experiences of my life”. How does one measure the success of this program? Over the years the staff has been recognized for their excellence in teaching. “Nellie girls” continually come back to visit their former teachers. Success goes beyond academic standings. Students grow in their confidence, maturity and knowledge. They wear this as proudly as their uniforms. When students from varied backgrounds come together, to accept, support and cheer each other on this is success. These leaders of tomorrow demonstrate the programs’ success. As the school bell rings, the plaid skirts, neck ties and cardigans fill the hallways wearing their Nellie pride. The school has beautifully woven the threads of the original founders into the current program. Passion for learning, critical thinking and the confidence to make informed choices is an integral thread of the stunning fabric of the program. It is inspiring to see enthusiastic teachers providing lifelong skills to their students, wearing an ensemble of mentorship, creativity and innovative learning while loving their jobs. Behind the walls of the 1910 school there is a program that prepares our young daughters for the challenges of tomorrow. In The Nellie McClung Program at Oliver School teachers and students are coming to class dressed for success. To learn more about the Nellie McClung program at Oliver School go to http://oliver.epsb.net/
Brianna Erban, graduate student in the School of Library and Information Studies’ MLIS program is heading to Washington’s Smithsonian Institute to intern at the National Museum of the American Indian’s Cultural Resources Centre. “I feel incredibly fortunate to be involved in a field that holds the potential to improve the quality of people’s lives tangibly, and I am grateful to the committed faculty at SLIS for encouraging me to pursue my passion for social responsibility,” says Erban who will spend her internship expanding upon her existing research interests. “While at the U of A, I have focused the majority of my research on overcoming barriers to information access, including work on the impact of public library policies on homeless individuals, meeting the information needs of temporary foreign workers in Alberta, and the accessibility and ownership of First Nations archival resources in Canada.” A volunteer at community events and agencies such as Homeless Connect and the Boyle Street Community Services Centre, Erban says it is principles that first drew her to her future career. “I have been being increasingly drawn to a career in librarianship because of the principles it encompasses, including equitable access to services, social inclusion, intellectual freedom, and the promotion of lifelong learning,” says Erban who for the last two years has served as co-chair and blog master of the Future Librarians for Intellectual Freedom (FLIF) student group at SLIS. Erban, who also completed undergraduate and graduate programs in English literature at the University of Alberta, is a recent recipient of a U of A libraries award. She will be graduating from SLIS’s Master of Library and Information Studies program in November, 2010. “I look forward to bringing back the insights, experiences and knowledge I gain from the internship in Washington, D.C. to Alberta.”
19
The Scholarship of
Teaching and Learning constructing entrepreneurial learners
By D awn F ord Search for Laura Servage on the Internet and it won’t take you long to find her online blog covering a myriad of post-secondary related topics such as power and status in volunteer work to her perspectives on “hedgehog” graduate degrees. Servage is a PhD student in educational policy studies who has recently been acknowledged by the Canadian Journal of Higher Education for the best article of 2009. In the article, she focuses on the concept of the scholarship of teaching and learning. In particular, she argues that there are complacencies and pitfalls that can occur when educational concepts become widely embraced and thus entrenched into our learning systems. “As soon as an idea gains wide currency,” she says, “people quit thinking critically about it.” Servage describes how the scholarship of teaching and learning was introduced through the work of Ernest Boyer in 1990, and has since contributed to a growing interest in improving post-secondary teaching through scholarship. I’m not opposed to this – who could be against better teaching?” says Servage. “But somewhere along the way the ‘scholarship of teaching’ morphed into ‘the scholarship of teaching and learning.’ I just wondered, “What’s with the student learning push?’” Servage admits that the answer appears obvious: learning is good. But she argues introducing “learning” into the scholarship of teaching equation has contributed to perceptions of learning as an outcome, instead of a process. When learning is reduced to ‘measurable outcomes’ and ‘objectives,’ learners and scholars learn to objectify themselves. “The concept of scholarship and teaching and learning contributes to a climate that encourages us to see learning as a kind of ‘technology’ that we use to accomplish
PhD student Laura Servage (‘02 BEd, 07 MEd) aims to restore the holistic in learning
things. This in turn, argues the researcher, leads to the constructing of “entrepreneurial learners.” “There’s definitely a place for this kind of learning,” says Servage, “It’s productive. And I want competent doctors, teachers and engineers as much as the next person. But I believe that if we equate learning with learning outcomes alone, we lose its most powerful, and frankly, its most beautiful dimensions” says Servage. “It’s about the wondering; it’s about the surprises.” “Critics argue that ‘life-long learning’ has been reduced to learning for work, so the idea with my stuff is to try to restore a holistic understanding of what life-long learning is. To me, this means that all people are able to see themselves as learners, and are able to see possibilities in learning in all dimensions of their lives.”
“Lots of my department colleagues are doing amazing scholarship that captures the political, emotional and even spiritual dimensions of learning. They encourage us to see learning as something much bigger, and more enriching, than just learning for work.” Servage’s own work is policy-focused. “I’m a huge policy wonk,” she admits. “I’m especially interested in how policies and practices can be improved to help marginalized learners – the ones who think learning ‘isn’t for them,’ – to engage in education and discover all of the amazing possibilities it holds.” “I want to hear people say ‘Wow this is cool and interesting and I can do this!’ “ To read more about Servage’s views and her doctoral research in learning-to-work transitions, visit her website at http://sites. myso-calledcareer.net
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Incarceration rates of Aboriginal youth inspire campus theatre production B y Daw n F ord Following three years of drama-based research with youth as part of the Native program at a provincial youth corrections facility, a new play, Athabasca’s Going Unmanned, written by U of A researcher Diane Conrad aims, to raise awareness about the disproportionate incarceration rates of Aboriginal youth across Canada. “In 2007–08, Aboriginal youth accounted for 33 per cent of those sentenced to custody, whereas
they make up only six per cent of the total Canadian youth population,” says Conrad, associate professor of drama/theatre education in the Department of Secondary Education. According to Conrad, these statistics reflect a human-rights issue that needs to be addressed. “Government reports explain high incarceration rates as related to low education levels, low employment status, substance abuse and mental-health issues. My research suggests that these are symptoms of the real root causes: the systematic injustices of poverty and racism in our society; inequitable treatment of Aboriginal youth by police and the courts, and generational trauma; the effects of cultural genocide,
which includes residential schools,” she says. Set in jail, the play tells the story of three incarcerated youth and an escape plot they’ve hatched, and three corrections staff who work with them, Through video projection and live performance, it examines the needs of the youth and the prospects for offering them programming with transformative potential. “Through acting out their experiences, individuals can become more aware of the motivation behind their behaviour and the societal issues that underlie it,” says Conrad, who began writing the play last January. “By being involved in doing drama with incarcerated youth for three years, I was living the research. The play practically wrote itself,” says Conrad, who in 2006 won the SSHRC Aurora Prize for her creative and innovative research. The play was produced in collaboration with The Canadian Centre for Theatre Creation, the Department of Drama and play director Ian Leung and dramaturge Kim McCaw; it is a Canadian Actor’s Equity Association Guest Artist Policy project. The research study, The Transformative Potential of Drama in the Education of Incarcerated Youth is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Links: Dr. Diane Conrad’s homepage: www.ualberta.ca/~dhconrad/ Faculty of Arts Department of Drama www.drama.ualberta.ca/
21
GEORGE MIOK:
The tiger, the teacher and the warrior “George was a living example of discipline, honour and courage, so if you truly wish to honour him, stand up to bullying and drugs; work hard at school and cherish your family and friends.”
B y S ean M o wat “I’m here to talk to you about Sergeant George Miok, the hero and the warrior,” Master Corporal Greg Gorecki said in the characteristic attention grabbing tone of a true soldier. “Mr. Miok left his family, his home, his job and all he loved to go to Afghanistan, knowing he risked death in order to help its citizens have a chance at the kind of life he left in Canada,” said Gorecki directing his powerful statement to a mournful crowd of mostly students at École St. Cecilia Junior High School, where George Miok (’05 BEd) taught until he left for his peacekeeping tour in Afghanistan. Standing room only, students and staff at St. Cecilia’s gathered together on January 14 in their gymnasium for a memorial celebration for George Miok, their beloved teacher, colleague and friend. David Moss (’02 MEd), a fellow teacher and friend of Miok’s, gave an insightful eulogy into the life of George the teacher and the tiger. “The first thing I noticed about George when he came to teach at our school in October of 2008 was his amazing, infectious smile, which was most amazing on the occasions when he told us of his interactions with students. I remember George excitedly telling me how he got his students to remember how to spell his name by telling them simply to think, ‘Am I Okay’.” Moss told the captivated group that outside of his family, George’s two loves were teaching and the military. He said George was always dressed immaculately wearing shirts and ties and perfectly polished shoes. He referred to the staff room as the ‘mess hall’ which he cleaned and organized in military fashion according to size and use. “Although George was a ‘newbie,’ he managed to earn the stripes of a St. Cecilia Tiger in no time at all,” said Moss.
In attendance along with the Miok family, Laszlo Miok spoke of his brother’s fondness of teaching. “I remember visiting George at St. Cecilia’s where he proudly showed off his students and his tiny office. He loved his job and he reveled in the accomplishments of his students,” said Laszlo who told the students and staff of St. Cecilia that George often expressed how much they enriched his life. Cpl. Gorecki, who had been a friend of Miok’s since they both joined the military 12 years ago, left a final message to the students of St. Cecilia that encompassed and exemplified George Miok as a teacher and a warrior. “George was a living example of discipline, honour and courage, so if you truly wish to honour him, stand up to bullying and drugs; work hard at school and cherish your family and friends.” St. Cecilia presented the Miok family with a memory book of George’s teaching life and a donation to the George Miok Award at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education where Miok earned his Bachelor of Education degree in 2005. Miok, who was 28, was killed on December 30 when the vehicle he was traveling in hit an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. Thanks to the generosity and thoughtfulness of the family and friends of George Miok, The George Miok Memorial Scholarship Fund has now grown to more than $30,000. George’s scholarship will continue in perpetuity, which means every year one deserving Faculty of Education student will receive $1000 scholarship in George’s memory Links: École St. Cecilia Junior High School www.stcecilia.ecsd.net/ CFB Edmontonwww.army.forces.gc.ca/cfb_edmonton/main.html
Education says farewell B y Daw n F ord The University of Alberta is mourning the passing of Robert Patterson, former dean of education from 1983-1991, who died on March 21, 2010.
to distinguished dean
Patterson’s legacy is summed up best by the affectionate words pulled from the minutes of his final faculty council meeting as dean in May of 1991. He is described as having a “paternalistic flair,” and as a leader who spent his professional life “instilling a breath of life” into education’s student association during a time of administrative challenges. He is also characterized as a “shirt-sleeve” dean who maintained a constancy of spirit during turbulent and economically challenging times within the faculty and university community. Fern Snart, dean of the Faculty of Education, remembers Patterson as a kind and gentle leader who had an ability to identify the essence of an issue and offer sound judgment. “During a time when deans served more traditional roles as academic leaders, Bob instituted many visionary coalitions and partnerships at the university,” said Snart. “In particular, he lived his vision of creating a more collaborative environment both within his faculty and between the faculty and the field.” Born in Fort MacLeod on June 8, 1937, Patterson received both his bachelor and master of education degrees from the U of A, and his doctorate in the history and philosophy of education at Michigan State University. In 1990, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Lethbridge. Patterson taught at the U of A for over 30 years including his time as dean. In 1992, he moved to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah where he spent the concluding years of his professional career as dean of the McKay College of Education.
List of Deans
“He is remembered by his students and colleagues for his sensitivity to the human element in any problem or proposal,” said Snart. “He exemplified the values of a scholar and an educator and did it with humility and a sense of humour.
Milton Ezra LaZerte 1942-1950
Robert S. Patterson 1983-1991
Herbert Edgar Smith 1950-1955
Harvey Zingle 1991-1996
Herbert Thomas Coutts 1955-1972
Larry Beauchamp 1996-2004
Myer Horowitz 1972-1975
“He was a real statesman.”
Fred Enns (Acting Dean) 1975-1976
Fern Snart (Acting Dean) April, 2004 - March, 2005
Walter Holmes Worth 1976-1983
Fern Snart March 22, 2005 - present
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Class
Notes *Joyce Cutts, ’53 (Dip) Ed, ’54 BPE, of Welland, ON, informed the U of A that she was one of four women in the over 75 category selected to compete in Canada in the International Tennis Federation Tournament held in November in Perth, Australia. In the doubles competition, Joyce and her partner played the 4th ranked US team to three sets, but lost. This was the 5th time Joyce was chosen to play for Canada in the tournament. She also finished 4th in the singles at the national competition in Montreal and 2nd in the provincial-level competition in Toronto. Joyce has expressed that she is looking forward to “spending the winter in Florida” and playing tennis outdoors in nice weather.
Dr. Jamie Wallin, ’57 BEd, ’62 MEd, went
Erin Clark ‘06 BEd
On January 13, 2009, the Olympic Torch was held high by several members of the University of Alberta community, including former Olympians, President Indira Samarasekera and distinguished alumni including teacher Erin Clark. “When I was running the flame, I knew I was the only person in the world holding that flame,” says Erin Clark after finishing her leg of the Olympic Torch Relay in Edmonton, Alberta. A food studies teacher at Ardrossan Jr/Sr High School, Clark was selected to carry the torch after writing about her cheer team for an online essay competition by Coca Cola. “When I first told my team that I was running the torch, it was a great feeling. They were so proud that their hard work earned me my spot,” says Clark whose passion has helped her cheer team transform from 6 to 15 talented athletes. Clark advocates cheerleading as an important sport because it allows females to be active in sport even if they aren’t talented at basketball or volleyball. “They are true cheerleaders and make our school proud.”
on to receive his doctoral degree in 1965 from the University of Berkeley, in California and since 2004 has worked at Rangsit University as Associate Dean of Education where he is responsible for advanced training of teachers of languages (English, Chinese, Japanese, and Abrabic) who are working in bilingual and international schools in Thailand. Jamie would be pleased to welcome any U of A graduates visiting Thailand and sends his best wishes to his alma mater! Check out his university at http://www.rsu.ac.th/education/English/master_education.php .
Mary W. Walters, ’70 BEd, is a freelance writer and editor who has worked with academics for more than 20 years. She is the author of Write an Effective Funding Application: A Guide for Researchers and Scholars (John Hopkins University Press, 2009). The former awards facilitator at the University of Saskatchewan now lives in Toronto where she consults and gives workshops on effective grant-writing. She has also published three books of fiction to date.
Doreen Ryan, ’73 BEd, ’83 Dip (Ed), retired from teaching in 1994 but is still very active in her community of Edmonton. She has been recognized with many awards over the years including a University of Alberta Honour Award (2008). With an impressive athletic career in speed skating she has represented Canada both on world and Olympic tracks and has been inducted into the Canadian Speed Skating Hall of Fame(’73), Alberta Sports Hall of Fame(’74), and the University of Alberta Wall of Fame (‘95). Doreen continues to devote much energy to her love for sport through her volunteer experiences. These have included working with Speed Skating Canada Hall of Fame Awards Committee, Commonwealth Games Canada, Edmonton Sports Council, and the’94 Winter Olympic Games, Norway. The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver gave Doreen another memorable Olympic memory. “Carrying the 2010 Olympic Torch and lighting the cauldron was without a doubt the most significant experience I have had in all my Olympic involvement. The enthusiastic roar of the crowd at Churchill Square was overwhelming - such energy, happiness and excitement that was shared. It lifted me right up on to the stage. Awesome! The Olympic Torch really lit up all of Canada as never experienced before. Now as I come down off my “high” I’ll go back to my regular workouts at the Kinsmen gym/ track and pick up on neglected projects such as water-color painting and drawing. As my 79th birthday draws near, I may “celebrate” it with booking lessons to take up piano playing again. I am now looking forward to summer to travel in my camperized van and to play golf.
Kenneth Noster, ’74 BEd, fondly recalls how the U of A campus hallways and lounges provided abundant opportunities for excellent dialogues that took learning beyond the lectures and helped him integrate his diverse classroom experiences. That was Ken’s first experience of socratic dialogue, a learning approach he and his colleagues are now applying to the program at Living Water College of the Arts. “Socratic dialogue,” he says, “compels the student to wrestle with great texts in order to understand the truths that challenged the original writers. Rather than be told what a text means, students express their understanding to one another under the guidance of a tutor, developing excellent powers of reason.” Kenneth Noster and his colleagues are demonstrating how much more creative artists can be when they actively integrate the practical study of their craft with their powers of reason, cradled by their faith. Last summer their first 6-week program was a great success, and they are now accepting
applications for Summer Shakespeare 2010, The Mind and Faith of William Shakespeare. Check out the college’s website to learn more: www. livingwatercollege.com
*Dorie Miller,’75 BEd, ’84 PG (Dip), wrote in to New Trail that she and her husband Bob Miller, ’76 BEd, “have been happily living and working in Bali and Bangkok for the past 10 years”, and that she will return to Canada in the summer of 2010.
Leslie M. Jackson, ’75 BEd, has had several unexpected events in her life since graduation. Those of you who lived in Pembina
Hall during that time may remember she had M.S. and did not expect to teach for very long. However, she beat the odds and has taught for 17 years (senior high)! She traveled to Europe in 1984 by herself and although she reports it was scary at times as Europe is not handicap friendly, she had a wonderful trip. She has written two books, one of poetry and one a social study. She changed her name from Jackson back to her maiden name of Holbrook and at 80 years of age feels thankful to all the terrific women of Pembina that she lived with, the terrific profs and all the teachers she worked with. A big thanks from Leslie!
Dianne Greenough, ’78 BEd, has 32 years of teaching under her belt and lots to cheer about! Along with teaching psychology, P.Ed and counselling at Victoria School for 32 years, Dianne taught curriculum & instruction classes at the U of A in 1986 & 87. She worked for CFRN Eyewitness News in the 80’s and brought the sport of Acrobatic Cheerleading to Alberta. Dianne is a volunteer coach at Victoria School and has brought home hundreds of championship trophies from all over the world including Japan, Australia and Hawaii. She has 6 cheer teams and over 150 kids involved in the sport today at Vic alone. She is in her 15th year as head coach/choreographer for the Edmonton Eskimos Acrobatic Cheer Team and promotes the sport of acrobatic cheer around the country through training, judging, conference presentations, youth clinics and camps. She was the Producer/ Choreographer for the 2005 World Masters Games, choreographed for the 2001 World Track & Field Championships, worked with Canadian Finals Rodeo, Alberta Centennial and has played a role in the production of every Edmonton Grey Cup pre game and half time show since the 80’s.
Peter Achleitner, ’79 BEd, ’85 MEd, writes to his alma mater after a long career as an international consultant in technicalvocational education and training, including a 3-year appointment as Senior Lecturer in Technical Teacher Education at the University of Brunei Darussalam. Peter has recently made a considerable career change, moved to a rural mountain area in Sabah (Malaysian Borneo) and together with his Malaysian wife opened an upscale Bed & Breakfast. Magic Mountain Country Home is located at a half-acre private
She has been presented with the Global Woman of Vision, Great Albertan Award, Access “Pioneer in the Community”, Excellence in Teaching and ACA Outstanding Contribution Awards. Today she is putting together her dream of opening a specialized training facility for young athletes to train in a positive environment thru dance, gymnastics, cheer and fitness. She is still passionate about teaching and looking forward to the next 30 years!
property right within Mount Kinabalu Gof Course (at 2,000 meters above sea level the highest elevation golf course is SE Asia), and adjacent to Mount Kinabalu National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Visit him at www.sabahbb.com, and stay in touch.
Beth Perry, ’78 BSc, ’82 BScN, ’94 PhD, initially received her BSc (1978) and BScN (1982) before completing her PhD in Educational Policy Studies at the U of A. Recently her book More Moments in Time:
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Images of Exemplary Care was published by AU Press (based on her doctorial research). You can download the book free of charge from the AU Press website www.aupress.ca and see several videos regarding the book. Beth currently is an Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Disciplines at Athabasca University.
Wendy Doughty, ’85 MEd,’95 PhD, of Edmonton, was appointed director and advisor of the U of A ‘s Fresh Start Program, which allows selected students who have been required to withdraw an alternate means to re-establish satisfactory academic standing and regain eligibility for readmission to their faculty. Wendy has over 25 years experience as an adult educatory in post-secondary education at the U of A, Grant MacEwan University and even Uganda. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2008 in the U of A’s Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences. (As reported to New Trail)
Patricia Dawne (Easton-Morris) Draper, ’92 BEd, Patricia is enjoying a career as a kindergarten teacher and was recognized with a 2009 Provincial Excellence Award. She has created a website for kindergarten teachers and encourages you to check it out! http://web. mac.com/aheart4kindergarten/iWeb/www. aheart4kindergarten.mac
Tracy Innes, ‘94 BEd, has been teaching in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. for the past 14 years and has worked for 2 years in Saudi Arabia. Tracy is now Elementary Vice-Principal of the Canadian International School in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. With her Lebanese husband, they have 3 young sons and one lively dog. Tracy adds that she loves reading her Orange magazine and sincerely hopes her sons decide to go to the U of A!
Dr. Enid McLymont, ’00 PhD, has been a Teacher Educator in the Department of Teacher Education, Northern Caribbean University from 1980-2008 serving as the Chair from 2003 to 2008. In 2008, she was called to the College of Graduate Education and Leadership where she presently serves. She has been the recipient of a World Bank Fellowship and is a Fulbright Scholar. She read for her Master’s Degree in curriculum and instruction in 1992, with special emphasis in mathematics education at University of Connecticut, USA. In 1994, she was invited as a Visiting Scholar to the University of Alberta. She was awarded a CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) scholarship in 1995 to read for her Ph.D. in mathematics education at the University of Alberta. She gained her Ph.D. in teacher education and mathematics education from the U of A Department of Elementary Education in 2000. She has presented papers
at several international conferences including the AERA – (America Educational Research Association), the International Multicultural Conference, 3rd African Society Conference: Prospects for an African Renaissance., to name a few. All her presentations have been based on her research—the Cognitive Coaching Approach to Teaching and Learning. She also designed a course EDUC394 Seminar in Essential Practicum Techniques at the Northern Caribbean University. Dr. McLymont has also found time to serve the community. She is an ordained Elder and presently serves as First Elder at the Old England Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church .
Deanna Iwanicka, ’08 BPE’09 BEd, was recently named as Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) women’s hockey coach of the year. A former player with the Pandas, Iwanicka now coaches the NAIT Ooks women’s hockey team. Lindsay Beutel, ’09 BEd, recently moved with her husband to Calgary from Edmonton. She is currently working at Chinook Learning Services where she is an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher. She is enjoying her change in career and looks forward to an exciting year ahead.
“Graduating
Mekaila Frajman, ’09 BEd, wrote in that “Graduating from Education was the best thing I could have ever done. Being a teacher gives you so many opportunities. Graduating during the recession scared me and made me look for opportunities outside of Alberta, and Canada at that. Catching up with the teachers that inspired me in the past I realized the amazing opportunities in international schools. I am currently teaching full time in Cairo, Egypt at BCCIS and having the time of my life. Many people jump to the conclusion that you are simply teaching English to ESL learners, but my students speak fluent English and I am teaching B.C. curriculum. With B.C. and Alberta having the free mobility available, it made it easy for me to have both my B.C. and Alberta certificates. I graduated from Ed with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry, and I currently teach Science 10, Biology 11 & 12, Chemistry 11 and IT 8/9/10. I have decided to stay another year and will be teaching Bio 11/12, Chem 11/12
from Education was the best thing I could have ever done. Being a teacher gives you so many opportunities.
and Science. Not only is the teaching amazing but being in Egypt the travel opportunity is endless. I had a chance to explore all that Egypt has to offer, travel to Cyprus, and Prague. Next
year I have Italy and Greece on the agenda as well as an African safari! The life of a teacher is turning out to be more than I anticipated, in all the right ways.”
* thank you to University of Alberta’s alumni magazine New Trail for submission
Awards & Accolades
CMASTE Helps Iraq Develop Science Teacher Education Curriculum
Krishan Joshee, ’68 BEd, received the Stars of Alberta Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award. A retired teacher, Joshee has chaired and severed on many boards and given his time to volunteering on numerous committees. Congrats for a lifetime of sharing your time, energy and insights!
As a lead member of UNESCO’s Teacher Training Network for Iraq, the Faculty of Education has contracted to work with four Iraqi universities to develop teacher education resources in physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, geology and the environment. The George Richardson and Bob Ritter visit Iraq professors in project, led by Jordan, March, 2010. CMASTE Co-director Dr Frank Jenkins, is collaboration with UNESCO and Iraqi educators, and will help develop teaching resources that infuse inquiry-oriented, student-focused teaching approaches into science teacher education programs at Salahaddin University, the University of Baghdad, Anbar University and the University of Basra.
The 2009 Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence saw Kym Francis, ’03 BEd, and Kristi Specht ’03 BEd, of Hardisty School, and James Kelso, ’96 BEd, and Marilyn McKnight, ’93 BEd, of Argyll Centre, Main Campus, receive the Certificate of Achievement Award.
Stephanie Wynn-Schermann, ’82 BA, ’85 BEd, was recognized with an Excellence in Teaching award at the 14th annual Night of Stars appreciation evening in the Fall, held by Northern Gateway School Trustees. Stephanie has taught English at Hilltop High School for the last 20 years.
Kathleen Finnigan, ’86 BEd, principal of St. Patrick’s Community School in Red Deer, Alberta, has received recognition by The Learning Partnership as one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals for 2010. This prestigious honour recognizes educators with vision who nurture staff and students and make a difference in their community.
Linda Gadwa, ’99 BEd, ’06 Dip(Ed), ’09 MEd, was also honoured with a 2010 award by The Learning Partnership for Canada’s Outstanding Principal. Linda is the principal of Kehewin School and emphasizes cultural education in the classroom with a strong language and cultural program integrated into all subjects. Her school’s partnership with the University of Alberta has assisted researchers, administration and teachers in studying how the students think about mathematical ideas. She will be honoured at a gala celebration in Toronto.
To help Iraqi teacher educators better understand these pedagogies, Dr George Richardson and Dr Bob Ritter, CMASTE co-director, travelled to Jordan in March where they delivered a three-day workshop to curriculum leaders from the four universities involved in the project. When completed, the resources will be made available to all teacher education institutions in Iraq.
Congratulations to all! If you have received an award or recognition honour share the news with us! Send all alumni updates and award notifications to education.alumni@ualberta.ca.
Frank Jenkins with Iraq professors during a visit to Harry Ainlay High School
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