U of L Faculty of Education Legacy Magazine 2009

Faculty of Educationwww.becomeateacher.ca

“I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I did my research, and realized that the U of L Faculty of Education was the best school to go to. It has the most practicum, the best teachers, the finest reputation and will provide me with the tools I need to be the best teacher I can be.” Scott Fairs

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The Legacy | 2009 1

Contents

ContributorsPamela AdamsAmanda BergMargaret BeintemaRichard ButtCaitlin CrawshawNatasha EvdokimoffKen HeidebrechtTanya Jacobson-GundlockMichael HollyLorne KemmetCarol KnibbsRod LelandCraig LoewenGreg MartinElizabeth McLachlanGlenda MoultonSarah NovakDarcy NovakowskiJane O’DeaShari PlattJohn PoulsenDeborah SollwayMichael WarfBernie Wirzba

PrintingUniversity of Lethbridge Printing Services

The Legacy is produced by the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge in collaboration with the Communications Office.

Correspondence is welcomeand may be addressed to:

Faculty of EducationUniversity of Lethbridge4401 University Drive WLethbridge, AB T1K [email protected]: 403-329-2051

2 Opening Words

24 Community Partners

30 25 Years of Graduate Studies

16 Educational Research

8 Alumni Successes

4 At a Glance

2 The Legacy | 2009

Welcome to our second edition of Legacy. This edition focuses on community and its many forms in the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge.

Probably one of the most enigmatic

qualities of community is the fact that it

must be built. Community may be founded

on shared experience, simple need, or

common purpose, but its adhesive is trust.

It cannot be imposed and it cannot be

forced. Community is structured from the

inside out by its members, many of whom

through good will and even sacrifice, make

the commitment to be a part. This is how

community starts.

Community is the foundation of the

teaching profession, and it is core in the

work we do in the Faculty of Education.

It is through community that both faculty

and students are recruited to a university,

and is through community that they stay.

This is why our programs are structured

around the cohort model…first within

section groups in PS I, and then within

majors in PS II. Our graduate programs

are built around the cohort model. There

is strength and safety within community.

Friendships develop here. This is a good

place to learn, a place to work together and

share ideas and ideals with people who can

challenge us yet appreciate who we are and

what we are doing and learning.

The Faculty of Education is a true

professional learning community; in

collaborating with its many partners

it is a vibrant part of the university

community and a strong contributor to the

international research community.

Craig Loewen, PhD

Professor and Acting Dean of Education

Opening Words

L - R: Education Undergraduate Society executive members, Kristine DaSilva, Kristina Wasyleczko, Karen Davis, Jennifer Shuster, Andrew Doyle, Veronica Cuttini, Wendy Hurdle, Ashley LePage, Teena Cormack (front) Dr. Craig Loewen, Acting Dean Faculty of Education

4 The Legacy | 2009

At a Glance

Delia Cross ChildContemporary artist and educator, Delia Cross Child (BA ‘96, BEd, ‘02), was proudly inducted to the 2009 Alumni Honour Society by the University of Lethbridge Alumni Association this May. Assimilating traditional aboriginal concepts and modern art, Cross Child integrates originality and creativity throughout her work and in her classroom.

Rick MrazekFaculty of Education Professor and researcher, Dr. Richard Mrazek was named a University of Lethbridge Board of Governors Teaching Chair for 2008 last October. A leading researcher and educator in technology and environmental science, Dr. Mrazek’s initiatives have helped establish sustainable environmental and conservation education programs throughout schools, parks, and communities throughout Alberta, Canada and overseas.

Brian TitleyThis year, the Ingrid Speaker Medal for Distinguished Research, Scholarship, or Performance was awarded to Professor of Education and University Scholar, Dr. Brian Titley. “I’m very enthusiastic about research because I’m curious about many things that are happening in society, that have happened in the past and are happening today,” says Titley. The award recognizes his three decades of outstanding research contributions and publications concerning institutional and political perspectives within Canada and worldwide.

Create

Sustain

Research

Looking back at a year ofcelebrating community

The Legacy | 2009 5

First Nations, Métis, Inuit Curriculum Leadership Program (FNMI)Blending Blackfoot culture and traditions with educational curriculum are the foundations of the First Nations, Métis, Inuit Curriculum Leadership Program – a first-in-Canada offering at the Faculty of Education. “I have felt welcomed and included by the faculty and my peers,” says FNMI student, Terry Provost. The FNMI program is an innovative collaboration between Red Crow Community College and the University of Lethbridge, providing support, mentorship and tools of leadership to educators of First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities.

“I have felt welcomed and included by the faculty and my peers.” FNMI student, Terry Provost

Celebrate

Become a Teacher - Calgary CelebrationIn April members of the Faculty of Education, superintendents, teachers, PSIII students and other guests raised a glass to education; a noble profession. “We are engaged in continual progress within education,” says Dr. John Poulsen, Assistant Dean of Student Program Services, Faculty of Education. “Many of our practicum placements are in Calgary. The purpose of this event was to celebrate teaching, and to recognize the relationships the U of L has within the Calgary region.”

www.becomeateacher.ca

6 The Legacy | 2009

At a Glance

Shaping the Future of EducationOpportunity, fairness, citizenship, choice and diversity are the focus of a unique public discussion concerning the direction of education in Alberta, Inspiring Education: A Dialogue with Albertans. Education Minister, Dave Hancock says the initiative “will result in a new vision for education and a policy framework that will guide the Ministry and inform legislation.” Among those asked to sit on the steering committee is professor and dean of the Faculty of Education, Dr. Jane O’Dea, whose expertise will offer a unique perspective in shaping the future of education in Alberta.

Inspiring Education: A Dialogue with Albertans at the U of L

Inspire

The Legacy | 2009 7

Education...

the foundation for

the future success

of AlbertaInspire

Welcome to WestCAST 2010The U of L Faculty of Education is pleased to host WestCAST (Western Canadian Association for Student Teaching). This unique conference, held annually in one of the four western provinces, attracts a diverse audience of teacher educators, university instructors and administrators and student teachers.

www.westcast.ca

8 The Legacy | 2009

“It’s very exciting to see them excel and I’ll

be thrilled if they do well in Vancouver.”

Derek Robinson

The Legacy | 2009 9

Alumni Success

Faculty of Education alumnus and former University

of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s hockey forward had

an interest in psychology that he wanted to pursue

but it wasn’t until a career counsellor at the U of L

affirmed it was a realistic path, that Robinson really

believed he had the right stuff.

“Most of the guys I played with were in education

or management and pretty much told me I’d never

get a job in psychology,” says Robinson, who is now

a mental training consultant at the Canadian Sport

Centre in Calgary working primarily with Canada’s

National Long Track Speed Skating team.

So he continued on, studying psychology but

never fully committing to a major until his third

year.

“I always wanted to be a psychologist and

obviously loved sports but I was a hockey player, I

swore in the dressing room, drank beer in the pub

and never really thought I had the material to be a

psychologist,” he says.

“I think back now to the sessions I had with

the counsellor and everything we talked about I

actually ended up doing.”

The events he refers to include research projects,

working with elite athletes and coaching at the

highest level of sport. In February, Robinson will be

in Vancouver as the long track speed skating team

looks for a golden harvest at the 2010 Olympics.

A Victoria, B.C. native, Robinson found the U of

L to be a perfect fit when he came to campus in the

fall of 1995. The size of the city suited him well and

he was joining a hockey program fresh off its first

national title. However, the University would prove

to be much more than just a hockey stop.

“The U of L was a great fit,” Robinson says.

“Lethbridge is a great place to go to university

and it was a really good experience getting my BA

there and playing for the Horns. Obviously I liked

it enough to go back and complete my master’s

degree.”

The research focus for his master’s thesis was

on the prevalence of mental training in hockey,

specifically the Alberta Junior Hockey League,

and whether the league’s coaches felt it would be

beneficial. The majority did but were lacking the

resources to add a mental trainer to their staff.

“Over the course of my thesis, I formed a great

relationship with Dr. Kerry Bernes,” Robinson

says. “Both he and Dr. Kris Magnusson, who was

coordinating the M.Ed. Counselling Psychology

program in the Faculty of Education, were pivotal

through my master’s and were really helpful for my

career.”

He’s looking for a career high note in February,

after which he’ll try and curtail his travel schedule

and devote more time to his family.

“I’ll be with the support staff at the Games,”

Robinson says. “Working with the athletes on such

a personal level, it’s very exciting to see them excel

and I’ll be thrilled if they do well in Vancouver.”

www.becomeacounsellor.ca

Olympics BoundFaculty of Education MEd Counselling Psychology progam

leads Derek Robinson (BA ’00, MEd ’03) on the road to the Olympics

10 The Legacy | 2009

“I have a vision of what is possible. Not

what was, or what is, but what’s possible,”

states Mark Bevan, University of Lethbridge

alumnus (BA/BEd ’95) and senior manager

of workforce planning for Alberta Education.

The roots of his philosophy stem from his

upbringing in Norwich, England, where his

mother encouraged him to “fight for the

rights of the downtrodden.”

Between the ages of 10 and 15 Bevan didn’t

attend school. Instead he was immersed in

a home environment rich with intellectual,

social and cultural stimulation. Lack of

structure, however, lured him into a dark

street life. By 15 he’d witnessed enough

poverty, abuse and despair to feel compelled

to bring about change.

“I realized I couldn’t make a difference if I

didn’t have an education,” he says. But when

he tried to return to school he was told he was

“intellectually inept.”

“I was devastated,” he relates. “I felt written

off as a human being.”

Reluctant to give up, Bevan moved to

Ottawa, where his father enrolled him in

Ashbury College. There he recognized the

profound influence teachers possess and felt

inspired. “It was the first time I had educators

believe in me,” he recalls. “Teaching was an

opportunity to help others achieve.”

Bevan went on to apply to the University of

Lethbridge – a decision he says was influenced

by more than the Faculty of Education’s

impressive reputation. “I visited the U of L

and felt there was a heartbeat, a home. There

were real people who were interested in me.”

Bevan entered teaching with a clear

purpose. “Kids are vulnerable,” he observes.

“They come with pain and angst and hopes

and dreams. You can really shine a light on

them, so they can say, ‘I’m good stuff,’ no

matter how broken or damaged or beaten up.”

Eventually Bevan was led to administration.

“There were teachers whose voices

weren’t heard. I wanted to hear them and

do something about it,” he explains. He

completed a master of leadership training

in 2005. Today he teams with system

stakeholders to “really understand what the

issues in the workforce are.”

Bevan’s conviction and focus remain.

“I’ll probably see another place that needs

a collaborative way to plant the seeds of

possibility – because at the end of this thing

called life/career I hope that if nothing

else I can look back and say, ‘I have made a

contribution.’”

Planting the Seeds of PossibilityFaculty of Education alumnus Mark Bevan,

Senior Manager, Workforce Planning

The Legacy | 2009 11

Alumni Success

“There were teachers whose voices weren’t heard. I wanted to hear them and do something about it.” Mark Bevan


Putting life to paperDrs. Erika Hasebe-Ludt, Cynthia Chambers, and Carl Leggo

are exploring how Life Writing transforms students and

contributes to Canada’s cultural literacy

L to R: Drs. Carl Leggo, Erika Hasabe-Ludt, and Cynthia Chambers


Educational Research

Networking and ConnectingAnita Sinner’s post-doctoral research investigates the convergence of digital media and life writing in teachereducation. This two-year study builds on her dissertation and on the SSHRC grant awarded to the Literacy and Life Writing team. “I specifically chose Lethbridge because of the progressive research emerging from this grant,” says Sinner. “I will expand on a preliminary inquiry – a historical case study of a teacher’s life – to exemplify how creative non-fiction as life writing is a suitable method to write and reclaim teacher stories.” This case will become a virtual archive as part of a life writing website from which Dr. Sinner will engage with students and teachers to learn more about how they employ life writing. By networking with teacher educators and connecting with similar networks online, the study will assess how creative non-fiction and digital media can facilitate inquiry into the lives of teachers in ways not previously considered in education research.

Autobiography is often associated with

retired politicians or boxing legends, but

even the youngest student has a worthwhile

story to tell.

A Faculty of Education research project

is exploring how autobiographical or life

writing helps students develop stronger

writing skills, and better understand

themselves and their peers.

“Life writing gets to what really matters

to a person. It’s personal, but universal

at the same time, it’s something that

everybody can do right from their own

backyard: writing about where they’re from

and who is in their lives and what matters

to them,” says principal researcher Dr. Erika

Hasebe-Ludt.

“Unless students understand where

they come from and what their identity is

composed of, they won’t be able to connect

and have the motivation to do all the other

kinds of literacy practices that teachers

make them do.”

Life writing is also a tool for improving

cultural communication in Canada.

“I think cultural literacy means we need

to be committed to keep listening to each

other and talking to each other. We need to

learn how to listen to each other,” says co-

investigator Dr. Cynthia Chambers.

Hasebe-Ludt and Chambers say the

research is partly inspired by personal

experiences. Hasebe-Ludt was born and

raised in Germany and is interested

in why Canadian schools don’t focus

more effectively on multilingual literacy.

Chambers’ parents were bush pilots so she

grew up in diverse communities across

Canada.

Recently, the researchers received a grant

from the Social Sciences and Humanities

Research Council (SSHRC) to look at

the autobiographical literacy practices

of teachers and students in two very

cosmopolitan cities, Vancouver and Calgary.

The project involves a third co-investigator,

University of British Columbia researcher

Dr. Carl Leggo, and graduate students from

both institutions.

While some have compared

autobiography to “navel-gazing,”

Chambers says it’s actually a form of

“citizen development.” By writing one’s

lived experiences and sharing it with

others, students (and teachers) develop an

interest in how they share the world, and

responsibility to the world, with others.

“Life writing is a tool for students to look

out at the world as well as reflect about

it in relation to their own identity. If you

develop a curiosity about the world and a

passion for it, you become outer-directed in

addition to being inner-directed.” Both are

necessary to learn and live well in here in

Canada and everywhere else on this earth.

“I think cultural literacy means we need to be committed to keep listening to each other and talking to each other. We need to learn how to listen to each other,” Dr. Cynthia Chambers

L to R: Drs. Carl Leggo, Erika Hasabe-Ludt, and Cynthia Chambers

Anita Sinner


“Some pre-service teachers find it easier

than others, some have natural talents

when it comes to leadership, organization,

and management; others have to more

consciously learn the knowledge, skills, and

attributes involved,” explains Faculty of

Education professor Dr. Ed Wasiak.

“Creating a safe, focused classroom

environment is an important part of teaching.

Both research and anecdotal evidence indicate

that a teacher’s ability to lead and manage a

class is the most important factor in successful

teaching and learning,” he says. Effective

classroom management is also crucial for

creating a sense of community in a class, in

which students have positive regard for one

another and their teacher. “It’s really about

establishing positive relationships,” he explains.

“Typically, teacher education programs

across North American have not adequately

prepared teachers in this area,” says Wasiak. In

2004, Wasiak and colleague Dr. Keith Roscoe

studied the experiences of U of L education

students and discovered that many lacked

classroom management knowledge at the start

of their practicum.

So, the two academics began looking at

ways they could better prepare students in

this important area. Their research has led

to classroom management being integrated

Helping new teacherscreate learning communities

For some new teachers, classroom

leadership and management are

easy, but for most, these require

time and effort to learn


in many education classes across the

program as well as the development of

a course specifically dedicated to the

topic. Roscoe’s research also resulted in a

classroom management plan template that

students could use to create a classroom

management plan before they enter the

classroom.

“We found that by focusing students on

what to do in the first week, they get on to a

much better start, so they can teach the way

they want to teach,” says Roscoe.

While much of classroom management

is learned through experience, having more

knowledge helps students avoid common

pitfalls. It may also prevent teachers from

burning out and help them start their

careers on a positive note.

“New teachers can have a better quality

professional life if they’re able to establish a

safe, orderly, positive classroom environment

where students are learning— the students

will be happier, the parents will be happier,

and they will be happier,” says Roscoe.

Research and Teaching Equals Success in the ClassroomWhen education student Jennifer Wagner was placed in a junior high computer class for her final practicum, she realized it would be a challenge. Option classes are only taught twice a week and the curriculum is often less structured.

But, she knew the onus was on her to create the right kind of atmosphere in the class – an environment where students clearly understood the expectations.

“(Students) misbehave when they don’t know what they’re supposed to be doing. A lot of that’s unintentional,” says Wagner. So, she followed the classroom management plan template she’d been given by Dr. Keith Roscoe.

“Those students were probably the best behaved and I have the best relationship with them. It was amazing how well it worked,” says Wagner.

As a result, the new teacher was able to more do fun things, like play music while studentss worked on assignments. “The more I can trust them to do what I want them to do, the more activities I can select from.”


Drs. Keith Roscoe and Ed Wasiak

Jennifer Wagner


Art for Art’s Sake

Beneath the boldly colourful, intricate

designs that appear overnight on trains,

buildings, underpasses and other

surfaces hums a vibrant community of

artists who embrace high standards of

moral, social and artistic integrity.

This microcosm of a learning

community, she learned, also includes

break-dancing, DJing and skateboarding

as art forms. It is propelled by youth,

flourishes without ethnic, religious or

social bias and, while operating largely

subversively, gives rise to talented,

intelligent, goal-oriented individuals.

Rahn, who is an artist and professor

at the Faculty of Education, researched

the evolution of individuals within the

Montreal hip hop graffiti community,

from an educational perspective,

producing four videos, a book, Painting

Without Permission: Hip-hop Graffiti

Subculture (Bergin & Garvey 2002),

exhibitions, and catalogues.

She was struck by the culture’s

hallmark attitudes of respect and

generosity. “There’s a huge mentoring

system,” she relates. Established artists

share technical knowledge and history

of the form with emerging artists who

“have a responsibility to acknowledge

Dr. Janice Rahn’s curiosity

about the impetus behind graffiti

led to a startling discovery



their mentors and then give back by

influencing others.” Those who work “without

skills and don’t follow the ethics of the

community” are ostracized.

Serious graffiti practitioners view

themselves as beautifying the environment

while making social and political statements.

Their pieces are temporary – eventually

painted over – they work largely covertly and

they receive no income and little recognition.

Yet they continue, motivated purely by love

for art, and the respect of their peers.

Rahn noted the contrast between this

do-it-yourself street ethic and modern

classrooms, in which students are often

focused on the incentives of grades and

degrees rather then authentic learning. She

sought ways to inspire in academic settings

the drive for knowledge and the pleasure of

learning within a supportive community that

she encountered in alleyways and abandoned

warehouses.

Rahn now uses this experience to inform

her teaching and research. After showing

students in the Faculty of Education her

video of hip-hop graffiti artists at work, she

says to them, “This is the kind of passion

and motivation for learning, that I want to

see from you within this classroom and the

broader community.” She encourages them

to pay attention to what motivates popular

youth culture and how this can inform

traditional teaching without becoming

normalized. She stresses the importance of

peer influence, audience, learning within a

community, respect, and teachers acting as

both mentors and active creators.

Says Rahn, “I see my role as continuing

to be involved with people who are outside

the conventional institution, in order to

recognize and encourage those impulses into

the schools.”

Dr. Janice Rahn


(L – R): Roy Weasel Fat, Dr. Kris Magnusson, Dr. Cathy Campbell

The Curriculum Laboratory isa hub for teaching and learning

At first sight, the Curriculum Laboratory

looks like any university library, with a sea of

tables and endless rows of books.

But a closer look reveals a bustling hub,

filled with students collaborating on course

projects, professors teaching teachers-in-

training and working teachers perusing the

collection for new classroom materials.

The facility is a shared resource that

embodies the community spirit of the

University of Lethbridge Faculty of

Education, explains coordinator Bill Glaister.

“This is a place to gather and support each

other.”

Collaboration between the U of L’s main

library and the Faculty of Education, the lab

is supported by a generous donation from

Darol and Evelyn Wigham, the parents of

an education alumna. It houses thousands

of titles related to curriculum planning and

instruction for students from kindergarten to

Grade 12.

Education student, Ivy Waite, has spent

a lot of time in the facility, either attending

courses or conducting research for classes.

“Anything you may need, you will find,” she

says.

The fifth-year student started her last

practicum at Winston Churchill High School

this fall and says the Curriculum Laboratory

is a big help. “I’m so grateful to have the staff,

resources and space of the lab to help me

prepare for the final steps of my degree.”

Like Waite, Roxane Holmes found the lab

to be an enormous boost to her education

as an undergraduate. It’s a resource she

L to R: Curriculum Laboratory staff, Gitte Villiger, Kirsten Livingstone, Deborah Grant, Margaret Rodermond, and Bill Glaister

“The facility is a shared resource that embodies the community spirit of the Faculty of Education.” Bill Glaister


Community Spacescurriculum laboratory

continues to use 16 years later, when she’s

doing class planning for Grades 1 and 2.

“They have all of the resources, so if you’re

looking at getting a new curriculum, you can

go through (the collection) and see what you

want to get before you spend the money,”

she says.

Holmes often borrows hands-on tools like

pop-up books and three-dimensional models

for her classroom.

Faculty of Education professor and

Curriculum Laboratory user, Dr. Robin

Bright, says the resources are delightfully up-

to-date, particularly the children’s literature

section. “We house exemplary children’s

literature and it’s the best literature that’s

available.”

Bright, who often teaches in the lab, says

the space is conducive to having students

learn to teach. The facility includes a reading

corner, for instance, where students can

practice reading to children. “It’s not just the

materials, it’s also the space.”

The Wigham DonationAfter graduating from education in 1981, Patricia Pennock’s parents, Darol and Evelyn Wigham, decided to make a donation to the Curriculum Labora-tory that had supported her educational experience. The donation created the Wigham Family Collection and Reading area in 1982, which now contains 6,400 of the best non-fiction and fiction literature for children and young adults. Pennock says the donation fit well with her parents’ belief in supporting higher education. Over the years, the Wighams contributed to countless University of Lethbridge initiatives. Contributing to the Faculty of Education was an easy choice for her parents, who’d seen her thrive during her four years on campus. “I loved the city, I loved the univer-sity – I loved everything about it,” says Pennock. “It was just a wonderful place. Whenever I hear someone’s child is heading to the U of L, I’m really happy for them.”

Bill Glaister

Patricia Pennock


Johnel Tailfeathers was never taught about

her Blackfoot heritage. “Our parents pushed

us away from it, thinking they were doing

us a favour,” she relates. “Our people were so

vilified. I finally had the opportunity to learn

about myself when I came to the University of

Lethbridge and started taking Native American

Studies. I couldn’t believe the wonderful things

our culture encompasses.”

Tailfeathers earned her Bachelor of

Education degree in 1989 and began

introducing Blackfoot language and customs

into Lethbridge schools. Along the way she

completed a master of education and is now

pursuing a doctorate. In 1995 she returned to

the U of L to join the Faculty of Education’s

ongoing efforts to foster cross-cultural

cooperation and knowledge.

Tailfeathers exemplifies her tradition’s

values of equality, respect, and generosity. Her

gentle, caring warmth filters into every corner

of the department, but she is especially fond

of Itaohkanao’pi, (The Meeting Place). “It’s

the Native Studies lounge,” she explains. “It’s

used by everybody, not just the First Nations

students.”

Master Teacher, Johnel Tailfeathers,

earned her Bachelor of Education

degree in 1989 and began introducing

Blackfoot language and customs into

Lethbridge schools

Embracing Blackfoot Culture in the Classroom


Itaohkanao’pi

Tailfeathers makes a point of offering

broad shoulders and a listening ear to all

students. “If they’re having problems, I like

to help,” she says. Each fall she conducts

a workshop creating awareness of Native

culture and issues for everyone who enters

the Faculty. Throughout the year her classes

often result in publication of First Nations

materials which strengthen teaching

curriculums and enhance student resumes.

Tailfeathers’ work on numerous committees

and the development of the Niitsitapi

Blackfoot Teacher Education Program has

quietly driven forward positive change.

As she supervises interns across territory

the Blackfeet have occupied for thousands

of years Tailfeathers senses a responsibility

to past generations. “I see the Sweetgrass

Hills and think about my grandmothers,”

she reflects. “I realize I’m entering schools in

Blackfoot country where our people haven’t

been before. It’s important for me to do a

good job and create good relations.”

Tailfeathers never dreamt she would

one day be the voice, hands and feet of her

ancestors. “When I was going to university

there were just a handful of First Nations

students. Now you see them everywhere.

They are young people who are finally having

the opportunity and encouragement to go on

with their education.”

She is quick to deflect any credit. “I’ll

forever be grateful to the University of

Lethbridge,” she says. “In that sense it

becomes true to its name, the Medicine Rock

– a healing place.”

“When I was going to university there were just a handful of First Nations students. Now you see them everywhere. They are young people who are finally having the opportunity and encouragement to go on with their education.” Johnel Tailfeathers


Master of Counselling student, Jack Lilja.

“It took a long time to find a Master’s program from a highly respected institution that fits into my already busy schedule. The online format of the

Master of Counselling program at the U of L’s Faculty of Education offersthe perfect combination of excellent courses and flexibility. “

Master of Counselling student, Jack Lilja


Online Community

One of the advantages of being a smaller program, is close interaction between faculty, staff and students, explains program manager Susan Pollock. “Within the program we have small class sizes and that allows for a lot of contact and mentoring,” she says. “The faculty connections help open doors for students when they’re enhancing their careers.” Administrators also work with students “one-on-one” to ensure they’re getting what they need. This reinforces an environment where students

are supported in all stages of the program, she says. But creating a supportive distance program also helps the communities students live in. “Not only does the distance program allow them to stay working, but the community retains people who provide integral services. In this way it helps benefit the communities as well as the students,” says Pollock.

www.becomeacounsellor.ca

Master of Counselling program creates closeness despite distance

While your undergraduate career was

all about drinking coffee and debating

existentialism, a family and full-time job now

make these luxuries impossible. As a busy

professional, school has to fit around your life

– not the other way around.

That’s why the University of Lethbridge

Faculty of Education offers a distance

Master of Counselling graduate program for

those interested in becoming a professional

counsellor or registered psychologist.

“The average student is someone

who’s working, has a family, and wants

to get a master’s degree in counselling,”

explains assistant professor and registered

psychologist Dr. Dawn McBride.

The blended distance and face-to-

face program gives students flexibility in

scheduling their time and allows them to

learn from home.

Through summer institutes and practicum

seminars, students meet one another

and their instructors face-to-face, and

develop a rapport that complements online

communication. The program also harnesses

technologies like web video-conferencing,

online course platforms and discussion

forums. Students are given training to use

the technologies effectively. “We have people

in place to help them learn the technology

so it’s not an intimidating experience,” says

McBride.

Alumna Donna Piercy earned her Master

of Counselling degree recently, after two-

and-a-half years of study. With certification

in rehabilitation medicine and a degree in

physical education, she’s now able to help

people become healthier, inside and out.

But she admits she was initially

apprehensive about a distance format. “I was

shocked that I got to know my classmates and

professors so well.”

Piercy, who describes herself as a “social

person,” was delighted at the sense of

community. She figures the communication

was excellent largely because of an online

format that required all students – even the

shy – to participate. “In a classroom, there are

a lot of people who sit and don’t talk. Online,

everyone has to post equally.”

Not only does a sense of community help

students support each other, but it enables

a deeper understanding of the material,

McBride explains.

“We really try to make sure that students

are constantly applying material to their lives,

to their clients’ lives, so there’s an integrative

sense of wholeness to what they’re learning”.

Building community from the inside out

Susan Pollock

Dr. Dawn McBride

“We really try to make sure that students are constantly applying material to their lives, to their clients’ lives, so there’s an integrative sense of wholeness to what they’re learning.”

Master of Counselling student, Jack Lilja


Most everyone can relate to the nervous

excitement of walking into a classroom for the

first time as a new student, but comparatively

few people know what it’s like to walk into a

classroom for the first time as a new teacher.

That’s one of the main reasons the Teacher

Mentors program was created.

Designed to help ease the transition from

student to teacher during Education 2500, PSI,

PSII, and PSIII, the Teacher Mentors program

has connected thousands of Faculty of Education

students with dedicated and experienced

teaching professionals who provide much

needed support, advice, and encouragement to

students embarking on the career.

Ken Rogers (BMus/BEd’86) has been a

teacher for 23 years, and a teacher mentor since

1988. As a mentor, Rogers says he gains as much

as he gives.

“Student teachers come in with new ideas,

new techniques, and new theories, and they’re

always filled with contagious enthusiasm. Every

student teacher I mentor is another opportunity

for me to reevaluate my teaching style,” Rogers

says. “From the student teacher’s perspective, it’s

all about having support. Teaching is often very

different from what one expects. It’s important

to have someone with experience guide student

teachers through unexpected situations. Teacher

mentors are there where theory runs out.”

Terry Roth (BA’71) and Cathy Martens

(BEd’84), teacher mentors since 2005 and 1987

respectively, say that one of the greatest benefits

of the program is the immediate feedback

student teachers receive from both mentors and

students in the class.

“Mentorship gives student teachers a reality

check on what works in the classroom; it

presents opportunities on how to structure a

learning environment. Student teachers are

exposed to successful models of good teaching,”

Roth says. “As a mentor I help “ground” the

student teacher’s ideas, ensure that they’re

practical, and offer suggestions based in my

Teacher MentorsShaping tomorrow’s teachers today

Back row: Teacher Mentors, Cathy Martens, Ken Rogers, Terry Roth, Kristy Kempt Front row: Blake Vaselenak, Dustin Vaselenak, and PSIII intern, Lani Knowles

“It’s important to have someone with experience guide student teachers through unexpected situations. Teacher mentors are there where theory runs out.” Ken Rogers


Community Partners

The Field Experience office at the Faculty of Education is the nucleus of the practicum program, and a hub of activity throughout the scholastic year. The office arranges practicum placements for student teachers each semester, placing all Education 2500, PSI, PSII, and PSIII students in various schools around southern Alberta, across Canada, and beyond, and connects each one of them with a teacher mentor to guide them on their journey. Pamela Adams, Assistant Dean Field Experiences, says that the practicum program is unique in its duration, design, and approach – which makes an Education degree from the University of Lethbridge one of the most highly respected designations of its kind.

“Our Education students go through approximately 27 weeks of professional training in the field, and work very closely with teachers throughout their practicum,” Adams says. “It’s a very well structured and closely monitored program that helps education students thoroughly develop their teaching skills before they become teachers themselves.” In 2009, the Field Experience office will place approximately 1000 new student teachers in schools. Adams says that every year the feedback from teacher mentors, Superintendents, and school boards is increasingly positive. “I’ve heard our student teachers described as “Monday morning ready”,” Adams says. “There’s no better feedback than that.”

own teaching experience. ”

“The best part of mentoring is watching student

teachers connect with kids, and realize themselves

when a lesson they’ve prepared and taught has been

successful,” says Martens. “I want my students to

rush to the door when a student teacher walks into

the class room.”

Kristy Kempt (BEd’03) has been a mentor since

2004, but it wasn’t very long ago that she was a

student teacher herself. Kempt says she got involved

with mentoring as a way to give back to a program

that gave her career a strong start.

“I had a great experience with my own mentor,

and I wanted to help other student teachers in the

same way,” Kempt says. “When you know you have

support, it’s easier to discover your own unique

teaching style, which ultimately makes you more

successful as a teacher.”

Excelling in the Field

“Education students thoroughly develop their teaching skills before they become teachers themselves.” Dr. Pamela Adams

Faculty of Education Field Experience office Kelly Vaselenak and Dr. Pamela Adams


Researchers Maurice Hollingsworth and

Guy Pomahac are avid proponents of this

philosophy. As the faculty coordinators for

the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement

(AISI), they are committed to fostering

communication between the university and

the broader educational community.

AISI is a nine-year-old program that

provides resources for hundreds of school-

based research projects across the province,

with research elements receiving guidance

from academics at Alberta’s major universities.

In the province’s southern educational

regions, the U of L’s Hollingsworth and

Pomahac coordinate these research efforts.

“We try to connect the university’s expertise

to people’s needs in the field,” says Pomahac.

“We like to describe ourselves as ‘conduits.’ ”

The initiative allows for grassroots research

that involves teachers, academics and other

experts within the school systems. Each

year, AISI supports hundreds of projects,

ranging from digital learning and leadership

to differentiated learning and literacy .

“The bottom line is what’s going to benefit

students,” says Pomahac.

Two recent projects that involved

U of L professors include an analysis of High

School completion rates and the educational

experiences of First Nations Métis and Inuit

(FNMI) students.

The findings that emerge from the projects

led to recommendations to Alberta Education

and potential policy changes that improve

the educational experience of Alberta’s K-12

students.

But AISI isn’t just a boon for the school

districts – it enhances educational research at

the U of L, too. Collaborating with schools and

Alberta Education enriches U of L research.

The research on high school completion

rates couldn’t have been completed without

provincial input, for instance.

Hollingsworth and Pomahac point out

AISI is also a great networking initiative,

connecting teachers (who are often isolated

in their classrooms), academics, and student

teachers. Education students at U of L are

often invited to the annual AISI conference,

as well.

“It’s been an opportunity and a delight

to see students make connections with

professionals in the field which, for some

of them, has led to employment,” says

Hollingsworth. “It’s also good for students to

see teachers in that life-long learning mode.”

The educational community can now

connect online thanks to a site created by

Hollingsworth and Pomahac. The U of L AISI

page includes information on Zone 6 projects

and opportunities for teachers to connect with

project coordinators.

www.uleth.ca/edu/aisi/

AISI Research that connects communities

“We try to connect the university’s expertise to people’s needs in the field.” Guy Pomahac

From the beginning, the Faculty of Education

has viewed research as a community undertaking


Partners in Research

Maurice Hollingsworth and Guy Pomahac

28 The Legacy | 200928 The Legacy | 2009

Shared VisionCurrent Students

The Education Undergraduate Society (EUS)

has always been a way for students in the

Faculty of Education to connect in the spirit

of camaraderie and support. But now, more

than ever, the EUS is also a way for Education

students to become active participants in the

greater community, giving undergrads the

opportunity to constructively contribute to

the municipalities and schools that they will

be working in.

Karen Davis, EUS president for 2009, sees

the EUS shift in focus from student-centered

to community-centered as a positive change

with far reaching impacts.

“The benefits are significant on both sides

of the equation,” Davis says. “As students

in the faculty, we spend a lot of time in the

community – perhaps more than we do on

campus. Supporting the community and

the schools makes for a better experience for

everyone.”

The EUS has begun running several new

programs in recent years, all geared toward

more active community involvement and the

betterment of the education system at large.

One of the most well-received is the

student backpack initiative, whereby each

class in the faculty is given a new backpack

and a list of suggested school items with

which to fill it. The brimming backpacks are

then returned to the EUS and distributed to

schools, destined for kids that otherwise go

without basic supplies.

“The students really get into it,” Davis says.

“We’ve had classes return three or four full

backpacks, rather than just the one they were

assigned.”

A second community initiative which

was launched two years ago – Anti-bullying

Awareness Week – is receiving accolades

province-wide. The seven-day event features

various speakers from the Alberta Teacher’s

Association, covering topics that surround

the issue of bullying. One of the lectures

during last year’s event covered the topic

of cyberbullying, informing teachers and

teachers-to-be on the signs to watch for and

ways to deal with the problem of students

being bullied over e-mail and text messages.

EUS members also volunteer with many

community organizations, including the local

food bank.

“Our goal is to be as active and helpful

in the community as we can be,” Davis says

of EUS members. “Being involved creates a

better community of teachers and a better

environment for students.”

www.uleth.ca/edu/eus

Tomorrow’s TeachersMaking an Impact Today

Education Undergraduate Society


When Ricardo Avelar (BA/BEd’08) graduated

from the Faculty of Education in the spring

of 2008, he felt excited to begin his career as a

high school English teacher, and very prepared

to do the job. When he began teaching at

Winston Churchill High School that fall,

facing 30 or so new faces every hour, five days

a week, Avelar realized there was a lot more to

being a good teacher than he’d expected.

“The transition was huge,” Avelar admits.

“Getting ready for my classes each day took

much more time than I anticipated. When

I was a student, I could decide to put things

off at night if I was tired. As a teacher, I can’t

do that. I have to walk into the classroom

prepared, no matter what.”

Workload was one surprise, but even

more startling to Avelar was the revelation

that teaching is as much about managing

circumstances as imparting knowledge.

“I was ready for the technical aspects –

creating lesson plans, doing assessments – the

Faculty of Education really prepares you for

that.” Avelar says. “It was the social aspects of

teaching that caught me off guard. Dealing with

parents and friends, contending with the fact

that students may not have had anything to eat,

or not slept the night before. You know you’ll

encounter life issues, but dealing with them is

much different than you think it will be.”

Avelar says that the small class sizes at

the University of Lethbridge, particularly

in the third and fourth years of study, were

enormously beneficial in terms of the quality

of education he received. One-on-one time

with his professors and the ability to develop

supportive relationships with fellow students

made all the difference.

“It’s a great program,” Avelar says. “I felt

very ready, logistically, when I graduated.”

Despite unforeseen challenges, Avelar

quickly discovered he had a knack for

connecting with students and devising

creative solutions for classroom obstacles. Like

all first year teachers, Avelar’s performance

was subject to review by the school principal.

Much to his delight, Avelar was informed

that he was going to be nominated for the

respected Edwin Parr award, which recognizes

exceptional new teachers who go above and

beyond for their students. Avelar won for

Zone 6, which encompasses southern Alberta

below Calgary.

“It was a very fun and positive experience,”

Avelar recalls. “My students were really

supportive.”

Avelar will return to Winston Churchill

this fall. He loves the school and hopes to

teach there for a long time, but has ambition

to return to the role of student himself in the

future, applying his classroom experiences to

further learning.

Shared VisionFirst Year Teacher

Trials and Triumphs Ricardo Avelar’s experiences

as a first year teacher


Twenty-five YearsAn important milestone with the program’s first graduates, Irwin Warkentin and Paul Hawryluk



A S t e r l i n g P a s t , A G o l d e n F u t u r e

G R A D U AT E S T U D I E S

The year was 1984. Apple had recently revealed

the Macintosh personal computer to the world.

Brian Mulroney would soon be sworn in as

Canada’s 18th Prime Minister. Great Britain had

reached an agreement with China regarding the

future of Hong Kong. And at the University of

Lethbridge, 12 students were admitted into the

school’s first-ever Graduate Studies program,

offered through the Faculty of Education.

It’s been 25 years since then, but Dr. Richard

Butt, Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies and

Research in the Faculty of Education, remembers

the inaugural year of the program very well. Butt

was hired to help get the Masters of Education

program up and running, and has been at the U

of L ever since.

“It’s been the best faculty I’ve worked in,”

Butt says. “It’s very satisfying to be in a place

where the program is respected by students as

well as in the field.”

When it began, the Masters of Education

program focused on professional development,

the foundations of education, and research. That

focus remains intact today, supplemented by an

ever-expanding list of elective courses designed

to allow students to customize their programs to

suit individual goals and interests.

Flexibility is a big part of what made the

program so appealing for its two first graduates,

Paul Hawryluk and Irwin Warkentin. Both men

recall their Masters experience as challenging, but

also highly enriching, and both give credit to the

program for advancing their careers in ways that

would not otherwise have been possible.

“I was absolutely awestruck by the program,”

says Hawryluk. “I taught for 15 years before going

back to school myself, and the program really

validated my experiences and my own expertise.

I never intended to go on to do a PhD, but I did,

directly as a result of the great experience I had

at U of L.”

Warkentin’s sentiments are similar. “The grad

program gave me the tools to take my career to

another level,” he says. “The courses energized

me. They re-instilled my belief in teaching. If I

hadn’t taken the program, I’m not sure I would

have stayed in the profession.”

While the Graduate Studies program

continues to evolve and expand – recently added

elective courses include First Nation, Métis, and

Inuit Education; Literacy in Education; and

Leadership in Information Technology – the

core curriculum continues to foster professional

development and life-long learning. Small class

sizes and a cohort approach to the work (students

work in teams throughout the duration of the

program) facilitate strong social connections and

expedites time to graduation. Students take an

average of three years to complete the program,

with a graduation rate of 95 per cent.

The Faculty of Education is in the process of

developing a proposal for a PhD in Education.

Faculty of Education Graduate Studies and Research officeL to R: Shari Platt, Dr. Richard Butt, Joyce Ito, Margaret Joblonkay, Susan Pollock, and Michelle Snyder


Dear Alumni:

In an effort to stay in touch and also for us to learn what is new with you, please log on to the University of Lethbridge Alumni site at www.uleth.ca/alumni and complete the electronic address update form. You can also update your information by emailing [email protected] or by calling 403-317-2825 or toll-free 1-866-552-2582.

We encourage you to update your information to ensure that you receive University of Lethbridge publications, eNewletters, as well as invitations to events. We would also like to share your alumni stories in our publications and online so please do keep in touch with us!

Best regards, Your friends at the Faculty of Education

www.ulethbridge.ca/givingUniversity Advancement | University of Lethbridge | 4401 University Drive W | Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4

403-329-2582 | 403-329-5130 | [email protected]

“I feel a deep sense of gratitude to the U of L – not only for all that the

University provided me with in those early formative years, but also for

all that it has since provided through continued and varied involvements.

It’s important for me to give back to an institution that gives so much.”

Mardi Renyk (BASc ’72, BEd ’89)Giving Back

The generosity of education alumni helps ensure the strength and vitality of the U of L foryears to come. It’s a gift that extends beyond the University and changes our community. Every gift makes a difference.

Faculty of EducationUniversity of Lethbridge4401 University Drive WLethbridge, AB T1K 3M4Phone: 403-329-2051ulethbridge.ca/edubecomeateacher.ca

Documents

U of L Faculty of Education Legacy Magazine 2009