Author: Editor Ed News

Cumberland College Bachelor of Education (U of R) students graduate

Bachelor of Education graduates. Back Row (L to R): Kourtney Kerelation, Shaunee Kobialko, Amy Kapeller, Lacey Wicks, Kaitlin Wesnoski, Shannon Cranch, Elise Fettes, Lorena Whitecap, Tarynn Freed, Oliver Head, Jenna Rudolph, Carmelle Kubat, Julie Rempel, Middle Row (L to R): Ashley Hobbins, Luc Casavant, Bernadette McKenzie, Payton Hiebert, Leanne Allen-Bader, Audrey Whitecap, Gillian Smith, Lolery George, Rubyann Dorion, Front Row (L to R): Michela Adlem (STF Prize recipient), Brenna Morris, Robyn Hildebrand, Rosanda Daniels, Melanie Ilnisky Also, unable to attend and not pictured are Alicia Garlock, Dora Morrow, and Kalen Reed. Jane Boehr/NIPAWIN JOURNAL

 

Local students to become local teachers

EMMA MELDRUM / PARKLAND REVIEW

MAY 3, 2017 09:46 AM

Cumberland College’s first group of four-year Bachelor of Education students are set to graduate this year and some have their eyes set on teaching positions in the Northeast.

Amy Kapeller of Tisdale did her teaching internship in Melfort at Brunswick School.

“It was a very good experience, and I liked working with that grade,” said Kapeller.

“Once we get our teaching certificates, then we can start looking for jobs,” she said. “I’d prefer Melfort or Tisdale, but anywhere in the Northeast that’s driveable to, I would work at.”

Melanie Ilnisky is one of several students who graduated a semester early. She’s already working a temporary contract position in a local Grade 5 classroom.

“This has been a great chance to get started and get ideas rolling into actions and trying out new things,” said Ilnisky. She’d like to stay in the area if she can.

“I love being around family and being in small communities, so that’s something that’s important to me, and I’d like to be able to stick around here if possible.”

As far as Ilnisky was aware, three of her early-graduating colleagues had found work close to home.

The Community-Based Bachelor of Education Program was offered at Cumberland’s Nipawin campus through the University of Regina.

Ilnisky, who is from Kinistino, was considering going to Saskatoon or Regina for school when she was offered a spot at Cumberland.

“I really liked the idea of being able to stick around family and close friends, and not having to spend the cost of going to the city, making that big move and finding a place to live and whatnot,” she said.

According to the college’s website, the program aims to “support potential students in becoming teachers within their own communities”. Cumberland hopes to train local students to become local teachers.

“That’s part of it,” said Mike Relland, who is director of community-based programs for the University of Regina. “It’s also accessibility for students. Not everyone can uproot their families and even if they’re young people, relocate to Regina or Saskatoon.”

The first four-year program was offered in Nipawin, but the new group of students starting in September will take their classes in Melfort.

“It’ll be a somewhat different cadre of courses, but otherwise it’s going to be basically the same,” said Relland.

Both Kapeller and Ilnisky noted that the small classes were a positive part of their learning experience.

Kapeller started school in Saskatoon before transferring to Cumberland.

“It was 30 people in your class compared to 300, and it was much more personal,” she said.

“It was great,” said Ilnisky. “We became like a little family.”

 

Second cohort of GDI MEd students hold graduation BBQ

GDI MASTER OF EDUCATION STUDENTS HOLD GRADUATION BBQ

Sep 7, 2017

Posted in: 

By James Oloo

On Thursday July 27, 2017, over 40 people attended the Gabriel Dumont Institute-University of Regina Master of Education graduation BBQ at Kachur Golf Club in Prince Albert. The warm summer day event included conversations, laughter, and reflections in celebration of the graduation by the second cohort of the Master of Education program.

The Class of 2017 had 21 graduates including Chris Kelly, Christian Hudon, Dianne Broome, Chantale Fetch, Ashley Grimard, Jamie Subchyshyn, Janelle Hudon, Jean-Marc Belliveau, Katherine Burak, and Charmain Laroque. Others included Lauriane Hudon, Marti White, Matt Gray, Chantal Ntbategera, Renae Semkiw, Renee Kurbis, Rylan Michalchuk, Sandra Lawless, Steven Korecki, Trevor Rutz, and Victor Thunderchild.

According to Christian Hudon, “The program has been wonderful. I love it. Joining the program was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my professional life.” Charmain Laroque described the master of education program as “Absolutely great program,” and Chantal Ntbategera called it “Nice program.”

Marti White Stavely, a teacher at the Saskatchewan Rivers Public Schools, stated that: “I absolutely loved the program. It is the best professional development experience ever.” She continued, “I recommended the program to a few people; some of them got admission and have started their master of education studies this summer.”

Dianne Broome called the program “excellent.” Dianne noted that “The MEd program made a huge difference in my personal and professional growth. The content delivery was amazing. The cohort system that encouraged collaboration among students has been fantastic. I learned just as much from the professors as I did from my classmates.” Dianne who is a teacher in Prince Albert said that she had always wanted to enroll in masters of education program ever since she graduated from SUNTEP Prince Albert in 2007. So, “When GDI started offering the program in Prince Albert and my friends and fellow teachers who had enrolled in the first cohort told me great things about it, I knew it was time for me to do my masters. My friends have families and they work full time, but they earned their master of education degrees. It was possible. And now, I have completed the MEd degree!”

One of graduates commented on how tightly-knit the group of students is, bound by ties of teaching in the Prince Albert and Area schools, family relations among students or between students and staff, as well as the fact that many of the students are SUNTEP graduates.

There was laughter when students, nominated by their colleagues, received such awards as “Award for My School is Better than Yours,” Award for Great Voice of Reason,” “Award for Where The Hell are My Glasses,” and “Fashionista Award.”

The master of education program coordinator Michael Relland received a standing ovation from the graduates who thanked him for his work. Cory McDougall, the GDI Director of Finance, described how Relland has been involved with the master of education program “from day one” and thanked him for his hard work dedication.

In his speech, Michael Relland noted that “Teachers are good human beings. We strive to do the right thing. But sometimes, we do not know what the right thing is or how to do it. I hope the Master of Education program has enabled you to learn what that right thing is and how to do it.”

Many graduates also thanked GDI and the University of Regina for bringing the program to Prince Albert. This made it easier for them to enroll in the program without having to relocate or drive long distance.

The GDI-University of Regina Community-Based Master of is a two-year cohort-based program offered at the Gabriel Dumont Institute Centre in Prince Albert. The program’s content themes are tailored to anticipate and respond to community and student needs including: educational leadership, Indigenous education, and curriculum and instruction. It links theory to local educational issues and practice, and employs a flexible course delivery, including weekend sessions, summer institutes, and online distance education. As well, it has a Program Coordinator to offer advice and support to students.

The master of education program admitted its first cohort of 25 students in the summer of 2013. Of the 25, 23 successfully completed the program in the summer of 2015 – a completion rate of 92%. A second cohort of 23 students commenced the master of education program in July 2015, of which 21 (91%) graduated in July 2017. A third cohort of 25 students started classes this month and are expected to graduate in the summer of 2019.

For additional information about the master of education program including application requirements and program outline, please visit https://gdins.org/programs-and-courses/what-we-offer/community-based-masters-program/ or contact Michael Relland at michael.relland@gdi.gdins.org

2017 President’s Research Seed Grant recipients

Congratulations to Dr. Alayne Armstrong, Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education, who was awarded $4,920 for her research which examines, “The learner’s perspective: Adapting technology for middle school students with mathematics learning disabilities through the emergent technological practices of post-secondary students with mathematics learning disabilities.”

 

Dr. Pamela Osmond-Johnson

Congratulations to Dr. Pamela Osmond-Johnson, Assistant Professor of Educational Administration, who was awarded $4,999 for her research on “Implementing the TRC Calls to Action: The strategic advocacy of school leaders in Saskatchewan.”

Fall Faculty Seminar: Resilience and Revitalization

To prepare for the academic year and the needs of our students, the faculty and staff gathered to engage in crucial conversations around resilience and revitalization at the annual Fall Faculty Seminar on Monday, August 28. Acting Dean Andrea Sterzuk gave the Dean’s address, welcoming new faculty and staff and highlighting recent achievements. Associate Dean, Faculty Development and Human Resources, Paul Clarke also greeted faculty and staff and introduced Dr. Kathryn Ricketts, who gave an overview of the day and explained the concept of Pecha Kucha, a “presentation style in which 20 slides are shown for 20 seconds each (6 minutes and 40 seconds in total).” Pecha Kucha keeps presentations concise and fast-paced, and allows for multiple speakers to present at an event. Faculty and staff participated in crucial conversations around the following crowdsourced topics:

  • values and ideals in undergraduate and graduate programs;
  • communication, collaboration, and collegiality among faculty and staff;
  • wellness and sustainability through diagramming and mapping to organize meetings and endless lists;
  • joint mobilization and muscles elongation exercises at your desk and learning to map tension in the body;
  • austerity and the audit culture–how to organize, collaborate and politicize with students, staff, and community to ensure delivery of our programs; and
  • indigenization of our spaces, practices, and curricula.

Pecha Kucha presentations were demonstrated by Dr. Alec Couros and Wanneta Martin and faculty and staff had the opportunity to walk and talk with Elder-in-Residence Alma Poitras.

After each crucial conversations, participants used post-it notes to write down ideas, concerns, and questions. In the final session, the group reflected on the generated ideas and thoughts.

Fall Faculty Seminar 2017

History of Indian residential schools in Saskatchewan ebook now available

The Shattering the Silence: The Hidden History of Indian Residential Schools in Saskatchewan ebook is a Project of Heart Saskatchewan resource for teachers published by the Faculty of Education, University of Regina.

This book extracts, reorganizes, and compiles the school-specific Saskatchewan elements of the NCTR reports and archived school files as well as incorporating other research and former student accounts that have been recorded and published online. It is an informative and accessible resource for teaching and learning about Indian residential schools in Saskatchewan.

Follow the link to DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPY of Shattering the Silence: The Hidden History of Indian Residential Schools in Saskatchewan

New Chair of Indigenization

Dr. Anna-Leah King Photo credit: UR Photography

The Faculty of Education’s commitment to Indigenization is reflected in our strategic plan. In light of our commitment, the position of Chair of Indigenization was created. The Chair of Indigenization was offered to Dr. Anna-Leah King and she has accepted.

Among other responsibilities, Dr. King will provide leadership; oversee implementation of the Faculty Indigenization commitment; liaise and support the work of Elders, old ones, knowledge keepers; provide guidance to faculty, staff, and students with respect to protocols and create opportunities for faculty and staff to engage in learning and professional development with Indigenization.

Congratulations Dr. King!

Dr. Larry Lang | Bereavement Notice

Dr. Larry Lang, a former faculty member passed away at the age of 86 years on July 30, 2017. Dr. Lang taught in the Health, Outdoor and Physical Education subject area. He was with the Faculty of Education from July 1964 until he retired in 1993. In 1995 he was honoured with the Melanson Award from Sask Outdoors (SOEEA).

Dr. Lang’s obituary can be found at:
https://speersfuneralchapel.com/tribute/details/6872/Larry-Lang/obituary.html

Condolences to the family of Dr. Lang.

Obituary of Larry Lang

LARRY LANG

April 14, 1931 – July 30, 2017

Larry Leslie Lang died at the General Hospital on July 30, 2017 in Regina, SK at the age of 86. He spent many of his recent years in ill-health, but managed on his own with some help until recently and, more importantly, through all the difficulty maintained his love of life and the people around him to the end.

Larry is survived by his children Michael Lang, Regina and Jillian Lang (Darwin), Vancouver; sister Leona McCann, Regina; cherished grand-daughter Michelle Lang (Steve) and her mother Vivianne Gauthier (Keefe), Regina who was a very special person in Larry’s life and helped make his last years good ones. He was predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Lillian in 2010.

Larry was born on April 14, 1931 in Bateman, SK to Gustav and Mary Lang. His father died when he was young, and his grandfather, Jonas, stepped up to give him many wonderful childhood experiences. At the time, he spoke German and remembered much of the language to the end. He was extremely proud of his mother for being able to raise him and his sister Leona in difficult times with very little means. Despite the hardships, his childhood provided some of the happiest memories of his life.

In earlier years after his childhood, Larry had a variety of jobs including “stuking,” telephone pole man (installing some of the first telephone lines in Saskatchewan) and was involved with many community activities, including being the treasurer for local organizations. He played several sports including basketball and was a wrestler (“140 pounds of fighting fury”!). He was a pilot officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1959-1969 and became the sports editor for the Moose Jaw Times Herald. He was a natural at almost anything he tried.

Larry also pursued academia and studied history and education, became a high school history teacher and ended up professor of education at the University of Regina until his retirement in 1993. He was heavily influenced by John Dewey and used his principles to design children’s playgrounds and to pioneer learning programs in phys ed and outdoor education, receiving awards of honour for the latter.

He was a man of many interests and much talent and therefore many achievements. Professionally, he was probably most proud of his teacher education project in Cameroon; personally, the log cabin he built with Mike Federko in Northern Saskatchewan (which sadly burned down in a forest fire several years ago). He was also a gardener, outdoorsman (cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, canoeing), carpenter (designing and building furniture and wooden play structures for the university children’s program), curler, wood carver and finally a stone carver sharing his sculptures widely. He was married to Lillian for 56 years (who he met playing ping pong) and after raising their family, they spent many happy years travelling around the world together, visiting dozens of countries.

Larry was liked and respected by everyone and had many very close friendships. He was genuinely interested in people, no matter what their background or interests were, in hopes of learning something new. He liked to share everything he learned with anyone who showed interest. For a man of his generation, he was very affectionate and expressed his love to those around him openly and often.

Memorial service to celebrate Larry’s life will be held at Speers Funeral Chapel, 2136 College Avenue, Regina, SK on Saturday, August 5, 2017 at 3:30 p.m. with a visitation two hours prior. The service will take the form of story telling, as Larry really loved to tell a story. Please come and share your favourite Larry story and, in honour of his story telling style, irrelevant but interesting details and tangents are encouraged. Or just tell a short and silly one, as he was equally fond of those. Condolences, memories, thoughts and stories can be shared on his memorial page at www.speersfuneralchapel.com.