Undergraduate Education students: Have the stressors and safety concerns of the pandemic taken a toll? Have you experienced loss, illness, or a difficult personal circumstance? Are you interested in learning valuable coping skills and tools to help lower anxiety?
The Faculty of Education is offering a 10-part Expressive Therapy and Student Wellness Workshop Series starting in January 2022. (Free for Undergraduate Education Students!)
Led by Karen Wallace, a well-respected Art and Play Therapist and Trauma Counsellor, these interactive sessions are designed to introduce students to a host of coping skills to help lower stress and anxiety. Creating a safe space for students in education to lean into their creativity and self-awareness, students will also learn how to incorporate trauma-informed wellness exercises into their own teaching.
Check your email for more information and for links to download the workbook and for the Zoom sessions. No preregistration is required. Just visit Karen’s Zoom room at the time sessions are offered.
Education students, don’t miss this PD and networking opportunity! WestCast is an annual education conference held by education faculties in the western provinces. The 2022 virtual conference features multiple keynote speakers and workshops that focus on topics related to education and wellness. Cost: $42. **Deadline for registration is February 1, 2021.** More information here: https://conferences.usask.ca/westcast2022/index.php#WestCast2022
****DO YOU WANT TO BE A PRESENTER? Please contact wanneta.martin@uregina.ca to book an appointment to meet with the associate dean, Dr. Pamela Osmond Johnson.****
If anything, this pandemic has highlighted how valuable teachers are. They contribute so much to society and make a world of difference. This news story from April 2021, tells how Amy Brandt’s undergrad arts ed project became a community building exercise.
“What started as a university art education project has grown into a community building exercise in Cochrane. Amy Brandt is studying to be an art teacher. Her instructor at the University of Regina challenged the class to create an art project that brought people together in a COVID safe manner.”
Students, in this video, our Administrative Team (Dean, Associate Deans, and Faculty Administrator) welcomes you (back) to campus and (back) to the Fall 2021 term, which begins Monday, August 30. We are committed to ensuring your safety on campus. The student services office (Ed355) is open and ready to receive students. We look forward to seeing you, whether in person or online
« Toutes les grandes personnes ont d’abord été des enfants, mais peu d’entre elles s’en souviennent. » Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
La nature est une grande source d’inspiration et cela nous a entraînés vers des sentiers de découverte et de partage pendant toute la session de Didactique des arts. Une cohorte d’étudiant.es a suivi les cours de français ensemble en automne 2020. Cela nous a permis d’établir un rapport qui a été renforcé et enrichi à travers l’expression créative lors du cours d’art qui s’est déroulé en hiver. Nous avions un projet de correspondance avec la classe de 4ème année de Stéphanie Pain, enseignante dans une école fransaskoise depuis septembre 2020 et vous pouvez trouver des informations sur notre billet de blogue du 18 avril en cliquant ici. Cependant, le projet de correspondance est devenu plus axé sur les arts en hiver. Nous avons été subjuguées et éblouie par la créativité et le niveau d’implication des étudiant.es et élèves dans les projets artistiques au point que nous pouvons affirmer que l’art permet de véhiculer toutes les émotions et sentiments ressentis et de créer une communauté bienveillante, vibrante et débordante de créativité.
Les cours en ligne ont été suivis par des étudiant.es dispersés dans toute la Saskatchewan et résidant à Lloydminster, Meadow Lake, Prince Albert, Regina, Saskatoon et même au Québec. Dès le début de la session en janvier, nous nous sommes lancé.es dans un partage de photos de paysages d’hiver sur le forum (inspiré par une exposition virtuelle sur les « Paysages hivernaux » et un défi photo lancé par le Musée National des Beaux-Arts à Québec). La beauté des paysages capturés et les commentaires bienveillants ont bercé les discussions et nous ont amené.es à discuter de l’importance de ralentir afin d’observer la nature et l’environnement. Plusieurs étudiant.es ont écrit comment ils observaient la neige, les arbres, le ciel, le brouillard, etc. et exprimé aussi la joie d’explorer les parcs, les forêts et leur entourage. Avec le partage de photos et petites histoires sur le forum, nous avons apprécié les expériences et lieux divers.
Photos de Mango Nziavake et Madison Pawluk
Ensuite, nous avons vécu une variété d’expériences artistiques et assisté à des ateliers sur les arts visuels, la danse, la musique et les arts dramatiques. Avec les cours virtuels, plusieurs artistes invités ont facilement pu nous rejoindre. Nous avons eu le plaisir d’accueillir Carol Rose GoldenEagle,Anne Brochu Lambert, Dre Kathryn Ricketts (éducation) et Dre Melissa Morgan (MAP) de la Saskatchewan, mais aussi Dr Jonathan Bolduc (Université Laval) du Québec, et Meagan Thorlakson de Lethbridge en Alberta. Nous avons beaucoup appris avec nos invité.es et nous leur en sommes très reconnaissant.es.
Le 25 janvier, Carol Rose GoldenEagle (artiste nêhiyaw et Dene) a expliqué qu’elle puise son inspiration dans la nature pour la création artistique et elle a transmis aux étudiant.es des perspectives autochtones en matière d’art. Les étudiant.es ont appris qu’il faut oser avoir du courage pour créer sans peur et trouver la joie dans le processus créatif.
Le 8 février, par une journée bien froide de -48 degrés à Regina (avec le facteur vent), nous avons vraiment apprécié une visite guidée virtuelle en français au Musée d’art Mackenzie. Nous avons apporté notre thé ou café chaud et l’art a réchauffé nos esprits. Il s’agissait d’une exposition interculturelle Ithin-eh-wuk—« Nous nous plaçons au centre » : James Nicholas et Sandra Semchuk. Avant la visite virtuelle, les étudiant.e.s ont préparé un dessin ou une série de photos en lien avec un endroit important pour eux et ils devaient imaginer l’endroit au fil du temps. La visite a servi de tremplin à des discussions sur nos relations avec la terre, les êtres humains et non-humains, les traités et les relations entre les communautés autochtones et allochtones.
« … nous avons pensé à un endroit auquel nous sommes connectés et réfléchi à comment cet endroit a changé au fil du temps. J’ai décidé de dessiner mon premier appartement à la résidence U de R. À gauche, j’ai dessiné ce à quoi je pensais que cet endroit aurait ressemblé il y a 1000 ans, et à droite j’ai dessiné ce à quoi je pensais qu’il aurait ressemblé il y a 100 ans et la faune qui existe encore à Regina. » Alex Cottenie
Suite aux lectures sur la conscience écologique, nous avons été littéralement transporté.es par le vent quand Hailey Belcourt a présenté son plan de leçon pour l’album Quand le vent Souffle (Stewart, 2020) qui est une conversation philosophique entre deux arbres. Hailey nous a expliqué en cours qu’elle imaginait inviter des élèves à danser pour interpréter l’histoire.
Adeline Sialou, Atty Sita Kane, et Elvine Josiane Makuaze ont expliqué la signification de La danse de Gumboot en partageant leur plan de leçon. Cette danse était une façon pour les mineurs en Afrique du Sud de communiquer sans parler puisque parler était interdit. À ce moment, nous avons eu l’opportunité de réfléchir sur le thème de la justice sociale et de l’expression artistique.
Le 8 mars, l’artiste fransaskoise Anne Brochu Lambert a animé un atelier sur la technique de l’estampe autour du thème des paysages de la Saskatchewan. Les étudiant.es ont trouvé le matériel (parfois dans leur cuisine!). Installé.es dans leur cuisine, les étudiant.es s’affairaient à créer leur œuvre d’art dans la joie. Une étudiante Mariama Mouhamed a partagé sur le forum qu’elle était ravie d’apprendre cette technique, « J’adore beaucoup l’idée du matériel disponible dans la maison pour créer des empreintes. C’était un moment tranquille et inspirant. »
« La musique m’a été très utile pendant toutes les périodes difficiles de cette année. J’ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à créer un projet musical pour mon cours d’art, je l’ai partagé avec ton enseignante pour que tu puisses le voir. Laisse-moi savoir ce que tu penses! » Shanaya Cossette (lettre à son correspondant Eric le 26 avril.)
Avec l’arrivée du printemps, on a assisté à l’éclosion de talents lors d’un vernissage animé par Clémence Canet. C’était un moment de célébration qui nous a transporté. es dans des paysages féériques au son du violon joué par Shanaya Cossette qui jouait la musique métisse. Plusieurs étudiant.es expliquaient comment ils ont trouvé la confiance et le plaisir de créer et de partager. Une étudiante, Haleigh, a dit qu’elle a apprécié que nous avons vraiment une communauté même avec les cours à distance. Et d’autres étudiant.es ont souligné qu’ils appréciaient les encouragements de leurs collègues et qu’ils étaient surpris d’avoir créé de l’art ensemble sur Zoom.
Mallory Phaneuf, une étudiante métisse de Prince Albert, à créer un abécédaire bilingue en français-michif intitulé « La Terre au Ciel Vivant/Latayrdili Pimatchihoo Syel. » Elle dit dans la dédicace du livre qu’elle était inspirée de « mon arrière-grand-mère, Sophie Mcdougall, qui est une aînée métisse qui parle encore le michif » et qui l’encourage à apprécier sa culture et à la partager.
« J’ai été inspirée par la nature de la Saskatchewan ainsi que par des photos que j’ai prises. Les couchers de soleil sont une de mes choses préférées à voir ici en Saskatchewan, alors je voulais l’inclure dans mon œuvre. » Emily Gay
« D’abord je suis une immigrante. Je suis très heureuse d’avoir choisi le Canada. Je suis joyeuse…comme vous pouvez le voir juste au milieu, j’ai dessiné un cœur qui représente la carte du Canada et l’arbre fleurissant. Les fruits que vous voyez sont en petits cœurs. C’est une manière de représenter la générosité du Canada. Vous pouvez voir les oiseaux qui migrent des quatre coins venus s’abriter à cet arbre-là. La verdure que vous voyez représente la beauté, la joie…. C’est une manière pour moi de dire merci, d’exprimer ma gratitude à l’endroit, ce pays qui m’a accueillie, ma famille et moi. » Atty Sita Kane
« Mon œuvre d’art des aurores boréales que j’ai peinte est inspirée d’une photo que j’ai prise cet été au lac. C’était une soirée où j’étais assise à côté du feu avec mes amies et on a regardé en arrière et il y avait les meilleures aurores boréales que je n’ai jamais vues de ma vie … je n’avais jamais créé une œuvre d’art sur une toile avec de la peinture…c’était vraiment hors de ma zone de confort. » Jordyn Cochet
« Quel beau paysage! Que puis-je dire de plus?
Je suis inspiré par le paysage hivernal. En regardant mon environnement, j’ai constaté un changement du paysage pendant cette saison hivernale. J’exprime mon appréciation de la saison d’hiver. J’ai choisi de prendre des photos avec mon téléphone pour apprécier la beauté naturelle du paysage qui l’entoure. Je pense que la photographie m’a bien servi car les photos reflètent mieux la réalité vécue dans un environnement physique pendant un moment précis. Mon fils et moi avons pris des photos en utilisant mon téléphone pour garder le souvenir de ce beau moment. » Kasereka Mudogo
« Il y a plusieurs choses qui m’ont inspirées en créant mon œuvre. La première étant surtout le fait que les photos que j’ai prises sont toutes sur des chemins que je prends souvent quand je pars promener mon chien avec ma mère. Cela m’a beaucoup influencée surtout avec les couleurs, car j’ai essayé d’incorporer des couleurs vives pour représenter la personnalité de ma mère. » Ambre Kram
Un jour, dans un des endroits les plus froids De ma province où j’ai eu mon premier emploi Mon âme fut bouleversée d’un grand effroi Plusieurs questions envahirent mon cœur en désarroi Suis-je toute entière en proie A cause du climat froid?
Toutes mes pensées furent menacées d’un grand émoi
Ensuite, dans mon pays d’abri Mon cœur excessivement abatis Me révéla tous mes projets d’emblée abolis Mon âme toute entière engloutie Aperçut à l’horizon la lumière qui luit Oh, quel temps de réveil, mon amie Mon espoir fut nourri
Quelle douleur de vivre une absence Comme tous les êtres vivants en ont l’accoutumance Les hommes, les animaux, les végétaux sont en balance Ils se forment des tissus d’autodéfense La nature tombe en dormance C’est la loi de la nature qui assure une assistance
La vie sur la terre est une cadence Parfois, on est en période de carence La gestion de plusieurs circonstances Il faut en avoir un œil de clairvoyance, Vivre une vie d’attente et de persévérance Pour ne pas perdre ses performances.
Quelle belle province enseignante Ta nature est toute inspirante, Malgré que tu es tombée en silence Et couverte d’une neige blanche, ta nature toute confiante est pleine d’espérance En besoin constant de suppléance Son endurance détermine sa survivance.
Quel secret dans ta nature rafraîchissante? De ta beauté hivernale Ma chère capitale provinciale Répandue d’une neige éblouissante Des arbres dans l’environnement devenus attrayantes Percé du soleil au bon réveil matinal Rend à mon cœur des émotions inspirantes
Enfin, le beau temps de renaissance est venu Au printemps, nous disons bienvenu La nature toute en chœur réunie Chante un chant d’allégresse Où est ta neige réunie Elle est fondue, elle est fondue! Enfin, disparue! Quelle retrouvaille chaleureuse, ce qui nous manquait est réapparu.
« Cette poésie a été inspirée de mes sentiments personnels ressentis et qui ont envahi mon cœur suite à une absence survécue dans ma vie aussitôt que je suis arrivée au Canada. En effet, deux mois après mon arrivée en Saskatchewan, la province qui m’a accueillie et qui m’abrite, ma douleur fut intense. Petit à petit, la nature de ma province s’est révélée inspirante quand j’essayais de contempler les feuilles, les arbres, les oiseaux et les êtres humains qui sont touchés par les effets de la saison hivernale caractérisé par l’absence de la chaleur du soleil…Après la pluie, vient le beau temps, après l’hiver vient le printemps. » Mango Nziavake
Tournesol crée par Virginie Charollais dans son livre « Mon abécédaire des prairies de la Saskatchewan. »
Les élèves de Mgr de Laval ont partagé quelques œuvres artistiques lors du vernissage et dans leurs lettres avec les étudiant.es du Bac. À la fin de l’année, après avoir envoyé plus de 260 lettres, cartes et œuvres d’art, c’est certain que nous allons toujours garder de beaux souvenirs! A la vue des lettres et œuvres d’art des élèves de 4ème année, plusieurs étudiant.es se sont remémoré des souvenirs d’enfance et ont éprouvé beaucoup de joie à s’exprimer créativement. C’était aussi l’occasion de réfléchir sur l’enseignement de l’art en tant que futur.e enseignant.es. La correspondance avec les élèves de 4ème année a beaucoup inspiré nos étudiant.es et leur a montré comment l’art est important pour les enfants car « Dans chaque enfant il y a un artiste » disait pertinemment Pablo Picasso.
Nous sommes reconnaissantes d’avoir eu l’occasion de vivre cette expérience d’apprentissage avec nos étudiant.es et élèves. La création et le partage étaient une grande source d’énergie positive pour nous tous et toutes!
Quelques oeuvres d’art de la 4ème année d’une école fransaskoise
(La classe de Madame Stéphanie Pain) Regarde dans le ciel, Je vois les étoiles qui aiment briller Car elles veulent jouer, Je vois aussi le soleil de merveille Et les couleurs qui réchauffent nos cœurs. C’est un des meilleurs moments de ma vie, Car je suis une petite fille Avec une grande famille
Oeuvre et poème d’Anna, 4ème année, pour ses correspondantes Elisabeth et Emily
Paysage d’hiver d’AnayaLes montagnes de Linkin
Oeuvres des élèves Eric, Jonah, Xavier et Juliette pour leurs correspondant.esOeuvres de Malia pour sa correspondante, Mango
Though students have experienced many challenges over the past year of remote learning due to pandemic restrictions, there have been some benefits, some unexpected moments of grace. Such was the case for Lakeland Scriver (BSc’18), a Bachelor of Education After Degree (BEAD) student, who has found remote learning both challenging and rewarding.
“Being in a pandemic, isolated, and under the stress of a busy university semester makes for a tougher experience in bringing your best self to the virtual classroom,” says Scriver.
The fall 2020 term was Scriver’s first semester in the Faculty of Education, and the challenges seemed daunting: “I was unfamiliar with the professors, staff, and nearly all of my classmates, and this was especially intimidating due to all first impressions being made on a computer screen,” says Scriver.
Scriver found ways to overcome feelings of isolation and intimidation, including being honest about the challenges they faced: “I found it helpful to use the chat function in Zoom and other programs to try and create the camaraderie I would normally build with my classmates. It was also beneficial for my classmates and I to be honest with our professors about our struggles with workloads and due dates. Everyone is in the same boat right now, and sometimes we just need to bridge that communication gap between the bow and the stern to figure out together how to keep the whole dang thing from sinking.”
Flexibility, transparency and honesty are aspects that Scriver hopes to model for their future students: “We moved deadlines, asked for changes or accommodations, and acknowledged when things were hard. I appreciated that very few people were shying away from discussing mental health, physical health, and how we were experiencing fluctuations in our well-being, now, during the pandemic, more than ever. I want to be an educator who practices this transparency with their students, and I hope my students will be transparent in return. We aren’t robots, we are people, and learning together means we need to demonstrate human compassion to our fluid, changing selves.”
Being the kind of teacher Scriver wishes they had as a student motivated their decision to do an after degree (major biology; minor general science) program. After pursuing and then withdrawing from an out-of-province Master’s of Science program, Scriver had an epiphany: “It turns out that the part of academia that is my greatest passion is the teaching and learning aspect! I want to be the kind of teacher I wish I had as a student: exuberant, enthusiastic, and authentically myself,” says Scriver.
Scriver experienced an unexpected benefit to remote learning as well: “As a transgender student,” Scriver says, “I’ve found that remote learning has been beneficial in presenting myself as I wish alongside my pronouns and chosen name. It feels less intimidating to challenge misgendering remotely than in-person. I have run into very few issues with respect to trans inclusion thus far. I’m not sure if that is the culture of the Faculty of Education or dumb luck, but I am grateful all the same!”
Remote learning has also given Scriver more opportunity for “introspection and metacognition,” which they feel has been reflected in their assignments. Further, Scriver says, “I feel like I handed in assignments that had more vulnerability and honesty in them than I might have demonstrated in busier, in-person classes.”
Though remote learning from home can allow for more vulnerability and honesty, these aspects can quickly turn awkward. Scriver recounts one instance in which the class watched as the instructor, who had muted their self momentarily, not-so-gently asked their partner in another room to turn down the volume on the TV, which was disrupting the class. Scriver says, “so awkward, but so funny…”
Students’ experiences teaching in schools
This academic year 290 interns and 297 pre-interns taught in schools! Practicums are an important part of our Education programs, but the prospect of doing one’s practicum during a pandemic can cause anxiety and new challenges. In this section, two students are introduced and their practicum experiences are shared: pre-intern Hanna Gross and intern Keelin Louttit.
Hanna Gross pre-interned at W.S. Hawrylak School
Hanna Gross has two major reasons she is becoming a teacher: She loves kids and has a passion for lifelong learning. A 4th-year student in the Elementary program, Gross hopes to instill her love of learning in her future students.
Gross loves the Faculty of Education program at the University of Regina because of “how much practical experience there is in the program and how close everyone is,” with the U of R being a mid-sized university with fewer students in classrooms. The most memorable experience in her program was her pre-internship. Gross says, “I was very excited for pre-internship and putting into practice what we are taught. Pre-internship was a confirmation that teaching is the most appropriate path for me.”
However, the prospect of pre-interning during a pandemic caused Gross some nervousness. “Not only was I nervous, but I was also concerned about whether or not we would be going out at all! In the weeks leading up to the pre-internship we saw Regina’s case numbers rising, and there was talk about not going out to schools. Also, I hadn’t been with students yet because we didn’t get our fall placements due to the pandemic. I was also fearful about how strict things would be in the schools and how I was going to adapt to an ‘in your desk and separate’ environment.” To ease her nerves, Gross talked with friends in the education program and some who had graduated and were already teaching about what teaching is really like during a pandemic. “They reassured me that it isn’t as scary as it sounds.” When Gross met her cooperating teacher Lori Burton, she began to relax: “Almost as soon as I met my coop and met the students my nervousness disappeared. She was phenomenal and the kids were excited to have me there.”
What surprised Gross about pre-interning during the pandemic was how open and helpful everyone was: “Teachers were inviting me into their classrooms. Kids were so open-minded and excited to try things, and even when it didn’t go great … Everyone was so forgiving and willing to help. I left the school with three boxes of resources, long lists of books to buy, and lots of advice.”
Star Quilt Fractions
Gross appreciates how much she learned about herself as a teacher especially when things didn’t go well or as planned: “My co-op was very reassuring, encouraging me to take those risks and try those things because you need to know and if it doesn’t work it’s fine; it won’t ruin the kids. Try again the next day. Have grace with yourself. You’re not going to be perfect.”
One lesson Gross feels went especially well was a math fraction lesson using the star quilt. “Each student received a diamond color using three to six colours. They labeled their fractions and then we hung them on the bulletin board. I thought this was kind of fun and the kids liked it. For me, the bigger piece was that everyone was doing something, and came out of it with excitement about what they did that day: I got to see their brains focussed—engagement—and appreciation.”
Keelin Louttit interned at Ecole Lumsden Elementary SchoolKeelin Louttit holding a kitten to bring a hands-on learning approach to animal classification.
Keelin Louttit finished her Secondary education program (Major: social studies; Minor: inclusive ed) with her internship in the December 2020 term at École Lumsden Elementary School. She comes from a family of teachers and grew up seeing firsthand how teaching could make a difference: “My Grandma was a learning resource teacher. Seeing her face light up when she could help kids—I want that.” The University of Regina Education program made the most sense for Louttit because it was close to home (Balgonie). She says, “I also knew that it is one of the best education programs in Canada.”
The prospect of interning during a pandemic also made Louttit nervous. “I didn’t want to have to go online because I didn’t know how teaching online would be.” However, Louttit was soon able to relax: “The first day I met my co-op Corinna Dahl-Ritco, I relaxed and knew it was going to be okay. My co-op was so amazing and willing to help me with everything. I felt assured I would have a great experience.”
What surprised Louttit about interning during a pandemic was that “every day I was excited to go to school and see my students. It didn’t even seem like we were in a pandemic. It never really felt like a big scary thing. It was such a smooth process.”
For Louttit, the most memorable experience as a student here was joining the Education Students’ Society (ESS) as VP of Professional Development (PD) for 2019-2020. “The PD team was me and Jordan Balfour (2020-2021 President) and Kiah Holness (2020-2021 VP of PD).” Her ESS connections were valuable during her internship experience because she was made aware of potential funding from ESS for interns to help with the costs of materials for projects.
A project that the ESS helped fund was a scarf-making project. Louttit’s class was responsible for the December Virtual School Assembly. Due to the season, Louttit wanted to focus on a theme of giving and kindness. Louttit says, “I wanted to do something special but not take away too much time from curriculum and instruction.” The scarf project had multiple connections to the curriculum. To fund the materials for the activity, Louttit sent a proposal to the ESS and received funding to help cover the costs of the materials. She also received funding from the school. Students made the scarves and the finished scarves were donated to those in need of them: “We took some to the Lumsden Heritage Home, a long-term care facility, and some to downtown Regina.”
After the scarves were delivered, “A lot of Heritage Home residents were smiling and some even crying at the windows and wanted to see the kids and watch them play. At a time when kids are thinking about receiving gifts, they got to give gifts and experience the joy of giving.” (See video below)
As advice to future interns, Louttit says, “Find one way that you can contribute to stand out. Find ways to empower your students. Not just on internship, but as a lifelong skill.” Louttit received a temporary contract at the same school as she interned at until Easter and she is now a substitute teacher. She plans to begin a Certificate of Inclusive Education in Spring.
Take-home science education lab kits were a great way developed by the science education instructional team to overcome the difficulties of teaching and learning science education remotely.
Teaching remotely has been challenging for many professors who are accustomed to face-to-face classroom instruction and methods. Transitioning into remote teaching environments is especially difficult for activity-based subject areas such as science education. Science education professor Dr. Shana Graham says, “the biggest challenge in teaching science during the pandemic is to find ways for students to engage in experiential learning.”
Science education professor John MacDonald concurs, “The learning of science content, skills and attitudes are all greatly facilitated by having the learners interact with the phenomena that illustrate the concept under study. Students communicating their observations and inferences with classmates is also an essential part of learning about the nature of science. Added in to the mix is the importance of students exchanging their reasoning as to how the activities add to their understanding of the concept and connecting this new found understanding to prior knowledge.”
In a previous term, professor Michael McCoy had developed math kits to help students engage with concepts and he found them successful.
“John, Shana and I decided the best way to go about teaching science education remotely was to develop a kit for our science methods classes,” says McCoy.
MacDonald, who had found that moving back to the university lab to teach had been helpful in that it “afforded access to materials and equipment not present in a home office,” knew students would also need to have access to materials to learn: “The kits were our attempt to provide our students with an opportunity to experience the activities that they should be using in their future classrooms.” The three professors put together 100 science kits for their elementary and secondary science methods classes.
Developing the kits during a pandemic presented some new problems. MacDonald says, “We had very little problem coming up with activities for the students to do. The real problems were finding sources for the materials that could provide them in a timely manner. Ordering balances and magnets from China was much easier than obtaining materials from Ontario.”
MacDonald says, “The reaction of the students to the activities seems to be largely very positive. Some activities we picked turned out to be less effective at a distance than face-to-face. We now have a better understanding of what constitutes a good at-a-distance activity and how to structure these activities for success. Doing activities at a distance should also help improve running these activities in a face-to-face setting.”
Besides the use of take-home science kits, Graham says she adopted a different way of teaching: “I found myself practicing more guided inquiry with my students, instead of coupled or full inquiry. When you cannot walk a round a classroom and observe students in order to determine how they are engaging and find ways to encourage them, you need to improvise. I found the use of guided inquiry created a less stressful and more encouraging online environment for online learning.”
Science education student Jaclyn Kearley says, “I think having this science kit … made learning more accessible in the virtual learning classroom. It kept me interested and engaged, and I felt like I was having a much higher quality learning experience than I would if we didn’t have the materials to interact with. In a virtual classroom, the science kits are an incredible tool!!!”
Student Ireland Sorestad says, “Getting the chance to use these science kits … made me excited to come to class as I knew I would get to be hands on. Compared to my other classes where I listened to lectures for hours, ESCI 310 was a breath of fresh air. Ultimately, I look forward to continuing using the science kit and implementing some of these activities in my future classroom.”
One student, Robertson, a mother of two, says, “This has been an extremely beneficial experience as I have learned an abundance of ways to incorporate the contents of this kit into the elementary classroom. Beyond this, it’s pretty incredible to see how much one can learn and experience from the comfort of one’s own home.”
Robertson continues, “Not only have I gained knowledge from this class but so have my daughters, who are ages 8 and 9. Mr. McCoy was kind enough to let my children join in the fun and learning. They looked forward to our Thursday night classes very much and I appreciate it as well.”
Robertson outlines some of the topics explored with the kit and the methods used in the course: “We explored forces and motion using toy cars and ramps (ruler and books), electricity as we saw what happens when you bring a negatively charged balloon close to a stream of water, investigating UV intensity with UV beads, aerodynamics using two cans and a straw and the list goes on. Throughout these Zoom classes, we have had the chance to formulate questions, design procedures, collect data and create explanations based on what we see. I never had this experience as an elementary school student, but I am sure I would have learned so much more if I had. My science class experience included reading a textbook and memorizing the terms to regurgitate on an exam or worksheet. It was quite mundane and not very stimulating for the mind. On the other hand, these classes have been exciting and inspiring. I have enjoyed watching my daughters learn how to think for themselves as they join me in these experiments. I appreciate this and want to do the same for my future students, as it not only betters them as individuals in the science classroom, but for life in general.”
Student Lakeland Scriver describes their experience of the kits: “Our professors gave us the kits with little to no explanation as to the contents outside of safety concerns. I love this: It makes the science kits feel magical. I may not know what an object or a chemical or a container might be used for, but I know that when the mystery is revealed, it will be spectacular. My professors are big advocates for inquiry-driven learning and having us investigate rather than go through cookbook experiments. This method helped capture our attention—no matter where we were attending class. I commend my professors for taking the time to put these kits together, and for having the patience to walk us through all of the activities remotely.” (See Scriver’s full story on the next page)
Professor Graham says, “The pandemic has not been easy for many people to deal with, so I have tried to be as flexible as possible with assignment deadlines. Similarly, my main goal is to push my students to excel to the best of their capacity, so I also allow them to resubmit work that is subpar. The point of teaching, in my mind, is to do whatever it takes to help someone learn and grow. It can be most rewarding when you help students to have higher expectations of themselves by insisting on setting the bar high and offering multiple chances to reach it, rather than having them, or you, settling for anything less.
I hope that my students take away that being patient, flexible, and caring are perhaps some of the most important elements of effective learning/teaching relationships.”
With students taking away those important lessons about caring for their future students, there is something to be grateful for in a trying time, an unexpected moment of grace coming out of the pandemic.
Moveable Pulley Photos
Of the science kits, student Chandra Palazzo says, “The kits were very helpful and interactive, making science come alive in these times when we cannot meet in the classroom. It gives hand- on learners a great visual rather than focusing too much on content heavy material. Without the science kits, it would be very hard to understand the concepts, tactics and science terms that come along with each activity.”
When Jordan Balfour was voted in as Education Students’ Society (ESS) President for 2020/2021, he didn’t expect he would be navigating a pandemic.
“The world we are living in now, it isn’t what I signed up for from the start. There have been a lot of bumpy roads, and still are. I’m still trying to figure out how to navigate, how to communicate, how to represent the students, how to communicate with faculty and represent that to students. I wasn’t sure how to do this—it’s really been a complete adjustment.”
Balfour is a busy third-year secondary Education student, with a major in Biology and two minors, who is also working on a second degree in Indigenous Environmental Sciences. Despite the difficulties of remote studies and pandemic restrictions, Balfour with the ESS team are finding their way and making connections.
The addition of a new executive role, VP of Community Relations, is one way that the ESS is reaching out. “I thought we didn’t have enough representation in the community, so we created a new position called community relations,” says Balfour.
Paige Hamann, ESS VP of Community Relations
The position was offered to Paige Hamann, new to the ESS and in her second year of the Secondary program with a major in Social Studies and a minor in English. Hamann says, “I inquired about how to become an ESS member, had an interview to see what team I would fit best in, and then they offered me the position on the executive because of my experience with nonprofits.” Hamann had started her own photography business in Grade 10 and then last summer, following the loss of a friend who struggled with mental health, she incorporated Inside the Box, a nonprofit seeking to address the stigma around mental health within the sports culture.
Hamann says her vision for ESS community relations involves, “letting the community know that the University of Regina ESS wants to support them. We want to do as much as possible to help everybody in our community.” The Community Relations team of five has been providing opportunities for students to volunteer and creating spotlights on local organizations that support education, such as the Inspiring Young Minds book store and Ascendant Martial Arts.
The ESS is reaching out through donations as well. Balfour says, “we donated $500 to five schools for PPE funding because we could not go to the schools and volunteer our time. We also provided Street Culture and Rainbow Youth Centre a large sum of pumpkins and donated time to carve pumpkins with youth.” And they have purchased gift cards to contribute to giveaways for student draws.
Balfour says there have been many changes because the social events typically hosted by the ESS are restricted. “We just had a social event that we were worried about hosting. A month ago we rented a movie theatre, and we had to follow the COVID-19 restrictions, limiting our numbers from 20 to 15. We were worried about how it would go. We did get some backlash, but we followed our protocols. It was our last face-to-face social event.” To ensure they could keep to the restricted number who could attend, the ESS charged a $5 ticket price and had students register to attend. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Foundation of Regina.
Without face-to-face events, the ESS has found it difficult to connect with students and build an Education student family. Balfour says, “Because we are online we don’t have the same ability to build that connection, a culture of relying on each other for support while we are undergrad students.”
Danielle Meader, ESS VP SocialSara Tokarz, ESS VP of Communications
Instead of face-to-face socials, the Social Team, headed up by Danielle Maeder, is offering giveaways and prizes in exchange for tags, follows, and likes on the ESS social media, managed by the VP of Communications Sara Tokarz.
Balfour has realized that remote studies due to COVID-19 have given ESS executives another new role. “We benefited from a really bad situation. We had a lot of first-year students sign up. New students who joined the ESS are trying to achieve this social, cultural connection with the University that they don’t get through remote classes. Some of them have never been on campus. We are trying to help them with that community. Some of the best aspects of the Faculty are the classes we get to attend. I was looking forward to the interactions and being a part of the educational experience in the Faculty of Education. We are here to provide…almost a peer mentorship. We’re like big brothers and sisters, cause we are experienced in the program,” says Balfour.
Kiah Holness, ESS VP Professional Development
With new students in mind, the ESS’s Professional Development (PD) team, headed by Kiah Holness, offered their first virtual event, “Ed’s Declassified School Survival Guide” where more experienced students offered tips and tricks for when new students finally come to the campus, such as where to buy the best coffee, how to find parking, how to buy textbooks, and how to navigate their own involvement. Other PD events offered virtually were “Building Resilience for Stress of Teaching” presented by Dyan Roth and “Indigenous Brilliance” with Justin “Jah’ kota” Holness.
The ESS executive is also working with Dr. Pamela Osmond-Johnson, the associate dean for undergraduate programs, to develop a new pilot program to provide small grants to pre-interns and interns to support practicum-based projects. Balfour says, “They are the only ones out there facing everything going on with the pandemic. Interns and pre-interns are unable to connect with community resources and bring them into the classroom because schools are locked down. With funding, they will have the resources to assist their practicum experience. Students won’t have to pay out of pocket.”
Hanna Gross, ESS VP Finance & Secretary
To apply for funding to provide resources, to make community connections, or to assist in lesson planning, pre-interns and interns can apply to the ESS for a specific amount with a proposal for PD funding.
There are more plans for collaboration with undergraduate Student Services. Balfour says, “Pam is excited about what we are accomplishing. We will be working with Student Services to host events where they can provide feedback for students, such as town halls and other opportunities for students to learn to navigate the ‘what’s next?’ in their programs.”
The ESS is also looking into collaborations with the University of Saskatchewan Education Students’ Society to broaden and extend their reach to offer PD events to Education students across Saskatchewan.
“The ESS team is amazing this year. They are so thrown out there even during pandemic. They are doing so much with the resources they have,” says Balfour. “This year has brought more than I expected. I didn’t expect 25 team members. These young individuals are so self-driven with their leadership and where they want to take their careers and what they want to accomplish.”
Balfour continues, “The pandemic has really changed everything. The way we can support students and the University at the same time. We’ve had to figure out how to navigate through that. It has been a challenge to make sure we follow proper protocols and to make sure we are inclusive to team members and the student body. Some of the ESS executive has navigated in ways that they couldn’t even anticipate. The experience has been phenomenal.”
Finding Phyllis Webstad approved Orange Shirts at Karen Mah’s Inspiring Young Minds store in Regina was just the beginning of the ESS’s work in the community. Finding out that the store was doing a toy drive to support Gifts of Hope 2020, an initiative started by a Grade 12 student, Emily Messier, to give the gift of play to children in need during the holiday season, the ESS purchased items from the store to donate to the Toy Drive as well as purchasing gift cards to contribute to a giveaway at a Regina School.
An inspiring student story! Because of the uncertain and troubled times of the pandemic, 3rd year Secondary Education student Brayden Larson wanted to spread some hope and positivity, so he decided to give 20% of his Boston Pizza job wage and all of his tips for the month of November to three local organizations: The 4 Life Foundation, First Steps Wellness Centre in Regina, and Regina Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Regina General General Hospital.
Using his social media to spread the word about what he was doing, where and when he would be working, and also information about the organizations he would be donating to, Brayden was able to raise $2053.35!
Brayden says, “The amount of joy, support, and encouragement I have received throughout this entire month is something I am beyond thankful and grateful for. Thank you to everyone that donated, tipped, or offered words of support and encouragement during this process. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. “
Le Bac #UREdu student Wahbi Zarry and Tony Quiñones have created a 1/2 hour film, 10 Days of Cree, which follows Zarry’s 10-day journey engaging with the larger community while working to learn the Cree language. This is the first of a planned educational webseries exploring Zarry’s experiences with Canadian indigenous languages
Interim President and Vice Chancellor Dr. Thomas Chase writes, “10 Days of Cree is a fine example of the quality work our students produce, and just as importantly, a fine example of reconciliation in action that should inspire and serve as an example for us all – particularly as we work to bring to life our new Strategic Plan, kahkiyaw kiwâhkômâkaninawak.”
Episode 2 on the Nakota language will be released in November. For updates follow Zarry’s Facebook site, Canadian Languages.
Canadian Languages is a webseries exploring indigenous languages of Canada through educational documentaries.
« … nous avons pensé à un endroit auquel nous sommes connectés et réfléchi à comment cet endroit a changé au fil du temps. J’ai décidé de dessiner mon premier appartement à la résidence U de R. À gauche, j’ai dessiné ce à quoi je pensais que cet endroit aurait ressemblé il y a 1000 ans, et à droite j’ai dessiné ce à quoi je pensais qu’il aurait ressemblé il y a 100 ans et la faune qui existe encore à Regina. » Alex Cottenie
« La musique m’a été très utile pendant toutes les périodes difficiles de cette année. J’ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à créer un projet musical pour mon cours d’art, je l’ai partagé avec ton enseignante pour que tu puisses le voir. Laisse-moi savoir ce que tu penses! » Shanaya Cossette (lettre à son correspondant Eric le 26 avril.)
Avec l’arrivée du printemps, on a assisté à l’éclosion de talents lors d’un vernissage animé par Clémence Canet. C’était un moment de célébration qui nous a transporté. es dans des paysages féériques au son du violon 
« J’ai été inspirée par la nature de la Saskatchewan ainsi que par des photos que j’ai prises. Les couchers de soleil sont une de mes choses préférées à voir ici en Saskatchewan, alors je voulais l’inclure dans mon œuvre. » Emily Gay
« D’abord je suis une immigrante. Je suis très heureuse d’avoir choisi le Canada. Je suis joyeuse…comme vous pouvez le voir juste au milieu, j’ai dessiné un cœur qui représente la carte du Canada et l’arbre fleurissant. Les fruits que vous voyez sont en petits cœurs. C’est une manière de représenter la générosité du Canada. Vous pouvez voir les oiseaux qui migrent des quatre coins venus s’abriter à cet arbre-là. La verdure que vous voyez représente la beauté, la joie…. C’est une manière pour moi de dire merci, d’exprimer ma gratitude à l’endroit, ce pays qui m’a accueillie, ma famille et moi. » Atty Sita Kane
« Mon œuvre d’art des aurores boréales que j’ai peinte est inspirée d’une photo que j’ai prise cet été au lac. C’était une soirée où j’étais assise à côté du feu avec mes amies et on a regardé en arrière et il y avait les meilleures aurores boréales que je n’ai jamais vues de ma vie … je n’avais jamais créé une œuvre d’art sur une toile avec de la peinture…c’était vraiment hors de ma zone de confort. » Jordyn Cochet
« Il y a plusieurs choses qui m’ont inspirées en créant mon œuvre. La première étant surtout le fait que les photos que j’ai prises sont toutes sur des chemins que je prends souvent quand je pars promener mon chien avec ma mère. Cela m’a beaucoup influencée surtout avec les couleurs, car j’ai essayé d’incorporer des couleurs vives pour représenter la personnalité de ma mère. » Ambre Kram
Tournesol crée par Virginie Charollais dans son livre « Mon abécédaire des prairies de la Saskatchewan. »
Though students have experienced many challenges over the past year of remote learning due to pandemic restrictions, there have been some benefits, some unexpected moments of grace. Such was the case for Lakeland Scriver (BSc’18), a Bachelor of Education After Degree (BEAD) student, who has found remote learning both challenging and rewarding.
