Click on the image to go the the RBE web site. See page 10 for story
University of Regina Education students (EAES 310, Arts Education for Early Elementary) visited Brandy Melnechenko and Kim Leurer’s Kindergarten classroom at McLurg School. Retired Henry Janzen School principal, Donna Nikiforuk (formerly Pym), who is now teaching at the U of R, wanted to provide students with an opportunity to explore what art can look like in Kindergarten.
The students met with Brandy, where they got a crash course in Kindergarten art. They heard about how they incorporate learning about famous and contemporary artists in the Kindergarten classroom. U of R student Skyler Fellner commented, “My favourite was when the teacher said to expect the best, even at a young age.”
The students then got the opportunity to work with the children on a cupcake project inspired by American artist Wayne Thiebaud. The Kinders loved working with the students. They created incredible cupcake works of art. They were very excited to tell the students all of the things they had learned about art since the beginning of the year.
“It was so well organized. It was amazing what they knew; sometimes we downplay what kids this age can do,” said student Jordan Reeves. “It is so neat; they talk about real‐life artists, treating them like they can learn like adults do,” commented Sarah Rohde. When the Kindergarteners were asked if they had fun working with their new friends, they all cheered.
When they came in from recess, they wanted to know why their new friends had gone away!
Teachers Brandy and Kim are looking forward to collaborating with the university Education program again very soon.
‐ Submitted by Brandy Melnechenko and Kim Leurer Kindergarten Teachers, McLurg
February 26 and 27 brought undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, K – 12 teachers and others in the field of education together for the second annual Investigating Our Practices ~ Regina conference. On Friday evening, after a wine and cheese reception, Dr. James McNinch brought the keynote presentation entitled, “The (Un)Common Places of Teaching. Saturday included breakfast and lunch and a wide range of presentations, workshops and roundtable discussions on important topics, including:
Saskatchewan Drama Ed Assoc. Resources
Planning Strategies for History and Content of First Nations and Treaty Education
Embodied Methods of Understanding Math
The Kinds of Knowledge and Ways of Knowing that are of Value in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics
Sensing Art: Community Programming
From the Void to the Voice
Integration over Assimilation: The Need for a Response by our Education System to the Refugee Crisis
Rethinking Behaviour Management: Choice/Control Theory and Moving Toward Positive Student/Teacher Relationships
Hip Hop Hoop Dance Teachers’ Package
Gaga as Movement Practice for Improvisation and Beyond
Adult Literacy Matters: Addressing a Program Gap
Faculty Perspectives on Teaching in Higher Education: A Case Study
Ready or Not: Cooperating Teachers and Stories of Experience
Rethinking Behaviour Management: Choice/Control Theory and Moving Toward Positive Student/Teacher Relationships
Collective Storytelling, Lifewriting and Literary Métissage
Teacher Inquiry and Indigenous Knowledge Practices
Witness Not Tourist: Our Journey in Working Toward Reconciliation
Teaching Strategies Tried and True from Internship Experience
Teaching Money Management/Personal Finances in a Life Transitions 30 class
Regina’s Art Supply Exchange and Reuse Initiatives
What Do We Say to Children: The Use of Children’s Picture Books for Truth, Decolonization, and Reconciliation
Academic Publishing: A Managing Editor’s Perspective
Of Land and Living Skies: A Community Journal
Animating Children through Extra-Curricular Programs
The conference was well-attended so that each presentation had a good sized group of participants. As icing on the cake (the cake being interesting presentations and conversations), numerous door prizes and great food created a fun and energetic atmosphere. Many thanks to the 2016 IOP Conference Organizing Committee: Kathryn Ricketts, Valerie Triggs, Cindy Rice, Wendy Peart, Keith Adolph, Michele Sorensen & Audray-Anne Montpetit
Northeast Normal University located in Changchun, Jilin Province, China (Image Source: Wikimedia)
In May 2016, the Faculty of Education is offering a new course: Education (EFDN 498) – International Study Tour to China
Education students at the University of Regina are invited to register for the Faculty of Education, International Study Tour. This is a three-credit, comparative-education class held at Northeast Normal University located in Changchun, Jilin Province, China. The 3-week study tour blends cultural activities, formal instruction, with in-class observation/participation. Visits to local schools and a short home-stay component are also included.
This year’s (2016) study tour commences on May 9th and finishes on May 28th. Students will participate in twenty-three (23) hours of academic instruction (in English) provided by a faculty member from the host university. The in class component will include a segment on the Chinese educational system as well as a look at Chinese educational history. Participants will also have the opportunity to assist Chinese educators in English language classes. In these classes students will complete eight (8) hours of field experience.
This trip will lend students the opportunity to appreciate local culture while learning and engaging in China’s rich history. Cultural activities will include visits to a number of important Chinese cultural and historical sites. While in Changchun students will reside in a Northeast Normal University Residence (meals not provided). Students will also be given the opportunity to stay with a Chinese family as part of a short home-stay (weekend) experience.
A 3-day excursion to Beijing will complete the 3-week program. The Beijing component will include a tour of the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. Further activities in Beijing will be coordinated through the Beijing Language and Culture University. While in Beijing accommodations and meals will be provided.
A maximum of 20 students will be accepted to participate in this course. Registrations will be handled on a first come first served basis. Successful completion of the study tour (related academic and practical components) is worth 3 credits and will be accredited on a pass/fail basis. It should be noted that EFDN 498 is treated as an elective so students may wish to consult with their academic advisor regarding their program. Course tuition is NOT included in the cost of the study tour. Students have the opportunity to apply for a $1,000 CAD Travel Bursary. This money is administered through University of Regina International (URI) to students in good standing (academic record).
Assessment and coordination are the responsibility of the University of Regina’s Education instructor accompanying the tour. Costs associated with the Study Tour are set at $900 USD (to be finalized) per students, plus air fare and personal expenses.
Interested students should contact Ms. Li Liu at the following e-mail address: Li.Liu@uregina.ca
On Friday evening, the Education Student’s Society (ESS) hosted a Bowling Night for faculty, staff, and students. A large group turned out for the event to enjoy the food and fun provided. This was one of many events organized by our active ESS this year. Students have enjoyed pancake breakfasts, games, and galas, to name a few. These events are beneficial for bringing students from across disciplines together to get to know each other as well as allowing students to get to know the faculty and staff. If you don’t already, follow the ESS on Twitter @ureginaess or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ureginaess/
Beau Dixon in Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story (Fire Brand Theatre)Black History Month
Arts Education students enjoyed the one-man performance by Beau Dixon, “Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story” (Created and Performed by Beau Dixon, Lyrics and Music by Rob Fortin and Susan Newman, Directed by Linda Kash).
“This forty-five minute musical chronicles the life of Maurice Ruddick, an African Canadian who survived the historic mining disaster in Springhill, Nova Scotia in 1958. Ruddick – an African Canadian – was awarded “Citizen of the Year” for saving the lives of his fellow workers. Created and performed by Beau Dixon, with lyrics and music by Rob Fortin and Susan Newman, this one man show will recall the events of seven miners trapped one mile beneath a small mining town, the effect it had on their rural Canadian community and the racial tension that surfaced as a result. Book this original one-act play for your school, and participate in an educational story filled with tragedy, drama and comical – yet conflicting moments of hope and bravery.” (https://www.firebrandtheatre.com/)
Winter 2016 Pre-Internship Treaty Workshop for secondary education students began today. It will be held over two days, January 13 and 14th. Students will be instructed by the Office of the Treaty Commissioner representatives on topics such as History of Treaty Making, First Nations Elder Teachings, the Indian Act, Treaty Kits and On-line Resources, Worldwide Activities, and Incorporating Themes and Topics into Units and Lessons.
Pre-intern Meagan Dobson at the Witness Blanket with Grade 6 students
Education student Meagan Dobson viewed her 3-week pre-internship field experience in the Winter 2015 term as an opportunity to try out a discomforting topic: Treaty Education. “Treaty ed discomforted me because of my lack of experience with it. I saw my pre-internship as a safe environment for me to implement new things. If I made mistakes, that would be a learning experience,” she says. A safe environment was important, but Dobson also feels strongly about the topic: “I view it as an injustice to my students, to not provide that knowledge,” she says.
Dobson didn’t learn about treaties or First Nations history and culture until her Indigenous Studies 100 course at the University of Regina. She says, “Some faculties don’t think they need [Indigenous Studies], but I think it is important because students are not getting that information.”
ECS 210 course studies on anti-oppressive education were pivotal for Dobson: “I met a few professors that I connected with and developed strong personal and professional relationships, people I can have critical conversations with, people I can admit my flaws to and people who help me through that reflective process of how I can make myself better. Seeing their passion inspired passion in myself. This has a lot to do with my upbringing, a privileged life in an affluent neighborhood, [where I was ] never exposed to anyone outside of my circle. University was an eye-opening experience. Everyone in my experience up to that point viewed the world similarly. Having these revelations and knowing that I was denied this knowledge, made me ask ‘Why?'”
Resolving to reverse this injustice to students, Dobson included Treaty Education in her pre-internship plans: “I had an outcome that focussed on comparing and contrasting contemporary issues with their historical origins, specifically Indigenous colonization.” She felt it was important to trace the problem historically, in order to “touch the surface” of racism towards First Nations people today.
Dobson determined from the outset to take a relational standpoint. “I didn’t want to teach Treaty as a focus. I talked about relationships with the land and what that means to First Nations people, and what it means today in terms of Treaties,” she explains. “I wanted to approach it in a relational and neutral way to allow students to develop their own perspectives, to become passionate about it. I have a strong opinion, but I didn’t want to push that on them. I wanted them to establish their own understanding. I didn’t want them to feel I was imposing this on them, even though Treaty education is mandated in the curriculum by the government,” Dobson says.
Students engaged in simulations, to help them understand about the concepts of fair and unfair. “I broke promises, played games, so they could place themselves in the position of experiencing something unfair.” From there, students explored their questions about Treaties in Saskatchewan. “We talked about elders and their significance in our learning experiences…Elders have so much to offer,” says Dobson. “We talked about the Indian Act, to see shifts in Treaty promises; we talked about Residential Schools. The students really resonated with the residential school experience.” Students also engaged with the topic culture and identity loss.
Meagan Dobson with Grade 6 students in her 3-week pre-internship field experience
The Witness Blanket exhibit at the U of R was serendipitous. Dobson had originally planned to take students to the MacKenzie Art Gallery exhibit, “Moving Forward, Never Forgetting.” Dobson says, “I had gone with my peers two weeks before my pre-internship, and I was so emotionally moved by the exhibit on reconciliation, healing, and forgiveness. I was struggling about whether it was appropriate for Grade 6s…how would I feel if my child was exposed to that kind of knowledge. I knew it was important and I definitely think if I was a full time teacher I would have taken them, but we were too short of time for me to prepare students and unpack the emotional side.” Dobson wasn’t aware that the Witness Blanket was going to be on campus until the day after she cancelled the trip to the art gallery. “I found out the Witness Blanket was extended and it would be perfect so I coordinated with Keith Adolph and booked the Teaching Preparation Centre for the day. That way the kids were going to have a community-based experience, teaching them that learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom,” explains Dobson. She spent a great deal of time preparing the students in advance, with videos and discussions.
An emerging Elder-in-Residence at the U of R, Joseph Naytowhow, had impacted Dobson’s decision to approach Treaty Education in a relational way. “I did a personal interview with Joseph…he encouraged a gentle context and relational standpoint…He also uses art.” Relationships and art: These methods help to develop trust and to deepen ones ability to speak about difficult issues. “I did both of those things in my 3-week block. After visiting the Witness Blanket at the U of R, we spent the entire afternoon working on art, using that as a vehicle to express their perspective. There were choices to represent what they learned.” Students prepared a video of their experience, as part of their gesture of reconciliation. They made “I learned, I wish, I promise” statements. Seeing the Witness Blanket exhibit made the issues real for students. Dobson says many students commented that they had heard of residential schools and treaties but didn’t realize that it was something so prevalent today, with such an impact on society.
Of her pre-internship experience, Dobson says, “Overall, this experience has given me more confidence in an area that I felt weak in. I’m glad I took the risk, disrupting some of the narratives that are the classroom about White privilege, stereotypes, and racism….I didn’t get as far into my unit as I would have liked, but I gave them foundations that will help them scaffold into Treaty education in the future.”
Dobson says she didn’t always want to be a teacher. “I was an outgoing person in high school; I liked to get laughs out of my friends. If some of my high school teachers knew that I was coming to the U of R to become a teacher, they would be shocked!” She didn’t see herself as a teacher until she became a Big Sister with the YMCA. “I was working one-on-one with children, and then I knew [teaching] was for me.”
Field experiences are a big part of the Faculty of Education’s B.Ed. programs, and a great way to discover if teaching is for you.
Mapping Adult Education in Saskatchewan: The Stories
Five doctoral students, Juliet Bushi, Romina Bedogni Drago, Heather Fox Griffith, Pam Klein, and Titilayo Olayele in the Faculty of Education’s Adult Education Program chose to explore the topic of learning pathways to higher education for their group project in their fall 2015 EAHR 931 course with Dr. Cindy Hanson. They entitled their arts-based, participatory performance, “Mapping Adult Education in Saskatchewan: The Stories.”
Their task was to map sites of Adult Education in Saskatchewan, but after developing a comprehensive database and exploring how they might interpret the data, they realized that an important piece of the puzzle was missing: the non-formal learning pathways. To address this lack, they conducted case studies on the individual learning journeys that brought each presenter to the University of Regina, which they shared as part of their arts-based performance, extending their inquiry to include the stories of the students who were invited to attend, and thus, participate in the performance. Read more…
(L-R) Heather Fox Griffith, Romina Bedogni Drago, and Titilayo Olayele. Photo credit: Shuana Niessen
Five doctoral students, Juliet Bushi, Romina Bedogni Drago, Heather Fox Griffith, Pam Klein, and Titilayo Olayele in the Faculty of Education’s Adult Education Program chose to explore the topic of learning pathways to higher education for their group project in their fall 2015 EAHR 931 course with Dr. Cindy Hanson. They entitled their arts-based, participatory performance, “Mapping Adult Education in Saskatchewan: The Stories.”
Their task was to map sites of Adult Education in Saskatchewan, but after developing a comprehensive database and exploring how they might interpret the data, they realized that an important piece of the puzzle was missing: the non-formal learning pathways. To address this lack, they conducted case studies on the individual learning journeys that brought each presenter to the University of Regina, which they shared as part of their arts-based performance, extending their inquiry to include the stories of the students who were invited to attend, and thus, participate in the performance.
The group of presenters and participants
The diversity within the group of presenters and participants enriched the performance with a broad collection of cultural and international learning experiences: For example, one participant was born in Sudan, had spent time in England, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates before finally coming to Canada, to the University of Regina (U of R). Another followed in the footsteps of his son, who had come to the U of R from China, and whose experience at the University so piqued his interest, he decided to become a student here as well. Another had gathered the threads of her learning-pathway story as she travelled from Nigeria to Vancouver, BC, to Grande Prairie, AB, and finally to Regina, SK, to study at the U of R. Others who originated from Canada spoke of their international travels as significant informal learning, such as one student whose travel in the Czech Republic had transformed her thinking about her own abilities.
Titilayo Olayele presenting her woven hoop
As the presenters shared their learning-pathway stories through poetry and narrative, each presented a hand-made, woven hoop, and explained why they had chosen the colours and design, and then added their smaller hoops to the larger hoop, which represented the circular nature of their shared journeys and their own unique learning pathways. They organized the classroom into a sharing circle to represent the weaving together of the stories of both the performers and participants into the hoop. The final product with the pieces added by presenters was woven into an installation artwork.
The materials for the artwork are 100% natural, with cashmere merino blend wool used for weaving, and sage green burlap for the province-shaped centre. This work of art will be placed in the Faculty of Education for viewing.
Mapping Adult Education in Saskatchewan: The Stories–Installation Artwork
To view the project and read the poetry and narratives of the group, visit www.mappingadulted.ca
The web site also details their research process and methodology and offers a database of adult education opportunities in Saskatchewan.
SUNTEP students Alicia Reiss and Daylyn Benoit presented a workshop entitled “Schools: Past, Present, and Future: Reflecting on Colonial History of the Past, Assessing our Current Education System, and Determining Strategies for Decolonization” on Tuesday, October 27. They began the presentation reflecting on their own experiences of negative stereotyping and essentialization in the education system, which prevented them from fully embracing their rich heritage and cultural identities as First Nation and Métis people.
After their reflections, Alicia and Daylyn conducted a workshop that gave participants the opportunity to post a card with aspects of either “Culturally Relevant” or “Critical Anti-Racist” education on their respective squares on the wall. This activity was presented to Alicia and Daylyn this past Friday at the SAFE conference in Saskatoon by Dr. Verna St. Denis (U of S) and Dr. Carol Schick (U of R). It helped participants identify the difference between cultural relevance in curriculum and strategies for addressing power inequities in the classroom. The bottom squares of the wall were actions and excuses of non-Indigenous peoples that allow them to forgo responsibility for teaching about Indigenous history and culture, and addressing harmful stereotypes and power inequities. Alicia emphasized the importance of being “willing to learn and unlearn together,” to unpack the sometimes subtle and not-so-subtle forms of racism in education.
Their presentation was peppered with quotes from bell hooks, Verna St. Denis, and Peggy McIntosh. The students also stressed that Indigenous education should not be optional, but should be as much a part of the curriculum as math is. Alicia and Daylyn offered options for decolonizing teaching, such as the Blanket Exercise and an image of the Métis Two Row Wampum (click through photos below to see a Wampum), which is art that follows two parallel lines that complement each other, while remaining separate. Alicia noted that the Faculty of Education is currently producing a Blanket Exercise contextualized for Treaty 4 territory, which she feels will be beneficial to the communities that live here.
Winter 2016 Pre-Internship Treaty Workshop for secondary education students began today. It will be held over two days, January 13 and 14th. Students will be instructed by the Office of the Treaty Commissioner representatives on topics such as History of Treaty Making, First Nations Elder Teachings, the Indian Act, Treaty Kits and On-line Resources, Worldwide Activities, and Incorporating Themes and Topics into Units and Lessons.
