A newly released fact sheet produced by the national EdCan Network of educators entitled How can schools support LGBTQ2 students? aims to quell the polarizing sex-ed and gender identity curriculum debates raging across Canada by equipping parents, teachers and administrators with four evidence-based tips on how to build safer and more inclusive schools for all students.
Authored by renowned sexual and gender minority youth expert Dr. Kristopher Wells, this hands-on and timely resource sets clear expectations and empowers entire school communities to create respectful, welcoming, inclusive and safe working and learning environments.
As Dr. Wells asserts in this fact sheet, “Recent research indicates that the vast majority of Canadian teachers (85%) now support LGBTQ2-inclusive education,” although he outlines that “many report not yet having the knowledge or training to feel confident in creating safer and more inclusive schools for LGBTQ2 youth.”
“With the ongoing controversies over sexuality, gender identity and sexual orientation-related policies, procedures and curriculum, we’re providing a concise and authoritative source of information to parents, trustees and educators, who are often exposed to conflicting opinions about this issue,” says Max Cooke, EdCan Network Interim CEO.
In addition to the downloadable copy of the fact sheet, available at www.edcan.ca/lgbtq2, also included are several practical resources available to support parents and teachers in building their knowledge and confidence on this subject matter.
This fact sheet was made possible with the generous financial support of the Desjardins Foundation and the Canadian Schools Boards’ Association.
A newly released fact sheet produced by the EdCan Network entitled “How do we teach students to identify fake news?” equips teachers with four key tips for teaching students to identify intentionally misleading news in a “post-truth” era where we’re increasingly influenced by emotions and beliefs over factual information.
“With blurred lines between fake news and authentic journalism, we’re providing clarity to educators, parents and students grappling with what and who to believe when polarizing public debates unfold,” says Max Cooke, EdCan Network Interim CEO.
Authored by renowned media literacy expert Dr. Alec Couros, this hands-on and timely resource positions teachers as catalysts for upholding “truth” – a fundamental tenet of democracy and civic engagement.
“Fake news is frequently designed to trick us into believing a lie,” says Dr. Alec Couros. “Educators play a more urgent role in helping youth develop the skills needed to live, learn and lead in our increasingly complex world.”
Download a printable copy of the fact sheet for free, including other practical resources, at: www.edcan.ca/fake-news
This fact sheet was made possible with the generous financial support of the Desjardins Foundation and the Canadian Schools Boards’ Association.
The EdCan Network is pleased to honour Dr. Brooke Madden – Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education – as the Ph.D.-level category recipient of the 2018 Pat Clifford Award for Early Career Research in Education. This prestigious award recognizes Dr. Madden’s exceptional leadership in designing pre-service teacher training that challenges students to consider how race, ancestry, gender and geography – among other identity-based factors – influence Indigenous -settler relations and engagement in truth and reconciliation education.
As a former classroom science teacher in Sioux Lookout and Thunder Bay, Dr. Madden realized how the colonialist perspective of her teacher training lacked relevance to the learning contexts of Anishinaabe and urban Indigenous students who, in some cases, were highly connected to their First Nations culture, Traditional Knowledge and land-based practices. This experience, coupled with commitment to honour her Indigenous and settler ancestries in ways that acknowledge privilege and resist cultural appropriation, fuelled her passion to rethink, reform and decolonize initial teacher education and university course design. As an emergent scholar and member of the University of Alberta’s Aboriginal Teacher Education Program Research Collective, Dr. Madden has mobilized research nationally on the importance of understanding and challenging the underlying theories and assumptions of reconciliation– including its complex histories, initiatives, partnerships, goals, policies and critiques – for educators to effectively pursue the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
The Pat Clifford Award Selection Committee praised Dr. Madden’s highly creative approach to mentoring emerging scholars and teachers, especially her use of “walking interviews” (walking with early-career teachers in a location that best represented their passion for teaching and for Indigenous education).
“Almost all teachers led me to places outside of school, places that are typically considered ‘nature.’ It sparked insightful conversations about their challenges, sources of inspiration and goals for furthering their practice – all while underscoring Indigenous Knowledge as inseparable from land and spirituality,” explains Dr. Madden.
In her article, “Tracing spectres of whiteness: discourse and the construction of teaching subjects in urban Aboriginal education,” Dr. Madden boldly questions the absence of discussions on race within Indigenous education. She demonstrates how whiteness, Eurocentrism and patriarchy shape how teachers engage with Indigenous peoples and learning resources. Building awareness on these influences impacts teachers’ professional identity as they work towards respectful engagement during this unprecedented era of critical questioning, collaboration and capacity building in Indigenous education.
“Brooke’s research makes critical contributions to Indigenous education, teacher education and decolonizing education,” says Dr. Heather Kanuka, Full Professor at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education and Chair of the Pat Clifford Award Selection Committee. “We felt that her work has the potential to shift our current approach to pre-service teacher training, which is vital to advancing progress on truth and reconciliation.”
Madden, B. (2017). Tracing spectres of whiteness: Discourse and the construction of teaching subjects in urban Aboriginal education. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 38(5), 642-658.
Madden, B. (2015). Pedagogical pathways for Indigenous education with/in teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 51, 1-15.
Madden, B. (2014). Coming full circle: White, Euro-Canadian teachers’ positioning, understanding doing, honouring, and knowing in school-based Aboriginal education. in Education, 20(1), 57-81.
Higgins, M. & Madden, B. (2017). (Not So) Monumental agents: De/Colonizing places of learning. Canadian Social Studies, 49(1), 34-38.
Higgins, M., Madden, B., Bérard, M.-F., Lenz Kothe, E., & Nordstrom, S. (2016). De/signing research in education: Patchwork(ing) methodologies with theory. Educational Studies. A Journal of the American Educational Studies Association, 43(1), 16-39.
Higgins, M., Madden, B., & Korteweg, L. (2015). Witnessing (halted) deconstruction: White teachers’ ‘perfect stranger’ position in urban Indigenous education. Race Ethnicity and Education, 18(2), 251-276.
Lenz Kothe, E., Higgins, M., Stiegler, S., Bérard, M.-F., & Madden, B. (2015). A quick guide to speed-dating theorists through thinking with theory in qualitative research: Viewing data across multiple perspectives. Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education/Revue Canadienne des Jeunes Chercheures et Chercheurs en Education, 6(1), 68-78.
Madden, B., Higgins, M., & Korteweg, L. (2013). “Role models can’t just be on posters”: Re/membering barriers to Indigenous community engagement. Canadian Journal of Education, 36(2), 211-247.
Madden, B. & McGregor, H. (2013). Ex(er)cising student voice in pedagogy for decolonizing: Exploring complexities through duoethnography. Review of Education, Pedagogy and Cultural Studies, 35(5), 371-391.
McGregor, H., Madden, B., Higgins, M., & Ostertag, J. (2018). Braiding designs for decolonizing research methodologies: Theory, practice, ethics. Reconceptualizing Educational Research Methodology.
Madden, B. (in press). Hybrid encounters: First Peoples principles of learning and teachers’ constructions of Aboriginal education and educator. In S. Carr-Stewart & J. Ottmann (Eds.), Promises & issues: Indigenous education in Canada. Vancouver, BC: UBC Press.
Higgins, M. & Madden, B. (2018). (Not Idling at) the flâneur in Indigenous education: Towards being and becoming community. In A. Cutcher & R. L. Irwin (Eds.), The flâneur and educational research: A metaphor for knowing, being ethical, and new data production. Movement as method/practice/praxis: The ‘not so idle flâneur’. Cham, CH: Palgrave Pivot.
Madden, B. & Glanfield, F. (2017). Research in Indigenizing teacher education. In D. J. Clandinin & J. Husu (Eds.), Handbook of research on teacher education. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Madden, B. (2018). Review of Visioning a Mi’kmaw humanities: Indigenizing the academy. The Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 37(2), 193-196.
Madden, B. (2016). (Un)Becoming teacher of school-based Aboriginal education: Early career teachers, teacher identity, and Aboriginal education across institutions. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Madden, B. (2016). “Hands back, hands forward”: Passing traditional teachings to younger generations. The quad: Where UAlberta meets online. Retrieved from https://blog.ualberta.ca/consider-this-hands-back-hands-forward-passing-traditional-teachings-to-younger-generations-ae8f40202bae
Hare, J., Madden, B., Higgins, M., Young, A., Wager, A., & Mashon, D., (2012). Teaching for Indigenous education. Retrieved from http://www.indigenouseducation.educ.ubc.ca/
Has your learning program made a positive impact on previously disengaged and disadvantaged students so that they connect with local and global cultural and environmental issues to develop a strong sense of ownership in their learning?
For ten years, the Ken Spencer Award has discovered and profiled courageous classroom innovators who have made learning relevant and exciting by providing students with the autonomy and flexibility to think critically and solve real-world problems.
Seven cash awards totalling $15,000 are available to be won for your school.
Check out our award-winning programs from last year for inspiration and apply today!
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROGRAM IN 250 WORDS OR LESS
This could be your year to receive the recognition and validation that you and your colleagues deserve to honour your courage and perseverance.
Winning entries will be profiled nationally – to encourage peer-to-peer learning – in Education Canada Magazine (articles, Podcast interviews and opinion pieces). For ten years, we’ve seen the lasting positive impact that this award can bring to educators and their schools.
The deadline to submit your Stage 1 online application form – which will include a summary of your program in 250 words or less – is 5pm (Pacific Time) November 5, 2018.
For details on how you can apply, please visit: www.edcan.ca/kenspenceraward
The EdCan Network is pleased to honour Sandra Becker – third-year Ph.D. candidate at the University of Calgary’s Werklund School of Education – as the first-ever Master’s-level category recipient of the Pat Clifford Award for Early Career Research in Education in recognition of her exceptional leadership in addressing evidence gaps on Makerspaces as drivers of both teacher and student engagement.
Leveraging her 33 years of experience as a former classroom teacher and teacher librarian in Alberta, Becker collaborated with fellow educators to transition a school library into a learning commons equipped with a Makerspace. Through this experience, it became apparent the empowering impact this had on teacher and student learning – but also the one-off and add-on nature of Makerspace clubs and projects that remained separate from the curriculum. As a doctoral student, Sandra Becker has since mobilized research nationally and internationally on integrating Makerspaces into complex school settings, with the goal of creating a widely-adopted Makerspace implementation and assessment framework that has the potential to embed Makerspaces into K-12 core subjects – including science, math, social studies, and language arts – while positioning teachers as designers of learning.
As co-investigator of “How can I build a model if I don’t know the answer to the question?”: Developing teacher and sky scientist ontologies through making, recently submitted for publication, Sandra Becker boldly and successfully collaborated with a Grade 6 teacher to design, implement, and reflect on a sky science Makerspace project that enhanced students’ abilities to develop their own questions, build models to answer those questions, and embody the role of scientists. The study further highlights substantial insights for teachers in gaining a deep understanding of how their students learn, in addition to empowering teachers to adapt their teaching practice accordingly while designing innovative learning experiences. Becker is also collaborating as part of the same research project to explore how teachers move between “two worlds” – the traditional schooling approach of curricular outcomes and provincial exams, and the innovative approach to school that is hands-on and student-driven.
“Teachers sometimes don’t give themselves credit – or they simply aren’t given any credit – to design rich learning opportunities for their students,” explains Sandra Becker. “Teacher-designed Makerspaces are not only empowering but also allow teachers to assess their own practice while better meeting students’ unique learning needs. To do this, schools need a supportive instructional lead who can manage new technologies and guide teachers to take risks, try new things, and learn from their mistakes.”
The Pat Clifford Award Selection Committee lauded the timeliness and originality of Sandra Becker’s work, including her strong commitment to community engagement and knowledge mobilization.
“After a distinguished career in public education, Ms. Becker holds exceptional research career promise and already has a highly productive and impactful track record, says Dr. Heather Kanuka, Full Professor at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education and Chair of the Pat Clifford Award Selection Committee. “Our Committee felt that her work has the potential to inform teachers’ professional learning and provoke greater student engagement in Makerspaces across the curriculum.”
Becker, S., Ko, G., Czuy, K., Groen, J., Kim, M., & Roy, S. (Forthcoming). “Like bubbles floating on the surface”: Reflections on transcultural doctoral seminar participation. Journal of Educational Thought.
Becker, S. (2016). Developing pedagogy for the creation of a school makerspace: Building on constructionism, design thinking, and the Reggio Emilia approach. Journal of Educational Thought, 49(2), 192-209.
Becker, S. & Jacobsen, M. “How can I build a model if I don’t know the answer to the question?”: Developing student and teacher sky scientist ontologies through making. (Under review). Journal of Science and Mathematics Education 2019 Special Issue on Maker-centred Science and Mathematics Education: Learning, Teaching and Environment Design.
Becker, S. & Yin, M. Y. (Forthcoming). A tale of two scholars: Developing transculturally through dialogue and writing. Emerging Perspectives.
Dressler, R., Becker, S., Kawalilak, C., & Arthur, N. (Forthcoming). The crosscultural reflection model for post-sojourn debriefing. Reflective Practice.
Arthur, N., Becker, S., Crossman, K., Dressler, R., & Kawalilak, C. (Under review). Pre-service teachers and study abroad experiences: Don’t forget about them when they come home. Teaching and Teacher Education.
From sexuality and gender identity education to supporting student and teacher well-being, the implications of cannabis legalization and teaching the legacy of residential schools, this is not your parents’ classroom. It seems like every month, more complex issues emerge that our educators are tasked with.
Our trusted network of experts helps build understanding of how to deal with these challenges. We’re the “honest broker” between researchers, educators, stakeholder groups and parents to help unpack these issues based on what the evidence says. Through our magazine, events, research, fact sheets and e-newsletters, we go beyond the headlines and social media posts to help you make sense of Canadian education.
But with traditional public sector support shrinking for organizations like ours, we need your help to continue offering high-quality content that helps you understand how research and policies affect students’ learning – now and in the future.
We know that you’re inundated with requests for support. As the independent national voice in Canadian K-12 education, we’re not afraid to tackle the most challenging and contentious issues. If you share the values that fuel our relentless drive to amplify research and proven practices that level the playing field and ensure that all students receive the public education they deserve, please consider supporting the important work that we do with an annual membership.
Become a member now and use Promo Code BTS2018
*applies to new memberships only
In an effort to implement the recommendations for education contained in the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, provincial school systems are developing curricula that incorporates Indigenous perspectives respectfully and accurately for all students. But non-Indigenous educators, who’ve had limited learning experiences in their own schooling about Indigenous cultures, histories and issues, are now grappling with the fear of “getting it wrong” for their students. But a B.C.-based learning community model in Kelowna demonstrates how non-Indigenous educators can envelop students in a network of Indigenous teachers, adult advocates and the wider community to curtail Indigenous student dropout rates while immersing non-Indigenous students in Traditional Knowledge.
The Indigenous graduation rate has risen from 66% to 77% in six years at Mount Boucherie Secondary in West Kelowna, B.C, which has a high percentage of students with Indigenous ancestry. Educators have attested that culture is medicine, and that immersing students in land-based activities, First Nations-centred courses, the local Okanagan language and traditional drumming and talking circles has given them a sense of pride and a will to succeed.
This report provides practical examples complete with video testimonials from students and teachers on how the Academy of Indigenous Studies has built lasting relationships with local First Nations communities – demonstrating how existing provincial course offerings can be leveraged to create a for-credit learning track that allows Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to learn about Indigenous cultures throughout their entire high school journeys.
“We have well-intentioned, non-Indigenous educators across the country who are afraid of not teaching this material respectfully and authentically,” says Darren Googoo, Chair of the EdCan Network, a pan-Canadian collective of education leaders. “But doing nothing is also wrong, and this approach allows educators to effectively mobilize reconciliation in their schools right now.”
To access the full report and videos, please visit: www.edcan.ca/academy-report
New EdCan Network case study research report entitled The Rural Advantage: Rallying Communities Around Our Students calls on school-community leaders to consider a made-in-Canada approach that raises literacy rates, prevents early school leaving and breathes life back into small towns.
It’s an all-too-common scenario in Canada’s rural communities. Parents who struggle to read and write. Household incomes and unemployment rates that fall below the national average. Students with special needs who require a speech pathologist or a teaching assistant, but don’t get one. Schools at risk for closure and dwindling community services as young people dropout of school or opt for brighter opportunities in the big city. But these trends can be reversed with a “community ecosystem approach”: a Canadian-developed, step-by-step process for developing school-community partnerships that can reduce student dropout rates in rural and disadvantaged schools and municipalities.
“Our grade-four French-language success scores have risen from 50% to 98% in only five years,” says Sylvain Tremblay, principal of both an elementary school and a high school in Saint-Paul-de-Montminy, Quebec. “Instead of working in silos, we engaged parents, kids, teachers and community partners to collectively lead activities that increase the language skills of toddlers and encourage the academic and social success of our children and young adults.”
This guidebook was originally developed with the support of CTREQ – a Quebec-based research and knowledge mobilization centre – and provides a practical toolkit and worksheets for school and community leaders to create their own unique program, including guidance on how to engage hard-to-reach families, classrooms, schools, and whole communities.
“Schools can’t afford to work in isolation from the families and communities where their students live and grow up,” says Darren Googoo, Chair of the EdCan Network, a pan-Canadian collective of education leaders. “This approach isn’t about overloading busy educators; rather, it’s about community leaders rallying around a literacy action plan that leverages existing resources and strengthens existing efforts.”
This initiative is generously sponsored by State Farm Canada, which shares EdCan Network’s commitment to supporting leaders who are transforming Canada’s public education system.
From students managing farms and marketing organic products while re-engaging in a Worldview First Nation perspective, to tackling bee extinction, to leveraging art as a tool for activism and for portraying scientific concepts, to thriving inclusive and equitable classrooms, this year’s diverse group of winning programs all exemplify the value of learning through trial and error.
The 2017-2018 Ken Spencer Awards showcase how teachers can provide students with the autonomy and flexibility to take their learning to the land; to use technology as a tool for equity; to explore Indigenous-centred perspectives and to blend art, science and social justice to focus on real-world problems.
Download and print the booklet.
Delta School District
Delta, B.C.
First Nations Regional Adult Education Centre
Kahnawake, Que.
Georges Vanier Secondary School (Toronto District School Board)
Toronto, Ont.
Vanier College
Saint-Laurent, Que.
Tredway Woodsworth Public School (Toronto District School Board)
Toronto, Ont.
Robert Bateman Secondary School (Abbotsford School District)
Abbotsford, B.C.
Wexford Public School/Hearing Itinerant Department (Toronto District School Board)
Toronto, Ont.
Ken Spencer Award recognition ceremonies are being planned in the school communities of the seven winners. This is the ninth year of this award, and the EdCan Network would like to thank the 95 school and school district staff for their time and effort in the preparation of this year’s award applications.
The Ken Spencer Award for Innovation in Teaching and Learning was established with the generous contribution of Dr. Ken Spencer to recognize and publicize innovative work that is sustainable and has the potential of being taken up by others; to encourage a focus on transformative change in schools; and to provide profile for classroom innovation within school districts, schools, and the media.
Are you or someone you know contributing to innovative education research by revisiting commonly held assumptions in education policy, practice or theory in Canada?
For ten years, the Pat Clifford Award has raised the profile of emerging researchers by showcasing their groundbreaking work with our national network of education leaders.
Two Pat Clifford Awards will be discerned – one for a PhD-level researcher and the other for a Master’s-level researcher.
This multimedia follow-up report from the EdCan Network’s Educator Well-Being: A Key to Student Success Symposium, which took place last October in Toronto, includes presentation recaps and videos of the latest research and good practices for ensuring the well-being of students, teachers, principals, and education leaders.
Two days of engaging keynotes, panel discussions and workshops inspired attendees to answer the following questions:
Check out our special edition of Education Canada magazine on ‘Educator Well-Being.’ |
Dr. Osmond-Johnson’s research reveals the benefits of teachers assuming leadership roles in designing their own PD and influencing school improvement, and it has the potential to redefine the teaching profession while heightening the quality of instructional practices and learning.
TORONTO – November 9, 2017 – The EdCan Network is pleased to honour Dr. Pamela Osmond-Johnson – Assistant Professor of Educational Administration at the University of Regina – as the recipient of the 2017 Pat Clifford Award for Early Career Research in Education. This prestigious award recognizes her extensive research around teacher professional development (PD) across Canada, which has the potential to reform policies in support of equitable, job-embedded and teacher-driven professional learning.
During Dr. Osmond-Johnson’s ten years of teaching in Newfoundland and Labrador, it became apparent the limited time, resources and support that teachers were granted to guide their own professional learning based on their unique classroom needs. This experience fuelled her motivation to elevate teacher voice within school systems. Dr. Osmond-Johnson has since collaborated on numerous high-profile research projects and hopes to eventually establish a national platform that will provide key data on teacher professional learning opportunities across the country.
As co-investigator of The State of Professional Learning in Canada, Dr. Osmond-Johnson is working with a team of researchers to study teacher PD across Canada. The group has undertaken case studies in British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta and explores teachers’ experiences and level of autonomy in directing their own learning. The study further highlights the significant role that teachers’ unions can play in providing high-quality PD – indeed a tool for school improvement – which challenges the body of research that characterizes these unions as barriers to educational change. She is also spearheading a research project in Saskatchewan that explores the Facilitator Community, an initiative where classroom teachers develop and deliver PD for their fellow educators. Internationally, Dr. Osmond-Johnson has contributed to a comparative study of teacher PD policies and practices in Canada, Finland, China, Singapore and Australia.
“Teachers learn best when they collaborate with their peers,” explains Dr. Osmond-Johnson. “To do this, teachers need professional learning integrated into their daily classroom practice where they self-assess their practice to improve their own teaching and learning. This is especially true for teachers living in remote locations and who are in short-term contracts, as well as early career and francophone teachers, who are less likely to have these opportunities.”
The Pat Clifford Award Selection Committee was impressed with the relevancy and originality of Dr. Osmond-Johnson’s work, including her determined efforts to scale her research to a pan-Canadian and international level.
“Dr. Osmond-Johnson maintains teacher professionalism as a central tenet of student success, and her research revealing the gaps that exist in access to high-quality professional learning underpins a significant avenue for improving quality of teaching and learning,” says Dr. Michele Jacobsen, Professor and Associate Dean at the University of Calgary’s Werklund School of Education, and Chair of the Pat Clifford Award Selection Committee.
Dr. Osmond-Johnson is co-author of Empowered Educators in Canada, which debuted as #1 ‘Hot New Release’ and #1 Best Seller in educational administration textbooks on Amazon.ca
To access additional The State of Professional Learning in Canada research publications, please visit: https://www.learningforward.org/publications/canada-study
The Pat Clifford Award recognizes the work of emerging researchers – their research contributions, their promise, and their commitment to breaking new ground or revisiting commonly held assumptions in education policy, practice or theory in Canada.
Pat Clifford was one of the co-founders of The Galileo Educational Network, which is based in Calgary, Alberta. Pat had an extensive teaching background from primary through graduate level, and was the recipient of numerous awards for both research and teaching practice. Pat passed away in August of 2008 but she left a gift to us in her teaching, scholarly writing, poetry and stories. As a teacher, Pat was steadfast in her belief that each child had the right to succeed brilliantly, and brought to them her own love of literature, writing and history. This award is dedicated to her memory.
TORONTO – November 3, 2017 – As the leading independent national voice in Canadian K-12 education, the CEA/EdCan Network is pleased to announce that Darren Googoo has been elected Chair of the Board of Directors. Darren has been the Director of Education for Membertou – a Mi’kmaw First Nation community – for 19 years. He also serves as Chair of the Council on Mi’kmaw Education, and Chair of the Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board.
The 2017-2018 CEA/EdCan Network Board of Directors (from left to right) Dr. Alexander (Sandy McDonald, Yves Saint-Maurice, Dean Shareski, Roger Paul, Anne MacPhee, Darren Googoo, Rob Adley and Peter L. McCreath
The following leaders from the K-12, post-secondary, and corporate sectors – who share a commitment to supporting the thousands of courageous educators working tirelessly to ensure that all students discover their place, purpose and path – were also elected to serve on the CEA/EdCan Network’s 2017-2018 Board of Directors:
2017-2018 CEA/EdCan Network Board of Directors |
Darren Googoo, Chair Director of Education, Membertou First Nation, Membertou, NS |
Yves Saint-Maurice, Vice-Chair Lecturer, Université Laval Président sortant, Association canadienne d’éducation de langue française (ACELF), Quebec City, QC |
Anne MacPhee, Treasurer, Toronto, ON |
Roger Paul, Past Chair Directeur général, Fédération nationale des conseils francophones, Ottawa, ON |
Rob Adley Vice President, Pre-Sales & Solutions Architecture, HP Enterprise Group, Hewlett-Packard (Canada) Co., Mississauga, ON |
Denise Andre Director of Education, Ottawa Catholic District School Board, Ottawa, ON |
Dr. Michele Jacobsen Professor and Associate Dean, Graduate Programs in Education Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB |
Chris Kennedy Superintendent, West Vancouver School District, West Vancouver, BC |
Dr. Alexander (Sandy) MacDonald Vice-president and Chief Learning Officer, Holland College, Charlottetown, PEI |
Peter L. McCreath Executive Chairman and Managing Director, PLMC, Hubbards, NS |
Dean Shareski Community Manager, Discovery Education Canada, Moose Jaw, SK |
The EdCan Network Advisory Council provides a forum for expression of countrywide issues and trends in education and advises the Board on the direction and priorities for the Network. Council members provide visibility and act as advocates for the EdCan Network within their respective professional communities. They are drawn from all regions of the country and serve a three-year term, which may be renewable for a second three-year term.
The following individuals will serve on the CEA/EdCan Network’s 2017-2018 Advisory Council:
2017-2018 CEA/EdCan Network Advisory Council |
Rob Adley* Vice President, Pre-Sales and Solutions Architecture, HP Enterprise Group, Hewlett-Packard (Canada) Co., Mississauga, ON |
Denise Andre* Director of Education, Ottawa Catholic District School Board, Ottawa, ON |
Michel Bernard Secrétaire général, Association des directions générales des commissions scolaires (ADIGECS), Sherbrooke, QC |
Lyne Chantal Boudreau Professeure en administration de l’éducation et chercheure, Université de Moncton (campus de Shippagan) Shippigan, NB |
Dr. Monique Brodeur Doyenne, Faculté des sciences de l’éducation, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC |
Duane Brothers Superintendent of Schools, Louis Riel School Division, Winnipeg, MB |
Dr. Steve Cardwell Associate Vice President – Academic, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Delta, BC |
Michael Chechile Director General, Lester B Pearson School Board, Dorval, QC |
Janice Ciavaglia Acting Director of Education, Assembly of First Nations, Ottawa, ON |
Curtis Clarke Deputy Minister, Alberta Education, Edmonton, AB |
Paul Cuthbert Education Leadership Consultant, Cuthbert Consulting, Gimli, MB |
Michael Furdyk Director of Technology, Taking IT Global, Toronto, ON |
Darren Googoo*, Chair Director of Education, Membertou First Nation, Membertou, NS |
Cassandra Hallett DaSilva Secretary General, Canadian Teachers’ Federation, Ottawa, ON |
Dr. Michele Jacobsen* Associate Professor, Associate Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB |
Kevin Kaardal Superintendent of Schools/CEO, Central Okanagan Public Schools (School District 23), Kelowna, BC |
Dr. Heather Kanuka Full Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB |
Chris Kennedy* Superintendent, West Vancouver School District, West Vancouver, BC |
Marie-France Kenny Owner/Consultant, MFK Solutions and Management Consulting, Regina, SK |
Normand Lessard Directeur général, Commission scolaire Beauce-Etchemin (CSBE), Saint-Georges, QC |
Anne MacPhee*, Treasurer, Toronto, ON |
Dr. Alexander Sandy MacDonald* Vice-president and Chief Learning Officer, Holland College, Charlottetown, PEI |
Peter L. McCreath* Executive Chairman and Managing Director, PLMC, Hubbards, NS |
Catherine McCullough President, CMC Leadership, Orillia, ON |
Darren McKee Executive Director, Saskatchewan School Boards Association, Regina, SK |
Sandra McKenzie Deputy Minister, Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Halifax, NS |
John McLaughlin Deputy Minister, New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Fredericton, NB |
Donna Miller Fry Assistant Director of Education (Programs/Western Region), Newfoundland and Labrador English School District, Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador |
Brian O’Leary Superintendent, Seven Oaks School Division, Winnipeg, MB |
Roger Paul*, Past Chair Directeur général, Fédération nationale des conseils scolaires francophones, Ottawa, ON |
Darrin G. Pike Administrative Officer, Programs and Services, Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association, St. John’s, NL |
Gérald Richard Sous-ministre, Ministère de l’éducation et développement de la petite enfance, Fredericton, NB |
Cynthia Richards President, Canadian Home and School Federation, Chipman, NB |
Bruce Rodrigues Deputy Minister, Ontario Ministry of Education, Toronto, ON |
Christian Rousseau Sous-ministre adjoint par intérim, Relations extérieures et services aux anglophones et aux autochtones Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur du Québec, Québec, QC |
Bernard Roy Retired Directeur de l’éducation, Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est, Ottawa, ON |
Yves Saint-Maurice*, Vice-Chair Lecturer, Université Laval Président sortant, Association canadienne d’éducation de langue française (ACELF), Quebec City, QC |
Dean Shareski Community Manager, Discovery Education Canada, Moose Jaw, SK |
Dr. Kate Tilleczek Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI |
Dianne Turner Official Trustee, Vancouver School Board, Vancouver, BC |
Susan Willis Deputy Minister, PEI Department of Education, Early Learning and Culture, Charlottetown, PEI |
James Wilson Deputy Minister, Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning, Winnipeg, MB |
Rob Wood Deputy Minister, Yukon Department of Education, Whitehorse, YT |
*CEA/EdCan Network Director
For more information about these Advisory Council Members, please visit: www.edcan.ca/council
Pour en savoir davantage sur les membres de notre Conseil consultatif, veuillez visiter le site : www.edcan.ca/council
About the EdCan Network
Brought to you by the Canadian Education Association, the EdCan Network is the independent national organization with over 75,000 members working tirelessly to ensure that all students discover their place, purpose and path.
To learn more about the work of EdCan Network, please visit www.edcan.ca and follow our Twitter feed at @EdCanNet
Contact: Max Cooke, CEA Director of Communications (bilingual)
Tel: 416-427-6454 E-mail: mcooke@edcan.ca Twitter: @max_cooke
Toronto – Oct. 27th, 2017 – The EdCan Network is pleased to announce that the Academy of Indigenous Studies has been selected to participate in the 2017 Indigenous ‘Innovation that Sticks’ Dropout Prevention Research Program. As part of this initiative, a researcher from the EdCan Network will visit West Kelowna, B.C. to explore how this innovative team of educators from Mount Boucherie Secondary School have succeeded in raising the high school graduation rate for Indigenous students from 55% in 2011 to 78% in 2017. This is the highest 6-year Indigenous completion rate in the province, and the program is expanding rapidly to reach the district’s over 2200 Indigenous learners.
Teachers of the program have built a ‘learning community’ that uses team teaching, self-directed professional learning, and shared goal setting to meet each student’s unique needs and encourage cultural pride. Classes are offered to students in grades 10-12 in Indigenous history, literature, leadership, culture, art and Okanagan language, which incorporate the knowledge of Elders and community members of Westbank First Nation. Similar courses already exist within many provinces’ curricula, and could be readily offered by schools across Canada. This ‘learning community’ convenes regularly to discuss student progress, proactively address behavioural challenges, and plan land-based outings to engage students in traditional Okanagan ceremonies.
“The Academy of Indigenous Studies leverages the community’s traditional knowledge to light a learning spark in Indigenous students,” says Darren Googoo, Chair of the EdCan Network. “Our network of education changemakers looks forward to dissecting what makes this program so successful and to sharing our analysis with school districts across the country.”
This program emerged as a timely response to alarmingly high dropout rates among Indigenous learners in this school district, which was ahead of the curve in incorporating Indigenous content into the classroom long before the release of the BC Ministry of Education’s 2016-2017 revised curricula, which mandates this in every school. Barriers to success confronted by these students include substance addiction, family strain, social struggles and feelings of disconnect from their First Nations cultures. Students often enter high school anxious, disengaged, emotionally distraught and held back from their full potential. Engaging students with Elders and community mentors, as well as teaching them about their culture and language has spoken to students’ hearts and minds, and has allowed them to soar to their graduation ceremony.
“Our Academy connects educators interested in decolonizing our educational system for all students,” says Kyla Winacott, teacher of Indigenous Leadership at Mount Boucherie Secondary School. “If we are able to come together and allow our students to feel valued, hopeful and worthy, we can help them see graduation as a meaningful pathway to a confident future.”
Central Okanagan Public Schools will receive a $5,000 contribution on Monday, October 30th courtesy of initiative sponsor State Farm Canada to grow its activities and extend its impact. Program leaders will share their implementation process and lessons learned with an EdCan Network researcher throughout that week, who will produce a case study report that will provide practical guidelines for educators tasked with improving Indigenous student outcomes in their schools.
For more details about this program, please visit: www.edcan.ca/innovationthatsticks
About the Indigenous ‘Innovation that Sticks’ Case Study Research Program on School Dropout Prevention
Since 2015, the EdCan Network’s ‘Innovation that Sticks’ research approach and reports have provided concrete guidance and support to school district leaders faced with the challenge of determining how they can get their own “innovations to stick” and achieve their goals. In 2017-2018, our case study research program will focus on one alternative dropout prevention program for Indigenous learners.
From an elementary school transformed into a vibrant mini-society, to students from different grades and cultural perspectives tackling complex problems facing their communities, these programs have won innovation awards because they empower young learners to understand how they can play a role in solving real-world challenges now, and in the future.
The 2016-2017 CEA Ken Spencer Awards recognize the benefits of team-teaching, multi-grade classrooms, and students connecting with local businesses, organizations and community institutions as supportive learning environments that break down cultural barriers. These programs encourage students’ self-discovery that there’s more to life – and to their futures – than getting good grades.
“These leading-edge approaches shatter the long-held myth that sitting seven hours a day in age-based classrooms in bricks-and-mortar schools is the best way for our kids to prepare themselves to be life-long learners in our society,” says Ron Canuel, CEA President and CEO. “When teachers and students are granted the trust and autonomy to take risks, learn from each other, and decide how and where they learn best, powerful life-affirming experiences can happen.”
Ken Spencer Award recognition ceremonies are being planned in the school communities of the seven winners. This is the eighth year of this award, and the CEA would like to thank the 102 school and school district staff for their time and effort in the preparation of this year’s award application packages.
For a booklet showcasing the work of all 7 Ken Spencer Award winners: http://ow.ly/mhIs30azrrM
The Ken Spencer Award for Innovation in Teaching and Learning was established with the generous contribution of Dr. Ken Spencer to recognize and publicize innovative work that is sustainable and has the potential of being taken up by others; to encourage a focus on transformative change in schools; and to provide profile for classroom innovation within school districts, schools, and the media.
http://www.cea-ace.ca/kenspenceraward
Founded in 1891, the Canadian Education Association (CEA) is a network of passionate educators advancing ideas for greater student and teacher engagement in public education. CEA does this by conducting research and spreading useful ideas through its Education Canada Magazine, professional learning events, website and social media channels; supporting education systems to be more adaptive to the rapidly changing needs of all learners to reverse the trends of students ‘tuning out’ of their learning opportunities.
For more information:
Max Cooke – CEA Director of Communications (bilingual)
416-591-6300 ext. 225
mcooke@cea-ace.ca @max_cooke
Link:
Navigate fine arts program receives prestigious national award
Source:
http://www.comoxvalleyecho.com/news/396677761.html
Description:
The Fine Arts eCademy at Navigate NIDES has been awarded first place and a grand prize of $25,000 as the winner of the 2016 Canadian Innovators in Education Award from the Canadian Education Association (CEA) and Readers Digest magazine.
Date:
11 October 2016
Link:
KCLC program earns national recognition
Source:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/395744181.html
Description:
H’a H’a Tumxulaux is a Sinixt term that means Sacred Land.
H’a H’a Tumxulaux is also the name given to an innovative outdoor education program that began this spring in the Kootenay Columbia Learning Centre (KCLC).
Date:
4 October 2016
Great things are happening in B.C. public education. The CEA and Reader’s Digest Canada are pleased to recognize the following three school districts with awards for promoting lasting, system-wide change for K-12 students:
Fine Arts eCademy
Developing students’ passion for learning in and out of school
North Island Distance Education School (Navigate)
Comox Valley School District 71, Comox, B.C.
“Exploring learners’ interests, passions and strengths can bring a sense of meaning and purpose to schooling.”
Continuing the Journey with the Elders
Strengthening indigenous students’ connection to their school, culture and community
School District 5 Southeast Kootenay, Cranbrook, B.C.
“A stellar example of ‘Reconciliation in action’ that should be emulated in other school communities across Canada.”
Maker Educators Collaborative: Innovation in the Learning Commons
Discovering how schools can work together to forge new ways of teaching and learning
West Vancouver School District, West Vancouver, B.C.
“A blueprint for other school districts on how to break the ‘innovation’ silos that tend to exist in classrooms and schools.”
Profiles of the winning initiatives will be featured in the November issue of Reader’s Digest magazine.
Please visit www.cea-ace.ca/RDAwards for more information about these groundbreaking programs.
Over 200 education leaders from across Canada will be gathering at Vancouver’s Musqueam Cultural Centre from Oct 6-7 to discuss one of the most urgent issues facing Canada’s future: ensuring the success of all Indigenous students and decreasing the number who are tuning out – and dropping out – of school.
With educators across Canada currently challenged to embed Indigenous knowledge, perspectives and Worldviews into Canadian K-12 classrooms, the Canadian Education Association (CEA) is hosting this timely event to showcase First Nations and provincial school educators who are taking risks and implementing bold, culturally relevant, community-supported programs that connect deeply with Indigenous students’ ways of learning and coming to know. These successful programs merit our attention.
“Rather than dwelling on all of the significant challenges that Indigenous educators face on a daily basis, we will seize this opportunity to showcase pragmatic, successful examples of what’s working across Canada in these schools and classrooms,” explains CEA President and CEO Ron Canuel. “It’s time for Indigenous educators to show us the way.”
Through compelling keynotes, case study presentations and hands-on workshops – including a conversation with The Right Honourable Paul Martin – a diverse group of presenters will share how their successful community-driven learning programs engage the hearts, hands and minds of students while enabling them to develop 21st century skills.
Inspired by some of Canada’s most successful Indigenous learning programs, symposium participants will return to their schools, classrooms and communities equipped with new ideas, motivation and a learning support network that will help them implement their own innovative program and achieve their goals.
For more information about First Nations Schools First!, please visit:
www.cea-ace.ca/firstnationsschools
Symposium hashtag: #FirstNations1st
The CEA is pleased to announce that the H’a H’a Tumxulaux Outdoor Education Program has been selected among 47 applicants from across Canada to participate in the 2016 Indigenous ‘Innovation that Sticks’ Case Study Research Program. As part of this initiative, the CEA will conduct field study research to highlight how innovative educators have succeeded in engaging at-risk youth through culturally-relevant, land-based pedagogy.
H’a H’a Tumxuluax means “Sacred Land” in the language of the Sinixt people. This program’s educational model incorporates Aboriginal Worldviews and perspectives of teaching and learning, designed to ensure that students acquire the skills necessary to form positive and healthy relationships with themselves, with their community and with Mother Earth. The program emerged as a timely response to dwindling student engagement and a strong will to offer learners of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal descent a culturally-relevant and culturally-sustaining educational experience.
“Our selection panel of leaders in Indigenous education have lauded H’a H’a’s deep investment in propelling Aboriginal traditional knowledge to the forefront as a powerful way to captivate students and improve learning outcomes,” says CEA President and CEO Ron Canuel. “Clearly, this is a whole community approach and is a shining example for Elders, Knowledge Keepers and educators from across the country who seek to engage Indigenous learners in their own schools and communities.”
This program also successfully engages and collaborates with parents, staff and the wider community to ensure that cultural and ceremonial practices are incorporated and honoured. As a result, students have returned from land-based outings with an increased sense of confidence, trust and openness to learning that is grounded in activities that focus on leadership, communication and community involvement.
“Returning to a traditional outdoor educational setting for our students is what matters to us,” says Nathan Robinson, Principal of the Kootenay-Columbia Learning Centre. “Students are tuning in because they’re out of the classroom and they’re learning first-hand about traditional ceremonies, languages and histories. Self-identity and pride in our youth blossoms because they feel loved, respected and valued.”
The Kootenay-Columbia Learning Centre, which delivers the H’a H’a program, will receive a $10,000 contribution courtesy of initiative sponsor State Farm Canada to grow its activities and extend its impact. Program representatives will share their best practices with a CEA researcher, who will produce a case study report about the conditions and processes that allowed H’a H’a to succeed, including the steps that could be taken to spread this innovation to other classrooms and schools across Canada.
For more details about this program, please visit:
www.cea-ace.ca/innovationthatsticks
CEA knows there are Indigenous and provincial schools where tremendous innovation is happening by taking risks and implementing culturally relevant, community-supported, innovative programs that connect deeply with Indigenous learners and their way of learning and coming to know. This case study research program will help CEA to understand and promote how one successful program for Indigenous learners can support other educators in getting their own ‘innovations to stick’.
The Kootenay Columbia Learning Centre hosts multiple alternative education programs across two campuses in Trail and Castlegar, B.C. This alternative school was chosen as the first outreach site for the “Take a Hike” Program, which incorporates academics, adventure-based learning, therapy and community involvement.
For more information:
Max Cooke CEA Director of Communications (bilingual)
|
Nathan Robinson Principal of Alternative Education |
Supported by:
This initiative is generously funded by State Farm Canada, which share CEA’s commitment to supporting leaders who are transforming Canada’s education system.