Message from the Dean

Message from the Dean

By Paula Sabti

Posted on May 28, 2021 | Updated on June 1, 2021

Statement on the Indigenous children who died at the Kamloops Indian Residential School

I learned yesterday of the discovery of the buried bodies of 215 children at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. It is believed that many or most of these are undocumented deaths.

Events such as this evoke shock and horror, and serve as vivid reminders of the oppression of Indigenous people by the country that we call Canada. As a Faculty of Education, it is important that we recognize the ways in which education was, and can continue to be, used as a tool of assimilation, colonization, and oppression, both in residential schools and in society more generally.

We offer our condolences to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, who like so many other Indigenous nations and communities, were robbed of their lands, cultures, languages, and devastatingly, their children. We also offer our condolences to all Indigenous colleagues, staff, students, and community members in our Faculty of Education. We mourn with you.

Reading about this tragic discovery may be traumatizing for some members of our community. For those who may need it, the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is 1-866-925-4419. Additionally, I encourage you to utilize the supports that the University offers.

Supports for students:

Supports for faculty and staff:

Read the Office of the President’s statement.

Avril Hwang

By avril hwang

Communications Specialist

Scarfe 2616
Tel 604 827 2075
Email avril.hwang@ubc.ca

Erica Mohan MEd’03, PhD’10, Winner of 2021 UBC Faculty of Education Alumni Educator of the Year Award!

By Ammaarah Fakim

May 27, 2021

The Dean of UBC Faculty of Education, Dr. Blye Frank announced Erica Mohan as the winner of the 2021 UBC Faculty of Education Alumni Educator of the Year Award!

Dr. Mohan has been noted to be a “gifted educator… who helps learners of all ages feel impassioned, excited, and empowered.” She is the founder and Executive Director of Community Education Partnerships (CEP), a non-profit organization over 10 years old that provides learning opportunities for and supports the academic achievement of youth experiencing homelessness and housing inability.

“Erica has dedicated her adult life to furthering social justice in and through education. As a graduate student at UBC, she examined the experiences of mixed-race youth and offered suggestions for educators and policymakers to help better meet the needs of these students. As a mixed-race educator, Erica has devoted herself to directly addressing systemic barriers of racism that face many of the youth her organization currently serves in the San Francisco Bay Area, and to ensuring the educational achievements of society’s most vulnerable. Not only does she espouse values of equity and equal educational opportunity but she actually works tirelessly to ensure these values become a reality.”

Dr. Blye Frank, Dean and Professor, in the Faculty of Education, presented the award during a virtual ceremony to celebrate Erica’s achievements. Congratulations Erica!

View the Award Presentation:

Teacher Activism: What Does it Look Like?

By Ammaarah Fakim

When: Wednesday, June 23rd, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM PDT

Are you wondering what practical teacher activism resembles? Come and learn how educators Monica, Nikitha, Ramona, Trevor and Kenneth are transforming pedagogy and student learning experiences through collaboration, ally-ship, organizing and resource sharing. Remember, best educators don’t limit themselves into their traditional classroom walls! They cooperate and collaborate within and across schools, build teams and networks to advance their teaching skills and to ensure student success.

 

 

 

 

Moderator:

Kenneth Headley

Kenneth Headley is a Caribbean/Black school administrator. He has been an educator for over 12 years and an advocate for marginalized students, their families and their communities. Through his long-standing relationship with Beth Applewhite and James Morton, Kenneth has been a part of a team that focuses on providing meaningful opportunities to discuss issues of racial discrimination with students and educators. Since 2016, he has played an integral role in the success of annual Anti-Racism Youth Symposiums and Black History Month Student Conferences. Kenneth completed his Bachelor of General Studies in Canadian studies and sociology at SFU. He completed his BEd at SFU as well as his Master’s Degree in Educational Practice, looking at integrating cultural narratives in the classroom. Kenneth has been a moderator on #bcedchat for 5 years moderating conversations on race and curriculum goals for BC Students. Kenneth taught in Surrey for 9 years before becoming a Vice-Principal with the Maple Ridge School District in 2018.

 

Panelists:

Ramona Cruickshank

Ramona Cruickshank is currently a teacher and coordinator of a District Program in Maple Ridge for students with complex learning needs.  She manages a team of 9 Educational Assistants and works collaboratively with them to support students in developing their voice to better self-advocate and communicate.  Ramona is a UBC alumni with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Bachelor of Education degree.  This is her 15th year of teaching, four of which were spent in First Nations Schools in BC in the roles of a Special Education Teacher, Vice-Principal, Student Services Coordinator & Spoken Language 12 classroom teacher.  In 2016, she completed her Special Education Diploma from Queen’s University. Ramona is biracial, Grenadian, Black, Canadian, phenomenal, leader, founder and former President of the Caribbean & African Association of UBC, Carnival Sensations Caribbean Society and the Vancouver Caribbean Carnival Association.  She is soca – the beat and rhythm of the African drum runs through her veins and she is proud of every attempt to feel free both physically and mentally.

Nikitha Fester

Nikitha Fester completed her Bachelor of Education at UBC in 2015 and is presently teaching in the French Immersion program with the Vancouver School district. She is passionate about teaching for joy and social justice and inspiring her students to develop their critical thinking. She will be pursuing her masters in Diversity and Equity Education in the fall.

 

 

 

 

 

Monica Noakes

Panelist - Monica Noakes

Monica Noakes is an elementary teacher with the Surrey School District. Monica did her undergraduate studies at SFU and completed it in 2004. Since then she has also completed her MEd at SFU. Over the years Monica has focused her learning and classroom teaching on environmental education, which includes working with the Pembina Foundation to create an environmental education curriculum for elementary students. More recently she has been involved with the Classroom Champions program, partnering with Olympians to work on building students’ character and social and emotional learning.

 

 

 

 

Trevor O’Rourke

Trevor O’Rourke is a Queer teacher of Irish descent in Languages at Vancouver Technical Secondary. Having completed his B.A (Latin American History) and B.Ed (French Immersion) at SFU, he started his career teaching Spanish at New Westminster Secondary before branching out to French Immersion and Modern Languages at Van Tech. His work is centred around intersectionality, empowerment and celebration, and he a member of his school’s Anti-Racism Team. Outside of school, he has worked with Rainbow Refugee as a volunteer, and has used his voice as a local musician to highlight a number of social and environmental justice issues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Register for the event

Fraser River Discovery Centre News and Updates

By michael c s murphy

We have received your confirmation for receiving news and updates for the Fraser River Discovery Centre.

 

Thank you!

Public Presentation: David F. Robitaille Professorship in Mathematics and Science Education

By Faustina Cheung

When: Wednesday, May 12, 2021 | 3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. PDT
Where: Zoom, link TBD; please register below to receive the invitation closer to the presentation date.

David F. Robitaille Professorship in Mathematics and Science Education Public Presentation

Dr. Cynthia Nicol will give a public presentation to the entire Faculty of Education where she will discuss her research interests and achievements as the current Professorship holder, and her vision for the next three years. We encourage you (all faculty, students and staff) to make every effort to attend the presentation and provide your feedback through the online feedback form before 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Your feedback is of high value to the Advisory Committee’s deliberations. A video recording of the presentation will be made available for a brief period should you be unable to attend.

Presentation Details

3:30 p.m. – 3:50 p.m. presentation, Dr. Cynthia Nicol
3:50 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Q&A period

 

Note that the Advisory Committee is a personnel committee and, therefore, its interview with Dr. Nicol and deliberations are confidential.

We hope to see you at the presentation.

 

More information, including the call for applications and job description can be found on the following webpages:

Advisory Committee to the Dean: Chairs and Professorship Searches

Call for internal applications for the David F. Robitaille Professorship in Mathematics and Science Education

Dr. Cynthia Nicol

Biography
Vision Statement

Video Recording

Dr. Cynthia Nicol – David F. Robitaille Public Presentation

 

RSVP for the Public Presentation

 

Online Feedback Form

Sara Van Dan Acker and Nana Wu receive 2020-21 UBC Faculty of Education Teaching Assistant Awards

By Paula Sabti

May 4, 2021

Congratulations to Sara Van Dan Acker and Nana Wu on their 2020-21 UBC Faculty of Education Teaching Assistant Awards

In recognition of the valuable role that teaching assistants play in our programs, the University annually awards teaching prizes to UBC teaching assistants, two of which are allocated to Faculty of Education teaching assistants.

Sara Van Dan Acker, Teaching Assistant is completing her PhD in the Department of Language and Literacy Education in the UBC Faculty of Education. She holds a MA TESOL/Applied Linguistics from Portland State University. She has taught English as an additional language, academic literacy, and teacher preparation courses, as well as multi-disciplinary courses in Oregon (USA), Singapore, Japan and Canada.

Nana Wu, Teaching Assistant, is completing her PhD in the School of Kinesiology in the UBC Faculty of Education. She holds a master’s degree in Kinesiology from Shanghai University of Sport. She is passionate about physical activity promotion and chronic disease prevention, and is currently working on examining community-based lifestyle interventions designed for children living with type 1 diabetes, as well as systematic review and meta-analysis.

Dr. Yanning (Anna) Dong receives the 2020-21 Sessional and Lecturer Teaching Prize

By Paula Sabti

May 4, 2021

Congratulations to Dr. Yanning (Anna) Dong on receiving the UBC Faculty of Education’s 2020-21 Sessional and Lecturer Teaching Prize

The UBC Faculty of Education has a long-standing commitment to excellence in teaching. In recognition of the significant contributions that sessional and lecturer faculty members make to our programs, the Faculty offers a Sessional and Lecturer Teaching Prize to outstanding educators.

Dr. Yanning (Anna) Dong, Lecturer, Department of Language and Literacy Education, UBC Faculty of Education, is a passionate and innovative educator. Her dedication to providing engaging learning experiences and her commitment to meeting the unique needs of learners in various teaching formats—in-person, online and blended—has enriched the experiences of her students and is a source of inspiration within the Faculty.

Nikolaus Dean and Kieran Forde receive 2020-21 Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards

By Paula Sabti

May 4, 2021

Congratulations to Nikolaus Dean and Kieran Forde on their 2020-21 Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards

As one of six Killam institutions, UBC offers yearly awards from the Killam Endowment Fund to faculty and teaching assistants who demonstrate excellence in teaching.

In recognition of the valuable role that teaching assistants play in our programs, UBC annually honours 16 graduate teaching assistants with the Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, honouring candidates who meet criteria that demonstrate a high level of respect for the candidates from undergraduate students and supervisors. The UBC Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award adjudication takes place within faculties.

Nikolaus Dean is a teaching assistant and a SSHRC-funded, PhD student in the School of Kinesiology in the UBC Faculty of Education. Using qualitative methodologies and critical social theory, his research explores areas related to youth (sub)cultures, risk, pain, injury, and disability in action sports. His current doctoral research explores the emerging action sport of adaptive skateboarding and skaters with disabilities’ experiences within skateboarding’s larger (sub)culture.

Kieran Forde is a teaching assistant for the technology education cohort of the BEd program. He is also a PhD student in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy in the UBC Faculty of Education, and a facilitator for the Instructional Skills Workshop in the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology. In 2019, he completed a UBC MEd in media and technology studies education and continued his research in the area of teacher professionalism and its conflicts with online reputation and the permanence of digital memory. Before moving to Canada, he completed a BA at the National University of Ireland and a MA from the University of Limerick, and worked in China for over a decade where he delivered courses for Lambton College (Ontario), Memorial University (Newfoundland), and Northwood University (Michigan). During this time, he also worked on language assessment projects with the British Council in China and, later, in Nepal and India.

To learn more about the Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards, visit the Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic’s Teaching Awards page.

Dr. Joanna Cannon receives a 2020-21 Killam Teaching Prize

By Paula Sabti

May 4, 2021

Congratulations to Dr. Joanna Cannon for receiving a 2020-21 Killam Teaching Prize

As one of six Killam institutions, UBC offers yearly awards from the Killam Endowment Fund to faculty and teaching assistants who demonstrate excellence in teaching.

The Killam Teaching Prize is awarded annually to faculty nominated by students, colleagues and alumni in recognition of excellence in teaching. The Killam Teaching Prize is adjudicated within each faculty at the Vancouver campus, and within the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic at the Okanagan campus.

Dr. Joanna Cannon, Associate Profesor, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, joined the UBC Faculty of Education in 2010 after completing her PhD in students with exceptionalities, with a focus on d/Deaf and hard of hearing children’s language and literacy acquisition. Prior, she was an educator of the d/Deaf and hard of hearing for nine years in K-12 itinerant and resource settings in Atlanta, Georgia.

Her current areas of research include language and literacy acquisition of students who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing and/or struggling readers. She works on determining effective grammar and literacy strategies, along with assessment tools, through intervention and validation research. Further, she studies strategies aimed at elementary students who are struggling readers and may benefit from multifaceted academic and language supports.

To learn more about Dr. Cannon’s work, research and publications, visit her profile.

To learn more about the Killam Teaching Prize, visit the Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic’s Killam Awards and Fellowships page.

To learn more about 2020/21 Killam Teaching Prize recipient, Dr. Karen Ragoonaden, Professor of Teaching, Okanagan School of Education, UBC Faculty of Education, visit the School’s announcement page.

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