from Home - Illuminate

S U M M E R E D I T I O N 2 0 0 9

V O L U M E 1 0 N U M B E R 2

K E E P I N G A L U M N I C U R R E N T

Precious Love – Maxwell & Margaret “Presh” Kates

Story Telling and Teaching the Parsons’ Way

A Long Wayfrom Home

from the Dean


Greetings It’s a beautiful time of year, and I hope you are able to enjoy fresh morning walks and the wonderful opportu-nities to connect with nature that our Alberta Summer provides.

I am so pleased to share with you this edition of The Orange. Fitting for an early summer’s read, we bring you a special love story about an amazing teacher whose love and passion for life touched the hearts of many. We share updates of the work and achievements of several of our talented researchers and tell you the story of an education professor whose love of storytelling and teaching is boundless. Our cover features the unique journey of our student teachers in Macao, China, the first students to benefit from a collaborative planning process between the Faculty of Education, Alberta Education, and Teacher Certification to complete the final field experience of their Bachelor of Education Degree “offshore”. I am tremendously proud of our students, alumni and faculty who are making vital contributions in so many ways-locally, nationally and globally.

I thank you deeply for your continued support and encouragement and hope very much to see you during our Homecoming this Fall. Please find a few minutes and a quiet place to sit and enjoy this special edition.

Fern Snart, ’79 PhDDean


S U M M E R E D I T I O N 2 0 0 9 V O L U M E 1 0 N U M B E R 2

ON THE COVER: 12 A Long Way from Home

Five student teachers gain international experience and new perspectives while completing their 3 month advanced practicum at The International School of Macao.

18 Researchers Recognized for Pioneering Work in Educational Assessment

Researchers at the Faculty of Education’s Centre for Research in Applied Measurement and Evaluation are advancing educa-tional testing methods.

FEATURES

16 Story Telling and Teaching the Parsons’ Way

Dr. Jim Parsons’ belief in story telling as an educational activity allows him to share his personal understandings and love for teaching.

8 Education Team Piloting New Sustainability Initiative for the University of Alberta

In the midst of the UNESCO-declared Decade for Education for Sustainable Development, the University of Alberta is leading the way through a unique initiative aimed to inspire a more sustain-able future.

DEPARTMENTS11 Alliance Pipeline Leadership Circle for

Young Women

15 Killam Professorship

19 Campus Happenings

5 Precious Love – Maxwell & Margaret “Presh” Kates

The story of the love, life, and laughter of Maxwell and Margaret “Presh” Kates.

21 Education Feeds the Need

22 Life Annuities

24 Class Notes

T H E O R A N G E I S U M M E R 2 0 0 9

PA

GE

3

The Orange is the Faculty of Education’s alumni magazine. Published twice a year by the Faculty’s Office of External Relations, the Orange is distributed to alumni, friends, faculty, students and staff.

Dean of Educat ion

Fern Snart

Execut ive-Edi tor

Director of External Relations/Development Neil Hayes

Edi tor

Director of CommunicationsDawn Ford

External Relat ions Team

Communications Production Coordinator Carl A. BuschDevelopment Officer Sean MowatAlumni Relations/Special Projects Coordinator Desiree Kendrick

Graphic Design

Creative Services

Contributing writers and photographersSusan Barker, Carl A. Busch, Carmen Cormack, Caitlin Crawshaw, Gayle Duerksen, Dawn Ford, John Kok, Jacqueline Varga

Send your comments to:Office of External RelationsFaculty of EducationUniversity of Alberta4-107 Education NorthEdmonton, AB T6G 2G5

Tel: 780-492-7755Fax: 780-492-0155Email: [email protected]

What an exciting time for education. From the days of teaching in one-room school houses to facilitating education across the globe, the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education is making a difference.

Through speaking with many alumni, I am often asked how they can help build on the success of our work in the Faculty. One way is to establish lasting tributes through scholarships and bursaries, either immediately or through your will.

Recently, I spoke with an alumnus who asked me to assist her in establishing a gift through her will. She mentioned that while attending a homecoming event, she real-ized that her most treasured friendships were built right here in our faculty. Her estate gift will offer scholarships to a new generation of educators. I am honoured to be able to help people find an avenue of giving that encapsulates their own passions and causes, and I invite you to get in touch should we be able to help you with your own planning. I hope you enjoy this special edition of The Orange. Happy Summer. Neil Hayes BSc. CFRE

Director of External Relations/Development

External Relations Director

Welcome Note

The Faculty of Education is home to adisplay of fairytale books from the early 1900s. They are from the collection of the late Margaret “Presh” Kates, and upon her death, were donated to the Faculty of Education by her family.

Like the treasured tales of Rose Red and Snow White, Presh, as she was affectionately known, lived a very rich, active and mean-ingful life reminiscent of a classical fairytale and complete with a magical romance that spanned 65 years.

Born in 1916 to a small town minister and a school-teacher, Presh was a fourth-gener-ation teacher during the Great Depression. She experienced the often extreme condi-tions of rural teaching during her first experi-ence in Scotstown, Saskatchewan where she taught five high-school grade levels in a

one-room school house.

“The students did the janitorial work for part of their tuition. Many mornings we huddled around the pot-bellied stove in the basement classroom wearing our coats, ski pants and boots until the room warmed up enough to work in,” she would recall in her

Precious LoveMaxwell & Margaret “Presh” Kates

Above: On their wedding day, September 18, 1943.

Left: For their 50th wedding anniversary, Max and Presh renewed their vows at Gretna Green in Scotland, famed for its runaway weddings.

DAWN FORD

autobiography.

Harsh conditions did not deter Presh whose many teaching tasks included preparing de-partmental exams on a carbon-backed sheet of paper placed on a gelatin mix. Music and dance filled the gaps in her days and nights as she played the organ for Sunday church

A portable record player and records in

hand, she walked the mid-winter’s mile to the

women’s prison, a bounce in her step as she

anticipated teaching the female convicts.


PA

GE

5

and prepared for Friday evening dances, all of which were held in the schoolhouse.

“Every Friday night everyone headed to the school to waltz, square dance, 2-Step, or 7-Step until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. We went to neighboring school house dances with a horse and buggy, and in the winter, we had blankets and heated bricks or stones at the bottom of the sleigh to keep our feet warm.”

After a position as principal in Admiral SK, where she lived in a

teacher-age that had once been a fire hall and former jail, Presh accepted a teaching position in Prince Albert teaching Physical Education and English. During her tenure, she volunteered as a dance teacher for the female inmates at the Prince Albert Provincial Jail.

A portable record player and records in hand, she walked the mid-winter’s mile to the women’s prison, a bounce in her step as she anticipated teaching the female convicts.

“The deep sense of satisfaction I felt from such enthusiasm and the exuberant par-ticipation of these women was more than compensation. On our last dance lesson, be-fore I was leaving Prince Albert, the women hugged and cried because they would miss the human camaraderie that our dance

lessons had provided for them.”

While her passion for teaching left little time for anything else, Presh’s love of dancing and skating would inevitably lead her to meeting the love of her life on January 18, 1942.

The world was at war in 1942 when Maxwell Kates, an Air Force pilot, first saw Presh glid-ing on an ice rink on a Sunday afternoon. Max was a seasoned hockey player and had decided to see what was happening at the local rink. He immediately saw Presh gliding across the ice.

“ I took one look at her and ran to my locker to get my skates. As I skated alongside her and introduced myself, I asked if she would join me for coffee. She said she preferred hot chocolate, and I responded that ‘hot chocolate was a dime while coffee was only a nickel,’ ” Max laughs, his memories of that moment akin to Presh’s.

“As we skated together, arm in arm, his skill and style made me look more proficient as a skater. How could I have ever known on that cold day in January that the only time I stayed after figure skating for public skating, accept-ing an invitation to skate from this charming man with his fabulous sense of humour, that this chance meeting would lead to a 65-year love affair,” Presh would recall.

Every year since that first encounter on January 18th, they relived the moment by skating to their favourite song.

Presh and Max were married by Presh’s min-ister father on September 18, 1943, months earlier than planned due to Max’s entire flight class being informed of their posting overseas. It was then that Max revealed his creative abilities and brave spontaneity.

“Enroute to Halifax, my husband received inside information that the Ship’s original sailing would be delayed for 10 days. So, this crazy man of mine, possessed by his amazing love, pulled an incredible escapade for 10 days. Upon answering the knock at our door, my brain froze in utter astonishment and disbelief at seeing Max standing on my door-step. My mind would not believe my eyes because I knew he was in Halifax enroute to Europe.”

While overseas Max wrote Presh 2-4 times a day. “More than once, she would get a call in the evenings at home from the post office saying there was 40-50 letters waiting for her,” recalls Max whose love for Presh was infinite, a gesture he had clearly shown her upon making the harsh decision to leave his family when he learned that his bride would not be accepted into their Orthodox Jewish faith.

“…love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own say: It is not irritable or

resentful: It does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.”

Love never ends.” 1 Corinthians: 13, 4-8.

Max holding precious memories, April 6, 2009.

A young Margaret “Presh” Kates.

“Later in life when people would ask me how I could give up my family, I would say I didn’t do too badly. I know of a guy who gave up his crown and country for a woman,” says Max.

From 1957-1980, Presh taught at Crestwood School in Edmonton, where they lived together across the street. After he retired in 1978, Max walked Presh across the street to class in the mornings and made her lunch in the afternoons. While Max vied for their freedom to travel, Presh pressured for a little more time in the classroom.

“Darling,” Max recalls telling her. “I think you should teach this one last class and I’m not going to stop you. But I’m going to travel with or without you.”

And so in 1980, Presh retired from teach-ing to travel around the world with Max. Through their journeys, they inspired many people around the world including support-ing and mentoring a single mother who had been repatriated from Tunisia.

“We made friends with people all over the world. That’s been the pattern in our life. We both agreed to do things that we felt would give people a step up,” says Max. Drawers of memorabilia include little sticky notes he would leave for Presh before he went for groceries while she slept.

“To live with you is so much bliss. When I get home you’ll get a hug and kiss.” Presh saved every one them.

Max continues to wear Presh’s wedding ring around his neck and surrounds himself in the photographs and paintings of their life together.

“She was so different than others girls that just being with her was enough. Two days before she left for the hospital, I put on a cd and got her up to dance, both of us shuffling in time to the music. When I held her in my arms there’s a feeling equal to no other. It’s never happened before.”

Presh died in November of 2007. She left the following message so that it could be shared with her family, friends and anyone who should chance upon it.

“I leave you all with words to live by which became the dominating force guiding our marriage for 65 years. When we first started courting, I quoted a portion of St. Paul’s let-ter to the Corinthians which I believe in with all my heart and being. My husband was so

An Enchanted Evening In November, the Faculty hosted a special enchanted evening to unveil Presh’s treasured set of fairy tale books, to celebrate her in-spirational legacy as an educator, and to announce the establish-ment of the Margaret “Presh” Kates Scholarship in Education, the Margaret “Presh” Kates Bursary in Education, and the Margaret “Presh” Kates Aboriginal Doctoral Award in Education.

inspired by this philosophy that in 1987, he took me to Corinth, Greece, to find amongst the Ruins, and photograph the tablet bearing these words:

“…love is patient and kind; love is not jeal-ous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude.

Love does not insist on its own say: It is not Irritable or resentful: It does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.”

Love never ends.” 1 Corinthians: 13, 4-8.


PA

GE

7

In the midst of the UNESCO-declared Decade for Education for Sustainable Development, the University of Alberta is leading the way through a unique initiative aimed to inspire a more sustainable future.

The U of A’s new Office of Sustainability demonstrates the University’s commitment to sustainable policies and practices, and it is individuals in the university community who, through personal action, are making a differ-ence. A good example of this can be found in the Faculty of Education.

“We began initially with a sustainability audit

Education teampiloting new sustainability initiativefor the University of Alberta

to provide us with a baseline assessment of our existing practices,” says Dr. Elizabeth Lange who is an Assistant Professor in Educational Policy Studies, and alongside Dr. Susan Barker, co-chairs Education’s new Sustainability Working Group.

A broad and far-reaching concept, Lange de-fines a sustainable society as “one that satisfies its needs without diminishing the prospects of justice and well-being for self, other peoples, future generations and the Earth.”

And the motion of this initiative is big.

“The sustainability movement is one of the largest social movements ever to have oc-curred with millions of people around the world showing commitment to a concept which can mean quite different things to dif-ferent people. This essentially does not matter as it is action which makes the difference,” say co-chair Susan Barker who is an Associate Dean in the Faculty.

Conducted by fourteen faculty, staff and students who make up the working group, the audit identifies practices to be celebrated and challenges to be addressed in the evolution

DAWN FORD

The audit cites U of A’s Triffo Hall, which was redesigned to work with natural light, as an exemplar model for leading standards in sustainability, and the group hopes to offer regular tours of Triffo Hall to demonstrate how leadership in energy conservation and building design teach sustainability practices.

In addition to a list of sustainability goals, the Faculty of Education is exploring

the design of a one-year diploma of environmental and sustainability education. The diploma would be intended to meet the needs of profes-sionals in a wide range of sectors who have responsibility for educating adults around environmental issues or as part

of a sustainability mandate. This diploma will also meet the needs of K-12 pre-service

and practicing teachers to address the growing inclusion of sustainability in Alberta curricula.

Professional educators are increasingly being considered vital to sustainability goals and have greater responsibility in teaching and modeling sustainable practices, in the hopes of inspiring future generations to make environmentally sound decisions in their every day lives.

piloting new sustainability initiativeof Alberta facts. For example, in the past three years, U of A utility costs doubled to $28 million. With all the computers turned on in a day, the daily util-ity cost can be as much as $7000.

Another interesting fact reported in the audit is that the U of A generates its own electric-ity through steam from natural gas, which is sometimes alternated from purchasing coal-generated power from other Alberta suppliers.

towards a culture of sustainability.

“Facilities and Operations has been very sup-portive and are planning a retrofit of our light-ing needs through replacement with compact fluorescents and a redesign of lighting fixtures. This means that the number of lights used will be reduced; they will have higher efficiency, provide more light output, yield a 50% cost savings and lower carbon emission output,” says Lange.

The audit not only includes findings and facts regarding sustainability around the Faculty of Education, but reports interesting University

DAWN FORD

Flower adorning the Education Centre.


PA

GE

9

“Educators need to consider that

education is not just a, but needs

to engage the life-giving ecological processes

around us in which we are embedded, as part of ecological

literacy and needs to consider how this place shapes who we are, how our built environment interacts with Earth processes, and how we can re-educate ourselves to live well in this place,” says Lange.

“It also means giving honour to Indigenous peoples for whom this land was home for thousands of years. We can learn from their historic consciousness of the land, what rootedness, responsibility, belonging and harmony means,” she adds.

“Learning to live creatively within our ecological means, also enables other global peoples to live well where they are...as part of our global responsibility.”

The mission of Education’s sustainability working group is to engage the Faculty in a collaborative inquiry around building a culture of sustainability, as part of the university’s social and environmen-tal responsibility.

“We have a group of passionate people in the Faculty who are taking action and showing our col-leagues possibilities they may never have considered,” says Barker.

“In a large faculty such as ours, it is difficult to create a sense of belonging and

“Become a Green Teacher” posters designed by Beverly Leeck and display by Linda Hincz both from Education’s Coutts Library.

Go Green and Request a Digital Edition of the OrangeIn keeping with the Faculty of Education’s commitment to environmental sustainability, we encourage you to consider receiving a digital edition of the Orange.

Send us your email address via post, fax or email to our office as follows:

Office of External RelationsFaculty of Education4-107 Education NorthEdmonton, AB T6G 2G5Fax: 780-492-0155Email: [email protected]

community yet our initiative has brought together students, support staff and faculty and engaged them in a way which empow-ers and motivates them about being at the University of Alberta. It is not about denial or

doom and gloom it is about making a differ-ence and having fun,” she adds.

The university hopes to replicate the educational process used in the Faculty of Education across the rest of campus.

This July, approximately a dozen young women, aged 12 to 18 years old will participate in the first Alliance Pipeline Young Women’s Leadership Program during CILLDI’s annual summer institute. An exten-sion of the Cree Immersion day camp offered through the Canadian Indigenous Language and Literacy Institute (CIILDI), the circle is intended to be a place where young women work and learn from the Elders, reconnecting with and understanding the vital role they play in cultural transmission.

“By honing leadership skills in these young

Alliance Pipeline Leadership

Circle for Young Womenwomen, we endeavour to reclaim the central roles women have played in Aboriginal cul-ture,” says CIILDI Director Dr. Heather Blair.

To become more grounded in their ancestral ways, the young women will spend the mornings immersed in the Cree language, and to help prepare them for the future, they will attend leadership workshops and activi-ties during the afternoon.

CILLDI has become a place where Canadian leaders in the field of Indigenous language education can to come together to share expertise, build their credentials and gain

pedagogical and linguistic expertise.

Alliance Pipeline has been a proud supporter of CILLDI, since 2003, when they solely funded the Alliance Pipeline Visiting Elders and Instructors program for 5 years.

“Alliance is proud of our association with the University of Alberta and CILLDI and their efforts to help preserve our aboriginal culture. We are pleased such a prestigious school takes the initiative and we’re glad to be on board as signature sponsor,” says Fraser Paterson, Aboriginal Relations Lead at Alliance Pipeline.

(From Left to Right) Janine Akerman, Dr. Heather Blair, Fraser Paterson, Dean Fern Snart, Bob Norgard


PA

GE

11

When Christina Van Besouw first started her degree program at the University of Alberta, she never would have guessed it would take her half way around the world to China. But thanks to a new pilot project, Van Besouw and four other students from the U of A’s Faculty of Education had the opportunity to live and work in China this winter to com-plete a 3 month advanced practicum at The International School of Macao (TIS).

“Going to Macao was a big change, but a posi-tive one. “ said Van Besouw, currently in the fifth year of her BSc/BEd combined program. “There were many differences – the culture, food, and climate to name a few, yet somehow, it’s very easy to find a niche for yourself there. Everyone can feel like they belong in Macao.”

One of two special administrative regions of the People’s Republic of China (the other being Hong Kong), Macao is located on the southern coast of China. It’s a safe, multicultural city of 500,000 and home to a flourishing casino industry. The International School of Macao was established here in 2002 and teaches the Alberta curriculum to students from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12. Students graduate from TIS with an Alberta High School diploma.

Van Besouw and her peers didn’t have a lot of time to spare once they started their place-ment at TIS. They were busy teaching a variety of secondary classes, while current TIS teachers served as their mentors. Dr Susan Barker, Associate Dean, and Dr Rob McPhee, Assistant Dean, Faculty of Education Undergraduate

A Long Way From HomeFive Student Teachers Gain International Experience & New Perspectives

Student Services, along with Lucy De Fabrizio in the Faculty’s International Office, kept in touch with the student teachers on a regular basis and monitored their progress via on-site visits and video-conferencing.

Not only was the practicum at TIS a first for the student teachers, it was also a first for the Faculty of Education. Never before has a practicum placement been completed at a school outside of Alberta. TIS Principal Real Hryhirchuk (98 BEd, 06 Med) says the pilot project made perfect sense. “Since TIS teaches the Alberta curriculum, the student teachers received the same training as they would if they were in Alberta. They also gained some valuable off-shore experience, which will serve them well in their future careers.”

JACqUELINE VARGA

The idea for the overseas placement came about in 2006, when Hryhirchuk planted the seed with Faculty of Education Professor Rosemary Foster. Dr Fern Snart, Dean, and Dr George Richardson, Associate Dean, International, then contacted Hryhirchuk to discuss the idea further. After numerous meet-ings involving Undergraduate Student Services and the Faculty of Education International Office to determine logistics and funding requirements, the pilot project began to take shape. Once Alberta Education gave it the green light this year, the Faculty was able to offer the TIS practicum to its students.

Edmonton native Robyn Ferguson jumped at the chance to do her advanced placement in Macao, and was surprised by how easy the transition was, thanks in large part she says, to TIS staff members.

“They know what it ‘s like to move to a new country and were incredible with helping us out with everything from finding the cheapest grocery store to giving us advice on surviving our APTs. The staff were incredibly friendly and

A Long Way From Home

included us in all of their social events.”

Devin Bennett, a fourth year secondary educa-tion student, was already familiar with Asian culture, after having previously served as a voluntary missionary in southern Japan for two years. He enjoyed working with students at

TIS, an experience that challenged him to find his identity as a teacher.

“I liked trying out different activities with students and seeing how they reacted to dif-ferent activities. It was very satisfying when you tried something and it worked really well

Ulana Holinka (centre) posing with a Grade 10 Career & Life Management class she taught while at TIS. Her mentor, Michelle Fehr, is pictured on the far left (bottom row).

The International School of Macao (TIS)


PA

GE

13

for you. In one of my university classes, a teacher taught us a song to help us learn the quadratic formula. I tried this in my Math 20 class and even though it was kind of cheesy, it really helped the students to memorize the formula.”

Like their counterparts in Alberta, the student teachers at TIS were faced with some unique challenges. Because the school has a multi-cultural student body (40% of students are from Macau, Mainland China, and Hong Kong, while the remaining 60% are from 38 different countries), English is not the first language for many students. For student teacher Ulana Holinka, integrating ESL students into her lessons required some extra time and effort.

“In my Math 10 class I had students design a blueprint for a structure of their choice using the theme of the TV show ‘Extreme Makeover Home Edition’. A number of my students had no idea what I was referring to, so I allowed them some time to work on their projects while I played an entire episode of the TV show in the background. Now the students are hooked!”

Van Besouw admits that she too was surprised at the diversity of English fluency among students, but took it all in stride. “I worked with one of the TIS staff members who specializes in ESL to develop an in-teractive, inclusive and enriching program that incorporated my weekly lesson plans.” she said.

For fourth year secondary education stu-dent Tara Bradford, it wasn’t so much the language barrier that posed the greatest challenge. For her, it was simply doing an advanced teaching practicum so far from home, without a support network of fam-ily and friends. “When you had a terrible lesson, you couldn’t just meet a friend at a coffee shop. You were forced to set up a Skype date and communicate only via the internet. It was cold and impersonal and made a difficult experience even more strenuous,” she said.

Despite this, Bradford found the practicum at TIS to be both inspiring and rewarding. “I was touched by the small moments,” Bradford explains, “The first time a student stuck their hand into the air and asked for ‘Miss Bradford’s’ help. This experience was

about seeing a student in the halls and say-ing hello. It was about asking them how their day went and seeing a timid smile. These were the golden moments for me.”

If it all works out the way it should, many more student teachers from the University of Alberta will be enjoying golden moments at The International School of Macao. Although a review of the pilot project is still to be completed by Alberta Education, there’s every reason to believe the advanced practicum placement at TIS will be offered again next year.

According to TIS Principal Real Hryhirchuk, that would be a win-win situation for every-one. “We teach our students to be successful in a global environment, so our teachers should have the same experiences. It helps to improve the profession. It’s good for our school and good for Alberta.”

Jacqueline Varga is the Public Relations Manager at the International School of Macao. Christina, Robyn, Tara and Ulana have now completed their education degrees. Devin will be finished in December.

Robyn Ferguson (left) helps one of her Chemistry 20 students at The International School of Macao.

Dr. Tracey Derwing, a professor of the Department of Educational Psychology and co-director of the Prairie Metropolis Centre for Research on Immigration, Integration and Diversity, has been awarded one of the University of Alberta’s prestigious Killam Professorships.

Derwing’s research focuses on helping new-comers integrate into Canadian society, with special attention to linguistic factors such as second language pronunciation and oral flu-ency, but also extending to settlement issues and citizenship education. She has published widely in top-tier refereed journals and has received several SSHRC grants and other funding over the years.

“Dr Derwing is a world-class scholar whose research in the areas of the integration of immigrants into Canadian society, second language acquisition and fluency, and citizenship education, have been internation-ally recognized for creativity, breadth of scholarship, impact and leadership in the field” says Dr. Everall, Chair and professor in

Educational Researcher

helping newcomers integrateinto Canadian Society

the Department of Educational Psychology. “Her Record of teaching, research pro-ductivity, and service are impressive and commendable.”

In 2008, Dr. Derwing co-presented a plenary address in Washington DC at the American Association of Applied Linguistics, the most prestigious conference in her field. She is an academic advisor to the coalition for Equal Access to Education and serves on several committees, including a Northern Alberta Alliance on Race Relations’ subcom-mittee addressing racism in schools; Alberta Education’s ESL Advisory Committee, and the Language Assessment, Referral and Counselling Centre Advisory Committee.

Over the years, Dr. Derwing has designed and taught 11 distinct graduate courses on a wide range of theoretical, practical, and em-pirical topics. Her instructional approach and community-based assignments encourage students to develop a sense of responsibility for professional development.

“Dr Derwing is a world-class scholar whose research

in the areas of the integration of immigrants into

Canadian society, second language acquisition

and fluency, and citizenship education, have been

internationally recognized.”

The Killam Professorships, which include a cash award of $3,500 and a commemorative plaque, are made annually to outstanding professors at the University of Alberta. Each year, up to eight new professorships are awarded based on scholarly activities such as teaching, research, publications, creative activities, presented papers, supervision of graduate students and courses taught, and service to the community. The award is viewed as an opportunity to publicly high-light the generosity of the Killam family, their devotion to the advancement of scholarship, and to recognize the commitment of the University of Alberta’s dedicated faculty members.

CARL A. BUSCH

Educational Psychology’s Dr. Tracey Derwing received one of the University of Alberta’s prestigious Killam Professorships.


PA

GE

15

Decades into their working lives, most people are eager for a quieter, easier life, doing the things they’ve always loved, but never had time for.

But for long-time University of Alberta educa-tion professor Jim Parsons, retirement is not on the radar. Although he’s prepared generations of teachers for the classroom, published prolifi-cally, and inspired many teachers through his public speaking, Parsons is far from finished. Teaching and writing is his life’s work.

“I don’t miss a day. Teaching and writing are my vocation, and I love it,” he says.

Though Canada – and the University of Alberta – can claim Parsons as one of its finest, he says

Story telling

and teachingthe

Parsons’

“He has not changed in the 33 years I have known him. He has

consistently personified the Soren Kierkegaard quote that, ‘what the

teacher is, is more important than what he teaches.’”

CAITL IN CRAWSHAW

way

his vocation as an educator was serendipitous.

One day, while walking through the education building at the University of Kentucky, where he was an undergraduate, he saw a poster for the Teacher’s Core, a domestic division of the Peace Core that placed teachers in areas of the U.S. that struggled to find teachers – like Native American reserves and inner-city schools. It tantalized an idealistic Parsons who soon found himself teaching at a large city high school in Louisville, Kentucky, with only three education classes under his belt and no practical teaching experience.

“I got plenty of experience that year. It was very, very difficult. I was not up to it – it was

a hard job,” said Parsons. Schools in Kentucky had recently been de-segregated, and racial tensions flared. Bathrooms were locked and hallways monitored, and Jim recalls breaking up fights regularly.

While Parsons loved teaching, his first experi-ence was tough – and the pay was low. But a school system desperate for teachers and a state longing to improve its school system offered pay increases and access to graduate programs, and Parsons began taking classes in the evenings and during the summers.

During one of these classes, an instructor – a new PhD graduate from the University of Texas – ad-vised him to consider academia. “He said, ‘You’re

smart, you should do a PhD.’ So, I applied. I was surprised when the University of Texas accepted me and gave me more than ½ my current teach-ing salary to work on my PhD.”

Three years later, PhD in hand, he opted to ap-ply for teaching positions at universities, rather than go back to public school. At that time, affirmative action programs in post-secondary education meant that, as a white male, he was at the bottom of the list. Many job applications later, the University of Alberta called Parsons for a telephone interview and quickly present-ed a job offer, which he accepted. It was a long way from Kentucky, but having visited Alberta as a kid, he remembered it fondly.

For decades, Parsons taught generations of prospective teachers and worked hard to ensure the faculty’s programs worked for his students. His first year, he cold-called almost every secondary school in Edmonton to find placements for 180 student teachers. At the time, only 60 teachers took student social studies teachers. Parsons asked teachers what they’d need to take students, presented new Education Dean Wally Worth with program changes, and was given funds to make revi-sions. A gutsy move from a 27-year-old new-bie, but Parsons shrugs. “I had no choice.”

According to long-time friend and former Dean of Education, Larry Beauchamp, Parsons con-tinuing and constant presence in classrooms has made him well known, professionally and personally, to thousands of teachers locally, nationally and internationally. And much of this has to do with his personal style.

“Jim is an exceptional storyteller and believes in story telling as an educative activity because it allows him to share his personal understand-ings and love for teaching with teachers. His purposeful storytelling makes use of a delivery system that is as old as civilization and gets results,” says Beauchamp.

“He has not changed in the 33 years I have known him. He has consistently personified the Soren Kierkegaard quote that, ‘what the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches.’”

For decades, Parsons has found creative ways to teach his students. He’s “called off” class to take undergraduate students golfing – much to their surprise. But after an afternoon of playing best ball – with experienced golfers lending expertise to newbies – students understand the day wasn’t about playing hooky. “Afterwards, I would deconstruct and ask, ‘How does it feel being taught something so difficult? And how was it teaching someone?’ It’s a great

teaching-learning experience.”

It was also a way to build community – some-thing Parsons feels passionately about. He’s tried throughout his career to change the cul-ture of teaching, which has traditionally made teachers quite isolated, he argues.

These days, Parsons spends much of his time roaming. The former head of the Faculty of Education’s Alternative Delivery program continues to teach master’s courses online, an excellent complement to his work as a much sought-after textbook writer. With his trusty laptop in tow, Parsons is always available to answer messages from students or finish the next chapter of his latest textbook.

Part of the time, he works from his house in Comox, a friendly town on Vancouver Island, but he has also been a regular visitor to the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, where he and colleague Phil McRae have been evaluat-ing an undergraduate teacher education pro-gram revision funded under the title Scottish Teachers for a New Era (STNE) and working with Scottish colleagues to encourage publish-ing and writing. His next writing project is on instructional leadership in Alberta schools.

Parson’s publishing career began in 1988, when he was asked to write a book about Japan for a local publisher. The book – Japan: It’s People and Cultures – resonated with 12-year-olds

and even won an award from the Japanese Consulate. “Once I had a successful book, I nev-er had to hunt for another textbook publisher.”

Parsons thinks he’s been successful because he works hard to appeal to student abilities and teacher needs – something textbooks have traditionally failed to do. Parsons’ books are written to engage children. He believes in creating ‘educational spaces’ and trusting stu-dents. “It’s a sin to make the actions of humans throughout history boring.”

His books continue a teaching philosophy that has guided his work with both children and adult learners. Ultimately, Parsons is less focused on transmitting content than helping instill confidence and interest in learning.

“A teacher’s main job is to build in the child’s head a vision of success that’s so powerful that nothing can change it,” he says. “Teaching and learning is also about fun. I think when you meet God, she’ll ask, ‘Did you have fun?’ And if you say, ‘Sorry, I didn’t really have fun,’ she’ll say, ‘Well then, you won’t be happy here,’ ” he laughs.

Even after authoring 84 books, Parsons says writ-ing is still fun. He even relishes the littlest things – like crafting a clever alliteration, fine-tuning a metaphor or polishing a phrase. “It’s joyful work. I have a little party in my head when I can shave off two words in a sentence.”

Drs. Jim Parsons and Phil McCrae won the 2007 Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) Educational Research Award for their study Celebrating School Improvement.


PA

GE

17

Researchers at the Faculty of Education’s Centre for Research in Applied Measurement and Evaluation (CRAME) are leading the way in advancing educational testing methods.

Dr. Jacqueline Leighton and Dr. Mark Gierl were awarded the 2009 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Award for Significant Contribution to Educational Measurement and Research Methodology for their book, Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment for Education: Theory and Applications, at the 2009 AERA Annual Meeting.

“Being recognized by the world’s largest educational organization is a tremendous honour, indicative of the quality of work done at CRAME,” says Dr. Mark Gierl, director of CRAME. “Not only does it draw attention to our research centre, but it also supports President Samarasekera’s mandate to raise the standard of quality education and research at the University of Alberta.”

Drs. Leighton and Gierl have been collaborat-ing for 10 years, pioneering the integration of cognitive psychology and educational assessment through innovative diagnostic processes to measure student learning.

Dr. Gierl explains that cognitive diagnostic assessment (CDA) has the potential to radi-cally transform educational testing.

“Our book represents a road map for inves-tigators who are studying the diagnostic potential of cognitive-based education test-ing,” says Gierl.

Published by Cambridge University Press, the book provides a solid multidisciplinary base for combining what is known about how children learn with what is known about educational testing in schools. It achieves this by combining the latest research on cognitive and educational psychology and testing practices.

Drs. Leighton and Gierl believe that most educational tests have been based on sim-plistic assumptions about the psychology of learning and test performance and fail to identify the basic principles of how students learn and succeed.

“Once educators begin to understand that there is a science behind the assessment of student learning, they will realize that very specific information can be made available to parents and students and other stakehold-ers,” says Dr. Leighton.

“Just like in medicine, CDA will allow educators to pinpoint where students are having trouble learning and therefore make informed decisions on how to tailor their teaching methods and course content for individual children so that they can ensure a child is given the best opportunity to suc-ceed,” explains Dr. Leighton.

“Instead of guessing what a student’s indi-vidual needs might be, as is done today, CDA allows educators to plan ahead, instead of learning as they go, thus providing a better quality education for all students,” she says.

CDA could soon replace traditional paper-and-pencil tests, Alberta Education is looking at using diagnostic assessments for provincial testing.

Among their many research projects, Drs. Leighton and Gierl are spearheading a new book on large-scale educational assessment to be published in 2011.

Researchers recognized for

Pioneering Work in Educational Assessment

CARL A. BUSCH

Drs. Jacqueline Leighton and Mark Gierl receive the 2009 AERA Award for Significant Contribution to Educational Measurement and Research Methodology.

Scholarship Recognition EveningAlumni House was the perfect setting to pay tribute to the Faculty of Education’s talented and hard working scholar-ship recipients during our Scholarship Recognition Evening in March. Guests included donors who have established

scholarships, faculty members, and our guests of honor, the scholarship recipients. Our sincere thanks to the many individu-als and families who have helped our students pursue their careers in education.

Krysta Hendrickson, recipient of the EE and GS Lord Memorial Prize, examines a painting at the Scholarship Recognition Evening.

Dr. Jose da Costa, Chair of Educational Policy Studies, with Educational Policy Studies PhD student Dan Cui.

During this February’s Donor Appreciation Event “Destination Education,” the Faculty gave special thanks to its many supporters and donors who help us continue to build for the future. Themed around travel, the event gave guests an opportunity to explore the Faculty’s many unique initiatives including the Ghana Global Citizenship Program, the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program, the Education Clinic and Technology within the Faculty. With over 200 people in attendance, our guests discovered the many faces of Education as they traveled from dis-play to display to have their passports stamped.

Donor Appreciation EventDestination Education


PA

GE

19

The Faculty of Education’s first annual Education Feeds the Need fundraiser for the Campus Food Bank was held in February.

Lauren Price, Executive Director of the Campus Food Banks, says that the food bank is always in need of canned fruits and vegetables, cere-als, rice, baby food and formula, and toiletries such as shampoo and conditioner.

“When we run out of these items, we have to dig into our own funds to buy them for our clients,” she says. “It’s great to see the Faculty of Education and all of its departments helping raise awareness so we can successfully serve the people who need it most.”

“We are so excited to see the Faculty of Education take this grassroots approach to helping students,” says Price. “Our goal is to ensure our clients do not have to worry about where their next meal will come from so they can focus their energy on more important things like their studies or jobs.”

“The Faculty held the Education Feeds the Need fundraiser to raise awareness for the Campus Food Bank because so very few people know it exists and to help ensure sustainable long-term funding and food donations for the future.” says Dr. Joyce Bainbridge, Vice-Dean and Associate Dean (Academic) at the Faculty of Education

“The Campus Food Bank is such a worthy cause. We were able to raise a total of $2,962 and another 150kg in food donations for the food bank through our hot lunch, bake sale, candi-gram sale, and game-a-thon fundraisers,” says Dr. Bainbridge.

The Campus Food Bank, located in the basement of the Students’ Union Building (SUB), is a registered charity that distributes food items and toiletries to students at the University of Alberta. In the 2007-2008 academic year, the Campus Food Bank was able to dis-tribute enough food to feed over 2300 individuals, and this number is expected to increase significantly over the next couple of years. For more information on how you can help, visit www.ualberta.ca/~foodbank

EducationFeeds the Need

a worthy cause

Graduate students Lori Friesen and Char-maine Brooks sell candi-grams to Feed the Need.

Drs. Ingrid Johnston and Joyce Bain-bridge sell baked goods in support of the Campus Food Bank at the Educa-tion Feeds the Need bake sale.

Education Dean’s BrunchDean Fern Snart invites Education alumni to reconnect with former classmates over brunch and share favorite memories of the Faculty. Our alumni are changing the face of education around the world - join us and see how many faces you recognize.

Date: Saturday, October 3, 2009

Time: 10:00am - 12:00pm

Place: 4th Floor Lounge, Education North

Cost: $10 per person. A portion of the ticket cost (50%) will go towards a student bursary - The Education Student Support Fund.

Please RSVP by calling 780-492-0866 or by checking the Alumni Event website:

www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/alumnireunion

Please note, space for this popular event is limited. To avoid disappointment, alumni are encouraged to register early with the Office of Alumni Affairs.

TICKETS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR.

You Are

Invited

Aspiring elementary education teachers at the Faculty of Education got to experience first-hand the wonder and excitement of young students engaged in hands-on science during the U of A Museums and Collections Services 10th annual Science Sunday in March.

Dr. Marie-Claire Shanahan, Assistant Professor in Elementary Education, involved her students in a collaborative project with the organizers of Science Sunday. In small groups, her students created and led inquiry-oriented biological and Earth science activities using exciting materials from the University of Alberta Museum’s collections including dinosaur fossils, mammoth tusks, and ancient animal tracks. “It was a great experience to create the ac-tivities and then explore them with the chil-dren at Science Sunday,” says Shanine Poole, a 3rd year B.Ed student. “It was extremely rewarding and worthwhile to see how the children approached and interpreted each of the activities, their thought processes and understanding of science.” Science Sunday gives children, aged 5 to 12, the opportunity to discover the science behind several University of Alberta collec-tions through fun, hands-on activities led by students and other experts. Over 400 children and their parents attended the 10th anniversary of Science Sunday, providing Dr. Shanahan’s EDE 330 students a rare chance to observe and interact with elementary aged children as they discovered some of life’s mysteries.

Education Students Help Uncover

Some of Life’s Mysteriesat Science Sunday

Top left: Sarah Bromley, a 3rd year BEd student, at the 10th annual Science Sunday.

Top right: Chila Laturnus, a 3rd year BEd student, helps a child explore trilobite fossils.

Bottom: Ariana and Emily take part in Science Sunday ac-tivities with the Faculty of Education’s EDE 330 students.

CARL A. BUSCH


PA

GE

21

Everyone likes a good comeback story and this is a pretty impressive one. A few years ago, it didn’t seem like anyone was interested in one of the oldest products of all time, the little known life annuity. Who would be interested in a guaranteed lifetime income when the stock market had so much more to give? Fast forward to the aftermath of a disastrous stock market and we find the life annuity story with its guarantees much more compelling.

Investment portfolios have significantly shrunk and it is one thing to stay the course when you’re younger but what about people who need income from those investments now? It would be very wise to defer taking income from your equity funds presently if you have other sources of income. When the stock market recovers, it may be time to re-consider one’s investment portfolio and include a healthy portion of guaranteed investments.

Let’s take a look at how the life annuity works. It is an investment contract purchased through the exchange of a lump sum of capital for an income that is guaranteed for life. Pension plans in Canada are based on the annuity model. Annuities can be purchased with registered funds (i.e. RRSPs,

JOHN KOK

Life Annuities:The Come Back of the Year

RRIFs) but for our purposes, we want to look at annuities purchased with non-registered money (GICs, inheritance, windfall) and three types.

Prescribed AnnuitiesPayments are a blend of principal and inter-est payments with the owner paying tax only on the interest portion. The older one is, the greater the annuity pay-out and the smaller the tax payment. You could end up with a guaranteed 8% for the rest of your life, maybe even more.

Insured AnnuitiesThe big criticism leveled against annuities has been the loss of capital to the estate should the annuitant die early. Sometimes it comes down to a parent’s need for income versus a child’s desire to receive a larger inheritance. The insured annuity concept can create a win-win scenario as it provides the return of the capital that was used to purchase the annuity. It does this by having the annuitant qualify for life insurance and paying for it out of annuity proceeds. The net result is more income, less tax payable and a total restoration of the capital at the death of the

annuitant. This can be done even more ef-fectively in the case of married couples, even if one of the spouses is difficult to insure. Who wouldn’t want more income, pay less tax and still provide all of the capital to their children when they die? (See example below)

Charitable AnnuitiesThis is an interesting idea for those who want to help out their favorite charity and still get a better result from their capital than leav-ing it on deposit at the bank. Through this method, we can provide a gift to the charity of 25% to 50% of the capital and still leave them with more income guaranteed for life. In the example below, if the charity was the ultimate recipient of the capital, the results would be far more impressive.

John Kok, CFP, CLU, CH FC is a professional financial advisor with Navigator Financial. To establish a life annuity or other estate gift for the Faculty of Education, please contact the Director of Development, Neil Hayes, BSc, CFRE at 780-492-3680 or [email protected].

The advice rendered in this column is general in nature. Each person should consult with qualified professionals to see what solutions might fit their specific circumstances.GIC VS. INSURED ANNUITY

Female age 64, non-smoker, $500,000 investment (non-registered)

GIC Insured Annuity$500,000 Initial Capital $500,0004% Annual Investment Rate N/A$20,000 Gross Annual Income $36,678$20,000 Taxable Portion $11,978($8000) Tax Payable (at a 40% marginal tax rate) ($5558)$12,000 After-Tax Income $31,168N/A Annual Insurance Premium $12,600$12,000 Net Annual Income $18,568

N/A Difference in Annual Income $6568

Increase Over GIC Yield 54.73%

This chart has been prepared to help you understand how insured annuities work compared to a GIC or term deposit. The values shown in the annuity are guaranteed while GICs can fluctuate in value. E.&O.E.

“My late wife Phyllis, ’67 BEd, ’71 BA, ’73 Dip(Ed), ’90 MEd and I were teachers for many years and are pas-sionate about language and reading development. Because education has made such a momentous impact on our life, we have included the Faculty of Education in part of our estate plans.”

- Michael Mort, ’76 BEd

NotesClass

“The Store”Joan Munro, ’86 PhD, writes to update us on a story featured in the Fall 2008 is-sue of The Orange. “When I opened my Fall copy of The Orange, I was amazed to see the picture of my Grade 1 classmates, taken in either late 1938 or early 1939 at the Normal Practice School in Edmonton, where student teachers observed some of the best teachers in the province working with children. This school, later called the University Demonstration School, and still later, Corbett Hall, was the showcase for the Progressive Education movement in Alberta. Thus, all subjects were coordinated according to the Social Studies topic being studied or “Enterprise,” and this picture, for

the Program of Studies for Grades One to Six, showed how small groups of students could work on different aspects of the curriculum (like math or art) and still relate their activity to the “enterprise,” in this case the com-munity store. I remember very well posing for that picture. I am the tall, skinny girl at the back pretending to be a customer. As for the building itself, far from being a run-down one-room school house, it boasted marble floors, automatic flush toilets and at least one classroom for each of grades one through nine. After the war, I was lucky enough to at-tend its counterpart in Calgary for two years. Without a doubt, both those experiences formed the best school years of my life.”

‘40sMurray Smith, ’48 BEd, ’74 PhD, Professor Emeritus of Physical Education and Sports Studies writes to say that he remains active in sports psychology. “Following retire-ment, I enjoyed nine years serving as sport psychologist to Don Horwood’s outstanding Golden Bears basketball teams and was for-tunate to be involved in the back-to-back CIS championships in 1993 and 1994.” Murray is now in his 10th year with the Kelowna Rockets hockey team. He also adds that, aside from sports, he is involved in organizational develop-ment, does management consulting with the Churchill Group of Companies in Edmonton, and has served for 10 years as a training consul-tant to the Canadian Petroleum Institute.

Bert Nelson, ’48 BEd, recently published his book Lep and the Dirty Synapse. The “Lep” in the title of the book is, according to Nelson, “God’s little helper” who explains “almost everything.” Let appears in all his diminutive glory before Nelson one summer afternoon as he’s dozing off on his patio sporting “the jolly, good-natured smile that we associate with Santa.” Nelson begins to have weekly conver-sations with Lep who insists “on his God-hood” while Nelson tries “to figure out how the hoax was put together.” (Trafford Publishing, www.trafford.com)

‘50sRobert E. Miller, ’56 BEd, has written the book Bath Nights and Hockey Sticks. Steeped in the sights and sounds of the golden age of hockey, this book is the story of a hockey-loving 12-year-old Canadian boy named Jamie and the hometown team that unites his small town of Turnball when the beloved Turnball Tigers square off against the Edmonton Royals in the payoffs. (iUniverse, Inc., www.IUniverse.com)

Clarke Drake, ’58 BEd, ’95 LLD (Honorary), the University of Alberta’s legendary hockey coach and founder of the Edmonton General Hospital’s palliative care unit, received the Alberta Order of Excellence in October, the highest honour the Province of Alberta can bestow on a citizen.

James F. Labers, ’58 BEd, ’70 MEd, writes to say that he has completed two Alberta Historical Resources Foundation submissions. The first is the “Mackay Women of the Cypress Hills and Their Descendants;” the second is the “First Female High School Principal, Alix,


PA

GE

23

Alberta, 1922.” “Now working on a massive (four provinces) reconstruction of Orkney fami-lies Mackay, Sanderson and Anderson and their history from 1757 to 2006 in Western Canada,” says James. “I also have a proposal in for an accurate socio-historical account of Louis Riel.”

‘60sDanny Daniels, ’61 BEd, ’73 PhD, vice-chair of Athletics Canada, was recently in Beijing as the head of the delegation for the Canadian team participating in the Paralympic Games. He is himself a competitive athlete, and he will be completing in the decathlon at the World Masters Championships, which will be held July 28-August 8 2009 in Lahti, Finland.

Barbara Rocchio (Gammon), ’61 Dip(Nu), ’64 BSc(Nu), ’88 MEd, was one of 100 people across the country recognized for their outstanding contributions to their profes-sions and to Canada by the Canadian Nurses Association in the honour of its centennial. Barbara also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta in 2005 and the following year was honoured with a U of A Alumni Honour Award.

Margaret Michaud, ’62 BEd, ’78 MEd, writes that since her retirement in 1984 she has founded the charitable organization called Friends for World Development (FFWD). “In the 10 years since its inception,” she writes, “FFWD established a number of small-scale industries enabling families in various remote villages to become self-reliant.” Margaret invites others to join her in this endeavor. She can be reached at 780-454-5707.

Jeanne Derksen, ’65 BEd, wrote in to say that she was “nee Tupin, formerly Kozak, then Benbetta. I retired after 25 years at Bibliothèque Saint-Jean and moved to the village of Hays Lake, AB. I enjoy gardening, reading and volunteering for our Library Lions Club and Seniors Club. Best of all, I met my wonderful husband, Bill.”

Ardith Trudzik, ’66 BEd, has published the novel Freckles: A Child’s Life. This remembrance tells the author’s own tale of being born and raised on a farm near Rochfort Bridge, Alberta, during the Great Depression. She was one of four children her mother took care of alone – while also tending the farm – when her father joined the air force during the Second World War. Also from the same author is a sequel to Freckles called Core of my Apple where the

author recounts her life beginning as a child-bride. She spent her first three married winters living in logging camps and over her 35-year teaching career she gradually gained confidence “through dealing with trusting little students.” (Borealis Book Publishers, www.borealispress.com)

Rob Milson, ’66 BA, ’68 BEd, a retired el-ementary teacher in Edmonton, Alberta, recently published the novel Never Marry an Englishman, a true story based on 150 pages of daily agent notes written in 1899 by U.S. Secret Service agent Owen Owen which were discovered in the National Archives and Record and Administration in College Park, Maryland. (Borealis Book Publishers, www.borealispress.com)

Lester “Vern” Hemeyer, ’67 Bsc, ’70 BEd, ’72 Dip(Ed) and Carol Hemeyer (Allen), ’72 BEd, of Lacombe, Alberta wrote to say they’ve been married for 41 years. “Both of us taught school – Carol, elementary, and Vern, High School. We have two children and eight grandchildren. We are now retired and have been traveling to places such as India, Africa, Europe, South America, the Antarctic and the U.S.” Vern has also taken up truck driving, and Carol is involved with the Girl Guides and Village Mission church activities.

Mary Borsky, ’68 BEd, of Ottawa, Ontario, recently published her third children’s book entitled Benny Bensky and the Parrot-Napper. When their neighbor, Mrs. Graham, charges Rosie and Fran and their dog, Benny, with the responsibility of pet-sitting her parrot, Peanut, they think the job will be a walk in the park. But when Peanut becomes the latest victim in a parrot-napping ring, Benny the dog detective, senses something is terribly wrong, and he and the girls set out to make it right. (Tundra Books, www.tundrabooks.com)

‘70sMaye Davis, ’72 BSc, ’84 MEd, was recently awarded the B.C. Premier’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Of the 20 teachers receiv-ing the award, Maye, an eighth and ninth grade science teacher at Lake Trail Middle School in Courtenay, received hers in the category of “Environmental Awareness.” She is the co-founder of a local stewardship program called Project Watershed, where she remains a board director, and takes part in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ salmon enhancement program.

Dr. Donald Sinclair, ’73 MEd, of Victoria, Australia, has been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his contributions through the Ryder-Cheshire Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the relief of suffering among the people of India, East Timor and Mount Gambier.

Pearl E. Gregor, ’73 BEd, ’84 MEd, retired after teaching social studies, working as a vice-principle in County and City of Leduc Schools, as a consultant with Alberta Education and Executive Director of the Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium for professional develop-ment, Pearl recently received her doctorate from UBC (Curriculum Studies) for her dis-sertation, “The Apple and the Talking Snake: Feminist Dream Reading and the Subjunctive Curriculum.” Since the death of her husband in 2000, Pearl has continued to operate the family farm at New Sarepta, her consulting company Gregor Management Services Ltd. and currently works as a sessional lecturer in the Advanced Practicum Program for the Department of Secondary Education.

Wayne Madden, ’74 BEd, wrote to say that, “I have retired after 31 years teaching elementary school at Fort McMurray Catholic School. I moved back to Edmonton and now volunteer once a week at the Jackson Heights School across the street from my home.”

Glenda Simms, ’74 BEd, ’76 MEd, ’85 PhD, ’95 LLD (Honorary), from Kingston Jamaica, received an honorary degree from the U of Western Ontario. A 1994 receipient of a U of A Distinguished Alumni Award, Glenda is known for breaking new ground in the fight for gender equality and social justice in both Canada and Jamaica.

Evelyn Hamdon, ’76 BA, ’07 MEd, and Netta Phillet, ’71 BA, were recipients of this year’s Salvos Prelorentzos Peace Award in recognition of their work with Edmonton’s Arab/Jewish Women’s Peace Coalition. The group has been meeting for 17 years and uses “respectful dialogue” to discuss their political differences and visions for peace in the Middle East. Sponsored by Project Ploughshares Edmonton, the Salvos Award has been handed out since 1996 to those who promote harmony, peace and understanding. Next fall, the Peace Coalition group plans to take its message of goodwill and co-existence on a long-planned tour to Israel and Palestine.

Michael Owen, ’76 Dip(Ed), ’79 MEd, was recently named the first vice-president of

Faculty of Education Alumni in KoreaDr. Im-Deuk Kim, ’85 PhD (Elementary Education), served as Dean of the College of Education and as Dean of Graduate Studies in Education, and is presently Professor of English Education at Hanyang University.

Dr. Sook Hur, ’86 PhD (Secondary Education), completed his term as President of Gyeongin National University of Education in March 2009. Dr. Hur is President of the U of A Korea Alumni Association and received a U of A Alumni Honour Award in 2008.

Dr. Mahn-Seok Oh, ’87 PhD (Secondary Education), served as Vice President of the Academy of Korean Studies and is pres-ently Professor of Education at the Academy of Korean Studies.

Dr. Seokhee Cho, ’87 PhD (Educational Psychology), served as the Director General for Gifted and Talented Education for the Korean Educational Development Institute. In 2006 she received the University of Alberta Alumni Award of Excellence.

Dr. Hae-Ryung Yeu, ’90 PhD (Secondary Education), is internation-ally recognized for her writing and research, which is informed by post-modern interpre-tations of early childhood education. She is currently a Professor of Child Studies at Yeungnam University.

Dr. Ji-Sook Yeom, ’96 PhD (Elementary Education), recently spent her sabbatical year at the Faculty of Education’s Centre for Research in Teacher Education and Development. She is cur-rently Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at Konkuk University.

Dr. Seonghoon Kim, ’06 PhD (Secondary Education), is now assistant Professor of Curriculum Studies at Kangwon National University.

Currently there are another seven scholars from Korea completing their doctorates in the Faculty of Education.

The 1980s saw a growing connection with Korea, thanks in part to the links between the University of Alberta and the Korean Institute for Educational Development (KEDI). Over the past 30 years, several distinguished Korean educators have completed PhD degrees at the Faculty of Education. They remain in close contact with the Faculty and were pleased to visit with Dean Fern Snart on her recent trip to Korea this past winter. This is what they are up to today.

Dr. Yeon-Sup Lee, ’72 PhD (Educational Psychology), was the first Korean to receive a PhD at the Faculty of Education. Dr. Lee has recently retired after serving as Dean of Graduate Studies at Chung Ang University.

Dr. Ki-hyung Hong, ’82 PhD (Secondary Education), has had a distinguished career in higher education administration in Korea, serving as Vice President of Chung Ang University and President of Daejin University. In 2002 Dr. Hong received a U of A Alumni Award of Excellence. He is now President of Jungwon University.

research and graduate studies at the Ontario College of Art & Design. Previously, the accom-plished educator, academic and administrator was the associate vice-president of research and international development at Brock U.

Robert Yaro, ’76 BEd, of Fort McMurray, Alberta, returned last summer to the Tel Rehov Excavation in the Jordan River Valley in Israel

to assist in the further excavation of the bee-hives discovered there in 2005 and excavated in 2007. “This is the first organized honey industry that dates back to the Biblical era to be excavated in Israel,” says Robert.

Leslie Ayre-Jaschke, ’77 BEd, ’04 MSc, writes to say that she is keeping a blog about her municipal and related activities after being

elected to the Peace River, Alberta, town council in October 2007. Leslie and her husband Eric Jaschke, ’72 BCom, ’76 Dip(Ed), have lived in Peace River for over 28 years where they have raised their two sons.

David Marshall, ’78 MEd, ’80 PhD, was reappointed to a second term as president of Mount Royal College in Calgary, Alberta,

Faculty of Education Dean, Dr. Fern Snart, and President of Gyeongin National University of Education, President of the University of Alberta’s Korea Alumni Association, and alumnus, Dr. Sook Hur (’86 PhD) sign the Agreement for Academic Cooperation.

Dr. Lee Seung-Ryul, a current University of Alberta PhD student, Dr. Terry Carsons, of the Faculty’s Department of Secondary Education, and Dr. Hae-Ryung Yeu (’90 PhD), a U of A alumnus, attend a reception to celebrate the signing of the Agreement for Academic Cooperation.


PA

GE

25

continuing in a position he assumed in 2003. David has received numerous academic and community awards, including a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in recognition of service to uni-versity education.

Brian Vaasjo, ’79 BEd, ’81 MBA, from Edmonton, Alberta, has been appointed chief operating officer of Epcor Utilities Inc., and will continue to serve as executive vice president for the company, a position he has held since 1998. Brian is also president of Epcor Power L.P., Canada’s largest power income fund, and is the past chairman of the board of the United Way, Alberta Capital Region.

‘80sBev Milovar-den Ouden, ’80 BEd, recently received a Governor General’s Award for Excellence in teaching Canadian history. An elementary school teacher at Colchester School near Sherwood Park, AB, Bev was recognized for encouraging students to develop an interest in both local and national history. She was one of six teachers from across Canada to receive the award.

Rob Daum, ’82 BPE, ’84 BEd, has been ap-pointed head coach of the Springfield Falcons, the Edmonton Oilers American Hockey League farm team. Rob was an assistant coach with the Oilers last season and spent 10 years as a coach with the Golden Bears hockey team, winning three CIS national championships. Rob also played as a forward for the Golden Bears during the 1980-81 season.

Sue Luco, ’83 BEd, writes to say that since her graduation, she has taught primary school in northern Alberta and in the B.C. communities of Burns Lake, Port Simpson and Prince Rupert. She adds, “I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the U of A and have two brother swho graduated from there as well.”

Gail S. Sobat, ’83 BEd, ’91 MA, wrote to tell us of the publication of her novel Gravity Journal and its recent nomination for an Ontario Library Association White Pine Award. (Great Plains Publications, www.greatplains.mb.ca)

Linda Cundy, ’84 Dip(Ed), ’88 MEd, who is widely known in Alberta’s deaf community for her advocacy work on the local, national, and international level, was recently honoured as a Woman of Vision by Global TV.

Brent Fetterly, ’87 BEd, of Lanark, ON, writes that he retired from teaching biology in 2007 and now grows apples and grapes in the Ottawa Valley.

Greta Cummings, ’86 MEd, ’03 PhD, of Edmonton, Alberta, was the recipient of a 2008 Excellence in Research award handed out by the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta in recognition of her achievements in helping to improve the health of others.

Laura Storey (MacGregor), ’87 BEd, of Sexsmith, Alberta, writes that she recently started a new job. “I recently started teaching at the newly-finished Clairmont Community School in January. Before that, I was teach-ing music a la carte at two feeder schools in Sexsmith and Grande Prairie. Rolling the cart full of instruments from room to room, then driving between schools, has given me a new appreciation for the luxury of having my own music room.”

Nick Radujko, ’87 BEd, of Wainright, Alberta, has been selected as the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instructional services and has also been put in charge of system planning and improvement for Buffalo Trails Public School jurisdiction. Formerly the director of curriculum and instruction for the region, Nick will remain responsible for cur-riculum and instruction services for the teaching staff but will also take on the lead duties of school analysis, programming, and three-year plans.

Joanne Profetto-McGrath, ’88 MEd, ’99 PhD, was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the nursing profession and to Canada by the Canadian Nurses Association in honour of its centennial. Joanne is currently the vice-dean for the Faculty of Nursing at the U of A.

‘90s Inga Niehoff (Weber), ’93 BSc(Ag), ’98 BEd, writes to say that she is living on a combination dairy and grain farm in Germany with her husband, Friedrich, and their three daughters ranging in age from two to eight – Dorothea, Kurt, and Till.

Janaya Ellis, ’97 BEd, lead singer of the Edmonton-based reggae group Souljah Fyah, along with bandmates Bongbiemi Nfor and

Paul Joosse, was recently nominated for a Juno Award in the category of Best Reggae Recording. Last year, the band won a Western Canadian Music Award for best urban recording.

Jennifer Cairney, ’99 BEd, writes that she is “currently teaching a special education class of students with behavioral disorders with the Calgary Board of Education. I also recently took my master’s in teaching students at risk through Gonzaga U.”

‘00sAilyn Santos, ’03 BEd, owner of Whimsical Cake Studio, was recently named one of the “Sizzling Twenty Under 30” in the magazine Edmontonians.

Adam Bourque, ’03 BEd, writes to say that since graduating, he has been creating curricu-lum and teaching English in South Korea.

Krystal Hodge (Nieminen), ’04 BEd, wrote to say that she is now an elementary school teacher in Olds, AB, where she also lives.

Kimberly Spears, ’04 BEd, writes from Gibbons, AB, to say that after she completed her Bachelor of Music degree at Brandon University in 1997, “I hit the Winnipeg music circuit, playing three or four nights a week with my band and recorded two CD’s. I have found the confidence to shed the security of my country music genre and write strictly from the heart and soul, and thus my album, Losing A Layer, came to light. I am thrilled to see where the next road leads.” You can learn more about Kimberly at www.kimberlyspears.com.

Tim Hague, ’04 BA, ’06 BEd, is the first-ever Canadian King of the Cage Heavyweight Champion, amassing a remarkable 8-1 record in mixed martial arts competition over the past two years. Previously a kindergarten teacher, at 6’4” and 260 pounds Tim “The Trashing Machine” Hague cuts an impressive figure in the cage and in the classroom. Although he is currently focusing on his career as a mixed martial artist, he plans to stay active in the class-room as a substitute teacher. Tim lives with his wife, Brianne, and their son, Brady, in Sherwood Park, AB. He made his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut in Las Vegas in May.

HELP SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS

Your support helps fulfill the teacher education and research priori-ties within the Faculty of Education, making it an institution of international impact. Your gifts allow us to build upon our 65-year history of achievement and to prepare the next generation of students to become education leaders of our province, our nation, and our world.

Whether your donation is directed towards student support or is specifically focused to an area within the Faculty, your gift, makes a tremendous difference to our programs and to our future teachers.

Please return donor card to:

Office of External Relations Faculty of Education 4-107 Education North Phone: 780-492-7755Edmonton, AB T6G 2G5 Fax: 780-492-0155

1. About Yourself:

❏ Mr ❏ Ms ❏ Mrs ❏ Dr ❏ Other:

First Name:

Middle Name:

Last Name:

Address:

City:

Province: Postal Code:

Preferred Phone Number:

Email:

2. Choose a Giving Option:

❏ I wish to make a monthly gift of: $

Beginning until I indicate otherwise

Or beginning and ending

❏ I wish to make a one-time gift of:

❏ $25 ❏ $50 ❏ $100 Other:

3. Choose Payment Type:

Credit Card: Visa Mastercard

Card #:

Expiry:

Cardholder Signature:

❏ Cheque (enclosed) made out to the University of Alberta

❏ Void Cheque (enclosed) for monthly withdrawals only

4. Please Direct my Gift to:

❏ Education Clinic (assessment and counseling) — 08066

❏ Education Alumni Scholarship Endowment Fund — 09258

❏ Teacher of Tomorrow Fund (provides funds for projects that foster continued advancements in teaching & research) — 10472

❏ Education Student Support Fund (provides bursaries to students in financial need) — 09155

❏ Reading and Language Clinic (provides funding for research projects in literacy development) — 08685

❏ Other:

5. Request Information:

❏ I would like information on how to establish a scholarship or bursary in the Faculty of Education

❏ I would like information about remembering the Faculty of Education in my will

❏ I would like more information about making a gift of securities

Donations to endowment funds are invested in perpetuity and the investment earnings are

used to advance the specified purpose of that fund

The personal information requested on this form is collected under the authority of Section

33© of the Alberta Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for the purposes

of raising philanthropic support for the University of Alberta. Questions concerning the

collection, use or disposal of this information should be directed to: FOIPP Liaison Officer,

External Relations, University of Alberta, 3rd Floor, Enterprise Square, 10230 Jasper Avenue,

Edmonton, AB T5J 4P6; ph: 780-492-0328, fax: 780-492-1862. Charitable Registration #

108102831RR0001.

MM/YYYY

MM/YYYY MM/YYYY


PA

GE

27

Publications Mail AgreementNo. 40063579Return undeliverable Canadian addresses toCirculation Dept.Office of External RelationsFaculty of EducationUniversity of Alberta4-107 Education NorthEdmonton, AB T6G 2G5

09/10-EXR-C

RS-10163

The Faculty of Education would like to stay connected with our students, faculty, staff,

friends and alumni. Please keep us updated on any personal or professional changes happening in your life.

Please Stay Connected

• Mailing Address

• Promotions

• Job Changes

• Professional Accomplishments

• Travels

• Retirement

• Relocation

• Class Get-togethers

• Email Address

• Publications/Books

Post, fax or email your information to:

Office of External RelationsFaculty of Education4-107 Education NorthEdmonton, AB T6G 2G5Fax: 780-492-0155Email: [email protected]

from Home - Illuminate

Documents

Transcript of from Home - Illuminate