on the preciousness of life - university of alberta · the article “from humble beginnings to...

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

F A L L E D I T I O N 2 0 0 8 V O L U M E 1 0 N U M B E R 1

On thepreciousness of life

Centenary and Homecoming Celebrations

Past, Present and Future of Education

the legacy of Dr. Fawzy Morcos

Centenary Messagefrom the

Dean

With the University of Alberta celebrating its 100th year and our

Faculty celebrating its 65th, I thought it appropriate that the

theme of this issue of the Orange be the past, the present and the

future.

Our past 65 years as a Faculty are rich in discovery, innovation

and boldness. Becoming the first Faculty of Education in Canada

in 1942 set the stage for us to become leaders in many areas, and

we are proud of many other “firsts” over the years.

The article “From Humble Beginnings to International Impact”

takes us on a journey of the teaching profession in Alberta from

the turn of the century to today and beyond. The story begins

with the under-resourced one-room schoolhouse teacher and

ends with a very exciting and realistic view of teachers and educa-

tion in years to come.


I was deeply touched by the turnout of alumni who came out

in record numbers to attend our Faculty’s Homecoming events

this past September. I was honored to be your host, and I am

delighted that so many of you came home to celebrate with us. It

was somewhat surreal to hear a story from a teacher who taught

in a one-room school house on the prairie and then turn around

to have a conversation with a teacher who is effectively using

sophisticated technology to enhance the learning experience in

her classroom. I will truly treasure the moments of sharing and

visiting with all of you.

Thank you all for your support, and I encourage you to stay in

touch and to come back and see us when you can.

Fern Snart, PhD 1979 Dean


F A L L E D I T I O N 2 0 0 8 V O L U M E 1 0 N U M B E R 1

ON THE COVER: On the Preciousness of Life: the Legacy of Dr. Fawzy Morcos

Dr. Fawzy Morcos, ’85 MEd, talks about his life’s work in obstetrics and gynecology and the changes he inspired in pre-natal education and the pregnancy and birthing process.

20 Making of a MuralLance Burns speaks about what it takes to create a mural that rec-ognizes the Faculty of Education’s rich history and inspires future generations.

FEATURES

12 Centenary and Homecoming Celebrations

The Faculty of Education honors its alumni and proud history as part of the University of Alberta.

7 Holding Tests Accountable

Dr. David Slomp, BEd 1998, MEd 1999, PhD 2007, analyzes the lessons taught by standardized exams in contrast to the lessons envisioned by the curriculum.

DEPARTMENTS19 Education Generations Project

18 ATA News

21 Roger S. Smith Undergraduate Research Award

5 Past, Present and Future

From Humble Beginnings to International Impact: the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education.

22 Campus Happenings

23 Alumni Recognition

24 Class Notes

T H E O R A N G E I F A L L 2 0 0 8

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External Relations Director

Welcome Note

This past summer and fall, I have

had the opportunity to meet

with many staff, students

and alumni. The com-

mon bonds and sense of

community help increase

the profile of the Faculty.

It is a privilege to serve the

Faculty of Education.

Our staff helps to

reconnect alumni

through our events.

We offer ways to give back through donations for special projects such as our

Education Clinic that offers much needed counseling and support to hundreds

of families each year. To attract our brightest students to come to the U of A

to become future leaders, we help donors establish scholarships. Often donors

opt to set up bursaries to help students with financial needs.

To date, we have helped many people celebrate lives well lived through

establishing endowments to remember loved ones or celebrate weddings and

anniversaries. We also celebrate lives reborn through students who receive

funding and we are inspired when we see the students receiving your gifts

with such enthusiasm and gratitude.

We honour the past while building for the future. We feel connected to you

and welcome you as our extended family. The photos in this issue of The

Orange show many hugs, hand clasps and smiles, testimony to the deep kin-

ship shared by educators around the world.

Because of your support and encouragement we can continue to build for the

future.

Yours truly,

Neil Hayes, BSc. CFRE Director of Development

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 Neil Hayes

Edi tor/

Director of CommunicationsDawn Ford

External Relat ions Team

Production Assistant - Carl BuschCoordinator External Relations - Desiree Kendrick Development Officer - Sean MowatAlumni Relations / Special Projects Officer - Ramona McVicker

Graphic Design

Creative Services

Contributing writers and photographersAlberta Teachers’ Association, Lance Burns, CBC Sports, Dawn Ford, Michael Holly, Gayle Semeniuk, Richard Siemens, David H. Slomp, Ryan Smith

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]

As Alberta took its place within Confederation in 1905, public education reflected society and the economics of the time; the province was predominantly a rural population and agriculture was key.

Immigrants to Canada were arriving steadily as federal efforts were underway to “settle the west.”

Schooling often took place in the famed one-room schoolhouses across the prairies; at one time there were over 3,000 in Alberta.

School attendance was a challenge, as young people provided necessary labour on family farms. Similarly, since attainment of the “three Rs” was felt to be an adequate education, high-school completion was relatively rare.

The life of teachers in this era was not to be envied. Those teachers, typically young women, often found themselves in run-down schoolhouses and were required to live in similarly neglected teacherages or granaries, or even in the school itself.

The job description included janitorial tasks and sometimes even the care of the horses used as transportation by some of the stu-dents. They were ill-prepared for the range of students’ educational needs; students represented a wide range of ability levels, ages, and even spoken languages in the case of immigrant children.

By 1906, things had begun to change as the provincial legislature of the new province began to sit in McKay Avenue School—Edmonton’s oldest brick school house—and teacher preparation was an early agenda item.

From 1906 through 1945, teacher education in Alberta was provided by the Provincial Department of Education at three Normal Schools, located in Calgary from 1906–1945, Camrose from 1912–1938, and Edmonton, first housed in Corbett Hall, from 1920–1945 (with some interruptions). By 1928, a School of Education existed at the U of A within the Faculties of Arts and Science, which allowed students to obtain a degree in education if they had previously completed another degree.

The school became a college in 1939; Milton Ezra Lazerte was named as the first director, and pre-service teachers were allowed to register directly in an education program. The notion was that the college would edu-cate those who would become high-school teachers while preparation for elementary school teachers would still occur primarily in the Normal Schools.

The Faculty opened its doors in 1942 as the first Faculty of Education in Canada, and named Lazerte as dean. By the mid-‘40s, the Normal Schools closed and the U of A was given the responsibility of providing teacher education for the entire province. The foundation was thus provided for the requirement that was initiated in the 1970s, that those entering the teaching profession must have a university degree.

The Faculty of Education today is one of the largest and most vital in Canada. With 3,400 undergraduate students, 800 graduate students and world class-researchers and teachers as professors, graduates are making a difference in educational and profes-sional spheres across the globe. The Faculty’s collegial relationship with the profession

Past, Present and Future

From humble beginningsTHE UNIVERSITy OF ALbERTA’S FACULTy OF EDUCATION

to international impact:By DEAN FERN SNART


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through the Alberta Teachers’ Association is strong, placing roughly 2,300 student teachers annually with excellent mentor teachers in Alberta classrooms.

The innovative work of education professors has taken the Faculty to new and exciting arenas, such that its contribution to the public good—locally and globally—can be increasingly noted.

For instance, off-campus collaborative programs provide opportunities for students to obtain U of A Bachelor of Education degrees by completing two years of study at a home college, with the Faculty of Education bringing years three and four to the community. Students are studying in unique cohorts through Red Deer College, Grande Prairie Regional College, Keyano College, Medicine Hat College and within the Aboriginal Teacher Education Program through Northern Lakes College, Blue Quills First Nations College and Maskwachees Cultural College.

Through the Faculty’s Education Clinic, over 100 graduate students are supervised while providing counselling, assessment, reading and language services to clientele who may be unable to access or afford such services elsewhere.

Student programs have also been enriched by 50 visiting scholars over the last 18 months, including researchers from Australia, Ireland, South Africa, South Korea, China, Ukraine, South America and the United States. The Faculty’s international exposure reached China in October of 2007 when a Faculty delegation visited universities and national research organizations in the Far East to embark on research collaborations

and exchange opportunities. In fact, 10 international memoranda of understanding have been signed with institutions across the globe over the past two years to promote research collaboration and faculty and stu-dent mobility.

Further, the Faculty of Education is the only North American member of a consortium formed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Teacher Training Network for Iraq, created to assist in rebuilding the educa-tion system in that country. Fifteen teacher educators from Iraq visited the Faculty for 17 days of professional development in mathematics, science and technology in November 2007.

Another unique initiative for the Faculty has been the delivery of a Global Citizenship Field Experience course for two groups of 18 undergraduate students in Ghana during the summers of 2007 and 2008. The co-instruc-tor for the course is Kwasi Ansu-Kyeremeh, a professor from the University of Ghana and an Ashanti chief who previously received his master’s of education degree at the U of A.

A little closer to home, the Faculty is leading a Global Citizenship Curriculum Development initiative, which involves all 18 faculties across campus.

As one example of many national research programs, a Community University Research Alliance (CURA) award has helped Cora Weber-Pillwax, a professor in the Department

of Educational Policy Studies, and her team, provide an historic opportunity for Aboriginal scholars in Western Canada by creating the opportunity to examine the writings of the early Oblate missionaries. The Oblates are partners in this research, and the process is framed as one that will contribute to healing within the context of understanding lan-guage and history.

Finally, over the past two years the Faculty has begun collaborative initiatives with the health sciences faculties including the joint proposal for a master’s degree in health sci-ences education, offered through the Faculty of Education to practicing professionals who wish to improve their skills in pedagogy and educational research.

The University of Alberta’s Dare to Discover vision exemplifies the achievements of Alberta’s early educational pioneers: to inspire the human spirit through outstanding achievements in learning, discovery, and citizenship in a creative community while building one of the world’s great universi-ties for the public good. The commitment and personal inspiration of Alberta’s early teachers, their contextual need for creativity and discovery in reaching and teaching the students and their families and their ultimate contribution to the public good, suggest that these were pioneering professionals of whom the first President of the University of Alberta, Henry Marshall Tory, and the current President, Indira Samarasekera, would be equally proud.

The Faculty of Education today is one

of the largest and most vital in Canada.

With 3,400 undergraduate students,

800 graduate students and world class-

researchers and teachers as professors,

graduates are making a difference in

educational and professional spheres

across the globe.

What pedagogical choices do teachers make when they find themselves trapped between a curriculum that expresses one set of learning objectives and a high-stakes standardized exam that values a conflicting set of outcomes? This was the question that floated in the background as I explored, with three* English 30-1 teachers and their eighty students, what impact the English 30-1 diploma exam was exerting on their teaching and learning of writing.

Alberta’s Senior High English Language Arts Program of Studies reflects a contemporary, process-oriented approach to teaching writ-ing, one that requires students to engage with their own texts in various stages of development with a view to evaluating and improving those texts. Alberta’s English 30-1 diploma exam, on the other hand, is designed to assess polished first-draft writ-ing: Polished, because essays are graded on matters of organization, correctness, and mechanics; first draft, because the exam requires students to complete two essays in three hours—a timeframe that only allows for first draft writing.

Anne, a teacher participant in this study, describes the disconnect between the exam and the curriculum:

I don’t necessarily feel that [the English 30-1 diploma exam] is a fair assessment. I think the writing component of the diploma itself is probably the least indicative of what a student can do: it is pressure writing, it is writing out of context, I mean for all the things we teach writing to be, it is not, it is the opposite of everything we want it to be.

Her observation reflects what the past thirty years of research on composition has been telling us: The cognitive disposition and skill-set needed to complete polished first-draft writing in a timed, high pressure environ-ment is quite different from that required to complete a paper the way most writers write—through a recursive process in which initial ideas are refined and polished.

In spite of her critique, Anne, like the other two teacher participants in this study, taught toward the exam because they felt responsible for ensuring that their students performed well on it (the exam is worth 50%

of each students’ final grade). Anne explains the conflict related to her pedagogical choices:

It is a complete paradox. You can’t do that right. You can’t say the exam is not a fair assessment but I am going to use it any-way. But that is what we do . . . You say, “ well, the expectations of the administration, and of the parents, and of the students themselves, is that you prepare me for the exam. Okay fine, I can do that, but, personally, I don’t feel that this exam is a fair assessment.”

In the cases I observed, it was the pressure from administration, parents, students and the public that drove teachers to focus their teaching on the exam.

Because standardized exams define most concretely the knowledge or skills that are most valued within an educational system, students readily learn the lessons taught by these exams. In addition to the 80 students who participated in the case study component of my research, 132 students from seven schools completed a survey that focused on their experiences with writing in English 30-1. Only 26% of these students reported using a multiple-draft process when completing writing assignments while 58% of these students report ‘often’ or ‘always’ completing assignments as polished first drafts. Clearly, these students are learning the lessons taught by the exam not the

lessons envisioned by the curriculum.

Why does it matter? Alberta’s English cur-riculum envisions students who are able to deconstruct rhetorical situations with a view to selecting strategies and approaches that will help them effectively write for that situ-ation. It projects a vision of a student writer who is flexible in his or her thinking, able to adapt, ready to reconsider first ideas. The skill-set defined by the diploma exam, on the other hand, focuses students on mastering a single, artificial, rhetorical situation, and on mastering a set of skills that research in com-position suggests will more likely hinder than enhance students’ ongoing development as writers.

The time is long overdue for Albertans to be-gin a productive discussion about the effects of standardized assessment (in all subject areas) on students and teachers. The public discourse suggests that standardized assess-ments promote improvements in teaching and learning. My research suggests the opposite might be the case. What is certain, however, is that this little explored issue has profound implications for the health of our education system.

Dr. David Slomp is a recipient of this year’s Phi Delta Kappa and Faculty of Education doc-toral dissertation award for his thesis entitled Trapped Between Paradigms: Composition

Holding tests accountableBy DAVID H. SLOMP

Continued on page 10


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On thepreciousness of life

In 1960s London, England while on rounds at a major maternity hospital, Dr Fawzy Morcos (’85 MEd) experienced a tragic case wherein an unwed mother gave birth to a still-born baby. The head physician who was missing in action during the trauma later told the woman that, “He hoped she’d learned her lesson.”

The physician was referring to the fact that the mother was single, something not openly accepted in 1964 in London, England. Morcos cites the moment as a major milestone in his life’s work.

“It was a very cruel statement to make under such circumstances and a defining moment for me in determining how I can deal with my patients.”

He credits the experience for reinforcing in his mind the importance of physicians being avail-able when on call and for kindling his interest in psychosomatic medicine in obstetrics and gynecology.

“Among the duties for Senior House officer was to make rounds of the big 40 bed wards each morning with the ward sister. It was a very formal round, like a greeting tour, and I realized that there was something missing in the communications with patients,” says Morcos who admits to being fascinated in the relationship between the psyche and the body ever since his years of studying and working for his degrees while in the United Kingdom.

“I was young and single and living in the hos-pital, and I had a lot of spare time, so I began to return to the wards in the evenings to make my own informal rounds. In this way, I began to understand the importance and value of

psychosomatic medicine.”

It was also in England when he was introduced to Childbirth Education, prenatal classes and the role of the father.

“It was, as it has developed in the years that followed, a mix of psycho-social teaching, breathing and relaxation exercises that of course remained a part of my experience which I later applied to my practice in Canada.”

Born in Egypt where he graduated from medical school at Cairo University in 1957, Dr. Morcos completed his graduate studies at Edinburgh, Trinity College Dublin and London, England. From 1960-1969 he carried out post-graduate training in surgery and obstetrics and gynecology.

He immigrated to Canada with his wife Cornelia in 1969 after accepting an appoint-ment at the University of Alberta’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology as a teaching fellow and also to conduct clinical trials on hormone therapy. Here he experienced what he calls a clinical culture shock.

“Obstetricians, regardless of their ranks, were delivering healthy babies to healthy mothers at all hours, day or night. ‘Where are the mid-wives and general practitioners,’ I thought?’ And furthermore, why were husbands forbid-den to attend the birth event in the delivery room?”

Morcos made it his mission to advocate for pre-natal classes and to allow husbands to participate in the pregnancy and birthing pro-cess. Although some colleagues were critical

of his stand, he was steadfast and driven in his mission.

His passion for psychosomatic medicine was further heighted when in 1976 he attended a conference in Minneapolis where the concept of maternal infant bonding was presented.

“I came home high from Minneapolis and was so excited by what I had learned. When I became Chief of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Edmonton’s Misericordia Community Hospital in 1977, and with support from nursing staff, my colleagues in ObGyn and administration, we decided to close the nursery so that healthy babies would remain with their mothers to enhance bonding.”

“This was a coup d’etat which made us all proud as it was against the perceived wisdom ‘or lack of it’ that separating the mother from her baby in the early days of life was the prac-tice at the time.”

This was as revolutionary change as it was the first time in the country that mothers and their babies were not separated in the early days of life.

Morcos was also a strong believer in the advantages of midwifery and initiated a trial at the Misericordia where nurse midwives worked alongside obstetricians and cared for about 100 women.

“I was convinced then and now that midwives have a legitimate role to play and that physi-cians and midwives need to work collabora-tively. Several provinces requested a report of the study.”

the legacy of Dr. Fawzy MorcosBy DAwN FORD

“Life is life. When you believe in something, you push for it.”


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He continued to remain actively involved in organizing and chairing yearly conferences, mainly in Perinatal Care for the Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Alberta. Some were focused on psycho-social problems in obstetrics and gynecology. Another major conference in 1997 included “Menopause in a changing world”, co-spon-sored by the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education. His conferences, a total of 35, were popular and highly attended.

In 1982, Morcos decided that more informa-tion and knowledge were required to under-stand more deeply the role of psychosomatic medicine. He registered with the Faculty of Education to obtain a masters degree in edu-cational psychology and in 1985 completed his thesis which focuses on maternal anxiety and the newborn.

In 1993, he started the first Menopause Clinic in Alberta. However, administration at

the time was unsupportive and his initiative is no longer available.

A recipient of numerous awards including an Outstanding Physician Award (2000, Capital Region) which is bestowed to a fam-ily physician or specialist with a minimum of ten years of practice in the Capital Region as recognition for his outstanding work and humility, and Teacher of the year awards (1989-1997 and 1999), Dr Morcos has been referred to as a critical thinker with an open-minded approach that is all too rare.

Above all, he is a strong advocate of family-centered care where medical issues take a back seat to family wellbeing in an otherwise healthy pregnancy. He is a powerful believer in the preciousness of life itself.

Along with other members of his health care team, Morcos is credited for his influ-ence in ensuring that when the Labour and Delivery area at the Misericordia Hospital was

relocated with the construction of the south wing, it would fulfill his philosophy of care.

“Life is life. When you believe in something, you push for it.”

Other awards received by Dr. Morcos include: Medical Care Recognition Award, Department of Hospitals, 1985; American Medical Association Physician Recognition Award, 1987-89 and 1990-93; and Physician Manager Institute Certificate of Achievement, October 1992; Achievement Award.

After public pressure, the Alberta govern-ment announced that beginning April 1, 2009, midwifery will be added to the maternity costs covered by the public health system in Alberta.

Dr. Fawzy Morcos is now retired and living in Edmonton with his family and wife Cornelia, who is a mid-wife. He continues to advocate for his life’s work.

The lobby of the Education Building has a new feature. For many years, students, staff, alumni and guests who entered our main building south did not get a strong sense of where they were. This has all changed with the recent addition of elegant Faculty of Education signage that now acts as an identifier.

Faculty of Education Lobby Improvement

To continue showcasing our Faculty’s proud history, over the next several months we are evaluating the final design of the Education Generations project which will be housed in the main lobby.

Holding tests accountableContinued from page 7

Pedagogy in the Context of a Twelfth Grade Standardized Writing Assessment. This award is granted annually to an outstanding graduate who has completed a PhD or EdD in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. Selection for this award is based on scholarly excellence and preference is given to dissertations of direct relevance to education practice and degrees policy in Canada.

Dr. Slomp is currently a Post-doctoral Fellow jointly appointed to the Departments of Secondary Education and English and Film Studies and Co-Chair of the University of Alberta’s Writing Taskforce. His appointment as an Assistant Professor in Language and Literacy Education at the University of Ottawa begins in January.

* English 30-1 is Alberta’s academic grade 12 English course. It is a required course for most university/college applications in Alberta.

“I was convinced then and now that midwives have a legitimate role to play

and that physicians and midwives need to work collaboratively.”

On a beautiful sunny afternoon on Friday, June 20, 2008, the Faculty of Education held a special celebration in honor of the University of Alberta’s centenary year. Themed “Looking Back ~ Looking Forward,” the event paid tribute to the Faculty’s 65 years of research in education. Highlights included an interactive smart board display of the history of educational technology and international initiatives and a special presentation by the Dean of Education. Research posters designed by faculty and graduate students and a running power point presentation helped inform our 170 guests of the breadth and depth of the Faculty’s contributions to education locally, nationally and interna-tionally. The afternoon was aglow with laughter and excitement, and we received many congratulatory comments from our guests who included alumni, professors emeriti, faculty, staff and students. One of the University of Alberta’s Vice Presidents later wrote a special note which included the following comments:

“I was very impressed as to the camradery that exists in the Faculty. To have so many retired professors continuing their con-nection to the Faculty is a true testament to the cohesive group that you have been able to create.”

Research in Education

Looking Back~Looking Forward:

Jody Nelson, an Education graduate student, created a web-based history tracing the significant developments, projects, initiatives, and activities of the Faculty in the areas of interna-tional education and development and the application of technology to education and learning. The website can be viewed via the Faculty’s homepage at www.education.ual-berta.ca


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Homecoming 2008Golden Alumni LuncheonOn September 19th, the Faculty of Education hosted a luncheon for our Golden Alumni, (those who graduated in 1958 or prior. ) There were over 160 in attendance at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club.

I enjoyed the setting for the event and the history on education in Alberta. Being retired from teaching for twenty years and not too involved in teacher’s organizations, I was only able to recognize two people in the crowd.

Strange how “OLD” everybody has become. I started in education in 46/47.

Nick Wengreniuk, BEd 1955

Thank you for hosting the Golden

Alumni luncheon on Friday

and providing the opportunity

to visit with former classmates

and Pembinites, some of whom I

had not seen in 55 years! It was

wonderful!

I always enjoy listening to Dean

Snart. Her enthusiasm and energy

when she speaks of Education

initiatives are inspiring and I

appreciate information updates

Laura McNaughton, BEd 1956

…There was so much

history in that room.

I was especially

intrigued at how

many had taught in

one-room schools. I

do hope advantage

will be taken of those

experiences, and that

they will be recorded

while that is still

possible.

(Dr.) Lois Etherington,

BEd 1956

…It was a very nice event and I met my first school principal (in 1950!) and had a chance to recall old times. Thank you again.

Corinne Marshall,

BEd 1951 Dipl (Ed)

What a lovely gift that was from the Dean to us Golden Grads!

All of us enjoyed the delicious lunch and the informative talk by Dean Fern Snart.

Alberta Boytzun,

BEd 1951 Dipl (Ed) 1950

Firstly I want to thank the University for inviting us to the special luncheon that my husband and I attended on September 19th. It was a great event allowing us to re-visit many former classmates and associates from teaching days.

In particular, I reconnected with a special friend, Jean Campbell, who after university became a bridesmaid at our wedding in 1954.

Our daughter, Ginger is also a teacher, living and working in Morinville.

Apart from the “meet and greet” and the beautiful environment of the Mayfair, I appreciated the comments and update of Dean Snart. The U of A Faculty of Education continues to be in good hands.

Thanks for inviting us!

Lucille Longson, Dipl (Ed) 1953

I thought Dean Snart’s brief history of the Faculty was most interesting and was able to tell her that there were in attendance that day several classmates of mine from the Temporary License class of 1951 -1952. …Many thanks to the Faculty of Ed for this wonderful recognition.

Florence Pidruchney, BEd 1957 Dipl (Ed) 1956


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Homecoming 2008Dean’s Brunch

It was wonderful to be at the brunch and to see

many people I have not met for years. To listen to

Dean Snart was an absolutely delight.

Myer Horowitz MEd 1959, PhD 1965

… I want to express my thanks to Dean Snart for sharing the direction of the Faculty. It was interesting to hear how fellow educators from other countries (ie Saudi Arabia, Iraq) are received in Edmonton. I trust their experiences are valuable to them and open windows for our teachers too.

Marlene Sorensen, BEd 1962, MEd 1970

… it was inspiring to learn about the many strides the Faculty has made to reach out to universities and people around the world, particularly in Africa and Asia, as outlined by Dean Snart in her welcoming remarks. It was also exciting to find out that other university departments, such as the Medical Faculty, are eager to collaborate with the Education Faculty on the delivery of new programs. Kudos to the Education Faculty!

…Thank you for hosting such an outstanding event on the occasion of the University’s 100th birthday celebration!

Eugene Ewanyshyn, BEd 1970, MEd 1978

We have attended several of these Dean’s brunches in the past, but this one was the best. … Dean Snart always gives an excellent presentation on the work of her Faculty. It was also a pleasure to hear John Paterson. We were classmates getting our BEd degrees and he still has his witty sayings and jokes as before. (Different jokes,of course). Kudos to all the people that worked on this event. It was much appreciated

Vlad Brecka, BEd 1957, BSc 1965

… I am very impressed with the direction the Faculty of Education has taken under the leadership of Dean Snart. The inroads it has made in Aboriginal Education and working with other faculties is inspiring.

Terry Kotyshyn,

BEd 1976, MA 1986

On September 20th, the Faculty of Education hosted a brunch and had a record attendance of over 270 Alumni

Homecoming 2008 … “The Faculty

of Education

continues to be

forward thinking

in its collaboration

with northern

communities in

Alberta, other

Canadian provinces,

and around the

world. By the

way, please may I

be the University

Facilitator for the

student teachers

going to China?”

Gwen Germain,

BEd 1982, MEd 1995

I went to various campus faculty events…

and I felt most invited by the Faculty of

Education, where I did my Masters. The

dedication of teachers to their profession

was evident and the collegial nature of

their embraces as one alumni would search

out and finally find someone they had

hoped to meet at the Dean’s Brunch. As

Fern stated, the green of the valley and the

beautiful yellow sunshine match the colors

of our alma mater.

I am so proud to be an educator and to

be supported by incredible mentors whose

guidance will be felt for the generations to

come.

Louanne Keenan, MEd 1995, PhD 2002

PhD Educator / Research Director

I really enjoyed meeting colleagues at the brunch but the highlight was meeting my former high school principal, Dr. Michael Skuba. I had not seen him since high school, circa 1957, so I was delighted he was there.

Shirley Machura (nee Wolansky) , BEd 1973, MEd 1981 PhD 1991


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… It was a wonderful turnout

and a lovely event …I was

interested in the information

that Dean Snart shared

with the alumni, great

news on the future of the

Faculty of Education. My

husband commented that he

enjoyed the brunch and had

a wonderful conversation

with the people at our table.

Thank you again for inviting

us to the lovely brunch.

Heather Falkenstein, BEd 1994

This was a wonderful opportunity for our MEd cohort of 1983 to get together! We decided earlier we would jointly contribute to the Teachers of Tomorrow Fund and hope other reunion groups will do the same!

Ken Shields BEd 1969, MEd 1984

…The meal was fabulous and it was very interesting to hear the Dean of Education share the latest developments within the faculty and the province of Alberta. We really enjoyed meeting interesting people and in particular, grads from the early ‘40’s. I was very happy to reconnect with a former teacher of mine, as well as a former classmate.

Lydia Fedor, BEd 1975

The event was very well organized and the Dean was a gracious host.

… what was so exciting about the Faculty is the new addition to its program and its expansion internationally, as was clearly presented by the Dean, Dr. Fern Snart.

Dr. Fawzy Morcos, MEd 1985

Homecoming 2008

It was an elegant brunch event hosted in a very

superb environment... Ed. faculty’s research output,

particularly grant dollars, professional service, and

teaching excellence strike a proud note in me.

Bikkar S. (Randy) Randhawa, PhD BEd 1963

… It makes one proud to be a part of this faculty knowing the great things that have been done lately and the

endeavors that are to be undertaken in the future. … Thank you for a great time.

Bill Milnthorp BEd 1964, MEd 1979


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The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) graciously contributed many images of one-room school houses to the Faculty of Education over Homecoming Weekend. These images were displayed at several events, and instigated many conversations and memories of days gone by for many alumni that have either gone to, or taught at one-room schoolhouses. We sincerely thank the ATA for sharing these cherished images with our alumni.

Where are the Old Schools?Readers of the The Orange are asked to help with the establishment of a visual archive of the province’s early schools. Many of these historic buildings are abandoned and deteriorating. Before time, neglect and the elements claim them completely, it is hoped that a photographic record can be compiled.

you can help…Let the ATA know the whereabouts of these buildings by photograph-ing them and sending either a print or electronic image to the maga-zine. Along with the photograph, provide a simple description of the location, such as nearby village, highway or range road and township coordinates. Include the name, current use and original location (if the building has been moved), and a brief history if known.

Send information to Tim Johnston, Editor, ATA Magazine, by post or email ([email protected]) www.teachers.ab.ca

One-room SchoolsAlberta Teachers’ Association -

The Alberta Teachers’ AssociationCentenary Generations AwardThe ATA Centenary Generations Award was created by the ATA in celebration of the University of Alberta’s 100th year an-niversary. In the spirit of the occasion, the ATA wishes to honour the legacy of teaching by awarding education students who have either parents or grandparents who also graduated from the Faculty of Education at the U of A.

The award will be given to 5 undergraduate students who are in good academic stand-ing and enrolled in the Faculty of Education in the 2008/2009 academic year and. Each recipient will receive $1000.

To qualify, recipients must have at least one parent or grandparent who has also gradu-ated from the Faculty of Education with a degree or diploma of any kind. In addition, applicants must submit a maximum 500-word essay describing the relationship be-tween teaching and global citizenship. The 5 recipients for this award will be selected based on their demonstration, in the essay, of exceptional understanding of the poten-tial connections between the profession of teaching and global citizenship.

A minimum of two recipients will be educa-tion students whose permanent residence

is rural. All undergraduates in the Faculty of Education’s collaborative programs are eligible for this award. Students are to send their essay along with their contact informa-tion to:

The Office of External RelationsFaculty of Education4-107 Education NorthEdmonton, AB T6G 2G5

(Deadline for accepting applications is January 9, 2009)

In the midst of the University’s centenary year celebrations, it’s impossible not to feel proud of the pioneering spirit of those who have graced the Faculty of Education’s halls over the years. We thank all our alumni and staff for being a part of our success. We look forward to carrying on that legacy with pro-grams and development that will make our future generations proud.

To highlight the many families that have multiple generations of education gradu-ates, we are working on creating a fitting recognition through the development of the Education Generations Project. With over 700 participants and close to 200 families now registered, an informal Education Generations dedication ceremony was held during Homecoming.

The official launch will take place in the New Year. Deadline for inclusion is December 14th, 2008, We invite you to be a part of this unique project. Please con-tact [email protected] for additional information.

Education’s GenerationsT H E O R A N G E I F A L L 2 0 0 8

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Lance Burns knows you can’t “teach” passion—but he believes it can be inspired, and inspiration can come from anywhere. Even a trash can.

Late in the fall of 2006, Burns was a self-proclaimed “detective,” scouring anywhere and everywhere he felt might yield images for a mural he was creating to fill the barren feature wall in the Undergraduate Student Services (USS) Office, located on the main floor of the University of Alberta’s Education North building.

Burns wanted his project to look good, of course, but it wouldn’t simply be a plastering of pretty pictures. He planned to call it “The Spirit of Education,” and his goal was to tell the story of the past, present and future of education in Alberta and at the U of A—a story in which he is both personally and heavily invested.

A graduate of the U of A education program in the early ‘90s, Burns has been a teacher with the Edmonton Public School Board for more than a decade. His work on the mural would exercise the skills he had developed working as a part-time professional pho-tographer since the mid-’90s, and it would count as an independent studies project toward a master’s degree.

Burns’ probing for pictures took him to the homes of former and current U of A Faculty of Education deans and professors, among others, where he listened to stories and viewed personal photo collections, some of which he scanned and added to the mural.

He also spent countless hours combing through the archive collections of the U of A, the City of Edmonton and the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA). At the ATA, he was given white gloves to wear to keep the

collection pristine as he explored it.

“The ATA has the most beautiful and well-organized archives collection you’ll find any-where, and no one knows it’s there,” Burns said. “I went in and asked to see it, and they weren’t sure what to do—they couldn’t re-member anyone ever making the request.”

But Burns didn’t bother with gloves when he saw some “beautiful” photos of the Education North students’ lounge sitting in a garbage can on campus, proving that one man’s trash is another’s treasure.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I asked around, and I guess someone just thought [the photos] weren’t useful anymore,” said Burns, who eventually gave one of them a prominent spot in the mural.

“I think it’s very important to keep visual records of the past. It tells us a lot about where we’ve been, and that helps us figure out where we’re going,” he added.

All told, Burn’s examined more than 700 pho-tos and works of art before settling on the 39 images that made it into the mural, including a few photos from Burns’ own collection.

The top left corner of the mural features a photo from 1881 of Mr. James Harris, the first public school teacher in Edmonton. The images then move down and to the right, depicting the history of education in Alberta in a chronological flow.

Near the centre of the piece are photos of all 10 deans in the history of the U of A Faculty of Education. Burns placed the portraits in the shape of an hourglass to represent the passage of time.

As the older photos were all in black and white and the newer ones in colour, Burns

decided to “wash out” the colour in order to “balance” the 4 x 12 foot canvas. However, he filtered in a blue tone across the top to represent the U of A Faculty of Education, and he infused green across the bottom to signify the U of A’s emblem.

“I was hoping to create something that, even if the viewer didn’t enjoy the mural for the story, at least they might be able to enjoy its aesthetic value,” Burns said.

By most accounts, Burns hit his mark.

“People come in and see the mural, and they just stop in their tracks. It’s incredible. There’s something about it that grabs people’s at-tention—we get people who’ll come into the office just to look at it,” said Alicia Payne, an admissions assistant with the U of A Faculty of Education who works at a desk that sits a few feet away from the mural.

“I think Lance’s mural is so important because we’re all committed to service in education, and to have an historical representation of that in the Undergraduate Student Services Office gives all the under-grads who aspire to join the rich tradition of education in Alberta a sense of belonging,” said Dr. Rosemary Foster, an educational policy studies professor and Burns’ graduate studies supervisor.

For his part, Burns hopes the mural displays the pride and enthusiasm he feels from being a part of the history of teaching in Alberta. He also hopes it will inspire the same feeling in future teachers.

“To me, the core of education is built on the foundation of good teaching, and good teachers are passionate teachers,” Burns said. “I’m hoping that maybe in some small part this mural will inspire passion in the next generation of teachers in Alberta, because they need that when they are in classrooms inspiring their students.”

Making of a MuralBy RyAN SMITH

Roger S. Smith AwardsEducation’s undergraduates celebrate research accomplishmentsIn late September, recipients of the Roger S. Smith Undergraduate Research Award gath-ered together with their advisors to celebrate their accomplishments as undergraduate researchers.

This year’s award recipients worked on research projects covering a wide-range of topics, including an investigation of ePEARL in creating portfolios under Cathy Adams (Secondary Education); development of reading in bilingual deaf children, under Lenn McQuarrie and Larilyn Abbott (Ed Psych); and partnerships related to High School Apprenticeships, under Alison Taylor (Educational Policy Studies).

“Here, I have the opportunity to person-ally go through all the steps of conducting a study with supervision and guidance,” Rebecca Lehman says after immersing herself in the development of reading skills in bilin-gual deaf children over 15 weeks this past summer. “I get to put into practice so much

of what I have learned in university, from ethic and data gathering to writing articles and doing statistics.”

The Roger S. Smith Undergraduate Research Award is given to students with the inten-tion of cultivating and supporting research partnerships between undergraduate students and faculty members at the Faculty of Education. In 2008, over 40 applications were received for the award, and each year, ten awards, with a value of $5,000 each, are given to undergraduate students who participate in research-based activities during the summer months.

For the 2008-2009 academic year, the dead-line for applications for the Roger S. Smith Undergraduate Research Award is March 1st. Third and fourth-year undergraduate students, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 for all courses taken while registered at the Faculty of Education, are invited to apply.

Change for Children Association Global Education Graduate Award

Fiona Cavanagh, BA 1998, MEd 2006, is the Program Manager of Education for the Change for Children Association (CFCA), an Edmonton based non-profit organiza-tion with thirty two years experience working with international partners in Latin America and Africa and running a vibrant Global Education Program in Canada. CFCA is committed to building capacity in the communities it serves by promoting gender equality, creating environmental sustainability, and valuing and supporting indigenous perspectives and development. In an address to supporters at the 2008 CFCA annual dinner, Cavanagh acknowl-edged the importance of education by sharing a quote from Dean Fern Snart who said, “ I firmly believe that, education is the most powerful force towards personal betterment for those at all strata of society, as an instrument of social justice, and as perhaps the only avenue to peaceful solu-tions to local and world issue.” Cavanagh was instrumental in creating the “Change for Children Global Education Graduate Award” which awards $1000 to a Faculty of Education graduate student who demonstrates commitment in both their academic research and community involve-ment to further global justice and human rights. This award furthers critical educa-tion for human rights and global citizen-ship continues. For more information on this important program visit their website at www.changeforchildren.org.


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UofA Open HouseThe Faculty of Education’s Undergraduate Student Services Office participated in the 2008 University of Alberta Open House on September 20th. Our theme this year had the slogan ‘ The Faculty of Education helps you see the world from a range of perspec-tives’. We had a number of visual illusions and visual stereograms to demonstrate that you can indeed see differently depending on your perspective. Those successful in viewing the images were rewarded with a Faculty of Education digital flash-drive in the University of Alberta green and gold colors loaded with information about the Faculty. We were visited by almost a thousand prospective students, many of whom were accompanied by family and friends. At the end of a very long and busy day the energy of our guests and staff continued to ascend with the ever enduring pride and enthusiasm of our Faculty. Go team!

ESA Welcome BBQ The Education Students Association and the Faculty’s Office of External Relations hosted its Welcome BBQ again this year. Several hundred people were welcomed by staff, faculty and the ESA team.

LISAA’s Annual Celebration LunchSchool of Library and Information Studies hosted their Annual Brunch Celebration on Sept 20th in the Carrel Room at Rutherford Hall.

Accomplished graduates of the University of Alberta were honored at the largest-ever alumni awards ceremony at the Francis Winspear Centre for Music on September 19th, 2008. A total of 41 alumni were celebrated before an audience of more than 1,200 for contributions to their professions, the University, and the world at large. The Faculty of Education had the distinction of bestowing awards on the largest number of graduates from the same faculty, for a total of eight awards.

“A university’s alumni are the strongest testimony of what a university stands for and is all about,” said Canada’s Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin, who attended the ceremony. “The work of our alumni over the past 100 years has brought great honour to

the U of A and great strength to our society.”

Alumni were recognized in four categories: The Alumni Horizon, for outstanding achievements of alumni early in their careers; the Alumni Honour Award, for contributions made over a number of years by alumni in their local communities and beyond, the Award of Excellence for specific, recent accomplishments of graduates, and the Distinguished Alumni Award, the university’s most prestigious honour, which recognizes graduates whose truly outstanding achieve-ments have earned them national or interna-tional prominence.

The Faculty of Education’s award recipients included Dr. Shirley A. Hopkins (BEd 1981, MEd 1982, PhD in Education 1986) and

Thomas Peacocke (Diploma in Education 1953, BEd 1955, BA 1959) who received the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award, Dr. Michael Skuba (BEd 1945, MEd 1955, PhD 1965 in Education) who received the 2008 Alumni Award of Excellence, and LeRoy Johnson (BEd 1968), Josephine Enero Pallard (BEd 1973, Diploma in Education 1983), Doreen Ryan (BEd 1973, Diploma in Education 1983), and Dr. William Selezinka (BEd 1949, MD 1957) who received the 2008 Honour Alumni Award.

The Faculty of Education would like to congratulate and thank each award recipient for the honour that they continue to bring to the Faculty for their outstanding achieve-ments in their communities and around the globe.

Morning announcements have been kicked up a notch at Edmonton’s Holy Family Elementary School ever since Colin Oberst, a music teacher and University of Alberta Education grad, won CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada theme song challenge.

Canadian Gold was one of five songs submit-ted by Oberst who says he tried to work at channeling the spirit of the Oilers’ Stanley Cup glory years.

A long-time hockey fan, he wrote the winning entry, Canadian Gold in less than three hours.

“It just came to me,” reports Oberst who has been teaching for ten years.

Known as “Mr. O” to his grade 5/6 class, Oberst recently performed the song for an assembly of 400 staff and students. Already an accomplished singer and song-writer who plays in “The Surgents”, a local group whose videos have aired on MuchMusic, Oberst also has a small record-ing studio in his home.

He admits being inspired as a musician and teacher ever since his days at the University of Alberta.

“The U of A were my ‘glory years’ for playing

HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA ANTHEM COMPOSER A ROCK STAR WITH HIS STUDENTSFaculty of Education Alumnus Colin Oberst (BEd 1992)

in rock bands and performing at so many Frat parties and faculty parties and functions.

I still remember opening up for Blue Rodeo at Bear Country one year in front of 3500 people and thinking that music was definitely in my future.”

After receiving his Bachelor of Education in 1992, Oberst spent four years pursuing his music passion before walking into his first

classroom.

“As a teacher, obviously, I credit the Education Faculty at the U for initially providing me with necessary tools and experiences to start up a teaching career,” says Oberst who is clearly a hero in the eyes of his students.

To view video clips of the anthem, visit CBC Sports at http://anthemchallenge.cbc.ca/covideo/289271

photo courtesy of C

BC Sp

orts

Alumni Recognition Awards


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NotesClass

In The NewsThe Faculty of Education’s staff and alumni are often called upon by media and journalists for their expertise in current events and news items. Below are some of the articles where your colleagues have appeared in the news.

Frank Peters – Educational Policy Studies Professor, U of A

TEENS FACE COURT IN HAZING CASE Globe and Mail Frank Peters, an education professor at the University of Alberta, gives expert comment in a story about how several teens are facing assault charges in connection to a hazing ritual.

CANADA WELL-SERVED BY INTELLIGENT, DEDICATED TEACHERS The Edmonton Journal Letter from University of Alberta education professor notes that the grade point average of students entering the education faculty at the U of A is as high as those entering arts, science or engineering.

Institute for Sexual Minority Studies

U of A FOUNDS NEW INSTITUTE FOR SEXUAL MINORITIESThe Gateway Students have access to a new institute on campus as the University of Alberta founds the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies, the first of its kind in Alberta and one of the few in Canada.

Camp fYrefly: A LEADERSHIP CAMP IN EDMONTONCanadianLiving.comLearn about Canada’s only outdoor leadership retreat for gay and lesbian youth PLUS find helpful web resources and books for gay youth.

Martin Mrazik - Educational Psychology Professor, U of A

COMPUTER PROGRAM MEASURES CONCUSSIONSU of A teams use high tech to ensure athletes fully recoverCTV Edmonton The University of

Alberta is hoping a new tool it has brought in will help keep varsity athletes who have suffered a concussion from rushing their return to the field.

Dean Fern Snart – Dean of Education, U of A

TWO MINUTES WITH DR, FERN SNART, DEAN OF EDUCATIONThe Edmonton JournalAnyone who has attended school in the past 25 years has probably been taught by a University of Alberta Faculty of Education graduate. More than 60 per cent of the elementary and second-ary school teachers in Alberta are U of A educa-tion graduates.

LETTER - U OF A ATTRACTS BRIGHTEST AND THE BEST Letter from the University of Alberta Faculty of Education’s dean takes issue with a supposition that the average IQ of teachers is dropping as bright university students seek other careers. Fern Snart says just the opposite is true of U of A education students.

Christina Rinaldi - Educational Psychology Professor, U of A

BUSY CHILDREN ENJOY HEALTH BENEFITS: STUDY - Kids with fewer activities more stressedCalgary HerarldKids want to feel they fit in somewhere, and sports or community organizations can foster those feelings of belonging. Studies show kids who develop competencies are less likely to be depressed.

The above is just a sample of the media expo-sure from our faculty and alumni. We encour-age you to forward updates for us to include in future Orange publications. If you would like to be included in our expert’s database, please send us a 50 word bio, along with details on your expertise.

Author Author Many of our alumni are accomplished and published authors. Please keep us informed of any new publications that you may have contributed to.

Dorothy Shaw Larson, Arts 1937 Beyond the end of the steel chronicles the adventure of my family who left a comfort-able home in Minneapolis to homestead in the Peace River country of northern Alberta. During the winter of 1912

they traveled with oxen over the 500 mile icy trail from Edmonton to settle near what is now Sexsmith.

I was born in a log cabin and used to play in the wooden caboose in which my family {all six of them} ate, slept and lived during the trip. The fourth generation of Andersons lives and farms on the original homestead of 160 acres for which my grandfather paid $10 in February 1912.

Ovid K. Wong, BSc 1970, Dip Ed 1971 At 6,000 words, the ancient Bing Fa (The Art of War) seems an unlikely candidate as a compre-hensive manual of cunning and strategy. Yet, as Wong (education, Benedictine U.) points out, it has become an essential tool in business and self-improvement and contains within it the wise axiom that the first order of war is not to do war. Equally wise, Wong applies this ancient text to the modern school system, finding, for example that the system contains the elements of the battlefield, with moral values, command-ers, method, discipline, the presence of heaven and earth, and the potential for balance of all the elements. He describes what makes an effective leader under Bing Fa and how that leader conducts self-assessment, how leaders wage war against inadequate or harmful educa-tion practices, how they build and maintain communication, and how they turn wisdom into action. This is a pioneering work.

Brian Caldwell, (MEd 1975, PhD 1977): I returned to Australia in 1981 and served at the University of Tasmania before taking up an appointment at the University of Melbourne in 1990 where I was Dean of Education from 1998-2004. I continue as Professorial Fellow at Melbourne after establishing the research and development company “Educational Transformations”. We undertake commissioned research for governments in different countries and maintain a heavy schedule of consultancies to schools, school systems and professional associations. One of the most satisfying parts of my work is the partnerships I have formed with policymakers and practitioners, especially after my publications. My 4th book with former principal Jim Spinks was launched in late 2007 under the title Raising the Stakes: From improve-ment to Transformation in the Reform of Schools. Our professional partnership now spans 25 years of national and international work.

Lillian (MacIntosh) Ross (BEd 1977): After teaching for 35 years mostly in Drayton Valley Elementary, Lillian retired and pursued an old passion of writing historical novels. Having written 5 Alberta based historical novels includ-ing a trilogy based on the memoirs of her family labeled “Creative Non-Fiction”, Ross keeps the names and places unchanged.

Most recently published “Mewassin: The Good Land” tells of the families of two men who left Scotland aboard the tall sailing ships during the Highland Clearance and another man who at the age of 16 stowed away aboard a ship in France and followed the missionaries west to the St. Albert area.

Carmen Berg, (BEd 1991), is a contrib-uting author for the new Pearson physics textbook used in Alberta high schools since September 2007.

Tonya Callaghan, (MEd 2006), of Calgary, recently got her U of A master’s thesis published as a book by a German press (VDM Verlag Dr. Muller). The book is entitled That’s So Gay! Homophobia in Canadian Catholic Schools.

Class Notes:We get the most feedback on people from the class notes section. Please keep us updated of your recent accomplishments, promotions, retirements and more! [email protected]

John A. Chan (BEd 2000): After 4 years teaching in Saskatchewan, he is now in the midst of his longest term yet at the Elk Island Catholic School Board. John’s current as-

signment is CTS(Video) at Holy spirit CS in Sherwood Park. Besides teaching and coach-ing, John completed his LLB degree from the University of London (UK) this past summer.

Jack Calkins, BEd, Dip(Ed) 1969, received a 2007 Historical Recognition Award from the Edmonton Historical Board. Jack was recognized for his lifelong commitment to the preservation and development of history as a volunteer at Edmonton’s Victoria Composite High School Museum and Archives.

Katherine Campbell,( BEd 1976) of Somerville, Australia, has been teaching Down Under since 1976. She writes, “Since 2000, I have been concentrating on my children’s books and my ‘farm dream.’ I would love U of A visitors.”

Robert Franz, MEd, BEd 1968, of Brooks, AB, retired after 40 years in education, the last 24 as chief deputy superintendent of schools with the Grasslands regional division. At the Southeast Alberta Teacher’s Convention in Medicine Hat, he received the Convention Zone’s Honoured Teacher of 2007 Award. Since retiring, he is enjoying reading, fiction writing, camping and occasionally undertaking speaking engagements.

Allen Fuller, (BEd 1993), is now the senior pastor at Mountain Park Community Church in Phoenix, Arizona. He followed up his U of A studies with classes at a seminary in Indiana and worked at various churches. His plans for Mountain Park, where he conducts two Sunday services in the large auditorium and oversees several outreach events, include providing a resource for community members to strengthen their families. Even though he describes himself as a “hardcore Edmonton Oilers fan,” as a resident of Phoenix, he now supports Wayne Gretzky’s Coyotes.

Dan Hodges (BEd 1979): Dan went on to Medical School in Calgary, did family practice residing in Edmonton, then a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology in Dalhousie University (Halifax). He currently practices at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and is married with 4 daughters.

Ronald Hopp, LLB, (BEd 1962) U of A pro-fessor emeritus of law, recently received a distin-guished service award from the Law Society of Alberta. Ronald, who taught in the U of A law school for decades, received his award for pro bono legal service. Since 1976, he has provided numerous hours of pro bono legal service to Student Legal Services of Edmonton, routinely working 30 hours a month of unpaid time.

Dudley (BEd 1971, MEd 1975) and Beverly (BEd 1971) Kelso: After successful careers in Australia across primary, secondary and tertiary sectors, they have been engaged as consultants in the establishment of a new International Ladies Boarding College in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They have both come out of retirement to be involved in this exciting project.

Lana Kindrachuks, (BEd 2002) BPE, is currently in Kiev, Ukraine, teaching bilingual students at an international school. “Learning about the different culture, customs and tradi-tions they have is really interesting,” she says, “and the people on a whole are very friendly.” As a Canadian with “half Ukrainian roots,” Lana says she has found it interesting to learn about the history and culture while being immersed in it. “This year will prove to be not only an ever-lasting memory and very cool experience but an education in itself that no textbook could teach or show you.”

James F. Lavers, MEd, BEd 1958, of Edmonton, has designed two educational seminars that have received approval from the Research and Development Division of Revenue Canada (indicating a scientific breakthrough). These seminars discuss people’s different learn-ing modes and are innovative in that they tap into how people’s learning styles influence the order in which they internalize information. James delivers the programs to organizations that want to improve the way information is delivered and absorbed. Also, three of James’s programs have been approved by the Alberta Continuing Education Accreditation Committee so they are available to various groups working through certification processes.

Mike McLean, (BEd 1976), has been named the head coach of the Lions football team at York U in Ontario. A native of Camrose, AB, Mike was defensive coordinator for the Saint Mary’s Huskies the past two seasons and helped the Halifax-based CIS team advance to the Vanier Cup in 2007. Prior to his time at Saint Mary’s, McLean led the Edmonton Huskies to two Canadian Junior Football League championships. Mike was captain of the U of A Golden Bears football team for four years.

Geraldine Nakonechny, (MEd 1983) Dip(Nu) 1959, BSc(Nu) 1960, of Edmonton was recently appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the nursing profession.

Dorothy Ryan, PhD, (MEd, 1985) entered a convent after high school in Ontario and became known as Sister St. Matthew. She had


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been running a private practice as a psycholo-gist in Lloydminster, AB, for 15 years, but in the summer of 2007 returned to Ontario when she was elected Mother General of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Peterborough. Through her years in the church and as a teacher, an academic, and a psychologist, Sister St. Matthew also excelled at basketball, starting in the late 1950s with her Ontario high school team. When she worked as a nun/lab technologist at St. Joseph’s Hospital in the ’70s,

She returned to basketball, and at the age of 31 was named rookie of the year in the Peterborough Ladies Basketball League. After receiving her PhD from the U of A, Sister St. Matthew did post-graduate work at Ohio State U, taught on the Onion Lake Reserve in Saskatchewan and taught university psychology classes.

Darren Schemmer, (BEd 1982) was appointed in July as high commissioner to the Republic of Ghana and now lives in Accra. Darren joined the Canadian International Development Agency in 1989 and received an MBA from Royal Roads University in 2002. Before his appointment to Ghana, he was with CIDA as director general for the areas of Haiti, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.

Michael Skuba, (BEd 1955 MEd 1965

PhD), was honoured by the Lions Clubs International at a district convention in Lethbridge in May 2007 by being named to the District 37 Hall of Fame. Michael was rec-ognized for his nearly 60 years in Lionism and for establishing a hearing aid recycling program in Alberta. Hearing aids were collected, tested, and forwarded to countries including Chile, the Philippines, Belarus, and China. Michael was one of five Lions so honoured in District 37, which consists of Alberta, Montana, part of northern B.C., and the Northwest Territories.

Dalton Smarsh, (BEd 1976): Dalton recently retired from teaching and was named coach of the Edmonton Huskies of the Prairie Junior Football League. At the U of A, Dalton played on the Golden Bears football team for five seasons and was captain for four of those. A long-time promoter of sports in school, Dalton coached basketball, football, track and field, vol-leyball and soccer in Edmonton schools. He also coached the Edmonton Wildcats for five years and, in 1983, led them to a national champion-ship. He was named to the U of A Sports Wall of Fame in 2001.

Bob Tannas,(BEd 1969), BA 1975, and his wife, Carole Tannas, MEd. 1983, Dip(Ed) 1972, of Athabasca, AB, both recent-ly retired from their teaching positions with the Athabasca School Board. They plan to travel,

and Carole says she will keep Bob “from getting too lost by acting as chief navigator during their wanderings.” Besides travelling, Bob says he also plans to “reduce the length of the ‘Honey, Do’ job list.”

Linda Thorsen, (MEd 1982) of Taichung, Taiwan, recently finished 10 years of teaching Grade 4 at Morrison Academy in Taiwan. She is currently taking a one-year leave of absence.

Bob Tory, (BEd 1981), of Richland, Washington, is general manager and partner of the Tri-City Americans hockey club. He writes, “Many of our former players are now on the U of A Golden Bears hockey team (Dylan Stanley, Ben Kilgour, Ian McDonald, Richard Kelly, etc.).”

Dixon (BEd 1970) and Margaret (MEd 1982) Ward: Dixon and Margaret have recently moved to Kelowna, BC from Leduc, AB. After long careers with Black Gold Regional Schools, they sought a warmer climate close to their son and his children. Following retire-ment Dixon served for several years as a school trustee with Black Gold Regional as a marriage commissioner and as a Practicum Associate with the U of A. In Kelowna, Margaret has devoted herself to volunteer work with the Kelowna Art Gallery and the Kelowna Museum helping with school groups, while Dixon works and plays all summer at the Harvest Golf and Country Club.

Hannah Plouffe and Faun Rice, both grade twelve IB students at Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts, had the rare opportunity of participating in discussions about the concept of global citizenship during the University of Alberta’s Global Citizenship Education Conference at Lister Hall on October 23-24.

Drawing people from across the globe, the conference was intended to help participants explore what it means to be global citizens and how to foster a sense of global responsi-bility among youth.

“I feel so stuck sometimes when learning about things such as the history of North America. It’s important but does not really contribute to today’s world,” said Plouffe.

The keynote address was given by Brazilian

High school students discovering

how to be global citizens during U of A Conference

By DAwN FORD

educator and critical pedagogue Dr. Nita Freire whose work is grounded in the philos-ophies of her late husband Dr. Paulo Freire, credited as one of the twentieth century’s most heralded educators.

“I liked the idea when Dr. Freire suggested that global citizenship needs to be based more on values than economics,” said Rice.

Although complex, global citizenship in part is about sharing in a collective humanity, understanding diversity as essential for life and accepting the responsibility to take ac-tion for the common good.

The U of A is at the forefront of global citizenship education as it embarks on a four-year university-wide global citizenship curriculum development project. A panel discussion of this initiative, moderated by

Dr. Ali Abdi of Educational Policy Studies also took place along with a host of diverse topics related to global citizenship.

Implications of the conference include in-forming post-secondary curriculum develop-ment in order to revolutionize our thinking about how and what to teach in today’s world.

The conference was sponsored by the Faculty of Education’s Global Education Network and International Office and the University of Alberta’s International Office.


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