Faculty of Education News Bulletin

Top Stories

Canada’s Best Education Programs: University Rankings 2023 – We’re happy to share that our Faculty placed sixth (up three spots) in Maclean’s annual national comprehensive university ranking in the Best Education Programs category. Learn more

New Provostial Fellows engage community to lead on Sustainable Development Goals – Professor  Jen Gilbert’s project, “LGBTQ2S+ Students’ Experiences in their Professional and Clinical Placements,” will engage the York community in identifying new ways to better support early career nurses, social workers and teachers. Learn more

Tsqelmucwílc: The Kamloops Indian Residential School – Resistance and a Reckoning Book Launch event in BC – On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation September 30, 2022, the former Kamloops Indian Residential School was the site of the launch of a new book Tsqelmucwílc: The Kamloops Indian Residential School – Resistance and a Reckoning. Professor Celia Haig-Brown and other contributors to the book spoke and were honoured as the day’s agenda unfolded. In the days following, events sponsored by Simon Fraser University’s Indigenous Education Reconciliation Council and Indigenous Education Office, Vancouver Island University’s Shq’apthut/Gathering Place, and Nanaimo’s Vancouver Island Regional Library, drew large crowds and moving commentary from Indigenous audience members. A grand finale at UBC’s Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre, housed in a stunning building designed by Indigenous architect Alfred Waugh, included scholars Professors Emerita/us Verna Kirkness (Cree), Jo-ann Archibald (Sto:lo), and Richard Vedan (Secwépemc). The book is available for purchase on the Arsenal Pulp Press website

Assistant Professor Vidya Shah has co-authored an article in the Conversation titled “Even school boards are now experiencing severe political polarization” – Shah and co-authors argue the role and power of school boards and trustees is contentious and suggest a rethinking of boards. They say, “communities need to imagine decision-making structures that include students, community organizations, educational experts and elected officials.” Read article

Professor Emeritus Heather Lotherington awarded visiting professorship at the University of Western Australia (UWA) – Lotherington will be at UWA for 6 weeks from mid-November to December and will be working with professor Mark Pegrum on digital literacies and bilingual immersion in the digital wilds. She will also give a talk entitled “What is language now? Digital innovations and paper traditions”

Congratulations to AQ Instructional Leader Miranda Blazey on being awarded the Ronita deBlois Canadian Art Educator of the Year Award – The award, administered by the Canadian Society for Education through Art, recognizes Art educators teaching Kindergarten to Grade 8 in public or independent school systems in Canada who have demonstrated excellence in art teaching,  leadership in art education and have made a significant contribution to art education locally and beyond

Course Director Emily Burgis’ BEd students with a Visual Arts teachable share their ‘Educator Self-Portraits’ using the arts to express their current vision for teaching and learning – The students are building an ongoing portfolio of creative and academic artifacts to document their thinking, learning and growth throughout the semester. Below are self-portraits from sudents Simon Pellerin, Kathy Chen, Emily Guidry and Danielle Wegner

In the Media

Project helps breathe new life into stories of Greenwood’s forgotten dead – Professor Emeritus Naomi Norquay was quoted in the Owen Sound Sun Times on October 15
Read article

In Case You Missed It…

Taking a look back at the first event in the Faculty of Education’s Public Lecture series this past spring featuring a talk by Dean Robert Savage titled “Making sense of the great reading debate: A guide to the science and practice of helping all children read”
Watch here

News from the York Community

York lands in top five in ‘Maclean’s’ comprehensive university ranking – York University has advanced to the top five in the 2023 Maclean’s University Rankings in the comprehensive category, moving up one spot from last year. Read more

York’s Community Engagement CoP hosts first meeting of academic year – York’s Community Engagement Community of Practice (CoP) welcomes anyone working with external communities in their scholarship, teaching, or professional role, or anyone with an interest in building community engagement at York. The first meeting for this academic year will be held virtually on Nov. 8, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. online via Zoom. Learn more

Take Our Kids to Work Day returns Nov. 2 – York University is participating in the annual Take Our Kids to Work program, initiated by The Learning Partnership. This is an annual event when Grade 9 students step into their future and get a glimpse into the working world. Read more

Events

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher Education Program INFORMATION WEBINAR

Tuesday, November 1, 2022
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. | via Zoom

ASL Interpreters and Real Time captioning will be available.

Pre-registration will be required. Please pre-register here 

A link to the webinar will be emailed to all registered participants a few days prior to the event.

Unequal Benefits: Privatization and Public Education in Canada
with Sue Winton (Associate Professor, Faculty of Education)

Tuesday, November 8, 2022
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. | via online Webinar

In this talk, critical policy scholar Sue Winton will draw on her book, Unequal Benefits: Privatization and Public Education in Canada, (University of Toronto Press), to explain how growing education privatization is undermining public education and democracy.

This event is free and all are welcome to attend.

Learn more