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Faculty of Education News and Updates
Summer 2014
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Teaching and alumni contributions celebrated
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On Wednesday, June 4, prior to the first of two Faculty of Education convocation ceremonies, members of the Brock Education community gathered to celebrate the accomplishments two influential educators and one distinguished alumni.
Read more...
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Faculty of Education on display as Brock University
hosts Congress 2014 |
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Congress brings together scholars, students and policy-makers involved in a broad spectrum of disciplines including political science, literature, sociology and education.
For more information on Congress and highlights from the Faculty of Education please visit our News Around Campus page to browse through various features on our faculty and staff who played influential roles throughout the week.
During CSSE at Congress, the Knowledge Mobilization Day took place, with the overall goal of increasing knowledge mobilization and collaboration by:
- Sharing current education research with teachers, teacher educators, and university researchers
- Stimulating vibrant and exciting dialogue connecting research and practice
- Building and sustaining school-university research collaborations and partnerships
- Bridging the theory-practice gap
Find out more about the Knowledge Mobilization Day
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| Hard work pays off for distinguished Brock education student |
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She appreciates the recognition, but Kristina Elizabeth Wamboldt didn’t spend many quiet nights inside studying and countless hours volunteering to win awards.
Instead, the 23-year-old has devoted most of her time at Brock University preparing for a career in teaching. She completed the concurrent education program with bachelor of science and bachelor of education degrees and a 94 per cent overall average.
Read more...
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| Faculty hosts visiting professor |
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JP Rossouw, from the School of Education, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa, was a recent guest to Brock University’s Faculty of Education.
In Canada to attend the Canadian Association for the Practical Study of Law in Education conference in PEI, Rossouw extended his visit stay to visit the Faculty of Education.
Meeting with Dean Fiona Blaikie, Associate Dean, Student Affairs, Cetnres and Services Susan Sydor, Associate Dean, Research and International Initiatives Michelle McGinn, Associate Professor Rodger Beatty, and Joint PhD doctoral candidate Ewelina Niemczyk, several key objectives were discussed.
Read more...
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Changes around the corner for Teacher Education in Ontario (beginning 2015
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Big changes are coming to Teacher Education (TE) in Ontario. Beginning September 2015, consecutive education programs will become 4-semesters/10 credit programs. Enrollment in TE programs province- wide will be reduced by 50% and Government funding per student will drop by 25%. Concurrent teacher education (beginning 2015) will be extended by 2 semesters: those already enrolled will be grandfathered through the existing program. There are big changes around the corner for all Faculties of Education and for all teacher candidates. See the OCT website for full details of these province-wide changes.
At Brock, the Faculty of Education has embraced these government mandated changes and is excited about our enhanced teacher education program. Our program will feature a variety of delivery models (online, flipped, etc.) and demonstrate an infusion of technology supportive of teaching and learning into the 2nd half of the 21st century. Anchored in Brock’s unique cohort model, the new program at Brock will strive to build even closer ties with key partners in education. Primary/Junior and Junior/Intermediate students will receive nearly twice as much instructional time in math and language arts as well as increased time across all subject areas. Using a digital portfolio as the point of integration, teacher candidates will experience a new approach to chronicle their learnings and understandings over time. In the Intermediate/Senior program, the length of courses in teachable subjects will more than double to allow for the integration of
curriculum with instructional methods class management, assessment and evaluation. Electives and optional courses will enable teacher candidates to personalize their learning at Brock. And all programs have a non-evaluative first teaching block to scaffold the learning to follow, and a teacher-as-researcher course which will allow developing teacher new ways to build their capacity to improve instruction. More details of these changes will be shared this fall!
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Brock alumna recognized with national award
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A Brock University Education alumna was recently recognized with a national award for her teaching contributions.
Sukhdeep Kaur, who graduated from the University of Toronto before completing her master of education at Brock in 2006, where she received the Jack Nobel book prize and Distinguished Graduating Student Award, was one of 60 recipients of the 2013 Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence and Excellence in Early Childhood Education.
“Good educators guide, inspire and motivate us to want to learn on our own,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said of the winners. “They sow the seeds of knowledge that yield well-educated Canadians who are able to compete with the best in the world and generate new ideas and prosperity.”
Read more...
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| 50 years on, Brock gets set for a golden celebration |
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Did you know that this year marks Brock's 50th anniversary?
As the Brock community prepares to host a series of celebrations and reunions surrounding this anniversary, the Faculty of Education would like to request your feedback as alumni.
Please complete this very short, five-question survey to help us best organize our approach for alumni events and reunions.
Read more...
A message to BEd grads who are NOT OCT members
The change to an enhanced Teacher Education program may impact you. If are
eligible to apply for OCT membership but have not done so, the OCT states on their website, “After September 1, 2015, you will be subject to the new requirements.” Link here for more information or call the OCT at 416-961-8800 / Toll Free (Ontario Only): 1-888-534-2222.
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Associate Professor wins Graduate Mentorship Award
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| Congratulations to Joe Engemann |
Joe Engemann, Associate Professor in the Department of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies in the Faculty of Education, was recently recognized by the Faculty of Graduate Studies for his role as a supervisor of graduate studies.
Awarded the Graduate Mentorship Award – along with Prof. Sandra Peters from the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences – Engemann was selected for his supervision of master’s students, the honour announced on April 7 during the Mapping New Knowledges Graduate Student Research Conference.
Each year the Faculty of Graduate Studies invites graduate students to submit nominations. Engemann was one of 11 nominees adjudicated by the Senate Graduate Studies Committee’s awards sub-committee and two graduate students, and will receive $1,000 to assist with ongoing graduate student mentorship activities as a result of the award.
“It is a tremendous honour to receive the graduate mentorship award,” says Engemann, “but it could not have happened without the dedication and enthusiasm displayed by the students with whom I have worked or without the guidance afforded to me by so many of my exemplary faculty and university colleagues.”
The award recognizes the investment that graduate faculty make day-to-day to encourage and support the success of Brock’s graduate students, Mike Plyley, Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies, told the crowd that gathered for the awards presentation.
“The fact that all nominees were outstanding, and the nominees put together convincing packages made the task of selection difficult indeed,” he said. “The students expressed their genuine sense of admiration and appreciation to supervisors for their support and guidance in helping them become the best they can be as researchers, teachers, and leaders in their communities.”
The letters of support for Engemann overflowed with praise from current and past students.
Engemann was described as motivating, supportive, and inspirational - “as students, we are impressed by his intellect, captivated by his experience, and motivated by his enthusiasm for our work”.
One student testimonial in support of Engemann stated that he “possesses the quality all good educators cherish - belief in his students. He believes we can achieve greatness. He believes we can alter lives. He believes we make an impact through our studies”.
Congratulations to Joe Engemann on winning the Graduate Mentorship Award.
Learn more about the Graduate Mentorship Award and how you can submit nominations for 2015.
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| Changes around the corner for Teacher Education in Ontario (beginning 2015) |
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Big changes are coming to Teacher Education (TE) in Ontario. Beginning September 2015, consecutive education programs will become 4-semesters/10 credit programs. Enrollment in TE programs province- wide will be reduced by 50per cent and Government funding per student will drop by 25 per cent. Concurrent teacher education (beginning 2015) will be extended by 2 semesters: those already enrolled will be grandfathered through the existing program. There are big changes around the corner for all Faculties of Education and for all teacher candidates. See the OCT website for full details of these province-wide changes.
At Brock, the Faculty of Education has embraced these government mandated changes and is excited about our enhanced teacher education program. Our program will feature a variety of delivery models (online, flipped, etc.) and demonstrate an infusion of technology supportive of teaching and learning into the 2nd half of the 21st century. Anchored in Brock’s unique cohort model, the new program at Brock will strive to build even closer ties with key partners in education. Primary/Junior and Junior/Intermediate students will receive nearly twice as much instructional time in math and language arts as well as increased time across all subject areas. Using a digital portfolio as the point of integration, teacher candidates will experience a new approach to chronicle their learnings and understandings over time. In the Intermediate/Senior program, the length of courses in teachable subjects will more than double to allow for the integration of
curriculum with instructional methods class management, assessment and evaluation. Electives and optional courses will enable teacher candidates to personalize their learning at Brock. And all programs have a non-evaluative first teaching block to scaffold the learning to follow, and a teacher-as-researcher course which will allow developing teacher new ways to build their capacity to improve instruction. More details of these changes will be shared this fall!
Youth mobility visa for those under 30 allows grads to teach overseas
A youth mobility visa allows Canadians under age 30 to work in the UK with certain restrictions. With a tight job market in Ontario and a teacher shortage in the UK, recruiting agencies are increasingly looking to Ontario for qualified teachers. This winter Dr. Sheila Bennett (Chair, Department Teacher Education), Michelle Smyth (Administrative Assistant, Practicum) and Dorothy Buchanan (Partnership Coordinator) were hosted by Uteach, a recruiting agency primarily focussed on fulltime/1-year positions south of London, to explore the teaching opportunities in England. Teaching in a foreign country is not for everyone, but it could be a great way to kick-start or energize your career.
What teachers might expect to learn by teaching in England, based on conversations with Ontario teachers currently in England:
- Effective use of data to drive instruction in daily lesson planning
- A range of assessment and evaluation strategies
- Classroom management skills (not because the students are bad, but because the education system is different from Ontario’s.)
What Ontario teacher graduates bring to English classrooms based on feedback from Headmasters
- A strong understanding of differentiated instruction
- Creativity in lesson planning and delivery
- Strong content knowledge
Teachers we spoke to in England faced some challenges – many of them the same challenges all beginning teachers in Ontario face: long hours of work, learning new curriculum, not knowing how the school system works. Uteach provides Canadian teachers with several weeks of training in schools before they begin their teaching assignments to reduce these issues. Other recruiting agencies may also try to accommodate the needs of new teachers. Uteach, is one of nearly 20 international organizations attending Career Information Fair on January 10, 2014. These organizations are listed here with contact information. If you are interested in teaching abroad, this may be good place to begin. (Brock does not endorse any of these agencies and reminds grads to pursue all international engagements with caution.)
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