UNews - instructor

Understanding how the student brain works

trevor.kenney — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 20:39:52 +0000

“When we hear “brain-based research,” we tend to think primarily in terms of brain injuries or diseases such as stroke and alzheimer’s, but what is the connection between neuroscience and inclusive education?

As ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Education’s Dr. Nancy Grigg explains, “The solid body of research that exists to support the use of various educational strategies is now being enhanced by neuroscience research, contributing unique and important knowledge of how best to enhance student learning."

Dan Vanden Dungen, a longtime educator in the Horizon School Division, is learning how neurological theory can make a huge difference in today's classrooms.

Dan Vanden Dungen (BA ’90, BEd ’92) will be among the first cohort of the Inclusive Education and Neuroscience MEd program to graduate in 2014. Initially, he struggled with how neurological theory would translate to the classroom. In retrospect, he says that knowing how the brain works matters because it allows educators to better identify changes that can be made.

“A key understanding from neuroscience is the building of neural pathways to enhance learning for all students in an inclusive environment,” says program instructor Sue Bengry. “In essence, it’s about understanding how the student’s brain works and tailoring the instruction to relate to that functionality.”

“It’s a less subjective way of working,” explains Vanden Dungen, “I believe it’s made me more empathetic, tolerant and resourceful.”

Working in the Horizon School Division for almost twenty years now, Vanden Dungen has worked with a broad spectrum of children, many from local and migratory Mennonite religious communities. More recently, his work as a classroom support teacher has also included students whose primary language is Low German, at the Horizon Mennonite Alternative Program.

“Inclusion is challenging,” he says. “It’s not the way most of us were taught to teach.”

With its cohort model, the structure of the MEd program has provided him with some unexpected connections.

“My cohorts have been an amazing support,” he says. “Being with the same group for three years has been essential to my success in the program. It’s also meant that I have a network of ‘inclusion professionals’ outside of my school and division.”

As we enter a new era of advancement in brain research, neuroscience is helping to inform learning specialists.

It’s becoming easier for researchers to access and interpret information originating in the brain.

“The basis for variations in learning, behaviour regulation and thinking are now being understood and described as ‘variations in brain processes,’” says Dr. Rob Sutherland of the U of L Department of Neuroscience in the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience. Accordingly, he predicts that “future innovations in education will depend upon understanding and applying what neuroscience has discovered about the developing brain.”

A classroom support teacher can take this specialized knowledge and incorporate it into a customized plan of action that consciously shapes a student’s learning.

“It’s important to provide a solid rationale for your recommendations,” says Vanden Dungen. “To do this, we need to become critical consumers of scientific data and the neuroscience courses help lay that foundation.”

Inaugural Lethcamp coming to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

trevor.kenney — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 19:00:19 +0000

Administrators, teachers, pre-service teachers, education assistants, parents and others passionate about education will discuss a variety of self-established topics at the first-ever southern Alberta edcamp to be held at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Saturday, January 25.

Dubbed Lethcamp, the event will follow an “unconference” model where discussion topics are not predetermined. It will allow participants to set the agenda and is designed to encourage spontaneous collaboration among educators.

Lethcamp is a day of learning and networking, including learning sessions that are not intended to be led by anyone, says U of L Faculty of Education instructor Kurtis Hewson, one of the volunteers helping to coordinate the event.

The organizing group for the day includes passionate educators from various school districts in southern Alberta and at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, including teachers and pre-service teachers.

“Educators with interest in similar areas establish sessions where anyone interested in that particular topic comes together to share practices, ask questions of each other and network,” says Hewson. “Simply, Lethcamp is professional development determined by and driven by participants.”

Participants will identify education topics they wish to discuss by writing them on a sticky and affixing it to a white board. Organizers will then sort the various topics into themes, which will dictate the various sessions of the event.

In addition to the on-site sessions, learning will be shared throughout the day via the Twitter hashtag #lethcamp and through live blogging that will be continually posted on the event’s website (http://lethcamp.ca) and also available through the event’s mobile device app. The intent is for learning to take place for those at the event as well as the greater educational community, throughout the day and beyond.

Lethcamp has been enthusiastically received so far, says Hewson, with over 100 participants registered to date.

Coffee and muffins are offered at 7:45 a.m., with the event beginning at 9 a.m. Two sessions will take place in the morning, with an additional two occurring in the afternoon.

There is no cost to register or participate in the event.

For more information, or to register for Lethcamp, visit http://lethcamp.ca, follow the official Lethcamp Twitter account at @lethcamp and join the conversation using the Twitter hashtag #lethcamp.

Summer Games work earns group Senate Volunteer Award

trevor.kenney — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:35:37 +0000

Thanks to the dedicated volunteer work of these four individuals, for four days in July 2012, more than 2,600 athletes came to Lethbridge to compete in the 2012 Alberta Summer Games.

The Senate of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is proud to recognize their service with the 2013 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Volunteer Award.

Nancy Walker, Deb Marek, Cheryl Meheden and Jochen Bocksnick sat on the Board of Directors for the games as well as managing their own specific portfolios. They began preparation for the games more than two years before the event, and each played an important role in organizing the games. The games were a success due to the contributions of these individuals, as well as hundreds of other volunteers, many of whom included ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ employees and students.

Senate Volunteer Award winners (L to R) Jochen Bocksnick, Deb Marek, Cheryl Meheden and Nancy Walker.

Nancy Walker was the director of administration for the games, responsible for managing the budget and brokering all contracts and legal agreements. Walker is currently the U of L's vice-president (finance and administration), and has extensive community volunteer experience.

As director of facilities, Deb Marek ensured that the sports and activities of the games had a venue. She also supervised all signage, portable facilities and warehousing. At the U of L, Marek is a manager in Sport and Recreation Services, and has been the assistant coach to the women's hockey team.

Cheryl Meheden's responsibilities as director of protocol included managing opening ceremonies, official receptions, hospitality, games attire, medals, participant entertainment and the torch relay. Meheden is currently an instructor at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, in the Faculty of Management, and at Lethbridge College.

Guided by the Alberta Summer Games' mission to provide the best possible experience for all involved, director of sport Jochen Bocksnick ensured that the games offered the best venues and sport chairs. Bocksnick is an instructor in kinesiology and physical education at the U of L.

The 2012 Alberta Summer Games were a huge success, with over 2,600 athletes participating in 15 sports over the four days, watched by over 7,000 spectators. All four of these volunteers committed hundreds of hours to make this success happen, demonstrating exceptional leadership and commitment.

This story first appeared in the May 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ mourns passing of DeBow

trevor.kenney — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:19:30 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Community offers its most sincere condolences to the family, many friends and colleagues of the late Dr. Shirley DeBow, a Lethbridge-based community volunteer, social worker and educator who served as the 10th Chancellor of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge from 2003 – 2007.

Shirley passed away on Monday, March 25, at age 68.

She is survived by her husband Gerald DeBow, and their three children – Jeremy, Suzanne and Adrienne – and their families.

A memorial service has yet to be confirmed.

This notice will be updated as additional information becomes available.

Shirley served the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and broader community with enthusiasm, good humour and dedication, and participated in a host of community activities as Chancellor that served to strengthen the relationship between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the Lethbridge community at large.

She served on the U of L Senate from 1993 to 2001, as well as a number of U of L-specific committees and groups, and received an Honorary Degree from the U of L in 2008 for her extensive community service efforts.

During her time as Chancellor, she either hugged or (was hugged by) more than 6,000 students who were welcomed into the U of L family and helped establish the Senate Volunteer award, as well as an endowed Senate Scholarship for students, among other outreach activities.

"The U of L has long been fortunate to have strong community support and committed volunteers and Shirley DeBow was very much one of those people," said Dr Bill Cade, who served as U of L President during Shirley's term as Chancellor.

"She devoted much time and effort to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ activities over the years, especially in her role as ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Chancellor. This was a job that Shirley loved and was ideally suited for. She performed her duties with much class and with genuine interest in the well being of our students.

Cade said that Shirley also served as an outstanding ambassador for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and worked tirelessly with the broader southern Alberta community to advance the U of L.

"One of Shirley's most significant legacies was the establishment of the Senate Scholarship Fund. Shirley provided leadership at a critical time when the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Senate launched a drive to raise scholarship funding for outstanding students. They were very successful and the fund continues to this day. It was a pleasure to work with Shirley in her capacity as Chancellor of the U of L. Elsa and I will miss her and we offer our condolences and best wishes to her family at this time."

Shirley's care and concern for people extended far beyond her immediate family, and she was forever a Maritimer, no matter how much time she spent on the prairies. Shirley was born in Nova Scotia (delivered by the doctor-father of Canadian music artist Anne Murray)and spent her childhood on Cape Breton Island, where her father served as an Anglican priest.

She attended Dalhousie ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree, the Maritime School of Social Work, and, after moving to Alberta in 1966, attended the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Faculty of Social Work.

She accepted a position as a social worker with the Government of Alberta, then progressed to NAIT, where she launched the first Social Services Worker program.

Shirley took this experience to the newly-established Grant MacEwan Community College in 1971, where, as the institution's 5th full-time employee, she established several key outreach programs and was particularly proud of an outreach program that she personally delivered to remote and northern locations of the province. She became the Head of the Social Services program, and was an instructor within the program until moving to Lethbridge in 1984.

In Lethbridge, she taught at Lethbridge Community College on a part-time basis and worked as a Social Worker/Supervisor of Social Work Programs at FamilyCare Inc., training and certifying social workers in several communities in southern Alberta, including the Town of Claresholm, the Kainai first Nation and the Siksika First Nation.

She will be remembered as the ultimate grandmother who was fiercely proud of her family, as a gracious host who welcomed people from all walks of life into her world, and as a community volunteer who worked tirelessly behind the scenes for organizations in need.

Condolences may be sent to the family at this address: senate@uleth.ca

Enhancing student engagement the focus of learning circles

trevor.kenney — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:49:52 +0000

How better to engage students in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge community than to involve them in building the supportive culture they want and need?

This creative method of developing a supportive campus community is the basis of the Learning Circles project, and involves the creation of high performance teams (HPTs). Learning Circles is another Recruitment and Retention Project (RRP) with a goal of enhancing the student-centred service commitment of the U of L.

Craig Milner, an instructor in the Faculty of Management, and Heather Mirau, director of integrated planning, have been co-leading a group of employees and two sets of students who represent various disciplines and years of study in this pilot project. Its goal is to establish a process for developing a culture of HPTs based on self-management principles.

"Each team develops its own team culture within a guided process for achieving a level of high performance," explains Milner, who is well acquainted with the use of HPTs, and has a rich background in guiding and training high performance teams. He brings this knowledge into the classroom as well, teaching management students on how to construct effective HPTs.

Through valuable teamwork, students support each other in helping to build a supportive campus community.

To date, the teams have been meeting on a weekly basis, sometimes independently and sometimes in a group setting.

The employee team is known as the Dots and is meant to serve only as a source of connectivity for the students to find the expertise they need on campus to help them succeed. In cases where the employees may not know the department or person a student needs, it is their role to find that contact. In so doing, both the employee and the student learn what services are available and how they can be accessed.

"We really have great resources and expertise on campus, and sometimes it's a matter of simply finding those connections," says Mirau. "This is a great opportunity for both our students and employees to learn about all the services that are available to our students."

The project will look to add more individuals to each team in the spring semester, giving them an opportunity to ease into the team culture, at which time the teams will organically split and repeat the process to continue to take in more students and employees.

The Learning Circles have been well received by those participating in the pilot project.

"The experience has helped me analyze my own education and in turn create a strategy to improve my campus experience," says Nicole Meurs, a second-year management student majoring in human resources. "With the support of my fellow teammates and the knowledge sharing and resources of our Dots, it has really opened my eyes to everything that is available to us."

Jennifer McArthur, a learning strategist in the Counselling Services office, says her involvement with the HPTs has been very rewarding.

"It's been great to work with the students and help create those connections for them, and it's also been a real learning experience for our group too," she says.

Anyone wishing to participate in a Learning Circle is urged to contact any of the following: Kristy Burke (kristy.burke@uleth.ca), Lynette LaCroix (lynette.lacroix@uleth.ca), Nicole Leusink (nicole.leusink@uleth.ca), Jennifer McArthur (j.mcarthur@uleth.ca), Craig Milner (craig.milner@uleth.ca), and Heather Mirau (mirau@uleth.ca).

This story first appeared in the January 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Laurendeau finds mutual benefit in supervisory role

trevor.kenney — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 21:32:57 +0000

In this episode of the 45th anniversary series, sociology professor Dr. Jason Laurendeau and new alumna Rachel Shields (MA 12' ) discuss Laurendeau's positive approach to working with both undergraduate and graduate students.

As a master's supervisor, Laurendeau finds his work with students is not a one-way street. While also playing the role of mentor and instructor, Laurendeau says he likes the opportunity he gets to learn from his students and apply their thoughts on sociological concepts to his research work.

Check out the video below to hear how this relationship is a win-win for both the professor and student.

Engaging youth in science earns Kothe CIHR honour

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 21:44:27 +0000

Dr. Ute Kothe (chemistry and biochemistry) has taken her infectious enthusiasm for science and research to a whole new level as the recipient of a national award recognizing her efforts to expose young people to science education and career possibilities.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) recently announced Kothe as the winner of its 2012 Synapse Mentorship Award – Individual Researcher.

The award, which is worth $5,000, is one of three handed out nationally – and the U of L's first. It recognizes the efforts of a health researcher who has made exceptional efforts to promote health research among Canada's students.

Dr. Ute Kothe has been instrumental in driving the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's youth science outreach efforts.

In addition to teaching and operating a busy lab, Kothe created the Bridges to Science program as a way to promote science literacy among Canadian high school students, provide hands-on science workshops and complement established school curriculum.

She then linked that with Let's Talk Science, a national science outreach organization, so that Bridges to Science could reach all Canadian youth. In 2010-11 alone, the program reached 20 high schools and more than 550 students.

"It is important for today's researchers to take some time to pass along their knowledge to Canadian youth," says Dr. Jane Aubin, CIHR's chief scientific officer and vice president of Research and Knowledge Translation Portfolio.

"Dr. Kothe deserves this Synapse mentorship award for her dedication to helping Canadian students both understand and appreciate the value of science. This may ultimately help them choose career paths that will make them scientific leaders of tomorrow."

Kothe has also worked with Operation Minerva, judged numerous science fairs, and is the science advisor to the local Girl Guides of Canada unit.

Kothe is also a key oranizer for the annual RiboWest conference (June 10-13) aimed at RNA (ribonucleic acid) researchers who are gathering in Lethbridge to learn about the latest research in this discipline.

Not only has the work of Kothe and her student team been recognized through repeated requests from schools, their efforts have also been the subject of a masters thesis research project on student learning and engagement.

Kim Orr, a veteran high school teacher who also serves as an instructor to teacher candidates at the U of L, says she has observed first-hand how Kothe shares her passion for education through her involvement in youth programs.

"My research showed that student learning improved at all academic levels, but a greater impact was seen in low-achieving students," says Orr. "The learning gains included scientific skills such as critical thinking, problem solving and lab skills. Regardless of their academic ability, students were engaged by the hands-on activities and expressed their excitement about the program."

This story first appeared in the June 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the entire issue in flipbook format, follow this link.

Prague experience resonates

trevor.kenney — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:05:28 +0000

The Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts had never previously sent their technical theatre and design majors on an international travel experience. So when the department finally got that opportunity, it made it worth their students' while as they attended the largest performance design event in the world – the Prague Quadrennial (PQ).

"PQ is truly the World's Fair for the technical theatre and design profession," says Roger Schultz, the instructor who instigated and spearheaded the project. "The PQ is an international exposition that highlights and exhibits the art of theatre designers from more than 76 countries spread across five continents."

Every four years since 1967, more than 5,000 registered theatre professionals and students, along with 30,000 visitors, descend on the Czech Republic's capital city. Featuring individual country pavilions, workshops, lectures, discussions and presentations on contemporary work in all theatre design disciplines; the PQ lasts 10 activity-packed days.

Technical theatre and design majors made the most of their Prague excursion.

"Both the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and our department recognize the value of students obtaining international experiences in their field of study," says Schultz (BFA '89). "This event provided an innovative opportunity for students to witness first-hand the national trends and the work of leading theatre design practitioners from around the world."

The PQ also has a strong student component highlighted by the student pavilions, which were almost as extensive as the main exhibition, and an event called Scenofest, which involved live design/performance and student workshops.

"Our students were excited to take part in one and two-day workshops where they explored sound, light, costume and scenic design under the guidance of a renowned international theatre design artist," says Schultz. "It was also a wonderful forum for meeting and working with their peers from around the world."

The opportunity to visit Prague, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and experience its long history and rich cultural life was an added bonus. As well as being known for such cultural heroes as Mucha, Kafka and Mozart, Prague is renowned for its architecture. With roots stretching back to 900 AD, much of the architecture in this city has survived intact. Pristine examples of Gothic, Romanesque and Renaissance, as well as famous examples of Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture abound.

"Add to that a culture rich in music, contemporary art museums, the fascinating residue of Communism and a real live castle (with St Vitus Cathedral as the crowning jewel) overlooking the entire city, Prague is a must see destination," enthuses Schultz.

The trip to the PQ was a significant educational opportunity for the students.

"Forums of this sort, specifically focused on their area of specialization, are rare," he says. "The students who participated returned transformed and more aware of their place and connection to a larger global community. As one student put it, "It was wonderful to see that there is so much more out there . . . more than I thought I knew, more than I could have imagined."

This story first appeared in the November issue of the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Prague experience resonates

trevor.kenney — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:47:50 +0000

Technical theatre and design majors made the most of their Prague excursion.

The trip to the PQ was a significant educational opportunity for the students.

This story first appeared in the November issue of the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Environment is the key

trevor.kenney — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:09:26 +0000

"It's all about the environment, stupid!"

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge instructor Gary Weikum quotes Dr. David Suzuki for effect but the message is valid. To create a viable sustainability plan, one that encompasses all three aspects of the sustainability model (environment, social and economic), it must begin and end with a focus on the environment.

"There's a commonly accepted diagram that is used to demonstrate sustainability and its three components," says Weikum. "It shows three overlapping circles, representing the three aspects of sustainability, with the commonly held belief that the overlapping section of the diagram represents sustainability. A more accurate diagram would begin with a large circle representing the environment, within which smaller circles for the social and economic aspects exist.

"What we're realizing, as a result of science, are the limits of our planet and the impact we're having on it. It brings us back to the idea that the environment is a life support system for us and we need to ensure that it is going to continue."

To that end, Weikum is doing his small part by leading an Applied Studies course that is drafting a scoping study from which a sustainability plan for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will eventually be created. He and his five students will complete the study at the end of the semester.

"Before starting a plan, you need to first prepare a scoping report, which is essentially an instruction manual on how to produce the plan," he says. "We're trying to figure out what topics should be included in the plan, how broad or how narrow we make this, who would be included in the planning process, what resources will be required and what timelines are reasonable to complete the plan."

Weikum speaks from experience, having been a city planner for 30 years. He sees this as a valuable experience for his students, all the while serving the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as it follows the direction of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Strategic Plan, which contains a priority directed towards the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's sustainability.

"That's what makes this so exciting for me, sharing this experience with some of my students," says Weikum.

Fourth-year urban and regional studies student James Switzer revels in the chance to work with a real client and participate in the making of a viable plan.

"This has been one of the most beneficial experiences of my university career," says Switzer, a Calgary native. "It has been an opportunity to apply the knowledge I have gained throughout my education in a practical sense; one that has provided a valuable and unique learning experience which has exposed me to some of the processes, issues and challenges which are involved in putting together such a report."

Fellow student Deanna Cambridge says the process has really opened her eyes to the limitations of what a real-world plan looks like.

"This project is only the first stage in the eventual creation of a sustainability plan," she says. "The biggest factor I have noticed so far regarding the realities of what can be achieved in the area of sustainability is in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ priorities, and therefore budget allocations. Sustainability needs to get backing and support from all stakeholders including students, faculty and staff. Part of our study focuses on how the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ can get these groups excited so that sustainability is seen as something that is both wanted and needed by the entire ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community."

Weikum describes true sustainability as achievable only when it supports each aspect of the equation. It will not take hold if unrealistic resources must be devoted to the process.

"We have to start within this economic system we've developed," he says. "In the long term, economic viability is determined by the viability of the environment."

Cambridge is excited to see the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ set sustainability as a strategic priority, even though her contribution won't be realized until years after she has left the U of L.

"As a person with pride for this ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, I would like to see it excel in sustainability so that it gains recognition in the academic community for its work and therefore can attract more students in more study areas," she says. "I also believe that if the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is able to make sustainability a top priority it will open up different practical and research study opportunities for students through the implementation of its policies."

Weikum and his students see the need for this plan at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the movement is beginning to take hold.

"The environment has limits, it has carrying capacities and we understand that if we exceed those carrying capacities, there is usually a negative feedback of some kind."
Turning that into a positive is beginning to take shape now.

This story first appeared in the November issue of the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

UNews - instructor

Understanding how the student brain works

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