UNews - John Poulsen

Practicum Semester III (PSIII): The pinnacle field experience

darcy.tamayose — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 23:17:05 +0000

In their final practicum, Professional Semester III (PSIII) ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty of Education students spend a university semester teaching in a school setting guided by a teacher mentor and supervised by the local school administrator.

Chris Tuck currently teaches at Dr. Gerald B. Probe Elementary School in Lethbridge.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything more in a PSIII experience,” says Chris Tuck (BA/Ed ’14). “You really get to be part of the school. You can see the kids learn, and I built some amazing relationships.”

“PSIII is the pinnacle experience in the Faculty of Education program. It is one of the components that makes the U of L program so powerful,” says Dr. John Poulsen, PSIII Coordinator. “The student teachers are called interns to signify the difference from previous practica. What is so special is that the interns perform much like a half time teacher for four months. They take on most of the duties of certified teachers, such as planning, teaching, and assessment. After PSIII the interns are confident and ready to teach.”

Tuck, who interned at St. Patrick Fine Arts Elementary School in Lethbridge, enjoyed collaborating with other teachers while he was there.

“One of the biggest things I learned was there’s more than one way to teach. If something doesn’t work the first time, it’s okay to reteach it. There’s time to try new things. I feel I can differentiate now, and do things that will work for each student. When I see kids grasp something, there’s nothing better.”

Faculty professors helped Tuck immensely.

“Professors model the instructional strategies they teach,” he says.

This allows students to discover what works for them as students, and then implement those strategies as teachers.

PSIII interns are required to engage in a professional inquiry project. Tuck focused on cross-discipline teaching, often using games to teach skills and competencies simultaneously in several subject areas. The shadow puppet plays his students produced for science also incorporated drama and language arts. Math and physical education merged in ‘Math Facts Bowling.’

Tuck created a website to share learning games mathgamesinquiry.weebly.com. He also values Twitter to resource with colleagues.

“In teaching we never stop learning,” says Tuck’s teacher mentor, Don Flaig. “Mr. Tuck brought a lot of fun and creativity to the classroom, and, as is often the case with student teachers, he has raised the bar for me.”

Flaig’s mentorship reinforced Tuck’s enthusiasm for teaching, originally inspired by a childhood soccer coach and several other exceptional teachers.

“I wanted to be them,” he says. “I had good experiences and I wanted to pay it forward. Coming out of this program, I feel I’m ready.”

Honouring long service

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 May 2011 21:24:26 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ held its annual Long Service Awards and Retirement Recognition Ceremony recently, honouring 116 employees who have completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of service. A total of 23 retiring employees were also honoured.

Following is a list of honoured employees.

RETIREES

Art Aitken, Dayna Daniels, Richard Epp, Rex Forsyth, Eldon Gardner, Wolfgang Holzmann, Bill Hudgins, Joan Kendall, Leslie Lavers, Lucie Linhart, Gerald McConaghy, Linda McLeod, Ken Nicol, Seamus O'Shea, Doug Parker, Ramrattie Ramtej, Donna Seyed Mahmoud, Ches Skinner, Philippe Teillet, Linda Van Esch, Wendy Vogel, Nick Wade and Ian Wells

LONG SERVICE RECIPIENTS

40 Years | Maria Draper

35 Years | Chris Charles, Bryan Kolb, Peter McCormick and Gerda VanderFluit

30 Years | Jane Allan, Cheryl Calver, Dayna Daniels, Gayle Durand, Rex Forsyth, Laurel Hamilton, Jay Johnston, Linda Kucheran, Greg Martin, David Naylor, Shari Platt and Leanne Wehlage-Ellis

25 Years | Shamsul Alam, Lana Barton, Bryson Brown, Cathy Campbell, Patricia Chuchryk, Leslie Gatner, Allan Gergel, Nancy Grigg, Tyler Hayward, Mary Anne Hellinga, Wolfgang Holzmann, Bill Hudgins, Margaret Joblonkay, Kas Mazurek, Alice Miller, Richard Mrazek, Thomas Robinson, Doug Ross, Jadranka Smiljanec, Brian Sullivan, Richard Tedesco, David Townsend, Sandy Wiest and Joan Zimmer

20 Years | Patti-Jo Aiken, Linda Anderson, Roberto Aragon-Garcia, Jochen Bocksnick, Carl Budny, James Byrne, Peter Dibble, Deborah Grant, Bill Halma, Andrew Hurly, Janet Macdonald, Karen McCallum, Louise Miller, Al Mueller, Claudia Notzke, Sergio Pellis, Dwayne Pepin, Vern Peterson, Maria Quinteros, Kathy Schrage, Colleen Sullivan, Brian Titley, Donna Townley and Mark Walton

15 Years | Doug Berry, James Dobbie, Jackie Edwards, Lance Grigg,
Michelle Hogue, Marie Matkin, Ian McAdam, Gerald McConaghy, Chris Moroz, Jeff Oliver, Derek Peddle, Michael Perry, John Poulsen, William Ramp, Keith Roscoe, Elizabeth Schultz, Ivan Townshend and Kenneth Vos

10 Years | Louise Arsenault, Stella Baah, Brenda Bell, Donald Birchfield, Ryan Buckman, Jill Cassidy, Lorena deLange, Christopher Epplett, Margaret Forgie, Don Gill, Bill Glaister, Val Hill, Patricia Horrocks, Nancy Hosgood, Frank Huss, Deborah Jarvie, Helen Kelley, Carol Knibbs, Keith Knowles, Josh Korthuis, Christopher Kukucha, Greg Lacey, Corie Lazenby, Wayne Lippa, Karen Mahar, Jeremiah Merkl, Josephine Mills, Joy Morris, Chris Nicol, Chris Picken, Jeremy Pierson, Mike Pinder, Catharine Reader, Michael Robinson, Victor Rodych, Tammy Rogness, Mark Sabo, Robin Schafthuizen, Shelley Scott, Behnam Seyed Mahmoud, Gerry Ste. Marie, Robert Sutherland, William Tietz, Raquel Trillia, John von Heyking, Kevin Ward, Katherine Wasiak, Robert Williams, Barbara Williams, Jim Wishloff, Robert Wood and Jing Zhu

To view the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Epp directs impressive cast in The Seagull

trevor.kenney — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:24:34 +0000

Within a rural Russian landscape, Anton Chekhov's masterpiece, The Seagull, weaves a touching and often comic story of love, ambition and hopefulness.

Showing Feb. 15-19 (8 p.m. nightly with a Feb. 19, 2 p.m. matinee) in the David Spinks Theatre, the U of L's interpretation of the Seagull is directed by Richard Epp. Written in 1895, The Seagull set a new a standard of realism on the stage.

"By the time Anton Chekhov turned his attention to crafting The Seagull, he was established as an award-winning author of short stories, and a playwright of brief, farcical entertainments," says Epp. "It was The Seagull which assured Chekhov's place as a celebrated Russian playwright and as a most influential figure of 20th century theatre."

The Seagull exposes the complex relationships and conflicts of an eccentric collection of characters visiting a sprawling country estate. Early on, it is apparent that playwright Konstantin loves his mother Irina, but is jealous of her fame as an actress and depressed about his own lack of success. From the moment Konstantin's play is presented to family and friends, everything begins to go wrong.

"In support of The Seagull's interest in generations of writers and actors, our talented cast and crew comprises students and alumni, faculty and staff, young and old, all of whom share a great respect for the play and a love of theatre," remarks Epp.

"The artistic designers of The Seagull, Roger Schultz (set and costumes), James McDowell (lighting) and Kelly Roberts (sound), are alumni of our degree program in Theatre and Dramatic Arts. As students in 1989, all three worked on my production of Chekhov's Three Sisters. It's a pleasure to work with all of them again," Epp says.

Among the talented cast are alumna Dr. Laurin Mann, who returns to campus as Arkadina, and Drama Education associate professor Dr. John Poulsen, who plays the bumbling estate manager, Ilya Shamrayev. Also featured, in a rare performance, is English Professor Emeritus, Dr. Brian Tyson, as the retired court official, Pyotr Sorin.

For a full look at the January issue of the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

One final BillBoard - President Dr. Bill Cade

trevor.kenney — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:35:51 +0000

One of the first opportunities I had to communicate to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community came in the fall of 2001 when I penned the first ever Billboard in a brand new ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ publication, the Legend. As I prepare to leave my position as President of the U of L, I am pleased to have the opportunity to write one final Billboard, a fitting bookend to my time here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

There have been a lot of 'lasts' taking place over the past month and one of the more significant occasions was participating in my final convocation ceremony. I have found always that convocation is an excellent reaffirmation of what we do, day-in and day-out, here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

Each ceremony is unique and one highlight this spring was seeing our first graduate of Ceremony 2 receive her degree. Alix Blackshaw was a very involved student on campus and worked diligently with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Rotaract Club. She, along with Kristina Larkin and Eva Gorny, were recently profiled in the Lethbridge Herald and embody the ideals we embrace here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. It is very satisfying to see our students take their role in life seriously, that they don't concentrate just on their books but they take what they've learned in the classroom and share their lessons outside with those less fortunate.

As many of you know, I do not wear hats, and especially convocation hats. For the past 10 years I had avoided wearing my official convocation hat during ceremonies, but Chancellor Richard Davidson made a point of noting that I was not "appropriately" attired during the final ceremony – I ultimately relented.

I want to thank George McIntosh in Facilities for mentioning that I had never had the opportunity to touch the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Mace. I was surprised and pleased to have Chief Marshal John Poulsen hand it to me as Elsa and I walked out in our final procession.

I also want to thank the Senate for bestowing upon Elsa the Senate Volunteer Award. Her contributions to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ over the last 10 years have been invaluable, and I could not have done any of this had it not been for her love and support.

Another significant event was the annual Paul Lewis Lunch. This is one of my favourite gatherings as it brings retirees back to campus and really drives home the community spirit we've fostered here at the U of L. This year we were thrilled to showcase Markin Hall to many of our former employees.

The official opening of Markin Hall this fall is one I'm looking forward to attending. While the date has not been finalized, if it can be co-ordinated before our trip to Mozambique in October, I will not let it open without me.

The many farewell wishes both Elsa and I have received have been fantastic. The goodbye events have been very warm, very gratifying, embarrassing, awkward at times, but more than anything, a lot of fun.

It has been a wonderful ride – I've said that many times and I'll go on saying that. I can't imagine a more satisfying time in my life in terms of the people, the things we worked on, and the recognition the U of L has received.

Wherever our travels and careers take us in the future, we will always be Pronghorns and members of the U of L community.

President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Bill Cade

Return to school gives Poulsen new outlet for passion

trevor.kenney — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:34:40 +0000

Whether we laugh uproariously or shudder in abhorrence, it is probably safe to say that the mind-numbing monotony of Ben Stein's character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off does not inspire an interest in learning. With her passion and enthusiasm for dance, however, Betty Poulsen (BEd '02), dance teacher at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, has inspired students for many years.

"Although I taught dance for many years, I graduated with my bachelor of education from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2002 so I still feel that I am a new teacher as far as the school system goes," explains Poulsen. "I considered going into education years ago but I was too scared of the responsibility of teaching young people."

Instead, Poulsen completed a bachelor of arts, majoring in anthropology and drama at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, while teaching dance and performing with the Young Canadians of the Calgary Stampede.

"I had been dancing since I was a little girl but my first love was competitive gymnastics. At 15, I auditioned for the Young Canadians and was one of only four who were accepted. It changed the course of my life," says Poulsen. "Dance became my serious passion and it is something that has obviously stayed with me."

At the U of C, Poulsen also met two people who would greatly affect her life, Keith Johnstone, professor emeritus U of C and founder of the Loose Moose Theatre Company (LMTC) and Dr. John Poulsen, her husband and assistant dean, student program services in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Faculty of Education.

Graduating with a bachelor of arts in 1980, Poulsen worked with Johnstone's LMTC. (She was one of the original "Moosers" and continues to teach in their summer program each year). She also worked as a freelance artist with various children's theatre troupes, including M&M for Kids.

From 1988 to 1996 Poulsen taught dance at the U of C and in 1993 she and John were invited to team teach fine arts in Gaza. She was completely immersed in the conflict as students brought the events from the streets into the class.

Inspired by her travels, Poulsen completed her master's in 1996 from Wesleyan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Connecticut and moved to Lethbridge where both she and John began teaching at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. It was while teaching at the U of L that Poulsen felt the opportunity to re-tool was too good to pass up.

"I decided to go back to school as a student at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ because the education program is known as one of the best in the country, and I love the liberal arts philosophy," explains Poulsen. "There were very inspiring teachers in my program and having three practicum opportunities was invaluable. When you get through your third practicum you are stepping into the classroom with real hands-on, practical learning."

Becoming a peer with some of her former students was pleasantly surprising for Poulsen, who says that working with young people was one of the highlights of her after-degree studies.

"I enjoyed meeting young people with incredible integrity and vision who wanted to step into the role of educators. We had a blast together. Once, we were to present the ninth aspect of the knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA's) of a good teacher. We used a Beatles song with the number 9 and the students thought it was cool even though it was not from their era."

In her third practicum, Poulsen was teaching at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute when she was approached by then principal Carol Steen and asked to start a dance program at the high school.

"I taught dance for many years and was planning on teaching elementary," says Poulsen. "I thought long and hard about her proposal but I have had great experiences in my life, great opportunities, great teachers, a professional career, taught post-secondary and danced professionally. What else was left to do but give back?"

Poulsen has certainly given back. She is proud of her students and their dance program and says that her greatest successes are her two children and wonderful marriage.

GET THE FACTS

• Recently invited to be on the 2009 City of Lethbridge Performing Arts Centre Steering Committee

• Recipient of over 20 awards, grants and scholarships totaling $80,000

• Artist in residence at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery

• Guest instructor at the Institut Senian Indonesia (ISI) and the Indonesian Institute of the Arts

• In 1993, she spent three months in Java, Indonesia with her husband, John, and their children making masks and performing with masQuirx (a company of masks and mask performance)

• Taught children's dance at Mount Royal College and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Guildford, England

Bee Heart Smart Challenge continues success

trevor.kenney — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:24:40 +0000

The Bee Heart Smart Challenge – Walk, Run, Swim or Cycle 2009, from May 1 to June 13, was an initiative for staff and faculty sponsored by the U of L Wellness Committee and Sport and Recreation Services. The program started in 2005 as a walking challenge and has evolved to become the "Bee Heart Smart" contest that includes running, swimming and cycling.

The goal is to promote active living, which means making physical activity a part of everyday life through walking, taking the stairs, gardening, playing with your kids or dogs at the park, swimming or cycling, just to name a few activities.

There is a strong connection between the health and well-being of people and their work environments and the more active employees are, the healthier the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community. And of course we want people to have fun while being active!

Wellness Week kicked off the contest this year and as of June 1, 176 participants and 17 teams were registered. This is the highest number of participants since the Wellness Committee began keeping records.

Activity is recorded (either daily or weekly) by:

• Counting steps while walking or running (using a pedometer is the best way to do this)

• Counting laps while swimming (each 50m lap is counted as one)

• Tracking minutes spent cycling

Weekly winners are drawn from registrants who have logged progress during the week. Weekly draw winners to date include: Nicole Spence, Carl Budny, Ruth Hummel, Sheri Lacey, John Poulsen, Joan Zimmer, Nicole Wilson, Linda Gray, Susan Hill, Edward Malinsky, Rumi Graham and Kevin McFadzen.

During the third week of the contest, individuals who entered the most steps, laps or cycle time were awarded prizes as well. Cindy Venhuis, Dwayne Armstrong and JulieAnne Kent were winners.

The Fast Trackers won the draw for Early Bird Team Registration.

The contest wrap-up and prize announcements occur the week of June 15. Get out there and get active and next year look for "purposeful activity" time instead of just cycle time.

Thanks to the following areas for prize donations or discounts: AUPE, U of L Bookstore, Sport and Recreation Services, U of L Athletics and Southern AB Centre for Successful Aging.

UNews - John Poulsen

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