Faculty of Education Projects (Master's)
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- ItemSupporting teachers in fostering collaborative learning amongst adolescents(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2023) Wilson, Chelsea L.; Marynowski, Richelle; Gibb, RobbinAlthough defined through a variety of contexts backed with extensive research, adolescence is still often viewed through a negative lens, placing harsh labels and opinions on teens and their behaviors. Blakemore boldly states “Adolescence isn’t an aberration; it’s a crucial stage of our becoming individual and social human beings” (2018, p. 2). Just as important as childhood, adolescence serves as a second window of reconstruction, with rapid structural and functional modifications leading to immense behavioral alterations. At the forefront of these changes are areas of the social brain network, the prefrontal cortex, and the limibic system, resulting in a drastic shift in an adolescents ability to make effective decisions, manage multiple factors at once, regulate their emotions, and function within social contexts (Blamore, 2018; Cozolino, 2013, Dumontheil, 2016). During the period of adolescence, teens become driven by peer relationships, short-term rewards, and autonomous opportunities. By providing learning opportunities that utilize the social changes that occur with adolescence, educators can better support positive development and thriving amongst their students. Collaborative learning strategies engage adolescents in meaningful discussions and rich thinking tasks and guide them towards the creation of new knowledge (Davidson & Major, 2014). This project encompasses two resources and will provide educators with the foundations of neurological development that occurs during adolescence, as well as a comprehensive guide towards implementing collaborative learning to support such development. Through a four-part professional development session, educators will be informed of the basic neurological structures and functions, basic neural connectivity and learning functions, how the brain alters during adolescence, and how to effectively implement collaborative learning strategies as a tool to optimize the adolescent brain. Within the presentation educators are provided with visuals, analogies, activities, planning tools and further resources to support their understanding and implementation of neuroscience into education. The second resource hopes to reach educators and students; through a classroom infographic using teen-friendly language, viewers are provided with simple and key information about the adolescent brain. This poster summarizes the first three parts of the professional development session resource, and allows both educators and students to build their understanding of the adolescent brain. By aligning pedagogical practice with research this project serves to build a bridge between education and neuroscience, leading to the empowerment and thriving of adolescent students.
- ItemPlace conscious Theory of Knowledge: promoting responsive dialogue about place through Theory of Knowledge(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2023) Picard, Suzanne M.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Education; Marynowski, RichelleThis paper outlines a Master of Education project website (https://sites.google.com/epsb.ca/place-conscious-tok/home) that explores teaching Theory of Knowledge using place conscious pedagogy and complementary approaches from place-based pedagogy. The website includes context-building resources for teachers that are new to Theory of Knowledge, new to place conscious pedagogy, or interested in the neurodevelopmental benefits of place conscious approaches to education. Teaching tools take the form of six flexible Pathways with related resources for formative assessment, summative assessment, and professional self-reflection. This paper outlines the benefits and rationale for each Pathway’s collection of resources, and for Parent Resources and autobiographical About Me sections linked to the homepage. Through this website, educators can explore how place conscious pedagogy can enhance responsive dialogue, mindfulness, resilience, self-reflection, and community engagement for IB students, staff, and their surrounding communities.
- ItemEnhancing teacher efficacy: research and implementation of brain-based pedagogy for educators of adolescent learners(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2023) Craig, Tonita M.; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Education; Marynowski, RichelleAdolescence is a time characterized by immense physical, emotional, and social changes (Blakemore, 2018; Siegel, 2011). It is a period in which there are significant differences in neural structures, directly affecting the way adolescents learn and respond to traditional instructional strategies (Blakemore, 2018; Siegel, 2013). Contrary to popular opinion, the adolescent brain is not a dysfunctional adult brain: it is quite literally wired differently, with a unique structure and function, necessary for adaptation to specific environmental contexts and geared for social survival (Blakemore, 2018; Cozolino, 2013). The adolescent brain is sensation seeking, risk taking, and reward driven; it is sensitive to social threat and dominance hierarchies, self-consciousness, and alert to social risk appraisal, and it is hyper-responsive to social influence such as status and respect (Cozolino, 2013; Yeager, Dahl & Dweck, 2017). It is a brain uniquely situated to challenge social norms, question purpose, and seek meaning and connection. The project, a web-based repository of resources, provides essential knowledge and practical resources for all educators who work directly and indirectly with adolescents. It explains how the adolescent brain is wired differently, how teachers can use this knowledge in instructional design, and why adolescence is considered a "second window of opportunity" in neural development (Dahl et al., 2017).
- ItemElementary teacher's perceptions of leadership strategies that most effectively promote and support collaborative professional learning(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2023-03-07) Schauerte, Colleen; University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education; Mombourquette, Carmen; Adams, PamelaAs a teacher working in a small or single-graded school and partaking in collaborative professional learning I became curious what teachers in a similar context perceived as valuable strategies leaders could use to promote and support collaborative professional learning. In seeking to answer the question “What are the perceptions of teachers in small or single-graded schools of the ways in which leaders can effectively promote and support collaborative professional learning?” I interviewed seven teachers from small or single-graded schools, using semi-structured interviews, and collected their perceptions and experiences. I used a multi-step thematic coding process to organize the data into themes. From the analysis I found that teachers perceived the following strategies for leaders to employ in effectively promoting and supporting collaborative professional learning: engaging in professional learning alongside teachers; implementing newly learned pedagogical practices in the classroom alongside the teachers; allowing teachers freedom of choice in pursuing collaborative professional learning; providing time and resources to teachers to pursue collaborative professional learning; putting themselves on the forefront of trying new pedagogical practices and modeling them for teachers; and supporting teachers in their collaborative professional learning endeavors.
- ItemA cultural autoethnography: a settler’s journey towards decolonization through self-reflexivity(Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2022) Luck, Chloe; University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Education; Victor, Janice; McKenzie-Jones, PaulBefore colonization, Southern Alberta was home to the Siksikaitsitapi or the Blackfoot confederacy. From the moment of contact, relations with Settlers have impacted the lives of the Blackfoot people. The enactment of the Indian Act, the formation of reserve lands, and the enforcement of residential school systems are some of the historical methods used to eliminate Indigenous culture (Mitchell, 2020). Indigenous people continue to face a disproportionate amount of trauma and discrimination (Currie, Schopocher, Laing, & Veugelers, 2012). The federal government has focused on reconciling its relationship with Indigenous people, but this must include a decolonization of colonial mentalities. Through an autoethnographical method, I explore my understanding of the Blackfoot culture to evoke change on the individual level. Intentional self-reflexivity is applied to promote a cultural awakening. Through the analysis of personal story, the process of decolonization is initiated and through story encourages the reader to initiate their own decolonization.