News and events

  • (Online) Math Ed Seminar Series @ Brock

    Thursday, March 04, 2021 | By

    Computer Programming in Mathematics Education: Some Results from a Literature Review and an International Scan

    Thursday 4 March 2021 @ 12:00
    Location: https://call.lifesizecloud.com/7273386

    Dr. Laura Broley, Post-Doctoral Fellow
    Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Brock University

    Abstract: A recently conducted scan of the place of computer programming in curricula around the worldconfirms the international move towards its integration into K-12 education and highlights the variety ofapproaches taken so far: e.g., integrating programming as part of a subject to study on its own, as an element ofa particular subject, or as a cross-curricular competency. In this talk, we place Ontario’s curriculum within thisinternational context, through its integration of coding in elementary mathematics that began in September 2020.Based on a literature review, we consider various perspectives that might explain this integration: from the mostrecent trends in “Computational Thinking” or “Digital Literacy,” to Seymour Papert’s pioneering work from the80s, which showed how programming could be a source of power to learn, do, and think about mathematics.Interestingly, it turns out that Brock Department of Mathematics and Statistics’ 20-year implementation of MICAcourses aligns with the latter. To complement the theories, we also synthesize some concrete ways in whichK-12 teachers might bring the power of programming to their students.

    All undergraduate (including teacher candidates) students, graduate students, and faculty, from theDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics and the Faculty of Education are welcome!

    For information, contact: Chantal Buteau: cbuteau@brocku.ca or Steven Khan: skhan6@brocku.ca

  • Black History Month

    Thursday, February 11, 2021 | By

    Resources

    Events

    Details and registration for events can be found here on Experience BU: https://experiencebu.brocku.ca/organization/african-heritage-month/events

    Virtual Symposium: Activism and Solidarity Post-Script to the “Scholar Strike Canada” Keynote

    Watch Professor Handel Kashope Wright deliver the keynote at the Virtual Symposium: Activism and Solidarity Post-Script to the “Scholar Strike Canada” on October 29, 2020. Dr. Wright is the Director of the Centre for Culture, Identity & Education at the University of British Columbia. Keynote Title: “The Urgency of Black Studies and the Insufficiency of Anti-Racism”.

  • Redesigned MEd Program launched

    Monday, October 05, 2020 | By

    The Faculty of Education is pleased to announce that a redesigned Master of Education program will begin in September 2021 with new flexible programming options. The admission requirements remain the same as well as the number of courses needed to satisfy the degree requirements.

    For students in the course- and research-based pathways, the Faculty of Education is offering a master’s program that leads to a general MEd degree to replace the current MEd with Fields of Specialization. This change allows maximum flexibility for students. While the number of courses needed to graduate remains the same, students are required to take only two courses: a research course (EDUC 5P92) and an exit course (culminating paper, major research paper or thesis). Students can choose the specific courses they wish to take throughout the rest of their program. This program change gives students the freedom to design their program to meet their needs and interests.

    The MEd program also has six optional subject concentrations for students who would like more structure to their program or to study a subject in depth. The program continues to offer a wide range of courses that meet the diverse interests of our students, but in the redesigned program they are arranged in subject-specific clusters:

    • Administration, Leadership and Policy
    • Adult and Postsecondary Education
    • Curriculum Studies
    • Educational Psychology: Teaching, Learning and Wellness
    • Pedagogy
    • Social Justice, Power and Politics in Education

    What does this change mean to students in the ISP?

    • Students in the ISP will not experience any changes to the programming. They will have a choice to enroll in one of two fields of specialization for their full-time studies and they will have access to the additional enrichment opportunities. They will enroll in eight courses specific to their field of specialization and the required research and exit courses. While this pathway is primarily course-based, some students qualify to complete their degree with a research project (MRP option).
    • The ISP program is being discontinued and is no longer accepting applications. The last ISP cohort will run January-December, 2022.

    What does this change mean for students enrolling in the course- or research-based pathway starting in the 2022-2023 academic year?

    • With only two required courses – an introductory research course (EDUC 5P92) and an exit course at the end of their program (EDUC 5Q97 for course-based students, EDUC 5K95 for research-based students completing a thesis, and EDUC 5D91 for research-based students completing a major research project) — students can choose the offered courses that interest them
    • Students in the course-based and research-based MRP pathway could take one concentration, two concentrations or no concentrations – it is completely up to the student. Students in the research-based thesis pathway can only take one optional concentration due to the nature of their program (5 half-credits, and the thesis).

    What does this change mean for course- and research-based pathway students who started their program in an FOS?

    • Current students who will be continuing in the program during the fall 2021 and beyond can participate in the redesigned program or choose to stay in their original field of specialization.

    Updated September 10, 2021. 

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  • Online courses give teacher candidates unique teaching practice

    Monday, April 27, 2020 | By

    Shelley Griffin plays the flute while a student plays along on his guitar during an online class

    The transition to online classes has given Brock University’s teacher candidates an unexpected professional development opportunity by adapting their teaching demonstrations for online delivery.

    “This has been a really steep learning curve for me as well as for teacher candidates,” said Shelley Griffin, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education. She says she’s never taught online before the COVID-19 pandemic.

    First-year teacher candidates in Griffin’s Music Education class suddenly found themselves planning online lessons designed to teach music principles to elementary school-aged children. The course allows students to learn pedagogical strategies as well as the elements of music.Read more

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  • Dean’s Update to Teacher Candidates

    Tuesday, April 21, 2020 | By

    First, I trust that all are doing well and are taking care socially, emotionally and physically. For Brock University this is an unusual circumstance. Second, there are many questions about grades, spring 2020 convocation, how individuals will complete their practicum, how we enable teacher candidates to meet their minimum Ontario College of Teachers requirements for practicum experiences, access to Additional Qualifications
    (AQ) courses for graduating teacher candidates, and how the requirement for successful completion of the Math Proficiency Test (MPT) will have an impact on licensure requirements. Let me address these and related issues, briefly.Read more

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  • Faculty of Education shares online teaching resources

    Thursday, April 16, 2020 | By

    Overhead view of someone working on a laptop at a table

    With K-12 students across Ontario engaged in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, experts in Brock University’s Faculty of Education have been gathering online teaching resources and recommendations for teachers and teacher candidates alike.

    The sudden move to online platforms has many educators at all levels looking for appropriate tools and resources without the time it should usually take to develop online learning experiences.Read more

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  • Brock Learning Lab shares resources for online learning

    Tuesday, April 14, 2020 | By

    Father and son doing homework together at a dining room table.

    In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, parents of Ontario’s K-12 students have found themselves trying to teach math, reading and other subjects at home.

    With the latest news from the province, students will be learning at home until at least May 4 through a new teacher-led program.

    Finding appropriate resources and advice can be a challenge for parents trying to support learning at home.

    To help the parents of students they tutor each week, the team at the Brock Learning Lab (BLL), which is part of the University’s Faculty of Education, have posted resources on its Facebook page when schools first closed in March. This informal outreach with a small group of local families has now become a toolkit of online resources available to families across the province.Read more

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  • Education Associate Professor nominated for local arts award

    Tuesday, March 10, 2020 | By

    Portrait of Kari-Lynn Winters

    Kari-Lynn Winters, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, is being recognized for her commitment to engaging the St. Catharines community through arts education activities.

    Winters was nominated for the Arts in Education Award by a group of Brock University students and her colleague Shelley Griffin, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education.

    “I just feel honoured to be nominated,” said Winters. “It’s touching when your students think so highly of you that they’re willing to take the time to write the letters.”

    For Winters, her work at Brock and in the community brings together her passion for education and her love of the arts.

    “I think the arts are what make us human,” she said. “It’s our way to connect with each other.”

    Winters teaches drama, language arts and dance in Brock’s Teacher Education programs and supervises graduate students in the Faculty of Education. As a graduate supervisor and researcher, she works with students and other faculty members to conduct research studies throughout St. Catharines.

    In her classes at Brock, Winters helps teacher candidates learn the elements of an artform, such as dance or drama, and strategies for using these elements to teach other subjects. Teacher candidates might use movement and storytelling to design a math lesson, for example.

    “I just try to create an artful space where students can explore with one another and actually learn together,” said Winters. “By the time they leave, they feel like they’re part of a bigger community. I think they’re just open to exploring new ways to teach.”

    These new ways of teaching will help teacher candidates incorporate different ways of learning into their future classrooms. As well as new teaching strategies, Winters’ classes offer teacher candidates a safe space to take risks and make mistakes, helping them to be more fearless educators.

    Outside of Brock, Winters works with local arts groups, children, parents, librarians and teachers as an artist and children’s book author.

    In collaboration with the Carousel Players, Winters created the early years curriculum for the award-winning professional theatre in Niagara. As a workshop facilitator and educator, she inspires members of the community, including marginalized teens and adults, to create plays. Each year, Winters visits schools across Niagara and around the world to share her enthusiasm for creative writing and literacy education with thousands of K-12 students.

    The St. Catharines Arts Awards ceremony, set to take place May 1 at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, celebrates excellence in all areas of artistic creation in Niagara’s most populous city.

    Two Brock graduates, Katherine Gottli (BA ’10, MEd ’13) and Colleen McTigue (ADEC ’15), have also been nominated for the Emerging Artist Award category, which celebrates the achievements and potential of an emerging artist in St. Catharines working to establish a career and become a recognized professional artist in their field.

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  • On-the-spot admissions opportunities

    Wednesday, February 19, 2020 | By

    Update: Please note that the March 24 table at Niagara College (Welland) has been cancelled. 

    Ready to Apply? Staff will be on hand provide on-the-spot admissions to the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and the Adult Education programs. Students who apply in person must bring unofficial copies of transcripts or a printed copy of their mark-book, $100 for full-time study/$55 for part-time study (cash or credit accepted) and a piece of photo ID. Have a question? Contact futurestudent@brocku.ca. Learn more about the program or apply at:

    • On-the-spot admissions/information table at Mohawk College on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
    • CANCELLED: On-the-spot admissions/information table at Niagara College (Welland) on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  • From the Dean’s Desk: Hamilton Campus update

    Tuesday, February 11, 2020 | By

    As you are aware, the Board of Trustees has decided to sell the current Hamilton Campus. There are many reasons for this decision, including the desire to expand our undergraduate and graduate programming in the Hamilton-Burlington-Oakville (HBO) corridor.

    The University is exploring a variety of options for our continued presence in the HBO corridor.

    The senior administration has committed to remain at the current Hamilton Campus until the spring of 2021. The Faculty of Education (FOE) will continue to offer its professional Teacher Education programs at the current Hamilton Campus in the 2020-21 academic year and in the HBO corridor for many years to come.

    As part of our commitment to engaging students, faculty and staff in the process, I invite you to share any questions or concerns with us through the contact form available on the Hamilton Campus page of the FOE website.

    As I receive information about the next steps in the planning process, I will post this information on the FOE website and social media accounts. Updates will also be sent to your Brock email address.

    We remain committed to providing you Ontario’s very best professional education and preparation to be a successful teacher in Ontario and contribute to Ontario’s exceptional school-based learning environments.

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