News and events

• Brock Education Journal: Promises and Perils: Generative Artificial Intelligence’s Role in Shaping Education’s Future

  Monday, November 11, 2024 | By gminaker

  

  Brock Education Journal Vol. 33, No. 3 (2024)

  Emerging as a dynamic and game-changing force in education, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has sparked a whirlwind of activity as the sector races to forge inventive paths and embrace this transformative technology. Its boundless potential to reshape teaching methodologies and learning experiences is unquestionable. It has stirred a flurry of activity as the sector grapples with and invents or adopts innovative solutions to integrate and respond to this emergent technology. As Marks (2022) identified, we currently inhabit a moment suspended between the Peak of Hype and the Depth of Cynicism. We need to locate that complex juncture which requires both careful examination and thoughtful action. For example, we have witnessed cases of ChatGPT being banned in places over privacy and a fear of wholesale plagiarism, only to be accepted and restored subsequently.

  To view the full issue, please visit the online journal.

• Global learning in Italy’s city of love

  Tuesday, October 29, 2024 | By gminaker

  

  A group of Brock Teacher Education students recently expanded their global educational horizons during a teaching field experience in Verona, Italy.

  Faculty of Education (FOE) teacher candidates, accompanied by Professor Darlene Ciuffetelli Parker and Assistant Professor Dane Di Cesare, travelled to the famous setting of Romeo and Juliet to teach at local schools and experience the city’s culture and history.

  Madeline Boucinha (BA ’24, BEd ’24) said the international teaching experience helped her to develop cultural competency, language skills, adaptability and innovative teaching practices. The trip also influenced her philosophy on mental health and well-being, lessons Boucinha says she will take with her in her future career as an educator.

  “I grew not only as a teacher candidate, but as a person. I gained a sense of independence, resilience and self-awareness living and working in a new country,” she said.

  Beyond the rich planning and teaching experiences in ten diverse schools throughout the city, Ciuffetelli Parker said the students were immersed in everyday culture as a way of living and learning, from exploring history, literature and local Italian cuisine to working alongside mentor teachers and giving back to the Veronese community.

  

  Students visited Club Giulietta (Juliet’s Club), a community initiative where
  letters about love and loss are received from people all over the world.

  “Activities included a special volunteer session at Club Giulietta, or Juliet’s Club, where real letters about love and loss written to Juliet by people from all over the world were responded to by our group and mailed back to the senders, providing an emotionally engaging and authentic literacy experience,” she said.

  The Verona practicum course was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Patrisha Shiga (BA ’24, BEd ’24).

  “I had the privilege to enter numerous classrooms in three different schools, working with students of a variety of different age groups. I experienced an entirely different school system and learned how teachers in Italy foster their learning environments to improve learning,” she said.

  Shiga designed and facilitated lessons to develop her skills in teaching multi-language learners, adjusting content and finding new and creative ways to explain concepts.

  Di Cesare said the international teaching placement deepened students’ understanding of diverse educational practices enrichening their approach to teaching.

  “Hearing the candidates reflect on their experiences, for me, highlighted the value of such immersive experiences in shaping adaptable and culturally responsible educators,” he said.

  The group also explored their lived experiences as pre-graduation teacher candidates by engaging in a narrative inquiry research study that deepened their understanding of educator growth from a global perspective.

  Ciuffetelli Parker and Di Cesare will be leading a second Verona teaching experience in May. All interested students are invited to attend an online information session on Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 12 to 1:15 p.m. on Teams. The Verona field course experience is open to final-year teacher education students who have completed their practicum.

• Equity and Social Justice Committee and Indigenous Educational Studies Event

  Thursday, September 26, 2024 | By gminaker

  

  Pictured above, from left to right: Leanne Taylor, Associate Professor of Educational Studies and Chair of the Equity and Social Justice Committee in Brock’s Faculty of Education; Lorrie Gallant, storyteller, artist and educator in Brock’s Indigenous Educational Studies programs; Baby Rosie (Lorrie’s granddaughter); Dawn Hill, teacher, mother, grandmother, sister, volunteer; Sherri Vansickle, Assistant Professor in Brock’s Indigenous Educational Studies programs.

  The following was written by Leanne Taylor, Associate Professor and Chair, Faculty of Education Equity and Social Justice Committee

  On September 23, 2024, the Equity and Social Justice Committee (ESJC) and the Indigenous Educational Studies programs in the Faculty of Education hosted an event to commemorate the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. Held at the Goodman School of Business Atrium, the event featured a book reading and speaker session of The Day I Became Number 54. The gathering brought together more than 80 faculty, students, staff, and community members.

  The event spotlighted author and illustrator Lorrie Gallant, who read from her book, followed by an impactful talk from Dawn Hill, whose experiences in the residential school system inspired the book. Dawn, a Turtle Clan member of the Mohawk Nation and active board member at various organizations including the Survivors Secretariat, shared poignant insights from her 11 years in the residential school system and offered guidance for reflection and future actions. Lorrie Gallant, Haudenosaunee of the Cayuga Nation and a part-time instructor in the Indigenous Education Program, also shared her perspectives as a storyteller, artist, and educator.

  This gathering served as a unique platform for reflection on the vital role educators play in advancing knowledge about the legacy of residential schools. The event encouraged personal awareness and self-directed education on the complex histories and ongoing challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples, highlighting the need for these efforts to extend beyond September and become a year-round commitment in our teaching and community engagement practices.

  The event concluded with an engaging Q&A session where Dawn Hill further elaborated on her experiences, providing attendees with deeper understanding and actionable insights. The session ended on a communal note with a blanket draw, courtesy of the Hadiya’dagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre, symbolizing warmth and unity.

• Brock Professor of Music Education announces publication exploring trauma and music education

  Wednesday, June 05, 2024 | By gminaker

  

  Faculty of Education Professor Shelley Griffin’s co-edited collection entitled Traumas Resisted and (Re)Engaged: Inquiring Into Lost and Found Narratives in Music Education was recently launched in Dublin, Ireland, at the 9th International Conference on Narrative Inquiry in Music Education.

  Originally published in December 2023, the collection was co-edited by Nasim Niknafs, Associate Professor at University of Toronto Faculty of Music and published by Springer Nature.

  The collection draws on the research work Griffin has been engaged with over the last four years, uniquely merging the field of trauma studies and narrative inquiry in music education.

  Currently, there is a special offer to receive 20% off the printed book or eBook by entering the following coupon code at checkout to apply discount (valid May 22, 2024 – Jun 19, 2024):

  Springer Link – Traumas Resisted and (Re)Engaged: Inquiring Into Lost and Found Narratives in Music Education.

  Coupon code: q0qUqLwAhuPQBd

  For more information or to download the coupon code, please see the PDF.

  About this book:

  This book focuses on the traumatic experiences within and through music that individuals and collectives face, while considering ways in which they (re)engage with their traumas in educational settings. The chapters delve into the physical, psychological, philosophical, sociological, and political aspects, as they relate to the reciprocal influences of trauma on musical practices and education. Readers are immersed in topics related to societal violence, physical injuries, grief, separation, loss, death, and ways of working through these in educational and artistic situations. In the introductory chapter, the co-editors draw attention to theoretical matters related to trauma through narrative inquiry in music education. The first section of the book, Separation Revisited, brings together notions of separation, focusing on how loss is emotionally and physically manifested when death, grief, and bodily injury are experienced. In the second section, (Re)Engaging with Lost and Found, readers are encouraged to imagine new possibilities considering trauma and loss in educational and musical spaces. These pieces offer deliberate ruminations moving the discourse toward (re)engagement in and through music education and artistic contexts. The co-editors conclude the book by drawing attention to narrative inquiry’s double-edged nature in stories of trauma and how the retelling of lost and found narratives offers a way to imagine lives otherwise—lives not smothered by grief and horror—through the conceivable reliving of unfathomable stories of experience. This book emerges from the 7th International Conference on Narrative Inquiry in Music Education (NIME7), October 2020, co-hosted by Brock University, Faculty of Education and the University of Toronto, Faculty of Music, Ontario, Canada.

• Latest edition of Brock Education Journal now available

  Friday, May 24, 2024 | By gminaker

  

  The latest edition of the Brock Education Journal, Critical Perspectives on Mental Health in Education: Striving for Social Justice, is now available.

  Current scholarship that analyzes ‘mental health’ as a dynamic, socio-political and cultural construct often leaves out intersectional social factors and determinants of health and well-being. This special issue will bring attention to this need for work in critical mental health within the context of the field of education. Despite increased awareness in the fields of critical mental health studies (Cohen, 2017) and Mad Studies (LeFrançois et al., 2013; Beresford & Russo, 2021), much of the literature pertaining to mental health and well-being in schools adheres to biologically essentialist and reductionist understandings of mental health and well-being. This has the effect of limiting and narrowing understandings of mental health. This depoliticization of mental health can cause conversations regarding mental health in education to not be considered through an intersectional analytic that also considers the ongoing effects of settler colonialism, white supremacy, cis-heteropatriarchy, ableism, sanism, neoliberalism, and capitalism on educators, students, and school communities.

  In this call for papers, we seek contributions that are invested in conversations regarding critical approaches to understanding mental health in schooling and education, with “education” and “schooling” including early years education, K-12 schooling, and higher education. We seek contributions that take into consideration social determinants of health and well-being, critique reductionist understandings of mental health and well-being, and that place inclusive and affirming pedagogies at the forefront. We welcome contributions that centralize lived experiences and challenge dominant positivist approaches to researching mental health.

  Guiding questions include: How can schooling and education centralize the mental health and well-being of children, youth, students, educators, and others in their collective communities through culturally-affirming, intersectional, and critical pedagogies and practices? How might schooling and education perpetuate epistemic harms and injustices relating to the silencing and disenfranchisement of students and educators who experience mental distress, or identify with madness or as Mad? In what ways can schooling and education work with transformative praxis and consciousness-raising practices (Freire, 1970) that can seek the overall health and wellness of all students and educators?

  Categories: Events, News, Uncategorised

• Launch of the OADE Commitment to Anti-Black Racism Education and Black Inclusion in Ontario Higher Education

  Monday, May 13, 2024 | By gminaker

  The Ontario Association of Deans of Education (OADE) is committed to defending and promoting equity and human rights in, and through, education for all members of Ontario society and to promoting learning, change and dialogue to dismantle anti-Black racist structures across the education sector.

  OADE is pleased to announce the launch of its Commitment to Anti-Black Racism Education and Black Inclusion in Ontario Higher Education. OADE commits to more substantive, timely, and tangible actions to redress anti-Black racism and to foster Black scholarship, research, teaching, and learning within Faculties of Education. This work is guided by the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education’s four overarching principles of Black flourishing, inclusive excellence, mutuality, and accountability.

  We call on all educators, students, and community partners to commit to address anti-Black racism in all of its forms and to learn, reflect and celebrate Black history and excellence all year round.

  Read OADE’s Commitment to Anti-Black Racism Education and Black Inclusion in Ontario Higher Education [English / French].

  Français

  Ligne d’objet: Lancement de l’engagement de l’ADÉO en faveur de l’éducation contre le racisme anti-Noirs et de l’inclusion des personnes Noires dans l’enseignement supérieur en Ontario

  L’Association des doyennes et doyens de l’éducation de l’Ontario (ADÉO) s’est engagée à défendre et à promouvoir l’équité et les droits de la personne dans et par l’éducation de tous les membres de la société ontarienne et à promouvoir l’apprentissage, le changement et le dialogue afin de démanteler les structures racistes anti-Noirs dans le secteur de l’éducation.

  L’ADÉO est heureuse d’annoncer le lancement de son engagement envers l’éducation contre le racisme chez les Noirs et l’inclusion des personnes Noires dans l’enseignement supérieur de l’Ontario. L’ADÉO s’engage à prendre des mesures plus substantielles, opportunes et concrètes afin de remédier au racisme anti-Noirs et d’encourager l’érudition, la recherche, l’enseignement et l’apprentissage pour les personnes Noires au sein des facultés d’éducation. Ce travail est guidé par la Charte de Scarborough contre le racisme anti-Noirs et pour l’inclusion des personnes Noires dans l’enseignement supérieur au Canada, dont les quatre principes fondamentaux sont l’épanouissement des personnes Noires, l’excellence inclusive, la mutualité et la responsabilisation.

  Nous demandons à tous les éducateurs, aux élèves et aux partenaires communautaires de s’engager à lutter contre le racisme anti-Noirs sous toutes ses formes et d’apprendre, de réfléchir et de célébrer l’histoire et l’excellence des personnes Noirs tout au long de l’année.

  Lisez l’engagement de l’ADÉO en faveur de l’éducation contre le racisme anti-Noirs et de l’inclusion des personnes Noires dans l’enseignement supérieur en Ontario [anglais / français].

• Celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. William Purkey

  Friday, April 12, 2024 | By gminaker

  With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Dr. William Purkey, esteemed educator, author, and the pioneering founder of Invitational Education, at the age of 95 on 7^th of April, 2024. Dr. Purkey’s innovative vision and compassionate approach to education have left an indelible mark on the field, influencing countless educators and students across the globe.

  Dr. Purkey’s legacy is particularly felt at Brock University (Faculty of Education), where he had significant connections through his collaboration with Dr. John Novak, co-creator of the Invitational Education movement. His numerous visits to our campus have been inspirational, fostering a strong bond with our Faculty of Education and contributing to enriching our academic community.

  In 1982, Dr. Purkey was pivotal in establishing the International Alliance for Invitational Education (IAIE), an organization dedicated to developing and implementing invitational strategies to enhance life in schools, families, and workplaces. His work has guided our educational practices, emphasizing respect, trust, optimism, and care as fundamental principles for nurturing potential in every individual.

  A testament to his enduring impact, the Journal of Invitational Theory and Practice, the flagship publication of the IAIE, is proudly housed by Brock University. This journal serves as a critical platform for sharing research and insights on the principles of Invitational Education, further cementing Dr. Purkey’s connection with our institution and his substantial influence on educational theory and practice.

  

  Dr. William Purkey

  As we mourn his loss, we also celebrate Dr. Purkey’s remarkable contributions to education. His legacy will continue to influence our approach to teaching and learning, inspiring us to create inviting and inclusive environments that empower every student to thrive.

  In memory of Dr. Purkey, we extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the many lives he touched. We are reminded of his enduring message that education is not just about imparting knowledge but inviting each individual to discover their worth and potential.

  As we reflect on Dr. Purkey’s impact, we encourage the Brock University community to honour his memory by embracing the principles of Invitational Education in our classrooms, our relationships, and our lives. His vision for a more positive and welcoming world is a guiding light for us all.

  Let us remember Dr. William Purkey as a visionary leader whose life’s work continues to inspire a brighter future for education. – Rahul Kumar, on behalf of Dr. John Novak and Dr. Tony DiPetta

• Short listed candidates presentation schedule – Dean of the Faculty of Education

  Tuesday, April 09, 2024 | By gminaker

  The process to search for a Dean, Faculty of Education was launched last fall and is proceeding under the Policy on the Appointment of Academic Administrators. The Advisory Committee has interviewed a long list of candidates and agreed upon a short list. Candidates will be visiting Brock during the week of April 15. This second round of interviews will include opportunities for engagement, as well as public presentations.

  Please see the following post on the Provost’s Office website announcing the candidate presentations for the role of Dean, Faculty of Education, which will take place from April 17 to 19.

• The latest issue of the Brock Education Journal is now available

  Friday, February 23, 2024 | By gminaker

  The Faculty of Education is please to announce the next issue of the the Brock Education Journal is live:

  VOL. 33 NO. 1 (2024): SPECIAL ISSUE: EXPANDING LANDSCAPES OF ACADEMIC WRITING IN ACADEMIA

  Cover art & design by Peter A. Vietgen, Art Director, Brock Education

  .

  View the journal here.

• Global Affairs Canada’s International Development Week

  Thursday, February 08, 2024 | By gminaker

  

  In celebration Global Affairs Canada’s International Development Week (February 4 -10, 2024) and this year’s theme highlighting the 17 United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, here are some of the ways that the Faculty of Education’s work is helping the world move closer to having quality education, gender equality, innovation, justice and sustainable communities: View the PDF presentation.