Amanda began working at the Okanagan School of Education, UBC, in 2019. Previously she worked at the City of Kelowna where she was responsible for developing strategic communications plan and delivering tactics for the Active Living and Culture Division as their Communications Advisor. Prior to that she was the Digital Communications Consultant where she was one of the project managers for the City of Kelowna website redesign launched in 2016.
She has an Advanced Social Media Strategy Certificate from Hootsuite Academy.
She was a volunteer English Teacher in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from August 2013 to January 2014.
Corporate Communications, Media Relations, Social Media, Student Engagement, Student Recruitment and Marketing.
Join us at our Graduate Student Awards Night to celebrate our award recipients! Following the presentations there will be an opportunity to socialize with your colleagues.
Thursday, June 17, 2021
Presentations: 4:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Social: 4:30 to 5:00 p.m.
All are welcome to attend.
Congratulations to the Class of 2021! We are bursting with pride and are excited to see where your journeys take you. We look forward to celebrating with you in-person when it’s safe to do so.
In case you missed it during the virtual celebration, watch Dean Blye Frank’s message to the graduating class:
We also have a few special acknowledgments:
Congratulations to our Bachelor of Education, Head of Graduating Class, Pattie Perkins!
Congratulations to our 2021 Maxwell Cameron Award recipients, Kelsi Brown and Lindsay Ellis!
Congratulations to our 2021 Sharon McCoubrey Award recipient, Kristy Grinde!
Congratulations Maxwell Cameron Award recipient and 2020/2021 Bachelor of Education graduate, Kelsi Brown!
Several Okanagan School of Education faculty members nominated Kelsi for the award as she demonstrated an outstanding passion for creating positive change during her field experience. Here is what one of her nominators had to say:
“Kelsi presented a unit on Black Lives Matters (BLM) and worked with the diverse needs in the class when addressing this issue. She made sure everyone was comfortable in the discussion and stressed the seriousness of the issue. When dealing with the students who felt it did not affect them because they were not black, Kelsi used the analogy of helping your neighbor put out a housefire, even if it was not your house. Students understood the analogy and some went further with creating a poster awareness campaign.”
What has your experience been like with the Okanagan School of Education?
My experience at the Okanagan School of Education was amazing. I feel like I grew so much as a person and challenged myself to do things I thought I couldn’t. From jumping into the French immersion program as a new self-taught French speaker, to meeting the most incredible friends and faculty that supported and pushed me along the way. It’s cheesy, but these people believed in me and made my entire experience what it was.
What does receiving the award mean to you?
This award is everything. It represents every ounce of courage it took to take a risk, bringing in the complex and controversial topic of Black Lives Matter (BLM) into my classroom even though I didn’t quite know how. I knew that I didn’t have all of the answers, so I let my students guide me through this unit with their rich discussions, curiosities, and projects that ended up spanning the entirety of my practicum. I was nervous and scared to begin, but the rage and sadness I felt was overpowering. I knew it was my duty as an educator to not let this fundamental learning pass my grade six students by.
About the Maxwell Cameron Award
The Maxwell A. Cameron Award is given annually by the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) to students completing the final year of the Bachelor of Education degree in elementary and secondary school teaching. The recipients of the award are those students who are considered to be outstanding students in the graduating class who have initiated, worked, or participated in a project that created positive change globally or in their local community, and or, been actively involved in issues related to poverty, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, antiracism, peace, global or environmental issues.
The award is named after Maxwell Cameron who headed the Department of Education at UBC in the mid-1940s. Prior to that, he was on staff as an associate professor and director of UBC’s summer school.
Congratulations to our Sharon McCoubrey recipient and 2020/2021 Bachelor of Education graduate, Kristy Grinde!
With her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Virtual Arts) and a clear passion for creativity, Kristy is an excellent recipient for the Sharon McCoubrey award. This is what her nominator had to say:
“Kristy uses her knowledge and passion to inspire student creativity throughout the learning day. During her candidacy field experience, Kristy developed innovative rich tasks for her Grade One students such as a playful exploration of color (using paints!) and constructing community buildings using ‘loose parts’. She also effectively uses visual art to represent her own emerging ideas about pedagogy and literacy learning.”
What has your experience been like with the Okanagan School of Education?
My experience at OSE was shaped by continuous reflection, encouragement, community, and moments of learning from which I propelled my pedagogy. What will always stand out to me was the relationship fostered with my faculty advisor Anne MacLean and my mentors. Their attention to the milestones in my education were heartwarming, thoughtful, and genuine. Receiving my teacher plaque with my name on it, and the feeling of pride that brought forth in all of us present is something that I will cherish forever.
What does receiving the award mean to you?
I am grateful and thankful for nomination to receive the Sharon McCoubrey award. I feel incredibly honoured and excited. I believe that Art is a catalyst for self-esteem, belonging, and connection. Art has taught me to embrace mistakes, believe in myself, and to experiment. I am blessed to be able to share the love of Art with young learners.
Why did you decide to enter the field of teaching?
I decided to become a teacher because I believe that it is important to choose a career that gives back to the community. I feel that teaching is one of those careers. Education has been an empowering contribution in my life. I feel the happiest when I am learning and growing, and I chose to teach so I can learn and grow with students every day. I have had many amazing teachers in my life that I will always remember. I aspire to be that teacher for students.
About the Sharon McCoubrey Award
Associate Professor Emeritus Sharon McCoubrey created the award to be presented to a Bachelor of Education student who has demonstrated leadership and passion for creativity with a commitment to advancing the teaching of visual arts in elementary schools.
Congratulations Maxwell Cameron Award recipient and 2020/2021 Bachelor of Education graduate, Lindsay Ellis!
Throughout her time as the Okanagan School of Education, Lindsay has demonstrated leadership around diversity, including Indigenous and LGBTQ+, both on campus and during her field experiences.
Lindsay and Sean Hacker Teper were OSE’s first student representatives on our SOGI Alliance. She helped to unite her peers during the 2020 Kelowna Pride Pedal – the first of many Kelowna Pride events that OSE hopes to participate in!
Here is what her nominator had to say:
“Lindsay served as co-facilitator for the OSE’s SOGI Alliance and united her fellow students around several initiatives to advance pedagogy around diversity (e.g., educational zoom discussions, film night, guest speakers). In her practicum, Lindsay spearheaded a “Diversity Club” whose aim was to indigenize curriculum and enhance inclusivity among students. Lindsay is committed to advancing our professional understanding of how to better include and serve diverse cultural perspectives to enrich the learning experiences of students.”
Read more about Lindsay’s practicum and her relationship with her mentor, Candace Sharko, in this story, Transformative teaching: Bringing equity and inclusion into the classroom.
What has your experience been like with the Okanagan School of Education?
I enjoyed the varied learning experiences, opportunities for collaboration, and collegial relationships developed with my professors and classmates while I was a student of the OSE.
What does receiving the award mean to you?
I am honoured to have been selected for the 2021 Maxwell Cameron Award. I have enjoyed collaboration with the Okanagan School of Education (OSE) SOGI Alliance, Okanagan Mission Secondary School Diversity Club, and the School District #23 Indigenous Education Program. Through these fruitful partnerships, we have celebrated the diversity in our schools and communities, helped advocate for historically marginalized populations, and provided learning opportunities in schools that mirror students’ identities and values.
Why did you decide to enter the field of teaching?
I chose to become a teacher because I love and believe in the next generation of change-makers. Being around kids and students energizes me, encourages me to think about things through different lenses, and causes me to constantly smile and laugh. I feel so lucky to spend everyday with kids.
About the Maxwell Cameron Award
The Maxwell A. Cameron Award is given annually by the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) to students completing the final year of the Bachelor of Education degree in elementary and secondary school teaching. The recipients of the award are those students who are considered to be outstanding students in the graduating class who have initiated, worked, or participated in a project that created positive change globally or in their local community, and or, been actively involved in issues related to poverty, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, antiracism, peace, global or environmental issues.
The award is named after Maxwell Cameron who headed the Department of Education at UBC in the mid-1940s. Prior to that, he was on staff as an associate professor and director of UBC’s summer school.
Each year, UBC Okanagan faculties award a student with the University of BC Medal for the Head of Graduating Class. In the Bachelor of Education program, this award is presented to the top student based on their academic performance throughout their program.
The Okanagan School of Education is pleased to announce that this year’s 2021 recipient, is Pattie Perkins!
“Pattie went way beyond the expectations for a novice teacher candidate. In addition to having her lessons planned and delivered exceptionally well, her teacher commented on more than one occasion that working with Pattie was more like team teaching than a [mentor teacher/teacher candidate] relationship.”
While those that meet Perkins would say she is passionate about teaching and nature, those that know her well would say it’s more than that – it’s in her blood.
Perkins grew up surrounded by mountains and nature. She was born and raised in Revelstoke, B.C. and spent a few years in Canmore, Alberta. Her mother was an elementary school teacher for her entire career and so much of Perkin’s early memories are filled with hanging out in classrooms and schools after-hours. Her father’s career as a naturalist and biologist with Parks Canada gave him many opportunities to teach others about, and share his love for, the natural world.
Upon graduating from high school, she traded the mountains for the ocean. She attended the University of Victoria (UVic), Victoria, B.C. and earned her Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology. While at UVic she became increasingly interested and involved in the emerging movement to reunite children with nature. She spent much of her free time finding ways to participate in this worthy cause.
After the birth of her own children, she became even more passionate about the need to ensure that all children have access to nature and natural spaces. While working at UVic in the field of forest and later academic administration, she became increasingly aware that she needed to find a way into the field of education. A family move from Victoria to the Shuswap in 2017 brought things into focus.
“I was close enough to commute to UBC’s Okanagan campus, my partner was working from home and could manage the household and parenting duties that I would leave behind early in the morning, and my heart had decided that becoming a teacher was the path forward,” says Perkins with a smile. “Luckily, the Okanagan School of Education agreed and I was thrilled to get an acceptance to the program.”
Perkins started the Bachelor of Education program in September of 2019 and while she knew the program would be short, nothing could have prepared her for a pandemic making it even shorter.
“I made some wonderful friendships and connections early in the program, and by February of 2020 was already starting to feel sad that the end of the program, and my time with this amazing group of humans, was coming to an end. How I underestimated how close that end would be! By March 13, as we now know, it was over – our time together in person as a group had ended, and we would be online until the end of our coursework. Having this experience shortened and changed at times felt sad (who would not want more time together?), but how lucky I feel that we were able to continue on. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our instructors and UBC staff, we picked up and carried on online. This felt remarkably smooth on our end, but I know was the result of many long days, sleepless nights, and countless additional hours of work on the part of the OSE team!”
As a mature student, it had been more than a few years since her first undergraduate degree, and she wasn’t sure what to expect. Perkins felt the usual fears that many incoming students have: might not fit in, might not make friends and might not remember how to “do” school.
“Years ago I attended a professional development seminar through UVic where participants were encouraged to ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’, which is how I decided to proceed with my B.Ed. I’m so glad that I did – I met classmates, instructors, mentor teachers, colleagues, students, and parents during my time at UBCO who have changed me forever,” says Perkins. “I met a group of people who are doing what they love and who have committed themselves to helping others to learn, to grow, to become who they are meant to be: I feel like I was given a gift being in this program. To receive the Head of the Graduating Class Award and learn that the people I worked with felt that I made a contribution to their communities as well feels wonderful and I want to send my gratitude to all involved.”
Perkin’s journey is starting to come full circle now. She completed her practicum at South Canoe Elementary in Salmon Arm, home of SD83’s Outdoor Learning Program, and has just started her Graduate Diploma in Education (GDE) in Place- and Nature-based Experiential Learning through Simon Fraser University.
“I was lucky to grow up with so much family support, with wonderful teachers, and to have had my love of learning nurtured,” says Perkins. “I know how important it is for children to have someone who believes in them, who is willing to go that extra step, to encourage and support, and to help them in their journey of becoming who they want to become. I am still on my own journey, and I feel so lucky that I have the chance to be a small part of encouraging students along theirs.”
Congratulations to our 2021 Head of Graduating Class, Pattie Perkins!
The Okanagan School of Education is pleased to share that the Alberta Journal of Educational Research (AJER) has awarded its inaugural Ted Aoki Award for Best Paper in Curriculum Studies to Dr. Karen Ragoonaden, Dr. Margaret Macintyre Latta, Dr. Kelly Hanson, Rhonda Draper and Jordan Coble. The award recognizes their paper “Storying and Re-Storying Indigenous Content, Perspectives, and Histories in Curricular Experiences” featured in the Alberta Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 66.1, Spring 2020, 32-49.
The Award Committee found that “The article was wonderfully well-grounded in scholarship, and the writing was clear and accessible. It makes a lovely, important contribution to knowledge and understanding in Curriculum Studies…It reminds us that as educators and researchers we consider how we serve as much as who we serve.”
Congratulations to Dr. Karen Ragoonaden, Dr. Margaret Macintyre Latta, Dr. Kelly Hanson, Rhonda Draper and Jordan Coble!
Read AJER’s full announcement at journalhosting.ucalgary.ca
Abstract
As part of a larger study focusing on the interdependence of creative and critical curricula, this research examines how an arts experience in an elementary school was re-storied, with the guidance of local and place-based First Nation community members, as an exploration of decolonizing curriculum. A school-based musical theatre experience titled Re-Storying Canadian History, which intended to address concerns about Canada’s 150th anniversary, served as a critical and creative medium for increasing awareness of the existing plurality of First Nation identities, cultures, and languages. Framed as a case study, the experiential narratives of elementary school students and their educators provided a space, a time, and a place to initiate and to discuss decolonization processes in elementary school curricula. Three interpretive devices, storying and re-storying, broadening, and burrowing engaged educators and their students in reconnecting teaching and learning with Indigenous content, perspectives, and histories.
Read the article.
About the Award
The Ted Aoki Award for Best Paper in Curriculum Studies is an award of excellence established in honour of the life and work of Canadian curriculum scholar Dr. Ted Aoki.
The award will be presented at the 2021 Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE) on May 30, 2021.
The Okanagan School of Education is pleased to share that Dr. Karen Raoonaden has received the 2020/2021 Killiam Teaching Prize.
As one of six Killam institutions, UBC offers yearly awards from the Killam Endowment Fund to faculty and teaching assistants who demonstrate excellence in teaching. The Killam Teaching Prize is awarded annually to faculty nominated by students, colleagues and alumni in recognition of excellence in teaching.
Dr. Ragoonaden has lived, studied and worked in North America, Europe and Africa. Her publications and research interests lie in the area of mindfulness and well-being, culturally responsive pedagogy and conceptions of teaching and learning. As a qualified Yoga instructor, the concept of Mindful Educational Practices is an integral component of her research and her practice. As a university teacher and researcher, her focus and commitment to educational leadership and curricular innovation have been recognized by virtue of her on campus, professional and community work relating to equity, diversity and inclusion. In 2020, in recognition of her dedication to making a significant impact on the culture of teaching and learning, she received the Provost Office’s Teaching Excellence and Innovation Award.
To learn more about Dr. Ragoonaden’s work, research and publications, visit her profile.
To learn more about the award, visit the Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic’s Killiam Awards and Fellowships page.
The Okanagan School of Education is very proud to share that Anne MacLean, School Experience Coordinator, has received an Association of British Columbia Deans of Education (ABCDE) Teacher Education Award. The award is presented to someone at the school or university level who has distinguished themselves in partnering with a teacher education program in B.C.
Anne has been an educator and mentor for more than 25 years. For the last 12 years, Anne has been the Field Experience Coordinator with the Okanagan School of Education – and she has made quite the impact within the Okanagan School of Education and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) program.
She was integral to the successful start-up of the revitalized B.Ed program in 2018. She envisioned the term INSPIRE which has become the core theme for the program:
IN-situ: Experiencing learning opportunities in diverse situations
Scholar-Practitioner: Exploring theory/practice connections, and cultivating a lifelong learning mindset
Inquiry: Questioning, adapting, building and making meaning as the heart of all learning
Re-Imagine Education: Envisioning education that is invested in individual and collective growth and well-being
She has continued to be a driving force behind the success of the program as she has developed positive working relationships with school and school districts within the Okanagan Valley and beyond.
Her mantra of “bloom where you’re planted” has left a long-lasting influence on all our B.Ed students, but her guidance during 2020 impacted candidates even across the province. Her willingness and expertise to initiate a collective and collaborative response by all B.C. university Teacher Education programs to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic was critical to ensuring the graduation of teacher candidate cohorts.
She has been a leader and voice for the practicum component of education programs, particularly during this past year when the pandemic raised many issues for field experience and teacher candidates.
The award was announced at ABCDE’s Teacher Education Roundtable on April 30.
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“Good teachers will always be curious students, first, and passionate teachers, second. They love to hang out with people who also love learning, who believe in the significance of their work, are committed to creating opportunities for learners to be, and become, their best. And they’re relentlessly hopeful about the future.”
Lifelong learner Anne MacLean talks about teaching, expecting the unexpected and speaking lots of time with kids in her story.
Explore what you are passionate about while weaving in your own knowledge and interests throughout your courses. A versatile degree for professionals, a Master of Education or Master of Arts in Education can expand your critical and creative thinking while advancing your career.
Our students work with their supervisors to plan a program that meets their interests and goals by choosing from a variety of courses offered in various areas of study such as, Curriculum, Digital Learning, Diversity, and Educational Leadership and Policy.
A few additional benefits of pursuing a graduate degree may include gaining specialized knowledge to advance in your field, enhancing your community connections, increasing career opportunities or a TQS category upgrade for educators.
Graduate courses are scheduled to be flexible, with classes offered on-campus* and online on Saturdays, weeknights and during the summer months. The programs are typically completed over two to three academic years, including summer sessions.
Contact Lindsay Cox, Graduate Programs Assistant, at lindsay.cox@ubc.ca to discuss options for pursuing your degree online.
Designed for working professionals in the field, our MEd courses typically take place in the evenings, weekends and summer months.
Students will gain valuable inquiry skills while fostering personal and professional development throughout their coursework. MEd students will showcase their understanding by completing a final project known as a Capstone Project. The Capstone offers an opportunity for deep reflection on the research literature in relation to a particular inquiry question or interest area.
This program is typically completed on a part-time basis over two to three academic years, including summer sessions.
Meet our Students
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| Cultivating community starts at the top. Read how International Student Advisor, Danai Bélanger, strives to make UBCO’s campus welcoming to all. Read more. | Laura Wyllie is leading the charge on changing perceptions of art. Through the knowledge gained during her MEd program, Wyllie increased school tours to the art gallery by 55 per cent. Read more. |
Our MA is for those who wish to develop their expertise as researchers in addition to furthering their knowledge through offered coursework. In a MA, students are required to carry out and defend an independent research project.
This program is typically completed in two academic years on a full-time basis. If you wish to enroll on a part-time basis, the degree would typically take three years complete. If you think you might be interested in enrolling in a PhD program toward an academic career in the future, the MA might be a good option for you.
Meet our Students
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| Tian Li, MA alumna, explored how critical thinking and integration work in tandem. She hopes her research will provide more insight into more effect ways to support English language learners within different subject areas. Read more. | Dogs put the fun into learning vital social skills, says a study by MA alumna, Nicole Harris. Harris explored how children reacted while participating in a social skill-training program with therapy dogs. Read more. |
View Admissions Requirements, Deadlines and more on our Graduate Programs webpage.
*Currently due to the evolving situation with COVID-19, the majority of classes are online until further notice.