Okanagan School of Education

Email: education.ubco@ubc.ca


 

Young children learn from team of therapy dogs

What: Children and dogs, along with UBC students
Who: Building Academic Retention through K9s program, Okanagan Boys and Girls Club
When: Tuesdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Where: Room EME 1123, Engineering, Management, Education building, 1137 Alumni Avenue

For the next two Tuesdays, children and dogs are going to take over the foyer of the Engineering, Management and Education (EME) building at UBC’s Okanagan campus.

UBC Okanagan’s Building Academic Retention Through K9s (BARK) program is mentoring children from the Okanagan Boys and Girls Club. The program, called Building Confidence Through K9s, is supported by the TELUS Thompson Okanagan Community Board.

Seven BARK dogs, their handlers, 10 UBC students, and 22 children aged between five and 12 years old, are involved in the program. As part of each visit, children take BARK dogs into the EME building to meet and interact with university students to help build the children’s leadership and social skills.

“I never knew practicing handshakes with a dog could help you shake hands with a human!” says Jack, a nine-year-old participant from the Boys and Girls Club.

This is a pilot program and holds the potential to be expanded regionally, provincially and nationally, says BARK director and associate professor in the School of Education John-Tyler Binfet.

Building Confidence through K9s continues November 20 and November 27. The last day will end with a celebration event and students will receive graduation certificates.

BARK director and associate professor in the School of Education John-Tyler Binfet

BARK director and associate professor in the School of Education John-Tyler Binfet

About UBC's Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

PINTSeventbrite

PINTS Speaker Series welcomes new lineup of speakers

It was over a beer that Dr. Christopher Martin, Assistant Professor in Education, and Dr. Ross Hickey, Assistant Professor in Economics, decided to launch their interdisciplinary speaker series PINTS ( Political Inquiry aNd Theory Studies). Designed to foster opportunities for faculty and graduate students to pilot work in progress, the speaker series creates a shared space to incubate ideas for research.

The first term of the series welcomed speakers from across campus. Building on its success last term, the 2018 winter term kicked off by welcoming Dr. Brigitte Le Normand, Assistant Professor in the Department of History and Sociology.

PINTS will welcome six more speakers from across campus, including:

  • February 1 – Brigitte LeNormand, Department of History and Sociology
    Education as a transnational nation-building project
  • February 8 – Roger Sugden, Faculty of Management
    Management Education in a Public University in the Economic Periphery
  • March 1 – Eric Li, Faculty of Management
    It’s All about Access: Reconceptualization and Recontextualization of Rural Health Consumers
  • March 8 – Mary Butterfield, Faculty of Education and Faculty of Management
    Democracy and the problem of inclusion
  • March 22 – Rammy Saini, Department of History and Sociology
    Cultivating a social responsibility to help: Indian migrants in London’s East End, c. 1800-1857
  • April 5 – Jasmin Hristov, Department of History and Sociology
    Coercion, Accumulation, and State-Building in the Era of Globalization: Evidence from Mexico, Honduras and Colombia

Faculty and students conducting work with a broadly conceived humanities and social sciences orientation are invited to join the conversation says Dr. Martin.

“PINTS offers a venue for distinguished scholars to share their work, and the campus is invited to join to develop social connections while learning about research currently happening,” says Martin.

Register and learn more at PINTSspeakerseries.eventbrite.ca

 

VisitingScholarUBC

Faculty of Education welcomes Iranian academic to UBC’s Okanagan campus

The apple does not fall far from the tree in the Okanagan valley this year.

Hamid Javdani says it is “a fortunate coincidence” that he has joined his son Assistant Professor Mohsen Javdani at UBC’s Okanagan campus as a visiting scholar in the Faculty of Education. 10,000 km has separated Father and Son since junior Javdani joined UBC Okanagan’s Economics Department in 2012. Senior Javdani is an Associate Professor at the Institute for Research and Planning in Higher Education, in Iran’s most populous city and its capital, Tehran.

“I never imagined that I would be able to spend so much quality time with my son, and I have the support and generosity of the UBC, its faculty and administration to thank for this opportunity,” says senior Javdani.

“The Faculty is thrilled to welcome and collaborate with Dr. Javdani,” says Associate Dean, Dr. Susan Crichton.

“Dr. Javdani’s research on education policy-making aligns with the Faculty’s diverse research programs.”

This year marks the second time that both Father and Son have attended the same institution. Javdani Father and son attended the same campus in Iran when they completed their respective PhD and undergraduate degrees.

“Spending time with Mohsen again on the same campus reminds us of the older days,” says Dr. Javdani, “It has created for both of us a precious and unforgettable memory after living away from each other for many years.”

Q & A with visiting scholar Dr. Hamid Javdani

What is different about your workday here vs. in Iran?

In terms of research, I have kept to the same routine as I did in Iran; however, being part of a friendly and vibrant academic environment here at UBCO has made me more motivated and excited to work on my research. I feel more efficient, yet more relaxed and energized. Kelowna, its beautiful nature and great amenities, as well as its kind people have also played an important role in my positive experience.

What has your experience at UBC’s Okanagan campus been like so far?

I am having a very pleasant experience here at UBCO, and I am happy to have the opportunity to be a part of this vibrant community for a year. I have had the pleasure to interact with extremely friendly, supportive and professional faculty and staff members in the Faculty of Education, which has made my visit both memorable and fulfilling. I am also glad to have access to all the resources available here at UBCO which have helped me a lot in my research.

How has your time as a visiting scholar influenced your research in Education Policy Making?

I am currently working on a research project related to Education Policy Making. Universities around the world, in both progressed and progressing countries, currently face important challenges that require careful attention and scrutiny. Some of these challenges include academic freedom, academic autonomy, unequal allocation of resources to different disciplines driven by a market-oriented approach to returns to education, and provision of equal opportunity to different groups of students to access good quality and relevant education.

My time here at UBCO has given me the opportunity to participate in several meetings, organized by the university, faculty of education, the Board of Governors, as well as Faculty Association, where some of these issues were discussed. I have also been able to interact with faculty members who have written and worked in these areas, and have benefited significantly from their experience, knowledge and approach. This suggests to me that institutions like UBC have taken these challenges seriously and are vigilant in addressing them.

You have a long list of research interests, what is your current focus? What questions are you presently asking?

I study the role of education policy in shaping objectives set and directions taken by universities, and its consequences on academia, knowledge creation, and the society. The following are some of the main questions I address in my current research:

  • What are the dominant approaches of policy makers and academics, in both micro and macro levels, in governing the higher education system?
  • To what extent the policies designed at the micro level are consistent with macro-level policies?
  • What are the structures and processes that shape education policy? How these structures and processes have been shaped and why?
  • To what extent the designed education policies are relevant to educational policy research?
  • What are the gaps between these policies and their implementation in practice? And what are the factors that create these gaps?

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holidays-faculty-o-2017c

Wishing you and yours a happy, safe, and warm holiday season!

From Dr. Blye Frank, Dean pro tem, Faculty of Education, UBC Okanagan

You’re invited to join a book launch for A Mindful Teaching Community: Possibilities for Teacher Professional Learning

Where: EME 1123
When: Wednesday, November 29th,  4:30- 5:45 p.m.

Series Editors Drs Karen Ragoonaden and Sabre Cherkowski invite you to celebrate the launch of the book A Mindful Teaching Community: Possibilities for Teacher Professional Learning. The book, written by eight Kelowna based K-12 educators, describes the power of mindfulness as a tool for teacher professional learning. This event is an opportunity to learn more about teacher inquiry in the Okanagan and how the authors approach mindfulness and contemplative practices such as gratitude, non-judgment, presence, and compassion. Information will be provided on how to contribute the interdisciplinary book series: Mindfulness in Education (MIE) and attendees will also have an opportunity to win a copy of the book.

No registration required.

For more information on the book, visit: https://rowman.com/isbn/9781498558853

Download and share poster.

We are currently accepting application for part-time instructor positions for our online international education program.

• Who are we?

We are E-fan international Education which is a rapidly developing Canadian company. The company is seeking highly motivated instructors for both ESL and other school subjects such as Math and Science (and more). Classes will be conducted through internet since most of our students are located all over the world. A competitive rate will be provided. We take this business very seriously.

Company Website: www.yifanclass.com (in Chinese) and https://efan2017.wixsite.com/information (in English)

• Who are we looking for?

Certified teachers are welcome to apply. You must have a minimum of Bachelor of Education degree as well experience teaching in Canadian schools.

We welcome full-time, part-time, substitute, as well as retired teachers to join the team. We seek teachers of all subjects and grades, including primary and middle school, English, Math, Science, and other subjects.

If you do not have a Teacher Certificate, you are still welcome to apply, however you must meet the following:

– 1+years experience in teaching English.
– Native English speaker;
– Passionate about teaching;
– Capable of leading both group and 1 on 1 classes
– Excellent conversation skills with school aged students
– Familiar to BC curriculum (particularly, social study and history) would be an asset;
– Pleased to teach English to students at entry and intermediate level
– Patient, DILIGENT, and good listener
– Able to work on weekday afternoons/evenings and weekends on demand

If you are enthusiastic, motivated, and looking for a long-term and promising teaching career, you are the right person for this position. Please click reply to submit an application of this position if you are interested.

Required documents:

Instructors who would like to join our team require the following documents:

-A current resume
-A Brief self-introduction (Word limit: 150 words)
-Any other credentials or documents that you think is helpful for this application

• What happens next?

We will review your resume and other documents as soon as possible, but only short listed candidates are going to be contacted for an interview and orientation where all necessary information about your service and procedures will be covered.

Do you really want to make a difference? Here is a chance to work in a school that is on the cutting edge of education and changes the lives of people with learning difficulties by actually changing the way their brains function!

We are looking for an exceptional teacher who is energetic, intelligent, curious, compassionate, and creative to join us and teach intermediate mathematics curriculum at a variety of elementary and high school levels.  We offer our staff an inspirational, fun, and rewarding teaching experience within a culture where positive change is always possible and our compensation and benefits package is highly compentitive.

Eaton Arrowsmith School, Vancouver, is part of a larger set of private schools and learning centers throughout British Columbia, Canada, and in Washington State that offer the Arrowsmith Program. The Arrowsmith Program is based on the principal of neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain to essentially rewire itself with training. Supported by over 30 years of experience, the Arrowsmith Program links neuroplasticity and education by demonstrating that it is possible for individuals to strengthen the weak cognitive capacities underlying their learning difficulties through a program of specific cognitive exercises.  This brings our students greater independence, increased cognitive, social, and academic abilities, and greater future career, school, and relationship options and successes they had never previously believed were possible. Students stay with us for 3 years on average to achieve the necessary amount of cognitive change. Visit our website at www.eatonarrowsmith.com to learn more and see if this is an educational setting for you.

As an employer Eaton Arrowsmith schools and centers offer:
– the chance to make a significant and lasting difference in the lives of children with learning and attentional disabilities;
– teaching in a team of inspired and fun teachers with a shared purpose;
– competitive compensation packages; and
– on-going professional development in Nonviolent Communication, MindUp, and other areas individual teachers want to pursue.

Applicants must hold a British Columbia Teachers’ Certificate issued by the Ministry of Education. Experience with a variety of mathematics programs (Jump Math, Power of 10, Math Power, Mathletics, etc.) is an asset.

It is important to have:
*Experience teaching students with learning disabilities
*Enthusiasm and high energy
*A good sense of humor, compassion, lots of patience, quick reasoning, and collaboration skills;
*Abilities to meet needs of diverse learners;
*Extracurricular interests;
*Strong organizational skills mixed with being highly flexible; and
*Superb communication skills and confidence in communicating with parents.

If this sounds like the school you want to work with, please send your resume and cover letter to Sarah Cohen, CEO, at scohen@eatonarrowsmith.com.

Administrating and teaching in one of 10 Sino Bright Schools in China or Vancouver BC. Chinese students are learning BC Curriculum in an English immersion BC Offshore School. See June 2017 SBS Job Postings for more details. UBCO students just finishing their teaching program between now and August may qualify by June 30 for a Interim Subject Restricted Independent School Teaching Certificate ISR-ISTC from the Teacher Regulation branch if they have an accepted BC Off-Shore school job offer.

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