Author: cairney (Page 1 of 4)

Alumni Spotlight: Brenda Velasco, Teacher Education, ’06

December 7, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

Tell us about yourself My name is Brenda Velasco. I was in the Master of Initial Teaching Program (MIT) and graduated in 2006.
What are you doing now? I currently teach 3^rd grade at St. Elizabeth Seton Elementary School in Rapid City, SD. This is my 9^th year of teaching.
Why did you choose a program in the School of Education at Gonzaga? I was in the journalism field before finding my true calling to become a teacher. At the time I was discerning a religious vocation and entered the Sisters of Providence. While in my candidacy year, I started volunteering at a school and fell in love with teaching. I ended up leaving the religious community but my call to become a teacher continued. I wanted to find a program where I could get both my Masters and teaching certification. After looking at several programs, I decided on GU because of its great reputation and the fact that it’s a Catholic university. I love the Jesuit philosophy, especially the emphasis on mission and social justice. I knew I couldn’t be at a better place than Gonzaga.
What influenced you the most during your time at Gonzaga? I had so many wonderful professors at Gonzaga but two people stand out the most. One is Dr. Jenny Nelson. Her enthusiasm for teaching was influential in changing many of my fears and attitudes that I had at the time. I saw how important it is to see beyond the worksheets and text books to create intriguing and interactive lessons which will engage and interest students. Prior to taking her class I never saw how teaching Social Studies could be fun. Her class completely changed my attitude and I incorporate many of these practices in my teaching today. I see such a difference in my students when I make a lesson hands-on or project based. I thank Dr. Nelson for instilling me a love for teaching Social Studies and seeing beyond the text books and worksheets. Another person who really guided me through my time at Gonzaga is Sharon Straub. She was instrumental in helping me with my Masters unit project. She was always very patient with me and challenged me with wonderful constructive criticism on how to make my project stronger. Without her help I don’t think I could have done the best that was I was truly capable of doing. Several years later when I was teaching bilingual kindergarten for the Pasco School District our paths crossed once again. I was preparing for my Pro Teach Portfolio for my professional certification and attended a workshop in Spokane. I found out that Sharon was going to teach a cohort in Pasco on how to prepare for the Pro-Teach. I registered right away and knew we were all in good hands! Sharon would drive once a week from Spokane even in the winter time to meet with our Pasco cohort to help prepare us for our portfolio. She would also check in throughout the week to see how we were doing. Thanks to her help, I was passed my Pro-Teach on my first try. I am very thankful for her guidance.
What was your greatest lesson learned at Gonzaga? One of my greatest lessons learned at Gonzaga is that sometimes things don’t always go as planned but you need to stay positive regardless. My first student teaching assignment was not at all what I expected it to be. It just wasn’t the right fit in every way possible. I ended up getting reassigned to another school which set me back a semester. While at the time I was angry about it, I had great advisors, professors, and my wonderful MIT cohort who gave me wonderful support and advice. Being a practicing Catholic, I relied on my faith more than ever and knew that God sent me these wonderful people to help me through this difficult time. I then ended up in the perfect student teaching experience for me which really set the path towards my future in education. As of this day, I teach 3^rd grade and still incorporate some of the many things I learned from my wonderful master teacher. My professors also helped me to see that one set back was not going to sabotage my career. I knew that all of this happened for a reason. I had to go through the tough road in order to find my way on the right path.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in your field? Most challenging? There are so many rewards in teaching and it’s hard to name them all. I love the expression on my students face when they finally understand a concept. I remember working with a kindergartner who just struggled in writing and identifying all of the letters in his name. No matter what we did to help, he just wasn’t getting it. It took him until January but I’ll never forget how proud he was when he finally achieved this. He was so happy he wanted to tell the principal! He was the last one of my students to identify the letters in his name and we celebrated. I knew he was capable of achieving this and never once gave up. That was such a rewarding moment for me, one I’ll never forget. Every accomplishment big or small needs to be celebrated. I also love to support my students in the different activities they are involved in. I’ll never forget when one of my students won the regional spelling bee and moved on to the South Dakota State competition. I think I was cheering the loudest when he won the regionals. Most recently a group of my former students won their “Super Bowl” football competition. They were so excited to see me and were moved that I took time out of my weekend to attend their game. (On a cold, windy South Dakota day too!)My biggest challenge in my profession is finding support for new innovative ideas that could help advance a school or district. Not everyone agrees with different curriculum materials so it can be a challenge to finally agree on one that works, with the students’ best interest in mind. It’s sometimes hard to be heard especially in a bigger district. I’ve experienced this in all the districts I have been in during my career. Whether it’s finding a new math curriculum, new STEM materials, reading curriculum..etc.. something always stands in the way.
What critical issues do you see that need to be addressed in your field? In 2016 I was selected to attend the Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teachers Academy in Jersey City, NJ. One of our speakers, Cathy Sealey, a renowned math teacher, mentioned something that really made me think about the way I teach math and science. She stated that most students develop a fixed mindset of whether or not they like math and science by the time they are in 3^rd grade. This mindset is difficult to change especially if they are not exposed to positive experiences in these subjects. I think we have to find ways to help elementary school children become engaged in math and science in those early elementary years and then continue to support them throughout the rest of the school career. Math needs to make sense, and students have to see that sometimes mistakes will be made when finding a solution to a problem. It’s a process. There are many schools with outstanding STEM programs but not every district has this opportunity.
What advice do you have for future education professionals? Teaching is truly a rewarding profession. It’s filled with challenges and joys. There are days when you feel so proud of all you have accomplished, and others when you just want to go home and take a nap. My advice is to make sure that you find time for yourself as difficult as it may be. It’s so easy to spend hours, even weekends in your classroom (been there, done that.) but you need to find a balance. Set new personal goals and then achieve them. I recently hiked up my first Colorado 14er. It’s a goal I had set for myself but never accomplished it until this last September. It was such a joy to reach the summit and wondered if this is how my students feel when they reach their goals as well. I shared this with my students and they were very proud of me for reaching the top of the mountain. They wanted to know details and see photos too. I think students need to hear about special accomplishments and be inspired to reach their own “summits”. Another piece of advice is to always look for new professional development opportunities. There are lots of workshops or conferences out there which help to improve or introduce teachers to new methods. Many workshops offer grants to pay for expenses while others could be paid for by your district if you ask. I’ve been fortunate to attend workshops in New York City/Jersey City, Denver, St. Louis, and Chicago with all expenses paid for. These great opportunities are out there and it’s a good way to network with teachers and educational experts from around the country to share new ideas.

Alumni Spotlight: Brendan Sabean, Sport & Physical Education, ’14

November 30, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

Tell us about yourself: My name is Brendan Sabean, class of 2014 and I earned my degree in Bachelors of Education.
What are you doing now? I currently coach men’s basketball at Grand Canyon University and serve as the Special Assistant to the Head Coach. My role includes player development, preparation of practice and game plans, pre- and post-game video analysis and editing. As well as creating scouting reports of opponents.
Why did you choose a program in the School of Education at Gonzaga? I originally started as a Business Major and knew in my sophomore year that it was not what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to spend my life working in basketball and wanted to pursue coaching. I then change my major to physical education because I knew the lessons I learned would correlate directly coaching and teaching through sport.
What influenced you the most during your time at Gonzaga? While I was at Gonzaga I had two major influences. The first was Dr. Jerry Krause, whom I met while working as a student manager for the men’s basketball team. Coach Krause was our director of operations and immediately he and I formed a strong bond. Each day at practice we would talk about everything, life, school, basketball. As a lifelong teacher himself, he always wanted me to become a teacher. He was my main influence for my switch from business to education. I can still remember the day I switched my major and told Coach Krause, he was so ecstatic and proud of me. I always looked to him as a mentor and grandfather like figure. Even today when we talk I always make sure to tell him I love him and thank him for being such a great influence on my life. The second influence was Dr. Rickel. When I wanted to switch my major I had no idea how to go about it. She took me under her wing and really allowed me to settle into my new major and new classes. She was by far the coolest teacher I had and was someone I consider a friend. Her kindness and open heart is what makes the school of education special.
What was your greatest lesson learned at Gonzaga? The greatest lessons I learned at Gonzaga are to be yourself and to surround yourself with good, quality people. Gonzaga has such a strong sense of family and I believe that environment allowed me to be myself and grow into the person I am today.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in your field? Most challenging? The most rewarding aspect of coaching basketball at the college level is connecting to the players and seeing them grow not only as players, but also as people off the court. Being a part of a college student’s development as a person is a very rewarding feeling. In coaching you encounter people from all walks of life, from all over the world, and getting to create bonds with people who may be similar to you or nothing like you is special. The most challenging is earning the complete trust of a college student that you have nothing in common with and showing them that you care for them as not just a basketball player, but more so as a person.
What critical issues do you see that need to be addressed in your field? College basketball is at a point where the integrity of the game is in question. We need to get back to our good morals and make this game about the student athlete’s growth as players and people, rather than worrying about the money and profits that can be made off of players, schools, etc.
What advice do you have for future education professionals? I would say to go into your major with an open mind and willingness to learn from everyone you encounter. Take time to get to know those around you in all of your classes because you never know where that person may end up. Some day they may be in a position to help you out. Some day they may be reaching out to you for help. Gonzaga is a special place, full of special people. Embrace the fact you are part of something unique because I can guarantee you will make memories and learn lessons that will last a lifetime.

Alumni Spotlight: Steve Ames, Sport & Physical Education, ’15

November 16, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

Tell us about yourself: My name is Steve Ames. I earned a B.Ed. in Sport Management. I transferred to Gonzaga in the fall of 2008 from Columbia Basin College. I finally graduated in 2015 after slowly working toward my degree while playing professional baseball for both the LA Dodgers (2009-2013) and Miami Marlins (2013-2015).
What are you doing now?: Currently I work for the Tampa Bay Rays as an area scout. I primarily scout amateur players at the high school and college levels. I currently live in Nashville, TN. My area consists of the entire state of Tennessee, Alabama down to Montgomery, and a small portion of western Kentucky.
Why did you choose a program in the School of Education at Gonzaga? Sports have always played a huge role in my life and I had always planned on working in the sport industry in some form after my playing days were over. A degree in sport management seemed like an obvious choice and the program at Gonzaga is highly respected.
What influenced you the most during your time at Gonzaga? Well first let me say, I met my eventual wife Allyson Powell at Gonzaga, a former volleyball player. There have been many teammates and coaches, who have had an obvious influence on my life as well. The School of Education department truly has a family atmosphere. Dr. Karen Rickel has had the greatest influence in my educational experience at Gonzaga. She was my advisor for the majority of my time at GU, and was always available to answer any questions. I can honestly say without her, I don’t know if I would have followed through and finished my degree after getting drafted. Dr. Heidi Nordstrom, Dr. Tunnell, and Dr. Park all worked with my unique schedule and were vital to my success as I slowly worked toward my degree.
What was your greatest lesson learned at Gonzaga? Just because the COG always has dessert, doesn’t mean you need to take one every meal.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in your field? Most challenging? The most rewarding aspect of scouting is watching guys you draft work their way through the minor leagues and get that call up to the Major Leagues. That’s what this job is all about, signing big league players. The most challenging aspect is just that, trying to get the sign the right guys. There is no perfect science to scouting, and that’s why it is so rewarding when you find big leaguers. Especially when they are later round drafts that you have a gut feel about.
What critical issues do you see that need to be addressed in your field? I wouldn’t call the use of analytics a critical issue, but it continues to grow. Its use affects how the game is played, and how players are evaluated. Scouts must continue to adapt to the use on technology like Pitch FX and Trackman in ballparks across the country. The use of analytics is a great tool to help evaluate and make decisions, but there is a human element to our game. It will be interesting to see how the use of analytics evolves over the next 10 years and beyond.
What advice do you have for future education professionals? Persistence pays off, which can be said for any profession. If you want something bad enough, go get it, keep chipping away until you reach your goal. I took 1 class per semester for 5 years and then was able to come back and finish. A college degree meant a lot to me. I was the first person in my family to earn one, and while they aren’t everything, I knew it would help me get a career once I was finished playing.

Alumni Spotlight: Christy Swan, Principal Certification, ’16

October 26, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

Tell us about yourself: Christy Swan. I completed Principal Certification in 2016
What are you doing now?: Assistant Principal of Chester and Ponderosa Elementary in Central Valley School District
Why did you choose a program in the School of Education at Gonzaga? Not only does Gonzaga have a stellar reputation for education, it also met my needs for earning my certificate while teaching and completing an internship. The pace of the program was ideal, allowing me to finish my work in a year.
What influenced you the most during your time at Gonzaga? Dr. Cynthia Johnson had a huge impact on my work. She pushed my thinking and offered experiences that challenged me while also helping to develop my confidence in school leadership. Cindy was supportive, encouraging, and without a doubt an advocate for all in the program. It was, and still is, her main focus that all candidates leave ready to enter the field of school leadership and do so with passion and excitement.
What was your greatest lesson learned at Gonzaga? The greatest lesson I learned at Gonzaga was the power of a cohort. I believe working through the program with others was pivotal in helping me feel supported and engaged. We were all able to share experiences, grow one another’s thinking, and celebrate our successes.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in your field? Most challenging? Hands down, the most rewarding part of working in my field is serving others. It is my “why.” My purpose for coming to work each day is to serve those around me and to ensure that their needs are met. I am lucky enough to work with amazing students, teachers, support staff, administrators, parents, and community members. The most challenging part of my job is there are not nearly enough hours in the day to do all I believe is necessary to fulfill my role. With that challenge, I have learned to balance my time prioritize my “to do” and enjoy the ride!
What critical issues do you see that need to be addressed in your field? A critical issue I believe that needs to be addressed in education is the mental health of students. We serve many students of complex trauma and other outside factors that need support. Currently, we are limited in all that we can do to help these young kids.
What advice do you have for future education professionals? Make sure you know your “why.” It guides you in all that you do.

Alumni in Action: Making a Difference

October 19, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

This is the third and final part in a series featuring the value of a cohort-based approach to graduate education.

Dr. Elaine Radmer spent the last two years advising a group in Fernie, British Columbia. The Fernie cohort perfectly highlights the value of Gonzaga’s site-based approach. “All but one of the educators were from a single school district, but that district spans a number of communities,” Dr. Radmer wrote. “Geographically, they are spread along a single highway, but it takes almost two hours to travel between the outermost cities.” Candidates from the cohort have a story to tell about the way the program transformed their educational practices and philosophy.

Penny did her capstone on improving the experience for athletes through recognition dinners and social media. This rejuvenated her passion for the role she plays as athletic director. On paper, it seems like a small part of her job, but in reality, it is a huge commitment. Her capstone work led to many more plans for improvement – coaching clinics, sports camps, etc… Additionally, in an effort to involve the community in sports programs, she created the first alumni basketball game, which has become a highly successful fundraiser.
Jill continued her work as leader in school literacy goals, working on a collaborative literacy grant with colleagues. They implemented two school-wide initiatives. The first, “Storm Reads Challenge,” set a school wide goal of reading 500 books (which they exceeded) and featured grade level competitions (Grade 7 read more books than any other grade). The second, “Storm Reads Week,” saw every human in the school spend 15 minutes reading during an assigned time.
Leanna implemented the “MindUp” program in Kindergarten/Grade 1 class. It is a social-emotional learning program to teach mindfulness and improve self-regulation. Their class made a Gratefulness tree bulletin board and invited anyone at the school to add a leaf so it would grow over time.
Kathy has started to work with Grade 4 through Grade 6 students at her school to apply math in designing a garden housed at the school.
Andrew started making movies to highlight student achievement. He started with his own classes, but now has a leadership role across the school — gathering videos and pictures and posting “highlight reels” on school websites.
Renee is a Kindergarten teacher who is passionate about student activity levels. She developed and delivered materials to help kids at all grade levels understand options for being active at recess and expectations for their behavior (e.g., problem solving rather than fighting, etc.). Due to her efforts, kids became more active at recess and teachers reported fewer behavioral problems. She also implemented several other school-wide initiatives. She changed the volleyball approach to Triple Ball, which gives younger kids more chances to play and gain skills. To do this, she gained approvals from senior management, and then collaborated with a local college to provide training. Ultimately, she organized a district tournament that was a hit in the community. She also implemented a Golden Shoe challenge to inspire everyone to ride, bike, scooter, or walk to school.
Ian created a collaborative, school-based team that launched an initiative to explore inter-curricular inquiry-driven projects. They changed the bell schedule to create “Inquiry Fridays” for project-based learning. On Fridays, three teachers from different subjects worked together on grade-wide inquiry teams. Ian’s background and expertise as an outdoor education instructor was helpful to support this initiative. In addition, Ian stepped into leadership by organizing activities: staff events, school-wide track-and-field event, and a field trip to Calgary for cultural experience for students in Social Studies and English.
After deciding to commission an art piece as a focal point at the school’s entryway, Jane collaborated with the staff and allowed the plan to evolve until the artwork represented the recent combination of two schools into one. She raised over $3,000 for this project. The unveiling will be in the fall. She also wrote a grant for a collaborative project to build a greenhouse at their school. As an inquiry project, students filled out the permit application, drew up plans, and decided how to heat the greenhouse.

Check out our first post in this series: Alumni in Action: The Elk Valley Arch

Check out our second post in this series: Alumni in Action: The Rainbow Crosswalk Project

Alumni Spotlight: Nickie Lustig, PhD, BCBA, Special Education ’02, ’08

October 12, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

Tell us about yourself: I received both my B.Ed. and M.Ed. in Special Education, 2002 and 2008 respectfully, from Gonzaga University. I received my PhD in School Psychology from the University of Iowa in August of 2016.
What are you doing now?: I am currently a psychology fellow at the Seattle Children’s Autism Center working in the Biobehavioral and the ABA Early Intervention programs. I specialize in assessing and treating challenging behaviors that often are associated with autism and other disabilities. I have accepted a position with the Child Development Center in Missoula, MT and I will start in October 2017.
Why did you choose a program in the School of Education at Gonzaga? At the beginning, I just wanted to be at Gonzaga University and I was undecided between majors and academic programs. I was involved in several sports when I was younger and I thought coaching would eventually be in my future. Most of my former coaches were teachers so registered for my first education class with Dr. Tim McLaughlin. I remember loving the discussions in that class and he inspired me to pursue special education. The next semester, I registered for applied behavior analysis (ABA) with Dr. Randy Williams. ABA was life changing for me. Understanding and analyzing the concept of learning through the principles of reinforcement and punishment made intuitive sense to me. I knew I was in the right program after taking that course!
What influenced you the most during your time at Gonzaga?Each member of the faculty reach out to me, taught me critical skills, and believed in me in different ways throughout my Gonzaga career. Tim was influential in getting me started down the path of special education and for advising throughout my undergrad. Randy was influential in teaching me the foundational principles of ABA and modeling ABA in his teaching. Mark (Derby) was influential by convincing me to pursue my masters at a time when I was so unsure of what to do with my life. Kim (Weber) is influential by modeling leadership and advocacy, not only for the population of students that special educators serve, but for her undergrad and graduate students. Anjali (Barretto) was influential by simultaneously modeling passion for our science and compassion for all the children who walk in our doors. She was also instrumental in my choice to pursue my PhD at University of Iowa and to work with Dave Wacker. It was the most difficult, but by far the most rewarding choice of my life.
What was your greatest lesson learned at Gonzaga? Gonzaga taught me several valuable lessons two of which come immediately to mind. First, I learned is that Gonzaga will always be a second home and Gonzaga’s faculty, staff, and fellow alumni are family. Between graduating from Gonzaga with my bachelor’s and coming back to earn my master’s, I sustained a life-changing traumatic brain injury (TBI). I was at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation and Deaconess for several weeks. But the time went by fast because I had so many visitors. Tim and Randy among them. As soon as I could, I began volunteering at Gonzaga as a rowing assistant coach and would walk across campus to visit the SPED faculty regularly. I was always welcome at Gonzaga! Learning how to navigate the world of disability while showing individuals their true abilities was the second lesson I Iearned at Gonzaga. From writing an individual education plan (IEP) to researching rare genetic syndromes, I learned that that the word “disability” is multi-faceted. At the same time, every individual has amazing abilities.
What is the most rewarding aspect of working in your field? Most challenging? Strength: Seeing the growth in a child and showing parents their child’s strengths through your data. For example, I recently saw a 5-year-old girl with destructive behavior. Her mother just wanted to keep her safe. We implemented a play intervention to teach her to play with her toys instead of throwing them and the outcomes were successful. Her mother was brought to tears when she saw her daughter playing and said, “she has never done that before!”Challenge: Keeping up with the need.
What critical issues do you see that need to be addressed in your field? Making quality services more accessible.
What advice do you have for future education professionals? “When in doubt… persist, don’t punt.” A quote from Dave Wacker.

Alumni in Action: The Rainbow Crosswalk project

October 5, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

This is the second part in a series featuring the value of a cohort-based approach to graduate education.

The Rainbow Crosswalk in Fernie. Shared from e-know.ca

Inspired to undertake additional project with students to improve their communities, Tara and Janet spearheaded the Rainbow Crosswalk project in Fernie, BC. In her role supervising the Student Council, Tara was able to mobilize the students. The project unfolded over months, as community experts came to school, students taught lessons to peers, and they presented to school and city boards. The project culminated with the painting of a crosswalk by the high school and four additional crosswalks in the downtown area to promote inclusion. Local media covered the project:

http://www.summit107.com/news/east-kootenay-news/six-rainbow-crosswalks-to-be-painted-by-fernie-high-school-students/

https://www.e-know.ca/regions/elk-valley/fernie/first-rainbow-crosswalk-opened/

Check out our first post in the series: Alumni in Action: The Elk Valley Arch

Alumni Spotlight: Scott Kasenga, Principal Certification, ’16

September 28, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

In the Spring of 2016, I earned the Principal/Program Administrator Certificate led by Dr. Cynthia Johnson. As a result of positive support and a rigorous training, I am the first Assistant High School Principal at College Place HIgh School in College Place, WA. Craig McKee, who graduated from the program two years earlier introduced me to Gonzaga . He spoke highly about the standards that the programs holds their students accountable, the support given to their students while attending the program, and the program’s leadership.

The instruction and guidance provided by Dr. Cynthia Johnson and Jim Whitford helped me tremendously during my adjustment out of the classroom and into the front office. As a first year administrator, Dr. Johnson has reached out to me to assist with this year’s cohort and Jim Whitford has stopped by my high school twice to make sure I was settling into my new position with relative ease.

One of the greatest lessons learned while attending Gonzaga is how to work collaboratively, because education’s greatest resource is others in our field. We can solve all our current issues if given enough time to first empathize an issue, create a definition, ideate possible solutions while building a prototype, and finally testing and evaluating our results. If we can provide the resource of time mixed with the experience of other educators most educational issues can be contained. Working with my colleagues for the betterment of the students has become my best part of my day, because the most challenging aspect has always been a meeting to set up a meeting. Any system can be infected with the bureaucracy. Part of my vision as an educational leader is to support those with a great idea. The idea needs to get into the classroom while the burning inspiration is still ablaze.

I want to raise the public perception of teachers in our society. I have worked with two highly dedicated and motivated school districts in my career, and in both always felt overworked, but this is the profession we have chosen. I want acknowledgement through accolades and compensation through funds showered on our current educators. Only then will the profession be viewed on the same level as other occupations in our society. However, this vocation can offer the most rewards you could ever imagine! Once a professional educator develops relational trust with all their stakeholders, colleagues, students, and parents, true success follows. Know what your strengths are and play to them while recognizing and developing your areas of concern.

Welcome from Dean Alfonso

September 26, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

Greetings and welcome to the inaugural Gonzaga University School of Education (SOE) e-newsletter. Through this medium, I hope to keep you apprised of our initiatives, which are based on mission and vision, and build community with you: our students, friends, alumni, and colleagues around the world.

As we begin another academic year, and I begin my fifth year as Dean of the SOE, I see our initiatives coming to fruition faster than ever before. Our school, guided by our strategic plan, continues to transform in ways that allow us to serve our students and community all year round. However, we are far from finished and have much more to accomplish in the months and years ahead.

The stories in this e-newsletter provide only a brief glimpse of what is happening in the SOE. Please visit our website at www.gonzaga.edu/soe and our blog at http://blogs.gonzaga.edu/soe/ for more stories, events, and celebrations. Thanks for being a part of the SOE!

Alumni in Action: The Elk Valley Arch

September 21, 2017 / cairney / 0 Comments

This is the first part in a series featuring the value of a cohort-based approach to graduate education.

The Department of Leadership & Administration is celebrating the 40-year anniversary of our Master’s programs in Canada. For four decades, the department has formed cohorts of working educators in their locales, and applied course content and assignments in their professional settings. Graduates of our Master’s programs have consistently reported that the program changed their life.

In many ways, the Fernie cohort is very typical for our programs. Their coursework structured for application in our students’ professional work, so at the end of their program, they have a list of accomplishments advanced by their involvement in the program. Graduates often tell us that the program modeled experiential education for them. Faculty think of it as Ignatian pedagogy.

Our latest Fernie cohort’s graduation year coincided with another celebration: Canada 150 (a provincial change to the curriculum structure. Their district responded to B.C.’s new curriculum by encouraging project-based learning. Inspired by the cohort’s collaboration, their instructors, and the program content, some of our candidates decided to facilitate students in a project that would memorialize Canada 150 and represent unity among different schools who typically only compete in sports. Thus, the Elk Valley Arch project came to realization.

The Elk Valley Arch. Shared from elkvalleyarch.com

One of the candidates in the cohort, Steve, envisioned and spearheaded this major inter-provincial project, involving four schools to design, build, and erect 14’ x 16’ cedar archway at the top of mountain pass on Alberta/B.C. border. The story and images of the 3,000 kg arch are on a student-launched website, which was part of the learning embedded in the project: https://elkvalleyarch.com/.

Preparation spanned 10 months. Steve wrote 10 grants, raising $23,000 for the project. He involved colleagues, administration, School Board, government officials and private business people. They were able to obtain permissions to build the structure on crown land leased by a hydro company.

Students in a number of classes at the different schools were involved in designing, creating and transporting the memorial. In Sparwood, Social Studies and Grade 5 students helped identify symbols of the valley. The metal shop built a cart to haul the massive logs up mountain. The Woods class worked on the scaffold. Foods classes prepared granola for students to eat while camping, etc…

Students also played leadership roles in Elkford. Students presented the concept to the Town Council, informed the media and newspaper, and sought out businesses and volunteers willing to support the project.

Seven staff from 3 different schools, 5 volunteers, and 20 students moved the wood up the mountain by hand, and then constructed the arch. Local media covered the Arch. Additionally, a group of students participated in a 3-day outdoor education program, camping on the mountain.