October 16th, 2009
Filed under: Education
“International service learning: Cross-cultural teaching and learning in Ethiopia” (July 2010)
Instructor: Nathalie Piquemal
This course is open to ALL Education students. Students will travel and work closely with the non-governmental organizations (NGO), Canadian Humanitarian Organization for International Relief (CHOIR).
You will have an opportunity to work closely with teachers, students and their families in a way that benefits a community that is plagued by poverty. While donating your time to people who struggle with multidimensional poverty, such as housing, health, famine, schools’ lack of pedagogical and human resources in all subject-areas, you will learn invaluable cross-cultural skills, namely broader appreciation of cross-cultural issues in your own and in other cultures, as well as an enhanced sense of global citizenship.
When and where?
This course will take place in July in the area of Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, for approximately three weeks. Addis-Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia as is recognized internationally for its unique juxtaposition of past and present.
Before you leave
Prior to your journey to Addis-Ababa you will receive orientations that are designed to provide basic information about Ethiopia’s general social and economic context, some of its general cultural norms, aspects of the educational context, housing, safety, and health.
In addition, you will receive 2 to 4 sessions that are designed to go over the course content, the expectations, the readings, and the evaluation, as well as to work on assigned readings.
In Ethiopia, Africa
You will spend three weeks in Ethiopia, where daily you will travel to several urban schools and community centers. Students will also conduct home visits and possibly donate some time to an orphanage.
Students will help address the following identified community needs:
- Pedagogical skills and teacher training: to work collaboratively with teachers using a child-centered framework;
- Pedagogical resources: to develop teaching materials (that are often non-existent) to be taught then left with the school. All subject-areas and all grade levels are in need;
- Community building: To contribute to an ongoing partnership with these schools and the families, by identifying other community needs;
- Humanitarian: to donate various school supplies.
Registration
B.Ed. students: Special topics course (3 credits), EDUA 1520 Recent developments in educational administration, foundations and psychology
PBDE students: Special topics institute (6 credits), EDUA 5200 Readings in Educational foundations + EDUA 5210 Recent developments in educational foundations
M.Ed. students: Special topics institute (6 credits), EDUA 5200 Readings in Educational foundations + EDUA 7330 Topics in Educational Foundations
If you are interested please contact Nathalie Piquemal at Piquemal@cc.umanitoba.ca or 474-7032.
Posted in: Education
June 16th, 2009
Filed under: Education
One of the pioneers of the University of Manitoba Gallery of Student Art (GoSA) is ready to become an art educator. Stacey Abramson, who is graduating this year from the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Education has a strong passion for fine arts.
Over the last few years the Gallery of Student Art has become a fixture in University Centre.
“I was honoured to be the GoSA’s first director and curator. Being able to see something I had always wished for and worked so hard at developing, was one of the high points at my time at the University of Manitoba,” said Abramson. “I believed, along with the UMSU executive at the time, that the students at the University of Manitoba deserved a free gallery space in which to show the creativity and artistic talent that exists across all faculties, specifically at the School of Art.”
Abramson majored in video in 2004, and has a great appreciation for traditional media as well.
“I love the idea of having something so easily accessible and relatable as video to work with. In today’s society, most people can relate to a moving media such as video – it’s a common component of culture around the world,” said Abramson.
Abramson also enjoys the history of video art.
Through her time at the University of Manitoba, Abramson became involved with The Manitoban student newspaper, where she developed her journalistic career.
“The Manitoban staff gave me the chance to try out writing and develop my skills as a journalist. This led me to many difference freelance writing opportunities across the country over the last eight years or so,” said Abramson.
Abramson is currently employed with the Winnipeg Free Press as an art critic. She said this is something she always dreamed of.
“Being given the incredible opportunity to discuss the strong and diverse art exhibitions and community in the city influences the way I see, make and teach art,” she said.
Now that she is an art educator – graduating from the Faculty of Education – Abramson strives to keep current with art movements and trends, and to bring that knowledge to the classroom.
“I am very much looking forward to my new career as an educator in Winnipeg. I’m fresh off my second life as a student at the U of M Faculty of Education, and have had two fantastic practicum experiences in the inner city and hope to continue work in this area,” said Abramson.
“I plan on returning (once again!) to the University of Manitoba to continue to upgrade my studies in education throughout the next several years.”
Posted in: Education
October 31st, 2008
Filed under: Education
The Liptonians, fronted by Education student Matt Schellenberg, received the Western Canadian Music Award for Outstanding Pop Recording for their self titled album. Other Canadian acts to receive awards at the WCMA include Fiest, K.D. Lang, Nickleback, and Spirit of the West.
The 2008 Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMA) was held in Edmonton, Alberta on October 19th, 2008.
The Liptonians have been described as “A raw talent that synthesizes everything from McCartney’s ribald blues rock piano with The Beatles to the jazz-noodling minimalist composition of Wilco to the frenetic charisma of The Pets.” by The Alex P. Keaton, a gastro-pub in London, Ontario that has featured artists like Tokyo Police Club, Cadence Weapon, Shad, and Elliot Brood to name a few.
Matt Schellenberg, a first year student in the Senior Years stream is exceptionally busy. Like many education students who are juggling fulltime workloads, jobs, family, friends, and other activities and passions it can be challenging to be active in all of their interests.
Matt had the following to say about balancing life as a performing artist and student, and incorporating his musical interests in teaching.
Jackie: What is your role in The Liptonians?
Matt: Myself and fellow Liptonian Bucky Driedger are song writing partners. In the band he plays guitar and I play piano. When we recorded our album Bucky and I played most of the tracks. There are a couple instruments we got some help on, as we both are unable to play the violin or saxophone.
J: How long have you been creating music?
M: I entered a program called Music for Young Children when I was three years old. There I learnt the basics. I think I wrote my first song when I was seventeen or so. It was really bad.
J: How does music inform your teaching?
M: Well I haven’t really got into the classroom yet, but I find that when I am explaining things to anyone I often end up using references to music as a way of understanding the concept.
J: Do you use music as a teaching tool?
M: I haven’t really had enough experience to say that I do, but I will comment on music as a teaching tool. Music is incredibly effective for generating an emotional response. Just think of how you felt the last time you heard a sustained low note on the strings in a thriller movie. Turn off the sound… and the emotion is gone. In the classroom, students are more likely to remember the material with which they have an emotional attachment. Therefore music as a tool for creating emotional attachment is incredibly effective. How many times have you had to quickly sing the ABC’s to find out the exact chronological position of a letter? Even little rhythm based saying like “I before E except after C” illustrate the role that rhythm and music play in our learning process. So though I have not been in the position to use music as a teaching tool yet myself, I am sure that in the future I will incorporate music into my teaching style.
J: What inspires you to teach?
M: My mom teaches kindergarten and my dad is a university professor so teaching has always been familiar to me. I also had a couple of great teachers in high school that I felt really respected me. They inspired me to continue to get kids like me to learn.
J: What inspires you to create music?
M: There is a lot of music being pumped into our ears these days.There is music scratching at the back of our heads in the supermarket, commercial jingles keeping products on the periphery of our every unconscious hum, and music filling in the soundtrack to every commute, bike-ride and morning jog. Music has a lot of purposes and a lot of agendas. I want to create music whose purpose is to tingle the tired ears of an over-saturated public, and whose agenda challenges the standardized art that our mainstream music industry breeds. I suppose that is my inspiration.
J: Is it difficult to balance your education, work, and your music career?
M: Sometimes yes. I do a lot of things. Sometimes that choice makes me stay up late, but it’s all worth it. Putting all of my eggs in one basket is sometimes incredibly appealing, but for now I think I’ll continue to multitask.
J: How does your bands success impact your career choice?
M: I have always thought that teaching and music would go well together. You teach during the week, you play music on the weekend. You teach during the year, you tour in the summer time. I’m sure this is an over simplification. Marking papers will come into play somewhere there, but for now I am just going to believe that both professions can coexist, and we’ll see where that takes me.
J: What’s next for you?
M: Got class at 1:00. Wish me luck!
To hear The Liptonians and find out when and where they will be playing next check out their website, MySpace page, or become a fan of The Liptonians on Facebook.
http://www.theliptonians.com
http://www.myspace.com/theliptonians
http://www.facebook.com/
In addition, The Liptonians can also be seen at Canadian Music Fest ’09 in Toronto on March 11 – 14, 2009. http://www.canadianmusicfest.com
The Western Canadian Music Awards is a new event hosted by the Western Canadian Music Alliance whose vision is to develop a n infrastructure of a regional music industry (that) is intact and shared across western Canada www.westerncanadianmusicawards.ca/awards
Jackie Duhard is the Communications Coordinator for the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba.
http://www.umanitoba.ca/education/
Posted in: Education
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