Twenty months into the coronavirus pandemic, the Education community—indeed, the entire province—is not as far along as we might have hoped in returning to a sense of normalcy, but there are compensations.

As part of its commitment to transformative teaching and learning, the Faculty of Education is proud to announce the launch of a new certificate, the Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies (GCES). The GCES provides the opportunity for working educational professionals to pursue studies in the disciplinary focus of their choice, using a cohort model to facilitate the development of professional learning communities.

University can be a big adjustment for many students, but Monique Makokis-Lee admits she wasn’t quite ready for all the challenges awaiting her when she enrolled in the U of A’s bachelor of education program in 2017. A member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation who was raised in Wetaskiwin, Makokis-Lee says she found the transition from a small reserve school to the U of A and the distance from her family and community overwhelming. Reluctantly, she withdrew from the BEd program.

Congratulations to the following Education faculty members, staff and students who have achieved distinction and have recently been acknowledged for their impactful work, both within and beyond the academic community.

U of A Faculty of Education maintains its spot in the Top 3 Faculties of Education in Canada

The University of Alberta delivers the top nursing education in Canada and has the third best education program, according to the Maclean’s 2022 Canadian University Rankings.

And the winners are...

Here are the names of all three winners of our Teachers—Everyday Heroes Contest, which was open to all Education alumni working in Alberta K-12 classrooms, in recognition of the tremendous resilience, adaptation and creativity teachers have shown during the pandemic.

The Faculty of Education has a proud tradition not only of producing great educators, psychologists and information studies professionals, but great research. Here are some recent stories you may have missed about UAlberta education researchers and the important work they do to improve teaching, learning, policy and professional practice in Alberta, in Canada and around the world.

Jodi Harding-Kuriger says she can’t point to a particular formative experience that compelled her to pursue health and physical education (HPE) as the focus of her academic journey.

“I just love to move. [In physical education] you get to dance, you get to do gymnastics and play games, you get to be inside and outside, you can focus on team or individual sports,” she said. “I just love the variety and the feeling you get when you’re moving with others is so wonderful I just want to share it with everyone.”

Kate Rozendaal recently completed her master’s degree in counselling psychology and, before she embarks on her doctoral studies, she and fellow doctoral student Chelsea Hobbs are taking a little side trip. Later this month they’re off to the Tokyo Paralympic Games as assistant coaches for the Canadian Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team.

Preservice teachers will get a preview of what anti-oppression education looks like through a pilot course this fall, the precursor to a required course launching in 2022 as part of a package of undergraduate program renewal changes.

Second language education professor Bill Dunn was looking for a way to enliven an online class he was teaching during the pandemic. By taking advantage of a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) program with the University of Paderborn in Germany, he was able to create a more enriching learning experience, but it turned out to be a worthwhile professional development experience for him as well.