Decolonizing Professional Learning: Recent Episodes
voicEd Radio
In the summer of 2022, about 30 academics, school leaders and practitioners will be meeting in St. John's, NL for conversations and work about how we might set out to decolonize professional learning in education.
This is the space where our pre-gathering conversations can be found. In addition, as the work continues, be sure to check back in as we continue to keep our finger on the pulse of this important work!
Dr. Mélissa Villella is Assistant professor of School Administration at Université du Québec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. She is also Adjunct Professor at University of Ottawa.
In this episode, Dr. Villella drops by to talk about the research that she is doing in the area of transformative leadership (Carolyn Shields). In particular, we use Mélissa's article, "Transformative Leadership: Leading French-Language Schools in Canadian Anglo-dominant Contexts" to dig deeper into the principles and approaches related to transformative leadership and how it connects with our conversations on decolonizing professional learning.
Find out more about Dr. Mélissa Villella at https://mlvillella.com/
Dr. Sharon Friesen is a a professor at the Werklund School of Education in Calgary, Alberta. Sharon was one of the participants at the Decolonizing Professional Learning gathering at Memorial University in August 2022.
She joins me today to talk about a very special project with the Stoney Nakoda community and Ekshaw School in Alberta. It's a compelling example of how the ideas of unlearning and decolonization can be put into practice.
In addition to our conversation, you will find the video created to tell the story of the project to be inspiring:
https://vimeo.com/333252310/5f9b208c95
A public engagement panel was held as part of the Decolonizing Professional Learning gathering held in St. John's, NL, in August 2022.
In part two of the event, scholars and practitioners reflected on the practical opportunities and challenges involved when we commit to a decolonizing perspective learning.
On the panel:
Carol Campbell (Moderator, OISE/UT)
Stephen Hurley (Moderator)
Jerome Cranston (University of Regina)
Sherwyn Solomon (Ottawa Carleton District School Board)
Leyton Schnellert (University of British Columbia)
Avril Aitken (Bishop's University)
A public engagement panel was held as part of the Decolonizing Professional Learning gathering held in St. John's, NL, in August 2022.
In part one of the event, scholars and practitioners worked to unpack what we are talking about when we use the phrase "Decolonizing Professional Learning. Joining us on the panel:
Nicholas Ng-A-Fook (Moderator)
Stephen Hurley (Moderator)
Dwayne Donald (University of Alberta)
Ardavan Eizadirad (Laurier University)
Kristin Kopra (Ottawa Carleton District School Board)
Lisa Howell (University of Ottawa)
Dr. Ruth Kane is a Professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa. Prior to moving to Canada in 2006, Ruth served as Director of Teacher Education at Otago University (New Zealand) and Professor of Secondary Education at Massey University (New Zealand).
We talk about the upcoming gathering in NFLD in the context of her present work as well as her New Zealand roots.
Dr. Joelle Rodway is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education, Memorial University. She is also the principal applicant for the SSHRC Connection Grant that is bringing scholars and practitioners together in Newfoundland and Labrador this summer.
In this free-flowing conversation, we talk about the vision behind the event, moving in and out of places of discomfort when working towards decolonizing professional learning and some of the metaphors associated with these conversations.
Find out more about Joelle and her work: https://www.mun.ca/educ/faculty-and-staff/dr-joelle-rodway/
Madelaine McCracken and Lisa Howell have worked together on several equity issues, including the production of resources with Cindy Blackstock and the Caring Society.
In this conversation, we find out about that work, the troubling of the term "decolonization" and the questions that they are carrying with them to the Decolonizing Professional Learning gathering in Newfoundland in August 2022
Kristin Kopra, Sherwyn Solomo & Geordie Walker are administrators with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. We talk about the equity work that each of them is doing in their school district, including the formation of "Hard Conversations", an administrator group dedicated to exploring issues of anti-racism, equity and diversity.
We talk about that work as well as the questions that they are packing in their suitcases as they prepare to join the Decolonizing Professional Learning gathering St. John's.
Dr. Dwayne Donald is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta as well as Canada Research Chair in Reimagining Teacher Education With Indigenous Wisdom Traditions.
Find out more about the work of Dwayne Donald: https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/chairholders-titulaires/profile-eng.aspx?profileId=5342
Dr. Karen Ragoonaden is the newly appointed Associate Dean, Teacher Education at the University of British Columbia.
As an active researcher, Dr. Ragoonaden’s scholarly interests lie in the area of mindfulness and well-being, culturally responsive pedagogy and conceptions of teaching and learning. Her current SSRHC grant (2021–24) is entitled “Mindfulness and Antiracist Education: Developing Critical Reflection.”
Follow Dr. Ragoonaden on Twitter: @KarenRagoonaden
Whitnee Garrett-Walker is an assistant professor in the department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education at OISE/UT. Dr. Garrett-Walker's teaching philosophy is grounded in two areas, a commitment to inquiry and a commitment to equity-centered teaching.
In this conversation, we hear both of these commitments coming together as we talk about what we mean by decolonizing professional learning, who is involved and who needs to be involved.
Find out more about Whitnee Garrett-Walker by following her on Twitter @WhitneeGarrett
Visit her webpage at OISE/UT: https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/lhae/Faculty/683483/Whitnee_Garrett-Walker.html
Nicholas Ng-A-Fook is a Professor and Vice-Dean of Graduate Programs at the Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa. Nicholas joins me to kick off the series with a conversation about how our thinking about professional learning networks can be disturbed and decolonized. We also talk about the upcoming gathering in St. John's, NL, and some of the questions that might emerge during that event.
Find out more about Nicholas at https://education.uottawa.ca/en/people/ng-fook-nicholas
Be sure to check out Nicholas' podcast, Fookn Conversations heard on voicEd Radio and wherever you get your podcasts.