Learn to Teach, Teach to Learn
Blending teaching-learning environments (courses on-campus, off-campus, and online) have provided local, national and international opportunities for professors and students to engage and sustain their teaching-learning alliances.
While some elementary and secondary teacher education students chose community service-learning projects with local community providers; others completed their capstone projects in rural communities. Some undergraduate students took advantage of international practicums.
Conversely, the master’s China cohort traveled to Kelowna to take a break from distance learning to learn on-campus with local master students. National and international educational specialists joined local specialists teaching various seminars during the Summer Institute in Education. Some post-baccalaureate students participated in a BC TEAL (teaching English as an Additional Language) conference last fall while others benefited from their courses coming to their home community.
Research highlights
Research connections grew and strengthened locally, nationally and internationally. Locally, two speaker series (Stirring Minds and Professional Conversations) brought small and large groups of educators and students together to discuss current research topics of interest. Nationally, Faculty of Education professors presented their research at conferences. Internationally, faculty have continued their research partnerships with educators in Kenya, Pakistan, India, and New Zealand.
New faculty members
Assistant Professors
John Tyler Binfet, PhD
Along with his research and teaching experience at universities in BC and California, John Tyler Binfet brings diverse practical experience to UBC, including classroom teaching, school counselling and administration, and his involvement with international projects in Turkey, Morocco, and China. Binfet bridges theory-to-practice in his research examining moral development, which explores the themes of real-life dilemmas and what they reveal about the moral struggles of participants. Joining Binfet in his teaching will be his service dog, Frances. Outside the classroom, he is an avid animal welfare advocate and long-time vegetarian.
Christopher Martin BSc (Hons) BEd MPhil PhD (University of London, UK)
Research and teaching: philosophy of education, educational policy, moral education, moral and political philosophy, critical theory; the humanities in medical education, ethics education. A former school principal and teacher, Martin’s book, Education in a Post-Metaphysical World: Rethinking Policy and Practice through Jurgen Habermas’ Discourse Morality, is forthcoming in November 2012. He has also published on the philosophy of education and educational policy in the Journal of Philosophy of Education, Educational Theory, Studies in Philosophy and Education, Ethical Perspectives and Curriculum Inquiry.
Instructor
Pamela Richardson, PhD
Pamela Richardson teaches developing learners, English Language arts methods, special education and gifted education courses. Pamela completed her PhD in special education at the University of British Columbia with a focus on aesthetic ways of understanding giftedness. Prior to teaching at UBC, Pamela taught in the Faculties of Education at Vancouver Island University, in Nanaimo and at UBC’s Vancouver campus. She has a wide range of research experience in K-12 settings focused on understanding learning from developmental and socio-constructivist perspectives. Prior to beginning her graduate studies, Pamela taught English and social studies at the secondary level and worked as a counsellor.
