Welcome to Phi Delta Kappa University of Alberta Chapter
Phi Delta Kappa invites you to our Our Next Dinner Meeting:
Tuesday, October 17, 2018
Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers Today
A presentation on the teacher preparation program at the U of A…
Dr. Jennifer Tupper
Dean of Education, University of Alberta
Dr. William Dunn
Associate Dean of Education, Teacher Education, University of Alberta
The University Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa would like to invite members, guests and fellow educators from the Edmonton area for an evening of fellowship and networking, with special guests Dean Jennifer Tupper and Associate Dean William Dunn.
Dr. Tupper and Dr. Dunn will give a presentation on how the Education Faculty at the University of Alberta is responding to the challenges presented by changing demographics, technologies, modes of delivery, and social pressures.
Dr. Tupper and Dr. Dunn are eager to share the Faculty’s vision and process with local educators and to hear their perceptions and concerns about meeting the needs of today’s teachers in both face-to-face and online learning environments. This presentation will be of interest no matter your educational role (student, teacher, administrator, teacher educator, researcher or policy maker!)
Note change of location for this meeting:
Room 122 Education South Building,
87 avenue between 112 and 114 streets
University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB
5:40 to 6:00 pm Fellowship
6:00 to 6:45 pm Light Fare Dinner
6:45 to 7:45 pm Presentation and Q & A
7:45 to 8:00 pm Chapter lnductions
8:00 to 8:30 pm Networking
Cost: $25.00 member; $30.00 non-member (payable on arrival – cheque, credit card, cash)
Parking in Education Car Park (access from 116 Street, ½ block south of Sask. Drive) @ $5.00
Reserve your seat by Wednesday October 10, by email to: dolainekoch@shaw.ca or call 780-477-0170 and leave a message.
Not A PDK Member? Not a problem.
The U of A Chapter of PDK would like as many local educators as possible to attend this dinner topic and special induction of new members - so we are offering seats at a price only slightly above what members pay. That said, we are currently in the middle of a membership drive and would really like more Edmonton-area educators (teachers, administrators, students, researchers, teacher educators, ministry officials, and post-secondary instructors) to consider joining our organization. We are a small but vibrant organization of local educators from every role and experience level and we are dedicated to educational leadership, service and research.
Interested in Joining Us? It’s as easy as 1, 2, & 3.
Feel free to forward this email or the attached poster to other educators who may be interested in participating. You are also welcome to print the poster and share it/post it.
Phi Delta Kappa invites you to our Our Next Dinner Meeting:
Tuesday, October 17, 2018
Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers Today
A presentation on the teacher preparation program at the U of A…
Dr. Jennifer Tupper
Dean of Education, University of Alberta
Dr. William Dunn
Associate Dean of Education, Teacher Education, University of Alberta
The University Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa would like to invite members, guests and fellow educators from the Edmonton area for an evening of fellowship and networking, with special guests Dean Jennifer Tupper and Associate Dean William Dunn.
Dr. Tupper and Dr. Dunn will give a presentation on how the Education Faculty at the University of Alberta is responding to the challenges presented by changing demographics, technologies, modes of delivery, and social pressures.
Dr. Tupper and Dr. Dunn are eager to share the Faculty’s vision and process with local educators and to hear their perceptions and concerns about meeting the needs of today’s teachers in both face-to-face and online learning environments. This presentation will be of interest no matter your educational role (student, teacher, administrator, teacher educator, researcher or policy maker!)
Note change of location for this meeting:
Room 122 Education South Building,
87 avenue between 112 and 114 streets
University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB
5:40 to 6:00 pm Fellowship
6:00 to 6:45 pm Light Fare Dinner
6:45 to 7:45 pm Presentation and Q & A
7:45 to 8:00 pm Chapter lnductions
8:00 to 8:30 pm Networking
Cost: $25.00 member; $30.00 non-member (payable on arrival – cheque, credit card, cash)
Parking in Education Car Park (access from 116 Street, ½ block south of Sask. Drive) @ $5.00
Reserve your seat by Wednesday October 10, by email to: dolainekoch@shaw.ca or call 780-477-0170 and leave a message.
Not A PDK Member? Not a problem.
The U of A Chapter of PDK would like as many local educators as possible to attend this dinner topic and special induction of new members - so we are offering seats at a price only slightly above what members pay. That said, we are currently in the middle of a membership drive and would really like more Edmonton-area educators (teachers, administrators, students, researchers, teacher educators, ministry officials, and post-secondary instructors) to consider joining our organization. We are a small but vibrant organization of local educators from every role and experience level and we are dedicated to educational leadership, service and research.
Interested in Joining Us? It’s as easy as 1, 2, & 3.
- Visit PDK International
- Contact Charlotte Rode to learn how you join our group and make an immediate impact. charrode@shaw.ca
- Complete the online registration process and to start receiving our updates and invitations, our newsletters, and the Kappan Magazine.
Feel free to forward this email or the attached poster to other educators who may be interested in participating. You are also welcome to print the poster and share it/post it.
President's Message - September 2018
Professional Development Planning
This week I started working on my 2018/19 professional development plan. At NorQuest College, each faculty member is expected to fill out a plan that lists current work responsibilities, service agreements, and chosen competency focuses. But the real focus of a professional development plan is in establishing overall goals (which are linked to program and college goals) and professional development priorities (which are concerned more on developing skills as an instructor or faculty member). Once these goals and priorities are identified, each faculty member is expected to engage in regular conversations with their chair or manager, at least three times a year. These “check points” are set aside to discuss just how goals and priorities are being met through the course of the year and what kind of evidence (student and peer feedback) can verify this.
Many of you are, no doubt, very familiar with such a process. And, depending on how it is facilitated and embraced, such a process can be quite pointless or very powerful.
I have seen instances where educational managers (principals, chairs, directors and deans) and staff saw the professional development process as little more than time-wasting and hoop-jumping. Individual professional development plans were hastily thrown together, quickly glanced over and then ignored for the rest of the school year while the staff and administrators got on with the “real work” of teaching. And opportunities for growth were wasted; because individual faculty and managers did not “have time” meaningfully identify, plan for, or follow-through on professional learning.
This I feel is quite pointless!
I’ve also seen educational managers who have used such a process to stimulate and support staff through significant growth. The process helped faculty to pinpoint development areas and access opportunities for learning and skill development. These same managers also successfully leveraged the professional development of their staff to move their whole department and institution forward and to build leadership and mentorship capacities.
This is powerful!
Powerful professional learning is marked by clarity, commitment, considered implementation and timely follow-up. Moreover, it is characterized by continual reflection. Educators, no matter what role they play (in instruction, course development, support, or administration), need to reflect upon their strengths and weaknesses and consider the needs of the students and the communities they serve as they plan their professional development. When faculty and managers invest time and energy in such a process, there can be tremendous dividends; educators become more confident and competent in meeting the needs of their students and in building engaging and inviting learning environments.
So this year, how will you approach you own professional development planning; pointlessly or powerfully?
Our Next Meeting…
Professional learning is very much connected to the theme for our meetings and workshops in 2018/2019; "Preparing, Sustaining, and Supporting Educators." We know that the demands placed upon educators keep changing and we interested in learning how our teacher preparation programs are working to help aspiring educators in meeting those demands. With this in mind, our first speakers for the coming season are Dean Jennifer Tupper and Associate Dean William Dunn from the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. We have asked them to share their vision on where teacher education programs need to go, and on what changes they are looking at for the program they oversee at the University of Alberta. This will happen on Oct 17th! Mark your calendars; it promises to be a fascinating evening. I hope you will join us!
Due to scheduling conflicts, the October 17th PDK dinner will not be held at the Faculty Club as usual, but will happen in the Education Faculty itself. I personally am looking forward to the change. For many of us, coming back to the Education Buildings will be a walk down memory lane. We have booked one of the newly renovated rooms in Education South, so Dr. Tupper and Dr. Dunn should feel right at home! At the moment we are figuring out our catering options, and we will let you know the details ASAP.
As for the rest of the upcoming school year, we will continue on this theme of "Preparing, Sustaining, and Supporting Educators." Our November meeting will focus on how teachers navigate and negotiate the changing intercultural landscape of education. The demographics of our classrooms have changed and teachers need to know how to recognize when “something is up”, check their biases and assumptions, and seek to provide the right kind of support. In the new year, we are looking at a presentation on sustaining hope and encouraging educator flourishing. We are just working out the details with both speakers on these topics and should have something to share with the membership at the Oct 17th meeting!
Thank you…
At this point I would like to express my sincere thanks to Duane Plantinga for all he has contributed to PDK through his long membership and his service on the executive. As many of you know, Duane was instrumental in developing a program for the year, lining up speakers, and taking care of many of the details in publicizing and promoting our events and organization. Duane has resigned from the board so that he and Sheryl might be free to travel and spend more time with the grandkids! Duane plans on continuing as a member and attending meetings when possible. If you see Duane, you might let him know that his work was very much appreciated!
Thank you Duane!
Stay tuned for more information regarding the upcoming program.
To register: Contact - Dolaine Koch dolainekoch@shaw.ca
Click here for more information on Chapter meeting dates for this year!