Recent Master of Education Graduate Tristan Lewis joins Chris Carlton this month to talk about his MEd project - A Month of Queer Thriving: 20 ways to queer your classroom. Enjoy this conversation full of helpful and easy to implement ideas about ways to queer your classroom. 

Make sure to check out Tristan's resource, A Month of Queer Thriving: 20 ways to queer your classroom which is designed to take some of the guesswork out of finding innovative ways of engaging students while employing queer and trans pedagogical practices. He hopes you'll use it to foster queer thriving via your teaching practice in concrete, practical, but perhaps unexpected ways. 

Tristan Lewis is a queer high school teacher in Ontario. His teachable subjects are English, Drama, and History. As a new teacher, he had trouble being bold enough to work against what's 'expected' of teachers. 

Did you know that accommodations from high school don't automatically transfer to University? Or that the goal of accommodations for students changes once you get to University? Alan Jeans, Manager of Queen's Student Accessibility Services and current PhD student at the Faculty of Education joins host Chris Carlton to discuss the transition from K-12 to University for students with accommodations.

• Find out more about Queen's Student Accessibility Services (QSAS). 
• The QSAS Intake Guide walks incoming students through every step of the intake process. 

Alan Jeans is a disability advocate who has worked in disability communities in Canada from coast to coast – from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Vancouver, British Columbia with stops in between. Currently, Alan manages Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) at Queen’s University. In addition to managing QSAS, Alan is also a PhD student in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University. His research takes a critical disabilities approach to exploring the shifting intersectional landscape between disability and masculinity over generations. Having Tourette Syndrome himself, Alan identifies with a neurodiverse experience and is a proponent of the belief that strength arises from, not in spite of disability.

When we think about literacy we often think about literature and poetry – but what about non-fiction? The National Council of Teachers of English put out a powerful statement (with recommendations) about the importance of non-fiction literacy and the value it has in the classroom. Non-fiction children’s author Lindsey Carmichael joins us to talk about how non-fiction can engage students who may not engage with other literature, some of her favourite moments with non-fiction in classrooms, some tips for integrating non-fiction into the classroom, and talks about her new book.

Resources: 

• NCTE Position Statement on the Role of Nonfiction Literature (K-12) 
• List of Resources for Teaching with Non-Fiction created by LE Carmichael
• The study that gave a model of how to integrate non-fiction organically into learning: Maloch and Horsey (2013) Living Inquiry: Learning From and About Informational Texts in a Second-Grade Classroom. The Reading Teacher 66(6): 475-485
• The study that discusses kids reading above their level when they’re interested in the topic: Caswell and Duke (1998) Non-Narrative as a Catalyst for Literacy Development. Language Arts 75 (2): 108-117
• A study that emphasizes the validity of NF as “real” reading, focused on upper grades: Hynes (2000) “I Read for Facts”: Reading Nonfiction in a Fictional World. Language Arts 77 (6): 485-495
• Lindsey Carmichael's website lecarmichael.ca
• Lindsey's webpage on the KidsCanPress website

 Katrina Carbone, PhD student, talks about her research and how mental health, wellness and assessment are intertwined – and how assessment can be used to support student flourishing. She also discusses research she completed during her Master of Education centred around assessment identity and how our own experiences as students can shape how we practice as teachers. She ends the podcast with some great tips on how to implement assessment practices into your classroom.

Resources

Queen’s Assessment and Evaluation Group: queens-aeg.ca/

Teacher Assessment Identity (Looney et al., 2018): doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2016.1268090

Katrina’s MEd Thesis: qspace.library.queensu.ca/handle/1974/29415

Seligman’s PERMA+ Model Explained: A Theory of Wellbeing: positivepsychology.com/perma-model/

​Historian Deirdre McCorkindale (PhD ABD), Assistant Professor of History at the University of Guelph, joins us this month to discuss the history of Black History month itself (did you know it has over 100 years of history?), some of the problems with how Black history is taught in school, and how to keep your Black history lessons local. 

​Bio: Deirdre McCorkindale is a historian interested in the history of Race in North America with a focus on the African Canadian and African American Experience. Her current research currently concerns the history of intelligence testing in North America focusing on a racial intelligence study preformed southwestern Ontario in the 1930s. Deirdre has appeared in several documentaries talking about the Black history of Ontario specifically the Chatham Kent region and is a proud member and consultant for the Chatham Kent Black Historical Society.

Resources and More information

• Chatham Kent Black Historical Society and Black Mecca Museum - this is a community-run, non-profit and I'm a little biased towards it because I am a member and my grandmother is currently the President. 
• Josiah Henson Museum of African Canadian History (formerly Uncle Tom's Cabin) 
• The Buxton Historic Site and Museum - has a virtual tour but I recommend going in person. 
• Guelph Heritage Hall 
• Amherstburg Freedom Museum 

​

Dr. Nenad Radakovic, our newest Faculty member, joined us to talk about transdisciplinary approaches to math education - or using math to explore big questions - like how we tackle climate change or how we make musical compositions that are pleasing to everyone. 

He talks about math classes he taught in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in which the students looked at the risks of different types of power plants and explored the responsibilities of the different organizations. The lesson touched on all kinds of different disciplines. 

Links

• Nenad Radakovic PhD thesis
• Transdisciplinarity in Mathematics Education: Blurring Disciplinary Boundaries 
• Border in Mathematics Pre-service Teacher Education 

Find out how you can get access to teaching resources at Queen's University's library, what is available to you as a teacher at public libraries and more in our latest podcast!

October is library month in Canada - with the theme: one card one million possibilities. We were lucky to have a chance to talk with two different librarians this week - Kristen Lemay, Acting Manager, Programming and Outreach, from the Kingston Frontenac Public Library, and Brenda Reed, Head Education Librarian at Queen's.

Resources
- Kingston Public Library Events Calendar
- KFPL Teen Reviews
- KFPL Volunteering at the Library
- Sign up for KFPL's newsletter
- Forest of Reading
-  Peggy Collins - Harley the Hero
- education.library@queensu.ca - email to get a Queen's Education Library Card
- Queen's Education University Library Research Guide
- Queen's Education University Library


Kristen Lemay's Bio
 
Kristen Lemay is a librarian with the Kingston Frontenac Public Library. She is currently the Acting Manager, Programming and Outreach. She works with a programming team of librarians and programming assistants to bring programs and awareness of library services to the community.

Brenda Reed's Bio
 
Brenda is the Head Education Librarian at Queen’s University Library where she has worked for over 20 years.  Before moving to Kingston, Brenda grew up in Gander Newfoundland, went to Western University in London, worked at St. Mary’s University Library in Halifax and Bishop’s College School Library in Lennoxville, and then at Queen’s Education Library ever since.

As an Education Librarian Brenda gets to work with people who are dedicated to teaching, learning, and research, from teacher candidates to graduate and faculty researchers.  This means that every day is full of learning and sharing and the challenges that come with figuring things out – which really works for Brenda since she loves persisting to try to get to the end of a puzzle.  Coming to work every day is pure joy – what other job lets you come in the front door and be greeted by a wall of brand new books – every one of which you’d like to read! – and then work with a team of colleagues all day who are passionate about learning and especially reading.  It’s a dream job for sure.

For the past 10 years or so Brenda has also served on the Silver Birch Express Steering Committee and is excited to be Co-Chairing that Committee again this year – check out the Forest of Reading book lists that were released last Friday – you’ve got a winter reading list for K-12 right there!

To celebrate Science Literacy Week, award-winning Canadian science children’s author Dr. Lindsey Carmichael joined us to talk about what science literacy is, why it is important, and what role books play in science literacy.

To celebrate Science Literacy Week, award-winning science children’s author Dr. Lindsey Carmichael joined us to talk about what science literacy is, why it is important, and what role books play in science literacy.

Helpful Links and Resources:

• Lindsey's website 
• Kids Can Press - Publisher of Lindsey Carmichael's books The Boreal Forest (2020) and Polar (2023)
• Sci/Why - a group blog run by Canadian children's science authors
• Melissa Stewart's Celebrate Nonfiction Blog - author, editor, and advocate for children's nonfiction
• Joyce Grant - author and teacher of media literacy for kids - Teaching Kids News 
• Erica Fyvie - author of Mad for Ads 

Smile big or go home! We are thrilled to have Lynda Colgan join us to talk about the upcoming Science Rendezvous event – and the very exciting highlights, what resources are available for teachers to use in their classroom, online workshops, and what makes this event special for kids and adults. Intro Music by: Trevor […]

Earth Day is coming up on April 22, 2022. The theme this year Celebrate Every Day! And we couldn’t think of a better person to have on our podcast and talk about sustainability in your classroom than Dan Hendry. On this episode, he’ll talk about sustainability projects big and small – and how to work with […]

Not sure how to handle social media in your classroom? Find out from Dr. Claire Ahn, Assistant Professor of Multiliteracies at Queen’s Faculty of Education. Chris and Claire discuss three big questions with lots of ideas for the best way to integrate conversations into your classroom sprinkled throughout the podcast: Why is it important that […]

We are thrilled to have Rosalie Griffith (https://twitter.com/msrgriffith), Secondary School Principal with the Toronto District School Board, join us to talk about Black History month. She shares her personal experience growing up as a black student in Ontario schools and answers three questions for us. What is black history and its history in Canada?  What […]

Dr. Nikhil Arora (Physics) and Dr. Nenad Radakovic (Education) join host Chris Carlton to discuss the 2024 total solar eclipse. Listen to find out more about the solar eclipse, what to talk about in your classroom, and more!

Resources: 

• Queen's 2024 Total Solar Eclipse 

Join new host Chris Carlton as he speaks with outdoor education enthusiasts and Queen’s alumni Erik Vreeken and Paul Gifford about the benefits and opportunities of taking teaching and learning outdoors! Erik Vreeken (Ed’92) currently teaches grade 6 for the LDSB and bring 29 years of teaching experience. I Paul Gifford (Ed’94) is a consultant […]

Vulnerable youth are being impacted by the pandemic. Faculty member Dr Ian Matheson, who researches students with exceptionalities, discusses ways that the pandemic has positively and negatively affected students with exceptionalities and talks about some strategies teachers and parents are using to navigate teaching in a pandemic environment. Please note this podcast was recorded in May 2021.

Want to create a welcoming school community? Master of Education student Kel Martin joins us to discuss the importance of gegi.ca, and his involvement with the project. Gegi.ca is a website that was recently created by our own Dr. Lee Airton, as well as Dr. Kyle Kirkup (University of Ottawa), and their research team to equip all Ontario students and teachers with the tools to advocate at school for the right to express and live their gender in their own way.

This fall our Knowledge Forum conference moved online and we were able to bring together our alumni and faculty to share their ideas and experiences about teaching and learning during a pandemic. We are excited to release these sessions on Popular Podagogy for your auditory enjoyment! Session 1 Dr. Andrew Campbell (DR.ABC) speaks about diversity in the online classroom: what it looks like, how to address it, and best practices for an inclusive environment.

The Eastern Ontario Staff Development Network (EOSDN), a consortium of Eastern Ontario District School Boards and the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University, recently developed a Math Monograph using a Student of Mystery approach.  In this episode Eleanor Newman, Tammy Billen, and Danielle LaPointe-McEwan of the EOSDN join us to explain how this approach can […]

Teacher candidates joined us to discuss best practices for having courageous conversations in the classroom. In this episode, these insightful educators offer advice on how to create a brave space for students, navigate discomfort (and why discomfort is good), and how to give students of all ages skills to think critically and express themselves in productive ways. 

Worldwide, everyone has had to quickly adapt to physical distancing measures. In this episode, listen to how remote teaching and learning has changed things from the perspectives of a current teacher candidate, a Faculty instructor, and an alumna teaching Grade One.

Take a break from listening to podcasts about COVID and hear Dr. Lindsay Morcom reflect on decolonization, the importance of learning and celebrating Indigenous languages, the responsibilities of teachers in Reconciliation, and the lessons we can all learn from Ms. Frizzle. Boozhoo means hello in Ojibwe/Anishinaabemowin.

The mix of high-spirited anticipation and too many treats makes the holidays an exciting time in schools everywhere. In this special episode, listen as staff and faculty share stories of memorable moments from the classroom.  From inadvertently crushing Christmas spirit to lessons learned about holiday potlucks, tune in and enjoy this merry episode! 

 Wondering how to navigate equity in your classroom? Our own Dr. Alana Butler joins us to answer questions like: How do you support diverse students in your classroom without putting the spotlight on them? How do you navigate and address offensive comments in the classroom – and how do you bring it up with the entire class? Alana and Chris talk about representation, focusing on individual strengths (versus deficit), belonging, culturally relevant pedagogy, and so much more! 

Resources: 

• Anti-Racism and Diversity in Teaching Resources from Queen’s Faculty of Education
• Disability Resources from Queen’s Faculty of Education 
• Gender Diversity Teaching Resources from Queen’s Faculty of Education 
• Social Justice resources and information from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario 
• Educator’s Equity Toolkit from the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association 
• Equity from the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation 
• Useful Links for Equity and Inclusive Education from Ontario Teachers’ Federation 

Dr. Alana Butler joined the Faculty of Education in 2017 and currently teaches both Bachelor of Education students and graduate students. Her research interests include the academic achievement of low-socio economic students, equity, diversity, and inclusion policies and practices from k-12 to higher education, at-risk children/youth and their educational attainment, and multicultural education. Find out more about her on the FookNConversaton Podcast. 

Jamie Pyper talks about getting future teachers excited about teaching math, how a quote from RuPaul’s Drag Race illustrates his approach to math education, and shares a dramatic classroom confession with explosive results.

We’re launching our second season of Popular Podagogy with Steven Gottlieb, Director of the Boundless School, self-professed teen whisperer, and the keynote at the Queen’s University Faculty of Education’s upcoming Knowledge Forum Conference. Gottlieb shares his approach to teaching, his experiences working at the Boundless School, and how a Seinfeld episode illustrates part of his […]

In this episode Alison Cummings – instructor and designer of CTE’s Intercultural Educators Training Program (IETP) and Training Coordinator for Queen’s University Human Resources  –   discusses intercultural education, the importance of self-reflection, and tips for teachers on accommodating diversity in their classrooms.

Hear Dr. Ben Bolden talk to us about his love of podcasts (and how to bring them into the classroom), how he uses music and emotion in his research, the joy of composing music, and how he supports arts education through his UNESCO Chair in Arts and Learning.

Hear recent BEd graduate Caroline Reid reflect on life as a BEd student, her alternative practicum at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, and her experience with the Teacher Overseas Recruitment Fair (TORF) and Options that led to her first teaching job in Sweden.

Listen to Dr. Rebecca Luce-Kapler, Dean of the Queen’s Faculty of Education and Dr. Dennis Sumara, Dean of the Werklund School of Education as they discuss the past, present, and future of teaching on the eve of the Faculty’s 50th Anniversary Conference. 

Featuring special guest Brian Aspinall Friday, November 9th, 2018 Teacher, author of Code Breaker, and professional speaker with three TEDx talks, Brian Aspinall, joins us to talk about celebrating and embracing failure to encourage kids to take risks, how to integrate coding as a tool for learning, his favourite app Twiducate, and a new book […]

Joining us in the studio: Harmony Club, and educational musical collective! From alternative practicum to full-fledged initiative, learn how tune-making can demonstrate how to educate through music — all under the ethos of “How to be Awesome.” 

In this episode, Queen’s M.Ed. student Sawyer Hogenkamp shares valuable advice for anyone starting their masters, and discusses the Queen’s graduate community, his 3-Minute Thesis, and his research on bullying and school buses.

Queen’s AQ instructor Paul Hannah stops by the CFRC studio to discuss how he became a teacher, his time at Queen’s, how education has changed over time and his classroom confession.

Listen to Dr. Chris DeLuca, Professor of Educational Assessment and Associate Dean - School of Graduate Studies, talk about AI in the classroom - ways to leverage it to enhance student learning, why we shouldn't be afraid of it, and how to get started using AI.

Find out more about Chris DeLuca.

Resources

• Leveraging AI to enhance learning Kappan Online Article
• How can teachers integrate AI within schools? EdCan Online Article
• Queen’s Generative AI Teaching & Learning Resources
• How to Cite ChatGPT
• Magic School AI (AI for Teachers)
• UNESCO: Artificial intelligence in education
• UNESCO: ChatGPT and AI in higher education – Quick Start Guide
• Intelligent Classrooms: What AI Means For The Future Of Education Frobes Article
• Educating in a World of Artificial Intelligence Podcast Harvard Education

In this episode Kristy Timmons stopped by to talk about how she keeps busy in Kingston, play-based learning, self-regulation strategies, and the importance of small and large group activities in early childhood education. Music: JazzyFrench & CreativeMinds – Bensound.com

In our first episode of Popular Podagogy, we have Lee Airton drop by the CFRC studio to discuss their James Bond like hobbies, debating in the classroom, the No Big Deal Campaign, blogging and more.

On this podcast, we talked with registered social worker Laura Conboy, who is the Mental Health Lead at Limestone District School Board. Laura discusses mental health as a continuum, strategies for mental health in the classroom - both individually and as a group, how to create caring conditions, what a circle of care looks like, how to navigate the tiers of intervention, creating brace spaces, and she provides some really great tips on how to take care of yourself as a teacher. 

Resources for Mental Health in the Classroom 

• ONE CALL Desk Reference
• Guiding Questions to Build a Mentally Healthy Classroom Community 
• Mental Health Literacy Course for Educators 
• The Third Path 
• OCT Professional Advisory 
• Introduction to Children and Youth Mental Health: Skills for Educators 
• Personal Resiliency Tips  
• Brene Brown Podcast on Compative Suffering, the 50/50 Myth and Settling the Ball 
• 211 Ontario 
• Good2Talk 

Laura Conboy is a registered Social Worker and has been working as the Mental Health Lead for the Limestone District School Board since 2017. As part of her role, Laura creates and implements Limestone’s Mental Health and Substance Use Strategy and annual action plans. Prior to coming to Limestone, Laura worked as a hospital social worker in several departments including the emergency department, high-risk obstetrics, and child and adolescent psychiatry. When Laura is not working, she can be found reading, traveling, or learning to play pickleball. 

Lauren Smart-Lampl, Indigenous Teacher Education Program Coordinator and current Master of Education in World Indigenous Studies in Education student, joins us to talk about Truth and Reconciliation in the classroom drawing on her experience teaching in Nova Scotia. She discusses how she talked about residential schools in her classroom, how to indigenize your classroom, the importance of Indigenous languages, and more. 

Head to our website for a full list of resources and to find out more about Lauren. 

Hear from Dr. Patty Douglas, Associate Professor of Disability Studies and Exceptionalities and the inaugural Chair of Student Success and Wellness at the Faculty of Education. In the podcast, Patty discusses how her experience as a classroom teacher gave her a fire in her belly and led her to become a researcher. She discusses what neurodiversity-affirming practices are and what makes it different from the medical model of disability. She discusses the slogan, "nothing about us without us" which comes from disability activism and out of the racial justice movements - and how it can apply to neurodiversity in the classroom. She ends the discussion with some practical tips for implementing neurodiversity-affirming practices in your classroom. 

Links and resources: 

• Re•Storying Autism - Re•Storying Autism is an interdisciplinary team of makers, artists, researchers, educators, whānau (family and kin), and practitioners transforming deficit understandings of autism and practices in education. 
• Re*Storying Autism Project - Re•Storying Autism in Education (2019-2023) is a multimedia story making project directed by Patty Douglas that brings together Autistic people, family members, educators, practitioners and artists to rethink inclusion in ways that desire the difference of Autism. The overall aim of the Re•Storying Autism project is to transform deficit understandings of Autism in education and create new approaches that centre the perspectives of Autistic people and their/our supporters. The project holds in-person and online storytelling workshops and events in Ontario, Manitoba, Canada, Aotearoa and England.

About Patty Douglas: 

Patty Douglas is an Associate Professor of Disability Studies and the inaugural Chair in Student Success and Wellness in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University. Her research focuses on reimagining educational practice and care in neurodiversity affirming ways through critical, decolonial and creative research. She is the director of Re•Storying Autism in Education, a multimedia storytelling project that brings together Autistic students, family and educators in Canada, England, and New Zealand to rethink education in ways that that desire the difference of autism. She is currently publishing her book Unmothering Autism: Ethical Disruptions and Affirming Care with UBC Press. Patty is also a former special education teacher in Ontario and British Columbia. She identifies as neurodivergent, and is the mother of two sons, one of whom is autistic. 

Dr. Tiina Kukkonen joins us to talk about why every teacher should integrate art into their classrooms - and how to make that happen.
 
Resources:

Arts Integration

• Arts Infusion Committee
• Kennedy Center
• Art Canada Institute
• Arts Integration and 21st Century Skills: A Study of Learners and Teachers (article)
•  Institute for Arts Integration in STEAM
• Montreal Museum of Fine Art EDUCART Platform 

Teaching Artists Resources

Places to Find/Connect with Teaching Artists  

• School board artist partnership programs
  • Toronto District School Board’s “tdsbCreates” with the Toronto Arts Council
  • Limestone District School Board’s “Arts in (Edu)Action” program with Kingston School of Art 
•  Organizations that partner teaching artists with communities and schools
  • MASC (Southeastern Ontario/Western Quebec)
  • Prologue Performing Arts (Ontario)
  • inPath (across Canada)
  • Art Starts (Toronto): 
  •  ArtStarts (BC)
  • Artist in the School (Yukon)
  •  Visual Arts Nova Scotia (Nova Scotia)
  • PERFORM! (Nova Scotia)
  • Writers Federation of Nova Scotia (Nova Scotia)

Funding Sources:

• Ontario Arts Council (Ontario)
•  SK Arts (Saskatchewan)
• First Nations Education Steering Committee (British Columbia) 
• Culture in the Schools (Quebec) 
• Artists Inspire Grants (Quebec)
• Artists in Schools (Manitoba)
• ArtsNL Grants (Newfoundland and Labrador)
• Alberta Foundation for the Arts (Alberta) 
• Arts in Schools (New Brunswick)
   

MEd students Beck Watt and Alex O'Leary joined us to talk about being a 2SLGBTQ+ ally in the classroom, how to address difficult topics in the news, and bringing representation into the classroom every day.

Resources

• The Faculty of Education's Gender Diversity Resources
• 2STLGBQIA+ Lesson Plans from the Manitoba Teacher's Society
• Supporting Transgender and Gender Diverse Students in Manitoba Schools

Bios

Beck Watt is a tattooed teacher of music and active flutist from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Beck currently teaches in Winnipeg’s inner city developing a grade 7-12 band and music appreciation program. In addition to their work within the Manitoba music community, they have been a guest speaker and lecturer on allyship and supporting transgender and/or gender diverse students in Manitoba since 2018. Beck is currently working on completing their Master’s thesis through Queen’s University exploring gender in Western instrumental music practices through the experiences of transgender and/or gender non-conforming instrumental musicians.

Alex O'Leary is finishing their Master's in World Indigenous Studies in Education while also teaching at the Junior High level in Halifax, NS. Their thesis looks at the friendships between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous educators in public education and how these relationships play a role in education settings. Alex is also passionate about fostering classroom spaces where all students and staff feel seen and celebrated in all their identities.

Queen's Master of Education student Kyle Raymond joins us to talk about how and why video games should be part of the classroom. Kyle provides practical tips on logistics and ways to make it work with limited resources as well as ideas on how to integrate video games into lessons. 

Kyle Raymond is a passionate educator pursuing a Master of Education (MEd) at Queen's University, working with Dr. Claire Ahn. He is working on his thesis titled, “Flowering Narratives: The Integration of Video Games in ELA Classrooms to Cultivate Learning about Environmentalism." He also holds a Bachelor of Education (BEd) from Queen's. In addition to his academic pursuits, Kyle has been a music instructor, teaching guitar, and has served as a remote teacher and tutor for the past few years.

Kyle's research focuses on the video game Flower.

Dr. Pamela Beach, Associate Professor of Language and Literacy, joins us for a wide-scoping discussion about literacy. Listen to learn about multi-literacies, early literacies, the differences between learning languages, how to help with literacy learning in your classroom - and so much more!

Pamela's book, Promoting Language and Early Literacy Development: Practical Insights from a Parent Researcher is available now!


Pamela Beach is currently the Associate Dean, Research at the Faculty of Education and an Associate Professor in Language and Literacy at the Faculty of Education, Queen’s University. Pamela completed her MA in Child Study and Education at the Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto and her PhD in Developmental Psychology and Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto.

Pamela has a decade of elementary classroom experience, teaching a range of grades and subject areas from junior kindergarten to seventh grade. Her background as an elementary teacher has influenced her research which centres on the dissemination of research-informed literacy practices. Pamela’s work explores how online and multimedia resources can be used in teacher education and professional development. Pamela uses web analytics, screen-capture technology, the virtual revisit think aloud, and eye-tracking technology to study teacher cognition and learning. 

Laura Mozhu Li, an MEd student at the Faculty of Education, talks about her research on Chinese newcomer youth and their experiences with racism in Canada. Laura, a 1.5 generation Chinese-Canadian, shares how her own immigration and schooling experiences influenced her research, along with some helpful tips on fostering inclusive classrooms. 

Laura Mozhu Liis a 1.5 generation Chinese-Canadian woman who came to Canada with her parents at the age of 8. Currently a MEd student at Queen's, her research stems from her own identity and struggles in the Ontario school system and takes on a social justice approach in unraveling the immigration and schooling experiences of Chinese newcomer youth. Laura’s background and immigration experiences fuel her passion for languages and culture, and, combined with her love of teaching, they motivated her to become a secondary French and English teacher.

Join host Chris Carlton and Dr. Ian Matheson as they dive into an exciting primary school-wide environmental project. Discover how researchers, teacher candidates, primary students, and community partners came together to create vermicomposting systems that transformed classroom learning and connected to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. From hands-on worm bins to a red-carpet film premiere, this episode showcases the power of collaboration, innovation, and student engagement in environmental education. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation on how small actions in the classroom can lead to big global change! 

Resources: 

• Winston Churchill Public School Vermicomposting School Wide Project Video

Learn More about UN SDG 11:

• To get to know Global Goal 11 and its targets, visit Global Goals.
• Watch a short clip ‘Understand Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities’ from Participate - a free community-learning platform that combines best parts of social media and online learning.
• Watch United 4 Social Change video ‘Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities - SDG Series.’

Learn about processing organic wastes using earthworms:

• Learn the specifics of vermicomposting.
• Example of a poster [PDF 401 KB] from the collection produced by BEd students that includes books available for all within the Faculty of Education - each book has to do in some way with vermicomposting and/or soil health.

Take action:

• Start your own vermicompost, visit The Box of Life.

Learn more about all 17 UN SDGs on the UN’s Student Resources page and what you can do to get involved.

In this fun and inspiring episode of Popular Podagogy, Jocelyn Greene shares how theatre and improv can supercharge student learning and bring joy to the classroom! From building confidence to boosting academic skills through playful storytelling, she shows how every subject—even math—can come alive with imagination. Whether you're taping out maps on the floor or riding a “magical elevator” through biomes, Jocelyn makes a strong case that learning through play is powerful, memorable, and seriously fun! 

Resources: 

• Child's Play in Action - Blog and Resources for Educators
• Edutopia articles written by Jocelyn 
• Child's Play NY Professional Development Videos
• Child's Play NY Website

About Joceyln Greene: Jocelyn Greene is the proud Founder and Executive Director of Child’s Play NY. She has been teaching and directing since 1998. Before founding Child’s Play NY, she taught at Oddfellows Playhouse in Connecticut, Will Power to Youth in Los Angeles and Epic Theater Ensemble in New York. Jocelyn is a member of Actors Equity Association and has performed at The Public Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre and New York Theatre Workshop among others. She holds an MFA in Acting from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a BA in English and Spanish Literature from Wesleyan University. With Child’s Play NY she has taught in scores of top-tier New York schools, spearheading their after-school and summer arts programing. She has designed residencies for schools from South Brooklyn to the Hudson River Valley. She loves directing Shakespeare with teens and re-inventing fairytales with 4-year-olds. With Child’s Play in Action she turns her curriculum into video-tutorials for parents and educators. Check out a Q + A with her here, and listen to her interview on Women Killing It.