Students study Netherlands and European Union first-hand
Share
By Elaine Smith
When you’re learning about the political, social and economic transformations in the European Union (EU), where better to do it than in the heart of the EU itself? A group of York University students had that chance as part of a study abroad experience.
Willem Maas
For the first time since the start of the pandemic, students in Glendon Professor Willem Maas’ course, The Netherlands and Europeanization, were able to learn about the Netherlands and the EU first-hand with the return of study abroad at York University.
“Having taught this course twice in virtual format, it was a welcome challenge to make it come together in person, and I’m very grateful to the many guest speakers who spoke with the class, and the many institutions we were able to visit,” said Maas. “Real, on-the-ground international experience is invaluable for students and is a completely different experience from classroom-based learning.”
The summer course, a three-week class that took students around the Netherlands and into Belgium and Luxembourg with a brief foray across the border into Germany, offered them an in-depth look into the workings of what Maas calls a “middle power” in the EU as a case study of this regional government that came into being after the Second World War.
“This intensive summer abroad course helps students understand political, social and economic transformations in the European Union through site visits, interviews and meetings,” Maas said.
The class was constantly on the move, starting off the course in the Dutch administrative capital, the Hague, and ending it in Amsterdam, with visits to Brussels, Luxembourg, Nijmegen and Rotterdam in between. The group visited a variety of institutions including the Dutch parliament, the International Court of Justice and other courts in the Hague and Luxembourg, several universities, the European Parliament and the European Commission. They met politicians, academics and diplomats who gave them personal insights into the workings of the EU and the roles they played.
In addition, there were opportunities to absorb history, business and culture: for example, Roman ruins, a Canadian war cemetery, the port of Rotterdam, and the Rijksmuseum, home to many renowned Dutch paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer and others.
Ed Leurebourg, an international studies student, also found the course very meaningful and was appreciative of the experiential education opportunity.
“The insights and experiences gained through this time will last me a lifetime,” Leurebourg said. “We saw everything from national to interstate parliaments. We met with diplomats of all levels and career public servants doing an earnest job serving their country or the EU. We visited museums and institutions that showed us the importance of a union such as this one, and got to see what a world without it could resemble.
“In just a month, this course managed to give me the real-life perspective I have been missing.”
Maria D’Aguanno, who recently graduated with a BA in children, childhood and youth studies, said, “It was eye-opening for me.”
D’Aguanno registered for the course simply as a way to fill a necessary social science requirement, but came away with both new knowledge and a rich experience.
“I enjoyed every moment, even though I had no background in political science. It sounded interesting and it was hands-on. I learned about what the EU does, not only for Europe, but for Canada and the rest of the world; things I wouldn’t have known.”
One of the highlights for her was a virtual conversation with Dutch teachers where she had the opportunity to compare the Canadian and Dutch education systems and learn about how the Netherlands handled education during the pandemic.
“It made me think about how we could all come together to make learning more equitable and how I, as an educator, can assist parents and children who have limited resources.”
Of course, the class didn’t land in the Netherlands without any knowledge of the country. The course required them to do a number of readings and analyses prior to their travels and reflections both during and after the trip.
“I’d like my students to gain an empirical understanding and theoretical grounding to analyze developments and ideas related to the EU and European integration,” said Maas.
In addition to the body of subject knowledge the students gained, they also reaped other benefits.
“There were small things that meant a lot,” D’Aguanno said. “When you immerse yourself in a culture, it changes the way you see things. Interacting with the locals, I felt like part of the community, and I learned a lot through social interactions. You grow as an individual.
“You also need to start being more independent; you have to do things for yourself; there’s no one to do it for you. I recommend that everyone take advantage of at least one study abroad opportunity. You learn more than you will ever imagine and it stays with you.”
New date: Join President Lenton at the Holiday Social on Friday, Dec. 2
Share
La version française suit la version anglaise.
Dear York community,
President Rhonda Lenton invites all students, staff, faculty members and course instructors to celebrate the end of the fall term at York University’s Holiday Social. Join her for cookies, cocoa, cider and other holiday festivities at the Keele and Glendon campuses to kick off the holiday season.
Organizers will be accepting non-perishable food items for donation to food banks at both the Glendon and Keele campuses. Available all week, the York University Bookstore will offer a 25 per cent discount on all branded ceramic mugs, which can be purchased in store and at the event.
Please note, York University strongly recommends wearing a mask in all indoor settings, except when eating or drinking.
Keele Campus Vari Hall (outside) Friday, Dec. 2 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Nouvelle date : Joignez-vous à nous pour les célébrations du temps des fêtes le vendredi 2 décembre
Chers membres de la communauté de York,
La présidente Rhonda Lenton invite tous les membres de la communauté étudiante, du personnel et des corps professoral et enseignant à célébrer la fin du trimestre d’automne lors des célébrations du temps des fêtes à l’Université York. Joignez-vous à nous pour des biscuits, du chocolat et du cidre chauds et d’autres festivités sur les campus Keele et Glendon pour bien commencer la période des fêtes.
Nous accepterons les dons de denrées alimentaires non périssables pour les banques alimentaires de Glendon et de Keele. Toute la semaine, la librairie de l’Université York offrira une réduction de 25 % sur toutes les tasses de marque en céramique achetées en magasin et lors de l’événement.
Veuillez noter que l’Université York recommande fortement de porter un masque dans tous les environnements intérieurs, sauf pour manger ou pour boire.
Campus Keele Pavillon Vari (extérieur) Vendredi 2 décembre 2022 11 h 30 à 14 h
Les dons alimentaires seront remis au centre de soutien alimentaire de la Fédération des étudiants de York. Pour plus d’information, veuillez consulter : https://events.yorku.ca/events/holiday-social/. Veuillez noter que la date a été modifiée pour le vendredi 2 décembre.
Campus Glendon Le Quad Est (espace vert en face du manoir Glendon) Mardi 6 décembre 2022 14 h à 16 h
Indigenous Metaverse project joins UNESCO campaign to promote and protect Indigenous languages
Share
La version française suit la version anglaise.
A York University-funded project to develop an Indigenized curriculum and create experiential education opportunities has joined the UNESCO organization to promote and protect endangered Indigenous languages.
Funded by York’s Academic Innovation Fund (AIF), Biskaabiiyaang: The Indigenous Metaverse has joined the global community for UNESCO’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL) 2022-2032.
This image shows the player interacting with a Birchbark canoe. As part of Biskaabiiyaang’s cultural history activities, players will learn how to build a canoe virtually using skills passed down through generations (image: Biskaabiiyaang.com)
Biskaabiiyaang joins 1,400 associated organizations working together to promote and protect Indigenous languages. The project, which received $40,000 in funding through the AIF, will design an Indigenous-led metaverse delivering Anishinaabe language and First Nation cultural competency programs within a virtual world.
Professor Maya Chacaby, a Sociology Department faculty member at York University’s Glendon Campus, is the project lead and Biskaabiiyaang’s chief visionary.
As part of the IDIL, Biskaabiiyaang will share and exchange Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language) resources and contribute to a growing community of action for Indigenous languages. It will also share stories, tools, and research into metaverse learning as the project develops, produced by its network of First Nation Elders, Anishinaabe community members, the Indigenous Youth Council, and its partners Nokiiwin Tribal Council, York University and UniVirtual.
“We highly value the opportunity to further our knowledge of Indigenous languages and issues through connecting with the global community,” says Chacaby.
William Prensky, the founder and chairman of the board for UniVirtual, the company building Biskaabiiyaang in the metaverse, says, “Since work began on Biskaabiiyaang, it has been an honour to listen to the Anishinaabe community, not only to learn what they know but also how they feel.
This image shows a player’s character coming face-to-face with Animikiikaa (Thunderbirds), some of the most powerful Spirit Beings of Anishinaabe cosmology. This is an example of Biskaabiiyaang bringing traditional creation stories to life in the virtual world (image: Biskaabiiyaang.com)
“Connecting with Indigenous communities on a global scale through the UNESCO platform is a wonderful opportunity for our project, its partners, and for our team members as individuals; through learning and listening to Indigenous voices working for change, our worlds, both virtual and real, will be better for it. The centuries of Indigenous experience are vital if we are to survive, after having ignored those voices for far too long.”
The IDIL’s Global Action Plan provides a strategic framework for its community – from UN-system entities, national governments, Indigenous peoples’ organizations, civil society and academia, to the private sector. Biskaabiiyaang supports the Global Action Plan by providing a sustainable, lifelong learning environment that will archive, safeguard, and revitalize Anishinaabemowin. Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples will be able to access Biskaabiiyaang as part of their formal or non-formal education at any time, regardless of geographical location.
Further in line with the Global Action Plan, Biskaabiiyaang’s process and vision recognizes and respects Indigenous knowledge. Through systems of digital empowerment, Indigenous communities are contributing their expertise to programs in Indigenous knowledge, histories, language, sciences and philosophies.
Through the IDIL community and over the following decade, Biskaabiiyaang aims not only towards the resurgence of Anishinaabemowin but of all Indigenous communities and languages across the world.
Le projet Indigenous Metaverse se joint à la campagne de l’UNESCO pour la promotion et la protection des langues autochtones
Ce projet financé par l’Université York vise à élaborer un programme d’études autochtones et à créer des possibilités d’éducation expérientielle. Il s’est joint à l’UNESCO pour promouvoir et protéger les langues autochtones en péril.
Financé par le Fonds d’innovation académique (AIF) de York, Biskaabiiyaang: The Indigenous Metaverse a rejoint la communauté mondiale pour la Décennie internationale des langues autochtones (DILA) 2022-2032 de l’UNESCO.
Biskaabiiyaang rejoint les 1 400 organisations associées qui travaillent ensemble pour promouvoir et protéger les langues autochtones. Le projet, qui a bénéficié d’un financement de 40 000 dollars de l’AIF, vise à concevoir un méta-univers dirigé par des Autochtones qui propose des programmes de compétences culturelles des Premières Nations en anishinaabemowin.
La professeure Maya Chacaby, membre du corps professoral du Département de sociologie du campus Glendon de l’Université York, dirige le projet Biskaabiiyaang et en est la chef visionnaire.
Dans le cadre de la DILA, Biskaabiiyaang partagera et échangera des ressources en langue anishinaabemowin (ojibwé) et contribuera à une communauté d’action croissante pour les langues autochtones. Le projet partagera également des récits, des outils et des recherches sur l’apprentissage au moyen d’un méta-univers au fur et à mesure de son développement, qui sont produits par son réseau d’Aînés des Premières nations, de membres de la communauté anishinaabe, du Conseil des jeunes Autochtones et de ses partenaires, le Conseil tribal Nokiiwin, l’Université York et UniVirtual.
« Nous savons gré de cette possibilité d’approfondir notre connaissance des langues et des questions autochtones en nous connectant à la communauté mondiale », déclare Mme Chacaby.
William Prensky, fondateur et président du conseil d’administration d’UniVirtual, la société qui construit le méta-univers de Biskaabiiyaang confie : « Depuis que nous avons commencé à travailler sur Biskaabiiyaang, nous sommes honorés d’écouter la communauté anishinaabe, non seulement pour apprendre ce qu’elle sait, mais aussi ce qu’elle ressent.
« La connexion avec les communautés autochtones à l’échelle mondiale grâce à la plateforme de l’UNESCO est merveilleuse pour notre projet, pour ses partenaires et pour les membres de notre équipe à titre individuel; en apprenant et en écoutant les voix autochtones qui œuvrent pour le changement, nos mondes, tant virtuels que réels, s’en trouvent rehaussés. » Les siècles d’expérience des Autochtones sont essentiels si nous voulons survivre, après avoir ignoré ces voix pendant bien trop longtemps. »
Le plan d’action mondial de la DILA fournit un cadre stratégique à sa communauté qui va des entités du système des Nations Unies, des gouvernements nationaux, des organisations de peuples autochtones, de la société civile et du monde universitaire jusqu’au secteur privé. Biskaabiiyaang appuie le plan d’action mondial en fournissant un environnement d’apprentissage durable qui archivera, sauvegardera et revitalisera l’anishinaabemowin. Les peuples autochtones et non autochtones pourront accéder à Biskaabiiyaang dans le cadre de leur éducation formelle ou non formelle à tout moment, indépendamment de leur emplacement géographique.
Toujours en accord avec le plan d’action mondial, le processus et la vision de Biskaabiiyaang reconnaissent et respectent les connaissances autochtones. Grâce à des systèmes d’autonomisation numérique, les communautés autochtones apportent leur expertise aux programmes relatifs aux connaissances, à l’histoire, aux langues, aux sciences et aux philosophies autochtones.
Par le biais de la communauté de la DILA et au cours de la décennie suivante, Biskaabiiyaang vise non seulement la résurgence de l’anishinaabemowin, mais aussi celle de toutes les communautés et langues autochtones à travers le monde.
York expert to discuss Canadian electoral institutions at public talk
Share
Dennis Pilon, associate professor of politics at York University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS), will give a public talk on Nov. 17 to explain some of the myths in public debates about voting system reform in Canada.
The Canada Watch Fall 2022 Launch & Talk, titled “Myths, damn myths, & voting system change: How Canadian political scientists mis represent democratic reform,” takes place at 3 p.m. in the Senate Chamber on the Glendon Campus, and will also highlight the most recent issue of Canada Watch.
Denis Pilon
Pilon, an expert on Canadian electoral institutions, will discuss how academics have framed voting system reform in misleading ways by presenting it through a value trade-offs lens, where instead it should be first and foremost understood as an attempt to apply democratic values such as inclusion, equality and equity.
“The way we talk about voting system reform matters,” says Pilon. “The conventional political science approach focuses public attention on things that do not matter and do not deserve legitimate consideration while obscuring what is really at stake in the recent push to gain voting system reforms.”
This public talk will be held in the context of a graduate colloquium of the Glendon School of Public and International Affairs. Speaking on the importance of this topic for both graduate students and a wider Canadian audience will be Glendon Associate Professor Francis Garon, graduate program director for the Master’s in Public and International Affairs.
“The voting system is at the core of our democracy,” says Garon. “It is a highly relevant topic for our students in the Master of Public and International Affairs to reflect on the fundamental issues that are associated with this system. We are pleased that Professor Pilon, an expert in the field, accepted our invitation.”
Clare Hutchinson appointed inaugural Power Corporation of Canada Distinguished Fellowship
Share
La version française suit la version anglaise.
The Glendon School of Public and International Affairs has announced the appointment of Clare Hutchinson as the inaugural Power Corporation of Canada Distinguished Fellowship for 2022-23.
The fellowship recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to public policy through leadership, service, mentorship and high-impact research.
Clare Hutchinson
From 2018-21, Hutchinson was appointed as NATO secretary-general special representative for women, peace and security, high-level focal point on children and armed conflict and head of the NATO Human Security Unit. Previously, she worked as a senior gender advisor with the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping where she spearheaded the strategic development of gender policies, strategies and capacity building for over a decade. She has also deployed as gender advisor to numerous UN peacekeeping missions around the world.
Prior to working with the UN, Hutchinson was a communications and public relations expert, with a focus on mitigating risk and disaster for governmental and non-governmental organizations.
Hutchinson was born and educated in Newcastle Upon Tyne, U.K., obtaining an MA in international relations and MRes from the University of Newcastle, U.K. and a BA from Coventry University. She also studied drama and stage design at the Newcastle College of Arts and Technology. She is a dual Canadian/U.K. citizen, residing in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Hutchinson is a “Women Leader for Peace” as part of the International Leadership Association, and a mentor for the Women in International Security for Eastern Partnership Program.
Mme Clare Hutchinson est la récipiendaire de la bourse inaugurale de recherche émérite de Power Corporation du Canada en 2022-2023
L’École d’affaires publiques et internationales de Glendon est heureuse d’annoncer la nomination de Mme Clare Hutchinson en tant que première récipiendaire de la bourse de recherche émérite de Power Corporation du Canada en 2022-2023. Cette bourse récompense les personnes qui ont apporté une contribution exceptionnelle aux politiques publiques par leur leadership, leur service, leur mentorat et leurs importantes recherches.
Clare Hutchinson
De 2018 à 2021, Mme Hutchinson a été représentante spéciale du Secrétaire général de l’OTAN pour les femmes, la paix et la sécurité, relais important pour tout ce qui a trait à la protection des enfants dans les conflits armés, et chef de l’unité de sécurité humaine de l’OTAN. Auparavant, elle a travaillé comme conseillère principale en matière d’égalité des genres au Département de maintien de la paix des Nations Unies, où elle a dirigé le développement stratégique des politiques, des stratégies et du renforcement des capacités en matière d’égalité des genres pendant plus d’une décennie. Elle a également été déployée en tant que conseillère en matière d’égalité des genres dans de nombreuses missions de maintien de la paix des Nations Unies à travers le monde.
Avant de travailler à l’ONU, Mme Hutchinson était une experte en communication et en relations publiques, spécialisée dans le domaine de l’atténuation des risques et des catastrophes pour les organisations gouvernementales et non gouvernementales.
Mme Hutchinson est née et a fait ses études à Newcastle Upon Tyne, au Royaume-Uni. Elle a obtenu une maîtrise en relations internationales et une maîtrise en recherche politique à l’Université de Newcastle ainsi qu’un B.A. à l’Université de Coventry. Elle a également étudié le théâtre et la scénographie au Newcastle College of Arts and Technology. Elle détient la double citoyenneté canadienne et britannique et réside à Halifax, en Nouvelle-Écosse.
Mme Hutchinson est une « femme leader pour la paix » au sein de l’International Leadership Association et une mentore du programme Women in International Security for Eastern Partnership.
French as a second language educators build OER repository
Share
By Elaine Smith
As part of the larger goal of building a unified, intersectoral community of practice among French as a second language (FSL) educators, Professors Muriel Péguret and Dominique Scheffel-Dunand are building a multilingual hub that includes a repository of Open Educational Resources (OER), such as textbooks, articles and videos.
Dominique Scheffel-Dunand
OER are free teaching and learning resources that typically use a Creative Commons license that allows users to retain, revise, remix, reuse and redistribute content. This is also known as the 5Rs of OER. Muriel Péguret and Dominique Scheffel-Dunand received funding from the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities to create this online repository and hub, and it is currently in its second iteration.
The pair are striving to ensure that “the project and repository become THE reference for OER in FSL,” said Péguret, coordinator of language programs and academic coordinator of the Glendon BEd program. “We plan to have resources in English and in Indigenous languages, in addition to French, so it can be used by all learners who are engaged in FSL. We also want to aggregate FSL resources from other repositories so people don’t need to search multiple sites.”
They have engaged the services of another colleague, Mirela Cherciov, sessional assistant professor in linguistics and language studies at Glendon, to develop OER useful to the FSL community for continuing education and professional development purposes.
The project is called Camerise, which is the French-Canadian name for the Haskap berry, a native nutritious fruit from the blue honeysuckle that grows in northern climates. The name has symbolism: the superfood characteristics of the berry represents knowledge and effervescence; its tendency to grow in clusters symbolizes community; it grows close to the ground, reminiscent of the bottom-up process of OER creation; and it can be transformed into many derivatives.
“These are resources developed by the FSL community for the FSL community, including teachers, administrators and parents – many stakeholders,” said Scheffel-Dunand, associate professor of French studies in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS).
Muriel Péguret
“You can constantly iterate and rejuvenate knowledge,” said Scheffel-Dunand. For example, Le Littéraire dans le quotidien (The Literary in the Everyday) is an open textbook and represents a new pedagogical approach to reading and writing at college and university lower levels and is applicable to all languages. This OER, conceptualized by Joanna Gay Luks at Cornell University, is currently being adapted by FSL educators in the Grand Erie District School Board and the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board to develop foundations in understanding Indigenous ways of living and being in FSL programs from elementary to secondary levels in both school boards.
Both project leads note that multilingual OER repositories are already common in both Norway and Finland; Canada is working to catch up.
“OER encourage people not to start from scratch when creating teaching materials,” noted Péguret. “It fits with our complex, changing world. It is good pedagogy to adapt materials to your audience and it also gives teachers the flexibility of being in control of their own resources.”
Although anyone may use an OER, such as a textbook, podcast, or video, and adapt it for their own needs, the licensing requires them to give credit to the original author. This ensures that the original author receives attribution in the remixing process.
By using Camerise, FSL practitioners will be able to:
search for a resource;
retrieve and compare similar resources;
group resources on their personal dashboard;
share resources with peers;
comment, review and engage in discussion;
link external resources and contextualize them with new metadata and modify them based on the OER’s Creative Commons license; or
deposit OER that you have authored.
There are hurdles to overcome in encouraging FSL practitioners to create resources for Camerise, said Scheffel-Dunand, who notes that people must overcome their uncertainty about transforming, rather than creating resources. In situations where there are many authors originating a paper or a work, they will need to negotiate the type of license applied to the OER. In addition, every aspect of the resource – text, video, etc. – must be verified as an OER, which requires the checking and recording of each external resource’s copyright status.
“It requires a change of culture,” said Péguret. “We want people at all levels to create, share and adapt OER, and we hope that bachelor of education programs will train students to do so, allowing the culture to change naturally over time.”
Péguret and Scheffel-Dunand also plan to connect with Indigenous colleagues to ensure that they can embed Indigenous ways of knowing into the FSL curriculum and into the repository. “We want to include them in the process,” Scheffel-Dunand said. “Until we live those dialogues, we can’t predict which knowledge will lend itself to translation, but the dialogue is open.” The current iteration of the repository is now online and the creators are eager for feedback about the resources and functionalities that colleagues would like to see. Colleagues are encouraged to visit the Camerise website and submit feedback via the webform.
Des pédagogues du FLS créent un référentiel REL
Dans le contexte de l’objectif global de bâtir une communauté de pratique unifiée et intersectorielle chez les enseignants et enseignantes de français langue seconde (FLS), Muriel Péguret et Dominique Scheffel-Dunand élaborent actuellement une plateforme qui comprend un référentiel de ressources éducatives libres (REL), notamment des manuels, des articles et des vidéos.
Les REL sont des ressources d’enseignement et d’apprentissage gratuites et généralement basées sur une licence Creative Commons qui permettent aux utilisateurs, de retenir, réviser, remixer, réutiliser et redistribuer le contenu, en d’autres mots les 5R des REL. Elles ont reçu un financement du ministère des Collèges et Universités de l’Ontario pour créer ce référentiel et cette plateforme en ligne, qui en est à sa deuxième itération.
« Nous souhaitons que le projet et le référentiel deviennent LA référence en matière de REL en FLS, a déclaré Mme Péguret, coordonnatrice des programmes de langues et coordonnatrice académique du programme B.Éd. de Glendon. Nous prévoyons avoir des ressources en anglais et en langues autochtones, en plus du français, afin qu’elles puissent être utilisées par toutes les personnes apprenantes engagées dans le FLS. Nous voulons également regrouper les ressources de FLS provenant d’autres référentiels afin que les gens n’aient pas besoin de faire des recherches sur plusieurs sites. »
Les deux professeures ont fait appel aux services d’une autre collègue, Mirela Cherciov, pour élaborer des REL utiles à la communauté FLS à des fins de formation continue et de développement professionnel.
Le projet porte le nom d’une baie très nutritive originaire des climats nordiques, la camerise. Ce nom a une valeur symbolique : les caractéristiques de ce super aliment représentent la connaissance et l’effervescence; sa tendance à pousser en grappes symbolise la communauté. Comme elle pousse près du sol, cela rappelle le processus ascendant de la création de REL. De plus, elle peut être transformée en de nombreux produits dérivés.
« Ce sont des ressources développées par la communauté du FLS pour sa communauté, y compris les enseignants, les administrateurs et les parents – de nombreux intervenants, a déclaré Mme Scheffel-Dunand, professeure agrégée d’études françaises à la Faculté d’arts libéraux et d’études professionnelles. Vous pouvez constamment itérer et rajeunir les connaissances. »
Par exemple, Le Littéraire dans le quotidien est un manuel libre qui représente une nouvelle approche pédagogique de la lecture et de l’écriture aux niveaux inférieurs et qui est applicable à toutes les langues. Ce référentiel REL, conceptualisé par Joanna Gay Luks à l’Université Cornell, est actuellement adapté par les éducateurs de FLS du Grand Erie District School Board (GEDSB) et du Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (BHNCDSB) pour développer les bases de la compréhension des modes de vie et d’existence autochtones dans les programmes de FLS des deux conseils scolaires, du niveau élémentaire au niveau secondaire.
Les deux chefs de projet font remarquer que les référentiels REL sont courants en Norvège et en Finlande; le Canada s’efforce de rattraper son retard.
« Les REL encouragent les gens à ne pas partir de zéro lorsqu’ils créent du matériel pédagogique, a indiqué Mme Péguret. Cela convient bien à notre monde complexe et en constante évolution. C’est une bonne pratique pédagogique d’adapter le matériel à son public et cela donne également aux enseignants l’option de contrôler leurs propres ressources. »
Tout le monde peut utiliser des REL, comme un manuel, un balado ou une vidéo, et les adapter à ses besoins, mais la licence exige de mentionner l’auteur original afin qu’il soit mentionné dans le processus de remixage.
En utilisant Camerise, les praticiens du FLS seront en mesure de :
• Chercher une ressource; • La récupérer et la comparer avec des ressources similaires; • Regrouper des ressources sur un tableau de bord personnel; • Partager des ressources avec des pairs; • Commenter, réviser, entamer une discussion; • Mettre dans le référentiel les REL dont on est l’auteur.
« Cela nécessite un changement de culture, a déclaré Mme Péguret. Nous voulons que les gens à tous les niveaux créent, partagent et adaptent les REL. Nous espérons que les programmes de licence en éducation formeront les étudiants à le faire, permettant ainsi un changement de culture naturellement au fil du temps. »
Les deux professeures prévoient également entrer en contact avec des collègues autochtones pour s’assurer qu’elles peuvent intégrer les modes de connaissance autochtones dans le programme de FLS et dans le référentiel.
« Nous voulons les inclure dans le processus, a déclaré Mme Scheffel-Dunand. Tant que nous ne vivons pas ces dialogues, nous ne pouvons pas prédire quelles connaissances se prêteront à la traduction, mais le dialogue est ouvert. » L’itération actuelle du référentiel est en ligne et les créatrices sollicitent de la rétroaction sur les ressources et les fonctionnalités que leurs collègues souhaiteraient voir ajouter. Elles les encouragent à visiter le site Web et à soumettre leurs commentaires avec le formulaire Web.
Virtual book launch features scholarship of Professor Emeritus Kenneth McRoberts
Share
The Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies recently hosted a virtual book launch to celebrate the work of Professor Emeritus of political science, former Glendon principal and former Robarts Centre director, Kenneth McRoberts.
Kenneth McRoberts
The launch featured a panel, which brought together an international cohort of leading thinkers to reflect on McRoberts’ scholarship.
McRoberts, who was present at the launch, offered his thoughts on the revised editions of his Misconceiving Canada: The Struggle for National Unity and Catalonia: The Struggle Over Independence.
“The subjects of the books – Canada and Spain – have both gone through major crises brought on by sudden surges in secessionism, after long periods of relative stability. These revised editions were needed to take account of these developments,” said McRoberts.
On one hand, the revised version of Misconceiving Canada includes an analysis of Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s distinctive understanding of multiculturalism and Indigenous rights, Supreme Court jurisprudence on Quebec secession and the control of education and health facilities by Francophone minorities. On the other, the second edition of Catalonia accounts for the independence surge of the last decade by analyzing the 2010 judgement by Spain’s Constitutional Court of Catalonia’s new statute of autonomy, as well as tracing the continued impact of Spanish state nationalism.”
Recently appointed York Research Chair in Populism, Rights and Legality, Glendon Associate Professor of sociology, Emily Laxer, moderated the panel, which brought together insights from Albert Carreras of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Guy Laforest of Université Laval and École nationale d’administration publique and Michael Keating of the University of Aberdeen.
“Kenneth McRoberts’ two recent books showcase the comparative struggles of the Québécois and Catalonian nationalist movements for recognition and autonomy,” said Laxer. “Read in tandem, these works illuminate key contextual dynamics impacting those struggles, including: the politics of language and linguistic rights, regionalism and national (dis)unity, and the role of constitutions in securing vs. undermining minority nationalist goals.
“In celebrating these works, the discussants highlighted the benefits – but also the challenges – of comparative research, and applauded McRoberts for simultaneously grasping the specificities of the cases and placing them in dialogue to produce more generalizable insights.”
This virtual book launch was held on Sept. 21 as part of the Robarts Centre’s welcome week events, which included an in-person meet-and-greet and a photoshoot for Faculty and research associates.
Announcing the 2022 Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowships for Black and Indigenous Scholars
Share
York University has announced Sylvester Aboagye, Landing Badji, Leora Gansworth and Graeme Reed as this year’s recipients of the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowships for Black and Indigenous Scholars.
This important initiative supports up to four scholars annually in any field of study and provides the successful applicants with a salary of $70,000 annually for a two-year term.
“The University is committed to creating positive change and this means taking action on the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion. Our University Academic Plan prioritizes an inclusive higher education environment and these postdoctoral Fellows reflect that commitment. We very much look forward welcoming them to our community this year,” says Acting Provost and Vice-President Academic, Lyndon Martin.
The program’s aim is to address the under-representation of Black and Indigenous scholars in many disciplines and fields of research and associated careers. The initiative aims to address the lack of supportive mentorship and network-building opportunities available. Recipients of the fellowship are provided with collegial resources, supervision, mentorship and funded time to help them achieve their chosen career goals. The initiative promotes the inclusion, integration and nurturing of diverse backgrounds, knowledges and ways of researching, thinking, communicating and relating in order to provide equitable access to opportunities for emerging scholars.
Thomas Loebel, dean and associate vice-president graduate, believes that, “An inspiring part of this program is the window it provides on the great range and significance of scholarship and research undertaken by the applicants. This years’ Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship holders, each with a unique specialization and focus, are committed to conserving, caring for, and newly developing the world as comprised of sometimes simple, sometimes inordinately complex networks of organic and inorganic elements. Whether exploring energy efficiency, species and habitats, climate solutions, these scholars recognize the fundamental importance of an ecological approach to life in future times.”
Sylvester Aboagye
Sylvester Aboagye Aboagye is completing his PhD in electrical engineering at Memorial University of Newfoundland. His stimulating research investigates how humans can improve the achievable data rate, coverage and energy efficiency performances of communication technologies. Specifically, his project focuses on wireless communication networks.
“For this fellowship, I will use optimization theory and machine learning tools to design communication technologies that operate in the terahertz and the visible light spectrum for the next generation of wireless networks,” says Aboagye. “Special thanks to Professor Hina Tabassum, a global leader in this research area, who will be my supervisor for this project at the Next Generation Wireless Networks research lab.”
During the fellowship, Aboagye will be housed with Lassonde School of Engineering.
Landing Badji
Landing Badji Badji earned a PhD in ecology and ecosystem management from Cheikh Anta Diop University in Senegal. Badji’s cutting-edge research focuses on Chimpanzee self-medication, hormones and human-chimpanzee interactions.
“The Provost’s Postdoctoral fellowship will allow me to study factors affecting the health and behaviour of a critically endangered animal, the savanna chimpanzee, in its increasingly altered natural habitat,” says Badji. “I am looking forward to collaborating with Dr. Valerie Schoof in the Primate Behavioral Endocrinology Lab, and to work with someone who recognizes the importance of supporting scholars from primate-habitat countries in becoming research leaders.
During the fellowship, Badjo will be housed with Glendon.
Leora Gansworth
Leora Gansworth Leora holds a PhD in critical human geography from York University. Her innovative project investigates the environmental health priorities in the Algonquin territory.
“I am so thankful to join the Center for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages as an incoming postdoctoral Fellow. Chi Meegwech/gratitude to Dr. Deborah McGregor, the Osgoode Hall Law School, and the many others who have made this opportunity possible,” says Gansworth. “My research will continue to investigate environmental health priorities as determined by Indigenous Peoples. I am especially interested in working with those who continue to seek mino-bimaadiziwin, a good way of life, in reciprocity with all our relations, and an emphasis on restoring kinship with migrating eels.”
During the fellowship, Gansworth will be housed with Osgoode Hall Law School.
Graeme Reed
Graeme Reed Reed is a PhD candidate in rural studies at the University of Guelph. He will be advancing his work on Indigenous visions for self-determined climate solutions by working with the Center for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages (CIKL) catalyst project “Indigenous Climate Leadership and Self-Determination Futures.”
“This work is my commitment to deconstruct the dominant assumptions underlying colonial systems of climate solutions to advance solutions grounded in our knowledge systems, legal orders and governance practices,” says Reed. “I’d like to send a chi-miigwech to Profs. Deb McGregor and Angele Alook to agree to walk with me in this journey. I’d also like to send a chi-miigwechto all those Indigenous experts who have walked with me on this path, as well as all those Elders, women, youth, leaders and academics who shared their insight with me.”
During the fellowship, Reed will be housed with CIKL.
McGregor, director of the Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages, says “CIKL is looking forward to working with both Reed and Gansworth as part of this fellowship program. Their work is timely, original, and important and will make great research contributions. We look forward to supporting them with their academic and community-oriented objectives.”
Learn more about the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowships for Black and Indigenous Scholars at York University by visiting the Faculty of Graduate Studies’ website.
Noah Shebib offers a message to grads about the power of hard work
Share
By Jenny Pitt-Clark
Actor, cultural leader, multiple Grammy Award-winning music producer and philanthropist, Noah “40” Shebib, was at York University on Oct. 12 to accept an honorary doctor of laws during Fall Convocation ceremonies.
Noah “40” Shebib is a creator who exemplifies excellence and dedication toward bringing positive change. On Oct. 12, York University recognized 40’s work as a Canadian innovator, artist, philanthropist and entrepreneur with its highest accolade, an honorary doctor of laws degree, awarded during Fall Convocation ceremonies for graduands of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design; Glendon; the Faculty of Health; and Osgoode Hall Law School.
Noah “40” Shebib receives an honorary doctor of laws degree
Together with Drake, 40 has helped to transform the hip-hop scene, the music industry and contemporary culture in Toronto, and beyond. In addition to his creative genius, 40 has worked to build awareness about multiple sclerosis and raise money for research into its cause. He is also the co-founder of The Justice Fund, an organization working in and with communities and other organizations to address the effects of trauma and cycles of conflict.
After accepting his honorary degree from York University, 40 delivered a message to graduands about the power of hard work, the creative process and the positive impact of giving back, but it was the story behind his unusual nickname that he used to began his remarks. “What I want to talk to you about today is a bit cliché … it’s about hard work, which is funny because that’s actually how I got my name 40,” he said. “It’s short for 40 days and 40 nights because that’s how long, apparently, the myth says I can work without sleeping (although I wouldn’t recommend it). Early on I realized that the harder I worked, the more I could create and the more I could create, the more opportunity I would have for success.
“That’s actually how I make music. Everyone always asks me ‘How did you make this song?’ or ‘How did you think of that idea for this song?’ and the funniest part is that I literally just throw something at the wall and then I throw it again and I throw it again and again until it starts to take shape,” he said, noting that hard work and dedication to his art drove him to keep going at any cost, because he knew it would be the only way he could create a global appreciation for his unique musical style.
In the early years, Drake and 40 fought be taken seriously in the geographical void created by the enormity of the music scene in the United States. “Drake and I were two kids in Canada and we had no choice but to just try as hard as we could,” he mused.
Noah 40 Shebib
When their innovative music took off and fame arrived, 40 said that he and Drake never paused to bask in the spotlight. Instead, he said, they worked even harder to refine and redefine their art. Along the way, 40 told grads that he learned an important lesson that working “smart” actually magnified the success brought by working hard, and he took time to thank his mentor, music engineer Les Bateman for teaching him that lesson.
He described Bateman as someone “who would always read the manual first” before using a new software or tool. This was a quality that 40 admitted took significant time for him to appreciate and incorporate into his life. “After 15 years in this business, we’re all trying to find our happiness in a mindful way, so as much as I can sit here and preach working harder to you, at this point in my life I’m trying to learn to work smarter as well.”
In his teaching, Bateman urged 40 to learn to use the right tool for the right job, something he said he still finds difficult to adopt. “I am often struggling with my impatience and my attitude that no matter what, I will just work through it and find my way through sheer diligence.” That attitude, he said, nearly cost the successful launch of the second studio album he made with Drake. It was Bateman’s calm and measured approach to working “smart” that rescued the project (along with a great deal of coffee). “Always read the manual,” he said with a wry grin.
In addition to hard work, smart work (and reading the manual), 40 urged grads to make it a priority in their lives to give back. “What you put into the universe will come back to you tenfold so you fight to give as much to the world as you can,” he said.
He asked grads to focus on creating a culture that can “support us all.”
40 ended his remarks with this observation: “It’s the greatest honor to care and my number one source of joy and fulfillment … something that has always been my ‘cheat code.'”
Biologist finds hope for critically endangered species
Share
By Elaine Smith
Marc Dupuis-Desormeaux, a York biology course director, is working to save the pancake tortoise that is native to some areas of Africa and assessing what it will take to develop a community-based conservancy plan.
Marc Dupuis-Desormeaux in Lewa, Kenya
York biologist Marc Dupuis-Desormeaux is off to Kenya in October on a search for critically endangered pancake tortoises, an unusual creature that took a circuitous route to capturing his attention. But, then, nothing about Dupuis-Desormeaux’s path to studying turtles – including tortoises, who belong to the turtle family – has been ordinary.
Until about 20 years ago, Dupuis-Desormeaux was successfully working as an investment banker, but didn’t find it satisfying. He returned to York University to study wildlife conservation and environmental studies and earned his PhD, taking a particular interest in how fencing changed the behaviour of animals. He began studying prey trails and safe passage at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. When the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) sought someone to design fences and underground passageways for its population of snakes, turtles and frogs, Dupuis-Desormeaux realized that he had the requisite skills and could be of assistance.
“Of course, I had to learn more about turtles,” he says.
Although Dupuis-Desormeaux’s primary research focused on predators in Kenya, at home in Canada, he became the TRCA’s turtle consultant. In 2019, the two interests merged.
“I was at a turtle conference taking a break and talking to a well-known turtle researcher,” Dupuis-Desormeaux said. “I told him that I did work in Kenya and he told me about the plight of the pancake tortoise. The terrain he described sounded like the area where I usually work, so I began asking around.”
Pancake tortoises are small reptiles, growing to only about 17.8 centimetres and weighing no more than 400 grams. They are native to Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia, but habitat destruction and poaching have taken a toll, and female tortoises generally lay only one egg annually, so increasing the population is challenging. The tortoises live in crevices in rock outcroppings call kopje. Given that such terrain abounds at Lewa, Dupuis-Desormeaux was hopeful that more of the population had escaped plunder.
A pancake tortoise in its natural habitat
His questions about pancake tortoises didn’t ring a bell with the Kenyan wildlife guides he knew, but an area lodge owner sent him a photo of something that looked like the small reptile. Immediately, working from Canada, Dupuis-Desormeaux organized his Kenyan colleagues to conduct a three-day survey to confirm the presence of the rare tortoises at Lewa; they found seven. Intrigued, he assembled a team to search the area for more evidence of the tortoises, but the pandemic struck and the trip didn’t take place.
In 2021, Dupuis-Desormeaux returned himself and worked with Kenyan wildlife experts to search the conservancy property; the group found 59 of the small creatures. He found more on a subsequent trip, also locating 40 of the reptiles at two smaller conservancies during single day surveys. Now, he’s returning to these smaller properties to determine how large their populations are.
Finding and counting these “critters” is work done on foot, given the rocky, hilly terrain. He and his colleagues systematically work their way up the hills, peering into cracks in the rock to look for pancake tortoises. It can be challenging, since the reptiles may share their space with lizards and snakes.
“I don’t want to come face-to-face with any spitting cobras,” Dupuis-Desormeaux said with a laugh, but noted, “This is very exciting; we discovered undocumented populations. Because rhinoceroses are protected at Lewa, there are armed guards to prevent poaching, which gives us a chance.
“The goal of this work is to end up with a community conservation plan, since the communities in the area share the land with their wildlife.”
Saving a species from extinction? It’s a conservationist’s dream, one that may soon become a reality for Dupuis-Desormeaux.
