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THES P R I N G & S U M M E R E D I T I O N Y E A R E2003 V O LE05 I S S U EE02

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U N I V E R S I T Y O F A L B E R T A | F A C U L T Y O F E D U C A T I O N

a differenceMakingJanet Lo, New VP Academic , S tudents ’ Union

Education. Rethought.

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JUDY CAMERON:MARTHA COOK PIPER

RESEARCH PRIZE

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AN ORDINARY DAYBRINGS HOPE

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ATA EDUCATIONALRESEARCH AWARD

P A G E 6

JANET LO

P A G E 8

REUNION WEEKEND

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MY FAVOURITE TEACHER

P A G E 1 2

GOLDEN FRIENDSHIPS

P A G E 1 3

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNIAWARD: TED HARRISON

P A G E 1 4

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD:MYER HOROWITZ

P A G E 1 6

ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS

P A G E 1 7

EDWIN PARR TEACHER AWARDS

P A G E 1 8

CONTACT USINFORMATION

P A G E 1 9

JudyCameron

Editor‘s Note:

Judy Cameron, ’79 BEd, ’86 MEd, ’92 PhD, Professor of EducationalPsychology, who was recently awarded the University's prestigiousMartha Cook Piper Research Prize, is a third-generation distinguishedmember of the academic staff of the University of Alberta.

Her grandfather, Donald Ewing Cameron or “D. E.”, as his colleaguesknew him, was appointed the University's Librarian in the early 1920s, a position he held until his retirement in 1945. The U of A's CameronLibrary is named in his honor. John Macdonald, in his history of the U of A, described D. E. as “a man of insatiable intellectual curiosity... No figure around the University was more familiar or better belovedthan that of “D.E.”... who would have been an asset to any universitylibrary anywhere.” His portrait, by Grandmaison, is displayed in thecentral reception area of the Cameron Library.

Judy's father, Donald F. (Tim) Cameron, an anesthetist by profession, had a distinguished career in medical education

at the U of A. For more than 20 years he providedadministrative leadership for the Faculty – first, as

assistant dean and later (from 1974-83) as dean. DeanCameron played a key role in planning and building the Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre.

The Martha Cook Piper Research Prize isawarded to University of Alberta facultymembers at an early stage of their careers in recognition of a reputation for originalresearch and outstanding promise as a researcher. Judy is the first recipientfrom the Faculty of Education to receivethis prize.

The focus of Judy’s research is on therelationship between rewards andmotivation, a topic of inquiry she has pursued for over a decade. As adoctoral student, she was puzzled bythe influential view that rewards aredetrimental to the development of

intrinsic motivation, and should not beused in educational settings. According

to this view, money, high grades, prizes,and even praise may be effective in getting

people to perform an activity, butperformance and interest are maintained only so

long as the reward keeps coming. In other words,the rewardees perform to meet the externalrewards, not because they are genuinely,personally motivated to act in that way.

This widely held view was contrary to Judy’sexperience with reward use as a teacher.Furthermore, as she delved into the experimentalliterature, she discovered that not all of the

Recent winner of the prestigious Martha Cook Piper Research Prize

P r o f e s s o r o f E d u c a t i o n a l P s y c h o l o g y

B Y C A R O L Y N Y E W C H U K

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It is with great pride that I write my firstcolumn as Director of Development andAlumni Relations.

Since arriving in July 2002, I have beenbusy meeting faculty, staff, alumni andfriends of the Faculty. It has been anincredible learning experience and I amconstantly amazed at the exciting thingsthe Faculty is involved in, both on campusand in the community.

I am learning the Faculty of Education isunique when it comes to our alumni. We are a diverse faculty with a variety ofprograms and specializations. Our historyalso contributes to our uniqueness. From ourbeginning in 1942 when we became the firstFaculty of Education in Canada we havegrown to be the largest faculty in Canadawith nine undergraduate degree programsand a wide array of graduate degrees.

The unique experiences of our alumni andvariety of routes you have taken to earn

results from the approximately 100 studiesconducted on the topic found reward to bedetrimental. In some studies there were noeffects; in others, rewards were found to bebeneficial. It became clear to Judy that theresults of all these studies needed to bereviewed and analyzed in a systematic wayto arrive at the conditions which influencereward effectiveness.

Using the statistical technique of meta-analysis, Judy found that there is noinherent negative property of reward.Rewards can be used to good effect tomotivate students and children in difficultor problematic areas, and if judiciouslyused, can result in intrinsic motivation.Rewards tied to effort and to meetingperformance standards enhance motivationby increasing perceptions of competencyand self-efficacy.

When these results were published inReview of Educational Research (1994), Judyand her co-author David Pierce argued thatthe negative effects of reward were minimaland could easily be prevented in appliedsettings, and recommended that under anumber of conditions, rewards could beused to enhance motivation andperformance. The findings and therecommendations were attacked by therewards-are-detrimental group of scholars,and the debate has continued ever since.In their latest publication (Cameron, Judy& Pierce, W. David. [2002]. Rewards and

intrinsic motivation: Resolving the controversy.Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey Press[Greenwood Publishing Group], 264 pages)Judy and David have brought together over thirty years of research on rewards,motivation and performance, and providepractitioners with techniques for designingeffective incentive systems.

In addition to her interest in rewards andmotivation, Judy also has a long-standinginterest in intercultural education, with aspecific focus on second language learning.At the age of 19, her interest piqued bysome co-workers’ comments, she trundledoff to Cuernavaca, Mexico to enroll at anon-traditional, non-credit school run byIvan Illich, the guru of the “deschooling”movement. Here, she developed her ownprogram of studies, enrolling in Spanishimmersion classes, pursuing Mayan andAztec studies, and attending selectedlectures by renowned visiting lecturers suchas Erich Fromm. This experience with analternative educational approach stimulatedJudy’s interest in education, and when shereturned to Edmonton, she enrolled in aBEd, majoring in Secondary Education andminoring in English as a Second Language.In the summers, she attended Frenchimmersion programs in Quebec.

After graduating with a BEd, her first jobwas teaching English to Francophonestudents at the Faculté Saint-Jean, and thenlater to newly arrived immigrants to

Canada. She subsequently returned to theU of A to complete an MEd in InterculturalEducation with a focus on ESL.

About this time, she met Frank Epling, a professor in the Department ofPsychology, whom she later married. Frankwas very encouraging and supportive ofher research interests and pushed her intobroadening her PhD studies into the areaof learning within the Department ofEducational Psychology. They publishedsome papers together and, through Frank,she met David Pierce of the Department ofSociology who was to have a significantimpact on her choice of PhD dissertationtopic, and to serve as co-author of manyof her publications on rewards andintrinsic motivation.

Judy joined the Faculty of Education in1992. A professor in the Department ofEducational Psychology, she teachesgraduate courses and supervises graduateprojects and theses in two areas: theLearning, Development, and Assessment(LDA) area and the Teaching of English as aSecond Language (TESL) program.

Carolyn Yewchuk, ’72 PhD, is a Professor ofEducational Psychology and the Associate Deanof Research and Graduate Studies for theFaculty of Education. She is retiring this year.Her first retirement project will be organizing acentennial reunion in 2005 marking the arrivalin Canada of her mother’s family.

A message from theDirector of Development

B Y K E N C R O C K E R

and Alumni Relations

A M E S S A G E F R O M T H E D I R E C T O R O F D E V E L O P M E N T

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 7

ordinary dayhopebrings

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Left: Ihor KobelRight: Michael Rodda

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It was an ordinary crisp fall day in 1999when Michael Rodda first visited #35Kindergarten for Children With HearingImpairments in L’viv, Ukraine. It was herethat he met small Khrystyna.

Unlike the other children who were busily at play, Khrystyna was sitting apart,holding the hand of a teacher assistant. In addition to her congenital deafness, her visual field was very restricted. Themedical reason for her vision problem was unknown. Not surprisingly, she wasacting out and frightened in her world of no hearing, no communication andfragmented visual images. She had to be supervised around the clock.

Michael was deeply affected by Khrystyna'scondition and arranged for her to havespecial medical examinations and treatment.One year later, during his follow-up visit toKhrystyna's kindergarten, she was happilyplaying with the other children.

You may wonder what brought MichaelRodda, a Professor of EducationalPsychology at the University of Alberta andDirector of the Western Canadian Centrefor Studies in Deafness (WCCSD), toUkraine. This is where the story of my lifeintersects with the life of Michael Rodda.

I first met Michael in the spring of 1999during a training visit to Canada, which wassponsored by Dr. Roman Petryshyn, directorof the Ukrainian Resource and DevelopmentCentre at Grant MacEwan College and by my sister and her husband, Irina and Bogdan Jovtoulia of Edmonton. As a teacher of the deaf, I was looking for new approaches to the education ofchildren with disabilities. My special focuswas on the Canadian experience of teachingEnglish to deaf children, which was anundeveloped area of teaching in Ukraine.

Our first meeting was short but hasbecome a landmark in the history ofdeafness education in Ukraine and in my personal life.

Looking back to 1999 I can honestly saythat I was skeptical about the plans

proposed by Michael at our first meeting. I had been raised in Soviet times whenactions would often belie words.

Shortly after my visit to Edmonton, Drs.Petryshyn and Rodda, on my invitation,made a very productive two-week visit toUkraine. Their numerous meetings withteachers and administrators, deaf childrenand their parents, leaders in the deafness community, university staff and educational authorities laid a firmfoundation for future cooperation.

The Ukrainian special education systemhad been lop-sided, developed on thebasis of the old Soviet traditional oralapproach where deaf children, like allspecial needs children, were regarded as“defective.” In contrast, Canadianphilosophy suggested that children withhearing impairments should be understoodas being only different.

Not surprisingly, the Canadian philosophyadvocated by Michael during the visit failedto impact at the official level but it wasaccepted and welcomed in the schoolswhere he visited.

A Ukrainian initiative, started byrepresentatives of seven regions ofUkraine, was founded in 2000 and formed the basis of changes which arenow permeating our schools and otherorganizations for people/children who are deaf and hard of hearing.

We established a charitablenongovernmental Canada-Ukraine Alliancefor Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons with

formal registration as a non-profit society inboth Canada and the Ukraine. With thesupport of the WCCSD at the U of A, GrantMacEwan College, and the ThibodeauCentre for Hearing Health andCommunication we have organized threevery successful yearly summer institutes fordeaf and hard of hearing children inUkraine. Starting with one centre and 60

participants in 2000, by 2002 we hadgrown to nine centres and almost 360 deafand hard of hearing students, their parents,teachers and educational leaders who havethe opportunity to learn together, playtogether and communicate with oneanother. From the beginning, the instituteshave fostered collaborative partnershipsbetween home, school, and the community.

In the fall of 2002, a summit conference onCanada/Ukrainian partnership in deafnesseducation and research celebrated thesuccess of our joint activities. Speakers atthe conference were emphatic in statingthat during the three years of joint activitiesattitudes in Ukraine to the new approachessuggested by Michael and other Canadiancolleagues have changed from cautiousconcern to enthusiastic acceptance of theirvalue.

I was an active participant in all threesummer institutes at all stages – fromplanning to practical field work. Last year Itook part as a U of A graduate studentalong with Lynn McQuarrie, a doctoralstudent.

It was Michael who invited me to study atthe University of Alberta with financialsupport from the David Peikoff Chair ofDeafness Studies endowment. UnderMichael’s influence and as the result of mynew knowledge, my views on educationalproblems in Ukraine have broadened – froma preoccupation with less important issues toan understanding of the necessity forfundamental conceptual changes in theUkrainian system of deafness education.

Today is one more ordinary day in the life ofthe L’viv #35 Kindergarten. Small Khrystynaentered a preschool program for deafchildren last year. Her parents and teachershave reason to hope for a better future. AsMichael says, the Ukraine project is not aboutabstract concepts and ideas. It is ultimatelyabout all the Khrystynas of Ukraine.

Ihor Kobel is a graduate student in SpecialEducation at the University of Alberta, and ateacher in L’viv Maria Pokrova School for DeafChildren, Ukraine.

As Doctor Rodda says, the Ukraine project is not aboutabstract concepts and ideas. It is ultimately about all theKhrystynas of Ukraine.

B Y I H O R K O B E L

Good news as we go to press! Dr. Michael Rodda has been elected a Foreign Member of the Academy of Pedgogical Sciences of Ukraine in the Division of Psychology,Physiology, and Special Education, in recognition of his research and work with deaf andhard of hearing persons. Ihor Kobel was admitted to the PhD Program in EducationalPsychology at the University of Alberta, with a specialization in Special Education. Bothevents took place the same day – 14th of April, 2003.

David Geoffrey Smith, ’83 PhD, was delightedto learn that he had been selected as thisyear’s winner of the prestigious AlbertaTeachers’ Association (ATA) EducationalResearch Award for his project “Teaching inGlobal Times.” His personal delight iscompounded by the joy of his students,colleagues and friends who hold both theman and his scholarly work in great esteem.

David’s work is highly regarded not only athome but also around the world. A reviewerof his book of essays, published in China in2000, wrote in China's equivalent of theGlobe and Mail, “Professor Smith’s workrepresents a genuine hope for humanity.”

David Smith was born in China to missionaryparents, and raised until his late teens in theBritish colony of Northern Rhodesia, nowZambia. His personal experience of being“the stranger” is reflected in his work. “All ofmy formative years I lived in cultures in whichI felt myself to be a stranger. That hasremained with me to this day.

“When I was in Africa, I was the Canadian. In Canada, I was the African. You never reallyknow your place. I’ve come to understandthat this kind of dissonance is very central tomost people’s experience... This is the greattheme of the world religions – to becomereconciled to one another and to the world.”

David is a visionary. The work of the scholar,he believes, is to lead learners on “a collectivejourney to what it means to live well.” It is not

simply to add increments to a commodifiablefund of knowledge. “There’s been a separationof knowing from being. The so-calledknowledge explosion is predicated upon afundamental alienation between the personwho knows and what is known. It doesn’tmatter what you know as long as what youknow has commercial relevance.”

David rejects such a view with passion.“There's no such thing as knowledge as astand-alone phenomenon,” David says. “It’salways a human construction – by persons, in

situations, trying to answer the questions oftheir time and place.”

David is a teacher, not only in the sense thathe was a classroom teacher for five years.Teaching is in the very nature of the man.

He is now a Professor of SecondaryEducation and Director of the InternationalForum on Education and Society at theUniversity of Alberta.

For David Smith, research and teachingare tightly interwoven. The researchproject presented by David for the ATAEducational Research Award focuses on abook of essays addressing the issues anddilemmas faced by many teachers inthis age of globalization – issuessuch as the growing gap betweenthe rich and poor and the threatsposed to democratic government by the power ofmultinational corporations. These are“interpretive essays” based on “sustainedinterdisciplinary study” that draw from

GlobalTimes

— David Smith

“[Knowledge] is always a human construction

— by persons, in situations, trying to answer the

questions of their time and place.”

Teaching in

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2002 ATA Educational Research Award

your degree has many implications for ouralumni programs. The wants and the needsof our alumni are not the same as those ofthe more traditional faculties on campus. Asa result we believe we need to re-think theway we deliver alumni programs.

To ensure we are meeting yourexpectations we have developed a web-based survey to ask our alumni how youfeel about the Faculty, the level ofinvolvement you desire after graduation,and how we can best serve your needs. Iencourage you to visit the survey website atwww.education.ualberta.ca/survey/orangeand enter the survey activation codeORANGE2003 to provide us with your

feedback. Everyone who completes thesurvey will have a chance to win a

Faculty of Education Golf Windshirt.

Plans for Reunion Weekend are wellunderway; mark October 2-5 in your

calendars. We’ve made a few changes thisyear so please visit the Faculty’s website formore information.

Your support of our fundraising initiativescontinues to be a source of pride. Alumnisupport allowed us to complete renovationsto the Reading and Language Clinic in theFall of 2002. Over 2100 alumni gave morethan $100,000 to fund the project. Thistype of support demonstrates the old adage“there is strength in numbers.”

I ask each of you to give to your faculty. If every one of our 40,000 alumni gave anannual gift of $50 there would be an extra$2 million each year to enhance thestudent experience in the Faculty.

I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming weeks and months. If youwould like to contact us, please call ouroffice at 780-492-7755 or send us an e-mail at: education.alumni@ualberta.ca. We look forward to hearing from you.

sociology, religion, political economy, thehistory of ideas, as well as educationaltheory and practice.

In his classes, David teaches a process anddiscipline of cultural inquiry, that is, howbeliefs on fundamental matters come to beaccepted in a culture. The legitimacy ofprofit is an example. In medievalChristendom, profit would be viewed in a very negative light. Now profit is widely

regarded as a positive factor in oureconomic life. How did this change of belief come about? The impact onstudents is profound. Many studentshave reported that David’s courseswere transformative for them.

David provides his students with a model for inquiry into

contemporary culture: “My ownacademic work involves trying tounderstand the legacies of the culture.

In hermeneutic work, we help studentsunderstand how they participate in theliving stream of human experience.”

“The foundations of a good educationshould be a hermeneutics of reading,”David says. “That is to say, learning how toread interpretively, learning how knowledgeis a community construction – always.

“In my classes I put a lot of emphasis onthe question of who is talking, both in thetexts and amongst ourselves. Who is thisperson who is expressing these wordsabout his or her life? [I reject] the oldEnlightenment notion that knowledge is anobject that can be moved around like achess piece within a power game in orderto declare a winner.”

David emphasizes the importance of hisstudents getting to know one another. “I don’t mean shared narcissism,” he said.“I mean an intention to establishcommunity. We’re not just talking about

ideas. We are talking about ourselves whoare engaged with ideas. Therefore, thismust be an act of personal transformationas well. It’s not just intellectual chess.”

David believes that his selection as therecipient of the 2002 ATA EducationalResearch Award says something significantabout the Alberta Teachers’ Association:“The Teachers’ Association was sayingsomething about itself – they arerecognizing that our current problems in teaching are not just problems ofimplementation; they are problems deeplynested in our culture. There are radicaltransformations going on. There’s a need totake local problems as symptomatic ofglobal realities.

“The Award speaks of a new relationshipbetween the academy and the profession.We need each other’s accounting of experience as part of the work ofbuilding a genuinely shared future in public education.”

A M E S S A G E F R O M T H E D I R E C T O R O F D E V E L O P M E N T

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 3

a Stellar

YearJanet LoOne might expect that Janet Lo would beexhausted following a busy and highlysuccessful year as President of the EducationStudents’ Association (ESA), particularlyconsidering the fact that the third year U of A student was also carrying a full courseload. However, the diminutive SecondarySocial Studies major seems to have beenfuelled by her work and achievements thisyear and is moving on to further challenges.Janet’s work ethic and positive energy haveearned her recent acclaim in both thepolitical and academic realms, and she willreturn to the U of A for another exciting setof opportunities next year!

Janet’s most recent success involves herelection to the position of Vice-President,Academic, on the University of AlbertaStudents’ Union (SU) Executive. A graduateof Old Scona High School in Edmonton,Janet indicates that it wasn’t until heruniversity days that she developed aninterest in student politics. Janet says thatwhen she first came into the ESA office tojoin the Association she met former ESAPresident Dan Coles and “that was thebeginning of my interest.”

Her work as President of ESA during thepast year provided her with a taste ofuniversity governance, and as the yearprogressed she became more and moreintrigued with the notion of furtherinvolvement in student politics at theuniversity level.

“I am very excited,” says Janet. “AsPresident of the ESA, I saw how excitinggovernance is at the Students’ Union leveland knew this was what I wanted.”

Janet is generous in her praise of the otherESA executive members, and expressesparticular gratitude to the VP, Academic,Charles Beamish, for his role as campaignmanager in her quest for VP of the

Students’ Union. She also credits her ESAcolleagues for a year wherein much wasaccomplished. Membership numbersincreased, and there were rich experientialopportunities in terms of organizingEducation Week, bringing in speakers andarranging workshops, and increasing theprofile of the organization.

In her new role as VP Academic Janet looksforward to continued learning and growth.“I think what is going to be very exciting is

the opportunity to work with the newProvost. I have a very unique term in that I will have two months to work with Dr.Doug Owram, who is the current Provost,and then two months to work with Dr. ArtQuinney. Then Dr. Carl Amrhein will start inSeptember. It will be exciting to watch thedynamics of the University change and seehow we as students can get in on that.”

Janet also hopes to build on the work doneby the SU executive last year. “We’re reallyhoping we can establish good workingrelationships with the Administration thisyear. Mat Brechtel, the current VPAcademic, will be the incoming President –he really focused on building thoserelationships and I want to continue to

foster a good working relationship betweenthe Students’ Union and Administration.”

As VP Academic Janet looks forward to anopportunity for potential influence in areassuch as student services, university policy onacademic matters related to students, andaccountability of student executives to theirconstituents. Janet’s representation on the SU

B Y F E R N S N A R T A N D D A W N F O R D

“As President of the ESA, I saw how exciting governance

is at the Students’ Union level and knew this was what

I wanted.”

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A S T E L L A R Y E A R F O R J A N E T L OC O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 9

— Janet Lo

An early fall snowstorm did not stop over 300 Faculty of Education alumni

and friends from attending our annual Reunion Weekend open house on

Saturday, October 5, 2002.

The coffee was fresh and the company warm as guests mingled and visited the colourful andinformative displays put on by the Child Study Centre. Whether attending a presentation on reading difficulties, participating in our “My favourite teacher” chalkboard activity or dropping in onUndergraduate Student Services’ presentation to prospective students, alumni were reminded of theeducational traditions upheld since their early days as students of this faculty. In addition to meetingcelebrity alumni such as Canadian artist Ted Harrison and former University of Alberta President andFaculty of Education Dean Dr. Myer Horowitz, alumni and friends shared in an emotionally chargedmoment as the University of Alberta Mixed Chorus performed the University Cheer Song. The musiccontinued over lunch as the Faculty’s own Education Students’ Association President Janet Lo playedthe piano. The simplicity of sharing a meal and friendship was a poignant part of the afternoon.There’s something to be said about laughter, song and friendship on a new snow-fallen day.

The Faculty of Education thanks its many alumni throughout the years who are devoted ambassadorsof this faculty, bestowing their gifts and talents to communities around the world.

ReuniUniversity of Alberta

Faculty of EducationB Y D A W N F O R D

onOctober 3-5, 2002

Weekend

TeacherMyFavourite

When my colleague Dawn Ford asked me to “do something” onReunion Weekend my facial expression said I would be happy tohelp, but my thoughts said I hadn’t planned on attending as analumnus and I really hadn’t planned to come to campus on aSaturday morning. However, all negative thoughts left me as Iconducted what Dawn and I called an interactive activity – My Favourite Teacher.

The activity went as follows. We set up a display for the Faculty of Education in the main floor foyer of Education South.Contrasting the high tech Faculty display we positioned an oldwooden teacher’s desk and chair – furniture I visualize when Iread books like Why Shoot the Teacher. Next to the desk was achalkboard (no PowerPoint Presentation here) on which I wrotethe phrase My favourite teacher...

The lunch buffet was situated near the display and my task was tointeract with guests during lunch, asking for thoughts that came to mind about their favourite teacher. I recorded words andphrases on the chalkboard. When I had too many responses in

my own mind, I asked people to write their own thoughts on theboard. The response was wonderful... the board filled completelywith a range of descriptors from “hugs” to the name of a favouriteEducation professor. Everyone was friendly, thoughtful, and tookwhat I asked of them seriously.

My favourite moment of the day was when I noticed an elderlyman eating his lunch in a chair near the door but not enjoying the draft. He was attending the event with his daughter —generations of educators truly fit the spirit of a reunion. I could tell his daughter was concerned about where her father wassitting and when she looked at me, our eyes turned to theteacher’s desk and chair in the display. He fit perfectly. It seemedlike it should be this way. The display was not complete without ateacher at the desk. I was left with the thought that it doesn’treally matter where we are in our lives as educators... goodteachers always fit in a school setting.

Randy Wimmer, ’87 BEd, ’96 MEd, for many years was theprofessional officer in the Field Experiences office of the U of A’s Faculty of Education. This spring he will complete his doctoral work inEducational Policy Studies and will take up an assistant professorshipin the College of Education, University of Saskatchewan.

B Y R A N D O L P H ( R A N D Y ) W I M M E R

Corbett Hall in the 1950s was not only the first Education Buildingon campus but was the meeting place for a group of first-yearuniversity students who shared in the vision of becoming a teacher.In these halls, The Girls, a special group of women and alumni ofour faculty, met and kindled rich relationships that have withstoodthe test of time. This year they celebrated 50 years of friendship.

Joyce (Hastings) Krysowaty says of this past half century, “I valueour common experience, the fun, the great stress relief…we laughand cry together and I try never to miss a gathering.”

Perhaps it was the solitude of the building at the south end,slightly removed from campus, that led to the close friendships ofmany of the students. Walking many miles through long and coldwinters to attend classes, the isolation and distance from theirhomes seemed less daunting when experienced and sharedtogether. Since teachers were scarce and jobs plentiful, not manystudents stayed on to graduate in 1956, but instead startedteaching careers in schools around the province.

Although distance now separated them, the bonds that had beenformed were strong and the girls wanted to keep in touch with one another’s lives. A regular“meeting” was established to simplysocialize. “It’s great to be able tomeet people you went to universitywith and talk about the past,“ saysPhyllis (Wobick) Murrell.

Some married, had childrenand grandchildren and in timeeven great grandchildren.Some continued teaching,some pursued furtheruniversity degrees or evena PhD. Some traveled ormoved to other places, but through it all the girlsmaintained connections.And although contactbecame sporadic as daily lifebecame more hectic, theirfriendships remained strong.

“We just click,” says Lois (Woodcock) Anderson. “We never haveto be reacquainted.”

As families grew up and careers slowed down, more time allowedthe group to nourish its deep bonds. Increasingly, more galsbecame available for lunch during the day, and monthly lunchdates became the norm. Today, 10 or 12 will show up in a varietyof city restaurants and once a year some make it to the annual fallget-together at Jasper Park Lodge. September 2002 marked the50th Anniversary and found a record number of participants inJasper where together they enjoyed sharing mementos andphotographs saved from University days and continued with analbum that began at the 20th anniversary, an archive of the lives ofa group of women stretching over 50 years. Even after all theseyears, enjoyment of one another's company has not waned.

Of this core group, six members attended the Faculty ofEducation’s annual reunion weekend open house. Amidst piano music and the rich voices of the University’s Mixed Chorus,the small group shared lunch and scrapbook memories. Reflectingon the past fifty years in the group, Gertrude Lawrence (Baker) says simply, “Our friendship has been golden.”

GoldenFriendships Fifty years have come and gone Since all of us began our dreamTo show the world we really wereThe best of all the “teaching team”

– Clarice (Melsness) Hansen

B Y L O I S A N D E R S O N A N D D A W N F O R D

Top row l to r: Audrey Clark, Phyllis (Wobick) Murrell, Gert (Baker) Lawrence, Carol (Case) Allen

Front row l to r: Lois (Woodcock) Anderson, Joyce (Hastings) Krysowaty

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Ted“Much of Edward Harrison’s

career has been spent teaching

art to children of all ages

but his distinctive painting

style… has made him one of

Canada’s most prominent

artists and an award-winning

author and illustrator of

children’s books.”

from the citation for the 2002 DistinguishedAlumni Award to Edward Harrison

Mention Ted Harrison in a group ofCanadians and the response is invariablytwofold. First comes a smile, and thencomes a story about a special image.Particularly among westerners andespecially folks from the Yukon, TedHarrison’s richly colourful narrativelandscapes get at something joyfullyimportant about Canadian identity.Although his images typically refer tospecific people, places and events, theirelegant simplicity and colorful warmthallow many Canadian viewers to find aplace for themselves.

The long list of recognitions Harrison hasreceived, including the Order of Canada in1987, and illustrations selected for the

International Children's Book Exhibition inBologna, Italy, also demonstrate that thisbeloved artist and teacher has had animpact across Canada and beyond.

Born August 28th, 1926 with his twin sister,Algar, in the village of Wingate in CountyDurham, England, Ted Harrison studied artbefore his education was interrupted by theSecond World War. Harrison’s early adult lifereads like a picaresque novel that firsttouches down in Africa and India where heserved as a young man in the BritishIntelligence Service. A whirlwind exposureto languages and cultures was followed bya brief time in England to complete histraining as an art teacher.

Being an adventurer at heart, Harrison soonfound himself teaching art on the edge ofthe jungle and in the middle of a guerillauprising in Malaysia. This experience wasfollowed by a time teaching among theMaori people in New Zealand and,eventually, the Yukon. Over the course of 28years, Ted gained experience teaching art toall ages. He also accumulated more storiesthan even he can tell in one sitting which is

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Each year the U of A

Alumni Association

recognizes outstanding

alumni and their

contributions to society.

Presented in four

categories, the

Alumni Pride Awards

celebrate the diverse

accomplishments of

alumni and the

recognition they bring

to the U of A.

The following four pages

feature the winners

from the Faculty

of Education.

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Nicky’s Kindergarten Walk

a good thing as Ted is an avid storyteller.The languages, the art and the people ineach locale that touched him are often thefocus of these stories. An astute observercan also trace these diverse influences inhis artwork.

In 1967, responding to an ad that featuredan image of a moose and the admonitionthat “weaklings need not apply!” Ted, hiswife Nicky and his young son moved to ateaching position with the Northland schooldistrict in northern Alberta. A creativeteacher with a classroom full of Creechildren, Ted chose to set aside the Dickand Jane books he had been given, andbegan work on the Northland Alphabet, anABCDiary based on the objects andexperiences most familiar to his students.

This first book, published in 1968 incollaboration with University of Albertaprofessor William D. Knill, eventuallyevolved into the colourful NorthernAlphabet that is such a mainstay of school,public and family libraries. Many childrenacross Canada continue to learn about lifein the Yukon as they begin to learn to read.A visitor to the University of Alberta campuswith a sense of adventure can still findcopies of the original Northland Alphabet inthe university stacks. Their reward is an

opportunity to see what Ted Harrison’sdrawing looked like before the Yukon hadfully worked its magic on him.

During his recent time in Edmonton toreceive the Distinguished Alumni Award,hundreds of people had the opportunity

to learn how Ted Harrison sees the world,… which is enthusiastically! He delightedin the fall colours in the river valley andthe city’s growth since his time herecompleting a BEd in the 1970’s.Everywhere he turned there wassomething that caught his eye. His love ofbooks got the better of him on the way tohis own award ceremony. At a bookvendor’s display in the Students' UnionBuilding Harrison excitedly bought a children’s book written in German, “tobrush up.” Proudly wearing a University ofAlberta tie everywhere he went, Harrisontook time to visit with Education studentsand most of the elementary children atVictoria School of Performing and VisualArts. He charmed all of these youngpeople as completely as he charmed themore senior group gathered to celebratethe 2002 Distinguished Alumni Awards.

It might seem surprising that through all of the gatherings related to his visit toEdmonton, Ted Harrison rarely mentioned

his own art and never showed a singleexample of his work. Instead he talked abouthis education and how his work as a teachertook him around the world. He recalled hisfirst day of school as a child when he waspunished for an exuberance that made itdifficult for him to sit still. He gave advice to new teachers about the importance ofpassion, and taught a drawing trick to theelementary children that they could use toimpress their parents. Hundreds of youngvoices let out a single simultaneousdelighted squeal when the trick revealeditself. Illustrated with all of the experiences of his richly adventurous life, Ted Harrison’sconstant themes were his love of Canada, of teaching and of the North.

In cultures that have a traditional respectfor their elders the gift received when theyoung pay attention is not only somberwisdom, it can also be a gift of mischievousriddles or a radiated joy for life. With, atdifferent moments, children, studentteachers and an august audience of fellowalumni and university leaders each listeningwith grinning attention, Ted Harrisonshared his art and his life-stories andshowed why he is both a distinguishedalumnus and elder.

Michael Emme is an associate professor in arteducation in the U of A’s Department ofElementary Education.

Ted Harrison’s constant themes were his love of Canada, of teaching and of the North.

Yukon Dawn

“Considering himself to be aschoolteacher by profession,Myer Horowitz has remaineddeeply committed to enhancinglearning opportunities forschool children... Horowitzbecame the president of theUniversity of Alberta in 1979.For a decade, every member ofthe University family felt theimpact of his guiding hand.”

From the citation for the 2002 DistinguishedAlumni Award to Dr. Myer Horowitz

Myer Horowitz has been honored by theUniversity of Alberta in many ways,including the re-naming by the students oftheir theatre, the Myer Horowitz Theatre, in1989 and an honorary LLD in 1990. In theFaculty of Education he is rememberedespecially for his six distinguished years inthe Faculty as Chair of the Department ofElementary Education (1969-1972) and asDean of the Faculty (1972-1975).

Relatively few people realize, however, thatMyer Horowitz began his relationship withthe University of Alberta as a graduatestudent after completing a first degree atwhat was then known as Sir George WilliamsCollege in Montreal (where he grew up andbegan his teaching career). “That was amagical year,” he recalls of his MEd studiesin 1958-59. “It was such an importantexperience for [my wife] Barbara and for me.

Barbara taught school here and she says thatit was her most satisfying year of teaching.”

Myer noted wryly that he was a verycentral-Canada-centered young man whenhe first learned that he would be headingwest. “I didn't know exactly where the U ofA was. But then again, when my advisor,Art Reeves, encouraged me strongly to goto Stanford for my doctoral studies, I didn'tknow where Stanford was either.

“My graduate study at the U of A wasimportant in its own right, but it’s also ayear that led to another very importantexperience – doctoral studies at Stanford.My U of A and Stanford studies were crucialin relation to the things I did subsequently,first at McGill and then later when I cameback to the U of A.”

I asked Myer to talk about his experience in the MEd program. He spoke first aboutthe lifelong friends he made among hisclassmates. He remembered as well the warmhospitality of Dr. Reeves and his wife Evelyn.

He sought out an opportunity to work as avolunteer with the Winnifred Stewart Schoolin Edmonton and became a lifelong friendof Winnifred Stewart and a supporter of herwork with children with mental disabilities.

He also had a temporary job in what wasthen known as the Bursar’s Office, andnurtured there a career-long respect for thecontribution of the nonacademic staff tothe work of the University.

But perhaps his warmest memories are ofhis thesis supervisors and his otherprofessors. “What a team to have as yourthesis supervisors!” he exclaimed as herecalled the support given by Art Reeves,Gordon Mowat (who was also involved in a

provincial Royal Commission on Educationin 1958-59), and Pete Coutts, the Dean ofthe Faculty of Education.

Recalling his other professors, Myer said, “I learned much from my professors. Theywere of very high quality. My interestswere different from the interests of theother students and the staff. I wasinterested in youngsters with difficulties –children with severe disabilities, inparticular, and the administrativearrangements in schools for them.

“These interests were respected, encouraged,and accommodated by the staff. I learnedfrom that experience with my professorsnot to ignore people whose interests seemto be at the periphery, but rather to listento them.”

Dr. Horowitz is remembered for manycontributions to the University of Alberta.His direct and personal commitment tostudents is one of these contributions.Through all his years of administrativeservice to the University, he continued tosupervise doctoral students and to teachgraduate seminars.

He is also remembered for his ability to builda sense of community among the variousgroups, with their sometimes conflictinginterests, who make up the University.

Myer Horowitz was one of the greatpresidents of this University and is one ofCanada's most distinguished educators.After listening to his reflections on his yearas a graduate student in the late fifties, Idon't think it a “stretch” to conclude thathis experience as a student at the U of Ahad a good deal to do with the kind ofeducator he became.

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Dr. Ki-hyung Hong was appointed president of Daejin University in 2001 after a distinguished career as a teacher, scholar and senioradministrator at the Korean Educational Development Institute and Chung Ang University. As President of Daejin University, he hasbeen involved in vigorous efforts to promote research and education about national reunification in Korea, including the founding of the Graduate School of National Reunification.

Dr. Murray Smith is a pioneer in sport psychology and has served as a consultant to numerous university and professional teams andinternational athletes in several sports. He has been a lifetime volunteer coach and coach educator/mentor. His research in instructionalmethods led to the redesign of the Water Safety Program for the Red Cross, an organization he volunteered with for 30 years.

Dr. Manoly Lupul is a Professor Emeritus of Educational Foundations of the University of Alberta where he pioneered studies inCanadian educational history. He was also the founding director of the U of A’s Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies. His researchcontributed to the foundation of philosophical and moral principles underlying adoption of multiculturalism policies at the federal,provincial, and municipal levels of government.

2002 Alumni

Dr. Bob de Frece is a Professor of Elementary Education in the U of A’s Faculty of Education. He has gained an international reputationas a gifted author, festival adjudicator, guest conductor, and workshop leader. For the past sixteen years he has been the conductor ofthe University’s Mixed Chorus, which has been a musical ambassador for the University throughout Canada and the northwesternUnited States.

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Mark Your Calendars for Reunion Weekend 2003Friday, October 3: Mingle with Dean Larry Beauchamp and fellow alumni before heading over to join in a university-wide alumniBBQ in the Quad.

Saturday, October 4: Get ready to head “back to the classroom” for a series of entertaining and informative presentations. Topics run the gamut, and include everything from a panel discussion on Alberta’s Commission on Learning to a session where you’ll learn“How to Avoid Hip Replacements, Heart Transplants, and Osteoporosis.” All this – and another meal!

For a complete listing of events and activities, go to www.education.ualberta.ca, click on Alumni and look for Alumni Events.

Robert de Frece, ’75 BEd

Manoly Lupul, ’51 BEd

Murray Smith, ’48 BEd, ’74 PhD

Ki-hyung Hong, ’82 PhD

Alana C. Bennett, ’01 BEdZone 23St. Albert PSSD No. 6

Alana completed her first year teaching

assignment at Sir Alexander Mackenzie

Elementary in St. Albert as an Academic

Challenge Teacher. She was responsible for the

Grade 4/5 Academic Challenge and Primary

Music Programs. Through her dedication and

role-modelling, she instills positive attitudes and

effective learning traits in all her students. She is

a true professional, committed to providing a

dynamic learning environment and a safe and

caring classroom.

Michelle P. Dumanski, ’01 BEdZone 23Greater St. Albert Catholic Regional Division No. 29

Michelle completed her first year of teaching at

Neil M. Ross Elementary in St. Albert. Her

teaching assignment included all core subjects

in a Grade 1 setting. Various special needs

within her class included autism, Aspergers,

speech/language delays, fine motor delays and

learning disabilities. Through her warm and

friendly approach with her students, she fosters

a sense of safety and security in her classroom.

She demonstrates a strong desire to learn and

grow from staff and students alike.

Catherine M. Cameron, ’01 BEdZone 4Red Deer Catholic Regional Division No. 39

Cathy completed her first year of teaching at

Ecole Camille J. Lerouge School in Red Deer.

Her teaching assignment included junior high

social studies, language arts, foods, IOP, and

Grade 2 physical education. She places her

family first and is truly dedicated to the children

she teaches. Cathy has created a safe

environment for her students through her

gentle and compassionate nature.

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Edwin ParrTeacher

The Alberta School Boards Associat ion’s (ASBA) Edwin Parr Teacher Award is presented

each year to s ix outstanding f irst-year teachers across Alberta.

The Edwin Parr Award – a go ld watch – i s named in honor of a former Assoc iat ion

pres ident, Edwin Parr, who inst i tuted an annual teacher award in h is school jur isdict ion.

The ASBA cont inues h is tradi t ion of awarding a go ld watch and framed cert i f icate to each

rec ipient in recogni t ion of the ir outs tanding and meri tor ious service. This year, three of

our a lumni were winners of the Edwin Parr Teacher Award. We are de l ighted to ce lebrate

their success.

All Alberta’s public, separate and francophone school boards are members of the ASBA.

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Published twice yearly

by the Faculty of Education,

University of Alberta

D e a n o f E d u c a t i o n

Larry Beauchamp

P u b l i s h e r & M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

Colleen Hawreluk

C o n t r i b u t i n g E d i t o r

Gordon McIntosh

C o n t r i b u t o r s

Lois Anderson, Ken Crocker,

Michael Emme, Dawn Ford,

Ihor Kobel, Fern Snart, Randy

Wimmer and Carolyn Yewchuk

G r a p h i c D e s i g n e r

Calder Bateman Communications

P h o t o g r a p h e r

Bluefish Studio

Dawn Ford

New Visions Photography

C o n t a c t I n f o r m a t i o n

Office of External RelationsFaculty of Education University of Alberta4-107 Education NorthEdmonton, Alberta CANADA T6G 2G5Tel: (780) 492-7755 Fax:(780) 492-0155e-mail:education.alumni@ualberta.ca

Visit our online versionfeaturing “Where Are TheyNow?” and award winners at:www.education.ualberta.ca

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Executive represents the first time in manyyears that an Education student will fill sucha role. Her personal vision of the importanceof accountability, the power of goodteaching, and the importance of relationshipand teamwork will serve her well.

Janet’s most recent academic achievementwas the receipt of the Lou HyndmanLeadership Award in February 2003. TheLou Hyndman Award is based ondemonstrated leadership ability over severalyears, a commitment to community, andscholarly achievement. In all of these areasJanet has excelled.

In terms of leadership, Janet has been anactive member of the Education Students’Association since joining the Faculty. Herroles have encompassed editorship of theESA newsletter, the role of Vice-President,Internal in 2001/02 and President of theESA in 2002/03. She has represented theESA on the U of A General Faculties Counciland the Faculty of EducationUndergraduate Academic Affairs Council.Janet’s previous academic awards includethe Jason Lang Scholarship in 2001, the Uof A Entrance Scholarship, and RutherfordAward in 2000.

Janet’s energy has been directed to manyprojects, including volunteer and workexperiences while a student. She hasworked as a camp counselor at CampHealth, Hope and Happiness and as a junior

high and high school tutor, bringing tobear her own academic content strengthand her teaching abilities. She is anaccomplished pianist, has coached highschool senior women’s soccer andvolunteered her time as a program leader at the Odyssium (Edmonton Space &Science Centre).

As a leader and community member, sheseems constantly and happily immersed inday-to-day problem solving, workingtoward current goals and celebratingsuccesses along the way. As she does this,she becomes aware of things that could bedone better, and of directions that couldmake relationships and integrated effortsmore harmonious.

Commenting on how her experiences withstudent governance could influence herown future career as a teacher, she says, “I look at it from a role model’s perspective– I’d love to be able to get into a classroomand just show the kids that they can getout there and make a difference – it justtakes a bit of vision, a lot of enthusiasm,and the drive to succeed.”

As Janet steps into her new role as VPAcademic, we look forward to maintainingcontact with her, assisting her when we can,and sharing the joy of her future successes.

Fern Snart, '79 PhD, is the Associate Dean(Academic) in the Faculty of Education,University of Alberta.

Dawn Ford, ’00 BEd, coordinates and writesfor the Faculty of Education website.

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