Category: TCDC General

Indigenous Speaker Series

Bonnie Edwards

Being First: Stepping Forward with Courage and Humility

Indigenous Speaker Series is a series of insightful talks given by Indigenous scholars, innovators, Elders, activists, storytellers and makers. These events are an occasion to learn about the perspectives of Indigenous peoples and to engage with speakers on issues impacting our communities. 

Photo of Dr. Cornelia Wieman, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia.

First Speaker in the Series is Dr. Cornelia (Nel) Wieman, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia. Canada’s first Indigenous woman psychiatrist, Dr. Wieman has more than 20 years’ clinical experience, working with Indigenous people in both rural/reserve and urban settings. Dr. Wieman has served as the President of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada since 2016.  She holds faculty appointments at Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia and McMaster University. She is Anishinaabe (Little Grand Rapids First Nation, Manitoba).  

Being First: Stepping Forward with Courage and Humility Date: January 20, 2022   Time: 2:30 pm  

This series is co-presented by Indigenous Education Services and the Teaching and Curriculum Development Centre. Click here to sign up for this online event.

Save the date! Join Dr. Tom Tobin for a UDL webinar on February 4, 2022

Bonnie Edwards
Dr. Thomas J. Tobin

Following the success and positive reception for Dr. Tom Tobin’s UDL webinar in 2021, he is returning to deliver a 90-minute online workshop to the Langara community on Friday, February 4, 2022. This time, his focus for us will be Universal Design for Learning Secrets for Creating Expert Learners. Sign up now at the TCDC iweb calendar. 

In this workshop session, we will examine the linked concepts of learner variability and construct relevance—two of the foundations of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). From cultural and linguistic proficiences, to enthusiasm for study, to anxiety about the challenges ahead, students vary. Reducing cognitive, linguistic, executive, and affective barriers is of vital importance as students negotiate university expectations differently, according to their widely ranging background experiences. This creates more equitable and inclusive learning spaces and interactions that recognize and value diversity and variability among learners. 

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2-Minute Read: Tips for Creating an Inclusive and Welcoming Classroom Climate

Bonnie Edwards
The Universal Design for Learning Working Group (UDL WG) at Langara has invited contributions to a series called 2-minute Reads. The first selection comes from Shawna Williams, Curriculum Consultant at TCDC.

“The first day of class sets the tone for the rest of the term. It is natural for both students and instructors to feel anticipation, excitement, anxiety, and uncertainty.”

Barbara Gross Davis, 2009

Image by Freepik at Freepik.com

In an effort to put students at ease and to create a welcoming environment from the start, here are four simple and implementable suggestions to ensure your classroom is inclusive and welcoming for all students right from day one.

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Perspectives XII: Living and Learning Online: A Langara Student’s Perspective

Bonnie Edwards
By Long Vo (Liam), first-year student in the Supply Chain and Logistics Program
Early in 2020, students all over the world experienced a sudden, dramatic, and unprecedented shift in their academic world. Now, over one year later, we continue to teach and learn in the virtual environment and are preparing for a return to in-person instruction for the fall semester. Over this past year, some Langara instructors and students have shared their perspectives on the impact of moving to online teaching and learning.

Our second student contribution offers the perspective of a current Langara student, Long Vo (Liam). Liam is an international student who began at Langara in the fall of 2020. Liam, a student in the Supply Chain and Logistics Program shares his experience of moving across the world with his family during a global pandemic to attend Langara and begin his studies online. 

If you have students that would like to share their experiences in writing or another format (audio, video, meme, etc.), please contact Frances Wintjes Clarke at fclarke@langara.ca. 

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National AccessAbility Week: Introducing Accessibility in 2 Minutes

Bonnie Edwards

Happy National AccessAbility Week from the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Working Group! 

Vector illustration of two people reading books and one person on a laptop with speech bubbles stating “hello” and “bonjour”. They are sitting on large books with a computer screen and graduation cap in the background.
Image from Freekpik.com

National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) (May 30th – June 5th, 2021) is an opportunity to celebrate the valuable contributions of Canadians with disabilities and to recognize the efforts of individuals, communities, and workplaces that are actively working to remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion. 

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UDL Awareness Month: Multiple Means of Action and Expression

Bonnie Edwards

May is Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Month at Langara.

Universal Design for Learning (CC0 1.0)
Public Domain Dedication

The UDL Working Group has organized a series of events and posts for the entire month of May to get our community involved with UDL in a variety of ways—big and small. To get the UDL momentum going, a new article, event, or resources will be shared each week of May. Last week’s post highlighted the second principle of UDL: Multiple Means of Representation. This week will focus on the third, and final, principle of UDL: Multiple Means of Action and Expression.

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UDL Awareness Month: Multiple Means of Representation

Bonnie Edwards
UDL (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

The UDL Working Group has organized a series of events and posts for the entire month of May to get our community involved with UDL in a variety of ways — big and small. To get the UDL momentum going a new article, event, or resources will be shared each week of May. Last week’s post highlighted the first principle of UDL: Multiple Means of Engagement. This week will focus on the second principle of UDL: Multiple Means of Representation.

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Perspectives XI: Offering Students Flexible Options

Bonnie Edwards Leave a comment
By Alena Buis, Art History & Mirabelle Tinio, Modern Languages
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Early in 2020, students all over the world experienced a sudden, dramatic, and unprecedented shift in their academic world. One year later, we continue to teach and learn in the virtual environment, and are now contemplating a return to in-person instruction for the fall semester. Over this past year, some Langara instructors have shared their perspectives on the impact of moving to online teaching and learning.

Our eleventh contribution comes from Mirabelle Tinio and Alena Buis who have collected perspectives from our students in a variety of departments about their thoughts on the return to campus in the fall of 2021.

We look forward to bringing you more perspectives. If you would like to contribute, please contact Jessica Kalra at jkalra@langara.ca.

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