2011 MT Research Conference Abstracts

Intermediate/Senior

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Keywords:Historiography, history education, multiple literacies, new literacy studies, identity, and narrative

Abstract: Canadian history is often structured within a series of nationalist dichotomies, from “European versus First Nations,” to the present “Canada versus the United States.” These narratives make assumptions of identity, of what it means to be “Canadian,” and problematize emerging notions of citizenship, collective history, and the multiplicity of immigrant experiences apparent in much of Canada’s history and Ontario’s classrooms. Using a series of semi- structured interviews with educators in the field and the academy, this article aims to explore how educators create space within the stories and identities of the Other for the stories and identities of the Self. Within frameworks borrowed from New Literacy Studies, multiple literacies, and multicultural education—in which identity becomes crucial in constructing meaning from text—this article suggests that through a culturally engaged understanding of history, educators may reimagine history as a student-centered, inquiry-based approach to the stories of others.

Acknowledgements: After spending long hours and late nights writing and rewriting all that you are about to read, I am tempted to say that for the last two years I have lived in my head, turning over and over the ideas of which the following pages are the final product. To do so, however, would misrepresent the collaborative community of teachers, teacher educators, and academics to which I have been privileged to add my voice. I am even more privileged, however, that I can call these people friends of the highest caliber; friends whom I am certain will continue to maintain the close relationships that only two years of intimate graduate school can create. My fifteen classmates in the intermediate/senior division of the Master of Teaching program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto have formed the heart of this collaboration. It is fitting to their place in my work that I thank them all by name: Aaron Vigar, Angela Napoli, Anna Pisecny, Ben Fagan, Yi (Connie) Sun, Elisa Caldaroni, Emily Walters, Fatma (Fatima) Visram, Helmi Jung, Nichole Varahidis, Rahel Ta’ame, Sara DeAngelis, Sarah Kelly, Scott Verhoeve, and William (Will) Edwards. To each, I want to thank you for these last two years. Our conversations, from the classroom to the pub, have been integral to my evolving ideas about teaching, learning, and students. In every class we shared, your amazing work and insight have been a constant source of inspiration for my own practice and writing. In no uncertain words, you have made these last two years an inimitable experience. To my research supervisors, Dr. Elizabeth Campbell and Mr. Garfield Gini-Newman, your incredible support, from the first days of the M.T. program, has been nothing short of superhuman, especially when paired with a student like myself. While my peculiar writing process sometimes limited our collaboration, your perspicacity, suggestions, and unfailing graciousness guided my ideas and modeled an incredible pedagogy and ethic of care.  The community in the Master of Teaching program is not limited to my classmates or my research supervisors, but rather extends to the rest of the core faculty and program assistants as well. To all those who labour tirelessly under this banner to create such a unique and exceptional graduate program: thank you. In particular, to Dr. Rob Simon, who has become more of an informal research supervisor over the last year, your ever-present support of my work and my goals epitomizes what it means to be an exemplary teacher. Finally, I want to thank my family, without whose support none of this would be possible. To my brother, Chris, who is always ready to lend an ear to my concerns even for the umpteenth time, or a hand to ease the tediousness of career and academic applications, thank you. Without your help I would never have had time to write. To my mother, Nancy, I cannot say enough. Your dedication to your children and your family is as unwavering as it is humbling. The debilitating cycle of late nights and early mornings that you have lived through for years in order to support my education and my dreams, all the while trying to make ends meet, is more than I will ever be able to thank you for in the space of this page. You have given me so much more than you have ever received. You have been and always will remain my very best teacher. Despite long hours where I have felt isolated, I have never been alone. These people that I have mentioned and the conversations we shared have permeated each keystroke. I am indebted to all of them and to many more that I have not had an opportunity to mention here. For my father George William (Bill) Brennan August 13, 1940 – June 15, 1998.

Keywords: Student Engagement, history, drama, music and visual arts

Abstract: For many high school students, the study of history can be seen as boring, intangible and not useful.  It is possible that many of these responses are derived from students in classes where the teacher simply presents material at face value from a textbook, expecting their pupils to regurgitate names, dates and facts.  In order for students to find purpose and meaning in history they must be engaged and thinking critically about historical concepts.   This current study explores how teachers can use the arts as a powerful pedagogical and curricular tool for engaging students and facilitating their learning and understanding of historical concepts at the intermediate and senior level.  This study explores the perspectives and experiences of three practitioners who have incorporated arts into their history classrooms and investigates how their students respond.  Through analyzing and interpreting the associated literature and the collected data it suggests that using dramatic, musical and visual arts in the classroom can effectively engage students to think critically and actively about historical concepts and themes.

Acknowledgements: I would like to thank Garfield Gini-Newman for sharing his extensive knowledge and expertise on the topic as well as his ongoing support, advice, and guidance. Additionally, I would like to thank my research participants for sharing their time to talk about the wonderful work they do with utilizing the arts in their classrooms. Finally, a sincerest thanks to my dad, mom, sisters, Cosimo and friends for the love and support they have provided me with throughout this research process.

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Abstract: A Critical Examination of Historical Re-enactments integrates a theory of aesthetic learning with a cross-disciplined exploration of the educational potential of dramatizing history in the classroom. The overarching aim of this research is to interrogate Brian Uhrmacher’s (2009) rejuvenation of John Dewey’s (1934) aesthetics with particular attention to educative practices which seek to embody learning through active engagement, sensory experience, perceptivity and sense-making; all are activities that reposition students as active historical agents and co-conspirators in the project of history. The methodology paradigm employed develops an inquiry stance (Cochran-Smith & Lytle) through a practitioner-research model that works with data from semi-structured interviews with history and drama educators alongside the observation of dramatic depictions of history staged in the high school classroom. Early findings demonstrate the valiance of historical re-enactments for improved engagement and increased interaction with historical concepts. Further research points to the possibility that dramatic re-enactments may ingrain role-playing experiences deep into the episodic memory system that draws upon a unique phenomenological network of constructed place-conscious identity.

Acknowledgements: To my wife Kyung Lye, who has imbued my life with the joy and hope of fatherhood, I dedicate the following:

            HAD I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,

Enwrought with golden and silver light,

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths

Of night and light and the half light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet:

But I, being poor, have only my dreams;

I have spread my dreams under your feet;

~W.B. Yeats

I’d like to extend warm gratitude to Dr. Kim Mackinnon for her insights and expertise in overseeing this project. Since last summer, she has patiently observed the permutations of my research, endured time differences and Skype queries, to support this project through invaluable feedback and critique. Dr. Rob Simon has been pivotal. His course has provided a wealth of resources that have been as inspirational as they have been challenging. His ideas continue to ignite powerful visions for student/teaching identities and Multiliterate universes. Professor Garfield Gini-Newman’s creative flashes of sublime ingenuity were also integral to this project. Finally, here’s to the entire M.T. Intermediate Senior cohort; who braved this new program and the sporadic convulsions with patience, integrity, and good humour!

Keywords: popular culture, transcendent ideas, motivate

Abstract: As a teacher candidate I have been able to develop positive rapports with students based on our shared interests in popular culture. The wealth of pop cultural knowledge that students display has been influential in my history pedagogy, illuminating the value of making space for students’ interests in the classroom. This study seeks to find methods in which history educators can infuse the academic curriculum with popular culture. Participants chosen for the study are past or present history educators, as well as teacher educators, who are able to provide an excellent mix of practical strategies and theoretical rationale for the use of popular culture within the academic setting. Results from the study indicate that by accessing popular culture educators can reveal the transcendent ideas evident in the world of the students and parallel them with the history curriculum. Doing so allows students to enter the classroom and feel like true experts, as their knowledge and contributions contain academic sophistication. This feeling of worth can motivate students to engage in the history curriculum, as there is inherent joy in studying material that coincides with one’s own interests.

Acknowledgements: I wish to acknowledge and thank all of the participants in this study who provided my research with great insight and expertise. I as well would like to thank the faculty and organizers of the Master of Teaching program at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) for providing me with the opportunity to engage in such in depth and meaningful professional learning. Finally, it is important to acknowledge my peers and fellow classmates who have provided me with support, laughter, and friendship throughout my time spent at OISE. I am confident that we have all become better educators through our shared experiences in the faculty as well as our personal research endeavors.

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Abstract: The researcher chose to explore student engagement and its role in learning, particularly in a secondary history class, to address the lack of practical strategies available in pre-service programs for improving the disconnection students feel between a history course and their own lives.  It is all too easy for educators to focus on teaching, without understanding the power they hold to promote students’ meaningful and relevant learning.  This study attempts to interrogate the different theories and facets of engagement in learning, how they affect the structure and dynamic of a history class environment, the various levels at which students engage, and how teachers can build a history class based on meaningful, critical analysis and application. Participants for this study were selected for their proven excellence in the classroom at developing a highly engaging curriculum structure and class environment that encourages students to challenge, understand, and apply their learning in history to their own lives, attitudes, and perceptions.  Results from this study suggest that engagement is composed of various levels, each building upon the last, and that it is a relational and interactive process that teachers can identify and improve over time. 

Keywords: History, Diversity, Inclusive Education, Multi-Cultural Classrooms, Anti-Discriminatory Teaching Strategies

Abstract: In considering high school History education, it is a long-standing problem that students are not only disengaged from their learning and their own histories, but that the selected curriculum material is not always reflective of the diverse voices and perspectives that make up our schools today. One reason for this may be the common misconception by many educators that the work of History teachers is bound solely to one universal knowledge of the past. This research study challenges these assumptions and investigates methods that new History teachers can implement into their classroom practices as we consider our responsibility in what stories are being told, who’s voices are going unheard and what this means for the learning experiences of students who are constantly silenced. This research study analyzes the experiences and advice of two model faculty members in the field of inclusive education at O.I.S.E. who are committed to incorporating their students’ voices into their teaching practices. An investigation of both the literature and the interview data suggests that progressive approaches to inclusive History education in high school classrooms can help engage students, transform learning into a meaningful endeavor, highlight shared values and aid in building a school community.

Acknowledgements: I would like to extend my sincere thanks to my supervisor Patrick Finnessey for providing his keen knowledge of inclusive education and for his guidance and support throughout the research process. I would also like to thank Garfield Gini-Newman for sharing his wealth of History experience, as well as my research participants for their co-operation and enthusiasm for my area of study. Your collective effort in allowing this process to come together has truly inspired me to see the value of this research for success in my future career.  Finally, thank you to my amazing friends who have been my support system and to my wonderful family who continue to be a source of encouragement throughout the process of becoming a teacher. 

Keywords: Inclusive education, Teacher beliefs, Teacher practices

Abstract: As inclusive education becomes the norm in Ontario classrooms, teachers are regularly presented with a classroom of students with a wide range of needs. Although assisting teachers to diversify their instruction may be helpful, the implementation of differentiated practices involves teacher beliefs. One way to explore effective teaching in an inclusive environment is to investigate the impact of teacher beliefs. How do secondary teachers’ beliefs about ability and disability shape their teaching practices in inclusive classrooms? In pursuing this question, several methods were applied from previous studies on beliefs and practices at the elementary level: The Pathognomonic-Interventionist interview and the Beliefs about Learning and Teaching Questionnaire to measure one teacher’s beliefs about ability and disability, along with The Classroom Observation Scale to observe the teacher’s instructional practices. The data collected demonstrates the teacher’s strong belief system about disability and ability and about her responsibility for meeting various learning needs. It also shows the relationship between the teacher’s beliefs and her teaching practices. The results suggest potential for further research of beliefs and practices at the secondary level, and the importance of teachers holding the belief that they are responsible in shaping the experience of students’ within the classroom.

Acknowledgements: I would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Anne Jordan, my research supervisor, for your time and patience in guiding me through the research and writing process. This project would not have been possible without my research participant. Thank you for sharing your experiences and classroom with me. I would also like to thank Lesley Elliot and my other professors in the MT program for their guidance and motivation throughout the past two years. I am very grateful for the support from my fellow MT I/S teacher candidates, especially Sara DeAngelis who has been a source of encouragement over the past two years. My sincerest thanks go to my closest friends, my family, my mom, my dad, and my brother Steven, who have believed in me throughout all my endeavors. Lastly, I would like to thank each of the youth that I have worked with for being my inspiration in pursuing this research project. 

Keywords: Teacher perceptions on technology, classroom technology integration

Abstract: Despite the push for technology integration into today’s public school classrooms at the ministry and school board levels, the actual implementation of technology as an instructional and assessment tool is far less prominent than ideal. Through in-depth interviews of two teacher practitioners, this research examines the various factors that influence teachers’ perceptions of technology integration, as well as factors that influence teachers’ decisions in choosing and integrating technology into their work. Results suggest that the availability of technological tools, both hardware and software, provided by the school boards is not enough to motivate teachers to utilize them. A lack of Professional Development training, absence of technical support, and a non-progressive school culture are major factors that hinder teachers’ efforts to integrate technology in their practices. Similar attitudes and perceptions are found in both experienced and new teachers.

Acknowledgements: I would like to thank my research supervisor, Dr. Jim Hewitt, for his ongoing guidance, advice and constructive feedback. His support has helped me shape my conceptual approaches to this research project. I would also like to express gratitude toward Lesley Elliot, for providing me with suggestions and guidelines for the logistics of this project. Thirdly, I would like to thank my Associate Teacher Mr. Gordon Dick for introducing me to my research participants. Lastly, I would like to thank my research participants for offering their valuable time to share their views and experiences.

Keywords: cultural diversity, ethnic diversity, newcomer, immigrant

Abstract: Cultural and ethnic diversity in classrooms is one of the main attributes of secondary schools in Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Newcomer high school students vary widely in linguistic and ethnic diversity. This qualitative study investigates the types of support strategies that are being implemented by two teachers to help newcomer secondary school students to integrate smoothly into Canadian culture and achieve desired outcomes. It also examines the existing support systems in the participants’ schools. I conducted a semi-structured one-on-one interview with two high school teachers in a large suburban high school in the GTA who work with a wide range of newcomers. The results indicate that cultural awareness days in the schools seem to be one useful tool to recognize and help address this diversity in the student population. However, it appears to be that other supports are missing; these missing supports negatively affect students’ abilities and attitudes and ultimately their success in achieving expected or desired outcomes. In most cases, an ESL class is the main existing strategy of support beside cultural awareness days. According to the participants, although there is not a well designed support system in their school, they continue to implement strategies from personal knowledge and experience. The study further implied that professional learning would greatly be beneficial to enhance teachers’ knowledge and experiences. In addition the participants feel that there is a need for a multicultural teachers’ education and better support systems in schools.

Acknowledgments: I owe my deepest gratitude to my research supervisor, Lesley Elliott, for whom I have the utmost respect and who made this research paper possible and realistic with her constant support. Her remarkable and professional guidance, her tactful feedback and her incredibly organized follow-up techniques made this work possible, fruitful and positive. I am also grateful that she selflessly dedicated strategically and well thought out preset schedules to meet with me and the other members of the research team. I admire her endurance for staying very long hrs to be able to meet with the team. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our research team for sharing their ideas. The enthusiasm for sharing always left me relieved and assured at the end of each meeting. I thank you for your genuine cooperation and kindness in sharing your opinions and honest feedback.  My participants played a great role as they are the main component in the whole research process. I thank them deeply for being welcoming, for allowing me to interview them and providing me with valuable data so that I could conduct this research. I appreciate the time they dedicated fitting me in their busy schedules. Their rich experience added an insightful dimension and quality to my research.  Lastly, I owe a special thanks to my MT Intermediate/Senior division teachers, colleagues and everyone who participated in supporting me during the completion of this major research project.

Keywords: history; practical application; primary documents/sources; engagement

Abstract: The researcher chose to explore how to use, as well as how using primary sources enriches the history classroom because the value and level of interest of these sources can so often be overlooked by teachers.  This study attempts to gain insight into how experienced teachers use primary sources in their classrooms, and also serves as a reference with specific examples for pre-service teachers to use. Also, the study speaks to the use of primary sources deepening student engagement the understanding of important historical concepts. Participants were chosen and sampled on the basis that they use primary sources regularly during classes and feel that using them is an integral part of an enriching history curriculum. Results from this study suggest that when using primary sources there are three main things to consider in using them effectively: “Doing history” and interacting with the material; ensuring students are taught discipline specific skills; and that the material is made relevant to students lives so that they can connect with it.

Acknowledgements: There are several people I would like to thank who have been vital to my success and enjoyment of this program.  For inspiration in writing the MRP I would like to thank my supervisor Garfield Gini-Newman. Without his vast knowledge and enthusiasm for history, my passion for it may not have sparked so strongly. As well, my two participants deserve warm gratitude. Also, I would like to thank my family and fiancé for enduring OISE stories and supporting and encouraging me throughout this past two years. Finally, I would like to thank Angela, Elisa and Emily who know best the world that is OISE.

Keywords: "Holocaust education", "teacher decision-making" 

Abstract: In this researcher’s experience, students often lament the lack of “real life issues” in school. Meanwhile, their teachers often fear stimulating conflict among the students. In an attempt to bridge this gap, this research investigates how teachers mediate the intersection of student identities, teacher identities, curriculum and pedagogy when studying sensitive topics in the secondary history classroom. This study focuses on the topic of the Holocaust because it remains politically and emotionally sensitive and has recently become the focus of intensive study in one of Canada’s largest and most culturally diverse school boards. Based on a review of the secondary literature and semi-structured interviews with two Ontario educators, results from the study suggest that teaching “successfully” about the Holocaust requires teachers to make students’ needs, as opposed to agendas of other stakeholders, their primary priority. “Successful teaching,” despite how an individual teacher chooses to define it, is facilitated through a teacher’s awareness of their own goals, and through their ability to exercise appropriate judgment by drawing from subject knowledge and pedagogical expertise. The research suggests that this knowledge and expertise is a product of the teacher’s personal interest in, and commitment to, understanding the history and meaning of the Holocaust.

Acknowledgements: I wish to acknowledge and thank my research supervisors, Elizabeth Campbell and Garfield Gini-Newman, for their ongoing support and advice; Lesley Elliott, for scaffolding our learning throughout the research process; Leora Schafer and Jasmine Wong from Facing History and Ourselves for generously modeling their expertise; my research participants for their collegial spirit, openness, and inspiration; and finally, my colleagues in the Master of Teaching program, for being good sports about everything.

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Abstract: The researcher chose to examine Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences as a means to support teachers’ curriculum planning and differentiated instructional and assessment practices. Multiple Intelligences theory is superficially understood but rarely adequately applied in many classrooms, due to perceived barriers in understanding. This research paper seeks to examine how best to utilize and apply this theory within the secondary classroom context. Research participants were selected purposefully, based on their level of experience working with Multiple Intelligences theory in the classroom, and as part of a teacher training program.  Semi-structured interview questions were utilized, in addition to consultation with the large body of literature available on this subject, including works by Howard Gardner. Preliminary findings suggest that the purposeful application of Multiple Intelligences theory within the classroom works best when approached as a means to scaffold student learning, support students’ metacognitive awareness of their growth as learners, and as a resource for the development of authentic assessment tasks.

Acknowledgements: I would like to extend a big thank you to my supervisor, Garfield Gini-Newman, for his dedicated support and patience throughout the duration of this project. Thank you also to Lesley Elliot and Elizabeth Campbell, for taking the time to guide everyone through the research process.  I am also grateful to my participants for the important insights they shared and the time they took to speak with me. And one final note of appreciation for my colleagues this year, all of whom were a source of support, inspiration and, at times, much-needed comic relief.

Keywords: classroom management, nonverbal techniques, proactive

Abstract: Classroom management is a key source of anxiety for many beginner teachers and is one of the most difficult facets to master within the teaching profession due to its circumstantial nature and complexity. It is therefore important for new teachers to treat classroom management as a skill that can be improved upon through the combination of practice and theory. More specifically, teachers can improve their classroom management by being proactive and constantly aware of the messages they send students through their nonverbal communications. This research study explores the experiences of two exemplary teachers who have mastered classroom management by using proactive, nonverbal techniques. The research questions investigate why nonverbal and proactive classroom management techniques are vital to the success of an effective teacher and how these techniques can assist in improving a teacher’s presence in the classroom. Analysis of collected data and related literature suggests that nonverbal techniques combined with a positive and proactive mindset can lead to a significant improvement in classroom management for new teachers. These results implicate that classroom management is not something that is inherent and only attainable to some; it is instead something that can be actively learned and mastered by new teachers.

Acknowledgements: First and foremost I would like to thank my parents, Ellen and Don, and my partner, Michael Stewart, who have been a constant support in more than one way over the last two years; my success would not have been possible without them. Secondly, I would like to thank my good friend Melissa Ruinsky, who is not only a supportive friend, but a constant inspiration to me whenever I have felt like giving up. I would also like to thank Elisa Caldaroni, Angela Napoli, Nichole Varahidis, Aaron Vigar, and Ben Fagan – I would not have survived the last two years without the laughter and fun you have brought into my life. A special thanks goes out to my research participants, who have inspired me towards excellence in teaching and lastly, to my research supervisor Susan Schwartz and Lesley Elliott, this paper has grown in strength thanks to your helpful feedback and knowledge.

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Abstract: This research project focuses on the pedagogy of discussion-based learning. While the benefits of discussion-based learning are impressed upon readers in a number of academic sources, this project attempts to balance these reports with interviews of practicing professionals incorporating the principles of discussion-based learning in the classroom. The research attempts to gain insight not only into how discussion-based teaching is implemented into a specific class with a specific educator, but also into the philosophical understandings of why educators incorporate discussion-based learning into their classes, as well as the challenges and perceived benefits that the pedagogy presents for teachers. This study shows a strong correlation between the literature on the topic, and teacher insights. This project reveals philosophical understandings that are consistent in both the literature and the research, and it explores some of the classroom practices that are seemingly unique to individual educators.

Acknowledgements: I would like to extend my utmost gratitude to my research supervisor, Kim MacKinnon for her support and her kindness as both a supervisor and an educator. I also want to recognize and thank my research participants for engaging in a learning conversation with me, my classmates for providing much-needed humour (whether they realized it or not), and all the teachers I’ve had who encouraged, instead of wrestling with, my need to talk.