Suzuki Niagara read of French Toast
March 8, 2020What: Presenting French Toast at Suzuki Niagara
When: Sunday March 8, 3:00pm
Where: 190 Church Street, St. Catharines
We’re looking forward to presenting another collaboration with Kari-Lynn Winters for our annual Fundraiser Concert, featuring her book French Toast. Student and teacher performances, silent auction and door prizes, and some refreshments straight out of the book! Sunday, March 8 at Congregation B’nai Israel (St. Catharines) at 3:00pm.
Presenting at Hawaii International Conference on Education
January 4, 2020What: Presenting two papers at HICE
When: January 4-7, 2020
Where: Honolulu, Hawaii
Paper #1, “Arts Education Training for Tomorrow’s Elementary Teachers: Will They Be Ready,” with Peter Vietgen and Shelley Griffin:
This qualitative research, conducted at Brock University (Ontario, Canada) explores the “readiness” of elementary generalist preservice teachers. Four key “Arts” disciplines—dance, drama, music, and visual arts—at the elementary (K-8) level are highlighted. Data collected from preservice teachers after participation in a full-day Arts intensive conference will be showcased. The presentation features analyses of open-ended surveys, interviews, and photographs, demonstrating that teachers need more Arts in their teacher preparation programs.
Paper #2, “Intricate Interplaying: Modes of Musical Meaning-Making,” with Shelley Griffin:
Through the combined expertise of private string music teachers, young musicians (age 5–16) and their parents, this study explores the intricate interplaying of modes—stringed instruments, theatre, artistic journals, children’s literature, and digital media. We investigate how these modes, alongside community perspectives, inform pedagogical innovation in music education. Musical learning is a continuum as opposed to a dichotomy. Future practices in community-based musical training and school music can benefit from assembling modes of meaning-making.
See more at hiceducation.org, and see details in the program.
Organizing: Festival of Readers literary festival
Preseting at Council of Ontario Drama & Dance Educators conference
October 14, 2017What: Presenting “What Does Home Mean? What Does Less Mean? Rebuilding Identities Through Drama and Embodiment”
When: Saturday October 14, 11:00am – 12:15pm
Where: Deerhurst Resort, Huntsville Ontario,
BUILDING on 2 qualitative studies, one that explored the experiences of 8 marginalized individuals facing life challenges such as addiction, mental illness, poverty, homelessness and unemployment and another that explored body-image with post-secondary and elementary-aged children, this research-based and hands-on presentation introduces at-risk adults to dramatic role play, community practices, and embodiment, and also young children to difficult topics such as homelessness and body image. Using similar drama and movement strategies, this blended presentation demonstrates how groups of people (e.g., marginalized adults, post-secondary students, and elementary-aged children) alike can use dramatic, embodied, and artistic expressions to voice their ideas, and rebuild their identities.
Dr. Kari-Lynn Winters is an Associate Professor at Brock University, where she teaches drama-in-education and language arts to teacher candidates. Kari-Lynn holds a PhD from UBC in literacy education, a teaching degree from University of Toronto, and a certificate in Technical Theatre from the National Theatre School of Canada. Her research interests include: body image, embodied pedagogies, children’s literature, drama, and multimodal literacies. Kari-Lynn is also an award winning children’s author, scholar, playwright, and performer.
Hosting: Word on the Street
September 24, 2017
What: Hosting TD Children’s Literature Tent
When: Sunday September 24, 2017, 2:20-5:20pm
Where: Harbourfront Centre, Toronto
The Word On The Street is a national celebration of literacy and the written word. On one extraordinary Sunday each September, in communities coast to coast, the public is invited to participate in hundreds of author events, presentations and workshops and to browse a marketplace that boasts the best selection of Canadian books and magazines you’ll find anywhere.
There is always plenty to see and do at Canada’s largest book and magazine festival, and best of all, The Word On The Street and all of its events are FREE!
Presenting at Telling Tales 2017
September 17, 2017What: Presenting at Telling Tales Festival
When: Cathcart Schoolhouse @ 1:15pm, Bandstand @ 3:00pm.
Where: Westfield Heritage Village, Rockton Ontario
Telling Tales is a Canadian, not-for-profit organization committed to inspiring a love of reading and raising awareness of the importance of literacy in our communities. We do this by bringing Canadian authors, illustrators, musicians and storytellers together with their audiences: our children. Telling Tales is building a community of readers, writers and story-tellers with Canada’s diverse communities including English, French and Aboriginal authors, artists, musicians and poets to engage even the most reluctant reader. See more at tellingtales.org.
Hamilton Bulldogs promote Telling Tales and my hockey book!
Presenting two papers at Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education conference
March 8, 2017What: Presenting “You’re Not Just Gonna Read to Us, Are You?” and “Co-authorship Alongside Published Authors: Technology, Children’s Literature, and Engagement” with Candace Figg
When: March 8 and March 9
Where: “Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education” conference, sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, Austin Texas
You’re Not Just Gonna Read to Us, Are You?
Kari-Lynn Winters, Brock University, Canada
Candace Figg, Brock University, Canada
Wednesday, March 8 4:55 PM-5:15 PM
Authorship is changing in the 21st century because of contemporary technologies such as web 2.0 tools and access to mobile devices. Through their own agency, children are increasingly choosing tech-enhanced media, especially since children are given opportunities to be positioned as co-authors when they use these materials. How then do we integrate 21st century technical tools and pedagogies without compromising the integrity of traditional children’s literature? And further, how might educators look to published authors and their digital authorship/presentations in order to re-connect today’s media savvy youth with imaginative and modal authorship opportunities through children’s literature?
Co-authorship Alongside Published Authors: Technology, Children’s Literature, and Engagement
Kari-Lynn Winters, Brock University, Canada
Candace Figg, Brock University
Thursday, March 9 1:45 PM-2:45 PM
Authorship is changing in the 21st century because of contemporary technologies such as web 2.0 tools and access to mobile devices. Through their own agency, children are increasingly choosing tech-enhanced media, especially since children are given opportunities to be positioned as co-authors when they use these materials. How then do we integrate 21st century technical tools and pedagogies without compromising the integrity of traditional children’s literature? And further, how might educators rely on digital modes in order to re-connect today’s media savvy youth with imaginative and modal authorship opportunities through children’s literature?
In this workshop session, one language arts associate professor and one tech education professor come together to demonstrate diverse approaches to tech-enhanced and modal literacies in order to explore co-authorship and responses to children’s literature. Technologies being featured include: QR codes, slideshows, slowmation animation, Skype in the classroom, and apps. This session is designed to address the comfort level of those new to integrating technologies as well as those with more expertise.
Research demonstrates that educators may better engage with young audiences when they act as designers of digitally-mediated and multimodal materials (Pahl & Rowsell, 2011; Potts, 2012; Winters & Vratulis, 2012). Previous practices surrounding Language Arts in the classroom (e.g., read-alouds, process writing, creating speeches, current events) may not be as authentic for contemporary young audiences. When using tech-enhanced programming, students can take on the challenge of becoming co-authors. Not only do they read and use interactive storybooks and mobile devices, and use digital tools to create their own books, they can also work directly with professional authors, adapt literature using media, engage in collaborative writing/illustrating, and role play characters moving between virtual and real worlds. Based on a three-year study of professional authors in the schools and how they used technology during their author visits, this session will demonstrate diverse approaches to tech-enhanced and modal literacies in order to explore digital co-authorship and responses to children’s literature. Specifically, it moves children from simply reading or consuming literature to authoring their own ideas and becoming media producers/co-authors.
The two instructors bring (together) over 30 years of experience in elementary school classrooms and at university teacher education settings. The first instructor’s focus has been on multimodal authorship, language arts, and the arts. The second instructor’s focus has been on digital pedagogies, integration of technology in daily classroom teaching, and TPACK.
Reading at Suzuki Niagara Benefit Concert
March 5, 2017What: Performance of Stinky Skunk Mel with the Suzuki Niagara String Collective
When: Sunday March 5
Where: B’nai Israel Synagogue, 190 Church St., St. Catharines
See more at suzukiniagara.com/2017-fundraiser.
Presenting French Toast at Ontario Library Association Conference
February 3, 2017What: Reading at the OLA Superconference
When: Friday February 3, 2017, 12:30pm
Where: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Ontario Indie Pavilion
 See details at olasuperconference.ca.
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