Fall 2024 Newsletter
Check out what’s been happening at the Foundation in our Fall 2024 Newsletter available here.
Fall Events – McDowell Foundation
Fall Events at McDowell October 25 – Councillor Conference Visit the McDowell Booth at Councillor Conference on October 25th to browse the most recent research and learn more about the Foundation! November 6 – Salon Series Join Jessica Madiratta from 7:00-8:30pm for a presentation of her project A Critical Participatory Action research Project: Improving Teaching Practices Through Professional Development in Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. November 8 – Fundraising Committee Deadline Interested in supporting McDowell in its fundraising efforts? Email us at mcdowell@stf.sk.ca to apply. November 29 – Notice of Intent Deadline Be sure to submit your notice of intent by November 29th to kick off the grant writing cycle for 2025-26! December 3 – Giving Tuesday The work of the McDowell Foundation has been made possible by the generosity of many people who understand the value of educational research to the improvement of teaching and learning in our schools. Consider donating to the Foundation in Read more
A Critical Participatory Action Research Project: Improving Teaching practices Through Professional Development in Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
A Participatory Action Research Project: Improving Teaching Practices Through Culturally Responsive Teaching Researcher: Jessica MadirattaModerator: Samantha Becotte, STF PresidentPanelist: Denise Heppner, STF Professional LearningDate: November 6, 2024Time: 7:00 to 8:30pmRecording Available Here Synopsis: This proposed research is a critical participatory action research project that provides educators with the opportunity to participate in an online professional development group on culturally responsive pedagogy. The uniqueness of this study is that the research aims to explore how building a community of educators engaged in professional development over multiple sessions can impact the teacher’s practice in the classroom. One outcome of this research is building a community of practice for the teachers involved. The two overarching research questions for my proposed study are: What are the experiences of elementary school teachers in a professional development group on culturally responsive teaching? How do elementary school teachers perceive their engagement in this group in terms of Read more
Supporting Neurodiverse Students by Incorporating Visual Strategies and Supports as a Tier One Intervention in Grade One, Two and One/Two Classrooms.
Supporting Neurodiverse Students by Incorporating Visual Strategies and Supports as a Tier One Intervention in Grade One, Two and One/Two Classrooms Researcher: Mary BarrowModerator: Ted Zurakowski, STF Senior Administrative StaffPanelists: Terralee Frankin, Brooke Kemp, Lori Hodgins and Karen Rilling.Date: December 4, 2024Time: 7:00 to 8:30pmRecording Available Here. Synopsis: Supporting Neurodiverse Learners by Using Visual Supports as a Tier 1 Intervention was a McDowell Foundation funded, Regina Public Schools supported, examination of what could be learned by using visual supports as a whole-class support in grade 1, grade 2 and grade 1-2 classrooms. The study links closely to Regina Public Schools Autism Strategy (Neurodiversity Affirming Strategy) as it examined how an intervention frequently recommended to classroom teachers for particular students could be planned for, and brought into the classroom, not just for neurodivergent learners, but for all members of a class. The use of visual supports is an evidence-based practice for neurodivergent Read more
June 2024 Newsletter
Check out what’s happening at the Foundation in our June Newsletter available here.
2024-25 Funding Announcement
The McDowell Foundation is pleased to announce the following projects have received funding for the 2024-25 school year: Project #342 – Culturally Relevant Reading Intervention – Danene Kopperud, Dawn Paylor and Mathew Grupp (Special Directed Call – Leonard Foundation) Project #343 – How do we support gender diverse students now? – j. wallace skelton, Ashlee Sandiford, Hannah Paul and Alex Schmidt Project #344 – Draw me a Fransaskois: Fransaskois students’ representation of cultural identity, an example of a Francophone High School in Saskatoon – Naomi Fortier-Fréçon, Francis Denis and Jacqueline Castilloux Project #345 – Scope and Sequence for Literacy in French Immersion Students – Gisele Perreault and Mariette Anderson Project #346 – Visible and Valued: Exploring the stories of Queer teachers in Saskatchewan – Jen Green and David Popoff Project #347 – Linguistic Insecurity of Francophone Teachers in French Immersion Schools: Understanding and Overcoming Obstacles – Oumar Sylla and Wybo Ottenbreit-Born Project #348 Read more
Culturally Relevant Reading Intervention
Researchers: Danene Kopperud, Dawn Paylor, and Mathew Grupp This research is designed to evaluate how effectively Culturally Relevant Pedagogy improves phonological and phonemic awareness skills for Indigenous students. It aims to explore the effects of CRP-based reading intervention on students’reading proficiency, as well as their involvement, enthusiasm, and overallsuccess in reading. The study will involve providing CRP-informed interventions, using CRP-compatible learning resources for a set period, and measuring their influence of students’ PA skills. The McDowell Foundation would like to extend its gratitude to the Leonard Foundation for its generous support and the funds for this project.
Building Community: An Appreciative Inquiry Focused Research Study at Greystone Heights School
Researchers: Eric Walker, Melanie Breckon, Russ Munkler, Krista Sego, Cassandra Shangraw, Sara Stone, Jayden Wiebe Greystone Heights School will embark on a research initiative studying the factors contributing to a sense of belonging among students and staff at Greystone Heights School. Led by educators, the project seeks to uncover the factors that contribute to a sense of belonging among students and staff at Greystone Heights School. Staff will use a collaborative appreciative inquiry approach to collectively imagine what teaching and learning would look like at Greystone Heights School if all staff and students felt a strong sense of belonging and then take action to make those futures a reality. This process will be interactive, meaning there will be two appreciative research cycles where teachers collect evidence about the types of activities, approaches, and paradigms implemented and will reflect on which practices are most worth continuing. This research project aims to empower the school community to explore and analyze strategies that Read more
High Impact, High Needs: Trauma Informed Education in Early Years
Researchers: Kelly Lambert and Ryan Lambert The goal of our project is to examine early childhood trauma within our school division (with the possibility of expanding to other regions in the province) to determine if there is a increase in the systemic pattern among the incidence and occurrence of trauma in our early childhood students. As teachers, we believe that the frequency of family trauma is increasing, and we are observing this every day in our schools and classrooms. With more awareness and emphasis being placed on mental heath and its importance to learning, it is crucial for educators to be aware of the amount of trauma that some of our youngest students bring with them to school on a daily basis. Why are we seeing so many families struggle, and what can we do to ease some of that burden by giving back the empowerment families are in search Read more
Linguistic Insecurity of Francophone Teachers in French Immersion Schools: Understanding and Overcoming Obstacles
Researchers: Oumar Sylla and Wybo Ottenbreit-Born The aim of this study is to identify the main obstacles faced by Francophone teachers in English-dominant French immersion schools, with a focus on issues caused by linguistic insecurity. The research will investigate the challenges and assess their impact on teacher performance, confidence, and retention, to provide practical solutions to overcome these barriers. The objectives of the study are as follows: To assess the level of linguistic insecurity among Francophone teachers. To identify the specific challenges faced by these teachers in immersion environments. To examine the effects of linguistic insecurity on teaching performance, in the classroom and workplace environment, and with the interactions between parents and teachers, as well as between students and teachers. To develop strategies to empower teachers, enhance their teaching efficacy, and increase their confidence.