Power of Place in Teaching and Learning
From May 2 to 9, celebrate teaching and learning at the 14th annual Celebrate Learning Week. This year’s showcase will feature a week of exciting events, including workshops, poster sessions, special guest speakers, and more.
Please see below for a detailed schedule and to register for sessions.
Download Schedule of Events (PDF)
UBCO Keynote Speaker: Bill Cohen
snk̓l̕ip’s power to make the world safe for the peoples to be: Coyote Stories so we can all have a future
May 2, 2023 | 9:15 am – 11:20 am
I speak as a Syilx Okanagan artist and educator engaged in Syilxizing Teacher Education with Syilx community organizations, Syilx knowledge keepers, Indigenous and settler colleagues, students and staff in the Okanagan School of Education. I will share understanding about snk̓l̕ip’s (aka Coyote) role in Syilx pedagogy and praxis in the following themes: Humanizing Indigenous Peoples and Coyote Stories.
Can we collectively learn from the past and present, and create the wisdom needed so the peoples to be can have food and well-being security?
Schedule of events
In-Person UBC Studios Open House and Tour
UBC Vancouver Campus | In-person
May 2, 2023 | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Learn what UBC Studios is all about at our in-person Open House and Tour! Our team will introduce our professional services including video, animation, graphic design and 3D scanning, as well as our easy to use Do-It-Yourself support services, including workshops, DIY video and audio studios, and the Lightboard studio.
Indigenous Strategic Initiatives (ISI) Fund – Stream 3: Student-led Projects Showcase
Online
May 2, 2023 | 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
The Indigenous Strategic Initiatives (ISI) Fund directly implements the 8 goals and 43 actions of the Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP). Stream 3 provides funding for student-led initiatives that have an impact at any level, including unit, Faculty, department, institution or other.
The inaugural ISI Fund Cycle 1: 2021-2023 distributed funds to seven successful student-led projects advancing the ISP at both UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan. This panel will showcase the ISI Fund work being done by current UBC undergraduate and graduate students to advance and implement the ISP through project-based work.
Increasing the Accessibility of Video
Online
May 2, 2023 | 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
How to make video more accessible? Captions, ASL, descriptive video…. it can be overwhelming. During this presentation, Educational Media Producer Michael Sider from UBC Studios will reveal solutions from free and do-it-yourself to professional. You’ll find practical tips, guidance and best practices for reaching a variety of communities that experience barriers with video.
CTLT Indigenous Initiatives Virtual Coffee Drop-in
Online
May 3, 2023 | 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Do you have questions about how to thoughtfully integrate Indigenous content and representation into your course work? Curious about how to offer meaningful land acknowledgements in online meetings or events at UBC? Indigenous Initiatives’ Virtual Coffee Drop-ins are great place to explore these topics, connect with others on the same learning path, or just get to know our team.
Note: This is not a workshop, you will be part of an informal discussion with a maximum of 9 other people.
Virtual Poster Session: A Chance for Reflection with Open Educational Resources
Online
May 3, 2023 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
An overview of a first-attempt at a new assignment where students are encouraged to interact with Open Educational Resources, evaluate them, and reflect on how a variety of sources of information contribute to the effectiveness of their learning.
UBC’s RESPECT Magazine: Power of Place
Online
May 3, 2023 | 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
This student panel will feature student editors and contributors to UBC’s RESPECT Magazine, which captures UBC students’ perceptions of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) through essays, interviews, multimodal, and interactive presentations. After an overview of the magazine’s history, goals, and aspirations, panelists will highlight inspirations and insights represented in the third issue, “Power of Place.” Individual contributors will share how they interrogated perceived notions of place through multimodal and diverse genres that reflect their interpretations of inclusive and equitable communities. The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A.
The Role of Classroom Design in Supporting the Deployment of an Active Learning Curriculum
UBC Okanagan | In-person & Online
May 3, 2023 | 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
In this talk, Visiting Associate Professor of Teaching Dr. Olivier St-Cyr will outline his work around building an active learning curriculum in User eXperience Design (UXD) in the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto. He will first start by explaining how the curriculum was developed for the needs of a professional Master of Information (MI) degree. Dr. St-Cyr will then explain how he designed and oversaw the construction of two novel learning spaces at the Faculty of Information to support the deployment of the UX curriculum. These spaces to support a mix of active learning and hands-on teaching approaches, specifically enabling studio-based pedagogical activities. Thoughtful consideration was given to the human factors of space design and the relationships among the architecture of the physical space, the methods of teaching deployed in the space, and the knowledge acquired by students. These two learning spaces have transformed teaching and learning in the UXD Concentration and in the Faculty of Information, more generally. Following Dr. St-Cyr’s talk, two additional Panellists (Dr. Firas Moosvi and a representative from the CTL) will facilitate a discussion about Active Learning classrooms with the audience.
CANCELLED: The Classroom: A Powerful Place for a Community of Wellbeing
UBC Vancouver | In-person & Online
May 3, 2023 | 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
This session will bring together a diverse panel of students, faculty, and staff, who are practicing, researching and/or experiencing wellbeing in the classroom. Through facilitated discussion and sharing ideas, this session provides an environment for instructors to be inspired to find opportunity within their own classes to incorporate wellbeing practices.
We are very aware of the challenged state of wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff and additionally, how personal health and wellbeing are critical for fully engaging, experiencing and learning in a university setting. Intentional practices, actions, and behaviours that either directly or indirectly target multiple dimensions of student wellbeing in the classroom setting can impact engagement, belonging, and connection with instructors and class peers.
2023 TLEF + ALT-2040 Virtual Showcase
Online
May 4, 2023 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
The TLEF and ALT-2040 Virtual Showcase will celebrate the innovative work of TLEF and ALT-2040 project teams and showcase a diverse range of projects from both the Okanagan and Vancouver campuses. During this 2-hour Virtual Showcase, TLEF and ALT-2040 project teams will present posters about their projects.
For faculty, staff and students interested in applying for TLEF or ALT- 2040 Fund grants, the event will provide helpful examples of the kinds of projects that these programs support. For those interested in innovative teaching and learning projects and practices, the event is a great way to learn about exciting projects and meet innovative faculty, staff, and student project team members from across the university.
Positionality, Place, and Pedagogies of Interdisciplinary Leadership Education
UBC Okanagan | In-person
May 4, 2023 | 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
In this panel discussion, we aim to inspire conversations about how to productively engage students and colleagues in disrupting taken for granted notions and assumptions about leadership to open space for seeing relationships between power, privilege, place, and position. Through this panel, we will reflect on the power dynamics that arise in leadership contexts to develop understandings of how place shapes leadership education, and how we might promote more equitable and just leadership practices in the local context. Panelists will engage in an exploration of different pedagogies of leadership education, draw connections across their unique contexts, and reflect on their place and positionality as leadership educators from diverse disciplinary settings.
Constellation Phase I: The Community of Making (makerspaceUBCO)
UBC Okanagan | In-person
May 4, 2023 | 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Join us in makerspace for a hands-on experience to journey through the collaborative process of creation. Learn about iterative design, rapid prototyping and creative problem solving through a workshop featuring a wide variety of maker tech.
This in person event is open to participants of all skill levels to explore their innovative learning journey.
Languages, Place, and Power: Exploring Multilingualism and Language Learning on Indigenous Land
UBC Vancouver | In-person
May 4, 2023 | 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Settlers on Indigenous land are not just English-speaking or French-speaking. The hundreds of languages we learn, use, and teach at UBC add up to a complex picture of what we might call settler multilingualism. What do different models of multilingualism and monolingualism currently promoted today tell us about how we acknowledge, or undermine, Indigenous sovereignty? What does it mean to learn or teach a colonial language on Indigenous land? More fundamentally, how do existing approaches to language teaching and learning relate, or fail to relate, to land, place, and local commitment? What tools can we develop to nurture that relation in our classes, curricula, and communities, from now to 2050? What contributions can language teachers make to a broader decolonial project?
Explore Indigenous Flora through Augmented Reality
UBC Okanagan | In-person
May 4, 2023 | 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
In this land-based learning activity, AR software will serve as your guide to locate, identify, and learn the Syilx names of Indigenous flora, giving you a deeper understanding of the importance of these plants to the Syilx culture. You will have the opportunity to participate in teams, connect with nature, and learn more about Indigenous Okanagan species found on the UBC Okanagan campus. We hope this unique experience will be both educational and enjoyable.
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Showcase
UBC Okanagan | In-person & Online
May 5, 2023 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
This session will allow instructors to present and discuss their scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) research. It is open to all instructors with specific focus on instructors at UBC Okanagan and instructors at other institutions in the Okanagan region.
The call for submissions is open to SoTL research in all areas with specific focus on assessment techniques, innovative technologies and learning activities, Indigenous instruction, and accessibility. The format is short 5 minute presentations followed by Q+A and discussion. The goal is to build a community working on SoTL and be inspired by others with excellent ideas that instructors can use in their own pedagogy.
Constellation Phase II: Big Impact Using Immense Displays (UBC Studios Okanagan)
UBC Okanagan | In-person
May 5, 2023 | 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Immense and immersive displays are found in the leading Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums of the world.
Join us in the Sawchuck Family Theatre and the Visualization and Emerging Media Studio to experience how faculty and students are using these dedicated spaces to provide unique learning opportunities and socialize their work across traditional and emerging media (VR/AR/XR).
CTLT Indigenous Initiatives Open House: What I Learned in Class Today Resource
Online
May 5, 2023 | 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
What I Learned in Class Today is an educational resource that documents both student and faculty experiences, perspectives, and tools on navigating Indigenous content in the classroom at University of British Columbia – Vancouver Campus. The resource originated as an Indigenous student project in 2007 and was renewed in 2018 by the Indigenous Initiatives Team within the Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology. The project team is excited to share project updates with the teaching and learning community on the recently developed resources, such as the Faculty and Student perspectives videos, articles, and other pedagogical tools. In this session we will highlight the following:
- Showcase of the What I Learned in Class Today Website
- A sneak peek of the What I Learned in Class Today Facilitation Guide and Toolkit
- A demonstration of the Interactive-Video-Transcript Viewer
We will wrap up the session with a Q&A with Indigenous Initiatives team members, Janelle Kasperski, Sam Nock, and Hannah Coderre.
UTown@UBC Nature Club: Vascular Plants
UBC Vancouver | In-person
May 6, 2023 | 10:30 am – 1:00 pm
Drop in between 10:30 am – 1:00 pm on the first SATURDAY of the month to enjoy special activities for families plus all of our regular museum programming, Raising Big Blue movie, museum tours, and more! Nature Club is a great way for people to make connections with the UBC Community on campus, and to see your own role in biodiversity!
These drop-in sessions are designed for children 5-12 years old accompanied by an adult (not suitable for preschool-aged children). All sessions will be held at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, with experts from the Pacific Museum of Earth and around UBC making guest appearances. Drop-in activities will run between 10:30 am and 1:00 pm.
The Land Teaches Me
UBC Okanagan | In-person
May 8, 2023 | 9:00 am – 10:30 am
Krystal Withakay is an independent Syilx artist and knowledge keeper. Her life’s work is closely connected to sharing Syilx perspectives on land, natural resources, language, and laughter. Join Krystal for insight on how the land nourishes well being and interpersonal growth that is beneficial to those who wish to understand and learn more about the beautiful Syilx territory.
Embodied Learning in Different Places and Spaces
UBC Vancouver | In-person & Online
May 8, 2023 | 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
In this session, we challenge you to bring your whole self – body and mind – with you. We’ll explore through thought-provoking questions and embodied activities what it means to be together in what sometimes feels like a new version of the world. What does it mean to be present? To be absent? To be virtual? To be hybrid? What has your mind been telling your body? What has your body been telling your mind?
Two of us will be on UBC campus, the other in Calgary. We encourage you to bring your body to campus, but if you cannot, to bring your virtual self. We will share our experiences in (dis)embodied teaching and learning in place and space and will briefly present some of the research in these areas. We will lead you through some embodied exercises, theatre-inspired activities and, all of us as a group will intentionally and actively reflect on questions of connection, group learning in different spaces and places, and together we will discuss some of the challenges we’ve faced in our respective disciplinary and teaching & learning environments in relation to this topic.
Positionality: How History and Place Inform your Teaching Practice
Online
May 8, 2023 | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
How does who you are shape what you know about the world? In recent years the practice of describing one’s positionality has extended beyond qualitative and social science research, and into mainstream teaching and learning spaces. “Articulating your positionality means locating yourself in your familial history, discerning where your knowledge comes from, and addressing the lived experiences that guide your perspective in your life, research, and teaching roles” (Webb, n.d.). Describing one’s histories and relation to place, as well as one’s social identities, helps to situate yourself in the learning space. Stating your positionality in front of your students is a recognition of the limits of your knowledge and experience, a space of humility that is almost contradictory to the highly entrenched power dynamics of “teacher-as-expert”. In this panel session, several faculty members of settler-scholar backgrounds will share their own journeys of reflecting on their positionalities, and the ways they’ve chosen to bring it into their classroom practice and share with students. They will describe the impact this has made on their teaching practice, and the ways it has helped build stronger relationships with students as well as with colleagues.
UBC Okanagan’s Relationship with the Host Nation
UBC Okanagan | In-person
May 8, 2023 | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Join Indigenous Programs and Services on an interactive journey through the evolving relationship with the Host Nation (Okanagan Nation) and the unique programming offered at UBCO. Learning outcomes for this workshop include:
- Historical context of UBC Okanagan’s relationship with the Okanagan Nation.
- Awareness and acknowledgement of traditional territory of the sylix (Okanagan) People.
- Knowledge of community relationships and partnerships.
- Understanding the importance of the relationship with the host nation.
Poster Session: Sonic Ecologies: Place and Listening in Teaching and Learning
UBC Vancouver | In-person
May 8, 2023 | 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
This Poster Session will focus on multimodal approaches utilized in GRSJ226: Human Rights and Artistic Expression: Thinking Beyond the Legal to deliver, enhance, and build student engagement, collaboration, and reflexive processes at the intersection of place, sound, and Indigenous knowledge. This interactive Poster Session will present the integration of open online platforms as methods for hybrid participation and collective resource creation by students, who had an active role within and beyond the classroom.
Constellation Phase III: Lights, Camera, ACTION! (UBC Studios Okanagan)
UBC Okanagan | In-person
May 8, 2023 | 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Join us in the studio for a tour of our production facilities including the Digital Design Lab sound booth, photogrammetry rig, and lightboard.
Learn how UBC Studios Okanagan and the Constellation can support the enhancement of education, research, and the campus experience by providing professional media production services, training, consultation, and DIY support.
Teaching from Place: Land as an Educator
Online
May 8, 2023 | 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Indigenous land is everywhere: beyond the city limits and within. There is immense power in the places where we live and learn. The land is one of our greatest and most abundant teaching partners. If you have ever been curious about land based education, join us for a discussion about land as a teacher and kin. This conversation will be deeply rooted in Indigenous sovereignty and LandBack as a framework of understanding relation to land within a settler-colonial context.
Holding Indigenous Topics with Care in the Classroom
Online
May 9, 2023 | 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Through the What I Learned In Class Today project, participants will learn how to intentionally approach Indigenous content and topics in the classroom and will learn how this can make a supportive and positive learning experience for all students.
This workshop requires participants to engage with asynchronous materials prior to the workshop, including watching the Renewed Student Perspectives Film: Educational Experiences and Institutional Responses, reading an article (approximately 30 minutes of pre-work), and completing a Padlet. Within the synchronous portion of the workshop we will be screening the What I Learned In Class Today Renewed Faculty Perspectives Video, followed by activities and discussion.
Locating Yourself Using the Canadian Geographic Indigenous Atlas – Morning Session
UBC Okanagan | In-person
May 9, 2023 | 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Guided by Indigenous perspectives, ways of knowing, ways of being about relationships and relationality, this workshop will utilize the Canadian Geographic Indigenous Atlas to discuss and explore your positionality in place and territory. We will be considering our own personal history to make connections with local territory and the places we have lived. Moreover, we will find ways to relate to each other through reflexive processes by examining and sharing how we came to be in the places we were and are as well as our impacts in those territories.
During the 90-minute session, participants will be given time to explore the Canadian Geographic Indigenous Atlas to further their learning about the traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples as well as historical events as they view the timeline. Additionally, they will also be asked to locate their home communities on the map using a pylon and answer a series of questions to introduce themselves to other participants. The questions will provide an opportunity to reflect upon their family histories, the territory they are in, whose stories are being told in that territory, and how colonialism has impacted the people and lands of that particular territory.
Guiding Students in Incorporating Multi-Modal Land Acknowledgements
UBC Vancouver | In-person
May 9, 2023 | 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Come and explore multi-modal Land Acknowledgements in the classroom on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam). Models of spoken, written, and video-based Land Acknowledgements will be demonstrated with an emphasis on accessibility (including ALT Text, captions, and language ease for EAL students). We will then workshop ways to guide students in incorporating their own Land Acknowledgements across different types of common assignments (paper based, PPT presentations, videos, etc.). Authentic student examples will provide the framework for discussion. Show students The Power of Place in Teaching and Learning.
Outdoor Interactive Workshop: Exploring Accessibility and Inclusion in Place-Based Teaching and Learning
UBC Okanagan | In-person
May 9, 2023 | 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Are you an educator whose classes involve place-based teaching and learning with students? Are you interested in outdoor place-based learning, but are concerned about accessibility and inclusion? Are you a staff member or community member who supports, or is involved in, place-based learning? Are you a student who has been involved in place-based learning in your classes, and would like to contribute to a conversation about accessibility and inclusion in these activities?
In this interactive workshop, we will meet in the outdoor UBC Okanagan campus environment. Using Liberating Structures prompts and co-facilitated discussion, we will attend to the built, natural, social, and learning environment in terms of disability, access, and inclusion.
Locating Yourself Using the Canadian Geographic Indigenous Atlas – Afternoon Session
UBC Okanagan | In-person
May 9, 2023 | 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Guided by Indigenous perspectives, ways of knowing, ways of being about relationships and relationality, this workshop will utilize the Canadian Geographic Indigenous Atlas to discuss and explore your positionality in place and territory. We will be considering our own personal history to make connections with local territory and the places we have lived. Moreover, we will find ways to relate to each other through reflexive processes by examining and sharing how we came to be in the places we were and are as well as our impacts in those territories.
During the 90-minute session, participants will be given time to explore the Canadian Geographic Indigenous Atlas to further their learning about the traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples as well as historical events as they view the timeline. Additionally, they will also be asked to locate their home communities on the map using a pylon and answer a series of questions to introduce themselves to other participants. The questions will provide an opportunity to reflect upon their family histories, the territory they are in, whose stories are being told in that territory, and how colonialism has impacted the people and lands of that particular territory.
CLOSING PLENARY | Working Alongside: Collaborative Pathways to Decolonize/Indigenize Teaching and Learning
Online
May 9, 2023 | 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Decolonization and Indigenization of teaching and learning is the responsibility of all members of the UBC community. This panel will discuss different activities, strategies, and approaches from across both campuses, delving into questions such as: What are educators at UBC doing to decolonize and Indigenize curriculum and teaching practice, and what can be learned from their experiences? How do we work alongside one another, and share the load amongst Indigenous people and allies? How do we balance action with careful listening and reflection?
Respect, Sincerity & Responsibility: Land Acknowledgements @ UBC
Asynchronous Course
As UBC community members we are responsible for engaging thoughtfully, consistently, and humbly in relationships with Indigenous communities. Part of this work is reflected in acknowledging the unceded lands our campuses are situated on in a sincere, respectful, and meaningful way.
Through a series of readings, video clips, reflection exercises, and resource review, this course will provide foundational knowledge about what land acknowledgement are and why we do them, address barriers some learners may be experiencing, and support learners in developing a land acknowledgement.
Note: This online course is a pre-requisite for the Action & Reflection: Land Acknowledgements at UBC synchronous session offered during Celebrate Learning Week on May 3rd, 2023.
Weaving Relations
Asynchronous Course
Weaving Relations is an asynchronous Canvas based course. It is self directed and focusses on Indigenous peoples, history and issues and how we can build our anti-racist toolkits and develop meaningful land acknowledgements. It features bespoke videos of UBC Indigenous leaders and faculty that are highly educational on their own. The course also poses reflection questions at the end of each module for the learner to engage personally and individually with the material. The content dovetails well with the theme of power and place and is open to anyone with a CWL login. It was designed to meet Goal 2 of the ISP and asks learners to focus on the ISP, the self assessment and the Reports and legislation that informed the ISP.
QEQEN: A Walking Tour of UBC’s Musqueam House Posts
Self-Guided Walking Tour
This guide was written by Musqueam scholar and curator, Jordan Wilson, when he worked with the Belkin as curatorial intern in 2017/18. This self-guided tour walks visitors through a history of Musqueam house posts on campus, providing context for how the posts relate to one another, to Musqueam Territory and to the University’s history, considering in particular the Musqueam’s relationship with what is now known as UBC as well as UBC’s relationship with Indigenous people more broadly. Like the University’s Indigenous Strategic Plan and the street signs on campus written in hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, the Walking Tour of UBC’s Musqueam House Posts acts as an additional tool to help understand the way the Musqueam – and Indigenous peoples generally – perceive space and place, to demonstrate how language and ceremonial objects are intrinsically linked to culture and territory, and to underscore that the practices of First Peoples are part of a contemporary discussion.
Sturgeon Harpoon Knowledge Web
2D Visualization of the Knowledge Web
To Musqueam, a sturgeon is more than simply a sturgeon. It’s an entry point to aspects of language, territory, health, technology, and our society, and the respect and responsibilities that accompany them. It is part of a larger web of mutually dependent knowledge.
A sturgeon harpoon describes a relationship between elk, eagles, Douglas fir, and moles, our need to access our territory, and the way we to come together as a family to pass on knowledge. When a link in this web is broken, it’s a loss to the whole web of knowledge and to our relationships.” – Jason Woolman | xʷməθkʷəyəm | Musqueam First Nation
The innovative exhibit explores the complex and sophisticated web of knowledge and relationships that surround any one species or belonging, presenting and preserving a significant part of British Columbia’s history and cultural heritage.
This “living exhibition” involves many components, centred around the creation of a 35-foot-long sturgeon harpoon — a modern piece made by Musqueam Knowledge Keeper Morgan Guerin generations after the Musqueam ceased to fish for sturgeon. The many components of the harpoon each carry great cultural significance, and the exhibition uses immersive 360 environments, visitor-activated audio and video, and real touchable specimens that are woven together to create a cohesive and deeply engaging narrative.
Content — written, audio, and video — is told through the first-person narrative of the Musqueam First Nation and is a true preservation of an important part of British Columbia’s cultural history and modern-day indigenous culture, parts of which have already been irretrievably lost.
This celebrate learning week, take some time to explore the Sturgeon Harpoon Knowledge web and reflect on the roles and intersections of biodiversity, language, history, and place. You can explore the website on your own device anywhere around the world, or in-person at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum.