Speaker Series
Public Health and Emergency Services, Niagara Region: Public Health’s Sociodemographic Data Collection
Date: Monday March 31 2025
Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Niagara College Welland Campus Auditorium AH141 (In-Person)
In this talk we will discuss a recent Niagara Region Public Health project to collect, analyze, and utilize sociodemographic data to inform and guide programing and services. We will discuss what sociodemographic data are (and why this data is so valuable), the training of front-line public health staff, and the analysis plan for the data as the project progresses. Please join us for a session exploring the collection of sociodemographic data and the importance of understanding who Public Health serves as the organization strives towards health equity.
Stephen Shears MN, RN
Stephen Shears is the Nursing Practice Specialist for Niagara Region Public Health. He is committed to supporting Nurses in adopting evidence-informed practices and being life-long learners. He currently supports the professional practice and learning needs of Public Health Nurses as well as nursing students at both Brock University and Niagara College.
We look forward to your participation in this engaging session. Please join us for a thought-provoking discussion on the critical role of sociodemographic data in public health.
This talk is now over. Thank you to everyone who attended.
From Institutional AI Guidelines to Critical AI Literacy: Transforming Language Classrooms
Date: Wednesday January 29 2025
Time: 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Location: ONLINE
In this talk, Dr. Kang will draw on Marcel and Kang (2024)’s recent study on how AI guidelines in Canadian universities shape academic integrity in academic writing. Expanding from this study, this talk will discuss current scholarly and institutional discussions in relation to the concept of Critical AI Literacy—the ability to critically analyze and ethically integrate AI tools into academic practices (Strauss, 2021). Through interactive discussions, participants will explore the challenges and opportunities AI presents for English Language classrooms specifically on how AI literacy can support or hinder integrity, equity, and inclusivity in higher education. Join us for a dynamic session aimed at fostering critical awareness of AI’s pedagogical and ethical dimensions.
Dr. Phoebe Kang
Dr. Phoebe Kang is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream at the Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy, University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). She has over 15 years of experience developing English for Academic Purposes curricula and teaching different programs in both Brock University and Niagara College prior to joining UTM. Her research focuses on internationalization and equity
in Canadian higher education, and emerging topics like AI guidelines and academic integrity policies and pedagogies.
This talk is now over. Thank you to everyone who attended.
Missed the talk? Watch it below!
Action Research, Self-Directed Professional Development and the English Language Teacher
Date: Wednesday December 4 2024
Time: 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Location: ONLINE
In this talk, Dr. Bartosik will share the context and inspiration which prompted her action research project nine years ago and how the circumstances surrounding the project continued to lead her self-directed professional development to explore her teaching practice. Anna will share what action research might look like, how an action research project can unfold from classroom practice, and explore the concept of inquiry into teaching practices for the purpose of improving student learning. The talk will also highlight the direction an action research project may take and its impact on learners as well as teachers. She will expand on her action research projects in her talk and draw connections to the journey she has taken as an educator through public and private reflection.
Building on her discussion of action research and inquiry into teaching practices, Anna Bartosik will also touch on how engaging in actional research can challenge and reshape teacher identities. By drawing from the insights gained through action research, she will invite conversation about how teachers can transition into action research while navigating the process of reshaping their identity through reflective practice.
Dr. Anna Bartosik
Anna Bartosik (she/ona/elle) is a professor, instructional designer, researcher, and faculty facilitator at George Brown College. She leads the Scholarship in ELT on the SOTL-ESL Committee and supports faculty development in her work with the Teaching and Learning Exchange. Anna is interested in the examination of learner autonomy, the ethics of technology for teaching, as well as self-directed professional development/SoTL and its impact on teacher identities.
This talk is now over. Thank you to everyone who attended.