This story is part of a series on the winners of the 2023 President’s Award for Innovation in Student Learning and Success:
A four-week experiential learning program called Developing Readers designed by Niagara College educator Barbara Morris is being celebrated for giving students in the Educational Assistance and Adult Supports (EAAS) program real-world experience supporting literacy development in children.
The transformational program was recognized by President Sean Kennedy as one of the recipients of the 2023 President’s Award for Innovation in Student Learning and Success.
A way to engage students in learning and self-reflection, the Developing Readers Program launched in Fall 2022 and gave 120 NC students the chance to engage in meaningful ways with students in kindergarten to grade two in preparation for their careers in education.
Over 350 District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) students benefitted from additional reading development support. NC students also benefitted from supporting readers and experiencing the impact of their work as children advanced their reading skills.
Morris designed the innovative program with intention, devising that both levels of learners (elementary and post-secondary) would be able to integrate the strategies practiced during the sessions.
Students from the Developing Readers program.
“To deliver relevant, engaging experiences, we need to understand the skills and attributes that our students come with and what experiences they need to enrich their learning,” said Morris. “This is where creativity, and the potential for innovation, lies. When students drive our instruction, our instruction becomes inherently innovative – a unique co-creation.”
The benefit to NC students extends beyond professional acumen to connection, having had the chance to engage with employers and communities and exposure to the important work of Educational Assistants.
Nominated by her supervisor Carol Phillips, Dean of Community Services, Justice and Fitness Studies, Morris explained how NC encourages innovation:
“The Dean’s and Associate Dean’s are open to professors who are exploring experimental ideas and they provide support in the form of resources, connection, and importantly, time. I believe this openness to innovative ideas comes from the understanding that when we program with students top of mind, we elevate our work and the NC experience for our students,” she said.
“Barb’s Developing Readers Program exemplifies teaching innovation, pedagogical engagement, and an exceptional commitment to student learning,” said Phillips. “Her unwavering focus on experiential learning has cultivated positive outcomes for NC students and for local primary school students alike. It is a testament to her approach to academic excellence and to her work every day.”
The program and partnership with the DSBN will continue, and the $2,500 funding will support the purchase of a levelled readers library for NC students to use in the Developing Reading program. Morris is keen to expand the program to include the Niagara Catholic District School Board.
Read the original story on the Developing Readers Program here.
