With the support of the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir)’s NOTED program, the Faculty of Education and Arts at Nord University, Norway and the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University, Canada, in cooperation with local schools in the Nordland, Trøndelag, and Ontario regions, have joined to establish the CANOPY Project (Canada-Norway Pedagogy Partnership for Innovation and Inclusion in Education). This partnership aims to address, from a holistic and international perspective, the most pressing issues currently facing the education sector to better prepare the next generation of teachers. Connecting educational research, classroom experience, student mobility, and institutional management, CANOPY will develop global competencies in pedagogy, research, and training through international collaboration.
Innovation and Inclusion are the guiding principles of CANOPY, and the initiatives of each year of the project will focus on a different priority area comprehended by these principles
2020/21: Educational Leadership
2022: Digital Innovation and Educational Technology
2023: Indigenous Studies, Diversity, and Inclusion
2024: Exceptional Learners
“Before we started this day, at least I, and I think others on the team, had a picture of what was going to happen; a clinical, professional lecture about different subjects. This was not the case at all.”
Allison Headrick and Madalina Raduta completed their International Alternative Practicum above the arctic circle, in Bodø, Norway.
Every year, six students are selected to join a short term mobility activity as members of the annually-rotating CANOPY Partnership Groups (CPG). The CPG meets physically twice a year – once in Canada and once in Norway.
HANNA DANBOLT AJER
Hanna Danbolt Ajer is assistant professor of Lule Sámi at Nord University. Alongside this, she is currently in the final stages of her PhD in Linguistics at the University of Cambridge funded by the Gates Cambridge Trust. Hanna has learnt Lule Sámi during her PhD-project investigating word-order variation in the language. She has thus fairly recently been a student of the language herself, an experience she draws on in her teaching.
Lule Sámi is an indigenous language spoken in parts of northern Norway and Sweden which has become severely endangered due to assimilation policies. In the ongoing revitalisation process, there is a great need for more documentation and teaching of the language, which Hanna’s work aims to contribute to. Hanna is passionate about documenting language variation and promoting a positive view of it whereby variation in Lule Sámi and other minoritized languages must be looked at on its own terms, rather than simply be assumed to stem from influence from dominant languages. She is therefore particularly interested in how research on variation may inform language teaching.
Another question Hanna is concerned with which is of relevance to this year’s CANOPY focus is how fieldwork may best be carried out in marginalised communities. She views it as essential to get involved in one’s field community and build relations far beyond one’s research, in line with the thinking developed in indigenous methodologies, and she has aimed to follow such an approach in her own work with the Lule Sámi community.
HANNA DANBOLT AJER
Hanna Danbolt Ajer is assistant professor of Lule Sámi at Nord University. Alongside this, she is currently in the final stages of her PhD in Linguistics at the University of Cambridge funded by the Gates Cambridge Trust. Hanna has learnt Lule Sámi during her PhD-project investigating word-order variation in the language. She has thus fairly recently been a student of the language herself, an experience she draws on in her teaching.
Lule Sámi is an indigenous language spoken in parts of northern Norway and Sweden which has become severely endangered due to assimilation policies. In the ongoing revitalisation process, there is a great need for more documentation and teaching of the language, which Hanna’s work aims to contribute to. Hanna is passionate about documenting language variation and promoting a positive view of it whereby variation in Lule Sámi and other minoritized languages must be looked at on its own terms, rather than simply be assumed to stem from influence from dominant languages. She is therefore particularly interested in how research on variation may inform language teaching.
Another question Hanna is concerned with which is of relevance to this year’s CANOPY focus is how fieldwork may best be carried out in marginalised communities. She views it as essential to get involved in one’s field community and build relations far beyond one’s research, in line with the thinking developed in indigenous methodologies, and she has aimed to follow such an approach in her own work with the Lule Sámi community.
MAJA BENDIKSEN
MAJA BENDIKSEN
Maja Bendiksen is in her second year at Nord University Levanger. She is from a small village called Kvæfjord in northern Norway, but currently lives in Steinkjer, Trøndelag. She is studying primary school teaching 1-7 and this year has the subjects mathematics, pedagogy and English. She also wants to delve into social studies later in her education. She has worked as a substitute teacher alongside her studies for just over a year and enjoys it very much. Through her job as a substitute teacher and previous job in elderly care, and as a support contact, she has met different personalities from different cultures and environments. This has given her an open view of different people, cultures and surroundings.
She has always been interested in the topics of indigenous people, diversity and inclusion. Throughout her upbringing, she has met different personalities from different communities around her. Both Sami and Kven culture is widespread in villages in the immediate area, and this has given her the opportunity to experience their culture and acquire their stories and point of view. She therefore sees this year's theme as a great opportunity to hear other people's views on the topics of indigenous people, inclusion and diversity.
ALANA BUTLER
Dr. Alana Butler is an Assistant Professor for At-Risk Children and Student Success and EDI coordinator in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University. In 2015, she graduated with a Ph.D. in Education from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. She joined Queen’s University in 2017 and currently teaches in the Bachelor of Education program as well as the Graduate Studies program. Her research interests include the academic achievement of low-socio economic students, race and schooling, equity and inclusion, and multicultural education. She is currently Principal Investigator on a 2019 Insight Development Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) for a study on post-secondary access for low-income youth. She is co-investigator on a number of projects funded by SSHRC including a 2022 Partnership Grant on Sub-Saharan African immigrants, a 2021 Partnership Engage Grant on the academic outcomes and well-being of foster children, and a 2021 Partnership Engage Grant on anti-oppressive, anti-racist pedagogy for secondary schools. Her scholarly work has been published in the Canadian Journal of Education, Gender and Education, and Canadian Ethnic Studies.
ALANA BUTLER
Dr. Alana Butler is an Assistant Professor for At-Risk Children and Student Success and EDI coordinator in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University. In 2015, she graduated with a Ph.D. in Education from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. She joined Queen’s University in 2017 and currently teaches in the Bachelor of Education program as well as the Graduate Studies program. Her research interests include the academic achievement of low-socio economic students, race and schooling, equity and inclusion, and multicultural education. She is currently Principal Investigator on a 2019 Insight Development Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) for a study on post-secondary access for low-income youth. She is co-investigator on a number of projects funded by SSHRC including a 2022 Partnership Grant on Sub-Saharan African immigrants, a 2021 Partnership Engage Grant on the academic outcomes and well-being of foster children, and a 2021 Partnership Engage Grant on anti-oppressive, anti-racist pedagogy for secondary schools. Her scholarly work has been published in the Canadian Journal of Education, Gender and Education, and Canadian Ethnic Studies.
PETER CHIN
Dr. Peter Chin is Associate Dean of Teacher Education and Coordinator of the Technological Education Program. His research interests can be found in the areas of teacher education and science education. Within teacher education, his research focuses on the complexities of the practicum setting (from both the teacher candidate’s and school associate’s perspectives) and how we can improve our understanding of this setting through the establishment of collaborative communities of practice.
A related area of research stems from his interest in workplace learning. Specifically, with colleagues Hugh Munby and Nancy Hutchinson, he has been conducting research on high school students working in co-operative education contexts with a science focus. The research team wrote a discussion paper for the Council of Ministers of Education (CMEC) highlighting the research issues that need to be addressed in high-school co-operative education, and they are now working on their third SSHRC-funded research grant in this area. Additional research is being conducted on a 2-year SSHRC-HRDC grant that also includes Denise Stockley and Joan Versnel as co-investigators.
In science education, Dr. Chin is concerned with the implications for teaching and learning when one attends to constructivist learning theories, metacognition, multicultural/inclusive science, and issues within the philosophy of science. As part of the Ontario secondary school curriculum reform process, he co-authored discussion papers in both “secondary science” and “guidance and career education” for the Ministry of Education and Training. He has been involved in a three-year initiative to support the development of expertise in elementary science and technology within our local school boards, and is currently involved in a three-year project with secondary science teachers.
Dr. Chin also has a growing interest in international education.
PETER CHIN
Dr. Peter Chin is Associate Dean of Teacher Education and Coordinator of the Technological Education Program. His research interests can be found in the areas of teacher education and science education. Within teacher education, his research focuses on the complexities of the practicum setting (from both the teacher candidate’s and school associate’s perspectives) and how we can improve our understanding of this setting through the establishment of collaborative communities of practice.
A related area of research stems from his interest in workplace learning. Specifically, with colleagues Hugh Munby and Nancy Hutchinson, he has been conducting research on high school students working in co-operative education contexts with a science focus. The research team wrote a discussion paper for the Council of Ministers of Education (CMEC) highlighting the research issues that need to be addressed in high-school co-operative education, and they are now working on their third SSHRC-funded research grant in this area. Additional research is being conducted on a 2-year SSHRC-HRDC grant that also includes Denise Stockley and Joan Versnel as co-investigators.
In science education, Dr. Chin is concerned with the implications for teaching and learning when one attends to constructivist learning theories, metacognition, multicultural/inclusive science, and issues within the philosophy of science. As part of the Ontario secondary school curriculum reform process, he co-authored discussion papers in both “secondary science” and “guidance and career education” for the Ministry of Education and Training. He has been involved in a three-year initiative to support the development of expertise in elementary science and technology within our local school boards, and is currently involved in a three-year project with secondary science teachers.
Dr. Chin also has a growing interest in international education.
FRIDA STABERG FOSSUM
Frida Staberg Fossum is a teacher at Nesheim School, which is an elementary school in Levanger, in the middle of Norway. Frida is 32 years old and comes from a small village called Mosvik. She has worked at Nesheim school for six years. Frida graduated at the University of Stavanger in 2015. She studied to become a teacher for 5th-10th grade and specialized in Mathematics and Social Science. In addition, she took a master’s degree in Educational studies (Mathematics didactics). After her teacher training studies, she moved to Levanger. The first year she worked at a middle school. She also has experience working with 1st through 4th grade pupils as a substitute teacher. Currently she is teaching Music, English, Mathematics, Arts and crafts, Norwegian and Gymnastics in 6th. During the last three years, she has studied Guidance Pedagogy and English 1-10, at NORD university.
Frida enjoys the nature and finds it important to make children interested in our surroundings. In nature, as in the classroom, everything or everyone “plays a role in the puzzle”. She wants to impact pupils in a positive way when it comes to appreciating this fact.
FRIDA STABERG FOSSUM
Frida Staberg Fossum is a teacher at Nesheim School, which is an elementary school in Levanger, in the middle of Norway. Frida is 32 years old and comes from a small village called Mosvik. She has worked at Nesheim school for six years. Frida graduated at the University of Stavanger in 2015. She studied to become a teacher for 5th-10th grade and specialized in Mathematics and Social Science. In addition, she took a master’s degree in Educational studies (Mathematics didactics). After her teacher training studies, she moved to Levanger. The first year she worked at a middle school. She also has experience working with 1st through 4th grade pupils as a substitute teacher. Currently she is teaching Music, English, Mathematics, Arts and crafts, Norwegian and Gymnastics in 6th. During the last three years, she has studied Guidance Pedagogy and English 1-10, at NORD university.
Frida enjoys the nature and finds it important to make children interested in our surroundings. In nature, as in the classroom, everything or everyone “plays a role in the puzzle”. She wants to impact pupils in a positive way when it comes to appreciating this fact.
LINDSAY MORCOM
Dr. Lindsay Morcom is Associate Dean of Graduate Studies for the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University, as well as Canada Research Chair in Language Revitalization and Decolonizing Education. She earned her Master’s degree in Linguistics at First Nations University through the University of Regina in 2006. She then completed her doctorate in General Linguistics and Comparative Philology as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University in 2010. She is of Anishinaabe, German, and French heritage and embraces the distinct responsibility this ancestry brings to her research and to her contribution to reconciliation.
She is an interdisciplinary researcher with experience in education, Indigenous languages, language revitalization, linguistics, and reconciliation. She is an active member of the Kingston urban Indigenous community and works collaboratively with other organizers of the Kingston Indigenous Languages Nest for urban Indigenous language revitalization. She also works with on-reserve communities and school boards for to enhance language revitalization and decolonization in education. This has included projects examining the use of technology for improved language learning, collaborative arts-based research on the educational goals of Indigenous youth, and the development of Indigenous culture-based language immersion education.
LINDSAY MORCOM
Dr. Lindsay Morcom is Associate Dean of Graduate Studies for the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University, as well as Canada Research Chair in Language Revitalization and Decolonizing Education. She earned her Master’s degree in Linguistics at First Nations University through the University of Regina in 2006. She then completed her doctorate in General Linguistics and Comparative Philology as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University in 2010. She is of Anishinaabe, German, and French heritage and embraces the distinct responsibility this ancestry brings to her research and to her contribution to reconciliation.
She is an interdisciplinary researcher with experience in education, Indigenous languages, language revitalization, linguistics, and reconciliation. She is an active member of the Kingston urban Indigenous community and works collaboratively with other organizers of the Kingston Indigenous Languages Nest for urban Indigenous language revitalization. She also works with on-reserve communities and school boards for to enhance language revitalization and decolonization in education. This has included projects examining the use of technology for improved language learning, collaborative arts-based research on the educational goals of Indigenous youth, and the development of Indigenous culture-based language immersion education.
