M.Ed. in Curriculum Leadership
North Vancouver, Cohort 2
Focus on: Instructional Intelligence

THE program

This program is designed to respond to the interests and concerns of teachers who wish to become curriculum leaders in school districts. The cohort theme is to encourage and support teachers who wish to "investigate their practices" through Barrie Bennett's notions of "Instructional Intelligence" ("II") in order to challenge, learn, explore, and renew their understanding of how their engagement with students and curriculum plays a critical role in education.

Curriculum Studies encompass, but are not limited to, investigations of how learning is constructed. Graduate students learn about issues around curriculum planning , and development , implementation and evaluation . Inquiry in curriculum studies is multidisciplinary, and explores a variety of perspectives.

The Faculty

The Department of Curriculum Studies includes 29 full-time faculty members with expertise and experience in a variety of areas. Faculty members from other departments (e.g. Language & Literacy Education Dept.) and from organizations outside of UBC (e.g. graduates of the first North Vancouver Curriculum Leadership Cohort) may also be involved in the program.

Cohort Core Courses

The required eight (8) graduate courses are meant to provide a broad overview of central issues in teacher practices:

• How practice is both technical and moral, and embedded in social contexts
• How practice might be reflected upon, questioned, critiqued and improved
• How practice is related to conceptions of curriculum

The focus of these courses will be on investigating how teacher-researchers can make a difference in educational practices, curriculum development and instructional integration, and understanding of student learning. A culminating course will provide graduate students the opportunity to share their research and learning with their peers.

Elective Courses

Two (2) elective courses are selected by participants with the assistance of their faculty graduate advisor. Elective courses may be offered in North Vancouver, providing that a sufficient number of students in the cohort opt for the same course. Courses are created for cohorts to reflect that cohort's collective interests, concerns, and questions.

Capstone Graduating Research Project

Challenging and rewarding, the Capstone Research Project is the highlight of the cohort experience. Teachers, individually or in groups, choose a research question to investigate. Through action research, participants inquire into their own practices in the classroom. Past cohort participants have presented their research at conferences and been published. For an example of research projects see Notes from the Field at http://www.educationalinsights.ca

program Schedule

The 30-credit program is offered over a three-year period, with courses scheduled to accommodate practicing teachers and administrators.

January '08	Instructional Creativity
May '08	Narrative Research
Summer '08	Elective
September '08	Research Methodology in Education
January '09	Instructional Creativity 2
May '09	Education Action Research
Summer '09	Elective
September '09	Instruction Creativity 3 (Technologies)
January '10	Introduction to Curriculum Issues & Theories
May '10	Graduating Project

Elective courses are taken at UBC's main campus during the summer sessions.

Communication

Participants must have computer and e-mail/internet access. One way UBC students can get Internet and e-mail access is through Netinfo, http://www.netinfo.ubc.ca/, a service provided by the UBC Library and ITServices.

Admission

All students must meet the admission requirements for this program, which include:

• 3 years of teaching experience
• a completed four-year undergraduate degree
• at least a 76% average on all senior-level credits
• at least 12 credits at 80% standing or higher
• 3 references from an administrator, professor, of someone in a supervisory position are required
• a resumé

 

Program Pre-requisites

There are no additional pre-requisites.

Tuition

Program fees will be paid over a minimum of nine (9) installments of $ 1,326.51 plus applicable student fees, payable in September, January and May of each of the three years. The program total is $11,938.59 plus applicable student fees.

Tuition fees are in Canadian dollars, are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors, and are subject to change.

Application Process

Online Application now available, please read instructions below.
Application Deadline: October 1, 2007

In addition to your on-line application, please forward:

• Two official (sealed) transcripts from all post-secondary institutions (except from UBC)
• Three (sealed) letters of reference (forms available here).
• A resumé
• A one page statement indicating how you think this program will contribute to your work in this field (if you did not complete that in the online application)

You must apply for this program on-line; please print out these instructions and refer to them when actually making your on-line application:

• Go to http://www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online/
• Before beginning your application, read all of the instructions
• When you are ready to apply, click on "Apply Online"
• Read the instructions, and click on "Create Your Account" (unless you have already begun your application, in which case you should "Login")
• Once you have created your account, choose "New Application" and then click on "Start a Completely New Application"
• Under "Degree Selection," choose "Master of Education" in the pulldown menu
• Under "Specialization," you must choose "EPLT North Vancouver- NVC2"
• Proceed with your application as instructed
• When finished entering your information, you must click "Submit" for the application to work
• You will automatically receive an email acknowledgement, with instructions on documentation and deadlines

Some application reminders

• We need sealed transcripts from EVERY post-secondary institution you attended, whether or not they issued you a degree, except UBC. If you are a UBC alumnus, please provide your student number and we will print your transcript.
• If you have transcripts, please enclose or fax us photocopies (604-822-2015). We can make a quick adjudication of your eligibility even before all of your "official" documents arrive. Please note that this adjudication is not official until we have received your sealed transcripts.
• Send everything - EVERYTHING - to EPLT (1304-2125 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4). The most common delay in admissions is caused by the search for documents that are at other locations on this huge campus.
• References can now be submitted electronically in the following manner:  when you submit your application, include the reference's email address.  This will generate an automatic email which contains a link to a site where your reference can enter his/her reference, and then submit it.  They can type as much as they want, despite the apparent size of the text box. This link will only be available when your application is submitted.  If you plan on having your reference(s) submit their reference by mail, please leave the email address blank on the application.
• If you prefer to submit any or all of your references by hard copy you can download the reference form for this program here. A letter can take the place of the reference form but it must answer the questions posed in the reference form. The reference form is designed for professors to fill out. If your referee is not a professor, please ask him or her to write about your ability to successfully complete a graduate degree. The letter should identify key committees that you may have chaired, presentations or conferences or professional development programs you have done or taken, how you are able to understand new curriculum theory and apply it to your classroom program, if you have been a teacher supervisor for a student teacher, your ability to process data, or undertake major projects, your leadership capabilities. Detailed examples are more useful than general statements of support. Please note:  the reference letters must be received here in sealed envelopes with the referee's signature written across the sealed envelope flap.

 

For More Information

For information about the program, district contacts, information sessions, or submitting an application, please contact:

Dan Kravinchuk, Program Assistant
UBC Faculty of Education
External Programs and Learning Technologies
Tel: 604-822-4499 or Toll Free 1-888-492-1122
dan.kravinchuk@ubc.ca

For academic information about the cohort, please contact:

Peter Gouzouasis, Cohort Advisor
UBC, Faculty of Education
Department of Curriculum Studies
604-822-4460
peter.gouzouasis@ubc.ca

For district information about the cohort, please contact:

Larry Johnson , District Contact
Leo Marshall Curriculum Centre
North Vancouver School District
604-903-3783
ljohnson@nvsd44.bc.ca