1. Who are you?  Where do you teach/study/research?

I read Egan’s work in the late 1990s in an Educational Foundations class at the University of Alberta. It was during this class that I decided to take a major detour—instead of continuing down the path toward elementary school teaching, I started to look more closely at media studies and question the role of media (film, TV, videogames) in the lives of young children. This drew me to the West Coast, in particular Simon Fraser University, because of the work being done in the School of Communication by Dr. Stephen Kline, and in the Faculty of Education by Dr. Kieran Egan.

After completing an MA in Communication Studies that focused on media in the lived experiences of young children and their families and the role of media education in schools, I realized I needed to find my way back into the education field. I began my PhD studies there.

My PhD thesis entitled Teaching the Media with Mouse Woman: Adventures in Imaginative Education was completed in the summer of 2014 with the incredible support and guidance of Dr. Mark Fettes, Dr. Kieran Egan, and Dr. Michael Ling.

2. What milestones have shaped your educational interests?

A major milestone happened with my transition from my MA to my PhD—this involved leaving a very well-established research home in the Media Analysis lab and finding a new one. At this point, Mark Fettes was initiating the LUCID (Learning for Understanding through Culturally Inclusive Imaginative Education) project and was looking for a research assistant. I happened to be at the right place, at the right time, with a CV in hand and a pile of enthusiasm to better understand Imaginative Education.   This new job meant a LOT of travel and with that amazing chance meetings (on plane, trucks, ferries, forest paths…) and deep, meaningful conversations about education, research and imagination. It also meant connecting with dedicated teachers looking for new ways of engaging students. I witnessed their transformations as they began to unpack issues/topics including what education meant to them, how they saw their role(s) in the classroom, and the central role imagination needed to take the classroom.

My involvement with the LUCID project meant I was invited to develop and implement media-education programming in various schools in Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii, B.C., as well as in the Lower Mainland in a Grade 3 class; my understanding of IE’s nuances grew.

3. What are your hopes for education in the 21st century?

Balance! I think we’ve come to a point where the idea of balance has emerged from the shadows and is something that we, and our students, are actively striving for. My work in IE and holistic models of education, like Rudolph Steiner’s work, reminds me that we need to seek balance in our abilities to think, feel, and do. We also need balance when it comes to dealing with classroom content such as the amount and time dedicated to screen media. There are moments when I feel the trend towards bigger, better, faster educational toys (computer/iPads) far outweighs the prolonged investigation of deep, transformative engagement in classrooms; yet I can also recognize the importance of these technologies in our lives today. But I am also witnessing lovely glimmers of hope in hallway conversations with educators who are using terms like balance, alternatives, well-being, care, inquiry, slowing down, and imagination as important issues to be more thoroughly examined.

4. What questions/projects are you currently pursuing?

With my PhD completed, I find myself in a privileged position to open up my ‘Research-To-Do’ book and review a decade’s worth of ideas that have cropped up after various conversations with colleagues, students, and theorists.   My focus continues to be the role of media in the lives of children; this is a growing concern with the rise of wireless technologies and portable screens. I’m hoping to realize my dream to develop and implement media-education workshops for parents-to-be. Working with these parents, before they are inundated with pressures of parenting in a media-saturate world will help plant the importance of finding alternatives to screen time, help to create conversations and hopefully initiate a supportive community to rely on when Disney, Nickelodeon and Nintendo come knocking at their doors.

A more recent project has been sparked by conversations with my teen daughter about her own school experiences, in particular about classroom engagement. My previous research on imagination, education and engagement seemed to be missing the voice of teens who are willing, and extremely able, to articulate what captures their attention and makes them stop in their tracks. My foray into qualitative methodologies, in particular Metissage via my thesis, has inspired me to work more cooperatively and having an opportunity to spend more time with my teen is just something I can’t give up.

5. What direction(s) would you like to see the IERG taking in the future?    

I always appreciated how the IERG is the hub for researchers to gather and I hope that this can continue. Meeting researchers from around the world who are all looking carefully at the role of imagination in education is both inspiring for upcoming IE educators and essential for the health and growth of the IERG.