“Françoise Mougeon has made a signal contribution to Glendon through her two tenures as associate principal academic & research,” said Glendon Principal Kenneth McRoberts. “Over these several years, Françoise could always be counted on to discharge her responsibilities with a clear sense of purpose, with a concern with rigour and fairness, and with close attention to detail. Through it all, she managed to maintain an active research program, to which she soon can give her full attention with a well-deserved sabbatical.”

Right: Françoise Mougeon

Mougeon is completing her second term as associate principal academic & research, having also served from 2003 to 2004. She will be on sabbatical starting July 1, and will return to teaching in 2012.

Mougeon’s research focused on the progress of students in their second language with funding through a Social Science & Humanities Research Council of Canada grant, from 2005 to 2008, and it continues still, in collaboration with a professor at the University of Toronto.

“My hope is to establish a French-as-a-second-language institute at Glendon, enlarging our research to studying students who are not specializing in languages,” said Mougeon, an active member of Glendon’s . “I have always tried to project linguistics and language studies as more than a support subject, but rather an important academic subject on its own.”

Other future projects on her agenda include establishing a centre for advanced studies on francophonies, which she considers a natural development for Glendon, given that relating projects are already in progress and there are a significant number of fellow faculty members on campus – a core group – who are interested in participating.

She has several ongoing projects to hand over with the position. These include an innovative program for francophone students choosing public relations as their future profession. The four-year program, still to be approved, would provide graduates with a Glendon BA and a Cité Collégiale diploma, completed at the same time.

Submitted by Glendon communications officer Marika Kemeny

Republished courtesy of YFile – 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

The post Professor Françoise Mougeon, Glendon's associate principal academic & research, steps down appeared first on Research & Innovation.

A project led by 91��ɫ Faculty of Education Professors Heather Lotherington and Jennifer Jenson at Joyce Public School in North 91��ɫ, and funded by the (SSHRC), has received two awards.

The 91��ɫ-Joyce Public School Multiliteracies Project involves graduate students and researchers working with teachers at Joyce Public School to develop traditional and digital literacies. It was one of the winners of the . The awards highlight outstanding individuals, projects and programs in TDSB schools. The project's second award, the , went to the team of teachers from Joyce Public School who are working with Lotherington and Jenson.

Left: Heather Lotherington

Over the past seven years, this school-based initiative has been developed as a result of Lotherington’s SSHRC grants. The most recent grant for Lotherington, on which Jenson is co-researcher, has created a dynamic learning community to research a multiliteracies approach to learning that incorporates traditional literacy, culture and heritage literacies, language literacies and current digital technology literacies. The project has produced a wealth of teacher and student learning projects, such as the multilingual digital video game “Talk Time” designed to help parents teach critical thinking to young children; a series of multilingual creative narratives; video clips such as “Imagine a World”; and student-created public service clips that address issues of social justice.

“I am delighted with this recognition of our evolving work, which belongs to all participating teachers, staff members, research assistants, researchers and the kids, who have created beautiful stories! We have worked together for many years to develop our learning community,” said Lotherington. “Two regular SSHRC awards and several minor grants later, the 91��ɫ-Joyce Public School partnership has expanded and evolved into a feature of the school. Our learning community is a model for both in-service professional development through collaborative action research and theory-building by translating cutting-edge theoretical concepts into classroom practice.”

Right: Jennifer Jenson

Also honoured was the team of Joyce Public School teachers and support staff who have been working with Lotherington and Jenson. The group received the 2010 Premier’s Award for Teaching Excellence – Team of the Year, given to a team made up of two to 10 individuals who have worked together to achieve a common goal.

Sixty-five per cent of the children at the school speak English as a second language and 90 per cent of the parents are from outside Canada. The teachers working with Lotherington and Jenson received the Premier's Award for their work on the multiliteracy projects that use digital technology and feature students and parents using personal experiences and first languages to reimagine popular stories.

Lotherington’s project "Researching New Literacies in the Multicultural Classroom: Developing a Ludic Approach to Linguistic Challenges in Elementary Education" received $125,788 from SSHRC in the 2007 competition. The research team continues to explore how teachers can teach socially responsive, immersive literacies in the contemporary multicultural, multilingual classroom.

For more information, visit the  Web site.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

The post Education professors' community learning project nets two awards appeared first on Research & Innovation.

Bialystok, a Distinguished Research Professor in 91��ɫ’s Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, is known internationally for her research on language, bilingualism and cognitive development. She received the award this morning from the , which administers the .

One of the most important research prizes in the world, the $100,000 Killam Prize is annually awarded to five eminent Canadian scholars for their distinction in health sciences, engineering, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. Bialystok was recognized for her work in the social sciences category.

Right: Ellen Biaylstok

The first in her field to research claims of cognitive deficits in bilingual children, Bialystok discovered that bilingual children and adults have distinct advantages over unilingual people when completing both linguistic and nonlinguistic tasks. Her research is now revealing that this advantage continues for bilingual people as they age.

She has also been recognized by the international linguistics community for her body of work on theories of language processing and on practical issues related to foreign and second language education.

“The Killam Prize recognizes Professor Bialystok’s groundbreaking contributions to psychology and confirms the international excellence of her achievements,” said 91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. “Her success contributes to the growing national and international leadership of 91��ɫ’s faculty in health related-research as they respond to medical, social, and environmental challenges facing Canadians and people around the world.”

Bialystok was awarded a in 2001. She is a . In November, she received the 91��ɫ in recognition of her research contributions.

"Ellen is a remarkable researcher who is so deserving of the Killam Prize," said Stan Shapson, vice-president, research & innovation. "Her work is cited all over the world. She has also received funding from all three of Canada's national funding bodies − the , the and the − at various points in her career, along with funding from the ."

Bialystok has developed new methodologies for studying the role of cognitive processes on second language learning as well as the impact that knowing a second language has on cognitive aging.

“By studying people of all ages, and using both behavioural and neuroimaging approaches, Professor Bialystok is changing our understanding of language acquisition and literacy, as well as cognition and aging," said Faculty of Health Dean Harvey Skinnner. "Her research, and the collaborative research of many other faculty researching developmental and cognitive processes, reflects the Faculty's goals of innovative research that helps keep more people healthier, longer."

Bialystok has recently published research on how bilingualism boosts children’s focus. She has also researched how bilingualism can delay the onset of dementia.

By Janice Walls, media relations coordinator.

The post 91��ɫ developmental psychology professor wins Killam Prize appeared first on Research & Innovation.