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In this qualitative narrative self-study, I used critical reflection as a means to deepen my understanding of Reggio inspired practices in British Columbia. My daily actions and thoughts were collected for a period of 15 weeks over a five-month period in the 2018 school year. Collecting data through writing narratives provided a means for me to reflect on my practice during the process of writing them and reflect on afterwards during the analysis. From this data, the themes that emerged in this data showed that in my own Reggio inspired practices I began to share my pedagogical choices in my practice with others in my context. Also, I was able to make changes to the way I structured time in order to bring to living qualities in the classroom environment with my learner’s inquires. With those changes brought new changes and the need for further critical reflection on my role as the teacher. In beginning to discover my role as teacher as researcher, I found joy in being present with my learners. I was also faced with challenges, specifically around the use of pedagogical documentation in my practice. Collaboration with others in my practice often resulted in possibilities for my practice and my learners that I could not have anticipated before the collaboration had taken place. Lastly, using critical friends in this study helped me to identify assumptions in my practices and proved to be a way for me to clearly identify my next steps in finding what it means for me to become Reggio inspired in my own context of British Columbia. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/24429/Blow.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

This applied project examined Response to Intervention evidence-based programs that teachers can use at Tier 1 in the teaching of reading to support intermediate and secondary students who encounter reading challenges in the general education classroom. Evidence-based reading programs demonstrated effectiveness in supporting students’ reading practices, particularly those students who are struggling to read as well as those who read at the frustration level. The handbook provides teachers with the information they will need to navigate the teaching and assessment of reading. Its development was supported with reviews of both past and current reading research, and it presents practical strategies for teaching and assessments. It will provide teachers with the opportunity of assessing students’ areas of strengths and weaknesses and analyzing the evidence to make informed instructional decisions. The focus of this applied project is support for intermediate and secondary students. It is hoped that if teachers adopt the approach of using RTI and evidence-based programs in their teaching of reading as presented in the handbook, these evidence-based practices will support students’ motivation and reading skill development. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/23205/McKenzieBinghamProject.pdf?sequence=3

https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/13927/Langlois.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

A needs assessment is conducted within a school district in British Columbia to answer the research question, What do staff who work with youth in schools such as education assistants, administrators, counsellors, and clerical, know and need to know about embedding trauma-informed practice within a school district? Through a district-wide questionnaire and a focus group, three themes emerged. The first is that educators need to know how to better implement trauma-informed practice and restorative practices at the school and classroom level. The second is that staff need training on trauma-informed education; training needs to be inclusive of all staff who interact with students. Thirdly, although staff understand and value the importance of authentic student-staff relationships, they would benefit from training on how to support students with behaviour resulting from trauma, and the development of trauma-informed school behaviour policies. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/23238/CarrieThesis.pdf?sequence=3

As municipalities across Canada are increasingly looking to attract families to their urban cores, and understanding of the ins and outs of development proformas is helpful to support newly constructed housing units that are appropriate, suitable, and affordable for a broad range of residents, including families. Housing policies and regulations can significantly impact the design and distribution of housing in a community, therefore giving greater consideration to the spatial impacts of urban policy can enable planners to encourage the creation of attainable, family-friendly housing in every community, including within Canada's urban centres. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/23633/AgnelloFP2021.pdf?sequence=3

Conference Proceedings: Proceedings of the 2018 Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA-ACÉG) Conference. Conference date: June 3-6, 2018. Location: Vancouver, British Columbia. This poster was originally published as: Dick, B. (2018). Common first-year engineering curriculum in British Columbia. Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA-ACÉG) Conference. Vancouver, BC.: Canadian Engineering Education Association. https://dx.doi.org/10.24908/pceea.v0i0.12967 Labour market demand for engineers continues to outpace the capacity of postsecondary institutions to produce new entrants to the field. Providing for the diverse pathways students may take for their education could both increase the numbers of potential candidates, as well as improve the likelihood of those candidates successfully completing engineering programs. The British Columbia Council on Admission and Transfer (BCCAT) Engineering Articulation committee leveraged overlap within the content and delivery requirements of first-year engineering programs at most engineering schools in the province and developed a sector-wide common first-year engineering curriculum. Funding has been provided by the BCCAT Transfer Innovation Project (TIP) program. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/26105/Poster.pdf?sequence=4

This qualitative study used a hermeneutic phenomenological method to gain more insight into Vietnamese immigrant parents’ perceptions towards the influences of their settlement experiences in the beginning of their new homeland’s life on their children’s school adaptation. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with five Vietnamese immigrant parents. Findings show the emerged themes in the perceptions of Vietnamese immigrant parents towards the effects of their settlement experiences on their children’s adaptation, what factors contributed to their overcoming the hardship and what support they have received. My hope is that findings from this study will provide current and new Vietnamese immigrants in Canada with necessary knowledge regarding resettlement experiences and how to overcome any challenges. Hopefully, this study supports more Vietnamese people immigrating to Canada with their families to better adapt to their new homeland and schools. In addition, emerging knowledge could also help educators and teachers better understand and be aware of difficulties their Vietnamese immigrant students may face. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/23604/Nguyen.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

To date, Smart City approaches in Canada have been initiated in major metropolitan areas and large cities. However, the principles of this approach apply equally well to mid and small cities, and also to areas with unique demographics such as the aged communities. The purpose of this research is to apply a Smart City approach, previously only considered in Canada’s major cities and metropolitan areas, to Nanaimo, BC. The research explores the current and evolving status of Smart City approaches world-wide and in Canada, discusses how Smart City approaches can be scaled to mid-sized communities, and argues special considerations for aged community members. After completing a literature review and precedent case studies, the research explores how Nanaimo could be transformed into a Smart City by engaging knowledge holders and experts. Finally, the researcher suggests on how to smarten medium and aging cities in Canada, and how to build a smarter Nanaimo. Major project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Community Planning in the Department of Community Planning, Faculty of Social Sciences. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/23593/ChenProjectMCP.pdf?sequence=3

The rise of the new economy has increased the importance of creative thought needed for developmental change (Bridgstock, 2013). The presence of creative individuals in a community brings about innovation, so creative city and nation planning has been implemented in some developed countries to promote positive development (Kakiuchi, 2014). This study draws on previous research within the topic of cultural entrepreneurism, the livelihoods of artists’, and tourism. This qualitative study was carried out in two sites in Australia: Melbourne, Victoria and Eumundi, Queensland. The purpose of this study was to determine if creativity and personal income was affected by the commercialization of local artists in Australian markets. The objectives of the study were to: identify factors that contributed to the economic sustainability of artists, inquire about the influence tourism had on the personal income of artists, and gauge their subjective well-being. Recruitment occurred at arts markets where artists were approached using a snowball sampling method. The data collection period lasted 6 weeks and the results indicated that 31% of respondents had achieved economic sustainability through their artwork, whereas 19% stated that the income generated from art-making was partly sufficient and was characterised by fluctuations, and finally 50% of respondents needed to supplement their income from art through other means. Primary sources of supplementary funds were, in order of frequency, spousal support, part-time employment and savings or pension earnings. The results of the study demonstrated that artists who sold work at markets frequented by tourists were more likely to sustain themselves financially than those selling out of a suburban studio gallery. A stand-out trait for those who indicated economic sustainability was that they treated painting as a full-time job, dedicating meaningful time to business activities outside of the creative practice. The subjective well-being of artists was affected by the need to create artwork with commercial value. Some artists referred to the strain experienced by the need to make a living through creative work and how the economic pressures affected their overall creativity. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/25213/Skagfeld.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

Human rights law was one of the great legal innovations of the twentieth century. Cities, however, are today facing a remarkable diversity in human rights claims that would never have been envisioned a generation ago. How municipalities respond to these challenges will have profound consequences for social and economic policy planning. La législation en matière des droits de la personne est l’une des plus importantes innovations juridiques du XXe siècle. Toutefois, les villes sont actuellement confrontées à une diversité remarquable dans les revendications liées aux droits de la personne, ce qu’on n’aurait jamais pu imaginer il y a une génération. La façon dont les municipalités affronteront ces défi s aura de profondes répercussions dans le cadre de planifi cation des politiques économiques et sociales. Abstract in English and French; text in English. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/23338/Clement.pdf?sequence=3