The Urban Learner

In all parts of a city there are schools. In urban communities, schools belong to a complex of ethnic and linguistic diversity as well as a mix of economic and social disparity. In Vancouver, this complex is changing rapidly and in unique ways because of emerging immigration and socio-economic patterns of Vancouver communities. Schools reflect the growing diversity of these communities.

The graduate students represented in this proposal are Vancouver teachers enrolled in two M.Ed. programs in CSCI. These teachers are studying literature related to the "urban learner'' and exploring particular issues they face in their practices, particularly in Eastside Vancouver where most of them teach (e.g., one teacher reports there are 28 languages represented in her school; another teacher describes his practice as "triage").

The objectives of this project are:

1. To integrate meaningfully the teachers’ programs of graduate study and their practices.
2. To create and sustain viable structures through credited courses and activities that engage and support explorations and critical analyses of practices.
3. To sustain collaborative networks among the 48 teachers in the cohorts, full-time doctoral students who are engaged with related literature and research, and families and members of the school communities.

Karen Meyer, Centre for the Study of Curriculum and Instruction, Faculty of Education
Carl Leggo, Language and Literacy Education, Faculty of Education
Elaine Decker, Director, Office of Continuing and Professional Education