About the Session
Join us for an exciting Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) session about a news literacy framework for educators and students. In these information-challenged times, this workshop will introduce the concept and benefits of including news literacy (e.g. Ashley, 2020) as a crucial element in the post-secondary teaching and learning environment. We will explore the news literacy framework, discuss why it is essential to 21st-century post-secondary learning and teaching, and provide an orientation to a new open education resource, a news literacy toolkit.
The session will be of interest to professors, librarians, and other educators who support student learning. It aims to give participants the knowledge and skills to better understand and engage with today’s complex media environment. By the end of the workshop, participants will:
- Be able to define and explain the concept of news literacy and its importance in the current media landscape
- Understand how the presence of bias in news reporting affects the representation of events
- Learn strategies to curate a diverse and balanced news diet, avoiding echo chambers and ensuring exposure to multiple perspectives.
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This session may be recorded, archived, and shared after the event.
About the Facilitator
Justin Harrison has over 20 years’ professional experience as an academic research librarian and holds the position of Engagement & Learning Librarian at the University of Victoria Libraries. He is also a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria, focusing on media literacy, news literacy, and their intersections with civic engagement and political polarization.
About the Session
This advanced session explores how educators can meaningfully elevate and integrate Indigenous values within their courses through intentional curricular alignment. Grounded in an understanding of the full history and context of the Territory(ies) in which post-secondary institutions exist, the workshop builds on concepts of decolonization and Indigenization through a distinctions-based approach.
Participants should come with a cohesive knowledge of their own positionality, the history and ongoing impacts of colonization in B.C., and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Together, we will review examples, engage in discussion, and consider how integrating an Indigenous Values Framework might support our commitments to Truth and Reconciliation while enhancing student learning and engagement.
This session will be of interest to ally professors, librarians, and educators who support student learning. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
- Reflect on the Traditional Territory(ies) in which they live and work, using a distinctions-based approach
- Consider the impacts of colonization in post-secondary settings and discuss current actions to decolonize these spaces
- Explore and discuss Indigenous Values Frameworks as a methodology for decolonizing and Indigenizing curricula and course delivery
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This session will be recorded, archived, and shared after the event.
About the Facilitator
Natasha Parrish Sk’ing lúudas was born and raised as a visitor in the Homelands of the lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples (Victoria, B.C.) She belongs to the Kyaanuusalii Clan of the Raven moiety of the Haida Nation through an unbroken matrilineal line. She also carries English ancestry and is a fourth generation settler-Canadian. She has a Bachelor of Arts, a post-degree professional program in secondary teaching, and a Master of Indigenous nationhood from the University of Victoria. Sk’ing lúudas is an Education Developer Indigenization at Camosun College, with experience in secondary and post-secondary education settings. Her thinking has been influenced by many local Elders and Knowledge Keepers, such as Elder Henry Chipps (Sci’anew Nation) and Brother Rick Peter (Cowichan Nation) as well as many hours with Haida Elders, Community Members, and time in her home Territory. She is passionate about Land Back initiatives and is a recent founder of Indigenous Roots Coffee Co.
About the Session
This session explores how generative AI can support more inclusive teaching through the lens of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Through live demonstrations, practical activities, and collaborative discussion, you’ll experiment with AI tools to redesign lessons, activities, or resources that reflect UDL principles.
This workshop is not an introduction to GenAI or UDL, but an opportunity to explore how generative AI can help you design flexible, accessible, and learner-centered learning experiences. You’ll leave with a draft product tailored to your own context, and new strategies for using AI to reduce barriers and support diverse learners.
Register Now!
This session may be recorded, archived, and shared after the event.
About the Facilitator
Kelly Fyke is a Teaching and Learning Specialist at College of the Rockies with 20 years’ experience spanning K–12 teaching, international education, and post-secondary educational development. Her work focuses on generative AI in education, Universal Design for Learning, and inclusive teaching. Kelly is passionate about empowering educators, creating equitable learning spaces, and supporting innovation that helps students thrive. Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn.