Having recently surpassed the 10-year mark of her teaching career, University of Lethbridge Master of Education (Curriculum & Assessment) student, Amanda Sequeira (BFA/BEd ‘14) reflects on how her graduate studies have helped her manage the complex realities of today's classrooms. An alumna of the ULethbridge Faculty of Education, she credits her time as an undergraduate student for helping her understand her own pedagogy as a teacher and the profession as a whole. Eight years after crossing the stage, Amanda chose to pursue a Master of Education.
It has been wonderful. I have learned so much. The really great thing about the Master’s Program is that it continually sparks my desire to learn and keep learning while seeing how all the theory is translating into practice. One thing I did not expect was how immediately many of the things I am learning are coming to fruition in my classroom, both in my assessment practices and in the way I’m thinking about curriculum. It’s been really enriching. Every semester, I am learning new things and then challenging my own pedagogy in my own practice.
Amanda's decision to return to ULethbridge was inspired by her growing curiosity about how educational systems are formed, programs of study and where the future of Alberta's curriculum could potentially go.
"She is an outstanding teacher and learner. As a student, she is incredibly engaged, thoughtful and curious", says Dr. Dawn Burleigh, associate professor in the Faculty of Education. "She has an admirable commitment to seeing out the connections and disconnections between theory and her teaching practice for the ultimate benefit of her students. She is incredibly collaborative and very creative—both excellent qualities of a student and a teacher."
Contemporary issues in education
Currently teaching a variety of classes at Chinook High School including photography, digital media, yearbook and art, Amanda identifies two primary challenges in modern-day classrooms: the unprecedented rise of artificial intelligence tools available to students and a lack of emphasis on digital citizenship within current programs of study in Alberta. These are some of the challenges Amanda seeks to address through her teaching practices, research and capstone project, which she is completing under the supervision of Dr. Leah Fowler, professor emerita at the University of Lethbridge.
“Amanda is pulling her experiences, knowledge and growth all together in a well-written culmination to her Master’s degree and she will be a wonderful ambassador in education for her colleagues and students alike as a result of her intensive journeys through the master’s program”, says Dr. Fowler. “It is a great pleasure to see her work cohere and be ready to inspire others.”
Amanda’s capstone project and research explore how student voices can inform decisions around assessment and curriculum design, and how using student agency in creating those pieces can help increase intrinsic motivation within those students.
If I've got a class of 40 students in front of me, the challenge then becomes, ‘how can I make sure that every student is learning and being able to access the supports they need to help them learn’. Something I really discovered, especially within writing my capstone and reflecting on my masters, is that I can navigate that by using a lot of student voice and student-driven decisions to help guide what we need to be doing in the class in order to keep it relevant, but also to keep students engaged.
Amanda has brought this theory into practice by providing spaces for her students to design their own projects, co-create rubrics as a class and by mentoring students through their time management. She says doing so has resulted in increased student engagement and motivation, while encouraging authentic learning as students have a better understanding of their assessment.
“Assessment can become less of something that is done to students and becomes something they can see their voice in. We often co-create the language that guides the rubric for major assignments throughout the semester. The rubrics then become more of a tool for them versus something they see at the end after they have been marked.”
Digital citizenship at the forefront of student needs
Through encouraging student voices and actively addressing their needs, Amanda and her colleagues at Chinook High School identified a growing demand for a course focused on educating students about their digital footprints, responsible use of AI tools, media literacy and safe online practices. In response, they have introduced a mandatory eight-week Digital Citizenship class for all grade nines.
"More and more we are seeing it become more normalized for students to have access to technology at younger ages. We are also seeing the harm it can do when students don’t know how to navigate these technologies appropriately and responsibly and in a way that supports their lives productively. The education system is evolving to support the fact that technology is here, and we need to keep up with making sure that our students are understanding it as it comes into their lives."
Following her positive experiences, Amanda now urges fellow educators to consider graduate studies as the next step in their educational journey.
"I started my master’s with the goal of learning more and growing in my professional pedagogy, and the last three years have far exceeded that expectation. I strongly encourage anyone considering a master’s to explore ULethbridge—the passion and knowledge of the professors, along with the invaluable connections I made in my cohort, have made my experience truly impactful."