The CAMROSE BOOSTER, December 14, 2021 – Page 29
Former resident earns teaching math honours By Murray Green
Teacher Lacey (nee Brockhoff) Pasemko has earned high praise from the Prime Minister. She earned a Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence and Teaching Excellence in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Teaching Excellence Award recipients are honoured for their remarkable achievements in education, and for their commitment to preparing their students for a digital and innovation-based economy. The Teaching Excellence in STEM Awards honour outstanding teachers who help develop the culture of innovation Canada needs today and in the future. Her concept of “Learning Math, a Collaborative Experience”, caught the attention of education leaders. Lacey received a Certificate of Achievement for her innovative teaching methods. Collaboration and commitment to higher academic achievement for her students are the key elements in her approach to teaching math. “I teach Grade 6 to 8 math this year. This award is awesome, I didn’t expect to win because the recipients are amazing from what I’ve read. It means that I am doing something right. I’m following my passion working with students, working with my teaching team at school, and following my passion of math and problem solving,” explained Lacey. The former Edberg area resident and New Norway School student is a Grade 6 to 8 teacher at the new
Four Winds Public School in Morinville. “I use a different way to teach math. Our school is very much inquiry based. Worksheets and pencils are really not my style. In my room, I have floor-to-ceiling white boards,” added Lacey. Collaboration may be the key element of her approach to teaching. She has implemented a 360-degree classroom, where students write on vertical non-permanent surfaces around the entire room, rather than sitting in desks. “I pose a problem to my students and they work with peers, side by side in random groups, and work out the problem. Everything is related to the real world,” Lacey commented. Collaborative learning (CL) involves a team of students who learn through working together to share ideas, solve a problem, or accomplish a common goal. The structure defines how student groups are formed (usually by teacher assignment) and how group members are expected to interact. “Our school is only three years old and our principal used to be a math teacher, so he was open to the same ideas and concepts. We both studied Peter Liljedahl (a professor of education at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC), an amazing mathematician, who has done more than 20 years of research on vertical, non-permanent surfaces.” Being able to erase work encourages students to take risks and share their thoughts. Writing in
Lacey Pasemko
your own binder, with your own pen at your own desk does little to encourage collaboration. “When you are standing beside someone and there is only one pen, working together comes naturally. The non-linearity of work these surfaces provide also more accurately reflects the thinking process,” she said. Students naturally become the teachers in this setting and build their confidence when they explain concepts to others. “I use everyday topics like a grocery list to solve problems. They think of it as solving a money issue, like how much they spend on products. Instead of buying a six-pack of something for $3.62, they have to figure out what they pay if they only bought five items. They learn to do division and to use decimal points without using the word division or realizing they are doing math,” Lacey revealed. This encourages mobility of knowledge and participation. Besides helping students become more collaborative, this method
eliminates social barriers, decreases the reliance on the teacher for answers, and increases enthusiasm and engagement to complete mathematical tasks. “At the beginning of the year, I spend the first few days getting to know the students and exploring their passions. I ask them what they want to learn and encourage them to follow their passions. I have a bass player in my math class, so I use music questions to teach. We have basketball, hockey and volleyball players, so I ask questions on sports because they already know how to calculate stats.” Lacey has the ability to optimize academic results with students. She is dedicated to incorporating digital technologies for creation, collaboration and enhanced understanding of learning targets for her students. She designs lessons that effectively engage students, encourage collaboration and result in students discovering answers to complex problems on their own. “I find this system really benefits the students who struggle with math. It puts everything into reallife problems and they are now solving those daily tasks. They are not afraid to take risks or to make mistakes.” This is a great example of how technology can be used as a tool to create experiences and enhance the learning experience. “I would think middle school is the ideal place to teach this system. Coming off COVID-19, it was hard because we didn’t have the group sessions as
much, but when they learn together, instead as individuals, they learn at a faster pace,” she said. Lacey’s reputation is growing. Her circle of influence has garnered considerable attention in professional development organizations across Alberta. She has developed workshops, professional development and instructional videos for a number of professional development consortiums in the province. She did not solicit these opportunities, but rather she was sought out because of the legacy and success of her own teaching. “We noticed before in exams, some students didn’t even to attempt a problem. Now, we notice they have the skills to attempt any problem, no matter what. That is our biggest goal, to get students to try it. One day, I took all of the furniture out of my class because we were going to have a messy, chaotic session. They had the white boards and each other, they didn’t need anything else,” shared Lacey, who has taught math for five years. Her award actually landed her a permanent teaching position. Lacey also teaches sports sessions two days a week, as well as coaches basketball and volleyball. In local professional development sessions, presenters recognized how well she incorporates educational technology into her lessons and the passion she has for teaching. Her services have since been retained to create learning opportunities for teachers across Alberta.
By Murray Green
Four international comedians come together to create one amazing show with each bringing a unique and hilarious take, providing something for everyone. Just for Laughs winner Dan Quinn is joined by the Great Canadian Laugh Off winner Myrehaug, sixtime Canadian comedian of the year nominee Pete Zedlacher, and Seattle Comedy Competition winner Damonde Tschritter. Paul has appeared on CBC’s The Debaters, was the $25,000 Great Canadian Laugh Off winner, performs on Just For Laughs, Comedy Now! on CTV and the Truck Jokes YouTube video series. Early bird tickets are on sale now, with a discounted price until December 14th.
Winter comedy tour includes Bailey
SILENT SANTA
Murray Green, Camrose Booster Camrose Kinettes Club representative Kathy Schwab, left, accepts $300 for the Silent Santa program from Camrose Elks Lodge exalted ruler Gerry Czapp, from the service club’s various fundraising efforts. The Silent Santa program provides gifts for children at Christmas time.
Canada’s biggest stand-up comedy tour is returning to Camrose and the Bailey Theatre. Camrose’s Paul Myrehaug and his co-troop of comedians will be presenting their Snowed In Comedy Tour on March 4, 2022 at 8 p.m. The Snowed In Comedy Tour has turned into a Canadian success story, celebrating its 12th year. The tour has now grown to be the largest in Canada, with 70 cities from coast to coast. The tour has performed in Australia, US, France and Switzerland. The 2020 tour received numerous standing ovations and was the most successful to date. Without major TV credits, the growth of the tour is attributed to word of mouth from delivering knockout performances year after year.
