Faculty of Education News Bulletin

Top Stories

Passings: MarySue McCarthy – MarySue McCarthy, a founding member of the Faculty of Education, is remembered for the passion she had creating connections with students and colleagues. Read more

Research Impact Blog Series – The Faculty of Education marcoms team recently launched a Research Impact Blog series highlighting the work of ED scholars whose ongoing research contributes to York University’s United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Here is the latest article featured in the series:

• York researcher rethinks math education for Black students - For Molade Osibodu, creating what she calls “liberatory futures” begins in the mathematics classroom. An associate professor of math education at York University’s Faculty of Education, Osibodu focuses her research on how Black students experience math and how education systems can better support equity. Read more

If you are interested in participating in the series, contact Anderson Coward at acoward@edu.yorku.ca

“It’s A Child’s Last Resort”: Elementary Teachers’ Collective Narratives Of Moving From Pain To Power In The Face Of Classroom Violence - In partnership with Elementary Teachers of Toronto (ETT), the local teachers' union, Assistant Professor Stephanie Fearon led an arts-based research study on the experiences of elementary teachers experiencing and organizing against school violence. Through storytelling, visual art, and collective reflection, this report moves us from pain to power and invites Torontonians to organize and build a properly funded and innovative public school system. Learn more

• Vice-President of the ETT and President of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations Nigel Barriffe (YorkU alum, BA ‘90) wrote a report for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives on the research study "It's A Child's Last Resort". Read report

Course Director Andrew McConnell presents at AI4CHIEF Symposium in Paris - McConnell presented "Assessing Open-Source LLMs for Anishinaabemowin" at the AI4CHIEF Symposium in Paris, April 16. The event was an interdisciplinary forum focused on exploring how artificial intelligence can support cultural heritage preservation and Indigenous self-determined futures. Learn more

Teaching & Learning

Year 1  PJ students at Markham campus design teacher tools through engineering inquiry – Students at the Markham campus engaged in a semester-long inquiry using the Engineering Design Process to create practical classroom tools. Supported by the Makerspace and guided by Professor Zuhra Abawi and Course Director Emily Burgis, their work highlights iteration, risk-taking, and learning through productive mistakes. Candidates reflected on how this approach shifted their focus from final products to the learning process itself. Explore portfolios by Amanda Arone, Kara Lee Blok, Cristina Crincoli, Hannah Doel

Inclusive STEM in Action – Students in Course Director Nadia Qureshi’s Primary/Junior Science & Technology course participated in a workshop titled “Equity in STEM Instruction in Ontario Classrooms, featuring a “Hair & Hustle” module. Through hands-on learning, they created hair products using natural ingredients while exploring how culturally responsive pedagogy can be embedded in everyday STEM. Hosted by Visions of Science, the session highlighted inclusive, real-world approaches to STEM education

Graduate Program Office

Congratulations to MEd student Vernetta Avril on being awarded the CSSHE 2026 Master's Thesis Award for her thesis “Navigating the unseen: An autoethnographic exploration of disparities in post-secondary educational access among Sanctuary Scholars”. Vernetta was supervised by professor Rachel Silver

MEd students LaToya Hinds launches ‘a Healthier Hue’ newsletter - Designed to be a trusted resource for people in early to mid-adulthood, the newsletter supports people of colour in building a strong health baseline before chronic illness and burnout take hold. Read inaugural issue

Resources for Faculty

New Land Acknowledgement for email signatures - The University recently signed an MOU with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. One of the outcomes is the launch of a new land acknowledgement website. This update also affects email signatures. All staff and faculty are encouraged to update their email signatures with the new Land Acknowledgement. Updated templates are available by campus, Faculty and sub brand. They can be downloaded from the Email Headers and Signatures section of the York brand website

AI Prohibition in Higher Education

Inside Higher Ed – “Is Grammarly AI? Notre Dame Says Yes” (Nov 26, 2024)
This article examines the University of Notre Dame’s decision to allow faculty to ban AI‑enhanced tools like Grammarly, highlighting how expanding AI capabilities are blurring the line between editing support and academic dishonesty. It illustrates how some universities are responding with selective prohibitions to preserve academic integrity amid inconsistent campus‑wide policies. Read article

The Chronicle of Higher Education – “Is It Time to Regulate AI Use on Campus?” (Nov 2024)
The Chronicle reports on universities considering stricter regulation or bans on generative AI after confusion and mistrust surrounding AI‑detection tools and uneven enforcement. It frames prohibition as an institutional risk‑management response to concerns over grading fairness, data security, and academic misconduct. Read article

Springer  – “Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Why the ‘Banning Approach’ to Student Use Is Sometimes Morally Justified” (Aug 31, 2024)
This peer‑reviewed, article argues that under certain conditions universities are ethically justified in banning or strongly restricting student use of generative AI tools. It frames AI prohibition as a defensible response to concerns about academic integrity, unequal access, over‑reliance on automation, and the erosion of genuine learning outcomes. Read article

New Publications

Professor Lisa Farley has a new article titled ‘Difficult knowledge’ and children’s museums: Towards a ‘not-so-perfect’ pedagogy of implication in Pedagogy, Culture & Society

News from the York Community

How York U turns research into actionable solutions for communities – York University’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit equips faculty, students and community partners with resources and tools to move research beyond academic journals and into practice. Read more

Notice of parking rate changes - York University parking rates for 2026-27 come into effect on May 1. Learn more

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