Dr. Sharon Friesen
Positions
Professor
Werklund School of Education, Specialization, Leadership
Contact information
Background
Educational Background
Doctor of Philosophy Philosophy, University of Calgary, 2000
M.Ed. Curriculum, University of Calgary, 1991
Bach of Education University of Calgary, 1986
Permanent Professional Teaching Certificate (Alberta) Professional Qualification, 1986
Biography
Dr. Sharon Friesen is a Professor at the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. Her research interests include the ways in which K-12 educational structures, curriculum and learning need to be reinvented for a knowledge/learning society. Her research focuses on: (i) the promotion of deep intellectual engagement, (ii) the ability to create and lead learning environments that require sustained work with ideas (iii) the pervasiveness of networked digital technologies that open up new ways of knowing, leading, teaching, working and living in the world. Her experience as a teacher includes kindergarten, elementary, junior high and high school. From the outset she has systematically created, studied and published first from within her own classrooms (K – Graduate students) and for more than 20 years from within the work of the Galileo Educational Network which she co-founded. She has co-authored five books. Sharon has received numerous awards, for her research and teaching practice.
Professional & Community Affiliations
Service and leadership are a significant part of Dr. Friesen's academic life. While service and leadership are part of the obligations all academics must provide to sustain a research culture within a research university, the lines between research and scholarship, teaching and learning and service and leadership tend to blur in a digitally networked world.
In 1999, Dr. Friesen co-founded Galileo Educational Network (http://www.galileo.org) in the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. This provincial, national, and international network was built with the understanding that changes in education needed to be systemic and sustained, and that all educational stakeholders needed to be involved in growing the changes that were required for contemporary learning environments.
Dr. Friesen is honoured to have served the Werklund School of Education as Vice Dean, Associate Dean Graduate Programs in Education, and Associate Dean Professional and Community Engagement.
Dr. Friesen continues to offers her expertise to a variety of government and non-government organizations across Canada and internationally.
Research
Areas of Research
- PI. of Optimum Learning for all Students: Implementing Alberta's 2018 Professional Practice Standards. This four-year longitudinal mixed methods study is funded by Alberta Education. This study studies the implementation of Alberta's 2018, professional practice standards asking the key question, "How are the standards being implemented to yield optimal learning outcomes for students?
- CO-PI. Student-on-student violence in Alberta's public and separate schools from the perspective of school teachers.
- CO-PI. Online supervision of doctoral students. This case study focuses on professors’ and doctoral students’ experiences with online supervision relationships in the context of field-focused, doctoral research as part of a blended education doctorate (EdD) program in the Werklund School of Education.
- PI. Blended learning program, Keebo, at Connect Charter School.
- Collaborator. An exploration of the Systems and Societal Norms that Contribute to the Marginalization of Youth. SSHRC
Many of the studies Dr. Friesen undertakes are longitudinal, employing design-based research methodologies. Topics of longitudinal studies include professional learning, designing and leading contemporary learning environments and organizations, technology-rich participatory learning environments, complex pedagogies, and intellectual engagement. Since 1989, her primary research interest consists of investigating the ways contemporary learning environments might be designed and led to sponsor deep intellectual engagement in students, with a particular focus on teaching and leadership practices. This focus emerged from a close attunement and attentiveness to the lived experience of teachers and students; an attunement that understands intellectual growth as more than an interior, private, individual matter of unfolding development; that situates teaching, learning, and leading within the contexts of an educative community; and that asks hard questions about both the traditional and progressive legacies, a legacy that scholar Larry Cuban calls the "grammar of schooling."
Participation in university strategic initiatives
Courses
Course number | Course title | Semester |
---|---|---|
EDUC 55602 SEC 02 S02 | Professional Development and Lifelong Learning | Winter 2021 |
EDER 708 | Collaboratory of Practice II | Winter 2021 |
EDER 619.22 | Leading Student Learning | Summer 2021 |
EDER 719.14 | Advanced Studies in Educational Leadership | Summer 2021 |
EDUC 556.02 | Professional Development and Lifelong Learning | Winter 2022 |
EDUC 556.04 | Professional Development and Lifelong Learning | Winter 2022 |
EDER 709 | Collaboratory of Practice II | Winter 2022 |
EDUC 556.02 | Professional Development and Lifelong Learning | Winter 2022 |
EDUC 556.04 | Professional Development and Lifelong Learning | 2022 |
EDER 708 L03 | Collaboratory II - Research Methodology | Winter 2022 |
Awards
- Leadership in Education Award, 2013
- Distinguished Lecturer, 2011
- Distinguished Research Lecture Award, Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary. 2011
- U Make a Difference Award, 2011
- Nominated: Student's Union Teaching Excellence Award, 2010
- Calgary Educational Partnership Foundation Special Settings Award, 2009
- The Calgary Stampede Western Legacy Award for Innovation, 2009
- Teaching Excellence Nomination, 2008
- Teaching Excellence Nomination - Graduate Students, 2008
- Calgary Stampede Innovation Award, 2007
- Mathematics Educator Award for activism in improving mathematics education across western Canada., University of British Columbia. 2007
- Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences Education prize, 2007
- 2006 AERA Division B Outstanding Book Award for Back to the Basics of Teaching and Learning, 2006
- AERA Division B Outstanding Book award, 2005
- Canadian E-Content Award for Education, 2004
- Conference Board of Canada Partnership National Partnerships Award, 2000
- Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence, 1999
- Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence, 1999
- The Alberta Teachers' Association Research Award, 1999
- Aoki Award for research work in the area of curriculum that most embraced the work and vision of Dr. Ted Aoki, 1997
- ASCD - Celebrating Educational Success in Alberta, 1996
- Awarded, Teacher Explorer Centre in Robotics, 1995
- National Institute Award - Nortel, 1995
- Nomination, Alberta Excellence in Teaching Award, 1992
- ARCH Award Career Achievement University of Calgary Alumni, University of Calgary. 2021
- Outstanding Graduate Supervision Award, Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary. 2021
Publications
- Elementary teacher professional learning to explore and extend meaning of number. . Miwa Takeuchi; Sharon L Friesen; Barbara Anna Brown; Armando Paulino Preciado Babb; Krista Francis. International Congress on Mathematical Education. (2021)
- Teachers’ Professional Learning Focused on Designs for Early Learners and Technology. Barbara Anna Brown; Michele DM Jacobsen; Sharon L Friesen. IGI Global. 456-477. (2020)
- The education system of Canada: Foundations of the Canadian education system. Michele DM Jacobsen; Sharon L Friesen. Springer. na. (2020)
- Building/knowledge creation in the school, classroom, and beyond. Sharon L Friesen. ebook ITSummit. 101-108. (2020)
- The Education System of Canada: Foundations of the Canadian Education System. Michele DM Jacobsen; Sharon L Friesen. Springer. 21-Jan. (2020)
- Transforming conceptions of number for the learning of students, teachers, and an educational system. Armando Paulino Preciado Babb; Krista Francis; Ronna Mosher; Sharon L Friesen. University of Calgary. 17-22. (2020)
- Transforming conceptions of number for the learning of students, teachers, and an educational system. Armando Paulino Preciado Babb; Krista Francis; Sharon L Friesen; Ronna Mosher. University of Calgary. 17-22. (2020)
- Transforming pedagogies. Sharon L Friesen. University of Calgary. 1-6. (2020)
- Leading collaborative professional learning for school systems. Christy Thomas; Rita Marler; Sharon L Friesen; James Edward Brandon; Shan Jorgenson-Adam. University of Calgary. 51-56. (2020)
- Selected proceedings of the IDEAS Conference 2019: Transforming pedagogies – Learn - Design – Innovate. . Sharon L Friesen. University of Calgary. 1-100. (2020)
- Conceptualizng and enacting overall instructional leadership ion the Alberta context. Sharon L Friesen; James Edward Brandon; Candace Saar. University of Calgary. 57-76. (2020)
- STEM Education by Design: Opening Horizons of Possibility. S. Friesen; B. Davis; K. Francis. Routledge. 137. (2019)
- What is Optimum Learning?. Sharon L Friesen; Barbara Anna Brown. University of Calgary. 28-Jan. (2019)
- The superintendency: The cost of making a difference--The personal toll. . James Edward Brandon; Dennis George Parsons; Sharon L Friesen; Michele DM Jacobsen. Information Age Publishing. 219-245. (2019)
- Steps toward a more inclusive mathematics pedagogy.. J. Holm; J. Towers; E. Chernoff; S. Friesen; M. Drefs; O. Chapman; R. Karpe; A. Kajander; B. Davis. Springer. 89-99. (2018)
- Teachers’ Professional Learning Focused on Designs for Early Learners and Technology. M. Jacobsen; A. Good; T. Petty; B. Brown; S. Friesen; D. Polly. IGI Global. 417-438. (2018)
- Cultivating essential teaching capacities through research informed and adaptive teacher education.. Nickel; J. Brandon; J.; D. Gereluk; Hirschkorn M; S. Friesen; L. Thomas. Canadian Association for Teacher Education/ Association Canadienne de la Formation en Enseignement. 100-127. (2016)
- Pioneering STEM education: A course for pre-service teachers. Dianne Gereluk; Preciado Babb; Friesen; Miwa Takeuchi; Alonso Yáñez; Francis. IEEE Educon. 324-331. (2016)
- Pedagogical leadership teams: Magnifying and spreading impact.. M. Takeuchi; D. Yee; A.P. Preciado Babb; C. Saar; B. Brown; J. Brandon; S. Friesen; J. Lock. University of Calgary. 152-161. (2016)
- NEIL Leading and Learning Cycles. S.; J. Brandon; M. Takeuchi; J. Lock; A.P. Preciado Babb; Friesen; C. Saar. University of Calgary. 141-151. (2016)
- Innovative methods to study school system dynamics. G . Alonso-Yanez; S. Friesen; M. Takeuchi; B. Brown; J. Lock; A.P. Preciado Babb; Michele Jacobsen. University of Calgary. 12-21. (2016)
- Assessment for learning in a math classroom. S. Scott; D. Scott; C. Webber; Sharon Friesen. Springer. 141-170. (2015)
- Twenty-first-century learning and student diversity. S.; J. L. Lupart; Friesen; J. Lock; J. W. Andrews. Nelson. 74-103. (2015)
- Focus on Inquiry. C. Saar; A. Park; S. Friesen; J. Martin; T. Hampshire; B. Martin; C. Marcotte; B. Brown. self published online. 232. (2015)
- Engaging high school students in an engineering thermodynamics project.. Preciado Babb; Saar; James Brandon; Friesen. IEEE Educon. 222-228. (2014)
- Two high performing school jurisdictions in the application of 21st Century Learning. S. Friesen; J; Jennifer Vivian Lock; J. Brandon. Henday Publishing. 233-292. (2013)
- Using mobile technology for fostering intellectual engagement.. Preciado Babb; Saar; Friesen; Marcotte; James Brandon. IEEE Educon. 367-374. (2013)
- Curriculum in Abundance. . Sharon L Friesen. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates. (2006)
- Back to the basics of teaching and learning: Thinking the world together . Sharon L Friesen; Pat A Clifford; David W Jardine. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum and Associates. (2002)
- Emergence in school systems: Lessons from complexity and pedagogical leadership. Gabriela Alonso Yanez, Amando Paulino Preciado-Babb, Barbara Brown, & Sharon Friesen. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, 196. 65-82. (2021)
- Adapting to a design-based professional learning intervention. Barbara Brown, Sharon Friesen, Ronna Mosher, Man-Wai Chu, & Kirk Linton. Educational Design Research. (2021)
- Dwelling in liminal spaces: Twin moments of the same reality. Sharon Friesen. Journal of Professional Capital and Community. 71-82. (2022)
- Advancing knowledge creation in education through tripartite partnerships. Sharon Friesen & Barbara Brown. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 47(4). (2021)
- Collaborative design of professional graduate programs in education. Sharon Friesen & Michele Jacobsen. International Journal of Designs for Learning, 12(1). 64-76. (2021)
- Graduate supervision in a blended doctoral program: Mentoring dissertation research on changes and innovations in practice. Michele Jacobsen, Sharon Friesen, & Sandra Becker. Innovations in Education and Teaching International. (2021)
- Elementary teacher professional learning to explore and extend meaning of number. . Krista Francis, Sharon Friesen, Miwa Takeuchi, Armando Paulino Preciado Bavv, & Barbara Brown. Proceedings of 2020 International Congress on Mathematical Education, Shanghai, China, July 18, 2021. . (2021)
- Does school mathematics support stem education? – Exploring specialized mathematics knowledge for stem education.. Armando Paulino Preciado Babb & Sharon Friesen. Proceedings of the 6th International STEM in Education Conference (STEM 2021). . 331-336. (2021)
In the News
- Inquiry-based Learning. EdTechLens Newsletter. (2015)
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