Learning Opportunities

Angela retired (June 2021) from Grande Prairie Public School Division after 32 years of service as a classroom teacher, academic support, teacher librarian, administrator, AISI coordinator and the last 10 years as Director of Teaching and Learning. She has a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta and a Master of Science in Education with a focus in Elementary Literacy and Reading from Walden University.  Her desire to obtain her Masters’ degree stemmed from the desire to assist those students who were struggling to read and write. From there her passion for best practices in teaching began and continues to grow.

Angela currently teaches for the Teacher Education North Program at Northwestern Polytechnic in Grande Prairie. Here she works to inspire new teachers to be lifelong learners and to be consistent in their focus of meeting all students and their learning needs. She is passionate in supporting teachers to become confident in their abilities to promote student success by implementing research based best practices, instructional strategies and good assessment. She believes that teaching is the ability to first, know your students, and know where you need to take them by knowing your curriculum, establishing a toolbox of research based best practices and assessments and drawing on these to meet the needs of your students.  Optimum learning for all students is our goal!

Jason Bigcharles is a father of 7 and grandfather of 14. His traditional Cree name is Wapustim
(White Horse). He is Metis’ from the Metis’ settlement of East Prairie. He has lived on the East Prairie Metis’ Settlement his whole life. He has been a teacher for 20+ years.

Although he is Metis’, his family is deeply rooted in Cree cultural practices and spiritualism. They continue to maintain a very high subsistence lifestyle, carrying on those traditions. Currently he is an Independent Education Consultant specializing in FNMI content and curriculum. He has specialized experience in administering Culture-Based-Learning Camps and cultural teachings to students of all ages which focus on traditional Land-Based teachings of the Woodland Cree Peoples both traditional and contemporary while infusing curriculum into lessons.

He is a powwow dancer, storyteller, hunter, trapper and medicinal plant gatherer. The majority of his time away from work is spent on the land hunting, trapping, gathering medicinal plants, instructing his children and visiting elders. Along with being dedicated to his traditions and spiritualism, he is also dedicated to lifelong learning and the belief that learning never stops.