Doctoral students' work recognized by the Alberta Teachers’ Association

Kim Friesen Wiens (right) // Photo credit: chinesefolksongs.com/about.html

The Department of Elementary Education is proud to congratulate one of our own for winning a major award.

 Doctoral student Kim Friesen Wiens is the recipient of one of the two Alberta Teachers’ Association Doctoral Fellowships in Education, a program that recognizes academic excellence, contribution to public education, and “exemplary teaching practice” in the Alberta K-12 public education system.

Friesen Wiens’s list of accomplishments as a teacher and researcher made it easy for her supervisor, Kathy Robinson, to write a letter of support for her application. Friesen Wiens has 20 years of experience as a music educator in Edmonton-area elementary schools (including 12 years in a Mandrin bilingual school), seven years teaching Orff Schulwerk Levels courses at the university, and collaborations with the Rupertsland Institute on First Nations, Métis, and Inuit music. As a scholar, Friesen Wiens has four published articles, three refereed international presentations, one national research presentation, and one research poster.

She also developed a relationship with the Confucius Institute of Edmonton, which saw her return to China yearly over a five-year period to study with Chinese music teachers in Shandong and to learn Chinese folk songs firsthand. Teaching resources developed out of that experience are available on Friesen Wiens’s website Chinese Folk Songs for Music Teachers. 

Robinson says that it is no surprise that the ATA chose to recognize Friesen Wiens’s potential with the fellowship.

“Kim is very accomplished for a first year doctoral student,” emphasizes Robinson. “Her leadership experience in the areas of professional development for music educators, her excellent academic preparation in the area of music education and culturally responsive pedagogy, as well as her coursework and research training has provided Kimberly with an impressive set of skills and experiences that made her an excellent candidate for this award.”

Department Chair Jerine Pegg echoes Robinson’s assessment Friesen Wiens

“I am so happy to see Kim’s work recognized by this award,” says Pegg.

 “The Department greatly appreciates Kim’s contributions to the Summer Music Academy and our undergraduate courses and we are very honoured that Kim has chosen the Department of Elementary Education to pursue her doctoral work. The recognition by the ATA is wonderful recognition of her past accomplishments and future promise.“

Congratulations, Kim! The department is so proud to see that your work acknowledged province-wide.