Dr. Olenka Bilash Bio
Profile
Olenka Bilash joined the staff of the Department of Secondary Education in 1992 after three years at the University of Calgary and almost two decades of experience as a second language teacher, supervisor, consultant, curriculum developer and conceptual designer. She has strove to create opportunities for learners of all ages to have experiences with new languages in and out of the classroom, including intercultural and inter-lingual exchanges for Education students and teachers. She has been active in numerous local organizations of second language teachers and offered second language education and teacher education seminars and courses in Brazil, Cameroon, China, France, Germany, Korea, Mexico, South Africa, Taiwan and Ukraine and mentored and guided many graduate students from around the world. She has two children, and apart from her academic pursuits, enjoys sculpture, yoga, hiking, and gardening. In 1999 she was awarded the Rutherford Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, the Faculty of Education Undergraduate Teaching Award at the University of Alberta, Northern Alberta Heritage Language Association 20th Anniversary Award and the Tribal Chiefs´ Association Award for her contribution to Developing Cree Language Materials. In 2005 she received an Alberta centennial medal for her contribution to international relationship building between Alberta and Ukraine. Her award-winning article, "Planning for Writing Instruction in a Middle-Years Immersion/Partial Immersion Setting" was inspired by a course taken early in her doctoral program with Donald Graves.
Dr. Olenka Bilash University of Alberta Profile
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Dr. Olenka S.E. Bilash
Professor, Department of Secondary Education
Coordinator of Second Languages and International Education
Former Associate Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 2G5