Michelle Bence, PhD
Michelle Bence is a dedicated educator with over 20 years of experience in K-12 classrooms and literacy education. She has worked extensively with several school boards across Western Canada as a literacy consultant, leading initiatives in literacy development, professional teacher learning, and the system-wide implementation of evidence-based literacy practices. Michelle recently completed her PhD at the University of Calgary. Her research focuses on dialogic pedagogy and its role in fostering students’ complex thinking, literacy identities, and language development in relation to literacy acquisition and engagement with texts.
Miriam Ramzy, PhD
Miriam Ramzy is a teacher and researcher based in Alberta. She has worked as a classroom teacher in both English and French Immersion settings, a literacy coach and facilitator, a school administrator, and Director of Student Learning. Currently, she works with school boards across Western Canada, supporting teachers, leaders, educational assistants, parents, and students from Jr. K - 12. Her work centers on literacy research and practice, with a deep commitment to supporting partners in education to create effective, responsive, and inclusive spaces where all students thrive. Miriam holds a PhD from the University of Calgary. Her research examined writing instruction, with a particular focus on the transcription process. She continues to contribute to professional learning and educational research with a passion for bridging theory and classroom practice.
OUR Approach
We believe in connecting theory and practice, to support teachers as they plan for instruction that meets the needs of all learners. In all of our sessions and partnerships, we structure our shared learning around these 3 organizing ideas:
WHY
Why should I implement this in my classroom? We synthesize the current research on the topic to explain why the research supports this in practice.
HOW
How do I plan for instruction? We share Guiding Principles to consider as you plan for instruction.
WHAT
What can this look like in my classroom? We share research-based high leverage strategies that can be used in multiple contexts, and throughout the grades.