Education

• M.Ed. Faculty of Education, University of Regina, 2019
• B.Ed. Secondary Education -English Language Arts Major; Business Education Minor, Faculty of Education, University of Regina, 2006 with Distinction (CGPA 84.48)
• B.A. (English) (one semester left to finish)
• B.Re. Ambrose University College, 1988

Awards: Academic Silver Scholarship, 2005 Fall;The Reverend Desmond P. Burke-Gaffney, S.J. Book Prize, 1996 Spring/Summer Faculty of Education Outstanding Academic Achievement, 2005/06

Employment:

Centre for Teaching and Learning, University of Regina, July 2023 – present

Current Role: Open Education and Publishing Manager

Past Roles:

Faculty of Education, University of Regina, July 2006 – July 2023

• Publications Manager and Communications Officer: Editor, Education News; Managing Editor, in education (online academic journal); Publication Management (Publication Writing, Photography,
  Layout and Design); Advising on and development of marketing and communications plans; Website development and content management; Social Media management (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)
• 2006-2015 Project/Program Facilitator and (SIAST FCP Partnership liaison/coordinator, Conference and Symposium Coordinator, Report and Contract Writer) Saskatchewan Instructional Development and Research Unit (SIDRU), Faculty of Education, University of Regina.
• 2017 NORTEP Report writer (contract).
• Sessional Instructor (Winter 2019): Intro to Literature Education ELIT 202
• Seminar Facilitator/Moderator 2007 – 2019

Presentations:

ELIT 202 and DLNG 425 class 6-hour Project of Heart workshop, winter term, 2019.

Invited to present display of Project of Heart and Shattering the Silence: The Hidden History of Residential Schools in Saskatchewan ebook at the Atamiskākēwak Gathering 2018, April.

Invited to present Shattering the Silence: The Hidden History of Residential Schools in Saskatchewan  ebook at the Regina Public School Teachers Association’s Teacher’s Convention November 11, 2017.

Invited to present Shattering the Silence: The Hidden History of Residential Schools in Saskatchewan ebook at an arts education class, November 15, 2017 and in November, 2018.

Invited to present Shattering the Silence: The Hidden History of Residential Schools in Saskatchewan ebook at the Joint Field Experience Committee, Faculty of Education, University of Regina November 11, 2017.

Shattering the Silence: The Hidden History of Residential Schools in Saskatchewan ebook launch Faculty of Education, University of Regina, #TreatyEdCamp 3.0, October 24, 2017 and 2018.

Shattering the Silence: The Hidden History of Residential Schools in Saskatchewan ebook launch Faculty of Education, University of Regina, Theory and Method Seminar, October 2017.

Project of Heart ebook: Hidden History of Residential Schools in Saskatchewan presentation ~Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) Spring Assembly 2017 (April 7) Showcasing Reconciliation in Saskatchewan Education University of Regina, Faculty of Education.

Investigating Our Practices ~ Regina 2016 (February). Roundtable presentation: Academic Publishing: A Managing Editor’s Perspective.

Workshop: Behind the Yellow Wallpaper An Introduction to Critical Discourse Analysis (for ELNG 450 class) Spring 2010.

Seminars for graduate courses.

Teacher Practicums

Luther College High School, Sept. – Dec. 2005

Taught: ELA A9 (Units: Short Stories & Odyssey); ELA 10 (Novel: Lord of the Flies); Information Processing 20 (Unit: Brochure Design); Christian Ethics 10 (Unit: World Religions-Jainism & Sikhism); ELA 20 (Assessed Hamlet Presentations)

Creative Writing Club Facilitator- Luther College High School, Jan. – June 2006

F.W. Johnson Collegiate, 3-weeks 2004

Taught: ELA 20 (Unit: Writing Workshop); ELA 9B (Unit: Midsummer Night’s Eve); ELA 10 (Unit: Media Study)

Tutor: Neil Squire Society (1994-Bridging Program for Women)

Publications

Niessen, S. (2017). Shattering the silence: The hidden history of Indian residential schools in Saskatchewan. Regina, SK: Faculty of Education, University of Regina.

Tymchak, M., Pauls-Orthner, C., & Niessen, S. (2015). New Horizons: NORTEP-NORPAC Stories of personal and professional transformation–Since 1977. Regina, SK: SIDRU for NORTEP

Tymchak, M., Pauls-Orthner, C., & Niessen, S. (2015). Northern Professional Access College: A bold new step–Building on success. Regina, SK: SIDRU for NORTEP

Niessen, S. (2015). A Review of “There is No Need to Talk About This: Poetic Inquiry from the Art Therapy Studio,” by Karen O. Wallace. in education, 21(2),179-181.

Niessen, S. (2011). SIDRU, SIAST and the FCP: Collaboration and co-operation in action. ILDC News, 3(2), 1-2. Retrieve from: http://saskpolytech.ca/about/organization/documents/ildc/IL-11-003_04.pdf

Niessen, S. (2011) Blended learning, SKYPE and instructor commitment to adult learners. ILDC News, 4(1), 5. Retrieved from: http://www.siast.sk.ca/about/departments/ildc/pdf/IL11-04-01.pdf

Tymchak, M., Pauls-Orthner, C., & Niessen, S. (2008). New horizons—NORTEP & NORPAC perspectives 30 years later: Stories of personal and professional transformation. Regina, SK: SIDRU Publications. Retrieve from: http://issuu.com/urfacultyofed/docs/newhorizons2010/1

Niessen, S. (Ed.), (2008). Aboriginal Knowledge Exchange Project—Self-study compilation and report: Aboriginal ways of knowing in teacher education. Regina, SK: SIDRU Publications. Retrieve from: http://issuu.com/urfacultyofed/docs/akepreport/1

Tymchak, M., & Niessen, S. (2007). Building the future today: Demographic, education, and socio-economic indicators towards a new NORTEP joint-use shared facility. Regina, SK: SIDRU Publications. Retrieve from: http://issuu.com/urfacultyofed/docs/northernfacility/1

Niessen, S. (2006). Book review: “How to read and why” by Harold Bloom. S.T.E.L.A. Newsletter.

Popular Self-Published Paper:

Niessen, S. (2013). What is Digital Fluency? Regina, SK

Professional Development

2020 IABC Strategic Communications Planning

2020 IABC Model for Communications Excellence

2017 Beginner Photography Workshop (Atrell Consulting Corp.)

2015 Poetry: The Muses Workshop The Athens Centre, Athens, Greece

2013 #DCMOOC, Digital Citizenship Massive Open Online Course

2012 Graduate Citation Program

2012 #ETMOOC, Educational Technology Massive Open Online Course

2010 Inspiring Leadership Conference

2009 Caring Across Professions Conference

2009 TLt Conference (Campus Saskatchewan)

2008 Aboriginal Knowledge Exchange Symposium

2007, 2008 WestCAST conferences

2006 Saskatchewan Teachers of English Language Arts (STELA) Conference

1994 Bridging Program for Women: Career Planning and Computer Skills course

1994 Workshop: Teaching Adults, SIAST, 6 hours

1988 & 1995 First Aid/C.P.R. Certification, St. John Ambulance

__________

2006 – 2015 Weekly SIDRU Seminars — Research and Initiatives in Education (Coordinator)

2015 – 2019 Coordinator/Host Weekly Theory and Method Seminar Series

2008 – 2014 Fall Professional Development Workshop for Adult Educators

Skills

Web/Computer

• Template-Based Web Development (Downloadable WordPress), Drupal content management, Online Journal System (OJS), Pressbooks
• InDesign, Photoshop, Premier Pro (Adobe Creative Suite), Acrobat, Illustrator, Dreamweaver
• Basic html coding skills

Writing and Publishing Process:

• Design and Composition of Publications: Writing, Selecting from submissions, Interviewing, Investigating, Organizing, and Editing of Articles or Reports, Review process, Copy editing, website design, Blogging
• Layout and Design (Creating a template for publications)
• Determining theme and categories for publication/s
• Report on and photograph events
• Determine frequency and length of publication
• Creating and Updating Distribution List
• Online Distribution and Hard Copy Printing and Distribution

Editing:

• APA 7th Edition Copy Editor for an online academic journal, in education

Teaching Feedback:

Able to successfully build trust and rapport with students

Competent in classroom management (prioritizing student engagement through developing relevance, purpose, and strategies combined with engaging material and personalized activities such as inquiry questions)

Effective in encouraging and engaging student interest through attention to diverse learning styles and intelligences, needs, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, gender, etc.

“Her strong work ethic and academic background combined with her enthusiasm for young people are certainly assets…” Berbel Knoll, Principal, Luther High School

“She is adept at gate-keeping, probing, and encouraging the students to arrive at a solution inductively.” Cheryl Ashton, Teacher, Luther College High School

Adept at contextualizing information and sectioning concepts and skills into learning units.

Interest and research in pedagogical and assessment theory and practice.

References

Available upon request