dbjornson@sd61.bc.

ca​* ​LinkedIn​*​Twitter​*​UBC MET Blog​*​Capstone MET Project 

Dana Bjornson
 
 

EDUCATION 

University of British Columbia Jan 2015 - Aug 2018 

Master of Educational Technology 

● 8.8 G.P.A. 

University of Victoria Jul 1996 - Apr 1997 

PDPP, Secondary Education 

● Practicum Rating: ​Excellent 

University of Victoria Sep 1994 - Apr 1996 

Bachelor of Science, Mathematics and Physics 

Royal Roads Military College Aug 1991 - May 1992 

First Year, some Second Year, Faculty of Science and Engineering 

● Canada Scholarship​, $2000 renewable, in recognition of outstanding 

achievement in Science and Engineering ​at RRMC

● Dean’s List​, one of ten First Year Science and Engineering students 

● Ranked 10th out of 82 First Year students 

University of British Columbia Sep 1990 - Apr 1991 

First Year, Faculty of Science 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 

High School Teacher, Esquimalt High Sep 1999 - present  

School District 61, Victoria, BC  

● Mathematics 9 - 11, Science 10, Physics 11 -12 

● Scholarship 12, Peer Tutoring 9 - 12 
● Gifted Education Mathematics teacher 

Mathematics Department Head Jul 2018 - present 

● Representative for the Department of Mathematics at Esquimalt High School 
● Supply ordering, organization of mathematics contests, chairing meetings, 
textbook selection 
● Goals:​ to help colleagues foster culturally responsive learning 
environments; to assist colleagues expand their technology use; to 
encourage the implementation of classroom policies that deepen learning, 
and reduce the effects of mathematically related anxiety. 

 
Summer School Teacher  1998 - 2005    
S.J. Willis Alternative School   

● Mathematics 9 - 10, Physics 11 – 12 

Self-Employed 1998 - 2002 

● Mathematics and physics tutor 

COMMITTEE EXPERIENCE  

Technology Committee  2012 - present 

● spearheaded formation of and the main administrator all forms of social 
media at Esquimalt High (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram); workshops given 
to staff (Twitter, Google Classroom, Integrade, Collaboration); ongoing 
go-to person for mentoring others in a variety of different platforms; 
developed policy and practice for successful and responsible technology 
use by staff and students; organized a staff presentation by Darren Laur 
on Internet Safety for Educators. 

Staff Collaboration  2016 - present 

● Chair of the sub-committee focusing on creating culturally responsive 

learning environments in the classroom and school; member of a year long 
staff collaboration group that focussed relationship building within the 
classroom 

Scholarship Committee Chair 2017 - present  

● gather committee to select recipients of scholarships; compile data of 
applicants 

Staff Committee Member 2001 – 2005, 2007, 2011-2013 

● Created staff meeting agendas with Administration; acted as a conduit for 
other staff members to bring issues to staff committee and/or the staff 
meetings; acted as a representative body of the entire staff to respond 
to administrative questions and ideas 

Timetable Committee  2010 

● Worked with Principal and small group of other staff members to research 
and eventually change, the school’s timetable; involved thoroughly 
examining timetables from around the entire province and within the 
district; the Committee eventually proposed two alternative timetables 
both of which provided alternatives to our antiquated homeroom system 

Staff Committee Chair 1999 - 2001 

● Created agenda with Administration and members of the Staff Committee; 
ran staff meetings following Robert’s Rules of Order 

 
PRESENTATIONS 
Creating Culturally Responsive Learning Environments.​ ​Presentation 
at Professional Development Day, Esquimalt High, May 18, 2018, 
Victoria.   
Third Space Learning.​ Presentation at the 8th Aboriginal Math 
Symposium, Sty-Wet-Tan Great Hall, First Nations Longhouse, 
University of British Columbia, May 17, 2018, Vancouver. 
Collaboration in Math and Science: A Blended Approach.​ Presentation 
at the Google Apps for Educators, Oak Bay High School, November 24, 
2017, Victoria.  

OTHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

VICTA Project  2011 - present 

V​ancouver ​I​sland ​C​osmic-ray ​T​ime-coincidence ​A​rray 

● In collaboration with retired UVIC physics professor, Lyle Robertson, 

current UVIC lab instructors and high school physics teachers in the 
Greater Victoria region, UVIC has provided equipment to four high schools 
in Greater Victoria to detect cosmic ray showers, measure the lifetime 
and speed of muons, to perform a test of special relativity, and in 
general to develop an understanding of a radiation detector and how 
subatomic particles are detected. 

SD 61 Scholarship Teachers Collaboration 2018- present 

● Organized a sharing space on Google Classroom for the District’s 
Scholarship 12 teachers to share resources, course outlines, ideas and 
questions 

Physics Resource Sharing  2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 

● Met with the VICTA teachers from Belmont and Parklands to share and 
discuss practices from our own classrooms; met with UVIC physics 
professors, one-on-one to discuss student transitioning between Physics 
12 and First Year University Physics 

Vancouver Island Parent Conferences Participant 2013, 2014  

● Attended workshops given by Gabor Maté (2013) and Gordon Neufeld (2014), 
co-authors of “Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than 
Peers” 

 
Catalyst Science Conference Participant  2000, 2001, 2002 
 

EXTRACURRICULAR AND VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE 

Grade 12 Ski Trip Co-organizer and Chaperone 1999 - present 

● 3 - 4 day trips to Whistler, Silverstar, Sun Peaks and Mount Washington 

Amusement Park Physics and TRIUMF Field Trip  2005 - 2017 

● Organized and chaperoned Physics 11 field trip to Vancouver where 
students conduct physics experiments on the rides; tour of TRIUMF Lab on 
the UBC campus: Canada’s largest particle accelerator; mentored new 
Physics 11 teacher so that the trip continued post-2017 

PAC Secretary Crystal View Elementary  2011 – 2014 

School Wide Ski Trip Organizer and Chaperone 1999 - 2005 

● Between 100 - 200 students; day trip to Mount Washington 

Junior Girls Volleyball Head Coach  2000 – 2005 

Students’ Council Co-sponsor Teacher  2000 – 2004 

Girls Rugby Assistant Coach  2001 – 2002 

Girls Rugby New Zealand Trip Chaperone  2002 

Gay-Straight Alliance Teacher Sponsor 1999 - 2001 

● Student led; raising awareness and providing a safe space for LGBTQ2S 
students and their allies.