Biography

Graham Giles is a Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Education at York University.  His teaching and research at York he develops alongside work as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia and the founding Director of the First Nations Pedagogies Network of the British Columbia Aboriginial Child Care Society and the Early Chldhood Pedagogies Network.

As a scholar, Dr. Giles' work has developed from theoretical work in political theory, ethics and psychoanalytic philosophy into ethnographic work in documentation of innovation in rural education and then policy work and research in Indigenous community development and First Nations social policy.

Scholarly Interests

Indigneous leadership in education, early childhood and community development; innovation and leadership in education; ethics, subjectivity and philosophy of education; Indigenous social policy development; ethnographic and Indigenous research methodologies 

Faculty & School/Dept

• Faculty of Education - Bachelor of Education - Graduate Studies - Indigenous Teacher Education

Courses Taught

• Inquiries Into Learning (ED/EDFE 2100)
• Philosophical Inquiry into Critical Thinking and Curriculum (ED/EDST 3720)
• Qualitative Research Methods in Education (GS/EDUC 5200)

Selected Presentations

• Giles, G. (2019, June). The Challenges and Trajectories of “Equal Respect” in Education and Social Policy Development for Reconciliation.. Presented at: Paper presented at the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Vancouver.
• Alphonse, D. & Giles, G. (2017, July). Ways of Engaging with Aboriginal Knowledge. Presented at: Paper presented at the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education, Toronto.
• Giles, G., & Teegee, M. (2017, July). Indigenous Leadership Across Worlds. Presented at: Paper presented at the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education, Toronto.
• Giles, G., & Vintimilla, C.D. (2017, April). On the Pedagogista Role, Subjectivity and Emergence.. Presented at: Paper presented at the UBC ECED Graduate Research Conference
• Giles, G., & Vintimilla, C.D. (2017, February). Living Encounters: Thinking about Curriculum, Emergence and Subjectivity. Presented at: Paper presented at the Provoking Curriculum Conference at McGill University. Montreal.

Other Research Outputs

Giles, G. (2018).  New Pathways in Educational Change:  Curriculum.  The third in a web-based series of explorations of themes in educational transformation consisting of curated conversations from Growing Innovation interviews from 2012-2016.  https://exploringnewpathways3.wordpress.com/

Giles, G. (2018).  New Pathways in Educational Change:  Assessment.  The second in a web-based series of explorations of themes in educational transformation consisting of curated conversations from Growing Innovation interviews from 2012-2016.  https://exploringnewpathways2.wordpress.com/

Giles, G. (2017).  “There is a Light:  Caring for Indigenous Children in the Wake of Colonization and Residential Schools.” https://bcaccsresearch1.wordpress.com/2018/01/15/healing-there-is-a-light/

Giles, G. (2017).  “XiQuelem:  Language Invocation.” https://bcaccsresearch1.wordpress.com/2018/01/15/language-and-language-revitalization/

Giles, G. (2017).  “XiQuelem on Teaching Language to Indigenous Children (& Their Families).” https://bcaccsresearch1.wordpress.com/2018/01/15/language-and-language-revitalization/

Giles, G. (2017).  “I Don’t Think it’s a Way We Want to Think About Kids…”. A dialogue among Indigenous and non-Indigenous voices on the question of the effects of school readiness on young children.  https://bcaccsresearch1.wordpress.com/2018/01/15/readiness/

Giles, (G. (2017).  “Gathering Strength, Nurturing Growth:  BCACCS’ 20th Anniversary Documentation video.”  https://bcaccsresearch1.wordpress.com/2018/01/15/gathering-strength-nurturing-growth-bcaccs-20th-anniversary/

Giles, G. (2017).  “Haida Gwaii - Foods Work/Outdoor Classroom Project.”  A video on a unique project that is changing relations among Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities and education as a whole in Haida Gwaii, while changing local food economies. https://vimeo.com/202964771

Giles, G. (2017).  “Growing Education in The Crawford Bay School Garden.”  A video on food and school cultures coming together in powerful ways in a rural school in the West Kootenays of British Columbia. https://vimeo.com/212677142

Giles, G. (2017). “What You Get is One Size Fits All...And it Doesn’t Fit Anybody.”  Voices of Rural Education video series. (profiles of rural educators). http://www.ruralteachers.com/gallery/gi-images/vid/vre

Giles, G. (2016).  “Connections.”  Video contributions to online Indigenous Early Childhood Education curriculum (developed by BCACCS & Vancouver Island University).

Giles, G. (2016).  New Pathways in Educational Change:  Engagement.  A pilot of a web-based series of explorations of themes in educational transformation consisting of curated conversations from Growing Innovation interviews from 2012-2016.  https://exploringnewpathways.wordpress.com/

Giles, G. (2016).  “I Don’t Like Cucumbers.”  Video documentation of only children’s voices from two Foods/Outdoor education projects in rural B.C. https://vimeo.com/180978592

Giles, G. (2016).  “Growing Innovation in 2016.”  A video on the Growing Innovation in Rural Sites of Learning program, its annual symposium and rural education in general.  https://vimeo.com/173841447

Giles, G. (2016).  “The West Kootenay Teacher Education Program.”  A video on a unique program for teacher education run by UBC and 5 rural school districts in the West Kootenay region of B.C. https://vimeo.com/169954762

Giles, G. (2015).  “Connected Classrooms in SD #74.” On regional and education transformation through connecting children from diverse schools. https://vimeo.com/148379893

Giles, G. (2015).  “Lighting a Fire.” On the encounter of Indigenous culture and education in contemporary British Columbia. https://vimeo.com/127093852

Giles, G. (2015). “It’s Kind of Like Scaffolding for Dreaming.”  Voices of Rural Education video series. (profiles of rural educators). http://www.ruralteachers.com/gallery/gi-images/vid/vre

Giles, G. (2015). “I’m Not Going to Run Away.”  Voices of Rural Education video series. (profiles of rural educators). http://www.ruralteachers.com/gallery/gi-images/vid/vre

Giles, G. (2015). “I Don’t Have Any Acquaintances Around here…”  Voices of Rural Education video series. (profiles of rural educators).http://www.ruralteachers.com/gallery/gi-images/vid/vre

Giles, G. (2014). “The Path is Made by Walking:  Growing Innovation on Innovation.”  Growing Innovation on Innovation. http://www.ruralteachers.com/gallery/gi-images/vid/gi-vids

Giles, G. (2014). “The Community is learning About Itself…” Growing Innovation on Community.  http://www.ruralteachers.com/gallery/gi-images/vid/gi-vids

Giles, G. (2012).  “Sooke Nature Kindergarten.” https://vimeo.com/75075895

Giles, G.  (2012). “Sooke Nature Kindergarten:  Glimpse.” https://vimeo.com/75502621

Giles, G. (2012). “Connecting Generations.” Growing Innovation project video documentation.  http://www.ruralteachers.com/gallery/gi-images/vid/gi-vids

Giles, G. (2012). “Digital Heritage Connect.” Growing Innovation project video documentation. http://www.ruralteachers.com/gallery/gi-images/vid/gi-vids

Giles, G. (2012). “The Energy of Lasqueti.” Growing Innovation project video documentation. http://www.ruralteachers.com/gallery/gi-images/vid/gi-vids

Giles, G. (2012). “Collaboration Without Boundaries.” Growing Innovation project video documentation. http://www.ruralteachers.com/gallery/gi-images/vid/gi-vids

Giles, G. (2012). “Inquiry and Project-Based Learning in Dawson Creek.” Growing Innovation project video documentation. http://www.ruralteachers.com/gallery/gi-images/vid/gi-vids

Giles, G. (2012). “The Energetic Learning Campus.” Growing Innovation project video documentation.  http://www.ruralteachers.com/gallery/gi-images/vid/gi-vids

Awards

• Partnership Development Grant, SSHRC - 2019-2021
• Social Innovation Program, City of Vancouver - 2018-2019
• CoV Social Innovation, Vancouver Foundation - 2018-2019
• Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement, SSHRC - 2011
• Four Year Doctoral Fellowship, UBC - 2008-2012
• CGS Doctoral Scholarship, SSHRC - 2008-2011
• CGS Master's Scholarship, SSHRC - 2007
• Special Graduate Scholarship, UBC - 2007