By Annabelle McIntosh  – Opinions Editor

On Wednesday, Nov. 22, fourth and fifth year students from the School of Education who were enrolled in the Individual Differences course participated in the Individual Differences Conference. At this event, students presented posters highlighting their findings on a topic of their choice that pertains to fostering an inclusive classroom. Some topics included Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, non-verbal learning disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome and many more. The Gait was filled with incredible, eye-catching posters with valuable information. The event was primarily organized by our course instructor, Felicity Burns, with the support of the School of Education, the Buildings and Grounds crew and the Print Shop. I had the exciting opportunity to participate in the conference this year. 

In my opinion, this is an event all education students should come to see, and professors should try and encourage their classes to attend. When I was a first year student in 2019, my class was dismissed to go watch the presenters. This excursion made me look forward to researching a topic and presenting at the conference in the future.

Students in both sections of this class put in hard work. To begin the process, we broke into small groups at the start of the semester and selected a research topic. After that, we began our research and created a research proposal. The next step was to complete the research and prepare a poster to highlight these findings. Once the poster was complete, we shared them with our peers in class to gather feedback. The next big step was to set up the Individual Differences Conference in the Gait. Students’ hard work was certainly evident with the final product of the posters. 

Reflecting on the Individual Differences Conference, Burns says she is quite pleased. “The quality of the posters surpassed expectations, showcasing the hard work and commitment put forth by the bachelor of education students. I also take immense pride in the unwavering dedication exhibited by the students involved.” 

The event had a modest turnout. However, people who attended gave many compliments to the class. Along with this, I learned valuable information about different learning exceptionalities that I could potentially see in my practicum and in my future teaching career. 

I think the conference should be advertised more by the department in the future so that the findings from the research can be shared with other students. It is such a great event and presents a learning opportunity for anyone who stops by.

“Looking ahead, my aspiration is to see more students and faculty, especially those within the School of Education, attending the Individual Differences Conference,” says Burns. “It’s important to remember that this event is not merely a conference; it is a celebration of knowledge, collaboration, and 

inclusivity. It is a chance to explore the fascinating world of education, actively participate in meaningful discussions and gain insights that could profoundly impact the way we approach teaching and learning.”