The Impact of Neoliberal Policies in Canada on Public School Educators, AESA Conference, Toronto, 2014.
Evidence Based Education, Research, Policy: A New Form of Imperialism, SJE Seminar Series, September 2014.
When Interculturalism Colonizes Student Engagement: A Challenge for Robust Democracy, Alice International Colloquium, Universidad de Coimbra, Coimbra, July 2014.
Educational equity and inclusion in neoliberal times: Policy webs and school practice, CSSE, The Congress, Brock University, May 2014.
The legacy of R.S. Peters: Reflections on his contributions, criticisms, and dangers of his work, CSSE, The Congress, Brock University, May 2014.
When Subversion Becomes a Virtue: A Response to Neoliberalism in Education, D.P.R. Conference, University of Greenwich, London, April 2013.
Critical Pedagogy and Systemic Violence: Ethical Issues, International Congress of Critical Pedagogy, University of Messina, Noto, Italy, October 2012.
Democratic Faith: Exploring the Claim of Religious Indoctrination in a Democratic Context within a Multi-faith Perspective, CPES, , CSSE, The Congress, University of Wilfred Laurier/University of Waterloo, Waterloo ON, May 2012.
The Ethics of Subversion in Education, CPES, , CSSE, The Congress, University of Wilfred Laurier/University of Waterloo, Waterloo ON, May 2012.
Democracy without a Soul: Neoliberal Constraints in Education, CAFE, CSSE, The Congress, University of Wilfred Laurier/University of Waterloo, Waterloo ON, May 2012.
A Pedagogy of Equity: Graffiti and the Curriculum of Life, TDSB Futures Conference on Equity and Inclusive Education, Toronto, ON, May 2012.
Robust Democratic Education and Controversial Issues: Myths and Possibilities, Canadian Association for the Foundations of Education, CSSE, The Congress, University of New Brunswick, June 2011.
The Deficit Mentality and the Need for Subversion: Reflections on Don Lorenzo Milani’s Work, Canadian Philosophy of Education Society, CSSE, The Congress, University of New Brunswick, June 2011.
Faithful Democracy: Exploring Faith Education in a Democratic Context, Canadian Association for the Foundations of Education, CSSE, The Congress, University of New Brunswick, June 2011.
The Challenges of Intercultural Dialogue, invited address at the international conference on Peace and Intercultural Dialogue, organized by the Al Babtain Foundation, Corinthia Marina Hotel, Malta, March 2011.
Conceptions of Democratic Education, CASEA, The Congress, Concordia University, Montreal, June 2010.
The Role of Humour in Education, CAFÉ, The Congress, Concordia University, Montreal, June 2010
Engaging Students at Risk: Toward a Curriculum of Life Approach, The First Malta international forum on Learning, June 2009.
Myths about Social Justice Education, The First Malta International Forum on Learning, June 2009.
Critical Democratic Perspectives on Social Justice Education, CASEA, The Congress, Carleton University, Ottawa, May 2009.
Policy as Poetry, CAFE, The Congress, Carleton University, Ottawa, May 2009.
The Politics of Praxis: A Conversation with Patrick Solomon, CSSE, The Congress, Carleton University, Ottawa, May 2009.
Harold Entwistle’s Democratic Education: A Critical Examination, CPES, The Congress, Carleton University, Ottawa, May 2009.
Patrick Solomon and the Praxis of Urban Education, Invited Speaker at York University 50th Anniversary Conference, Faculty of Education, York University, May 2009.
Competing conceptions of Social Justice Education, panel presentation at the International Leadership Conference, Dolmen Hotel, Malta, November 2008.
Social Justice is Not a Potluck: What Participants Tells Us about Social Justice Education (with Herveen Singh and Erin Irish), AESA Conference, Savannah, GA, October 2008.
Narratives of Social Justice Educators, at the Learning Democracy by Doing International Conference, OISE, October 2008.
Exposing ‘Evidence-based Policy/Practice/Education’ in Canada: A Critical Perspective (With Riyad Shahjahan), CAFÉ, The Congress, University of British Columbia, May 2008.
To the Oddness and Distance of Things: Poetic Provocations to Philosophical Musings CAFÉ (CPES), The Congress, University of British Columbia, May 2008.
From high Stakes Testing to Mandated Mentorship: Holding New Teachers Accountable for Educational Improvement in Ontario (with Cindy Rottmann, Laura Pinto, and Karen Pashby) CASEA, The Congress, University of British Columbia, May 2008.
Flying under the Radar teaching for Social justice in an Age of Accountability (with Erin Irish and Herveen Singh), CACS, The Congress, University of British Columbia, May 2008.
Students at Risk and Student Success, at the Equity Conference, NW1 (Rexdale), Toronto District School Board, May 2008.
Toward an Equitable Education, at the Ontario Association for Students At-Risk Conference Marriott Toronto Airport, April 2008
Quality Assurance in Further and Higher Education: International Perspectives, invited address at the National Commission for Higher Education of Malta Conference, Valletta, Malta, January 2008.
Challenges and Promise of Democratic Ethical Educational Leadership, University Council for Educational Administration Conference, Alexandria, VA, November 2007.
International Community Building: Continuing the USA/Canada Dialogue: Social Justice, Democracy, and International Engagement in Educational Policy and Leadership (panel presentation), University Council for Educational Administration Conference, Alexandria, VA, November 2007.
Critical Democratic Schooling in Australia and Canada (with David Zyngier), University Council for Educational Administration Conference, Alexandria, VA, November 2007.
Relevant Pedagogies: Troubling Identities and Diverse Classrooms, Redefining Student Engagement Symposium, University of Toronto, November 2007.
The School Effectiveness Movement and Neo-liberalism: Toward a Critical-Democratic Leadership, American Educational Studies Association, Cleveland, Ohio, October 2007.
Response to Cosette Grant’s paper Conceptualizing Effective Mentoring Practices in Higher Education, and Monica Lamar’s paper The Nexus of the Student Achievement Gap and Critical Race Theory, at the Leadership and Diversity: Critical Challenges and Possibilities, Conference, State University of New York at Buffalo, June 2007.
Pedagogies at Risk: Schooling, Social Justice, and Accountability (with Herveen Singh), CAFE, The Congress, Saskatoon, SK, May 2007.
Critical Perspectives on Mentorship and Induction for New Teachers: The Case of Ontario (with Patrick Solomon), CATE, The Congress, Saskatoon, SK, May 2007.
Conceptions of Students at Risk: From Pathologies to Critical Possibilities (with Erin Irish), National Inner City Conference, Toronto April 2007.
Meta narratives of humility (panel presentation) at the Philosophy of Education Annual Meeting, Atlanata, Georgia, March 2007.
The school effectiveness movement, neoliberlaism and critical-democratic leadership: Contradictions and alternatives, New Deel (Democratic education and ethical leadership) Conference, Temple University, Philadelphia, February 2007.
Panel presentation on Working within the university to promote socially just educational activism, at the Teacher Activism: Social Justice in Classrooms, Schools, and Communities Conference, OISE/UT Student Services, OISE/UT, December 2006.
Neoliberal myths and the school effectiveness movement, University Council for Educational Administration Conference, San Antonio, Texas, November 2006.
Challenging predominant discourse of students ‘at risk’: Toward a critical stance (with Erin Irish and Trevor Norris), 10th International Conference of Philosophers of Education (INPE), The University of Malta, August, 2006.
Student Teaching for Critical Democracy: Three Cases of Reflexive Activism (with Cindy Rottmann, Barbra Sniderman, and Joyce Yoon), CATE, The Congress, York University, Toronto, Ontario, May 2006.
Going Beyond OTQT? Teacher Educators Perspectives on New Teacher Induction (with Laura Pinto, Sarah Barrett and Cindy Rottmann) CATE, The Congress, York University, Toronto, Ontario, May 2006.
Reflections on Pedagogies at Risk: Just Schooling and Accountability (with Herveen Singh), CASEA, The Congress, York University, Toronto, Ontario, May 2006.
Reconnecting Students at Risk to Equity, invited talk at OASAR Conference, Marriott Airport Hotel, Toronto, ON, April 2006.
Poetry Readings at the Rage and Hope Conference, OISE/UT, February 2006.
Leadership, Democracy, and Social Justice: Beginning a Cross-Border Dialogue, at The University Council of Educational Administration Conference, Nashville, TN, November 2005.
Conceptions of Students at Risk, at CAFÉ/CSSE, The Congress, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, June 2005.
Maltese Professionals and Businesses in Canada between 1830-1948, invited speaker at the Maltese-Canadian Professional and Business Association Lecture Series, Toronto, ON., April 2005.
‘Reading the World’: Dealing with Controversial Issues in Teaching, at the Learning Consortium Conference, Sheraton Hotel, Toronto, ON, February 2005 (with Kim Maxwell).
Students’ Voices on ‘Being at Risk’: Toward an Equitable Education, at AESA Annual Conference, Kansas City, Missouri, November 2004.
Early Maltese Priests in Ontario and the Founding of St. Paul the Apostle Church, Maltese National Parish, Toronto, invited speaker at the Maltese-Canadian Professional and Business Association Lecture Series, Toronto, ON., October 2004.
Engaging Students with a Curriculum of Life for Democratic Transformation, paper presentation (With Jason Price) at CAFÉ/CSSE, The Congress, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, May 2004.
Student Perspective on Schooling and Struggle, panel presentation at CASEA/CSSE, The Congress, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, May 2004.
Challenging Conventions in Professional Education, panel presentation at the Policy and Theory in Education: Different Perspectives on Current Issues Conference (TPS Department, OISE/UT), January 2004.
Getting Your Work Published: Practical and Political Issues, panel presentation, Annual TPS Student Conference, OISE/UT, Toronto, November, 2003.
Possibilities and Challenges of Democracy and Curriculum of Life: Educators’ Perspectives, paper presentation with Jason Price, Transformative Learning Centre Annual Conference, Lifelong Citizenship Learning, Participatory Democracy and Social Change: Local and Global Perspectives, OISE/UT, Toronto, October, 2003.
Ontario teacher qualifying test: Educational or political accountability, teacher candidates’ perspectives, panel presentation, CAFÉ/CSSE, The Congress, Halifax, May 2003.
Manufacturing risks for students: Middle class habitus and deficit mentalities?, panel presentation, CAFE/CSSE, The Congress, Halifax, May 2003.
School effectiveness and student engagement, invited speaker at Leadership and Transformational Classroom Practice, Seminars organized by the Centre for Values and Leadership (OISE/UT) for 54 principals from the Principal’s Training Centre, University of Umea, Sweden, Toronto, ON, April 2003.
Maltese professionals and businesses in Canada between 1831-1948, invited speaker at the Maltese-Canadian Professional and Business Association Lecture Series, Toronto, ON., March 2003.
Student responses to ‘White privilege’ in teacher education, panel presentation, AESA Conference, Pittsburgh, November 2002.
Toward an equitable education: Students at risk, poverty and equity, panel presentation, AESA Conference, Pittsburgh, November 2002.
Voices for critically informed leadership, Panel presentation, CASEA/CSSE, The Congress, Toronto, May 2002.
Interrogating initial teacher certification testing: Critical democratic perspectives, Panel presentation, CATE/CSSE, The Congress, Toronto, May 2002.
Engagement for what? Beyond popular discourses of student engagement (with Brenda McMahon), CPES/CSSE, The Congress, Toronto, May 2002.
Response to Harold Entwistle’s presentation on The degradation of public education in the 20th century, CPES/CSSE, The Congress, Toronto, May 2002.
Emerging themes from a national SSHRC project entitled ‘Towards an equitable education: Students ‘at risk,’ poverty and equity, Panel presentation, CASEA/CSSE, The Congress, Toronto, May 2002.
The Inequalities of Common Standards and the Promise of the Curriculum of Life, International Centre for Educational Change Colloquium, OISE/UT, Toronto, November, 2001.
The Erosion of Democracy in Education (with Patrick Solomon), Canadian Association for the Foundations of Education Annual Meeting, The Congress, Laval University, Quebec City, May, 2001.
Democratic Values, Student Engagement, and Critical Leadership, Canadian Association for the Study of Educational Administration Annual Meeting, The Congress, Laval University, Quebec City, May, 2001.
What Can We Learn from the McGill Study on ‘The National Study on Student Engagement in Learning and School Life’, invited speaker at The Ontario Public Supervisory Officials’ Association Annual Conference, Leadership for the 21st Century, Toronto, April, 2001.
Standards, Equity, and the Curriculum of Life, The 14th International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Toronto, ON, January, 2001.
Maltese in Canada in the late 19th century and early 20th century, invited speaker at the Maltese-Canadian Professional and Business Association Lecture Series, Toronto, ON., November, 2000.
The Contribution of Fr. Fortunato Mizzi OFM Cap (1880-1945) to the Maltese Catholics in Toronto, Canadian Catholic Historical Association, The Congress, University of Alberta, Edmonton, May 2000.
Critical Practice in An Elementary School: Possibilities and Struggles (with Ann Vibert), Canadian Association for the Study of Educational Administration, The Congress, University of Alberta, Edmonton, May 2000.
Possibilities of a Critical Democratic Vision: Reflections on a Policy Research Study, OISE/UT, Toronto, April, 1999.
Curriculum, Student Engagement, and Alternative Assessment, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., March, 1999.
Critical Practice in Elementary Schools: Curriculum of Life, Voice and Community, co-presented with Ann Vibert, American Educational Studies Association Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, November, 1998.
School Change and Student Engagement: Curriculum and Pedagogy, National Conference on Student Engagement, McGill University, Montreal, October, 1998.
Delivered a lecture on Beyond Common Educational Standards: Toward a Curriculum of Life, in the Noted Scholars Lecture Series, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, July, 1998.
Discussant of 3 papers in the session Doing and Teaching Critical Pedagogy in a Faculty of Education Session, a joint session of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education and the Canadian Sociology and Anthropology Association, The Congress, The University of Ottawa, May, 1998.
Dialogue as Research, co-presented with Carole MacInnis, American Educational Studies Association Annual Meeting, Montreal, November 1996.
Discussant of 3 papers in the session Disrupting the Discourses in Teacher Education: Postmodern Tension in Theory and Practice, American Educational Studies Association Annual Meeting, Montreal, November 1996.
Democracy in Education, Conference of Atlantic Educators, Acadia University, November 1996.
Literacy and Assessment: Critical Perspectives from Nova Scotia, co-presented with Ann Vibert, Conference of Atlantic Educators, November 1996.
Critical Literacy and Assessment: Perspectives from Schools, co-presented with Ann Vibert, Canadian Association of Curriculum Studies, Canadian Society for the Study of Education Annual Meeting, Brock University, June 1996.
Children, Philosophy, and Democracy, panel presentation, Canadian Association for the Foundations of Education, Canadian Society for the Study of Education Annual Meeting, Brock University, June 1996.
Literacy Assessment: A Critical Perspective, co-presented with Ann Vibert, Canadian Association of Curriculum Studies, Canadian Society for the Study of Education Annual Meeting, University of Quebec in Montreal, June 1995.
A Philosophical Perspective of the ‘Shapiro Report’, Canadian Association for the Foundations of Education, Canadian Society for the Study of Education Annual Meeting, The University of Calgary, Calgary, June 1994.
Living Democracy in the Classroom: Its Spirit and Its Enemies, at the Living Democracy: Contemporary Challenges and Alternative Avenues, Conference organized by the Atlantic Political Studies Association, Mount St. Vincent University, Halifax, March 1994.
A Philosophical Analysis of the Assumptions of Whole Language, Atlantic Educators Conference. Halifax. November 1993.
The Politics of Whole Language, The American Educational Studies Annual Convention. Chicago, November 1993.
Reconsidering Whole Language: Slogans, Myths, and Ironies, Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies, Canadian Society for the Study of Education Annual Meeting, Carlton University, Ottawa, June 1993.
Reason and Values: New Essays in Philosophy of Education — Meet the authors, Canadian Philosophy of Education Society, Canadian Society for the Study of Education Annual Meeting, Carlton University, Ottawa, June 1993.
Paradigms Crossed, Canadian Critical Pedagogy Network, Annual Pre-Conference, Carlton University, Ottawa, June 1993.
The Challenge of Teaching for Critical Thinking, Conference on Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Research, Application and Networking. Mount Saint Vincent University. May 1993.
Tensions and Possibilities: Voices and Visions in Negotiating the Curriculum, The American Educational Studies Association Convention, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, November 1992.
Gadflies in Schools: Doing Philosophy with Children, The Philosophy Society Lecture Series, University of Malta, May, 1992.
Dare We Expose the Hidden Curriculum?, The Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain Annual Conference, Froebel Institute, London, England, April 1992.
Exposing the Hidden Curriculum: Some Moral Issues, Conference of Atlantic Educators, Fredericton, New Brunswick, November 1991.
Chorus and Cacophony: Finding Place and Voice in the Curriculum, The Conference on Curriculum Theory and Classroom Practice (The Bergamo Conference), Dayton, Ohio, October 1991.
From Text to Textuality: Using McLaren’s Life in Schools, Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies Annual Meeting (Learneds), Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, June 1991.
Teaching Philosophy of Education: The Discussion – Case-Study Approach, Conference of Atlantic Educators, Halifax, November 1990.
The Discussion Approach in Education Courses, Faculty of Education, The University of Malta, Msida, Malta, June 1990.
Thinking Together: The Art of Discussion, The 23rd National Conference for Teachers of English and Language Arts, St. Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, May 1990.
Teaching Philosophy of Education: Account of an Approach, Canadian Philosophy of Education Society Annual Meeting (Learneds), Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, June 1989.
Curriculum as Plan: Values Issues, Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies Annual Meeting (Learneds), Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, June 1989.
Reflections on the Socratic Method and Philosophy for Children, Canadian Philosophy of Education Society Annual Meeting (Learneds), The University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, June 1988.
Socrates, the Socratic Method and Teaching, Philosophy for Children: The Second Decade Conference, Texas Wesleyan University, Fort Worth, Texas, October 1987.
The Limitation of Curriculum Definitions, Canadian Philosophy of Education Society Annual Meeting (Learneds), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, June 1987.
Curriculum Definitions: Needed?, School of Education, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, May 1987.
The Nature and Morality of the Hidden Curriculum, Canadian Philosophy of Education Society Annual Meeting (Learneds), University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, June 1986.
Education, Work and Imagination: An Examination of the Views of Mary Warnock, School of Education, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, October 1985.
P.S. Wilson, Interests and the Justification of the Curriculum, Canadian Philosophy of Education Society Annual Meeting , University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, May 1985.
Philosophical Thinking with Children, Reach Me Teach Me Conference (Catholic School Board of Greater Montreal), Montreal, Quebec, February 1985.
Education, Work and Imagination, St. Lawrence Institute, Montreal, Quebec, October 1984.
On Defining Curriculum, Faculty of Education, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, February 1982.
Chomsky, the Chimps and the Uniqueness of Language, Faculty of Education, University of Malta, Malta, May 1980.