I’m a proud Canadian, but on Sunday, May 27th, 2012 my level of pride exponentially increased as a result of 31 year-old Ryder Hesjedal, a native of Victoria, British Columbia, who became the first Canadian ever to win one of the three heralded Grand Tour cycling races, the Giro d’Italia. It’s akin to India winning the Olympic Gold Medal in Ice Hockey. If you’re unfamiliar with cycling and specifically the Grand Tours, imagine being on your bicycle for three weeks, pedaling between Vancouver and Chicago (3,500 km), climbing up thousands of meters of mountains while moving at an average speed of 38 km/h. Insane, I know. Imagine being 6’2 and weighing only 159 lbs to boot. Outlandish, I know. Aside from my patriotism and passion
parenting Archive
Am I worried about the proliferation of digital devices in our homes and schools? Not really. I’m more concerned that parents, when with their children at home, are simply using tablets, laptops, iPod Touch’s, Xbox consoles, etc. as a distraction device. An easy opportunity to abdicate parenting to the device itself. This is clearly wrong. Those parents have got it entirely wrong. My worry revolves around the disappearance of proper face-to-face social and behavioural skills that our children will require in an effort to engage and to ultimately prosper in this world of ours. I believe Peter Rawsthorne is taking his parental philosophy to a whole other level as well. (see comment) But there is something happening in our homes and schools that could be construed as positive. I think it is the Recalibration of Parallel
For those that know me, I started out my career many moons ago as a K-12 educator. For some of you, I’m sure you’re thinking, “what a lunatic”. I only lasted three years but I look back on those years, nevertheless, with the fondest of memories. Truth be told though, I didn’t last because I was in the minority. As a 25 year-old trying to uproot the education system to become more collaborative, more open, more connected, I was leery of falling into the ambivalence pit of staffroom rhetoric. I was in the minority of trying to bring the education system to its knees. Why had it remained a system unchanged for the past five centuries? Why wasn’t there a change afoot? But, alas, I
In Canada, the Tuesday after the Labour Day statutory holiday signals the return to school for most students attending kindergarten through higher education bachelor, masters and diploma programs. It is colloquially denoted as “Back to School” week. For many retailers, it is also considered the second most important period of the year next to the December holiday season. What about the parents? What type of environment are they creating with their children to ensure students of any age are successful in their back to school stage? I’m arguing that parents need to invoke a “back to cool“ regime to help with their child’s academic success regardless of age. Parents in today’s age of collaboration need to become intertwined with the digital footprint of their children.