May 2019 Volume 1 Issue 9

Volume 1 Issue 9 • May 2019

published by ZX Media Corporation

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A Grassroots Magazine • For Community by Community • Our imperfections make us great !

CONTENTS

Krista Malden

Community Connector

Kenzie Webber Master Creator

INNOVATION

BUSINESS

Create More. Innovate Better. Smile Bigger.

(Probably). Six Mental Models to Help Create Clarity.

6

What to Do When ‘IT’ Hits the Fan 22

CONTRIBUTORS Stacy Richter

Jade Alberts

Telling It Like It Is

24

Jill Quirk

Heloise Lorimer

Pivoting Careers in Tech 10

Ken Goldstein

26

Sophia Fairweather

STEAM Team

Adette Lacerte

We Are Calgary

Jennifer Cockton

Carol O’Dell

Zanika Malden

Marilyn Dyck

Diane Swiatek

Tara Fry

Les Mottosky

Ken Goldstein

Peter Lafontaine

Al Del Degan

Building the Smart Cities of Tomorrow at Inventures 16

COMMUNITY The Arts – Why Bother?

18

Let Us Now Consider

19

EDUCATION How to School the Whole Child 38 Unpacking the Curriculum by “Thinking Outside the Box” 41

Cover photo by Gage Walker on Unsplash For Questions, Comments or Information please contact publisher@communitynowmagazine.com Copyright 2019 ZX Media Corpoartion, Calgary Alberta Canada

Subscribe for your free issue of Community Now! At www.communitynowmagazine.com

Community Now! Magazine Copyright 2018, published by ZX Media Corporation.

Volume 1 Issue 9 May 2019

All rights reserved. This magazine or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher and writer.

Credit to Errorist_Artist aka Zanika Malden

Our Mission: Promoting curiosity, communication and engagement in making Calgary a stronger and better place to live, to be educated, do business, promote innovation and community celebration.

Community Now! \\ 3

JUNE 6 - UNION HALL, EDMONTON JUNE 21 - SAINT BRIGID'S, OTTAWA WHAT’S YOUR COLOUR? SUBMIT YOUR WORK FOR CONSIDERATION

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INNOVATION

Innovation \\ 5

Create More.

Innovate Better.

Smile Bigger.

(Probably).

Six Mental Models To Help Create Clarity.

Les Mottosky

A

Mental Model is a simple and, often insightful, explanation of someones’s thought process about how a thing works in the real world. Innovation is ultimately about creating an even-better real world, so it stands to reason that mental models can provide much inspiration for overcoming challenges when we are in the heat of iterating.

Confusion is a re-occuring challenge for teams and leaders blazing new trails. It impacts everything. Confusion slows progress. It devastates imagination. It shuts down communication.

And it can catalyze chaos.

6 // Community Now!

It also makes us grumpy. No fun.

As creatives and innovators (that’s all of us), confusion can, at best, be an impediment to progress and - on the other end of the scale - it can debilitate us.

Clarity is everything.

A meaningful belief to accept about clarity, is that — while societally we tend to refer to it as a ‘state’ or ‘characteristic’ — it may be more effective to think of it as a practice. Practices can be influenced by past experiences and the insights of those who’ve come before us.

We save valuable time by learning from the methods, wisdom and experience of others. In many cases a nugget of wisdom, experience or advice can work as a force multiplier to regain clarity.

Is there a simple way to navigate mental and or emotional terrain, when we find ourselves confused?

Here are a few world views from some names you likely recognize, that can provide direction while encountering confusion with your team, or on your own…

“The most important question you can ever ask yourself is if the Universe is a kind place?” - Albert Einstein He’s often pigeon-holed as a scientific genius so Einstein might not get all the credit for the philosophical gangster he was. Many of his observations, quotes and insights are in direct service to humanity and can provide relief from the suffering (a painful form of confusion) we inherit by virtue of having minds. The above quote may be one of his best. (continued on next page) Innovation \\ 7

(continued from page 8...)

This question is in part powerful because the answer becomes the lens through which we look at all of life. If one arrives at the conclusion that the Universe is indeed kind, then whatever moment of confusion (or pain or suffering) we’re going through is happening for us, instead of to us. When we believe the experience is for us, we can start looking for the gift, lesson or opportunity in it. Once we’re of that perspective, the confusion lifts and we start to feel like we’re moving forward again.

We can once again see possibility, where before there was none.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

- Viktor Frankl 8 // Community Now!

This quote reminds us we are never victims.

We always hold the key. Confusion may slow or impede progress, but how we engage that challenge goes a long way to determining how impacted we are by it.

Reminding ourselves that it’s our choices — and the mindset we attach to them — that will determine our experience. Our own attitudes are the ultimate trump card.

“It is in changing that we find purpose.”

- Heraclitus Periods of confusion can also be ‘change in disguise’. Or the confusion we’re experiencing can lead us to create a change. What can result from that change, becomes a new mission for our life - a new “Why” for getting out of a warm bed on a dark, cold winter’s morning.

An obvious synonym for change is ‘growth’. If we turn to nature, we find lots of evidence that one of the main reasons for life is to propagate

it. Changing can produce purpose. And where we have purpose, we also have clarity.

This is simple in theory and trickier to apply, but remembering that stages of growth are a necessary part of the path, can make temporary confusion tolerable.

“Have much and be confused.”- Lao Tzu A version of this idea in modern parlance would be, “Mo money, Mo’ problems”.

And while Western minds might gravitate towards capitalism and consumerism when we read the words “Have much”, those assumptions might be limiting. Nature seems to favour balance, so excess in any context can breed disfunction. This also applies to our interpersonal relations. The fewer things (objects, people, projects, possessions, ideas) there are to manage, the simpler, smoother, and of course, clearer things are for us.

Avoiding confusion altogether is an efficient and sensible way to experience extended periods of clarity. This above gem from the Tao Te Ching reminds us directly, that wherever it’s possible for us to choose it, we will benefit from keeping things simple.

“One never goes so far as when one doesn’t know where one is going.”

- Wolfgang Goethe Seems counter-intuitive to the theme of this article, but there’s a cool accuracy to this idea. When we think of it in the context of innovating, this is a quote that also has implications of risk, adventure and courage. It also reminds us that confusion is a necessary stage in the innovation journey.

If we’re following a map, by definition, we aren’t doing anything novel or going anywhere new. If our beliefs allow us to accept that getting lost periodically is helpful,

then confusion can be an indicator — like a reminder notice on our phone— that we’re doing something valuable. Being “lost” doesn’t necessarily have to mean we’re not progressing. This insight allows us to consider the idea that maybe, sometimes, confusion is only a problem if we make it so.

“A person’s success in life can usually be determined by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.”

- Tim Ferriss This is an idea that might make you wince when you read it. There’s true merit in the premise, and anxiety in the means.

Regardless, escaping organizational, team and interpersonal confusion requires communication. Communication that can occur in tense circumstances, and provide added friction. This friction requires listening, empathy and a focus on progress.

While uncomfortable, there exists significant side benefits within these conversations. They provide us the opportunity to forge personal discipline while creating connection, trust and momentum on the teams we contribute to. If managed with respect and listening, difficult conversations offer the possibility to define, strengthen or even transform the culture. In fact candid conversations are nearly always a hallmark of a vibrant culture.

Hopefully the captured wisdom from these luminous innovators above will provide some valuable mental models to apply to your respective innovation adventures.

Innovative leaders and teams are also high performers and they’ll always have tactics and practices that allow them to maintain momentum.

Even when confusion is a necessary part of the process.

Innovation \\ 9

PIVOTING CAREERS IN TECH

10 // Community Now!

By Stacy Richter

Alberta is known as a worldwide leader in technology. The talent pool also reaches very deep in innovation and technology. The cutting edge tech and talent that Alberta is currently known for will never be featured in publications like Wired or TechCrunch.

The tech talent pool in Alberta is considered among the elite in the Oil and Gas industry.

Much of the drilling and production technology developed in Alberta have been used to set the standards for performance among oil and gas producers all over the world.

Silicon Valley is home to tech giants like Microsoft, Facebook and Google while Alberta is home to energy giants like Suncor, Cenovus and Imperial Oil. Both industries require an infrastructure of enterprise, government and post-secondary to supply a deep and exceptional talent pool to continuously innovate.

Alberta is in the middle of a significant shift.

World oil prices continue to fluctuate at a price that is half of the last peak at $120 USD per barrel. The land locked province is battling to get pipeline projects approved in order to get its biggest resource to the coast and shipping to international markets. The conversation is shifting to diversifying the economy.

The diversification discussion has always been on the minds of Albertans and their government but it feels as though it has become more of a must-have today than it has in past

downturns. The most commonly discussed industry to diversify Alberta’s economy is in tech and innovation; artificial intelligence and software development instead of directional drilling and reservoir recovery.

There are many conditions that contributed to the boom of Silicon Valley. Arguably one of the most important factors was a high density of intelligent and ambitious innovators. Other factors such as government support (through programs or tax benefits), a knowledgeable and willing investment community and post-secondary institutions were also key contributors. I would argue that it was the high-ratio of entrepreneurs living and working in the area and their skillset that lit the fuse.

The big question facing government officials and industry leaders is can the success of Silicon Valley be duplicated here in Alberta?

For that to happen, the talent pool here needs to change. The province already has a wealth of tech talent living and working here. The challenge is how does Alberta keep all of the innovative talent and prevent the brain drain.

One possibility is to re-train the tech and innovation talent already living in Alberta.

Highly trained engineers, developers, geologists and geophysicists who have built their careers through innovating in the oil patch have many of the transferrable skills (continued on next page) Innovation \\ 11

(continued from page 11...) that will enable them to be successful in the other tech sectors.

TECHCareers is a program doing exactly that.

“This program is designed to take people who are unemployed or underemployed who were formerly in the industry working as an engineer or something like that.” explains Al Del Degan, Job Placement Coordinator with Manpower. “Some of them have master’s degrees or PhD’s in various engineering disciplines but are having a really hard time in this current market.”

The program at TECHCareers has two cohorts that follow either a software development track where participants learn python programming, web design, web application development, database concepts and development and other related soft skills. The second track is Network Specialist teaching skills in networking, data storage and management, virtualization, Microsoft directory services and networking, Microsoft/Azure Cloud, network design and implementation1.

The curriculum is delivered by accredited post-secondary institutions; SAIT in Calgary and University of Alberta in Edmonton.

The objective of TECHCareers is more than simply retraining professionals with skills to pivot their careers. The program includes a 1-8 week internship component which gives the participants real world experience in their new field of study and potential employers access to motivated tech talent while reducing the risk of hiring permanent fulltime employees. Del Degan also shares that

“instead of [employers] taking on somebody right out of school or someone just out there looking for a job, they’re getting these senior engineers and senior project managers with this incredible background and experience now focused on software or in the other case, network support.”

Although the TECHCareers program is administered by Manpower, it is 100% funded by government. Tuition and books for the cohort participants is free of charge and internship placement for the employers is also free of charge. The program embodies the participation from government, postsecondary and the private sector required to build a thriving tech sector in Alberta.

Peng Jiang, a former geological specialist until she was laid off in 2015, is a cohort participant in the software track. “I graduated from University in 2013, majoring in Geology.

After two years of working [] as a geological specialist, I was laid off due to the economic downturn.” explains Jiang. “In 2016, I started working at YYC International Airport as customer service agent.”

One reason Peng had joined the program is that she believes “computer science technology is the future and it is changing our lives in every field.” Since starting the program, Peng mentioned that “I have practiced my coding skills from front end to back end. Now I can write programs with more efficient code.” Peng’s goal is to be a successful software developer in a company that creates innovated solutions to make the lives of people more convenient and efficient.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ pengjiang1

1) TECHCareers. (2019). Calgary – @TechCareers 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019, from http://www.techcareers.ca/calgary/

12 // Community Now!

Vincent Domazet is a student in the Network Specialist cohort. Vincent worked in oil and gas doing project research, logistics and project administration. “I felt stuck[,] unskilled and undertrained. I looked for work for about a year (on and off). I basically came to a point where I realized I needed to go back to school and almost as an answer to my prayers, this opportunity came along.” says Domazet.

Referring to how being involved in TECHCareers supports his decision for a career change into tech, Domazet says “[i]t’s giving me all the skills and access to the technologies that were just out of reach before. The backing of SAIT and Manpower with this certificate will open a lot of doors for me.” Vincent would eventually like to become a full stack developer and is one of the first students to secure his internship prior to completing the core studies.

LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/vincentdomazet-1130a59a Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ vinicelloart/ TECHCareers is one pillar that is enabling high-tech talent to stay in Alberta and pivot their careers into new tech industries. The willingness of government, post-secondary institutions and the private sector to support and participate in this program are essential to diversifying Alberta’s economy into various tech sectors.

When asked for a final thought, Al Del Degan suggests employers should consider the resources at TECHCareers. He also encourages professionals who are in a position to pivot their career to first, check their ego and be willing to start at or near the bottom and then expect to rise quickly as they prove themselves.

About TECHCareers TECHCareers is a Manpower program powered by Back in Motion and funded by the Province of Alberta in partnership with the Government of Canada. The program was approved in November 2018 and launched its first two cohorts in January 2019. The program includes 17-weeks of core training followed by an internship for up to 8-weeks.

TECHCareers is looking to partner with employers for intern placements.

To learn more, visit http://www.techcareers.ca/ or follow on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/techcareersab/.

Innovation \\ 13

EVENTS June

Join us on June 16th at the

Father Day Walk and Run!​ Click here to register today!​

Print Issue​ featuring: Community Events: Beer Fest, Expo, amazing community organizations, people and much...(it’s must read)​

AUG

JOIN US TO CELEBRATE! ​ Great food, networking opportunities, support local charities, and celebrate a great village.​ SAVE THE DATE: AUG 15 2019​ To donate auction items or prizes to The Fathers Day Walk and Run or Our Community Celebration please email publisher@communitynowmagazine.com ​

IndigeSTEAM Power to Choose

Indigenous Youth Summer STEM Camp 2019 University of Calgary July 15 /16 to July 19 4 day camp for Indigenous youth

4 nights residence for Grade 7 and up Day camp for Grades 4 - 6

Choices of topics depending on your interests 2019 Special topic - Veterinary Medicine trip to Spy Hill Campus

Register at indigeSTEAM.ca registration is free

Seeking volunteers Camp program Communications Supervision Sponsors

Building The Smart Cities Of Tomorrow At Inventures

O

ur world is growing. By 2050, the global population is estimated to reach 9.8 billion.

A stunning 68 per cent of us – more than 6 billion people – will live in urban areas, and more than a third will live in cities with populations of 500,000 or more. Megacities with populations of 10 million or more will continue to proliferate and will be called home by at least one in 10 people.

Urbanization represents a tectonic shift in how we live and is one of the most significant challenges our world faces. While cities offer enormous opportunities for employment, investment and economic growth, they are hardly utopian. As urban areas grow, so too do problems such as social isolation, pollution, and poverty. How can we ensure that the cities of tomorrow – and today – address these obstacles and become places where humanity thrives?

Inspiring speakers offer life-changing concepts.

Inventures, Calgary’s must-attend innovation conference, is bringing together experts, entrepreneurs and innovators who are already making an impact in urbanization from Mole National Park in Ghana to Seattle, Washington.

• Tourism is closely linked to a growing desire to escape crowded urban areas. Inventures attendees will hear from Andrew Murphy, who raised $5.4 million to launch the first safari lodge in West Africa.

• Pre-fabricated homes got a radical upgrade in sustainability and design from Bec Chapin’s NODE. A far cry from the modular homes of the past, NODE is tackling pollution from residential buildings through beautiful, carbon-negative structures that can be delivered to almost any site.

• Reliable power is essential for dense cities that rely heavily on technology. Through Novele, AJ Glassberg has deployed the Energy Board,

16 // Community Now!

a wall-mounted energy storage device that requires no floor space and blends in with commercial wall paneling.

• Feeding growing cities becomes challenges as the amount of available agricultural land shrinks. Nadim Taoubi presents a possible solution with the Natufia Kitchen Garden, allowing both home cooks and professional chefs to grow organic herbs and vegetables in a compact indoor system.

Inventures is a meeting place for ideas.

While promising new technologies are rapidly transforming our cities, there’s more to how we live in urban environments than high-tech gadgets and homes. Inventures participants will hear from leaders who are shaping how the path forward. Join David Smith from the acclaimed Unreasonable Group to learn how entrepreneurs are shaping the future of work, or tune in to panels with leading thinkers to explore how corporations and governments can collaborate to build smarter cities.

And that’s just part of the program.

Inventures features six streams of content that crosses disciplines. From discussions on nurturing innovation and the growth of blockchain technology to startup pitch sessions, this event will energize attendees as they chart the course to the future.

Tickets for the three-day event are available for just $599 until May 28.

COMMUNITY

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The Arts – Why Bother?

By Tara Fry

With so much going on in our lives today, who has time to go to a show? Or stop by an art gallery?

Or to learn how to dance? There are so many

demands on our time, so many things that MUST be done, why should we spend time indulging in the arts, when, let’s face it, 99% of us do not have the talent to make a go of it?

Simple. The arts give us space to be ourselves.

Last month, among other arts and culture-related events, I went to Women Rock, presented by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

For me, the

most poignant moment came when one of the performers, Katrina Rose, spoke candidly about how singing, and being on stage, was where she found it was ok to be herself – loud, outgoing, and over the top. She gleefully embraced what the arts

behind you.

gave her, and encouraged everyone there to find

whatever for, that is exactly what you find. For

their own space, not letting anyone else tell them

almost ten years now, I have been training in

where that was.

ballroom dance and, more recently, salsa. Calgary

What a beautiful thought. While one that I actively live by, it was wonderful to hear it from someone who embraced the opportunities they had, and was willing to say “this is me, all my faults, aren’t they beautiful!” That is what the arts give: the freedom to be who you are, and to love and celebrate that person. Whether you are making art, performing, or going and enjoying a show, your engagement with the arts is an expression of who you are.

Also last month, I went to Alberta Ballet’s performance of A Mid Summer Night’s Dream.

While it has been years (decades) since I was a ballerina, myself, my love of ballet has never dwindled. As an English teacher, the chance to bring two worlds I love together was absolutely brilliant! It was an amazing show, and a chance to reconnect with a piece of my past, in a way that was steeped in my present.

Part of loving and celebrating yourself is having a supportive community of like-minded people

18 // Community Now!

When you embrace the arts, in

has a surprisingly large dance community, and it is incredibly welcoming! Not only did I meet my best friend through dance, I also have a wonderful relationship with my long-term dance partner.

Both of these people have helped me to become more confident in myself, and to express my ideas in different ways. It started from dance, but has grown in so many different directions, including writing, public speaking, and going back to school.

Every time I am in the dance studio, I feel welcome, and valued for who I am, not for who they are looking for me to be.

Speaking with others, while walking through art galleries, at CPO concerts, at Shakespeare in the Park, or at the Calgary International Salsa Congress, everyone has the same sort of story.

They have found their space. They feel alive when they are there. They like who they are.

So, why bother with the arts?

Because you

deserve your own space to belong. Because you deserve to love being you!

“Let us now consider…”

artist : aron hill 2019

Marilyn Dyck, Executive Director of The Doorway

Alvin Toffler, futurist, businessman and writer spent his life calling our attention to modern technologies, the digital and communication revolution, and their impact on cultures worldwide.

The impacts experienced by young people outside of traditional supports have particular significance in this conversation. What the “industry of homeless” does not tell us is that its ‘management by data’ does not succeed in being the ‘human response’ it needs to be.

Young people have taught us that when they are processed as data rather than persons, they are uncertain of their ‘human’ role and without hope of purpose and meaning in their lives.

We have learned a great deal from the young people we know about how they experience our society.

They are insightful and pragmatic and have much time to think.

In mainstream North America there is a dominant and continuing perception that the role of children and young people is to just listen and learn. They are capable of that and so much more…

Alvin Toffler has an urgent call for us to heed: “The secret message communicated to most young people today by the society around them is that

they are not needed, that the society will run itself quite nicely until they - at some distant point in the future - will take over the reigns.

Yet the fact is that the society is not running itself nicely... because the rest of us need all the energy, brains, imagination and talent that young people can bring to bear down on our difficulties.

For society to attempt to solve its desperate problems without the full participation of even very young people is imbecile.”

The Doorway is a community of support for young people transitioning to mainstream economy & community thedoorway.ca 403.269.6658

www.thedoorway.ca

www.thelisteningproject.ca

CRA 13140 1226 RR0001

listening to everyone

Community \\ 19

Neighbour Day BLOCK PARTY When:

Saturday, June 15th

11:00am to 2:00pm Where:

Made by Momma Resource Centre

66 21 Street NW

Come celebrate Neighbour Day with Made by Momma and The Happy Birthday Project!

Join us for some free family fun. There will be music, face painting, a petting zoo, bouncy castles and more! The delicious Avatara Pizza food truck will once again be attending!

Bring a donation of unopened diapers or formula to receive a discount coupon for your lunch.

For more information, please visit MadebyMomma.org

JOIN MADE BY MOMMA FOR OUR ANNUAL STAMPEDE

10 CAN ROUNDUP CHALLENGE! Help us restock the community pantry at Made by Momma!

Your non-perishable food donations will be packed into hampers and used to prepare meals for families facing adversity & crisis.

The demand for our services is at an all-time high! Through this food drive, we hope that we can rely on our community to help us meet the needs of those struggling!

1. Collect non-perishable food items for each day of Stampede!

10 Days ~ 10 Items

WISH LIST Pasta Sauce Beans & Legumes Coconut Milk Cream Soups Tomato Products Dry Pasta Vegetable, Chicken & Beef Broth Tuna, Salmon & Chicken Canned Fruit & Vegetables

For more information, visit MadebyMomma.org

2. Drop your donations off at the Made by Momma Resource Centre: 66 21 Street NW

The challenge is simple; collect 10 CANS for those who can’t.

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IT BLOG with

ONE PIECE IT

What To Do When ‘IT’ Hits The Fan. Would it seem strange to pay for a service you never hope to use? The truth is most people do that every month. People pay for car insurance hoping to never get in an accident. People buy home insurance hoping that it never catches fire or gets robbed. They pay for disability insurance hoping to never get hurt. People also buy health insurance hoping to never get ill.

People pay for these services, hoping to never need to use them, in order to protect their assets. One major asset that most people and businesses fail to protect is their data.

The loss of data or use of data systems in a business, even for a few minutes, costs thousands of dollars regardless of the size of business. Our reliance on technology is higher than ever, and a disruption for even a few hours can result in significant financial consequences for your business.

According to a report by Gartner in 2014, he estimated the cost of I.T. downtime to be $5,600.00 per minute, or more than $300,000.00 per hour for large organizations.

I.T. downtime can result in loss of access to email, accounting systems, file systems, databases and contact records. This downtime results in a loss of productivity, ability to manage cash flow AND a loss of confidence from your customers and vendors. At an average cost of $5600 per minute, it’s worth paying attention to.

There are as many causes of I.T. downtime as stars in the sky. The top 11 causes of downtime are: • Network Outages • Human Error • Server Failures • Storage Failures • Application Errors • Power Outages • Usage Spikes/Surges • Natural Disasters or Weather Events • Third-Party Supplier or Cloud Outages • Don’t Know/Unsure • Other A relatively new threat that tends to make the headlines is ransomware. A third-party gets access to your systems through a virus and shutsdown access to your data and will only release the data when a ransom is paid. Many companies have been victims to this new high tech theft and can be a concern for many businesses.

22 // Community Now!

The Solution; Disaster Recovery Plan I.T. downtime is not a matter of ‘if’ it will happen. downtime is only a matter of ‘when’ it will happen and ‘how’ much damage will it cause.

A Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) is the service you want to have in place that you hope you will never have to use and will be glad you have one when you need it.

You will be able to substantially increase your ability to recover lost data and return to normal operations as quickly as possible with a DRP in place, especially when you test regularly.

The disaster recovery plan is different than the business continuity plan (BCP). Though they are connected, both are valuable.

BCP is the entire strategy that ensures the mission-critical functions can continue during and after unforeseen disruptions. These disruptions can include, but are not limited to, natural disasters, death/illness of an executive, security breach, and more.

I.T. disaster recovery is actually a subset of a continuity plan, and ensures organizational stability following an impact to I.T. only.

Disaster Recovery Goals An important start to crafting your DRP, is to first consider the goals you want the plan to accomplish.

1.) Risk Reduction A primary goal of a good DRP is to reduce an business’s overall risk. Companies should conduct a risk assessment to understand where vulnerabilities exist that need to be addressed. You can use a number scale to measure each risk level.

2.) Resume Operations in an Emergency When a disaster occurs, businesses are working against the clock to provide information/solutions to internal and external customers, resuming operations as quickly as possible.

A Disaster Recovery Plan should offer solutions using SaaS platforms that are accessible from any location and having redundant data storage and compute abilities.

To narrow Disaster Response time organizations, businesses, schools... should routinely test their plan at least once a year

3.) Address Owner/Investor Concerns

6.)Industry Compliance

For businesses, a DRP should ease concerns of whoever is at the top of the organization – be it owners, investors, a board of directors, or shareholders.

Most organizations have compliance standards to uphold. Creating a DRP will help to reduce the chance of incurring penalties for failure to meet regulatory compliance obligations.

Gauging the top concerns of these groups will help to identify high-level corporate liabilities that must be addressed if a plan is to be effective.

4.)Regular Maintenance A disaster plan should be updated regularly. A good strategy is for the IT department to run routine assessments on a schedule and ensure the DRP addresses all risks at any given time.

As technology evolves and changes throughout an organization the reaches of that technology must also be considered.

5.)Narrow Disaster Response A crucial piece of the DRP is ensuring that the IT team and other disaster recovery stakeholders can mobilize quickly and in a coordinated way. You have one shot at having the fastest response deployment possible and getting communications and backups live in the event of an emergency.

Who is Responsible for What in Creating & Implementing a Disaster Recovery Plan?

Before you begin mapping out your DRP, it’s important to have the right people in place to lead & implement.

This is where One Piece IT can help you, we can help you establish a Disaster Recovery Plan committee which includes key decision makers from across the entire organization from top management to human resources, finance, security vendor management Collectively, we can be responsible for outlining, implementing, testing, and maintaining the Disaster Recovery Plan. To learn more about DRP, contact us at (403) 775-1761 or visit us at https://www.onepiece-it.com/#connect.

(403) 755-1761 info@onepiece-it.com www.onepiece-it.com

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Community Now! Hijakes #TellingItLikeItIs

to learn more about the founder behind the show; Jade Alberts.

Every Wednesday at 9:30am CN! Tunes in for #TellingItLikeItIs Facebook live show to learn about new businesses in and around Calgary, hear great advice on the ups and downs of peoples entrepreneurial journeys and be inspired! This is an amazing example of community promoting community.

We first met Jade Alberts at a Rainforest LWOL networking meeting, and fell in love with his crazy shoes and how he approaches businesses and people with an open ear, opportunity, advice and a chance to storytell with him and the community.

We were so inspired that we had to have Jade share #tellingitlikeitis with CN! Readers as a column.

But for this issue, CN! Is hijaking #TellingItLikeItIs. Meet Jade Alberts; family man, business strategist, business entrepreneur and community supporter, who does everything based on a handshake, honesty and integrity.

Why did you start Telling It Like It Is ?

I started it off as something fun and small and short to have fellow businesses share their stories - successes - mistakes - 6 or 8 minute conversation...Then I realized I needed more time and I made it into a 1520 min conversation to be able to allow for storytelling Why do you offer this service free?

I truly believe that you should give back and share your knowledge, you can’t take it to the grave with you.

What advice can you give to business owners?

1.)You have to be your business! Be socially engage with your business!

You have to control your story and you can’t allow others to tell your story.

2.) A lot of people get wrapped up in the day to day activities of business, its ok to let things go and let go so you can grow!

What advice can you give to people when they get “stuck”?

1.)This is where your network comes in to place big time. Whether it’s the Rainforest LWOL or other places. Having someone to talk too or a peer or mentor is really important. People will always share their knowledge with people.

2.)Ask for help but actually listen to the help!

3.)You never know where your next idea will come from, and remember your idea is a starting point. So listen to people as it can only make your idea better.

What do you do with businesses that work with Jade Alberts Consulting?

I listen and then I put together a plan with the business. Sometimes it can be about starting over and other times it could be small like, how you answer the phone.

TELLING IT LIKE IT IS I work with people long term which I prefer and other times I work with companies on a smaller scale and sometimes I might not be the right person but I will guide you to the right person.

When people are looking for advice, help, direction… what do you suggest is the best approach?

Honest business meetings = listen & ask = a solution. You have to come in and listen.

When people are researching Consultants, what advice can you give them?

You can’t put a timeline on fixing something.

You need to allow time to evolve, expand, decrease, increase and streamline.

If someone comes in and says “this much money, this much time” it’s probably not true.

Why do you get involved with community?

Community is everything! It’s the family of business. It’s what makes you - you!

Business means work and grow together.

With community you are only as strong as your weakest link and everyone has to work together, it doesn’t matter what industry. When everyone is sharing their knowledge you can take on any challenge.

If you need advice about Brand Building, Business Strategy, Business Development, Social Media / Digital Strategy or Content Creation contact Jade today.

Fun fact: Jade Alberts has over 30 pairs of shoes. When asked how shoes become his thing he replied “I have always loved fun things. I started with funky ties, when I had to wear ties. Then the ties rolled into sunglasses and then shoes! They all make for great conversation starters”

Jade Alberts Jade Alberts Consulting 403-771-1301 www.JadeAlbertsConsulting.com www.LinkedIn.com/in/JadeAlberts

Ken Goldstein; providing insight into making the workplace a better place for everyone.

“If not us, who? If not now, when?” - John F Kennedy Beginning his career as an educator pushed Ken Goldstein to understand, learn from, and listen to people openly while helping them become the best version of themself.

Fun Facts • Plays hockey in a 55+ league

KEN GOLDSTEIN B.A. B.Ed., C.P.B.A. Is a certified Professional Behavioural Analyst (CPBA), strategist, speaker, communicator and marketer. Ken takes pride in building relationships and working with people to reach their potential. He uses behavioural profile assessments (DISC), as a tool to help owners and employees to communicate more effectively and to foster respect and work together for shared outcomes within the work space. DISC is also used for better recruitment, retention and understanding of employees.

• Had 5 Scotties

Being an educator and moving into upper and senior management over his career has allowed Ken to gain the skills and expertise to make his consulting business a success.

• Enjoys reading mystery novels and watching British crime dramas

“One of the roles I particularly enjoy is mentoring and training management and other staff to successfully reach their potential.” said Ken Goldstein.

Kenneth S. Goldstein

C.P.B.A. Managing Director, The Goldstein Group 326, 7620 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB. T2V 1K4 (t) 403 452-5303 | (c) 403 816-8721 linkedin.com/in/ken-goldstein-75615112 ken@goldsteingroup.ca http://www.goldsteingroup.ca/

“The genius of managing people” Call Today to Learn More or Click Here

Q & A with Ken Goldstein What is a behavioural profile assessment?

DISC is the language of "how we act," or our behaviour.

Research has consistently shown the behavioural characteristics can be grouped together into four styles. People with similar styles tend to exhibit specific types of behaviour common to that style - that is not acting. A person's behaviour is a necessary and integral part of who they are.

The DISC model merely analyses behaviour styles; that is a person's manner of doing things. A person's behavioural style is NOT what makes them good or bad, right or wrong. It is their beliefs and values only that have everything to do with good or bad, right or wrong.

Why did you get involved with the corporate world and the hiring process?

It was an evolution of my early days as a classroom teacher. Wanting to make a difference.

What kind of advice would you give to people who are starting their own business?

That they are not unique in the sense that they will encounter things that many have before and many will after them. Ask for help and then listen to it.

Don’t be an “askhole."

How did/do you balance work and life?

I didn’t for a very long time whn my children were young. Then I embraced a quote from John F Kennedy "If not us, who? If not now, when?"

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By Diane Swiatek, Founder and Director of Banbury Crossroads School, Est. 1979

J

ohn Dewey said, “I believe finally, that education must be conceived as a continuing reconstruction of experience; that the process and the goal of education are one and the same thing.” This means that education is an ongoing, experiential endeavour, focussing on a journey that happens over time, rather than a destination.

It is an individually transformative experience, an internal and interpretive experience that illuminates and constructs meaning from all aspects of a person’s life. Therefore, learning requires the whole child’s active involvement, which makes it a multifaceted endeavour.

30 // Community Now!

What allows us to gather the courage to attempt the gargantuan task of education is that the concept is very simple. At the centre of all this immense effort is, simply, the child, a person of value to both parents and society, who is a social and emotional being, as well as an intellectual and physical being. We need to address who each individual child is, and also what their experience is in relationship to others, and in relationship to their enveloping world.

But the execution of this concept is very complicated. It requires a shift in focus.

We all know that there are adult concerns

across the broad spectrum of the population about health care and safety, about citizens’ legal rights and multiple responsibilities, and about respect for cultural norms. The truth is that schools are burdened with very complex expectations from everyone. It is fascinating how almost everyone thinks that they know how schools ought to operate, because almost everyone has attended schools in their childhood; they have personal experience that informs their expertise on the subject.

involved in education-as-we-know-it in conventional schools—pragmatic and accountability concerns. As part of their accepted role, schools need to promote literacy and numeracy, communication fluency and logical thinking skills. They need to facilitate exploration of important historical, sociological and scientific matters. Thus, we focus on intellectual and physical skills and methods. Schools keep children industrious and methodical and meaningfully occupied while their parents are at work, because a society that enables women to work augments their personal development, and increases the economic sustainability of families and the culture at large. Schools are also often seen as a convenient means to transmit information

We need to shift from fixating on the goals of education, in terms of isolated content and endpoint objectives, to include a multidimensional view of the process of meeting those aspirations. The goals of education have received a lot of attention in our western society, particularly through our focus on designing curricula. The public seems to consider designing the curriculum for subjects, distinct or interdisciplinary, to be the simplest means of setting standards in academic expectations for schools— the accountability factor.

Educational professionals, like professionals in any area of endeavour, have gained specialized knowledge and experience regarding best practices in terms of curricula. They utilize all the skill and wisdom they possess when they design excellent content to be used in schooling, but this is one of those cases where you can please some of the public all of the time, and all of the public some of the time, but never all of the public all of the time.

Public scrutiny of the math curriculum, for instance, has been fervent. We spend a lot of time worrying about, and disagreeing about, the contents of this educational bundle of opportunities and requirements that we are presenting to our students, but the actual quality of the process of learning and the (continued on next page) Education \\ 31

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32 // Community Now!

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“

We need to not just present curricula to children; we need to relate to those children individually and with cultural competence.

(continued from page 31...) experience of the learners themselves are sometimes undervalued and overlooked.

Schooling has become an emotional issue for all adults, perhaps because their personal experiences of the process marked them, positively or negatively, when they were young.

That is why it is important to spend some energy paying attention to our children now, and to the process of their schooling experience, which only exists intertwined and fused with the content. Marshall McLuhan said, “The medium is the message”, meaning that the channel or means through which a message is transmitted is more important than, or equated with, the meaning or content of the message. Translated in this context, his statement would mean that the process or means of education shapes, or is equated with, the content or end product of education, and is, therefore, intrinsically part of it.

The process of schooling deals with how we treat children, and it all starts with a

”

purposeful awareness that our goals have zoomed in upon a new perspective: the need to address their humanity. We need to not just present curricula to children; we need to relate to those children individually and with cultural competence. We need to eschew a punishment-and-reward approach to problem solving, because it is manipulative and distancing. We need to see children as just people. We need to see education as enabling these whole, valued persons to engage in an experiential process of exploring the real world, and to synthesize complex ideas gained from those experiences. They need to comprehend the world that they inhabit.

Meaning is thus self-constructed inside the learners and it transforms them. If we are careful and wise, learners will grow into adults with positive associations connected with their schooling.

At its roots, the learning that exists in schools is dependent upon the environment in which it occurs. It not only defines the content of what

(continued on next page) Education \\ 33

(continued from page 33...) students are learning, but it also influences the social and emotional self-conceptions that students form during their interactions with others. This involves the environment within the school, and the environment outside it.

The environment outside the school should be available for students to access during their academic learning. Schools can provide field excursions consistent with the idea of learning “in place”, rather than learning “in a place removed”. We need to value field trips, and make them a common experience.

They are not a break from intensive learning; they are intensive learning. Typical trips involve taking students to highly stimulating places, like zoos and fish hatcheries, science centres and space observatories, museums and libraries. Many educational programs exist in urban communities.

The thing that is missing for many school children is frequency. Due to large class sizes and the logistics of transportation, school trips are not usually very frequent. To improve this situation, schools could simply choose to deal with their logistics and provide more frequent trips. This would be a matter of adult inconvenience being done in the service of creating student joy from direct learning in their outdoor environment. In addition to visits to urban sites, or even international sites that are planned specifically for young people, schools can also seek out informal and unusual places for children to explore. These would include puppet factories, scientific supply trade fairs, grocery stores and bird sanctuaries, ponds and dance studios, provincial parks, graveyards and fabric stores, ethnic restaurants, and city services like water treatment plants, landfills and dams. The list is limited only by the imagination. The point is to help children actually see, hear and feel what is going on around them. If 34 // Community Now!

they walk by an open manhole cover in the sidewalk, children who are used to this sort of exploration will stop, peer in, and ask, “What are you doing down there?” Their curiosity has free rein. They remember these moments.

Volunteerism and immersion internships are another way to open the outside world to students’ learning. Through community partnerships, young people can be offered extended learning opportunities. Students can make sandwiches for the Mustard Seed, stock shelves in the Drop-In Centre, and participate in social benefit programs like Leftovers food rescue program or Closer to Home. They can participate in food drives and Christmas gift drives. An internship program for older students from age 12 to 18 can illuminate the work that their parents do, as well as the work done by organizations that might appeal to their interests. When students work at an internship, or fulfill a work experience program for a few weeks, or one day per week for several months, they have a glorious opportunity to check out those places as potential career choices. They may volunteer at a deli, a music production studio, an architect’s office, a legal office, a radio station, a graphic design studio, or the television studio at U of C. They might work outdoors on the prairies testing water quality around oil wells, or in collaboration with a psychologist doing research. They might participate in actual apprenticeship programs at SAIT, like autobody, or in their program called Apprentice for a Day. At these community sites, they may speak to people actually doing those occupations, and participate in a significant way to the success of the organization.

These experiences give young people a chance to participate in meaningful and challenging work, with realistic expectations, and yet under the gentle (continued on next page)

(continued from page 34...) supervision of adults. They usually start working harder at school the minute they begin their internship, because suddenly they realize that school has a purpose: it teaches skills and knowledge in reading, math, the arts and science that is actually needed for competent participation in society.

These internship opportunities are worth social gold. It is important for young people to develop respectful, trusting, working relationships with adults—they will soon become one and will have to work alongside them. This is one way of teaching students as whole persons. These experiences in the real world engage them naturally, and easily become embedded in their memories. They also offer specialized skill development not readily available in schools. Some students who are taught to assemble computers at a computer store may persist in building computers as adults, learning new computer technology as a side interest, if not as a career; but that also changes their lives.

The real world needs to be palpable in the school’s internal culture, as well. Visitors can introduce fascinating information about real-world topics, from communication skills to the preparation of sushi to solar lights to bicycle repair to Peruvian culture. These experiences enliven students’ daily routine, provide refreshing and engaging input and mentorship from adults other than their teachers, and provoke interest for further study. Before-and-after school care, summer camps and international student programs also expand the typical focus of a school.

The sorts of activities involved in these endeavours can give students leadership opportunities, exhilaration and compassion.

Being inside the school at different hours in 36 // Community Now!

the day, and different times of the year, can imply that learning happens all the time, and everywhere.

It is important to note that the internal environment of a school includes the way that the school operates, and community values need to be palpable here, too. The power structure, rather than being top-down, can be relaxed to be more horizontal. Everyone needs to abide by shared expectations, like respect, compassion, helpfulness and empathy. These norms need to be part of the school culture— and practiced by all adults and children.

These are the same values expected in the world at large—on the streets, in businesses and homes, theatres and recreation centres— as emotional and physical safety is expected everywhere in our democracy. Moreover, valuing these mutually respectful behaviours is the route to developing trust, and trust is what everyone needs to relax and enjoy the learning setting. No learning happens when people are afraid, other than learning how to avoid and mitigate the fearful situation.

Indeed, a peaceful, safe, relaxing and inspiring environment is necessary for optimal learning, because it positively influences the development of the child’s growing brain. In all educational sites, children’s brains, and their conceptual learning, are impacted by the quality of their relationships. Parents at home need to be collaborative partners with teachers and other staff at school, and all of the adults are more effective role models if they understand and support each other’s goals for their children. This adult cooperation matters. If the school environment contains responsive and caring people, who are reliable, kind and trustworthy, then students can relax enough to focus on learning. We must realize that the emotional connotations of those learning experiences are retained

in children’s memories, along with the content learned—for years.

When the accomplishment of projects is done with coercion and tears, belittlement and conflict, whatever knowledge was gained is retained along with the remembered pain and distaste for doing it. However, when caring, gentle and inspiring teachers work with students for many years, the relationships become truly respectful, connected and knowledgeable, and learning is associated with joy. Both students and teachers then have a vested, ongoing interest in solving problems, because they know that, if they don’t solve them now, they will still have to face and overcome them in the future. Teachers’ planning meetings can include educators across subjects, to increase awareness of interdisciplinary opportunities and understanding of students’ work in other fields. Professional development needs to be offered to staff, to support their own social and emotional skills and health. Moreover, wise parents can come to know their children’s teachers through attending educational and social events organized by the school over the years, thus helping them contribute to their particular children’s education. Long-term investment in school relationships leads to enormous positive outcomes.

Learning is an internal cognitive process, an analytical process of constructing meaning from everything that is encountered by these individuals. Therefore, this on-site school environment needs to provide opportunities for intellectual development that is meaningful, relevant and engaging, enabling students to use kinesthetic materials, manage their own learning, assess their progress and become self-sufficient.

Student-led conferences promote the idea that students need to reflect upon their own learning and goals, and that they are responsible for their own social and academic growth. Students

need to participate in the design of assignments and projects, through discussion with teachers regarding the scope and expectations of their study. When schools use self-directed learning methods that encourage intrinsic motivation, an effort mindset and creative expression, curiosity may be released so that students may delve into new information and projects with energy and joy.

So, in order to promote the greatest chance of intellect-building and relationship-building within schools, adults need to provide smaller schools and smaller class sizes, with an environment unlike a factory and like a large, extended family. Although smaller-sized schools and classes may not be consistently associated with higher scores on standardized tests, they are, unequivocally, associated with a more peaceful, pro-social atmosphere, and with better relationship development.

Relationships are at the heart of emotional comfort, because both students and teachers feel visible and know that they matter. And, in turn, better social relationships are the single most significant factor involved in student learning of all sorts—academic, emotional and social. We need to remember that seeing children as whole persons means that we need to develop all facets of their growth, and having smaller classes simplifies the ability to actually know our students and thus employ suitably productive instructional strategies on an individualized basis. This particularization enables students to develop to their full potential. As well, it is beneficial for teachers’ satisfaction with their profession: it is very validating for teachers to watch their students’ competence grow. They know that they have made an impact upon those students; they can clearly see the results of their efforts over time. (continued on next page) Education \\ 37

S E O DG

RE E H

A R U YO

ES O G D RA U YO

RE E H

ES O DG

A R U YO

38 // Community Now!

RE E H

“

Mentoring that deepens the sense of community, with consistent contact between teachers, students and their parents, is easier to maintain when the population is smaller.

(continued from page 37...)

Even adversity may be softened when consistently compassionate adults, who know their students, intervene to help them understand their individual challenges and assist with learning obstacles and practical concerns. Anxiety is one of the ordeals commonly plaguing students over the last decade, yet, meaningful relationships with mentor teachers and other staff and students, as well as access to professional counselling, can mitigate that pain. If anything tugs at adults’ heartstrings, as something inherently wrong, it is the lurking presence of alienation, stress and fear in children’s life experience.

Benevolent adults will do everything in their power to understand their students’ lives, and to provide a positive and peaceful environment that harbours no place for stress or fear. In a small school, it is much easier to create that harmonious atmosphere. When trust and visibility evolve as part of a small school’s culture, because people actually know each other well, it is easy for teachers to help students develop communication and negotiation skills, through both informal and formal meetings of various sizes, to discuss disputes, plans and problems. All of these communicative encounters are held with a view to developing win-win solutions and respectful interactions between all members of the community. In a small school, the intimacy generated makes it much easier to use restorative and self-disclosure practices

”

like “Hugs and Bugs” circles with elementary children, where they focus on helping

children to take responsibility, to empathize with others and to apologize. They learn to say, “I did that, and I regret it now.” This selfawareness and courage to confront shame is the first step in a child’s learning how to repair harm done in their relationships. Also, peers may be included in meetings with teachers and administration in attempts to positively influence students with social issues.

Mentoring that deepens the sense of community, with consistent contact between teachers, students and their parents, is easier to maintain when the population is smaller. The simple factors of visibility, care, kindness, respect and personal knowledge that derive from small classes in small schools create a harmonious and interesting atmosphere that is inspiring for developing intrinsic motivation, and for studying. The expectation given to students that they are capable of developing their own schedules for core subjects is a matter of respect: students can work academically where they are really at. Whether they work quickly or slowly, they work on material at their actual intellectual level. If their social growth lags behind their intellectual growth, they have time to branch out to explore any topics that intrigue them. Thus, they can expand their skills and knowledge beyond the typical curriculum, (continued on next page) Education \\ 39

(continued from page 39...) while their social skills catch up. On the other hand, students who struggle can receive assistance until they grasp the concepts as well as they can. Using effective instructional practices such as an individualized, or smallgroup, tutorial approach, rather than a lecture approach, is the natural solution to students working at different rates. It also allows students to take the time necessary to work to mastery on their academic projects. When the assessment procedure includes daily feedback and expectations that students will revise their work and be re-taught, or gap-taught, in areas they did not understand, then those students learn to intrinsically value concentration and learning, over marks. Learning to mastery is much more meaningful and gratifying to the learner than just fulfilling standards… or failing to do so.

Another positive strategy to encourage engagement and natural interest in what happens at school—and to prevent boredom—is to give students opportunities to learn about topics that matter deeply to them and that they see as relevant to their lives. For instance, if a student desires to teach dance to younger children, choreograph dances, sew costumes for them, and then perform at a theatre, it is immensely meaningful for that student, as well as for the younger protégés, to carry out this plan. It can even happen that one of the protégés, in later years, turns around and becomes a teacher for new, younger students! They were given the role model, and they know how it works.

Sometimes, the knowledge derived from such long-term projects can benefit others and create change in the school community. A purposeful focus on food waste, for instance,

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www.fdrunandwalk.com 40 // Community Now!

can lead to learning about the extent of the problem in the larger community, measuring their actual wastage of food at lunch time, carrying out a composting project, and participating in a food rescue program with teacher assistance. While pursuing their interests in relevant projects, they will learn many academic concepts that are embedded in those ventures, yet they will hardly realize that they are learning them (especially when it’s math!). They will just notice that the project is unfolding. And throughout the entire time, they need adults to discuss their interpretations of their learning.

This inquiry-based and integrated approach to academic practices creates the conditions whereby students may become unselfconsciously self-sufficient, collaborating easily on projects and problem-solving, and organizing their resources and schedules.

In this way, they are inherently developing social, emotional and academic competence.

When youth are given control over their own education, they naturally exhibit selfmanagement and autonomy, which they will need as they prepare for the next stage of life—adulthood—that lies directly beyond their completion of high school. Students who are nurtured as multifaceted people also tend to develop self-reliance and an internal locus of control. They forge their personal identity with a corresponding set of principles that inform their decisions, and they become socially responsive and compassionate.

Personal growth requires individualized attention and adult mentoring. Hence the focus on smaller schools, and smaller classes in them.

Lisa Flook, a senior researcher at the Learning Policy Institute, has also, independently, identified ways such as these in which schools can create a “whole child” approach. Honoring

the multidimensional nature of children as whole beings is not just a theoretical vision; I know from experience that it is a reality, because Banbury Crossroads operates on this model for children aged 3 through 18. I have lived it every day since 1979. This model of schooling supports the vision of respect for the whole child described by Kahlil Gibran in his poem, “On Children”:

“Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love, but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies, but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, Which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, But seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children As living arrows are sent forth…”

Education \\ 41

Unpacking the Curriculum by “Thinking Outside the Box”

I

was skiing with my daughter at Sunshine a few weeks ago and I was going on the GREAT DIVIDE ski lift and it hit me… the significance of these words “The Great Divide”. A metaphor that educators are presented with daily… The two roads – The Should and The Must. Elle Luna wrote a book called The Crossroads of Should and Must. Find and Follow Your Passion. Luna is helping innovators find ways to live the life they are meant to live. It questions; What is my calling? The message of the book is clear, you need to explore who you truly are to be completely happy. “Which of these do you currently have – A job? A career? Or A calling?” (pg. 17). Luna explains in her book; Picasso’s life and his art are blurred brilliantly together, because Picasso lived his best life.

Picasso lived in his MUST. This book can help people discover; what is your MUST? Why should we teach with a STEAM philosophy? I think it can possibly help students find their MUST. A Rumi poet said, “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really LOVE. It will not lead you astray”. How do we “unbox” the curriculum to help students discover who they really are and help them find out what they really love? Isn’t finding what you’re passionate about be the purpose of life? It would be great to help students find out what their passions are early in life to help improve their overall happiness.

42 // Community Now!

Written by STEAM Team coach Jill Quirk

How do we personalize learning effectively?

It is our job as educators to provide the conditions to allow for students to explore and discover who they are. However, there are many obstacles we the educators face while teaching towards a student’s MUST. I believe we can overcome some obstacles and work towards helping students find out what makes them happy by using STEAM, and/ or a Problem Based Learning methodology.

Essentially, we as educators must provide important questions and students are asked to find different ways to answer the questions.

Through the process of finding the answers, students are learning and discovering what they are good at and what they enjoy. This push for personalized learning has been recognized throughout our country. For example, a Transform Education summit held in March at Telus Spark in Calgary, hosted by Microsoft, was a call out to educations to find ways to help make students FUTURE READY. Microsoft went across the country to question how Canadian educators can help the future generations solve important problems. Two grade 6 Heloise Lorimer STEAM students prepared a speech and voiced the importance of STEAM education and what it has achieved for them so far. Both, girls have been on our school’s STEAM Team for two years now and they have explained that the skills they are learning from the STEAM Team, (integrating curriculum, learning new technology and learning how to lead). Both claim that STEAM

is helping to prepare them for their futures. Ammalee wants to pursue a career in Education and Soam wants to pursue a career in Engineering. Our school STEAM Team teach grade 1 classes STEAM skills so our grade ones from Heloise Lorimer were the faces for what it takes to be FUTURE READY. We are trying to prepare students to be Future Ready by integrating a school wide STEAM program teaching students’ important life skills.

The message for many educators around the globe is clear, we are all looking for new ways to approach a Problem Based Learning methodology. Evidence of this was at a Global Edfest summit in Hawaii, a summit exploring how to use a problem based learning approach in the classroom, many educators who attended the summit had one thing in common, they were searching for new ways to “unbox” the curriculum. The summit took us to various locations around Honolulu/Waikiki to learn how to enhance our learning through experiences: nature walks, team building with outrigger canoes, learning how to effectively use yoga in our school and learning how to always keep things fun. The summit was about understanding your emotions so you can improve in your own personal productivity, as well as understanding Malama Aina. A Hawaiian value; where if you take care of the earth (both emotionally and spiritually) and the earth will take care of you.

A few colleagues and myself presented at the EdFest summit, presenting; How to Create a community of Makers in your school? We presented our Winter Design Challenge How can we become STEAM Superheroes and blast Ms. Winter away by making/designing ways to scare her off – fooling her that we already had enough SNOW! I thought it was important to show the teachers how easy it is to present the conditions to create an environment of play based learning for all ages. I explained how we use the Engineering Cycle in all Design Challenges, and the most important outcome of a STEAM activity is that no student has the same answer.

We let the educators explore various stations to find ways to create, design and play to find ways to “scare off” Ms. Winter. How we set it up at our school is by creating (continued on next page) Education \\ 43

(continued from page 43...) various stations help students complete each part of the Design Challenge. We divided the stations up for each letter of STEAM and each station educators could approach the challenge like a student. Activities that were provided at the summit was trying to fool “Mrs. Winter” by creating giant snowflakes out of spaghetti or creating igloos made from sugar and or marshmallows. When we did this challenge at our school we also attempted to make an ice castle. However, we found out quickly with changing temperatures it was hard to achieve here in Calgary!

What we are trying to achieve at our school is teaching STEAM to create conditions where students have the freedom to choose how they want to answer the questions, and throughout this process, students are learning new skills and passions that they didn’t know they had. Students are building resiliency as things often can go the opposite way they often want. Students are finding the skills necessary to overcome the hardships. Some of these feelings of disappointment can be

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uncomfortable, however I find once we dig further into student’s emotional needs, we can help them out on a more personal level.

The #MakersMarket Design Challenge Creating a STEAM Design Challenge called Maker’s Market, allowed students to create something unique and explore their creativity by making something artistic. The condition we created was; Can you create something to sell at a Maker’s Market using only your STEAM bucks? Each student received some STEAM bucks to use at our STEAM Shoppe. Students thought of original ideas by drawing and playing with the materials.

They then purchased items they needed from the STEAM Shoppe, planning how much each item cost and thinking how they could make a profit. Students were challenged by using their financial literacy skills to think about what to buy and how much each item would cost. Each student made a prototype of their design and then they tried to “trade up”. It took a few weeks for students to build an artisan product and then they traded.

The grade 5s became the Critical Friends for the younger grades, helping students with the financial literacy piece and being able to understand if they made a profit or not.

Several classes came together to trade their items. When I asked the students how many “traded up?”, most kids put their hands up.

The grade 5s had a special challenge and sold their items at a community market (which was parent teacher interview night). Students chose ahead of time what charity they wanted to donate their money to. The Grade 5s made almost $600.00 for their chosen charities. In the end, we divided up the money three ways for the Grade 5 classes and then each class will choose a charity to donate to. The Maker’s Market was a great success I think because there was so much choice involved in the process. Giving students choice allows for them to feel empowered and in control of their own learning. When students completed the Maker’s Market, when you asked students what they made and why they made it, many said they made is because it made them happy. So simple.

The Next Challenge? How do we unbox Indigenous Ways of Knowing?

“As the findings from Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the 94 calls to action (2015) state, that the education curriculum must include Indigenous knowledge systems”. How can educators authentically and purposefully integrate Indigenous education? I believe this is an important step in our journey in STEAM education. Line Laplante an indigenous elder taught me that, “Indigenous ways of knowing are complex, are learned over a lifetime, and are different from Settler/Colonial knowledge systems”. So, in this journey, we must be careful in how we ask the questions about indigenous ways of knowing. A good first step could be to infer about the perspectives of all living things in our environment. Coming back to the Hawaiian value, Malama Aina; where we must learn how to take care of the earth, by learning as much as we can about everything in our environment and finding a way to connect with it. For example, in New Zealand the Whanganui river was granted the same legal rights as a human being. It took 140 years of negotiation, however the Maori tribe finally won recognition for the river.

This is a great example of how we can connect and belong with all living things. STEAM can provide the conditions to find more solutions in how we can all belong together. This process of understanding how to incorporate all our different perspectives will require patience. As educators are now tasked with incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing in their classrooms, an effective way to approach this could be through adopting a STEAM approach. STEAM encourages a holistic approach to education, that everything should be connected.

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innovation • education • community • business innovation education • community • business THANK YOU• TO EVERYONE WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • Tracy community • business Jill Les Kenzie Zanika Jenn innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • Diane community • business Sophia Peter Adette Stacy Jade innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • community • business innovation •Al education •Marilyn community • business Steven Carol Vanisha Al & James innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • Scott community • business Brian MJ Tara Ken innovation • education • community • business innovation • education • community • business "Coming together is a beginning. innovation • education • community • business Keeping together is progress.• business innovation • education • community innovation • education • community • business Working together is success." innovation • education • community • business -Henry•Ford innovation • education community • business innovation • education • community • business

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