Honoring Dale Auger

A story in the Calgary Herald caught my attention, Calgary-area artist honoured: Dale Auger inducted into hall of fame. Dale Auger and I were graduate students at the University of Calgary together -- my best memory of Dale is from 1992 when, along with another graduate student, we traveled to Wabasca-Desmarais to lead a multimedia storytelling project with several young people. We packed up several Mac computers and a scanner for the children's artwork, and set up an impromptu lab. The students spend several days drawing, storyboarding and writing their stories using Hypercard. We wrote a few short articles about this experience for "The Writer's Notebook" -- it was life-changing for me, and this work with Dale still influences how I teach and work with students and digital storytelling today. It was very sad to learn about Dale's death last September - he was only 50 years old. It is so fitting that the The Stampede's Western Art Show Hall of Fame has recognized Dale's contribution and has provided a lasting tribute to his work. To learn more about Dale Auger and his stunning artwork and publications, visit http://daleauger.com/index.cfm

Great Cupcakes and Sushi Near Campus

Thanks to Barb for the two dozen yummy cupcakes in doctoral seminar today. FYI - the cupcakes came from Crave - http://www.cravecupcakes.ca/

Where can you get good Sushi near campus? Here are a few places Thang2 and I go: Number One: Yamato - (403) 282-2217

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2. GlobeFish - http://www.globefish.ca/
3. Sushi Boat - http://www.sushiboat.ca/

Birds From Here to There

There was a beautiful sunrise this morning - at 5:49 AM in Calgary July 23 according to TimeAndDate.com, a website that tracks such things - and I look forward to enjoying another stunning sunset this evening - around 9:45 PM - much like the majestic solar display that rendered us speechless last night while enjoying the tail-end of the spectacular Airdrie Airshow.

In a subsequent post, I plan to reflect on the heartfelt pride I felt watching our Canadian Snow Birds demonstrate their precise formations last night; it is another type of bird that captured my attention on the way in to work this morning.

While I was listening to the results of the election of Shawn Atleo, the new National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, and the University of Calgary President's favorite book, on my way to campus this morning, I glanced over to see a large, Blue Heron standing in a pond amongst dozens of ducks and geese in a pond by the side of the road. A variety of ducks and geese are a common sight in my part of rural Alberta. However, it is relatively rare to see these gorgeous Blue Herons so close to the city. Hence, I was motivated to learn a little more about the prevalence of this bird throughout the province, which lead me to the Royal Alberta Museum, which has some great information about birds throughout

Alberta.

Turns out, according the Talk About Wildlife, this big Blue Bird is fairly prevalent throughout Alberta. Since my house backs onto a pond, I hope to see more of these stately birds this summer. What I didn't know, and I was delighted to learn, is that Barrhead, Alberta is home to one of those large, roadside attractions, the Biggest Blue Heron in the World! Who Knew?

Happy day.

EdTech at the UofC: In A Super State of Awesomeness

It is my privilege to lead a doctoral seminar, EDER 779.01 Advanced Concepts in Educational Technology, again this summer. Among many cherished moments that I will comment on in subsequent posts, I am delighted, and more than slightly humbled, by the opportunity to observe my edtech colleagues expertise and toned presentation skills as we progress through the on-campus part of this blended seminar.

Allow me to explain: as part of my instructional design for this seminar, I have invited several experienced educational technology colleagues and two post-candidacy doctoral students in educational technology to share their research and experiences with the large group of doctoral students who are enrolled in the Online EDD and Oncampus PhD programs in Educational Technology in the Faculty of Education. Each Guest Professor and Doctoral student presenter shares an article or paper they have written and then presents their work to doctoral students for discussion.

Eight of my valued colleagues and doctoral students have generously agreed to share their published and written work and their time to mentor our newest talented group of doctoral students into our field of study. So far, each of these presentations has yielded interesting insights, hands-on opportunties to engage with the ideas or to discuss them, and new connections between doctoral students and the professors & peers with whom they will work in the next four years.

Each of the guest professors and doctoral students reminds me again why the Educational Technology group at the University of Calgary is in an advanced state of AWESOMENESS! Colleagues have addressed key questions and topics that characterize the field of educational technology. Each presentor has pushed our thinking with regard to research topics, research methodology, issues of ethics and instructional design, new technological processes and tools, and the nature of disciplined inquiry in our field.

Whether or not they know it (and believe me, I will keep on telling my cherished colleagues about it), the guest professors and experienced doctoral students leave me feeling like Rhino, the hampster, when he meets his superhero, Bolt, for the very first time - like this enraptured and slightly manic fan, I think my Educational Technology colleagues and doctoral students score high on the scale of super awesomeness. I am so glad to be on their team!!

Great Rhino quotes to reflect what I am REALLY trying to say:

Bolt: "Am I missing anything, Rhino?"
Rhino: "Just the knowledge that every minute spent in your company becomes the new greatest minute of my life"

Rhino: They need a hero Bolt, someone who, no matter what the odds, will do what's right. They need a hero to tell them that sometimes the impossible can become possible if you're awesome!

EACH of our guest professors have demonstrated what is possible if you are awesome!!

I welcome your comments (or questions, if I haven't been as clear as I want to be in my admiration and respect for my fellow colleagues in Educational technology!). ;-)

Coyotes, Ducks, Geese and Hares

Each day, I drive about 40 minutes to campus and then another 40 minutes on the way back home. One thing that makes the drive bearable is listening to the hundreds of podcasts that inform, educate and entertain me. Another thing that keeps my attention is the daily transition from organically rural to urbanly concrete. While I muse about the benefits of having my own personal teleporter, or lacking that, at least a helicopter, I genuinely enjoy, and would miss, tracking the changes in seasons through the flora, fauna and critters that I get to see on my daily commute.

On my drive in the other day, I saw a beautiful coyote loping across a field with something small and brown in its mouth. According to National Geographic info on coyotes, it is a privilege to see these wily canines -- they blend in well and tend to keep to themselves. The fellow in the picture above is just finishing off a trumpeter swan. In and around Calgary, there seem to be regular opportunities to see coyotes; while some fear the coyotes, a University of Calgary research team which has been studying coyote behavior has found that they serve an important role in the ecosystem.

So, my coyote sighting made it a banner day - I told everyone who would listen about this encounter. Not only did I see a trickster on my way into campus, I saw another coyote on my home later that afternoon. I tend to see Coyotes, from time to time, but it is much more common to see ducks, geese and hares. There is also an abundance of spring gophers, many of which I see in the twisted rigor mortis of road kill, and deer. Once, while driving my children down the gravel roads outside of Calgary, we saw a moose. Still, amongst all of these fascinating critters, I feel drawn to Coyotes because of the Aboriginal Trickster narratives, and my childhood fascination with the race between Road Runner and his unfortunate foe/friend.

Sure, sure. I often see herds of cows and horses, farm dogs and cats, and depending on my route, I can enjoy the sight of side by side herds of chickens and sheep on my daily commute to work. Yet, I find it particularly memorable when I see a coyote - I long to see a large pack of them, but realize this isn't how they usually live on the prairies. Coyotes tend to prefer smaller, perhaps more agile packs -- I think of this as a more flexible and responsive lifestyle given their proximity to the city and the often tenuous relationship coyotes have with farmers and ranchers.

Pride in Our Canadian Troops

I support our Canadian Military. I support the role Canada has taken in Afghanistan. In the context of our comfortable and privileged lives, it is far too easy to take for granted the contribution our Canadian Military makes to creating better world and protecting / restoring basic human rights and freedoms, one child, one woman, one man at a time. So, here are a few thoughts I have about Canada's brave defenders of freedom and choice.

At the end of March, I went to Colonel Jamie Cade's presentation on the Canadian Contribution to Khandahar, Afghanistan, which was sponsored by the Center for Military and Strategic Studies, University of Calgary. The Gauntlet has a good article, "Optimism in Afghanistan", which summarizes a few key points that Jamie Cade addressed. Col. Cade described the multifacetted role the Canadian Military plays in Khandahar, from reconstruction, health care, government support, military and police training, to battle groups. His stories from "in theatre" helped me to better understand how Canadian men and women are making inroads in helping Afghans to restore their government, rebuild and staff schools, access healthcare, pave roads and to secure gainful and lawful employment. A comment that stuck with me was, "We [the Canadian Troops] are where the people are because this is about the people". It was a privilege to shake Col. Cade's hand. I am sincerely proud of the Canadian Military and the heroic role Canadian troops are playing in Afghanistan. There was another talk presented by Col. Cade in April - I wish I had known in time to attend.

Read this blog post today about a War Artist in Afghanistan, which excerpts an article "Lasting Impressions", on CBC. A key quote by Sharon Mackay: 'I'm shocked at how good our army really is. I think I was under the impression that we are peacekeepers, we're gentler people. We're as tough as they come.' Again, it stirred deeply held feelings of pride in our Canadian Military.

Finally, On Sheep Dogs and Wolves, and those soft and gooey sheep... Found this comment and interpretation posted by Fred in response to Kate Macmillan's "She stops in a diamond".

By LTC (RET) Dave Grossman, author of "On Killing."

"Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident. Most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep. I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me it is like the pretty, blue robin's egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell. Police officers, soldiers, and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful. For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators.

"Then there are the wolves and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy. Then there are sheepdogs," he went on, "and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf."

If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero's path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.

Let me expand on this old soldier's excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.

Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa."

Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.

The moral for Canadians? Instead of the sheep criticizing the sheepdog, let's support their efforts to eradicate the wolves.

On Assessment

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
-- Albert Einstein (attributed)
US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)