Listen to hear a podcast with Joe Wilson, Director of Business Development at Spongelab Interactive, former C21 member and Senior Strategist in Education Technology at MaRs.
Darren McKee, Founding Member of C21 Canada
Darren McKee is the Executive Director of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association and founding board member of C21 Canada. Originally from the inter-lake region of Manitoba, Darren has been a classroom teacher, a school administrator and a Superintendent and Director of Education. Prior to joining the SSBA Darren spent the a number of years with the Ministry of Education (more than four years as the Assistant Deputy Minister).
To listen to this podcast, please click here.
Karen Yamada (C21 Canada Ambassador), Kelli Boklaschuk (C21 Canada Shifting Minds Award Recipient), Greg Malazdrewic (Brandon School Division Associate Superintendent) and David Roberts (C21 Canada President).
The 2015 C21 Canada Shifting Minds Award in the individual category was presented to Kelli Boklaschuk from the Brandon School Division on January 29, 2015. Award recipients were nominated and selected by a process inviting 21st century learning and innovation practices from coast to coast.
Kelli is an incredibly creative and talented educator and visionary. She had a profound impact with staff and students in the Saskatoon Catholic Board prior to arriving in Brandon. Since coming to the Brandon Division Kelli has been responsible for a complete overhaul of the external web picture of the Brandon School Division and has instituted the portal design which has helped enormously with both internal and external communication. Currently Kelli is responsible for the leadership of personalized learning through technology in Brandon schools. Her ability to work with teachers and community members is enabling this work to become a reality in the Brandon Division.
David Roberts, President of C21 Canada said, “I’ve had the opportunity on a personal level to work with Kelli on several occasions. Her capacity to cut through the clutter, see the bigger picture and have people follow her to places they wouldn’t normally go on their own is always inspiring to be around. The former Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington once said that if he had the right player he would build a winning team around him. He drafted Wayne Gretzgy and the rest is history. I think the same can be said about Kelli (without Gretskys salary). Her ability to engage and her capacity to focus on the right steps forward assure Brandon of a winning team.
Brandon School Division is under the progressive leadership of Dr. Donna Michaels. Her ability to change the culture and engage staff in an agenda of change and innovation continues to be a success. Dr. Michaels is also a member of the C21 Canada CEO Academy, a by invitation only professional learning consortium of divisional and district CEOs committed to setting Canadian standards for 21st century learning, innovation and technology.
Jill Mathez, Dakota Collegiate’s principal, and Duane Brothers, superintendent of Louis Riel School Division, in the school’s library on Jan. 28 after the pair was presented with the Shifting Minds Award from C21 Canada.
Dakota Collegiate has been recognized for shifting its focus to the future of learning.
On Jan. 28, the school received the Shifting Minds Award from non-profit organization C21 Canada for showing leadership and innovation through its 21st Century Learning Initiative.
The initiative integrates the use of digital technology in a learning environment that reflects today’s social and economic realities. The initiative, supported by Louis Riel School Division, was the first of its kind in Manitoba, officials say.
Al Reyner is a veteran of the teaching and learning environment, a graduate of the Mount’s Master of Education program in Educational Psychology, and a former high school principal. As an instructor in the Mount’s Faculty of Education, Al encourages students to take an active and leading role in their own learning, while embedding technology in a strategic and sensible way. It’s an approach that has earned him a national award: the C21 Shifting Minds Individual Leadership Award for distinctive achievement in the field of 21st century learning and innovation.
Sisler High School Receives C21 Shifting Minds Award for Excellence in Learning & Innovation
(L-R) David Roberts, C21 Canada; Dr. George Heshka; students receiving on behalf of the school (Stephanie and Gerrin); Karen Yamada, C21 Canada; Manitoba Minister of Education, Hon. James AllumManitoba, James Allum.
Education and Advanced Learning Minister James Allum was at Sisler High School today to congratulate students and staff being awarded the Shifting Minds National Award for Educational Technology from C21 Canada, a national not-for-profit organization that recognizes innovative leaders in education.
By John Kershaw, President of C21 Canada, and the former Deputy Minister of Education for New Brunswick
On February 19, 2014 the Nova Scotia Minister of education announced the establishment of a blue ribbon panel to review the province’s public education system. The review panel, chaired by the Honourable Myra Freeman, former Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, is undertaking public consultations as part of its process. The mandate of the review panel is to set “a bold new direction for Nova Scotia’s public schools.”
In order to engage effectively in this important initiative the Nova Scotia School Board Association (NSSBA) launched its own process of consultations and internal deliberations. In April 2014, the NSSBA released Shaping a New Vision for Public Education in Nova Scotia, a discussion paper calling for a radically different model to deliver learning in the 21st Century.
At the heart of the NSSBA paper is the recognition that the world has changed dramatically and a new model of learning is required to ensure public education is relevant to today’s learners. The NSSBA clearly recognizes that a bold new vision of public education is required to position Nova Scotians for success in the 21st Century. Canadians following the 21st century learning movement in this country will be pleased to see that the NSSBA is advocating for changes consistent with the principles that underlie this learning model. In today’s innovation driven society it is becoming increasingly recognized that people need to master what are commonly referred to as ‘21st Century skills’. In this context, Jamie Stevens, the current president of the NSSBA, stated in the organization’s press release that “Nova Scotia will only get 21st Century skills with a 21st Century public education system.”
The global 21st Century learning movement is a response to the transformational social and economic changes occurring worldwide as a consequence of the knowledge and digital era. As a non profit organization advocating for 21st Century models of learning to be adopted across all of Canada, C21 Canada is pleased that the NSSBA is calling for a new vision of public education in Nova Scotia consistent with our Shifting Minds vision and framework document. The NSSBA discussion paper also aligns well with the direction public education is taking recently in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, in terms of focusing more intently on the development of 21st century skills and harnessing the power of technology for learning and teaching.
Readers wishing to learn more about 21st century skills and the essential elements of the 21st Century learning model are referred to C21 Canada’s Shifting Minds document.
Shaping a New Vision for Public Education in Nova Scotia is appropriately framed as a discussion document and in this spirit it also raises questions that the NSSBA believes are important for Nova Scotians to consider as the province moves forward in its review of its public education system. C21 Canada is confident that the Nova Scotia education review panel, and the government of Nova Scotia, will heed the sound advice being offered in this insightful contribution to the province’s review process.
C21 Canada applauds the work of the NSSBA and encourages both Nova Scotians and all Canadians to review the discussion paper and benefit from both its vision and the questions it raises.
We also encourage our followers and supporters in Nova Scotia to participate in the online survey being conducted by the Nova Scotia review panel on public education which can be found at: http://www.ednet.ns.ca/educationreview/. This is the time to speak up and be heard if you want your province’s public education to continue to be relevant and designed to position Nova Scotians for success in the 21st Century.
C21 Canada is proud to have been part of creating the WGSI Blueprint for the High School of the Future to advance 21st Century models of learning both in Canada and internationally.
Imagine if we could gaze into the future and see the implications of our present-day approaches to important challenges. What would we do differently now to help build a better world for the next generation?
Download the WGSI Blueprint here.
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
April 9, 2014
Gaining input on the educational needs of the future CALGARY – The advancement of Canada’s and Alberta’s education curriculum was up for discussion yesterday at a business roundtable led by Alberta’s Minister of Education, Jeff Johnson. The Calgary Chamber facilitated the discussion alongside the Calgary Board of Education (CBE), C21 Canada (Canadians for 21st Century Learning & Innovation), and the Council for Ministers of Education Canada in an effort to gain first-hand input on learning and innovation needs for the 21st century. Minister Johnson is the current chair of the Council of Ministers of Education Canada and has been actively soliciting the views of education and business leaders and other stakeholders on Canada’s national learning and skills priorities. The roundtable discussion sought input on how Canada can best prepare learners for life, work and further education. The preparation of young people is a shared responsibility and educators and policy makers need to hear from all voices on how to improve the current system.
“Yesterday’s discussion highlighted the importance of collaboration when it comes to the future of education in Alberta and across Canada,” says Calgary Chamber Board Chair Leah Lawrence. “A diversity of voices and perspectives will help strengthen our education system and ensure that all our children are equipped with the 21st century skills and competencies they need to reach their full potential.” “Under Minister Johnson’s leadership Alberta is ensuring its education system is relevant to today’s learners”, said John Kershaw, President of C21 Canada. “We are hoping Minister Johnson will have the same success in moving the Canadian learning and skills agenda forward in his role as Chair of CMEC.” The delegates to the meeting were informed that both Alberta’s and Canada’s educational systems as a whole do many things well, as Canadian students, and Alberta learners in particular, are in the top rank of international comparisons. However the Minister was advised that in today’s knowledge era the business community is seeking people with competencies such as creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, entrepreneurial thinking, communication and digital literacy.
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For more information contact James Callsen at jcallsen@calgarychamber.com 403 473 0696
Toronto (March 31, 2014) – A new report from People for Education shows that nearly every school in the province is “wired” and the vast majority of students start using computers in kindergarten.
But the report raises concerns about a lack of provincial policy to ensure that teachers have the training they need to use technology effectively and to ensure that all students are being provided with high quality learning resources.
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