Hugh McDonald

Date January 16, 2016

Name: TEDxLangleyED 2016

Presenters: Various

Communities are noticing the changes in the world of education. Moreover, it is important to reshape the education system in the communities to align what is relevant in the society for future generation. The theme of TEDxLangleyED 2016 conference is “The Future of Education: Innovation and Inspiration”. This event invites the moderator, Maria Lerose, the Program Manager at Dalai Lama Centre for Peace and Education, to engage the audience. The conference invites many professionals to share their personal vision of how new education can incorporate students to enhance their growth and perspective. In addition, all speakers come from different background, which makes this presentation to be more diverse and inspired.

Are you ready to disrupt?

Holly Clark, the technology and innovation specialist from San Diego and the National Board-certified teacher, invites the audience to two different classrooms. The first classroom involves with non-traditional thinking and the second classroom involves with content based learning. As the audience gets closer, Clark reveals the first classroom integrates IPad to capture student’s learning and growth; however, the other classroom insists of same content, same methods, and avoids technology. The students in the first classroom are using computers to connect with outside world. The instructors are encouraging students to blog and learn from different perspectives around the world. Nevertheless, the teachers from the second classroom are expecting solutions. When students are getting bored and tired, teachers treat it as disrespect mattes and send them to principal office or detention. The atmosphere in the second classroom is a non-stop and fast pace environment. In order to keep up the technology, they adapt the technology without implementing in students’ perspectives. Clark asks people which classroom is suitable for the new generation.

Clark believes many schools thought new technology is the solution; in fact, they should stop talking about technology and focus on learning. In this society, there are many disruptions. However, school oversees these disruptions and they needs to learn from disruptions.

“Instead of bench watching, it should be bench learning”

Clark suggests 3 solutions to help school to change. The first solution is to encourage students to ask questions differently, which allows students to think and learn. The second solution is to capture learning by reframing the existing information. The last solution is to improve literacy. It is important for students to be able to tell story in new platforms.

“Be connected and become the roadmap”

“Make learning contagious”

Harnessing the power of geek in the classroom

Ryan Radford, a teacher at Walnut Grove Secondary, believes the definition of the word “community” is changing. Traditionally, community means class, school, sports, work, and clubs. However, there is new type of community and it is called “the community of geek”. This community harnesses the power of geek in the classroom.

Many students agree the concept of being cool is important, but they are doing it with the wrong reason. They tend to take themselves a little too serious, but generally, everyone has an inner geek that inspires others to be geek. The word geek means change. Geek resonates with passion. Radford believes being passion is being geek. It is cool to be geeks. If school is not for geeks, something needs to change.

As working in the computer facility, Radford discovers school can provide opportunities that specialize in passion. This allows students to walk in with inspiration.

When school provides guidance, independence, and choices, they are offering personalize learning. It makes school work to be more of tangible products. They share with the world with the creation they build. Radford realizes the biggest challenge is to keep up with the growth of geeks.

Radford believes the community of geek can bridge the gap of high school and industries. It gives students the chance to create stories, wow moments, and growth. They will be prepared to expand other opportunities in professional world.

“Be passionate, be excited, be a geek”

How schools can save companies from collapsing

Dan Pontefract, the author of Flat Army and The Purpose Effect”, and the Chief Envisioner of Telus Transformation office, shares a situation happened at work. During the first day of work, the new employee asked his mother to help setting up his cubical. There is a problem and the problem is that many people in the new generation cannot deal with setbacks with the new culture.

People are required to think outside of the box. Many key traits from previous successful people are not appearing in the new generation. In addition, Pontefract believes it is important for parents not to confine their children to their own learning.

In average, a half of companies in Fortune 500 will not survive pass 5 years. In addition, about one third of companies in Fortune 500 will survive over 10 years. Jobs are disappearing due to technology advancement. Many jobs could be replaced by robots, but the issue is that it is lacking of job creation.

People need concrete and well-defined tasks. However, due to distraction and entitlement expectations, people are becoming inflexible and lacking imagination. The new generation is not comfortable of figure out what to do.

Pontefract believes there are 3 things companies need from new graduates.

1. Resilient
2. Open to change
3. Creative

These 3 needs can help companies to thrive. Resilient is the new key. Openness and effort can be the biggest influence factors of success for new generation. When there is a disruption, people tend to reduce creativity at the beginning. When people struggle through to post disruption, their productivity will improve beyond their original point.

“With creativity, it starts with disruption, but it will create profitability in the long run”

Sometimes it is not about technology. In fact, what is important is to encourage failure for it ensures the real world learning. When people are being open to change, creative and resilient will open up new ways of thinking. Pontefract emphasizes the purpose of any organization is to service community. Therefore, people need to start changing.

Youth in sport: Keeping kids in the game

Hugh McDonald, an intermediate educator with the Surrey School District, loves sports. In his childhood, sports matters. McDonald does not believe early sports specialization. Children love the sports when they are playing it, but as a teacher, McDonald is witnessing children are stop playing them. The question of keeping them longer has become an issue for teachers.

Based on expert, it takes 10,000 hours of practice to define key in success. This leads children to sign up for drills and tournaments. They will specialize in one sport. When they get injured, they will stop playing. McDonald believes this strategy is a bust.

Based on stats, over 70% are done playing before high school starts. They focus on win or lose instead of enjoying the game. McDonald asks parents a simple question.

“Am I giving my children enough options to feel success?”

Another problem is that people know more about everyone else. This results the focus on quiet competition, which is not helping. Children feel afraid they are not doing enough; eventually, they will quit.

It is important to create the mindset. McDonald suggests 3 ways to keep children in the game.

1. Support multi-sport athlete
2. Race to no where
3. Nurture heart and mind

When people start from heart, fun and listen, they can see the change.

“Happiness begins where selfishness ends”

“It comes from kids own the moment, experience, encouragement, and huddle before and after the game”

The secret to unlocking a child’s potential

Samantha Ettus, the bestselling author, a writer for Forbes, and the host of a call-in show, believes the importance of mentoring children when they are young. A message that resonates for Ettus is that the only limit to the success is the own imagination. Ettus focuses on helping children to reach their potentials.

Everyone is the champions of potential, but people seem to failure of two colors: pink and blue. There is an issue of gender stereotype, which leads to limiting the potentials. This has to stop.

For example, female children tend to lead to beauty and male children tend to seek building. In media diet, only one forth in media is female. The problem exists and people need to address it. In history, the color pink is strong and blue is weak. However, the generation is changing due to media influence.

In a toy shop, it seems normal to ask male to science and female to arts. However, children are missing out what potentially good for them. People fail to cultivate and set limits to believe male is good with thoughts and female is good with feeling.

Ettus believes the educator is playing a big role. Teachers spend more than 2/3 of the time with male students. The words we choose to express can ultimately impact children’s potential.

Ettus suggests 2 solutions. The first is not afraid to point out the stereotype and complement each other. The second is to open up the scope for children when they decide to go beyond the pink and blue boxes.

“I can do anything”

Bring out the best in people start with strengths

Chris Wejr, the principal of James Hill Elementary in Langley, is excited for Amy, one of his students. Amy became the leader of dance in her community, but her story at school is completing different. Dance studio is considered Amy’s second home, but in school, she wants to be invisible. Wejr questions the audience that if it is worth it for Amy to go through school. As a matter of fact, Amy is everywhere around the world.

Wejr believes schools are not seeing the strengths from students. School is good at dealing with struggle, but not the strengths. Sometimes people lost focus of what they can actually do.

Wejr wants school to start with strength. It is a movement and people should acknowledge strength. People need connections and connection is through strengths. Students build the strength of character. Instead of focusing on miserable, people should focus on human wellbeing.

“Small strength leads to less miserable”

People need to show courage and care. Children have the strength of curiosity and it is important for people to endorse it. Strength of skills is important. It brings out the best. Children can build up strength against struggle. Wejr believes people cannot be resilient without experience; therefore, real success is required for children.

When people could not able to connect with students, they should stop and discover what they are good at. When they see the passion through their heartbeat, they are able to build the connection. Connections make relationship. When children focus on strength, their performance will increase 36.4%. When children focus on weakness, their performance will decrease 26.8%.

Wejr encourages school to initiate Strength-based education.

1. Start with one
2. Connect through strengths
3. Create the condition to bring out the strength

“Bring forth what is within, find that gift and nurture them”

Bridging the gap

Alexander Magnussen has autism and he is willing to share his school life to inspire and support students with similar condition. Magnussen had a hard time at school, but he had passion with EA. He considered himself as the “moving quotes”.

Magnussen was bullied since kindergarten. Until grade 11, he discovered his strength in physical activities. When people recognized his passion, he was starting to get notice and making a difference. Magnussen mentions he was good at running. He was always moving and very physical. His teacher brought out his potential and reconnected his relationship.

Magnussen suggests school should help students find their strength. By holding one skill, people will learn the life skill experience.

Under the table

Shelley Moore, a PhD student at University of British Columbia, has many interactive stories that inspire the needs of special education. Moore discovers the importance of inclusion education and she is going to share her story of “Daniel the student”.

When Moore was completing her practicum teaching experience, she got the opportunity to teach a classroom with autism. Moore noticed a student, Daniel, was hiding under the table. The classroom was challenging her to get him out of the table.

Moore discovered Daniel has Down syndrome, deaf blind and autism. Her first strategy was using a flashy item to grab his attention, but the strategy failed. Her second strategy was finding common interest. Daniel had passion for dictionary, but instead of reading it, he was feeling it. The third strategy was getting interaction. Daniel showed he has passion in math. Whenever a question came up, Daniel would flip pages and smacked Moore in the face. Even though he was quiet, he pointed at the page number that showed the right answer to the math problem.

This was a connection. When Daniel felt the connection, he followed Moore out of the table.

Moore believes in reality, sometimes people can be too ignorant and unmindful assuming. They are the one who are not listening. In order for people to be competent, they need connection, inclusion, contribution and ability. Sometimes people need to connect by learning. It is important to believe people and trust their competence.

“What is the dictionary you need to make the connection?”

“If I do not presume competence, I am being disabled”

Against the grain creating opportunities for creativity

Nancy Crawford, the Founder of Personal Renaissance Coaching, believes education needs creativity. Creativity is a hot topic. People need to foster creativity to help others express ideas. When people are influenced by creativity, they can impact the whole, which can witness the greatness.

Crawford defines creativity is a series of attitude. Everyone has a Mount Everest. They might not get there, but they will get the experience and satisfaction in progress. Many people tend to confess. Confession is a way to release secrets. In addition, people tend to do well at the end when their secrets are out of their mind.

Intention is important, but many people are leaving it to others. It is time to make a decision because everything starts with the right intention. Crawford believes the greatest danger for most people is not setting their aim too high, but it is setting the aim too low and achieving it. Creativity can be foster with the right intention.

Attention is also important, but people are failing it. Students are failing to meet the quality of work. They are failing to enjoy the process. They need to learn how to create quality without distraction. Crawford believes students should reconnect with nature and nurture the ability to express life. Creativity is listening to the senses. Everyone has unique take of the world, and they need to connect with their moments.

Invention is important, but people are ignoring it. People need to use the information to develop system to help in life. Creativity comes from consistency, so people should set aside time for creation. Crawford suggests people not to wait for things to happen; in fact, they should start making things happen.

“Intention with attention and invention can produce creative possibilities”

A daughters journey of understanding residential schools and reconiliation

Cecelia Reekie, a member of Haisla First Nation and a cultural presenter with Aboriginal Program for Langley School District, is willing to share a personal life story. Reekie was born in a town of Butedale. Her dad was aboriginal. Her mother gave her up for adoption and she never saw her, touched her, and hugged her. After 6 weeks in foster home, an aboriginal family adopted her. Reekie became good friends with Sue and Tom, who are the children of Aunt Louis.

When adoption question was raised, her adopted family supported her to find her real family. When her adopted family’s child was born, Reekie felt the connection. She felt she deserves to know the truth. In 1989, she found her mother. Surprisingly, her mother was only 40 minutes away from her. Her mother did not have any child after Reekie, which signified she did not forget about Reekie.

Eventually, she found out her real father’s name. She shared the information with her adopted family. However, she never thought Aunt Louis was related to her real father. Reekie figured out Sue and Tom was her real cousins.

The connection was powerful and the whole relationship was safe. She met her dad in 1989 and she realized she belonged to aboriginal family. Her parents did what was best for her. Her father was send to Alberni Residential School when he was 10 years old. His life changed, and he lost connect with family for over 4 years. In 2008, the federal government apologized for the cause. Reekie and her dad both joined TRC, the Truth and Reconciliation, in Vancouver 2013 to share and testify their stories.

“You are doing this so we will not forget”

Reekie believes her dad is no longer alone. In 2015, Reekie got the opportunity to visit Ottawa to express the TRC. It was the moment she will never forget. TRC has recommendation. The recommendation is that people need to know the truth. People need to understand every child has a story. It is important to take the time to recognise their stories, so they do not walk alone.

I am sword: turning passion into a calling

Vikram Vij, the chef and owner of Vij’s Restaurant, shares his journey of inspiration. Vij always have the vision of bringing Indian cuisine into Canadian’s culture. Vij’s cooking started in India. When he moved to Canada, he wanted to bring awareness of India that he left behind. He wanted to make Indian cuisine to have the same respect as other cuisine.

Vij mentions it is difficult to make Indian cuisine neat, but what he can do with Indian food comes from love and care. When he was opening his first restaurant, his dad told him Canadian will not understand the culture. Instead, his dad wanted him to serve cheap. Vij refused the suggestion. Eventually, he developed a dish called “Lamb Popsicle”. The dish has been served over 8 years. However, he is still looking for way to create something new.

Vij describes his food feels like French cuisine with Indian style. Vij wants people to understand that everyone has ideas, but execution requires hard work. One day, Vij saw a bruised tomato in the whole food section that was not on sale. He felt it was wasteful. He insisted to purchase that tomato with the discount of 10%.

“Stay what is true is important”

Indian cuisine can be difficult to make. There is no proper way to prepare the cuisine. Because of difficulty, people do not take the time to explain it and they never want to change it. Vij moves from line cook to CEO, and then to Dragon’s Den. He discovers a hidden truth. The truth is that idea is like steel with focus, just like a sword. People need to have patient, and patient is required in business. Vij wants people to understand that patient is the key element of who they are. Sword can be a weapon or a protector. Anyone can be a sword by following the right principle. It is up to them to decide what to do with the sword.

“To be a sword, you should not be scared of failure”