Episode #3 Deep Change Happy Hour is about how to help our kids, teens and young adults stay connected with their curiosity, goals and critical thinking about the world around them
School’s officially out this Friday but really that just means the kids aren’t having Zoom meetings, online assignments and check-in phone calls with teachers. It’s been a weird three months and Alaina and I want to talk about what we and other parents have observed in our kids and how to hold off the quieting of their curiosity as the summer officially starts.
We’ve invited some friends and acquaintances who also happen to be national and international experts in how people learn. Join us Friday June 12th at noon on the Deep Change Happy Hour Facebook page for a Facebook Live talk. Put your thinking caps on gang — we’re taking a deep dive into social learning!
Armand Doucet is an award-winning educator, inspirational speaker, facilitator and columnist who has spoken in over 100 countries on five continents, to organizations such as UNESCO and the Jack Ma Foundation. He’s also a history teacher at Riverview High School. Armand is the co-author along with fellow educator Elisa Guerra of Hope Where Are You? a free downloadable book that aims to give children and their families hope during COVID-19. It has been translated into 33 languages and tells the story of six children around the world who are experiencing school closures. He is a two-time best-selling international author with his books Teaching Life: Our Calling, Our Choices, Our Challenges and Teaching in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Standing at the Precipice, which he co-authored with five fellow educator finalists for the Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize. He is the co-founder of the world’s largest education online conference www.t4.education, which was held May 30th, 2020, co-chair of the teacher programming committee for the Global Teacher Professional Development Conference, host of the International Teacher Summit, co-author of two Education International reports “Teacher Leadership in the Aftermath of a Pandemic: The Now, The Dance, The Transformation” and “Thinking about Pedagogy in an Unfolding Pandemic”, and creator/host of the webcast series “Perspectives in Education during the Pandemic” with global leaders in education.
Dr. Sarah King is dedicated to supporting, strengthening, and developing experiential education for post-secondary students in New Brunswick. Her PhD (Education, UNB, 2018) explored the importance of experiential education for civic learning. She is currently the Director of the Office of Experiential Education for the University of New Brunswick, and a part-time instructor at UNB’s Renaissance College program, an interdisciplinary leadership studies program, combining her passions for experiential education and social justice education for a more equitable community. A proud Newfoundlander, her work is devoted to the revitalisation of the Atlantic Canadian region.
Dr. Alan Sears is an Honorary Research Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of New Brunswick. He has been an educator for more than 40 years teaching at all levels from grade 2 to graduate school. Alan’s research and writing have been in the fields of social studies, citizenship education, history education, religion and education, and educational policy. He has directed several national studies of citizenship education in Canada and contributed to large-scale international comparative studies in the field. Alan has coauthored or co-edited seven academic books, and a school textbook for grade 6 in Alberta. He has also published more than 75 peer reviewed articles and book chapters. From 2014–2018, Dr. Sears was Editor of the international journal Citizenship Teaching and Learning. His latest book, The Arts and the Teaching of History: Historical F(r)ictions will be published in September.
Claudine Sweeney is co-founder of the award-winning national retail lifestyle and nutrition brand Simply For Life Inc. with her husband Bruce Sweeney. Created as a need to leave unfulfilling jobs while continuing to work together, the company started in the Sweeney’s basement in Quispamsis, New Brunswick in 2001. Today Simply for Life has 35 locations with projected growth to over 75 locations in the next five years. Claudine leads the administrative, IT and marketing side of the business, such as the development of programs and materials for clients and franchisees, company branding, developing exclusive private label branded products, website development and content, accounting, payroll, marketing and franchise development. As one of the leaders of a national brand, she continues to develop the vision for the company while understanding the current health needs of individuals in this ever-changing climate. Over the years the company has continued to evolve and developed a natural food market component that offers an exclusive line of SFL Branded products such as meals to go, supplements and healthy treats to customers and its franchises. Now one of Canada’s largest and most respected retail lifestyle and nutrition brand, Claudine and Bruce are overseeing a new corporate headquarters expansion in Saint John, opening Fall 2020 with a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen/café, training facility, natural market and nutrition services, making this a premier health food and service destination in Atlantic Canada. Claudine is also an accomplished athlete having competed at both national and international level as part of the Canadian National Team in Softball. She volunteers her time as Technical Director and coach of KV Girls Softball and helping to develop the sport in young girls in New Brunswick.
