SOGI – Building Understanding, Acceptance and a Sense of Belonging

/ Dave Eberwein / 2 Comments

I Remember the Day my Best Friend ‘came out’ to Me

I think it was in 1985 — I can’t be sure though — it was a really long time ago.  We had been friends for quite awhile — since high school.  I had been to his home many times and he to mine.  We traveled on high school trips together.  We played Friday night pick-up hockey at 11:30 pm.  I had been to his family ranch outside of Calgary a number of times.  We did lots of stuff together.  Great friendship.

I Had no Idea That he was Gay Continue reading →

Brain Research – How It’s Revolutionizing Learning

/ Dave Eberwein / 4 Comments

I’m a Bit of a Science Geek

My children might argue that it’s more than a “bit”.  I really love how science consistently works to validate ideas and increase our understanding of the world.  And I love how it actually creates more questions than it answers — Science is a never-ending series of inquiries that delve deeper and deeper into areas of discovery.

Here’s a sprinkling of my passion for Science:

  • My first degree was in Zoology;
  • I was a Chemistry, Science and Math teacher;
  • I enjoy reading all kinds of science articles and watching YouTube clips from people like Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson;
  • The study of brain biology and how it relates to learning fascinates me;

Continue reading →

Are We Becoming Innovation Complacent?

/ Dave Eberwein / 2 Comments

“It’s OK to be where you are right now.  It’s just not OK to stay there.”

This phrase resides above my desk.  I heard it a long time ago at a table of educators — it really resonated with me.  I have had it as a daily reminder every day since then.  It guides me in how I observe, what I ponder and why I plan:

  • We’re all at a particular place in our learning — and, it’s acceptable to be there for the moment.  After all, we all have a different history and experiences in life.
  • However, it’s not OK to remain in that spot — we need to keep moving forward.  Continual improvement needs to be our goal —  our reason for thinking, learning and improving in our practice.

We Need to Grow, Learn and — in some cases — even Reinvent Ourselves

For public education I believe this to be particularly true.  To remain a relevant societal enterprise we need to be constantly evolving — and that begins with the people who work in the system — every last one of us. Continue reading →