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Koni Macdonald, ATA News
On Wednesday, April 29, at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta Education launched Inspiring Education—the first of 10 public dialogues taking place across the province to help determine what it will mean to be an educated Albertan 20 years from now.
According to Brent McDonough, a teacher and cochair of the Inspiring Education steering committee, the government wants to hear the perspectives of as many Albertans as possible. The perspectives and ideas gathered through this process will help in developing a policy framework for the overall direction, principles and long-term goals for education in Alberta.
“The process we are using is really about dialogue and the exchange of ideas; there are no predetermined outcomes,” says McDonough. “Education is not just the responsibility of teachers and the ministry. All Albertans share in this responsibility. The more we realize this is a joint effort, the more successful our education system will be.”
Table discussions at the first Inspiring Education event were lively as participants shared their unique stories. The topics encouraged participants to think about how they learn, to share their experiences and feelings about education, and to dream a new story for the future. One of the thought-provoking questions was, If you were born today, what hopes, dreams and aspirations would you have for learning in the next 20 years?
In preparation for this public dialogue on education, the steering committee invited experts—including brain researchers, historians, educational researchers and futurists—to present. One of the experts was steering committee member Mark Anielski, author of The Economics of Happiness: Building Genuine Wealth (New Society Publishers, 2007).
“The word wealth stems from the Old English word meaning ‘the conditions of well-being,’” says Anielski. “It’s my belief that we should be encouraging students to be architects of their own well-being. Are students in touch with their true calling, their inner voice, their vocation? Are we actually allowing children to find their own voice in a diverse choir? How can the time spent at math and sitting at a desk be balanced with time spent sitting under a tree and storytelling?”
Anielski keeps going back to the real meaning of words. “Inspiration is about bringing out the spirit within us. After all, the word happiness comes from the Greek eudamonia, which literally means ‘well-being of the spirit.’ That’s the kind of education that’s important, that creates the conditions for the pursuit of genuine happiness. Interaction with other kids is another priority for students. One measure of success should be, How joyful are your children?”
Janice Sarich, parliamentary assistant to Alberta’s minister of education, says she is excited about kicking off this dialogue.
“We’re anxious to see what themes will come forward from these discussions. We are really breaking new ground,” says Sarich. “This dialogue is unique to Alberta. It’s structured for Albertans, to find out what Albertans value in education, to explore new ways of thinking and to host new conversations with new groups of people. We are attempting to create a melting pot of information that will help us build a better future.”
Host or attend a meeting in your community
Community meetings for Inspiring Education will be held on May 6 in Grande Prairie, May 13 in Fort McMurray, May 20 in Lethbridge, May 23 in Calgary, May 27 in Medicine Hat, June 3 in Bonnyville, June 10 in Red Deer, June 17 in Calgary and June 20 in Edmonton.
A Community Conversation Kit is available for people who wish to host an Inspiring Education event in their community or school. For more information, e-mail inspiring.education@gov.ab.ca or call 780-427-7219 (for toll-free access in Alberta, dial 310-0000). Albertans are also invited to participate in online moderated discussions on the Inspiring Education website (www.inspiringeducation.alberta.ca).
Janice Sarich
In addition to serving as an MLA, Janice Sarich was appointed to the position of parliamentary assistant to the minister of education on March 12, 2008. Prior to her election to the legislative assembly, she served as the Ward 2 school board trustee with the Edmonton Catholic School District from 2001 to 2007. Before entering public service, Janice was president of her own business consulting company. She currently serves as a member of the Private Bills Committee, the Standing Committee on Community Services and the Inspiring Education steering committee. She has a bachelor’s degree in physical education and an MEd from the University of Alberta.
Mark Anielski
Mark Anielski is an adjunct professor of corporate social responsibility at the School of Business, University of Alberta. He is also a well-being economist, the president of Anielski Management Inc. and the author of the book The Economics of Happiness: Building Genuine Wealth (available from the ATA library). Anielski pioneered natural capital accounting in Canada and alternative measures of economic progress, including the U.S. Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) and the Alberta GPI Sustainable Well-Being Accounting System. He is currently advising the Chinese government on greening GDP accounting.
Brent McDonough
Brent McDonough is cochair of the Inspiring Education steering committee. He is currently an International Baccalaureate (IB) coordinator and physics teacher at Holy Trinity High School in Edmonton, as well as a trustee with the Edmonton Public Library Board, the University of Alberta Alumni Association and the Mill Woods Multicultural Foundation and a former member of the University of Alberta Senate. He believes that education is fundamental to innovation and the building of a skilled workforce, and the foundation of strong and vibrant communities.
— Photographs by Koni Macdonald
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