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A. Appel
Résumé

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Appel's picturea characature of Appel

 


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Formal Academic History:

Work Experience:

As a teacher, my first love was social studies, but I started out teaching Language Arts. I have taught Language Arts and Drama courses to grade seven, grade eight and Senior 1 students, as well as Critical Thinking Skills in grade nine as an option from 1986 -1995 (see newspaper article about this course). I have taught grade seven geography, grade eight and grade nine social studies courses, and grade ten geography as well.

Aside from student teaching assignments in the Toronto, Ontario area, I spent my career in public school teaching working for the St. James-Assiniboia School Division in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from 1972 to 2003. I taught at Deer Lodge Junior High from 1972-1982, at St. James Collegiate during 1982-1983, and taught at Ness Middle School from 1983 until 2003. I taught summer school courses in Language Arts and / or in computer programming from 1985 to 1994.

I have worked with gifted and talented students by providing enrichment activities from 1983-1997 (see below in "Extra Curricular Activities" for details).

From 1995 until June, 2003, I taught computer practical arts courses to grade 6, 7, and 8's, and grade eight social studies.

As of August 1, 2003, I am an instructor at the Faculty of Education at the University of Winnipeg, I taught an introduction to information technology (course 15.2601 - Information Technology Skills for Educators) as a second year course to Faculty students from 2003 until 2010.

Starting September, 2008, I am teaching a new course I have helped develop called, officially, Educational Leadership Within a Service Learning Framework. I am very excited about being involved with service to the community in this way.

Please go here to read comments some of my students have made in their evaluation of the courses I teach and of myself as an instructor.

You can go here to see how I am listed at the University of Winnipeg website.

I had the opportunity to work for Elections Canada during the 2004 federal election campaign as an Assistant Automation Officer for the Winnipeg South Centre returning office from May 16th - June 28th, 2004. During this time, I:

  • helped to physically set up the Pembina Curling Club in the Winnipeg South Centre riding as a returning office
  • set up phones with headsets for revising agents to use
  • set up overhead projectors and helped with the training sessions of the revising agents
  • helped with the downloading and testing of the federal database of voters
  • helped prepare voter information cards for printing
  • helped put together voters' boxes
  • struck voters from the voters' list if they had voted in advanced polls or had used special ballots
  • helped enter the voting results, poll by poll, in two test runs and during the actual election for Winnipeg South Centre

I was able to do the same work during the 2005-6 election campaign. I worked intermittently from Dec. 22, 2005 - Jan. 17, 2006, and on election night, Jan. 23, 2006.

In the spring of 2006, I was accepted by Statistics Canada as an urban canvasser for the Canadian census. I was part of a team that covered a good part of the inner city of Winnipeg during the month of May, 2006.

Extra Curricular Activities are below

Professional Development Events:
(listed from most recent)

  • Participated in a SSHRC - funded survey designed to find out ways that initial Canadian teacher education programs help teacher candidates integrate theory and practice by answering an on-line set of survey questions - May 18, 2012.
  • Represented the University at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg Annual Volunteer Reception at Red River College May 10, 2012. Two of our Faculty of Education students had been nominated for awards, and the University was thanked as a supporter of their volunteer program.
  • Attended the Experiential Learning Symposium "Stepping Outside" on April 5, 2012 at the U of W to support some of our Education students and others who were sharing their experiences in experiential learning.
  • Purchased my eighth computer, an HP, through Powerland at the U of W after my trusty 2004 computer crashed - March, 2012.
  • Participated in training sessions (January, February 29th and April 4, 2012) to learn a new learning management system for posting coursework online - the Desire2Learn system.
  • Presented Service Learning  at The Charlewood Senior Centre on Feb. 13, 2012 to a group of seniors who came for the lecture "How Our Future Teachers Will Help Shape Your Grandchildren’s Canada". 
  • Presented Service Learning to a Seven Oaks Teachers' Professional Development Event at the University of Winnipeg December 6, 2011.as part of the University of Winnipeg's presentation of the Faculty of Education's community programs.
  • Co-presented an outline of the community engagement aspect of the Educational Leadership Within a Service Learning Framework course to a community learnng symposium "Bringing the University into the Community" - session five - Experiential Learning, Co-ops and Practica April 9, 2010.
  • Co-presented the community aspect of the Educational Leadership Within a Service Learning Framework course to the Teacher Education and Certification Standing Committee of the Manitoba Teachers' Society March 19, 2010.
  • Presented our Educational Leadership Within a Service Learning Framework course to the WestCAST conference at the University of Lethbridge in Lethbridge, Alberta Feb. 17-20, 2010.
  • Was a co-presenter of "Developing Educational Leadership with a Service learning Framework" at the MERN forum "Learning What Works for Social Justice" Jan.29, 2010.
  • Several of my pictures were used in the World Council of Gifted and Talented Children's November, 2009 newsletter, excerpts of which you can see here (all the pictures shown).
  • Attended a podcasting training session Nov. 20, 2009
  • Held an Introduction to PowerPoint Workshop as part of my committment to help colleagues with their technology through the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology - November 6, 2009. Read the CTLT comment about it.
  • Taught an Information Technology course fall, 2009 which I re-designed to suit the students of the CATEP and WEC programs at the U of W.
  • Continued to be involved in the ongoing development of the Service Learning course at the University of Winnipeg.
  • Attended the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children 18th Biennial World Conference in Vancouver, B.C. from August 3 - August 7, 2009 (see blog here). Volunteered to help with the technology end of the presentations, and took pictures and videos at the conference which will become part of the historical record of this Conference. I helped prepare the multimedia presentation to support Dr. Ken McCluskey's featured addresses to the Conference. Some of my pictures (the second, third and fourth pictures on the displayed page) were featured on the home page of world-renowned artist Leland Lee (see them here) who attended the Conference.
  • Attended a WebCT general overview workshop April 27, 2009.
  • During the morning of April 24, 2009, attended a workshop which was a follow-up to the December, 2008 ELIN meeting (Experiential Learning Initiative Network). The people who gathered at this meeting shared ideas and experiences as well as materials they found relevant.
  • On April 21, 2009, attended a presentation about "Blended Learning" concerning the use of technology to enhance the classroom learning experience. Louis Svenningsen of the CTLT presented.
  • On April 7, 2009, presented WebCT use to about fifty faculty members in a faculty orientation "Teaching, Technology and You" showing the pedagogical value of using teaching technologies.
  • Attended a workshop showing how to use on-line discussions effectively March 19, 2009.
  • Attended a WebCT gradebook workshop March 12, 2009 to improve my use of WebCT.
  • Attended an introduction to E-books presentation by the Library March 2, 2009.
  • Attended an Introduction to Podcasting workshop saponsored by the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology March 1, 2009
  • Attended an ELIN preliminary meeting (Experiential Learning Initiative Network) where a group of students, staff and faculty gathered together to support and extend the vision and practice of experiential learning within the university on Dec. 8, 2008.
  • Attended an orientation to understand the new printing equipment that is to be installed this year - Nov. 24, 2008.
  • Took part in the Distinguished Speakers Series of 2008-2009 by presenting the topic "Seniors and Computers: Getting Wired Is Not As Good/Bad As You Think ". Talks were about 50 minutes long, with an additional 10 minutes for questions at the end. They were held at :
    • The Wellington October 21, 2008
    • Fred Douglas Place October 22, 2008
  • Joined the Faculty of Education's Departmental Review Committee September 5, 2008. This committee approves all course outlines, final exams and final grades, maintains a record of same, ensures that final grades are submitted within 10 working days of the final exam, responds promptly to inquiries from the Chair of the Senate Academic Standards Committee regarding grades being queried or withheld following CCI reviews (CCI = Course Comparison Index), decides appeals for grade changes, deferred exams and/or incompletes when the completion date is prior to the submission of final grades, and investigates cases of academic misconduct (e.g. plagiarism) and forwards evidence and a recommendation to the Chair of the Senate Academic Misconduct Committee.
  • Attended a seminar given by Dr. Trevor Tibbs (educator, psychotherapist, consultant, author and artist) on August 5, 2008 which addressed social emotional and educational hurdles faced by gifted and talented children.
  • Purchased a Lenovo Thinkpad T-61 laptop (my seventh computer - still using the one purchasd in 2004) and external hard drive for $1846.88 April 7, 2008. 
  • Have taken part in the development of a new service learning course to be offered by the faculty of Education in the fall of 2008. The organizational seminar took place Nov. 23, 2007, and follow-up meetings have occurred on Nov. 29th, Dec.7th 2007 and on Feb.1st, 2008. Much time has been spent establishing contacts with groups / organizations where U of W students may serve the community.
  • Was guest speaker at the University of Winnipeg's WEC (Access Education) program's Peace Potluck Gathering at the 485 Selkirk Ave. Campus Nov. 21, 2007.
  • Took a WebCT in-service sponsored by the University of Winnipeg's Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology Nov. 14, 2007. Presenter Rick Connor, Instructional Technologist, University of new South Wales presented: "Going Beyond the Lecture: Ex-ploring Optimal Course Construction".
  • Attended the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children 17th Biennial World Conference at the University of Warwick in Warwick, England from August 5 - August 10, 2007 (see blog here).Helped with the technology end of the presentations of two other U of W attendees - keynote presenter Dr. Ken McCluskey and presenter Dr. Louisa Polyzoi.
  • Attended the MERN Talent Development Research Forum May 4, 2007.
  • Held an Introduction to PowerPoint Workshop as part of my committment to help colleagues with their technology through the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology - February 22, 2007. A follow-up workshop was held March 27, 2007.
  • Volunteered to help at the Education Booth at the U of W's Open House - February 13, 2007
  • Took part in the Distinguished Speakers Series of 2006-2007 by presenting the topic "Do We All Really Need A Computer?" Talks were about 45 minutes long, with an additional 15 minutes for questions at the end. They were held at :
    • The Wellington October 24, 2006
    • The Skywalk@noon (Carol Shields Auditorium, Millennium Library) January 10, 2007
    • Fred Douglas Place January 24, 2007
  • Attended MANACE's preSAG evening on November 23, 2006 "Technology Across the Ocean" with Kare Skantz from Sweden who presented his experiences with ICT learning for teachers in that country.
  • Attended Quest - October 27 & 28, 2006 - "Education for Change".
  • Volunteered to help colleagues with their technology / computer problems through the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology at the University of Winnipeg as of September, 2006.
  • Helped host the U of W Open House for prospecive students - Feb. 14, 2006.
  • Attended the Charge Conference (Student Association, U of W sponsored) specifically a session called "Dealing with Difficult people"Feb. 3, 2006
  • Attended the MERN (Manitoba Education & Research Network, of which I am a member) conference on Linking Research to Policy and Practice - May 20, 2005.
  • Attended the Connections IV Conference at the U of W May 12, 2005 where the topic "mentoring for talent development" was discussed.
  • Attended Quest - October 15 & 16, 2004 - "Global Citizens Making a Difference".
  • Purchased my sixth computer - a custom built Windows XP machine with HP scanner - for $2161.79 Oct. 15, 2004. 
  • Attended the MAME (Manitoba Association of Multicultural Education) meetings dealing with strategic planning to ensure visible minorities are represented fairly in the Manitoba education system March 25, 2004.
  • Joined the MyUWinnipeg and WebCT SIG (Special Interest Group) at the U of W spring, 2004.
  • Gave an orientation to computers in-service to WEC (Winnipeg Education Council) students - February 5, 2004.
  • On Nov. 29, 2002, developed and ran an in-service for my school staff on the First Class Internet Mail Service to which we had switched that year.
  • Took a Swish workshop through ManAce from July 8-9, 2002.
  • Presented a plan to produce a "homework hotline" on the Net to inform students and parents about major projects and when they were due to the St. James School Board Feb. 12, 2002. The school implemented the hotline for the school year 2002-2003.
  • Arranged for Sister Shahina Siddiqui, Executive Director of the Islamic Social Services Association of the United States and Canada (ISSA), to address our grade eight social studies students on January 17, 2002, concerning misconceptions and stereotypes that many Canadians have concerning Muslims and Islam. Sr Siddiqui, who has addressed national and international conferences about Muslim beliefs, was gracious enough to spend almost eighty minutes with our students, answering any questions they had.
  • Took a web page designing course through ManACE - July 3-6, 2001, which featured 1st Page 2000, a good free web page editor.
  • During the 2001-02 school year, trained other teachers in the use of an internet "homework hotline" designed to keep parents and students informed about assignments and tests.
  • Trained other teachers in the use of Microsoft Word 2000 and Word XP - 2000-2003.
  • Represented tech responsible teachers from my school division at TechQuest 2000, a Computer Conference held at the Winnipeg Convention Centre May 10 and May 11, 2000. Keynote speaker - Don Tapscott.
  • Took and completed courses on-line from “Learning University” (later:Intrigue Learning Inc.) of Calgary re: Word 2000.
  • Trained other teachers in the use of the mark-recording program Integrade Pro - 1998 to 2002.
  • Maintained Ness Middle School's Website - from its inception Aug.16,1996 until June 30, 2003.
  • Attended Techquest 2000 - a business technology conference, May 9-10, 2000 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre.
  • Produced Ness's open house PowerPoint slideshow presentation for prospective students 1998-2000.
  • Made department head -1999.
  • Gave tech workshops for educators on ClarisWorks and on HyperStudio, July 5-9, 1999 for ManACE.
  • Purchased my fifth computer - a Dell Dimension with Lexmark printer, colour monitor and with the Windows 98 operating system - for $2997.40 - Dec. 22, 1998.
  • Attended the TIES (Technology & Information Educational Services) Conference in Minneapolis, Minn., Nov.21-24, 1998.
  • Gave tech workshops for educators on ClarisWorks, levels 1 and 2, July 6-10, 1998 for ManACE.
  • Ran a workshop on the use of the World Geography computer program - Jan. 30, 1998.
  • Gave tech workshops for educators "Introduction to the MacIntosh" - July 2-4, 1997 for ManACE.
  • Gave an At Ease / ClarisWorks (now: AppleWorks) in-service for my school staff - March 20, 1997.
  • Attended professional development classes to learn Quickmail and Claris Home Page for use in training staff and students in computer technology - Dec. 10 & 11, 1996 and Sat., March 18, 1997.
  • Purchased my fourth computer - a Mac 7200-90 with scanner for $2950.32 - June 28, 1996. The school division encouraged teachers to buy Macs by working out an "educator's price" with suppliers - which turned out to be next to identical to the price one would pay just walking in off the street. Two years later, the division arbitrarily switch to the Windows platform.
  • Attended the first day of the Dream Quest Conference concerning enrichment, creativity, and talent development at the University of Winnipeg May 7 - 11, 1996. Among the main speakers / presenters were Dr. Ken McCluskey, then director of special services and psychologist, Lord Selkirk School Division in Selkirk, Manitoba, Phil Baker, then Director of Exceptional Education, Interlake School Division in Stonewall, Manitoba, and Dr. Annabelle Mays, Director of Teacher Education at the U of W.
  • Began giving formal and informal presentations re: computer technology - particularly in-services on the mark-recording program Grade Machine - 1990-97. Formal inservices were given on Sept. 23, 1994 and November, 1995 and I produced newsletters to promote learning the technology until 1998. See an example of a newsletter here (in PDF form). Need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read it? Go here. Received certificate of recognition from the Professional Development Centre of St. James-Assiniboia School Division for these efforts in 1996.
  • Took training in how to construct a web page on my own time from TR Labs - Dec. 6, 1995.
  • Presented a public workshop re: how the public school system, in grades 6-8, deals with gifted children called "Classroom Bloopers" - Saturday, March 18, 1995. It took place at Gordon Bell High School.
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  • Prepared students to participate in the first Great Canadian Geography Challenge in 1995 sponsored by Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. One of our students represented our school division at the University of Manitoba January 12, 1995.
  • Took over the computer program at Ness 1995 (see program here).
  • Was part of a Teacher Assistance Team (1993-94) which was designed to improve teaching services to special needs students.
  • Founding member of the Manitoba Association of Bright Children (A.B.C.) - 1993.
  • Acquired an amateur radio licence in 1993 as a result of an informatics course taken evenings starting in 1991. Renewed it until 2000, but never really used it.
  • Purchased my third computer - a Mac // VI with 5 MEGS of memory, a CD drive and a Deskwriter printer - Dec. 4, 1992 for $3985.44.
  • Attended the international conference on gifted education "Developing Giftedness - Challenging Tomorrow", Oct. 22-24. 1992 in Winnipeg co-sponsered by the Manitoba Association of Gifted Education (MAGE) and The Association for Gifted Education in Canada (TAG) at the Birchwood Inn in Winnipeg.
  • Took training in the CoRT Thinking Program in order to improve my Critical Thinking Skills program.
  • Took a Live Sound Set-up Workshop in Feb., 1992 to improve my knowledge of sound set-ups for drama productions.
  • Took Hypercard workshops Apr. 30 and May 14, 1991.
  • Learned to swim - summer, 1990.
  • Taught summer school language arts courses to grades 7's and 8's - 1987-1993.
  • Purchased my second computer - a Mac Plus with a hard drive (20 MEGS!) for $3245.31.
  • Received an innovative grant from the school division to develop a L.A.N. for our school computer lab - May, 1989.
  • Attended the "Technology in Education - 20/20 Vision" conference sponsored by ManAce (Manitoba Association for Computing Educators) March 22 & 23, 1989.
  • Contributing editor of "Tempo" Newsletter (St. James-Assiniboia Teachers' Association) - 1988-89.
  • Received an innovative grant from the school division to develop a telecommunications centre in our computer lab for our student newspaper - May, 1988.
  • Wrote a review of drama services for Nelson Canada Publishers in order to help them better serve the junior high drama market - September, 1988.
  • Started using MINET (Manitoba Information Network) for computer communication - 1988.
  • Helped organize the Canadian Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference in Winnipeg (Malborough Inn) as a member of the Transportation and Social Committee - May 11-16, 1987.
  • Presented a G.A.T.E. (gifted and talented education) in-service to school staff - Dec. 11, 1987.
  • Gave a one day AppleWorks in-service at Infotec (1970 Ness Ave., Winnipeg) for my school (Ness Junior High) - Sept. 18, 1987 at the Infotec Centre at 1970 Ness Ave.
  • Taught an enrichment summer course "Micro-Computer I" for students using BASIC computer language - July 2-29, 1986.
  • Was chosen to be part of a group of teachers trained in the "Philosophy For Children" thinking program in the spring of 1986 in order for me to improve the Gifted and Talented Program at Ness. Sessions were held over several weeks and during Feb. 1986, Feb. 1987, April-June, 1987, and Oct. 1987. I taught the Criticial Thinking Skills Program from 1988 - 1994 at Ness Junior High.
  • Joined Apple Users' Group - 1986.
  • Performed with the Royal Canadian Air Farce (Don Ferguson and Roger Abbott) at the introduction to the provincial SAG conference - October, 1986.

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  • Purchased my first computer - an Apple //e with a disk drive and printer - May, 1985. It cost $2915.
  • Founding member of the Manitoba Association of the Gifted and Talented - 1984.
  • Began teaching a G.A.T.E. (Gifted and Talented Education) program at Ness in 1983, and remained a teacher of the gifted until the program was dismantled in 1997.
  • Was a camp counsellor for the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities (then called Society for Crippled Children & Adults) summer camp (Lakeside Camp) at Gimli, Manitoba - July 5-Aug.5, 1983.
  • Started using a computer for the first time (a Commodore P.E.T. - 4 K memory) - 1983.
  • Attended the "World in the Classroom" Conference at Argyle School, Winnipeg - Jan. 1982, which featured material concerning the world food crisis.
  • Chosen by the Manitoba Social Studies teachers Association as one of several social studies teachers to visit Gillam, Manitoba to view the new Hydro projects at Kettle Rapids, Long Spruce (not completed), the Sundance townsite, and the Limestone area - June 5, 1976.
  • Produced the resource booklet for, and helped organize, a Conference Concerning Human Rights for the United Nations Association in Canada - Winnipeg Branch - at R.B. Russell School - Oct. 19-20, 1973
  • Worked for the Planning and Priorities Committee of Cabinet of the Manitoba provincial government as an investigator - summer, 1971.
  • Volunteer teacher of immigrants at the International Centre of Winnipeg - 1970-71.

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  • Drove a taxi part-time for Moores Taxi Cab Company of Winnipeg - 1970-71 (later, part of Unicity Taxi).
  • Worked as a member of the University of Winnipeg radio station with on-air experience - 1969-70.
  • Worked for Scott Bathgate ("The Nutty Club") roasting sunflower seeds and delivering product to stores - summer 1969.
  • Worked on a ground crew for the Manitoba Telephone System burying telephone cables and pumping water out of manholes - summer 1968.
  • Worked for CaterPlan Services, a CNIB sponsored catering business, as a server and preparer of food, summer 1967.

Professional Development Events are above

Extra Curricular Activities:
 (events listed from most recent)
  • Volunteered to answer questions from prospective students at the Faculty of Education's booth at the U of W's open house Feb. 22, 2012.
  • Served as a resource person / Jewish culture consultant for the Music Theatre course at Sturgeon Heights High School during their preparation for the musical "Fiddler on the Roof" (performed at the Gas Station Theatre Dec. 3-6, 2008). I supplied resources such as Yiddish terminology and prayer shawls, lectured the cast about the character types in the show (on Oct. 20th and 27th), and provided information about signs and symbols that would affect how the actors would portray their characters.
  • Helped with some technical aspects of Brock Corydon School's production "Once on This Island ", performed May 14 and 15, 2008.
  • Provided information and was quoted by Meaghan Hurley, a reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press, for a feature article on Facebook, which appeared February 3, 2008, and can be seen here (Free Press Archives).
  • Volunteered to man the Faculty of Education booth during open house, Feb. 20, 2008.
  • Participated in the 2007 Manitoba Dragon Boat Festival as part of the University of Winnipeg's Rhode's Scholar Ship again September 8-9, 2007.
  • Joined the Board of Citzens for Crime Awareness - District 6 February, 2007. Dragon Boat logo
  • In the spring of 2006, I once again joined the U of W Dragon Boat rowing team we called the Rowed Scholar Ship.. We practiced for, and participated in, the 2006 Manitoba Dragon Boat Festival in support of the Canadian Cancer Society.
  • Helped with the technical end of the production of Joseph at Brock Corydon School May 17 & 18, 2006. I was responsible for sound mixing and computer recording of the sound track.

Rowed Scholars emblem• In the spring of 2005, I joined a group of about twenty-two people from the University of Winnipeg in forming a Dragon Boat rowing team we called the Rowed Scholars. We practiced for, and participated in, the 2005 Manitoba Dragon Boat Festival in support of the Canadian Cancer Society.

This is us, practicing on the Red River, Aug.5, 2005. I'm front right, which means I'm NOT one of our strongest paddlers (but somewhat photogenic).

We raised $3410 towards the total goal of $250 000 by all teams!

Dragon Boat team

To see how the University viewed us, please go here (for as long as this archival link lasts).

  • For the 2002-2003 school year, I sponsored a public speaking club at Ness Middle School to teach the basics of persuasive speaking to any student interested. We entered four students in the Manitoba Oratorical Contest sponsored by the United Nations Association March 11, 2003.
  • Helped organize Ness Middle School's first "Medieval Feast" - April 6, 2001. Medieval times were re-created in the halls and gym of the school, centered around the school play "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight". Students in period costumes served food, acted the parts of wandering minstrels, street beggars and role-played other period character types.
  • Gave a PowerPoint in-service and a technical introduction to the Windows operating system Feb. 18, 2000.
  • Organized a UNICEF campaign in all schools where I have taught from 1972 until 2001. In 1998, students collected a record $946.38 for Ness Middle School.
  • Offered and taught eight "Internet Evenings" for parents and students - spring, 1997 and spring, 1998.
  • As a founding member of the Manitoba Association of Bright Children, I edited the quarterly newsletter for the group from its inception until its demise - 1993-1998. Please click here to see a reproduction of part of one of the newsletters. Need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read it? Go here.

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  • Ran an At Ease / ClarisWorks in-service for staff March 20, 1997.
  • Gave in-service to staff re: the Quickmail webmail program being used in the school division - Nov. 1, 1996.
  • Produced newsletters to help school staff start with the Internet - April, 1995.
  • Worked with gifted and talented students as part of the G.A.T.E. (Gifted And Talented Education) program in various projects over the years - 1983-1997. The outside - the - classroom parts of this program included:
    a) studying of minority groups, including several visits to a Sikh Temple ( see Winnipeg Sun news article here) and to a Trappist Monastery in 1983 and in 1987 (in Holland, Manitoba - see this article re: one of our visits). I had taken a group of students to the Monestery in the 1970's, when it was still in St. Norbert.
    b) "Ability" Weeks, during which students would study and then "become disabled" (being confined to a wheelchair, simulated deafness and blindness are examples) for a time in order to develop empathy for another way of life (see article)
    c) participating in computer poetry contests (Our students were winners in the Gr. 8 & Gr. 9 categories in 1992)
    d) film making
    e) the study of magic and illusion
    f) working with television and T.V. editing equipment - incuding visits to Videon T.V. studios (forerunner of what was eventually to become Shaw Cable)
    g) using computer e-mail programs
    h) student apprenticeships at an animal hospital and at St. Amant Centre
    i) visits to disabled activist Theresa Ducharme's home
    j) attending trial sessions at the Law Courts building with the co-operation of the Court of Queen's Bench to view the justice system first hand
    k) examining Junior Achievement
    l) reviewing the political structure of Canada (Greg Alcock, new Liberal MLA, was a guest of our students October 18, 1988)
    m) studying the law, particularly the Young Offenders' Act
    n) using drama / working with drama groups to deal with social issues of importance
  • Ran a newspaper club at Ness Middle School 1984-1997. Our newspaper won its category at the Festival of Language Arts at the University of Manitoba May 8, 1989.
  • Taught the background to the novel "The Sacrifice" by Adele Wiseman to high school language arts students at the request of a teacher at John Taylor Collegiate -1989-1996.
  • Organized the 30 Hour Famine at Ness (grades 7-9)
    Feb. 24 & 25, 1995 ($1 630 raised)
    Mar. 11 & 12, 1994 (see article1) (see article 2)

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  • Produced and directed many plays and musicals over the years - 1972-1994.
    They included:
    a) "Slave of Reason" or "What To Do 'Till Graduation" - May 23 & 24, 1973
    b) "The Day's Beginning" - May 8-10, 1974
    c) "Godspell" - Apr.30, May 1 & 2, 1975
    d) "We Love You, Conrad" (Bye, Bye Birdie) - May 12-14, 1976
    e) "The Hobbit" - Apr. 26 & 27, 1977
    f) "Anne of Green Gables" - Feb. 13-16, 1978
    g) "Babes in Toyland" - Mar.21-23, 1979
    h) "Get This Robot Off My Foot" - Apr.26-29, 1983
    i) "The Hobbit" - Apr.24-27, 1984
    j) "Our Miss Brooks" - Apr.13-16, 1987
    k) "The Truth About Cinderella"- May 12, 1988
    k) "The Boyfriend" - Apr. 17-20, 1990
    l) "The Very Great Grandson of Sherlock Holmes" & "Pen of My Aunt" - Apr.21-24, 1992
    m) "The Widow's Plight" & "Who Dunnit?" - Apr. 20-22, 1993
    n) "The White Shirt" & "Stormin' The Teachers' Lounge" - Apr.20 -21, 1994

    From 1995 until 2000, I played a smaller role in helping with productions, as I became more involved with technology in the school. However, I was privileged to be asked to help with the character development of some roles in Westwood Collegiate's production of Fiddler On The Roof, Feb. 10-13, 1999 (Thanks, Deb!). I was also available to help out with some character development for Brock Corydon School's production of Guys and Dolls.
  • Led a number of Ness Junior High students to take part in the 2nd Annual Winnipeg Junior High School Drama Festival at the Prairie Theatre Exchange - May 12-13, 1988. We did an excerpt of our school play that year: "The Truth About Cinderella ".
  • Led a number of Ness Junior High students to take part in the 1st Annual Winnipeg Junior High School Drama Festival at the Prairie Theatre Exchange - May 5-6, 1987. We did an excerpt of our school play that year: "Our Miss Brooks".
  • Helped organize oratorical contests from 1986 to the 90's at the junior high school level to compete in Division-wide contests.
  • An organizer and an executive of the United Nations Association in Manitoba - 1965-1990. Served as UNA vice-president in 1974.
  • Entered students involved with school drama productions in the first, second and third annual Manitoba Junior High Drama Festivals - 1987-1989.
  • Entered a team of students in the Odyssey of the Mind .contest in 1987. The team was required to solve a problem of transportation by building a vehicle for under $100 that would carry a student over a set course.
  • Ran an investment club at Deer Lodge Junior High to help teach about capitalism; we bought and sold one share of Imperial Oil with the help of Richardson Securities of Canada in 1976.

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  • Organized a 5 PM to midnight dance-a-thon held at Deer Lodge United Church for Deer Lodge Junior High students to raise money for OXFAM's powdered egg project through our school's U.N. club - March 21, 1975. We raised $917.53.
  • Wrote some historical background material for Comley Comix, specifically for Captain Canuck ™ Volume 1, Number 3 (1975). To see this article, which appeared in the comic, click here
  • Myself and students at International centre - spring, 1974 Accompanied students on Saturdays to the International Centre so that they could enable immigrants to practice English - 1973-1975.
  • Purchased a video tape recorder (reel to reel, black & white video - over $2000) to enable me to tape students, events and to teach about the impact of television - 1974. Some of the video footage, which I converted to cassettes, still exists.
  • Purchased my own Gestetner electronic stencil cutter model ES390 (price: $1102.50 used) to enable me to produce better hand-outs for classes - July 26, 1973.
  • Prepared the resource booklet for a conference concerning human rights sponsored by the United Nations Association of Canada held in Winnipeg Oct. 19-20, 1973.
  • Spoke to Regent Park School students on the occasion of their U.N. Day re: the 25th anniversary of the U.N. - Oct. 24, 1970.
  • Was a staff member of the University of Winnipeg newspaper, "The Uniter", featured each week as a columnist.
    Examples of columns published - 1968-1971:
  • As winner of an essay contest, I represented the Lions Clubs of Canada in Alabama, USA during the Montgomery International Youth Camp - July 28- August 23, 1969. Chosen as one of 25 non-Americans from around the world, I worked with them and 25 American students (ages 18-22) to help promote better understanding among world youth, and learned a lot about life in the US South during the era of the '60's race riots. We travelled through and lived in eight southern states, and I reported back to the local St. James Lions Club Sept. 23, 1969.
  • One of thirty students to attend a Canadian-American conference at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota re: "Student in Society" - 1968.
  • An organizer of the first two "Miles for Millions / Share Canada" marches to raise money and awareness for projects of reconstruction in Latin America in 1967 and 1968. The first march resulted in the rebuilding of schools destroyed by earthquakes in Pitalito, Columbia (see picture). I led several hundred fellow Grant Park students over a 35 mile (56 kilometre) route in order to raise $10 000 in pledges to accomplish this goal.
  • Runner-up in the provincial Manitoba High School Oratorical Competition - November 14, 1966.
  • Operated a United Nations Association booth at the Manitoba Education Association Convention Apr. 12 and 13, 1966 which took place at the Royal Alexander Hotel in Winnipeg.

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