Category Archives: Uncategorized

On August 1, The Province reported that the ongoing teachers’ strike and government lockout saves the government up to $12 million a day in teachers’ salaries. As a result, government officials announced that they would use this reported surplus to deliver “temporary education support” that assists eligible parents with their personal childcare needs:

“The daily payout [to parents], which totals $12 million a day, will be funded from the government’s $12 million daily savings in teachers’ salaries once the school year begins.” ~ Cheryl Chan, The Province, August 1, 2014

If media outlets are accurate, then one might interpret the government’s reallocation of these resources as a misappropriation of funds and a breach of fiduciary duty. The budget of our public education system is passed through legislation. To dispense these funds to the private good without due process suggests a lack of accountability and transparency. Furthermore, our Minister of Education is entrusted to act in the best interest of all students attending a BC public primary and secondary school. To restrict this “temporary education support” to those publicly educated children 12 years of age and under may be argued as discriminatory.

School supplies, access to technology, and teaching assistance have been cited as areas that require greater attention. In addition, BC public schools are in continued need of physical maintenance and structural repair. Our students deserve a learning environment reflective of the future that we want for them. To reroute this funding without public consultation and consent establishes a precedent and conveys to taxpayers that our investment in the public good is at risk.

I have three of Oliver’s books and thoroughly enjoy his sweet illustrations, sense of humour, and ability to engage the reader.

Who gets the top floor and why? If you loved this quick history on the highrise, you can catch Part II, Part III, and Part IV here. (Thanks Rob!)

Hey! Here are a few tuition-free courses in architecture and urban design offered by edX this fall and upcoming spring:

A Global History of Architecture – Part 1 (Starts September 23): This course is a history of architecture from a global perspective.

Future Cities (Starts September 24): A first course to understand a city’s people, components, functions, scales and dynamics, as precondition for its sustainable design and management.

The Search for Vernacular Architecture of Asia, Part 1 (April 2015): Join us in the Search for Vernacular Architecture of Asia and learn key concepts to better understand your own local built environment.

Cheers,
Jacqueline

We talk about it in many creative disciplines. Brainstorming is a critical step in the design thinking paradigm but does it really work? In what context does the process work best? In teams or as individuals? Whatever you do, don’t criticize! Learn more here and check out Six Creative Ways to Brainstorm Ideas for techniques.

As I watched Bruce’s TED Talk on agile programming for families, I thought about how this paradigm may be applied to our classroom environment. What would a school look like if the core values of the institution were focused on the adaptability, empowerment, and personal narrative of each student?

A panel discussion hosted by University of California, Berkeley on the global challenges confronting environmental design.

Dr. Diana Oblinger recaps her presentation on designing and enhancing our digital systems to better accommodate students.

You can learn more about Mike Winkelmann’s work and his creative process here: The Creative Spark: Beeple, Everyday Artist. What I appreciate most is his desire to challenge himself to learn and create something new. Mike also encourages artists to share their work with the public. Through exchange and collaboration, we free ourselves from the fear of judgement and focus more on the project than our ego. That’s a good thing!