My unconventional thinking would be my greatest strength. My approach to
education and my own education is innovative. As an educator, I was recognized by
the Saskatchewan Teachers Association and awarded the Arbos Award for
Contributions to Education and the Teaching Profession. It honours teachers who
have made outstanding contributions to education and the teaching profession that
are broad and significant in their scope and impact. It is the highest honour
that the Saskatchewan teaching profession can bestow.
In my 31 years as an elementary,high school teacher and administrator, I never
stopped learning. This life-long learning approach has served me well in the
challenge of teaching in today’s ever-changing world. My selection of post-
secondary education institutions has ranged from traditional to unconventional. I
began my education with a physical education and education degree in a traditional
university at Brock University. My Masters was completed at the open university
Athabasca, and my last was a Ph.D. in Education at Northcentral, specializing in
e-learning and teaching online at this one-to-one mentoring university. Both
graduate programs were through universities that are unique and innovative in
their approach to education. The variety and location of these post-secondary
programs were the theoretical catalysts for my understanding of the educational
reform that is necessary for all learning institutions. My extensive graduate
studies explored the educational research and has guided me to develop an
educational pedagogy that embraces and utilizes the challenges of teaching in the
information age. My professional career as an educator has been enhanced and
reflected by my lifetime of learning.
Education reform is a challenge that I have embraced throughout my development of
the online school here in Saskatoon. A school that moved from face to face
teaching with the brick and mortar school to an interactive digital internet
school. The online school philosophy recognized that the teaching of content is
not the way to educate but the ability to find and identify reliable information
is necessary to navigate the information age. The resistance to any educational
change is normal but when met with legitimate reasoning and research it is
possible. Many of my online teachers in the Cyber School used their technology-
infused courses to change the way they approached their face to face teaching.
The information age challenge requires an entirely different approach to
education, one in which many colleges are implementing. The launch of a
successful cyber school prepared me to assist in the changes and challenges the
colleges will be experiencing as it attempts to fulfill their mandate of preparing
the teachers for the new era. I taught all subjects in elementary school for nine years, physical education and art for two years in a first nation high school and art for nine years in a mainstream high school. In the last 14 years in my education career, I proposed, developed and administered the largest and most successful cyber school in the province that lead me to consult and present at many post-secondary institutions and conferences around the world. This extensive career path touched upon all aspects of education in our society.
Jamieson McKenzie (1991) stated “Shifting from Industrial Age thinking and
teaching to Informational Age thinking and teaching is as dramatic an adjustment
as shifting from teaching in a classroom to teaching underwater.” An information
age with connected students having instant information, communication, multimedia
and entertainment and social networking tools is a new era that teachers cannot
realistically compete using the current educational approaches. Kindergarten to
Grade 12 education for centuries has been designed around a philosophy that starts
with the assumption that a predetermined number of students will all learn the
same thing at the same time from the same person in the same way in the same place
for several hours each day. All of the above statements would lead one to believe
we have an education system in Canada which is broken. However, Canada is
considered to have one of the top five education systems in the world. A ranking
that we should be very proud of but it is also a concern because it is used by
many to resist changing a system that is designed around a foundation that is
antiquated.
Education cannot exist as a silo, the collaboration among all society stakeholders
is required. The business community, K-12 schools, the healthcare community and
universities must work together to develop a process that will be the educational
system of the future. I was able to see the strength of such collaboration while
developing the online high school and given the freedom to explore and try
different and unique approaches to education and work with a variety of
stakeholders.
My ability and willingness to effect change within an organization is a strength.
My last position as the president of a software company was primarily analyzing,
evaluating, creating a new vision and then implementing the necessary changes. I
am very quick to identify strengths and weaknesses and develop systems that
embrace the strengths and find solutions for the gaps. I have much consulting
experience in post-secondary schools, adult education and training, business, and
secondary school in developing and adopting technology to enhance the strengths of
the organization. Many times my role as a consultant has been to develop a
collaborative best practices approach to the existing systems and develop a
continuous improvement framework to push outcomes to the next level. I have
worked with organizations monitoring, evaluating and training staff. I have
planned entire programs from inception and launch to success and would embrace the
opportunity to assist in your future plans.
Contact me if you are looking for consultation or have a job that might interest
me.
Dr. Darren Cannell
education and my own education is innovative. As an educator, I was recognized by
the Saskatchewan Teachers Association and awarded the Arbos Award for
Contributions to Education and the Teaching Profession. It honours teachers who
have made outstanding contributions to education and the teaching profession that
are broad and significant in their scope and impact. It is the highest honour
that the Saskatchewan teaching profession can bestow.
In my 31 years as an elementary,high school teacher and administrator, I never
stopped learning. This life-long learning approach has served me well in the
challenge of teaching in today’s ever-changing world. My selection of post-
secondary education institutions has ranged from traditional to unconventional. I
began my education with a physical education and education degree in a traditional
university at Brock University. My Masters was completed at the open university
Athabasca, and my last was a Ph.D. in Education at Northcentral, specializing in
e-learning and teaching online at this one-to-one mentoring university. Both
graduate programs were through universities that are unique and innovative in
their approach to education. The variety and location of these post-secondary
programs were the theoretical catalysts for my understanding of the educational
reform that is necessary for all learning institutions. My extensive graduate
studies explored the educational research and has guided me to develop an
educational pedagogy that embraces and utilizes the challenges of teaching in the
information age. My professional career as an educator has been enhanced and
reflected by my lifetime of learning.
Education reform is a challenge that I have embraced throughout my development of
the online school here in Saskatoon. A school that moved from face to face
teaching with the brick and mortar school to an interactive digital internet
school. The online school philosophy recognized that the teaching of content is
not the way to educate but the ability to find and identify reliable information
is necessary to navigate the information age. The resistance to any educational
change is normal but when met with legitimate reasoning and research it is
possible. Many of my online teachers in the Cyber School used their technology-
infused courses to change the way they approached their face to face teaching.
The information age challenge requires an entirely different approach to
education, one in which many colleges are implementing. The launch of a
successful cyber school prepared me to assist in the changes and challenges the
colleges will be experiencing as it attempts to fulfill their mandate of preparing
the teachers for the new era. I taught all subjects in elementary school for nine years, physical education and art for two years in a first nation high school and art for nine years in a mainstream high school. In the last 14 years in my education career, I proposed, developed and administered the largest and most successful cyber school in the province that lead me to consult and present at many post-secondary institutions and conferences around the world. This extensive career path touched upon all aspects of education in our society.
Jamieson McKenzie (1991) stated “Shifting from Industrial Age thinking and
teaching to Informational Age thinking and teaching is as dramatic an adjustment
as shifting from teaching in a classroom to teaching underwater.” An information
age with connected students having instant information, communication, multimedia
and entertainment and social networking tools is a new era that teachers cannot
realistically compete using the current educational approaches. Kindergarten to
Grade 12 education for centuries has been designed around a philosophy that starts
with the assumption that a predetermined number of students will all learn the
same thing at the same time from the same person in the same way in the same place
for several hours each day. All of the above statements would lead one to believe
we have an education system in Canada which is broken. However, Canada is
considered to have one of the top five education systems in the world. A ranking
that we should be very proud of but it is also a concern because it is used by
many to resist changing a system that is designed around a foundation that is
antiquated.
Education cannot exist as a silo, the collaboration among all society stakeholders
is required. The business community, K-12 schools, the healthcare community and
universities must work together to develop a process that will be the educational
system of the future. I was able to see the strength of such collaboration while
developing the online high school and given the freedom to explore and try
different and unique approaches to education and work with a variety of
stakeholders.
My ability and willingness to effect change within an organization is a strength.
My last position as the president of a software company was primarily analyzing,
evaluating, creating a new vision and then implementing the necessary changes. I
am very quick to identify strengths and weaknesses and develop systems that
embrace the strengths and find solutions for the gaps. I have much consulting
experience in post-secondary schools, adult education and training, business, and
secondary school in developing and adopting technology to enhance the strengths of
the organization. Many times my role as a consultant has been to develop a
collaborative best practices approach to the existing systems and develop a
continuous improvement framework to push outcomes to the next level. I have
worked with organizations monitoring, evaluating and training staff. I have
planned entire programs from inception and launch to success and would embrace the
opportunity to assist in your future plans.
Contact me if you are looking for consultation or have a job that might interest
me.
Dr. Darren Cannell
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