In Conversation with Stephen Hurley

Privacy and Security expert, Claudiu Popa recently wrote an article in The Conversation that questions the notion that parents and teachers should have access and control over a child's computer password. Claudiu joins me today to dig deeper into the topic of privacy from a kid's perspective? You can find Claudiu's article in The Conversation here: https://theconversation.com/controlling-childrens...

Valerie Irvine is an assistant professor of educational technology and co-director of the Technology Integration and Evaluation Research Lab in the University of Victoria’s faculty of education. Her recent article in The Tyee sheds light on the complexity and confusion around back-to-school in British Columbia. Valerie highlights several things that she would like to see considered in that provinc...

David Price, OBE, is a global thought leader, learning futurist and author, specialising in how organisations learn, innovate and make themselves fit for the future. His newest book, "The Power of Us: How We Connect, Act and Innovate Together" takes us behind the scenes of some of the world’s most innovative organisations harnessing the power of collaboration and diverse thinking to effect real ch...

Dr. Erin Maloney is Assistant Professor, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa. Her research life focuses on the cognitive and emotional factors that influence math learning and the impact of parents and teachers on children’s learning. Erin joins us today to talk about how parents can set up a positive learn-at-home environment for children (and adults).

Dr. Dona Matthew is a Toronto-based psychoeducational consultant and freelance writer. She joins us today to speak about setting up the learn-at-home environment so that it doesn't centre on sitting in front of a computer all day. Lots of great tips in this companion piece from the Psychology Today blog: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/going-beyond-intelligence/202008/pandemic-homeschoolin...

Dr. Hetty Rooesingh teaches at the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. Dr. Roessingh's research interests include reading and vocabulary development, but she also has developed quite a following through her insistence that we return to teaching young children how to write cursively. In this episode, Dr. Roessingh extends that conversation to the art of taking handwritten not...

Jessica Cooke is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Psychology, University of Calgary. She recently co-authored an article in The Conversation, "“How to help your child cope with the transition back to school during COVID-19”". The full article from The Conversation https://theconversation.com/how-to-help-your-child-cope-with-the-transition-back-to-school-during-covid-19-144530 Jessica joins us...

Sue Bruyns is principal at Sir Arthur Curry Elementary School in the Thames Valley District School Board, Ontario. She has a robust and vibrant vision for family engagement and she joins me today to talk about the work of her Council since the COVID-19 shutdown, as well as their plans for engagement in the year to come.

Sydney Chapados is a Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Sociology at Carleton University in Ottawa. Her recent article in The Conversation (Canada), asks some interesting questions about the way that we are talking to children about back to school, the information that we are providing our children and the ways in which we are seeking their input. You can find Sydney's article here: https://thec...

Doug McDowall is a retired Ontario teacher who still keeps an eye on things, bringing his unique sense of humour to the world of politics, education and a whole lot more. In this rather meandering conversation about how we met, the emergence of edtech and more, we discovered that Doug really needs his own podcast. So stay tuned for that!

Dr. Steve Sider and Dr. Ardavan Eizadirad are both faculty members at Laurier University's Faculty of Education. Their recent article in The Conversation posed some important questions about ways to hold the important issues that have been brought to light during the pandemic on the radar of schools and communities. In this conversation, we talk about systemic inequity, the language we use to fram...

Jason Lay is a secondary school teaching at Vaughan Secondary School in the York Region District School Board. He has been very dedicated on social media, holding issues of a safe return to school in front of his Twitter followers. My conversation with Jason digs deeper into his concerns, his insights and his advice. Follow Jason on Twitter: @jlay02

A lot of conversation around safe re-opening of schools has centered around class size and the need to ensure safe physical distancing. Marcie is an Ontario-based Education Assistant (EA) and, as this conversation points out, there needs to be a much deeper discussion about the health and safety requirements of the large number of students with learning challenges and special needs.

In this second of a two part series, Vidya Shah and Erika Shaker reflect on announcements being made across the country about re-opening schools. We dig deeper into the need for more substantial funding, the "tyranny of choice", continuing issues of inequity and ways to authentically engage the public in conversation about...well...public education. Vidya Shah is Assistant Professor at the Faculty...

Carol Jones and Leslie Hutchison are both members of the Ontario Association for Developmental Education, an organization established in 1957 and includes teachers, educational assistants, principals, consultants, and other support staff and parents who work with and for students with developmental challenges. The organization recently conducted a survey, "Return to School Survey Related to COVID...

Vidya Shah is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education, York University. Vidya is driven by an expertise in and passion for passion for justice and equity. Erika Shaker is National Office Director at Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, & Editor of Our Schools/Our Selves. Their article, “Leaving Normal: Reimagining Schools Post-COVID and Beyond”, appears in the most recent edition of Ou...

Kathleen Gould Lundy joins Stephen Hurley to look back on a 2004 project that raised the voices of Canadian youth around their visions for school and education. Led by Kathy through a partnership with the Canadian Education Association/EdCan Network, "Imagine a School" connected cohorts of high school students from across the country through drama, poetry and music. Find out about the project, how...

Today, I'm joined by two members of the Ontario Parent Action Network (OPAN). Seth Bernstein is an education worker, parent and the teacher/parent liaison Ontario Parent Action Network. Rachel Huot is a parent organizer with OPAN. In this conversation, we talk about the government's response to the current COVID-19 crisis and what that means for reopening schools in September. We also talk about t...

Barbara Silva is the Director of Communications for Alberta-based Support Our Students, an advocacy/action group dedicated to equitable and accessible public education in Alberta. In this conversation, we talk to Barbara about how their organization is working during this time of COVID-19 and how they are holding the provincial government accountable for its plans to re-open schools in September....

Andy Hargreaves internationally known and acclaimed researcher, writer, speaker, consultant and policy advisor is Visiting Professor at the University of Ottawa and Research Professor in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. His new book, Moving — A Memoir of Education and Social Mobility (Solution Tree) places some of the most pressing challenges of our time against the backdrop of And...

Ms. Marit Stiles is the MPP for the Ontario riding of Davenport. Marit also serves as the Education Critic for the Official Opposition (NDP). Marit Stiles recently tabled a motion in the Provincial Legislature calling on the Conservative Government to get serious about "back to school" plans for the Fall in Ontario. In this conversation, we discuss that motion, the importance of advocacy, activism...

Richard Doornink is no stranger to stories. His background in film and video study and production, editing and a love for writing has brought him to the release of his first novel. 1967—A Coming of Age Story will certainly resonate with anyone growing up in Canada in the 60's, but it will also work its way into the hearts and imaginations of those who grew up in a different time. In this conversat...

Harvey Bischof is the president of the Ontario Secondary School Teacher's Federation (OSSTF), and represents over 70 000 secondary school teachers and education workers across the province. Harvey joins me to talk about the progress being made toward a return to school in the Fall, some of the creative ways that we could be looking at the challenge and some of the elephants that might be hanging a...

Dr. Jewel Amoah is one of 14 Human Rights and Equity Advisors hired to school districts across Ontario. It's part of a pilot program designed to foreground issues related to develop cultures of respect for human rights and equity in public schools. Dr. Amoah is a Human Rights scholar, advocate and activist and is the newly appointed Human Rights and Equity Advisor (HREA) for the Halton District Sc...

Negin Riazi is a PhD Candidate at UBC's School of Kinesiology in the Faculty of Education. Recently, her article, co-authored with Dr. Guy Faulkner, appeared in The Conversation Canada. "Free-range kids: Why a child’s freedom to travel and play without adult supervision matters" was the subject of our conversation today. We explored the importance of letting our children explore their surroundings...