About Us

Clayton

Hi everyone,

I live and teach in Kamloops, B.C. and am currently employed with SETBC as a technology consultant for students with special needs. Previous to this, I worked as a special education resource teacher for 11 years – a job I was very sad to leave. I have a strong interest in technology and its use in education – particularly as it pertains to supporting diverse learners.

When I am not working, my family and I very much enjoy the outdoors – camping, hiking, fishing, mountain biking and cross country skiing.  We also enjoy exploring with our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Rusty.

I chose the “Spirituality and Technology” question because at first glance glance I thought, “those two terms don’t seem to go together…” However, after previewing the readings and giving it some more thought I felt that the topic would prove to be quite interesting and informative.  For me, spirituality means connecting to the natural environment and experiencing quiet contemplation in nature.  However, I feel that spirituality is to each individual a very personal endeavor, and as such technology can help individuals to achieve their own personal enlightenment.

Michelle

I am currently an elementary teacher working at the Lakehead School Board in beautiful Northern Ontario. I have 2 children, Eden and Ariah and my husband Peter. I have worked as an ESL teacher in Tokyo, Japan, I have completed work as part of TLLP Ministry initiatives, I frequently fill in as principal in my school and I enjoy collaborating within my job. I currently work in the primary division after several years in both Junior and Intermediate divisions. I have recently taken on the role of IT Rep for our school and I am learning a lot in this role. I am by no means a tech person but that being said I am loving the challenge it is bringing to me. I have to keep busy to stay happy but contemplation is important to me and I am very interested in everyone’s views about the topic we are tackling this week. My true love are the arts and creativity and I think these weave themselves throughout our lives in beautiful ways. I’ve been told that I think “outside of the box”, and I guess I do.

Jo-Anne

I am a former classroom teacher (secondary English and Humanities), now working with provincial organizations in the area of policy and curriculum. I have been involved (and still am involved to greater and lesser degrees) in areas that relate to social justice, teacher education, and Indigenous/Aboriginal education.

I hold in my heart the belief that we need to regularly test the boundaries of our belief systems (whaever they may be) in order to challenge our perspectives and understandings of ourselves and our world. Challenging does not imply that we need be in a state of constant change; it might lead to change in ourselves if we are in need of it, and are ready for it, or it also might strengthen what we believe by leading to deeper understandings of what we already hold to be dear.  Sometimes though, it might lead to a place in between those two dichotomies.

One of the reasons I was/am interested in “Spirituality and Technology” is because of the seeming unusualness juxtaposition of these two concepts. In relation to education (and life, as I don’t see the both as separate realms) I believe that humanity is better served by attending to all aspects of being: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. Honouring the interrelatedness of the aspects of our being (and actually having that perspective influence what we do) is a vital part of education.