Parent Expo To Mix New School With Old School
[Written by Glenn Fubler]
For this first ‘Parent Expo’, we have been able to mix New School with ‘Old School’ – especially in the selection of our Honourary Patrons.
One of them is engaged on the very forefront of new technology and its implications for up-coming generations, while the other is an icon having demonstrated decades of integrity and commitment in public service.
Mansfield ‘Jim’ Brock and Katie Davis are two Bermudians who exemplify ‘out of the box’ approaches to education and the wider community in general.
Jim Brock is well known for having served as a teacher, school principal, President of Bermuda College and Permanent Secretary of Education and later, Finance. It was as PS of Education that he engaged in collaboration with Katie Davis’ grandfather, David Critchley –who was the PS of Health & Social Services during the early ‘70’s.
Those two senior civil servants moved outside of their ‘silos’ and together created the Child Development Project. That historic step produced a shift that had a positive impact on a generation.
Katie Davis is an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington’s Information School. She won wide recognition as co-author –along with the famous Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner – of the book App Generation. Katie also maintains a career that balances both teaching and ground-breaking Research which has substantial implications for the transformation facing all of us in this ‘Information Age’.
She is currently at home engaged in some remote Research, enjoying her Island along with her infant son and the support of family. However, she has excitedly agreed to carve out some time to serve as Honourary Patron for the Parent Expo.
While Katie will make no formal presentation on Saturday, she will engage in the various aspects of the Expo. She has agreed to offer an overall assessment of the event with the view to assisting to improve the next steps.
The day will begin with a ‘head-start’ at 3pm, with the Youth Maker Faire in the CedarBridge Gymnasium.Formally opening at the CedarBridge Cafetoriun at 4 pm the Expo will continue at 4.30 with a selection of workshops.
At 7.15 there will be a Finale Gathering when a roundtable of 3 will offer reflections of a TED Talk on the importance of ‘balance’ on the part of parents, in their role with their children. This will include Kalmar Richards – Acting Commissioner of Education; Deryn Lavell – Principal of Saltus and Curtis Dickinson – Chairman of the Board of Education.
Glenn Fubler and his team are to be commended for putting on this Parent Expo. Events such as this are sorely needed in Bermuda. I regret that I am off Island and will miss the Expo. I hope that parents, teachers, and students take full advantage and attend.
Congratulations to Katie Davis on her major achievement of co-authoring a book with the legendary Howard Gardner! As a Baby Boomer with two Millennial children, and future grandchildren who will likely be of the App Generation, I look forward to reading the book.