Kaleidoscope 2011

The Kaleidoscope 2011 Conference “Be The Change” kicked off with a digital flare with an avatar welcoming all employees and introducing President Gillett to officially open the conference.

This year, Kaleidoscope focused on “the student of 2020”and hosted just over 500 College employees who had registered to participate in a variety of events and workshops within the streams of “technology” (office, class & online); “global citizenship” (sustainability, diversity, and accessibility) and “personal growth and wellness” (personal development and physical, mental and spiritual wellness).

Keynote presentations included:

• Dr. Stephen Murgatroyd who addressed the “The Future of Learning: Colleges Are Where It’s At”
• Dr. Lionel Laroche who helped to raise awareness and provide solutions to “bridging the gap between culturally different students, faculty and staff”
• Gus Takkale a motivational and “change” guru, provided insights on how to  “embrace change and thrive on it” through the 5 Cs of Change”.

Various College senior management staff welcomed and thanked the keynotes. Donations were made in the keynote’s name towards the Algonquin College “Plant Some Roots” student bursary fund. A number of non-perishable items and cash were also collected from conference attendies for the Ottawa Food Bank.

Conference program committee members included employees from the Centre for Organizational Learning and several volunteers from across the College. Continuing  the rich tradition of the past, the majority of the workshop leaders were Algonquin staff and faculty members who graciously shared their passions and expertise with colleagues. A wide variety of workshops were offered highlights include, just to name a few:

• Using Skype for Course Development with Kelli Dilworth, Darrin Macdonald and John Scott
• The International Experience at Algonquin College with Wayne Lewrey and Maria Schnurr
• Camtasia Relay with Justin Antosezk
• Asperger’s Syndrome: Not Your Typical Student with Susan Blundon and Sandra Fraser
• Avatars at Algonquin: Novel Approaches to Interprofessional Education with Eleanor Riesen, Michelle Morley, Deb Clendinneng, Susan Ogilvie & Pete Thompson
• Blogging with WordPress: Not Just a Pretty Space with Raphael Gera
• Mobile Devices in Classrooms with Farbod Karimi and Shawn McBride
• The Art of Floral Arrangements with Lyn Whyte
• How to Prepare for an Interview with Nigel Parker
• Hands-on Creation of Accessible Documents with Julie Dugas and Karen Coffey
• Ask the Groomer with Lisa Day

A “Technology & Retention Best Practices” highlest retention projects as well as the latest technologies being used on campus. A draw was held for a Blackberry and the lucky winner was Jackie Asselin. Congratulations Jackie!

The conference wound down with, a mix and mingle event in the Restaurant International and where Algonquin students served tasty and delectable hors d’oeuvres.

Eight years and still going strong!

The Kaleidoscope professional development  conference  has been held annually for eight years – thanks to the efforts of Algonquin faculty and staff who have shared their skills as facilitators, participants and volunteer committee members.

It’s been  a wonderful chance to connect with colleagues and share ideas.