UNews - Milk River

Stribbell able to take education abroad

trevor.kenney — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 23:39:42 +0000

As a teacher, Howard Stribbell (BA/BEd '98, MEd '04) understands you can only make true assessments by comparing apples to apples. Now that he has the perspective of an administrator, he's able to do just that.

Stribbell, the Head of Schools at the International School of Macao (TIS) in China, says he always knew he was getting ahead of the competition by earning his teaching degree at the U of L, but he never really understood by how much.

"When you're in it and you're going to school, you don't realize what you have compared to other places," says Stribbell. "When I was in the program, I got to build great relationships with my professors, both in and outside of class. But I was fairly naïve, I didn't know that wasn't common."

Alumnus Howard Stribbell is the Head of Schools at the International School of Macao. He's back at the U of L for the Faculty of Education Teacher Job Fair.

When he began teaching, he quickly realized other differences between his U of L Faculty of Education experience and the experiences of those who studied elsewhere.

"The structure of the program, with so many practical hours and how they have us in the field, doing the work, all reinforced by workshops and support from the faculty and teacher mentors, makes all the difference," he says. "I didn't realize this until I became a teacher and started to see the differences between student teachers. When I became an administrator and would look at graduates coming out of the universities, then I could really see a difference."

Stribbell will be back at the U of L for the Jan. 19 Faculty of Education Teacher Job Fair (9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the UHall Atrium). His administrative role in Macao is not only a testament to the value of his U of L education, but it also provides him a platform to recruit new teachers for his school. The fact he comes home to bring U of L grads on board speaks to his faith in the program.

"We notice it over here, we've had student teachers from other institutions and we've also had a U of L student teacher, and our second one has just joined us," says Stribbell. "The quality between them is very different, and it comes down to the amount of hours they are able to spend doing the practical teaching."

Stribbell started his teaching career at Erle Rivers High School in Milk River, shortly after earning his BA/BEd degree. He spent eight years there, working his way up from a rookie teacher to vice principal. An Alberta Teachers' Association advertisement trumpeting the establishment of a new international school that was going to implement the Alberta educational curriculum led Stribbell and his family to Macao.

"It's been a world of opportunity," he says. "The whole world of international teaching was opened up for me, and you realize how big the demand is for Canadian teachers."
The school was established in 2002 to provide a Canadian curriculum and accreditation to local and expatriate students. With English as the primary language of instruction, students graduate with an Alberta High School diploma. Located on the campus of Macau ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Science and Technology, close to 900 students from pre-K to Grade 12 currently attend.

Stribbell says parents had to take a leap of faith to trust the teaching methods they introduced.

"Originally, parents just had to trust us," he says. "They really had to suspend their disbelief and trust us when we told them that the Alberta curriculum will be world recognized and that students would be able to get into universities around the world."

Two graduating classes later, and a host of success stories to tell, have solidified the approach. Emphasizing critical thinking, collaborative working, the ability to formulate an independent opinion and defend it both in written work and orally, are new concepts to traditional Chinese education but they have been embraced. So to has the community atmosphere cultivated by the school, something Stribbell recalls from his time at the U of L.

"The ability to take risks has always been encouraged at the
U of L, as well as the importance of building relationships," he says. "When we live over here, we're a community. Teachers work together, socialize together, play together and you really build a different kind of relationship with your co-workers. The U of L helped instill that sense of community that I hope to try and reflect here at the school."

· Stribbell earned his Masters degree from the U of L in 2004, while still teaching at Erle Rivers High School. He combined online courses with on campus and independent study work.

· Macao is situated 60km southwest of Hong Kong, and, along with Hong Kong, is one of two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China.

· The International School of Macao (TIS) has students representing 42 different nationalities, with about 40 per cent of the student population from the local area.

· Stribbell says he's looking for a special kind of teacher at the Job Fair. "I'm looking for students who are interested in adventure, are open to new things and who can demonstrate they have taken the initiative. We're a young school, so we're always looking for new ways to do things. The status quo is what happened yesterday."

· Stribbell is married to Doreen, and his children Timothy (13) and Rebecca (10) both attend TIS.

· The Teacher Job Fair began in 2000 and currently sees about 40 school boards from across Canada and overseas represented.

This story originally appeared in the January issue of the Legend.

Model UN Club off to Boston

trevor.kenney — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:13:48 +0000

They may be from Lethbridge, Calgary, Milk River or Okotoks, Alberta, but for the next week, 20 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students will have to believe they are from Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony on the south-east coast of Africa - or the Marshall Islands, a tiny republic located near the equator in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Though the locations couldn't be more different, the team's goal is the same: to represent each country to the best of their ability at the 2010 Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN) conference (Feb. 11-14) in Boston, Mass.

The U of L's Model UN Club heads to Boston to take part in the 2010 Harvard National Model United Nations conference.

This ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Model United Nations Club has been sending delegates to national or international conferences since 2003. This year, they will join hundreds of other delegates to represent more than 35 countries to debate, negotiate and compromise on a number of international issues. The HNMUN is one of the largest, oldest and most prestigious conferences in the world.

"This Model United Nations conference offers an arena for our students to develop and hone their public speaking abilities, interpersonal skills and knowledge of international relations," said club spokesperson and president Brittany Kocken.

"Participating in this conference has long-term benefits for students, as the skills and knowledge they learn can be brought back to campus and applied to their own studies and workplaces. The benefits we gain can provide our club members with an edge when they apply to graduate and professional programs."

Kocken said that there is no better way to learn than being a part of the actual process. "Teams are assigned committees which simulate committees operating at the actual United Nations, and are required to research and write position papers regarding the issues in their specified committees."

"The topics are as diverse as "Ending World Hunger" and "International Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, for example," Kocken said. "In the past, our delegates have come away from the experience with a deeper understanding of the international system, plus some great new friendships. Moreover, in past conferences, some of our delegates have even won awards for their outstanding committee performances."

U of L researchers to present report

trevor.kenney — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:05:17 +0000

Water is the lifeblood of agriculture in southern Alberta and learning how to best manage water is key to sustaining the industry.

A group of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Economics researchers have prepared an in-depth report on water issues for the members and stakeholders of the SouthGrow Regional Initiative to help support the economic well being of the area.

"Water is a vital resource and it impacts greatly on the economic health and the quality of life of this region considerably," said Sandra Nelson, a Stirling, Alta resident and the Chair of SouthGrow.

"This report provides our members with insight into the current state activities surrounding the issues of sound water management. It also identifies and provides recommendations about the role SouthGrow could play in ensuring a sustainable water supply for investment, economic development and the long term vision of this region."

The report, entitled "Water for Economic Development in the SouthGrow Region of Alberta" was prepared by Research Associate Lorraine Nicol, Dr. Henning Bjornlund and Dr. Kurt Klein. It highlights unique opportunities as well as significant challenges to managing water issues now, and in the future.

The researchers will release and discuss the report in Lethbridge at an information session hosted by SouthGrow that takes place Thursday, Mar. 19, beginning at 11 a.m. at the Lethbridge Lodge Hotel and Conference Centre, 320 Scenic Drive S.

The event includes a presentation by the researchers and a moderated discussion period for stakeholders.

There are several important constraints to water availability in southern Alberta. The first (and most important) is the restriction on the issuing of new water licenses within the two river basins.

Second, certain procedures impede the operation of water markets.

Third, there are potential long-run negative effects on water supply from such factors as climate change.

Fourth, several policy and legislative uncertainties remain, including how implementation of the Water for Life strategy will unfold, especially with the possibility of implementation of economic instruments; whether, given the recent announcement of the review of the water allocation system, that system will remain intact; whether the watershed planning and advisory councils will be able to achieve their objectives; and the outcome of the International Joint Commission response on apportionment of flows of the St. Mary and Milk Rivers between Canada and the United States.

Finally, as water becomes more scarce and valuable in Alberta, a cultural and political divide seems to be intensifying between urban, agricultural and conservation interests in Alberta that recently were manifested in an outcry over amendments to irrigation district licenses and the sale of an irrigation water license to an urban development.

These topics are likely to invoke a lively discussion. All are invited to attend.

Distinguished Alumnus, Dr. Doug Schmitt

trevor.kenney — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:32:12 +0000

During the Cold War era, the sight and sound of massive test explosions detonated at Suffield, Alta., likely inspired fear and dread in the average person.

Dr. Douglas Schmitt (BSc '80), however, professor of geophysics and physics at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's 2008 Distinguished Alumnus of the year award winner, is anything but average.

For Schmitt, who was five years old at the time, the explosions proved very intriguing. "My mom told me it was the scientists who blew things up; so from then on I wanted to be a scientist," explains Schmitt.

That love of science would continue and after graduating from Erle Rivers High School (Milk River), Schmitt entered the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge where he earned a bachelor of science in physics in 1980.

"The U of L was a really good place for me to go to school at that time in my life," remembers Schmitt. "I was in the physics program which was really small at the time. The professors were great. They were accessible, not condescending; we had no fear of talking to them. They treated us like colleagues and gave us the background to keep learning."

Schmitt lived in residence during his four years at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and developed many lasting friendships and fond memories. He was active in the Residence Students' Association and served as both a floor rep and treasurer.

"We ran the pop machines, washers and dryers. We had a lot of fun activities. I worked with a good group of people," says Schmitt. In his last year at the U of L, Schmitt was undecided about what to do with the rest of his life. Fortune then smiled upon him.

"I was walking down ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall when I ran into one of the former lab instructors, Dave Hemmings. He asked if I wanted a job and I said, "Sure." I interviewed and got a job at Texaco in geophysics," explains Schmitt. "Before I got the job, I didn't know anything about geophysics so, in a sense, a chance encounter at the U of L set the course of my life and I am glad it happened."

Schmitt returned to graduate school at the California Institute of Technology and earned a PhD in geophysics in 1987. Following his post-doctoral research at Stanford ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in California, he began his current career at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta in 1989. He is a popular professor who inspires students to always continue learning.

"I think the best way to teach students is to give them the tools and skills to keep growing and learning, to teach them not to be afraid to get their hands dirty and to keep their minds open," says Schmitt.

An interactive professor, each year Schmitt takes his fourth year geophysics students to Doug's Geophysics Field School (near his family farm east of Milk River), giving them the opportunity to perform a variety of geophysical experiments and gather data they will work with for the rest of the semester.

As a Tier I Canada Research Chair, Schmitt also leads a team of highly skilled field and laboratory researchers. Their world-renowned research yields valuable information with important implications for better management of hydrocarbon production in the oil industry, the search for new mineral and water resources, the safe geological sequestration of greenhouse gases and the safety of mine workers worldwide.

It all fits into his philosophy of continued learning and growth as he continues to work on numerous projects, including a major venture he is currently spearheading that involves scientific drilling into the deep permafrost of Canada's Arctic regions.

Those explosions in the 1960's? They were in large part geophysics experiments, as Schmitt found out only after he was a professor at the U of A.

UNews - Milk River

Stribbell able to take education abroad

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