AI Book recommendation
December 15th, 2020
Last month, Vanessa Gordon (Faculty, Political Science) had the pleasure of attending FWD50, an annual gathering of some of the world's leading public sector innovators. Spanning five days and featuring well over 200 speakers, this year's theme addressed how to use technology to bring people together. Vanessa sent this note to D News:
As a Dawson Artifical Intelligence (AI) fellow, I was there to learn about how to teach AI at school: it didn't disappoint! Dr. Paris Buttfield-Addison was one of the stand-outs. He gave a compelling talk about AI in Australian school education. He also recommended the book "Future Frontiers: Education for an AI world", available here: https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/teaching-and-learning/education-for-a-changing-world/media/documents/Future_Frontiers-Text.pdf.
This is a work where sci-fi and education meets. For example, I learned that by the time my kids are my age, AI is forecast to outperform humans in all tasks. What does this mean for my kids?
As the Aussies say: "This is a lot to do. A lot." This book courageously attempts to elucidate the new skills and values that today's kids will need to live good lives in this world of exponentially evolving AI technologies.
This Christmas, I plan to keep reading this book, along with William Gibson's Neuromancer. Here's to time well spent!
Gabriel Tordjman’s book published
December 1st, 2020
Gabriel Tordjman’s book was published this summer. The book is entitled: Darwin’s Tea Party; Biological Knowledge, Evolution, Genetics and Human Nature.
The book by the Dawson College Humanities teacher examines how biological knowledge has transformed the planet and reshaped humanity. Using the concept of biological knowledge, the author explores key persons, places, ideas and events that have shaped the world. He shows that while the development of biological knowledge has opened vast new vistas in our understanding of the living world and promises material abundance for some; refracted through the distorting lens of ideology, it has also contributed to great inequality and oppression.
Guest psychologist on stress of pandemic on college students
December 1st, 2020
The Psychology Profile invited Dr. Nafissa Ismail to speak yesterday about the effects of the pandemic and confinement on college students. She is a psychology professor and researcher at the University of Ottawa. Her area of expertise examines the impact of stressors during different periods of development and their profound long-lasting effects on brain function.
Click Read More for a recording of her talk.
Practice your French with The CLÉO Podcast
November 19th, 2020
Dawson’s French-language tutoring centre, CLÉO, is offering a new way to practice French and share québécois culture: The CLÉO Podcast.
The podcast (balado en français) episodes are between five to 10 minutes and are offered on an array of interesting topics, including author Gabrielle Roy, filmmaker Denis Villeneuve and Expo 67. The first one was about the classic québécois snack poutine!
Click Read More for the homepage news story and to find out how to listen.
Ann Lambert’s second book published
November 3rd, 2020
The new book of Ann Lambert, who taught English at Dawson for almost three decades, has just been published. The Dogs of Winter is a compelling story full of hot button Canadian topics pulled from the headlines.
A murderer with a twisted mission targets the most vulnerable on the frigid streets of Montreal while scenes unfold revealing how the #MeToo movement has changed the conversation, but not nearly enough.
It is Ann's second novel in the Russell and Leduc mystery series.
Click on Read More to read the first chapter.
Amplifying Sustainable Happiness
October 20th, 2020
Dawson participants, as well as many from outside the College, are experiencing the concept of Sustainable Happiness (SH) and exploring its implications, both personally and professionally.
During the next six months, SH facilitators will be offering programs for Dawson students, staff and managers. A program for another college will start next week.
A recent SH certificate was also just completed by Colleges and Institutes Canada staff in Ottawa, while a certificate offered in Spanish is on-going with an international group. Both external groups piloted the use of the SH Journal, also introduced to students within four Dawson psychology courses this semester.
Student Services will make 500 additional journals available to students, serving as a method that may help students distance from stress.
Sustainable Happiness programs review sustainability principles and actions that help us as individuals, help others, and/or help the planet. How these actions contribute to happiness, in turn, is identified as a component of well-being that involves positive emotions, satisfaction and fulfillment. Find more information about Dawson’s SH programs here.
Refugee Boulevard wins another major prize
October 7th, 2020
Refugee Boulevard: Making Montreal Home After the Holocaust (refugeeboulevard.ca) has won the U.S. Oral History Association Mason Multi-Media Award. The SSHRC-funded project is the work of Dawson faculty members Nancy Rebelo and Stacey Zembrycki along with Anna Sheftel from St. Paul University and Eszter Andor from the Montreal Holocaust Museum.
The project was created in close collaboration with Holocaust survivors who settled in Montreal in the post-WWII period.
Over the summer, the team created a virtual component to accompany the audio for those who can’t experience the tour in the neighborhood. Here are the links to the virtual tour:
English version: https://poly.google.com/view/bruzYDr0ZN7
French version: https://poly.google.com/view/67RN3ejtuBn
"It is our hope that listening to survivors share their stories in the tour will open up conversations that help validate the roles immigrants play in our past and current communities," Nancy said.
To access the project, go to: www.refugeeboulevard.ca
Phones as teaching tools in the classroom
October 7th, 2020
Just before this semester began, the Adaptech Research Network completed a one-year ECQ-funded project entitled “Smart Phones: a Neglected Pedagogical Tool.”
Click on Read More for the homepage news story and a link to the videos produced by Adaptech.
Digital Maclean’s articles featuring Dawson now available
October 7th, 2020
How masks work
August 25th, 2020
The College Nurses, Julie Drolet and Julie Gosselin, recommend a great video about how masks work.
"Wearing masks significantly diminishes the spreading of the virus," said Julie and Julie. "We think this video depicts how effective masks are and we think all students and employees should view it."
Click Read More for the link to the video.
« Previous
1
2
3
4
5
6
Next »
Last Modified: December 15, 2020
