Professional development/credit courses for you...

                                   

On-line courses that can be completed by anyone in the world. It would really expand each participants experience if there were people in it that are relating the course work to the country & culture they're living in. I've taken the Child & Youth Human Rights course and found it amazing. Ellen (teacher & writer) is a very fair appraiser of your work. They are through Mount Royal University- which is where I earned my degree in Child Studies.

This course will enable you to understand what all the fuss about Child & Human Rights is all about. Especially Americans whose country has not signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child (there is I think only one other country that belongs to the UN who haven't...either it is Congo or Sudan...I think they're too busy doing other stuff right now). There is a lot of misinformation out there and finding out for yourself PLUS having professional credit is a bonus!

Just reading the course descriptions is interesting!

Child and Youth Human Rights – Fully Online Extension Certificate 
Become an advocate for child and youth human rights and inform your professional practice through this online program that focuses on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child(CRC).

This certificate is especially useful for individuals interested in learning more about child and youth human rights issues, such as for practitioners within the fields of child and youth care, education, early learning and child care, social work, justice, child welfare and counselling.

 Required Courses (for the certificate)

 Promotion of CRC: Child & Youth Advocacy (Fall 2012)

 Protection Rights: Child & Youth Welfare (Fall 2012)

 Provision Rights: Child & Youth Healthy Development (Winter 2013)
 Participation Rights: Child & Youth Responsible Citizenship (Winter  2013)
 Please visit this website for additional information regarding program  requirements and course descriptions:

 http://www.mtroyal.ca/

ProgramsCourses/
ContinuingEducation/children/ childrights/

Martin Luther King Museum, Atlanta, GA

Cultural Diversity in Human Services – New Fully Online Extension Certificate

Gain an understanding of the cultural diversity of our changing Canadian society and an awareness of how to apply that knowledge to professional practice in human services. Viewed through the lens of international, national, provincial and territorial human rights legislation, as well as standards of non-discrimination and inclusion, this certificate explores current issues presented by cultural diversity in Canada.

The certificate is ideal those individuals interested in learning more about cultural diversity in Canadian society, such as human services professionals working within the fields of child and youth care,   education, early learning and child care, social work, justice, child  welfare, counselling, nursing, human resources, and health care.

 Required Courses (for the certificate)

 Exploring Cultural Diversity in Canada (Fall 2012)

 Cultural Diversity in the Workplace (Fall 2012)
 Cultural Diversity in the Community (Winter 2013)
 Cultural Diversity in the Family (Winter 2013)

Please visit this website for additional information regarding program requirements and course descriptions:   http://www.mtroyal.ca/ 

ProgramsCourses/
ContinuingEducation/healthhumanservice/culturaldiversity/ Online Instructor/Course Writer:

Phoenix, AZ  play yard

Dr Ellen Murray, Mount Royal University

 Register now for Fall 2012!
 Registration
 P: 403.440.3833 or toll-free 1.877.287.8001
 W: www.mtroyal.ca/conted/register

 Information
 P: 403.440.6867 or toll-free 1.866.616.3606
 E: cehealth@mtroyal.ca

Both courses were written by a former Prof of mine...she is really knowledgeable about both subjects. Here is contact information:

Family ties & land

So, spent 10 days with my hubby & a bunch (4) of in-laws. We were bringing Dad/FIL to his brother's 80th b-day party 3 provinces over. He doesn't drive that far & MIL doesn't travel well, ok, she doesn't enjoy traveling. It was really a good trip...no one was strangled (me included). I got to see Ontario again...just not the part I have relatives in.

 We visited the remains of that house that he lived in for the first 6 years of his life. It is located next to the land his grandparents homesteaded in the early 1900's.

 This is his brother & I think that is the well or outhouse. I was back at the "house" with my FIL trying in vain to record his memories. It is at the end of the road that is named for his family.

When we were in Winnipeg we found my dad's house that he grew up in. I took a bunch of photos of it & my hubby took one of me standing in front.

I wonder how much it has changed inside. No one came out and I didn't feel I had the time, with 5 people waiting for me in a hot van (even with AC the sun beats in through the windows).

Saw some pretty neat stuff too:

Saskatchewan's Mental Health Corrrectional Facility in North Battleford. (Ellen DeGeneres--say that 3 times fast!)

The stone fence looks handmade

On the steps of the Manitoba Legislature building:

"Oh, don't we all?"

Russell, Manitoba: in 2007 hubby & I stayed overnight there and found it a really neat place...didn't notice the bull then. Or I just can't remember seeing it. How I'd forget this I don't know!

 "Arthur"

A huge field of Sunflowers growing by Dugald Road, east of Winnipeg. My dad had a family friend who owned a farm that we seemed to often visit during haying season. Cheap labour! (unskilled too). I loved visiting the farm. Uncle Em's parents lived in Anola...and we called them Grampa & Gramma Em. Was years before I realized they were all called the same name & found out that was their surname! Loved them.                              

A field of sunflowers 

Ride to Conquer Cancer 2012 Conquered?

I did it. I rode my bike 145km (90miles) in about 8 1/2 hours over two days. I was able to finish the first day-120km then the next morning I felt ok but then when I started it was like picking up from where I left off the day before. Ouch. It was a hard ride, mostly uphill in rain. Thankfully the wind wasn't very bad...light for southern Alberta actually.

Then we camp. In mud. And rain. Ahh nothing like putting on damp clothing in the morning. We (DH & I) fared better than others as our tent barely leaked while others had pools of water in their's.

We had a downpour Saturday evening so the entire campsite was a mudfest.

People wore grocery bags, torn polymer emergency blankets or garbage bags on their feet. Some compared it to Woodstock.

On the upside, over $8million dollars was raised for the Alberta Cancer Foundation for Cancer research. Pretty cool.

1854 people started the ride on all types of bicycles: road bikes (even saw a couple of vintage 10-speeds!), mountain bikes (all types!), hybrids, a recumbent, a single speed, and striders -which they look like elliptical trainers on wheels.  I was so amazed to be passed by people riding heavy bikes...talk about shear muscle work!

I rode until my body said no more. But I rode over the finish line and so I'm ready for the next adventure...

and thanks to Ride With GPS, I'm going to do their Tour de France Challenge.  I'm doing their 1/4TdF: 874.25km (543.25mi) done between June 30 & July 22.
 Check it out here: http://ridewithgps.com/competitions/tour-de-france

New gears = new hills to climb

I posted this on my 'personal page' for the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer' but thought it worthy of here (since I'm very sure I'm the only one who sees that page).


Last Saturday I participated in Cyclepath's "Ride With Jim" event. Jim is taking a bunch of neophyte road bikers and helping them ride efficiently & safer. I have a hybrid (a cross between a road bike & a mountain bike) so I used my road bike part as a reason to crash the party. (if you can see it, there is a painted cross-stitch pattern on the cross bar by the stem).

I learned sooo much about climbing hills. With my hands/arms closer together I sit higher and open my lungs more, pedal like I was scraping mud off of them, move forward or backward on my saddle to change groups of muscles that are working hard. He also suggested that I think about getting a mountain bike cassette (that's cyclespeak for the rear wheel gears) because they're bigger and therefore makes climbing hills easier. 

On Monday I test drove/rode road bikes-women's and two mens. Specialized Rubys in two sizes-no wow moment. The Specialize Rubaiux (men's version of the Ruby) was like going home-back to my beloved deceased 1975 BRC 10 speed. I also tried a Cervelo...which unfortunately the seat killed whatever pleasure the power the bike had because it was like riding on the seatpost! Ouch. I decided that I would wait until next year to buy one...when I would have a cornucopia of styles and makes to choose from.

     On Tuesday I had my mountain bike gears installed. Yes they do help quite a bit with the hill climbing. I kept forgetting to put it in the smallest front sprocket yet it climbed much easier than before. Worth every penny.

Yesterday I started with the "Ride With Jim" crowd but since I was the last one up the Sikome Lake hill I choose to do my own route and let them do the regular route without me holding them up. I still rode 34km., just at my leisure and I met up with them at the top of the hills by Spruce Meadows. They had only been there for a couple of minutes before I showed up. I made it up 1.5 the the two hills walked a short way and then was able to ride the rest of the way. That was only thanks to the new gear ratios. 

I have a dream...that moms & dads know what they know

If I could do anything in the world it would be to encourage parents (mom's especially) to believe in their abilities to teach their children skills that prepare them for success in the world.

I'd want them to know that they don't have to send their child to preschool in order to learn to count or say their ABC's, to learn to share or how to use scissors safely and competently. I know that they are just as able to let their child explore painting with shaving cream, to colour within the lines or treat others nicely as a formally educated stranger. And I would want them to understand that pre-reading & writing skills aren't only learned when there are 14-24 other 3 & 4 year olds in the same room as their child.

Children learn through experience and I would brainstorm with those moms & dads about what activities they are doing with their children and what more they could do that would give their children meaningful experiences.

For my Uncle George I'm cycling 200km

In just over a month I'll be riding my bicycle for over 200km (about 124 miles) in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. I'm thrilled with the chance to do this ride, I've wanted to do this ever since I heard about it a few years ago.

I'm a terrible fundraiser for myself, I can ask for donations for school councils but not for my projects. And this is a project. I have to be fit to endure the length of time I'll be in the saddle,  I have to learn how to ride up hills without wheezing, I had to have my bike professionally fitted (so important to have done and was worth the dollars spent) and collect the clothing and equipment for the actual trip. Those are the easy parts of this project. The hard part is fundraising. I need your help, please donate so that I can do the ride. If I don't raise the $2500.00 minimum I cannot ride. I have raised only $965 and there is about 44 days left! Here is my personal page: www.conquercancer.ca/goto/libbyolson where online donations can be made. You can also see all the people I am riding for.

I'm especially riding for my Uncle George who is fighting cancer right now. Dr. George Beaton spent his career years helping improve life for everyone else nutritionally. He helped develop a relief diet for the United Nations to aid malnourished refugees, researched iron supplementation for infants, children and women of childbearing years, identified the effectiveness of Vitamin A supplement in reducing child morbidity & mortality in developing countries and a couple of years ago was awarded the Order of Canada for his work. I'm going to display his name on my jersey's back. Dr. George Beaton helped the world and now I'm going to help him.

Who would you have me ride for? 

Let me know. And donate for them.

A week ago today my hubby & I returned from the land of warmth to...cold. Interestingly enough, we weren't in Mexico or Hawaii either but in Georgia. It was my first visit there and enjoyed ourselves a lot.

Margaret Mitchell's house

An telegram concerning "Gone With the Wind"

A visit to CNN

Atlanta's main street (it seems it is as it travels just about the whole way north to south)

Martin Luther King's memorial & house

The weather-87F! woot! woot! in MARCH! 

(it was really hard for my camera to focus in the dark & BTW we were on the freeway and being passed by other drivers!)

Savannah-the Historic District-imagine climbing these in a 19th Century dress!

The house from "In the Garden of Good and Evil" movie

My first visit to a Piggly Wiggly-

I now have my own Piggly Wiggly bag to bring to the airport

 (a Jeff Foxworthy reference)

Tybee Island Lighthouse

and the Atlantic Ocean (with me in it)

Village Pizza- a really good pizza in Metter-where "everything is better..."

An evening in the Allman Brother's (Museum) backyard 

listening to good music  (Macon).

Back City Woods playing-that mandolin player sure gets into the music!