as a kid gino loved video games and nintendo. “i was thrilled when my dad bought me my first computer in grade six. it was a commodore 64.”

by tracey skehan

gino russo (bsc’00/bed’01) faced a huge challenge when the covid-19 pandemic shut down northwestern ontario. the information technology consultant teacher had to shift the entire lakehead public schools system to remote learning at the drop of a hat.

march break was cancelled for gino as he scrambled to get ready. “i ran eight sessions in a row the first week i was training teachers and staff. there were so many requests from 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 and staff moving online all at once.”

typically, gino’s role is to coach 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 and support teachers who want to expand blended learning and communications technology in the classroom.

“i try to bring coherence and streamline the possibilities. there’s many tools we could be using, i steer teachers to the best ones. edsby, for instance, allows teachers to post assignments, give feedback, and give online quizzes.”

but when covid-19 changed how canadians live and work, gino found himself in an entirely different situation. “many parents felt overwhelmed and 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 were afraid they would lose credits. it was pretty stressful.”

every elementary and high school student enrolled at lakehead public schools was contacted to see if they needed laptops or devices. by early april, 80% of 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 were able to log on to an online portal and learn from home.

“the goal is to teach the essentials of courses, maintain connection, and strengthen the emotional health of our 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 ,” gino says. technology that wasn’t available even a few years ago is making this possible.

“when you give 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 a microsoft teams connection, their faces light up because they can see their classmates and teachers again. it gives them an anchor.”

in some respects, gino believes that online learning has advantages, because in a physical classroom it’s hard to make sure that everyone participates. “the same four 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 who aren’t shy put their hand up and the other 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 have to listen.”

online tools like microsoft’s flipgrid can change this dynamic. teachers are able to post a prompting question like, “did anyone see the aurora borealis?” and then 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 use their phones to film videos, post them, watch other student’s videos, and show their reactions.

“the kids who need 20 minutes to reflect can think about a question, see how other people have responded, and maybe post an incredible response,” he says.

as canadians continue to practice social distancing, gino encourages parents not to be afraid to ask for one on one help from their child’s teacher – either with a phone call or an email – and to remember that this is emergency learning.

“we are not an online school, so we should have some flexibility in our tasks and make them fun.”

gino also urges 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 to share their knowledge with their teachers to make online learning better.

“most 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 know a lot about tech. a teacher might ask them to make a poster with a specific tool, not knowing that you can use many other tools to create one.”

the 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 aren’t the only ones adjusting to a new way of doing things. gino is working remotely while his two daughters spend their days at home.

“they’re rolling around playing with dolls. i find it a blessing to be able to spend more time with them,” he says.

go to www.lakeheadschools.ca for more resources or email gino at gino_russo@lakeheadschools.ca

after getting a computer science degree at lakehead, gino started an internet company. when the dotcom bubble burst in 2000, gino went back to lakehead to get an education degree at lakehead. while teaching in thunder bay high schools, gino also earned a master’s in computer science degree from capital university in maryland. it was one of the only online master’s degrees in the continent for computer science at that time.

gia spiropoulos is a natural born leader and a serious threat on the basketball court. “my dad got me hooked on the sport,” explains the lakehead orillia graduate student from belleville, ontario. “when i was a kid, we used to play together.”  

gia was so good that – at the age of 13 – during a family vacation to greece, she was recruited to play for the greek national basketball team. she had been shooting hoops in her father’s hometown of tripoli, attracting the attention of a professional coach. “basketball is a huge part of my life and it’s shaped me as a person,” she says.

recently, gia has been focusing her attention on reenergizing lakehead orillia’s basketball team, both as a player and a co-coach, as well as conducting master’s research on climate change.

it’s a lot to take on, but gia grew up defying expectations. “my parents were clear that school should come before sports, yet there have always been these two parts to me,” she says.

“i’m a student athlete through and through, and i want my teammates to know you can do both school and athletics. sports gives you a place to be supported and discover who you are.”

convinced that she wanted to be a teacher, gia completed a concurrent education and science degree at queen’s. as graduation approached, however, she shifted direction. she’d been inspired by an environmental science course and decided to look for a graduate program in climate change education instead of taking a classroom job. “although it took me a while to get here, once i found my path, i knew it was the right one.”

her search led her straight to orillia. “there is no other program in ontario like lakehead’s master of education,” gia says. “it’s a perfect blend of education, science, and sustainability.”

tackling the pressing need for updated climate change resources in canada, gia’s research combines classroom surveys, observation, and conversations to develop a first-of-its-kind guideline addressing the realities, diverse perspectives, and ethics of teaching climate change in any subject, in any province.

“teachers have the responsibility to educate 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 on the facts of the climate emergency and turn that information into action and motivation, not worry,” she explains. “if i can help even three teachers, that’s 90 世界杯2022赛程表淘汰赛 – what a way to make an impact on classrooms and communities.”

“i’m a student athlete through and through, and i want my teammates to know you can do both school and athletics. sports gives you a place to be supported and discover who you are.”