"A mind is a fire to be kindled, not a vessel to be filled."
- Plutarch
My name is Sam Bruzzese and I am the principal of Riverdale High School as of July 1, 2002. I have been principal of Terry Fox School and a vice-principal at Riverside Park Academy . While I started my teaching career at Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School, I spent 15 years in Dorval teaching at St. Veronica School . I also spent 2 years at the Ministry of Education with the Quebec English School Network. Before becoming an administrator I was the computer consultant for Lester B. Pearson and Baldwin-Cartier School Boards.
I lecture at McGill University in the Faculty of Education. This semester I will be teaching the introductory Application Software 1 computer course. This summer I developed and introduced a new graduate level course for teachers and administrators ( Computers as Mindtools for Schools ). Other courses I've taught in the past include: Introduction to Computers in Education (416-310) , The Internet for Teachers (432-408) , and Logo & the Learning Process (432-311).
I am also a member of the IDC (Implementation Design Committee) at the Ministry of Education. I love kids and schools. I think that learning in our schools should be project based and child-centered. I also believe that a constructivist approach to learning should be our primary focus. I believe in whole language, the NCTM math standards, and the new Quebec curriculum. Consequently, I abhor anything to do with behaviourist trends and practices in education. I definitely do not belong to what I call the "drill and kill" school of education.