By Marshall McLuhan Awards Recipients

"Men on frontiers whether if time or space, abandon their previous identities. Neighbourhood gives identity. Frontiers snatch it away." Marshall Mcluhan

Many of the teachers who have received the Marshall McLuhan Distinguished Teachers Awards have written to the Center to show how much being a recipient of the award has changed their stature and influence in their community.

"....it was the most significant event in my career. It gave credence to the work I had begun the year before providing technology and training to the predominantly minority students at my school... I became a technology mentor teacher and taught numerous classes to train other educators...My school site has continued to implement technology into the curriculum...The award has also encouraged me to assume additional roles at our school... California League Middle Schools named me Outstanding Middle Level Educator for Region VI in 1990."

Judith C.Kloss, San Diego


"Since that wondrous walk across the award-winning stage at the Metro Convention Center, life has changed. I have been afforded the opportunity by the North York Board of Education to continue the exploration of technology with our partners partners in education, the students, in a totally unique setting: TheCreative Inquiry Center at W.L. McKenzie C.I. There I am a resource teacher for students, staff and the administration of the school in a room full of the latest computers, video and multi-media technology. What an experience!"

Richard Ford, Ontario


"The McLuhan Award encouraged me to continue my work with students and collegues, attempting to extend technology into classrooms so that it can be effectively used to improve instructions...I have conducted numerous
workshops and inservice classes and several articles evaluating software and explaining how to adapt to and extend computer work."

Rebecca Ann Penso, Los Angeles


"This distinction has had a dramatic impact on my teaching. I have developed many new computer-based
activities over these past months and am most hopeful that some facets of my work may be published in the years to come. I have allready had discussion with one publisher concerning this. My School Board has become very
supportive of my work as has my Provincial Board of Education. I have re-newed self confidence and vigor and
thus am pouring all my available energy into the classroom."

Kenneth T. Langille, Nova Scotia


"...it was a very high honour that gave me strong feelings of worth and accomplishment, it also personally charged me with the resposibility to continue my experimentation with educational innovations and my growth as a teacher....it served as a stepping stone to aquire funding from other sources for instructional improvement projects."

Sidney Kolpas, Los Angeles




"There has been so many spinoffs from the Award I don't know where to begin....now technology technology teachers from across the province are coming to look at our lab for ideas....I was selected to sit on the Technology Education Curriculum Revision Committee....it has been a rewarding and busy year."

Graeme Wilson, British Columbia

Gary Teal an award winner from 1988 from London, Ontario touched
on the feeling of excitement generated by the award ceremony:

"The honours that have come as the result of having my name associated with that of Dr. Marshall McLuhan have been quite overwhelming indeed. The ceremony in Toronto, and everything associated with it, was beyond my imaginings. The location, celebrities, presentations, video profiles, accommodations, and every last detail were both creatively and professionally handled. I am sure your father would be especially proud of the wonderful work you have done in his name."

Gary Teal, Ontario



"I continue to run the Oceanography Lab at the Brenwood Science Magnet in West Los Angeles. I had just begun this asignment when I received the McLuhan Award and it greatly added to my sense of self-esteem (to use the current buzzword) and doing something of value during the initial two years...I applied the McLuhan Award toward completing a Master of Arts Degree in Computer Based Education."

Thomas Jett, Los Angeles

I am very grateful to Mary McLuhan and the McLuhan Center for their interest in education and teachers. I feel that they have done much to promote education in Canada, and have made me as a teacher, very proud to be a Canadian, very proud of our profession and our country. As a result of the McLuhan Awards there has been a great deal of recognition of the efforts of teachers and I feel this has been very positive, not just to us teachers, but to the students we teach, their families and communities. It has raised the esteem of all involved."

Gloria Cathart, Alberta

The Marshall McLuhan Center's Education Links Page

The Marshall McLuhan Teachers are invited to submit their favorite educational URLs to share with educators across the global village.