Who Am I Today… Playing with AI in anticipation of #etmooc2 coming April 2023
I am so excited. It’s been 10 years since I began my blog… way back in 2013 during my original #etmooc adventure. Since my initiation into the world of technology I have been on a variety of adventures which have lead to one of the coolest careers ever.
Here is a synopsis of my career thus far
Erin Luong (she/her)
- BEd- Special Education and Science (2000) MC – Counseling Psychology (2007) CCC- Canadian Certified Counsellor- CCPA (2006- present)
- Started my career in 2000 as an AISI Special Education CT who started a resource program for OLP (Thanks BJ Marconi- who hires a 21 year old to start a resource program)
- Proud recipient of the Alberta Teachers Association AISI award for Innovation (2001)
- Taught in South Korea (2003)
- Started my career as a School Counsellor at AOL (2004) and was introduced to my mentor and life long friend Susan Spellman Cann- Also had my son Arden that year
- Practicum at Eastside Counselling Center (2005-2006)
- Practicum at BM (2006-2007) where I worked along side Susan
- Started counselling at Carroll (2007) – Also had my daughter Leena that year (noticing a pattern)- Started my 10 year stint as the Girl’s Rugby coach- Go Cards
- Became the CT of Student Services (2009)
- Joined #etmooc Jan 2013 – and life was never the same
- Liaison between Japan and Calgary Catholic (2013-2014)- Took part in Vlogging community such as Open Spokes
- Co- Conspirator for #scchat and International School Counsellors Chat (2014- present)
- Returned to Canada and Carroll where I helped start the first GSA in a Catholic School in Alberta (2014) . We also started the We Don’t Say Campaign
- Won the Alberta Teacher’s Association Murray Jampolsky Award (2016) for Outstanding Practice as a School Counsellor.
- 2016 became the president of the ATA Council of School Counsellors.
- Left Carroll and became a Mental Health Literacy Specialist (2018- 2020)). Trained under Andrew Baxter and Stan Kutcher to become one of the Provinces GO TO Educator Facilitators. Trained over 1200 staff and 6000 student in the Go To Educator program through Calgary Catholic.
- Consultant for Guidance and Counselling for Calgary Catholic (2020-2022)
- Awarded the GFEL Top 100 Leaders in North America Education Award (2020-21).
- Sat on the provincial committee to develop the Elementary Mental Health Literacy Curriculum (2019-2022)
- Launched her personal counselling business Wings Out by Erin Luong. http://www.wingsout.ca (2023)
I’ve also published a number of documents including
vlogging with the Openspokes
Co-conspiratoring on a number of moocs
Trauma Informed Practice for Teachers of Refugee Students.
After all this fun I am wondering where our latest adventure #etmooc2 a mini mooc on Articial Intelligence is going to take me.
I anticipation on this event Susan encouraged me to play….. so here’s my first dip into this world
Walking Along Side my Graduate
Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone.
Erin Luong here, counsellor, wellness warrior and single parent to two phenomenal teens who are in grade 12 and grade 9.
This is year is a year of transitions for both of them. My daughter is moving from junior high to high school and my son is graduating high school.
This is a big deal for all of us as we are learning to negotiation the parent child relationship. Adolescence is a constant dance between independence and needing direction.
My kids are not always ready to listen to “mom” as she couldn’t possibly understand what they are going through.
Therefore I’ve collected a few electronic resources which I randomly leave out or forward to them so that I can catch their attention in a format that they appreciate and will listen to.
Here are a few of my favorite’s. Feel free to use if you have your own transitioning teen… or add any other recommendations in the comments.
It takes a village to raise our children.
God Bless,
Erin Luong
Bali August 2014
For our last few weeks of adventure we decided to check out Bali.
Check out a few of highlights from our last stop before returning to Canada.
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A Great Week in KL
We have had an amazing week in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.
We stayed at the Sunway Putra Hotel in Kuala Lampur. It was a great location, fairly close to downtown. Fabulous international buffet breakfast. I ate Indian every morning while Vince and the kids had noodle soups. The concierge desk was also exceptional. Our favorite friend there was able to give us advice on where to find the best crab at the street market, how to get our laundry done on a budget and how to get a family of 4 plus LOTS of luggage to the airport.
Here is a quick recap of our week. There will also be a smilebox at the bottom if you want to see it all.
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Arriving safe in Kuala Lampur
Love how cute Malaysian money is
Delicious first meal. roti, curry and Kopi- the cat coffee that I first learned about through the movie THE BUCKET LIST… appropriate as this will be a once in a lifetime holiday.
We were upgraded to joint rooms… walked in and was taken in by the size…. this is only one side.
Phone in the bathroom just in case we need to call anyone.
The Sunway Putra is a gorgeous hotel
A pianist was playing in the lobby as we checked in.
Saying Good-bye to Tarui
After a wonderful year, we have said our final goodbye to Tarui.
We were truly touched by all our wonderful friends who stopped by for our last hour to say farewell.
A few members of my adult English class stopped by… Koba brought his grandson.
Thank to Yoshi who brought us some snacks and drinks for the road.
Halleluah, Yui, Leena, Alica and Zen
Tomomi, Yoko and the gang.
Thanks Tets for bringing your kids by.
Forever friends… Nori and I not only taught together at Kita, but also went to Calgary together…. lets not wait 20 years to meet again.
Forever Friends Jr…. Just as Nori and I connected, so did our boys. Rinto and Arden, same class, same age, same hearts
Joice- my Japanese mother
Mike and Vince… Calgary boys with similar senses of humor
Tomomi and Kataoka-san, thank you for being the ones to both start and end my Japanese adventure.
Although we may be a world apart… we will never forget you.
Saying Goodbye to Suitopia- A Truly Mulitcultural Experience
Had a fantastic global farewell supper with our Suitopia friends. Truly multicultural experience as I had met most of the people there in Japan, at a Portuguese class, but we were speaking English, while eating East Indian curries….. Masala Master makes the best Indian food in Japan (and maybe even the world….)
Forever Friends
Traveling with children can be a lot of fun… they provide openings into opportunities and friendships which you may never have discovered without their spontaneous positve natures and desires to go to the park.
It was great having another English speaking family a few blocks away. Especially one that looks so similar to ours. Often times people would mistake Leena and I for Sam and Alicia or vice versa…. It was particularly fun to go to a festival or the park together and have people realize that there were actually two families instead of just one.
Love this photo as is shows the unified chaos of our friendship.
Thank you for sharing so much with us this year: picnics, advice, bikes, clothes, fireworks, baby sitting swaps, birthday parties, conversations, laughs and life in general.
I know that we will see you again….. the kids have told me that the four of them were planning it out over the weekend…
Until we meet again.
My Haha (Japanese Mother)
I am coming to the end of my Japanese adventure. This year has been a year of new experiences, life lessons and cultural experiences like no other. I think that a lucky star has been shining down on my all year, especially since it led me to Joice my Japanese mother.
Joice at the buffet of the Suitopia center- August 2013.
I met Joice on my first weekend in Japan. I wanted to sign up for Japanese lessons and I was too impatient to wait until Monday for Tomomi to show me how to get there. I struck out by myself on a Saturday with a map printed out from the computer and hope in my heart…. not only did I find the building that day, but I found something even better, my own Japanese mother.
I walked into the office to fill in the forms. I could only speak English so the supervisor asked Joice to come over and help me. I explained I was the new ALT from Tarui, she explained that she was also from Tarui and in that instant a bond was formed.
We joke around that Joice has been my Japanese Mother- something I needed with my own so far away.
That morning she helped me fill in a form.
Throughout this year Joice has helped me with EVERYTHING.
How do you express enough thanks for the person who has:
– taught you Portuguese (yes I know I moved to Japan)
Portuguese Class
-got up almost every morning to drive you to and from work.
– always made sure your family knew what the latest Japanese festival was helped your prepare the proper food and decorations.
Setsubun- Feb 2014
– translated every school note home.
– took sewing classes, so that you would have something new to wear.
Hand made shirts are like long distance hugs.
– took my whole family to the grocery store… and didn`t get frustrated when the kids were bickering in the back seat
Vince, Joice and Papa during a picnic at the park.
– helped to book a hotel room for our Canadian visitors
– listened to every celebration and heartache
– goes to the drug store with you, translates every label and helps you ask the pharmacists for advice.
Delivering a birthday cake for Leena
-made amazing soup and turned her home into your personal restaurant
-came to the school on family gardening day and helped us weed.
Strawberry picking
-took your daughter to grandparents day so she is not the only child on her own.
-made you feel so special and loved.
Thanks to the wonders of Skype we will be able to stay connected.
Even though we may be a world apart…. you will always be my Haha
I love you
The Luong's Adventure- Tarui Japan 