Reflection being a uniquely human trait, it allows a person to consider more

deeply the meaning of what transpires around them. This ability partners well
with innate human curiosity, which together can transform the impossible into
reality through design thinking--a tribute to the human spirit.
Reflecting upon the work of this year's winners of the ITAC (Information
Technology Association of Canada) Ingenious Awards and their Canadian
CIO of the Year Award, I was particularly struck by the impactfulness of the
initiatives and individuals who were recognized for acting creatively and
courageously upon their curiosity, and especially by the transdisciplinary
collaboration building their design efforts represent.
All the impressive details can be found on the organization's website
(http://itac.ca/) and in thoughtful media coverage
(http://www.exchangemagazine.com/morningpost/2015/week46/Friday/1511201
2.htm), including the game-changing contributions of 2015 CIO winners Lydia
Lee - CIO and Senior VP, University Health Network, and Eugene Roman - Chief
Technology Officer, Canadian Tire Corporation.
However, key developments in the field of education merit special
mention, as they symbolize how collective intelligence and
organizational cooperation are breaking down traditional learning
boundaries and shifting knowledge construction frameworks.
Cybera, a Canadian developed not-for-profit technology advisory group
financed by the Alberta government was singled out for its Rapid Access
Cloud technology software called OpenStack, which harnesses the virtual
power of thousands of public computers for application to a particular
problem or project. OpenStack was developed to respond to the needs of
promising researchers and academics who, according to Robin Winsor, Cybera's
president and CEO, "face enough challenges thinking through the science of
their innovations without having to find and pay for computing resources." He
calls this "reducing the friction of giving life to new inventions."
Researchers are freed to access cloud resources quickly and easily: the service
is offered free of charge to pre-commercialization innovators for one
year and then extended on a per-case basis. In this way, new ideas are
given free reign.

Also, and familiar to many educators, Connected North was recognized for
bringing together and inspiring students in Canada's north, helping to erode the
alarming drop-outism associated with these territories. Lead by a visionary VP
of Aqsarniit Middle School in Iqaluit, a pilot project was launched in
partnership with Connected North, Cisco Canada, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and SSi
Micro, along with a consortia of over 30 private-sector partners, to provide
Cisco's HD two-way video TelePresence technology for the delivery of
science content in real time. This allows learners to connect and
collaborate with experts, teachers, and other students across Canada
(including Bishop Strachan School in Toronto, Aqsarniit's sister school http://www.bss.on.ca/bss-teachers-visit-middle-school-iqaluitconnected-north-project/); the project now includes 6 other schools
across the North. What's more, according to a recent survey, 89
percent of students said remote learning makes science "more
enjoyable," and 81 per cent said they learned more in these virtual
sessions.
The physical award earned by recipients is in itself a testimony to the ingenuity
of future-ready learning recognized at this event: a work of digital sculpture
designed and produced by Ottawa artist, Andrew O'Malley
(http://ingeniousawards.ca/rewards/andrew-omalley/). It features
algorithms and code which allow the sculpture to function as an
interactive artwork responsive to sensors and data linked to both
immediate surroundings and remote settings
(http://www.artengine.ca/aboutus-en.php). This "data-driven" artwork
visually transforms information, revealing the owner's patterns and
preferences as they evolve over time. You could say it is an outward
expression of the owner's ever-developing thinking. An analysis of the
output of multiple awards may provide further thought-provoking data
about the changing nature of society.
The ITAC Ingenious Awards remind us that excellence is not an
endpoint, but a process fueled by unquenchable learning. Looking
forward to 2016.