Daniel+T.

Phase I: Who Am I? What's My Place?


 * //**What __really__ makes up your identity?**// My name is Dan, or Daniel (but not Danny ;)). To truly answer this question, I look at the past, the present and the future. I come from a large family, one of nine (9) children, and I have 2 half-sisters that I have recently met and have gotten to know a bit more. Right now I am a father of two, husband, teacher, and department chair. As you can see, I am much more and, in a lot of ways, different, than the sum of all of these parts. However, each component, each influence in my past, present and yes, even future, plays a significant role in defining who I am. Growing up with so many people around gave me an early sense of "others" that a lot of my friends did not have. And now I have a son who multiple disabilities which brings this "other" centered perspective to a new level. --- I want the best for my family and for my students: the future is bright, but tenuous... my role in it depends on who I am now, and who I will be.


 * **//What __really__ makes up your sense of place?//** Of course how I fit in to all of the "systems" mentioned earlier makes up my sense of place. With whom am I interacting at the time, and where? What "place" are we talking about? I believe that "perspective" is key. In order to make sense out of the world, whether it be my microsystem or macrosystem, I must first be aware of my perspective, and that of others. No one lives in a vacuum. My sense of place depends on yours and vice versa. What I bring to the table is certainly one thing; what you bring is great, too. But put our contributions together, and that's a whole other story. How I influence my world truly depends on what level I am working, and if I feel that I can make a significant difference at the time. I try to be aware of others' perspectives and considerate of their beliefs and values. My place in the world in along side everyone else!


 * **//What roles do your identity and sense of place play when you work with others in a group project?//** I tend to play the role of leader, facilitator, mover, motivator when working with others in a group project. Lately (in the past few years) I have learned to be more of an active listener, which has provided me with invaluable perspective on others, their ideas and their values. I am less of a "mover and shaker" and more of a "participant-guide". It's a challenge for me to relinquish enough control to allow the group to move naturally to its own decisions, being a teacher (first of all) and also being the eldest son of a large group of siblings. This just goes to show you that, in life, there is always room for learning and growth, and change!


 * **//What are the qualities that you bring to the GLIP conversation that will help you make a contribution to your global group?//** I feel that I am a good listener and a fairly good perspective-taker. I have been a teacher for a while (almost 25 years) and have experience working with adolescents. I am patient as well. I am fluent in English (native) and French (Advanced Level Proficiency) and can understand basic Spanish. I have traveled to Québec and to countries in Europe (France, England, Italy) with student groups.


 * **//What is one local problem (where you live) that you believe needs to be addressed? Suggest some steps could you take to try to solve it?//** One problem that I see locally (although I am unsure about the global implications) is a lack of awareness for the range of needs for people who are disabled. I think that in order to help with this issue, certain organizations must be more clear in guidelines, statutes, and other regulations to which the disabled are entitled, and these groups must disseminate the information in the form of education to the general public. People must also muster up the courage to both help those in need and to educate "on the spot" those who either violate statutes regarding handicapped access (for example) or who demonstrate ignorance or intolerance toward those who are disabled. (It would be interesting to investigate how societies in other countries approach this issue and how they treat their citizens who live with disabilities, both physical and otherwise.)


 * //**Finally, some problems have been around for a long time. What qualities do you think a person must have to step up and try to solve them?**// One quality that a person must possess, generally, is courage; not only for solving global problems, but for life as a whole. Courage, coupled with knowledge is awesome. While knowledge is not necessarily a "quality", it is an important component in problem-solving. Other qualities that I think is necessary for stepping up and trying to solve problems are patience and persistence. Nothing can be taken care of overnight.

Phase II: Sense of Place

Upload image (s) here:



Use these questions to help you determine which picture shows someone else why your “place” is so special to you.
 * Does a scenic picture represent the beauty you believe that your town has?
 * Does a picture of a group of people represent and show a warmth and friendliness that your town has?
 * Does a statue or building convey the feeling of history that makes your place important and unique?
 * Is there a cultural event that represents the values of your home location?

What are your initial thoughts about how your image addresses the questions above? Later, you will be working with the members of your group to create a travel package that includes visits to each group member's home location (see Phase II)

Phase III: Identify Local Issue:

What is your local issue?

What can you do to be address the issue?

What is the global impact of your local issue?

Add these thoughts to your Group's Discussion Forum on Local Issues