RIP Canadian media education pioneer Barry Duncan

Barry Duncan, a pioneer in the filed of media education passed away last week and please read the following written by Len Masterman. A light has gone out in Ontario this week. Barry Duncan's passing will be mourned by all who had the privilege of knowing him, not only in North America but across the globe. Today there will be teachers taking media classes from Madrid to Hong Kong, from Manchester to Tokyo, from Sydney to Manila, who will, perhaps without knowing it, be indebted to Barry's inspirational work in their field. Barry was an educational pioneer. The genuine article. A progressive teacher whose starting point was always the issues and experiences which students were encountering outside of class. His concept of the "teachable moment'- scrapping your pre-planned ideas,going with the issues and stories which were capturing the imagination and energy of your students, and thereby utilising all of the resources which the media bring to contemporary events-still strikes me as being at the heart of what media education is all about: topicality, vitality, creativity, with teacher and students working together to research an issue's wider contexts and implications. Nobody explicated that vision with greater authority or clarity than Barry. It was not only Barry's inspiring personal example, but his wider advocacy and networking skills (though the phrase scarcely does justice to the loyalty he gave, and in turn inspired in thousands of teachers) that made him such an iconic figure in the Canadian Media Literacy movement. And this movement gave inspiration to the rest of the world because it was forged in Barry's image. Academics, researchers, and administrators have made important contributions to it, but it is to a talented network of teachers across Canada, many of them of exceptional ability and commitment,that the movement owes its enduring success. Barry was a man of great personal warmth. He was universally loved and respected. Every movement, every institution has its share of back-biting and petty jealousies. But I never heard anyone speak negatively of Barry- though some his passengers may have harboured occasional qualms about his driving- because the respect he commanded was universally recognised as being fully deserved. Nor did I ever hear Barry speak negatively of the work of others. He was adept at taking whatever was positive from their experiences. What I shall always personally remember about Barry is the way he would always greet you with a warm hug, a Puckish smile, and a teasingly ironic quip. Even after an absence of many years, you could take up a conversation as though you had parted on the previous evening. Like countless others I feel immensely proud to have known Barry, and privileged to have enjoyed his friendship. You cannot be a great teacher without being a great human being. Barry was both. A light may have been extinguished in Ontario this week, but the beacons which Barry has lit across Canada and throughout the world are an inspiring testament to, and an immutable legacy of his life and work. Rest in peace, Barry. Your work is done.

PROMETHEUS

Watched the movie last night. The three important questions asked were 1. Who is our creator? 2. What are we doing here? 3. Where will we go? These questions could not be answered in the movie. Read the Bible instead. One reminder: please warch Alien again before watching this movie. ck cheung