Monday, October 25, 2021

The United Way presents a live cooking show to help you thrive

A message from the United Way Campaign.

Are you tired of making the same old meals? Would you like try something new, but not sure how?

Join us on October 28 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to learn from Chef Mark Meinzinger how to make polenta, a simple yet deliciously versatile meal that can be prepared in a variety of ways.  This event is being run in conjunction with THRIVE, the University of Waterloo’s mental health campaign.

This cooking event was inspired by one of United Way WRC's focus areas, basic needs. Visit their webpage to learn more about what basic needs impact our community, as well as the agencies United Way WRC funds that address it: https://www.uwaywrc.ca/what-we-do/focus-areas/basic-needs/

We’re also excited to announce that we’ll have two celebrity chefs joining us in the virtual kitchen:

• Cathy Newell Kelly, Registrar, University of Waterloo; and
• Joan Fisk, CEO, United Way Waterloo Region Communities.

Register to watch our live stream from the comfort of your own home and follow along with Chef Mark Meinzinger as he teaches us how to make this quick and easy meal that is guaranteed to satisfy all! Ingredients will be listed in your registration confirmation. Don’t have the ingredients on hand? No problem - you’ll also have the opportunity to purchase a meal kit for $10 (at cost) from Food Services that conveniently contains all the ingredients you'll need to make polenta.

Event admission is complimentary, but we encourage you to make a donation to the UW United Way Campaign through e-Pledge as you participate in any of our core events this year.

Check out our silent auction as well, with items created and prepared by each of the Faculty Deans. All proceeds will go toward our United Way Campaign. View all the items and get ready to place your bids when the auction goes live on October 25.

The University's six Deans decked out in chef's hats and United Way aprons.

peerScholar and Kahoot! pilot licenses available

A message from Information Systems & Technology (IST), the Centre for Extended Learning (CEL) and the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE).

As part of the eCampus Ontario VLS initiative, the University of Waterloo has the opportunity to explore two educational tools free of cost for limited pilots; peerScholar and Kahoot!. 

peerScholar 

Developed by Professor Steve Joordens at the University of Toronto, peerScholar is a peer review and assessment tool designed for peer-to-peer evaluation and grading, as well as self-assessment. There are 1000 student licences available for Winter 2022 courses to use this tool. 

Instructors piloting peerScholar will also be asked to provide feedback on the tool as part of the Peer Review and Group Evaluation Tool Review project currently undertaken by ITMS, CTE, and CEL. Contact Emma Cullen (emma.cullen@uwaterloo.ca) for more information on this project, or to include your Winter 2022 course in the peerScholar pilot. 

Kahoot! edu 

A game-based learning platform, "kahoots", are user-generated polls and quizzes that can be used in both in-person or distance, and synchronous or asynchronous contexts. There are 50 instructor licenses available for Fall 2021 or Winter 2022 courses to use this tool.

Contact Mary Power (mary.power@uwaterloo.ca) to include your course in the Kahoot! pilot. 

Waterloo participates in Conference of the Americas on International Education

A message from Waterloo International and the Water Institute.

Waterloo International and the Water Institute were delighted to participate in the Chile 2021 Conference of the Americas on International Education (CAEI), which took place from October 19 to 22.

Held virtually by this year’s host country Chile with the theme “Charting the Future: Strengthening the Global Knowledge Community,” this major conference is held every two years.

The CAEI conference brings together higher education professionals and decision-makers involved in the internationalization of higher education in the Americas to discuss shared challenges, new paradigms, new strategies, best practices, and trends in international education.

Ian Rowlands, associate vice-president, international at the University of Waterloo moderated an interactive discussion on “Advancing water security through innovative, international, interdisciplinary experiential learning: A Brazil-Canada case-study” that included Roy Brouwer, Executive Director of the Water Institute and Professor in the Department of Economics.

Joined by panelists Professor Ricardo Hirata, University of São Paulo, and Luciana Martin Rodrigues Ferreira, former Director of the Institute of Geology, and head of the Geosciences Division in the Environmental Research Institute of the São Paulo State Government, the panel discussed their experiences with long-term institutional capacity building between scholars, practitioners and students that apply inter- and transdisciplinary approaches to water security issues in the state of São Paulo and in Canada. The session reflected on lessons learned at both inter-institutional and individual scholar levels and identified how to advance knowledge mobilization globally and in the water domain specifically.

“The University of Waterloo – University of São Paulo - State of São Paulo partnership is a perfect example of how the internationalization of research and education can be a core mechanism to effectively pool and share knowledge and skills across borders in advancing progress against the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals,” says Rowlands.

“Future water managers need to be able to navigate the complexity of water challenges by having appropriate interdisciplinary backgrounds," says Roy Brouwer, executive director of the Water Institute. "The longstanding Water Institute-USP collaboration focused on water security gives this new generation of learners access to a highly diverse and rich knowledge network of experts that span the Americas and beyond.”

Read more about the Conference of the Americas on International Education on the conference website.

Cybersecurity awareness: manage your passwords

A message from Information Systems & Technology (IST). October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and the UW Information Security Services team will be bringing you some simple hints to allow you to be cyber secure.

If you don’t want to be bothered remembering all your passwords, but don’t want to risk writing them on sticky notes left in your work area, consider using a password manager.

There are two types commonly available: built into web browsers, or collections of plug-ins and apps for different platforms.

Browser managers are built into some standard web browsers and have limited functionality but may be sufficient for your needs. They can be configured to replicate the stored passwords across your installations of that browser on different devices.

Full-featured password managers will work with a variety of browsers and devices. They offer features like safe sharing of passwords for families or work teams, storing of other personal data like bank account numbers, and tools to secure on-line shopping.  Some have limited functionality versions available that let you try the software before purchasing.

Don’t be tempted to use password managers from obscure companies, especially if they offer amazing functionality for free. Use managers for well-known, reputable companies. You can find reviews of trusted password managers at https://www.wired.com/story/best-password-managers/ and https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-password-manager/.

Your Daily Inspiration continues

Today's Daily Inspiration

Make meal-time, self-care time. Use meals as an opportunity to step away from the screen, sit down in a comfortable space, and nourish yourself.

Reduce your stress at your next meal, try a mindful mouthful. Eating Mindfully is about being in tune with the sensations and emotions we experience with eating.

For some of us, it may be unrealistic to practice ‘mindfulness’ for a whole meal, but how about just a bite?

See all Daily Inspirations on the Keeping Well at Work conference site. Questions and contest entries can be sent to ohd@uwaterloo.ca or tweet @OHDuwaterloo.