Remy Rodriguez (C) and his mother, Michelle (R), learn about dinosaurs from paleontologist and Dino 101 instructor Gavin Bradley (L). Photo credit: Dawn Graves
When the Rodriguez family was planning their summer vacation away from their home in Colorado, they had been picturing a trip to Disney World. But when Michelle Rodriguez asked her five-year-old son Remy where he wanted to go for vacation, only one destination would do: Alberta, Canada and the University of Alberta.
With an avid love for dinosaurs and learning and a little help from his parents, Remy took the online paleontology course Dino 101, offered by the University of Alberta-not just once, but six times. When the opportunity arose to get up close with real fossils and paleontologists, Remy knew exactly where he wanted to go.
Hear more from Michelle and Chris Rodriguez about Remy and their family's visit to Alberta, the Royal Tyrrell Museum, and the University of Alberta.
The Rodriguez family (L) visits the University of Alberta and meets paleontologist Gavin Bradley (R) and the Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science's Elasmosaurus. Photo credit: Dawn Graves
Tell us about Remy. When did he become interested in dinosaurs and fossils?
We noticed Remy's infatuation with dinosaurs and fossils when he was three years old. There wasn't some salient moment when Remy started loving dinosaurs, but slowly we realized we were surrounded with dinosaur figurines and dinosaur books, and that I was washing nothing but kid-sized dinosaur shirts when I did Remy's laundry. We thought it was a normal obsession that most kids go through, but once Remy got to preschool his teachers made it very clear that Remy was 'The Dinosaur Kid' of the school.
What got him started taking the Dino 101 course?
Last summer, when Remy was four, during his morning question-asking session he asked, "Mommy, what does saurischian mean?" His mom's jaw dropped because she had no idea what he was talking about, and it took awhile for her to even realize what word he was saying. Remy marched upstairs, retrieved a library book, and opened to a page talking about different types of dinosaurs. Even after reading the small bit of text, Remy's mom knew she needed something more to help feed Remy's voracious appetite for dinosaur knowledge. Well, once Remy saw one of his paleontologist heroes on screen in Dino 101 that was it. The first time through the course Remy and his mom collaborated on the quiz questions, although it was mainly Remy answering them correctly; he's been through the archived course several more times and has aced all the quizzes since. He loves the Dino 101 course, and his mom loves that she can have 20 minutes in the morning to drink a cup of coffee while someone else answers Remy's questions.
Why did you come to the University of Alberta for your son's fifth birthday?
For Remy's fifth birthday we thought as his parents we were being so smart. In lieu of a birthday party we decided Remy could pick the summer vacation destination, and a few weeks before Remy's birthday we started talking up Disney World, showing Remy photos, and telling him about the parks. We thought for sure he would pick Disney; he's five, where else would a five-year-old want to go? The day came and we asked Remy where in the world he wanted to go. He looked up from his book and plainly said, "Alberta, Canada," much to our surprise. We countered with, "Wouldn't you rather go to Disney and see Mickey Mouse?" Remy never wavered, so that's how we ended up at University of Alberta for our summer vacation.
Tell us about what you did here. What did you see? Where did you go?
We had a blast in Alberta-probably a better time than Disney! We headed to Dinosaur Provincial Park to learn all about finding fossils on a fossil safari and a few short hikes. We headed up to Drumheller and spent two days at the Royal Tyrrell; the first day Remy wanted us to read every single plaque and we spent five hours in the museum. We also did an educational program at the Royal Tyrrell that we all really enjoyed. We stopped off at the Ellis Bird Farm near Red Deer to see some modern-day dinosaurs.
In Edmonton, we visited the Telus World of Science to see the "Dinosaurs Unearthed: Down to the Bone" exhibition. And, of course, we toured the paleontology museum on the University of Alberta campus and got to see the Dino Lab, which was very exciting for the whole family. Remy also wanted to go to the university library, but we opted for the bookstore in case an exuberant five-year-old disturbed some studying students. We left plenty to do for our next visit to Alberta, too!
What did Remy think of his trip to the University of Alberta?
Remy says his trip was "awesome!" We've been back a few days and he's already incorporated things he learned on the trip into his play, "Phil's Baby"-Remy just reminded me it was a baby Chasmosaurus-is a major player in Remy's dinosaur scenes now. I think being able to see the actual places and fossils he learned about in books and in Dino 101 has made his imaginary play world of dinosaurs and prehistoric life a tangible reality. Being able to meet the crew in the lab and talking to Gavin Bradley, a real paleontologist, were definitely highlights.
What does your son want to be when he grows up?
If you ask Remy what he wants to be when he grows up he'll answer "a famous paleontologist and a tow truck driver." He's told us that we're moving to Alberta so he can go to the University of Alberta; we think it's adorable that he thinks his mom and dad will accompany him to university.
We feel very fortunate be able to encourage our son's passion. We didn't know a lot about dinosaurs in our lives before reading Remy countless dinosaur books, but we've learned so much about dinosaurs and geology in the past two years with Remy. It's safe to say Remy's passion has turned into a family interest. Dinosaurs make it easy to indulge Remy's love of learning and books, and we feel it's a passion worth continued nurturing.
Remy Rodriguez points out the Elasmosaurus in the Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science, a 50-foot marine reptile specimen hanging in the air. Photo credit: Dawn Graves
The University of Alberta offers a number of massive open online courses (MOOCs), including Dino 101, three other Paleontology courses, and several courses in other disciplines. These engaging online courses are open to the public, and some may be taken for credit by University of Alberta students. Learn more or register online today.