Technology Can Be Helpful

Free Technology for Teachers: Have You Tried Voice Typing In Google Docs? - It's Easy to Use



I'm always looking for different ways to encourage all learners to be successful. The link to this tip for using the voice typing tool in Google docs could be very helpful for students who struggle with typing or writing their thoughts. I also recommend ReadWriteGold as a speech to text as well as text to speech extension that students can access in Google as well. It is worth exploring the Google web store for a variety of extensions and apps that students can utilize to become more independent with their learning.



If you have questions about how we are using the chrome books in class, please ask your students about our goal setting conferences this week. Each student will be able to walk his/her parent/guardian(s) through our learning so far, including our use of technology in the classroom. Students will lead these conferences on Wednesday, October 7 from 4:30 -6 and Thursday, October 8 from 6 - 8:30. If these times do not work with your schedule, please contact your home room teacher to book an alternate time.

Election 2015

From the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:

Section 3–5: Democratic Rights

Section 3 Democratic Rights

Every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election of members of the House of Commons or of a legislative assembly and to be qualified for membership therein.

Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Charter contain rules that guarantee Canadians a democratic government.

Section 3 guarantees to all citizens the right to be involved in the election of their governments. It gives them the right to vote in federal, provincial or territorial elections, along with the right to run for public office themselves.

Again, some limits on these rights may be reasonable even in a democracy. For example, the right to vote or stand for election is limited to persons 18 years of age or older.

Why Vote?Remember, in not so recent times in Canada, specific groups of people did not enjoy the right to vote (First Nations could not vote until 1960 for example, women fought for the right for suffrage in 1918).

Are you registered to vote in next month's election? If you aren't sure, you can visit the Elections Canada site to check. Please click to visit the online voter registration site! 

Resilience

   

"With awareness come responsibility and choice."

     I meant to post this entry on September 11th, but not for the reason you may think. A few students remarked on the date, but I suspect that since the incidents that occurred in 2001 are before their births, the relevance and understanding of that day does not have the same meaning as it would for others. I remember vividly what I was doing on that day, but now I have a new September 11th memory: the evening I attended the Calgary word Fest event with Amanda Lindhout in 2014:  

     Having followed the story of her abduction, and seen her speak at a middle school conference and then listened to an audio-book version of her book (voiced by Amanda herself), I have been intrigued, heartbroken and marveled at Amanda's journey. Despite all of the horrific details of her treatment in Somalia and the after effects, Amanda's story is ultimately one of healing and forgiveness. I don't think it was a coincidence that I was able to attend her speaker series on the 11th last year. It was a reminder of the power of forgiveness in the face of remarkable hurt and how a person may choose to overcome the most difficult of personal obstacles.

"I think it's the human spirit inside of all of us that has an enormous capacity to survive."

Community Classroom

 
     For the second year in a row, we are embarking on a rich learning journey. Students will walk to Police Point Park and spend three quarters of their school day outdoors for a week. We will be journaling, exploring First Nations culture with Kokum, and learning about the interactions within ecosystems. All of our learning is tied to the core curricula, as well as Health, Art and Physical Education. We view this learning opportunity as a class and community builder which will be the anchor for our entire year of learning. We are fortunate to be supported by our vice principal, school counselor and principal, as well as Police Point Park, FNMI Education, our school district and most important, parent volunteers. We are hoping that the learning experience will plant a seed in each of the students to see their role in nature, as active citizens and stewards of precious resources. Now, let's just hope the weather cooperates!

Google Classroom

     Last year our grade seven students were able to access chrome books in a one to one ratio. Two hundred students were able to open these light, quick devices whenever they needed to. This year the challenge will be to share devices in a  one device to two student ratio. So far, we have been managing well to make sure students have technology when they need it with only slight interruptions to our work flow, such as having to pick up chrome books  from another classroom. For the French Immersion English class, they have one to one integration in the classroom, as we have a class set of seventeen devices right in our room. Mr. Knight, our very busy and gracious Construction teacher, is busy making a permanent storage station to house our devices. Last year, he furnished the school with beautiful chrome books carts which are still in use this year in several departments. The temporary solution in the classroom is much less organized and aesthetically pleasing:

    Google Classroom is one way to integrate technology seamlessly into a classroom. New features are developed frequently which make integration even easier. Assignments cannot be lost, students can catch up on work since it is posted and accessible from any device and the possibilities for collaboration can extend beyond our classroom. If you haven't encountered Google Classroom before, please view the introductory video to get a taste of what it offers. Or better yet, ask your student to give you a personal tour!

It is a far, far better thing that I do...

     I always think that the opening lines of the Charles Dickens classic A Tale of Two Cities speaks to me more than usual when we are on the cusp of a new school year:

       It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way–in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

     A new school year is the worst of times in that we lose the freedom of summer and the quality time with family and adventure that those precious weeks bring. Many students and teachers are fraught with worry and anxiety, especially if new schools or teaching assignments are on the horizon. Feelings of uncertainty and apprehension are normal but challenging. At the same time, it truly is the best of times as we are set to embark on another year of promise, growth and also adventure. As much as we will all miss the lazy summer days and late nights, as well as the warmth, the crinkle of dry leaves and the spirit of excitement that comes with fall are also welcome.

     Fall is one of my favourite times of year, as the weather tends to be less extreme and also because some great novels tend to be released at this time of year. Summer reads tend to be quick and easy for me, with less depth or challenge. Fall means some heavier tomes in both theme and literal weight, with hopefully a great cup of tea to go with it. I won't debate ebook versus physical book, as I enjoy both for different reasons, but digging into a great book regardless of foramt is inexplicably tied to the autumn season for me. In our school, we require silent sustained reading in our English Language Arts classes and I love the opportunity to introduce students to our learning commons and make suggestions. One of the most useful sites that I recommend is www.whatshouldireadnext.com, which invites users to enter the title of the last great book they enjoyed and provides recommendations for titles within the genre. For social media, it may be worthwhile checking out www.goodreads.com, as it allows you to catalogue and rate your reads. I always caution people to take ratings with a grain of salt however, as reading is such an individual experience. An article on Edutopia published today reminded me of the power of the opportunity to build reading time into classes and how valuable this chance truly can be. Aside from working through the curriculum by way of rich, engaging learning experiences, I hope students leave my classes having developed an appreciation for the power of reading. When you visit my classroom, I hope you browse the reading quotes I've posted.

Not so Blue Monday

     We spent some time taking our dog to the riverbank to let her run & splash while our daughter picked up clam shells. Needless to say, I had a full bag of shells and a wet dog for the ride home but can't complain. The weather really was ideal today as it also was able to get a quick 5 km in too. I struggle with the heat and try to run in the mornings to avoid the hotter parts of the day, but today's highest temperature in the mid-20's meant an evening run was doable. I was supposed to run(well, probably drive or bike) to school today to start moving my classroom, but the day was too beautiful to be spent inside. When I write "supposed to", I'm referring to my own internal calendar. I don't want to leave it until August and definitely want the room squared away before we are away on holidays. I'm  also trying to hang onto those moments with our daughter where she actually wants to spend time with me. With a 14 year old who only emerges to look for food,  money or a ride somewhere, it's refreshing to spend the majority of the day with someone  who willingly wants to be around you. The dog in particular was in her glory, chasing seagulls and oddly enough, biting the water as she ran through the river. Usually during the school year, Mondays can be tricky, getting back into routines, with typically sleep kids who've been up too late the night before. It was a great Monday. 

Rainy Day Women

    This morning I went for my usual long Saturday run, followed by an amazing cup of coffee and breakfast cookie. The weather was nearly perfect: light breeze, low humidity, sunny but not overwhelmingly hot. We took a new trail on the advice of a stranger we had passed last weekend, and it ended up being one of the best run routes I've been on this year. The only downfall was that despite wearing my new shoes, the first third of the run involved numbness in my feet. But, after re-lacing my shoes I was back on the trail. I could have given up or focused solely on the issue of misplaced shoes. Instead, I problem-solved, because the shoes were interfering with my goal to run. 

    Why the running preamble? Recently, I've been thinking about mindset, thinking patterns and so forth in relation to perseverance. What is it that sets people with positve outlooks apart from those who don't? In university, during a neuroscience class, we were told that reality, and hence the human experience, is nothing more than the function of a nerve impulse. In these terms, what we experience is nothing more than chemicals crossing a barrier and exciting neurons. Part of me appreciates the simplicity of this idea, and yet another part of me thinks that deconstructing existence to neuronal activity negates the beauty of experience. I suppose it does explain different thinking patterns, as levels of neuro - transmitters would determine reactions to stimuli. And yet, this morning on my run, it felt like more than that. Maybe it was just a "runner's high".

Minding the Masses

     I've been reading like a fiend this week, finishing a novel about every other day. I read every night usually, as a way to quiet my mind as part of my routine. For as long as I can remember, I've loved books and the pleasure of reading. I'm not loyal to one particular genre, but can more readily tell you what I prefer not to read than anything. For example, romance is not one of the genres I would choose to read. However, even though I'm not a romance fan, I feel for writer E.L. James this week. She was roasted online during a love twitter chat where people could tweet her questions with a specific hashtag. Unfortunately, the chat turned into a prolonged criticism of her work, devolving into outright insulting her writing. I'm wondering if the relative anonymity of the internet emboldened the people participating, as they lashed out with vitriol. I appreciate not enjoying a writer's work, but I don't think I've ever felt the need to send hate mail or tweets to an author whom I didn't believe was effective. When I consider how I provide feedback for students, I suppose that is why I find the twitter hysteria so surprising. I suppose the fact that the tweeters (twits?) were driving home a point without the intent to actually provide constructive feedback means I can't compare the online chat to what teachers and peers provide in class. It does serve as a lesson in digital citizenship, in terms of how anonymity encourages groupthink. I also am curious about whether the fact that society generally holds celebrities, authors included, to different standards impacts how the famous are treated. It seems to me that celebrity engenders a feeling that being famous invites not only criticism, but that the spotlight inherently comes with a certain price. In any case, if I'm reading a book and not enjoying the writing, characterization or any other part of the experience, I simply put the book down, rather than sending a cruel message to the author. Hopefully there are still more people who think as I do.

Deux

     Summer allows me to enjoy some down time, but it always takes me at least 10 days to unwind and stop checking my calendar and work email. With that said, the perception of teachers enjoying a summer free of any school-related work is unfortunately untrue. I'm already planning for the fall, including redesigning the classroom space. I have several education-related books on my reading list and have signed up for a MOOC (it's tangentially related to English). Pinterest sings its siren song as always, as does Twitter.
     I'm moving classrooms again which affords the opportunity to purge materials and rethink the classroom set-up. I'm sad to lose a bank of large windows in my current classroom, as the open feeling creates the illusion of a larger space, allows for greater supervision as I move between my classroom and the adjoining collaboration space, as well as the opportunity to capitalize on the natural light (I had planned an indoor herb and fragrance garden).  However, we are gaining double the whiteboard and bulletin board space. As an added bonus, they are replacing SmartBoards in many rooms and installing Epson projectors and brand spanking new tables should be arriving shortly. I'm excited at the prospect of providing space for students to showcase their learning and have been browsing sites and blogs for ideas and the extra whiteboard space will enable us to collaborate in another way. The classroom space adjoins a collaboration space we creatively call the "long room" that we are planning to renovate. We really do need to come up with a better name, but nothing has come up as a replacement yet.  I look forward to utilizing this space again this year as an extension of the classroom, but also hopefully using it as an opportunity to collaborate across grades.
   Aside from changing spaces, my teaching assignment includes prepping for one new class. Oddly enough, I realized I've never really taught a single subject, having been in positions where integrating curricula was expected and encouraged.  I have an ELA course, integrated with two dimensions of Health, which I'm thrilled to take on, in addition to Humanities and Film Studies. I'm always excited to revamp my current courses, as we continue to play with PBL, inquiry and hopefully expeditionary learning. I need to keep reminding myself that we need to go slow to create change, but it is a struggle to see initiatives just hitting our school that I know have been in place elsewhere for some time. However, we have made strides as a school since I've taught here and I know we will continue to move forward in the best interest of our students. We will be experimenting with Genius Hour, so I've signed up for a FREE brief course to make sure I can facilitate its integration among our middle school teachers. I'm curious to see where our students' passions will take us this year and hope that the added sharing space in our classroom will allow students to showcase their thinking.

The Journey of a Thousand Miles...

 

     I've been toying with the idea of a school-related blog for sometime, after abandoning a personal blog around 2008 (the same year I returned to university full time. Coincidence?)... Summer brings for teachers the opportunity  to relax, rejuvenate but to also reflect. I've always subscribed to the idea that reflection is critical to pedagogy and frequently record my thoughts privately in an attempt to  improve my practice. Oddly enough, whenever I think of the desire to "be better', my mind always tuns to Dr. Evil in the first Austin Powers movie. {Forgive the interlude, but I do have a point here}. Dr. Evil is seated in a circle with a group of people engaged in family counselling. Dr. Evil is relating the story of his childhood, and the quote that stands out for me is Evil's description of his father as "relentlessly self-improving." The whole monologue is hilarious (luge lessons, meat helmets et al.), but those three words have always stuck with me. I was the student who pushed myself, even when I achieved a 99% in a class, I wasn't satisfied. When I actually earned a 100% on a final exam in university, it wasn't as satisfying as I had expected, and I downplayed the achievement. What those moments taught me was that even when a personal goal is achieved, there can often be the desire to push further, to learn more. I also learned that the end product isn't necessarily the reward in itself, but rather it is the process that promotes motivation. Unfortunately for some, reaching one summit is "good enough" for them. I struggle at times to understand the particular mindset where a person feels that achieving a specific mark, a certain distance in a road race, or even a continuous contract is the pinnacle of success. During the course of pursuing my Bachelor of Education, many people, including me, wrote in their philosophies of teaching that they valued lifelong learning. What I have seen in my professional life is that for whatever reason, some people lose sight of the necessity to hone skills, push boundaries and take risks. It is my hope that as an instructional leader, I can facilitate a culture of risk and promote change in our school. It will be messy, it will be frustrating at times, but it will also be a journey with its own rewards.