"All Education is Environmental Education" - David Orr

EDCI 773 is one class that I haven't blogged a lot about because there is so much going on that it's hard to get it all in there. Late in my university career I decided to earn a second teachable and completed the requirements for a history concentration and now can teach Social Studies as well as English.

The instructor, Jason Price, is such an enthusiastic, awesome, and interesting character that it's difficult to talk about him because he's just that good. This is definitely one class that I feel like I'm learning a lot and soaking up so much information and yet I'm taking very little notes. Price, to put it simply, is extremely charismatic and dedicated to teaching us to go beyond the curriculum and go beyond the PLO's and go beyond the system to really engage students in what they what to learn, and in what is going on in their community, and in what is going on in their lives. Social Studies goes beyond World War I and II, it goes beyond the geography of Canada and it goes beyond the confinements that the education system has put on it. Social Studies does not simply refer to history or geography, but to the civic responsibility that each individual as to their own lives as well as their community. It encompasses two of the largest subject areas out there: humanities and social science. It is the study of the human condition as well as the natural sciences. It's just to big; and by narrowing it down to simple PLO's that don't matter, the education system has deprived its students of the vastness of social studies.

I hope that I have done Price justice in this little paragraph, if you ever have the chance to see him speak, GO! and you will see first hand, the passion and the dedication to his profession and to the education of others.

For the past two EDCI 773 classes, we looked at Environmental Education with Nick Stanger. We looked at the impact the environment has on the classroom. At first glance, I was a little skeptical because in big letters on the board Stanger wrote:

ALL EDUCATION IS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION - David Orr

I didn't know what to make of this and at first I didn't really agree with this quote. How can all education be environmental education? After all, we don't go outside while we're in school, unless the PE class happens to be playing rugby or an outdoor sport; we usually sit in the classroom and listen to the teacher, and that's that. Then I realized that I was using a natural definition of "environment". A classroom with four walls, maybe a window or two, and a chalk board is an environment. It's fairly static, meaning it doesn't change very often, and it's comfortable; as well, it usually has very little organic matter in it. Is this a safe environment? In the confinements of four walls and subsequently the school, teachers and students develop a routine and comfort level that may be hard to break out of. They become stagnant and uninterested. So I pose the question again: Is this a safe environment? Does this static, stagnant environment promote a positive and engaging learning experience? 

I think the primary goal of this lesson was to explore new engaging environments that also promote a positive learning experience. By going outside, or even the hallway, simply to change the scenery once in a while, will refresh the students you have and allow them to refocus, engage and learn in a new environment. A natural environment can be used in a variety of ways; like Tuesday's class, Nick had us write about an act of compassion we saw during our observation and then go out into a natural environment and chose a piece of nature that could be tied to that act of compassion. The little piece of nature did not have to be logical, it simply needed to be a symbol, an image that would imprint on our brains so that when we saw that piece of nature again we would be reminded of that act of compassion and to pay it forward. 

Thursday's class was all about play and the difference between structured play and free play. We were given 20 minutes to be free and run wild and be kids again. It took us a while to get the hang of running around, and climbing trees, and being a kid again but once we got moving it was so invigorating. As teenagers and adults we have been taught that play is for children and that play is immature and unsophisticated and uncool and therefore we don't play anymore. It was a sad realization that I have not played "tag" or "hide and seek" or climbed a tree since I was a little girl - and I'm not including the times I've babysat and used play as a distraction and activity so the rug-rats would nap in the afternoon. 

After the 20 minutes of free play, we did 30 minutes of structured play. Nick introduced us to a few games that could be used to teach a number of topics including ecosystems, war, and human interaction.

The lessons were fabulous and so different from regular classes that I think I will remember these lessons more despite the fact that I did not take any notes and spent the hour and half lecture outside.

Until Next Time,

LC

A Learning Experience and Lesson Learned

"We are told to be understanding of the many aspects of our students lives - whether that be education based or personally. We are told not to box them in to certain evaluation techniques, and to take an interest in their lives and to be helpful when we can. We are told to be forgiving, compassionate and understanding since everyone has a life outside of school. Well then, how come we are not afforded the same respect and courtesy?"

There has been a lot of frustration, anger and a lot of talk over the past few days about how teachers and students need to be understanding, sympathetic, and fair. I think that many people will agree with me when I say that there needs to be a mutual respect between student and teacher as well as an aspect of compassion.

It has taken a lot of will power for me not to blog about my frustrations and what has happened to me over the passed few days. I will be taking the high road and will try my best to present the facts as opposed to my personal opinion and bias. I do not intend to offend people and apologize if I do. You are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine. I hope that you comment, add to the discussion, or provide a different point of view. I simply want to make sure that this unfortunate sequence of events doesn't happen in your own classrooms.

As many of you know the UVIC PDP program was on observation during the past two weeks. Overall the experience was fabulous and I did add a daily blog about what had happened each day. While on observation I dedicated all of my time and resources to learning from teachers about being a teacher; I was focused on how experienced teachers conducted the class, how they created a strong respectful relationship with students, how they were an effective teacher, and many more.

So where does the frustration and anger come in? Prior to the observation period we were told that we were not supposed to get assignments during the two weeks. Four of six teachers gave us the following assignments: 7-9 blog posts about what we observed, an observation journal, an ICT post about the ICT pathway that the school had adopted, and a 6-8 page research paper.

Question: Which one of these does not relate to the observation period?
Answer: the 6-8 page research paper.

At first I was ok with this assignment because I thought that I would have the time to complete it and complete it well. As the two weeks went by, however, I was starting to think about the reality of this assignment. The observation period was so time consuming and so intellectually stimulating that the assignment that didn't pertain to the observation was put on the back burner.

Now, I'll admit that prior to entering the BEd program here at UVIC I was a procrastinator. Most of my assignments were not done until the night before - that being said, I have never asked for an extension, and I have never handed in an assignment late. The week before this research paper was due I began my research had started to put my paper together. Then my dog ran away and sent me into a whirl of emotions and created undue stress on my mind and body. In effect, I had lost two days on my assignment because of life and what had happened. To make matters worse the last three days of being at home (Thursday-Saturday) the power went out at approximately 7pm every night so I was writing my paper by candle light using an old fashioned paper and pen. Needless to say, my plan for completing my research paper had been changed and I would have really benefited from a 24 hour extension.

Because of a family emergency and situation beyond my control, I politely asked my instructor for a 24 hour extension (aka I would hand in the paper Tuesday morning instead of Monday). The instructor said "no" and did not provide an explanation. As a result I became extremely frustrated and angry. I worked extremely hard and stayed up until 4am Monday morning in order to finish this paper. I did not procrastinate and I did not start this paper with the intention of asking for an extension, nor did I want to hand in the paper late; Life happened and was out of my control.

In class, I learned that a number of students had asked for an extension and the instructor said no to them as well - at least the instructor was consistent. I thought this was completely unfair and unreasonable and out right mean. At the beginning of the class the instructor simply said, "I do not grant extensions, that's just my policy." The instructor had attempted to get class input however sabotaged herself because of the hostile environment they had created.

If there is a lesson to be learned here it is that life happens. There are some situations and circumstances that are out of our control and punishment for these circumstances shouldn't happen. As educators I think there needs to be a give and take. There needs to be sympathy and understanding and respect between students and teachers. Everything needs to be fair. Agree or disagree?

Until Next Time,
LC

Vancouver International Writer's Festival at Granville Island

On Friday October 22nd, 2010, fellow education colleagues Julia Cross, and Shamez Virani and I attended the Vancouver International Writer's Festival at Granville Island in Vancouver.

We had talked a lot about which event to go to and looked at all of the events that were being offered. We discussed our schedules and decided to see "37 Darwin's Bastards" at 10:00am Friday morning.

Darwin's Bastards: Astounding Tales from Tomorrow, is a collection of short stories written entirely by Canadian authors. Zsuzsi Gartner hand selected each of the 23 stories and in the talk that we attended she joined in conversation with William Gibson, Yann Martel, Anosh Irani, and Adam Lewis Schroeder - all of which have a story in the anthology. These authors "are not normally known for writing about an exploration of future times" but contr

ibuted to the book nonetheless (Darwin's Bastards).

Each author read a selection from the short story they contributed and then talked about their motivations behind the piece, the genesis of their experimental writing and their struggles and successes when it came to "breaking the bounds of realism" (Darwin's Bastards).

Once each author had had a chance to talk about their story, audience members were allowed to pose questions and have the respective authors provide answers.

It was an interesting experience, especially as a teacher-in-training. As I listened to the short story excerpts I couldn't help but think about how I could use the stories in a classroom. Anosh Irani's shorty story, "Notes from the Womb" stood out for me among the other three stories simply because it combined a morbid topic with humour and satire. Using the story in a grade 12 classroom could be super beneficial and would evoke an interesting class discussion.

Overall the experience was enlightening and enriching. I did buy Darwin's Bastards as well as another book by Yann Martel entitled, What is Stephen Harper Reading? I really enjoyed the fact that I was thinking like a teacher and focusing on the elements of a short story and how to integrate this anthology into a classroom.

Until Next Time,

LC

Day 8 - Last Day

Well Ladies and Gentlemen,

The last day of observation is over. I'm almost saddened because I didn't get a chance to see a lot of the teachers that were recommended to me. I've had a fabulous experience and I definitely don't want it to end. I must admit this is partly because now I have to write an eight page paper due Monday, an Observation Journal due Thursday, write a quiz and get back to being a student.

My last day at Collingwood was amazing. I started the day by teaching a lesson on "the THESIS" to a grade ten English class - the lesson went brilliantly. On Monday's class the students were given their assignment. They had to write an essay on "Remembrance." Talk about BROAD! It's a completely open essay in that they can write any type of essay they want, on any topic they want so long as it relates to "Remembrance." While you may think that this is a great opportunity for the students to write whatever they want, without clear direction students were having terrible time getting started. For homework they were supposed to bring their introductory paragraph and one of their body paragraphs to class. I took this opportunity to address the thesis statement. As an entrance slip I had the students provide me with their thesis statement. After several thesis building activities I gave their theses back to them and had them evaluate their own work. The response of "wow, my thesis sucks" was very popular. I then gave them time to edit their thesis statements and then had them share them. As an exit slip they had to give me both their original thesis statement with the new one underneath it.

Before doing the exit slip though, I made sure to ask them what the lesson was and I had them give me feedback about what I needed to work on as a teacher. They were super great and super polite. Based on their feedback they not only understood the lesson, but understood how to fix their own work. I'm going to take this as a good thing.

The rest of my day went well. I simply observed the last few classes that I could and made sure to take a lot of notes. I went to English 12, Biology 12 as well as a Law 12.

Overall my experience at Collingwood has been a memorable one. I've included a picture of my schedule and classes I've observed, hopefully they are legible - if you want to see a larger more clear view, just click on the schedule.



Legend:
MS = Middle School
SS = Senior School
Anything in RED I was not at the school because of Thanksgiving, Pro-D days or otherwise.
Anything in Green is a School wide event (Ex. Break and Assembly)

See you back on the rock,
LC

Day 7 - Another Day in...

As some of you know, my dog, Ginger, decided to run away yesterday afternoon around 4pm. My family and I called for her, drove around the neighborhood a million times, saw two coyotes and began thinking the worst. There was virtually no sleep to be had in the house last night. I was tossing and turning and watched the same episodes of Big Bang Theory over and over again. Thankfully at 7:30am (5 minutes before I had to leave for school) the phone rang and Ginger had been found. She had slept outside in the cold with scary animals who could easily eat her. She's home safe now and we went to the vet earlier today - she's going to be all right.

So why am I telling you this? I was in no state to be going to school prior to the phone call, so I called Ian Kennedy, my supervisor, and he was so understanding and so supportive that he told me to take the day off to continue looking for Ginger and to come to school when I was ready. Not two minutes after I hung up was Ginger found. I took half a day off to go pick her up, warm her up, feed her, and take her to the vet because everyone else in the house was either already gone or heading out the door. I arrived at school by lunch time and was welcomed with sympathy and support. I'm not even a member of the staff but they treated me like family.

The rest of the day went swimmingly. I sat in on 2 grade 9 English classes who both went to the library for a presentation on "Presentations." The lesson was geared toward how to make an effective and memorable presentation. Most students use PowerPoint or some other form of technology and load it up with their exact speech or they include a lot of bullets with a lot of text that the audience doesn't read anyway. The presentation connected nicely with the assignments they had to do on Social Justice. It was a fabulous presentation and it seemed like the students really understood the lesson. I also got to ref the junior girls volleyball game! It was so much fun to be a part of the school culture like that! My school won all three of their games and the school spirit was AWESOME!

Until Next Time, LC

Day 6 - Middle School

Collingwood is divided between two campuses: the "Wentworth Campus" which houses students from JK to Gr. 6 and the "Morven Campus" which hosts students from Gr. 7 to Gr. 12. Being in the PDPP program for Secondary Teachers I'm obviously at the Morven Campus.

In the Morven Campus the school is again divided between Middle School (Gr. 7-9) and Senior School (Gr. 10-12). Before you start thinking that this system doesn't sound too bad, let me say this: the Middle School runs on a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT timetable than the Senior School. Having a hard time picturing my dilemma? There is virtually no overlap between the two divisions and therefore I cannot attend a grade 9 class and a grade 11 class in the same day. So, for the first week of observation I dedicated my time to the senior school. If you noticed I was only observing classes in grades 10, 11 and 12. In order to broaden my scope and include some younger grades and see the difference (if there is any) in teaching styles I have dedicated an entire two days to the middle school.

Today I sat in on grade 9 SS, grade 8 SS AP, MultiMedia 9, Science 7 and Grade 9 English classes. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I was expecting subtle difference between the students in the middle school and the students in the senior school; I was also expecting a subtle difference in teaching styles and student-teacher relationships. I guess I was expecting a lot more class management from the middle school teachers (ex. younger kids = more energy = rowdiness). Boy was I wrong! The differences between the two schools is like night and day. I found the middle school teachers to be far more friendly, laid-back, enthusiastic and kind. The students were not rowdy at all! They remained on task and focused the entire time, contributed to class discussion, and did not disrupt the class as much as the older students! I swear it's a hormone thing....it's must be!

Anyways, after one day in the middle school, interacting with younger kids, I have to say that I'm seriously thinking about restricting my teachable to grade 8, 9, and 12. Has anyone else seen a difference in student behaviour from grade 8 to grade 12?

Until Next Time,
LC

Day 5 - Monday

Well as you all know, yesterday was Monday. At my school every Monday is the one day a week when the students have to dress in their "Number 1" uniforms. This means that they must be dressed "to the nines": blazer, shirt, skirt/pants, knee socks (if applicable) and black dress shoes. Those caught without proper apparel are punished and forced to wear lost-and-found articles of clothing.

Monday is also Assembly day. Every Monday from 8:30-9:35, the entire student body and staff congregate in the gymnasium for announcements, stats, up-coming events etc. I had the pleasure of going to morning assembly where I heard the choir sing, the principal make announcements and the Student Council make a presentation. Announcements and stats included "Plaid Day" on Thursday which is in honour of a grade 12 student who passed away in the spring of his grade 12 year; Current sports statistics; Clubs and Contest results/up-coming events; as well as the unfortunate fire that occurred in the cafeteria that morning - everyone was ok but the cafeteria would not be serving food from the kitchen and therefore pizza would be brought in.

The school culture is so diverse in this school; there is a wonderful mix of nationalities and religions and varying academic abilities. However, the entire school (staff included) are an extremely proud school. There is an abundance of school spirit and school pride. Everyone seems to be working together to create a fantastic atmosphere and whatever they are doing is working.

Classes on Monday went swimmingly. I actually went to a psychology course which is offered to grade 12 students and I found it so fascinating. The students were completely engaged, contributing to discussion, answering questions, and making comments that pertained to the course. This course had the largest class size I've seen so far (27) and therefore was held in the lecture theater. All of the other classes I've seen had a cap of 22 students but usually have between 9-18 students in the class. Talk about small class sizes.

Until Next Time,
LC

Day 4 Classroom Routines

Well ladies and gentlemen, the week is officially over and I'm about to head home for the weekend. Before I do that though, I wanted to include a tidbit of information that I had forgot to mention in my other blog posts.

i. Students that arrive late- students who are late must have a "late" slip and present it to the teacher upon entering class - UNLESS the teacher feels like being nice.

ii. Taking attendance- attendance is taken online and at the start of every class. Collingwood has implemented a "PCR" system that serves as an attendance record, homework channel, and assignment collector. It is also used for marks - giving and sending.

iii. Students that fail to complete assignments by the due date- They are given extensions and allowed to hand in the assignment without penalty whenever it is complete (something I completely disagree with). Notes and good excuses are encouraged and help with sympathy marking.

iv. Students who are away on the day of a test- students need a note signed by a parent. Tests are re-scheduled when it is convenient for both teacher and student.

v. Students who want re-test- retests are given ALL THE TIME here at Collingwood (again I completely disagree with this aspect). All the student has to do is ask for one.

vi. Collecting assignments- students who have completed the homework/assignments on time hand them in at the beginning of class.

vii. Students who wish to use the washroom during class time-all teachers allow washroom time - students must ask to go and teachers CAN say no.

viii. Consumption of food/drink in the classroom- this is completely up to the teacher. Some teachers allow food/drink, some do not. Water is allowed in all classes.

ix. Structuring individual activities- I've noticed that there is a lot more individual work than group work and I think it's because when in groups the students do not focus and talk about other things.

x. Structuring group activities- The largest group work I've seem is done in pairs and the students must work together with who they are sitting beside. There is very little movement during class time.

xi. Detentions- I have not heard of any after school detentions. Lunch detentions, however, do happen.

In almost every one of the classes I observe the teacher begins with a "Welcome/good morning/good afternoon ladies and gentlemen," and with that, ALL the students stand and say "Good morning/afternoon Mr./Ms. (insert name here)." As they stand, the teacher's do a uniform check, pass the cell phone basket around, and invite the students to sit.

Until next time,
LC

Day 3 - Classroom Management

Today is Friday! I can't believe that the week is already over! This morning I met with the principal of Collingwood an she is FABULOUS! I told her that I was having a little trouble filling out my time-table for today and she sat with me, talked about who I should see, and filled not only today's blocks, but next weeks as well! I now have a variety of subjects and teachers to go and observe...it's like this big weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

It couldn't blog last night because I went to both a Junior and Senior Girl's Volleyball game last night - I sat on the sidelines and helped as much as I could. The senior girls (grades 11/12) didn't need my help as much as the juniors did, but that didn't matter - it was quite the experience. I made friends with the coaches and was invited to come to their practices during next week. Extra-curricular activities and school sports are VERY important in this school and staff who coach/are a part of these activities are treated like Gods. Anyways, here's what I observed yesterday:

I focused on class management yesterday. I only observed three classes yesterday - French 12, SS 10, and Eng 11; it was still a full day because in last block I observed the teacher-librarians give a presentation/lesson on cyber-bullying to grade 8's and 9's.

I was warned prior to going to SS 10 that the class was rowdy and needed a lot of attention. I prepared myself for the worst (ex. kids hanging from the ceiling); but what I got was simply a lot of talking, moving around and typical interruptions. The teacher was forced to constantly stop class to address two kids in particular. She never lost her temper, nor did she ever raise her voice above normal. Because this teacher had been having problems since day 1, she imposed a new seating plan, started the class with a pop-quiz to get them settled and then moved into her lesson. She was constantly interrupted because certain students would talk across the room, turn their chairs to face the back of class, and wonder around the room. And so, I pose this question to you all, "how would YOU address a student who was constantly standing and moving around, talking out in class, and physically lying across the desks as he completed the independent practice worksheet?"

English 11 - now that was a class for class management. There are 9 kids in the class, four boys, five girls; 1 IEP and 1, how shall I say this, 1 difficult child. The teacher was INCREDIBLE! I really liked his teaching style and the way he conducted his class and will be returning to it later today and next week. Anyway, for the most part the student were well-behaved and the teacher kept control. However, when it came to cell phones he used a three-strikes, I take it policy. The difficult child had his phone taken away within the first 10 minutes of class and then spent the remaining 55 minutes trying to negotiate, compromise and con his way into getting his phone back. I like to think of myself as a pretty patient person, but I'm almost positive I would have lost it, thrown him out, done something; so I asked the teacher how he managed to keep his cool and he simply said, "He's only hurting himself, and by giving into that temptation and throwing him out, he's getting the attention he wants. So really, all you need to do is isolate him enough that he finally starts working and doesn't pull others down with him." I felt so inspired. I couldn't believe it.

Until Next Time,
LC

Day 2 - A little more focus

Well, another day is over. I'm still getting used to waking up in the dark and being at school by 8:00am, but it's totally worth it!

As promised, I'll be focusing on two aspects of my day, instead of a full re-cap: Student Behavior and Student-Teacher Relationships. Today I went to different classes with different teachers. I went to a Creative Writing class - which comprised of grade 10, 11, and 12 students, SS 10AP, SS 11, Eng 12, and Economics 12. It was interesting to see the different relationships that each student had with the teacher and the accompanying student behavior. Does that even make sense? Basically, the student-teacher relationship dictated how the students behaved.

For example: the young man teaching Creative Writing was viewed as a "friend." The students treated him like a friend instead of an authority figure. I found there were both pros and cons to this teaching-style/approach. Pros: the students were very open and felt like they could talk about anything; they were interactive, talkative, and relaxed; they were comfortable and at ease. Cons: while there was respect between student and teacher, it was a lot more difficult for him to get their attention, be quiet, and listen/follow directions. He was constantly having to "shhh" the class and repeat instructions. There was a lot of class-management going on instead of actual teaching.

All of the other classes were taught by teachers who had far more experience than the young Creative Writing teacher. It was evident that they demanded respect and attention. The relationship between these teachers and students wasn't as "friendly" but more, for a lack of a better word - mature.

I had originally thought that I wanted to be a "friend" teacher; but after watching the Creative Writing class I think it's super important to maintain a "friendly" relationship while having enough authority and discipline to create a happy medium between friend and professional.

Until next time,
LC

Back at School! Day 1 of Observation

Well, the observation adventure began this morning at 8am: I was at school bright and early, dressed to impress with my teaching plan book in hand. The morning huddle which usually happens on Monday was postponed to Tuesday due to Thanksgiving. Morning huddle, I learned, is where the entire staff of the school congregates in the library simply to talk about upcoming events, what's happening in the school (example field trips), special announcements, etc. The principal/director of the school took this wonderful opportunity to introduce me to the entire staff - I was definitely not expecting this, but glad that it happened. Many staff members came up to me after the meeting and generously offered to have me observe their classes - I have a full two weeks ahead of me.

I started this morning with an English 9 class. They had just completed or were in the midst of completing their novel study and starting to work on their essays. The teachers took them to the library where the teacher-librarian did a complete lesson on "narrowing the topic." It was a wonderful lesson and the students seemed engaged and interested. The technology that was used in the library was incredible! Every student was equipped or could be equipped with a school lap top, as well, the library was equipped with two SMART boards. I was so excited to see a SMART board actually being used - it was so cool! Without using the computer the teacher-librarian simply touched the "white" board and started sliding and manipulating the information being displayed. She used candy as an incentive to pay attention and created a fun and engaging activity that would help the students narrow a topic. In their essay groups they completed the activity with ease.

Second block was a Dance class for grade 10, 11, and 12 students. This class was extremely fun and it was evident that the students definitely wanted to be there. I assume that the class was conducted much like a PE class - activities were on going, there was very little rest between activities and the students were always moving. The teacher provided verbal instructions followed by a physical example. If the students were having trouble she was very helpful. She also encouraged students to move at their own pace and individually decide what was the best for them instead of being influenced by students who may be more advanced.

Third Block was a Geography 12 class. In retrospect this class may not have been the best class to observe simply because the students were doing a quiz and independent study. Nevertheless, I still observed and managed to learn a lot. Somehow the teacher was able to maintain a quite learning environment where the students remained on task and focused. I'll have to return to this teacher's class to find out how she managed this! It was truly incredible and something I have not seen before.

My final block of the day I visited a grade 12 English class. The class had just begun Hamlet and was in Act 1 scene ii. Thankfully I've read this particular Shakespeare play several times and was able to follow along. Unlike the other teachers, this teacher was very full of energy and enthusiasm. She used her "teaching" voice and kept the students engaged. She assigned "parts" to students who either volunteered or were singled out. Periodically (every 2 or 3 lines) she would stop the students and ask what the words meant, what was Shakespeare saying. This ensured that students were following along and understanding the language of Shakespeare. Most students had their books in front of them and made notes whenever they could.

There was a lot going on today and I think a lot of that has to do with the long weekend: students were particularly chatty in some classes simply because they wanted to catch up and find out about everyone's turkey dinner; teachers saw the long weekend as an opportunity to prepare themselves better and get back on task immediately. Teachers made sure that students understood they were back in class and not on holiday anymore, as well as reinforce classroom routines and expectations.

Despite the early wake-up call, today was fabulous. I saw the implementation of several strategies we talked about in class including TPS, group work, and AB partnering. In every class the student-teacher relationship was respectful and friendly. Overall I thought today was very educational and enlightening. It is so re-assuring to see that the strategies and activities we are discussing in class are being used in classrooms today. Now I must run off to grade 7 Volleyball practice where I'm helping out.

Until next time,
LC

p.s. next blog post I promise to get more specific.

Technology at C-Wood

There is so much technology and technology courses at my school it's absolutely incredible! Of course, a lot this "WOW" factor is because I'm at a private school where money is no object. The school dedicates thousands of dollars to acquiring the newest technologies and allots countless hours to learning and teaching these technologies/programs to students. ICT Courses include: Multimedia 9, 11, and 12; Computer Science 12; Yearbook 11 and 12; Digital Photography 11 and 12; and Graphic Design 11 and 12 (to name a few). All of these courses are electives and many of them are open to 9, 10, 11, and 12 students, despite their course title. Click here to look at the course guide - the information technology courses are located under "information technology" and "visual arts."

Technology does not stop in the classroom. The library is equipped with two SMART boards, 50 laptops, as well as desktop computers. Classes of all subjects come to the library to learn about Google Docs, Wikispaces, and how to surf the net carefully and appropriately. The librarian is keen on teaching proper research skills and proper documentation styles to avoid plagiarism. The research skills she teaches are extremely important and tacked onto each class.

Based on the courses offered and the outlines described online the pathway adopted at Collingwood resembles the Digital Media Development stream. The courses focus on digital animation, web design, and audio editing. All assignments are due in class and for the majority of the courses homework is not assigned. The courses are offered based on student interest; however class size is not a factor. If six students sign up for the course, it will be offered.

The Multimedia 9, 11, and 12 course focuses on web design, digital imaging, and 2-D/3-D animation; as well as special effects, lighting, texturing, and rendering of scenes and animations.

The Computer Science 12 course explore the use of Java script, interfaces, arrays and many other topics.

The Yearbook course is designed for students who want to enter the world of publishing. The students work on the actual yearbook, taking pictures, editing the photographs, and creating layouts. Deadlines are extremely important in this course.

The Graphic Design 11 and 12 course introduces students to the artistic possibilities of Graphic Design. Through observation, discussion and hands-on practice we will explore the wide spectrum of possibilities offered by the study of graphics. Practical explorations will range from concept building with pen and paper to project completion with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop CS4.

Technology is used throughout Collingwood and is very encouraged. In many of the classes I have observed, students are allowed to bring and use their own personal computers; however in some classes they are not. Technology in the classroom is dependent on the teacher’s personal preference. IPad’s are becoming very popular and many students have them. As I was talking with the information technology teacher she told me a story about a student who wanted to use his iPad in class instead having the hard copy of the book they were studying – the teacher said no. Some teachers are embracing the technological advancements and recognizing the benefits, while others are simply ignoring technology. Many teachers are afraid that if they allow students to have access to technology during class they will be surfing the net, chatting online, and being on facebook instead of paying attention. This is very fair and a concern that we have talked a lot about. Because of the amount of money the school devotes to technology and technological advancement students and teachers are well rehearsed in technological practices. Every member of the staff is given their own school laptop, an HP Tablet to be exact. Many members of the staff switched from their school Blackberry’s to iPhones this year; as well, those staff members who wanted an iPad to play with and explore classroom use simply had to ask for one. The students who attend Collingwood (for the most part) come from wealthy families who already have the newest Blackberry, iPhone, iPad etc. etc. Collingwood loves technology

Placements!

Today, a week from our observation period, we finally got our placements - I'm heading to Collingwood Private School in West Vancouver for two weeks! I'm so excited and so relieved that we finally got our placements. My parents and sister live in Vancouver so I'll be at home for two weeks, eating their food, using their electricity and hot water, AND I won't have to pay to do laundry! It's going to be great!

I'm excited to finally get into classrooms to observe and learn from the teachers. Collingwood will provide a completely different atmosphere and outlook due to it's private nature. While the teachers and their strategies should be similar, the children, school community and school culture will differ from that of a public school. I hope that my experience and my observation notes (that will be documented on this blog) will help my colleagues add to their repertoire of school communities and the differences between each and every school, just like their notes will help me. Can't wait!

Until next time,

LC