Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Saturday, October 4, 2008
On a slightly personal note...
I love blogging, it provides alot of the same functions that we all know and love in facebook, but gives you many more options to personalize your sharing space. Check out the blog that I created in the midst of a fight with facebook and it's professional implications: ivyswonderland.blogspot.com. So, while I remain a facebook user (though no longer addicted and proud of it!), ivyswonderland will be the main source of my web-based persona.
Best Wishes fellow bloggers.
Best Wishes fellow bloggers.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Aboriginal Issues and Solutions (Assignment #4)
Social Studies, Grade 12
Web forums are a great place to read first hand responses to issues and events. Keeping in mind that web resources must be read critically, explore the following forum: http://www.firstnations.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2. Consider, is there a guiding ideology throughout the posts, how might the various posts relate to ideologies and identity?
Working in small groups and keeping the previous questions in mind, choose a topic from the forum (for example, native suicide, residential schools, alternative healing, or calls to action) that you wish to learn more about. Using (the approved search engine) research your topic and prepare to 'jigsaw' teach the class about the issue. Also, you are being called to action! Brainstorm ideas of possible solutions to your issue.
Be prepared to tell the class things such as:
What does the issue say about dominant ideologies among aboriginal communities? (Note, be careful when generalizing, feel free to posture your data.)
How might the issue impact the formation of aboriginal identities?
How does the issue respond to legacies of liberal ideological imposition?
As responsible citizens, what can we do now?
All groups will present their information in class (presentation method is completely open!), you will have about 5 minutes per group. As well, projects will be posted on the class blog, and students who wish may also post on the original forum site.
The general learner outcomes that will be addressed via this assignment include:
1. Students will explore the relationship between identity and ideology.
2. Students will assess impacts of, and reactions to, principles of liberalism.
3. Students will assess their rights, roles and responsibilities as citizens.
Specifically, learner outcomes will be:
1.1 appreciate various perspectives regarding identity and ideology
1.3 explore factors that may influence individual and collective beliefs and values (culture, language, media, relationship to land, environment, gender, religion, spirituality, ideology)
1.4 examine historic and contemporary expressions of individualism and collectivism
2.1 appreciate Aboriginal contributions to the development of ideologies
2.11 analyze perspectives on the imposition of the principles of liberalism (Aboriginal experiences, contemporary events)
2.12 analyze the extent to which modern liberalism is challenged by alternative thought (Aboriginal collective thought, environmentalism, religious perspectives, neo-conservatism, postmodernism extremism)
3.9 evaluate the extent to which the principles of liberalism are viable in the context of contemporary issues (environment concerns, resource use and development, debt and poverty, racism, pandemics, terrorism, censorship, illiberalism)
4.2 exhibit a global consciousness with respect to the human condition and world issues
4.4 explore the relationship between personal and collective worldviews and ideology
4.5 explore how ideologies shape individual and collective citizenship
4.9 develop strategies to address local, national and global issues that demonstrate individual and collective leadership
4.10 explore opportunities to demonstrate active and responsible citizenship through individual and collective action
The ICT learner outcomes include:
1. Apply information technologies for context (situation, audience and purpose) to extend and communicate understanding of complex issues
2. Assess the authority, reliability and validity of electronically accessed information
3. Evaluate the validity of various points of view presented in the media
4. Appraise information from multiple sources, evaluating each source in terms of the author’sperspective or bias and use of evidence
5. Demonstrate discriminatory selection of electronically accessed information that is relevantto a particular topic
I feel that this assignment is only possible because of the Internet. Being able to go to a forum and read real peoples responses to real issues is indispensable. While forums may be questionable since the posts on them are not monitored, students need to learn to be critical of information they encounter. Also, presenting students with an opportunity to contribute to the forum helps them practice active and responsible citizenry. Having the students post their findings on the class blog also allows them to share their findings with friends in their, and in other classes, as well as parents.
Village of First Nations (n.d.) Culture and Cultural Issues Retrieved Thursday Sept. 25/2008, from
http://www.firstnations.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2
Web forums are a great place to read first hand responses to issues and events. Keeping in mind that web resources must be read critically, explore the following forum: http://www.firstnations.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2. Consider, is there a guiding ideology throughout the posts, how might the various posts relate to ideologies and identity?
Working in small groups and keeping the previous questions in mind, choose a topic from the forum (for example, native suicide, residential schools, alternative healing, or calls to action) that you wish to learn more about. Using (the approved search engine) research your topic and prepare to 'jigsaw' teach the class about the issue. Also, you are being called to action! Brainstorm ideas of possible solutions to your issue.
Be prepared to tell the class things such as:
What does the issue say about dominant ideologies among aboriginal communities? (Note, be careful when generalizing, feel free to posture your data.)
How might the issue impact the formation of aboriginal identities?
How does the issue respond to legacies of liberal ideological imposition?
As responsible citizens, what can we do now?
All groups will present their information in class (presentation method is completely open!), you will have about 5 minutes per group. As well, projects will be posted on the class blog, and students who wish may also post on the original forum site.
The general learner outcomes that will be addressed via this assignment include:
1. Students will explore the relationship between identity and ideology.
2. Students will assess impacts of, and reactions to, principles of liberalism.
3. Students will assess their rights, roles and responsibilities as citizens.
Specifically, learner outcomes will be:
1.1 appreciate various perspectives regarding identity and ideology
1.3 explore factors that may influence individual and collective beliefs and values (culture, language, media, relationship to land, environment, gender, religion, spirituality, ideology)
1.4 examine historic and contemporary expressions of individualism and collectivism
2.1 appreciate Aboriginal contributions to the development of ideologies
2.11 analyze perspectives on the imposition of the principles of liberalism (Aboriginal experiences, contemporary events)
2.12 analyze the extent to which modern liberalism is challenged by alternative thought (Aboriginal collective thought, environmentalism, religious perspectives, neo-conservatism, postmodernism extremism)
3.9 evaluate the extent to which the principles of liberalism are viable in the context of contemporary issues (environment concerns, resource use and development, debt and poverty, racism, pandemics, terrorism, censorship, illiberalism)
4.2 exhibit a global consciousness with respect to the human condition and world issues
4.4 explore the relationship between personal and collective worldviews and ideology
4.5 explore how ideologies shape individual and collective citizenship
4.9 develop strategies to address local, national and global issues that demonstrate individual and collective leadership
4.10 explore opportunities to demonstrate active and responsible citizenship through individual and collective action
The ICT learner outcomes include:
1. Apply information technologies for context (situation, audience and purpose) to extend and communicate understanding of complex issues
2. Assess the authority, reliability and validity of electronically accessed information
3. Evaluate the validity of various points of view presented in the media
4. Appraise information from multiple sources, evaluating each source in terms of the author’sperspective or bias and use of evidence
5. Demonstrate discriminatory selection of electronically accessed information that is relevantto a particular topic
I feel that this assignment is only possible because of the Internet. Being able to go to a forum and read real peoples responses to real issues is indispensable. While forums may be questionable since the posts on them are not monitored, students need to learn to be critical of information they encounter. Also, presenting students with an opportunity to contribute to the forum helps them practice active and responsible citizenry. Having the students post their findings on the class blog also allows them to share their findings with friends in their, and in other classes, as well as parents.
Village of First Nations (n.d.) Culture and Cultural Issues Retrieved Thursday Sept. 25/2008, from
http://www.firstnations.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2
Friday, September 12, 2008
Picasa 3
I have just discovered Picasa 3! It organizes all your photos for you, has lots of editing options, lets you upload to blogger with one click, tag your photo in Google Earth - I could go on for a while! There is a more info and a link to get it in the Blog Buzz section of the dashboard. Happy Sharing!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Effective Powerpoint Integration
After seeing so many powerpoint presentations throughout my university career it is clear that while some are great and make the lesson more interesting, others are distracting and take away from what the teacher is physically doing.
After going through a short presentation that was clearly designed to illustrate the wrong ways to use powerpoints many features (and reading about creative ways to use powerpoint in the classroom, it was fun to rework it! Here are the little changes that made a BIG difference:
Font that is hard to read due to color and/or size is distracting! I chose to use a color that stood out against the background (white text on black, etc.). I also increased the size of the text (especially important headings).
Continuity makes a presentation look planned out, I chose to use the same theme for all of the slides (with the exception of the first).
Have an interesting title slide! Pictures are too easy to find and use to be ignored!
Using larger text limits how much you can fit in one slide, which can be advantageous. I chose to decrease the amount of text on the slide and to instead list subject headings. I know that as a student it was easier to take notes from what the teacher was saying rather than furiously copying down the slide.
Finally, make sure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes! (Seems obvious but, gotta throw it out there.)
I am excited to continue learning how to use powerpoint, and can't wait to integrate video, sounds, and links! Better save something for next time, thanks for reading!
After going through a short presentation that was clearly designed to illustrate the wrong ways to use powerpoints many features (and reading about creative ways to use powerpoint in the classroom, it was fun to rework it! Here are the little changes that made a BIG difference:
Font that is hard to read due to color and/or size is distracting! I chose to use a color that stood out against the background (white text on black, etc.). I also increased the size of the text (especially important headings).
Continuity makes a presentation look planned out, I chose to use the same theme for all of the slides (with the exception of the first).
Have an interesting title slide! Pictures are too easy to find and use to be ignored!
Using larger text limits how much you can fit in one slide, which can be advantageous. I chose to decrease the amount of text on the slide and to instead list subject headings. I know that as a student it was easier to take notes from what the teacher was saying rather than furiously copying down the slide.
Finally, make sure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes! (Seems obvious but, gotta throw it out there.)
I am excited to continue learning how to use powerpoint, and can't wait to integrate video, sounds, and links! Better save something for next time, thanks for reading!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
A Little About Me!
I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. It is very exciting (and a little overwhelming!) to finally be realizing that goal! I hope to teach high school social studies, and am horribly terrified to teach math at any level (but am willing to work at it!). I worked in a summer camp for three summers during high school, have a little babysitting experience, and loved Ed2500.
I have been married for almost four years, and have lived in Lethbridge for three, but am originally from Calgary. I have two Doberman Pinschers named Trigger and Boomer, as well as a Miniature Pinscher X Chihuahua named Dozer. I love to spend time with family and friends (and pets), have been an amateur guitar player since high school, work in my garden and enjoy the outdoors, and love to learn new things!
I have been married for almost four years, and have lived in Lethbridge for three, but am originally from Calgary. I have two Doberman Pinschers named Trigger and Boomer, as well as a Miniature Pinscher X Chihuahua named Dozer. I love to spend time with family and friends (and pets), have been an amateur guitar player since high school, work in my garden and enjoy the outdoors, and love to learn new things!
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