Intramural Programs

In going through my schoolwork to find eportfolio articles, I stumbled upon an intramural program I had created for administration of PE. The program requires students to take on much of the leadership of the program by being referees, score keepers and team captains as well as having to meet twice to decide the sports being played. The idea behind the program is to teach students how to be involved in sport administration so that they can be active members in their community.

The question I want to pose is giving student's alot of responsibility in intramural/lunch time programs a bad thing? Should lunchtime programs be more about just having fun and enjoying sport instead of teaching them how to administer programs? For you art students, substitute a sport intramural program with a lunchtime art club. Would giving student's too much responsibility within that club take away from the fun of the art?

Solutions for teachers with strapped budgets

Its fairly obvious to everyone that education budgets in BC keep getting slashed. The Vancouver school board is considering closing schools and I know from talking to various teachers that schools are strapped for cash all over our province.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/04/29/bc-vancouver-school-budget-cuts.html

So the question I want to pose is what can we do to continue to offer a high standard of education at a fraction of the cost? For physical education, I think we may have to begin to offer alternatives to our usual major sports. Activities like Yoga are cheap to run and provide an alternative experience that may attract students not usually interested in sports. I think outdoor ed and orienteering are other good units that can be run with a low cost.

Does anyone have good ideas for ways to cut costs in class room subjects like Socials, Science or Art?

My First Day

Hey guys,
So I just had my first day in the school and I actually had to teach the first day for PE because they have it every other day and I wouldn't have enough time to teach them if I started in the second week. So anyway, I was teaching badminton to 25 kids with 4 nets and it is so hard to get everyone involved in such a short space. but anyways, grade 8 has so much energy and they cannot do anything for very long until they go crazy but anyways, it went well. You really do realize how many kids have problems and its sad cause you just want to help them but there are so many other kids that its so hard to go to one person.

I hope all you guys are having a good time with your practicum!
Feel free to post what experience you have had.

LEGO ART

On a much less serious note .... Lego art on display in New York!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/video/remarkable-sculptures-made-of-lego/article1522072/

http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/1594/

Stanford Social Innovation Review Spring 2010
New "Race to the Top" model for funding education in the US .. any thoughts about this?

A Message from Kali...

Hey all -

Kali just wanted me to pass this message on for her:

"one thing I forgot to say that I should have said when asked that question about coaching is: although I dont think that coaching will help me with getting a job right away...I DO think that I have got some pretty awesome bonds with the girls from those teams that are really valuable. Additionally, the students in your regular classrooms see you coaching and they see you as being a more permanent member of the staff and they respect you more. Whether or not they admit that, i believe that it makes a huge difference in the classroom when they know you coach. I think that my practicum would have been easier if I didnt coach, but Im not sure it would have been as much fun."

you can also email her at wilsonkd@uvic.ca if you have any questions!

Private schools and sports academys competing

Is it fair that private schools are allowed to compete in BC school sports programs. Are the students at these academies missing out by not participating in the other sports offered or is this specialization beneficial? Private school have a different set of rules for training restrictions and catchment areas is it fair that they are allowed to compete in the public league.I'm coaching a rugby team currently and by the end of the season we will have caught up but currently the private school is fully functional and the kids are much further advanced in the game.Obviously practice has occurred during a different sport season.So if they are competing should they not play by the same rules?Anyone think including them is beneficial for public schools or are we only doing the private schools a favor?Anyone have an alternative?

Hi all! Just a reminder to post any major questions you would like to ask the practicum student panel next tuesday that you think they may like to have time to mull over... Just post them as a reply and I will pass them along! :D Thanks!

Aynsley

A Vision of 21st Century Teachers

here is a clip that is pretty neat to watch it basically shows how integrating technology in the classroom is important.

http://primarytech.globalteacher.org.au/

As technology is becoming increasingly important and we are entering into this technology centered classroom i see myself changing and adapting my social studies unit plans into power point/white board user friendly criteria. I know my two week sponsor teacher for social studies has implemented the white board into his classroom. He has also spoken to the school and they have access to laptops for the students to use for his class. so i believe that we need to realize that the classroom is not the same as when we were in school and that we need to realize that lovely concept that "one size does not fit all" and we must adapt to this new world.

how as new teachers do you plan on using technology in the classroom if you have the option???

How the iPhone Could Reboot Education

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/12/iphone-university-abilene/

A texas university hands out free iPhones to its students to help integrate technology into the classroom!

National Standards of Education??

Also, American, from the New York Times, but performance standards are a current issue in education in Canada too. So what are our influential neighbours up to?

"A panel of educators convened by the nation’s governors and state school superintendents proposed a uniform set of academic standards on Wednesday, laying out their vision for what all the nation’s public school children should learn in math and English, year by year, from kindergarten to high school graduation."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/education/11educ.html

"Building a Better Teacher"

Very intersting topic (American in origin) from the New York Times.
"Building a Better Teacher" is about teacher quality and merit pay for teachers ...

"When researchers ran the numbers in dozens of different studies, every factor under a school’s control produced just a tiny impact, except for one: which teacher the student had been assigned to. Some teachers could regularly lift their students’ test scores above the average for children of the same race, class and ability level. Others’ students left with below-average results year after year. William Sanders, a statistician studying Tennessee teachers with a colleague, found that a student with a weak teacher for three straight years would score, on average, 50 percentile points behind a similar student with a strong teacher for those years. Teachers working in the same building, teaching the same grade, produced very different outcomes. And the gaps were huge. Eric Hanushek, a Stanford economist, found that while the top 5 percent of teachers were able to impart a year and a half’s worth of learning to students in one school year, as judged by standardized tests, the weakest 5 percent advanced their students only half a year of material each year."

From: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/magazine/07Teachers-t.html

Assessment

I thought I would throw this topic out there because it isn't something that any of my classes throughout the year have discussed in depth. Assessment is going to be a major part of our job and I think it is important to develop a philosophy on ones views of assessment. Throughout my life I have only really been exposed to traditional assessment through test scores or paper grades but lately I have been learning a lot of alternative assessment. I think that less traditional assessment is going to become a lot more popular especially with most provincial exams not being mandatory.

An example of this is in one of my classes everyone needs to get 76% or higher on the midterm. If students do not receive this they are given the opportunity to rewrite until they receive this mark. We are even given a sample midterm so there are no surprises when we write the test. I think that this type of grading is great because students are given the chance to redo the test until they receive that mark needed. I would like to try this type of marking in my class but I am unsure how it would work in the high school setting. The difference is that in my class you need a B+ to pass the course and to get a higher letter grade you need to do extension assignments. I don't think you would be able to demand that type of grade with a high school class but allowing students to rewrite a test seems like a great way for them to really learn their stuff.

Interdisciplinary Teaching

Can Art and Pe classes be combined? What about Home economics and Social studies? or any other combination. During the summer I taught an art camp to kids. I was isolated from the other groups at a different location. One day, I decided to join the art camp with the sports camp. We set up a giant wall with white paper, as well as the ground below it, and set up a giant art project where the kids used balloons filled with paint and got to throw the balloons at the wall, letting it explode with paint. They were able to use other splatter techniques as well. The idea was for the kids to mingle, interact, and share ideas. They got to create a piece that was both active and creative, and wasn't focused on how "good" it was. We began the project, with a brief description of abstract art, and a couple throwing games to warm up. At the end, the kids each got to take a section of their piece away.

This was meant for kids, but I thought it would have a practical application in the classroom in high school as well. Too often, the classes are completely segregated. Why not mix them? Either group could have a lot to offer to the experience. I was just wondering if any of you intended on doing some interdisciplinary teaching, or have any ideas?

"I CAN"

Another powerful TED talk.... This one is about empowering children to say "I Can" and the power that children have to change the world if we adults support and believe in them. A great idea to think about implementing in our future classrooms.

Just Imagine...

Google was named fourth best place to work in the US by Fortune Magazine and one of the worlds most powerful brands.Their moto "work should be challenging and the challenge should be fun" is monitored by a Chief Culture Officer. What can we learn from Google about challenging and inspiring our students? I would argue lots! They are in the business of creating a work place that both inspires and retains talent just as we must work to retain our students attention.

- Bicycles or scooters for efficient travel between meetings; dogs; lava lamps; massage chairs; large inflatable balls.
- Staff sharing cubes, yurts and huddle rooms – and very few solo offices.
- Laptops everywhere – standard issue for mobile coding, email on the go and note-taking.
- Foosball, pool tables, volleyball courts, assorted video games, pianos, ping pong tables, and gyms that offer yoga and dance classes.
- Grassroots employee groups for all interests, like meditation, film, wine tasting and salsa dancing.
- Healthy lunches and dinners for all staff at a variety of cafés.
-Break rooms packed with a variety of snacks and drinks to keep staff going

Just imagine if our school were designed with the same mandate... to offer challenging work in a fun, positive, collaborative atmosphere. Let me know what you guys think!

" Our intention creates our reality" Dr.Wayne Dyer

Inspirational Educational Philosopher-Nel Noddings

As I mentioned in class here is a link to an inspirational education philosopher Nel Noddings. I particularly love her work on promoting children's life long happiness through our schools. What does it mean to be happy and how does school contribute to our quality of life?

Bio:
Nel Noddings (1929- ) has made a significant contribution to our appreciation of education. In particular her explorations of the ethics of care - and their relationship to schooling, welfare, and to learning and teaching within families and local communities came at a especially apposite moment. She has been able to demonstrate the significance of caring and relationship both as an educational goal, and as a fundamental aspect of education

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/Dkitchen/TE652/noddings.htm

Hyper Parents & Coddled Kids

The website to this documentary I already posted on Aynsley's blog about parents involvement but I decided to put it on here as well because I think it is a big deal!!
This I think all of you should watch because it is quite shocking what parents do for their kids. These parents never want to let their kid go and they treat them like prince and princesses. It is very interesting to see how these parents raise their children and also quite sad that when the child grows up, they have no leadership and responsibility skills because their parents have done everything for them.

When we are teachers, how involved should we allow parents to get? Is there a line that we will have to draw to make sure that the students are responsible for their own actions?

This documentary is produced by CBC and it is called Hyper Parents & Coddled Kids. For those of you in 401 you have seen this already but for those of you who aren't, I suggest you watch this.
Any thoughts for those of you who have already seen this????

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Shows/Doc_Zone/ID=1405930535

Parental Interference...

There have been two instances of parent interference I have dealt with in the last month that I would like to share and maybe start a dialogue about dealing with/communicating with parents.

I teach swimming lessons at a pool on the navy base and have found recently that where there is a problem child there often are enabling parents. The first example occurred when I was teaching lessons to an 11 year old french-canadian boy. When the boy liked the activity he understood my instructions perfectly. However, when he was not jazzed about what we were doing he conveniently no longer spoke or understood english and would communicate only in French. Once I discovered this pattern I tried to speak with his parents about it only to find that they could speak english when I was offering praise about their child but were 100% francophone when any criticism was offered. I found the root of the problem but had no solution. Any ideas for that one?

The second incident occurred when I was teaching a private lesson to a 4 year old boy. The boy is very enthusiastic and comfortable in the water EXCEPT when his face wet, which as you can imagine happens a lot in a swimming lesson. His parents sit on the pool deck 1 m away with a towel so that anytime the boy gets water on his face he may hop out and dry it off. I have explained to them that if they don't bring a towel on deck he will learn to wipe his eyes with his hands and will get over his phobia, yet they continue to bring the towel. This boy also has a tendency to get distracted and I have to change the activity a ton to keep his interest, which is fine, I'm used to this with small children and am capable of getting them to accomplish what needs to get done. With this boy however, if he so much as turns away from me his parents scold him from the side of the pool "listen to your teacher! look at your teacher!" As you can imagine this distracts him even more and it is way harder to regain his attention. I have suggested that the parents leave the pool deck during the lesson but they are resistant.

In both cases, the lessons are over or soon will be over so there is not much I can do about the situations now. I'm wondering though if anyone has any suggestions of what to do for next time or has had a similar experience dealing with parents in the past?

How are we going to deal with these parents when we are teachers?

another excellent lecture from TED

Art Educators Resource

sorry pe people, this one is just for arted.
i found a website that you guys may or may not have already heard of called art starts and it supplies art educators with a resource for information about grants, art tours and events and what i thought would be the most useful, was finding touring artists that you can bring into your classroom. there's a search via subject matter or name, and it even includes prices and personal bios too.
check it out!

http://artstarts.com/

Creating Community through Expeditionary Learning

interesting article

Just thought I might share this with everyone.
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/blogs/martin/Kid-get-off-the-couch-85510892.html

Openness in our lives

Hey Everyone,
Is response to to some of the conversation last night, I wanted to pose a question about the facebook/privacy issue.
I have always been very open about most parts of my life. I believe that every experience I have had, good or bad, have made me the person I am and will help me be a better teacher. I have always be a huge supporter of experiential education and the value of life as "the ultimate classroom".
With that in mind, I look at my experiences in life as a pool my students can draw from, either to be inspired to follow a path of their own, or to avoid the mistakes I have made. Although I wouldn't necessarily have students on my facebook, I don't think I will actively hid my profile from them. Everything I put in the public domain (and yes Facebook is a PULBIC forum) on facebook are statements and images that I am prepared to make public and represent a life I am very proud of.
In short, I am of the mind set that if I am willing to allow the rest of the world a snapshot of my life, then why not my students? When I am posting something on facebook or on my personal website the question "is this something I can be proud of?" is always in my mind.
I recognize that this is a complicated issue and there is a whole spectrum of opinion on it, so I am interested to hear your thoughts!?!

Alternative Education

Hey This is worth checking out if anyone is interested.After you look at it the website or listen to Matt do you have a different perspective on alternate education?

Matt lives and works in East Vancouver with his partner and daughters where he directs the Purple Thistle Centre and founded Car-Free Days Vancouver.

“The Thistle” is a community arts and activism center that is run by a collective of school-aged youth. Matt acts as a facilitator by maintaining the space and writing grants, while all other education activities are run by the collective. The space is a highly functioning creative lab where youth can learn to sculpt, pain, draw, develop photographs, animate, record music, sew, write, fix bikes, and much more. The Purple Thistle is an example of how alternatives to the school system, and indeed to school itself, are within our reach. Matt freely shares his experience and energy, the driving and maintaining force behind the Thistle. His unique and developed “deschooling” philosophy represents ideals of inclusion, anti-oppression, and authentic youth empowerment. Its effectiveness can be seen on any given day at the Thistle as a crowd of diverse youth are constantly flowing in and out of the space, vibrantly interacting and expanding their creative capabilities, taking advantage of the many-fold opportunities enabled by Matt's efforts.

Matt’s books and articles have been published on all six continents, translated into ten languages and he continues to lecture globally. He holds a PhD in Urban Studies and teaches at SFU and UBC.

He will be lecturing on the various projects he has initiated and the creation of alternative school systems. You can visit his website athttp://www.mightymatthern.com.

He will also be talking about creating alternative spaces for learning in an education system that can often seem daunting and overwhelming.

Cellphones and class

Hey guys and girls,
In another class the topic of cellphones in class came up. I don't know how bad it is but if it is anything like university I'm sure everybody is bringing theirs to class. We were talking about some ways to deal with the issue and it seemed like the best idea was just to establish rules during the first week of class. To make these rules it would be best to do so as a class but then I'm sure some kids will not be very accommodating to the idea of no cell phones in class. Just wondering if anyone has already dealt with this type of situation? I feel its important for us to establish what our expectations towards cell phones are in class prior to our practicums.

Forgetting Phys Ed. strip.

Hi guys,

In my EPHE 443 (phys ed) class the other day we spoke about some consequences about children who leave or forget their gym strip at home. I'm a little concerned because we had some consequences like having them write a report during the period, docking marks, embarrassing them with ugly awful spare gym strip, so they remember to bring their own. And then of course we have the lost and found or they can borrow it from friend’s. Sitting in this class was pretty hard for me not to just open my mouth and start spurting out what we have been speaking about in Allen's class about making it fair and allowing everyone the right to participate in sporting activities.

I think that at the beginning of the semester we need to outline the expectations of what we are looking for. State that gym strip is expected for each class, and state that if you cannot afford it to come and talk to you during a private time. Tell them yes everyone forgets their strip every once and a while, you won’t be punished however you will be expected to participate with or without strip. If it becomes the norms and they are constantly missing their stuff then speak to them about other options for strip.

What do you guys suggest doing? I don’t like the idea of punishing them but once it becomes a regular occurrence what other ideas do you have?

A good example of what not to do at a school pep rally

If you check the link at the bottom, you will see a good example of what not to do in front of your entire school while you are a teacher. If you are too lazy to click the link, its a video where a male teacher basically gives another (female) teacher a lapdance during a pep rally in front of everyone.

Figured I'd use that to jump into a discussion about knowing when to draw the line when it comes to getting carried away during events at school or for that matter, anywhere. This video is just another example of the fact that video cameras are everywhere in our society. Basically every cell phone comes with one built in. As teachers, we need to be setting example for our students at all times, not just when we are at work. You never know when someone with a camera will show up and videotape you if you are doing something stupid, then it gets posted on youtube and suddenly you have lost all credibility with your students and your peers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOplTIvAJaA - Link to Two Teachers One Chair

Videogames....are they more then just a scourge for PE teachers?

Given the rise of videogaming as a dominant form of media in today's culture and my own zeal towards the playing of them, I can't help but wondering if there is not some way that teachers can be using them as an effective means of engaging children. A quick googled survey showed that many kids reacted positively to the idea, so there is student enthusiasm behind the idea (be honest, how many of you didn't love playing Oregon Trail on old macs as children). So why do we see this medium barely used in schools? Can we use videogames to teach children art, history, music, english, or dare I say it...PE? I think it may be possible.

At the bottom of the post, I have included an example of a history channel program that used a modified Rome: Total War ( a popular series of historical strategy games) game engine to show a recreation of the battle of Thermopylae. This is one instance where it would be very easy to take this game and set up a learning station where students could attempt various battle strategies and see the outcomes. To take this to PE realm, it is possible to use the play creators in NHL (I believe the madden series also has this now for football) to demonstrate various plays and their benefits. You could also encourage students to take the tactics they have learned in your class and try them out against their friends in their sports games (if you want to encourage the gamer in your class that might not be so much into sports). For music, the rockband/guitar hero series could potentially be used to teach children drumming as the game actually does a good job of replicating the real experience. See a link at the bottom to see what I mean.

I am by no means suggesting that this be a primary method of teaching that you use every class. But there are many children out there that are far more comfortable in a gaming session then in a gym, music room or a class room, and if you can get them to be a little more comfortable in your class by engaging them in a familiar way, why not? I know some of my PE colleagues will have some reserves about this, given the negative connotation videogames have with fitness, but I think that ignoring this realm entirely because of that is not the way to approach this issue. Rather, by integrating this into your class, you set up a great opportunity to touch on the idea that gaming should be something done in moderation.

Anyways, Ive talked enough, does anyone have any thoughts on this?

http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/26782 - the googled survey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lEKf5qXnko - History Channel program.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWi3g-5Xa3E - NHL 2009 Play creator
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzBVOuGXv54 - GH Drumming

Stress Classes in ART/PE?

Due to recent events... Reading Break and the added work/exams/papers/sleep my stress levels have been raised. This has me recalling our stress lesson a few weeks back with Allen. This has had me thinking about some of the material taught that day and how beneficial it would have been to potentially have learnt some of the techniques to deal with stress in high school. Here's my thoughts:

Physical activity is proven to help with depression and stress, I also believe that art can have the same affect on our students. Is a "Stress Lesson" something that we can incorporate into our teaching models? We add things like nutrition into Phys Ed because they fit well together and it "makes sense." Would something like stress management and stress relief be something that we could teach in our Art or Physical Education classes? In my opinion this is a yes.

What do you guys think?

No School is an Island

I have been considering the role of the community within the public school system. In the private art gallery world, community involvement is key to fostering the local art scene and enriching not only the clients experience but the artists experience as well. The gallery can act as a bridge between the community and its local artists.

This started me thinking about a schools relationship with the community that it is in. Often schools are alienated from the rich community around them. Teachers are bogged down with large classes and little financial support. Do we as teachers have a obligation to our students to actively involve their community into their education? Do we as members of our community have an obligation to give back to the schools that educated us?

In my years in business I have realized that there is a wealth of talent and support for the arts when it is actively pursued. Event planning, fund raising and sponsoring events that support charities within the community could be incorporated into a curriculum to add richness and context to the student's education. How can students get creative about reaching out to their community?

How do others feel about our role as a possible bridge to the community beyond the classroom? What other ways can we utilize our communities and create a more collaborative environment for our students to learn in?

Digital Arts Alliance

Check out this link :

http://www.digitalartsalliance.org/partnerships/dlf/hlc_sanantonio.html

I found this video and thought it was a idea to apply to the classroom. This practical application of technology allowed students to create a documentary that showcased their own school's fine arts academy. This is a great example of a project that got students really involved and excited while developing specific job skills that will carry out into the professional world.

Digital Arts Alliance

----"The Digital Arts Alliance delivers innovative educational experiences right to students and their teachers, providing fully funded and fully equipped digital arts programs to middle schools, high schools, and community centers across the United States. These programs help participants develop essential skills they will need as they apply what they know to the kinds of collaborative, team–based projects that will shape their future".-----

Best commercial ever!

Gendered Education in Canada

A self-professed fan of both debate and current issues in education, I would like to invite some discussion about your, the future of education's, opinions about the issue of gendered education. For another class (The Psychology of Classroom Learning) I recently started some preliminary research paper about the arguments for and against all-boys schools, aka gendered education.

At the centre of the ring in Canadian education, the Toronto School Board recently announced that it was considering opening an all boys public school. Thus far I have found the following articles:

1. "It's time to accept that males and females don't necessarily have the same learning patterns" from October 2009 Globe and Mail
   

   
    

   http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20091023.escenic_1336528/EmailBNStory/Other/LYSIANE%20GAGNON
   

   
    

2. "All boys school fostering achievement culture" also from October 2009 Globe and Mail
   

   http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/family-and-relationships/all-boys-schools-foster-achievement-culture/article1332995/
   

   
    

3. The most recent Globe and Mail article about this subject was headlined: "All boys' school requires more study" was published in February, 2010. Unfortunately I was not able to re-access it on-line after reading it once. Essentially it said that the plan is currently on hold while the issue and current research are being reviewed.
   

It's an issue that I believe we will all have opinions about and that will continue to be explored as school districts continue to focus on student success and declining enrolments. Thoughts?

PBS: Digital Nation

After watching this PBS documentary, Digital Nation, I am more confused about where I stand on the issue of technology in education, than I was before I watched it. There are nine sections to this one and a half hour show, but each section is only 10 minutes or so.

There is a rich variety of both controversial subject matter and interesting unanswered questions presented in this documentary. There are results from current brain research regarding: attention, multitasking, and MRIs of brain activity while Google™ searching compared to reading.

Most relevant to the ongoing questions generated in class was, Section 4: Teaching with Technology. It presents a variety of ways in which some entire schools and teachers within their classrooms are implementing technology into their teaching.

This series reminded me that the debates about technology that have been generated on this blog, in our class, and in our school communities, are part of a much bigger picture. It reminds me that we are in the midst of a rather profound revolution.

I highly recommend watching PBS Frontline: Digital Nation

It can be found @ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/

Technology and Touchy Issues

Just the other day I had the lucky experience of being on the bus home when it got hit by the after school rush. I’m sure we’ve all experienced being on the bus and having it swarmed by loud, rambunctious middle school and high school students. It is this time that I absolutely dread but at the same time I really do enjoy, for I often finding myself overhearing the most interesting conversations that give me an insight at today’s youth and reminding me what the main concerns for adolescents are. (Something that I think is a valuable thing for teachers to have) On this particular day I was sitting near the back by a large group of young boys-probably around 12 or 13 who were animatedly discussing issues they had ‘learned’ about via YouTube. I know that the use of technology has played a large role in discussions in our class, so I found the conversation particularly interesting. My interest was especially peaked when the boys started discussing videos they had seen in regards to drugs- what a druggie is and what a drugger is, and videos that point fun at homosexuality- what ‘makes’ you gay, and why. The conversation that I was listening to became somewhat concerning to me as a majority of the information being passed between the kids was incorrect and misleading. Of course young kids are always going to use media and technology to ‘learn’ things that are often not addressed by parents or in schools and that invalid information will then be passed on amongst themselves but what WE are going to do about it is the real issue. I believe that as future educators it is our responsibility to look at these forms of technology and harness them as a tool to properly educate students for this opens an opportune venue to teach without students realizing we are teaching. I would be curious to know other people’s opinions on whether you think this would be a good way to use technology to educate students on touchy issues.

IPhone May Refine Definition of Art

Check out the future of art and technology. David Hockney is a well known British painter, printmaker, photographer, designer who has started to use the IPhone to create art. Check out this website if you are intersted in learning more: http://iphonepaintings.com/?p=23

E-portfolio

Does anyone know the email address of Nikola? the computer tech?? I still can't get on eportfolio

ONLINE PHYS ED.

Yesterday I went to do my observation session in the classroom for the EPHE 452 class. It was so amazing, and such a great feeling to be involved in the school.

However, during this session, on of the young girls brought up that you can now do online PE! WHAT?!?!? I don't know if this is as surprising to you all as it is to me, but how is that possible.

Here is a link to it http://ce.byu.edu/is/site/courses/description.cfm?subject=Physical+Education&course=AEROB45Aerobics

I am shocked... This is just for an aerobics course in PE, there are all kinds of other courses... Golf is one of them. How do you learn how to golf on the internet? And more importantly there is no way someone who is doing it online is participating unless they are already an athlete. This is giving students more of an opportunity to opt out of PE. The levels of participation in physical activity are already significantly low.

Any thoughts?

Teachers connecting teachers

Hey all,
Sorry to you art guys but this one is more for the phys ed. people, but you might want to check is out anyway its pretty cool!
ThePhysicalEducator.com, is a web site that a friend of mine is starting out of Quebec. He is doing a fantastic job of connecting educators across the country and providing a data base of resources.
He is just getting started and it is already starting to take off.
It is also on facebook, just search thephysicaleducator.com.
Hope you find it interesting,
Tyler

Please view with the goal of discussion of implications next seminar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrtANPtnhyg

The sixth sense address - compulsory viewing
http://www.ted.com/talks/pranav_mistry_the_thrilling_potential_of_sixthsense_technology.html

Copyright Law for Educators

I just wanted to share this information in case anybody else may be interested.


In a recent e-mail from the BCATA, I received this following information about a new course that specifically deals with COPYRIGHT ISSUES FOR EDUCATORS.


http://www.bcerac.ca/prolearning/copyright_course.aspx


The course costs $50 for student teachers and only takes a few hours to complete.

It seems like something we could put in our e-portfolio.

Inclusion in the classroom

When I graduated High School, I left Victoria for England, as part of the GAP program. I was sent to a town called Worcester, to work in a school for an entire year. During my interview, I listed my main strength as visual arts. When I arrived, I found myself in the middle of a school for the blind and visually impaired...

Finding it slightly ironic that a visual artist was placed at a school for the blind, I was completely overwhelmed. I had no idea how to handle this, or any experience in this case that would help me. I soon learned to adapt. I was forced to take everything I thought I knew and throw it out. I adapted projects to become tactile, I discovered products that would work. There are papers made by the RNIB, and I believe something similar made by the CNIB that are completely tactile. Each colour is a different texture. There is thick plastic that can be drawn into, and the user can feel what they were drawing. Everyday objects could be used to create texture and make a different experience in the process of making art.

My thought for this blog is how are you going to adapt your teaching, depending on the child, and whatever their ability or disability may be? Especially if it is something you have little, to no experience with. What will you do, if you are doing an art project, or a sports activity where the student has limited mobility, or a visual impairment, or a learning disorder? There should always be ways to maximize inclusion in the classroom, but how do we become adept at figuring that out?

BC School Act

Here is a link to the Table of Contents for the British Columbia School Act.

http://www.bclaws.ca/Recon/document/freeside/--%20S%20--/School%20Act%20%20RSBC%201996%20%20c.%20412/00_Act/96412_00.htm

Does Technology Really Enhance the Quality of Learning and Teaching?

As I was searching for something to add onto my other blog for my other class, I came around this idea. We kind of touched on it in this weeks class however, if anyone else had thoughts to add to this topic, it will be interesting to see what people have to say.
Does technology really enhance the quality of learning or teaching?
Should our classes evolve around technology? Should we be giving more assignments that use the web?
On another note, online learning. Does that increase student learning? I know that I took a course online over the summer and I didn't like it at all. I liked how I was able to learn on my own, however, I missed engaging in the classroom. I like listening to some lectures and doing group assignments.
How do you feel about this?
And how will technology affect the way we teach when that time comes?

E-portfolio access?

Have other people been able to access the e-portfolio?

BCTF & ATF Issues Links

After the class, during which we were encouraged to take an active interest in the politics of education, I found these two useful links:

1)Alberta Teacher's Federation

http://www.teachers.ab.ca/Issues%20In%20Education/Pages/Index.aspx

2)British Columbia Teacher's Federation

http://www.bctf.ca/IssuesInEducation.aspx

I am curious to know what other people think about the current debate that is raging in the media about FSA testing.

ps. I accidentally posted this in response to another thread (to which this was unrelated) so I am reposting it here.

A New Generation of Learners

I had an interesting realization at work this week. I work at a Middle School art room and was helping with Art Club, which is held after school. As I helped set up the fused glass art project students filled the room with anticipation and excitment. Two boys in particular set up their work station and got to work right away. They were experimenting with some new glass cutting techniques that they had considered after the last club meeting and couldn’t wait to try. As they worked on their masterpieces they only looked up to answer questions from other students.

I commented to the teacher after club how impressed I was with the skill level of some of the kids and their total engagement with the project. She explained that one of those boys that I had described was actually really struggling in his art class. She thought that is was because the work in the class was not technical and challenging enough for him.

As teachers I think that we can get caught up with our learning objectives and goals instead of being more adaptable to the individual needs of students. We underestimate the ability of young people to do more complicated and technical projects sometimes, which can lead to boredom in the classroom. How can we design programs to keep children engaged and on the edges of their seats? How can the University better prepare its future teachers to create more dynamic classrooms? What mentors can we turn to that will inspire us to take our teaching to a new generation of learners?

Why I want to teach!

I don't know if you've ever had the chance to feel like you've inspired someone?

I know it was only for being a coach but I loved it! When I coached ten and eleven year old girls I felt like I was an inspiration to them, they looked up to me and tried to impress me! I know teaching may not be like that all the time, but when i'm given the chance to show students, peers or youth something I truly believe in or something I find to be important, I am where I want to be.

Teaching french will be amazing because it's something that just needs to be made fun rather than a chore. Teaching students the language on top of the culture in both Montreal and in France! I am not someone who would find lecturing an amazing teaching style for me, I would get bored teaching it let alone watching the students not enjoying it! When I was in high school, I had an amazing french teacher. Not everyone enjoyed learning french but when we were in Madame Chatton's classroom we were engaged! She made songs for us to sing, she encouraged us to write skits that were then performed for the class and she played french videos for us to learn from.

As for my PE aspect, I have been inspired to be more creative about what I teach in class. Last semester we learnt how to ribbon dance and learnt that those are the things that make PE fun. Students in high school don't always want to participate in the games, so bringing in different athletic components other than soccer and basketball. I would absolutely love to take students hiking or camping. Incorporate a wilderness safety lesson into the class! I am determined to find a topic for each student in my classes to enjoy!

One Size Doesn't Fit All

To start a new blog, I have a quick story that relates to one size doesn't fit all. When I was working at the Courtenay Recreation Center in the Comox Valley, I volunteered for the day camps. I was in grade 11 and I was assigned to a 11 year old blind girl. We did a variety of activities one being hiking through caves. I thought to myself, 'how am I going to make this work?' This relates to teaching because I thought I was going to help/guide kids through other activities, except I had to guide a blind girl through dark claustrophobic caves. I had to change my 'teaching' attempt to which would be clearer for this girl. Also, I teach swimming lessons to children of all ages, and of course there are many kids there who have been forced by their parents to be in the class. I have to create a lesson plan to try and get the children enjoying the class and eventually want to keep swimming in the future. It is challenging but that makes you become a better teacher.
Has anyone had experiences similar to this? I have realized that one size doesn't fit all and I will have to alter my teaching styles in order to incorporate students of all backgrounds.
-kim

Just a bit of information...

So no one has blogged yet and I thought I would spark the fire and add a hot topic for discussion. I'm a 3rd Year Physical Education (Phys. Ed.) student here at UVIC and for three years my professors have been pounding into our minds that Phys. Ed. is one of the most important school subjects in high school (something I agree with). In my opinion it is a "real" subject within the school system and has many benefits to the students within the class. It will positively influence students not only physically, but socially and academically. Patterns of a healthy active lifestyle if not learnt before graduation will not likely become apart of the students adulthood. I find it mildly offensive when people refer to other subjects as "real" when referencing them to Phys. Ed. Anybody else had situations like this?

-Ange

The lab is booked for our 3rd meeting Jan 19 BEC # 160 with a different techi, ‘Nikol’
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Teenagers who start smoking marijuana before the age of sixteen are four times more likely to become schizophrenic. That’s the startling conclusion of some of the world’s top schizophrenia experts, whose research is featured in the new documentary The Downside of High. The documentary tells the stories of three young people from BC who believe – along with their doctors – that their mental illness was triggered by marijuana use. It will be premiering on CBC The Nature of Things with David Suzuki on January 28th at 8 pm.
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Let's get started

Time to start our community of professional learners.
Please see Course Outline to check expectations.
Reminder also - Reflective Journal for Seminar # 1 are now due