What a difference a week makes. Since last week our world has started to close down. All non-essential business are closed, the world economy is tanking, and the government is offering billions of dollars in aid packages for families and businesses. We are still in quarantine because of my illness, but now the rest of the world is slowly having to follow suit. Everyone is being told not to leave their homes unless it is for groceries, pharmacy or exercise. One million people applied for unemployment in Canada.
I am now two and and half weeks into my illness. The doctor checks in with me every few days. I have been to the ER. I spent three hours in a vehicle line for a drive-thru coronavirus test only to find out that one minutes before I arrived they changed the testing criteria (again) and I no longer qualified. The tests are in short supply.
The doctor says I likely have COVID-19. I tend to agree. I have what would be characterized as a mild-moderate case. It has lasted 17 days now. This week I ended up in the ER twice when breathing got difficult. The doctor listened to my chest and said he could tell it had fluid in it: pneumonia. Pneumonia is a secondary condition of the coronavirus, when the virus gets into the lungs. I was given one round of antibiotics in case the pneumonia is bacterial. If it's viral, however, there is nothing to do but wait it out. The antibiotics are supposed to make symptoms better within a day or two. At the end of the course of medicine I was getting worse, not better, so back to the ER today. They watched my oxygen levels and took a chest x-ray and a COVID-19 test finally. There is some fluid in my lungs. A new round of different antibiotics just in case, but not test to determine either way. The doctors are all still assuming it is coronavirus. I am home resting and praying for improvement. I have times during the day that I feel fine, that I think I must be on the mend. Then I walk for 5 minutes or climb the stairs and have to sit down. Or I have a nightmare during the night where something was crushing me and I wake up unable to breathe. I take lots of deep breaths, like I just can't fill my lungs. The cough lingers, dry and hacking. Today, day 17, has bene the lowest point of the illness. I am trying to not read any more online, because the stories are scary and I need to not think about it. I pray for healing, and I feel like I spend every minute self-monitoring: am I slightly better or slightly worse than a minute ago? Which way is this heading?
We have now had two weeks of full isolation. James goes out to pick up groceries that we order online ahead of time. He pulls up and they load the bags into the car and he returns home. I watch friends online posting about how hard it is to fill the time, how strange it is to have to stay home. I think for our family everything has a different colour to the experience because I am sick. For many people, who are healthy and ordered to stay home, they are finding the whole thing boring. For us, we see first hand what this illness can do, and why we can't go out and possibly infect others.
This week also marked the beginning of a homeschool schedule. I say schedule, but it's very loose. Learning time happens in the morning. For the younger three (Caleb, grade 7, Benjamin grade 5, and Juliette grade 2), from 9-10am they have 20 minutes of reading, 20 minutes of writing (free write or journal prompts) and 20 minutes of online math. From 10-11am, it is self-directed learning time. Caleb has spent most of his time at the piano, using online YouTube videos to learn modern pop songs and classical favourites. He is also taking time to do more coding. Benjamin took a liking to magic and has been learning tricks to put on a magic show. He also loves a fishing show from National Geographic and learning about animals. Juliette wanders a little, but usually lands on drawing, even creating her own tutorials she posts online for her cousins. After lunch is outdoor time - we turn off all the devices and we walk or bike or the kids trudge through the conservation in the back. We took down the ice rink we had up in the backyard and there is more soccer, Quidditch (inspired by the Harry Potter books and films), and a host of backyard fun. Evenings go between family movie nights or family board games.
Truthfully we are enjoying the time. We have always enjoyed family time, and other than a few extra-curricular things that we usually have on the go, we like to be home. We soldier on for now.
Saturday, 28 March 2020
Saturday, 21 March 2020
2020 Quarantine - Week 1
Last week, the World Health Organization declared a worldwide pandemic in relation to a new virus, COVID-19, or more commonly, coronavirus. We had been hearing whisperings, seeing international news stories, observing statistics, and yet it all seemed far away. It was entered in China. It only affected those who had travelled. There was something going on in Italy.
Then, Thursday March 12th, our world turned upside-down. We were about to be on our one week March break from school. We had local travel plans to see my Nana in Bobcaygeon, sleepovers with cousins, and play dates with friends. Instead, the province announced that schools would be closed for an additional two weeks after March Break, until April 5th. Anyone showing signs of illness needed to self-isolate, along with those in their families. Self-isolation meant staying home and not going out unless necessary: which basically meant groceries and pharmacy.
I was showing signs of illness.
We are trying to understand this illness. We are tuned into the radio all the time, desperate for information. And for me, being sick with signs of COVID-19, I'm scrolling through endless internet sites, desperate to understand what is going on in my body.
It's scary. I am rarely sick. I haven't taken a sick day in more than 4 years. I don't get the flu, I don't get colds. Once a year I usually get strep throat, but only characterized by a very sore throat, with none of the common fever symptoms. My body is generally healthy and fights off possible infections before I even know I've caught them.
I have a cough and shortness of breath, classic signs of the new coronavirus. I may have had a low grade fever, but this illness started with five days of the most intense headache I've ever had, so I was only a steady stream of ibuprofen, which often hides a low-grade fever. I lie in bed and scroll through online feeds, searching for some sign that I don't have the virus. I cannot get a test. Currently they will only administer the scant tests they have to those who have travelled to one of the coronavirus hot spots (China, Italy, Iran) or if you have had direct contact with a patient with a positive test. Right now, my doctor is saying to simply self-isolate. The truth is, it doesn't really matter if it is coronavirus or not - the treatment is the same. Self-isolate and monitor. Go to the ER if you struggle to breathe.
On March 17 the province declared a state of emergency. Things around us are slowly closing down. No public event of more than 50 people. Libraries, theatres, movie cinemas and daycares are closed. Restaurants can only provide takeout or delivery. Those who are able to do their work from home are asked to do so.
We are still officially in the period of March break, but we as teachers are waiting to hear what will happen. We assume at this point a two week closure after March Break to give us a chance to smother the virus, give it nowhere to go. I wonder if they are waiting to see how powerful it is, how fast it spreads, how deadly it is.
The real thing is that we don't know much about it. From what I've heard, it's a virus that is new to humans, so we don't have any immunity. Plus we can be symptom free for two weeks when we are infected, spreading the virus silently around us.
There is a lot of debate, and I assume it will rage on. There are lots of conspiracy theories. There are people who say it's no worse than the seasonal flu. There are people who despise the government flexing it's muscle to control the people. I try to come to these sorts of events with an open mind. I usually err on the side of medicine and against Big Brother conspiracies. I've never been one who can operate under fear. Yes, some might call it oblivion, but I would rather say that I want to keep my focus and energies on what is real, tangible and important to me.
I remember some years ago my grandfather, Dave Martin (my dad's father) calling all his children and grandchildren. There was a new virus in town: H1N1. He was a doctor for many decades, and then travelled the world as a medical consultant and expert. He called to ask us to consider getting the flu shot this year. It's a bad flu, and the vaccine is a good match, he said. He had never called with medical advice before. In fact, he lives in British Columbia, hallway across the country, and the great distance had meant that we only interact a few times a year. I heard the seriousness in his voice. My grandfather is a very even-tempered and intelligent person - probably the one person I know and trust on issues of the world. I never feel like there is enough to time understand a fraction of the knowledge in this world. Sometimes you just have to trust someone that they know more about a topic than you do. My grandfather is that someone. From this, I developed a trust of the medical industry, of local doctors who see and understand the human body in a way I don't yet. If he was alive today, I feel he too would be communicating the seriousness of the coronavirus.
And so we are here, in our home. My mother-in-law, who has an apartment in our home and who usually eats dinner with us, is isolating away from us completely. This virus is especially dangerous for the elderly, and given her weakened lungs from smoking we need to be vigilant. We are blessed with a large home, an empty basement, a big backyard and conversation land behind us. We have movies and board games and each other. We even got to scraping the wallpaper and painting Juliette and Colin's bedrooms this week.
At this point, we have been told we have an additional two weeks off school. Interestingly, I am part of many online communities for foreign language teachers. I am watching schools all over the world being closed and teachers moving to online learning platforms. So far, we just have an extra two weeks vacation. There are no plans yet to move school online. The Ontario government has released a few online learning resources (mostly links to educational videos and games) and our school board put out a few links as well to encourage students to continue learning in the two week furlough.
I have a sense the history is being made. Just last week I spent the day with Neil Orfford, an educator who created a fantastic high school experiential program around the Spanish flu of 1918. During that pandemic, an estimated 50 million people died worldwide. Quarantines were strict and life completely altered. This is a record of the history we are living today.
Then, Thursday March 12th, our world turned upside-down. We were about to be on our one week March break from school. We had local travel plans to see my Nana in Bobcaygeon, sleepovers with cousins, and play dates with friends. Instead, the province announced that schools would be closed for an additional two weeks after March Break, until April 5th. Anyone showing signs of illness needed to self-isolate, along with those in their families. Self-isolation meant staying home and not going out unless necessary: which basically meant groceries and pharmacy.
I was showing signs of illness.
We are trying to understand this illness. We are tuned into the radio all the time, desperate for information. And for me, being sick with signs of COVID-19, I'm scrolling through endless internet sites, desperate to understand what is going on in my body.
It's scary. I am rarely sick. I haven't taken a sick day in more than 4 years. I don't get the flu, I don't get colds. Once a year I usually get strep throat, but only characterized by a very sore throat, with none of the common fever symptoms. My body is generally healthy and fights off possible infections before I even know I've caught them.
I have a cough and shortness of breath, classic signs of the new coronavirus. I may have had a low grade fever, but this illness started with five days of the most intense headache I've ever had, so I was only a steady stream of ibuprofen, which often hides a low-grade fever. I lie in bed and scroll through online feeds, searching for some sign that I don't have the virus. I cannot get a test. Currently they will only administer the scant tests they have to those who have travelled to one of the coronavirus hot spots (China, Italy, Iran) or if you have had direct contact with a patient with a positive test. Right now, my doctor is saying to simply self-isolate. The truth is, it doesn't really matter if it is coronavirus or not - the treatment is the same. Self-isolate and monitor. Go to the ER if you struggle to breathe.
On March 17 the province declared a state of emergency. Things around us are slowly closing down. No public event of more than 50 people. Libraries, theatres, movie cinemas and daycares are closed. Restaurants can only provide takeout or delivery. Those who are able to do their work from home are asked to do so.
We are still officially in the period of March break, but we as teachers are waiting to hear what will happen. We assume at this point a two week closure after March Break to give us a chance to smother the virus, give it nowhere to go. I wonder if they are waiting to see how powerful it is, how fast it spreads, how deadly it is.
The real thing is that we don't know much about it. From what I've heard, it's a virus that is new to humans, so we don't have any immunity. Plus we can be symptom free for two weeks when we are infected, spreading the virus silently around us.
There is a lot of debate, and I assume it will rage on. There are lots of conspiracy theories. There are people who say it's no worse than the seasonal flu. There are people who despise the government flexing it's muscle to control the people. I try to come to these sorts of events with an open mind. I usually err on the side of medicine and against Big Brother conspiracies. I've never been one who can operate under fear. Yes, some might call it oblivion, but I would rather say that I want to keep my focus and energies on what is real, tangible and important to me.
I remember some years ago my grandfather, Dave Martin (my dad's father) calling all his children and grandchildren. There was a new virus in town: H1N1. He was a doctor for many decades, and then travelled the world as a medical consultant and expert. He called to ask us to consider getting the flu shot this year. It's a bad flu, and the vaccine is a good match, he said. He had never called with medical advice before. In fact, he lives in British Columbia, hallway across the country, and the great distance had meant that we only interact a few times a year. I heard the seriousness in his voice. My grandfather is a very even-tempered and intelligent person - probably the one person I know and trust on issues of the world. I never feel like there is enough to time understand a fraction of the knowledge in this world. Sometimes you just have to trust someone that they know more about a topic than you do. My grandfather is that someone. From this, I developed a trust of the medical industry, of local doctors who see and understand the human body in a way I don't yet. If he was alive today, I feel he too would be communicating the seriousness of the coronavirus.
And so we are here, in our home. My mother-in-law, who has an apartment in our home and who usually eats dinner with us, is isolating away from us completely. This virus is especially dangerous for the elderly, and given her weakened lungs from smoking we need to be vigilant. We are blessed with a large home, an empty basement, a big backyard and conversation land behind us. We have movies and board games and each other. We even got to scraping the wallpaper and painting Juliette and Colin's bedrooms this week.
At this point, we have been told we have an additional two weeks off school. Interestingly, I am part of many online communities for foreign language teachers. I am watching schools all over the world being closed and teachers moving to online learning platforms. So far, we just have an extra two weeks vacation. There are no plans yet to move school online. The Ontario government has released a few online learning resources (mostly links to educational videos and games) and our school board put out a few links as well to encourage students to continue learning in the two week furlough.
I have a sense the history is being made. Just last week I spent the day with Neil Orfford, an educator who created a fantastic high school experiential program around the Spanish flu of 1918. During that pandemic, an estimated 50 million people died worldwide. Quarantines were strict and life completely altered. This is a record of the history we are living today.
Monday, 25 June 2018
Colinism
Over the past two months, Colin has dived deep into the world of Rubik's cubes. It began with him buying one 2x2 cube. With a desire to learn how to solve it, he went online and discovered that you have to learn a series of algorithms, and depending on how the cube is mixed, perform a sequence of algorithms that will eventually solve the cube.
Once he mastered the 2x2, it wasn't long before he was saving his money and doing some online shopping comparisons to buy himself a 3x3, followed by speed cubes (faster, better versions), followed by a pyramid and other oddly shaped "cubes." Each one required a new set of algorithms to learn, which he studied and memorized each evening.
The next logical step was then to start timing himself. Without an "official" timer platform used in competitions, he started to design his own using cardboard, duct tape, and a timer on his tablet. This design went through several iterations before it evolved into the one he uses now.
But it didn't end there. His friends started asking how he solved the cubes, so he began to make videos to post online, walking through viewers on how to learn algorithms and when to use each one.
After that he began to develop his own algorithms: ones that were simple enough to memorize, ones that helped you skip steps, or ones that were so repetitive you didn't have to memorize so many (that was for me.)
As I look back on these last two months, it makes me wonder: this could very easily have been a genius hour project. He learned something, he designed something, and he shared it with others. All the elements of project-based learning, and it was completely self-driven.
While I appreciate the science lessons and math tests he had this year in school, I look at this Rubik's cube "project" and really that the learning he has done through it will be longer lasting and more valuable than most of what he did this year. Even if he forgets how to solve a cube down the road, he has learned valuable research, marketing, financial, critical thinking, creative, presentation and communication skills that will be applicable to almost anything real world he has to accomplish.
Once he mastered the 2x2, it wasn't long before he was saving his money and doing some online shopping comparisons to buy himself a 3x3, followed by speed cubes (faster, better versions), followed by a pyramid and other oddly shaped "cubes." Each one required a new set of algorithms to learn, which he studied and memorized each evening.
The next logical step was then to start timing himself. Without an "official" timer platform used in competitions, he started to design his own using cardboard, duct tape, and a timer on his tablet. This design went through several iterations before it evolved into the one he uses now.
But it didn't end there. His friends started asking how he solved the cubes, so he began to make videos to post online, walking through viewers on how to learn algorithms and when to use each one.
After that he began to develop his own algorithms: ones that were simple enough to memorize, ones that helped you skip steps, or ones that were so repetitive you didn't have to memorize so many (that was for me.)
As I look back on these last two months, it makes me wonder: this could very easily have been a genius hour project. He learned something, he designed something, and he shared it with others. All the elements of project-based learning, and it was completely self-driven.
While I appreciate the science lessons and math tests he had this year in school, I look at this Rubik's cube "project" and really that the learning he has done through it will be longer lasting and more valuable than most of what he did this year. Even if he forgets how to solve a cube down the road, he has learned valuable research, marketing, financial, critical thinking, creative, presentation and communication skills that will be applicable to almost anything real world he has to accomplish.
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Preparing for a shift
Every so often in our lives, something in the universe begins to prepare us for a shift in ideology or understanding. I would identify this phenomenon as a short period of time in which several events, readings or conversations relating to a specific topic land in your lap with great emphasis. Suddenly something you haven't considered before, or haven't considered in a certain way, light up within you. It is the closely-related and closely-timed manner of these moments that can actually shift something within us and bring us into new enlightenment.
Over the past three months I have been aware of a shift in regards to racism. Like many of my generation, I would have indignantly protested if someone hinted that I had any inkling of racist ideas or behaviours. I have been raised in a multicultural setting; I have friends and family members that come from as many varied backgrounds as you can imagine; I have participated in different religious ceremonies. I would have purported to be "colour-blind."
But in pondering and conversing about three specific readings lately, I have found myself shifting.
Small Great Things is a novel about a black experienced nurse told by a young white supremacist couple not to touch their newborn baby. The nurse is then charged with murder when the baby goes into distress and dies and the nurse hesitates to intercede. The protagonist attempts to capture the every day experiences in which white people subconsciously or consciously react to her skin colour.
This interview with Canadian actress Sandra Oh left me speechless about how she found herself brainwashed by the racist undertones of Hollywood. She discusses how when she was sent a script to read, she couldn't figure out which part they wanted her for; it never even occurred to her that the producers would want a person of colour for the lead role of a TV show.
Americanah is a novel about an African woman who comes to America and how she tries to navigate being an immigrant, a person of colour, and a minority in her new homeland. She is astonished at the little things, like finding a place to get her hair braided, that pose an issue.
I know and believe in the tragedy of white privilege. I know that even if I travel halfway across the world to where my skin colour is a minority, I will be looked upon as unique and special. I know that the experience of a black person is not that way. I wonder if, and how, we can combat whatever it is inside of us, or inside the fabric of our society, that has created this great divide and unconscionable standard. My heart breaks when I hear people my age, people in positions of influence and power over future generations, decry the notion of white privilege and the idea that their skin colour might give them an advantage.
I yearn for what to do.
I shift.
Right now it seems I must just listen as I shift. Keep my eyes and ears and heart open. Continue to look and see what the reality is, to not insist that we have conquered this terrible monster. To acknowledge the experiences of those who go through it, and, whenever I can, allow them to have a platform in this world to tell their stories. Perhaps, the more they do, others around me will find themselves shifting, too.
Over the past three months I have been aware of a shift in regards to racism. Like many of my generation, I would have indignantly protested if someone hinted that I had any inkling of racist ideas or behaviours. I have been raised in a multicultural setting; I have friends and family members that come from as many varied backgrounds as you can imagine; I have participated in different religious ceremonies. I would have purported to be "colour-blind."
But in pondering and conversing about three specific readings lately, I have found myself shifting.
Small Great Things is a novel about a black experienced nurse told by a young white supremacist couple not to touch their newborn baby. The nurse is then charged with murder when the baby goes into distress and dies and the nurse hesitates to intercede. The protagonist attempts to capture the every day experiences in which white people subconsciously or consciously react to her skin colour.
This interview with Canadian actress Sandra Oh left me speechless about how she found herself brainwashed by the racist undertones of Hollywood. She discusses how when she was sent a script to read, she couldn't figure out which part they wanted her for; it never even occurred to her that the producers would want a person of colour for the lead role of a TV show.
Americanah is a novel about an African woman who comes to America and how she tries to navigate being an immigrant, a person of colour, and a minority in her new homeland. She is astonished at the little things, like finding a place to get her hair braided, that pose an issue.
I know and believe in the tragedy of white privilege. I know that even if I travel halfway across the world to where my skin colour is a minority, I will be looked upon as unique and special. I know that the experience of a black person is not that way. I wonder if, and how, we can combat whatever it is inside of us, or inside the fabric of our society, that has created this great divide and unconscionable standard. My heart breaks when I hear people my age, people in positions of influence and power over future generations, decry the notion of white privilege and the idea that their skin colour might give them an advantage.
I yearn for what to do.
I shift.
Right now it seems I must just listen as I shift. Keep my eyes and ears and heart open. Continue to look and see what the reality is, to not insist that we have conquered this terrible monster. To acknowledge the experiences of those who go through it, and, whenever I can, allow them to have a platform in this world to tell their stories. Perhaps, the more they do, others around me will find themselves shifting, too.
Tuesday, 22 May 2018
Teaching French
The current school board goal for students continuing in French language classes past the mandatory level of grade nine is 2 out of 36.
This statistic stopped me in my tracks.
For the school board itself to have such a low opinion of this subject begs the question: how do educators see the relevance of this subject? The truth of it is, almost every student (and many of their parents) believe the entire subject is a waste of time, irrelevant to their education and their life experience.
And yet students between grades 4-8 receive 200 minutes a week of French instruction. The only subjects in which they receive more are math (300 minutes) and language (500 minutes). Most students have a full period of French everyday for 6 years, and almost none of them have any real competence in communicating in the language. I may come across as harsh here, but I have made a habit over the past four years of informally polling those I come in contact with wherever I am. The fairly universal opinion of French class is that they learned very little and found it completely uninteresting.
A dear friend and mentor jokingly referred to French class as an "old dead van on the side of the road." He had good intentions; as he listened while I struggled through how I could reinvent French class, he assured me that if you walk up to an old dead van on the side of the road and ask to tinker around and change it, no one will look twice. It's already of no use to anyone, so how can you do any harm?
I balked at first at my friend calling my new and burgeoning career an "old dead van," but I've come to appreciate the analogy. The harsh truth of it is both inspiring me with its possibilities and chaffing me with its realities.
I have spent two years of teacher's college attempting to reconcile the place of French education in our schools today. I passed most of that time unable to see how my passion for project-based learning and the need for my skills as a French teacher might work together.
And then...a light.
I'll admit it's a small flicker, that I have been unable to fan much bigger as of yet. But I have a hunch that once I can grow the flame it will illuminate a relevant and engaging application of the French language.
Leaders in education are highlighting the importance of 21st century skills. Known as the 4 (or 6) C's, they are skills that are becoming more important to teach to students than the traditional content model of the past century.
Critical thinking
Creativity
Communication
Collaboration
Citizenship (global)
Character
I posed the question to myself: what is the relevance of learning French today?
What I alighted on was this: learning a second language is about two things, communication and global citizenship. It's true what students and parents say - there is no real purpose to learning French. It is not a highly spoken language in the world. Most French speaking people also speak English. 6 years of core French will not be sufficient to get a Canadian government job. Few businesses would look for French as an asset for business relations. If they visit Quebec or the eastern provinces, most likely they will be able to use English. Although I adore this language, perhaps more than my native English, the truth is it isn't important on a global scale.
But what is important is the ability to communicate. Global connectivity has linked people all over the world, people who speak countless other languages. According to babbel.com, only 1.5 billion of the 7.5 billion inhabitants of the world speak English. But of that, only 360 million speak English as their first language. The privilege for my Canadian students is that they happen to speak a language that most people in travel, tourism and business seem to favour. But the reality is that many of those people are doing it in a second language, with all the difficulties that come with such a challenge.
What I can teach in my French class is what it means to need to communicate with someone who isn't using their first language. I can teach patience and understanding for those with a million ideas in a first language but limited means of conveying them in a second language. I can encourage innovation to help people communicate across language more easily. I can teach empathy to understand what it feels like to be lost in a conversation. I can create global friendships and understandings so my students see they are not the centre of the universe. I can show them that language is not a barrier to friendship and that we are more similar than we think and that our differences are beautiful. I can give them the confidence to converse in any situation. I can give them the keys to unlocking a third, fourth, fifth language in the future.
In this setting, with a focus on communication and global citizenship, I'm no longer just teaching French. French simply becomes the vehicle through which I connect my students to the realities of the 21st century. It becomes a way in which I can prepare them for their future in a global workforce. Yes, I will still use French because of the history in which it is tied to our country and because the rolling sounds are music to my ears. But understanding the purpose of second language learning in a larger context is what will give real life to my classroom and relevance to this old dead (beloved) van.
This statistic stopped me in my tracks.
For the school board itself to have such a low opinion of this subject begs the question: how do educators see the relevance of this subject? The truth of it is, almost every student (and many of their parents) believe the entire subject is a waste of time, irrelevant to their education and their life experience.
And yet students between grades 4-8 receive 200 minutes a week of French instruction. The only subjects in which they receive more are math (300 minutes) and language (500 minutes). Most students have a full period of French everyday for 6 years, and almost none of them have any real competence in communicating in the language. I may come across as harsh here, but I have made a habit over the past four years of informally polling those I come in contact with wherever I am. The fairly universal opinion of French class is that they learned very little and found it completely uninteresting.
A dear friend and mentor jokingly referred to French class as an "old dead van on the side of the road." He had good intentions; as he listened while I struggled through how I could reinvent French class, he assured me that if you walk up to an old dead van on the side of the road and ask to tinker around and change it, no one will look twice. It's already of no use to anyone, so how can you do any harm?
I balked at first at my friend calling my new and burgeoning career an "old dead van," but I've come to appreciate the analogy. The harsh truth of it is both inspiring me with its possibilities and chaffing me with its realities.
I have spent two years of teacher's college attempting to reconcile the place of French education in our schools today. I passed most of that time unable to see how my passion for project-based learning and the need for my skills as a French teacher might work together.
And then...a light.
I'll admit it's a small flicker, that I have been unable to fan much bigger as of yet. But I have a hunch that once I can grow the flame it will illuminate a relevant and engaging application of the French language.
Leaders in education are highlighting the importance of 21st century skills. Known as the 4 (or 6) C's, they are skills that are becoming more important to teach to students than the traditional content model of the past century.
Critical thinking
Creativity
Communication
Collaboration
Citizenship (global)
Character
I posed the question to myself: what is the relevance of learning French today?
What I alighted on was this: learning a second language is about two things, communication and global citizenship. It's true what students and parents say - there is no real purpose to learning French. It is not a highly spoken language in the world. Most French speaking people also speak English. 6 years of core French will not be sufficient to get a Canadian government job. Few businesses would look for French as an asset for business relations. If they visit Quebec or the eastern provinces, most likely they will be able to use English. Although I adore this language, perhaps more than my native English, the truth is it isn't important on a global scale.
But what is important is the ability to communicate. Global connectivity has linked people all over the world, people who speak countless other languages. According to babbel.com, only 1.5 billion of the 7.5 billion inhabitants of the world speak English. But of that, only 360 million speak English as their first language. The privilege for my Canadian students is that they happen to speak a language that most people in travel, tourism and business seem to favour. But the reality is that many of those people are doing it in a second language, with all the difficulties that come with such a challenge.
What I can teach in my French class is what it means to need to communicate with someone who isn't using their first language. I can teach patience and understanding for those with a million ideas in a first language but limited means of conveying them in a second language. I can encourage innovation to help people communicate across language more easily. I can teach empathy to understand what it feels like to be lost in a conversation. I can create global friendships and understandings so my students see they are not the centre of the universe. I can show them that language is not a barrier to friendship and that we are more similar than we think and that our differences are beautiful. I can give them the confidence to converse in any situation. I can give them the keys to unlocking a third, fourth, fifth language in the future.
In this setting, with a focus on communication and global citizenship, I'm no longer just teaching French. French simply becomes the vehicle through which I connect my students to the realities of the 21st century. It becomes a way in which I can prepare them for their future in a global workforce. Yes, I will still use French because of the history in which it is tied to our country and because the rolling sounds are music to my ears. But understanding the purpose of second language learning in a larger context is what will give real life to my classroom and relevance to this old dead (beloved) van.
Thursday, 3 May 2018
Project Proposal
In keeping with our desire to support Colin transitioning into his youth years, another opportunity arose to mentor his growth. Colin appeared in the kitchen after school yesterday, excited about an upcoming project. The students in his class were being given a carte blanche to design and build anything they want. Colin had two projects in mind: Makey Makey (an electronic invention tool that connects objects to computer programming) or Cardboard creations (using motors and other trinkets to build a working game). His enthusiasm gleaned in his eyes and I was catching his excitement. I talk all the time about design thinking and project based learning to the point that all three boys feel as though they are missing out. But then Colin hesitated. "The only thing is, we have to provide the materials. And it's pretty expensive."
I was impressed that Colin seems to really be internalizing the concept of money, spending and budgets. These are skills that are going to be really important to have a good handle on when he leaves home (parenting win!) He sheepishly said the Makey Makey kit runs between $50 to $75 dollars, and the motor and parts for the other project would also run a high cost.
In the split second of parenting think time that I had, these thoughts raced through my head:
That's a lot of money.
I really want him to have the chance to do this project.
It's great for him to work in design thinking and building.
That's a lot of money.
It's for school, we can cover that.
That's a lot of money for one project.
I don't want the money issue to prevent him from participating.
Maybe...there's a learning opportunity here...
After assimilating all this, here's what I proposed to Colin:
"In the business world, you can get people called investors to fund your projects. But in order to get the money you have to submit a proposal. So I'll send along a proposal template where you can outline your vision of the project, why it's a good project, what you think it will cost, where you will buy materials, and what the timeline for working on it will be. Then we will meet together and you can deliver a prepared "pitch" to sell us your idea."
He jumped on board right away. I have a feeling it might be because he really thought it would be a flat out "no" when he told me how much it was going to cost.
So this morning I sent an email:
Colin,
I have attached a Word document that you can fill in for your design project proposal. You have a meeting with your potential investors (Mom and Dad) Saturday at 1pm. Please bring the completed proposal to that meeting and be prepared to “pitch” (tell us about) your project. Enthusiasm and knowledge will be very important to the success of your pitch in securing the money you need.
Good luck!
Mom and Dad.
If he puts the work in, I'm hoping this will be a really good chance to learn a business skill that will serve him in the future. I know I'll have to fight the urge to give him the money right away. If there are some holes in the proposal I hope to provide some feedback that he can revise before we "sign the contract" between designer and investor. In the end, however, I think it's a great little experience for him.
I was impressed that Colin seems to really be internalizing the concept of money, spending and budgets. These are skills that are going to be really important to have a good handle on when he leaves home (parenting win!) He sheepishly said the Makey Makey kit runs between $50 to $75 dollars, and the motor and parts for the other project would also run a high cost.
In the split second of parenting think time that I had, these thoughts raced through my head:
That's a lot of money.
I really want him to have the chance to do this project.
It's great for him to work in design thinking and building.
That's a lot of money.
It's for school, we can cover that.
That's a lot of money for one project.
I don't want the money issue to prevent him from participating.
Maybe...there's a learning opportunity here...
After assimilating all this, here's what I proposed to Colin:
"In the business world, you can get people called investors to fund your projects. But in order to get the money you have to submit a proposal. So I'll send along a proposal template where you can outline your vision of the project, why it's a good project, what you think it will cost, where you will buy materials, and what the timeline for working on it will be. Then we will meet together and you can deliver a prepared "pitch" to sell us your idea."
He jumped on board right away. I have a feeling it might be because he really thought it would be a flat out "no" when he told me how much it was going to cost.
So this morning I sent an email:
Colin,
I have attached a Word document that you can fill in for your design project proposal. You have a meeting with your potential investors (Mom and Dad) Saturday at 1pm. Please bring the completed proposal to that meeting and be prepared to “pitch” (tell us about) your project. Enthusiasm and knowledge will be very important to the success of your pitch in securing the money you need.
Good luck!
Mom and Dad.
If he puts the work in, I'm hoping this will be a really good chance to learn a business skill that will serve him in the future. I know I'll have to fight the urge to give him the money right away. If there are some holes in the proposal I hope to provide some feedback that he can revise before we "sign the contract" between designer and investor. In the end, however, I think it's a great little experience for him.
Wednesday, 2 May 2018
All that we are
As I complete my Bachelor of Education, I am now looking forward into another exciting chapter of my life. But I have also been feeling the tug of looking back from where I've come. It can be a difficult thing to process going back to school as an adult, changing directions mid-life. My mother once asked if I regretted not doing this 20 years ago, as though I may have wasted those years now that I've come back to the spot in which I once stood.
However, I'm coming to realize that all that I am, all that I will be going forward, is a culmination of where I've come. This week I received an offer to collaborate on an exciting project that directly requires my training in film. The collaboration will be with an inspirational partner about a subject I am deeply passionate. As I step into teaching I don't expect my career will be traditional (nothing I have ever done has been) and this opportunity will fit right into that vision. And I wouldn't be embarking on it without the years of experience in film.
It's interesting to consider "all that I am" and to see and wonder how it will piece together for this next part of the journey. Will I draw on my musical background? Theatre? Film? Travel? Languages? Writing? Mathematic competitions? Field hockey, volleyball or soccer? Church leadership? Motherhood?
However, I'm coming to realize that all that I am, all that I will be going forward, is a culmination of where I've come. This week I received an offer to collaborate on an exciting project that directly requires my training in film. The collaboration will be with an inspirational partner about a subject I am deeply passionate. As I step into teaching I don't expect my career will be traditional (nothing I have ever done has been) and this opportunity will fit right into that vision. And I wouldn't be embarking on it without the years of experience in film.
It's interesting to consider "all that I am" and to see and wonder how it will piece together for this next part of the journey. Will I draw on my musical background? Theatre? Film? Travel? Languages? Writing? Mathematic competitions? Field hockey, volleyball or soccer? Church leadership? Motherhood?
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