The best descriptions for AOL, AFL, and ASL

Recent Find, BEST Descriptors for students/teachers/parents in regards to the different forms of assessment and evaluation in classrooms (ON-specifically), enjoy!

AS

These assessments are designed for you to self-check, self-assess, and reflect on your progress and learning skills. Developing the ability to think about how you learn will help you grow as a learner, which makes these assessments important to complete.

Note: Assessment as and for activities do not count directly toward your final grade. However, they can be used as evidence of your learning. Although they are not graded, they are just as important as the graded pieces in the course. These assessments are designed to help you progress towards achieving your learning goals and your overall understanding of the course content. Think of these like seat work in a physical classroom. Your teacher might not always assign a grade to that work, but it's a critical part of your course and you should strive to do your best on these activities.


FOR


These assessments are designed for you to practice and develop the knowledge and skills on which this course focuses. You will receive detailed feedback from your teacher on these assessments so that you can improve in key areas and prepare for formal evaluation.


Note: Assessment as and for activities do not count directly toward your final grade. However, they can be used as evidence of your learning. Although they are not graded, they are just as important as the graded pieces in the course. These assessments are designed to help you progress towards achieving your learning goals and your overall understanding of the course content.


OF

These assessments are evaluated and count directly toward your final grade. Your teacher will provide feedback on your work and assign a value based on how well you achieved the overall expectations. It is recommended that you complete these assessments only when you have received and applied feedback from your as and for assessments.

In Regards China and Noted Power Outages (Sept/2021)

 Posting this as I wasn't sure how to actually add it to Reddit, new at posting and its through a third-party APP.

UPDATE:

Recently in the news China has also decided that they would not build Skyscraper classified buildings (thinking of Canton Tower, or The Shenzhen Financial Building) for the next few years to conserve energy. It is certainly a positive movement and interesting timing for this policy to be made public as they begin to also loosen up the "Zero-COVID Tolerance" that has been creating a lot of strife in and outside of the country.

Lesson Plan for the Online International Teacher in China (ENG4U) "Day 3"

Posting my lesson plan for an online lesson stint I need to participate in so I can keep things running smoothly (however disruptive online teaching is to a classroom). Anyways, sharing-advertising, feel free to comment and/or check out my teacherspayteachers!

 2021-ENG4U

Day "3"

Brief:

Today Students are going to be debating in groups (2 at a time), their topics were delivered to them two days ago and students were preparing their arguments as well as the debate in the form of an essay (this is their homework tonight)

As audience (when they are not debating), the students will be providing feedback for their classmates during the debates they are not actively participating as contendors.

Materials:

-Debate format document

-Debate rubric

-Oral Rubric

-Debate Rules

-Essay Expectations Page

Learning Goals:

1. To better understand the process of debate

2. To demonstrate understanding of methods in argumentation

Success Criteria:

1. I have found evidence to support an idea in regards to a particular topic

2. I have actively participated in the development of an argument

Intro:

-Students will begin by responding to the attendance question in the chat box.

(CAMERAS ON/Audio OFF)

-Students will be getting into their debate groups

They will then need to listen to an explanatino by the teacher in regards to the task.

Students will be expected to organize the rooma nd have all cameras opena nd on with clear audio available for listeners

Students Who are not actively particcipating but are audience, will be given a rubric for a speaker that they will provide constructive feedback for.

During:

Students will then be given the floor and the first debate will begin 

The teacher will discuss the details of the rules as needed, and organize a timer for the debate

5 MIN BREAK

Students will come back from break, ask any questions needed

The student groups will switch as the first debate should be over and the next two teams are up.

The debate will end.

Wrap-Up:

Students will be expected to go home and organize their "essays"

Lesson Plan for the Online International Teacher in China (ENG2D) "Day 2"

Posting my lesson plan for an online lesson stint I need to participate in so I can keep things running smoothly (however disruptive online teaching is to a classroom). Anyways, sharing-advertising, feel free to comment and/or check out my teacherspayteachers!

2021-ENG2D

Day "2"

Brief:

Today students are going to be starting class by reading a text and then looking for the who, what, where, when, why and how in the article provided. Working individually they will need to find the same information in regards to assigned article by the teacher.

Afterwards, the class will have opportunity to continue their readtheory.org work

Materials:

-LMS

-Article #1 (class reading)

-Articles#1-4 (individual reading/examination)

Learning Goals:

1. To demonstrate abilities in deducing context clues

2. To demonstrate understanding of news article structure

Success Criteria:

1. I have found the different parts of a lead paragraph

2. I have created questions about the article I have read to demonstrate understanding of the text

Intro:

-Students are going to be reading one by one (until the article is finished as a class), the news article as decided by the teacher

Students will be completing attendance questions for the teacher if they have not yet read before the end of the article

(CAMERAS ON/Audio OFF)

During:

-RECALL; The teacher will briefly lecture with students about :Who what where when why and how", mostly asking students to describe and demonstrate from the original article

-They will need to use highlighting to show the who what where when why and how of the articles they are reading.

5 MIN BREAK

Students will return and respond to the follow-up prompt

(CAMERAS ON/Audio OFF)

-Students create 5 original questions about the article they were reading

-Students answer assigned questions by classmate.

Wrap-Up:

-Last 5 minutes of class

"Readtheory.org"

Lesson Plan for the Online International Teacher in China (ENG2D) "Day 1"

Posting my lesson plan for an online lesson stint I need to participate in so I can keep things running smoothly (however disruptive online teaching is to a classroom). Anyways, sharing-advertising, feel free to comment and/or check out my teacherspayteachers!

2021-ENG2D

Day "1"

Brief:

Today students are going to be taking turns presenting an infographic that they found and comprehended. They will need to create 6 questions and post them to the discussion forum.

They will need to assign these questions to a class mate who will answer them in complete and full sentences.

Afterwards, the class will have a group dsicussion about which infographics were  easier to read than others and why.

Materials:

-LMS

Learning Goals:

1. To demonstrate abilities in reading graphics

2. To demonstrate abilities in thinking critically about a picture/graphic

Success Criteria:

1. I have selected an image that has information on it

2. I have created questions that show how i comprehend the graphic

Intro:

-Students are going to be taking turns presenting an infographic that they found and comprehended. They will need to create 6 questions and post them to the discussion forum.

Students will begin by responding to the attendance question in the chat box.

(CAMERAS ON/Audio OFF)

Such as:

During:

-They will need to assign these questions to a class mate who will answer them in complete and full sentences.

5 MIN BREAK

Students will return and respond to the follow-up prompt

(CAMERAS ON/Audio OFF)

-Students asnwer assigned questions by classmate.

Wrap-Up:

-The class will have a group dsicussion about which infographics were  easier to read than others and why.

-Last 5 minutes of class

"Readtheory.org"

Lesson Plan for the Online International Teacher in China (ENG4U) "Day 1"

Posting my lesson plan for an online lesson stint I need to participate in so I can keep things running smoothly (however disruptive online teaching is to a classroom). Anyways, sharing-advertising, feel free to comment and/or check out my teacherspayteachers!

 2021-ENG4U

Day "1"

Brief:

Today Students are going to be searching through the internet for an example of an advertisement that will need to be shown to the teacher and then to the class discussing whether the advert uses Ethos/Pathos/Logos.

The Advert will be shared with the class online and discussed in the same discussion forum where students will be expected to create a post on at least one of their classmate's adverts describing a language technique or organizational technique that they believe is used in the advert.

Students will then be using the rest of the class time to learn about how to debate and what the debate shall look like as well as have an opporunity to seek support in understanding how the debate will be marked.

Students will be split up into groups and then expected to begin research on topics that allow for ANY type of evidence so as long as it is on point/topic (as much as we can control that with these topics).

Materials:

-Debate format document

-Debate rubric

-Oral Rubric

Learning Goals:

1. To better understand the process in the development of an argument

2. To demonstrate understanding of argumentative forms

Success Criteria:

1. I have found evidence to support an idea in regards to a particular topic

2. I have actively participated in the development of an argument

Intro:

-Students will begin by responding to the attendance question in the chat box.

(CAMERAS ON/Audio OFF)

-Students will be given an example such as this: (from the internet, source provided)

They will then need to listen to an explanatino by the teacher in regards to the task.

Students will be given 10 minutes to investigate a grpahic that they feel utilizes (noticeably) either, ethos, pathos or logos. They will need to describe which is used in their discussion posts that they will make on the LMS after finding the graphic.

Students will then go to the discussion post for 5 minutes, choose a post with no replies and comment on what language or organizational tehcnique is used.

During:

Students will then be given the documents referred to as Rubrics

The teacher will discuss the details of the rubric and allow for questions

The teacher will then ask students to open the debate format document.

5 MIN BREAK

Students will come back from break, ask any questions needed

Students will be shown a video of harvard students participating in a debate.

Open the floor to discussion.

Teacher will arrange students into groups (3 min), and then deliver topics based on teacher discretion.

Wrap-Up:

Students will be in discussion with teacher in regards to discussion, the topics are to be researched duirng stufy block that night.

Someone inquired about Short Stories for Students

 I can't say I personally use these commerically, but what I can say is that if you like to hsare short stories with folks accordingly or for your own pleasure reading here are some goods ones to check out from the Chicken Noodle Soup for the Soul Series.

Check out the links beneath, might find some of these links rather helpful as well!

Chicken Soup for the Soul 20th Anniversary Edition

"One at a Time"

"On Courage"

To name a couple cheesey favourites!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_z-0BCeI77VAkpMkay1-Lm3yYblGC0_e?usp=sharing

Dalian Maple Leaf International School-STAY AWAY! (2016-2021)

After 6 years of working at DMLIS,

I have finally been able to make a pathway for myself to get out suitably. I found myself in a situation where it was pragmatic for me to be in Dalian, LiaoNing (PRC). I therefore held my employment at DMLIS (Dalian Maple Leaf International School) for a number of years where I was privy to some fairly shocking and surprising things. Being in a relationship with a local who I married and had my first born with, it was not an easy decision to stay here (for myself-I made it work for my family), but this year has been the straw that broke "the camel's back"-my back.

After relentless requests for changes and improvements around the school but never seeing changes made-I decided that enough is enough and I am mentally and physically better off elsewhere. The school is stepping away from BC's TRB which is also not surprising as the quality of education there is seemingly diminishing as time goes on.

To teachers heading that way for work-consider this your fair warning. I have been there a number of years needed to get out for a number of reasons. You will find that people who have been there for a long time have made it home and for others they are quickly trying to make it as much a home as they can because of the fact that they feel they "have no place else to go and would rather not work as a teacher than go back," to their country of origin.

This school is one I have worked at for five years and unfortunately I had established a comfortable life. Its unfortunate because its not difficult for me to get comfortable and situated, but when I am-I don't like moving around anymore (especially because I have a family now). However being at this school (particularly just with this company-possibly campus), it has gotten so uncomfortable in such a short period of time.
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This isn't actually the first time that I had experienced this-it has been consistent in EVERY year that there was copious amounts of teaching assignments or timetables for teachers/students. My first yer and first block actually teaching was handed out at the beginning of the day and as I went to collect my key (as the room was locked) I was told to come back after my first teaching block which was actually in a different classroom (no key needed). My students were waiting at the classroom right as the bell rang and I was running to get a key. I was informed there was no key for that room-the room in fact didn't exist. I was then instructed to patiently wait as they look into the issue (they being the secretary as the administration was busy-dealing with the other issues like my own). I went upstairs to go to the classroom and collect my students where I realized that the classroom was actually a legitimate storage closet. No, one had a key for this room as it was lost and left unused. I returned to request the key and further details to my situation. I was again told to come back after they review the list of available classrooms and work out a solution to the problem. I walked on with my students and completed introductions with my students. Nearing the end of the day I was tired of "waiting" and situated my class in a random empty classroom, completed introductions and ended the day. the end of the day I recieved an apology and a room key-top floor of the building with the math classrooms-no room for me on the English classroom floor. Needless to say I spent a lot of time making that "my classroom and being up there on my own-a lot. but I guess that's a whole other experience in itself.


Fig. 1-"First day of school?" Pearson Powerschool Gradebook Web Tool, screen-shot on the first day of classes.

This is the first day of school? No? Look in the bottom right hand corner of the screen and you can see this is actually the Sunday @3:50pm(before the Monday-first day of classes).

I have heard administration blame the previous administration for their round-about antics of a chicken with its head cut-off. It goes without saying that it doesn't matter what state it was left in-but what are you going to do to fix it?

There are some administrators who I respect for trying to fix a broken system, and others who I loathe for simply playing into their own ego's. I have yet to seen DMLIS stay consistent with a policy consecutively in regards to course selection and student placement over a span of two years. (2019-2018)

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As time goes on, its interesting you know, the way that teachers in this profession are interested and willing to go to a bar that is called "1%" Bar and known to be associated with an international band of criminals, known as "The Red Devils". But hey, the school doesn't mind, its only immoral if there is photographic evidence of the students who may also be there. Teachers have ended up on social media passed out on the couch in which students inquired with the teacher about the state they were in during the picture. (2019)
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A teacher had reportedly "Sold" Dalian Maple Leaf Moose merchandise (shirts) in my first year as a teacher and laughed when the money collected ended up going "no where"/"somewhere" depending on the variation of the story you hear/heard. This was an experienced teacher who admittedly told their students that the money was put towards other funds in the Maple Leaf School. The teacher never clarified if the money was returned to the students when probed by colleagues. (2015)
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A teacher with PTSD (who had admitted to have a cognitive disorder was placed in a classroom with students after repeatedly admitting to being too tired and stressed out to work with students of the male gender as she felt "unsafe" and "uncomfortable" with her students in the class. The teacher was able to stay at DMLIS for the length of their contract and was not known to have been accommodated, but actually scrutinized by colleagues and staff members for her antics in the office and classroom. (2016-2018)
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When it comes to textbooks some schools are shelling out contract after contract in search of an original and effective peiece of literature for mediocre teachers to reference and avoid lesson planning of their own. That's a bit of a shoot at teachers and staff leadership BTW. Nonetheless, I am sharing this "Maple Leaf Grade 12 English" Textbook that is "original" and abiding by the copyright laws of the its contents are actually under. Wait. If students are buying these books-are they following copyright laws? The simple answer is "No." and the easy answer is-after making these pieces of garbage, let's just not hand them out to students or teachers. It was funny/super depressing to see hundreds of these books floating around from storage room to storage room until they finally made their way into the trash cansof the teachers who "needed to collect them". How much did the school pay someone to copy and paste resource after resource from school resource archives and the internet you ask? about 5000$ CAD-not a bad little stipened. How much were students paying per book (supposed to pay)-numbers seem to be guessed between 100-300 RMB. There was never an official mention of anything in regards to the book because the system coordinator (Ashley Gastonguay who played a huge role in this book's development), basically had it swept under the carpet to make way for "The NEW BC Curriculum"-which resulted in a new set of course development and textbook development projects.

(Here is the book and some of the resources I shot photos of before tossing my copy)

Fig.2-This is the book after I tore out about all of the plagiarized/copyright material; I didn't take a before picture but its quite disproportionate in regards to original resources vs. infrgined copyright resources

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As a future father I made a mistake and was reprimanded for it. I was booking a return flight to Canada for my wife (who was pregnant and myself. I needed to get my wife home ASAP for the holiday as she was flipping out about when the flight would be and when the point of no flying was going to be versus when we were taking off. I requested an official audience with my principal who blatantly ignored my email-didn't follow up and then left the campus for about a whole week. afterwards I tried following up a couple times but was told it was not a good time for a number of reasons. I finally caught the principal in teh hallway during an exam day and said 'I want to take a formal leave of absence for our final "NON-CONTACT"/"HALF"/Contract Day' I was told we would have a follow-up and I said I can't I need to leave the next day for (yes, I gave a BS reason as this principal was basically saying people couldn't leave the last day-no matter what), preparing my new apartment for the next year-ya he said yes to that, but not to catching a flight. After taking off and returning he beat around the bush and inquired about my absence on the last day. Knowing full well the school knows when my tickets are booked I was waiting for him to just say "well you did take an official leave of absence, but no-I appaarently didn't" as I needed to fill in "official paperwork" which at that time didn't exist and surprinsgly, hey-now it does...(2017-2019)

Part of the reason the hammer was dropped on me in teh prevviously stated situaiton was because of this "TOC misconduct". I had gotten ill and battled it out as best as I could for the week as I couldn't just take sick days before the holiday. Needless to say, a new father sick and flight booked for a trip that was seemingly one of the best trips I have ever taken as well as one the most regretable decisions (depending on how I look at it), was held against me because of "how it looks" and administration took it upon themsevles to reprimand myself and two fellow travellers who I made arragnements to meet with on vacation, for being sick the day before the holiday-call it what you will but the tickets were booked for after the day had ended and on top of that, the principal called it "a snow day" which meant the day even ended much earlier than usual-staff was offically let go and sent home. (2017-2018)

The next year, it was interesting that the staff was once again let go early the day before their holiday because "we thought it would be nice to have an early day and many people need to reach flights out for their holiday". (2018-2019)
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Racial discrimination for marketing purposes to parents of potential students and their parents. This is not the first time that this was actually verbalized in the workplace. A department head had actually mentioned that they heard parents getting worked up about the few caucasian teachers they have working in the English department at time (without "disruptive"/hard to understand accents as well).

Fig.2 "uhhh excuse me?" Email between myself and a secretary in the school's Main Office.

(2019-2020)

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They are paying this teacher something like 70K+ a year...yet they can't copy and paste...its going really well teaching online...to say the least. Instead of offering specialized professional development for teachers (there are a lot of them who have this difficulty), the school forces the training upon the teacher's Head of Department to take care and guide them through technical training which (in my experience as the teacher came to me asking me for help-after getting help from their head of department), is extremely daunting, overwhelming and difficult for the HOD to do in the first place due to the lack of English communication skills the teachers have.

(2019-2020)

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The school is offering a "pension plan", here are the details-its a real "steal" if you ask me!

(2019-2020)

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The school's response's to the COVID-19 fiasco...this was terribly handled at first by our school administration and SLOWLY got better, but still with teachers who felt concerned and uninformed on the process because the school didn't want to unveil anything that would deter the staff from returning early and thus disrupting the potential start date for DMLIS....as well as other campuses to reopen.

(2019-2020)
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MLIS has a bad history of being entitled to more than it is. There are many examples of this throughout their history, but none quite as shocking as this one. The school system was issued a halt on reopening due to the Coronavirus. Even if other schools were opening (as per government mandate), MLIS would still need to notify and inform the local educational authorities of such potential actions-more so propose a reopen date and obtain permission. The long and short of this MLIS experience was that the school issued official reopening statements and inquiries to parents/students of the high school before the school was set to reopen as per government mandate.

Fig.3 Received notice from MLIS Head Office Memo in circulation notifying the actions taken by their high school in Yancheng (PRC). 

(2019-2020)

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Amidst the Coronavirus outbreak (at first call for state of emergency in China nearing), the Principal Ryan Waurynchuk took his family to Thailand after travel had began to be discouraged by the PRC as well as other countries. The actions of the Principal were sent as a "matter of fact in nature" trying to persuade teachers and staff to not worry or "panic" which is understandable. However, to then return and expect to walk back into a school of 2000 plus students/staff-is a little silly I feel. Teachers, staff and the Superintendent had reported (next day), that this is a state of emergency and the school is considering a new opening date.

(2019-2020)
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The school took the reopening quite nonchalantly as it left copious gaps in their reopening plan that (even after holding a meeting to clarify the "details") were still left unanswered. Its difficult to believe that the timelines of information being fed to school staff is not a strategy to increase complacency with the school's wishes. A teacher re-voiced concerns after they were ignored/disregarded as answerable by the senior administration.

Sent by a teacher as mass email to all campus staff:

"I appreciate the questions and answers, but some of them still don’t address the concerns we have. If a students only needs “a signed certificate of isolation “ how are we sure they are not lying? Also students will be traveling here to Dalian from wherever they are, what happens if they get sick on their way here? The latest case in Dalian was brought from outside the country and according to official reports, tested negative twice for a fever, although he has the virus. So I don’t feel comfortable with testing fever 5 times a day if that might not prove that they are sick. What other measures will be put in place? And what about a person who shows no symptoms but has the virus, how could this be addressed?"

(2019-2020)

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In my last year in the Sr. English Dept. teaching Grade 11 students, Maple Leaf's Global Curriculum goes public with pirated resources that are not only "prated" but also "faintly racist". The icing on the cake for the resource was that one of the options was not even in English. Online learning wasn't the worst thing that could have ever happened to ML.

(2019-2020)
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The school forgot to remind teachers to report temperatures for the whole week during the COVID-19 outbreak as the school prepares to open. The school here is referring to the Monday-Friday of April 20-24th 2020.

(2019-2020)

(2019-2020)

Is Someone Selling Your Personal Information!?

 https://rocketreach.co/person

This was the weirdest and absolutely random find when I was doing a digital footprint search on myself. I checked out my name in Google images, I found some odds and ends from another life, but what I didn't understand is why "Rocketreach" was posing as my linkedin.

After clicking I came to the conclusion that the profile picture I saw had not been my linkedin profile but a mock linkedin with less professional interfacing and more of a phonebook style operation. I figured at first that this was something I signed up for-I had actually not. 

This internet phonebook contains A LOT of people's information, people I know and don't know (obviously)-someone people who in fact I know would not want their name and face to appear together (in some cases), in others there were things like "BEST PERSONAL" email to contact this person and "BEST PROFESSIONAL". (screenshot incldued below)

I have a fair bit of information available on the internet, but its scattered strategically to play the parts I need it to play in the circles I need it to be played. What I don't need are students, parents, coworkers getting my phone number and using it for reasons beyond simply contacting me out of need or request as made by myself. 

I emailed Rocketreach, here was the correspondance between us-seems like they are trying to be polite and responsible about the situation but have no realized that when people found out they were being sold (essentially-as they put it), that folks may not be happy about that. (screenshots below)

I was wondering why I was getting so much spam messages recently. What these  companies that run as phone books don't realize is that they are making you more open for hackers; making your information available for marketers and essentially invading your privacy by taking information of yours without consent.

In a way Linkedin does this but they also have more barriers and checks in place to ensure that people looking you up are really looking you up and getting in contact for necessary reassons-through a platform-not your personal or professional phone number.

Just sharing-especially if you hate spam as much as I do.

On another note, couldn't help but think "BEST Stalker Tool" would have been a bit of an alarming post to have as a title :p

Shakespeare in the 21st Century (in honour of April 23rd)

Its Shakespeare's B-DAY!? A colleague of mine brought up throwing a birthday party as we had the uncanny beginning of Romeo and Juliet in our ENG2D class through this past week, "why not throw a birthday?". I am all for starting traditions and celebrating international "blah blah blah days", let's do it!

This post is going to talk about some of the things we did in our B-day parties for Shakespeare and if you like, you can head over to my TPT store front and purchase some of the resources with lesson plans built for the ON Curriculum of Grade 10 Academic English.

Check out a Poem called, :"Masquerade Ball" by Special K.

This was key in setting a more comfortable and welcoming tone to the Shakespeare Webquest/Intro week that leads to his birthday.

NOTE: In my resource bundles you will find oddss and ends-PPT's and worksheets that scaffold literary devices; and student communcation.

Masquerade Ball is a great intro text for pairing with RNJ because of the quick injection into that scene that the story gets into (or that teachers may jump scenes to)

Students painted pulp paper masks (I acutally wanted to have paper mache masks made but time wasn't permitting. Students painted, discussed, cleaned up-it was a nice class climate building acitvity that led to a journal reflection (in a particular three paragraph structure) that was submitted for formative communication, knowledge, and application feedback. 

These masks would be worn on Friday during the acitvities and could be included in an activity if the teacher made it such.

Students will then be participating in a webquest that requires them to ifll in information about a timeline of Shakespeare's life (scavebger hunt around the room style)-based off some activities as shared by onestopenglish.com; I had to make them more ELL appropriate as the tasks were too mundane and yet too difficult to concenstrate on as actively with the amount of translation needed to access the materials in the way they weren't to be.

Note, Romeo and juliet is often done with grades 9 and/or 10, feel free to amend resources accoridngly.

If you like those teasers for the introduction price-keep an eye out for full unit plans in regards to Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet  

Recently came across a great and easy to use Shakespeare Classic Play Study tool (no VPN needed)!

Hamlet

https://myshakespeare.com/hamlet/act-1-scene-1

Macbeth

https://myshakespeare.com/macbeth/act-1-scene-1

Romeo and Juliet

https://myshakespeare.com/romeo-and-juliet/act-1-scene-1

When you are cleaning out Teaching Resources and Harddrives...

A Little Me

            My name is Carmelo Bono, I am twenty-two years old and have been in Thunder Bay for the past five. I am originally from the rural areas outside of Hamilton where I grew up on a farm in a traditionally Italian family. I am heterosexual and have not practised anything that would make people think otherwise, however when I was younger my friends and family were unsure at times (as much as they were reluctant to say it to me). I do not have anything against being a homosexual, but I think it just really hurt that they were thinking I was a homosexual, and were not openly willing to ask me about. It is really quite silly to think that from being a young male who can’t keep a relationship, hangs out with just as many girls (who are friends) as he does guys; wears slim fit button up collared shirts; and likes the colour pink; people automatically assume the boy is gay. I know I am a little guy, I am small, short, I don’t have the deepest voice and I certainly do not have the muscle mass that most of my friends are blessed with; but does this give people the right to make their presumptions, not only about who I am but what my likes and dislikes are before evening learning my name? I was insulted by my family, my friends and teachers, yet I never said a thing.

            I let people think what they want, if they were my friends, it wouldn’t matter and if the girl I liked, turned around and liked me back, I would try to kiss her. I actually once had a girl who I went in for a kiss with and she asked me “Aren’t you gay?” I laughed, got up to walk away, she stopped me quickly and said “Oh hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that, I just really like you and I didn’t expect that from you.” I ended up dating her, but people still had their doubts which were because of how I dressed which by today’s standards now is pretty damn good!

            I played football all through high school and near the tail end of my time I began to adopt a rougher look. I was convinced that maybe if I didn’t seem so prim and proper; if I came across as a little tougher by wearing plaid, backwards hats, band shirts, and etc. that this stigma of my fashion would come to an end. Unfortunately I lost a lot of the look I used to appreciate, but I can still clean up damn good when I like or need to. I don’t think I can spend a week without saying I am happy with the way I look if I do not get some plaid into my fashion some how. I identify strongly with how I dress, whether it is comfortable, “hot” or professional, etc. I wish I didn’t but it was just such a heavy impact on my self-image that I am aware of it, but it still makes me uneasy when stepping out of my “comfort clothes”. I don’t ever allow anyone to make those judgments of me nor do I judge people based on the way they dress either. I do not like it, I do not appreciate it and as much as I dislike uniforms in schools, I feel that they are a food thing to have to stop such confusing matters of identity in youth.

            Self-policing is best described and analogized as Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon. The Panopticon is a prison structure in which reinforces self-policing within the cells of inmates. The prison structure is characterized by the main building encircling the recreation yard and a guard tower that stand tall in the middle of the recreation yard. The inmate cells would be facing the inside of the recreation yard open to be seen by all within the circle. The tower would be many two way mirrors so that the inmates could not see into the tower but the guards can see out of the tower. This idea is to create constant psychological paranoia; this is because the inmates do not know when the guards are watching them. This paranoia is used to make the inmates worried about being caught for something wrong they do. Without knowing when and who is looking, will they risk do something wrong. We see this constant surveillance of self or self-policing, everywhere today. Our technological age also heavily reinforces this through “random” Youtube videos, Vine, Facebook, America’s Funniest Home Videos, etc.

            In current day media this self-policing is exemplified by through the reinforcement of what is male culture versus that of what is considered female culture. The music video by for the song “He Can’t Even Bait a Hook” by Justin Moore is a video that speaks strongly out about what features in a man attract a woman, which features are manly to have and how having these features do not make you a real man somehow, thus the “He Can’t Even”. The song is a country song which holds a stigma in itself as it is normally associated with blue collar, boring/too crazy of people; also says to its audience that not wearing plaid is unmanly, and that if you are an academic you must be a fool because they do not do anything with their hands. The song tries to associate “manly” activities with life experience and that you can only have life experience if you are a hard working blue collar man. I personally do not associate with the video myself, however in the end the man who can’t even bait a hook, does get the woman. The reason I still do not appreciate the course of the music video is because the video was making

            It is hard to believe that teenagers and adults alike can be so easily fooled into thinking that a person’s personality can be so easily determined based on such a superficial analysis. Parents do it to teenagers just as often as teenagers do it to other teenagers. This could be understood as a consequence to television show stereotypes or even one’s own schematic knowledge. Schematic knowledge is a term regarding the cognitive functioning of the human brain. It is the ability to read things around one and draw conclusions/presumptions regarding results and pretences as to the context of the object or event. Most schematic knowledge comes from or is influenced over consistent occurrence after a long period of time. In some modern cases it is safe to say that a lot of television shows have influenced people’s schematic knowledge regarding social cues and personality traits that are stereotypically associated with each other. These stereotypes can come from a number of different sources but the most common ones are evidently from drama genre television shows like 90210, Gossip Girl, and The O.C. For example, on a show called One Tree Hill a character who no one expected was gay turns out to be gay and the justification given by a character is “Oh! Well it all makes sense now. Why he was so quiet, why he was so withdrawn and so friendly towards the girls…No wonder he was so nicely dressed.” We are given forcefully without any solid factual evidence, the classic attributes that are associated with a closet homosexual male. It is not fair to the individuals who are categorized as such that do not actually act that way, nor is it fair to those that act in a similar manner but need not be classified as such an individual.

            We may never be able to return to a neutral self-image; but then again after some time we might be able to. It is hard to say and impossible to know, however which way one argues, it is undeniable that it will be a long and controversial transition from conservative to liberal, to whatever may come of the synthesis between this thesis and antithesis.

            So in my future teaching career, regardless of where it will be, I will support the choice for uniforms in a school. I think this is a great idea because even though it can still be manipulated, it is relatively gender neutral, aside from the Kilts; but even those are really gender neutral. If the kilts were meant for just girls, they would have actually been called skirts. When I am out in the teaching realm, and I am up in front of thirty or twenty eager students to pick apart their new supply teacher for wearing hot pink shirts or white jeans; I will not only be sure to prove to them that a personality is a personality and fashion is a fashion. I mean when I say personality is personality, fashion is fashion; is that one does not have to reflect the other even if they sometimes do.

The Teacher Candidate: "Assignment from Integrated Technology Class" (Lakehead Universiity)

Find the list of technologies and the assignment resources described here:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Technologies-PLC-Activity-6865490

(yes its a free resource) 

All the best!

This is an assignment I worked on while studying instructional technologies while I was enrolled in Teacher's College.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Assignment 1.

One goal of this assignment is to give you time to explore and review the many technologies, software, apps and resources that are currently available to educators. A second and in my opinion  more important goal is to give you opportunity to consider how you might use these things in the classroom. The hope is that you will generate a review that you can use as a starting point to guide your use of technology as you begin your life as ateacher. The product you submit for assignment 1 shou ld contain the following :

1. A review of contemporary educational technologies

2. A review of presentation, screen capture and movie production technologies.

3. A review of mobile education al applications for Apple iPAD or Android or Google or Web 2.0 applications or for a mix of operating systems

4. A review of the many educational technology resources that are now available (blogs, web sites, repositories, li nkedin groups, facebook groups, etc to guide your use of technology or to elsewise guide your professional development when you are teaching

Notes on points 1 above :

Use the List of Technologies file I provide in D2L as a st arting place for your research for this component of Assignment 1. In addition to technologies in the list you may wish to review :

Tablet technology for classroom use

None

Software technologies used in the classroom*

Gaming for classroom use

Virtual reality for classroom use

Enhanced reality for classroom use

Future educational technologies

Notes on point 2 above :

The list of technologies file provides links to presentation software to start you on this section of Assignment 1.

Assignment 2 requires that you demonstrate proficiency with a presentation technology (other than PowerP oint ). Optimal use of your time for assignment 1 wo uld include a review of SMART and/ or Prezi as preparation for assignment 2.

Note:

SMART Notebook can be downloaded fromNotebook can be downloaded from::

http://smarttech.com/us/Support/Browse+Support/Down

http://smarttech.com/us/Support/Browse+Support/Download+Softwareload+Software

Click on "Choose a version" Under SMART Notebook collaborative

Click on "Choose a version" Under SMART Notebook collaborative learning software and select your operating systemlearning software and select your operating system

Here is your product key. I. If you do not enter a key the software f you do not enter a key the software will will not not be fully functional for 30 days, and you will be be fully functional for 30 days, and you will be prprompted for the key after that timeompted for the key after that time. .

NB--AECA8AECA8--CSEMHCSEMH--NFHQVNFHQV--QYCAPQYCAP

For the review, click help/tutorial. There you will find a lick help/tutorial. There you will find a

Nice and very accessible and very accessible introduction introduction to some of the more to some of the more popular functions of popular functions of SMART. If at any point SMART. If at any point you get stuck you get stuck in in your review of SMART iew of SMART email me to make an email me to make an appointment to review appointment to review of this technology. technology.

Note too that Assignment 2 requires that you produce screen

Note too that Assignment 2 requires that you produce screen capture files and a movie as part of a virtual lesson. In recent capture files and a movie as part of a virtual lesson. In recent years I cannot recall one student who could not creayears I cannot recall one student who could not create and edit te and edit a movie. That said, if the task is new to youa movie. That said, if the task is new to you,, be sure to review be sure to review screen capture, movie capture and production technologies screen capture, movie capture and production technologies carefully as part of assignment 1. If screen capture and movie carefully as part of assignment 1. If screen capture and movie production will be problematic for you please refer to theproduction will be problematic for you please refer to the tutorials I generated and placed in D2L and/or arrange to meet tutorials I generated and placed in D2L and/or arrange to meet me for a quick review. me for a quick review.

Notes on point 3 above: :

You are free to investigate any mobile mobile app you think fit. app you think fit. However, given the number of apps out thHowever, given the number of apps out there ere I suggest I suggest you would you would do welldo well to to begin ybegin your review by visiting the our review by visiting the Bloomin Apps page Bloomin Apps page at Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everythingat Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything: :

http://www.schrockguide.net/bloomin

http://www.schrockguide.net/bloomin--apps.htmlapps.html

Kathy has found some of of the the more tried, true and popular more tried, true and popular appapps s out thereout there and and providedprovided them inthem in charts that organizecharts that organize them by them by operating sysoperating system and tem and by ways of by ways of the the stagestage of Bloom’s digital of Bloom’s digital taxonomytaxonomy to which they can be appliedto which they can be applied. .

No doubt you are familiar with a good number of apps already and are familiar with a good number of apps already and have them on your device. have them on your device. PPerhaps erhaps though you have never though you have never considered how best to considered how best to use them in the classroomuse them in the classroom? Now is your ? Now is your chance. chance.

Note on point 4 above:

The list of technologies file

The list of technologies file provides links you can use to provides links you can use to start your research for this section of assignment 1. start your research for this section of assignment 1. There are far too many out there for me to provide a comprehensive many out there for me to provide a comprehensive listing. listing. That said you ought to be able to find a set of That said you ought to be able to find a set of resources that will serve you well when you begin teaching.resources that will serve you well when you begin teaching. You You may choose to review resources that will serve you as you seek may choose to review resources that will serve you as you seek to improve your knto improve your knowledge of technology use in the classroom and owledge of technology use in the classroom and too you may choose to review resources that will supplement and too you may choose to review resources that will supplement and support your professional development support your professional development elsewiseelsewise(your knowledge of (your knowledge of class management, lesson design etc)class management, lesson design etc)

What information do you need to place in your to place in your rreviews?

Each review for for points 1 through 3 points 1 through 3 above above should:should:

1. Name the technology

2. Provide a lProvide a link to ink to an official or other web site that sells (or provides) the technology

3. Describe the technologythe technology (what is its nature, how do the how do the links you provide suggest it be used. please don’t just copy the text in the links)

4. Describe known and known and potential* classroom uses for each technology reviewed 

*Potential uses would be those uses that you feelyou feel you can adapt you can adapt the technology toward. the technology toward. In regard to potential uses be as e as creative as you wish just make sure youjust make sure you clearly indicate which uses are known (provided by the company) and which are potentialand which are potential (imagined and designed by you) .

Note,

Note, marking against the Faculty of Education rubric requires marking against the Faculty of Education rubric requires consideration of consideration of the professional look of your workthe professional look of your work so please so please feel free to addfeel free to add multimedia multimedia to your submission to your submission as yoas you see fit.u see fit.

Each review for point 4 should:

1. Name each resourceresource

2. Provide a link to each resource

3.Describe the resource resource

4. Indicate ways and means byIndicate ways and means by which you canwhich you can/will/will use the use the resource to increase your knowledge of technology use in the increase your knowledge of technology use in the classroom or indicate how you will use the resource toyou will use the resource to enhance enhancenother aspects of your your professional development professional development when you are when you are teaching

http://education.lakeheadu.ca/undergraduate/uploads/Microsoft_Word_--_Faculty_of_Ed_Grading_Policies.pdf

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Horror and Zombie Lit (Ideas) 2021

I have been working on Shakespeare units having moved to GZ and working in an Ontario Offshore school. Working with Grade 12's initially our English 4U classes were working on Hamlet. Since then I have been developing a unit for Macbeth.

The Macbeth unit has taken a turn towards horror and looking at literature from a more mechanics of writing point of view (formalist) rather than a more author/genre based study of the text (Structuralist) 

 Working on a Zombies Unit/Course for Grade 12 literature (due to coursee content)Horror/Suspense focus point rather than a complete diversification or strict following of "contemporary literature". The unit has been developing into this horror and suspense genre of readings that students are "mostly" into, with varying degrees of interest based on what activities I do to get them into it.

The Zombie unit/course is a plan I created while working at a BC Offshore school but never had an opportunity to use. After this Macbeth unit, I dug up the resources and have been contemplating on offer this unit for the short stories side of course OR cleaning it up a bit to make it appropriate for a grade 10/11 graphic novel unit.

Expect to see resources released in the near future, I havea  few I need to put together with a nice bow and release as well as a some nice informative and entertaining lessons for students/teachers.

Just posting this video here so I know where to find it, thought I would also share some details as to plans.

Zombie Snail (The parasite's life cycle)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go_LIz7kTok

All the best!