No I will not tell you 25 weird and embarrassing things about myself, for that you'll have to take me out for a beer.
On the other hand, someone Tweeted this page: http://dailyuw.com/2006/12/7/25-books-to-read-before-age-25/ and I was surprised at the number of GOOD books that made the list. However, I did see some changes that could be made, so here is my own, personal take on such an idea:
These are in no particular order!
1) Dune by Fank Hebert - Easily one of the best science fiction novels of all time. But ignore the rest of the series, they're garbage.
2) The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay - One of the first books I ever read where I found myself staying up later and later each night so I could keep reading.
3) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - I just re-read this sucker a few weeks ago and I still couldn't put it down.
4) Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad - Short, simple, and mesmerizing. A classic detective type story of a brilliant man who goes "native," told form the perspective of the one sent to get him.
5) Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - Although the list suggested the Fountainhead, I found Atlas Shrugged to be much more captivating. And less DRY.
6) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Seems a lot of classics made this list, I enjoyed the book, it's nice a short, and you can totally see how much Hemingway had an impact on the writers of that time.
7) The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway - Another great Modernist classic, but I should also give mention to reading For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea. All are from a similar vein.
8) Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - Absolutely fantastic. I read this book based on a recommendation form my girlfriend, and it's definitely in my top 25. READ IT.
9) The Catcher in Rye by J.D.Salinger - I read this novel when I was a teenager and it just seemed weird. I re-read it a few years later when I was in my 20's and suddenly I understood what all the fuss was about.
10) 1984 by George Orwell - I was forced to read this book in grade 8. Scared the crap out of me. But it's much better than Animal Farm, in my opinion.
11) The Crucible by Arther Miller - I'm not much for reading plays, they're much better live. But there is a special place in my heart for the Crucible. Also very scary.
12) The Stand by Steven King - I'm not much a horror fan, and King was always a horrible writer, but some of his ideas are just awesome. I'll repeat that for the critics: IT'S HIS IDEAS THAT ARE SCARY (and his writing.)
13) The Handmaid's Tale or Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood - I'm not big on Atwood, talented though she is, these two books however will keep you up at night.
14) Boris by Japp Ter Haar - This is a children's book, mind the pictures, about a boy and his best friend Nadia. Set during the bombing of Leningrad in World War II. You will cry, so be prepared.
15) The Animals of Farthing Wood by Colin Dann - Second on the list of children's book, this story is told form the perspective of a bunch of animals trying to reach a sanctuary. Anyone interested in the environment should start here.
16) The Wars by Timothy Findley - I can't say enough about his entire body of work, you should probably go out and buy all of his books and you will not be disappointed. But as a Canadian, start with the Wars.
17) Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - Most of Follett's stuff is "easy to read airplane drivel," but Pillars remains one of those fiction greats which is passed on and on. Try not to get too attached to the characters, I dare you!
18) The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum - Forget the movies, the book is ten times better.
19) Exodus by Leon Uris - Not exactly light reading, and I refuse to get into a political debate about who's right or who's wrong. But this book was an eye opener. Also check out Redemption, well worth a read.
20) The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein - Another children's book, but who can say enough about Shel? This story about life, love and our own mortality will stay with you forever.
21) This Other Eden by Ben Elton - Dark reading my friends, satire to the end! But Elton is a genius. Also read High Society and Dead Famous.
22) Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King - Think you have opinions about natives in Canada? Read this and get back to me.
23) Barometer Rising by Hugh Maclennan - The true Canadian author, and it's about an explosion near Halifax! But if you're from Quebec you'd better read Two Solitudes...
24) Shogun by James Clavell - When I was a kid I wanted to be a Ninja, took karate lesson and everything. This is a tough read but it was worth it to learn that Ninja's are not nearly as cool as the Samurai.
25) SERIES - I saved my last choice for some great series to read: Harry Potter anyone? Also check out the Hannibal Lecter series by Thomas Harris, C.S. Lewis' 7 Narnia books, Richard Pullman's Dark Materials and of course: The Lord of the Rings.
Questions? Comments? Additions?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Subtle Shift
This is the point of the year where I find I have to really push myself to stay on top of things. Early on, it's easy to stay driven, looking for new ideas, new sites, new whatever to introduce to your class. But at this point, things get bogged (blogged?) down.
After reading Will Richardson's blog about how things are headed south of the border, I posted comment which included one of my favorite quotes from when I was an education student (is that an oxymoron?):
Will's blog revolved around how in the US, they work towards "boosting marks." Whereas up here, and I can only speak for Quebec at this point, the High School leaving standards are dropping as fast as the Montreal Canadians standings in the East. Quebec appears to be in a pitched battle against a dropout rate that scares even the students (it's somewhere around 25% for the entire province - but it can get up above 40% in some of the public boards...) And yet the standards keep falling.
Is this really helping our students? Probably not, but at least their bottom line looks ok for re-election. Instead, we should be looking for a shift - a shift which is buried deep within Quebec's latest reform on student centered learning (if you read long and hard enough, it's in there!) This type of shift is slow and subtle, and it may even take a generation, but it can be done. What we should be looking at is MORE student centered teaching, MORE project based learning, MORE cross-curricular collaborative work, MORE emphasis on the arts and music and Phys Ed instead of just the old math-science-languages routine, and of course MORE time outside of the classroom.
That's right, I said it.
Whatcha going to do about it? eh?
After reading Will Richardson's blog about how things are headed south of the border, I posted comment which included one of my favorite quotes from when I was an education student (is that an oxymoron?):
"You are all here, studying to become teachers, because you think you can make a difference. But the reality is that the system will try and make you conform. That's what it does to the students, and that's what it's going to try and do to you..."Fresh out of University and into a public High School, I was unprepared for just how much Bob and hit the nail on the head. To this day, I still get complaints about my class being to loud or too active, but you have to be strong enough to let that slide. Too often I walk through the halls and see kids quietly sitting at their desks, staring at the front of the class, just counting the days until summer. In the staff room I hear complaints from the staff about how "weak" or "apathetic" this year's group is. And I constantly have to remind myself that quiet doesn't necessarily mean listening - then take it even further - because listening doesn't always equate to learning either!
- Dr. Bob Jickling, Lakehead Univeristy
Will's blog revolved around how in the US, they work towards "boosting marks." Whereas up here, and I can only speak for Quebec at this point, the High School leaving standards are dropping as fast as the Montreal Canadians standings in the East. Quebec appears to be in a pitched battle against a dropout rate that scares even the students (it's somewhere around 25% for the entire province - but it can get up above 40% in some of the public boards...) And yet the standards keep falling.
Is this really helping our students? Probably not, but at least their bottom line looks ok for re-election. Instead, we should be looking for a shift - a shift which is buried deep within Quebec's latest reform on student centered learning (if you read long and hard enough, it's in there!) This type of shift is slow and subtle, and it may even take a generation, but it can be done. What we should be looking at is MORE student centered teaching, MORE project based learning, MORE cross-curricular collaborative work, MORE emphasis on the arts and music and Phys Ed instead of just the old math-science-languages routine, and of course MORE time outside of the classroom.
That's right, I said it.
Whatcha going to do about it? eh?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Striving for Imaginative Learning
You give up something, for everything you gain.
Just as every pleasure, has its edge of pain.
You pay your ticket, and don't complain.
- Bob Dylan
One of my goals for this year was to provide as many technical "opportunities" for my students, especially with respect to handing in their work.
To often, I feel that today's "modern" educators are still stuck in the same old mentality: Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic. Although I agree, these skills are the main building blocks around which our system was set up hundreds of years ago, things are moving much faster these days. Thus, I salute Beth Knittle's thoughts on creating a more significant (and interpretive!) set of goals or a mission statement, but in the mean time, think about it for your own classroom.
Most students are smart enough to figure out that we are simply changing the windrow dressings. But that's ok, learning on any level still involves some kind of "pain" or what I like to call "effort." Too often I get kids who are excited by the computers in my room at first, but after a while, they realize that they are having to research and (God forbid!) actually read what some websites say! Shocking. But defiant children are all part of it, what you have to do is read how they are communicating with you. Maybe the student in question is embarassed about their reading skills, who knows, what's important is having a plan B.
My latest thing is getting some of my "continuously moving" kids to record their journal entries into E-Pearl or onto Audacity. I feel kind of sly when I do things like that, because suddenly I have them Edupunking their way around a new program, and they start learning without even realizing it.
As the year moves along, I find I am narrowing my scope in terms of what I'm looking for, and it is not the same old Power Point presentations. Instead, I notice I'm pushing outright IMAGINATION, regardless of the tool they use. You'd think we were back in pre-school! But that's the reality. Orginal though - presented through original work. Few jump at the opportunity, but the ones who do not only impress you as a teacher, they force you to think up new ways to push them...
Like Richard Mondoux - Here is what he presented to the class for his Career Exploration:
Absolutely brilliant.
Just as every pleasure, has its edge of pain.
You pay your ticket, and don't complain.
- Bob Dylan
One of my goals for this year was to provide as many technical "opportunities" for my students, especially with respect to handing in their work.
To often, I feel that today's "modern" educators are still stuck in the same old mentality: Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic. Although I agree, these skills are the main building blocks around which our system was set up hundreds of years ago, things are moving much faster these days. Thus, I salute Beth Knittle's thoughts on creating a more significant (and interpretive!) set of goals or a mission statement, but in the mean time, think about it for your own classroom.
Most students are smart enough to figure out that we are simply changing the windrow dressings. But that's ok, learning on any level still involves some kind of "pain" or what I like to call "effort." Too often I get kids who are excited by the computers in my room at first, but after a while, they realize that they are having to research and (God forbid!) actually read what some websites say! Shocking. But defiant children are all part of it, what you have to do is read how they are communicating with you. Maybe the student in question is embarassed about their reading skills, who knows, what's important is having a plan B.
My latest thing is getting some of my "continuously moving" kids to record their journal entries into E-Pearl or onto Audacity. I feel kind of sly when I do things like that, because suddenly I have them Edupunking their way around a new program, and they start learning without even realizing it.
As the year moves along, I find I am narrowing my scope in terms of what I'm looking for, and it is not the same old Power Point presentations. Instead, I notice I'm pushing outright IMAGINATION, regardless of the tool they use. You'd think we were back in pre-school! But that's the reality. Orginal though - presented through original work. Few jump at the opportunity, but the ones who do not only impress you as a teacher, they force you to think up new ways to push them...
Like Richard Mondoux - Here is what he presented to the class for his Career Exploration:
Absolutely brilliant.
Monday, January 19, 2009
36 Children
A friend of mine recently lent me a book called 36 Children by Hebert Kohl... It was written in the 1960's but not published until 1988. The book itself outlines the author's trials at teaching in Harlem and dealing with the apathy of the teaching staff towards their students. Anyone who has recently been through any kind of education program has heard the well established axiom about teacher expectations and how it can have a massive impact on student outcome. Especially when it has to do with differences in Socio-Economic Status. Personally, I have no doubts what so ever that our own views and opinions of our students play a heavy role in our students' own motivation, not mention their self-esteem.
But for the sake of argument, and after a few years in the public system, my views on this matter have mellowed somewhat.
Let us begin at the beginning: As young teachers pour out of our academic institutions, filled with the notion of carrying their high expectations out into their fresh new classrooms, what is the end result? Speaking from my own personal experience, I had to drop my expectations dramatically within the first few terms for fear of getting fired! It is one thing to have high expectations in terms of your overall outcomes, like teaching students the value of critical thinking and supporting their opinions, instead of worrying about the fact that their basic literacy skills are lacking. What I'm really saying is most new teachers have to adjust their expectations of how their students may present their work, instead of focusing on the same old essays and oral presentations.
Currently, I'm in the process of correcting my students work for Term 2. Marking and evaluating is always a bit of a de-moralizing experiment at my school in the sense that only about 1/3 of my students actually hand in their work. It's easy to see how teachers could slip into such an apathetic state, similar to the students no doubt, where you wonder "why bother?" But the upside is there, within that 1/3 who actually benefit from our hard work and the nights we spend concocting new assignments. Plus, it is the bane we carry as secondary school teachers, who are only truly recognized and valued once our students have moved on...
In reality, which is where the Public System is heavily entrenched, the average students is just that...Average. My new Principal actually said it best, when she described the average High School student as someone who needs the phone calls home and who needs to be reminded on a daily basis. And if I am being honest, I've never heard another educator describe students that way before. It was a bit of an eye-opener really.
Kohl's book is a stunning account of how he begins letting his Grade 6 group start to "lead" where the class would go. This is where you start to see the beauty of truly student-centered learning, be it either in a computer lab or on the side of mountain. I find myself constantly asking my students "what do you want to do now?" Most of the time they don't really know where to go, but that's ok...We're still learning. And Kohl's book is helping me to remember that just because we're not on topic, or the kids are browsing some other site, doesn't mean they aren't learning!
So how do you muster up the mustard (ha ha!) to keep pushing? Mid-week I had two of what would be called "problem students" come to visit me. These were two girls who, although very bright, would constantly push the boundaries of my patience in class...To the point where it would sometimes deteriorate into shouting matches. But they came to visit and we laughed together about the good times and the bad times, as if we were family. It was a good moment, and I'm putting it writing (like Kohl did) to help me focus on it...
TW
Video Clip - This week my father actually sent me a video feed from one of my favorite skiers: Shane McConkey himself. Every dream of flying?
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
The Uncertainty of Rejection
This post may follow a slightly personal note, so "bare" with me...Ha ha!
So far I still feel a little intimidated in writing on a Blog such as this, but I'm trying to force myself to be more reflective in my practices. The question I posted when I created this Blog was a funny one which I hadn't given much thought to as I punched it in. Nevertheless, Educational Technology was just something I fell into, as Quebec is in the midst of and educational overhaul.
To make a long story short, as a new teacher faced with minimal contracts, you take what you can get! And so that's a social science and language arts major ends up teaching a career development course based on internet research. In the end it was a good match, as the new Personal Orientation Project (or POP class - as the students call it) reflects the Ministry's ideals of "student centered exploratory learning." I could drone for hours considering the amount of educational jargon I've taken in over the last 3 years of professional days.
Yet, I had never really looked at my Outdoor Ed background as something useful for a "regular" classroom - but to my surprise, and especially in teaching POP, it helped quite a bit. Moreover, my less-than-stellar academic background led me into having some interesting employment while I was trying to find my way back into school. As a result, my experiences in the backcountry, be it BC, the Adirondacks or Europe, have given me a particular perspective on the world of work and it's relation to education. Hopefully, my students will absorb some of this wisdom.
So where do Outdoor Ed and Ed Tech really meet? It's not much of a jump at all really...Outdoor Ed is a largely relfective practice, where exploring, sharing, listening and discussing form the center of such interests. I am reminded stongly of my friend Anthony Berkers, who used to host "Pot Luck slide-shows" after one of his crazy climbing trips. And we would all gather in his basement Oooh-ing and Ahhh-ing as beautiful photos would ignite our imaginations. Simply put, most of the technology being developped under the umbrella of the Web 2.0 is based on this basic need: Share and discuss!
After a random phone call for some advice from a friend, I was asked to apply to my old CEGEP for a position in the Outdoor Education department. The only problem, is "Outdoor Ed" as a field does not exist in Quebec - Instead it is a sub-division of physical education. Unfortunately, none of my degrees are even close to Phys Ed, so I spent most of my afternoon Sunday fretting over my CV and anxiously e-mailing it to those concerned. Now I' into the Big Wait, where you nervously check your inbox for some kind of reply, with the uncertainty of rejection looming in the back of your mind.
Talk more soon,
TW
PS: This week's picture reminds me of this December 21st - After two days of -20 degree temperatures, we got a nice dump from Toronto - Which led to a very unproductive afternoon of skiing steep slopes right down to the highway.
So far I still feel a little intimidated in writing on a Blog such as this, but I'm trying to force myself to be more reflective in my practices. The question I posted when I created this Blog was a funny one which I hadn't given much thought to as I punched it in. Nevertheless, Educational Technology was just something I fell into, as Quebec is in the midst of and educational overhaul.
To make a long story short, as a new teacher faced with minimal contracts, you take what you can get! And so that's a social science and language arts major ends up teaching a career development course based on internet research. In the end it was a good match, as the new Personal Orientation Project (or POP class - as the students call it) reflects the Ministry's ideals of "student centered exploratory learning." I could drone for hours considering the amount of educational jargon I've taken in over the last 3 years of professional days.
Yet, I had never really looked at my Outdoor Ed background as something useful for a "regular" classroom - but to my surprise, and especially in teaching POP, it helped quite a bit. Moreover, my less-than-stellar academic background led me into having some interesting employment while I was trying to find my way back into school. As a result, my experiences in the backcountry, be it BC, the Adirondacks or Europe, have given me a particular perspective on the world of work and it's relation to education. Hopefully, my students will absorb some of this wisdom.
So where do Outdoor Ed and Ed Tech really meet? It's not much of a jump at all really...Outdoor Ed is a largely relfective practice, where exploring, sharing, listening and discussing form the center of such interests. I am reminded stongly of my friend Anthony Berkers, who used to host "Pot Luck slide-shows" after one of his crazy climbing trips. And we would all gather in his basement Oooh-ing and Ahhh-ing as beautiful photos would ignite our imaginations. Simply put, most of the technology being developped under the umbrella of the Web 2.0 is based on this basic need: Share and discuss!
After a random phone call for some advice from a friend, I was asked to apply to my old CEGEP for a position in the Outdoor Education department. The only problem, is "Outdoor Ed" as a field does not exist in Quebec - Instead it is a sub-division of physical education. Unfortunately, none of my degrees are even close to Phys Ed, so I spent most of my afternoon Sunday fretting over my CV and anxiously e-mailing it to those concerned. Now I' into the Big Wait, where you nervously check your inbox for some kind of reply, with the uncertainty of rejection looming in the back of your mind.
Talk more soon,
TW
PS: This week's picture reminds me of this December 21st - After two days of -20 degree temperatures, we got a nice dump from Toronto - Which led to a very unproductive afternoon of skiing steep slopes right down to the highway.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
