who i am still photo
May 31, 2009
The above is the still life version of my power point presentation. I read the criteria for the assignment after i had tried to post the powerpoint of my pictures that describe me. I believ I inserted both incorrectly as i think there must be a better way to to view the pictures without the tool bars on teh side but was unable to figure out how to post it this way. Therefore you get what you click on. I did put time and effort into the assignment but am afeared that it is not quite what was required. I will fix up any descrpancies after Monday`s class where I can talk face to face to a technologically savey person. Hopefully one will still be able to grasp my intent from what I attempted.
who i am in pictures
May 31, 2009
Sometimes music says more than words can.
May 27, 2009
It is interesting to me that the Ted talk I have enjoyed most had nothing do with words or talking. Not knowing anything about a Ted talks, in fact thinking I was literally going to be listening to some guy named Ted talk about the internet I was unprepared for the vast and diverse selections of video clips awaiting me when I clicked on the link. I listened to a couple of featured talks but truley was most inspired by Eric Lewis playing his piece on piano called ” Chaos and Harmony”. This clip was one of many amazing musical and instrumental pieces featured on Ted Talks. These clips especially the Eric Lewis clip changed my preconceived notions of what inspirational talks can be, beacause really music is a univeral language.
I was drawn to the title becasue it describes so life so perfectly. Every moment and every day is defined by how we react to the chaotic and how we treasure and work toward the those serene and peaceful times, when all seems in harmony. The fact the so called talk was completly played on the piano by one of the most passionate pianist only made the subject matter all the more meaningful. I am a firm believer that sometimes words fail but music transcends. No matter what ethnicity, social class, culture or faith base music has the power to go beyond all subject matter to grab ones attention. The fact that Eric Lewis played with so much conviction and talent only made his purpose and message more clear, helping to connect the listener to something important. It didn’t matter that some of the notes repulsed and made the listener cringe because the song was balanced with those notes and techniques that took ones breath away in awe and curiosity, once again I found my reactions to the song similar to my emotional responses throughout a day. There are those moments in life when you can stand back in awe at a sunset or a mountain, when all seems at harmony in the world and you can not imagine that there are bad things happening all around you. Juxtaposed to those times when you can’t breath, when you feel like nothing in this world will ever be just and true.
I could go on and on and maybe this would be cathartic for me to dwell on the things that the song did for my mind and heart but today my day was filled with anxiety and pain and the chaos is driving me to find some peace, preferably away from a computer screen, so I will end this blog for now. before I end though I must say everyone should take a moment to go onto Ted talks and listen to the absence of talking and find themselves a video clip of music being played because sometimes music can say so much more then words.
The yard from H-E-Double Hockey Sticks…a slide show
May 26, 2009
The Yard From H-E-Double Hockey Sticks Slide Show
Warning! The above link contains some graphic content regarding a mutant yard. There are images of a overgrown and chaotic foilage. There is also some graphic content containing images of the destruction of muchvegetation. Those sensitive to nature and the environment may not want to click on the above link.
I guess I forgot to explain the highs and lows of working with the BubbleShare tool off the CogDog site. High was that it was easy to put my own pictures from my computer into the grid system and the tool was user freindly. The low would be I could not figure out how to put it onto my blog in anything other than a link. I was also too scared to add music. I was afraid it woudl ruin the work I had done so by next MOnday I hope to have figured out how to add music to the slideshow. Overall I had a lot of fun and am looking forward to using more of the tools in the future maybe even for my final project. I can definatly see myself using these tools both for teaching in teh classroom and for personal use like for my parents upcoming 30th anniversary.
I hate when I am right…back to the W-5 blog
May 25, 2009
I have just found out some discouraging news. Unfortunatly it is something that I guessed would happen, although I really had hoped I would be wrong.
I will explain myself now. While watching the W-five show on gangs Iwas encouraged by the profile of the story of two teachers at Scott Collegiate who are providing kids a sense of belonging and mastery in the programs they established and ran, their programs are an alternative to joining gangs. However, after watching the piece I made some predictions. These predictions regarding these teachers stems from a very cynical atttitude I have reagrding the policies made by many school boards including Regina’s.
The prediction I made while watching the program was that I bet in the next year one if not both of these inspirational self sacrificing teachers will be transferred to another school because they will have maxed out the years one is allowed to teach at any given school. Boy do I hate it when I am right. Am I prophetic? No. Am I pessimist? Maybe. Am I a realist? Yes. The truth is the same thing happened to my mother over five years ago. She devoted eight years to Scott Collegiate building relationships, credibility and trust not only with the students but the parents, aunt, uncles, caregivers, and elders of the community. This is not a community who trusts easily and rightly so. Therefore doesn’t it make sense that it should take years for a teacher to establish trust with their school community. Years for them to proove that they are there for the good of the students. There to enhance the the options and programs for the communities youth. There to proove that they are not just in it for the teaching contract. Teachers who establish and run programs like drama, dance class or basketball teams, who have sacrificed to see that Scott Collegiate is a safe and secure place for youth are thanked with a “sorry you have been here too long we’ve moved you across town to a upper class white school.” Screw the trust you have established for years, it is the policy that will determine where you will teach. Forget that you have not grown complacent and apathetic toward your students and community BUT other teachers need a change of scenery, so you do too.
What is with our system? Anyone see anything wrong with this picture? When devoted passionate people are making a difference for at risk kids and are rewarded with a you’ve been here too long. Isn’t the reason at risk youth choose gang life is because their is a sense of belonging and security. Am I to understand that these teachers who have spent years getting their students the youth in the community to trust them and have worked hard to create a sense of security and belonging for their students are to be removed from these kids. On what planet is that establishing a sense stability or safety for at risk youth, for any youth. No wonder youth choose gangs there is no easy or convinient way to be removed from a gang. How many gang leaders are tranferred because they have lost their passion for their crew?
I know I should just accept that this teacher who was so praised for his efforts with the kids at risk will be able to use his talents with the upper class white school he is being moved to but I guess I can’t. It is not right, it is wrong on som any levels. Our city says we need ot adress teh issues facing inner city schools. Well face this problem. Policy needs to change. Why does the policy need to accomadate the tired and lazy teachers and punish the passionate and committed? I wish I had been wrong about my predictions. I hope and pray the kids this teacher is leaving behind are driven enough to keep his legacy going, that they can keep creating a secure and safe place for kids and their community to come. Man I hope I am right about that at least.
My computer is lucky to be alive!
May 25, 2009
View South Haven in a larger map -The map was diplayed as a image in my blog and then it wasn’t so I am unsure of how to get it to display without having the viewer click on it. At least the thing is somewhat where it suppose to be on time.
All I have to say is ahhhhh! My computer nearly hit the wall in a couple of times last night, lucky for it I only slammed the lid shut once. This map was a tricky thing to figure out and I know I still don’t have it the way it needs to be. I am at a loss on how to add a video link directly to the icon but I did try. However my google earth map with icons is fabulous I finished that one before I realized the assignment was to create a google map, two hours of wasted time, four hours of pure frustration and two hours of joy when something worked. Overall the experience was extremly maddening but that said I would absolutly use this program in my classroom.
Couldn’t sleep until I corrected my mistake
May 20, 2009
As I started to come down off my rant high, and when I start to think about what I have written in my previous blog ”Is bad press the only press?” I begin to realize that I made a mistake. I need to give credit to the W-5 news report about gangs for giving the audience hope. I remebered that they did a short interview with two Scott Collegiate teachers who are giving at risk youth alternatives to gang life. Prompts to the media, in this case, for showing that there are noble and dedicated people, who give of their time in order to provide at risk youth a sense of belonging and mastery. I guess I have been disappointed by the national and local media for so long that I failed to recognize when they do provide a tidbit of hope to their audiences. Now if they could that, more often.
I probably should not be writing this now, it is past my brain`s prime time. In fact my brain shuts down around 9p.m. and here I am so frustrated and so inspired to write I find myself making my brain form sentences and coherent thoughts in order to express my outrage at the W-Five. Now I always new they were one sided Ontario centric journalists, but I thought their recent news report on the gangs in Regina would tell both sides of the story. When will I learn news people are only interested in the violent, depressing, and hopeless stories. The sensational attention grabbing points of views. I get gangs are a problem, I get that statistics are against those kids in poverty and injust situations. But I also know there are programs that seek with all their hearts, energies and fundraising to struggle to build relationships with the at risk kids and provide alternative choices for the youth of Regina. Aghhhh, but no, the media only wants to paint the picture that nothing is being done to challenge these gangs. And shame on our mayor, as much as I like and support Mr. Fiacco, him saying that the city can only help those who want to help themsleves…These are kids we are talking about. Yes they have choice for good or bad but when you are a twleve years old who has onlyexperienced a transient life style being moved from here to there, staying at this relatives house and then crashing at this friends pad you long for stability and family. A gang to them is the right and good choice, to them they are helping themselves out of lonliness and danger. What the mayor should of talked about, and reaserched for his answer, is all the government and non profit organizations who battle to be these kids alternative, for family and belonging. However, the reality is the press is so preoccupied with the bad and negative of our communitythat they have failed to show the positive heros. These volunteers and underpaid employees fight for finances, buildings, supplies, and community support all to give a kid a choice that is beneficial to their futures. How discouraging and insulting to these passionate employees and volunteers, who work overtime to build relationships and teach alternative positive life lessons to Regina youth, to hear on national television that the city of Regina is failing it`s youth. Now I know I am only one person with one opinion and I have only a limited perspective on the situation but I am angry. I am so sick of the negative attention given our youth especially aboriginal youth. I know so many amazing influencil aboriginal people working so hard for their communities and country where are their stories? In no way am I saying the gang situation should should be ignored, but it needs to be balanced so that people don`t get discouraged and give up, people need to know their is hope that is the only way anything is overcome. My plea is for the media to give people who are fighting and sacrificing for change, HOPE, that all their effort is not in vain. We get it gangs are bad and destroy lives, ehough! Share the stories about commuity programs and people that are defying the depressing statistics. Share with Canada that gangs do not have to win, share with our society that gangs are not influencing every kid for evil. The inner city of Regina is full of amazing people, self sacrifincing, successful people. Where are their stories in the media?. Give the country our city the oppurtunity to reach out and help, but who is going to want to give resources to a situation that apparently has no hope of improving. Why bother helping a community who has and will always receive bad press.
The following is a email I wrote in response to a radio program. The program was discussing the University of Saskatchewan’s refusal of a large donation because the donor wanted the money to be alloted to students who are only non aboriginal decent. I read the donors comments in the Leader Post and they made my heart sad because the argument the donor makes is so typical of many Saskatchewanians that I know. I was furthered discouraged when I heard that a on radio poll had 86% of listeners agreeing with the donor. Now that I have internet in my home I find myself letting go with my opinions sending them flying off into the world wide web. I must confess sending the email made me nervous but gave me a sense of empowerment as I was able to let someone know I am one Saskatchewan resident who sides with and is proud of the university for rejecting money in exchange humanity.
I was surprised to hear you say that 86% of people you polled said they disagreed with the U of S decision to not accept the scholarship donation. I read the article in the Leader Post and could not have disagreed with the lady who donated more. In fact I am so discouraged that so many people side with her. One of her comments was that she felt like aborginal students always get a hand up and that she wanted non aboriginal people who have a rough life and struggle with paying for schooling to have access to the scholarship money. My response, and in no way do I want to negate the hardships this lady experienced in getting her education, but I say to her remember. Remember that until recently in history aboriginal people were and are treated extremly unfair when it comes to education in our country. People need to remember that the evil done in residential schools ended but not that long ago. As long as there are survivors and families of survivors the pain and injustice of a residential school will remain a part of our society and affect how our policies especially in regards to the education system. We as nonaboriginals may experience injustice and poverty but not many of us can say that our heriatge contains the kind of injustice that rivals the internemant camps that held Japanese Canadians or turned away boat loads of Jewish children fleeing from the Nazis death sentence. I say good for the university for sticking to their policy and for having a policy that contiues to battle the perpetuated racism that does exsist in our province. To all those who say it is unfair that aborigianl people get the benefits and tax breaks they do I say life is unfair. We may not have been the actual perpetrators of the injustices toward aboriginal people but it is because we are not those people that we have a responsibility to be different and right the wrongs that were done. To donate money, in order to help whoever needs a hand up, no matter their cultural title, human being should be enough of a title to help others.
Pondering...always pondering
The following blog really has nothing to do with technology or computers but once I got this picture in my blog my fingers felt the need for a rant.
The more I learn the more I think. I think this is a good thing. However, I wish I could learn how to do what all the men in my life can do, which is think about nothing. This talent has so eluded my female brain. Even when I am sleeping I am thinking, last night in my dreams I was pondering whether I wanted to google or diigo. Ok, maybe I made that last part up but I definatley dreamt about computer programs, the screens flashing and refreshing across the inside of my eye lids. It is no wonder I woke up with a massive headache, my brain got no break or rest from my thinking. My husband tells me he has lost his wedding ring and can I let it go? Can I say to my brain don`t worry it is out of your control, it will turn up eventually. No! my brain hasn`t stopped thinking and pondering since he told me( 48 hours ago) I think about all the places it could of been lost. I play C.S.I trying to determine the direction it would have taken if it had fallen somewhere. I ponder angles, turjectories and rolling velocities, all while trying to figure out how to insert a picture into my blog. Well my husbands ring remains lost and all my investigating has been futile. However, I have manged to relieve my brain from the problem of how to put a lovely picture of me pondering( in my favorite place)on my blog. I am now extremly tired of staring at this screen and thinking of what to say in this blog so I am going to go take a thinking break (lol). No, I will just take a break from thinking in front of this screen. Wish I could find that nothing box in my brain that all men seem to find so easy. Forgive me for the overgeneralizing of the male species this has just been my expereince with guys. It is complete and total opinion and was in no way meant to be a insult. If anything this is a compliment and a note of awe at the talent with which men have been gifted. Perhaps the blank stare of a guy thinking of nothing drives women nuts because we ourselves have never been able to experience this phenomenom.
