Running Out of Steam

 Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! 

The last time Christmas Day fell on a Monday was in 2017. (Answers was able to tell me that since my birth in 1972, Christmas has been on a Monday eight times. Only two of those times have been while my blog was up and running, including today. I composed this blog on Saturday so I could focus on the holiday with my family.) 

I'm tired. I could definitely use the break.

One hint that my energy level was not up to its usual standard was our student council's door decoration contest. I wasn't too concerned because I thought only the classroom teachers would participate. Then I saw our ESL/music teacher and our French teacher with décor on the door and I started to sweat. What was I going to produce in a very short period of time? The student council declared that the theme was "Winter Wonderland" and even had judging criteria posted. 

This was my entry. Excuse the blurry first photo. The second photo gives you a better idea of the way I addressed the theme.

Thankfully, this effort was enough to put a smile on the faces of some of the adults and looks of puzzlement and intense concentration as some of the students tried to find the listed items on the door. I didn't win any of the prizes but the other doors were amazing. I was going to post the photos I took, but I realized that many of them have student faces as part of the decorations, so I can't.

This past week was filled with holiday singalongs, our staff social, a jazz quartet concert, games day, and PJ day. I was brave enough to try a Audience Reception Theory lesson involving the Grinch (see www.aml.ca for the synopsis) and foolish enough to attempt to give a social studies test to five classes on the last day of school. (Don't judge me - I needed the marks!) 

There are always extra duties and activities on top of the usual required tasks during these holidays. Even though I'm not a cook, a week or so ago, I prepared garlic pork, a traditional Christmas dish in my family of origin. 

Hubby and I also continued going to the gym three times a week. Last Saturday (December 16), we had a team challenge where we had to build a snowperson using equipment in the gym; we could only add a piece after complete 100 sets of a particular exercise. Here's a picture of our team's snowperson, plus some of the others from the 9:00 am and 10:00 am classes. (Our snowperson is completing a handstand push up, in case you wondered why he/she/they was upside-down.)

This week (December 23), we had a "12 Days of Christmas" themed workout, where, just like in the song, you had to return/revisit previously done exercises. For instance, in round 7, we completed

• 7 wall balls
• 6 push up
• 5 ab-mat sit-ups
• 4 toes-to-bar
• 3 burpees
• 2 ring dips
• 1 rope climb

In round 8, we did 8 alternating hand dumbbell snatches, plus everything listed above. I only made it to 10 rounds before the time cut-off. I was relieved! These workouts tucker me out.

I'll leave it here for now. I have lots to do over the break (like preparing presentations, reading Forest of Reading books, and getting ready for report cards as well as the winter session of the York University TL AQs), but I will try to get some R&R in there as well.

Concert Completed - Post-Show Thoughts

 Wednesday, December 13, 2023 was our school concert. The afternoon and evening performances were the culmination of months of rehearsals and preparation. We continued some of the procedures we experimented with at our March 2023 concert and it went well.

I wish I could share more photos from the actual event, but there are too many faces to block out to make it suitable for sharing online. I hope this single shot that I've edited, originally taken by our wonderful French teacher, Mme Tran, gives you an idea of the energy emanating from the stage.

This photo is a scene from the 4-class mega-skit based on the improvisational game they love so much, Toy Store. This number had the potential to be a disaster because of all the moving parts, but it actually went quite well, thanks to the teachers helping to supervise backstage and the focus that most of the students had when performing. This was especially important during our matinee, because in the middle of their act, there was a medical emergency. It happened while the "toys" were frozen on stage, just before music started to indicate their dance. Thankfully, there was a paramedic in the audience and the situation was dealt with quickly. Still, our students stayed unmoving, waiting for their cue, for a lot longer than I thought they were capable of remaining still. We carried on with the show ("the show must go on") with most of the children unaware that something unexpected had occurred.

A lot of planning goes into a concert, but we weren't planned for something like this. We are so grateful that everyone was okay and no one seemed traumatized by the unforeseen event.

There are some reflections that are meant just for the concert committee (or even smaller subgroups). We had to make a last-minute alteration to one of the acts, which made sense but did induce some extra stress. Big thanks to those who were brave enough to notice and mention the potential issue, as well as to those who shifted their schedules and used their crafty construction skills to pull off the switch. 

The finale of our show was an incredible feat of organization and a powerful visual and sound experience for those who got to witness it in person. The entire school learned a song called "Let Love Light the Way" and they sang it all together in the gym as the last performance of the evening. Imagine seeing rows and rows of students, from ones that have only recently left their toddler years to ones entering their teen era, all singing in union the chorus:

So come walk with me / Sing along, and you'll see

On this holiday / Let love light the way

You'll need nothing more / Than those you adore

On this holiday / Let love light the way

This wasn't really a holiday concert, or even a winter concert. The focus was on the many ways that people show love. The families enjoyed the show and the students are still singing and humming the songs they learned.

I saw this image on Facebook and had to copy it as the "finale" to this blog post. I don't think we realize how exhausting concert prep can be. Our show was on Wednesday and I was still dragging my behind on Friday. (I came home after 5:00 pm, ate dinner, went to bed at 6:00 pm and didn't arise completely until 9:00 am on Saturday. That's how tired I was.) Multiply this tenfold for the leader of our concert, Connie Chan. She (and her husband, a fellow music teacher) was actually sick the weekend before the concert and missed school on Monday, but was back running the dress rehearsal and shows. She deserves a lot of credit for the success of the concert. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playing Hi-Tech Pretend and Union Understanding

 This is another "I have two things to say and can't choose which to focus on" post.

Playing Hi-Tech Pretend

Even though a lot of our focus in school these days is on our upcoming concert, learning is still going on. For the kindergarten students I see, we've taken a fun turn that incorporates music and drama and media. Our term theme is all about imagination. I brought in a mysterious package and the students guessed what was in it. 

It was a trumpet. With a lot of mouthpiece washing, we allowed students to try playing the trumpet. I loved seeing the look of surprise and delight on the students' faces when they were able to produce a sound. There was some direct teaching involved on the difference between buzzing their lips and merely blowing air. They loved it!

They discovered that playing a trumpet is not that easy. We talked a bit about where they hear trumpet music and tried to recognize trumpets in music pieces. I set up a booth in the class and library with a green screen and invited students one at a time to select a background and pose with the trumpet.

It was a great opportunity to look at how media create versions of reality, to be playful, to make noise, and to pretend. Here is one of the photos (with student faces blocked). 

Union Understanding

Friday, December 8 was Federation Day. I attended virtually this year. There were a lot of lengthy and powerful talks by people. Instead of my usual "summary / 3 key points / so what and now what" format, I'll just make a few sentences about each section. Please excuse the quality of my photos. I took them of my computer screen while listening.

Helen

Our ETT president, Helen Victoros, made her opening remarks. She reviewed some of the terms of the recent central tentative deal. I appreciated her honesty that the ETT Executive is not unanimous in their opinions of the deal. 

Randy

What is the state of Ontario's finances? It's not as dire as the provincial government would have you believe. Randy Robinson is the director of the Ontario office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. He gave a detailed overview of the numbers that matter and how they are spun. (Thank you Karen Jutzi for the image and post below, from Facebook.)

Jesse

Jesse Wente is an author, broadcaster, and to quote the ETT website, "Indigenous advocate and pop culture philosopher". Some of the important ideas he shared were: We need to focus on being (a more Anishinaabe concept) than Western notions of doing. Are we ready to sit in circle with Jesse's children? The soft stuff (empathy, media literacy [yes, he said media literacy]), the "hall stuff" is important. Be future builders.  

Me (and Chelsea)

Chelsea Attwell and I ran a session called "Magnifying Media in the New Language Curriculum". We had a very large group of people log on. I kept taking photos to actually note the number of participants. (If you can't see, those numbers go from 58, to 281, to 308 to 315.) Now, I'm not going to fool myself into thinking that everyone was hanging on our every word. Attendance was mandatory and I'm sure a lot of folks had the computer on while doing something else. Another worrisome moment was when we didn't have host privileges and people forgot to mute their microphones and we could hear people ordering food and playing music. Thankfully, a last minute email Chelsea sent rectified the situation. Big thanks to James and Daniel and Mila for the conversations afterwards. 

It was lovely to see familiar names at the opening plenary. I hope everyone got something out of the day. Big appreciations go to all those people who organized a workshop, as well as the ETT Federation Day organization committee. 

Printing and Handwriting Adventures

 

Note: This image was created using Dall-E with the prompt "A child riding an oversized pencil in the style of surreal, digital art" on December 2, 2023. I know Andrea Sykes showed us how to do proper citation for AI generated texts, but I'll get better at it in 2024, I promise.

D2.2 - this is the expectation code that caused the most commotion when the updated Ontario Language curriculum was released in June. For Grade 2s, it says:

print legibly and fluently, with appropriate formation patterns, size, placement, and spacing

For the Grade 4s, this same expectation says:

write in cursive, forming letters of appropriate shape, size, proportion, and slant to improve the legibility of texts, and begin to develop fluent keyboarding skills using touch-typing techniques

How do you fit in this type of instruction, along with all the other requirements of the curriculum? Last week, I decided to conduct a "one-off" lesson on printing and handwriting techniques in conjunction with my drama focus. We are preparing for the big concert in December and I wanted to communicate with the families about what outfits the students would need for the show. To "kill two birds with one stone", I elected to create a fill-in-the-blank letter that would allow students to practice printing or writing while paying attention to all those criteria listed in the new expectation.

 A very long time ago, I purchased a CD-ROM (!) that provided several kinds of printing and handwriting fonts with lined backgrounds. This made generating my letter template easy.

I drew the equivalent lines on the board and did some direct, explicit teaching on how to form letters.

I took photos of every student as they wrote their letters. One reason was to note their pencil grip. Another reason was to capture evidence of their printing or handwriting results. The third reason was to eventually add some of these photos to their BrightSpace portfolios, with a short audio reflection by them on their thoughts about learning to write in cursive or print.

I know that there are certain printing methods or techniques. I did not religiously follow any of those. I reviewed "ground", "grass" and "sky" letters so students would know where on the lines to place the letters.

The challenging part about this "one-off" lesson, especially for the students learning cursive, was that there wasn't a lot of opportunity to practice certain new letter shapes over and over. Capital letters in particular are extra-hard, because there are a lot of loops and curves (and the formation depends on what method you adopt - I found this article on cursive writing styles and this overview article with visuals of how the types differ). I know my own handwritten capital letter F doesn't look like the "traditional" capital letter F. Is my way "wrong"? Or just different? When do we move from saying a letter formation is different to being wrong?

I have to give huge credit to the Grade 3 teachers in my school. Both of them have conducted specific lessons with their students teaching them how to form letters. Honestly, I pushed the students a bit too hard and fast with this task. I asked them to sign their names at the bottom of their letters in cursive and many of them explained that they didn't know how because they hadn't covered those letters yet in their homeroom class instruction! Not quite fair, was it? I modelled a lot of signatures on the board and they all gamely tried to mimic.

To try and comfort my students, I told them the true story of when I was in Grade 5 or 6. Back then, you weren't allowed to write using a pen unless your handwriting was deemed "up to snuff". You had to use a pencil until you were "good enough". Despite the fact that I have excellent penmanship now, it took me all the way up until the third term before I was permitted to use a pen to do my school work. One of the students asked a brilliant question in response: "So what if the teacher had bad handwriting? Did that mean the principal took away their pens?" I've heard of older teachers remembering their time in teacher's college being scolded or reprimanded by their host teachers for not having model handwriting skills. Neat printing, along with playing the piano, used to be two requirements for kindergarten or early primary teachers. How times have changed!

I still have a few weeks left in my Media Part 2 Additional Qualification course, and I promised that I would reflect on the media literacy implications from this lesson. 

• Key Concept #3 is that audiences negotiate meaning. Who determines what the "best" way is to form a capital letter F? How many people need to be able to decipher someone's handwriting for it to be considered "legible"?
• Key Concept #4 is about economic implications. How many cursive writing primers have educators purchased (or illegally downloaded) in order to teach their students how to "do" handwriting?
• Key Concept #5 centers on value messages. What does neat handwriting "say" about a person? Did this value judgement get lost when educators stopped teaching handwriting? Will this connection between student and print quality return? Why do students have to learn about printing and writing in cursive when keyboarding skills are also required starting in Grade 4? Which skill set (typing using touch-typing methods or printing) is more important? 
• Key Concept #6 focuses on political and social messages. What cultures or languages might have an advantage when learning to print or write in English? How does the technology of ink influence the attention to handwriting? How does it connect to calligraphy? When do we switch from all being able to print the same to the evolution of our own individual, unique signature? How important is it nowadays to have your own signature? What occupations are known for their terrible handwriting vs excellent handwriting, and why? When will the Ontario Ministry of Education finally release the examples for teaching these various expectations, including D2.2?
• Key Concept #8 looks at aesthetics. What is it about cursive writing that appeals to some. How does a nicely printed letter compare to a well handwritten letter? 

I hope that this authentic use of handwriting and printing was useful. (I learned that only 1/3 of the Grade 1 classes have explicit printing lessons, at least based on what the students shared.) I'll try and sprinkle in more opportunities to practice so that the classroom teachers aren't overwhelmed with all the responsibility of instructing. 

The Importance of Place and Space: TDSB Camp & Map Hunt

 When the social studies curriculum was released in 2013, there were three key questions that aimed to guide the process: What's where? Why there? Why care? These trio of questions can help shape both parts of my reflection for this week.

TDSB Camp 2023

Saturday, November 25, 2023

https://sites.google.com/tdsb.on.ca/tdsbcamp/home?authuser=1

9:15 a.m - Opening Keynote by Elder Dr. Duke Redbird

Summary (taken from the website): Dr. Duke Redbird is an Elder from the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, on the shores of Lake Huron.  A celebrated Indigenous Visionary as well as an established public intellectual, poet, broadcaster, and filmmaker, Dr. Redbird is also a highly sought after keynote speaker.  He is an Elder and Advisor to various public and private organizations, and his online presence brings his breadth of cultural knowledge and artistic practice to the benefit of a global audience.

Dr. Redbird is instrumental in the implementation of innovative multimedia, technologies and beyond, bringing an Indigenous approach to art education that was rooted in his pioneering work at OCAD University.  A multidisciplinary artist, he brings an Indigenous lens to modern art and design, and has aided in the emergence of a vibrant Indigenous presence on the contemporary cultural scene.  Dr. Redbird’s outstanding contribution to culture, literature, human rights, legacy stretches far beyond his work in Canada. 

3 Key Points:

1) It is our hope that technology will develop in the service of society, but we must ask what kind of society we wish will develop. Recently Sam Altman was removed as CEO of Open AI, but then was reinstated and the only two women on the executive board resigned as a result of Sam's return. If AI is developed by a small group of heterogenous people, is it developed to serve humanity or a small, specific group? Is it for people or profit?

2) With English being the first focus of AI, many other languages are left out as part of AI development. We need to be more inclusive, for "the neurons that fire together, wire together". Do not focus on enhancing the left hemisphere of the brain to the detriment of the right hemisphere.

3) Mother Earth is an information platform herself, and we need to use the "elderithms" to unlock our own knowledge by asking questions of our ancestors like we ask prompts of AI. We must teach students to be critical thinkers to direct tech away from profit to a better future. 

So What? Now What?

I loved the idea of the "elderithms". My next step is to share the video that Dr. Redbird showed at the end of his talk to my staff.

Media Artifacts: 

10:15 am - Capturing Joy Through Pedagogical Documentation, iPad features and Brightspace Portfolio by Chelsea Attwell and Tracey Jansen-Sequeira

Summary (taken from the website): This session will introduce different iPad features and TDSB digital tools (e.g., Clips) and Brightspace Portfolio and how they can be purposefully used to support pedagogical documentation. Ideas, strategies, and next steps will be shared.

3 Key Points:

1) There are many useful documents and sites that can help people responsibly use technology with our youngest learners, like P088 Acceptable Use of IT Resources or Transforming Learning Through the Use of Digital Tools in Kindergarten. When using digital tools, ask yourself,  "Why this digital tool, at this time, for this student?"

2) The great thing about using BrightSpace Portfolio is that the files don't go on the device; they go directly to Brightspace, freeing up space on your device and/or Google Drive. 

3) Students can learn to take photos themselves using a QR code. Prep teachers can also be added to the class Brightspace so they can add evidence. 

So What? Now What?

I will check out http://bit.ly/peddocjoyms for more information. I will also ask my classroom teachers if I can be added to their Brightspace shells (and I know how to do course > course admin > course offering information > make course active so that I can get on)!

Media Artifacts: 

11:00 am - Media Opportunities with TDSB Digital Tools: Teaching Through and About! by Chelsea Attwell and Diana Maliszewski

Summary (taken from the website): TDSB offers a wide variety of digital tools to use with students. When educators teach through as well as about these tools, they can address several subject areas simultaneously, including aspects of the new Language curriculum, such as several expectations in strand A (e.g. A2.2, A2.4, A2.5, A2.6, A3.1, A.3.2) and more. “About” isn’t just how to use the platform, but how the software or website has specific codes and conventions and a unique aesthetic form that helps communicate more messages than you’d believe possible. The presenters, co-vice presidents of the Association for Media Literacy,  will give examples of how to use this approach with Minecraft, Flip, Pebble Go, and iPads apps such as Brightspace Portfolio , and then support participants as they employ these strategies to apply them to other TDSB digital tools of their choice.

3 Key Points:

1) You can "get two for the price of one" when you teach about a tool in addition to teaching through a tool. For example, understanding "what makes a TED Talk a TED Talk" can hit expectations in Language as well as in the subject the content of the talk covers. 

2) Digital media literacy is media literacy. Even though the new curriculum focuses on A2 as the "Digital Media Literacy" section, media literacy is in all the strands, especially C (Comprehension) and D (Composition).

3) Use the media triangles on www.aml.ca to help you formulate "about" questions to use in class.

So What? Now What?

Chelsea and I will take what we learned from running this session to shape and improve our upcoming session for ETT Federation Day on December 8.

Media Artifacts: 

12:30 pm - Exploring Teaching and Learning in an AI World by Andrea Sykes and Jason Trinh

Summary (taken from the website): AI tools are transforming how humans engage with information and information creation in all corners of society.   This session will explore some key ideas and strategies that educators can use right now to develop learning experiences that support students to build skills and knowledge for learning, working and participating in an AI infused world.

3 Key Points:

1) We need to build our schema first about AI before addressing it. There are many models of LMM such as Byte, Bing CoPilot, and Adobe Firefly. Understand the difference between predictive AI and generative AI (sometimes they can be both). We have been relying on predictive AI for a long time but generative AI is harder to detect and detection tools don't work. There are concerns about AI but there are also potential benefits.

2) The introduction of new and transformative technology (think calculators or word processors) always begins with conflict and panic, but we will move to the experimentation stage; educators are smart and we can figure this out together. We need to understand, create, analyze and apply. We need to intentionally teach about digital and information literacy.

3) We need to develop Key Skills in ourselves and in our students. 5 were listed in this presentation. Some include #5 Take Responsibility for Your Work with AI (i.e. you can do APA citations when using AI). Discuss AI with your admin and colleagues. Define the expectations and learning goals. Model and share. Interrogate your process. Use an inquiry lens that focuses on process, not product. Be curious and critical. Pay attention to the social and ethical issues related to AI tools, like who has power or reaps benefits. 

So What? Now What?

This was my favourite presentation of the day. I actually made a YouTube reflection video about it. (I'm not sure if I'll post the link here or not.) My next step is to share what I learned at this session at my November 30 Media AQ class, which will be focused on AI.

Media Artifacts: 

1:15 pm - Minecraft Education Edition for Beginners

Summary (taken from the website): In this session, attendees will have an opportunity to go hands-on with Minecraft Education Edition while sharing in a cooperative building experience. The goal of this session is to familiarize educators who are new to the tool with what they need to know to quickly get up and running in their classrooms. The session will wrap up with a chance for attendees to share tips and tricks and Minecraft-based curriculum-related activities.

3 Key Points:

1) Host your world on a desktop or laptop computer rather than a Chromebook; it won't be as laggy.

2) Adjust your settings to help with management (like preventing fire spread, eliminating friendly fire, and keeping the time permanently set to day).

3) Many students will say they know how to play Minecraft but because they only play it on phones or tablets, will not know how to use the keyboard commands, so be prepared to teach them.

So What? Now What?

Technically, I'm not a beginner at all in Minecraft, but Tim still let me stay in the room, ask questions of him and help others out. If I can get "vanilla Minecraft" to work on my library desktop computers, I may bring back Minecraft Club in 2024. 

Media Artifacts: 

2:00 pm - Demo Slam

Summary: A Demo Slam is when someone takes five minutes or less to share a cool tip or trick. Often it ends with the person saying "SLAM"!

3 Key Points:

1) Zelia suggested using Canva's Remove Background tool to create class photos or insert students into photos of the works they build.

2) Jennifer taught us to alter the endings of Google documents to make copies easier. Sebastian added to this and reminded us to add a dash after the t in YouTube links to get rid of the ads. 

3) Diana recommended using a Google form to create ABC (behaviour) logs for students so you would not lose papers. 

So What? Now What?

I'll need to remember to share these suggestions in our staff's Signal group.

Media Artifacts: 

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This week, the majority of my social studies classes were devoted to the much-hyped Library Treasure Hunt. The students had a great time, and to my immense relief, they all eventually found the final prize. I would be a bit happier if more students had stronger map reading skills, but there's been improvement since September. Here are some photos of them solving maps and puzzles.

Both of these "events" relied heavily on their location. For TDSB Camp, it was held at Microsoft's Toronto headquarters at 81 Bay Street. It was the first time since 2018 that it was held, and it was important for people to physically be together, even though the focus was on digital tools. For the treasure hunt, the students needed to navigate the space and understand how to translate the representation on the page to the 3D equivalent. Hopefully this coming week will be a wee bit quieter.