Our Own "Burk's Falls"

I can't sleep. Tomorrow is the first day of school. I am really nervous, as always. I figured I might as well release some of this energy in a positive way...by blogging! It has been awhile.

Last week my family and I were to venture up north to Burk's Falls, where we were to spend the week boating, fishing, canoeing, reading, swimming, and all the other traditional cottage activities. Unfortunately, one family member was not feeling great. Going to a cottage 7 hours away, deep in the woods, at least 20 minutes from a main highway, and at least another 40 minutes to the nearest hospital, makes for an easy decision: to stay home! And that's what we did...sort of. Instead of travelling to Burk's Falls, we all met at my parents' home. We had a wonderful time celebrating birthdays, eating fresh perch (seasoned and grilled to perfection...thanks, dad!), cleaning the canoe (a long story that my uncle would be happy to tell...ha!ha!), watching movies, reminiscing, and most importantly, partaking in my family's favourite past-time - shopping! As you can see from the picture, we were all quite active! No, it wasn't Burks Falls...but it certainly came close! I end this summer by looking forward to what adventures next summer may bring!

Back to School!

I cannot believe that summer has come and gone so quickly. I managed to muster some energy today to finally peak into my classroom, and clear out the cob-webs. I was relieved to see that my classroom was "clean" (at least, better than how I left it), and there didn't seem to be much to do in terms of classroom decor. There are a few changes, however, that I hope to make. I am going to change a couple of bulletin boards so that they represent the students and not the commercial items with a distinct agenda hidden within them (see Jerome Harste and Vivian Vasquez). I am creating a "Learning Archives" wall (Vivian Vasquez)to document the wonderful ideas, conversations, articles, questions, pictures, etc. that the kids and I participate in this year. At present, I am considering abandoning Reading Response Journals. I am having a hard time with this one, but...they're boring, and I HATE responding back to the kids. It takes way too much time despite my valiant efforts every year to try to figure out how to eliminate the huge time consumption. I have given up, so... "farewell RRJs!" Instead, I plan on using "Journals". The appeal of a non-specific journal is that it leaves my kids open for broader discussions, ideas and thinking...it's not just about the books (as important as they are). My thinking here is a result of the Summer Institute. Thoughts?

Finally, I am happy to report that I created an "Edublog" today for my students and I. I am still "mucking about" with it, but am hoping that it provides another dimension (literacy) to my classroom community. I know that the blog is capable of posting "Podcasts", videos, pictures,in addition to text...we'll see. I'll keep you updated with my progress here. You KNOW I will be slow with such progress, however!

Ultimately, I am looking for "adventure" (Colin Lankshear)in my classroom this year. I want to come to school each day, and be excited about what might happen. I hope to learn along with the kids. I was bored with myself last year, I can't imagine how the kids were feeling! I want to try new stuff. I think I'm off to a good start, but I know I have a long way to go...this is only the beginning!

What a Trip!

Blogging was not easy, nor inexpensive, on the road. My apologies for this late posting. We arrived home late last night, but I was able to reflect more succinctly this morning...and decided to blog before my memories become histories.

I think I left off my last blog in search of lobstah...and I definitely found it!

Maine was a must on this trip. I bargained for it (deal made: I will go to any rollercoaster amusement park providing we go out of our way to Maine for lobster). And it was a good thing that I did (the best prices for lobster were in Maine...we later found out). We ordered, at a renowned local restaurant in southern Maine (Kittery, Maine, to be exact), TWO lobsters for... $20! It was incredible. Combine this with corn, potatoes, chowder and of course, the local beer, and you've got a true messy Maritime meal, making "lobster bibs" essential attire. In addition to great food, we noticed that Kittery was a hotspot for outlet shopping. Luckily, we remembered our tight budget, and decided to head out of town and state...immediately!

Our next stop was Gloucester, MA. It's the home of "The Perfect Storm" shipwreck...remember the movie with Clooney and Wahlberg?? Hard to forget. Anyway, we walked the beach and the boardwalk looking at the many, many fishermen's memorials. The losses at sea are staggering...although we noticed declining numbers in recent decades. Gloucester (pronounced GLOU-ster) was a tranquil, picturesque town with friendly locals swapping and sharing at the weekly market festival. I was really craving an "organic peach" sold here at the market, but priced at over $1, with a huge check-out line wait, I decided against it. Lobster shacks were everywhere in these parts. We hadn't had our fill, so we tried to find more in Gloucester...but had to "settle" for a lobster roll (lobster meat and mayo on toast) and fresh scallops...as the lobster prices outside of Maine increased significantly! We were satisfied nonetheless.

It was now time to travel over to Connecticut to begin the Rollercoaster Preservation Conference. The kick-off for this event was "exclusive ride time" (ERT) on the famous "Boulderdash" rollercoaster at Lake Compounce. The coaster was fast and furious! This was one ride I loved. The skycoaster took us up to the top of the mountain where we could clearly see the heavily-gated, satellite-adorned ESPN compound down in Bristol, CT. The view of the mountainous countryside was breathtaking from the small chairlift that brought us up.

Saturday was reserved for Superman...the coaster at Six Flags New England in Massachusetts. What a coaster it was! Once it began, it didn't stop. It was a very intense ride. It became Brandon's new favourite steel coaster. I still liked the less-intense, but still fun, Millenium Force at Cedar Point. The final day of the conference found us at Quassy Park in southern Connecticut. The best part about this day was most certainly the food! We lunched on fresh barbequed burgers, gourmet salads with free wine or beer...a bonus!

I was not fond of Connecticut...at least the places we visited. New Haven was no different. There were a few treasures nestled into this rather rough city, however. We found "Louie's Lunch"...the birthplace of the traditional hamburger. Of course upon arrival, we found a large sign indicating its closure for the month of August (date: August 1st...ARGH!). The owner was coming out of the restaurant, and Brandon, being as bold as he is, asked for some information, and earned us a tour with Louie's grandson! Cool. I was actually thankful for the tour and the fact that we didn't have to dine on hamburgers...again!

New Haven is also home to Yale University. We visited the bookstore, and toured the campus...a heavily secured and guarded oasis in the middle of a dangerous city. At my dad's request, we tried to find "Skull and Bones", a secret society (there are several at Yale) of which John Kerry and George Bush were part. It was not easy, but we found the dark, ominous building (see the pics)...again, we are super-sleuths! There were no windows, with the exception of a small, barred window in the basement(creepy), and a large, over-sized iron door secured by double locks in the front. The only indication that it was the Skull and Bones society was a small engraved "S.B." on the front steps. While snooping around, we were lucky enough to see two guys actually leave the establishment through the side doors. They passed us, and offered absolutely no eye contact. It was strange. The boys, looking straight ahead, almost as if they were in a trance (I've seen one too many Scooby-Doo episodes), walked away...hand in hand! Hmm...although I make no judgements, what does this tell us about the leader of the free world??? On that note, we were out of there!

After saying our good-byes to our rollercoaster friends, we left Connecticut for Newport, Rhode Island. Some of the club members had mentioned that it was a neat and must-see town. They were right, although we found it to be a little touristy. The little shops, however, lured me in. I fell in love with this lovely straw hat that could be rolled-up and packed very easily. During this entire trip I was on a mission for a floppy hat. I found THE one, and purchased it. It was the one material item on the trip I felt I needed...ok...wanted.

The narrow, cobblestoned, one-way streets of Newport, made driving treacherous. We opted out of driving, and continued our tour on foot. Seafood was found everywhere...at a cost. The marina was very posh. The restaurants were glamourous...a jacket and tie were required...so we kept walking in our sweatshirts, shorts and flip-flops. We finally found a restaurant that provided casual ambiance at casual prices! We munched on "Stuffies" for dinner. These are treats native to only Rhode Islanders. They are stuffed Quohog (spelling? pronounced KO-hog) Clams dipped in drawn butter. Delicious...not nutritious! ARGH!

Newport is also known for its mansions. We walked along the waterfront and visited the many mansions that once housed America's elites...such as the Vanderbilts. The mansions were primarily summer destinations for these families. Some of the "smaller" mansions are still inhabited, but most are simply too expensive to live in...an indication of their enormity. With about a mile and a half of mansion/ocean viewing behind us (if you've seen one, you've seen them all), I had an itch to escape to the cape...Cape Cod that is.

Before getting to the Cape, however, we had to make a pitstop at Hyannis where we visited the Kennedy Museum. The photos were amazing, and never-seen-before. I wanted to put my super-stalking skills to work again, and find the Kennedy Compound, but demonstrated restraint by deciding to respect their privacy. This is not like me... :)

Anyway, after devouring another lobster special ($15/person...not bad...but not as good as Maine lobster), we found the sand dunes at Cape Cod. The sun was setting and the walk along the quiet, tranquil beach was welcomed. We picked up some unusual stones and waded in the cool waters of the Atlantic. I could have spent hours here, but we were running out of time. We toured Provincetown, before heading back. There were many galleries and inns...definitely an artist's community.

We couldn't leave without having toured Providence...so back to Rhode Island we went. Geographically, all of the locations are within hours of each other. Once we were out there, we were only ever driving for about two to three hours each day...if that. Downtown Providence near Brown University was cool to visit. Again, rough, cobble-stoned streets were the norm. Benefit and Prospect streets were destinations of choice within the city. Time was again an issue, so the bookstore and coffeeshop were about all we managed to squeeze in, picking up some cool souvenirs in the process.

For fans of NBC's The Office, we rested overnight in Scranton, Pennsylvania. We couldn't help ourselves. We found the the town to be quite like the one on television. There is a Mifflin St., the town is located in Lakawanna county, and the local hang-outs in town are Farley's Restaurant and Poor Richard's Pub, just like the show. There is even a Steamtown Mall, where the original red "Welcome to Scranton" sign from the opening credits can be found. And we listened to Froggi 101 FM...Dwight's favourite radio station! Finally, the town is in fact known for its paper industry, but is also known as Electric City or Steam Town. Scranton was a surprise destination on our tour.

To finish off our trip, we had to hit a few more rollercoaster parks...Dorney Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Waldemeer Park, in Erie. We had to break up the long journey home...somehow! It was nice to be in view of Lake Erie again, from the top of the Ravine Flyer Two coaster, as the sun was setting. Home was on the horizon.

We arrived back in Windsor late last night. Our neighbour had kindly watched over our home, collecting our mail and keeping our grass under control. What a guy! Today, we're trying to get back to reality...slowly but surely. Check out the pics below for a taste of New England from our perspective! There was so much to see, and so much we missed. That only means, however, that we'll be back...someday.

Heidster and Brando's Excellent Adventures in Beantown

Wireless is not easy to come by, when you have a limited hotel budget. Finally, tonight, we splurged...and purchased a t-mobile card...so time to write, now, is also limited! Without further delay, our chronicle of adventures...

After a lovely Sunday at my mom's home, where family and friends rejoiced in my sister's wedding to Martin, Brandon and I headed east at the earliest sunrise. Our first stop? McDonald's on 401. And then, East Greenbush, New York - a suburb of Albany. Aside from the rolling farmland, um...not much to write about. Although, the Finger Lakes were passed, with memories of hockey and wine-tasting fresh in my head, that’s another story for a later blog.

Yesterday morning (Tuesday), we ventured down some of the most beautiful "back-roads" I have ever seen, ending up at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in the Northwest corner of Massachusetts (Google it). I've never seen Brandon walk so fast to a ticket booth, thrilled by being first in line, only to discover that the park didn't open for another 90 minutes. Think: National Lampoon's Vacation. Bummer. But, Brandon didn't miss a beat. He suggested checking out the Gift Shop for souvenirs (like we need more of those) and coffee for the next...90 min.

While enjoying our coffee and the early morning chirping of chickadees, our serenity was punctuated by a domestic verbal assault between a guest of the resort and his wife...reminding us of what really matters in marriage...rational communication. ARGH!

Jiminy Peak is a winter ski resort, featuring summer activities. The Wiegand Mountain Coaster was both scenic and exhilarating. Search YouTube using “Jiminy Peak Mountain Coaster” as a tag for a virtual tour. Very cool. I actually enjoyed this one. Brandon was the first person on the ride for the day…surprised? This ride allows you to control your speed. I was right behind Brandon for a few minutes…before eating his dust. While munching on dirt, I could feel the presence of very impatient children behind me...that part, I did not enjoy. We also rode a very long Alpine Slide in smilar fashion (similar to the one that used to be at Blue Mountain in Collingwood). This ride is rather dangerous in that you could potentially flip the sled if corners were taken too quickly. We are both safe.

Our goal was to eventually see Fenway Park (an historic and fun baseball park) upon arriving at Boston. Ugly future weather reports, however, persuaded us to go a day earlier than expected. After finding inexpensive (a theme for this trip) lodging at the Framingham suburb of Boston, we set off, on the Boston “Green-line” subway system, for the Kenmore terminal. Games are always sold out at Fenway, making it necessary for us to buy from a scalper. The pain of being ripped-off by a seedy scalper was eased, however, by eating a polish kielbasa sausage (aka ‘streetmeat’) that was about the size of my arm. I’ve never seen anything like it…honestly. :)

The Red Sox ended up losing 6-2 against Anaheim Angels. Being there was more about learning the long history than about cheering for a win. Thank goodness, we are Tigers fans!

We woke up early, and found Wellesley College, where Hilary Rodham Clinton was Valedictorian of her graduating class…impressive. Even more impressive were the pristine acres upon which the school was set. I wanted to explore the exclusive Wellesley boutiques awhile longer, but knew that Boston awaited me, and time ticked on.

Harvard, our next stop on the College Tour. The highlight here for us was not really the campus, although it was lovely, and we witnessed a treed squirrel antagonizing two gigantic hawks (you had to be there), but rather, the famous Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage. I ordered the “John Kerry” and Brandon had the “Rudy Guiliani”…burgers, that is. They were the best by our standards, and were critically acclaimed by many national sources. Come here hungry, and be willing to sit at the bar...otherwise you'll spend much of your day waiting for your seat and table in the long lines outside. Also, be sure to visit the washroom prior to coming here...they do not offer access to such luxuries.

Now, to MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)…where Noam Chomsky is a sitting Faculty member in the Linguistics and Philosophy Dept. With my super-sleuthing skills, or rather super-stalking skills, combined with Brandon’s persistence, we managed to find his office! Not only did we find his office, we went into his office, talked to his secretary, looked at his books, read his messages, took pictures, examined his pictures... It was definitely a highlight for us!

After “storming” MIT, over the Charles River we went. Interestingly, we found out that we walked approximately 350 Smoots…named after the man who literally used his own body to measure the length of the bridge. Why? Who cares. It’s cool.

Another cool area of Boston, was the quaint and really long Newbury Street we walked on our way to the Freedom Trail. We were barely on the trail 5 minutes, however, when Normy called my BlackBerry from Cheers...it was time for a couple of over-priced drinks. We figured that perhaps part of the cost was because everyone seemed to know our names. 

Back on the trail, we toured BeaconHill, a trendy and historic neighbourhood. I was more interested, however, in finding “Bennifer” (Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner) than Beacon. We later passed Sam Adams’s Gravesite and enjoyed 6 oysters (certainly no more, and no less) at the Union House, America’s oldest restaurant. It was here that I ran into someone I recognized from Canada. I thought I knew her. But, upon confronting her, I found out that, yes, she was indeed from Canada, but I did not know her… directly. She was an anchor for CTV News…not the long lost friend I thought she may have been. ARGH! Embarrassing.

We then headed into the North End of the city on beautiful cobble-stoned streets, to see Paul Revere’s House. This is also known as the Italian District…it was quite noisy (ha ha) with the windows opening directly onto the streets, echoing the constant, non-stop conversation inside (sound familiar, Blogger Bon and T??). Although the Revere house was closed, the smell of garlic was rampant…reminding me of home, so we did not try any of these pricey restaurants. I can cook pasta. What I wanted was seafood…specifically, LOBSTER! Or rather...Lobstah!

Lobster will have to wait until tomorrow…when we head to Gloucester, Mass. (site of the famous Perfect Storm tragedy and movie with Hollywood hunk George Clooney and Boston native bad-boy Mark Walburg…for “enquiring minds only”). Until tomorrow...

In the meantime, scroll to the end of the blog to check out the photos I've added...not sure how to get them closer to this related blog. I look forward to your posts!

The Summer Institute Comes to a Close

It's hard to believe that yesterday was our last day at the MSVU Summer Institute in Mississauga. During the two weeks, I created new identities for myself: computer geek, star-staff photographer, peon podcaster, and oscar-worthy filmmaker. Each day, I found a new part of myself. And, that is a fundamental part of being literate...discovering who you are, within particular spaces and places. I really enjoyed meeting and learning from individuals I had only read about until this course: Vivien Vasquez, Guy Merchant, Julia Davies, Michele Knobel, Colin Lankshear, Jerome Harste, Andy Manning and Peggy Albers. Because learning is a social practice, I also enjoyed learning with T and blogger bon.

Another Literacy Researcher was Blye Frank (MC), of Dalhousie University, who,in his closing remarks, reminded us of what really matters in life, learning and literacy:
1. Being able to disrupt the COMMONPLACE
-finding out who we are, not letting others define us, nor trying to define others, finding ways of being, challenging histories and philosophies, etc.

2. Interrogating Multiple Viewpoints
-the biggest research project to work on is "oneself"
-challenge our own viewpoints
-challenge and question other viewpoints
-understand that our position is not necessarily the best
-ask whose voices are heard, whose are left out?

3. Focus on Socio-political Issues

4. Take Action and Promote Social Justice
-fight for "equity" not "equality" - equity recognizes that we are not the same,it ensures that some people will and should be treated differently...especially those who come from disadvantageous environments.
-always reflect and act on our own work...embrace change and evolution.

Blye believes that the issues worthy of our focus include: gender, sexuality, ability, race, age, class, religion, and region. All other issues fall under these umbrellas. Interesting.

After viewing many...many... Public Service Announcements, we, finally, all headed home. T, blogger bon and I went our own separate ways. Congratulations to T and blogger bon, as they have now earned their M.Ed. degrees! What an accomplishment. Feel proud of your efforts. I will miss you guys at convocation...but, please try to celebrate at a REAL Irish Pub...without velour seats and Tom Jones! T...I'll be there next year...I hope.

Published: Our Public Service Announcement and Podcast

Bonnie and I finished our final project! Hooray! My entry today is short as we spent the entire day (at least most of it) completing the video, creating the links and writing the podcast. ARGH! Please feel free to view our Public Service Announcement, and listen to our Podcast critiquing our video via our new blog (see Favourite Links - MSVU Summer Institute Video). As well, our video has been published on YouTube (search the following tags: Take Action, Social Issues, msvu summer institute, hohebran, etc.). Feel free to leave a comment! This is really cool. Finally, there are selected photos on Flickr which will also connect back to our blog. Search for us! We're out there...in so many ways!

Poverty, PSAs and...Pork

A new day finally arrived at the Institute. The session commenced with more arts and crafts. This time, we had to create a collage of a social issue plaguing our school environment. One common thread linking the schools of my group seemed to be poverty and inequity. I was finally able to use the crappy collage I created last week. Hooray! A few in the group actually claimed it was "good", and gave it some artistic merit! Unbelievable. It's definitely a great example of what Peggy Alvers referred to as "outsider art"-- pieces you have to look at really (in some cases, really really)closely to find the art lurking in often the most unusual ways. Tracy drew the Co-Op and water bucket, Bonnie added the Breakfast Program, drugs, and the welfare application form, Alison created the gun (or hairdryer, depending on your perspective)...and, hey, before we knew it, we were done! This was so "outsider art"! I was curious as to what we were going to have to do with these pieces.

Sure enough...after lunch we had to present our posters and the issue to the large group. I should have known. Tracy did an outstanding job, both speaking clearly and articulately, while at the same time, fending off any line-cutters! Super! After a short discussion of possiblities for creating change, we were introduced to our next project: Public Service Announcements (PSAs). I will not elaborate on them. There is no need. Ours is already almost complete, I am sure. Tracy is labouring over here computer, as we speak, to complete, not only her own PSA, but Bonnie's and mine also. Thanks, Tracy! Ha! Ha!

Finally, after a long day at the Institute the three of us headed out to Oakville, to Yvonne's lovely home, for a wonderful home-cooked, non-buffet-style meal. It was so kind and generous of her to make us feel right at home. She served wine, beer, snacks, gourmet salad, potatoes...and pork! It was absolutely fantastic! The directions out to Oakville were superb. Unfortunately, coming back, I was too busy laughing that I missed a turn, and we ended up well beyond our destination. No worries, though. Thinking fast (as we always do...especially when washrooms are needed), we turned up "BURNHAMTHORPE RD." We thought this could be a connector...but we weren't sure why! It was more of a guess really. Then, with Mississauga literally in sight again, we found Dixie Rd. After dropping Tracy off at the "Stagecoach Hotel", knowing she was headed up to work on and, subsequently, finish the "collaborative" projects, Bonnie and I left...only to later miss our exit too...for the exact same reasons! ARGH!

In the end, to relieve your suspense, Bonnie and I made it back to the hotel safe and sound. Being the clever girls that we are, we simply followed the direction of the planes! Just like we learned to navigate the computers last week, we are also learning to navigate the streets and expressways of Toronto...not by choice, though. Between all the talk of poverty, PSAs and pork, I've had a big day! Good night.

Critical Crafts Created at the Summer Institute

I survived the first day of the second week, here at the MSVU Summer Institute. We kicked off a rather LONG (no...a very long) morning with critical analyses of various advertisements. We were coached on what to look for, and how to analyze the sometimes "sexy" ads. Peggy Alvers, the visiting professor from the University of Georgia in Atlanta (or is it Georgia University??...Brandon??), then instructed us to create "Counter Ads". I enjoyed thinking of alternative ways to challenge the message conveyed by the big corporations. I love disrupting things...I'm such a rebel...not really.

In the afternoon, we examined the environments our schools were in. Bonnie and Tracy's schools resided in these tranquil, country settings. The juxtaposition between their school and my school, pointed directly to the social issue of POVERTY. My school is plagued by poverty, but I noticed that we have strength in our multicultural/linguistic student population. It was interesting. We ended the day, having to create small books showing someone who is usually invisible in our neighbourhoods, in a positive light. I chose to highlight my wonderful neighbours, Harry and Gene. They takes care of us and our home when we are not there...even when we are there! They are wonderful people.

Overall, the activities of the day were okay. I could visualize their place in my classroom. The activities were directed and controlled. Unfortunately, we were not given time to "muck about" or explore. Tomorrow is a new day... perhaps, to learn something new!

Farewell Address: Week One Ends at the Summer Institute

The afternoon began with a few comments from Andy Manning, whom rarely spoke all week. Draped in his Mickey Mouse t-shirt (uniform), he asked three really important questions to the astute panelists, consisting of Guy Merchant, Julia Davies, Michele Knobel and Colin Lankshear, and the student audience. 1. How are we being positioned by the Digital World and New Technologies? 2. Who has access? Who is being privileged, and who is being left out? and 3. How are kids voices being heard? How can or are these New Literacies being used as tools for Social Justice? I was waiting all week for someone to address these ideas. We had heard about the New Literacies and discussed student engagement, but very little was mentioned about the So What? aspect of Literacy. What can and should literacy be used for? How can literacy be used powerfully, to create change...to make our world a better place.

In response to this, Guy Merchant suggested bringing in the "dark" issues and inequalities (such as racism, sexism) found on the computer and in our world into our classrooms. Racist comments, for example, should be brought into the classroom circle to generate much-needed conversation. Instead of trying to filter computers, or block sites, kids should learn how to navigate through the computer channels thinking critically about the images and ideas they may come across. Kids, as Guy mentioned, will search for this stuff anyway...we might as well help them to understand it, and help them decide how to place or make it fit within their own Discourse. Julia added an interesting analogy: pools are dangerous, and we wouldn't take those away from kids. We, instead, teach them how to swim. Before we do that, however, we must learn to swim ourselves!

I was absolutely moved to tears by Colin's address of these important questions. He would want to question the questions themselves. Of course! He claimed that there are these utopian assumptions that we can build a better world. He's not sure. Rather, he suggests, we build the best world that we can with what we have. He sees language as a part of a social practice. It then doesn't really matter which approach is used in developing language (ie. Critical vs. Whole language vs. ??). He feels that it is more important to build situated practices that are healthy, and that has less to do with language or curriculum, and more to do with how we live as human beings. He feels that it is critical to bring together communities: listening to each other, understanding each other, learning from each other, talking with each other. Within this wonderful and supportive community then, trust is built and people (teachers and kids alike) are more free to take risks, and through risk-taking learning happens. Colin reminds us that the end goal is not about getting it "right", rather we should 'muck about'.

Colin explains that it is really important for kids to learn how to "be". He feels that as teachers we help our students "be", by being coherent persons who have world views that have lived and manifested themselves in language and action, and have built relationships with staff members, colleagues, family and friends with honesty, integrity, in a non-domineering, authentic, transparent, kind, generous way. It's about practicing our own values. Our goal, according to Colin, is to have an identity, to live well in the company of people who live well...not coming off as an 'expert'...rather, always having something more to learn. It's about molding personalities and recognizing a way of doing life for ourselves. From this, children can learn how to be themselves.

He reminded us that power is not a commodity, and that we must be extremely careful not to do damage to others. We need to learn to "be": well and happy with ourselves and others, and within that, our own literacy and those of others are developed. Going online or remaining offline, it's how we make our own way that matters...it's how we do life. Colin encouraged us to approach curriculum as ways of being, not as content: helping kids make informed decisions about who they are, their literacy...finding their own identity. There are no right or wrongs, only alternatives. Colin would love to see classrooms as places which allow kids to go on"adventures", and when being critical is necessary, it can be tapped into. Classrooms need to be democratic and free for children to discover and acquire their OWN literacy, identity and place in our world. Everyone must matter and count for this to happen.

Brilliant! I love this man, as well as the other academics from whom I have learned so much...not only about teaching and learning, but more importantly, I've learned about myself, my identity and my place. I left feeling like I mattered. That's power. Imagine kids walking away from classrooms feeling the same way. I will miss this inspiring and magical conversation as we embark on Week Two at the Summer Institute. Next week, we will be focusing on Art...my other nemesis. Although I am apprehensive, I have a feeling that I will, once again, be walking away with another piece of myself in hand and heart.

Exploring New Literacies in T.O.

What an experience this has been learning from world reknown educators and philosophers! I have never learned so much. They have pushed me beyond my secure and safe boundaries of pencil and paper. This week, at the Summer Institute in Mississauga (through MSVU), I have been exploring the social tech and digital worlds (previously so foreign to me), and am coming to understand the negotiation of meanings within these worlds as "New Literacies"(Lankshear, Knobel). So far, I have "mucked about" in the Virtual World, YouTube, video creation, games, blogs, Facebook, and Flickr...I am, slowly but surely, with the help of these experts, acquiring literacy, constructing identity and space in these forms. I know...it's about time!

My eyes have been opened to new possibilities and many more uncertainties. My narrow definition of literacy is, once again, being expanded and challenged. This is amazing stuff!
I am excited, yet slightly apprehensive... next week, we will be combining Digital/Tech Literacy with art in our construction of identity and place. Are they kidding me? I'm being pushed off the edge now! Please...please...put a fork in my eye...now!!!

"Mucking About"

I am just trying to create a blog. I am really not too sure as to what I am doing. Please forgive me. My hope is that someday I will be able to refer to myself as a Techi, but for now it's just me. Seeing as this computer still stands in front of me, and has not been tossed out the window, that's a good sign...I think.