Boys...

What is up with boys? I'm so sick of them! Of course, I'm not talking about the male gender, I'm talking about boys. The immature, unthinking, cruel (although sometimes unknowingly). I just don't understand them! Nor do I understand how I act around them.

As women, we know some boys aren't good for us, yet we still insist on chasing them. "I'll call you" he says, and when he doesn't, we rationalize with Maybe I did something wrong, or Oh, he said he'd be busy. Fact is, if the boy were a man, he'd be calling you exactly when he said he would. I know, I know, I sound exactly like the book He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillio. Well, they've got a point. many women have read it, and most people (male and female) agree that it makes a lot of sense, yet neither party has changed their behavior. Boys still act like jerks and girls still act like idiots. Even if the sex is bad, even if he made you pay for your own dinner, even if he was 45 mins late: you still slept with him, you still paid and you still waited. And by you, I mean me. Really, how dumb can we be?

This possibly stems from the insecurities we all have. Maybe we think that these boys are the only ones who will ever be interested in us, so we put up with all the crap they throw at us. That's not to say girls don't throw their own crap around too, but I'm a heterosexual female, and girl crap doesn't bother me too much.

When I day dream (about romantic stuff, not dirty stuff) it always involves a man chasing me, and not just for sex. I'm tired of just being either being treated like a piece of meat (yes, that happens to me, even I'm fat :P) or being ignored.

Men, on the other hand, would be a welcomed distraction from school, from family, from, well, boys. Men who are emotionally available, but not weepy. Men who call when they say they will, and even when they don't say so. Men who bring you flowers just because... Are my standards just too high?

Alright, alright, I'll stop whining.

Stupid Stage

For those of you who don't know what "stage" is, it's French for Field Experience. And by Field Experience I mean slave labour. Yes, we need experience in classrooms. Yes, we're only students and therefore not completely competent yet. However, if I'm planning, teaching, correcting and the teacher isn't even in the school, why shouldn't I be paid for what I do? It's not like McGill is *not* charging us the same tuition as last semester, you know, when we were able to work... It's just so frustrating!

I do love the experience, even if it's completely unrealistic (or at least highly improbably). Three IB classes and one enriched, all in secondary 5. I'd need a hell of a lot of seniority, luck and, well, luck!

I think I belong in high school though. I deal with "grown up" kids a lot better than the little hugging ones. At least these older students understand the concept of personal space! Yet, I still get sick from one of them. Better than the Pinkeye I got on my first stage.

Whatever. Just three weeks left. Then, I get to work again, woo! And then I get to complain about working. Yep, I am a needy bitch ;)

Video Games – Killing Spree or Food for Thought?

Lately, video games are everywhere. When I was 10 or 11, I was not allowed to have a hand held video game (the original Gameboy at the time) because my parents thought I might lose it. Now, at the elementary school where I work, there is an explicit rule in the agenda that hand held video game consoles are forbidden from school grounds. The school’s explanation, given by the principle, is that it these devices promote taxing, bullying and theft. The feeling amongst older teachers is that video games are also the demise of the younger generations and they do not want to have such a destructive force in their classes.

I feel that this is a generalized and outdated sentiment in terms of modern video games. Although many of them promote senseless violence, there are some that work on fitness, mental stimulation and hand-eye/foot-eye coordination. Some games, like Brain Age, have its players practice mental math, memory games, etc. Others like Dance Dance Revolution have the players step on a certain square in time with the beat shown on screen. Believe me; this is harder than it looks!!

Nintendo’s WiiFit is an excellent example of a video game made to promote fitness. Although some flaws still exist (a judgemental virtual trainer that calls you obese), WiiFit is a revolutionary game that lets the typical gamer exercise while still playing.

It is true that not all video games are beneficial; however they are not all detrimental as well. If money allows it, it may be a fun concept to reward the class with a “game day” where students can play games like Mario Party or Rayman Ravid Rabbids (both which ask its players to do specific tasks or movements in order to win).

TV - If the kids are watching it anyways...

I love television. I love the TV shows, I love the time I spend relaxed in front of it, I love that pleasure is a click or a remote away. Although video games are slowly replacing regular TV, I think that trying to incorporate it into the classroom might be a good thing. When I was younger, I used to watch a lot of TV. It wasn’t only cartoons and The Simpsons but educational shows. I know what you’re thinking, what is an educational show and are they really any good for kids?

Yes. Yes they are. I learned quite a bit from certain TV shows that I probably wouldn’t have paid attention to in the classroom. Shows like Bill Nye the Science Guy, or The Magic School Bus piqued my interest in science, Sesame Street and Mr Dressup taught me how to use my imagination, Fred Penner was my first foray into Canadian music. Now, these are all shows geared towards children and, with the exception of Bill Nye, the age range in quite young. This doesn’t mean, however, that there are no shows for older children who are interested in something other than sex and violence. Take Mythbusters for example: this is an excellent jumping off point for a high school science teacher.
I hope that more shows come out that both interest kids and teach them something, but that it not always the case. Maybe I should try to find something to teach in popular TV shows?

Facebook - Friend or Foe to the Teaching Community?

Most teachers in university warn students who bring their laptop to class to stay off Facebook during the lecture. In every school within the EMSB (English Montreal School Board), Facebook is one of many blocked sites. As a future teacher, I would love to be able to incorporate Facebook (or whatever they will have when I graduate) in my classroom. It is true that Facebook has a bad reputation within the teaching community, with cyber bullying and the harassment of teachers, I think that with proper instruction, students will be able to use Facebook to their advantage. I would like to teach my class to make Facebook groups with the intention of sharing their ideas for a particular topic. The students could also communicate through the chat feature with me, their teacher, if they have any questions. Through the Facebook Event application, the students can easily organize study groups. They can even share their class notes or interpretations of the topic in the Notes application.

By showing them that Facebook can be used for class purposes, I would also be showing them what could go wrong, which would include how to deal with cyber bullying. Sadly, this last subject is growing more and more and is quickly becoming the bullying method of choice in elementary and high schools. By raising awareness and showing different uses for Facebook and other social networking sites, I would hope to diminish cyber bullying events within my classroom.

Powerpoint - The Coolest Thing Since Sliced Bread

I love powerpoint. I think this is one of the greatest programs a student/teacher could have, and it's for a good reason that Office sells a "student version" with Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote (which I've yet to figure out how to use). Powerpoint projects are so basic yet, if done properly, can be mind blowing. The down side is that it is also really easy to totally mess up the presentation by having a boring powerpoint, with too much information and a bland background.

I just wish that our lab time and class time was a little more informative towards creating interesting powerpoints... Instead of having us rely on YouTube videos explaining what to do.

Smartboards and Ever Expanding Technology

Compared to my grandmother, I am a computer genius.
Compared to my parents, I am a computer expert.
Compared to my friends, I am computer friendly.
Compared to some children less than half my age, I am a computer no0b.

Why is this and how can we prevent this? Well, it's because technology is ever changing and ever expanding. Every few months, a new program/cellphone/iPod/computer comes out and I (as well as people who are not as "adaptable" as others) I need to try to readjust my mindset and figure out how the heck to use whatever it is... and then to explain it to my parents.

This is why I am a little apprehensive about learning how to use a Smartboard in detail. The way I see it is that by the time I graduate with my B.Ed, the Smartboard technology will have changed from what it is now. And then I'll have to learn it all again.

I know how to use basic technology, and if there is a tutorial, I can figure anything out... but don't ask me how or why or to explain my actions-- I don't know. I just do it.

The Truth About Beauty

As a North American society, are faced with a very narrow and stereotypical view of beauty everywhere we look. Our young men are being taught to continuously desire women who fit these images and our young women are coming to the realization that “beauty” is not something that can be achieved naturally. Some therefore start unhealthy diets or exercise routines while others go under the knife to physically and permanently alter their bodies. Sadly, what some print ads and magazine photos portray as perfection is simple a digital alteration of a “normal” body. With digital photo alteration programs like Photoshop becoming more accessible to the general public as well as online workshops that show exactly how to rework photographs, is it becoming more and more clear that both the men and women portrayed in our advertising, fashion and film industry are not always as thin or young as they are projected as being. This warped image of beauty leads women to fall into the downwards spiral of doing “whatever it takes” to be as young, as thin, as beautiful, and as desirable as the women they see in the media.

Poor self image and the desire to be “thin and beautiful” can manifest itself in many different forms; a main consequence is eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa (the refusal to eat due to poor body image and self esteem) or bulimia nervosa (a cycle of binging and purging involving food). Another result is addiction to diet pills, laxatives or even illegal substances such as cocaine or crystal meth, which result in drastic weight loss with prolonged use (along with a host of other devastating “results”).

Weight is not the only thing that women get insecure about when it comes to comparing themselves to the glamorized versions of humanity portrayed in the media. The media’s obsession with youth can put a strain on even the highest of self-esteems. With “treatments” like facelifts, botox and breast augmentations it is almost too easy for insecure women to go to a doctor and “fix” whatever is wrong with them. And when the treatment isn’t available or is too expensive, many other countries are ready to offer their version at a discounted price; and at your own risk. Not only that, but this fascination with plastic surgery can result in some pretty terrifying faces!

One controversial aspect that I’ve mentioned in the specific photos I’ve chosen is the fact that many of the models have had their skin whitened. Almost every single one of them appears to have lighter skin in the retouched ads. Since North American culture has made its way, via Hollywood blockbusters, to the far corners of the world, it is not surprising that some women aspire to be “whiter”. I just find this amusing because for so long, being tan was seen as beautiful!

Finally, it’s worth noting that it’s not only women’s images that are altered. The before last image is one of popular (and award winning) actor Clive Owen. The ad is to sell an anti-age serum, however the severe touch-ups, done to his ears and nose particularly, have nothing to do with the actual anti-age results.

BubbleShare: Share photos - Easy Photo Sharing

YouTube in the Classroom

I love YouTube. Love might actually be an understatement... If I could, I would adopt YouTube, name it Ralphie and have it live in my sister's old bedroom. I think it is a wonderful tool to waste time. Using it in the classroom, however, can be tricky. 

As a future teacher, I feel that I should familiarize myself with all the media possibilities that I can use, so that I can try to come up with ways to integrate them into my class. I think having students (with parental consent for those under 18, of course) record themselves for projects could be interesting, however I do not feel that they would learn much about how to upload videos, since most sites simply ask you to "click a button" to upload.

If I want to teach my students about video editing, recording and whatnot, I would have to ask a media teacher, or someone qualified to teach, seeing as how I can't really do all that fancy video stuff. 

When I was in high school, I had to create a video documentary, edit it and show it to the class. Sadly, the teacher did not offer any tools to help us edit our videos. We ended up just recording everything in sequence to minimize any editing necessary.

All in all I adore YouTue and everyone should check out my videos!

Photo Album assignment

Well, here's a small sampling of some photos I took when I visited my friend Lainie in BC. I miss her so much...

BubbleShare: Share photos - Play some Online Games.

Disc One, it's where we begun

It's all our greatest hits... Oh wait, I guess this blog can't be me ripping off BNL lyrics, can it? Okay, so here we go: this is starting as a school project (boo school!) but I'm hoping to turn it into a regular thing. 

So here's a little bit about That Randomness That Is Me: 

I'm a girl and I like girly things, like pink (cause you haven't noticed at all with my choice of blog colours, have you haha). I'm Canadian, so expect to see the Canadian spelling of words (like in colour back there). Humm what else? I love, love, LOVE music (favourite band is the Barenaked Ladies, aKa BNL), movies (ask me anything about Moulin Rouge), traveling (leaving on my third cruise in less than 3 weeks), photography (as you shall all see soon), cooking (sugar pie anyone?), and many other things. 

I think that's all for now... Catch you guys later!

Ciaos,

Michele