Tuesday 29 April 2014

Quick Write - The Worst Meal

The worst meal would smell vaguely like something you like to eat. It would almost "fake you out" for a few seconds - it might even succeed in doing so for just long enough for you to take a bite. Most likely though, you would notice before then that it smelled "off", and that it was hiding a nasty stench underneath; as if it just came off of the bottom of a McDonald's fryer or the side and corners of the grill. The stench would be so rotten, you would swear that it was left there for months. If you were unfortunate enough to taste it, you would find out that it tastes like fire kindling and thick blood.

Quick Write - Eden

My personal Eden would be be very modern, with buildings and technology mostly like those you would see in any average - large city. The biggest difference in the cityscape would be that there would be much more green space, especially downtown. The people would be respectful to and mindful of one another. This place would be functionally bilingual at the very least - not only legally bilingual. It would be a very multicultural place, and the temperatures year round would vary from around -20C to 20C. There would be a few mountains very near the city to one side and rolling hills to the other.

Oops, not many visuals here - sorry.

Monday 28 April 2014

Skype Reflection #2

1. What went well in today's Skype conversation?

The presentations, in general, were well received. The kids seemed to enjoy them and were excited to answer questions from the presenters and from their Ms. Bettess.

2. What is the value in collaborating with the Grade 3 class?

I think it's a great way to see and appreciate the work and preparation that goes into teaching kids, and at the same time making it fun and interesting for them, and also the work that goes into teaching in general.

Wednesday 23 April 2014

Procedural Writing - How Best to Eat Oreos

Photo by user Jellaluna on Flickr
Creative Commons Licence

Step One:

Get a box of Oreos and some milk.












Photo by Katherine Anderson
Creative Commons Licence


Step Two:

Get a cup and a fork.












Photo by user @Doug88888 on Flickr
Creative Commons Licence

Step Three:

Take an Oreo and carefully push your fork through the middle.











Photo by user hjhipster on Flickr
Creative Commons Licence

Step Four:

Using your fork, dunk the entire Oreo in your cup of milk. Soak it.










Photo by user Phoenix7782 on Flickr
Creative Commons Licence

Step Five:

Eat it!

Monday 21 April 2014

Haiku Deck - Photo Credits

https://www.haikudeck.com/how-and-why-to-learn-a-language-uncategorized-presentation-C9HdhuioPi

The link to my Ignite Presentation is above.
Photo credits - Slides 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17: Ryan Job
The credits for all other slides (except slide 20 - no picture) can be seen by clicking on the Creative Commons logo in the top left corner of the slide.

Wednesday 16 April 2014

Mid Semester Reflection

1) Six Word Memoirs

Grade: Incomplete

I'm giving myself an incomplete on this assignment because I haven't yet handed it in. I didn't really have many pictures to work with, and I also didn't have very much motivation to take any. I will try to finish this assignment sometime soon. I don't want to sound like I don't care to finish it right away, but I do have a lot of upcoming performances with school groups coming up, and I need to prepare. The lack of time is my fault for being involved in so many ensembles, but in any case, I will try very soon to finish this assignment.

2) Ignite Presentation

Grade: B

I would probably be giving myself an A on this assignment if not for the fact that I presented two days late. I thought I prepared well for the presentation and that it went well when the time came for me to actually present. I did a good job on the content of my presentation, but I do feel that I shouldn't have been reading directly from my paper quite as much as I was. Doing this assignment, I learned that I can be more productive by simply writing without judging what I write, and later revising.

3) Blogging

Grade: C

I have only posted a couple of personal additions since the start of the course, so obviously I could be doing more there. I also could be doing more to make sure I post all of my blog assignments on time. Finally, I haven't really been posting comments on other blogs at all so far. It should be fairly easy for me to improve in these areas if I try. So, for these reasons I think I deserve a C in the area of blogging.

4) Connecting and Engaging

Grade: A

Frankly, I don't think I need much improvement in this area. I comment whenever there is a class discussion on cre8tivehavoc (for the last while I have, at least, if I didn't before), and I attend class regularly.

5) Goals

My three goals for the end of this semester are to start posting personal additions to my blog on a regular basis, to complete my Six Word Memoirs, and to make sure to complete and hand in future assignments on time. I will do this by taking time in the evening when I do schoolwork to look at what I need to do in this course.

Monday 7 April 2014

Personal Addition - University

I've been thinking a lot over the past few days. For a long time, whenever I've been asked what I plan to do after high school, I've always been pretty vague. I say that I plan to be "something having to do with music or language". Those are the two things that have interested me for a long time. Since middle school I've been a bit of a (self-proclaimed) "band geek", and since last year now also a "choir nerd"; maybe I would become a professional musician, or a music teacher. For a few years I also tried to learn many languages. I succeeded in learning only one - Spanish - and ended up picking up bits and pieces of others (sometimes more, but generally, bits and pieces); still, maybe becoming a translator or linguist was an option.

After some thinking, I'm now considering going into music education after high school. I won't be attending University straight out of high school, so I'll audition to U of M or Brandon University on voice in a couple of years. I think/hope that this is right for me. It's very stressful to think that if it isn't, I'll have wasted so much of my and my parents money, and that I'll have to start over.

...Adulthood is scary.