Where I went to school... SFU

I went to SFU for teacher training in 1995 and as part of a Masters in Education in 2003. Like everyone else (I guess) I have a love/hate relationship with Erikson's architecture -- parts of the campus are inviting or inspiring, other parts are mean and confusing. My favorite spot is a wooden "deck" outside the coffee hut by the education wing (across from some drop-in labs). There is no view off the mountain (rare at SFU), only backwards into the hallway or forwards into a vinemaple & swordfern garden (see photo below). The traffic flow of people walking in to the hall/building from outside or eating/drinking/smoking on the deck made the spot interesting and dynamic. During the summer of 1995, I lived in a tent in the bush off the end of a parking lot. I had a parking pass, so I could throw the tent in the back of my beat-up Toyota every morning and head for the shower in the Education Wing gym. I had a nice stretch of level ground, lots of berries, and was only bugged a few times by deer, coyotes, and an Anthropology class laying out a practice grid with strings and stakes.

Where I went to school... UBC

I went to UBC for about 5 years from 1989-1994. I took English, Geography, History, and Political Science courses in the Faculty of Arts and lived one year on campus, two years in Point Grey near campus, one year near Main Street, and one year in Coquitlam. Among other things, UBC is known for its trees, its size, and its well-organized student groups. I enjoyed all of these things, and spent a lot of my free time in a place called the Grad Centre, drinking bad coffee and looking out through the big windows, past doug firs and cedars, to the Pacific. After classes, my friends and I (sometimes strangers) would scheme out some adventure for the afternoon, evening, or weekend usually involving food, the woods, a fire, maybe some music. My favourite tree was (I hope it's still there) an elm on the side of the Main Library. I would have said the giant sequoia, but it was killed by landscapers (I blame Strangway). UBC was/is a beautiful campus... I wandered all over it for 4 years yet much of it remained a mystery to me. It was a like a small magic city, an experiment in social design where normal rules of society did not apply, whether it was the mist rolling up from the chuck through the alder-filled gullies, chinese food from the basement of the old Music Hall, or taking exams in the Armoury. On a visit of couple of years ago, I felt disoriented and disconnected from the memories of my university years. New buildings had sprouted up, no familiar faces, no sense that I had any business there.

Multimedia/Powerpoint workshop

Thanks for an enjoyable morning!
Link to the workshop presentation (ppt file)
Link to the Mac OSX Powerpoint tutorial (pdf file)
Link to Mac Powerpoint 2001 notes (Word doc)
Link to WIndows XP Powerpoint tutorial (online)
Link to Keynote software tutorial (pdf file)

OSX workshop links

We looked at iphoto, itunes, imovie and a few other apps
We looked at a few tools for using tech in the classroom:
Create a blog
Educational use of blogs
Fan Fiction blogs & wikis
Wikipedia
Apple Learning - lessons and unit plans

English & Planning Students!

To avoid confusion and congestion, we're starting a new location for different groups:

English 9 students, go to tenglish.blogspot.com for English stuff
Planning 10 students, go to tplanning.blogspot.com for Planning stuff

You can still visit this site (thielmann.blogspot.com) for general info relevant to students and educational discussions.
Don't forget, I need your correct blog address if you want evaluation!

Blogging Tips

It's a good idea to start at blogger.com so you can sign in (to edit your blog instead of just lokking at blogs). Remember... you can change your settings, template, etc. once you've logged in as a "blogger" -- make sure your screen name lets us know who you are, but don't give out so much info that the bad guys can get you. If I can figure out who's posting a comment, you can't get marks for your work!

For example Marcy Brown could have mbrown for a login (only she knows this) and MarcyB for a screen name, but she shouldn't give her address or last name in her profile. You can also post audio clips and pictures. Basically, you make a link in your profile to a picture somewere on the web (there are some links for free web hosting when you edit your profile). To put a picture on a posting, you paste in the following code (if you know the web location of the picture): < img src="http://www.example.com/mypicture.jpg"> (except don't leave a space before img -- I had to so you could see it!)

Reminder -- to log in and work on your blog, click the blogger sign at the top left of any blog or go to blogger.com. Once you're signed in, use the tabs (posting, setteings, template...) to change your blog. Use the 'dashboard" to see all your blogs. Please use appropriate langauge in your "blogging." If you want to be gross, use a different blog that you don't share with your class!

Remember Mr. Quarenghi? Look what he's up to!

Eng9 The Snow Woman & your story

Once your class short story project is done, post it! That's right -- copy and paste it into a post on your blog for others to read and enjoy! (reminder... story due Oct 14, posting of story due by Oct. 21)

After reading "The Snow Woman" by Norah Burke (Imagine p. 41-47), answer questions 1, 2, 3, and 6 on p. 47. I have also included question #6 in case you'd like to comment online:
What do you think the author is trying to say about our attitude toward [supposedly] inferior, non-human beings?

Don't forget to let me know (online) where your blog is so we can share the wealth.

Planning 10 classmates' blog addresses

Here are your classmates' (Planning 10) blogs -- if your name is not on this list, it means you sent me nothing or the wrong address. You can click comments on this post if you still need to tell me where your blog is.
Aimee T , Amanda P , Amy M , Blair C , Brett P , Colton P , Darcy M , , Dhillon T , Garry G , Jessica F , , Jessica P , Jessica R , Jessica S , Jordan K , Julian L , Justin D , Kassie M , Kendall B , Kerc W , Kevin C , Kevin P , Kirsha B , Krystina A , Kyle M , Leah N , Leni R , Madison D , Matthew N , Nav B , Phillip B , Rachel S , Richard K , Rico dC , Samantha H , Sarah M , Sean S , Shaileen M , Shannon H , Talisa D , Tara M , Brandon D , Nic D , Brandon R , Adam M

Planning 10: Health & Wellness Assignment

Your task will involve choosing a health, social, or wellness issue on which to prepare a detailed "product" which answers some questions. This could be an individual or group assignment (max 3 per group). Steps involved:
1. pick a topic from the list below (see handout)
2. gather some initial research material to support your approach to the issue (library and internet) •generate five questions about your topic you think a teenager would want answered
3. answer these questions in simple, straight-forward language using information from reliable sources
4. present your findings in the form of a poster, display, website, video, a presentation, or something tangible that we can see or hear. Be sure your final product includes a resource list (references your sources)
5. try to make something spectacular that we can keep around the school!

As a blog addition -- post your plan on your blog -- What topic have you chosen? How are you doing the project? You can ask a question related to your topic for others to comment on. (This is one of three required posts for your unit 3 mark, due posted by Oct. 21 )

Topic ideas include: Alcohol abuse, Tobacco Use, Eating disorders, Suicide prevention, Violence in the media (TV, movies), etc. The assignment handout is also available as a pdf file -- Health Assignment

English 9 - Unit 2 Portfolio Summary

As discussed in class, you need to summarize your Unit 2 activities (just like you summarized your Unit 1 work in a 4-minute class presentation). So... this time you do it on your blog instead of in front of the class. Post a blog titled "Unit 2 Portfolio Presentation" and describe in a paragraph or so what you've done or learned during Unit 2.

You should describe work you've done, an update on the novel you're reading (from the library), the progress you've made on your short story, and/or what you've learned about reading, writing, communication, etc. during this unit. You could also include your response the the story "The Snow Woman."

Due date: post your "unit 2 portfolio presentation" on your blog by Thursday, Oct. 21st.

Planning 10: presentation summary

Hi folks... as a follow-up to your class skills presentation, please make a post on your blog which:
1. summarizes the main idea or key points of your presentation
2. suggests what you like about your own presentation
3. suggests what you might do differently if you had another opportunity (or you had more time or resources)

Post this on your blog by Thursday, Oct. 21st, please and finish by making sure you have sent me your blog address. You may also make comments on other peoples' presentations (positive or constructive) by visiting their blog.
JD plans his presentation

English 9: your first task!!!

You've all read the story MISTER BLINK (p. 44 in Resource Lines). On your own blog, tell us what you think (your critical response). Try to get at least one other person in the class to comment on what you write. Then, respond to the statement below (by clicking on comments) and also let us know the name of your blog (e.g. thielmann.blogspot.com) so we can read what you write, or email me your blog address at gthielmann@sd57.bc.ca

Reminder -- to log in and work on your blog, click the blogger sign at the top left of any blog or go to blogger.com. Once you're signed in, use the tabs (posting, setteings, template...) to change your blog. Use the 'dashboard" to see all your blogs. Please use appropriate langauge in your "blogging." If you want to be gross, use a different blog that you don't share with your English class! Any blogs and comments posted by Wed., Oct. 13th will be considered for marks. Remember, sign your blogs with a name (like Marcy B) or title your blog with your name (like Marcy's English) so I can give you marks, but don't use your last name (to help protect your privacy).

Here's the statement related to the story we read in class: Agree or disagree (and say why): The "Mister Blinks" of the world (politicians who are "invented" by others) are more dangerous than the ones who grab power for themselves.

Planning 10: Skills vs Enlightenment?

Do you think it's more important to learn skills while you are in school (like how to build tables or solve quadratic equations or draw contours on a map) or is it more important to think about who you are, what life is about, and how you fit into the world? Where does knowldege fit in to all of this -- do you have to have knowledge to develop skills or find enlightenment? What's school for, anyways?

Planning 10: where's your blog?

Hey there... send a comment to this post (start by clicking on comments) and tell us what the name of your blog is, so we can read what you are up to in Planning 10. Remember... you can change your settings, template, etc. when you log in -- make sure your screen name lets us know who you are, but don't give out so much info that the bad guys can get you. If I can figure out who's posting a comment, you can earn partcipation marks. If you don't care about the marks (e.g. you just want to make your point) you can leave an anonymous comment.

For example Marcy Brown could have mbrown for a login (only she knows this) and MarcyB for a screen name, but she shouldn't give her address or last name in her profile

Reminder -- to log in and work on your blog, click the blogger sign at the top left of any blog or go to blogger.com. Once you're signed in, use the tabs (posting, setteings, template...) to change your blog. Use the 'dashboard" to see all your blogs. Please use appropriate langauge in your "blogging." If you want to be gross, use a different blog that you don't share with your Planning class!

Hello from the forest beast

hey... testing the post thing.

Invitation to contribute

Students are welcome to comment on a posting. Once you've been invited, you can add your own posts. What would you write about? Well... if you were in English 9 and you wrote an interesting "Image Wheel" poem, you could post it for us to read here. If you were in Planning 10 and found a good web link for resume writing, you could post the link here. Good luck!

Links from Sep.9th lesson

Try to find one google result using only two search words...
http://www.googlewhack.com/

An introduction to blogs and wikis...
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/necc2004/blogs-and-wikis.htm

Start your own blog...
http://www.blogger.com

A large "wiki" encyclopedia...
http://en.wikipedia.org

Create or add to your own fiction blogs
http://www.fanfiction.net

What are weblogs? What do people say about them?...
http://anvil.gsu.edu/NECC2004/stories/storyReader$8

Using a weblog in education...
http://www.weblogg-ed.com/2004/03/03

Blog Cabin open

Well now, let's just see what happens with this. I'd like to build this blog outpost on the webriver as a place to pause and linger over some of the interesting things that come up as a teachers. There are so many cool ideas to consider, students to challenge, fellow educators to provoke, and experiments to refine that I need a quiet place to let it all be. For anyone who stops by, please be honest and forthright, leave a comment and let me know what's on your mind. I have a lot of firmly held beliefs and passionate notions about education, but I am also excited about change and willing to adjust my thinking in response to creative and intelligent challenges.