Influential Album Day 6

Day 6

This is the sixth post in a series of ten documenting the albums I consider influential. My first post, found here, provides some insight into the rationale behind this journey. The first album I selected was the Soundtrack to Oliver, which I discovered in 1973 at about age 8. My second choice can be found here and was The Cars Debut album. The third selection was All the World's A Stage from Canadian band Rush (found here). The fourth, Duran Duran's Rio is (here) and the firth, Pink Floyd's Wish you were Here is (here).

When I first learned of this challenge, I knew that a record from this group of musicians needed to be selected. As I am typing the opening sentences to this composition, I have still not settled on the single LP I will select. The story today covers about 6 years, culminating in 1986.

In 1980, I discovered the band Genesis through the album Duke. I loved everything about the sound on this album - the lyrics (the fictional story of Albert), the drumming, the keys. In particular, it seemed to bridge a gap between both progressive rock and the pop music. It was high level musicianship fused with catchy melodies.

About the same time, I heard Games Without Frontiers from Peter Gabriel’s third album (Sometimes called Melt). My buddy “Cease” was the first person to tell me that Peter Gabriel used to be in Genesis. Thus, my journey to discover everything that these two bands had to offer began. I made weekly trips to both the library and Dr. Disc (a used record store) buying or borrowing everything in the catalogue.

The most interesting discovery was the album A Trick of the Tail (1978). The cover of the LP had been painted by a student at my first high school (Kingsville) and was displayed, without the title, in the cafeteria. I had looked at it for a year - loving it, but not knowing what it was.

Between about 1981 and 1986, I was Genesis obsessed. I eventually owned everything in their standard discography as well as a few bootleg, UK and rare releases. My favourite was my Spot the Pigeon EP on blue vinyl. It now goes for over $50 on EBay, so I regret letting that one go.

I still like everything (in varying degrees) by Gabriel, Banks, Rutherford, Hackett & Collins - even No Jacket Required - it’s those horns! These LPs (from 1969 - 1986) are a deeply ingrained soundtrack to my life from age 15 - 21. The releases after were equally important - particularly the Secret World Live release from the tour I saw in 1993. It was video cassette that was really the start (genesis) to the phenomenon of “Hodgyvision”.

"Hodgyvision is the nickname my friends and I give to shared video watching - usually over cocktails. It began in the days of VHS and we would bring our cassettes cued-up with videos of live performances, comedians or any strange television fodder. It eventually morphed into DVD's & PVR recordings and now we all use our SmartPhones to cast YouTube clips through Smart TV's. Technology making our lives immeasurably easier!" 

In the summer of 1996, one week apart, Peter Gabriel’s So & Genesis’ Invisible Touch were at #1 on the charts. It was one of the few times that an artist that I loved was commercially popular - and I had mixed feelings about it.

On my 22nd birthday, July 11, 1997, my buddy Cease and I saw Peter Gabriel play live at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. I remember meeting a guy in the beer tent with a Genesis Nursery Crime concert shirt on. He seemed old - but was probably only in his early 30’s.  When you are 22 - everyone over 30 seems old. He had seen multiple incarnations of the all the bands we loved and he regaled us with stories. Ironically, I realize that I am doing the same right now! 

This concert was also one of the last times that Peter would perform his "Faith Fall" backwards in to the audience so he could be passed around by fans during the climax of Lay Your Hands on Me. I was in the throng near the front and that moment was the closest thing I had to an evangelical experience. See it from the same tour in Athens here (at about the 6:00 mark). In the end, I didn't get close enough - the crowd bowed and swayed and he was carried off to my right surprisingly quickly. Regardless, it was a surreal experience that punctuated the powerful energy a determined group of humanity can achieve.

With so much to choose from, it is tough to narrow this down - but that moment felt like a summit, so, I guess I am settling on So - to summarize a 38 year relationship with all things Genesis!

"A Love Letter to Canada" Part Three

This is Part Three of a four part series about the use of The Amazing Race Canada in a Grade 4 classroom. In Part One, I discuss the genesis of the project and the changes I made in the first few years I screened it with students at a school with a high English Second Language (ESL) population. Part Two catalogues the transition of the program for use with multiple classrooms using Google Tools & Flipgrid to communicate their experiences with each other.

In this post, I'll detail some of the activities we tried. As I am not the classroom teacher, I can only suggest activities and I can not always be present for them. The teachers I worked with were wonderfully receptive, so most of the things I suggest here were tried by all the classes.

Viewing Parties

Obviously, this unit requires that the students view 10 episodes of a 1 hour television program. That might raise eyebrows for some administrators or parents. In reality, each episode is 44 minutes long (without commercials) and many intentional breaks are taken throughout the screening. I suggest that teachers treat it like a Read Aloud. In order to facilitate this, students are encouraged to sit in their own version of Amazing Race partnerships. Intentionally planned discussion breaks can be taken to clarify a wide range of events that occur in the program that relate to several curriculum strands. A few examples include...

• Would you or your partner complete this Roadblock challenge? Why?
• Which of the two Detour choices would you and your partner choose to complete? Why?
• How did the girl's team react when Tim & Tim were given a penalty at the Pit Stop? (*they laughed and said "suckers")  What does that tell you about them?
• How is this different from the way The Cowboys behaved when the Twins were eliminated by the same penalty? (*they were empathetic and supportive)  What does that tell you about them? 
• How would you behave in a similar situation?
• Is "hiding the maps" at the airport store cheating?  or clever game play? Why?
• Which team showed excellent collaboration?...problem solving?...determination? etc.
• What brand names have you heard highlighted on the show (Chevy, Interac, Air Canada) - why do you think the host (Jon) keeps mentioning these brands?

Mapping Skills

Part of the Grade 4 curriculum reinforces concepts about maps and mapping already introduced in the primary grades. Specifically, the Grade 4 curriculum states that students will... 

"demonstrate an understanding of cardinal and intermediate directions (i.e., NW, SW, NE, and SE), and use these directions as well as number and letter grids to locate selected political and physical regions of Canada on a variety of print and digital/interactive maps." 

To accomplish this purpose, teachers were encouraged to introduce students to atlases as well as other maps (wall, printable, online).  I direct teachers to a worksheet site called Worksheet Works. If you recall, this entire experiment began with me trying to escape the world of meaningless busy-work on ineffective worksheets. Here's the thing: It is how you choose to use this tool - not the tool itself that is more important. Here is a Teacher Led activity that will help scaffold student understanding of maps.

1. Print this map of British Columbia (the first Province visited on The Race) and enlarge it so that the partners can see it more easily. It requires that students match numbered arrows to a word bank of names... Vancouver, Victoria, Pacific Ocean, Alaska, Skeena River, etc.
2. Show students how different maps (particularly Google Maps) can be advantaged to determine objects and locations on the map. Focus on big objects first (Yukon Territory, Pacific Ocean, Washington State) before zooming in on smaller objects. 
3. Throughout, highlight the differences between Political/Human Locations (Cities, States, Provinces) and Physical Locations (Rivers, Sounds, Mountains). This Google Slide is how I introduced it.
4. Demonstrate the backdoor approach - instead of searching to see what an arrow points to, open another tab and search for the location (EX: Hecate Sound or Queen Charlotte Sound are easier found this way).
5. Google My Maps can be revisited later to mark all the destinations visited on the trip, as well as a "crow flies" travel plan - this is perfect for practicing rounding large numbers in math. "Why would we round the distance from Niagara Falls to the Butterfly Conservatory to the closest 10, while rounding the distance from Toronto to Kelowna to the closest 100?"

Our Own Amazing Race Day

Students are provided with a second chance to build these mapping skills with a group challenge using the province of Alberta during our version of An Amazing Race Activity.

• Multiple copies of the map are enlarged on to ledger paper and cut into three strips.
• The strips are put into envelopes
• The envelopes are labeled and hidden in the school yard at locations that can be described in a riddle written in the form of a simple poem. (Literacy)
• In teams of 4, students are sent out in the yard with their riddle poem. The find each of the three envelopes, return, assemble the map and then identify the locations. (Physical Movement)
• There is a 5 minute penalty for each mistake and a 10 minute penalty for yelling or running inside the school (outside is fair game). 
• A running clock is displayed on the board and students are allowed access to the classroom map and at least two Chromebooks. (Time Measurement, Technology, Social Studies & more)
• The team with the best time is declared the winner and...this is a non-elimination leg of the race.

Needless to say, enthusiasm and engagement is high. I was present for all four variations of this race with the four participating classes (mainly because it ensures better supervision for student safety). Throughout, the teacher and I circulated the groups and did some anecdotal evaluation of the students' understanding of mapping - but invested more time into notes about their learning skills and global competency skills.

• Did they communicate well as a team?
• Did they collaborate well - dividing up the tasks to maximize their speed & efficiency?
• Did they problem solve well when they got stuck?
• Did they show perseverance when challenged?
• Did they look for ways to stay engaged throughout the task, or did they get distracted?

My Observations

• Engagement was very high when groups were searching for clues on the yard.
• Every class had at least one group who completed the map perfectly - often in the best time.
• The groups that were most successful did the same things - persisted, communicated, divided the workload, remained engaged in the task.
• The groups that struggled and did not complete the challenge - communicated less often & less effectively, argued over tasks and had members disengage from the task (sometimes in boredom, sometimes angrily).

The Debrief

• Students were asked to reflect on the things that went well and the things that challenged them.
• Without identifying students & being mindful of self-esteem, teacher observations were shared.
• "I noticed that Chloe showed great perseverance when she was stuck ..." Can you share what you did Chloe?
• "I noticed that Richard's group divided up the task & kept communicating with each other."
• "I saw Adele's group use the big map of Canada at the back of the classroom first - how was that helpful to your group?"
• The correct answers to the map were taken up - again, highlighting effective strategies. 
• Students were asked to think about things they might do differently if the activity was repeated with another map in a few weeks. 

Initially, I planned this to be a 2 part series. It looks like we are going to make it 4. Tune in next time when I cover the other curriculum expectations and the launch of a Multi-Media Tech Set to allow students to do some project based learning around the Grade 4 Social Studies Curriculum.
Part Four Here

"A Love Letter to Canada" - Part Two

In my last post, I reflected on using the first season of The Amazing Race Canada in a Grade 4 classroom. I discussed the genesis of the project and highlighted some of the activities I tried when I was in a Grade 4 classroom.

Fast Forward to 2018

The idea to revisit the unit struck me when I was in discussion with a Grade 4 teacher at Thamesford Public School in September.  We were brainstorming ways to use the program Flipgrid - A collaborative video journaling tool that promotes the exchange of ideas between students, either within the class or beyond (with classes anywhere in the world).  Our goal was to connect with a Grade 4 classroom at one of the other school's I support and explore a curriculum strand together - and The Amazing Race Canada seemed a perfect fit.

A few weeks later, the launch was ready to go and 4 classes were interested - the Thamesford class, two classes at Northridge in London and one class, Oxbow, in Ingersoll. Three schools separated by over 40 km, two were semi-rural and one nestled into a subdivision in the north of the city.  This was helpful, because the students were less likely to know each other through outside pursuits (hockey, gymnastics, swimming, etc.) Additionally, they came from a more varied set of experiences.

The Launch

We introduced the students to the concept of the show through this Google Slide Deck Presentation which was divided into 3 parts

1. A discussion about "promises" and a classroom "pinkie swear" (Slide 2). The season we were viewing was filmed 5 years earlier, so there are plenty of spoilers available on the internet. Students not only made the promise to avoid spoilers - they promised not to type any words related to the program into the internet - even if they were just looking for pictures.
2. An overview of what to expect and the many new terms (Existing Relationship, Roadblock, Detour, Pit Stop, Elimination) are covered next (Slides 3 - 6)  - Obviously, the show covers these as well - but I've found that small group conversations about potential Canadian locations and accompanying challenges really built excitement. 
• "Do they really get eliminated and sent home?" asked one student, "That must be very sad."
3. A biography of the host Jon Montgomery to present a Guided Reading approach to demonstrate ways one might tackle a daunting piece of text. Here is a screencastify of my approach to this activity. This also sets them up for the next activity.

Next, students worked in collaborative teams to make a short Google Slide Presentation.

• Nine groups are created by teacher/student choice or maybe the Flippity random picker. 
• I personally like the idea of having students go to four labelled corners. Corner 1 "I like to present to the class", Corner 2 "I like to read information", Corner 3 "I like both." Corner 4 "I'm not a fan of either". Groups are then created to make sure that a reader and presenter is in each group.
• Envelopes, much like those on the race, are selected randomly by each group, inside, they reveal a picture of one of the teams and the accompanying bio for that team. (Sorry, no link here, I have these as a hard copy - if interested, text me and I will scan them and send them to you as a PDF)
•  I provide them with a the link bit.ly/raceteamshow which (when imputed into the URL) forces them to make a copy of the slideshow outline. It contains pictures of all the teams (so they won't have to search for them) - they simply delete the 8 not needed and enlarge the team assigned to them.
• Students are asked to create a brief presentation, using Google Slides, that contains mainly pictures and a few key words. The details can be put in the speaker's notes which can be printed. The goal here is to avoid screens full of text that will be read to the audience. We really want to support the idea of "teasing out the important details from the bios", "skipping the less important" "presenting orally" with the support of an "aesthetically pleasing display". For many, this is the first time they have tried this, so the educator role is to move from group to group and give immediate feedback to help guide them. Having them share their slide with the educator makes this faster. 
•  Together, we co-created a rubric with feedback. This is the Thamesford example. It is a (No Mark / Feedback Driven) form of grading that I explain in more detail here.
• Once completed, each group made their presentation and immediate constructive criticism was shared in a way that was productive and valued self-esteem. The rubric was completed shortly after and distributed for saving in their portfolios.
• We put a bow on this activity by showing the students the introduction to the season. From the first shot of Jon Montgomery, through the introduction of the teams to the moment when the race actually begins ... and pause. #BuildAnticipation101

Flipgrid

I partnered Thamesford with one class at Northridge and the second Northridge class with the students at Oxbow. Students from Thamesford chose partners with whom they would like to go on an Amazing Race and sent messages to their peers at Northridge. Their task was ...

• Introduce yourselves by first name
• Share a few things that each of you like (EX: hockey, dance, Fortnight were favourites)
• Tell them which team you each like, or has the best chance to win, or both
• Tell them why you might be successful or struggle on this race (EX: I'm really fast, but I am afraid of heights)

Students sending Flipgrid Introductions in October, 2018

The Northridge students viewed the videos as a class and were assigned one group to whom they must respond (although, they were welcomed to send messages back to more). This guaranteed that every team would get at least one response. Their task was to ...

• Introduce yourselves by first name
• Say hello and use the other team member's names (everyone likes to be addressed by name.)
• Comment specifically on something they heard (EX: I like hockey too, Jet & Dave are also our favourite team so far).
• Share a few things that each of you like.
• Tell them which team you each like, or has the best chance to win, or both
• Tell them why you would be successful or struggle on this race.

Students were encouraged to prepare for their Flipgrid presentation - but not to memorize or read it. "It should be "planned, but genuine."

An identical activity was completed by the second Northridge class and sent to Oxbow.

At this point, I realize that this will be at least a three part post - more soon! Thanks for reading.

Part Three Here

"A Love Letter to Canada" - Amazing Race & Grade 4 Curriculum

One of the great benefits of my role as an Instructional Coach is variety. A particularly busy and enriching day might include...

• starting my morning in a Grade 7/8 class teaching figurative language in literacy,
• meeting with the Principal about math data,
• transition to a Grade 3 class to enhance multiplicative thinking through relational rods,
• chatting with a Grade 6 teacher about a new technology option,
• finishing in a Grade 4 class supporting a cross-curricular approach to Social Studies.

Not only is this energizing and exciting, it's a powerfully effective way to learn the nuances of the curriculum across the grades. A fun challenge I have set for myself is to try to "Hit for the Cycle", a term borrowed from baseball which occurs when a batter hits a single, double, triple and a home-run in a single game. For me, that would be a visit with a Kindergarten, Primary (Gr. 1-3), Junior (Gr. 4-6) & Intermediate (Gr. 7/8) class in one day. So far, I have come close (ticking 3 of 4 boxes) on a few occasions. 

An additional perk about visiting multiple classroom is the opportunity to revisit curriculum expectations from grades that I have previously taught. This year, I was excited to pitch a unit from my time teaching Grade 4 in 2013. Through consultation with 4 teachers at 3 different schools, I was able to retool an engaging unit and infuse it with current teaching practice, including the use of Google Suite and other recently released tech-infused pedagogical tools.

The unit is built around Season 1 of The Amazing Race Canada.  Over the next three posts, I would like to provide a richer context for how this unit works so powerfully in a Grade 4 Canadian classroom.

The Genesis

When I first decided to try this unit, I was teaching at Eagle Heights Public School. This was a school in a phase of swift transition. The population was growing rapidly and the demographics were in flux. In 2013, the construction for the second building expansion project in 5 years was well underway. Additionally, the average number of new Canadians who were English Language Learners had quadrupled since my arrival in 2011.

I had watched The Amazing Race Canada season during the summer and knew it had a place in my classroom. My goal was to meet expectations of the Grade 4 Ontario Curriculum for Social Studies - Political & Physical Regions of Canada, but I also wanted to shake off the doldrums of typical practice (of which I had been guilty)...

• map colouring - 1 for provinces, 1 for physical regions, "My Western Cordilleras are blue."
• student presentations - "Our province is Saskatchewan..."
• those bad 1990's videos on YouTube (even well-meaning videos like this had run their course.)
• or worst of all, Canadian Province worksheets ... especially meaningless word searches.

I guess I most wanted to introduce my students (especially those who had just made Canada their new home) to the beauty of this magnificent country. I wanted them to make connections from places on the map to real places that the teams visited. I wanted them to learn about all of the incredible diversity in landscape, recreation, tradition and history that we have captured between three great oceans. Recently, Season 1 participant Dave Schram put it well when he shared the following...

When we were selected, the producers told all of us that... they "wanted the show to be a love letter to Canada."

That was really what I was after - a way for my students to fall in love with Canada.

• To know the immigrant experience at Pier 21 in Nova Scotia.
• To realize Robert Service wrote wonderfully fun & funny poetry about the Yukon.
• That Innuk throat sing, participate in Arctic Olympics and that Muktuk (whale blubber) contains Vitamin D they can't always get from the sun.
• To know that Ogopogo, the Saskatchewan Roughriders & "Body Break" are things that exist, and that some Canadians cherish them fondly.
• And so much more...

Not surprisingly, the unit was a hit. This was at a time before our board had embraced the Google Suite tools, so a lot of our work was on paper and displayed on the classroom walls. We dipped into multiple curriculum strands as we...

• tracked the progress of the race across a large map, calculating & rounding distances,
• documented arrival positions & eliminations for each leg,
• connected race challenges & events to the 6 Learning Skills outlined in the Ontario Growing Success Document,
• wrote about our favourite participants, locations and challenges,
• looked at the positive messaging implied in the shows use of Chevrolet, Air Canada, Interac & Cadbury chocolate,
• tried muktuk, Arctic char & muskox meatballs delivered from Steve (who lives in Iqaluit), 
• even got a surprise visit from Jet Black (a final four participant)
  

The next year, I worked with a Grade level partner and two classes were involved. We built on the successes and added activities. In 2015, I left Grade 4 for a new assignment and my former teaching partner continued running the program on her own. We were fortunate to have annual surprise visits from London participants Jet & Dave...who learned that the response to their arrival was sometimes overwhelming.

I presented the unit at several Elementary Teacher Federation Workshops and remain pleasantly surprised when I see evidence of it on the walls of an unfamiliar school. I'll admit, at this point, I was content with the project I had built and felt that it had legs for quite a few years. However, this year, I got a chance to upgrade the unit to match both the advances in technology and our Board's move toward Global Competencies. 

That, and more, in Part Two.  

Was it ever "Discovery Math" - Part Two

tThis is the second in a series of posts regarding the recent release of an addendum to the curriculum entitled, Focusing on the Fundamentals of Math - A Teacher's Guide from the Ontario Progressive Conservative (P.C.) government.

Party Leader, Premier Doug Ford, has stated that ...

"Kids used to learn math by doing things like memorizing a multiplication table, and it worked...instead, our kids are left with experimental discovery math. That hardly teaches math at all. Instead, everyone gets a participation ribbon and our kids are left to fend for themselves." 1

This addendum is "intended to support teachers' ongoing efforts in building students' knowledge and skills in mathematics." It has been billed by the P.C. government as a fundamental shift away from "discovery math" and a return to "fact based memorization." In Part 1 I proposed that there is much ado about nothing.

Here's what I think so far...

• There was no "discovery math" - at least not one promoted through the many Thames Valley Board In-Service sessions I have attended over the years.
• I have never taught "experimental discovery math" or given "participation ribbons" to my math students - I have never seen this in practice in the schools I support. If, the term "participation ribbons" is intended to imply that I encourage and celebrate my students for making an effort to learn - then that is true. However, I am not sure what the alternative would be?
• This document seems, on my first pass, to be a good, research-supported approach to math.
• In fact, some of the research behind this document comes from the same sources teachers have been using for years.
• This document isn't really a change at all - and teachers need not worry about a massive change to their program. If anything, it is a slight adjustment in focus - but...as I intend to demonstrate... not really.

Let's go through each page and look at the guide - section by section.

Page 1

There are two sections here.
The first is a preamble to make clear the intention of this guide. There is nothing to which any should take umbrage. The key messages are ...

• It is intended to support teachers.
• It focuses on the parts of the Ontario Math Curriculum that deal with fundamental math skills.
• It outlines steps to achieving knowledge & skills in these expectations.
• The goal is success in high school and beyond (employment & citizenship).

The second is a quote from a literature review by Bruce & Chang (2013) referencing a book from Baroody & Dowker (2003).

"Becoming highly skilled at arithmetic requires the development of number sense alongside procedural and factual knowledge as well as the mathematical principles that govern how the operations are related to one another." 

Two quick points I am, and have been, in complete agreement with this statement. (

• This literature review is found at the Edugains site - which is "a website that houses ministry developed resources to support policies and programs related to improved learning and teaching - Kindergarten to Grade 12 - in Ontario schools."

In other words - this is simply a restatement of information that was created by the former government (The Ontario Liberal Party) and available to educators for years.

So far...

• There is nothing here with which I can disagree.
• There is plenty here that I was already reviewing, doing & following.
• There is no evidence that this is replacing "experimental discover math"
• Everything that is being suggested here matches the existing math program -which my board was promoting & implementing.

Page 2 next...

Was it ever "Discovery Math"? - Part One

One of the benefits to my role as an Instructional Coach is the extra time I am afforded. This is not because my days are not filled - I spent today (the first day of the 2018 school year) receiving excellent Professional Development and I work hard to make sure that I am always "earning my keep".

I have extra time in the evenings because, unlike my colleagues in the classroom, I do not have a class of eager or anxious, excited or reluctant, confident or uncertain learners waiting to meet me tomorrow morning.

Consequently, I do not need to spend time this evening...

• reviewing student work from today - sometimes called "Exit Tickets" or "Diagnostic Assessment".
• preparing lessons for tomorrow that are based on those assessments. 
• considering differentiated instruction for all of the learners in my class - especially the anxious, reluctant and uncertain ones.
• responding to student questions & comments on virtual environments like Google Classroom or Edmodo.
• sharing classroom observations with parents or facilitating student-created portfolios through Seesaw or Class Dojo - and answering parent questions when asked.
• preparing forms for teams I coach or for fields trips I hope to take.
• preparing for community building experiences like Terry Fox, Orange Shirt or Dot Day.

I respect this opportunity. So I always try to make good use of this extra time I am afforded. 

Sometimes, 

• I use it to learn - maybe to add to my coding skills or to gain experience with a new app or educational technology.
• I use it to review curriculum, especially if a teacher from a grade with which I am unfamiliar asks me for some assistance - (yesterday, that was a Grade 1 teacher who asked about Media Literacy, and I began building this resource.)
• I use it to read the great Leadership, Literacy and Math books with which I have been provided.
• I use it to build lessons that I think will have utility in multiple classrooms.
• I surf Twitter to see what my Professional Learning Network #PLN is sharing in their posts and blogs.

Today, I used my time to begin to review the Teacher's Guide addendum released by the Ontario Progressive Conservative Government Focusing on the Fundamentals of Math released August 23rd. I also thought I would write about it here - in a follow-up post - found here. 

Spoiler Alert - I don't see what the fuss is about - on either front. 

The document (much like the practice of my colleagues that preceded it) seems grounded in good, well-researched thinking. 

It also (like the documents that preceded it*see below*) is intended as an approach to 

"prepare students for success in high school and ensure they have a set of essential skills for employment and responsible citizenship in the future." 

I can't argue with that statement - that has been my goal as a teacher since I began. Join me tomorrow (fingers-crossed) as I go through each page. I think you'll find that this approach is just fine - however, it is not replacing this elusive "discovery math" I keep hearing about - it is simply a slightly adjusted focus on practice in which I already believed.

**The Guides to Effective Instruction & The Ontario Curriculum - Mathematics & What to Look for by Alex Lawson & Elementary & Middle School Math by John A Van de Walle & others or all the great stuff from Marian Small (which we have been using for several years).

August 18th is a day

For the past four years, I have been using an App on my phone called Momento which bills itself as the "smart private journal for capturing your life story". It works like most social media apps (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc) however it is private. Consequently, it has the advantage of allowing the user to document anything without considering an audience -- other than one's future self.

A frequent criticism of social media is that users tend to create a "False Face" or "Ideal Self" as their online persona. I know this is true for me. My Twitter/Instagram feed is absolutely curated -- I tend only to show the best stuff going on around me. However, my Momento feed allows me to reflect on everything in my life -the banal, the somber, the pessimistic, the boastful, the tragic...the real.

The app also has a feature called "This Day" which highlights all the posts made on a calendar day. Now that I have been using it for several years, this is my favourite feature and I look forward to clicking my "This Day" button every morning over coffee. It is also interesting to see moments from your past strung together around the theme of a single calendar date. It's remarkable and often surprising how different Wednesday, June 10 in 2015 might be from Sunday, June 10 in 2018.

I have been fortunate, and most days I am delighted to see the pictures and text appear on my phone screen. Today was different.

Two years ago, on this date (August 18, 2016), I was standing on top of Mount Franny in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. A slightly challenging 2 kilometer trek puts the hiker at an elevation of 450 meters above sea level. Here, one is rewarded with a nearly 360 degree view of the Ingonish region of the Cabot Trail.  There is even a red, Muskoka/Adirondack chair intended to encourage a moment of mindful reflection.

It was about the time I snapped this picture of my wife that my phone rang. It was my good friend Bill and his typically buoyant voice sounded reserved and reed-thin. He let me know that our mutual friend Duncan had been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. I paused and then immediately began to extol the achievements of the Canadian medical community. I recognize that this is my coping method -- I put faith into science and comfort myself with success stories I have experienced and the potential for healing that 21st Century medicine offers.

Last year, on this date (August 18, 2017), I was meeting my new fur-nephew at my cottage. An Irish Wolfhound with a wonderful disposition, he is a rescue dog from Texas who is featured in my avatar on multiple media platforms. He brought great joy to my sister one year after she said goodbye to "Merlot" a gentle and sweet dog who generously and effortlessly extolled warmth and elation to anyone he met.

Merlot in the Thames River, London, Ontario

This also marked the day I had returned to our cottage after spending time in London. I had gone to London to attend Duncan's celebration of life. An incredibly talented musician, composer and educator - he was well known and respected by many. The event was held in the outdoor music pavilion at Wonderland Gardens. His album of original jazz music Floating Point was played and his equally talented brother Cam, and Duncan's two daughters, performed. It was mournful -- but also beautifully uplifting.

Today, (August 18, 2018), I am drinking coffee and writing. I have yet to post a picture or text in my Momento App.  I suspect I will post a link to this blog. Tonight, my wife and I are going to meet good friends -- people who have chosen to travel to spend time with us. On Monday, we head for New York City -- to celebrate 32 years together and our 12th wedding anniversary (New York was the city in which we were married -- August 18, 2006).

We didn't go there for our 10th anniversary -- because of the exchange rate and the opportunity to go to Nova Scotia. I have been patiently waiting for the dollar to improve to make this trip more financially efficient. Secretly, my wife booked a flight, hotel and tickets to see Billy Joel at Madison Square Gardens. She surprised me on my birthday.

She was right.

She usually is.

Life is incredibly short and it can change quickly. Go out and make the most of every day -- including August 18th.

Influential Albums Day 5

Day 5

This is the fifth post in a series of ten documenting the albums I consider influential. My first post, found here, provides some insight into the rationale behind this journey. The first album I selected was the Soundtrack to "Oliver", which I discovered in 1973 at about age 8. My second choice can be found here and was The Cars Debut album. The third selection was "All the World's A Stage" from Canadian band Rush (found here). The fourth, Duran Duran's "Rio" is (here).

The story behind this album actually begins in the late 70’s when I was about 11 or 12 in the small, lakeside farming town of Kingsville, Ontario. I had made a friend with a guy named John who was a couple years older than I. He lived on a farm near Windsor, but often stayed at his grandparents’ place about a block from my home during the summer.

He was usually up to no good and I certainly made some dubious choices with him. One summer morning, he arrived at my house with $20 and suggested we walk into town to the pool hall - where we could play pinball, pool & video games, get ice cream and talk to girls. I was nowhere near the “talking to girls” stage of my life. Regardless, the other two options were entirely in my wheelhouse.

On the third day this happened, I asked him where he was getting the money.

“I stole it”, he said plaintively “my aunt is staying with my grandmother and she is rich - so she’ll never notice. I just take it out of her purse, she has lots.”

At this point in the story, I would like to say that I took a firm stand and refused to condone this nefarious act; but, video games and ice cream do something to the 12-year-old brain -- it’s like hypnosis.

By day 4, the jig was up. To his credit, he didn’t tell on me. His grandparents really liked me and I think he wanted to keep that relationship honest. Regardless of the reason, he took the fall and had to stay at home and do chores in order to begin his reparations. I volunteered to help him (once again, not out of honour or duty...but because I was bored and there was no one else to hang with).

That evening, we got permission to walk around the block. John wanted to go to this house where “The Bikers Lived”. In retrospect, it was a couple guys with long hair, handlebar moustaches and motorcycles. However, in my adolescent mind, they were Hard-Core Outlaws. I was always extra-intimidated when they weren’t outside because John always insisted on knocking on their door - which was exactly what he did on this hot summer evening.

They invited us in and John immediately began talking about motorcycles with them. Their living room looked exactly as you'd imagine if I said the words 

“Late 70’s, twenty-something, bachelor pad.” 

It was beanbags, bead curtains, shag carpet, empty beer cans and posters on the wall - mainly women in bikinis straddling Harley Davidson bikes and (likely) the ubiquitous Robert Crumb "Keep On Truckin" poster that adorned many walls of my youth.

However, there was one that I had never seen before - it had a shiny black background and a single shaft of white light thrust from the darkness on the left. It traveled upward and pierced a white triangle. The light disappeared, but re-emerged on the right of the triangle in fan of spectral colours. It was, of course, the album art for Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon.” I knew this at the time, because that was also printed on the poster in glossy, bold lettering.

For the next few years, I would identify Pink Floyd as being: “Music that biker’s liked”, and I would give it a wide berth. I was content with my Supertramp, ELO, Rush and Cars records, thank you very much.

It was a few years later. I was in my room doing homework and listening to late night rock radio.

At first, there was silence, like dead air… and then I heard something primitive, but absolutely beautiful in its simplicity begin to radiate from my tiny transistor speaker. Almost imperceptible at first, a rich synthetic, but also orchestral, hum grew slowly - like electronic vines creeping through my synapses. It was simple, but also seemed to be complexly layered - with the sound of fragile chimes whispering like dusty windswept glass in the distance...there, then gone.

The first time you truly “hear” a song, time seems to move more slowly. This was one of those times. It was like floating comfortably through a warm pool toward a distant, pleasant light. I stopped everything and was entranced.

The notes would modulate ever so subtly, but always find their way to a perfect, albeit temporary, resolution...and then a guitar, playing a simple series of four notes that seemed to ring out and fade at the same time. I don't think I did anything but breathe for the next 15 minutes.

It was the opening to “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” from “Wish You Were Here” by, that "famous biker band", Pink Floyd. My world was shaken and I was forever changed by this album (as well as everything else by The Floyd). I wore out at least two cassettes of this on countless bus trips around the city in my early teens. I have purchased it on vinyl and CD and I have been fortunate enough to see both Roger Waters & David Gilmore in concert on a number of occasions. Sadly, the line-up that recorded this record disbanded in the early 80’s and I did not seem them all play together. Pink Floyd have a stellar catalogue - but this was, for me, the high water mark.

So, thanks John. Despite your troubled ways -- which eventually forced us to part company permanently, you were a pivotal part of my youth and an important part of my taste in music. And, thank you anonymous biker guys (who are probably pot-bellied grandfathers in their mid-sixties now). Thank you for introducing me to Pink Floyd.

Influential Albums Day 4

Day 4

This is the fourth post in a series of ten documenting the albums I consider influential. My first post, found here, provides some insight into the rationale behind this journey. The first album I selected was the Soundtrack to "Oliver", which I discovered in 1973 at about age 8. My second choice can be found here and was The Cars Debut album. The third selection was "All the World's A Stage" from Canadian band Rush (found here). I am moving chronologically and this post lands us in the first few years of my most formative decade - The 80's - in which was I was 14-25 years old.

Duran Duran exploded on the scene in early 1983. Their video for “Hungry Like the Wolf” was in constant rotation on every network that showed videos. The band was composed of singers who weren’t handsome - they were "pretty". Resplendent in pastel-coloured, linen suits while sporting make-up and impossible hairstyles - teased and "Ice-Misted" into ridiculous coifs. We were immediately critical - however, we would soon begin emulating these fashionable Brits - desperately hoping to garner some of the same attention and affection that high-school girls were heaping upon them. 

My group of friends and I were confirmed rockers - Rush, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest … pretty much anything that wasn’t the British New Romantic. Duran Duran was a band for girls … or guys whom we stereotyped in a way that I am ashamed to recall.

However, I ended up getting a copy on cassette. A group of teenage ne’er-do-wells had a small industry set-up in the smoking-pit (Yes, those existed in 80's high school) where they would sell cassettes pilfered from the record store (Mister Sound). It wasn’t a sustainable business model, and they would eventually be banned from the mall. However, while it was up and running, I was a regular client. I had a job and a little extra scratch for music purchases. I also had a Walkman...actually, a Sanyo Personal Music Player. So a constant stream of music at all hours (except in class and when I slept) was a vital part of my life.

One day, they were selling 4 cassettes, for a bargain, and Duran Duran's "Rio" was in the mix. I think I probably justified it as a potential gift for a girl...or maybe my sister. However, I gave it a listen.

The opening track hooked me right away. It began with this odd cacophony of sound before exploding with a crunchy, rock-inspired guitar laid over this hypnotic keyboard arpeggio...and then there was this great sax solo in the middle. I was immediately hooked and the cassette remained in my player for weeks.

Needless to say, I kept this information to myself - revealing it to a few close friends and never suggesting that it be played at a basement party. There was this part of my teenage brain that was convinced that this album was important. The writing was fantastic and I think it transcended the dance/boy band category to which I had mistakenly pigeon-holed it.

A quick check on Wikipedia validates me.

• In 2000, Rio was ranked #98 in Q magazine's "100 Greatest British Albums". 
• In 2003, it was listed at #65 in the NME "100 Greatest Albums of All Time". 
• In 2004, CMJ ranked it as #1 in their "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1982". 
• In 2008 it was ranked 24th best British album of all time and is included in the list 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. 
• In April 2013 Rio was voted number 3 in BBC Radio 2's Top 100 Favourite Albums of all time.

Hey 17 year old me!… high five … nice call!

Influential Albums - Day 3

This is an update from a post from June 20, 2018 

The Influential Album Challenge is circulating on Social Media platforms again. I have been asked to participate and am revisiting my picks from 2018. 

In March, 1980, I traveled by Greyhound bus to London, Ontario, to spend March Break with my dad who had secured a new job in advance of our family joining. It was my first opportunity to explore my future hometown.

London, Ontario (2012)

I had $30, earmarked for my favourite stuff -- video games, National Lampoon magazines and junk food. However, I knew I wanted to buy a Rush album. The villiage of Kingsville where I lived for five years only had one location that sold records, a small Five & Dime/pharmacy where the selection was limited. A rack near the counter had an assortment of current releases from which to choose. Although, it was mainly K-Tel compilations and Donna Summer's latest offering, a disco record that was ubiquitous that year. Certainly nothing as eclectic as Rush could be found in Kingsville.

K-Tel record from1980 - a mix of rock and disco

I had become fascinated with Rush's music after hearing the song Cinderella Man during a school dance. Anyone familiar with the song knows that this is not a dance track. However, 80s teen culture had embraced the “Disco Sucks!” movement, complete with T-shirts, so I suspect it had been requested by a student at the dance. 

A popular shirt worn by many high school students at the time.

My week in London was marvelous. Each morning, my dad and I would drive into downtown where he worked. Wandering the busy sidewalks was both overwhelming and liberating: video game arcades, bookstores, a half-dozen record sellers and a library (with more than one floor!) At fourteen, I was at the perfect age for this experience -- old enough to be independent and young enough to be untethered from responsibility.

I spent two days debating my record purchase, diligently comparing prices at Sam the Record Man, Mister Sound and the music section at both Eaton's & Simpsons' department stores. In a pre-internet age, it was a crash course in popular music. I absorbed all the available details as I flipped through hundreds of records, carefully examining cover art, track listings and dates.

Eventually, I settled on the live album All the World’s a Stage because, as a double album, it was the best value for the buck. After making my purchase, I went to the Central branch of the London Public Library and convinced the librarian to let me borrow headphones and use the record booth, despite having no library card or any form of identification. 

This is where I would spend much of the next three days. Plugged into a library turntable listening to both discs over and over again. As the band's first live release, it covered songs from their four initial albums. Consequently, it was a journey through the evolution of their music - from their 1974 debut to the 1976 release 2112. There were no lyrics in the liner, so I painstakingly tried to decipher each verse. Songs had names such as Bastille Day and Soliloquy ... clearly, there was some heady stuff going on here. 

I  loved the inner gatefold - it was amazing for a kid who had never seen a concert.

It was the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Rush. Eventually, I owned their entire catalogue on vinyl and I would see them perform many times -- including their final Toronto concert in June, 2015, on the R40 tour. 

The lyrics, the musicianship, the Canadianity of it all resonated with me. This record immediately transports me to a simpler, carefree time: shoving quarters into an arcade game, slugging a can of soda and walking to the library with my Rush record under my arm.

Ten Influential Albums - Day 2

This is an update from a post from June 20, 2018 

The Influential Album Challenge is circulating on Social Media platforms again. I have been asked to participate and am revisiting my picks from 2018. 

My first post, found here, was the Soundtrack to Oliver. I am moving chronologically and this post lands us in 1977 when I was 11 and 12.

I was in grade eight in the farming and fishing town of Kingsville, Ontario. At the time, Acceleration (skipping grades) and Retention (failing grades) were the norm. Consequently, one might be in a classroom with students who differed in age by four years.

A student named Jari arrived from Finland that autumn. He did not speak English, so they put him in grade four. I was fortunate to have my early education in England and was moved a grade forward. Consequently, Jari (13) was in grade four and Marc (12) was in grade eight. The figurative playing field was, however, levelled on the literal playing field. At recess, we struck up a friendship competing in sports -- mainly road hockey.

Jack Miner Public School in Kingsville, Ontario

Part way through the year, with graduation on the horizon, Jari was moved to my class because his English language skills had rapidly developed and he was also starting to look like a young adult. 

That summer, I was invited to Jari's 14th birthday party. I'd heard he'd made high school friends in his neighbourhood. When I arrived, I was the youngest person there. I can't remember what I bought him (or, rather, what my parents had bought me to give him), but every other gift was an album.

Someone bought him Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell. The cover seemed maniacal and sinister. Little did I realize it was essentially ballads and Broadway-style show-tunes.  

Another gift was the debut album from The Cars. I had never heard anything remotely "electronic". It seemed avant-garde and ultra modern. I purchased my copy a few months later from the Devonshire Mall in Windsor -- spending money I'd  earned through babysitting and newspaper delivery. 

In 1982, the song Moving in Stereo was be stamped on my impressionable teenage brain during a scene featuring the stunning Phoebe Cates in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. If you are familiar with the film, you know the scene.

I still enjoy The Cars record immensely. It introduced me to new-wave and synth-pop. The lyrics are quirky and, although it would take me years to appreciate it, ironic. Jari and I drifted apart after I moved to London. I'm glad to have known him for many reasons and this album is certainly one of them.

Ten Influential Albums - Day 1

This is an update from a post from June 10, 2018 

Once again, the Influential Album Challenge is circulating on Social Media platforms -- mainly Facebook. Typically, a friend who is participating nominates you. 

Their Facebook post likely reads...

"I've been nominated by *NAME* to post ten albums that influenced me. One album per day for ten days. No explanations. No reviews. Just the covers. Then, the challenger nominates three people, including you." 

Although I love being nominated, I don't like nominating people -- I feel like I am imposing. 

I've participated in this challenge before. Consequently, this post is an update. No explanations or reviews are expected but, if you know me, you know I love to talk about me...and music. I will:

• Post chronologically (trying to capture different phases of my life).
• Include a brief story about the record and my relationship with it.   
• Not nominate anyone else, but anyone is welcome to join. As I put it on Facebook, it is a Schrödinger's invitation. You have, simultaneously, been selected and not selected.

Day 1: I needed to pick something from my first decade and settled on the Soundtrack to Oliver. This was the first record I "liberated" from of my parent's collection -- which I remember being comprised of records by Nana Mouskouri, Mario Lanza and, for some reason, an Hawaiian Luau disc.

Food, Glorious Food, Consider Yourself and I'd Do Anything became the first lyrics I memorized. It was also when I learned to lift a needle and select a track of my choice by placing it in the appropriate groove. This was about 1973 (age 8) in St. Catharines, Ontario. My portable record player was awful and I am sure I did irreparable damage to many discs. However, it was the most wonderful technology available in my world. 

This was also the album that awakened my love for genre-crossing music. Oliver has grand orchestral numbers, cheeky, boppy comedic tracks, and tender, heartfelt ballads.

Honorable mentions must go to the records that almost made the cut - also from my parents' collection.

• The Fiddler on the Roof Soundtrack  
• Life in a Tin Can by The Bee Gees.
• Golden Greats by Elvis Presley