Comic Life - Gone but not forgotten

About 10 years ago, our board invested in a computer program called Comic Life. It was an online platform that helped students make beautiful, comic-book-style pages - complete with fonts, templates, panels, balloons and lettering art. It was easy to use, the kids loved working with it and the results were terrific.

I made good use of it, particularly at the start of the school year, to engage students in literacy & media activities, particularly as a way to share their identity & interests creatively. Recently, as I prepare to return to the classroom, I have been reevaluating the utility of these lessons. Unfortunately, Comic Life is no longer available...for free. I looked into similar programs but realized that Google Draw could easily be adapted to fit my needs. 

So, it was time for me to create and determine...

• Do these activities still meet standards (both my own & the curriculum)?
• Can Google Draw be employed to replicate the features of Comic Life?
• Do I think students would enjoy this activity & add it to their repertoire as a method to share their learning?

Here is the first activity (I'll post another in a future blog).

In this cross-curricular literacy & media project, Comic Life (now Google Draw) is used to present an Autobiographical Poem visually.

Step One: Students create their unique Autobiographical poem by filling in blanks to simple questions about their lives. I provide them with a copy of a Google Doc bit.ly/biopoem1 but the questions are...

What's your First Name?
List 4 Adjectives that describe you.
Who are you a brother/sister/son/daughter of?
Name three things you love.
Name three feelings you enjoy and where you enjoy them
What do you give ...and to whom?
What do you fear...or dislike?
What would you like to see?
Name three friends.
Describe where you live.
Last Name

Here is mine (it is also provided as an example in the Doc)

Marc
Active, Funny, Creative, Happy.
Husband of Angela.
Who loves Cats, Music & Hockey
Who feels content in front of the TV,
Creative at the computer &
Happy when sleeping.
Who gives time to writing, 
Energy to Exercising &
Laughter to Friends.
Who fears losing loved ones,
confined spaces &
cottage cheese.
Who would like to see more concerts,
Paris &
Austrailia
Who is friends with Robbie, Steve & James
Who lives in a 3 storey brownstone near downtown
Hodgkinson

Step Two: Students are given time to collect digital photos related to the answers that make up their poem. Photos can be brought from home on a portable USB drive or through Google Photos. I have, in the past, borrowed digital cameras from our Board and, after securing parent's permission, loaned them overnight.

Step Three: Students use Google Draw to create a 1-3 magazine style "splash pages" that amplify their poem. Page Set-up to 8.5 x 11 for easy printing.

Here are links to full-sized versions of my examples
Bio Poem Page 1
Bio Poem Page 2
Bio Poem Page 3

Step 4: Print and Display (with student permission of course).

Some Notes

• The word biography appears in the Grade 4, 5, 6 and 8 Ontario Language Curriculum - so this activity will connect easily. I have a Grade 7 class next year and this expectation from the Writing section is perfect.

Purpose and Audience 1.1
Students will identify the topic, purpose, and audience for more complex writing forms (e.g., a rap poem or jingle, to express a personal view to the class; a report for a community newspaper about a public meeting on an environmental issue affecting local neighbourhoods; an autobiography for a youth magazine, web page, blog, or zine)

• You will want to add font choices to Google Accounts. The style called "Covered by Your Grace" is very close to a typical comic dialogue font.
• Remind them to keep images and text clear from the edge - or it gets "cut-off" when printing.
• Rather than lessons on using the program - talk about the term aesthetic or aesthetically pleasing. Let the students discover the Google tools and encourage them to share their discoveries with each other. I call this "making our ideas go viral".
• You could choose to mention that the following features are useful...but offer no instructions.

• Word Art
• Border Colour & Weight
• Picture Orientation
• Searching for Hi Def Backgrounds in Images

I'll be trying this in September and hope to update this with the results & feedback from students. Please let me know if this works for you or if you find a way to remix it.

The 500 - #468 - Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Debut

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

My plan (amended). 

• 1 or 2 records per week & at least 2 complete listens.
• A quick blog post for each, highlighting the important details and a quick background story.
• No rating scale - just an effort to expand my appreciation.

Album # 468

Album Title: Debut
Artist: Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Released: October 1965
My age at release: 3 months
How familiar am I with it: Somewhat
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Mellow Down Easy selected by my friend Claudio
Great Lyric:
"Come down to the station
To meet my baby at the gate
Asked the station master
If my train's a-running late
He said "If you're a-waiting
on the 444
I hate to tell you son
That train don't stop here any more" (Mystery Train)

In the summer of 1988, I drove from London, Ontario to Calgary, Alberta in about 35 hours. My only rest was a one hour nap beside a corn field near Rugby, North Dakota (the geographical centre of North America).

I was fuelled on this trip by cigarettes, coffee & Jolt cola (all the sugar, twice the caffeine) and the burning desire to reunite with my girlfriend (now my wife). I would also be meeting her father for the first time.

The soundtrack for my journey was housed in my beloved cassette briefcase. You see, there was a time...long before Spotify, Apple Music, Itunes and even Compact Discs...when music was only made portable on cassette. My briefcase contained a curated collection of albums and mixed-tapes meticulously selected for this journey. I remember August of 1988 being monopolized by two things: The Who (the album Tommy in particular) and classic blues. 

As I have mentioned in previous posts, there was a store in London called "The Software Library" and they rented compact discs. A few weeks earlier, while listening to Eric Clapton from his time with John Mayall & The Blues Breakers, I decided that I wanted to increase my knowledge of the blues. So, I tracked down as many early blues albums I could and put together a mixed-tape full of tracks from Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker & Buddy Guy. On that drive to Calgary - I played that cassette at least five times. Consequently, many of those songs create an emotional recall that transports me to that time - young, free and jacked up on nicotine, caffeine and love.

When I first fired up this debut offering from The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (PBBB to fans) I assumed I wouldn't know a single track. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I was familiar with many. 

This is a great record, particularly if you love the Chicago Electric Blues sound. As I mentioned when I wrote about Albert King's Born Under a Bad Sign (#491 on this list), I became a lifelong fan of the Chicago sound because of my love of comedy, Saturday Night Live and The Blues Brothers.

Things I learned

• Elvin Bishop was in the PBBB. He is the writer of one of my favourite 70's songs Fooled Around and Fell in Love which has an incredibly underrated guitar solo in it... go listen.
• It was one of the first blues albums recorded in America featuring a white, lead singer. The British Blues movement predates it by over 5 years. 
• Butterfield suffered from peritonitis (inflammation of the intestines). Several surgical procedures were unsuccessful and he developed an addiction to heroin which he began using to relieve the pain. Sadly, in 1987, he died of an accidental overdose at the age of 44.

The 500 - #469 - The Fugees - The Score

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

My plan (amended). 

• 1 or 2 records per week & at least 2 complete listens.
• A quick blog post for each, highlighting the important details and a quick background story.
• No rating scale - just an effort to expand my appreciation.

Album # 469

Album Title: The Score
Artist: The Fugees
Released: February 1996
My age at release: 31
How familiar am I with it: Somewhat
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix: Killing Me Softly (Suggested by friends Pam & Kim)
Great Lyric:
"Abstract raps simple with a street format 
Gaze into the sky and measure planets by parallax 
Check out the retrograde motion, kill the notion 
Of biting and recycling and calling it your own creation," (Zealots)

This post will be brief for a couple reasons. 

• I don't have a lot to share about this record. 
• This wasn't a great time in my life.

I do remember this record. It was released in February, but I remember it best from the spring and summer of 1996. The song Killing Me Softly was ubiquitous and it always made me think of the 70's  because I remembered the Roberta Flack version. 

Covers, Remakes and Reboots have always held a fascination for me. When I was a kid, I was always surprised to discover that something I loved had been done before. I distinctly remember learning that Ain't that a Shame wasn't a Cheaptrick song - but a remake of a Fats Domino classic from 25 years earlier.  

However, as you get older, the remakes are from your own history - and you're sometimes surprised when someone younger doesn't realize it. I'm now getting to an age when cover songs are reboots of remakes. I'm also old enough to have watched the 1975 Queen song Bohemian Rhapsody resonate for a third time. In 2018 it was on the ITunes charts 26 years after it was a top 10 hit for the second time after being resurrected in a scene from Wayne's World.

The spring and summer of 1996 was a challenging time for me. I had returned to London after spending 8 months at Teacher's College in Thunder Bay. Sure, I had a new degree and was qualified to teach - but that came with a boatload of debt and job prospects in Ontario were slim. My girlfriend of 7 years and I were separated (She is now my wife ... so that worked out ... but it sure didn't feel like it would at the time).

I actually debated taking a teaching job in Las Vegas. The offer was appealing...

• Full time employment at a good salary.
• A temporary Green Card & assistance to become a permanent resident.
• A cash advance to offset the cost of the move.
• A sizable bonus if you completed 2 years.

However, that summer, the London District School Board (now Thames Valley) hired me for the occasional teachers list. By January of 1997, I was back with my girlfriend and getting a few paid days in the classroom - 11 to be exact - enough to get my foot in the door and, 22 years later, I am glad I stayed.

Some thoughts on this record

I almost put the song Fu-Gee-La on the Spotify mix (as suggested by my colleague Brent)  but, I realized I would never get tired of hearing Lauryn Hill's haunting voice on the more popular track.

I don't understand the interstitial stuff they choose to put between the songs. In an interview, Hill commented that it's supposed to be like an audio film...

"...like how radio was back in the 1940s. It tells a story, and there are cuts and breaks in the music. It's almost like a hip-hop version of Tommy, like what The Who did for rock music." 

Regardless, it doesn't really work for me, it just takes me out of the groove. Maybe that's just me.

The 500 - #470 - LL Cool J - Radio

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

My plan (amended). 

• 1 or 2 records per week & at least 2 complete listens.
• A quick blog post for each, highlighting the important details and a quick background story.
• No rating scale - just an effort to expand my appreciation.

Album # 470

Album Title: Radio
Artist: LL Cool J
Released: November, 1985
My age at release: 20
How familiar am I with it: A little
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix:  Rock the Bells
Great Lyric:
"Some girls will like this jam and some girls won't
Because I make a lot of money and your boyfriend don't" (Rock the Bells)

Once again, I am excited to have learned new things about an artist with which I was not that familiar. Sure, I knew about LL Cool J - I even knew that his moniker stood for "Ladies Love Cool James". I also really liked the songs Going back to Cali &  Mama Said Knock You Out - neither of which was on this record. 

I also remember seeing him transition from music to film in the role as Preacher in the film Deep Blue Sea - A movie probably best remembered for a scene featuring the great Samuel L. Jackson being interrupted while delivering one of his infamous motivational speeches.  

At first, I was surprised by the selection of this record for The 500 - but I can now see its importance and I was astonished to learn that most of it was recorded when LL was only 17. It certainly sounds "of a time" and even though this was not a genre of music that matched my taste it has a liminal quality. Just listening to the introduction to I Can't Live Without my Radio  - (complete with drum-machine hand-claps and record scratching guitar stabs) - takes me back to the mid-80's. I even knew a few guys who tried to rock a Kangol Hat.

I gave this record four listens and it grew on me with each. Here is the trajectory.

• Listen 1: This is dated. How is this on the list?
• Listen 2: Ya know - there are some catchy tracks here - it also has some funny lines.
• Listen 3: This is growing on me - I can see why this was popular.
• Listen 4: OK, I'm in...why is the song You Can't Dance stuck in my head?

I also really enjoyed the conversation on The 500 Podcast between host Josh Adam Meyers & his guest, Russell Peters. Peters is clearly a fan and he shares some terrific and personal stories about his relationship with this record. He makes an interesting comparison between early hip-hop attitudes and performers today when he says...

"We were egocentric in a braggadocios way; they are egocentric in an egotistical way."

I think this sums up my take-away from this record. It's supposed to be funny at times. I know I missed that when I first heard hip-hop in the 80's.

I have actually met and chatted with Russell Peters on several occasions. Back in the early 90s, I worked as a bartender at Kelsey's Restaurant in South London. In the plaza adjacent to us was a Yuk Yuk's comedy club. I played hockey with the Yuk Yuk's team and got to know the staff there well.

On Friday and Saturday nights, there were three of us scheduled to bartend - two were closers, and the third was cut at about 9:00 pm.  If it got busy at 9:30 and the third person was still around - the manager would ask them to start again. 

Here's the thing: The other two bartenders did not want this to happen because it would significantly reduce their tips. Additionally, we had a strange, masochistic fascination with being insanely busy or, in restaurant parlance, "in the weeds". Not only would we end up making buckets of money (likely out of sympathy) - but the night would also go by much quicker.

So, there was an unwritten rule that, when cut, the third bartender would leave or (again in restaurant lingo) "pull the chute"... as in parachute. 

When I was the third bartender, I would order chicken wings and take them over to Yuk Yuk's for the staff in exchange for a few beers. I would sit at the bar (outside the showroom) and chat with their bartender and, often, the comedians who were waiting to go on stage.

Russell Peters was one of those comedians and he was always a terrific guy. I can't remember what we chatted about - but I do remember him being down-to-earth and genuinely pleasant. There were a few comics that were far less approachable and, frankly, a little conceited. Most of them have vanished from the business or are still toiling away on the same Canadian circuit. Meanwhile, Russell Peters has become an international superstar. I can't help but think that some of that can be attributed to his friendly demeanour.

Do teachers really need to dress professionally?

Today, in an effort to ignore the sweltering heat of an Ontario-humid, July day I was scrolling through my Twitter feed and saw a discussion heavy post by Mr. Gupton @GuptonFCS_LHS with the heading.

I'll admit, the heat of the day got to me and I reflexively thought..."No!" 

I think I had a sense reaction. I may have been temporarily transported to my short, but awful stint, as a restaurant manager in North Toronto. 

White button down shirts, ties & jackets were mandatory at all times - even serving beers on the shadeless summer patio. The pace was always frenetic, so there was no point even taking off the jacket in the kitchen where the offices were located. That environment replicated a Dickensian workshop - cruelly cooled by a lonely oscillating fan that seemed only to served the surreal purpose of slightly agitating the fryer steam.

Arizona Coach Sean Miller comes to mind - and he gets to take off the jacket!

So, I gave it some more thought, and then read through the extensive thread that followed. Here's a bunch of opinions (some of which were echoed in that feed).

• Dressing professionally means different things to different people. 
• To some (including the owners of that terrible restaurant) it means white shirt, jacket and tie. 
• To others (like an art, welding, phys. ed. or science teacher) it might mean something markedly different.
• "Dressing the part" may help some people "feel the part" and that is certainly a benefit to them.
• However, dressing in clothes that are comfortable may help other people "feel comfortable" and that is a benefit to them.
• Young teachers in a high school setting may benefit from "looking the part" - so that's a consideration.
• Consistency is important - I get that. Looking well groomed & well attired conveys a level of professionalism that helps establish a high standard of expectation...sure...I get that too. But...
• Cost is an obstacle for some (especially new teachers who are carrying student debt). This needs to be considered.
• Expensive, well-tailored suits might seem unfamiliar to some students. Is that educator making their position seem unattainable or unapproachable? 
• Perhaps, the community in which the student lives, associates professional attire negatively? 
• Here's one I've noticed. A white T-shirt and cargo shorts with Vans is too casual for a male teacher but, a short-sleeved white blouse with knee-length skorts with a pair of cute sandals is perfect for a female teacher. (Hmm - does the light floral print and the flowered strap on the sandal really make that much difference? (Clearly, I am referencing a criticism I once faced; but, its probably because I've never looked like this model) ;-)

I could add more, it was a terrific feed to read and, to coin a phrase from a former Grade 8 student, I found myself "semigree-ing" with many of my fellow educators' statements. I think professionalism is a matter of professional discretion. I think most teachers make good choices that fit them, and their community, perfectly well. Thanks for agitating my mind on this hot day Mr. Gupton & crew!

The 500 - #471 - Richard & Linda Thompson "I want to see the Bright Lights Tonight"

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

My plan (amended). 

• 1 or 2 records per week & at least 2 complete listens.
• A quick blog post for each, highlighting the important details and a quick background story.
• No rating scale - just an effort to expand my appreciation.

Album # 471

Album Title: I want to see Bright Lights Tonight
Artist: Richard & Linda Thompson
Released: April, 1974
My age at release: 8
How familiar am I with it: Not at all
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix:  I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (Co-selected with Claudio S.)
Great Lyric:
You can be a gambler
Who never drew hand
You can be a sailor
Who never left dry land
You can be Lord Jesus
All the world will understand
Down where the drunkards roll. 

A few months ago, when I decided to start writing about these albums, I knew that I would encounter records with which I had limited familiarity.  However, even with Outkast's Aquemini, Biggie's Life After Death, & Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, I had a passing knowledge of the artist & genre. 

This 1974 British Folk Rock album was an entire mystery to me. I hadn't heard of Richard or Linda Thompson and no idea what to expect. As usual, I was pleasantly surprised. However, it took more than three listens for it to grow on me and, if it wasn't for a glowing endorsement by my chum Cladio (who helped pick the Spotify song), I may have stopped and missed out.

I am currently teaching Lego Robotics at Summer Numeracy Camps for 7-9 year olds. This morning, I needed to drive to Woodstock, Ontario (about an hour east of London) at 7:00 am. Traversing quiet, rural roads beneath a rapidly warming sun and alongside summer crops was the perfect backdrop for a final listen before writing this.

As it turns out, Richard Thompson was a member of the band Fairport Convention and I do know one of their songs: Who Knows Where the Time Goes? It's one of those funereal, folk-ballads that reminds me of either Joni Mitchell, or The Mamas & Papas, at their most morose. Even when I was a child, songs from that genre made me feel wistful and empty - like and old man who'd missed out on everything precious - except a sorrowful song that reminded him of things that were no longer possible. 

I had a childhood friend named Todd who loved the song Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks. I'd always listen patiently but, could never understand why we would choose that record when his mother's copy of Elton John's Crocodile Rock was sitting right beside it - full of silly, na-na-na-na-nah fun. 

This record certainly has several languid, forlorn entries ... particularly the painful torment of Withered & Died; but, they are broken up by the infectiously catchy, uptempo groove of the title track, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight. 

Not much more to say about this one - but I can share a few things I learned...

• Richard Thompson became sober shortly after penning Down where the Drunkards Roll. It's a lyrically interesting song because it could be interpreted as a tragic commentary on alcoholism or, a celebration of the non-judgemental community that they share. It sits in perfect contrast to the celebratory optimism of the title track - almost like two sides of the "let's go out for some drinks" coin.
• The 2004 Bonus CD (& Spotify version) contain a live version of The Calvary Cross which truly highlights Richard Thompson's guitar skills (and the reason Rolling Stone ranks him #69 on their list of greatest guitar players).
• The album features the Crumhorn a bassoon-ish wind instrument from the Renaissance. (Bet you didn't know you were going to learn that word today?)

The 500 - #472 - George Michael - Faith

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

My plan (amended). 

• 1 or 2 records per week & at least 2 complete listens.
• A quick blog post for each, highlighting the important details and a quick background story.
• No rating scale - just an effort to expand my appreciation.

Album # 472

Album Title: Faith
Artist: George Michael
Released: October, 1987
My age at release: 22
How familiar am I with it: Very Familiar
Song I am putting on my Spotify Mix:  One More Try (picked by my great teaching colleague Kim Asen)

Great Lyric:

I'm never gonna be your star

I'll pick up the pieces

And mend my heart

Maybe I'll be strong enough

I don't know where to stars

But I'll never find

Peace…(Kissing a Fool)

There was no escaping Wake Me Up Before you Go Go in the summer of 1984. The dance pop hit was ubiquitous and it arrived on the same year Much Music (Canada's MTV) debuted. Consequently, the video aired relentlessly and "Choose Life" shirts could be spotted everywhere - usually on teen girls.

As you might imagine - I was not a fan at 18 years of age. In retrospect, I know I was jealous and not just because George was alarmingly good looking. I was most envious when I discovered that he had penned the song Careless Whisper at the age of 17.  As a sax player, I quietly went about learning the iconic riff - usually in the music practice rooms buried in the back of our high school. I remember thinking, "it would be great if a girl wandered by and heard me play it" - but I was equally mortified by the prospect of my rocker friends catching me noodling out those notes ... badly (I never could quite get that beautiful tone).

I was surprised to see Faith make the cut on The 500 - I am a much bigger fan of the 1990 release Listen without Prejudice - Volume 1 and I think it is a better record. Granted, Faith was groundbreaking and the video for I Want Your Sex was daringly controversial & determinedly racy for the time...in fact, it was only aired late at night and was often preceded by a warning on the screen. Flirting with open sexuality in the heart of the AIDS crisis was certainly risque - perhaps even brash. The choice to include a shirtless Michael writing the words "Explore Monogamy" in lipstick on the back of girlfriend and video model Kathy Jeung seemed to send a mixed message and was, perhaps, a little too transparent an effort to seem genuine.

At the time, I was in University and working part-time as a server & driver at Fluffy's Pizza (Home of the Pizza Monster...I'm not kidding - I wore the costume). The restaurant had a "projection screen" television which was the size of a large armoire and MuchMusic was always aired when a game was not on. The bussing station gave me a clear view and I am not exagerating when I say that I saw that video at least 300 times. That, and Bad by Michael Jackson.

Me & my mullet in 1987 making Fluffy's Pizza 

I was tremendously saddened on Christmas Day, 2016 to learn of his early passing. He was an extraordinary talent and I am sure that there would have been a renaissance and tour in his future. I was even more gutted when I learned about his many charitable contributions (all anonymously given) to everything from AIDS research and Children's Charities. I also really liked this video from the BBC Red Nose Charity, filmed a few months before he passed. He demonstrates his silly side and a wonderful bit of self-depricating wit in an early version of the now popular Car Pool Karaoke with James Corden.

I'll remember him well and listen to his albums frequently. At the very least, I am reminded of his work every Christmas with the tradition of playing #Whammageddon. After two losing years, I tasted sweet victory in 2018. Here are the rules.