Shingles - (A story in 3 Parts)

This is Part Three of my "I'm stuck inside with the Shingles" series. Part One can be found here and Part Two is here.

Driving back from the Bruce Peninsula, I had convinced myself that I had a shellfish allergy and that it would only get worse with time. I quietly resigned myself to a life without oysters, clams, shrimp, mussels, lobster and, my personal favourite, Alaskan crab. 

The next day, the rash was worse...much worse. I made a trip to the Urgent Care clinic at the hospital near my home and was quickly diagnosed.

• The good news...shellfish are staying on the table
• The bad news...I had shingles.

It isn't as painful as I have heard it can be for many. I have described the feeling as a mild, localized sunburn. I am on medication (1000 mg of Valacyclovir - 3 times a day). The biggest downside is that I am stuck inside while beautiful summer weather taunts me through the windows. I can't use sun blocking chemicals on my skin & I don't trust my T-shirts to be dependable sun protection. 

So, I'm watching movies, playing video games and making up for an absence of physical activity by writing blogs and preparing for school in September. I figured I would burn up some boredom by sharing a few recollections that frame this experience - hence the previous two blogs.

As you might imagine, I have learned a lot about shingles in the past few days. 

• It is the chicken pox virus. When you get the pox (which I had as a kid) the virus just lies dormant amid your nerves.
• It is usually triggered when your immune system is compromised ... but sometimes, as in my case, for no discernible reason.
• It travels along your nerves and is always localized to one side of your body (for me the right of my torso).
• It can affect your neck and face ... which is reason for concern because scaring or damage to the eyes and ears is possible. (Whew!)
• It begins as redness, becomes an angry rash with a raised texture and then pustules form. (This is the stage I am in)
• The pustules will eventually burst and leave behind itchy scabs that you should not scratch. (I am not looking forward to this!)

There is a vaccine, Shingrix, which is recommended for adults over 50. However, it is only free if you are over 65 in Ontario. Although, I suspect I have coverage through my health benefits. If you live in Ontario, here is all the information you'll need. 

What should we teach.

There are a number of popular memes on Social Media decrying the way children are raised and educated in the modern world. They vary in form - but usually have the following things in common.

• The assertion that "Participation medals" are being doled out for anything a kid does.
• Some criticism that we aren't teaching the right things to kids.
• Some suggestions about the things we should be teaching... 
• gardening, 
  
• construction or repair,
• paying taxes & credit debt,
• cursive writing,
• cooking,
• voting rights,
• sewing,
• first aid,
• raising animals,
• etc.

Here's the thing.

• Teachers are not against any of these ideas.
• These are all valuable skills.
• Most importantly, they are all available to students right now - either through specialized high school programming or through independent study (especially in an age where Project Based Learning, Passion Projects & Genius Hour are encouraged and promoted by educators.)

The Ontario Curriculum is a living document. It is under regular scrutiny and efforts are always being made to refine it and improve its utility. It is not perfect. It will always be missing something or will include something that some find objectionable, valueless or pointless. However, as I have said in previous posts, teachers are a caring adult that interacts directly with the curriculum and helps navigate students through it.

But why don't they teach ...

Cursive Writing: We do, it is covered in the Grade 3 Writing Curriculum under Expectation 3.7 (Publishing). However, it isn't taught through drill & kill practice sheets. A student should be able to identify cursive letters so that they can read text that has been created in a cursive font - but the utility of mastering the skill of writing in cursive is fading. If a parent wants their child to perfect this skill, they are certainly welcome to provide them with practice opportunities at home. However, I would argue that that time would be better spent on keyboarding. When I taught Grade 5, I would register all my students on Typing.Com and encourage parents to allow their students regular access...especially those who request homework (which, I do not assign). There are also lots of options at this site, which highlights Ten Fun Typing Games for Kids.

Gardening: I can only speak to the school where I last worked - but we had a community garden and all the classes were invited to be part of its development. Here's the thing. The growing season in Ontario includes July & August when the school is empty. Consequently, we had a garden because members of the community spearheaded the project and were willing to take care of it during the summer months. Additionally, with a school population of nearly 1000 students, there were actually too many hands for the project. Each class was invited to participate in the development of the garden, but there wasn't enough for all the students to do. There are many factors that make a gardening project at an elementary school impractical. I do have a friend and colleague who teaches Horticulture and Landscaping at Parkside Collegiate Institute in St. Thomas. Agriculture programs are also available at other secondary schools in this board.

Financial Literacy: It has been promoted through many math classes - I know I included it with my Grade 7 & 8 students when I taught that grade. It has also been highlighted as one of the initiatives that the new Ontario PC government will include in the next Math Curriculum.

Construction & Repair: As can be seen at this Thames Valley District School Board Website 12 of the area's secondary schools offer programs in either Construction or Manufacturing. Additionally, Elementary Schools throughout the Valley are investing in the Makerspace Movement that has been growing since 2011.

Cooking & First Aid: Many secondary institutions provide programs in Hospitality and Health & Wellness.

I could continue, but I think the message is clear.

• The curriculum is an adaptable document - parents are consulted in its creation & adaptation.
• Educators are responsive to the needs of students and try to create thinkers, makers & creators.
• Efforts are made to provide students with opportunities for many life skills.
• It is impossible to do it all - but we certainly make an effort to do as much as possible.
• There are practical limitations to some things that some people would like to see in schools. It's not as simple as just "adding it to the curriculum".
• The curriculum will never please everyone - there will always be "something missing" or "something that should be taught by the parents".
• Parents are welcome to augment their child's education with anything they want.
• I now have something to share the next time I see one of those Facebook posts - even those from my favourite comedian - George Carlin.

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.

"Talk Less - Smile More" Aaron Burr from "Hamilton"

When I was in my second year of university, I took a course called “An Introduction to Personality Theory and Research”.  I loved it and I dove into my studies voraciously. It was as if I was perpetually on the verge of cracking a secret code miraculously overlooked by Maslow, Freud, Jung and Skinner. You know - the typical delusions of grandeur that possess a twenty-something with an inspiring professor, easy access to books and a patient girlfriend willing to indulge half-baked theories and rants.

Around mid-November, I began to craft my coup de grȃce - An essay of such deeply referenced research and powerful eloquence that my professor would be utterly bewildered by my brilliance. Much like Ralphie in “A Christmas Story” I anxiously awaited its return. Unlike Ralphie, I received a B and not a C+.  However, more stinging was a single word, aggressively etched in red ink on the third or fourth page of my treatise.

Parsimony!!

I’ll admit, I had to look it up.

Parsimony is stinginess. It is the quality of being careful with resources or, as Merriam Webster puts it “economy in the use of means to an end; especially:  economy of explanation in conformity with Occam's razor.

It was a valuable lesson, and one of which I still need to remind myself. Say more with less. I thought about that today when I debated writing another post. I have a whole bunch of them rattling about my cranium like errant billiard balls and I wondered why I kept procrastinating. I think it is because I know I won’t easily respect the need for parsimony.

• I must respect the need for parsimony.
• I will try to write more often.
• I will make use of bullet points when it helps me summarize ideas.
• I will write in the same way that an Ignite Talk is done. (Perhaps even recording them with pics and posting them on YouTube).
• I will try to keep my posts in the 500 - 750 word range.
• Hyperlinks are my friend.
• “A Christmas Story” is still one of my favourite movies.

The Homework Conundrum Revisted

A little over a year ago, I waded into the homework debate with a blog I dubbed "The Homework Conundrum". In it, I weighed the pros and cons behind a teacher’s decision to give homework and tried to demonstrate, through numerous links, that there is much debate. I tried to explore both sides with an open mind and agreed that compelling and convincing arguments abound. Ultimately, I presented my case for providing students with relevant, meaningful and flexible homework options. I chose to make homework mandatory on weeknights (Monday to Thursday) so parents would never be uncertain if it was assigned.

I look back on the evidence I provided to support this decision and still believe that it holds water. However, as I embark on another year teaching in the Junior Grades, I have reconsidered my approach again. This year, I have decided to leave the option of homework with the students and their parents. To that end, I am providing multiple opportunities for students to enrich their learning with meaningful tasks that will build important skills but, none of it is mandatory. In other words, I am trying to satisfy everyone. I’ll try to illuminate with three examples.

Scenario 1
Nina’s family is very busy every night of the week. She is a competitive swimmer and is also taking piano lessons. Her two brothers play hockey for different teams and both take violin lessons. Her mother’s job takes her out of town frequently; consequently, her father spends most nights shuttling his kids to different venues while scrambling to make sure all three get a healthy dinner. Academic success is a priority for the family but, additional homework is sometimes a burden.

Scenario 2
Sam’s family believes that homework is an essential part of education and one hour is put aside each evening for this purpose. Sam’s parents have often asked his teacher for more homework when he comes home with only a book to read. They want him to develop the "habit of homework" in preparation for high school and post-secondary success. They also set the bar high for him and want him to develop excellent numeracy and literacy skills. They sincerely believe that extra practice every evening will increase his competence and the likelihood of his academic success in the future.

Scenario 3
Home life for Tyler is challenging. He is being raised by a single parent who is struggling with mental health and addiction issues. There are financial issues in the home because his parent can not work and, he does not always have access to the internet or a working computer. Additionally, he is often forced into the role of caregiver for his younger siblings. Sometimes, there is nothing to eat and he needs to walk to the local church to gather a bag of non-perishable items from their food bank. Regular completion of homework is an unreasonable expectation for him.

I gave more thought to these three scenarios and applied the “perfect” homework solution outlined in my previous post. I realized quickly that it only worked effectively in one of these situations and I was forced to admit that, increasingly, these "ideal" scenarios are a less common. I reflected on each fictional student's arrival in class the next day.

• Sam would be beaming - his homework tucked neatly in the front of his planner. He has satisfied both his teacher and his parents. 
• Nina would have her work completed too - slightly wrinkled (like her weary eyes) from its completion in the stands at a chilly arena in a different town. 
• Tyler, equally exhausted, would shuffle in quietly armed with only the knowledge that he had failed meet classroom expectations, again.

Now, I realize I am painting some extreme scenarios and any teacher worth his salt would have developed an alternate, supportive plan for Tyler. Regardless, I now believe that mandatory homework does not work in enough situations to justify itself. Additionally, it is, too frequently, an unnecessary source of frustration for parents, teachers and students.

My Current Solution

Accepting that my teaching and systems are in a constant state of reflection and enhancement - I am currently approaching this by making relevant, meaningful and engaging homework a voluntary proposition. Nina and her parents can relieve themselves of this commitment on any night of the year while still having the option available to them on others. Sam’s parents are also sated by the many options available to their son on every night of the week - options that exceed “daily reading”.  Most importantly, Tyler’s arrival at school each morning is recognized as a success in itself.

What options are available?

Within the first month, I set students up an accounts on Edmodo - a safe, Facebook style, social media platform that allows us to share ideas and create discussions. This also provides me with a launching point for a raft of other free, online educational websites.

XTRAmath - a place for students to practice their basic computational skills. This site effectively removes "drill and kill" from instructional time.

Learn to Type - a website to teach keyboarding essentials through practice, tests and games.

Tween Tribune - thousands of news articles (updated daily to reflect current events) that can be leveled to readers from K - 12. Deeper thinking discussion questions are provided and answers can be posted in the classroom Edmodo page to encourage collaborative discovery.

Prodigy Math - a Pokemon style battle game that requires users to answer questions that are aligned with with the Ontario or Common Core curriculum. Teacher administrators can differentiate questions based on each user's ability and can align the questions to match the current classroom unit.

No Red Ink - Grammar basics (differentiated and aligned with instruction by the teacher) to make learning the fundamentals of language a little more fun.

Study Jams - 200+ video lessons on topics in Science and Math. A great resource for reteaching concepts covered in class and also a place to explore new ideas in a fun and engaging way.

Using Edmodo, I can quickly provide links to these websites and others to help students build their skills in multiple curriculum areas.  Additionally, I can pose questions relevant to current events or curriculum studies that students can explore. They are then provided with the opportunity to share their thinking with both me and their peers through Edmodo discussion posts. Later, in class, we can examine their ideas and allow others to participate orally in our discussion. Student voice is enhanced because each child is encouraged to post pictures, riddles, stories or links that will encourage collaborative online communication. In the past, my students have used Code.org and Scratch to create content that peers can play or even remix.

So far, things have been successful. Parents who are looking for additional homework are encouraged to investigate our Edmodo page with their student. Alternately, I can provide them with links through Class Dojo (which I use with them as a communication and sharing tool). My students have responded well and are many enjoy the opportunity to demonstrate their initiative and independent work habits by exploring these resources on their own. To foster this, I have created an Initiative Bingo Card for them to complete during the fall months.

I'll see you next year when I revisit this topic again.

Twitter & The Lesson that makes me Cry

Recently, while facilitating a workshop with a group of colleagues, I was asked about the relevance of Twitter and how it might be used in the classroom. I took some time to share with them the importance of building a Professional Learning Network (PLN) and listed all of the positives that come with a Twitter presence.

• It’s fun to follow people.
• You can facilitate student voice.
• It is a great source for news as it happens and therefore ...
• ...it is a social disruptor and galvanizer (Arab Spring, Russian annexation of Crimea).
• It is great for quick hits of Professional Development.
• Great educators share resources all the time.
• You can build a PLN specific to your interests and grade level.
• A Principal may (should?) ask about yours in an interview.
• It is ongoing evidence of your best practice - because you curate it.
• If you follow comedians, you will always have timely jokes.
• Growing your following rewards your ego (I’d like to say I am better than this … but I have learned that I am not)

When asked about using it in the classroom, I shared the unit that I have dubbed “the one that always makes me cry.”

One would think that, after delivering this unit more than five times, I would have developed a thicker skin. This has not been the case and I am now a firm believer in Andropause. My cynical and hardened veneer has increasingly been showing cracks.

• I struggle through sad movies...particularly those by Pixar (The first 10 minutes of “UP” gutted me).
• I more actively avoid media that is tragic and I have far more difficulty processing it when I encounter it.
• I quickly block any Facebook post that is potentially disturbing (I’m looking at you PETA).

I recognize that this softer side is likely evidence of emotional progress and I realize I am genuinely sharing an empathetic aspect of my personality with my students. However, there remains a nugget of neanderthal masculinity buried deep within my amygdala that steadfastly cautions me - “Emotion bad! You strong! Make joke to relieve tension!.... Good ...now talk about sports!”

The Activity

It begins with an open discussion about the word “homelessness” using a strategy called Post it, Pile it, Pin it. I may start by showing a few photos of homeless people and ask my students to think about words, ideas or opinions that come to mind. They are encouraged to share with each other by writing down their ideas on a post-it note. Another member of the group can also post ideas that are shared orally. A pile of these notes is created in the middle of the table. Finally, the notes are brought to the front and pinned to a chart paper. This also serves to sort the responses because similar responses are grouped.

An updated “techy” version of this involves laptops and a virtual wall - through a program called Padlet.

Obviously, responses will vary but; my experiences have seen the words tend to fall into two categories. One group of posts will contain negative opinions which castigate the homeless (drunk, criminals, lazy, dirty, scary, drug-users). The other set tend to show more compassion or sympathy (misunderstood, mentally ill, helpless, sad, poor). It seems likely that the students are merely parroting opinions that they have heard from others (perhaps the adults in their worlds). The ultimate goal of the lesson is to help them discover their own opinion and move past stereotypes. The Ontario Grade 6 Health curriculum connections fit in nicely here.

C1.3 identify factors that affect the development of a person’s self-concept (e.g., environment, evaluations by others who are important to them, stereotypes, awareness of strengths and needs, social competencies, cultural and gender identity, support, body image, mental health and emotional well-being, physical abilities).

I do my best to list these responses without showing judgement. It is important that students feel comfortable sharing their opinions and we regularly talk about how our perspectives can change when we have additional information. At this point, I share the picture book “Fly Away Home” by Eve Bunting with them. Well, actually, because I struggle to get through it without blubbering - I show the YouTube video of it.

There are some great discussion points available and many students are able to make the connection between the symbolic escape of the bird and Andrew’s life. We can also revisit some of the post it notes and talk about which ones apply to the characters in the story.

The Twitter Connection

So, how does this connect to Twitter? That comes in the next step. I share the following video in which homeless people read mean tweets about the homeless.

It is powerful and requires some setting up (It can also make me weepy). The word “piss” is used. Consequently, that requires some editing or a class discussion about language before it is screened. I prefer the latter. Students respond positively to frank conversation about word choice and this can be empowering for them.

We have a discussion about Tweets, Twitter and Hashtags. We use Edmodo as a classroom forum; so, they are already well versed in Social Media etiquette, online bullying and the T.H.I.N.K. approach to posting.

Again, we can look at our pinned notes and reflect on stereotypes and empathy. I then present the following challenge.

In 140 characters, can you write a kind tweet about homelessness which includes a hashtag to identify it.

As a class, we brainstorm and choose a hashtag. Suggestions and past examples have included #KindnessCounts #EHStudentsCare (EH is Eagle Heights) #HelpHomeless or maybe #KindTweets4Homeless.

I provide the students with a strip of graph paper with about 140 boxes available. The students develop their ideas on scrap paper and then, once satisfied, print them out on the graph paper strip. I log on to my Twitter account and they are invited to type in their Tweets. I do ask that they call me over to confirm things before posting. Over the next few hours, we look forward to alerts that “like” or “retweet” our efforts at kindness.

If you would like to help us, drop me a line. It would be great to organize a day of kind tweets around a common hashtag. If not, look for our tweets this fall. I think I may take the coward’s route and encourage my student teacher to deliver this unit.

Good … Make joke...Sad feeling go back down!