After Class Eleven - March 18

The semester is rapidly coming to a close. The final assignment, the Portfolio, is due next week, March 25. Please include three narratives and a one page introduction to the Portfolio, where you discuss your reasons for including each narrative, what you learned from writing each one, and how your ideas may have changed over the semester.

Thanks again to our narrative readers this week. We heard about a terrible accident and how it is hard to let go of the traumatic feelings of that experience; how students are often our best teachers by reminding us to keep an open mind; and about a first job, complicated by a co-worker who holds a parent in high esteem.

The image is from an interesting "Prison Art" website, http://www.cellblockvisions.com/about.html and you can read about a teacher's experience of teaching art in jails.

Have a great weekend - Happy Spring!

After Class Ten - March 11

We enjoyed a feast of narratives in this class -- many thanks to the authors. We heard about deciding to live in residence and learning to juggle school, work and daily living chores; the heartbreak of false friendship and being grateful for true friends; the shock of a good high school student receiving poor grades in university and deciding to meet the challenge; a summer trip to Quebec and the benefits of travel for young people; developing a fear of public speaking from experiences in a hostile classroom and the contrast of learning how to be more confident in a nurturing classroom; work experiences in a friend's business and a man's unique way of teaching through salty stories; the impact on children in a family breakdown and learning why forgiveness is important; and, lastly, through early marriage and more worldly experiences, being able to stand up for yourself and finding the courage to change your life.

Our story this week, "Man and Wife" by Katie Chase, created a lot of good discussion. Thanks for all the good comments on the blog as well.

Please note: the blogs/reading logs are due next Wed., March 18. You can e-mail them in one document or bring a paper copy to class. After the introduction, there should be nine entries in total. Your response to this class, Mar. 10, will be the final entry. I will continue to post information on the blog and you are welcome to post your ideas, but it is optional from now on.

Just a heads up: in less than two weeks (Mar. 25) the three narratives for the Portfolio will be due. Please bring one narrative to class next week on which you have not yet received feedback and we will give each other peer comments. See you then.

No class on Wed., March 4

Due to illness, there will be NO class this Wed.

Please use this time to work on your papers - they are due next class, March 11.

Also, for this week's blog/log posting, please discuss your impressions of the story, "Man and Wife" by Katie Chase. How does this story compare with more extreme events in the news, such as in Bountiful, B.C.? How do society and even family pressure young people to marry? In North America, with a 50% divorce rate, would you say parental involvement in a choice of partner might be a good thing? In some cultures, arranged marriage is the norm -- do you think this might lead to a higher rate of success, or does it change the whole idea of marriage for you? We will discuss this more in class next week.

Please continue to post on last week's class in the blog (below). See you next week. Sorry for any inconvenience.

After Class Eight - Feb. 25

Nasty weather yesterday - hope that's the last of it! This week we were treated to six interesting narratives: one about how a volleyball team overcame feelings of hopelessness and fatigue through song, and to their surprise, the opposing spectators kindly joining in; another about a hurricane-dampened trip to Disney World and choosing to make the best of it; one about a first trip away from home - the results being greater confidence; one looking at an extreme style of "parenting" and concerns about the development of children; one illustrating the business and ethics dilemma - earning money vs. building relationships; and lastly, hearing about a first job and how experienced employees ought to remember the way new workers feel and treat them with respect.

Our lecture this week was about contrasting views in education: aiming for universal "world citizens" or encouraging local, distinct, multicultural identies. Thanks again to everyone for being willing to move out of their comfort zone - this is an opportunity for great learning. The image is from the cover of our story this week, "Brokeback Mountain".

Please check this blog again Tuesday night to find out about the status of class on Wednesday, March 4. In any case, continue to work on your papers and narratives. Stay well.

After Class Seven - Feb. 18

We are now more than halfway through the semester - time to start those papers! If you haven't sent or discussed your topic with me yet, please e-mail an outline as soon as you can. Again, the idea is not to do a ton of research, but to examine your topic in depth through the lens of the ideas in our course, especially in light of the three units. You can make reference to the stories we have read, and also the narratives we have heard.

Thanks to our three narrative readers this week for sharing some interesting experiences. We heard about starting a new job and how a young person learns to adapt while at the same time developing maturity; how music in a family can provide a sense of security and how a child drawns on intrinsic values to learn perseverence; and, how newcomers have to develop a way to balance two cultures, so as to be able to fit into the new culture but also hold on to their identity and values in their family, community and original culture.

This week's lecture centered on "Learning through Literature" and how this ties in with critical thinking. Our story, "Winky" by George Saunders (image of cover) parodied the self-help industry and how it collides with reality in complex lives. Enjoy the sunshine -- spring is coming!

After Class Six - Feb. 11

Another group of interesting narratives -- many thanks to our readers. We had some insights on teaching from hearing about swimming lessons; learned about the fallout from changing teachers during the school year, especially in kindergarten; what it's like as a newcomer to feel invisible/ fainting on the Skytrain and no one stopping to help; became more aware of the differences between an immigrant worker's attitude to a low-paying job and a more priviledged teen's view; and with hindsight, looking at the ethics of letting a friend drive while impaired.

There is always good discussion when there are many views, such as after reading our story today, espeically around the homeless, First Nations people and responsibility. The image is from the cover of the collection of short stories where you can find "What You Pawn I Will Redeem".

For next week, please think about an academic topic on which you would like to write your paper. This 5-7 double-spaced paper will be due Mar. 11. Ideally you could find something in your field that interests you, and examine it in light of the ideas in our three units. Please bring a rough outline to class next week.

Our story for next week is "Winky" by George Saunders. Time for a little comic relief after the last couple of stories! Enjoy your weekend.

After Class Five - Feb. 4

Thanks again to our readers for sharing their ideas and experiences -- we heard about ethical conflicts in the workplace, self-doubt when beginning new challenges and a humourous look at Canadian holidays through the eyes of a newcomer. We also took a deeper look at developing moral awarenss through Kohlberg's stages and discussed diversity. Our story, "The Jade Peony" by Wayson Choy, presented many ideas to reflect on, such as inter-generational relationships, age discrimination, the immigrant experience and facing death.

Please remember to bring a new narrative to our next class for peer review. And lastly, please read "What You Pawn I Will Redeem" by Sherman Alexie for next time. Have a great weekend.