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.