La Grande JAM

(Source:  françaispourl'avenir.org 2014) Let's make something very clear:  it is very unlikely that as a French Immersion teacher, I will foster an intrinsic joy of reading in French in my students.  My best hope is that I can get them reading and not complaining too much about it.  Let me explain... (Source:  Journal Le Reflet Témiscamien ) I am a native French Canadian from northern Ontario.  I spoke only French until I was 5 and once I started watching Sesame Street, Polka Dot Door & Mr. Dressup , as well as playing with the kids on my street, I learned to speak English.  I attended a francophone school my whole life and even attended a French language university where I studied in both languages.  I am fluently bilingual.  In my teens, I started learning Spanish and continued to learn my third language in university and also did an intensive study abroad program in Mexico.  I have a very functional Spanish.  I also started learning German and Italian.  I am n

Learning is messy... Last week, I identified some areas of interest for my independent study for LIBE477.  I had way too many ideas and needed more time to focus my topic.  After much reflection on what would be the most relevant, practical and engaging topic/issue, I have decided to focus my research on the following question: "How can I engage students in powerful learning  that is also fun and interesting?" This overarching question then led to the following secondary questions: How can I effectively engage students with inquiry based learning (IBL) through the Genius Hour project in Social Studies? What technologies would facilitate this kind of learning? What is useful? How can IBL/Genius Hour help connect learners with other learners & experts? How can I deepen student learning through questioning?  How manageable is IBL in today's context? With these questions guiding me, I am better able to organize my thoughts and research, so here we go!

The importance of balance... As I find myself trying to come up with a focused inquiry for LIBE477, where technology will play a central role, I am also conflicted.  The reason:  I am worried about the impact technology is having on society and more importantly, on kids.  How do we strike a balance? Years ago, when I taught the Renaissance in SS9, I would tell the kids about the Bonfire of the Vanities.  Short history lesson... Jerome Savoranole was a Dominican priest who spent his life fighting corruption in the Catholic Church.  In Florence in 1490, he denounced the luxurious life led by certain Florentines.  In response to his criticism, people built these huge bonfires and burned wigs, clothes, art work and books, etc.  I would ask students what they would throw in the bonfire today, keeping in mind it had to be something that was negatively impacting society.  At the time, call waiting was a new function on home phones, and I always threw this first in our modern metapho