Blog Assignment #8: Due Wednesday, December 1

Good Evening, Bloggers.

It's been a while since I posted. We've all had a very hectic week and a half with Progress Reports and Student-Led Conferences happening last week. Now, we're back to a more regular schedule. We get to see Wicked this Wednesday, and our Tolerance unit is beginning to wind down.

For this blog assignment, you've got a few tasks to complete. At least one will probably need to be completed at home, as Youtube videos don't often work very well at school (our internet service is painfully slow, I know).

Throughout this unit, we've talked about the issues of tolerance, intolerance, discrimination, and prejudice. We've learned about the history of these issues and how they have presented themselves in the modern world as well as in history, and we've talked about the effects that prejudice and discrimination can have on our community. Now, it's time to think about what is being done, and what we can do to end the cycle of discrimination within our class, our school, our community, and our world.

The first thing you need to do is check out the It Gets Better Project. Read about the project and some of the statistics that surround the issue of LGBTQ bullying (at the bottom of the page). Once you know what this project is about, The Pledge. Read it, understand it, and think about it before you sign your name. When you take the pledge, please only use your first name and last initial. Also, please use the school postal code (L1G5T6).

The second thing you need to do is to go Youtube and check out a few of the It Gets Better Videos. There are a ton to choose from, ranging from celebrities and famous people like Glee's Max Adler , Project Runway's Tim Gunn, President Obama, Adam Lambert, Ke$ha, Zachary Quinto, Jewel, Joel Madden, AJ Maclean, Jenny McCarthy, Ian Somerhalder, Anne Hathaway, Kristin Cavallari, and Kat Graham, to "normal people" like employees of Facebook, Google , or even the cast of Wicked.

Once you've had a chance to view some videos and learn a little more about the problems facing today's youth, you will create your own PSA (Public Service Announcement) discussing these issues. You can talk about your own experiences (you may not use the name of anyone else in your recording), the It Gets Better Project, The Trevor Project, or Kids Help Phone, the consequences of bullying, the statistics relating to these issues, or any other issue you think needs to be addressed relating to the topic of bullying.

To record your PSA, you will use Audacity. You will learn how to use Audacity this week in class. Once recorded, you will post the recording to your blog, along with a brief caption explaining what the recording is about.

This assignment is due on DECEMBER 1.

Assignment #7: Due November 12, 2010

Share It. Tag It. Link It.

The challenge is simple. Use the videos and images available on this site to create a mashup or a virtual scrapbook using Windows Movie Maker. To check out the work of some others, check out the Veterans' Affairs Canada Youtube Channel, or the VAC Remembrance Feed. The options are endless. Share with others and link back to the Veterans' Affairs Canada website.

Why Remember?

Canada's service men and women have served this nation from the First World War to current missions. They step forward in our time of greatest need — because they believe in peace and security around the world. They have left their villages and cities, their farms and fishing communities, to make a difference. And they did. And today's service men and women are carrying on the tradition.

Share it

Once you have made your remembrance creation, share it on your blog. For help with this, see Ms. C. Any creations finished by November 11 will also be considered for inclusion in our school Remembrance Day Assembly.

Tag it

Don't forget to tag it. Tags are short words that describe what your online creation is all about. This will also help friends and others find what you have made. You decide. Make your own or use the tags from the poppy word-cloud.

Link it

www.vac-acc.gc.ca

Veterans' Week 2010

Good morning, Bloggers.

As many of you know, next week is Veterans' Week. It is the week of Remembrance Day, and a week that is dedicated to remembering all those men and women who have served, and continue to serve our country. It is important to remember that at any given time, there are hundreds, if not thousands of Canadian men and women over seas serving as part of the Canadian military in protective and peacekeeping missions.

In class, we will be reading the Canada Remembers Times which will help us understand the role our Canadian military has played throughout the world. We will also be filling out and sending "Postcards for Peace," which are postcards produced by Veterans' Affairs Canada. You will have the opportunity to send your postcard to a Canadian Forces member currently serving in one of many locations around the world. However, I know some of you might want to do more than send just one post card. Because of this, I thought I'd post a link where you can go and post a public message to the troops. In your message, you can let them know how much you appreciate what they do for Canada and the people of the world, send other kind messages, and well wishes.  I know it might seem like it won't make a difference, but I know for a fact that our troops do read these messages and do appreciate the kindness and appreciation of the Canadian public.

This is not a mandatory activity--it's completely up to you.

Helpful Websites

Good morning, bloggers!

This week, you've got an assignment to go out and find an article from a newspaper/magazine/website that deals with one of the Canadian Rights and Freedoms that were provided for you on your hand out. I've included a few links below to help you in your search.

The Globe and Mail

The National Post

The Toronto Sun

The Toronto Star

The Economist

Maclean's Magazine