jimmysteachingwebsite!

Learning to teach or teaching to learn?

The Process of Collaging Part 1

February 17, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Here lies the beginning of the collaging part of my project to build a picture frame. As we know, all good frames must have some art in them. I have amassed a collection of old magazines and books and have complied a number of clippings i am interested in putting together to make a collage. This video shows me sifting through some of the many magazines and showing some clippings I like. this is just a snippet of some of the sourcing I have done so far.

Another note, the song in the background of the video was made by me using Garage Band. As I was hunting for some open source audio to accompany my visuals, I found all of the ones I like were accompanied by garish watermarks embedded into the song that i could not remove. So, using free loops and open source sample sites Freesound and Looperman, I made my own song. There will be a follow up with the song as I am working with some singers to get some vocals recorded, so stay tuned on that front too!

Enjoy the video, thanks for watching!

I-movie practice!

February 10, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Our lesson on I-Movie and Audacity reminded me of some of my favourite middle school memories. My friends and I spent a good month or so recreating the stunts for the Jackass movies. We did all the dialogue in French to impress our French Immersion teacher. It may not have been the most academically motivated pursuit, but it was a great memory.

I got an opportunity to practice my refreshed editing skills soon after our lesson. A great friend of mine is leaving victoria, and we made her a going away video. I decided to edit this one on my phone. I was surprised about how much more difficult I found it. There were less options, or at least they were harder to access. Going forward, I will use my laptop for all I-movie projects!

Here is the video I made!

Building A Picture Frame for a Collage: Making a Game Plan and Shopping List

February 5, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Game Plan

Howdy,

Welcome to my free inquiry project. My plan is to make a picture frame from scratch and fit a collage inside it when I am finished. I have been into collaging recently, and have always hunted at value village for frames for my finished products. I felt like it would be a fun pursuit to see what I can do in terms of creating a frame myself. I have always been interested in woodwork, and was exposed to it young as my dad was a carpenter for many years. I am super excited to document my progress with this project! Stay tuned!!

The purpose of my first popst is to outline what I will need to to and the materials I will need to make it all happen. To make my picture frame, I am going to be loosely following the basic version of a frame outlines in the embedded video.

Because I do not have access to some of the power tools used, specifically the miter saw, I am going to be adapting the plans slightly. I am also planning to use a derivative of a technique called Shou Sugi Ban.  Basically, instead of using a liquid stain, this technique chars the wood to create a durable finish that I have always liked the look of.Heres a clip of it, for the visual learners out there.

Shopping List

From watching the video, I have made a list of the materials I will need for this project, some of which I have, some of which I do not. 

  • 1X2 Lumber (I will be looking at either Pine or Douglas Fir, depending on price and quality) 
  • Miter Saw (I have a manual saw and miter box that will be perfect) 
  • Glue 
  • Clamps/Tape 
  • Corrugated fasteners 
  • Handheld Router (I will have to look at either renting one, borrowing, or finding a cheap one on Facebook Marketplace)
  • Wooden Dowels

(A)I might use this in the future

January 27, 2025 /

Jan 24

Jesse Miller’s talk on online citizenship was eye opening, if not a bit intimidating. He really drove home the point that we can’t really opt out of the online spheres as teachers these days. Theres no option as our students are enmeshed, as are we. the technology is here to stay, we might as well understand how to use it and how it can bite us too. We need to know how our lives online are portrayed too, and what our online persona says about us professionally and personally. A real case of knowledge is power.

I found myself being particularly shocked by what AI can generate in the context of that teacher in Maryland who used it to dox their principal and make them appear to be a racist. There is a lot of anxiety in knowing how much damage can be done with unregulated technology and vindictive people.

Our discussion on critical thinking and technology was key for me. Using generative technology can be wonderful for lesson planning, but technology like that is never perfect, and will not understand the nuances of your classroom. To show this, I generated a lesson for the children I coach soccer, which i have posted below. I adapted it to fit the group I have and the specific players I know.

Heres my prompt: Hi, can you please generate a plan for my u11 boys soccer practice tonight?

I want to work on: fitness, attacking transitions, shooting. I want to finish with a scrimmage. The practice is 1 hour long.

1. Warm-Up (10 minutes)

  • Dynamic Stretching & Light Dribbling (5 minutes):
    Start with a light jog around the field and then move into dynamic stretches like leg swings, high knees, and butt kicks.
    After stretching, have the players dribble around the field, emphasizing close ball control. You can add in light changes of direction to start activating their muscles.
  • 2v2 or 3v3 Possession Game (5 minutes):
    Set up a small grid (15×15 yards) and have players play small-sided games in pairs or threes. This will help with quick decision-making and movement off the ball. Make sure they are moving at a high tempo.

2. Fitness & Attacking Transitions (20 minutes)

  • Transition Game (10 minutes):
    Set up two small goals on either side of the field (about 20-25 yards apart). Split the players into two teams and play a transition game, where the attacking team must quickly move the ball from one side to the other and score.
    • Objective: When the ball is won, the team needs to transition quickly into attack. The defending team should sprint to recover the ball, while the attacking team should look to create space and attack fast.
    • Focus: Emphasize the speed of transition and decision-making under pressure.
  • Fitness Drill with Attacking Focus (10 minutes):
    Set up a grid with cones (about 20×20 yards) and have players work on short bursts of sprints combined with attacking skills (like dribbling, quick passing, and finishing).
    • Players start at a cone and sprint to a ball, perform a quick dribble or pass to a teammate, and finish with a shot on goal. After each rep, they jog back to the starting point.
    • The key is to work on short bursts of high intensity, with an emphasis on attacking the goal quickly after gaining possession.
    • After 3-5 reps, rotate players to keep the intensity up.

3. Shooting Drills (15 minutes)

  • Shooting from Different Angles (10 minutes):
    Set up cones and position players to take shots from different angles and distances. You can use a line of cones (about 20 yards away from goal) to mark shooting spots.
    • Players will start at a cone, receive a pass (or a rebound), and shoot on goal, focusing on technique, accuracy, and finishing under pressure.
    • Work on various types of finishes: inside foot, laces, and if possible, volleys.
    • Encourage quick decision-making and a sharp focus on placement over power. After a few reps, switch sides so they practice with both feet.
  • 1v1 Shooting Challenge (5 minutes):
    Pair players up and have them take turns being the attacker and the goalkeeper. The attacker starts with the ball at the halfway line and tries to score against the goalkeeper in a 1v1 situation.
    • This drill will work on both shooting and defending, and it’ll add some competition and excitement.
    • After each turn, switch roles.

4. Scrimmage (15 minutes)

  • Small-Sided Game (5v5 or 6v6):
    Finish with a small-sided game where players can apply the skills they’ve worked on. You can make it more challenging by setting specific goals like:
    • Players need to make at least 3 passes before shooting.
    • Emphasize quick transitions (if they win the ball, they must attack immediately).
    • Encourage players to shoot on sight, practicing everything from earlier drills.
  • Focus:
    Encourage the players to use the skills they’ve learned throughout the practice. Keep the intensity high, but also allow some freedom so they can experiment and have fun.

5. Cool Down (5 minutes)

  • Light Jog & Static Stretching:
    End the session with a light jog around the field and then have the players perform some static stretches (hamstrings, quads, calves, and hip flexors).
    Make sure they take deep breaths to relax their bodies and bring their heart rates down.

Key Coaching Points:

  • For attacking transitions: Focus on quick decision-making and how quickly players can change from defense to attack (and vice versa).
  • For shooting: Focus on accuracy and calmness in front of the goal. Remind players to finish with composure.
  • During the scrimmage: Emphasize the quick transitions and creating space to attack the goal.

Does this plan look good to you? Anything you want to adjust or add?

My Changes

Warmup:

I would remove dynamic stretching and warmups at this age and prioritize ball movement and mastery to warmup when playing the game.  

Instead of possession, I would do a keep-away drill. I would also extend the warmup time as people often show up slightly late.

Fitness and Attacking Transitions:

I would have integrated some fitness elements, like the quick recovery sprints mentioned in the lesson plan. I prefer to do drills for longer periods of time when possible as it can sometimes take some time for younger players to understand the drill.

In here I would integrate the shooting lesson too. There should be lots of opportunity to practice shooting in different angels with pressure from defenders.

Scrimmage:

I really liked some of the restrictions they put onto the scrimmage, emphaising moving the ball. The scrimmage would be a good opportunity to reiterate the coaching points of the session.

Opening up to Open Source

January 24, 2025 /

Jan 17th 

This week we started class by looking at some housekeeping specifically to do with WordPress. For me, it was much needed as I have been, until now, unsuccessful in creating my account. It was especially useful to see the potential WordPress can have, especially with the template provided. It is such a clean space that is very customizable and lends very well for a portfolio.  

Reflecting on the Most Likely to Succeed movie, I was left with a couple interesting thoughts. I was struck by how passionate students can get about projects when there are tangible results top it, and people who are coming to see the product. That one boy was a poignant example, and maybe one that showed how passion and pressure should be managed as the student was quite distressed. It made me think about what I would have liked to engage with as an inquiry project when I was in school; it would have fluctuated. Whilst I think it is important to have as much space as possible for inquiry and passion projects, I do think a balance is key. Ideally, we can find unique and engaging ways to integrate student interest into the content areas of the curriculum we must teach, but if that is not possible, we still need to have one eye on the world we are sending students into and what they must know to get into universities, job opportunities and so forth. As we talked about in class, there is not necessarily a correlation between success in school and success in employment opportunities. However, it is a reality that things like good grades help people get their foot in the door, and after that, intentions and personality can get them further. 

Prior to this class, I was under the impression that open resources were just the bland, watermarked stock images like from sites like Getty Images and the like. I was not aware of many of the statutes that allow people to access archival resources from 75+ years old or even the wealth of work that is included in the closed commons. I find myself gravitating most towards the older photos, but being able to use pictures and original art that people have given us all access to is such an exciting prospect. It is wonderful that all these resources can be compiled into useable sites. I feel as though it is an awkward thing to put into words really, so I have decided to pick a photo that I think could be useful for me in my teaching practice. I see open resources as something I will lean on heavily in my teaching practice.  

From: Sport in Art – William Baillie-Grohman, 1913.

There were so many pictures that struck me on the Public Domain Image Archive. This one in particular made me think of the possibilities access to historical photos can have at many grade levels. For example, if your students are doing a unit on WWII history, they can look at the open source images under that category and engage with primary source materials, practicing critical thinking.

image showing person walking in pre-painted footprints
Photo by Flickr user jfchenier under CC license: BY-NC 2.0

Welcome and Introduction

September 9, 2020 /

Before proceeding with this first blog post, we expect you to consider your privacy preferences carefully and that you have considered the following options:

  1. Do you want to be online vs. offline?
  2. Do you want to use your name (or part thereof) vs. a pseudonym (e.g., West Coast Teacher)?
  3. Do you want to have your blog public vs. private? (Note, you can set individual blog posts private or password protected or have an entire blog set to private)
  4. Have you considered whether you are posting within or outside of Canada? This blog on opened.ca is hosted within Canada. That said, any public blog posts can have its content aggregated/curated onto social networks outside of Canada.

First tasks you might explore with your new blog:

  • Go into its admin panel found by adding /wp-admin at the end of your blog’s URL
  • Add new category or tags to organize your blog posts – found under “Posts” (but do not remove the pre-existing “EdTech” category or sub-categories, Free Inquiry and EdTech Inquiry). We have also pre-loaded the Teacher Education competencies as categories should you wish to use them to document your learning. If you would like to add more course categories, please do so (e.g., add EDCI 306A with no space for Music Ed, etc.)
  • See if your blog posts are appearing on the course website (you must have the course categories assigned to a post first and have provided your instructor with your blog URL)
  • Add pages
  • Embed images or set featured images and embed video in blog posts and pages (can be your own media or that found on the internet, but consider free or creative commons licensed works)
  • Under Appearance,
    • Select your preferred website theme and customize to your preferences (New title, etc.)
    • Customize menus & navigation
    • Use widgets to customize blog content and features
  • Delete this starter post (or switch it to draft status if you want to keep for reference)

Do consider creating categories for each course that you take should you wish to document your learning (or from professional learning activities outside of formal courses). Keep note, however, that you may wish to use the course topic as the category as opposed to the course number as those outside of your program would not be familiar with the number (e.g., we use “EdTech” instead of “edci336).

Lastly, as always, be aware of the FIPPA as it relates to privacy and share only those names/images that you have consent to use or are otherwise public figures. When in doubt, ask us.

Please also review the resources from our course website for getting started with blogging:

Attributions

Image Attributions

© 2025 jimmysteachingwebsite!

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑