As some of you already know, I subscribe to the East Side Players with my husband and friends. We have been attending for years. Last night, 3 of us attended the second production of the season. Michael is busy getting ready to do some consulting and needed time to prepare. The play was Mary Stuart by Friedrich Schiller. I did not realize that he wrote a play about these two strong willed monarchs. The production was excellent except for a couple actors who were a bit over the top.
If you have a chance to attend live theatre, explore local theatre. It is often worth the effort. These plays are.
We are already looking forward to next season and have not even finished this season.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
University of Toronto Wind Symphony
Friday evening, when it was snowing. I still managed to get to the University of Toronto to see the University of Toronto Wind Symphony. What was I doing there? Well, one of the students who I taught in high school was playing. He had mentioned to me that the concert was being held and also gave me free tickets; I had planned to pay and would have. What a privilege to attend a concert and know one of the performers. It is interesting because I have been busy getting people to attend my performances. I loved that the band finished with Bugler's holiday and instead of picking only 3 trumpets to play the solo the conductor had nearly the whole section play. What a wonderful idea!
The student, Jeffrey Leung actually sent me a note thanking me for attending. How gracious is that?!?
I am looking forward to the next performance on April 1st. Not long. It will be a pleasure to attend.
Remember that others do appreciate your show of support.
The student, Jeffrey Leung actually sent me a note thanking me for attending. How gracious is that?!?
I am looking forward to the next performance on April 1st. Not long. It will be a pleasure to attend.
Remember that others do appreciate your show of support.
The Queen
Several weeks ago, I wrote about sending a letter to the Queen inviting her to an event. In this case, the school concert. Well, a response arrived. Wow, who can believe that I received a letter from Buckingham Palace! The principal of the school was impressed that I had the nerve to write to Buckingham Palace. What she does not realize is that I learned many years ago that it does not cost much to send a letter. That is how I managed to reach a composer who was 90 years old and lived in Hungary. We communicated through his son and family who travelled to Toronto a couple times. Wonderful.
Have to think of who to write to next.
Have to think of who to write to next.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Music has the power to shape a child's mind
Music has the power to shape a child's mind-
Wonderful to read about the power of music. Hopefully more will pay attention to what music has to offer.
Learning an instrument enhances the brain's sensitivity to all sounds, including speech, say researchers
By Kate Youde
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Schools which fail to make music a core subject are making a mistake as it has advantages for the growing brain and would help all children
Parents may not appreciate the screeching of violins and recorders during the hours of practice, but new evidence suggests music lessons help children improve their language skills. Scientists have discovered that playing an instrument significantly enhances the brain's sensitivity to speech.
Schools which fail to make music a core subject are making a mistake, because it has advantages for the growing brain and would help all children, including those with dyslexia and autism, neuroscientist Professor Nina Kraus said yesterday.
"Playing an instrument may help youngsters better process speech in noisy classrooms and more accurately interpret the nuances of language that are conveyed by subtle changes in the human voice," she told the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Diego, California.
"Cash-strapped school districts are making a mistake when they cut music from the curriculum," she warned.
Professor Kraus's team at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, have shown that the nervous system responds to the acoustic properties of speech and music with sub-millisecond precision. The effectiveness with which the nervous system interprets sound patterns is linked to musical ability.
"Playing music engages the ability to extract relevant patterns, such as the sound of one's own instrument, harmonies and rhythms, from the 'soundscape'," said Professor Kraus. "Not surprisingly, musicians' nervous systems are more effective at using the patterns in music and speech alike."
Professor Kraus's team had previously discovered sensitivity to sound patterns correlated with reading skill and the ability to hear speech against background noise.
The research also suggests that playing an instrument affects automatic processing in the brainstem, the lower part of the brain, which controls breathing, the heartbeat and responses to complex sounds. She said they had discovered music can "fundamentally shape" brains in ways that may enhance everyday tasks, including reading and listening.
Emma Hutchinson, the founder and director of The Music House for Children, a not-for-profit music teaching school in London, agreed music benefited children's academic development. Babies as young as three months could respond to different frequencies in music and develop communication skills, she said.
A National Autistic Society spokeswoman said many children with autism respond well to music: "It seems that music can help children to communicate and interact with those around them, relax or to express emotions."
Wonderful to read about the power of music. Hopefully more will pay attention to what music has to offer.
Learning an instrument enhances the brain's sensitivity to all sounds, including speech, say researchers
By Kate Youde
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Schools which fail to make music a core subject are making a mistake as it has advantages for the growing brain and would help all children
Parents may not appreciate the screeching of violins and recorders during the hours of practice, but new evidence suggests music lessons help children improve their language skills. Scientists have discovered that playing an instrument significantly enhances the brain's sensitivity to speech.
Schools which fail to make music a core subject are making a mistake, because it has advantages for the growing brain and would help all children, including those with dyslexia and autism, neuroscientist Professor Nina Kraus said yesterday.
"Playing an instrument may help youngsters better process speech in noisy classrooms and more accurately interpret the nuances of language that are conveyed by subtle changes in the human voice," she told the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Diego, California.
"Cash-strapped school districts are making a mistake when they cut music from the curriculum," she warned.
Professor Kraus's team at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, have shown that the nervous system responds to the acoustic properties of speech and music with sub-millisecond precision. The effectiveness with which the nervous system interprets sound patterns is linked to musical ability.
"Playing music engages the ability to extract relevant patterns, such as the sound of one's own instrument, harmonies and rhythms, from the 'soundscape'," said Professor Kraus. "Not surprisingly, musicians' nervous systems are more effective at using the patterns in music and speech alike."
Professor Kraus's team had previously discovered sensitivity to sound patterns correlated with reading skill and the ability to hear speech against background noise.
The research also suggests that playing an instrument affects automatic processing in the brainstem, the lower part of the brain, which controls breathing, the heartbeat and responses to complex sounds. She said they had discovered music can "fundamentally shape" brains in ways that may enhance everyday tasks, including reading and listening.
Emma Hutchinson, the founder and director of The Music House for Children, a not-for-profit music teaching school in London, agreed music benefited children's academic development. Babies as young as three months could respond to different frequencies in music and develop communication skills, she said.
A National Autistic Society spokeswoman said many children with autism respond well to music: "It seems that music can help children to communicate and interact with those around them, relax or to express emotions."
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Snail Mail vs phone call or even e-mail
Right now, I am busy trying to catch up with people. This means that I am caught up on other fronts. Which is better a quick e-mail- better than nothing but does it say that a person is being thought of? What if the e-mail is part of a large mailing and that fact is hidden by BCC? Better than not thinking of the person at all. Saves time and allows a person to touch base with many people at once!
Last night, I made a couple phone calls and they took me over an hour. Was good to talk person to person to my friends and I think we had a better chance to discuss the many things that have been happening to us. Allowed us to touch on topics that might not have come up in an e-mail.
I love snail mail but it takes time to prepare. However, I will try to prepare at least one piece of mail tonight.
Tonight is a quiet night which means practising and getting more mail done.
Wish me luck.
Last night, I made a couple phone calls and they took me over an hour. Was good to talk person to person to my friends and I think we had a better chance to discuss the many things that have been happening to us. Allowed us to touch on topics that might not have come up in an e-mail.
I love snail mail but it takes time to prepare. However, I will try to prepare at least one piece of mail tonight.
Tonight is a quiet night which means practising and getting more mail done.
Wish me luck.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Ten Things that bug teachers
This was based on David Letterman's 10 things. Frightening that so many of these issues are common to more than one school!
Top Ten Things That Really Bug Teachers
I have been asked by my friends at Education Action to come up with a list of things that really bug teachers. I admit this list is a little personal although I have consulted with a few other teachers, a little secondary where I spent most of my teaching life although I did six years of elementary, three community college years and three, (one course) at university. The list was open ended but to entertain myself I adopted the David Letterman “Top Ten” format so the list builds to a climax. I consider this to be a work in progress so please write and tell me if I missed a critical one or if some of my reasons are off the mark. I can take it, really I can. Here we go; I’m reading these from little blue cards. A little music from the Paul Shaffer Band if you please.
Number 10 – Paper work
Endless paper work, every trip to the mail box has a new form to fill out to meet a new demand from the Ministry or the Board. The paperwork involved in taking a bus load of kids to the museum is now so onerous it actually acts a disincentive to organize a trip. The same is true of most activities like coaching a team or anything similar. Talk about killing the incentive to do anything creative.
Number 9- Standardized tests
They really don’t help classroom teachers even a little bit. They cater to a know-nothing mentality that associates low scores with failure or laziness of the local staff or administration when, in fact there is no relationship whatsoever. It is much more difficult to work in a low scoring school. Many of our best teachers and principals stay in difficult schools year in and year out and get nothing but abuse from the press, parents, and politicians for their efforts. The tests depress teachers and cause low scoring elementary kids to quit trying and high school kids to drop out.
Number 8- Head in the sand administrators
You know the type, if they are in the building at all they are in their office and never venture out to the halls, the cafeteria, the yard or playground. When it comes to a staff meeting, the teachers and support staff feel the principals are talking about some school they have never heard of.
Number 7 Lack of resources
Of course the textbook budget never covers the number of books required, that is almost a given, so late June and early September are spent taping books back together with library tape and scotch tape but if it only ended there. There are shortages of photocopiers and paper, about half the phone lines necessary, projectors for laptops forget it. Teachers are buying their own. What business doesn’t supply the tools its workers need? Teachers need free laptops renewed every few years. You heard me.
Number 6- Lack of Support
Lack of support from administrators on student’s lateness, truancy and behaviour issues really undermines teachers. This is accompanied by a second guessing that is really off putting, “Tommy says he was in your period 2 history class. That wasn’t him you saw outside smoking a splif. It is an obvious case of mistaken identity.” They deny behaviour problems, drug problems, lateness problems or use the classic- if your program was more exciting the kids would never cut class. As if. Admission of problems means somebody has to actually do something about it. They don’t like the sound of that.
Number-5 Class size issues remain
Yes Ontario and some other provinces have addressed primary class size to an extent but they have squeezed the balloon in one place causing it to expand in others. They will try every trick to jam one more kid in a class in those places that have legislated or negotiated maximums and make the teacher make an issue out of it. The teacher has the windowless room in the basement with the pipes next year, no connection.
Number 4- Deadlines that don’t work
Totally unreasonable exam and reporting deadlines that make thorough marking, calculating, and recording almost physically impossible without doing “all nighters” the weekend before the reports are due and at the end of all of that someone points out, “you made a mistake on Mable’s report card”. With any luck there are no sharp implements handy.
Number 3- Mollycoddling students
Mollycoddling students with mark disputes, credit light credit recovery programs, no penalty for late assignments (what does this teach them? is this Character Education?). This is combined with no ability to give 0 as a mark even though you couldn’t pick the kid out of a line-up. A spin-off is caving in to hovering parents who apparently know their son/daughter better than you do and if they say their child did hand in the missing assignment then you must have lost it. So what if this all causes the graduation rate to go up. If you blow hot air on the thermometer the temperature goes up but the room is not warmer. No more, probably less education has taken place.
Number 2- Curriculum Overload
Wildly unreasonable curriculum and program demands with a never ending list of outcomes, expectations, strands, rubrics, look for’s and this is all before we really enter the coming world of Differentiated Instruction meaning you need at least four lesson plans for each class. “What about visual learners, auditory, what about the ones who are ready to move on, they can’t get the same lesson as the ones who have more difficulty”. Google it if it has not come to a school near you. This one ought to accelerate the retirement rate that the state of your RRSPs has slowed down.
When it comes to PD there is a widespread belief among teachers that the people in charge of PD for the board don’t actually know any more about the topics than they do. The eye rolling at most PD sessions confirms this view. That is why there is a much greater need for teacher initiated PD.
And the number one thing that really bugs teachers!
Ministry and board policies that show a complete lack of respect for teacher professionalism.
This comes in many forms but among the many are demands that teachers patrol hallways, supervise lunch rooms, meet buses, supervise elementary recess, stuff envelopes with report cards, do an inordinate number of on-calls because the board won’t hire enough substitute teachers, and to encapsulate, treat university educated professionals as glorified baby sitters. Teachers are often placed in dangerous situations that other workers can refuse to do like working alone with very dangerous students.
Secondary teachers are herded into ‘bull pen’ offices whereas community college teachers usually have individual offices with their own phone line. They are not given the technology required to do the job so they are forced to buy it themselves. Try this job without a laptop today. Every other profession can write off home office space and equipment but teachers are specifically excluded from this. They are expected to call home regarding problems but try getting a line on a prep period. If teachers threaten to strike they are told to “act like professionals” but why would they when the board refuses to treat them like professionals on a daily basis.
When it comes to things like department structure just as an example, teachers are almost unanimous that a traditional subject based department structure is needed. Boards demand “dancing through walls” “breaking down silos” departments. This means science merged with math and maybe tech, English merged with Modern Languages, and so on. The board insisting they know more in these instances simply brings them into contempt with teachers and saps the credibility of ‘higher ups’.
Top Ten Things That Really Bug Teachers
I have been asked by my friends at Education Action to come up with a list of things that really bug teachers. I admit this list is a little personal although I have consulted with a few other teachers, a little secondary where I spent most of my teaching life although I did six years of elementary, three community college years and three, (one course) at university. The list was open ended but to entertain myself I adopted the David Letterman “Top Ten” format so the list builds to a climax. I consider this to be a work in progress so please write and tell me if I missed a critical one or if some of my reasons are off the mark. I can take it, really I can. Here we go; I’m reading these from little blue cards. A little music from the Paul Shaffer Band if you please.
Number 10 – Paper work
Endless paper work, every trip to the mail box has a new form to fill out to meet a new demand from the Ministry or the Board. The paperwork involved in taking a bus load of kids to the museum is now so onerous it actually acts a disincentive to organize a trip. The same is true of most activities like coaching a team or anything similar. Talk about killing the incentive to do anything creative.
Number 9- Standardized tests
They really don’t help classroom teachers even a little bit. They cater to a know-nothing mentality that associates low scores with failure or laziness of the local staff or administration when, in fact there is no relationship whatsoever. It is much more difficult to work in a low scoring school. Many of our best teachers and principals stay in difficult schools year in and year out and get nothing but abuse from the press, parents, and politicians for their efforts. The tests depress teachers and cause low scoring elementary kids to quit trying and high school kids to drop out.
Number 8- Head in the sand administrators
You know the type, if they are in the building at all they are in their office and never venture out to the halls, the cafeteria, the yard or playground. When it comes to a staff meeting, the teachers and support staff feel the principals are talking about some school they have never heard of.
Number 7 Lack of resources
Of course the textbook budget never covers the number of books required, that is almost a given, so late June and early September are spent taping books back together with library tape and scotch tape but if it only ended there. There are shortages of photocopiers and paper, about half the phone lines necessary, projectors for laptops forget it. Teachers are buying their own. What business doesn’t supply the tools its workers need? Teachers need free laptops renewed every few years. You heard me.
Number 6- Lack of Support
Lack of support from administrators on student’s lateness, truancy and behaviour issues really undermines teachers. This is accompanied by a second guessing that is really off putting, “Tommy says he was in your period 2 history class. That wasn’t him you saw outside smoking a splif. It is an obvious case of mistaken identity.” They deny behaviour problems, drug problems, lateness problems or use the classic- if your program was more exciting the kids would never cut class. As if. Admission of problems means somebody has to actually do something about it. They don’t like the sound of that.
Number-5 Class size issues remain
Yes Ontario and some other provinces have addressed primary class size to an extent but they have squeezed the balloon in one place causing it to expand in others. They will try every trick to jam one more kid in a class in those places that have legislated or negotiated maximums and make the teacher make an issue out of it. The teacher has the windowless room in the basement with the pipes next year, no connection.
Number 4- Deadlines that don’t work
Totally unreasonable exam and reporting deadlines that make thorough marking, calculating, and recording almost physically impossible without doing “all nighters” the weekend before the reports are due and at the end of all of that someone points out, “you made a mistake on Mable’s report card”. With any luck there are no sharp implements handy.
Number 3- Mollycoddling students
Mollycoddling students with mark disputes, credit light credit recovery programs, no penalty for late assignments (what does this teach them? is this Character Education?). This is combined with no ability to give 0 as a mark even though you couldn’t pick the kid out of a line-up. A spin-off is caving in to hovering parents who apparently know their son/daughter better than you do and if they say their child did hand in the missing assignment then you must have lost it. So what if this all causes the graduation rate to go up. If you blow hot air on the thermometer the temperature goes up but the room is not warmer. No more, probably less education has taken place.
Number 2- Curriculum Overload
Wildly unreasonable curriculum and program demands with a never ending list of outcomes, expectations, strands, rubrics, look for’s and this is all before we really enter the coming world of Differentiated Instruction meaning you need at least four lesson plans for each class. “What about visual learners, auditory, what about the ones who are ready to move on, they can’t get the same lesson as the ones who have more difficulty”. Google it if it has not come to a school near you. This one ought to accelerate the retirement rate that the state of your RRSPs has slowed down.
When it comes to PD there is a widespread belief among teachers that the people in charge of PD for the board don’t actually know any more about the topics than they do. The eye rolling at most PD sessions confirms this view. That is why there is a much greater need for teacher initiated PD.
And the number one thing that really bugs teachers!
Ministry and board policies that show a complete lack of respect for teacher professionalism.
This comes in many forms but among the many are demands that teachers patrol hallways, supervise lunch rooms, meet buses, supervise elementary recess, stuff envelopes with report cards, do an inordinate number of on-calls because the board won’t hire enough substitute teachers, and to encapsulate, treat university educated professionals as glorified baby sitters. Teachers are often placed in dangerous situations that other workers can refuse to do like working alone with very dangerous students.
Secondary teachers are herded into ‘bull pen’ offices whereas community college teachers usually have individual offices with their own phone line. They are not given the technology required to do the job so they are forced to buy it themselves. Try this job without a laptop today. Every other profession can write off home office space and equipment but teachers are specifically excluded from this. They are expected to call home regarding problems but try getting a line on a prep period. If teachers threaten to strike they are told to “act like professionals” but why would they when the board refuses to treat them like professionals on a daily basis.
When it comes to things like department structure just as an example, teachers are almost unanimous that a traditional subject based department structure is needed. Boards demand “dancing through walls” “breaking down silos” departments. This means science merged with math and maybe tech, English merged with Modern Languages, and so on. The board insisting they know more in these instances simply brings them into contempt with teachers and saps the credibility of ‘higher ups’.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Louisa May Alcott
"Fame is a pearl many dive for and only a few bring up. Even when they do, it is not perfect, and they sigh for more, and lose better things in struggling for them. "
Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888, American Author)
Louisa May Alcott is one of my favourite authors. She wrote Little Women and Little Men and worked as an abolitionist. Her life was challenging but she worked hard to meet the challenges and lived her life to the full.
Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888, American Author)
Louisa May Alcott is one of my favourite authors. She wrote Little Women and Little Men and worked as an abolitionist. Her life was challenging but she worked hard to meet the challenges and lived her life to the full.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
International French Horn Festival
Last night, I had the privilege of being involved with the International Horn Festival. It was held at St. Paul's Anglican Church and involved several hundred French Horn players, eight of them from the high school where I teach. The students had a good time, they took quite a number of photos both before and after the festival. During the festival, the students played a number of pieces with other horn players. What an exciting sound with all the horn players.
Gloria Ratcliffe, who I worked with for several years is one of the organizers and she was certainly pleased with the event. Congratulations went out to her.
I look forward to future events.
Gloria Ratcliffe, who I worked with for several years is one of the organizers and she was certainly pleased with the event. Congratulations went out to her.
I look forward to future events.
Friday, February 12, 2010
No e-mail
Now this is frustrating. I can not connect to e-mail. I did not realize that there are people who I can only reach by e-mail. Hoping that I will be able to reach them sometime today. Need to contact someone about an event this evening and let them know that I will not be able to attend. I had not realized how much I depend on e-mail. Here is hoping that I am connected again very soon.
So much easier being able to connect any time of day by e-mail. No one is bothered and can answer at their leisure. Can not phone them! Not at this hour.
Here is hoping that connectivity is reestablished soon!
So much easier being able to connect any time of day by e-mail. No one is bothered and can answer at their leisure. Can not phone them! Not at this hour.
Here is hoping that connectivity is reestablished soon!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Gold for the Band
Time to get back to computing. Monday was a busy day with my Junior Band participating in a band festival. They got Gold! My goodness, what a surprise but also validation that I do know what I am doing. I left teaching with a bad feeling because I worked with an administrator who questioned my abilities. I felt that I knew what I was doing and certainly what has happened at my former school seems to validate that fact. Sadly, the programme is now a shadow of what it once was. I must look ahead to where I am now and ignore what has happened. Do not want to describe what the previous teacher did. It is too sad. There is a new teacher who I am helping but she certainly does not know a great deal about teaching band. Oh well, things change and I must remember to move on. However, I am still very pleased about the gold. What a wonderful performance on the part of the students.
Today, I had a more relaxing day. Took students to a rehearsal of the Toronto Symphony. They rehearsed Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Fidelio Overture and a finale modern work which featured percussion. Good fun and interesting for the students.
Time to head out for orchestra rehearsal.
Today, I had a more relaxing day. Took students to a rehearsal of the Toronto Symphony. They rehearsed Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Fidelio Overture and a finale modern work which featured percussion. Good fun and interesting for the students.
Time to head out for orchestra rehearsal.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Clivia
As some of you may know, I love to grow plants indoors as well as outdoors. One of the plants that I have grown is the Clivia. Will divide my clivia later today and see about giving it the care it needs. It does seem that my benign neglect was not terrible and actually beneficial which is good.
I love Clivia which I first saw bloom in Carmel where they are garden plants and are randomly placed where ever there is room for them. In our gardens, they would not survive if left outdoors.
Apparently, there are clivia that are not the common tangerine. They were developed by a California hybridizer, Joe Solomone.
There is a garden centre offering the yellow clivia that he developed. I might just get one. Have to decide if I am going to be a good enough gardener.
I love Clivia which I first saw bloom in Carmel where they are garden plants and are randomly placed where ever there is room for them. In our gardens, they would not survive if left outdoors.
Apparently, there are clivia that are not the common tangerine. They were developed by a California hybridizer, Joe Solomone.
There is a garden centre offering the yellow clivia that he developed. I might just get one. Have to decide if I am going to be a good enough gardener.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Another mystery series
Just finished another in a series of books, A Hannah Swensen Holiday Mystery in this case-Joanne Fluke's Plum Pudding Murder. Love reading gentle mysteries. Have another book that I am reading but had to put down for a bit because I found it too violent. I know that violence exists but sometimes, I do not want it in my literature.
Back to the Hannah Swensen Mystery. If you want recipes, the Swensen mysteries are great. The main character, Hannah owns a cookie cafe and the recipes for new cookies are included in the book. The author tries many recipes and is thinking of preparing a cook book to accompany the books. Good idea! Won't give away the actual murder, you will have to read the book.
I do recommend the series for a nice read. Have some other sto mention but will wait until I actually read one.
Back to the Hannah Swensen Mystery. If you want recipes, the Swensen mysteries are great. The main character, Hannah owns a cookie cafe and the recipes for new cookies are included in the book. The author tries many recipes and is thinking of preparing a cook book to accompany the books. Good idea! Won't give away the actual murder, you will have to read the book.
I do recommend the series for a nice read. Have some other sto mention but will wait until I actually read one.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Reports are done!
Finally, reports are done and sent to the main office. Now, I can get back to blogging among other things. It is a challenge to keeping things going when reports are due. Thank goodness they do not take as long to complete at the high school level. Always, amazing how things get put aside while this important piece of paper work is completed. The important aspect is that the results do affect students lives. Some students want early acceptance at university and need the marks. I need to relax which I will do tonight.
More tomorrow.
More tomorrow.
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