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Persuasive Language is Powerful Language

by

On 24 May 2025

In Literacy, Professional Development

In my opinion, one of the most empowering skills we as teachers of all subjects and grades can teach is how to form a viewpoint, support it with logic and evidence, and express it persuasively. Whether students are advocating for climate action, petitioning for school change, deabting the best type of cookie in class or writing letters on human rights issues, persuasive writing connects academic outcomes with real-world voice and agency.

But persuasive writing doesn’t come easily for all students, honestly it doesnt come easy for MOST students. Many struggle with organizing ideas, adopting a formal tone, or even knowing when to speak up and the best ways in which to do so. For students who are neurodivergent, English language learners, or navigating school with an IEP, language can feel more like a barrier than a bridge and it is up to us educators to build the supports to help students safely traverse the powers of language.

That’s why this year, I’ve begun to reframe my persuasive writing unit (from my teaching practicums), to use with my 2025/2026 modified language class, around language awareness, inclusive scaffolding, and identity-affirming practice. This post reflects that shift, and how I’m integrating sociolinguistic understanding into a core academic task.

Persuasive Writing: Where to start to gain control?

Too often, students enter high school with strong opinions but weak confidence and/or ability in expressing them persuasively. In my own classroom, I see students with brilliant insights, but who freeze when asked to write a “formal” argument. Others slip into overly casual language, unsure of the difference between texting a friend and writing a persuasive letter. We recently had an inclass debate on Pie’s. I asked the students “Which is the better pie – Blueberry or Strawberry Rhubarb?” and to support there choice with 2 – 3 points that would convince me that yes their pie choice is clearly better. What I observed was many students could tell me which is better in their opinion but not support their choice. Some students were able to give more surface level supports to their arguement and then one student let me know that not only has he never had these two pie types he has NEVER had a pie in his life but has had cake and gave me several reasons that cake was the better dessert! This little icebreaking debate led to some fun inclass arguements going forward as my kiddos developed some persuasive skills that will better them in the long run.

Persuasive writing, then, is not just a genre-it’s a life tool. Persuasive writing helps students to “develop logical arguments and a cohesive summary to support their opinions”¹. But to get there, students need control over the purpose, structure, and tone of persuasive texts.

That control doesn’t come through rote learning. It comes through discussion, modeling, voice-building, and feedback, all of which are intentionally woven into my approach this year.

Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing – The 4 ways in which we develop our Language Skills.

Students need to hear strong ideas, talk through their thinking, see examples, and write with purpose, and they need to do all of that in a safe space that honours who they are and how they speak. Learning new language skills can be super intimidating so I make it fun and use silly starting topics like Pie flavours or asking students which Italian Brain rot character has more “rizz” and why its Tralalero tralala (its all the rage with the kids right now – could not begin to tell you why or how).

This approach also responds to what we see every day in inclusive classrooms. Not every student walks in with the same access to academic language, but every student has something to say. When we slow down and teach the structure, the tone, and the power of words, we’re not just building better essays, we’re building confidence. Including language diversity and sociolinguistic awareness in our teaching isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a must if we want our classrooms to reflect the real world and truly empower all learners.

To develop confidence and control, I integrate all four language strands:

Listening: Hear It First

We begin with persuasive media—youth speeches from Kiddy123’s TED Talks or Build a Biz Kids’ KidTalks are great models to start with. Listening to news media and political debates are also selections that can be made that allow for students to focus on tone, language, and structure before they try it themselves.

Reading: Analyze Mentor Texts

We read relevant persuasive texts—such as letters to the principal or environmental opinion pieces—and annotate for structure and language. We build anchor charts with thesis examples, modal verbs, transitions, and calls to action.

We analyze a mix of student-written and published persuasive texts. We focus on:

  • Structure (thesis, reasons, evidence, counterargument, conclusion)
  • Language (modal verbs, rhetorical questions, linking phrases)
  • Tone and audience awareness

Drawing on Academic Language in Diverse Classrooms by Gottlieb and Ernst-Slavit, we explore the meta-linguistic awareness needed to “see how language choices shape meaning and purpose in discipline-specific genres”³. This includes using color-coded examples and guided annotation templates to scaffold reading comprehension.

Writing: Scaffolded Drafting

I model a full persuasive paragraph using a graphic organizer and sentence frames. We co-write as a class, revise for stronger wording, and explore tone. Students then work on their own persuasive pieces, with differentiation supports like speech-to-text, templates, and peer feedback.

ogether, we co-write a class example—usually on a topic they care about, like phones in school or longer lunch breaks. I model how to:

  • Develop a clear thesis
  • Choose three focused arguments
  • Add reasoning and evidence
  • Address counterpoints
  • Conclude with a call to action

We use graphic organizers, sentence stems, and revision strategies. We revise weak claims like “We should recycle” into “We must recycle to reduce landfill waste and protect our planet for future generations.”

As Sedita (2018) notes, explicit instruction in academic language is critical, especially when students may not use “school English” at home⁴. Sentence-level modeling makes academic forms feel achievable—not intimidating.

Speaking: Low-Stakes to Public Speaking

Students rehearse ideas through partner debates and small group presentations before sharing their speeches with the class—or recording them. We use sentence stems and “power words” to boost confidence. ( If you want a fun tip, bring in some MASSIVE blazers that students can put on to feel ‘suited up’ for their debate – my kids love this)

Persuasive writing is also about performance. Students rehearse their arguments orally through:

  • Think-pair-share debates
  • Group discussions
  • Small audience previews
  • Full-class speeches or recorded videos

Zwiers (2019) emphasizes the importance of “academic conversations” as a pathway to deeper comprehension and clearer writing⁵. When students speak through their ideas first, they gain clarity in their thinking and confidence in their voice.

Structure thoughts make for Structured Arguements.

During my practicum experiences, I often skimmed over the structure of persuasive writing—assuming students “got it” once they heard a few examples. But as Grifenhagen and Barnes (2022) argue, “genre structures must be made visible, practiced repeatedly, and revisited across contexts”⁶.

This year, I plan to introduce:

  • A visual framework for persuasive writing (with color-coded thesis, support, and conclusion)
  • Student-friendly exemplars
  • A co-created success criteria chart

I will also aime to unpack the language of counterarguments, linking phrases, and calls to action with real examples. The difference in students’ final pieces has been significant—not just clearer structure, but more purposeful voice. Now I havent yet done this so I am not sure on my success but am confident that creating building blocks for students to build upon will be benefitial in the long run to their learning of persuasive language but also in their learning of academic writing skills. Whats so great to me about this Structure plan is that I can integrate it cross curricularly as its not just something to work into English and Socials but would also be useful in some Science lab work and perhaps Careers.

How you can utilise this within the Social Studies domain

Now as I have mentioned a few times my official title is as an Inclusive Ed teacher (formerly Special Ed) and not really that of a subject teacher but I do have a love of humanities an will be running a modified Socials program at my highschool next year. While pondering the best ways to instruct perusasive writing techniques I thought of what I already teach now and how to build up from there.

While persuasive writing fits squarely into English Language Arts, it’s also a powerful tool in Social Studies, where students examine power, justice, and decision-making; which means I have many places in which I can integrate persuasive writing into our curriculum. Some ideas I thought of include:

  • Advocating for more gender-neutral bathrooms
  • Making fake propoganda during a war/political study
  • ‘Letters from the front’ excersises
  • Petitioning for environmental action
  • Writing to local politicians about youth mental health

These ideas all connect directly to the BC SS9 curricular competencies:

“Acknowledge different perspectives on people, places, issues, or events in their lives (perspective)

Identify fair and unfair aspects of events, decisions, or actions in their lives and consider appropriate courses of action (ethical judgment)

Through persuasive writing, students learn that their voice matters, not just on paper, but in policy, community, and change.

Language, Identity and Power – Sociolinguistic Integration

Language is never just about sentence structure or spelling instead it’s about identity, belonging, and power. This understanding has been deepened during my current Queen’s course, CONT938, through my exploration of sociolinguistics (the study of language in relation to social factors, including differences of regional, class, and occupational dialect, gender differences, and bilingualism), which emphasizes that language variation is normal, meaningful, and rule-governed, even if it doesn’t match the so-called “standard” English used in school (CrashCourse, 2020).

In fact, in his TES podcast, Robert Drummond explains that young people’s slang and dialects aren’t mistakes, they’re identity markers. That statement really shifted how I approach classroom language. Instead of asking students to abandon their voice in favour of formality, I am now aiming to help them reflect on when and how they shift their language intentionally – without erasing their previous dialects and knoweldge.

So, during our future persuasive writing unit, I plan to invite students to consider:

  • Who am I writing for?
  • What tone will be most persuasive to that audience?
  • How can I sound like myself and still meet the expectations of the assignment?

These questions help students see language choice as power, not pressure. Matt Levinson (2012) writes about code-switching in teens’ digital lives and highlights how naturally students already shift between texting, speaking at home, and writing for school (no-one really uses text slang in our verbal dialect, not many say LOL outloud or BRB). Rather than correcting those shifts, we can help students understand them as strategic and skillful tools.

This mindset moves us from a deficit-based approach (correcting “improper” grammar) to an asset-based one, where students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds are seen as strengths rather than weaknesses. Washington (n.d.) reminds us that when educators ignore the home language patterns of Black students and other students with differing home dialexts, we risk distancing them from literacy altogether. Similarly, Colorín Colorado (n.d.) advocates for teaching that celebrates multilingual and multicultural identities while still providing access to academic success.

“Young people’s slang and local dialects aren’t mistakes. They’re identity markers.”

Robert Drummond

So how can I celebrate all dialects while instructing a new academic dialect?

  • Encouraging students to brainstorm or draft in their home language or dialect
  • Discussing real-life examples of code-switching and what it feels like
  • Highlighting persuasive speakers who blend personal voice with professional impact
  • Explicitly teaching when and why formal tone might be effective, without framing it as “better”

Teaching persuasive writing is ultimately about more than essays, it’s about empowering students to recognize their language as valid, to make intentional choices, and to advocate for themselves and otheres with confidence. When we acknowledge the links between language, identity, and power, we invite students not just to meet the standards we have set for them, but to also question it, reshape it, and take their place within it.

Ultimately, teaching persuasive writing isn’t just about building strong arguments. It’s about helping students understand that their voices matter and that their language, in all its forms, is valid and valuable. When we center identity and power in our writing instruction, we’re not just teaching writing. We’re inviting students to take up space with confidence, and that’s a kind of literacy they’ll carry with them long after the unit ends.

Sources for further exploration:

The Importance of Language: Understanding Dialectal Differences in the Classroom.

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On 19 May 2025

In Literacy

Every student brings into their classes unique linguistic backgrounds which allows for each classroom to shape its own distinct identity. English, as many of us have come to know, is not a uniform language; It is a collection of distinct dialects that has amalgameted into one common tongue (we can thank immigration and colonialism for the many worldly dialects of English we recognise today. Some students and peers will bring to our classrooms a nonstandard dialect of the english language ( African-American English, Asian-American English, Indigenous English dialects, Canadian English etc) which differ in grammar, pronunciation and/or vocabulary from ‘Standard’ English which we use most often in Academia and the professional sphere.

Now it is important that we never erase these dialects from our community but instead embrace them – Language is continuously developing anyhow – and Teachers play a key roll in the validation and support of these distinct linguistic identities while continuouly promoting the development of academic language within the classroom.

What Teachers Need to Know:

  1. Dialectal Variations are NOT an error
    • Nonstandard dialects follow consistent grammatical rules and patterns that are both valid and acceptable. They are just as linguistically rich as Standard English
  2. Linguistic Prejudice (Linguicism) can harm learners both academically and emotionally
    • When we sublty (or not so subtly) correct, mock or devalue a student’s home dialect we risk alienating them and undermining their confidence in their new dialect. It could also reinforce damaging social hieracrchies that do still exhist which are tied to race, class and social/physical geography.

Recognizing and accepting the linguistic diversity students bring to the classroom is crucial to bettering our school community. By understanding that dialectal variations are not errors but expressions of rich linguistic backgrounds, educators can foster inclusive environments that support all students’ academic and emotional well-being, ultamitly bettering our schools in the long run.

What Might You Obsesrve?

In your classroom, you might notice students:

  • Code-Switching: the quick switch back and forth between dialects depending on who they’re talking to.
  • Using nonstandard grammar or vocabulary in oral responses or informal writing.
  • Feeling hesitant to speak up in academic settings – Anxiety is real, and we are in the times of the anxious generation, it can be hard for many of our kiddos to speak up.
  • Writing in ways that reflect their spoken dialect.
  • Seeming confused or frustrated when their language use is corrected, especially if they weren’t aware their dialect differs from Standard English.
  • Struggling with reading comprehension—not due to ability, but because the text uses unfamiliar dialects or vocabulary structures that differ from their home language. This could also be a slower reading pace than what is ‘typical’.

Students may also exhibit differences in their academic writing abilities and spoken fluency, not because they are “behind,” but rather because they are simultaneously navigating several language/dialect systems. Bilingualism or bidialecticism is a cognitive skill that these students frequently possess, but it might not be acknowledged without careful, knowledgeable instruction.

How Should We Teachers Respond?

Affirm identity: Encourage students to see their home language or dialect as a source of strength and pride. Validate their ways of speaking as part of who they are by minimizing our critisims and corrections of another dialect.

Teach code-switching with care: Teach pupils that different registers are used for different purposes—not because one is superior, but because different situations call for different instruments!

Model inclusive language practices: Refrain from saying one version is “correct” and another is “wrong.” Instead, use terms like “formal,” “academic,” “home,” or “community” language to describe context-based differences. This subtle change in language shows students that we recognise their home language as being valid and valued.

Incorporate diverse voices: Bring in speakers of different English dialects, literature, and films. This demonstrates to kids that assimilation is not necessary for success and helps normalise language variance.

Language is Power

The way we speak tells stories of who we are, where we come from, and what communities we belong to. By honoring all our students’ dialects, we are also honoring their histories, families, and futures. Academic English is a valuable tool, for sure I wont deny that, but it is just one of many skills our students will need to learn in the classroom. Our job is not to replace a student’s home language, but to add to their linguistic toolkit. In doing so, we expand their power and agency, not shrink it.

Suggested Links to Further Your Inquisivity:

Digital Citizenship

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On 30 August 2024

In Professional Development

The capacity to utilize technology sensibly, securely, and politely is known as digital citizenship. It refers to the capacity to safeguard private information on the internet, reduce the risks brought on by cyber threats or other online threats, and use information and media in a polite, informed, and lawful manner. In my second practicum, I taught an entire unit of Digital Media Literacy to two eighth-grade English classes, which makes me feel very prepared to discuss it here today as well as share lesson plans that I designed or developed from lessons found on MediaSmart.ca.

Safety on the internet is of major concern no matter your age, but learning how to navigate the internet safely is not something that comes naturally to most people. With the increased use of artificial intelligence (A.I) being introduced online your privacy can be more at risk. How so? Increased use of scam websites, phishing, and location discoveries are more and more common – especially due to the amount of time we all as individuals spend online, “teenagers spend 7 hours and 22 minutes per day in front of screens. That equates to 43% of a teen’s waking hours. By comparison, that’s 24 minutes more than the global average of 6 hours 58 minutes.” (Exploding topics).

There is also a feeling of a certain safety when you are online as a digital citizen, you feel safe to get away with things you may not be able to do in ‘real’ life – and while it may feel like you are anonymous online, you aren’t. This may be because you made your accounts with a common email or phone number, perhaps you linked your accounts – it’s very hard to be truly anonymous. Your digital footprint is forever connected to you, you may grow up and realize an old post you made is not something you align with anymore but you can’t just delete it (you can try) because somewhere there is a footprint (screen shots, a data history, etc) and your erasing of the post doesn’t remove it from your footprint. This can be devastating to some as it may result in you not getting hired in certain roles or perhaps becoming ‘canceled’ later down the road.

So how does one become a good Digital Citizen?

Here are a few ways one can become a good digital citizen:

  • Be Kind – Treat others with kindness and respect both on and offline
  • Dont take everything at face value, don’t believe all that you see – take the time to investigate and find the truth
  • Dont take others’ materials/work and claim it as yours – give credit where credit is deserved, DO NOT PLAGIARIZE
  • Be careful with what you share – keep personal identity (IDs, Credit Cards) off of your posts and think about if you want to be tied to a post that’s racist, homophobic, or otherwise hurtful for once it is posted you have no control over how it’s taken.

Lesson Plans:

Intro-to-misinfo-lesson-1Download
LESSON-PLAN-MAY-28-29Download

Block 4- Reflections

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On 28 August 2024

In Reflections

As I sit here today, August 28th, in the sunny city of Dublin-Ireland, I am reflecting on the courses we as a cohort took over this past summer period. This was a difficult semester for me both personally and academically, but ultimately I am very grateful for the events and subjects we got to participate in and learn about. Being able to participate more fully in my community is something I hadn’t considered we as Student Teachers would be able to do during this program outside of our practicums, but the many field trips and activities we were able to plan, attend and participate were some of the best memories I have made during this practicum.

One of our courses focused on the teaching of careers and had us figure out ways in which we could get our future students to become active members within their communities, and I found this course just fantastic. The collaboration that occurred between us as a cohort was fantastic and learning skills that we can utilize in the field later when it comes to the planning and execution of field trips and other educational/career or community-based learning activities.

Being taken into the community within one of our classes is something I am most grateful for as an individual who is not local to this area. Discovering a variety of new and exciting places and activities in which I may be able to attend and participate in with my future classes (wheelchair basketball, Bee-keeping, Friendship centre etc).

Having the opportunity to explore Prince George’s through coursework has been wonderful. I have discovered new opportunities and created new connections through the network systems our program has provided us with. Being outside the classroom more than we were inside the classroom is something I was especially excited about as it meant that we would be able to enjoy the good summer weather while expanding our knowledge in a variety of areas (social sciences, environmental science, physical education etc).

Cohort peers and I post-basketball game – photo posted with permission
Fieldtrip – Business Walk
Fieldtrip – Beekeeping
Fieldtrip- Beekeeping

What I learned over this term:

  • Peer Collaboration is so SO helpful
  • Networking as a teacher is a MUST – but having a diverse friend group is very beneficial when developing excursions ( they can help with introductions and develop new relationships and volunteer opportunities)
  • You never know if you’re good at a certain skill or activity until you try it
  • Wheelchair basketball is for all people of all abilities
  • It is okay to ask for help

Block 3: Practicum Reflections

by

On 8 July 2024

In Reflections

As I am writing here today, July 8th, 2024, I reflect on my last practicum in which I was teaching two eighth-grade English courses with a focus on digital literacy. I taught blocks 1 and 4 and was able to witness firsthand how the time of day affects learning abilities and how certain groups of students thrive or fall victim to the influence of their peers.

The classes I taught were the same topics but very, very, different experiences and outcomes. Both experiences were positive, and I am happy with the majority of the student work I received. My morning group of students was taught in a science lab with no windows and I believe that this environment is the reason for some of the work delay and student behavior. It was also the first class of the day for most students, and they were tired first thing in the morning and needed more of a push to start their work and be productive. This class was my most difficult class when it came to attendance, mainly because it was a morning class and we had a bad case of chronic lateness! Not only were latecomers an issue but I also had a student who NEVER came once. I couldn’t even tell you what they looked like, but I can state that one of my peer student teachers taught the student in the second period and they came every single day. Was I the issue? I never found out.

My afternoon block was a complete turnover from my morning class, little to no students missed class without notice and they were constantly excited to learn and participate in lessons. Now I have theories on why they were so excitable, one is that this class was taught in a classroom that had windows! Daylight makes all the difference in encouraging positive perspectives. I was also able to take this class outside more as we were already in a portable class. Having classes outside was quite the adventure, it worked for some topics but was very unhelpful or impossible to complete for others, so to compromise and help relieve their “wiggles” every class we took a 5-minute movement break where the students would lap the school before coming back to class and participating in break out work groups or working on their projects.

I was really pleased to have two relatively easygoing student groups, with little to no tensions between peer groups. My students were willing to try all the ‘fun’ games I came up with for digital media lessons and would help me develop games to be more fun while still being academic.

What did I notice when I compared these two blocks? Well I learned that although I have plans that I made prior to class I need to be adaptive and recognize that one class’s ability to learn something may be faster or slower than the other block and that every day they may not be learning the same exact lesson. Well, to frank, there are no repeating lessons, yes the assignments were the same (for the most part) and the activities were too, but the discussions and outcomes that arose from the lessons differed greatly. Students are unique and diverse individuals so my lessons must be prepared for that.

These are two poems sourced from my morning class (Spring) and my afternoon class (Tanka). They are from the same assignment in which the students were tasked with making original digital poetry books and were given the seasons as a theme in which they could write about, I selected these two to share because they discuss similar natural topics, its the same project but each piece is completely unique- just like the two classes I taught. (Both poems are shared with student permission- no names will be shared to respect their anonymity).

Professional Development: ASD and Sensory Differences

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On 8 February 2024

In Professional Development

On Monday the 29th of January I attended a workshop hosted by POPARD (Provincial Outreach Program For Autism & Related Disorders) on ASD and Sensory Differences. The main topic covered was that of senses broken down into side topics of The Seven Senses, Regulation and Sensory difficulty.

This workshop was a wonderful source of basic information surrounding ASD and children who live with sensory differences. It was a great introduction to terminology, and recognising student under-stimulation to over-stimulation.

What are senses? Senses allow us to observe and understand the world around us

Something that I found especially interesting was the introduction to the Seven senses which expands on my previous knowledge of the five senses (touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell). The Seven Senses add the vestibular and proprioception to the previous list of five. Vestibular refers to the vestibule that is found within the ear; the vestibule is connected to the sense of movement and balance. Proprioception refers to awareness of the body such as pressure and positions.

Below I have attached a great learning resource depicting the seven senses.

1

Sensory Integration and Regulation

Sensory integration is a skill that all people develop over time and at different rates. My understanding of sensory integration is that it is how we receive information, organise information and then use that information to interact with our environments. Integration is more difficult for some than others, after all, we are all unique individuals, and sometimes we can experience dysregulation or “sensory overload”. Sensory overload can be scary, and triggers are unique to the individual. Some potential triggers may include noise levels, visual stimuli, clutter, transition periods, scents, lighting, personal space boundaries and seating arrangements.

According to Shanker (2013), there are five interrelated domains we can use to better understand self-regulation. Below I have attached the model in which the workshop shared with us.

2

Breaking down the 5 Domain Mode:

  • Biological
    • Four neural mechanisms within the brain deal with stress
      • social engagement
      • fight or flight
      • freeze
      • disassociation
        • there is a hierarchy for responding to stressors that typically follows this listing
    • Through being regulated a child develops the ability to self-regulate.
      • a regulated child/person does not mean a managed child
    • A person becomes chronically hypo-aroused or hyperaroused if/when their central control system has become overwhelmed
  • Emotional
    • many students, especially younger students, find it difficult to “monitor, evaluate and modify” their emotions
    • the more hyper-aroused the student is the less capacity they will have to monitor their emotions
    • Young students experience emotions to an intense extent. Reactions to these emotions may be sudden and can feel ‘catastrophic’
  • Cognitive
    • Refers to any of the mental processes involved in knowledge acquisition
      • includes: attention, memory, problem-solving, perception
    • Sustained concentration is a high-cost demand on the child’s auto-nervous system
    • Many if not most attentional problems appear to be due to sensory processing challenges (auditory, visual, physical sensory etc.) which can appear subtly and can easily be overlooked.
  • Social
    • This domain’s problem lies in the arousal created by social engagement.
  • Pro-Social
    • It is not normal for children to display anti-social behaviour (but what exactly is normal?)
    • There are biological mechanisms that result in anti-social behaviours in the right circumstances
    • Stress overload is a leading cause in non-prosocial behaviour

How to best help our students when they get Over-Stimulated

  • Create a Safe and consistent quiet space
    • Some classes rooms I have observed have reading nooks and quiet carpeted corners
  • Take the class outside for a walk
  • Lead the entire class through meditation/ mindful breathing exercises
  • Allow students access to over-ear headphones to cut out loud surrounding sounds
  • 54321 Method
    • Lead your student through a grounding exercises in which you ask them to name
      • 5 things they see
      • 4 things they touch/feel
      • 3 things they hear
      • 2 things they smell
      • and 1 thing they taste

(I have only ever encountered the 54321 method in very rare/minimal circumstances typically involving extreme anxiety)

  1. CEBM. Theoretical Framework SENSORY AND THE OT PERSPECTIVE ↩︎
  2. Shanker, 2013. as cited POPARD ASD and Sensory Difficulties workshop, 2024 ↩︎

Classroom Hooks: Human Migration

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On 31 January 2024

In Hooks

For one of my BEd courses, we were asked to create ‘hooks’ that would hook the interest of our future students on topics we may teach during our practicum or our teaching careers. For this topic, I chose to use a video to play at the beginning of class which depicts global human migration throughout history. I plan to play this video on a loop without context while students arrive to class and once students are settled ask them to inform me what they think they are viewing. Allowing them time to inquire I would then introduce the topic of human migration which would in this context be a unit that would be covered in a Geography 12 course or an upper-level Social Studies (10-12).

Once the video is watched I would start another short inquiry period in which I would ask students reasons for which historic humans migrated and if they think the reasons are similar to modern migration phases. The big ideas I am hoping to hear from their reasoning are as follows:

Why People May Migrate

  • Environmental
    • Climate
    • Natural Disasters
    • Calamities that affect the natural environment
      • nuclear
      • toxic spills
      • etc
  • Economic
    • Career paths
    • To find work
  • Cultural
    • Social causes/safety
      • LGBTQ+
      • Religion
      • Politics
        • War
        • Elections
    • Education
      • better education opportunities allow for better career opportunities

Once a decent-sized list is created we will then flow into the new unit in which will cover the three big ideas.

Beaded Tweets

by

On 22 November 2023

In Coding

Firstly, I would like to thank Noelle Peppin, @beaded_tweets on ‘X’, for coming to our classroom to teach us how to code via her ‘Beaded Tweets'(1). Unfortunately, I was not on my game that day due to a bad cold, but I did really enjoy learning to code and making secret-coded necklaces! I was able to make two necklaces with Noelle’s codes. The first was made in silver and black beads and spells out the Greek word σαγανάκι (Saganaki), which is a pan-fried sheep’s cheese with lemon. Why did I choose this word? Noelle told us to bead a code that was special to us or something that we love. On that day I was really missing home, and Greek food, specifically Saganaki from Mythos Taverna! My second necklace was made of yellow and black beads, and spells out the word ‘Capilano’. I chose these colours and this word as Capilano is my family’s rugby club and their colours are gold and black.

Saganaki
Saganaki Code
Capilano Rugby Club
Capilano code

What’s it all about?

Beaded tweets are all about “how binary coding language and loom beading can be combined to honour both Western and Indigenous traditions”(2). 

The project’s applicability in the classroom will give instructors a tangible opportunity to connect with coding while also focusing on Indigenous themes through beading (3). By practicing a traditional creative practice of many Indigenous communities, beading allows students to learn more about Indigenous cultures and ways of being, while also learning materials and concepts that are required by the curriculum.

Sources:

1)Peppin, Noelle, @beaded_tweets on ‘X’

2)https://www.pgpl.ca/events/master-minds-beaded-tweets

3) Peppin, Noelle. Beaded Tweet. July, 16th 2018. <blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Here’s more detail on my Masters Project. The abstract for Beaded Tweets: Bringing the Digital back to the Physical through Culture (beading) <a href=”https://t.co/QBvcbQJuPn”>pic.twitter.com/QBvcbQJuPn</a></p>&mdash; Noelle Pepin (@Beaded_Tweets) <a href=”https://twitter.com/Beaded_Tweets/status/1019104959004995584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>July 17, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

Ozobots – Coding

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On 20 November 2023

In Coding

Ozobots are a wonderful way to learn to code, all you need is patience, your bot, 4 coloured markers and paper to create your code map!

As a student in the K-12 system, I cannot recall a time in which my teachers took the time to teach students coding (it probably wasn’t a mandatory curricular task back then)! In the current BC curriculum, coding is something that all students should learn at various times across their academic careers, and what better way to learn than through the creation of circuits for adorable little mobile robots? It may be that students have done some prior unplugged algorithms (simply following and providing instructions), but with the use of Ozobots, this experience becomes more interesting as this fun tool will create lasting coding memories for students of all ages(1).

How to Code?

Prior to obtaining their robots, students will be introduced to the code charts and instructed on how drawing lines and colour codes will allow them to experiment and create unique algorithms for their Ozobots to follow.

Ozobots use sensors to determine what codes you or your students have created in their circuit sequences. Posted below is a chart of codes which the Ozobots are programmed to identify, such as a tornado, nitro boost and snail dose(2)!

https://www.digitaltechnologieshub.edu.au/teach-and-assess/classroom-resources/lesson-ideas/introduction-to-ozobot-and-colour-codes/

Once they are introduced and made somewhat familiar with the codes, they will be tasked to create a circuit/map for the Ozobots to maneuver. Maps and circuits can look complex or simple, what’s important is that a variety of codes are utilised.

What if it doesn’t work?

There were some complications in my experience with the Ozobots, our bot appeared to have tantrums! Multiple factors may result in the disruption of your circuit route. Robots may not be able to read your code due to drawings being too skinny or too wide, or the colours not being distinct enough to read. Other variables include the battery power of your bot. It is my belief that our initial bot was either a low battery or had a loose wire somewhere (perhaps a loose screw?), as it began to ignore all codes and just spin in circles.

The Importance of Coding:

It is important to teach coding as it “enables children to use digital technology to develop their creativity”(3). In our technology-based society, coding teaches our students to move from the ‘consumer’ role to the ‘creator rule (ibid). In conclusion, learning to code helps students to develop an understanding of one aspect of the technological world and helps them to be better prepared for when they enter it as young adults.

Sources:

  1. Ozobot. “Ozobot | Robots to Code and Create With,” November 15, 2023. https://ozobot.com.
  2. Hub, Digital Technologies. “Introduction to Ozobot and Colour Codes.” Digital Technologies Hub, n.d. https://www.digitaltechnologieshub.edu.au/teach-and-assess/classroom-resources/lesson-ideas/introduction-to-ozobot-and-colour-codes/.
  3. https://www.desjardins.com/ressources/pdf/d25-12-reasons-learn-coding-school-e.pdf?resVer=1568637206000

Reflection: Two Rivers Gallery.

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On 6 November 2023

In Reflections

November 6th saw our cohort touring the Two Rivers Gallery in downtown Prince George. It was such an interesting and emotional visit, as the two current installations are very striking statements on climate change and threats to our local environments. The lovely Sophia was kind enough to give us a tour (highly recommend her for future visits) of the exhibits and lead us through a unique and creative art project of our own after the tour.

Exhibit 1: Nonreturnables

 Nonreturnables is a collection of artwork made by artists from across British Columbia and the relationships we share with plastic in the biological world. This exhibit was the definition of “REUSE” in the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle slogan! The centrepiece of this exhibit was a large flowing cyanotype hanging instalment with cushions for viewers to lie on underneath; It is titled ‘Plasticosis’ by Desirée Patterson. 

I was really drawn to this piece, as I am from the coast (Vancouver area) and am very well-versed with shoreline garbage abundance. It was also very impactful to me as the plastics with which this piece was created are those that were collected from the beaches around Vancouver. I found that the interactive component of this art piece was effective and educational but also very soothing as the cloth would sway gently like the ocean from the perspective of ocean creatures. The use of the cyanotype process really allowed for the fabric to emulate the ocean as some of the fabric developed more than others allowing for a variation of blues to be present in this natural photography process.

How could I use this exhibit in my teaching? 

Easy! By introducing this exhibit, and other art that is similar in creation (using recycled materials, I could integrate this idea in multiple contexts: a science program, geography program and art program, for this art process involves learning about the health of our environment, the cleaning of our landscapes and the creation of art from the garbage in which we would collect during the process. By using garbage in which the students themselves have collected and a brief write-up of where they collected said garbage, I believe this exhibit could easily flow into a variety of courses and be a very fun, yet educational process.

Exhibit 2: Dismantled Worlds

Dismantled World by Jude Griebel is a humorous yet nightmarish collection of works representing the “toxic relationship between natural life and human industry”(1). The collection was seven distinct humanoid sculptures made of mixed media depicting monster-like creatures made of natural occurrence, natural disasters and human industry as well as two piles depicting types of food pyramids. As the gallery’s website states, “This surreal sculptural interpretation of capitalism and resource extraction blends anatomy with landscape and satirizes the effects of industry-caused climate change”.

            This was a very disturbing collection, as you feel very connected to these disastrous event creations, especially since multiple of the beings represent dismantled and disastrous coastal monsters made of cement ports, oil spills, displaced molluscs and weeping icebergs.

            Sophia, our host, led us through an exercise to better connect with the pieces which included deep breathing, focusing on multiple aspects of the piece and deep thinking. It was a very centring exercise that really allowed us to create relationships with the pieces. As wonderful as the exhibit and the exercise were, this collection really disturbed me, meaning that it was extremely effective!

Final activity:

Our Final activity at the gallery was the creation of our own monstrous recycled creations first drawn by hand and then attempted with playdough. There were multiple questions for us to fill in in the creation of our creatures such as: What is it made up of? Where does it live? And so on. My creation is a coastal creature who lives within the Indian Arm and Burrard Inlet. Their name is S.S Ingsdon and they are made up of old buoys, fishing lines, old fish nets, seaweed and shells. My creation’s purpose is to haunt those who litter in the ocean in the areas in which it abides. 

This activity was a lot of fun and is something that I could see easily applied to the education of students of all ages. It allowed for so much creativity and was such a fun bonding experience between our cohort.

References:

  1. Two Rivers Gallery. “Current Exhibitions – Two Rivers Gallery – Prince George BC,” February 8, 2023. https://www.tworiversgallery.ca/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/.

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