Having Kyla Christiansen from the Ministry of Education in our class on Wednesday was a great way to come back from the long weekend. She was very knowledgeable and with so much information on Gender and Sexual Diversity we could have had a 1-2 day conference and still be just beginning to learn about this topic and applications for our schools and classrooms. I enjoyed how Kyla shared her material with us through stories. Using narratives in teaching is very powerful and makes what we are learning more meaningful. It is too bad that we had to choose what we wanted to cover at the end of the presentation and did not have time to go over everything that she had planned. The activities seemed interesting and I am glad that we learned a little bit more about Two Spirited individuals and the connection to First Nations culture. We remember learning a little bit about this in my INDG 100 course so it was nice to have more information. I would like to hear more about the video that Ben had brought up and the simulation activity surrounding heteronormativity. The visual that Kyla provided for us of The Genderbread Person highlighted the fluidity of Gender and Sexual Diversity, that individuals can identify with more than one label, and that there cannot really be a definition because it is different for everyone.
During Kyla’s presentation we were reminded, as we have been throughout our education here at the U of R, to think critically about and remove the lenses that we have. This was a good recall to previous class experiences and something that might be forgotten if you do not have the opportunity to be challenged and think about “the glasses” that you wear every day.
Starting class with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ music video for “Same Love” was an example of an instructional strategy that we can use in our teaching practice. As we discussed, there are many curriculum connections with using media in the classroom. I wonder if there would be a way to incorporate things like this into a Gr. 1/2 room. I am sure there would be a way; I am interning in a Gr. 1/2 classroom in the fall so if you have any suggestions, please share!
Our Chapter 3 presenters were brave to take on the first presentation in our class and they did very well! Two things that I am taking away are:
-There are different kinds of ADHD and not all students with this exceptionality show instances of hyperactivity or impulsiveness
-Providing gifted students with authentic tasks to further their learning and many students are gifted in one area
I especially liked their use of the poll because it was something different that I have never tried before. I can definitely see this instructional strategy being used in high school and upper elementary with the prevalence of technology and you can use it for a variety of ways to further student learning.
Sidni Thome: Shine On You Crazy Diamond 