Hi LINC 7 Students!

Thanks for all your hard work and cooperation this term. I hope you enjoy the break over the holidays, and look forward to seeing you in 2016!

Best wishes,
Doug

Hi LINC 7 students!

Here's the link to the video we watched on building the CPR.

I hope everyone had the chance to register for next term!

Please check with me if you have any problems with registration.

And please complete the the LINC survey.

LINC Survey!!

Hi Everyone,

Great work on your presentations, folks! I hope you are learning lots from preparing them and from the presentations by your fellow classmates!

LINC SURVEY

Below is the link for you to access the LINC survey that students fill out at the end of the term.

This survey is very important for the LINC department, so please take the time to complete it before Wednesday, November 25.

Helpful information:

First Day of the term:   September 8, 2015    TYPE:   09/08/2015

Last Day of the term:   November 26, 2015    TYPE:   11/26/2015

Days of week:     Just click on "Monday"

The second page is most important.

At the end, you must click on the SUBMIT Button for the responses to be counted.

http://tinyurl.com/ofsrfjp

   

Thanks!

Hi LINC 7 Students and Presenters!

Here's the information for today's online assignment using the BC Archives....

The History of BC...

You're going to use the on-line BC Archives to find information on First Nations in B.C.

The BC Archives are part of the Royal BC Museum (in Victoria). They contain the historical records of the Government of British Columbia, providing research material for both the provincial government and public researchers.

On this link, you will find the information you need on three pages. The first page is titled "Introduction." The second page is titled "Historical Overview." The third page is titled "First Nations." You can get from one page to the other by clicking "Forward" or "Back" at the bottom of each page.


The History of Canada...

Cultural assimilation is the process by which a person or a group's language and/or culture come to resemble those of another group. 

Residential schools were government-sponsored religious schools established to assimilate Aboriginal children into Euro-Canadian culture. Although the first residential facilities were established in New France, the term usually refers to the custodial schools established after 1880.

Here's the link to a short 1955 government film showing a residential school in northern Canada. Notice how great the school seems and how happy the children seem.... This is propaganda. 

In contrast, here's the link to a CBC report on the survivors of residential schools. It's called "Stolen Children" and it's about 18 minutes long. Please watch at least the first 6 minutes.

Finally, here's the link to a CBC News report on how the residential school system was a kind of "cultural genocide". Genocide usually refers to the mass killing of one type of people in the world, such Jewish people during the Holocaust in World War II or the massacres of the Tutsi tribe in Rwanda.

Hi LINC 7 students!

Great work on your role play work in Three Generations! It seemed like we were watching very real family discussions!

Here's the link to a slide show of the cave art of Ra Paulette, including photographs of him working.

Here's the link to a one-minute video that shows him working on his cave art. It's hard work! He says he wants to "create a space that is transformative (that transforms the viewer)."


In honour of Remembrance Day.....

Here's a link to the letter written to by Civil War soldier Sullivan Ballou to his wife back home. He was killed after writing the letter.

Here's the excerpt from Ken Burns' great documentary The Civil War, with photographs of Sullivan Ballou and his wife. And a beautiful music score.


The History of BC...

Next week I'll give you an on-line assignment. You're going to use the on-line BC Archives to find information on First Nations in B.C.

The BC Archives are part of the Royal BC Museum (in Victoria). They contain the historical records of the Government of British Columbia, providing research material for both the provincial government and public researchers.

http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/exhibits/bc-archives-time-machine/galler05/frames/index.htm

On this link, you will find the information you need on three pages. The first page is titled "Introduction." The second page is titled "Historical Overview." The third page is titled "First Nations." You can get from one page to the other by clicking "Forward" or "Back" at the bottom of each page.

Hi LINC 7 Students,

Here's the link to the audio we listened to in class. Peggy Lee discusses her experiences of discrimination during the Second World War. There is also a transcript of what she says, which you can read as you listen to her story.

Here is a link to the Canadian Encyclopedia entry on Internment. There is information about the evacuation of Japanese Canadians during WWII.

Here's a link to information about the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre in New Denver, BC, which was designated a national historic site of Canada in 2007.

The Centre is closely associated with the internment of Japanese during the Second World War. It is in the middle of what is known as “The Orchard”, the site of an internment camp built from scratch by the Canadian government to house forced evacuees from the West coast.

The camp is one of the few detention sites built for internment that was not torn down after the war and the only one where descendants of the Japanese Canadians who were displaced have lived since.

Career Fair opportunity

Hi Everyone,

The Career Education and Settlement Fair (see your handout and the link below) looks like a fantastic field trip opportunity for LINC 7students. It takes place at the Vancouver Public Library and is free! 

It takes place on Monday, Nov 16^th from 10-5. This fair is specifically for newcomers. There will be free workshops, resume clinics, pronunciation classes and more.

http://canadianimmigrant.ca/careerfair/vancouver

Here's a link to information about Greater Vancouver's Remembrance Day ceremonies on Wednesday. One of the main ceremonies that day is at the Victory Square Cenotaph downtown.

Read the article below and answer the following questions.
*You may have to do some extra research too!

*Why is the service held at Victory Square?
*Where is it located? (use Google Maps)
*What is a cenotaph? What does it symbolize?
What choir will sing at the start of the ceremony?
*What is the "ultimate sacrifice"?
The Last Post is a piece of music. What instrument plays this piece of music? (see picture below)
What is a 21-gun salute?
*What is the RCAF?
What is a fly-past? When does it happen on Wednesday?
After this, what piece of music will be sung by the choir?
*What is a wreath? What does it symbolize?

Please bring your answers to class on Thursday!!

The City of Vancouver works with the Vancouver Remembrance Day Committee to recognize the contributions our Veterans have made and to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of Canada. The Remembrance Day Ceremony and Parade will begin on Wednesday, November 11 at 9:45am at the Victory Square Cenotaph at West Hastings Street and Cambie Street.

Ceremony program

The program begins with a performance by the Vancouver Bach Youth Choir and Sarabande starting at 9:45am.

At 10:00am veterans, military marching units and bands will be led to Victory Square by the Vancouver Flag Party. The cenotaph ceremony starts at 10:30am.

At 11:00 am the Last Post will be sounded. There will be Two Minutes of Silence, during which a 21-gun salute by the 15th Field Artillery Regiment will be heard from Portside Park. Rouse and Lament will follow. The RCAF will conduct a fly-past moments later, weather permitting. The enduring In Flanders Fields will then be sung by the Bach Youth Choir and Sarabande and wreaths will be placed at the Cenotaph.

A feature will be a combined performance by the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service and the Regimental Pipes and Drums of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada.


Here is a link to a 2 minute video of the ceremonies from last year. This video features some of parade and the fly-past, as well as the laying of wreaths at the cenotaph.

Hi LINC 7 students,

We are going to look at Essential Skills on Tuesday and Thursday this week (no class on Wednesday due to VCC Day).

Essential Skills are the skills needed for work, learning and life. They provide the foundation for learning all other skills. The Canadian government has rated the skills needed for a wide range of jobs and careers, from 1 (low skill level) to 5 (advanced skill level). 

I'll have a handout for you to read and questions to work on for Thursday. I want you to use this Canadian government website to answer the questions:

http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/es_all-eng.do


You will also be doing a speaking assessment on Tuesday. The theme for this speaking assessment is education and training. It will involve individual one-on-one interviews. No preparation required!

Hello Students!

Here's a link to a good video introduction to STEM careers... in under two minutes!

Here's a link to a video on why kids aren't interested in STEM jobs. If you have children, it would be helpful to encourage them to pursue a career in these areas since the world will need these professionals and they will earn good salaries!


Millennials (also known as the Millennial Generation or Generation Y) are the demographic group following Generation X (born 1965 - 1985), which followed the Baby Boomers like your teacher (born 1945 - 1965). There are no precise dates when the generation starts and ends; most researchers use birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.

Here's a link to a story about how the Millenials admire Bernie Sanders, a socialist running for the Democratic nomination for president (against Hillary Clinton).


Here's a link to information about Howard Gardner's Nine Intelligences. Notice that he has added a couple more intelligences: Naturalist Intelligence and Existential Intelligence!

Hi LINC 7 Students!

We are learning about how to read graphs and charts...

Here's the link to the video we watched in class on Canada's population from Statistics Canada.

Here is a link to the full article on population estimates, again from Statistics Canada.

Hi Everyone!

I hope you are thinking more about how much you really listen to your friends and family!

Here's a page on Active Listening with a great 3 minute video.


Please watch the video and then read over the text below the video to understand further. Number 4 of the key points is to defer (or postpone or delay) making judgements about the speaker. Judgements often lead to you interrupt your friend (the speaker), but...

"Interrupting is a waste of time. It frustrates the speaker and limits full understanding of the message.

• Allow the speaker to finish each point before asking questions.
• Don't interrupt with counter arguments."

A counter argument (or "rebuttal") puts you in a position of conflict with your friend. If this happens, you're not being a good friend -- even if you are convinced that you are right!!


Here's a chart on Active Listening.

Note that a good active listener is always rephrasing or paraphrasing the speaker (repeating in their own words) to demonstrate understanding. An active listener will also ask questions to clarify, or make sure he or she understands what the speaker really means.

Hi Everyone!

Here's a great short video on effective listening skills.

Please watch it and answer these questions:

What are the 4 key points about improving your listening skills?

Do you think about these 4 key points when YOU listen?

How will these skills improve your workplace environment?

How are they connected to emotional intelligence? Remember that emotional intelligence involves "restraint, self-awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation, empathy, hope and optimism" according to the article we read (page 96, lines 52-53).

Greetings LINC 7 Students!

In honour of Canada's federal election today, here's a link to a story on Breaking News English about how women in Saudi Arabia are getting the vote. They are also running for office as candidates!

Remember that you can easily change the reading speed by clicking below the "reading box". This link takes you to 200 words per minute (wpm) reading speed but you can challenge yourself by making it 300 wpm.


Canadian Election 2015  (for some real practice reading graphs and charts!!)

Here's a graph of the polling trends (from Wikipedia). Note that the trend for the Liberals has been continuously upward to the high 30s (about 37-38%), while support for the Conservatives has dipped down to the low 30s (about 32-33%).

Here's a website that has made some predictions (projections) about the election results. If you look at the chart, you can see that the Liberals are projected to win between 124 and 161 seats, putting them just below the 170-seat mark required for a majority. Note that 170 is 50% (half or 169) + 1 of the 338 seats. The number of seats (and ridings) in the election is 338, an increase of 30 seats from the 308 seats comprising the House of Commons (= Canadian Parliament) right now.


If this projection is correct, it would mean a LIBERAL MINORITY GOVERNMENT.

Please check out the CBC Poll Tracker to see the latest projections -- updated regularly during this evening! Right now (1 pm PDT), the Liberals have support of 37.2% of Canadian voters.

We will see tonight!

Hi Everyone,

Here's an excellent TED Talk by Monica Lewinsky, who in 1998 fell in love with her boss, President Bill Clinton. She talks about the damage that is done by cyber-bullying, and the fact that people are profiting when we click on sites that promote scandal and malicious gossip, or invade the privacy of others. She calls for empathy and compassion when using the internet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_8y0WLm78U&feature=youtu.be

Thanks to Peyman for recommending this video!

Greetings LINC 7 students!

Here's the link to Breaking News English. It's a wonderful website for learning English at many different levels.

I'd like you to read story #6 (the last one on the home page). It's called:

More People Die From Selfies Than Shark Attacks

The reading starts at 200 words per minute, but you can adjust the reading speed to challenge yourself!

If you want to stop the words, just place the cursor (of your mouse) on the scrolling page and it will stop for you. When you take the cursor off the page, the scrolling will continue...

When you've read the short article, try this fill-in-the-gaps exercise. Use the words at the top to fill in the blanks. You can check your answers by clicking on the box at the bottom. If your answer is correct it will change to bold letters in the text.

Please try to read at least 3 of these short articles using the speed-reader on the website.



Here's a link to Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech from 1963 in Washington.

This is a great example of using repetition for rhetorical (speaking) effect:

"....And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. 

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."


Have a great weekend everyone!

Hello! Great discussion today on the causes and consequences of the "niqab issue"! You are definitely thinking critically about this topic!

Here's a link to an article from the Globe and Mail about Canada's middle class (43%) vs. America's middle class.

Here's a great Macleans article about the middle class and it includes a Net Worth Calculator!

Here's the link to the video clips of Harper and Trudeau in Parliament (from The Canadian Press).

Hi Everyone,

Tomorrow we'll be discussing the two articles about wearing the niqab that I gave you today in class.

I want you to be thinking critically when you read and when you discuss this controversial issue!

Here's the link to the first article.

Here's the link to the second article. 

Here's a third article from The National Post (another national paper and a reliable source). 
In this story, Harper is quoted as asking: “Why would Canadians, contrary to our own values, embrace a practice that is not transparent, that is not open and, frankly, is rooted in a culture that is anti-women?”

What do you think?

Bring your critical thinking to class Wednesday!



And here's the link to a Wiki-how page on critical thinking. It describes three methods to improve your own critical thinking:

1. Honing (sharpening) your questioning skills
2. Adjusting your perspective
3. Putting it all together

Critical Thinking is the art of using reason to analyze ideas and dig deeper to get to our true potential. Critical thinking isn't about thinking more or thinking harder; it's about thinking better. Honing your critical thinking skills can open up a lifetime of intellectual curiosity. But the journey isn't all rosy. Critical thinking requires a lot of discipline. Staying on track takes a combination of steady growth, motivation, and the ability to take an honest look at yourself, even in the face of some uncomfortable facts.

Greetings Goal Setters!

Hello LINC 7 Goal-setters!

Think about your goals as you plan your "Lifelong Learning" essay (5 paragraphs). 

Please bring in your outline to class tomorrow because I want to give your some feedback BEFORE you start to write your complete essay over the long weekend!

Here’s the link to the short video we watched in class on “Setting SMART Goals”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKMrWsjUOZQ

Here’s the link to an excellent fun video (11 minutes) on goals and planning your future career path. It's called “Exploring Your Career Path” (from IQmatrix.com):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW6cZHScH3U