Emma Learns French

J’ai terminé le programme Explore deux fois. Il est temps de "level up" !

Free Inquiry Reflection

April 6, 2026 /

Looking back over the course I feel appreciative for the opportunity to delve into my French language skills and see where I was at. I was able to practice writing by typing entries into Chat GPT and asking the generator to correct my mistakes. This allowed me to write freely and express myself in French without worrying too much about mistakes during the initial phase. Once I had the corrections, I read through them and copied the finished product into my blog. It was nice to work with AI because I was able to produce text in French that was correct and see where the gaps were in my language skills. Figuring out what language features I was missing helped me direct further study in the right areas.

Unfortunately I didn’t have the time to do everything I wanted to. There was a French program offered for free through the education program. I was able to attend one of the sessions for beginner French. I was told I was beyond that level and should be in the intermediate class. That was great. The problem was that the intermediate conversation cafe overlapped with one of my classes. I could have attended for about 25 minutes per week but I didn’t end up going as it didn’t feel worthwhile if I had to rush out early. I wish I could have practiced conversation during that cafe but will seek out other opportunities in the future. There was also a zoom session offered through the same program. It was several sessions to prepare for the Delf B2 exam. I did one session and felt my level was far below other members of the class. I also did not pursue the remainder of the sessions as I was too busy.

When the time rolled around to take the Delf B2 exam, I opted out. I was already busy with family and school priorities and felt unprepared to for success. There will be more opportunities to do this exam during the remainder of my schooling so I do intend to seek out those chances to sit the test. Looking back on my experience in French, in this class and prior, I do feel semi-prepared. If it doesn’t work out, there will always be a next time. Learning is continuous. I appreciated this opportunity to intensify that process for a few months.

Course Recap

March 31, 2026 /

Fippa, digital resources, gamification, generative AI, and the Multimedia Principle. These are some areas of tech we looked at during the course. The bottom right hand corner of my sketchnote is disturbing, who knows what the future will bring with AI? It’s connected to FIPPA, how we choose to work with tech and the environment. Gamification brings joy into learning, and the multimedia principle reminds presenters to avoid cognitive overload. All good food for thought to take forward from our 336 course.

Weekly Reflection for March 20

March 23, 2026 /

I watched “Old Projects versus New Projects” by Liz, Shay, Amy and Sheyla, “Using Film in Classrooms” by Annalise, Beth, Drew and Meghan, “Using Slido in the Classroom” by Refano, Jack, Will and Byron and “Using Stop Motion to Support Multimodial Learning” by Rylie and company. I liked the topic of comparing old projects to new projects and the group was creative with their approach of doing a podcast. The Stop Motion animation was great. Unfortunately during the question and answer in class one student raised the issue of how time-consuming it is to create stop-motion animation. Still, I think it is a really cool idea and would be a really fun and creative way for students to respond to pretty much anything in a school setting. Below is a still from their animation on DNA.

Here is a link to the Slido Presentation posted on Jack’s WordPress Blog and here is the Using Film in Classrooms video that group posted to YouTube. I still need to investigate Slido further because I have never used it and am grateful to the group for introducing me to a new tool. I appreciated the Using Film in Classrooms presentation. I already knew about the National Film Board and it’s always good to be reminded of such an enriching corner that contains so many stories about this country. Film is definitely a great part of experiencing school but as a parent, I do have concerns about screen time so I think they could have included some research on this in their project. Instead they focused on Permissions, Budgets and streaming services.

Weekly Reflection March 13

March 13, 2026 /

Today we did an EdCamp on Supporting Skills for students. The topic was a bit general so we brainstormed what skills we think are needed in today’s schools.

Assertiveness training, spelling, public speaking and social skills were some key areas we identified.

We agreed that skits and presentations should continue to be part of learning in schools and that anxiety increases the more we avoid difficulty. In contrast exposure therapy can help decrease anxiety and encourage youth to be more confident in areas they wouldn’t otherwise be.

I like the EdCamp idea because it gives people a chance to chat and discuss topics of interest. One part of the experience that was disappointing to me was that there were a certain number of participants in our group who did not contribute to the discussion. I think this is one of the failures of Zoom, it is a bit easier to stay out of the conversation whereas if we had been in person we could have brought everyone into the discussion more easily. Some group members even turned their screens off which was disappointing.

We argued a bit because I suggested self defense skills as worthwhile but others argued students might try to justify using self defense to escalate instead of deescalate potentially violent situations. I agreed to disagree as I think knowing self-defense doesn’t necessarily mean an increase in physical conflict but does enable youth to be prepared in case of a violent incident.

The Role of Cell Phones in Education

March 11, 2026 /

Our project looked at Cell Phones in schools including positive and negative effects on students and teachers and policies implemented by schools in Victoria, Saanich and Sooke. One of our sources looks at students at risk of being homeless who had previous drug use. This source actually identified the benefit of having a cell phone to high risk students because it kept them in contact with health supports and other member of a support system.

We included another source by Jonathan Haidt called “Get Phones Out of Schools Now” as well as citing the book by the same author, “The Anxious Generation.” Haidt is concerned that teens who use devices are missing out on friendships and risky play and in turn are suffering from anxiety, depression and other disorders.

An article from CNN reported on the hundreds of daily notifications teens are getting on their phones.

This research shows how even having a smartphone physically nearby produces a lack of focus.

This article explains how “Smartphone Use Gradually Leads to Addiction” because of the release of dopamine while using a device.

This source explains the effect of blue light on sleep and this article connects the use of a device before bed to lack of sleep.

This article from the Canadian Medical Association also focuses on the mental health of youth as does this Canadian longitudinal study.

This textbook from our Sociology class looks at the impacts on the relationships between students and teachers of cell phones.

We looked at cell phone policies in schools in BC and learned that teachers can use their own discretion in using cell phones during instructional time in SD61. In Sooke there is restricted use of cell phones after grade 9 and in Saanich it is much the same, students must have the invitation of an adult to use a device.

We included some information on how Austrailia’s ban on social media went.

Conversations with educators dealing with this issue on a daily basis were also used as research for this project.

Free Inquiry: Le Vocabulaire du Chapitre 2 du Petit Roman Le Chevalier.

March 6, 2026 /

Aujourd’hui, je lis le chapitre 2 d’un petit roman qui s’appelle Le Chevalier. C’est dans le livre que j’ai déjà introduit. Le titre du livre est Short Stories in French. C’est pour le niveau A2–B1.

Le petit roman est sympa. Dans le premier chapitre, le chevalier achète deux potions de force. Il va au château du roi. Ensuite, ils partent en voyage pour transporter un chargement d’or au frère du roi, Arthuren.

Dans le deuxième chapitre que j’ai lu cet après-midi, le chevalier voyage dans une forêt. Il n’y a pas d’animaux dans la forêt. Il y a aussi de l’eau magique dans la forêt et une histoire d’une grande bataille entre le roi et son frère.

L’image d’un chevalier de la Renaissance.

J’ai aussi trouvé cette vidéo pour pratiquer la lecture en français au niveau B1. Elle vient de Learn French with Alexa et elle parle de la prononciation. C’est une ressource correcte, mais je préfère lire un livre parce que mon problème n’est pas vraiment la prononciation, mais plutôt d’élargir mon vocabulaire. Aussi, je peux lire plus vite seule.

Vibe Coding and Gamification

March 6, 2026 /

My favorite part of today’s class was reminiscing about afternoons I spent as an eleven year old watching my family members die of typhoid and hunting buffalo in Oregon Trail. We talked about gamification of education and how to incorporate games into different subjects. We were introduced to the phrase “Vibe Coding” which refers to using Artificial Intelligence to create games or other software out of prompts instead of creating code, a lengthy and arduous process. During this process, specificity was emphasized through a video outlining the idea of “computational thinking.” The video showed a dad following instructions on how to make a peanut butter sandwich as if he were a computer. The point was that when inputting commands for AI, wording needs to be concise.

We used the website Code with Anna and Elsa from Code.org to practice scratch, a coding format that involves dragging and dropping commands. Scratch is another way to make coding accessible for a broader audience. This specific platform could be used in teaching math.

Other games were presented such as simple Math Blaster or Flappy Bird games that could be created with a variety of different prompts relating to different subject matter. For example one game presented was a tool to encourage learning a First Nations alphabet. We also spent some time discussing and trying out the Bad News Game which is a game designed to provoke critical thinking about fake news. We had some interesting discussion about this game which uses inoculation theory which means making someone do something in order to learn what is bad about it. I learned about a lot of games I hadn’t heard of before and will be sure to check out like: gimkit, dixit, blookit, prodigy and Secret Hitler.

We discussed the environmental impacts of AI again and it brought to mind this meme which I think is hillarious and gives a reason to laugh about serious things happening in the world.

Free Inquiry: La Guerre Entre l’Iran et Israël et je suis malade au printemps.

March 4, 2026 /

Aujourd’hui, j’ai regardé une vidéo des nouvelles en français. En fait, j’étais plus occupée la semaine dernière parce que j’ai passé beaucoup de temps à écouter des professeurs de sciences politiques et à suivre les nouvelles parce que j’étais très inquiète pour les civils.

Honnêtement, depuis quelques semaines, j’ai mal à la gorge. Je faisais partie d’un groupe de course, mais je suis tombée malade, alors je n’ai pas pu continuer à courir avec eux. C’était très triste pour moi, parce qu’il y a beaucoup de gens très gentils et heureux dans ce groupe. Les voir est très bon pour ma santé. Les voir me fait du bien au cœur. Mais je suis restée à la maison, alors je suis devenue un peu paresseuse. J’ai aussi oublié de pratiquer le français et j’ai perdu ma motivation.

Mais mon autre intérêt, c’est la politique mondiale. Je m’intéresse beaucoup à l’actualité et j’aime suivre les actions des grandes puissances comme la Chine, les États-Unis et Israël. Je trouve intéressant de voir qui dit quoi, surtout lorsqu’il y a une grande crise diplomatique, comme le désastre humanitaire à Gaza ou maintenant avec les bombardements en Iran et les réactions des autres pays.

Avec les nouvelles d’Iran, j’ai été très attristée par les bombardements qui sont tombés sur une école de filles à Minab, en Iran. Plus de cent cinquante petites filles ont été tuées là-bas. C’est vraiment tragique, et je ne comprends pas pourquoi cette école était une cible.

Ici, il y a une vidéo des nouvelles en français, et dans cette vidéo, elle explique la situation à laquelle j’ai fait référence. J’espère qu’il y aura plus de paix dans le monde, mais en ce moment il y a beaucoup de conflits et je pense qu’il n’y a pas beaucoup d’intelligence dans les actions des gouvernements.

Des milliers de personnes sont vues se rassembler ici pour les funérailles des élèves de l’école à Minab.

Weekly Reflection: PSII Pacific School of Innovation & Inquiry

March 1, 2026 /

Students at PSII on a camping trip to Goldstream Park, one of the ways the Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry balances tech with nature based experiential learning.

I was not able to attend the field trip to PSII the Pacific School of Innovation & Inquiry but was able to view two videos created during COVID that included an interview with a teacher from PSII and a tour of the school. I also asked a fellow student to share his impressions of the in-person tour so I will be reflecting on these three resources to report on my impressions of PSII in this post.

My colleague reported that students at PSII represented a higher than average number of designated students. The Tour included a sensory room which I have learned through my experience as an Educational Assistant is a must for any school and particularly helpful for students with autism or ADHD diagnoses. PSII has no outdoor spaces but follows a more flexible model than public schools as it lets students come and go when they wish. As the location is downtown, the proximity to the scenic inner harbor and Market Square helps to alleviate the lack of an outdoor chill space. Still, it would be amazing if in the future PSII was able to acquire a patio or some space for students and staff to socialize and enjoy a sunny day. Many of the rooms in the school, apart from one of the main working areas with large windows, were windowless.

Although this is an institution centered on tech, I think it is worthwhile to align technology with nature so that students don’t forget their relationship to the natural world. One project that was mentioned by a teacher at PSII was an outdoor sculpture that would incorporate wind and water into it. I hope there are more projects like that happening at PSII that encourage interacting with the natural world. Their work on projects is traced by teachers using the Platform Trello and they also meet with peers and supervisors in person or through zoom.

PSII is definitely an interesting learning model. It might be a good choice for students struggling with the traditional school system and seeking more freedom or creativity. Features such as a kitchen, craft and music spaces, dark room and 3D printer offer students options to pursue projects. The other student I chatted with mentioned the school is quite small with only around one hundred students so sports teams and other larger school possibilities like an orchestra or choir are not feasible at PSII, however there is still room for smaller endeavors like theatre and camping trips.

The interdisciplinary inquiry based approach to learning used at PSII also differentiates it from the traditional model. For students who are alienated from sitting in class for many hours a day being told what they have to do, PSII might offer a refreshing alternative. It seems to be much more student-led allowing students to engage in researching questions they come up with on their own and providing support along the way as new questions arise. This encourages students to take accountability for themselves which is a good opportunity at this young stage of life. Instead of complaining about lack of choices, students are challenged to create their own learning experience.

Weekly Reflection

February 13, 2026 /

This week we attended the webinar put on by Focused Education Resources for the District wide Pro-D day. I attended two zoom sessions in the morning. One was on Twig and ClickView. It was presented by Mike Silverton. I also attended the session by Lisa Read in which she presented KnowBC.com, ProQuest and Gale in Context. I will be reporting on the first session on ClickView and Twig in this post.

Click View is almost like a streaming service. It includes a wide array of educational videos organized by topic. It also offers supplementary resources for teachers to use with students. Teachers can print, save or share these resources with their students by giving them their own access to the website. It is a paid service for those who are not employed at a school but educators affiliated with a school have access this resource. There are both short films approximately 3 minutes long and full length features available on a variety of topics. Films have a transcript so teachers can pick out relevant clips. Resources in ClickView include multiple choice questions, info sheets, and lesson plans. This is definitely something new Teachers will want to have in their arsenal.

Twig includes units on different subjects including Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Human Geography and Math. It is one of the few resources out there that offers educational films to teach Math. The videos are high quality and recent. Accompanying resources are designed so the film can be paused to complete worksheets at different stages.

These and other great tools can be found at the focused resources website. I checked out the French resources and unfortunately they were quite low level! Still, for primary these would be very useful indeed.

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