Welcome back to the blog! We continue this afternoon on our week's theme of "Media and the CBC". Here's the assignment for today:
12:45 - 1:00 PM Please update/edit your current blogs. Some of you need to make corrections; please do this first. Others need to create your own blogs; please ask your classmates if you need any help!
1:00 - 1:45 PM In preparation for our field trip to the CBC Building on Friday, listen to the CBCESL Production at tr.im/G9uG. Compare the Arctic Games with the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games: discuss with a partner, write your thoughts on your blog, and let your partner edit it. Post your edited posts. I will be checking them.
1:45 - 2:20 PMListen to the news anchor/journalist dialogue at tr.im/G9wg. Practise the dialogue with a partner and perform it to another pair of learners when ready.
Community Access membership cards for the Art Gallery of Ontario are now available. Instead of paying the regular admission rates (e.g. $18 for adults), you go in for free with your kids aged 17 and under. But you need to have the card:
As the movers transposed our classrooms from 250 to 200 Consumers Rd, all 50-odd instructors and participants of MicroSkills Language Centre stayed out of their way by going on a field trip to the Ontario Science Centre. Due to the large crowds--it did seem that half of the city's schools must've chosen the same day to converge on the same place--we finally managed to pay the entrance, have our group photos taken, and get our hands stamped 45 minutes after our meeting time.
But it all seemed worth the while when our party went in and dispersed in every direction!
About sixteen of us participants and instructors from MicroSkills Language Centre were treated to a presentation and walking tour of City Hall today, led by Chris, an education officer with the City of Toronto.
Chris presenting on the City of Toronto
Greeted promptly at 10 a.m., we were led to a basement auditorium for a PowerPoint and video introduction to the political, economic, services, and other aspects of the municipal government. Councillor Carroll was in, and we were hoping she might pop in for a photo op. Well, I guess it never happened.
Artist who donated this picture gets a tax break
From there we headed to the Council Chamber, where a meeting by some bird protection agency was in progress. We silently marched in there, took our places in the public gallery, took some pictures, listened to the drone of the presenter, and then quietly slipped out the back.
Mayor's Office
Toronto's Coat of Arms
Councillors in Session and at Rest
Time Capsule by Kids
And then we headed for Mayor David Miller's office. Only his office, as we couldn't go in. But we did get to see his bemedalled Mayor's Chain, the latest Council portrait, our City's Coat of Arms, and a time capsule created by schoolchildren, to be opened in 2050. Further down the hall was our Councillor's office, but I guess it didn't make a lot of sense to rouse her.
Memorial Chamber to WWII Fallen
We made our way back to ground floor and visited the Chamber of Memories and Pillar dedicated to the "new" (and fourth) City Hall's Finnish architect. I was personally impressed at how the huge Council Chamber sat on a funnel-like hollow pillar. All too soon, the visit was over, and our great host, Chris, handed us City Hall pins and Toronto Park Maps.
This means our field trip to City Hall is on as scheduled. If you're going on your own down the Yonge subway line, you should get off at Queen Station, as for directions at Eaton Centre, and enter the lobby of City Hall.
Also, as it's almost certain to rain (P.O.P. 60% - 90%, 2 - 10mm rain), you may want to pack a poncho or an umbrella.
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This Thursday we're going on our first-ever field trip to City Hall, where we're scheduled at 10 a.m. to have a presentation on the City Council and its workings, their meeting place at the Chamber, and possibly a meeting with the elected official of the ward MicroSkills is in, at 200 and 250 Consumers Road, Councillor Shelley Carroll of Ward 33 Don Valley East.
Toronto's City Hall is the seat of the municipal government. It is where the councillors meet as a City Council to make decisions on various bylaws, budgets, elections, TTC fares, etc. Among the recent happenings there is the launch of the 311 non-emergency services and information telephone line.
At the end of the presentation at City Hall, you are dismissed and are free to enjoy lunch with the pigeons (if there are any left) at Nathan Phillips Square and/or head to Eaton Centre to shop till you drop.
Those who would like to leave from the Southbound Platform of Sheppard-Yonge Subway Station are requested to be there before 9:15 a.m. You may bring a lunch/snack, a camera, your spouse's credit card, a big smile, and a friend. Welcome to our great city of Toronto!
After being at 250 Consumers Road for the past 15 years, originally under CAF, our LINC school will be migrating across the car park (above, from right to left) to 200 Consumers Road, up on the 4th floor. Here's the last day of class with the last class ever at number 250!
Everything's got to go ... lock, stock, and barrel
In order to move across and move in to the new place, school will be closed on Monday, November 23rd. But we will be open on November 24th.
So have a wonderful weekend, and we'll see you again next Tuesday!
So long, Number 250. It's always hard to say good-bye.
Today, our LINC 4 classmates had a fruitful discussion on what works for the class and what could be improved. While I mess up on the formatting of this post, they came up with the following suggestions, with my comments following:
More interesting field trips. Okay, okay, less of those scary-to-boring organ concerts. Suggested destinations included the farm, museum, and art gallery. Budget's a perennial constraint, but maybe we could have a little ski lesson again, like last season's.
More time for pronunciation. Hmm, I'm glad for no objection to our focus on pronunciation. Yes, let's work harder on this. Among the tools I hope to use is David Alan Stern's audiovisual materials from the library.
More time for dialogue and listening with native speakers. That's a great suggestion! Besides my friends John and Tim Winter, I'll see who else I could get for conversation. In terms of listening, it might be good to revive the old TOEFL listening test or radio listening activity.
More time for writing practice. Suggestion was to make it compulsory and not mixed with a lot of other activities on the computer. Sounds good! We'll have to look at the new classroom arrangements at 200 Consumers Rd and see how to put this into practice. In answer to a specific question, yes, we do have a writing textbook we could use.
More newspaper reading. What a good suggestion! I've been feeling a bit guilty of late about all our Sun newspapers--there's a lot of good stuff in there and so little time to dig in.
More convenient computer usage. We've been promised a row of computers in our new classroom. But how we'll manage the classroom's various facilities will be our next challenge. The good news is that at least we'll have our own PCs and printer, yay! I'm thinking of creating various self-directed learning stations, but we'll have to see the actual classroom arrangements.
So, I would like to thank you all for your suggestions and look forward to making your learning experience the best one possible. The challenges are there--time, budget, discipline, distractions galore--but by the grace of God, let's do our best with what He's given us!
In view of our move from 250 to 200 Consumers Road, LINC Classes from Levels 1 through 7 will be going on a field trip to the Ontario Science Centre. A special Community Access arrangement has been made, as follows:
Admission to the Science Centre is only $2.00 for adults and free for children (age 4-12), youths (age 13-17), and seniors (age 65+). Please register and pay through your class teacher.
Meet inside the Ontario Science Centre Entrance (indoors) at 10 a.m. sharp. If you are late, you can still buy your ticket, at the regular admission rate of $28.50.
Parking is available at $8 per entry. By bus, you can take TTC Service 34 Eglinton East (from Eglinton Subway Station) or 25 Don Mills. You are free to make your own travel arrangements to get there together as a group.
If you'd like to purchase additional tickets to Body Worlds Exhibition or watch an IMAX movie, you can do so on your own at the Science Centre. Your $2 admission allows only entrance to the Science Centre exhibits.
Once you are inside the Hall, you will be given a brief introduction and dismissed. You are then free to roam the exhibition halls, have lunch, or leave the place at your own time.
Our last time there was in pouring rain, in April 2009. Let's hope for another great time there this Friday!
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