Pre-Teaching Thoughts and Experiences
It is mid-February, and I have stepped off the path of continuing post-graduate work in neuroscience onto one toward becoming an elementary school teacher. I am an in-class volunteer in a grade 4/5 split classroom.
The teacher and myself are responsible for approximately thirty
children, along with a CEA who works with one. The children are all
uniquely wonderful, but the class composition is challenging, with six
children who have diagnosed behavioural and/or learning issues. The
class consists of children who come from a wide range of home
environments and varying degrees of socioeconomic stability, with the
catchment area encompassing a trailer park on a First Nation's reserve
as well as expensive hillside mansions near a famous winery.
One
day, I was working with a particular child who often has difficulties
staying focused and motivated in class. He lives in the nearby trailer
park and has low self-esteem, indicated by his withdrawn manner and his
frequent self-deprecating comments. That day, he was having difficulty
understanding how to tell time on an analog clock. I tried explaining
the lesson in as many different and imaginative ways I could come up
with, but none of my approaches were clicking with him. I observed his
frustration and anxiety mounting, despite my gentle reassurances.
Inwardly, I myself was feeling at a loss, as I saw him begin to "shut
down". But suddenly, he sat up, his eyes ablaze with comprehension, and
he excitedly explained the whole concept back to me! This normally
quiet and gloomy boy was all smiles and "high fives"! The light came on
in this child, and this was my first "light bulb" moment.
I have worked in other classrooms before and after this grade 4/5
split, but it was not until my experiences in this particular class that
I realized how truly challenging it is to be a teacher. What I had
observed made me wonder how it is possible to teach one lesson to such a
variety of individuals and personalities. British Columbia public
school classes average around 30 children to one teacher, and there is
minimal support available to the children (and the teacher) as there
appears to be a substantial shortage of CEAs and Learning Assistants in
the school district I have volunteered in. Seeing the daily challenges
the teacher faced trying to manage this particular group of so many
different abilities and personalities made me feel overwhelmed and
discouraged. The idea of myself being a teacher became daunting and I
started asking myself some honest and probing questions: "Am I the kind
of person who is suited to managing the stress and responsibility of
guiding the positive development and learning of so many different
children?" and "Is this how I really want to dedicate my time and
energy?"
Then I witnessed my first "light bulb" moment. I was
reminded that school is not just a place for cognitive growth, but for
personal, social, and emotional development as well. While my
opportunities to witness moments of sudden light and comprehension can
sometimes be painfully few and far between, the possibility of their
occurrence motivates and inspires me to be a better teacher and
individual. No, not everyone will get the lesson the first, second, or
even third time around. Yes, this can be frustrating and discouraging
for the teacher, and especially the children. But the role of a teacher
is not just to teach and test academic learning. After witnessing the
personal empowerment students gain through comprehension and success, I
have come to see that the teacher's most important role is to foster and
nurture a positive, patient, and compassionate learning environment
conducive to holistic growth and light bulb moments for every child.
6.04.2012
Hockey Nation -- One Game, Two Visions
Montreal
The sentiments of separatism and nationalism among French-speaking Canadians date back centuries. Yet, even today after decades of so-called compromise and accommodation from the federal government, the fear of absorption into the pre-dominantly anglophone culture of the rest of Canada is still strong. This fear sometimes manifests itself in the many forms of Quebec nationalism. Most Quebec Nationalists don’t seem to agree on one form of nationalism, but the top three types seem to be territorial (Quebec sovereignty), linguistic (pro-French language) and ethnic (a pure, Francophone lineage; typically against immigration). Two examples of particularly active pro-language groups are the Mouvement Quebec Francais and the Mouvement Montreal Francais, who work hard to ensure that the French language and culture remain dominant in the province of Quebec.
A recent example of this worry of the regression of French language and culture in Quebec is the french-language protest by the Mouvement Quebec Francais at a NHL Montreal Canadiens game vs the Tampa Lightning in January this year. Montreal’s hockey team is one of the original 6 hockey teams, making it over a century old. In its century of existence, it has always been marketed and promoted as the hockey team of French Canada. It is especially one of the prides of Montreal, one of the oldest cities in Canada, where over 83% of the people have French as their first language.
Lately, there has been tension amongst Nationalist Quebecois about the music playing at home Habs games being only in English, and the announcements being bilingual instead of solely French. This is considered disrespectful by the pro-language groups as Quebec, with 95% of its population speaking French, is officially a Francophone province, not bilingual like the rest of Canada. There is also some disappointment that French Canada’s team has only 2 players who are actually Francophone.
The latest issue concerning the Montreal Habs is that despite the Canadiens’ historical record when it comes to winning Stanley cups, these days they’re actually close to being at the very bottom of the NHL team standings. As such, their coach was fired, and a new coach was appointed by the manager this past December. What upset the Quebec Nationalists is the new coach speaks no French, only English. Pro-French-language protestors were up in arms, and organized a rally outside the Bell Centre at the Habs’ next home game in January versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. They handed out Quebec flags to those coming to the see the game, chanted “Montreal, en Francais! (Montreal, in French!),” and even brought a dummy resembling the team’s president/owner and put a noose around its neck. They argued that the team, supposedly being a representative of French Canada, should have a coach who can speak French. More generally, hockey being “Canada’s Game,” and with Canada officially being a bilingual country, this coach, a representative of Canada’s Game, should at the very least have a grasp of both of Canada’s official languages.
The National Hockey League has developed into a privately owned, international organization with players coming from different backgrounds around the globe to play for North American teams. Teams are no longer recruiting from their own backyards to represent their city; rather, they are buying and trading players internationally in the interest of forming the best team possible in the hopes of winning the most coveted prize in the NHL – the Stanley Cup. As such, as Canada’s cultural fabric continues to become less of the “1 nation, 2 visions” model of the last century and a half and more a diverse “patchwork quilt” of people and cultures, perhaps Montreal should consider loosening its claim to their Habs as being representative of French Canada, and find pride instead in the hard work of their team’s international roster, doing what it takes to maybe one day bring the Stanley Cup back to Quebec.
A recent example of this worry of the regression of French language and culture in Quebec is the french-language protest by the Mouvement Quebec Francais at a NHL Montreal Canadiens game vs the Tampa Lightning in January this year. Montreal’s hockey team is one of the original 6 hockey teams, making it over a century old. In its century of existence, it has always been marketed and promoted as the hockey team of French Canada. It is especially one of the prides of Montreal, one of the oldest cities in Canada, where over 83% of the people have French as their first language.
Lately, there has been tension amongst Nationalist Quebecois about the music playing at home Habs games being only in English, and the announcements being bilingual instead of solely French. This is considered disrespectful by the pro-language groups as Quebec, with 95% of its population speaking French, is officially a Francophone province, not bilingual like the rest of Canada. There is also some disappointment that French Canada’s team has only 2 players who are actually Francophone.
The latest issue concerning the Montreal Habs is that despite the Canadiens’ historical record when it comes to winning Stanley cups, these days they’re actually close to being at the very bottom of the NHL team standings. As such, their coach was fired, and a new coach was appointed by the manager this past December. What upset the Quebec Nationalists is the new coach speaks no French, only English. Pro-French-language protestors were up in arms, and organized a rally outside the Bell Centre at the Habs’ next home game in January versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. They handed out Quebec flags to those coming to the see the game, chanted “Montreal, en Francais! (Montreal, in French!),” and even brought a dummy resembling the team’s president/owner and put a noose around its neck. They argued that the team, supposedly being a representative of French Canada, should have a coach who can speak French. More generally, hockey being “Canada’s Game,” and with Canada officially being a bilingual country, this coach, a representative of Canada’s Game, should at the very least have a grasp of both of Canada’s official languages.
The National Hockey League has developed into a privately owned, international organization with players coming from different backgrounds around the globe to play for North American teams. Teams are no longer recruiting from their own backyards to represent their city; rather, they are buying and trading players internationally in the interest of forming the best team possible in the hopes of winning the most coveted prize in the NHL – the Stanley Cup. As such, as Canada’s cultural fabric continues to become less of the “1 nation, 2 visions” model of the last century and a half and more a diverse “patchwork quilt” of people and cultures, perhaps Montreal should consider loosening its claim to their Habs as being representative of French Canada, and find pride instead in the hard work of their team’s international roster, doing what it takes to maybe one day bring the Stanley Cup back to Quebec.
Coming Home to Bliss
As I mature, the idea of figuring out where I feel most at home, most able to be me, has become more prominent in my mind. But the more I consider the idea, the more I realize that, like happiness, that feeling of "home" isn't going to necessarily come from an external source, or physical location.
Everyone of us has experienced those moments of
total bliss and contentment, but it seems as soon as those moments slip
away, we start striving to get back to that place again and
stay there. Paradoxically, the very act of wanting to hold on to that happy feeling
takes it away...
We go through life with these ideas and conceptions
of who we are and who we’d like to be (“I’m a woman, a Canadian, I’m
ambitious, loving, curious, a student, a daughter...”) and try to align ourselves with
positions and people in life that reaffirm these seemingly basic and
crucial parts of our identity. Which is great. It’s so important to
foster our passions and values to elicit positive growth and create beautiful social connections.
But at the
same time...all of this is quite limiting. Imagine,
cramming yourself into such a puny box of identity, when you could
experience your infinitude instead! Really, we are not (the sum of) our
cognitions, our emotions, our actions, our values...Indeed, these things
seem to bury our inner “self”. Who we really “are” is the *awareness* of all
these parts of us. As soon as everything becomes stripped away, and we
are living in a state of pure, present, simple awareness, that’s when I
think we attain those ever-elusive flashes of bliss and contentment.
Why would I chase happiness my whole life, when bliss has been here the
entire time? One has the potential to be blissful and content,
at any time, always. It just seems most of us simply aren’t ready/able to comprehend
this yet.
My proposition: home is whenever/wherever you’re with *you*
Bliss, contentment, nirvana, home, inner peace...whatever you want to call that
feeling, that "being," that "place" -- “You may return here once you
have fully come to understand that you are always here.” --
4.06.2012
Internal Waves Increase Ocean Mixing in the Arctic, Potentially Affecting Global Ocean Circulation and Ecosystems
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| internal waves in the atmosphere |
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| internal waves forming slicks on the ocean's surface |
Compared to surface waves, the properties and effects of internal waves in the ocean are still relatively unknown. These underwater waves have numerous causes and can affect the environment in many different ways. Recent research on the effects of internal waves in the Arctic Ocean sheds light on the profound ways that these swells can affect ocean mixing, circulation, and the planet as a whole.
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and most shallow of the world’s oceans. It is unique in that its water is practically homogenous. This means its salty, cold, dense deep water qualities are relatively similar to those at the surface. This is due to several factors. The shallow Arctic ocean sits mainly in a basin, with only one main channel circulating water in and out of the ocean, called the Fram Strait, located near Greenland (Arctic Ocean Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2010). This lack of major circulation potentiates a stable water column, which makes for minimal mixing of the water stratification. Tides are small, resulting in negligible tidal currents. The ocean is also covered with ice for the majority of the year. This minimizes evaporation by acting as an insulator, maintaining a cold and stable water surface temperature, and reflecting any incoming sunlight. The ice cover also prevents the wind from mixing the water (Rainville & Woodward, 2009).
Along with the Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Barents seas, the Chuchki is one of the five seas that comprise the Arctic Ocean (Arctic Ocean Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2010). The Chuchki is north of the Bering Strait, with Alaska on its southeastern edge and Siberia on the southwest. At its north end is the Arctic continental self.
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and most shallow of the world’s oceans. It is unique in that its water is practically homogenous. This means its salty, cold, dense deep water qualities are relatively similar to those at the surface. This is due to several factors. The shallow Arctic ocean sits mainly in a basin, with only one main channel circulating water in and out of the ocean, called the Fram Strait, located near Greenland (Arctic Ocean Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2010). This lack of major circulation potentiates a stable water column, which makes for minimal mixing of the water stratification. Tides are small, resulting in negligible tidal currents. The ocean is also covered with ice for the majority of the year. This minimizes evaporation by acting as an insulator, maintaining a cold and stable water surface temperature, and reflecting any incoming sunlight. The ice cover also prevents the wind from mixing the water (Rainville & Woodward, 2009).
Along with the Kara, Laptev, East Siberian and Barents seas, the Chuchki is one of the five seas that comprise the Arctic Ocean (Arctic Ocean Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2010). The Chuchki is north of the Bering Strait, with Alaska on its southeastern edge and Siberia on the southwest. At its north end is the Arctic continental self.
Its average depth is only 77 metres, or 250 feet (Arctic Ocean Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2010). Because the Arctic Ocean has little circulation, is usually covered with ice, and has a relatively homogeneous water density with little mixing, the water is usually quite calm with little energy output or wave action (Rainville & Woodgate, 2009). However, compared to deeper parts of the ocean, the shallow depth of the Chuchki Sea causes potential internal waves to have more significant effects when it comes to mixing and affecting water circulation (ScienceDaily, March 2010)
Internal waves occur between waters that are of different salinity/temperature/density. The differences in density cause the fresher/warmer/less dense water on the surface to behave differently than the typically saltier/colder/denser water below. The boundary between the layers, or the pycnocline, can move in a wave motion, triggered by tides, underwater topography, or wind (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=7230). Internal waves can be visible in some circumstances due to the slicks they sometimes cause on the surface as surface currents are affected. The crest of the internal wave causes surface particles directly above to spread out, creating a dark, smooth appearance on the surface, while particles and water collect in the troughs of the wave, causing the surface water to be rough and bright in appearance (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=3586). Otherwise the sea level remains undisturbed. Particles in the middle of the water column are moved vertically, though not horizontally, with the passing of each crest and trough of the wave.
Internal waves occur between waters that are of different salinity/temperature/density. The differences in density cause the fresher/warmer/less dense water on the surface to behave differently than the typically saltier/colder/denser water below. The boundary between the layers, or the pycnocline, can move in a wave motion, triggered by tides, underwater topography, or wind (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=7230). Internal waves can be visible in some circumstances due to the slicks they sometimes cause on the surface as surface currents are affected. The crest of the internal wave causes surface particles directly above to spread out, creating a dark, smooth appearance on the surface, while particles and water collect in the troughs of the wave, causing the surface water to be rough and bright in appearance (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=3586). Otherwise the sea level remains undisturbed. Particles in the middle of the water column are moved vertically, though not horizontally, with the passing of each crest and trough of the wave.
http://www.es.flinders.edu.au/~mattom/IntroOc/lecture10.html
“An internal wave propagating on the interface between two layers. The undisturbed sea level is indicated by the yellow line. Water particles are shown as yellow and magenta dots. Yellow dots sit in the middle of the water column and move only up and down. Magenta dots sit at the top and bottom of the water column and move only in the horizontal.” - Tomczak, M.(2005) Introduction to Physical Oceanography [HTML].
Rainville & Woodgate (2009) conducted a study in the Chuchki Sea to determine the effects of receding summer ice coverage in the Arctic on internal wave activity and the consequential ocean mixing. The researchers used two subsurface moorings, one placed at 70 metres below the surface and another, 30 kilometres from the first, at 110 metres below the surface. Attached to the moorings were devices measuring wind speed, and acoustic devices measuring inertial oscillations in the water as well as ice coverage. This data was combined with satellite data and ice records from previous years to provide the researchers with as complete a picture as possible on which to compare their experimental observations.
Mooring data recorded storms occurring at all times during the year. The researchers observed that during the winter, when most of the sea was covered by sea ice, there were minimal inertial oscillations under the ice and therefore minimal ocean mixing. These oscillations were not affected by winds from any of the storms that occurred. When the ice receded in the summer, inertial oscillations increased. The melting ice increased water stratification by lowering the density and salinity of surface water as ice water is fresher than ocean water because of the brine rejection that occurs during its formation. The newly exposed water is now susceptible to internal waves caused by wind mixing.
At first Rainville and Woodgate speculated that the stronger inertial oscillations and internal wave formation were a result of previously restricted tidal currents now having room to move more freely across underwater topography and manifesting as stronger inertial oscillations and internal waves. However, data showed that the oscillations and internal wave movements did not correspond with tidal movements and instead were correlated with the recorded storms; As a result, researchers concluded that wind mixing was causing the internal waves.
Mooring data showed buoyancy frequency (oscillations) beneath the mixed surface layer were positive throughout most the year, meaning that the water column and stratification were stable. However, during storms, wind caused internal waves. Inertial oscillations increased when exposed to the wind, and the increased oscillations flowing over the underwater topography create internal waves (Zhang et al., 2008). These underwater waves create a sort of friction in the boundary between fresher/less dense surface water and the dense deep water, called shear. The shear caused by the internal waves appears to cause the pycnocline to dissipate, and the mixed surface layer to become deeper (Rainville & Woodgate, 2009). The eroded pycnocline becomes less of a boundary to cross for the (previously separated) deep water that the internal wave naturally brings to the surface. Along with the shallow depths of the Chuchki Sea, this potentiates conditions for mixing.
The Chuchki Sea’s underwater topography consists of Mendeleyev Ridge to the northwest, the Chuchki Plain at the southern base of this ridge, the Chuchki Plateau to the northeast and the Arctic continental slope to the north (Arctic Ocean Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2010). According to research by Zhang et al. (2008), if the internal waves occurring in the Chuchki Sea had the same slope as the that of the Arctic continental slope, the strong shear and angle at which they encountered the slope would cause what are called boundary flows. Boundary flows are intense currents caused by internal waves travelling up a continental slope (Zhang et al., 2008). The internal wave rushes up the slope, carrying the unstable isocline until it reaches a critical point. Here the current billows and then breaks on the slope, resulting in active mixing in what is usually a relatively stagnant ocean. The diminishing ice coverage in the Arctic results in increased internal wave formation which in turn causes ocean mixing. The Arctic Ocean water stratification levels are usually stable, so this increased mixing could affect delicate ecosystems, such as the conditions photoplankton blooms require in order to continue to survive.
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| arctic phytoplankton bloom larger than the size of greece |
Reduced ice levels and the increased mixing could also change the circulation in the Arctic; for example, impeding or potentiating the one major circulation channel: the Fram Strait. This could in turn affect global water circulation, or thermohaline circulation. Thermohaline circulation keeps the Earth’s overall temperature balanced.
If this heating/cooling pump were to be altered or brought to a halt, the Earth’s delicate ecological, atmospheric, and geographic balances (among any other number of things) would be in disrupted, and the survival of life on the planet would be thrown into question. Adding urgency to the need for more study is recent research suggesting cloud cover in the Arctic is decreasing, meaning increasing ice-melt and warming of surface waters (The American Geophysical Union & American Meteorological Society, 2008).
Ice levels during the Arctic summer are diminishing, partly due to increased sun exposure and polar warming. As a result, water is exposed and internal waves are more likely to form. This potentiates conditions for ocean mixing, which in turn could affect ecosystems and thermohaline circulation as the receding ice worsens year by year. The potentially profound and detrimental effects of the receding ice on the Earth’s environmental systems make the causes and effects of internal waves, specifically at the poles, an area of study requiring further research and attention.
References
Arctic Ocean. (2010). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/33188/Arctic-Ocean
Chukchi Sea. (2010). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/116851/Chukchi-Sea
Internal Waves in the Tsushima Strait (2006). Retrieved from http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=7230
Internal Waves, Sulu Sea (2003). Retrieved from http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=3586
Rainville et al. Observations of internal wave generation in the seasonally ice-free Arctic. Geophysical Research Letters, 2009; 36 (23): L23604. doi:10.1029/2009GL041291
The American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society (2008, April 1). Inside The Clouds: Meteorologists Gather Important Information With 5-satellite 'A-Train' Group. Science Daily. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2008/0402-inside_the_clouds.htm.
Tomczak, M. (2005) Introduction to Physical Oceanography [HTML]. Retrieved from http://www.es.flinders.edu.au/~mattom/IntroOc/lecture10.html.
Zhang et al. Resonant Generation of Internal Waves on a Model Continental Slope. Physical Review Letters, 2008; PRL 100, 244504. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.244504
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| the earth's oceanic "heating/cooling pump" |
If this heating/cooling pump were to be altered or brought to a halt, the Earth’s delicate ecological, atmospheric, and geographic balances (among any other number of things) would be in disrupted, and the survival of life on the planet would be thrown into question. Adding urgency to the need for more study is recent research suggesting cloud cover in the Arctic is decreasing, meaning increasing ice-melt and warming of surface waters (The American Geophysical Union & American Meteorological Society, 2008).
Ice levels during the Arctic summer are diminishing, partly due to increased sun exposure and polar warming. As a result, water is exposed and internal waves are more likely to form. This potentiates conditions for ocean mixing, which in turn could affect ecosystems and thermohaline circulation as the receding ice worsens year by year. The potentially profound and detrimental effects of the receding ice on the Earth’s environmental systems make the causes and effects of internal waves, specifically at the poles, an area of study requiring further research and attention.
References
Arctic Ocean. (2010). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/33188/Arctic-Ocean
Chukchi Sea. (2010). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/116851/Chukchi-Sea
Internal Waves in the Tsushima Strait (2006). Retrieved from http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=7230
Internal Waves, Sulu Sea (2003). Retrieved from http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=3586
Rainville et al. Observations of internal wave generation in the seasonally ice-free Arctic. Geophysical Research Letters, 2009; 36 (23): L23604. doi:10.1029/2009GL041291
The American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society (2008, April 1). Inside The Clouds: Meteorologists Gather Important Information With 5-satellite 'A-Train' Group. Science Daily. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2008/0402-inside_the_clouds.htm.
Tomczak, M. (2005) Introduction to Physical Oceanography [HTML]. Retrieved from http://www.es.flinders.edu.au/~mattom/IntroOc/lecture10.html.
Zhang et al. Resonant Generation of Internal Waves on a Model Continental Slope. Physical Review Letters, 2008; PRL 100, 244504. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.244504
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