scholarly journals A is for activist by I. Nagar

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Aitken
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
English Language ◽  
Solar Panels ◽  
School Students ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Alphabet Books ◽  
Book Format ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The University

Nagar, Innosanto.  A is for activist.  Mississauga, Ontario: Random House, 2013. Print.A publisher’s release indicates that Innosanto Nagar is the founder of “…The Design Action Collective, a worker-owned cooperative design studio in Oakland, California, that is dedicated to “serving the movement…” (Enclosure dated November 16, 2013).  It is not the least bit surprising, then, that he would produce a book in the cause of activism; in fact, he would appear singularly qualified to do so.  But that he should, in good conscience, produce this particular book is baffling.At times political propaganda, always a diatribe, A is for activism comes in the form of a board book for tiny hands, and in the guise of an ABC book.  Who is Nagar’s intended audience?  Or, more cynically, just whom is his publisher trying to kid?The underlying intent of English language alphabet books is to introduce preschoolers to phonics.  Typically, words and illustrations are kept within the young child’s own experience level, real or vicarious.  One is free to agree with the following sentiment; it is, however, absurd to suggest it as an appropriate mnemonic for fastening the sound of the letter “d” in the mind of a three-year-old:            “Little d democracy            More than voting, you’ll agree.            Dictators Detest it. Donkeys Don’t get it.            But you and me? We Demand equality!” It also strains credibility to think that the symbolism of the illustration accompanying this stanza, a donkey and an elephant butting heads, will be grasped by American infants. This mnemonic for “n,” I grant you, might appeal to a two-year-old; but his mother?  Not so much.            “N is for NO             No! No! No!            Yes, to what we want.             No to what must go!             No! No! No!” Finally, if you are seriously opposed to the expanding use of fossil fuels, join the adult conversation.  Sell your car.  Install some solar panels. Vote.  Don’t waste time teaching your babies to chant,            “Silly Selfish Scoundrels Sucking on dinosaur Sludge!”Some of Nagar’s ideas would be worth presenting to high school students—but not in board book format.   For young children, there are excellent picture books about people who have championed human causes with courage and conviction; for example, Every Day is Malala Day by Rosemary McCarney.  Don’t buy A is for activist for a little child.  If you must have it, buy it as a gift for your adult friend who joins causes.  With this last possibility in mind, I am awarding the book one out of four stars.Not Recommended: 1 out of 4 starsReviewer:  Leslie AitkenLeslie Aitken’s long career in librarianship involved selection of children’s literature for school, public, special, and university collections.  She is a former Curriculum Librarian at the University of Alberta.

scholarly journals The Innocence Device by W. Kowalski

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberley Morton
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Struggling Readers ◽  
English Language ◽  
High Tech ◽  
School Students ◽  
Unexpected Death ◽  
School Division ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Award Winning

Kowalski, William. The Innocence Device. Victoria, BC: Raven Books, 2014. Print.From award-winning author, William Kowalski, comes another thought-provoking, quick-read, thriller, The Innocence Device. Set in the year 2147, we meet Chago, a twenty-four year old prisoner in the JustiCorps McDowell prison-city. Each day is filled with fear, misery, and extreme poverty for many living within the prison-city walls. The only gift in Chago’s wretched life is his son, Jim-Jim, born to a female prison guard. With overcrowding and prison living conditions growing worse each day, JustiCorps develops a “good and merciful” solution. Prisoners will have the choice to walk through the newly developed Innocence Device, a high-tech machine that the Warden claims can accurately determine a prisoner’s innocence or guilt. If the device determines an inmate to be truly innocent of his crimes, he receives immediate freedom. If guilt is decided, death is instantaneous. Many prisoners choose to risk their lives for the chance at freedom, but too many good inmates are struck with unexpected death. It is soon discovered that the device is rigged, and the prisoners revolt. The highest-ranking prisoner, Krios, takes control of the prison-city, and establishes a rule worse than before. After Jim-Jim’s mother is executed by Krios, Chago is sent outside the prison walls to dispose of her body. Here, he realizes the outside world is not what he was led to believe, but despite this, chooses to return to the prison. Chago soon finds himself in a position of power, and so, must decide whether to embrace this power or save what he values most.Chago, although simple and unassuming, is a character that many readers will cheer on to due to his familiar struggles with bullying, fear, authority, and love for family. Although his resourcefulness and ingenuity aids in his success, it does not seem believable at times, and leaves the reader questioning whether his success was just luck or actually a result of his unexpected cleverness. He is, however, a character that strikes emotion, and readers truly want him to win in the end. Yet, with little time to develop plot, many situations are left unexplained, and readers are left to question why certain things are the way they are, or how situations came to be. A stretch of the imagination may be needed in some places, and with a serious tone, this book may not appeal to those looking for a lighthearted tale.Intended as an adult fiction book for English language learners, this book would work well for those high school students who are reluctant and/or struggling readers. The writing is fairly simple in style, with short sentences and short chapters. This is a positive, however, as it allows for students to read small sections at a time, lessening frustration. Simple language, mixed with the occasional challenging word, also presents opportunities for literacy development.Despite some flaws in plot and a lack of detail, the relevant themes, a unique setting, and timely suspense, this book will engage young adult readers, and certainly be a popular addition to any school library.Recommended: 3 out of 4 StarsReviewer: Kimberley K. MortonKim Morton is a secondary History teacher and Learning Coordinator with the Saskatoon Public School Division. She is currently working toward her Masters of Education, specializing in Teacher-Librarianship, through the University of Alberta. She strives to make research and inquiry meaningful, relevant, and fun for her students, and is looking to gain more experience with current technology, trends, and tools. She enjoys sports, is an avid reader of historical novels, and loves going to the movies.

scholarly journals Red Queen by V. Aveyard

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shawna Manchakowsky
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Book Club ◽  
Life Changes ◽  
Red Queen ◽  
School Students ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Older Brothers ◽  
The University ◽  
Unique Individual

Aveyard, Victoria. Red Queen. New York: Harper Teen, 2015. Print.In a world where having red blood means you are nothing but the lowest kind of human and where having silver blood means you are a part of the God-like humans who have unique, individual powers, life is grueling when you are born with red blood.  Mare Barrow has chosen a life of crime to survive and knows she will soon be conscripted to fight in the war that no red returns from, just like her older brothers.  Her life changes when she gets a job at the palace and accidentally discovers she has a power too.  In order to hide this impossibility, the king betroths her to one of his sons.  What happens next is a story of rebellion, lies, love, loyalty, friendship and deceit.  In a place where it is red against silver and where loyalties can change, the side you choose will seal your fate.This teen book touched on many themes: friendship, class, siblings, unrequited love, family and war.  With this broad diversity of themes, Red Queen should appeal to many readers.  For me, however, it was not a book I would highly recommend.  For example, I found Mare to be one-dimensional in her character development.  She did not grow or change as much as I expected her to, especially when she came from such humble beginnings and travels to the grand palace.  There was a lot more violence than I thought was necessary as well, and the graphic descriptions made Red Queen less enjoyable.  It read more like an adult book than a teen book.  I would recommend this book with reservations to high school students in grades ten to twelve.Recommended with reservations: 2 out of 4 starsReviewer: Shawna ManchakowskyShawna Manchakowsky recently completed her MLIS at the University of Alberta.  When she is not working at Rutherford Library as a Public Service Assistant, she can be found with her husband parenting their two young girls; avoiding any kind of cooking; and reading for her two book clubs. In between book club titles, she tries to read as much teen fiction as she can get away with. 

scholarly journals Shakespearean’s Tragedy: A Descriptive Study on King Lear by William Shakespeare

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 28-38
Author(s):  
Ahmed Sanoussi Himeda Al Jawad ◽  
Eman Ibrahim Idreas Borgg ◽  
Hadeel Naje Farg Bogzaha
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
William Shakespeare ◽  
English Language ◽  
Instructional Material ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
King Lear ◽  
Documentary Evidence ◽  
School Students ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
The University

This study concentrates on comic relief at Shakespearean’s tragedy. The problem facing EFL students at the English language department with Shakespeare's plays is the harsh language used and understanding the themes he treats. Although King Lear is thought to be one of the most challenging works of Shakespeare, the play is accessible to progressive high school students and most university students. The study aims to break down the classic language in King Lear to make it easy for students to understand the play and thus enjoy the entertainment aspects of the story. The authors used the action research- documentary research. The nature of the study demanded that we had to collect documentary evidence from reference material prescript by the University of Benghazi for the instruction of literature at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Such material was only available on the internet and course instructional material used by lecturers of the English language department at the faculty of Arts and Science Kufrah. At the end of the study, the authors offered several recommendations.

scholarly journals Gift Days by K.-L. Winters

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Law
Keyword(s):  
Picture Book ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Life Changes ◽  
School Students ◽  
Her Family ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Rural Libraries ◽  
Book Format ◽  
The University ◽  
Public Librarian

Winters, Kari-Lynn. Gift Days. Illus. Stephen Taylor. Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2012. Print.A young Ugandan girl, Nassali, watches her brother go to school every day, and wishes she could go too.  She wants to learn to read but her time is filled with taking care of her family, her responsibility since the death of her mother.  How her life changes, and how she learns to read is told through this picture book. The author, Kari-Lynn Winters, is a Canadian author and literacy researcher and a faculty member in Teacher Education at Brock University.  She is a well-known author of numerous picture books.The book is illustrated by Stephen Taylor, a graduate of the Ontario College of Art, and frequent Illustrator of children’s books.  The illustrations are charming and add a great deal of depth to the story.  They do an excellent job of conveying how alone and left out Nassali feels as her brother goes to school every day, and her joy and sense of pride when she learns to read.The story unfortunately, is not as engaging as the illustrations.  The language is quite dry and somewhat didactic, seemingly at odds with the picture book format.  There are some disconnections in the story. It is unclear, for example, why the brother decides to teach Nassali to read.  For this reason it is difficult to determine the intended audience.  The format suggests primary school students, but the content suggests an older audience.This book would be useful as an instructional resource in an elementary school setting for a unit on gender issues or development. It is not, however, likely to engage a self-directed reader of any age.Reviewer:  Margaret Law Recommended with reservations: 2 out of 4 starsMargaret Law is the Associate University Librarian (International Relations) at the University of Alberta, responsible for developing international library partnerships.  Previously, she was a public librarian, primarily involved with the development of rural libraries in Alberta.

scholarly journals Pyro by M. Polak

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly Scheideman
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Sunday School ◽  
Instructional Coach ◽  
School Students ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Simple Sentences ◽  
Teenage Suicide ◽  
The University ◽  
Book Publishers

Polak, Monique.  Pyro. Victoria: Orca Book Publishers, 2012. Ebook. Franklin Westcott has always been fascinated by fire.  As pressures mount in his life, Franklin struggles internally to keep things together.  His father is running to be re-elected as Mayor, and is focused on catching the pyromaniac that is threatening the community.  Franklin's mother reveals she is in love with someone else, and moves out of their home.  At his father's request, Franklin attends Sunday school, something he hasn't done for years.  Fatefully, he becomes involved in the lighting crew for the talent show the Sunday school is presenting.  There he meets Tracy, one of the girls performing in the show, who is also struggling with her own inner turmoil.  Together, Franklin and Tracy face the obstacles life has presented them.  As their relationship grows, Franklin begins to open up to Tracy and, in her, finds the support he needs to face his inner demons. The simple sentences and compelling storyline make this an accessible and intriguing read for struggling and reluctant readers.  The straightforward plot development is quick paced, engaging the reader from start to finish.  The unexpected revelations and complexities keep the reader questioning the outcome for Franklin to the very end.  It deals with subject matter which is realistic and relevant to middle school students, broaching a topic which is often in the shadows of more prevalent issues, such as bullying and teenage suicide.   Polak researched "firestarters" over several months, utilizing the expertise of Dr. Kenneth R. Fineman, a psychologist specializing in the topic.  Polak also interviewed numerous firefighters and high school students to gain further insights to the techniques and characteristics of such youth.  The result is a story which reveals the consequences of such actions for all those involved.  Pyro brings awareness to the issue and promotes fire prevention. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Kimberly Scheideman Kimberly Scheideman is a student in the TLDL program at the University of Alberta, and an Instructional Coach/Teacher with ECSRD No. 2 in Spruce Grove, Alberta.

Anxiety of High School Students Preparing for University during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 374-377
Author(s):  
Prapattra Hongwisat ◽  
Thanawat Wuthikanokkan ◽  
Nathakan Preechakansakul
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Respiratory Symptoms ◽  
The Other ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
School Students ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Online Form

Covid-19 are one of the viruses that were widely spreaded in 2019 and are still separate until nowadays. Thailand is one of the countries that are highly infected. The majority of people who are infected with this virus tend to have mild to severe respiratory symptoms. Furthermore, anyone can get sick, and it can lead to death. However, the most common symptoms of this virus are fever, cough, tiredness, and loss of taste or smell, on the other hand, characteristics in a minority of people, such as diarrhea and headaches. Due to the impact of the Covid-19 virus, people have to change their lifestyle to the online form. These changes have impacted mostly on economics and education in particular countries, so this problem also affects anxiety among high school students; who must prepare to apply to the university during the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, we have collected 151 answers from high school students by surveying in order to know the feelings for entrance to the university during the pandemic situation. We found out that 81.3% of the students are highly affected by covid, and only 0.7% of students are slightly affected. We also found out that 55% of the students are worried about university entrance, and only 2.6% of the students were not worried at all. According to the result, most of the students in Thailand are facing the problem about their education and their entrance for the university which are caused by Covid-19. This may lead to illnesses like depression and anxiety. Keywords: Students, Learning, COVID-19, Thailand, University.

scholarly journals Lebanese Students’ Attitudes toward English: An Exploratory Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Ghada M. Chehimi
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Middle Class ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
English Language ◽  
Social Classes ◽  
School Students ◽  
Lower Middle Class ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Selection Of

This is a study of high school students’ attitudes toward the English language in Lebanon. The purpose of this research is to assess the extent of use of English inside and outside the schools taking into consideration the attitude towards the language. Two schools were selected, one upper middle class and one lower middle class. This selection of different social classes aims at finding whether a student’s socio- economical background affects his/ her attitude toward the English language. The sample of respondents returned 52 questionnaires from the two schools. Although this sample was a modest one, it highlighted the differences in attitudes towards the English language, but these attitudes did not relate much to the socioeconomic class as much as personal preferences. However, what was salient in this research is how students from the lower middle class were more inclined to use English to raise their social status and both groups agreed that English is essential to their progress in life.

scholarly journals ACADEMIC GYMNASIUM IN LVIV: 1849-1914

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 50-68
Author(s):  
Kostiantyn KONDRATIUK ◽  
Oresta KOTSIUMBAS
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Religious Education ◽  
20Th Century ◽  
Educational Institution ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Experienced Teachers ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
School Students ◽  
Normative Documents ◽  
The University

Academic Gymnasium was found in October 1784 at the University of Lviv. This is a state secondary educational institution of the humanitarian direction. The graduates-maturists had the opportunity to continue their studies at the university after its completion. The Academic Gymnasium was the oldest gymnasium with the Ukrainian language of instruction. The information concerning the gymnasium's organization's functioning and principles till 1848 was lost due to revolutionary events. We can find the data about the organization of the institution's functioning, the number of teachers and students, and their social origin from 1849. At the same time, this date coincides with the secondary school's reform in 1849 based on the «Organizational Essay of High Schools and Actual Schools of Austria» and the «Normative Plan of Education for Gymnasia», which functioned until 1910 with minor changes. Exactly these normative documents regulated the functioning of the gymnasium - the organization of the educational process, the language of teaching, the priority of disciplines, the number and load of teachers, the organization of extra-curricular activities of high school students. Since 1907, the gymnasium is reorganized into the Main Gymnasium due to the number of students' growth and moving into a newly built building on L. Sapieha street and the Branch in the premises of the Narodnyi dim (People's Hall). The educational process in the gymnasium was carried out based on ministerial plans. By the end of the 20th century, more than 60% of the educational time was spent on learning languages, and the natural and mathematical cycle reached 25%, which indicates the humanitarian direction of gymnasium preparation. The situation was changed by the curriculum for classical gymnasiums in 1909, according to which the disciplines of the natural-mathematical cycle were synchronized with the requirements of universities. The article's main thesis is that during the 1849-1914 years, the Tsissar-Royal Academic Gymnasium in Lviv developed into a leading secondary educational institution. Mostly Ukrainian Greek Catholics, natives from Halychyna, studied here. The headmasters of the gymnasium were experienced teachers, skilled administrators. During the second half of the 19th century - at the beginning of the 20th century, the gymnasium was headed by Franz Brugger (1848-1858), Ivan Piontkovskyi (1858-1868), Vasyl Ilnytskyi (1868-1892 ), Edvard Kharkevych (1892-1911) and Illia Kokorudz (1911-1927). The teaching staff was increasing quantitatively and qualitatively. Careful selection, education requirements, and teaching methods provided the gymnasium with qualified specialists and responsible officials. The institution's educational process was provided by about 23-25 ​teachers, 70% of whom were gymnasium professors. Teachers of gymnasium conducted classes on a high professional level with students and created original textbooks in their native language, literature, history, and geography. Many teachers of the gymnasium and later graduates became well-known socio-political figures, scientists, and artists.So, Academic Gymnasium in Lviv is a secondary educational institution of the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. It functioned following Austrian secondary school legislation. The Academic Gymnasium, being in the structure of the Lviv University, provided it with well-prepared entrants. Students received a profound knowledge of normative disciplines in the gymnasium and a good national and religious education. The heads of the educational institution were experienced teachers and organizers who took care of the proper provision of the educational institution with teaching staff. The educational and methodological literature was supported, developed, and implemented in the educational process, together with teachers and public figures. Teachers of the gymnasium constantly worked on self-education and were active socio-political leaders. Keywords: Academic Gymnasium, organization, Krajova Szkolna Rada (Region School Council), teachers, teaching process, students, educational legislation.

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