Mr. Brand Teaching Page

So far so good, two days into online learning! Seeing lots of students and they seem to be adapting well. Keep it up!

Good day everyone, for all of you who followed this page last year and found it easy to keep up with what was happening with online learning, I’ll begin to update things here again. If there are other parents who’s kids I teach feel free to invite them to follow this page.

I just posted the following on Google Classroom for all classes that I teach. Feel free to reach out if you have any concerns, questions, or specific needs for online learning over the next couple of weeks.

Hey folks,

I’m going to outline the expectations for all of us moving forward over the next two weeks. I’m sure this message will be consistent with most of your teachers but it’s important we review so we are all on the same page.

The first thing you’re probably wondering is if this is going to “count towards your mark”. The answer is simply YES. Last year was different, and this year we have had since September to prepare for this situation (giving out chromebooks, using Google classroom regularly, practicing with Google meets, etc.). So you should all be familiar with how to be online. If your chromebook is broken, missing, or whatever the case may be, you need to get in contact with the school to make arrangements. If all else fails, just send me an e mail.

The second thing you’re probably wondering is will this be live learning (also called synchronous learning)? The answer to that is also YES. Unless you are told otherwise, I will be live at the beginning of each class, and will be for at least the first 15-30 minutes of our time slot. We will be following our regular scheduled classes, so if we are scheduled to have class at 9:10, that’s when I will begin to be live.

Teachers will also be taking attendance like we would on a regular day to track who we are seeing and who we are not. Again if you are having internet or technology issues please reach out to us and we will try to accommodate you as best we can or resolve those issues if possible.

As of right now, it is still planned for us to have exams. We have not been told otherwise, and the expectation is that if everything goes well, we will be returning regular classes after May 14th.

I’m sure I have missed a few things that will come up tomorrow and next week, but as of right now I will leave it at that. If you have any questions or concerns, you may send me an e mail at [email protected] or by text message at 1-226-702-4988

Over the past two days I have heard from several students about the good deeds and acts of kindness they have been doing or are planning to do. From cleaning up a local garden, to making treats (for both humans and horses), to showing appreciation to coaches and mentors, these students are really understanding their last assignment and passing with flying colours!

I’m looking forward to hearing from more of my students today and tomorrow to see what they have been up to. As I told them today, it feels good to do something nice for others and it’s usually a nice surprise for the people on the receiving end. Two days left!

I have just created a post for the last assignment I will be asking my students to do this year.

2020 has been challenging to say the least. Students are living through historical times and I think all of our lives will be forever changed because of this pandemic. I took some inspiration from a few places, and decided that it was time for some good news. Please see my post for students below, and if you are seeing this, maybe you can participate too!

Good morning everyone,

Today I am attaching what I would like for you to read for the day. If you haven’t yet had a chance to finish up your song analysis, you can have until the end of the week to do it.

For your final assignment, I’m asking you to do some acts of kindness in memory of Carmen Faith Huskilson, who was my God Daughter, and would have turned 10 this Friday. You will find all of the details in the doc attached to this post. What I will ask is that once you perform your act of kindness, please comment on this post, e mail me, or send me a message to tell me what you have done - I’m really looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Please keep all restrictions (social distancing, etc.) in mind while doing this, and stay safe!

This morning I took a moment to talk to students about what they have been experiencing and what they are living in the midst of right now and the past few months. We will be focusing on kindness beginning with a very important assignment tomorrow. See below for my post to classes today.

Good morning everyone,

First off I would just like to express a few things. It’s incredible what you are experiencing and how much you have seen through the past couple of months. My grandmother will be 98 next month and although she has experienced a world war, she has never seen anything like what’s happening right now.

For the first time in her lifetime, the world has basically shut down and we have been asked to stay home, stay away from others, and live our lives online.

We as a country experienced the worst mass shooting in history and that happened to be right here in Nova Scotia; something none of us could have ever predicted.

Now, we are in the midst of injustices, protests, riots, looting and hopefully change occurring mostly in the United States. What is happening there has happened before, but not quite on a country-wide scale like it is now. It will continue to happen until there is real change in how people treat each other, and how we collectively come together as a human race. Racism isn’t an American problem, it exists everywhere, even here at home; it needs to stop and you and I can be a part of that change.

All that being said, this week is going to be focused on kindness. I will be giving you one of your most important assignments tomorrow that you will work on for the rest of the week - don’t worry, this one will be meaningful, and hopefully it won’t be something you haven’t already learned.

Today, I would like for you to do your reading and writing as usual, and for your writing, you can write about something I talked about above. You are living through a time that will be in history books (or web pages) 20 years from now. What do you think of it all? How do you feel?

Once you have finished that, I would like for you to have time to work on analyzing your song. Remember to go through each stanza and write a little bit about what is happening, and what you think it means.

That is all for today. Make sure at some point you get outside to enjoy some sunshine and take in the fact that we have made it to June!

Yesterday, I made a video for students describing figurative language in poetry and asked them to add to a poem, or create a new one that includes some of those pieces of tKoooopfigurative language.

Today I asked students to simply observe nature. Their task is to go outside and take something in from nature and quickly write it down for tomorrow. They could watch the sky, check out some budding trees, sit by a lake, go for a walk, just take advantage of the sun outside to prepare for tomorrow. They could record sights, sounds, smells, or something they may touch outside; anything will do!

Hey Folks,

Today I shared a video and slideshow as an introduction to poetry. Students were asked to watch the video, then create a poem that is at least six lines that includes two elements from the presentation.

There will be an ongoing doc now called poetry where students will be working for this unit and will be writing each day!

Hi everyone,

Yesterday was the due date for the multi-genre project, however, as I have been telling students, if they didn’t get it finished yet that’s fine! I’ve been telling them to keep working away until it is is finished, ask questions of needed, then submit it in classroom when they are ready.

Today, we are beginning our next unit, which will focus on poetry. To begin I asked students to create a new doc and call it “poetry”, share it with me, and then answer seven questions from a doc that I posted about poetry. And that’s it for today!

Today I posted to ask students to continue to work on their multi-genre project.

I changed the “due date” to this Friday, May 1st, but that is not a firm date. Some students have been working on the project from the beginning and others are just getting started, so this date is flexible.

I don’t have any new information for the project, but I posted a “Q and A” doc that has the questions I’ve been asked most often. I also attached a doc that tells what I have posted each day, and “Things students can do”.

I will be going through the projects this week and giving feedback on what I see so far!

Today I asked students to read and write, and gave them information on their second last genre, poetry. Students have the option to create their own poem, or analyze one that relates to their overall topic!

This morning, I talked shortly about the events we have experienced in this province together since September, and introduced the next genre for the multi-genre project, transactional writing. See the post below:

Hi everyone,

I hope you were able to relax yesterday, and spend some quality time with people at home. One of the thoughts I had yesterday was how unreal this school year has actually been - we began September with hurricane Dorian, which was one of the most devastating hurricanes ever in the province of Nova Scotia. Fast forward to March, and we are under a state of emergency in unfounded times, and unable to return to school or go out in public unless necessary. Finally, we have just witnessed and are continuing to witness the deadliest shooting in Canadian history - and it happened right here in our home province. I am a strong believer that things can only get better! Let's try to focus on the value we have for those who protect us, and that we can spend this time with those closest to us. Whether you realize it or not, we are in the midst of history that will be talked about for a long time to come.

Back to school work - first, you should read again today, and write for about 10 minutes. Today your writing prompt is "How do you feel knowing we are living in a very historic period of time?"

Next, we are going to talk about the Multi-Genre project .

***First, there is a MAJOR CHANGE. For your multi-genre project, you will only be required to submit your ELA work. You DO NOT need to include the Math, Science or Health portions. IF you have already done this, that is fine, those teachers are still going to keep that as an activity for their class, it just does not need to be included as a part of your multi-genre project for me.

Second, today is all about transactional writing - communication between one person and one or more other people (or things). Please take the time to watch the video, check out the slideshow afterwards to help and review the attachments. Have a great day, don't forget to contact with any questions or concerns!

Please see my post below that I shared with my classes this morning - the main concern for me is to get some family time in today, and do something you might enjoy.

Good morning everyone;

I have gone over how to approach today in my head several times since yesterday, and I'm really not quite sure yet how to process what I would like us/you to do. If you're unsure what I'm referring to, it's the mass murder that took place between Saturday night, and yesterday morning towards Truro Nova Scotia - as of now there are 17 people said to be dead, including an RCMP officer, nurses, and a teacher among others, making this the largest mass shooting in Canadian history. I won't get into much more detail than that.

I keep thinking back to what I would be doing in class if we were there, and I think what I would do is have you do a little bit of reading, and then a chance to write about anything you want, including what has just happened. I would probably suggest that you write a little bit about someone or something you're thankful for in the light of these events.

I've decided that is what we will do today - read a little bit, write a little bit, maybe on what I just mentioned, and then if you want to catch up on anything from the last week or so, feel free to do that.

In the mean time, if it's possible, spend time with family today, talk to some friends, and reach out to myself or anyone else if you think you want to talk. This can be through e mail, or text (902-201-9909). You can also reach Kids Help phone with the information below if you would like to talk to someone anonymously about your thoughts or concerns.

As always, stay safe and contact me with any questions or concerns.

-Mr. Brand

Kids help phone:
The texting service, the live chat online and the phone are all available 24 hours a day. Kids who wish to text a volunteer can send the word "text" to 686868. Anyone seeking help can also call 1-800-668-6868

Today I added another video for the “procedural genre” and that is it for this week. I also shared this with all of my classes, which I think is more important:

Hey everyone, I just wanted to stress a couple of things to you - nothing has been "due" yet and nothing is late! Everyone works at a different pace, and some people are waiting to do new work each day, and others are still working on things from a few days ago - that's ok!

I want to give you a couple tips.

1: Each day begin your ELA time with your reading and writing and update your doc - if you miss a day it's not a huge deal! Just try to make sure you do it the next day

2: You don't have to do all of your school work at one time - feel free to spread things out throughout the day, or leave something and come back to it!

3: Reach out to your teachers or even your friends if you feel overwhelmed - this is new to us and we are all trying to figure things out too. I've said it a few times, but if you don't tell us you're struggling, we won't know! It's also ok to reach out just to chat, we miss you guys just as much as you miss us! 😉

4: Have a great weekend - take a break from your school work, try to stay at least a little bit active, and be safe! Remember you can e mail me or reach me via text at 902-201-9909!

Today I provided further instructions to students for their project and specifically went over procedural writing.

I also reminded them that I am available to meet during office hours (11am-12pm daily) and outside of that time if we set an appointment. There are many options for meeting - I could set up a google hangout for one student or a group - this can be video or just voice - we can also do phone conversations through voice or text!

Today I decided not to introduce any new information on the project to students. Instead I asked them to focus on the two pieces I have already talked to them about, and gave them a revision and editing checklist to use.

They were also given a new writing prompt and I asked them to be reading. They should be reading and writing everyday! If they don’t have any books at home, I had posted some free reading resources on classroom last week that they can access!

Hi Everybody! I hope you all had an enjoyable and restful long weekend, and you used it to reset and refresh - I know I did! I am going to share with you below what I have posted to my Google Classroom pages this morning. The most important thing for students to remember is that they should not be trying to do all of this work in one day! They will have lots of time to work on things, I am just providing information for them, like I would in class. They need to work at their own pace, and evenly distribute their time for all of their classes, about two hours per day!

Good morning all!
I hope that you had a restful and mostly stress-free weekend! First, I wanted to give you a new writing prompt, and share with you my doc on what I have been reading, and also my writing. Check out the video "Class update" First, then "Narrative writing general information" and finally "Narrative writing specific types of narratives".

Your prompt today is this: How was your long weekend? What changes were there because of social distancing? Did you and your family miss out on some traditions, or start something new? What is something memorable that you think you will look back on years from now?

Add a little on your reading and response to this prompt in the doc you have shared with me. Spend about 10 minutes reading, and 10 minutes writing!

I am posting a few videos and resources this morning for you for your multi-genre project. The video where you actually see me is just a reminder of what you should or should not be doing for school work, as well as what should have been done up to now. I'll list those things below:

1: Last Monday I asked to to create a doc titled "Reading and Writing" and share it me - some people have still not done this. I actually started one today to share with you. If you have not yet done this, please do it today and share it with me! I'm expecting you to read today and respond to the new prompt!

2: Last Wednesday, I rolled out our multi-genre project. There is a lot of information on this so far. I will be moving things back towards the top and likely deleting some posts so that it's easier to find. The first thing I asked you to do was send me a proposal on your topic. I have heard from a lot of you, but many still have not yet reached out. I need to get your proposal ASAP - again, there is information and a sample proposal in an attachment from last week. Share your proposal at [email protected], or via text at 902-201-9909

3: Once you sent me a proposal and it was approved, you could have started working on your title page, dear reader section, and your opening. Again there are examples of these things attached from last week when we started the project.

4: Last Thursday, I created a video and slideshow on "expository writing". If you had finished working on your dear reader, and opening, you may have started on this. This is something that is meant to take you some time - don't be pressured to finish it all in one day! Work on it some, and come back to it, just like if we were in class!

Today, I am attaching information on "narrative writing". This is the second requirement for your multi-genre project other than the title page, dear reader, and opening. Again, this will take time! do not try to finish it all in one day. Spread your time, and leave it, then come back to it. I'll repeat, this is a marathon, not a sprint!

Some more tips to help with time management. This is something that is vital to virtual learning. Time management is one of the biggest keys to success during these times!

Learning at home presents new challenges, but also opportunities to develop new skills. Developing improved personal time management and organization will help you in the coming weeks. Here are some tips. You can also contact your teacher(s) for help!

Have a look at this with your kids, there are some great tips on how to get and stay organized while working at home!

Unsure how to organize all the tasks your teachers are asking you to do? Here are four organizers you can download and fill out.

Learning at Home Planner --> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkO-ROBMKO3cC64urdYKwSCA_mt971KtJtFpOF_LGRo/copy?usp=sharing

Organizing a Project --> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DcWfD2q5bx2gm4DQHWoxxmOTiUmdfZ7AbbHJwp6RyaI/copy?usp=sharing

Organizing Your Week --> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jZqK32JKAS8F2yecr9BSIFau7JusJcBw61xh2oJNF0k/copy?usp=sharing

Organizing Your Week --> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lVswBftKCNJ2MnQh9VmX0DrYG6v1NXk4C2awDQvK-x8/copy?usp=sharing

If you are a student or parent/guardian, you may or may not know what students are doing right now or what they should be doing.
As of now, students should have done and should be working on the following:

1. All ELA 7 and 8 students should have by now shared a document called "Reading and Writing". This document is meant to take the place of our daily reading and writing we would have done in class. Students should be reading every day, and writing when they are given a prompt by me. They will date each entry and continue to work on the same doc - they don't need to share it more than once.

2. Yesterday I posted a video along with several resources on Google Classroom. This introduced what we will be working on over the next few weeks; a multi-genre project. In the videos, I give information and tips, as well as what I am expecting. There are also examples from past projects to look at. Students should work at their own pace on this, and message or e mail me with any questions they may have. I posted another two videos and a slideshow this morning to help with the project, and will be doing similar mini lessons in the days to come.

I have been reminding students that this is a marathon, not a sprint and that it is a learning experience for all of us. I hope everyone is staying safe, staying home and washing their hands!

Hi Everyone, welcome to my teaching page! I thought this may be easier for some students and parents to keep up with what is happening during this time of online learning. I have been posting a lot on Google classroom, but it seems many students have not been responding or missing out on things. It is my hope that if students and parents follow this page, they may see school work more often and be more connected. Thanks!