This past weekend, as my fiance and I drove to our new home in Frontier, we found ourselves in dire need for bathroom facilities. Though we usually schedule in our stops, we decided to stop in Elrose at one of the local businesses. The first place we stop at was the local tavern, but our watch said it was 10:45 and it did not open until 11:00. Next we drove across the street to the gas station, which we expected to be open on a busy Saturday morning - we were mistaken...not a soul in sight! Now, in a small state of panic, we head into town and down was looks like the main street. Joel stops at building just a block in where many cars are parked and says "let's try this place". I was worried that it was either going to be closed, they would say we would have to buy something, or I would wet my pants in the process. Well I didn't wet pants, and we did open up the front door to find a small hairdresser's shop and she directed us to the bathroom. The building turned out to be a type of hall or community center. Inside were local businesses as well as smaller conference rooms. The building was old, but it looked as if it had just been redone and well cared for. On the way out of town we took a small drive to take in the town, and found that the small wartime houses that scattered the streets were well lived in and the community was vibrant.
I felt very welcomed into the town and we were not looked at outsiders, but as guests that needed the services of the town. I encourage you that if you are heading South of Rosetown down highway 4 that you stop in Elrose for at least a drive, and if time a quick haircut. I will always remember the welcoming smile she gave us as and the carefree "of course just down the hall" - courtesy that is rarely found in a bigger center and someone contagious through the water of small communities.
As a side note, after my fiance and I had moved in all of our stuff into our new duplex we paused on the side deck for a just a minute to take in the small town air. What a wonderful feeling. I am so excited to start my new life and raise my family in this environment.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
New Purpose for this Blog
So I have decided what the purpose of this blog will be (beyond getting participation marks in my ECMM 470 class).
As some of you may have heard, my life long goal is to visit every small town in Saskatchewan. Some find this goal admirable and others laugh and say that's I'm crazy. Either way, it is something that I have decided to do and have been working towards for the past 10 years or so. I have a map, and I mark down the towns that I have visited.
I must say that with any good goal there are guidelines and rules as to what constitutes "visiting". Sometimes simply driving past the town will count, but only if either you can see the entire town from the road way, or if some bit of town is located on either side of the highway (then you can say that you "drove through it"). If neither of these scenarios works then you must pull into the town and at least take a drive down Main Street.
Up until now, I have not been keeping a dated record of when I visited, a note about the town, or even a photo. I have decided the this blog would be the perfect medium for keeping track of my goal. I can catch up on towns that I have visited thus far (or at least provide my readers with a list and a small memory of town) and I can continue to keep track as the years go on.
I do admit that visiting every small town before I die is a lofty goal, but I hope that it will be an exciting adventure and that after I pass on that my children will continue the journey.
As some of you may have heard, my life long goal is to visit every small town in Saskatchewan. Some find this goal admirable and others laugh and say that's I'm crazy. Either way, it is something that I have decided to do and have been working towards for the past 10 years or so. I have a map, and I mark down the towns that I have visited.
I must say that with any good goal there are guidelines and rules as to what constitutes "visiting". Sometimes simply driving past the town will count, but only if either you can see the entire town from the road way, or if some bit of town is located on either side of the highway (then you can say that you "drove through it"). If neither of these scenarios works then you must pull into the town and at least take a drive down Main Street.
Up until now, I have not been keeping a dated record of when I visited, a note about the town, or even a photo. I have decided the this blog would be the perfect medium for keeping track of my goal. I can catch up on towns that I have visited thus far (or at least provide my readers with a list and a small memory of town) and I can continue to keep track as the years go on.
I do admit that visiting every small town before I die is a lofty goal, but I hope that it will be an exciting adventure and that after I pass on that my children will continue the journey.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Going South
Besides being sick with the average Saskatchewan March sickness life is looking up! My fiance - Joel - may have a in Frontier, Sask. As some of my readers may know I am from what I would consider "south Sask" but nothing could prepare me of the area that we will be living in - way way way down south.
Frontier is a small community found 37 minutes from the US border. It's landscape is a flat prairie in the center of rolling hills extending from the Frenchman River. I find it ironic that the town is found in what most people would consider the "middle of no where" but really is found in the "middle" of everywhere. Frontier is two hours away from Swift Current (the closest Saskatchewan city), Medicine Hat (closest Alberta city) and Hammond? something like that (the closest American city). Two hours is not that far of a stretch. It is enough to claim the small town wonders that only living in a remote area can offer, but close enough that the nearest Walmart trip is within half a day's drive. I also find it ironic that in small towns it is a common saying that the school is the center of the town, but literally in Frontier, the school is in the center of the town. The school is well kept up and looks bright and cheerful. Center Ave is bustling with activity. The tavern is filled with smiling faces looking for yummy meal, the grocery store worker helps an elderly lady carry out her groceries, and credit union stands at the end of Central Ave in a new building and a brightly light up sign sporting a butterfly. Despite this hometown attitude, the boarded up windows of houses where sideways have yet to be shoveled all winter still line the streets of Frontier. Small towns in Saskatchewan are dying, there is no denying it, but it is through memories and the small town attitudes that they will continue to live on forever.
Frontier is a small community found 37 minutes from the US border. It's landscape is a flat prairie in the center of rolling hills extending from the Frenchman River. I find it ironic that the town is found in what most people would consider the "middle of no where" but really is found in the "middle" of everywhere. Frontier is two hours away from Swift Current (the closest Saskatchewan city), Medicine Hat (closest Alberta city) and Hammond? something like that (the closest American city). Two hours is not that far of a stretch. It is enough to claim the small town wonders that only living in a remote area can offer, but close enough that the nearest Walmart trip is within half a day's drive. I also find it ironic that in small towns it is a common saying that the school is the center of the town, but literally in Frontier, the school is in the center of the town. The school is well kept up and looks bright and cheerful. Center Ave is bustling with activity. The tavern is filled with smiling faces looking for yummy meal, the grocery store worker helps an elderly lady carry out her groceries, and credit union stands at the end of Central Ave in a new building and a brightly light up sign sporting a butterfly. Despite this hometown attitude, the boarded up windows of houses where sideways have yet to be shoveled all winter still line the streets of Frontier. Small towns in Saskatchewan are dying, there is no denying it, but it is through memories and the small town attitudes that they will continue to live on forever.
Friday, February 25, 2011
E-Portfolio Proposal
As we start to bring technology into our classrooms, we also start to diversify how we use technology in our professional lives as teachers. E-portfolios create a different way that we can showcase our work for future employers. The following is my e-portfolio proposal.
Why have you chosen to complete an e-portfolio?
I can use an e-portfolio to showcase my work to employers to help me get a job in a great school and it is also a more reasonable project considering the limitation of the amount of time that we are able to edit and use our projects. I find that an e-portfolio will be useful now, where as a webquest will only be useful when I am teaching, but the site may be down by that time.
What professional uses does an e-portfolio have for you?
As mentioned above, it is a great way to showcase your work and accomplishments for future employers, but it can also be used as a collection of my "best" to share with colleagues.
What content do you plan to include?
A more detailed outline of what I exactly plan to include is available in the site map found in the PDF below, but I am going to include certificates/awards, resume (an online version that looks pretty), maybe a philosophy of education, sample lesson plans, and internship report.
What graphic design considerations have you taken into account for the look of your e-portfolio?I have included the sketch of a potential design for the website in the PDF found below. I wanted the design to be clean, simple, a little dramatic (that's why I chose black) and I also want it to showcase my love for Saskatchewan and of plants, so where the blue border is will be different photos for each of the 4 sections (see site map). This is the second website that I have designed, and if I can get the website to be close to the design I created in Paint I will be quite pleased.
What concerns do you have about the process? How do you plan to address these concerns?
I am concerned with not having it finished in time for interviews, but in that case it will serve the purpose of being a collection of work for colleagues to use/adapt. I do plan on finishing this earlier rather than later so that I can use it. I also have concerns about not being able to add to it later as it won't be much of a collection if it is only stuff that I used during internship. I have concerns about finding space online to put this on and how I could do that. I suppose to tackle this concern I will look for space that is free/cheap and ask about transfering it. Another issue that I have concerns is that I don't want personal information being easily accessed on the internet (as I once found another ed student's e-portfolio by accident). I suppose I will just have to be critical about what information I have available and what information I get employers to contact me for.
Click the link below to view site design and map
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4920329/E-portfolio%20site%20design%20and%20map.pdf
Why have you chosen to complete an e-portfolio?
I can use an e-portfolio to showcase my work to employers to help me get a job in a great school and it is also a more reasonable project considering the limitation of the amount of time that we are able to edit and use our projects. I find that an e-portfolio will be useful now, where as a webquest will only be useful when I am teaching, but the site may be down by that time.
What professional uses does an e-portfolio have for you?
As mentioned above, it is a great way to showcase your work and accomplishments for future employers, but it can also be used as a collection of my "best" to share with colleagues.
What content do you plan to include?
A more detailed outline of what I exactly plan to include is available in the site map found in the PDF below, but I am going to include certificates/awards, resume (an online version that looks pretty), maybe a philosophy of education, sample lesson plans, and internship report.
What graphic design considerations have you taken into account for the look of your e-portfolio?I have included the sketch of a potential design for the website in the PDF found below. I wanted the design to be clean, simple, a little dramatic (that's why I chose black) and I also want it to showcase my love for Saskatchewan and of plants, so where the blue border is will be different photos for each of the 4 sections (see site map). This is the second website that I have designed, and if I can get the website to be close to the design I created in Paint I will be quite pleased.
What concerns do you have about the process? How do you plan to address these concerns?
I am concerned with not having it finished in time for interviews, but in that case it will serve the purpose of being a collection of work for colleagues to use/adapt. I do plan on finishing this earlier rather than later so that I can use it. I also have concerns about not being able to add to it later as it won't be much of a collection if it is only stuff that I used during internship. I have concerns about finding space online to put this on and how I could do that. I suppose to tackle this concern I will look for space that is free/cheap and ask about transfering it. Another issue that I have concerns is that I don't want personal information being easily accessed on the internet (as I once found another ed student's e-portfolio by accident). I suppose I will just have to be critical about what information I have available and what information I get employers to contact me for.
Click the link below to view site design and map
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4920329/E-portfolio%20site%20design%20and%20map.pdf
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Spring Break!
No I'm not planning on going on some crazy adventure in Mexico, but instead plan on some good Saskatchewan fun. We are going ice fishing for the week, and hopefully getting in some snowmobiling as well.
At university, unfortunately, spring break isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Teachers decide to give us homework, papers, and test all due after the break. Have about 200 pages to read in my textbook - though I think I might enjoy it as I often gets boring after 2 hours of sitting in a boiling hot ice shack. I think the best part of icefishing is eating popcorn and smokies cooked over the fire - catching a fish is just a bonus!
At university, unfortunately, spring break isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Teachers decide to give us homework, papers, and test all due after the break. Have about 200 pages to read in my textbook - though I think I might enjoy it as I often gets boring after 2 hours of sitting in a boiling hot ice shack. I think the best part of icefishing is eating popcorn and smokies cooked over the fire - catching a fish is just a bonus!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Free Breakfast
I enjoyed wonderful McDonalds breakfast this morning...for free! I have to say that I am a big fan of McDonalds to start out with, but McDonalds for free is even better. The biscuit was good, but I feel that it a rip-off of the Tim Horton's biscuit. McDonalds already had a great thing with the McMuffin. Now sure Tim Horton's tried to rip off the breakfast sandwich from McD's, but now McD's have just sunk to their level.
You know what is a great breakfast sandwich?....the Bacon and Egg Bagel at McDonalds....yum....that is a very very good sandwich. Get it with extra sauce...so many calories but oh so awesome and sooo worth it.
You know what is a great breakfast sandwich?....the Bacon and Egg Bagel at McDonalds....yum....that is a very very good sandwich. Get it with extra sauce...so many calories but oh so awesome and sooo worth it.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Beautiful Day
Today is such a beautiful Februrary day. It's hard to think that there could be such thing as a nice day in February. February is known as being the coldest month in Saskatchewan. It is the month of -40 and yet somehow the desparate hope for spring can be found in the minds of those walking to school or work all bundled up in five layers. I believe that God made February so short so that we could keep pushing through.
Today I'll just enjoy the wonderful sun and melting snow! :)
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