Unintentional Carelessness
By: Melissa Paul

Ignorance is unintentional carelessness,
Out of sight, and out of mind.
Ignorance is unintentional consequence ,
Sometimes our eyes are blind.

When we live life to the fullest,
We’re granted personal excitement.
But it’s when we live to ful-fill others,
That we’re granted true inner enlightenment.

Ignorance lies in the results of our actions,
When they damage instead of enhance.
Like western society’s demand for cheaper goods,
cheaper oil and cheaper sex.

Everyday the global machine produces,
We indulge more than we can take in.
Tropical rainforest logged for cattle farms,
So western society can sleep in.

When we live our life for convenience,
We are ignorant of the all the procedures.
Thousands of people working as slaves,
As we sit and tan in leisure.

Ignorance is unintentional carelessness,
Out of sight, and out of mind.
Ignorance is unintentional consequence ,
So, I decide to open my eyes.

Me To We - I am Silent

The "I Am Silent" Campaign, created by FREE THE CHILDREN kicks off in t-minus six days. On March 5th, 2009, all those who have vowed, will be silent for twenty-four hours. This means no talk. No text. No E-mail. No Fax... ect. (Unless at work or school.)

As the news passes through the halls, more and more people are curious about this campaign. I myself didn't really understand the proposal -why not speak UP for those who don't have a voice, why are WE being quiet about this?

Well it all makes perfect sence.

We, as Canadians, have incredible opporotunities that we fail to appreciate -on a daily basis. We can go to school for free, have free transportation to school (SAFE transportation), we have jobs, our own money -own lives. I could go on and on about the security, advantages and privledges of Canadian life...

In developing countries, children are born into a life that they alone cannot change. Many children don't have healthcare, let a lone education -let alone free education. Many children don't have rights, or a 'voice'. In Canada's democracy (Capitalism), many of us abuse this privledge. We choose not to look outside of our own bubbles.

This being said, people in the hallways at school will notice if you are silent for two days straight.

"why aren't you texting me back?" "Why aren't you answering me?" "Why are you acting so weird?" "How come you weren't online last night?" Ect, ect.

It's a very interesting campaign that I look forward to participating in. I hope you do as well.
For more information check out:

www.Metowe.com

Women's history conference

On January tenth I spoke at a women's history conference. The objective of the conference was to give school teachers, and student teachers, information on how to create a more inclusive lesson plans.

In the morning, an archaeologist, was explaining how local history ties with national history. She had a mass dig in Toronto a local elementary school where she uncovered two graves, which, after 20 years of research, lead to the discovery of a tale of the underground railroad.

The afternoon there was a choice between a women speaker on black history settlements or a women speaker of indigenous and aboriginal history, pre contant and present day. I decided to go with the indigenous presentation. The history that I learned that day was quite basic, but it hit home and I enjoyed it.

At the end of the day, Brandon, Moon and I, all high school students, had to talk about our history experiences in school. They also wanted us to speak about the secondary school curriculum and how it has affected us. We had to explain how we learned it -what were beneficial strategies, and what could improve, ect.

This was a great opportunity for me. After being in my IDC course (gifted course) I was able to discuss the benefits of self-learning. The IDC course (interdisiplinary course) gives students a space where they can research subjects that they want to learn. They can research topics that are important to them, specific to their values, learning styles, and personal and acedemic goals.

When it came to speaking about history... I talked about inclusive history being more beneficial.

Of course for documents to be considered 'history' they must be 50 years old or older, but in our history texts books we learn one bias. There is information out there, there are documents and history books out there from other peoples perspectives.

An example is female history. In your history books I bet there are 5 pages that mention women in them. They probably mention that women were nurses during the war, or that women just started to get factory jobs.

Women are not well known in history courses- and they should be. Females need people to remember in history to feel a sence of belonging. Who were the women that gave up everything they had to fight for women's rights? We stand everyday to Oh Canada to remember the soldiers who faught for our freedom .. well we don't learn about the women who faught for MY freedom.

Another thing I touched upon at this conference was innovative learning. We're slowly developing different learning techniques - i.e smart boards, but other methods should be more normalized. For example DISCUSSION. Open discussion in the classrooms allows students to speak their mind freely, and to learn a variety of perspectives from different people. It is when we learn from other people, that we learn more about ourselves.

Another thing was how we actually sit in the classroom - row on row like soldiers. Robots. Machines. In my media literacy course, almost once a week we'd break routine and everyone would move their desks into a circle. This way we presented our info to a 'community' rather than, well, robots...

Racism in the classroom

So the other day, my friend tells me that in her English class, one of the students who sits near her is racist.

Apparently the teacher was asking how the students felt about Barack Obama becoming the President of the U.S, which was then commented at with a racist remark by this person.

The other students in the class -did nothing, said nothing. Maybe they felt it wasn't there place to say anything. Maybe they didn't know what to say.
Maybe they didn't realize that Mr. Obama not only now has the power, but the intelligence, the passion, and the values to change the way American
politics have been run.

Barack Obama is the face of change -socially, environmentally, economically and politically. It is obvious that Mr. Obama is a turning point in history -the first coloured man to hold the highest political seat -the coloured black man to become the President of the most powerful country in the world. He highly values family, health care and education. Rather than coming up with antidotes and treatments, he strives for prevention, education, and awareness.

He is the leader of the most powerful country in the world -and he got there by democracy. He was elected in by the people. So I ask you - the students in the classroom... When you hear somebody speak so ignorantly about someone so important to so many people, how do you react?

When you choose to hold your tongue on such topics - this is what I call unintentional carelessness.

A Turning Point In History

January 20th, 2009...

A date that will mark history for decades to come. As of 12 o'clock on this day, as we all know, Barack Obama became inaugurated -he officially became the President of the United States of America.

What does this mean for us? Tell me what you think!

Inspiration

If this doesn't inspire you, I don't know what will.

Life Without 

Limbs

Nick Vujici