I am looking for thoughtful, insightful journal entry/ies, which reflect your learning and which are connected to course content.
When writing your journal, you may want to consider the following questions:
- What did I learn or become aware of in this course?
- How will I use what I learned?
- What questions do I still have or what work do I still need to do?
- How am I feeling?How do I feel about the information I encountered or the activities I became involved in this unit and my understanding of it?
- What am I thinking?
- How have your ideas changed?
- What resources have I discovered that will support my learning?
- What do I believe as a result of my experiences in this course and the knowledge gained?
- What do I believe I can do with the knowledge and wisdom gained from this course
ReplyDeleteCivics Journal Part 1
Through this course, I became aware of the power that each level of government has and the different types of leadership, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and how we can all make a difference in our community. By actively spending time in the greenhouse, our class learned important skills regarding teamwork and making important observations. While expecting the greenhouse for damage, we discovered many things that we would like to improve, which would keep the greenhouse in a better state, so more students can enjoy it like we have throughout this semester. I learned that it is possible to fix even small things like this by writing letters or by talking to people such as the principal or the mayor.
I would like to use the information I have learned helping in the greenhouse to continue to make improvements in my community. For example, if there is an issue in my neighborhood like a cracked road that is difficult to drive on, I could pursue this issue and help to get it repaired. By simply writing a letter concerning this problem, it has a higher chance of being fixed than if I did not write a letter. I would also like to use the information I learned through lessons and coursework this semester to help me have a better understanding of the differences in government styles and political parties, which will benefit me in a couple years when I’m old enough to vote.
The question that I still have is: “how can we encourage/raise awareness for more people to get involved in their community?’ Thankfully, our class was given the opportunity to help our school by cleaning and observing the greenhouse. Some teenagers and adults do not have many community involvement opportunities offered to them, so some people might not have a large interest in doing them. If everyone was more informed on the importance of community involvement, maybe more people would be doing it.
I am feeling that I am now more educated in this topic and thankful that I am more aware of all the things that I have learned in this course. I also feel that I learned a lot of new teamwork skills by helping with the greenhouse. It was a great responsibility being able to help with watering and cleaning. Working together with my peers was a fun and educational experience and I believe that we were very successful in doing this.
I am thinking that I am glad that this is a mandatory class for high school students to take. Without the knowledge learned in this course, students would make poor decisions when voting and would likely have opinions backed up by incorrect information. Not only is the content in this class important for high school students, but the experiences are also very educational. We talked about both current and past events regarding the topics we learned in the class. I also think that all civics class should have the opportunity to help their community as a class. Not all classes would be able to help in the greenhouse, so if teachers found other tasks that benefit the community that their class could take part in, I believe that students would be more successful and have a better understanding of the course. Students could help with things such as tree planting or clean-ups in their neighborhoods.
Civics Journal Part 2
ReplyDeleteMy ideas have changed regarding the levels and styles of government from the information in this class. Now that I have a greater understanding, government systems and leaders of countries around the world now make more sense. I now know which level of government handles specific problems and how they have different roles.
The most important resource that I have learned would be the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It has very important information regarding what rights all Canadians have and what they can do if their rights are disrespected. For example, if someone was being discriminated against and they were not being hired because of their gender or their religion, they could take legal action to get it resolved. This is an important resource to be aware of if any of my rights are violated and I want to do something about it.
I believe that interactive lessons in civics classes are the most beneficial. I never would have had as good of an understanding if our class did not take part in going to the greenhouse. It taught me how important active citizenship is within our school and community.
I believe that I can be confident with my knowledge regarding politics and Canadian citizenship, specifically the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
What did I learn or become aware of in this course?
ReplyDeleteI learned about how different countries and how they vote. (i.e. australia, they have a voting law that if you don't vote you get a $20 fine and it goes up by $50 every repeat). Also i learned about how the nomadic people of mongolia hunt and how they have the best woman rights. The women cut wood hunt and are free to travel. Also no one can vote as the country is a communist country.
How will I use what I learned?
Now when people talk about politics and world issues i will be more informed and ready to engage in a conversation. Also i will check on news in the world and my area more frequently because i have learned how world issues can directly affect me. (Ignorance is bliss but the worst punch is the one you don't see. Just some words of wisdom)
What questions do I still have or what work do I still need to do?
Obviously the world is always changing so i need t0 keep up to date on news. Also I want to become a more involved student and community member.
How am I feeling?How do I feel about the information I encountered or the activities I became involved in this unit and my understanding of it?
At the beginning of the course I would not have been comfortable talking about world issues but now I think i could hold a conversation. Now that i am running for president i know what is expected of me and how i can get votes.
What am I thinking?
I am thinking about how to become a better citizen and how to inform people about new laws/bills other parties want to put in place (show what it means to be an informed voter).
How have your ideas changed?
I had no ideas about laws or politics or anything related to that. Therefore, yes my ideas have changed a lot.
What resources have I discovered that will support my learning?
Public media/mass media like radios and newspapers.
What do I believe as a result of my experiences in this course and the knowledge gained?
I believe that everyone should want to learn more about their country. I also looked into the 911 bombings and now know why it is such a controversial topic. (the government did it)
What do I believe I can do with the knowledge and wisdom gained from this course
Now I know what the different levels of parliament are. This helps me in my voting process because I will now know what position I am voting for and I will make an informed vote.
J.C
Throughout this course I became aware of many issues around the world and their economical impact. I also learned about how it the citizens responsibility to remain active when it comes to being involved with the government. For example it is our responsibility, as citizens to vote to support our government and voice our opinions. I will use what I leaned and attempt to be an active member of society and choose to vote when i am older because it is a privilege.
ReplyDeleteSome of the questions that I have are, how do I become more of an active citizen and how can i further impact/get involved with my government?
How I feel about the information I have learned in this course is very intrigued. It makes me want to learn more about how our government system works and how i, as an individual, can be involved. It also makes me upset about the fact that so many people do not vote and do not participate in anything that has to do with the government. This upsets me because we live in a democratic country where we are lucky we have the right to exercise our own opinion and vote. I hate to see people not take the right to vote in Canada to their advantage.
I have noticed that through this course my ideas about the government and also voting specifically have changed. Before taking this course I followed my fathers beliefs that our votes don't matter and that they don't count. However, by learning more about civic duties and my responsibilities as a citizen I recognized that it is my duty to be involved and control what happens in my home country.
As a result of taking this course I have become grateful about the fact that we live in a democratic country, and that we have the priveledge of learning about out country and expressing our opinions.
Emma Butler