My kudo-filled ramble to Tom Waits on entering the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Ruby's Arms
I will leave behind all of my clothes, I wore when I was with you. All I need's my railroad boots, and my leather jacket. As I say goodbye to Ruby's arms, although my heart is breaking, I will steal away out through your blinds, for soon you will be waking.
The morning light has washed your face, and everything is turning blue now. Hold on to your pillow case. There's nothing I can do now. As I say goodbye to Ruby's arms, you'll find another soldier, and i swear to god by Christmas time, there'll be someone else to hold you.
The only thing I'm taking is the scarf off of your clothesline. I'll hurry past your chest of drawers, and your broken window chimes. As I say goodbye, I'll say goodbye, say goodbye to Ruby's arms.
I'll feel my way down the darken hall, and out into the morning. The hobos at the freightyards, have kept their fires burning. And Jesus Christ this goddamn rain. Will someone put me on a train. I'll never kiss your lips again or break your heart. As i say goodbye, I'll say goodbye, say goodbye to Ruby's arms.
The recent dictum by the Ontario College of Teachers on use of electronic communication and social media reinforces many long-standing beliefs of teacher unions in terms of casting a wide net to protect teachers against potential disciplinary issues. Even those beliefs have evolved however, from archaic recommendations of “no electronic communications” with anyone or “no signing up for a social network”, to ones of ensuring education is available to illuminate the perils, pitfalls and promise of such media.
The College re-affirmed highly cautious recommendations for keeping teachers safe, including: not being friends with students on social networks, not texting students, and not becoming engaged in personal email or chat conversations with students. These recommendations are based on real-world risks to teachers based on discipline and criminal charges where evidence has been garnered through electronic communications. As a body responsible for upholding the professional image of teachers, while the first-glance cautions may seem overly restrictive, they are an “advisory”.
As engaged members of our culture, educators are becoming active, engaged members of social networks and avid content creators online. Many who have been using social networks for long periods of time have the experience to draw lines between “professional” and “social”. There are many web networking tools that are quite appropriate, monitored, and approved by school boards to engage student with methods that are parallel to the experiences they receive on social networks. In fact, they can even be used to model appropriate behaviours on such platforms.
In the same way that real world social (non-professional) interactions with students are cautioned against, the same lines need to be drawn in the digital world.
The advisory reiterates the College's long-standing mantra that “Teaching is a public profession. Canada’s Supreme Court ruled that teachers’ off-duty conduct, even when not directly related to students, is relevant to their suitability to teach.”
This ominous standard for most teachers has been exacerbated by often nebulous parameters of what conduct makes one unsuitable. The constant evolution of digital culture make the standards even more difficult to define. Any person can call the College of Teachers in Ontario and file a complaint at any time and the College has to investigate. The cautionary tone of the advisory is completely warranted in terms of protecting teachers in Ontario.
Teachers should not, however, have to take a “glass houses” approach to becoming vital contributors to online discussions, or content creators. Teachers still have constitutional rights to “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication." The advisory ends by asking teachers to consider the following ambiguous question: “How does my online presence – that which I control and that which is posted by others – reflect my professionalism, and how does it reflect the teaching profession?"
Such a question is patently ridiculous as it asks teachers to pre-suppose the thoughts of others on their professional standards. The College does not offer concrete examples in the advisory. To hold such a standard/threat over the heads of teachers like the Sword of Damocles gives a clear indication of why many teachers still shy away from social networking as a whole, and why there seems to be such a disconnect from those who sit in disbelief at why teachers (and public boards) are hamstrung in serving the needs of a student base that uses the web as a primary communication medium.
Another great reason to spend a few minutes a day on Vimeo. This short animation reminds me of Terry Gilliam from forty years ago, but with a decidedly more focused ambition and, hence, perhaps a bit less pure surrealism. That said, very cool and the result of some hard work.
Located near the western edge of the Clay Belt of "New Ontario," the town was founded in the early 20th century after the National Transcontinental Railway, forerunner of the Canadian National Railway was built through the area in 1911. It was not until the start of pulp and paper milling operations in the 1920s that Kapuskasing began to develop as an organized community. - from wikipedia
