Month: February 2023 (page 1 of 1)

Hello boys and squirrels! I hope you are all buckled in for this week’s review! This week I will be reviewing “The Second Act”. Due to the snow day, I had the opportunity to view this movie in full effect as I stayed in my warm bed and watched the snow fall in the background. Let’s get into the review, but first, a summary.

Summary:

Warning: SPOIlER ALERT!!!

When a middle-aged woman named Maya is rejected from a corporate position at the grocery store she works at, she is frustrated. She makes a birthday wish that street smarts would translate to school smarts and wishes she was more qualified for the job. The next day, Maya is randomly called to a job interview for a major company as a consultant. As they read her resume, she discovers that her wish has come true! But in a twist, It was Maya’s best friend’s son who forged a ton of documents, records, and transcripts making Maya appear qualified for any job.
Maya lands a big-league job, but soon realizes that the new position comes with unexpected challenges, including navigating office politics and dealing with personal relationships. Maya must also confront her past and reconcile with the people she left behind when she first started working at the big-box store.
As Maya works to prove herself at her new job, she discovers that success is not just about her career, but also about finding happiness and fulfillment in her personal life. With the support of her friends and family, Maya finds the courage to take risks and pursue her dreams, leading her to a second act that she never thought was possible.

Now, onto the rankings

Cast: 8/10

This film has quite the cast of stars including Jennifer Lopez, Vanessa Hudgens, and Leah Remini amongst other big names. I feel as though the cast fulfilled their part well in this movie. At no point did I feel unconvinced by a character or by the acting in this movie. Perhaps one huge-name actor would tip this film into the excellent category!

Homour: 2/10

This is not a funny movie. I did laugh one when some doves got hit by a truck if I’m being honest. I don’t know why it was categorized as a rom-com. Maybe blame Netflix? or maybe I should blame myself for watching it. If you want a good laugh, don’t watch this movie.

Plot: 8/10

Although there is a sprinkle of the cliche “what you’re my birth mom???” shocker moment trope. The plot is pretty good aside from that. It wasn’t too predictable and the shift between “side-quests” of friends, romantic relationships, and careers kept this movie light-hearted. This movie isn’t very romantic but putting that aside, it is a pretty good movie.

Ending: 8/10

At the ending of this movie, Maya tells the truth and has her movie montage moment. It was very cheesy but honestly a heartwarming moment in the movie. Usually, I don’t appreciate endings like this but for this movie, it just worked!

Vibes: 6/10

This movie automatically gets extra points for having the guy who plays Jess in Gilmore Girls. I LOVE Gilmore Girls. I also think this movie is filmed very well. It was aesthetically pleasing and the montage scenes added to the theme of the movie. This movie did lose points due to the lack of romance and comedy. I honestly don’t think I would call this movie a rom-com so the vibes are bad from the misleading genre. I thought this movie was good, but I probably would not watch it again.

TOTAL SCORE: 30/50

Closing Thoughts

Between the cheesy moments, cliques, lack of romance and comedy, this movie has a lot against it. Even in the presence of its faults, this is a good movie. I would recommend it to anyone looking for an easy watch. The ending makes you think about meaningful relationships and life and how society can intervene. Although not the best movie out there I think it is worth a watch. If you do watch this film, please leave me a comment about what YOU think about the movie!

See you all in next weeks review!

Welcome to another blog everyone! In todays class I had the oppurtunity to create a coding project for the first time ever! Take a peek at what I have created below!

This experience was challenging for me, and I was suprised that young students are able to do this! I also tried two other projects but I found the flappy bird one the easiest. I appreciate how coding relates to computational thinking and how you have to think through each step of coding. It definietly took me a few tries to acheive a working game!

Another topic from todays class was coding and computation. As someone who struggles with math in general, computation was a daunting topic for me. As far as coding, I have a teeny weeny bit of experience from my grade 7 robotics class, I was never very good at it though. I think that outside of mathematical related concepts coding can be used in classroom for project-based learning. You could ask students to create a game or actitivy in older grades (7 and up), if your school has acess to materials needed. However, I do think that coding can be inplemented cross-curricularly outside of math or computer class.

By using computational thinking students can be more involved in processes that they may not gravitate towards naturally. For example, if a studnet hated math you could ask them to find how many cups of flour they may need for a baking project and if they are invested and passionate about the subject area, students may be inclined to develop skills through comptational thinking.

Through learning about coding and computational thinking in class today I have gained a greater appreciation for those who are math minded and think computationally easily. I beleive computational thinking is something I would like to develop for myself in the future. Additionally, I look forward to exploring more oppurtuntiies of how I might blend these learning outlets and programs with problem based learning for elementary and middle-school classrooms.

Feel free to leave a comment about you own experience with coding. See y’all next week!

Warning: SPOILER ALERT! Do not read if you do not want to know important plot points!

Welcome everyone to my first official review! This week I watched the movie “He’s Just Not That Into You”. In this post, I will review the plot points of this movie, break down my criteria, and give my official rating of this film.

Summary and Plot Points

“He’s Just Not That Into You” is a romantic comedy released in 2009 that explores the dating lives of various characters. The film follows nine people as they navigate the ups and downs of relationships and try to figure out the elusive “signs” that a man is really into them. Personally, having so many characters took away from the film. I found the plot difficult to follow at times and am honestly still confused if the plots are meant to intertwine. Through a series of interconnected stories, the film examines issues like fear of commitment, unrequited love, and the difficulties of modern dating. The film features an all-star cast, including Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly, Scarlett Johansson, and Ben Affleck. Overall, “He’s Just Not That Into You” is a funny and insightful look at the complexities of love and relationships.

Review Criteria:

See the infographic below to gain insight as to how I will review each movie.

Based on survey results, I have determined the four most important criteria when reviewing a romantic comedy are cast, humour, plot, and ending. Here is my marking breakdown:

The total rating will be out of 50 points. 10 points for cast, humour, plot, and ending The last 10 points will be allotted to my personal opinion and I will be calling these “vibe points” as they are based on my general vibe of the movie. Now, let’s explore each of the criteria.

Cast: 9/10

I think that the cast did a phenomenal job of fulfilling their characters. Although I don’t think this is every actor’s best work, you can see the talent and craft that was put into this movie. My favourite character was played by Jennifer Aniston and I believe she stole the show. The only note is that there was no acting that caused emotion in me as the viewer, which I think is good in a rom-com.

Humour: 4/10

At no point during this film, did I laugh out loud. If anything this movie is more depressing. The only point in which I chuckled slightly is when Drew Berrymores character is embarrassed in her office when I man rejects her over the phone. If this movie is going to be classified as a “romantic comedy”, it needs some work

Plot: 6/10

The plot of this movie was clearly well thought out. There is a good character arc for each of the MANY characters. I also appreciate that it shows the highs and lows of each character. However, I feel like this plot is just doing too much. The multiple storylines become difficult to follow and I found it difficult to build a connection with any character. As soon as you build empathy, they switch the storyline and I get confused again. I am rating this film’s plot a six simply because it is well thought out, but too chaotic for my personal enjoyment.

Ending: 8/10

CHEESY, CHEESY, CHEESY… but I love cheesy. The ending is what I expected- justice restored blah blah blah proposal bllah happily ever after. However, the way that the storylines intertined was surprisingly unsuspected and the end made the movie overall better.

Statia’s Vibes: 5/10

In my opinion, this film is overhyped. While I appreciate the strong ensemble cast and witty writing, I also feel that the plot is predictable and formulaic. However, I did watch the movie and did crack a few smiles, so it is definitely not bad, just not great… let’s say fine. My opinion is if you are bored you should watch this movie but it is by no means a MUST-WATCH.

Total and closing thoughts:

total score: 32/50

Thsi film was not a bad way to kick off the first of these reviews! I look forward to seeing how this ranks amongst the other films to be analyzed. Until next week… PEACE OUT!

Sketch Notes

I enjoyed today’s class immensely as I loved participating in the creative components. I appreciate the resources we learned about such as sketch notes, which I can see myself using in my future teaching and learning. Below I have given a photo of the sketch note I created:

The topic I chose was camping vocabulary in Spanish. This was a topic that interested me as I would like to travel and camp in Costa Rica in the future. Sketchnoting is a fun and engaging way to become immersed in a topic.

Infographics

Another resource we used this week is using Canva to make infographics. I think infographics are an excellent way to convey ideas in a simple and engaging image. When I was in tenth grade, I was first introduced to infographics and I remember having a breakdown the night before it was due because I found the medium so challenging. As I have had more practice, infographics are one of my favourite ways to present topics. Personally, I enjoy making something visually appealing now but I believe it is important to remember it can be challenging for students when they are starting out. Here is my infographic I created which relates to this week’s personal blog post:

SAMR Technique

In this week’s class we learned about the SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition) theory of technology adoption can be used to evaluate the impact of technologies in the classroom and determine their level of adoption. The theory categorizes the use of technology into four levels, each offering increasing levels of creativity and transformational impact:

1. Substitution: At this level, technology is used to simply replace traditional tools and materials, but does not fundamentally change the task being performed. For example, using a word processing program instead of a typewriter.
2. Augmentation: At this level, technology is used to enhance and improve traditional tasks, adding new features and capabilities. For example, using a multimedia presentation to augment a lecture.
3. Modification: At this level, technology is used to transform the task itself, changing the way it is performed, but still retaining its original purpose. For example, using a collaborative online platform for group projects.
4. Redefinition: At this level, technology is used to create entirely new forms of expression and communication, leading to fundamentally new ways of thinking and working. For example, using a virtual reality platform to simulate real-world experiences.

When evaluating technologies for use in the classroom, it is important to consider the level of technology adoption and the potential impact on student learning and engagement. Ideally, the technology should allow for tasks to be redefined, providing new opportunities for creativity and critical thinking. The SAMR theory can also help us, as future teachers, determine if the technology is simply a substitute or if it truly offers new opportunities for learning and growth.

Schetch Note Benefits & Application

As of right now, I hope to teach older middle school, perhaps grade six or seven. I believe sketch noting can greatly benefit learners in grade seven. Sketch noting can be especially beneficial for grade seven learners because it allows them to use their creativity and visual-spatial skills to understand and retain information in a unique and engaging way. Additionally, by using images and symbols, learners can make connections between abstract concepts and concrete examples, leading to deeper understanding and retention. Sketchnoting can also be used as an active learning tool, encouraging students to be more engaged and participatory in their learning. I think in older elementary, learners who do not excel in academics often are disengaged in activities but sketch noting could assist with that. Overall, the benefits of sketch noting can greatly enhance learning outcomes for grade seven learners.

That’s all for this week folk! Thanks for reading!

Hey everyone! Welcome back to my blog! This week I will be discussing the results of my survey. Additionally, I will be breaking down the list of the movies I will be watching each week based on peer suggestions, personal sourcing, and my survey results. Hope you all enjoy this weeks post!

First, Let’s break down the results of the survey I released last week:

Overall, I had 23 survey responses from friends, family, and classmates. I even shared the survey on my Instagram to get more participation. When presenting surveyors with 5 movie options, the most chosen options were “He’s Just Not That Into You” (47%) and “Sleepless in Seattle” (31.5%).

When asking people to leave me suggestions of their personal favourite romantic comedy, the results varied much more than other question Is presented. The two most recommend movies were “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” with twenty percent and “The Proposal” with ten percept. Amongst these two movies were 45 different suggestions. So, I have compiled a list of the movies that we’re suggested that have not seen to date.

Taking into consideration movies which were suggested to me, as well as my own personal interest, I have created a list of movies I will watch each week for the 8 remaining blog posts. Without a further ado… drum roll please…

1. He’s Just Not That Into You
2. Second Act
3. The Switch
4. Hit & Run
5. Failure to Launch
6. Sleepless in Seattle
7. About Time
8. Crazy, Stupid, Love

I am super excited to get started watching, reviewing, and discussing each movie!Through curating this list I was enlightened to how broad of a genre “Romantic Comedies” are. On this list there is such a vide variety of themes, actors, and plot points. Through my survey I have recognized common themes of Rom Com’s that I usually pick. I also gained insight into what others look for in a romantic comedy which will help me form the criteria I will be critiquing these movies with. Next week I will kick the first review with “He’s Just Not That Into You” and discuss my movie reviewing techniques! Until then, enjoy the trailer for next week’s film!