These are certainly interesting times with a lot to process. In our communications technology course we’ve taken it upon ourselves to unpack some of that by making movies about our time during the pandemic. The movies ranged from documentaries to post apocalyptic science fiction themes. They were done with care, taking physical distancing and safety precautions into account. We all had a lot of fun, and learned so much about the movie-making process, such as filming, editing, and voice overs.
For the spirit of fall and Halloween, Reinman’s green industries class ventured to Loblaws to buy pumpkins to carve, but as we learnt whilst in the course we have to be prepared for the unexpected. They were out of pumpkins! So in replacement we all got different sorts of squashes, gourds, and pink pumpkins. A few students even got kombucha (a healthy kind of soda!) another important lesson we learnt that day was to always check the receipt to make sure they charge you correctly and that they add the sale prices.
As we returned to school we had to make some changes to the carvings so they could fit on the various vegetables.
Than the final step began. The carving. We went on the terrace and carved some spooky, creative designs! Overall it was a fun day with many lessons along the way.
Student blog by: Krys M
During the final weeks of Exploring Computer Technology we have been learning about, and learning to, code. Specifically we have been using a programming language called Python to write programs, starting with very basic and moving to more complex programs.
There is a beauty to the code, as it is with any language. Students have learned how to write, and troubleshoot, their own code. They have developed a unique style for their code, and as it can be seen there are many different solutions to the same problem, demonstrating that programming in Python, as well as other languages, can be a creative process.
They were tasked with such projects as pretending they were a game developer who is tasked with creating a magical ring that grants a wish, as well as more mundane programs such as a calculator that asks for shapes and calculation types and runs the calculations for a 3D object returning values such as surface area and volume of simple solids.
Some students have had the desire to go beyond the classroom and use functions to write a simple “rock, paper, scissors” game, with a twist! Creating an actual game program, all using free, open source, resources that they can continue to use after class is over.
Well, while this whole pandemic has put a damper on our training it can’t keep determined athletes from keeping fit! The YMCA Academy’s Healthy Active Living classes hit the ground running when the lock down struck and spent the first couple of weeks researching the best ways to keep active during this predicament and constructing plans to keep fit at home. And If I have been led to believe correctly, all of my Healthy Active Living students have been doing just that.
Now it’s time to put our money where our feet are and cap off the year by taking on the Team Unbreakable Virtual 5K. This year, we won’t be gathering in a large group to complete the distance, but rather participants can run or walk 5 km on their own, at their leisure, at any point between 9 am and 9 pm on Father’s Day, Sunday June 21st. It happens to be the perfect way to celebrate your dad! If you feel like joining the team please check out the Team Fundraising Page of YMCA Academy where you can sign up.
I hope to see you all out there! … virtually, of course.
Here lies a land of mystery, intrigue, and adventure. Academy Students have been solving mysteries in this world, bringing wrong-doers to the proper authorities and showcasing their problem solving skills. From a simple case of the wronged party looking for peace, to the most recent foray into mystery, solving the case of a haunted lighthouse.
Each week we’ve been exploring these mysteries and a common theme seems to be occurring, ghosts! Is the party haunted? Unlucky? Or are these spirits drawn to the party because they know that they can count on them to give them the peace they desire? Only time will tell.
While we use traditional Dungeons and Dragons as a club tool, not everyone has access to the tools that make that particular game unique (including rule books and dice). So we had to improvise. We decided that this group will use video calls to communicate with each other and the group. We also decided to use a system that utilizes only traditional six-sided dice and an approach where characters the players play use a simple word based system to showcase what their personas are both good at, and not-so-great at.
