Hello!
This is my first time using WordPress and UBCBlogs, I have had a very interesting two hours trying to figure out how to use this but I think I have an idea now.
My name is Laura Landsberg, I am a 4th year Interdisciplinary student whose focus is in First Nations Studies. I have tried to add myself to the Facebook group as well, but just so you know, I have an alias! On Facebook I am ‘Laurita Landz’ – an inside joke and a nickname that I have acquired over the last couple years.
I am quite excited for this class, 1) because I have never used this form of media before and so this in itself is a learning experience for me and 2) because I love learning about FIrst Nations topics and the reading list for this class is quite intriguing for me. I love Thomas King, he is a fabulous author, and I was really excited to see that there are two books by him on the reading list.
To fulfill the assignment requirements, the course is designed with to incorporate a technical aspect – to encourage more practice writing and learn to use new forms of media. We will be focusing on a array of Canadian Literature, mainly from a First Nations perspective, analyzing and trying to understand what it might mean to be FIrst Nations in Canada, a country built on colonialism. These pieces are particularly important when analyzing Indigenous and Settler interactions within Canada.
I expect this course will be quite hard, not in terms of the work load but because I have not taken an online course before, it will be harder to keep up to date with the course work. As stated before, I have never used WordPress (or any other blog site for that matter), it will be challenging (but rewarding) to use this site as a meeting place for classes and assignments. I expect that the because there is not physical meeting place there will be more room for discussion (I know that I am often nervous about talking in front of people), using the internet and subtracting the physical meeting from the learning equation will allow more room for those who are nervous to speak and discuss more.
I am quite excited for this class and I am thrilled about the reading list!
Nice to meet everyone!
Laura
Oh! I almost forgot, here is a hyperlink to a really great Indigenous news group on Facebook. The title tells you all about what the site stands for. https://www.facebook.com/
Hello Laura, nice to meet you – that is a beautiful photo, where is this? I am pleased to hear your excitement for the course – I hope you will enjoy the challenges and I look forward to your contributions. Your blog looks good so far, a great start for a beginner. Remember you need two hyperlinks in each blog post and always try to either cite your visual or if it is your own photo, tell your reader a little about the image. Thanks and enjoy!
Hi Erika,
Thank you!
I thought I had added a caption and a description for the photo but it did not show up, this is at the 11 mile point on the Kalalau Trail on the island Kauai of the Hawaiian Islands. I was lucky enough to go camping there just this past holiday, it was a very magical experience.
I am really looking forward to the course and expanding my knowledge on WordPress.
Hello Laura,
First of all it’s nice to know I wasn’t the only one struggling with the blog set up. Secondly, I too am new to face book and originally used an alias from the movie “True Romance”. I eventually switched to my given name as I wasn’t sure if Erika would accept my request to join the group…hahaha.
I agree that this course will be a challenge but I don’t think it’ll be the technology that makes us sweat. Having never used facebook or word press I think we both have done remarkably well so far. Actually, I am assuming that you are new to facebook but maybe I am wrong in that assumption. Regardless, I am excited about the potential for social media. I am an experiential learner so having a medium that combines elements like audio, video, text and graphics helps in my engagement with the material, my understanding of it and, more importantly, my retention of the message. My only complaint is that I am late to the game and have a lot of catching up to do. 🙂
I think there was a survey done somewhere that claimed public speaking ranks higher on peoples list of fears than other terrifying events like death, flying, heights, drowning etc. This is all to say, you are not alone! I unfortunately have a job that forces me to formally speak in front of people all the time. While I am getting better at it I still struggle with the stress of it and the nerves that naturally follow. I would agree with you that by removing the anxiety of presenting our arguments in person it allows for a more fluid conversation. Let’s hope that this leads to a lively debate then!
As a student in interdisciplinary studies what drew you to First Nation studies? I can think of a number of reasons why but I am curious what motivated you to enter this area? Interdisciplinary studies is a broad field with lots of options to choose from.
It was nice meeting you!
Regards,
Stuart
Stuart,
Thanks for your comment! I am not new to facebook (if you have any questions, I will be happy to help!) but I am definitely new to wordpress. It seems quite straightforward so far, although I do find it hard to remember to check your social media sites for new comments – this is why I am only seeing your comment today (I apologize!).
In terms of my Interdisciplinary degree, I found that at UBC there were only a few programs that I was really drawn to when choosing a major or minor. First Nations Studies was one of them. However, as I am not First Nations myself, I think I identified myself above as a white settler woman, I did not feel comfortable with choosing First Nations Studies as a major. I decided in my 3rd year to complete a degree in Canadian Studies with a minor in FNS but alas, this year I found out that I had not taken enough classes to qualify to graduate after the summer and to be frank, I would like to take a break from school. I chose interdisciplinary after this happened because I found that I had taken a lot of elective classes that really complimented a First Nations Studies background and as a IDST degree it was quite strong. (It seems to fit better for me anyway, I do not like taking classes because I feel like I have to fill a requirement, I would rather build a degree that reflects my beliefs and interests). So, that’s a long-winded response as to why I am switching to IDST (which I am still in the process of applying for).
Have you taken any FIrst Nations Studies classes? If you are interested, I have taken many and would be happy to point you to a direction of a great class. That’s if you’re in Vancouver!
Happy blog writing! Talk soon,
Laura Landsberg