better really late than never at all

the parts of the class i enjoyed and got out the most during the class was everything from world war one to the modern day. mainly becasue everything that happened before the first world war i didn't care about, especially the inuits (not interested). i thought your breadth of knowledge was good, also taking into acount that most professors teach from power-point. i also enjoyed the movies...obiously who doesn't like the movies. also, how you picked out the odd things in history that were actually relevant to the class...sometimes.

the aspect of the class that i didn't like was the blog, because it is hard for me to keep up with them. also the monatony of lectures, although it is a part of college lift, i think if we could have done something different from time to time that would have made the history of cnada alot more interesting, becasue we all know at some points it needs all the help it can get...

to better the class just change up the types of lectures, maybe bring in stuff from canda...or maybe have a class a week where we focus on the stereo types of canada, you could even tie them into the class and discuss if there is any historical significance to them...but that's about it..

CPR- Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd.

The CPR was begun in 1881 in an effort to link both Canadian coasts, with their headquarters in Calgary, Alberta. They specialize in shipping freight over their 14,000 miles of track across both Canada as well as the United States. Before 1978, CPR used to also transport passengers, however this service hgas since been discontinued. In 2001, they finally became a independant and publically traded company on both Toronto and New York's stock exchanges under the symbol CP. I chose the Canadian Pacific Railway because the CNR was already selected, and I thought that this would be a nice contrast.



Links Used:
http://www.geocities.com/sssmre/C-Heralds/canadian-pacific-railway-5.gif
http://www.globeinvestor.com/snapshots/20000780.htm
http://www8.cpr.ca/cms/English/General+Public/default.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Pacific_Railway

My last humanities class ever...

and it had to be this one!!!!!! Oh come on now, I'm just kidding. I love Canadians. They're awesome. So are donuts.

1. What I enjoyed most about this class was the atmosphere. Do you have any idea how boring this class would be if someone like (insert boring professor here... I would say names but would probably get in trouble)...... I like being able to openly share opinions. Also, I like how you tend to pick out the weird and obscure things about history. Although I was sometimes bored, I can't say that I didn't find something humorous in every class.

2. What I enjoyed least about this class was the incessant repetitive boring names/events. Yes, some people call that history but I call it........ well maybe I shouldn't say it. After all, there are small children in our class. Every has probably said it already but I thought this would be more of a culture class, with more emphasis on Canadian life, not Canadian history. And if history at all, at least from like 1900 on.

3. Every week have a different theme. For example, one week: vanilla sprinkled donuts; next week: chocolate sprinkled donuts.... no seriously though wouldn't theme week be fun? You could try out different Canadian themes and everyone could express themselves and their opinion about Canada. Also, show some more movies. Everyone likes a good laugh about our neighbors to the north.

"...With nasty sharp pointy teeth!"

So yeah, about them giant beavers...

Okay, so maybe the living ones weren't that big. They probably looked more like this...

And were about this big...

The beavers are estimated to have weighed 218 kg, at a length of 2.5 m. And have really big teeth!

You really would need a holy hand grenade to take one of these monsters out!


http://publish.edu.uwo.ca/marshall.mangan/Travelpics/Picpage5/Picpage5.htm
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/settlement/kids/021013-2061.1-e.html
http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/giantbev.htm http://www.allthepages.org/archives/travel/

Final blog

1) I enjoyed a lot of the class. I thought that the course itself was pretty interesting when it started. I thought that the lectures were very informative and easy to follow for the most part. I signed up for this class thinking that it would be fun and it was fun for the first half of the semester and I think if I had a different professor for this course I wouldn't of made it through. You keep it interesting while still giving important information.

2)Well I didn't really have any problems with the course until after spring break. The main thing was that it was the same thing every day. It got to be way too repetitive. I guess it was hard to find lots of interesting things that happened in Canada but it just simply became boring because of a lack of variety.

3) I would try to lecture two days a week and do something different on the third day to add some variety. I think I would also the whole picture thing from the very beginning. I think It would have helped to know where everything was in Canada so maybe a little geography quiz in the first couple weeks.

Course Reflections

1) What I enjoyed most about this class? I enjoyed the fact that I know more about Canada than I ever thought I would. The more cultural sections of the lectures were much more interesting but I also realized that I wouldn't even understand them without the help of the history. I also enjoyed the humor injected into the lectures.

2) What did I least enjoy? I least enjoyed the quizzes. I am not good at history, I don't remember names and things as well as I should. Multiple choice doesn't seem to go too well with the cultural aspect. I felt overwhelmed with the amount of information in most class periods. After a while the political groups and people begin to run together.

3) Suggestions? Many people will probably hate me for this but I'd rather have short answer questions than multiple choice, or some compromise, on quizzes. I thought the midterm exam was well done. The material seems to lend itself to writing more than memorization, as far as the cultural side goes. Another suggestion would be to incorporate more culture into the class if possible. The history is definitely important and a 50/50 split seems to be a good mix of history and culture. Another thing that would probably help is an occasional handout. List the First Nations tribes, at least the important ones, and just a small bit of information on each; the same thing for political parties. Sure we can do this on our own, but like I said, after a while it all runs together and its hard to sort everything out.

4) Surprises. I did not expect the blog assignments to be so interesting. Many people groaned but I thought it was some of the most interesting Canadian related work I've done. These are a good idea and should be continued.

So... What did we learn about again?

What did I like about this class? I liked it for the reason I signed up to take it: It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about a topic that never really gets mentioned elsewhere, and really a topic which is something that so few people know anything about. I enjoyed learning about the giant beavers, the quirky French dialects, and all the other tidbits of culture and history of that quasi-mythical land called Canada. I liked the fact that I finally learned how Canada went from French to British. I liked the self discovery aspect covered by the blogs, forcing me to look for what I might otherwise consider impossible to find(as if I could have even considered Canadian history at all to be possible before this class). Oh, and random ranting, random ranting is always fun to listen to. And the definitive near lack of anything mathematics related, I liked that. Very much.

What didn't I like? Politics. For having such a dysfunctional government, there was so much focus on politics, after a while it was like that was the only thing that ever happened in Canada, bad boring politics. I mean, I know there isn't that much to Canada, but still, even hearing about some guy's life in the middle of nowhere is better than politics. Oh and the 5 books we got for the class, we only really used 3 of them (I say that like a bad thing... Honestly some of those books are really boring. I'd rethink how much depth the class gets into, and revise the literature for the class. For a two semester class, perhaps the Thorner books are more useful, as there is more time to analyze their depth, but the pace was so fast, we just never got to them. (Though I wish we had gotten to 'Fire and Ice', it seemed like a really insightful book, if not from a historical perspective than a sociological view.)).

What would I change? Hmmmm... I guess the main thing I would try and do is make the class more Civ-ish. In the Civ classes, we spent a fair amount of time going over the literature of the age of study. In our class, we mentioned several notable authors, but seeing what they had written would have been insightful(especially considering that most of them wrote about life in Canada). What else... A bit of Geography in the beginning would have been really nice (it is such a massive influence on society, especially in earlier history). I realize that some politics is necessary, but a little more tie into its effect on society would be nice. More movie nights would be nice (early reruns of 'Hockey Night in Canada' anyone?), as would more pictures (I'm still waiting to see this fabled giant beaver!).

And just for the record, I have to agree with my classmates that:
A) Prof. Ruane is an awesome teacher
B) Lots of notes/names/dates/places suck
C) Maps and pictures are helpful
D) The last 100 or so years are way more interesting than the 300 before them (but the 10000 before that are still ok)

What else can I say? I don't know... It was an interesting class, not the best, but definitely not the worst. With some improvements, this could easily be a very promising class. Especially for an inherently boring topic like the history of Canada. I mean, its Canada for cripes sake, nothing ever happens in Canada!

...Right?

My I Love Canda rant!

When I signed up for this course, I was actually excited about it. I know other people have said this too but it's so important - we never learn about Canada, and that's not fair to us or to Canada. I was looking forward to some new information, not just the same old stuff I learned all through grade school. I also knew that having Ruane as a professor meant I was going to have fun, even if the material turned out not to pique my interest (it worked in Civ2, it could work again, right?). The thing I ended up enjoying most about this class, much like I expected, were the random yet insightful stories that occasionally pop up about certain events or characters in Canadian history - Laura Secord, Louis Riel, Letitia Youmans - all pretty good stories. I also really enjoyed the outsider-insider view of an American in Canada, albeit on a college campus, Ruane provided. The stories, especially the relevant ones that really put us in touch with Canada's civilization and culture today, were what made the class worth showing up to.

I loved the little stories and unique bits of information, but they dry lecture material in-between
harder to bear. There were so many details about so many people that seem not to have done anything of any lasting historical significance that I just kept on writing until my pens were out of ink and I realized I had no idea what had been said or what I had written in the last 5 minutes. It was difficult for me to see what parts of Canadian History I really should be taking with me when I leave this class, and didn't give me a chance to see clearly, comprehend, or appreciate what Canadian culture was and is. I know that to some extent unique Canadian culture was a long time coming, but it needed to be a more prominent figure in the lectures, not random, semi-significant historical figures.

I know- harsh. Who knew I could be so mean? But true. It was easy for me to see how difficult deciding what became lecture material and what was left on the proverbial cutting-room floor was difficult. If this class were to be taught again, the first thing I would do is focus more on overall themes and major, Canada-altering events in basically everything up till Confederation. And don't leave the culture stuff out - maybe still only tidbits, only the really interesting stuff, but enough so that we have a more comprehensive idea of who the Canadian people were, not just what was happening to the country they lived in. And focus more on what's happened culturally in the last 50 years or so - like in the American History classes I've taken, the last 50 years are SOOOOOO culturally rich and amazing and yet breezed over because time runs out in the course to talk about it. If the class focused more on culture, and the average Canadian rather than just the famous ones throughout the class, I think a lot more students would get what they were looking for out of the class.

In short - like the topic, loved the stories, I think Ruane is a great teacher (and not just because you're grading this), and this class could definitely be made into something we would enjoy with a little more culture and a little less... boring dead people.

Final Thoughts...

1) For this class, I enjoyed learning the cultural differences and similarities between Canadians and Americans, as well as all of the issues with Quebec’s identity. It was cool to see the development of today’s Canadian society, and how their past closely mimics our own in many ways. How media and American media shaped their society, and their struggle to have their own cultural identity, not America’s. I also enjoyed listening to Quebec’s struggle to keep their own French identity, if they love being French so much and the language, then move back there!
2) What I didn’t like about this class was the boring, dry history. Despite How To Be A Canadian’s attempt to show that Canada has a vibrant exciting history, their seemed to be a lot of time when nothing exciting at all happened, just boring day to day activities. While I guess it was important to the development to their identity, it was dry and boring.
3) I would recommend that this class not be taught again. The material just was not very exciting, and I think this was evident by class moral. But if it were to be taught again, I would try to focus on modern Canadian history (WW2- today). Then go back in history to pull up relevant information as to why certain events are occurring. At the very least, quickly brush over their pre WW2 history in a couple of weeks in the beginning to set up today’s culture and society.

Why so blue panda bear?

1. The class was for the most part very enjoyable for this past semester. The simple trivia about Canada made the class interesting. Of course, you can't make a whole class about simple trivia. The move help break things up about mid semester and having this blog assignment allowed for a more creative approach on our side. Your humor made the classes to go by, and you were willing to level with us on certain areas of Canada. You spoke frankly about subjects that other professors would blush about. You certainly achieved the best professor rating at my FIT career. You actually put your lecture down and asked us what you could do it improve this class. It floored me to find out that there is a professor that wanted to actually change the course to make it more enjoyable. I don't know if you do that for every class, but that was amazing. Makes us see first hand that we are paying for an education that just doesn't spoon feed us info.

2. The quizzes. Plain and simple. Although, it was probably me and my ability to not study right, your quizzes completely took my by surprise left me for dead. I just don't seem to do to well when you have to read on your own and then take a quiz on it. Maybe a study sheet that would point you in the right area for study. The last thing would be the book load. The five books and having to keep up on all of them provided a couple of hurdles through the semester. The notes were that bad, but I soon learn that not everything that came from that podium was worthy of writing. That's about it.

3. If I were the instructor, I would try to refrain from reading from notes. For me, I know it would be difficult to do, but standing in front of the class and interacting with them more would be a priority. Makes it as if we are traveling with you in Canada's history. That would be about it. You were the best, most easy going professor that I have every had here at FIT. I would take the class again if I had the chance.

Fo Shizzle

1). Your enthusiasm for the subject is what I most enjoy about the classes you teach. I have enjoyed the classes that I have had with you as my instructor because of your ability to keep me interested in the topic at hand. Also, the fact that we had blogg assignments instead of an actual term paper was a good idea. I believe I learned more about Canadian culture by doing the blogg assignments than by just writing a term paper. The reason being is that the blogg assignments forced me to search the internet for random things about Canadian culture and cities. While searching for the answers to the blogg questions, I would stay on one page and read what it had to say about a particular event or time that was not part of the assignment. It expanded my learning, requiring me to find the answers to many questions, rather than keep me focused on the answer to one big question like a paper would do.

2.) What I least enjoyed were the cramps that my hand would experience from such furious note taking. But another thing I did not like about the class was that there was not much talk about its culture. I know that this has been said but I must agree. I wanted to know what made Canadians tick, why there seems to be so much animosity between our two nations. The subjects found in the books would have been perfect for teaching in class, along with a historical background on why this way of thinking came to be. I don’t ever plan on using the knowledge that I have gained on the history of Canada, but with my aspirations to work in the oil business were Canada is to become a key player in the future, Canadian culture lessons would have been of more value to me.

3.) I would teach “Fire and Ice” in the classroom alongside note taking. I found “Fire and Ice” to be a very provocative and engaging book that I would have used extensively for my culture section of the course if I were teaching. It explains the divergence of our two cultures from a Canadian, rather than an American perspective. The book taught me more about how Canadians see Americans than any of the note taking I did in class.

final thoughts....destroy all humans.

1) as far as what i most enjoyed, to be honest it was breaking your stride at least once a class, to say something so wierd you would have to pause and address it in some way, which usually led to a short but funny tirade. other than that i at least know where canada is ont he map and if asked i can give a halfway decent account of what goes on in the frozen north.

2)the history of canda, and im serious, i know its harsh to say, but that was some damn boring stuff, and i do know there is nothing you could do about it. you are right though, we have no basis, its different saying "alexander hamilton" in the US, we should all know him, as opposed to saying "Poundmaker" who sounds like a 70's pornstar. i understand the history shapes the culture, but we spent too much time dickering around with obscure people that it seems we missed canadian culture itself.

3)i would make it about canadian culture alone, but with a touch of history; focus in on 4 topics to break up the semester, start with the basic history of canada, a week or two at most. then start into specific topics of culture; as in music, art, literature, give the history of those aspects and who influenced them. maybe its the engineer in me, but i would remember it alot more if it were more focused on subtopics and not all mixed togeather in a long history of canada. throw in some crayons and a map of canada and the students should figure out the rest.

i know everyone else is bitching about a map of canada, but take some initiative and look it up yourself if your that hung up on it. the last thing is that the book "how to be a canadian" was vastly underused in the class, it was funny and engageing, maybe every wednesday instead of notes have a discussion over the reading for that week in regards to canadian culture. well in any case, im graduating in a week, this is my last blog, and my last class with you, its been a good run, and your a good teacher, im sure you will jazz this up for the next round of kids, you seem to do that alot with the classes im in.....hmmmm..... alright, im going to tapps now.

Hivernades de Chicoutimi

the most famous historical event that I can find dealing with the city of Chicoutimi was the flood i already talked about int he first assignment, thats right, im just so good that i answered two blogs in one, boyeah!

in regards to famous residents, there is no one, no one that google can find in anycase that isnt obscure in all sorts of regards. there is alot of speed-dating service in Chicoutimi apparently, but no one remarkable has shown up there yet either.

for famous events we have the "Hivernades de Chicoutimi " which apparently is a 10 day festival int he style of 100 years ago. time itself stands still as people dress in period clothing made of old burlap sacks and loinclothes; revel int he undercooked foods of the early 1900's, huzzah! you can ever ride on a dogsled and eat a giant blueberry pie, yes the "Hivernades de Chicoutimi " has it all folks!

http://www.bonjourquebec.com/magazine/en/evenements/06fev_carnaval_souvenir.php

Final Thoughts.........

1) When first signing up for this class, I was probably coming from a different angle then the rest of the class, being from Canada. I thought this was going to be a good way for me to learn more about the country I was born in. Throughout school at home I always taught the history of the U.S. and not so much depth about Canada, so there was lots of historical facts I never heard about before, but could relate to. I enjoyed these blog assignments, because I could go back and read other students assignments to see their views on things I can relate to at home. I also enjoyed the more up to date information, as it was more relevant to me.

2) I thought there was to much emphasis on long time history of Canada. Some of the lectures just seem to drag on, and to me it didn't seem like it was going anywhere. There was also a lot to take in at one time, and short amount of time. I also didn't really enjoy the amount of notes that had to be taken, sometimes I would just get lost in the notes, rather then actually understanding the information.

3) If I was teaching this class, I think I would add more student work and maybe a couple small projects, or more homework assignments. This might help bring things together. If possible I think I would try to add more video and picture to lectures. I would also just try to briefly touch on the history, and move on to more up to date issues in the country. I would probably also avoid quiz's and just stick assignments, mid-term, and maybe a final.

Last Blog Assignment

1) What did you most enjoy about the class? Why?

I enjoyed the atmosphere of the class, due in a large part to your teaching style and approach to the material. This class had potential to be extremely dry, but I think you as a teacher helped to keep it from sinking to that point. I hate to admit it, but I actually found most of the material to be at least somewhat interesting because I have almost no idea about the history or culture of Canada, so this introduction to a country and culture that isn't that foreign to us as Americans was intriguing for me. I also enjoyed the blog assignments because they were a good way for us to learn interesting things about Canada in a more flexible way and taking a little bit of each of our own personalities into account. I definitely enjoyed the times when we discussed more of the culture and daily life of Canadians as opposed to the historical events. It gave me insight to the "personality" of the country as a whole, rather than Canada just being a place on a map.

2) What did you least enjoy? Why?

I'd say that a lot of the older historical information that we had to learn was almost torture, and I understand that "it's history and history is just boring", but I think some of this material took on a whole new form of boring. There was also a lot of information we had to know for the tests, but I know you had little control over that, so it's not your fault. I'm a good student and usually do some of the best work in the classes that I'm in, but for some reason I performed disappointingly worse in this class than any other class I've taken in both of my semesters here.

3) If this class were to be taught again, what would you do to improve it if you were the instructor?

I'd try to make the information a little easier to grasp in the lectures with the aid of maps, diagrams, pictures, etc. I'd also look into getting a guest speaker or two who have lived in Canada for a length of time who could answer any questions that students have about culture or political events/policies.

last assignment

1) What did you most enjoy about the class? Why?
To get a closer look into the Canadian culture and history. How Canadians
and Americans look at the same things, but see them completely different.
To also see the problems that Canada is facing in regard of internal as
well as external politics.

2) What did you least enjoy? Why?
There were a lot of names and places, only a few of us knew. The covering
of a couple of centuries in Canadian history and culture in just 2 to 3
weeks was just overwhelming from time to time. In the beginning, the
information we got was sometimes too much to absorb and to remember later
in the semester. This made the subject very often very difficult.

3) If this class were to be taught again, what would you do to improve it
if you were the instructor?
Show pictures of people and places, or even of historical events, or have a
geographic map of Canada available, so that the student can visualize the
different areas that you were talking about. This would have made it much
easier in the beginning.

"Ding Dong the Witch is Dead"

This is normally where people suck up and say the thing they enjoyed the most was the couse information or the professor just becuase they cant think of anything else. Who am i to be different. The thing that i enjoyed most about this class would have to be you, Professor Matt Ruane. It is because of your enthusiasm and passion for history that i gain respect and knowledge on the subject, and you propel me towards my future. I just wanted to say thank you for not being a flake like other teachers that dont come to class or just dont care about teaching. The devotion that you show inspires everyone around you, even if you dont realize it.

What i enjoyed least about the class was the feeling in class on fridays or mondays when i realized i forgot to do the damn blog, again. It just really ticks me off when something so small and not very challenging slips your mind, which is focusing more on reading the book or other assignments. I think the blog assignments are a good idea, but damn it, i kept forgetting to do them. So, overall, I ejoyed doing the blog the least just on the fact that i never remembered to finish them on time.

If I was the instructor for the class and i could change and add a few things, i would change how we do notes everyday and add in a few reflection days using the overhead and projector. I would show more diagrams, maps, and eventually more movies because it would be a balance of visual and auditory learning. I would also add one or two outside lectures where we could enjoy the best days of the semester outside sitting in the shade instead of being in a classroom, only because not many other professors or teachers do that.

Canada is a different country...

1) What did you most enjoy about the class? Why?

Well, I would have to say the most enjoyable parts of this course were the side discussions and comparison and contrast to the United States. Since many of the side discussions were a comparison and contrast of how we do things differently in the U.S., both are related. For example, when you talked about Student Government in Canadian Universities and how serious it is for them. I also enjoyed discussions about the Canadian constitution and how that is different from the U.S. A great example that I can remember is the basic principles of each constitution: Canada "Peace, Order, and Good Gov't" USA "Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness." In short, I found it very interesting to talk about the differnces and similarities between our country and Canada.

2) What did you least enjoy? Why?

The Quizes! I don't mind the idea of quizes, but I would like to see a detailed review session or discussion of the material to be covered. Especially since the possible material to be covered is so vast and also since the questions can be very detailed.

3) If this class were to be taught again, what would you do to improve it if you were the instructor?

I would have more discussions regarding the comparison and contrast between Canada's history/way of doing things and that of the U.S. I would also try to stress the really important notes that should be studied before quizes. Overall, the course was great! Other than a few minor items (such as quizes) there is nothing to complain about. The blog assignments were much better than a traditional paper. The blog allowed us the chance to learn more about various Canadian histroy and tidbits rather than concentrating on one specific thing as would be required in a traditional paper. I am glad that I took this course as my humanities elective because it's a shame that many of us have been to Canada and we don't even view is as leaving the U.S. It is its own country and a very different one at that.

last assignment...

1) What did you most enjoy about the class? Why?
2) What did you least enjoy? Why?
3) If this class were to be taught again, what would you do to improve it if you were the instructor?

1. I most enjoyed the evolution of a new tribe, the evolution of a new country, its fundamental developments as well as the pure knowledge gained from facts. I have always enjoyed history classes. I believe history classes are a glimpse of our past and realizing the evolution of Canada is something unique and learning about this evolution was a fascinating experience. I also enjoyed the creative jokes, the comments made by both Dr. Ruane as well as some of our candid classmates in a bid to make the class that extra bit interesting. Learning about a new civilization is exciting in its own, the mentality of the people in those days reflects on our characteristics today and the they they lived their daily lives without the technology available to us today was simply genius-like. I loved the homework assignments, because it gave me an opportunity to explore Canada and its people, culture, events and construction from an out-of-class perspective and it got me learning a lot form a non-note-taking-basis, which really benefitted me. I believe I learnt more about Canada from the research I did to get my homeworks done than I could grasp in class. Of course, an overview of the notes meant that I understood the basics of the revolution.

2. I had a problem with the quantity of notes being given on a daily basis. It isn't so much of a problem as it is a hassle when studying for the exams. I would have definitely preferred slides, maps, movies, visual aids of the sort that perhaps could have aided my fellow visual learners like myself in the class. I appreciate the professor's efforts in trying to better the class by asking us what was wrong with the class. Indeed, very few professors take the time out to interact with their students and Dr. Ruane did a splendid job at addressing the problem. I also did not like the quiz methodology. I think it would have been better if we had essay questions since i believe I can score better and it is a flow with no exact correct answer. Most history exams have essays as the testing method and remembering exact pinpoint dates, names and events can be tedious for the amount of notes being given in class. Nonetheless, with the quantity of material to be covered, it was essential that notes be given, and I understand that, but defintiely, the bulk of notes was on the high side to memorize for a quiz.

3. I would improve on the visual aids for sure. I would also improve on the quantity of notes in teh class, perhaps skim over the bulky areas and concentrate on the more interesting aspects, like the living conditions of the people instead of concentrating on the method of governance of the Canadian government. Being the modern student that I am, I would love to know more contemporary Canadian history compared to the really archaic, and monotonous French rule over Canada. Yes, it is imperative to mention it, but it was done in excess, in my view. I believe also that the quizzes need to be shorter and a variety of questions need to be asked. Both True / false, multiple choice and an option of maybe 5 essay questions, with the student having a choice to answer maybe 2 out of the 5. The methodology for the midterm was fantastic, because it covered almost everything before the midterm exam itself and Dr. Ruane also told us what exactly to study because with such a bulky, quantity-heavy class, it is essential to realize that being a senior in college, it is very hard to memorize all the material being given. I remember i averaged over 8 pages per class in note-taking and that is simply a whole lot of notes.

last assignment

1) I think the class started off fun, between the "How to Be a Canadian" book, and that crazy movie "Strange Brew". After reading the first few chapters of the "How to Be a Canadian" book, I got the impression that the class would be set up to be more of a light, fun class regarding the history of Canada. I thought that we would maybe spend more time comparing and contrasting the American stereotypes that were represented in the book with the factual history of Canada. Regardless, my favorite part of the class was the "How to be a Canadian" book. It was very informative, but also really entertaining to read.
2) Initially, I would have to say my least favorite part of the class was the extremely dry subject matter. However, I have to be honest that I wasn't expecting anything different, as the class covered an entire history in 16 weeks, requiring us to absorb a lot of information in a short time. Instead, I would have to say that my least favorite thing about the class was the amount of reading assigned.
3) I think the class could be improved by using the "How to be a Canadian" book as a template. I think I was expecting the class to envolve at least some of the familiar and shamefully amusing Canadian stereotypes that we as Americans hold, like in the book. Large amounts of information could of course still be covered, but in a more fun and memorable way. Also, like many other members of the class suggested, the use of visuals would be very helpful in making connections to things discussed in lecture.

Final blog: My thoughts about the class- Kya Harrell

The class had some good moments, but my favorite part about the class since we are suppose to be totally honest would have to be all the Canadian jokes and stories you would tell us about your actual experiences in Canada. Not just the pissing on the cop story but all the stories you told about when you were there. It may not have all been what you expected to teach, but it is still considered Canadian history, because you were in Canada and it was history. There were parts of the lecture that I did really enjoy such as the First Nations lectures. How they lived and what they ate. (the nasty stews) I sure I would have enjoyed other parts that the other students enjoyed but I am not a sports fan, and I know hockey is a big part. (along with the bear and doughnuts. I do like doughnuts though)

The lectures were not boring, but most of the politics lectures was really not interesting to me. That's not because you did not teach it well, that's just me in general. I never liked taking any government class. There were too many names and I just began to confuse myself. I think that the middle was just not as interesting, but the beginning and the end was a whole lot better. I don't like the quizzes. I don't know how they were so hard when I studied for them. I really wanted a B, but this class makes me worry a bit.

If I were the instructor I would change a few things. I would use power point and blackboard so the students could keep up much easier. I would not put all my notes in there, because then nobody would even feel the need to come to class. I would put most of the notes on there so that people can keep up with me as I lecture. If I did not have time to write up power points I would just slow down my lectures so that the students who write really slow (Me) and can't keep up (Me again) will have time to take good notes and not just pieces of whatever is still in their head that they can remember. I also would show some pictures that would make lectures a little more entertaining. (Not saying watching a professor speak is not, but I would prefer some pictures every now and then) Also when there are pictures things become so much easier to remember. I would spend more time on Canada now rather then all of the class being history. ( If there is nothing really interesting now we can discuss Degrassi or instant star or something.) Last of all I would give a brief study guide for quizzes too because we cover so much information, and we don't really know what to study for the quiz. I look back on everything and I guess I am just doing something wrong, but I am just lost when it comes to the quizzes. I would have your personality because all the students love your class because you teach and you are so entertaining while you do it. This is one of the only classes that don't make me tired. You are more like one of the students. (not in a bad way) I think this was a good class in all. Rather I write slow or not I did learn a lot this semester.

Is it finally over?

I was orginally really looking forward to taking another Ruane class. I've always had the most fun in your classes and managed quite well with the assignments. Then came History of Canada, and I just couldn't make myself find the interesting side of any of the lectures for the longest time. With the pages of notes, the pages of reading boring texts, and the endless amount of not understanding why Canada is so boring.

But there were some good moments. With a comedy text and no huge paper assignment I was relieved. I loved the idea of blog assignments, and very glad that it was something that wouldn't be so time consuming. Just a few minutes of searching, a little thought, and some typing and the assignment was done. Definitely the most fun thing about the entire class and easy project to do. There was no hassle of wondering if I put enough preperation into a ten page paper. It was just an okay, I have some time, find the info, and done. It was great.

I think there were some great ideas about how to change the class to make it better. But as you had mentioned it would be difficult to put a normally two semester class into one semester and note have pages of notes. I know all too well by now that history is a pretty boring subject if you're not truly interested in what you're learning, and I wasn't all that interested in Canada. However, visual aides or textiles would have made it a lot better. And these don't have to be via the internet with the school's inability to load webpages. I think that a small powerpoint presentation of pictures would have worked, and I know from experience that they're not that time consuming to make in about a half hour. That way you can cut and paste pictures from multiple websites into one presentation to be used at the end or beginning of class instead of during lectures.

Even with all the hectic "I hate Canada and notes" stuff I did come away with a new understanding of Canada and their lifestyle.

top 50

Chose one of the top 50 Canadian companies and discuss the following in your blog entry.

General Motors

1) Briefly discuss the company's history.

General Motors Corporation, a US entity based in Detroit, traces back to 1897 when Olds Motor Company was set up by Ransom Olds and began to produce the Oldsmobile. Since then they have grown, through acquisition and partnership, to become the world's largest automobile company with over 362,000 employees and over $175 billion (US) in sales volume.

2) What do they make or do?
The General Motors manufactures automobiles and automobile accessories.

3) Where is the headquarter's located? Headquarter's are located in Oshawa, Ontorio.


4) Why did you chose this company over any other on the list? I already did a previous assignment on Oshawa and did alittle research on the company.

Pic http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/Ontario/general_motors_of_canada.htm

last assignment

1) What did you most enjoy about the class? Why? I enjoyed the classes enthusiasm towards the class and the interaction between you and you'r students. You made the class a comfortable envorinment to be in. The first impression I had when i came into you'r class was very good. You represent yourself as an understanding, and nice instructor that likes to be serious with our work but also try to make fun and entertaining, like the movies and conversations.

2) What did you least enjoy? Why? The thing i least enjoyed about the class would be all the lectures and note taking. I thought at times the lectures went pretty fast and it was kind of hard to keep up. I also felt it was hard to interpret that amount of information all at once, compared to other civilization and humantie classes i have taken.

3) If this class were to be taught again, what would you do to improve it if you were the instructor? The one thing the i would change to improve the class would just be to slow the pace down a bit. Like you said there is alot to cover, two semesters worth of information condensed down into one.

Final Comments - LZabik

1. This semester I most enjoyed the book we read, "How to Be a Canadian." I thought that the book was very funny and gave insights into Canadian culture and highlighted differences from American culture. I also felt that the quizzes were fair and not overly difficult (except that last one).

2. I least enjoyed the strict chronological format of the class. Understandably, history must be learned from the beginning, but I would have enjoyed integration of major current events (such as elections) into the daily lectures as well. I also agree with Candace's comment of the lack of follow-up after the class made suggestions for improving the course. It seemed as though many great suggestions were made and none were acted upon.

3. Improvements for future semesters include: integration of current events to make the material more "real", integration of technology (internet, Powerpoints) , and also a full color large map that could be used on a daily basis.

Last assignment

Ummm... This class was hard as hell. Since I transfered right before the beginning of the semester I thought between Italy and Canada, Canada was easier. Well, I was way wrong!! I didn't think it had that much of history. The thing I liked the most in this class is the rants and example you give about Canada. I also liked the movie, "Strange Brew". I thought the class was going to be like that.

The thing I liked least about the class was the notes and the test. That was the most notes I've ever taken in my life for a class. All those notes made it very hard to study, because I never knew what to focus on and there was way too many notes for me too guess right. I think my test scores reflect that. The only one that I did decent on was the midterm, because I knew what was going to be asked of us.

If I had to instruct the class I would have way way less notes. I would have more opportunities for my class to do projects and learn other ways then just notes. I would have some kind of study guide or study session to let them know what parts of the notes to study and what form the test will be in.

You definately knew your material, so you can't be knocked on that. THanks Carl

Last Assignment

1. I enjoyed the first half of the class much more than the second. Even though the second half had both world wars and confederation, the first half was much more interesting to me. I like to think I am a history buff, so I loved learning how Canada was founded and what happened during the 100's of years that led up to it. I also enjoyed you as a teacher. Even though I like history, you made the dry stuff much more tolerable. It's a shame I only had one class with you.

I also enjoyed the movies that you showed us. They were both new for me and I enjoyed them. I think showing a couple more movies would keep the class interested and also would give the students something they can visually see what is happening.

2. Like I said in the first paragraph, I least enjoyed the second half of the class (especially all the politics). It might be because all the information in the first half was new to me, while I recognized a lot of the imperialism and world war facts. Who knows, this hatred of the second half could just be because I am so close to graduation, but I do know that I was a lot more interested in the beginning.

Some lectures seemed very long and boring while others kept the whole class on the edge of their seat the whole 50 min. I'm sure you know when the tough days are going to be. Maybe you should try a movie, or internet pictures, or skits (just an idea) to help lighten the mood.

3. Like Lyndsay said earlier, I would recommend a huge map that students can get a feel for where that item in history is happening. I also think you found a great tool in the "How to be Canadian" book. This is a really funny book that everyone can relate to. It provides the students the necessary background of everything to be Canadian. I wonder if there is a way to teach the class around that book where maybe you spend a few days on each chapter and then expand upon them (and explain) with other sources on those days.

And last but not least, I am shocked that everyone is not protesting that we haven't seen "Canadian Beacon" yet. This is what we college students expected to see when we signed up. It is a staple of how American's viewed Canada in the 80's. It would be a nice change in scenary too. Overall, I really did enjoy this class. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys history or is interested in Canadian culture.

better late than never, here comes "Chicoutimi"

the great and all powerful city of Chicoutimi began as all great cities do, steeped in beaver pelts. thats right folks, initially setup in 1676 as a french fur trading post it was later "founded" by Peter Mcleod, who perhaps was a distant relation to the highlander? we may never know...

As far as importance of geography, Chicoutimi is loacted on the Saguenay river, with several bridges spanning its ferocious waters, gyar! The importance of this geography is the fact that the industrialization of Chicoutimi is based around the production of Pulp, thats right, Pulp. So, this made the river IDEAl for log transport to the "pulperie" from the sourrounding highlands.

Now in regards to a historeical fact there was a flood in 1996 that started with torrential rains that ended up being 8 feet of water rolling through Chicoutimi in a series of flash floods. 7 were dead, 16000 evacuated, 1.5 billion in damage. BUT! the good news was the flood covered up toxic sedement at the bottom of the saguenay river with new sediment, hooray mother nature!