Hi! My name is Josh!

I am currently a first-year BEAD student, majoring in Biology and minoring in General sciences towards secondary education. I completed my Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Psychology at the UofR in 2019.

I’m originally from Chilliwack, a city in the far away lands of BC, the land of rain and hipster culture. Fun fact, there was a band named after it! Hiking is one of my go-to activities in the summer, climbing up mountains and discovering the beauty of nature. When hiking isn’t an option, I love reading and watching movies of all genres. I’m also an avid piano player and a trumpet enthusiast. Exploring new genres of music to listen to is one of other hobbies I do on the side, but jazz and post-metal/rock are my favorites.

Josh is gazing over the Grand Canyon

Throughout elementary and middle school, most of my teachers used overhead projectors and whiteboards to convey their notes. I remember copying the notes and finding it useful because I found I could remember details easier.  Most assignments and projects were done in the computer lab, using Microsoft Word or Powerpoint. Some teachers used modern projectors for movies and youtube clips. My French teacher used the modern projector to show websites to students that would help them practice/improve their verb conjugations or grammar structure.

I have more experience with education technology in highschool. Most of my teachers now used modern projectors to show their notes on powerpoint presentations. I remember my math teacher using a SMART board to convey mathematical formulas and graphs. It was cool at the time because the teacher didn’t necessarily have to erase a number, but could drag it to a graph. He also could flip the graph around or angle it to fit the equation he was demonstrating. It was time efficient and was a good visual tool for me. My science class used an app called Socrative, which created quick quizzes and polls online. The overall results were projected on a screen for the whole class to see, but the submitted answers were anonymous. This created a freedom to participate in the quiz/poll with your classmates without having them judge you on a wrong answer.  

Let me tell you right off the bat….I am not a blogger or journal person. I’m that guy that loves to talk to people face to face, most of whom I have at least an acquaintance level relationship with. I never thought I’d see the day where I’d put all my thoughts and opinions on a blog and share them with who knows how many people who I won’t have a chance to interact with in person. But hey, welcome to the modern age!

I’m not a blogger because of one of my personal philosophies with posting personal pieces on social media as a whole. The idea is that when posting personal or conversational material, there is a layer of interpretation the reader must decipher. How the reader deciphers the material is going to create a mental image of who the author is, similar to how they interpret a painting. You may wonder how there can be interpretation. Think of a blog as an extended text message. Each text serves a purpose, ranging from a statement to a reaction. But how it was written can alter your perception of the text’s purpose. Afterall, when you text, you most likely don’t include descriptors like adjectives and adverbs. A text from an acquaintance could be perceived as sarcastic or genuine, depending how you interpret it and how well you know them. In most cases, this is not an issue when talking face-to-face because you can listen to the tone of their voice and read their facial/body language. 

What insight can a viewer discover about a blogger? Is the blogger being genuine with the content they’re posting? Or are they doing it to fill a prerequisite/goal? If you were to meet the blogger in real life, does it match your online perception of them? How close to the truth can you get?