WOMAN: Hey there, are you having some trouble with your car?

MAN: Yeah, it won’t start.

WOMAN: Maybe I could take a quick look at it for you.

MAN: Well . . . I don’t want to bother you.

WOMAN: Really, it’s no bother. I’m just meeting with two friends from work a bit later. Let’s see. Your oil seems fine and you have enough gas. How long have you been parked here? Did you leave anything on?

MAN: For the last several hours—actually, from eight this morning. Other than my front lights, I turned everything off. It’s strange, I’ve never had problems with this car since I bought it five years ago.

WOMAN: Alright, I think I know what your problem is. Since you left your front lights on, the car battery is now dead. The good news is that this is an easy problem to fix.

MAN: Really! That’s great because I don’t want to be late for a very important meeting—it’s with my son’s teacher.

WOMAN: I have some special cables called jumper cables that will join our car batteries together. When I start my car, electricity from my battery will travel to your battery.

MAN: Really? And that should be enough to get my car going again?

WOMAN: Hopefully. First, I’ll drive my car over here so our cars are facing each other. That way, the cars will be close enough for me to connect the cables.

MAN: Cool! I’m interested to see how this works.

WOMAN: Alright, I’ve connected the cables, now start your car.

MAN: Okay, let’s hope this works! Wow, it started! How did you know what to do?

WOMAN: Working on cars is my job. I’m a mechanic. Now just leave your car running for at least 15 minutes so your car’s battery has enough time to recharge. You can either wait at the gas station parking lot over there or start driving.

MAN: Okay, great!

MAN: You know, my son wants to be a mechanic. He’ll be excited to hear that a real mechanic helped me. He’s a smart little guy.

WOMAN: Hm, that’s nice to hear. Tell him it’s a fun job.

MAN: I will. Now I need to get myself some jumper cables. And in case something else breaks down, are there some things you suggest I keep in my car? Maybe a repair manual, a gas can, some wiper fluid?

WOMAN: Those are all good things to have in your car. But most importantly, you should make sure you have a spare tire and some basic tools to change it. You can also go online and make your own list.

MAN: Sounds good. Oh, look at the time! I need to be at school soon. Thank you so much for your help.

WOMAN: You’re welcome!

MAN: Hey, Amber, I haven’t seen you for a while! How are you?

WOMAN: Actually, I was just thinking about that very thing—and I’m good: I have a good job, I have a good apartment, I’ve managed to figure out all the day-to-day things, but you know? I’ve been here six months now, and I haven’t really seen anything! I mean, I haven’t taken the time to see the city—I wish I were more organized with my time, and . . . I was wondering if you’d like to help me.

MAN: Help you see the city? Yes, of course, I’d love to do that! What would you like to see?

WOMAN: Well, I’m not sure. I mean, I don’t really know what my options are.

MAN: Okay . . . are you interested in arts and culture? We could go to art galleries and museums. Or we could go to a dance performance or see something at the theatre.

WOMAN: Well, I do like to dance—

MAN: So you want to do something rather than just see something? Okay, there are dance clubs, dance classes—or we could go hiking in the mountains or cycling on the islands. There’s so much we could do!

WOMAN: I don’t know how to choose—I suspect some things cost more than others. And certainly we should wait for good weather for the outdoor things. As for the arts and culture options, I guess it depends on what plays are being performed at the theatres . . .

MAN: Okay, I have an idea. There are a couple of excellent newspapers that list virtually everything there is to do and see in any given week. Why don’t we get this week’s issues and take a look?

WOMAN: Oh, that sounds like a perfect solution! And if you’re willing, maybe we can do something different each week. Because I don’t think I’m going to be able to choose just one thing!

WOMAN: Ali, can you help me understand this job performance form? I’ve never done one of these before.

MAN: Sure, Faizeh. What would you like to know?

WOMAN: Well, the first question asks for a brief outline of significant accomplishments throughout the year, indicating why each accomplishment deserves special recognition. What is a “significant accomplishment”? Can you give me an example?

MAN: It’s something special you’ve done. It’s something over and above what you do on a day-to-day basis, something outside your job description. For example, at the bank we pretty much guarantee excellent customer service, but perhaps you do more than that. I bet you know many of your customers’ names, right? And call each one by name.

WOMAN: Of course. Don’t you?

MAN: I try, but I find it hard. So this is a significant accomplishment, being able to greet each person by name before they give you their bank card.

WOMAN: OK, I understand that one. Now, next question. There are sections about interaction with colleagues, responsibility, accountability, and so on. And we have to rate ourselves in each section by choosing one of four options: exceptionally well, very well, well enough, or not very well. How do we do this? If I choose too high, the manager will think I’m arrogant and over-confident. If I choose too low, she’ll think I don’t have enough ability or skill.

MAN: Yeah, this is a hard one. I usually rate myself “very well” for most of them, and perhaps one or two “exceptionally well” if I have good reasons.

WOMAN: So you don’t choose the two lower rankings for anything?

MAN: That’s right. I would hope that the manager would talk to me before performance evaluation time to discuss any poor performance she saw in my work. That kind of thing should be discussed when it happens.

WOMAN: That’s a good point. I’ll take your advice and choose the “very well” descriptor for everything. I haven’t been here long enough to be exceptional. I passed my probation period a few months ago, so I should be safe with these choices.

MAN: That’s a good way to describe it, as safe. The manager’s great at discussing your self-ratings, so don’t worry too much about it

. WOMAN: OK, thanks for your help.

Area resident Beverley Camaro has built a house of straw.

Camaro moved into the area last year, and had been living in a trailer on a small plot of land in the countryside on which she intended to build a small house. Concerned about growing heating costs and increasingly colder winter temperatures, she spent a month researching heating and housing construction. She then came across an article about straw houses in a magazine. A few weeks later, she discovered a company that specializes in such construction. Six months later, she moved into her new house, made of straw.

Camaro explains that the house is just insulated with straw and many people have misconceptions about straw houses. For example, they are not more susceptible to fire than other homes. Although loose straw can be burned, the straw bales used in house construction are so compressed that there isn’t enough oxygen in them to burn. What’s more, straw bale houses are waterproof, according to Camaro, because the sturdy walls are plastered inside and out. Hers, she explained, are a lovely amber colour. The most important, due to the superior insulation value of straw, Camaro anticipates lower heating bills.

Today on Chat Radio: Should online social networking sites, such as Facebook or Twitter, be used in schools? Social networking sites, where users share messages, pictures, or videos with others, are an increasingly popular form of communication for both adults and children. In an effort to keep education relevant, many are asking whether such sites should, perhaps, be incorporated into school curricula.

For Sheena Bradley, CEO of LAB-Tech Industries, this question is easily answered. She argues that education is meant to prepare students for their future which will likely involve working with others via online platforms. For example, LAB-Tech uses an in-house social networking site called ThinkTank to encourage employee collaboration and the development of new ideas, something that has led to a substantial increase in productivity and innovation among employees. For Bradley, we are at the dawn of a new work culture where the innovative group is valued. Accordingly, she sees online social networking as a popular medium for acquiring the skills that today’s employers want: technological knowledge and the ability to work with others.

James Spadoni, a teacher at Crestview Secondary, agrees. However, while Spadoni is clear that online social networking should be incorporated into the curriculum, how to achieve this is less clear for him. Spadoni, being someone nearing sixty, did not grow up using computers. He thus struggles to learn how new technologies can be used to attain a pedagogical goal. Despite this challenge, Spadoni has found online social networking to be quite successful in the classroom. As part of last year’s final class project, Spadoni’s class used Twitter to share ideas and organize workflow. This proved particularly effective for shyer students who tended to feel more comfortable sharing ideas in an online environment.

Mandy Rainer, however, is not convinced. She wants her children to be learning at school, not playing around on the internet. She sees no need to include online social networking as part of the school curriculum, insisting that students already get enough exposure outside of school. For Rainer, who already struggles to get her kids off Facebook, children need less socializing, not more. Children need to learn to concentrate, to focus on a task, and to read without distraction. It’s Rainer’s opinion that social media and teamwork certainly won’t help students write their own research essays. To prepare for university and many professional careers, they must be able to work independently and rely on themselves.

Many parent groups agree with Rainer and would like to see social media and cellphones banned in the classroom. What do our listeners think? Call us and share your opinion.