Week 3-Grover Comment

Publication versus Presentation

Well, I am leaning towards a presentation. I do not have time to write another paper worthy of publication.

With the advent of voice in powerpoint, I'm wondering why we need to type more words on a project? Also with the advent of YouTube or Viddler, couldn't we submit a link to our PowerPoint screen flow or actually "present" to our video camera and post it? Often my brain works faster than I can type, and believe me I can type pretty fast (80+ wpm when I get going). Also with typing my English/grammar cop comes out, and I tend to fix things as I type instead of waiting for a re-write. (I just fixed a missing comma in my compound sentence!)

So what am I going to present? Well, I wish that I was able to obtain some student work to show what they created in Creaza, but I was not thinking ahead and did not get copying of their user name and passwords. Also with Creaza, there was no publishing option.

Guess I'm left with my data.

Slide one: Problem...in my humble opinion, what is the state of language classroom?
Slide two: Brainstorm...solutions, what are some of the solutions that I see, or have researched.
Slide three: Implementation...what did my CBR project show? How did students react? Phase 1.
Slide four: Implementation...what did Phase 2 show?
Slide five: Future...where do we go from here? What is in the works for my classroom? Game? etc.

Posted by Jenney Grover



My comment...

Jenney,

The one thing to remember is no matter what you chose to do, it will be awesome. Why do say I say this????? Because everything that you do is awesome. So, don't fret it kid. Trust your instincts and trust your inclinations. You are always, in my opinion, spot on, and your work is always great quality that stands out compared to others. It has been a pleasure getting to know you through out this process, and you have pushed me to do better work. I've had to in order to keep up with you. Thanks.

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Week 3-Skocko Comment

Without thinking, I leapt to the stage and said to the young Cuban players through an interpreter, “Your job is to teach those rhythms to your stand partner.” And to the American players I said, “Just give yourselves over to the leaders sitting next to you.”
— from The Art of Possibility (p. 75)

It would be so easy for me to use that passage as an opening to speak to the power of peer mentoring, link to Mac Lab Mentors, and embed a video to hammer the point home:

.
And to be completely honest, that was my plan. I’ve finished the book and just want to get these posts out of the way. Yes, I enjoy writing and yes, I believe in the power of blogging and sharing ideas, and commenting on one another’s posts, But dang it! a part of me complains, This in Month 11 of our Masters program. Why are we blogging again? After all, we already did this in Month 4. And besides, as I’ve already said, blogging has been in my blood for a while now.

(Probably a good time to swallow a little Rule Number 6.)

Anyway, when I write, it takes forever. My Week 2 posts were extremely time-consuming. The more I care about a subject, the more deeply I’m invested, the longer it takes to write about it. Or at least that’s how it seems to happen. And I’m leaving for San Jose on Monday for a week at Adobe’s HQ and need to finish the Week 3 and 4 posts now. Best to stick with my plan and crank posts out like widgets on an assembly line.

So, with notes from the book in hand, I picked the no brainer topic: peer mentoring. I found the passage and began copying the key lines to introduce the topic and WHAM! The first time through I didn’t catch the implication of Ben’s first two words…

Without thinking…

And I was transported back to a recollection of that oh-so-fateful day…

Someday I’ll have to animate the process of creating content for the blog. It begins with at least a half-dozen false starts. Sentence after sentence falls onto the page, short-lived attempts to shape (or discover) the story I hope will capture your imagination and set the tone for the day. There’s almost always a chicken or egg scenario with the picture that accompanies the story. Today was different. I knew I’d be using Zack T’s Cinema 4D/Photoshop, perspective-defying WIP. Well, unless I switched at the last minute and used Alex S’s Bugatti. But Gravity (Kyle H) got the nod a few minutes ago.

That’s not only how the blog is written, it’s how the Mac Lab functions. Like it says in the excerpt from DYC right here, improvisation’s planned. I knew how this second semester was going to unfold when I stood before the class the day we returned to school back in January. I remember, quite distinctly, how I took a breath and began to speak, but the words weren’t anything I’d planned on saying. Sudden inspiration altered our direction that day. The blog was born the following week. We’ve had one constant though, from that first post right up to yesterday’s. We experiment. Every creative act involves a measure of uncertainty. We don’t move from A to B in a straight line. We learn though process. We ponder, reflect, imagine, adapt, improve, refine, present, and begin again. We actively seek out inspiration, always reaching higher.
— from Resourcefully Yours

I wouldn’t trade my meandering path of discovery for seven magical posts to complete this semi-onerous task, but am I wise in trusting impulse, intuition, or whatever is driving me away from my pre-planned escape route?

Acting without thinking seemed to have served Ben, the musicians, and his fellow conductor well in the excerpt from the reading. And I certainly can’t complain about the results of my rash behavior in January of 2009. But how does one learn to trust and act, to give oneself over to spontaneous improvisation?

Innocence, sometimes leaps to correct conclusions
when knowledge makes one resist with all one’s might.
— David Brin & Gregory Benford / Heart of the Comet

Pay attention to the whispers of your soul.
Trust them as you would a map, because that’s what they are.
— Andrew Heller

And because Dream Yet Complete has connected so clearly with The Art of Possibility:

Long ago, far and away, or always somewhere near
Conductor’s instrumental, sends notes to inner ear
Harmonic reconvergence, improvisation’s planned
To amend the broken page, pour melodies from band
Watering the wildest flowers, a second-handed chance
To trade in white-washed paddock walls, for suit and horse and lance

Posted by Mike Skocko



My comment...

Mike,

Thanks for sharing this video. It is always awesome to see what goes on in your classroom. The commentary from the students is great. You have really created an environment where they feel comfortable and they have ownership over the instruction. Through the collaborative process that you have fostered through your peer mentoring program, students are learning skills and gaining confidence that will transcend just your classroom and push them forward into all endeavors that they take on. You are definitely an inspiration and a model teacher that we should all strive to emulate. Thanks again.

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Week2-Wimba

The Wimba session cleared up most of my copyright questions and helped make the muddy issue of fair use, which I blogged about last week, more concrete. It still seems tough to put an exact definition that everyone sees the same, but I am sure I have a better understanding.

I was most interested in the discussion about the differences between copyright, trademark, and a patent. I was not not aware of the distinction between trademark and copyright and, although I watched the archive and couldn't vote, I also picked brands as an item that carries a copyright. It is interesting and it actually makes sense the way that different genres, for lack of a better term, of intellectual property are protected under different laws and regulations. Next time I hear someone say they are going to copyright an idea or a title, I am going to let them have it. Yes, I am obnoxious like that.

Also, I want that telecaster hanging in the background.

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Week 2-Comment 2

Week2-The Art of Possibility/ Chapters 1-4

Image courtesy of Zander and Zander

The Art of Possibility generates a great deal of thought after reading even the simplest paragraph. I am trying to find ways to implement what I am reading to make an impact in my teaching and in my classroom. I have come away with several nuggets to jumpstart my school year in the art room. The first light bulb came with the description of the teacher’s role described by the authors. The teacher role is to help students chip away at barriers that block their abilities and expressions.

I really love this idea of unlocking potential that is within each student, not developing it, but unlocking what is already there. To me, this means students have value and something special within that is waiting for someone to discover it.

The second gem from the book focuses on the student: A student that is the least engaged may be the most committed member of the group. I think this speaks volumes about the student-teacher relationship and how we really communicate in the classroom. For me, it illustrates how I shouldn’t make preconceived notions about the students in my room. The students that don’t seem too interested may be the very ones that are committed to learning the concepts presented in class. It shows me that I must find a way to actively engage and reach each student.

I have read various comments made by peers concerning the positive declarations found in the book. I must say I am one of those people that operate on faith, so concentrate on the positive means I spend less time worrying about things that are out of my hands. I believe in the university of the possibility and the unfettered imagination of what can be and I hope to bring this change to my students. We have so many negative things floating around us, why not embrace the positive?

Posted by Tracye Salter

My comment:

Tracye, I too am energised by the first few chapters of the reading. I am currently trying to come up with a way to incorporate the letter idea from chapter 3 into my classes. Obviously, at a public school I do not have the liberty to reinvent the grading system, but I think both can coexist. There are some other ideas and discussion points from the book that I can't wait to bring to my students. Well... Although energised I am not ready to cut my summer off just yet.

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Week 2 Comment 1

Blog Post on Reading (Week2)

graphicleftovers.com

From my reading of the Art of Possibility, the last two chapters really stuck with me and caused me to think as well. As an educator I like to think of myself as a contributor each time I step into my classroom with my group of students. In the reading the great example of the mother giving her daughters money to help them out in their situation is the way I try to pass my knowledge to my students when they come to a point on a project and they may struggle I know that I can come in and provide information to help them. The chapter on given the students an A gave me a project to start this semester for my class by letting them all see an A next to their names from day one and even attempt for them to write the past tense letter of why the deserved the A. I have some reservations on this theory because from day one students feel they should be given an A in my class just because it is an elective and they should not have to work hard to earn it. So giving it to some of them will make them lazy to a point so this will be intresting to those students who feel the are entitled to an A before they learn a thing.

Posted by Michael Chapple

My response:

I think there is a fine line between the system we have which often encourages kids to succeed for the wrong reason and the system which is described in the book. I think you are absolutely right. If I adopted this idea dull force, I think i would encounter the same issues that you are apprehensive about. Although some would be inspired and participate for the simple purity of expanding knowledge others would take advantage and attempt to drift by with their 'A" in their pocket.

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Week 2-Give Yourself an 'A"

I was struck by chapter 3 of The Art of Possibility. I have always believed that grades are an arbitrary measuring system that ultimately cheapen and sometimes pervert the desired outcome. I find the 'explain why you earned an A' activity interesting.

I often discuss this concept with my students. Of course, they look at me like I am insane. In fact, every I ask my classes to tell me why are grades important. I usually get back responses like: 'for allowance money,' 'to get into a good college,' 'to stay out of trouble at home,' or ' to be successful in life." This usually leads me to concede those points, but I then ask them to explain what making high grades really means. This is not answered as quickly. One year a Vietnamese student, which is interesting because of the author's experiences in her music class, explained that grades give you a way to compare yourself with others and they prove you are better or worse than some people. Most of the class didn't buy this assertion. I then asked them if the smartest kids always make the best grades. To this question the students, for the most part, agreed that grades were not an indicator of intelligence. It's always a fun discussion because it gets some of my slackers and 'reluctant students' talking more than they normally do. We eventually agree that grades may be a necessary evil, but there is more to true learning and scholarship than just an assigned letter.

Maybe I am being like the shoe guy he didn't see a market in a shoe less village, but as public school teacher I do not see a way around the standard grading system. It is too entrenched in the minds of the community; however, I am going to come up with a version of the letter assignment to use with my kids next year.

Ohhh, am I getting an A?

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Week1-Comment 2

Wk1_Reading response: Copyright, fair use and remix

In phase one, I found myslf really empathizing with movie creators because of the blatant piracy under Swedish law and Nigerian law. But gradually, I found myself empathizing with the remixers as creative folks themselves. The DJ Girl Talk convinced me he couldn't really do what he does without violating copyright law as it stands. And Mr. Lessig also persuaded me to rethink copyright in terms of print media.

As a lit teacher, I know a thing or two about print. I know I couldn't teach without print. I know I sometimes, okay, often redistribute a newspaper or magazine article in class to discuss the ideas or the words themselves without prior permission of the author or publisher. I might be protected with fair use as a legal defense, but I do what I do with full knowledge that I am somewhat living and working outside the law. As do many print artists. For example, my students know I like Twilight and the series. I like it even knowing it is a remake or adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, just as West Side Story is an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet (and Triolus and Cressida too). And guess what? Shakespeare didn't create that story either! He stole it from Brooke who stole it from, well, you get the picture. Stories, ideas, styles, words get recycled, emulated, copied and it's not necessarily a bad thing. Some people respond more to one version over another-- just ask my students. They have reasons for preferring any one of the star crossed lover stories. And my action-adventure fans actually find it interesting to find out that the basic story premise of most action films is the hero's journey archetype. Hero has problem, has to solve something or get something, has difficulty along the way and ultimately triumphs with a little help from friends. Boom. Archetype.

I saw a cool teacher website from a fancy prep school, I wish I had the link still so you could see it, but the students had to research a poet and complete a variety of tasks related to the poet's life and works, one of which was an emulation poem. The student studied the master and created a poem following the style of the original and showing the original side by side. Talk about remix!

I teach my students about allusion (the brief reference within a literary work to some other person, idea or literary work) and show them examples. Shakespeare alluded to mythology and the Bible. In his "I Have a Dream" speech on Aug28, 1963, Dr. King alluded to historical figures like Lincoln and his speech, current events and people and their speech such as George Wallace and his various segregationist ideas and words, nationalistic songs and African-American spiritual songs. These men are well-respected, clever, creative wordsmiths. But I want to point out that the very idea of allusion is one of remix. If they had alluded to copyrighted material, they may also be criminals under current copyright law.

How is it different if a musician does the same with a song, remixing snips from various artists to create a sound of their own? Is it okay for Kanye West to mention Gladys and the Pips in his lyrics but not include a snippet? Is it okay for Flocabulary to mention "say my name" in their song "A Love Like This" but nor use any part of the actual recordings of Destiny's Child? I agree with Mr. Lessig that we need some common sense in the law!

posted by Jen Geiger

my response.

I cannot agree with your last paragraph more. Common sense is the key. The way the law is currently laid out is way too subjective. Except in obvious egregious cases, I do not see with the current verbiage a clear way to settle copyright infringement/fair use issues. I agree with Mr. Lessing as well.

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