It's All About the Little Things...

Over the last four months, I have paid a great deal of attention to the details in life. Whoever said “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” hasn’t paid enough attention to the fact that it’s the small stuff that plays a HUGE part in how we think about the overall BIG picture.

Throughout CEP 882-The Nature and Design of Compelling Experiences, I have truly taken the time to analyze and look deeply into things. My husband would tell you that I analyze everything and often times, “read into things too much.” Well, I think my analytical mind has done me great service over the last few months of class, and I’m a better person because of it. Taking the time to look deeply into the details and design of things has afforded me the time to enjoy the experiences along the way. People craft experiences every day and examining how those make you feel, is quite satisfying.

I am a highly organized person, and as a teacher, I’ve learned that this is a good thing. Being organized goes beyond simply maintaining materials, it’s all about how you present yourself, your classroom, or your lessons and how that will affect your students, parents, and colleagues. You want to set up the educational experience to make everyone feel comfortable in your classroom community. I have made some educational bridges about the topics covered in CEP 882 and want to share my insights.

First of all, using a blog to capture my thoughts has been priceless. I have always enjoyed writing and using technology to keep a journal online has been quite satisfying. It’s fun to go back and read what I was feeling and “hear” my voice. Putting your thoughts down on paper is a great way to reflect on what you’ve learned and gives you an opportunity to take another look at it.

Secondly, I learned a great deal from the modules about photography, film, and music. I believe that these three topics all work quite well together. Personalities really come to life through a lens, whether it’s a still camera or a video camera. When you add music into the equation, experiences can definitely be enhanced and naturally become more compelling.

One thing I learned was to use the viewfinder on my camera. This really helps you to “see” what the camera sees. Instead of using my digital screen, which can often be distracting, I was able to take pictures and really focus on JUST the things in the viewfinder…the “heart of the matter.”

How can I use photography in education?

Looking at pictures can trigger feelings and just might make writing more fun. I’d like to allow my students to take pictures of things and then focus on the details of their experience. Getting students to write about personal experiences and then critiquing the actual writing should be easier…focusing on structure, word choice, voice, etc.

How can I apply the concept of digital photography to my career as an educator?

Digital photography is so much easier than the old way of film. Taking digital photos allows us to quickly accumulate a large supply of pictures. Here’s the connection. Educators tend to collect many ideas for teaching. The trouble is that we end up with file after file of ideas and don't put enough of them to good use. Some ideas are better than others, much like some photos are better than others. Sorting through these ideas and making good use of them is key. My goal is to sort through my teaching files and get those good ideas organized. If it no longer seems like a good idea, I'm going to toss it out. I'm only in my 4th year of teaching and if I don't get my files in order...just think of all the stuff I'll have when I retire! I want to be as effective as I can, making the most of every given moment…making sure that I’ve got quality things to work with, as opposed to quantity.

How can I use music in my teaching?

Music is an awesome tool and definitely has the power to evoke feelings in people. Music, in itself, is an art form and listening to the details and hearing the stories being told in music, is exciting. Because music can be so powerful on feelings and emotions, I think playing some music before teaching certain subjects might be a good way to get kids fired up to learn. I need to find a song that kids like...and play it just before I teach Science or Writing. I think using music to make a positive association with learning could be the key to success.

Reflecting on the Fashion Module, “What NOT to Teach,” was a very fun activity. Taking a snapshot of myself as a teacher has allowed me to see what other’s see…and to evaluate what can be improved. Although it can be difficult to critique yourself, making sure that you’re using best practice to teach your students is imperative. Finding new ways to teach core curriculum, in today’s ever-changing society, is a challenge. This challenge is certainly one that good teachers need to accept. We need to keep the momentum of teaching moving forward and not grow stagnant in our ways.

My friend, Abby, highly recommended taking this class and I’m so glad that she did. Paying attention to the details of all experiences will make me a better teacher. Learning to slow down and then reflect on how things make me feel, will help guide me when I’m designing my lessons or even arranging my classroom. Knowing how to influence my students will help me create lifelong learners, who use the small stuff to get the big picture.

WOA Closet Makeover

What NOT to Teach

Looking at what you teach and trying to pick it apart and figure out what you're doing that isn't good, can be difficult to do. I'd like to think that everything that I teach is worthwhile or at least done in a way that makes it seem more worthwhile. However, I know that I have strengths and weaknesses. I guess finding out what those "What NOT to Teach" items are, is in your best interest as a teacher.

Teaching is an ongoing process. We need to learn...in order to teach. Possibly the best solution would be to make an honest effort at collaboration and sharing ideas with others. We learn by example. We need to seek out the good examples to make our teaching better.

Children are like sponges...and teachers should be, too. We need to soak up the good stuff and squeeze out the bad! :)

Fashion: The Do's and Dont's...

At first, I thought relating Fashion to Education would be a difficult task. However, the more I focus on it, the easier it becomes. People come in all shapes and sizes. We all have different preferences. In education, we realize the same to be true of students and learners. Learning styles vary from person to person and the way in which we learn best can be very different. Hence, differentiation.

We need to keep in mind that our students are different, too. They might be comfortable learning through hands-on activities or cooperative groups rather than a lecture format or independent work. The same goes for teachers. We might be more comfortable teaching in a particular style but that doesn't mean that it's the only way.

I believe that all things in moderation is a good motto to live by. Mix it up. Try new things. If you don't, you just might miss out on the opportunity to do things in a new or better way.

Teachers also need to keep up with what's going on in the world of those they teach. Using facebook, cell phones, podcast lectures, the internet...these are all examples of current ways to keep things fresh, new and up-to-date.

Teachers need to be aware of the big picture and not live inside a box. We need to focus on the nature and design of compelling experiences for those we teach, in order to keep learning moving forward. It forces us to be lifelong learners, and in turn, better teachers with an understanding of others.

The Hook...

The hook in music is much the same as the hook in education...specifically in a lesson. You want to grab the attention of your students...to get them engaged and wanting to hear more from you. You eventually want them to chime in and "sing along" so to speak. You're all on the same page, singing the same tune and learning from each other. And then, it happens...someone is marching to a different drum. You get off topic...but then...bring back the hook again...and you've got them!

I am also seeing the hook in education as a common theme across subjects. Thematic units...connecting math, reading, science, writing, and social studies all together. These units could be monthly themes or yearly themes. In January, I had a Penguin Theme in my classroom. We read Mr. Popper's Penguins, made Penguin Art, Learned about Penguins and where they live...each subject area touched on penguins. It was the common thread...and provided unity.

March Madness...

The month of March is full of basketball. I have to say, the "Madness" is everywhere. I recently went to a few high school district and regional basketball games. It was interesting to listen to the music that is played while the players warm up. It isn't slow music. It's fast, upbeat music...it doesn't matter much what the lyrics are...the intent is to get the players and fans pumped up and ready to win...the beat, the volume, and the repeating hook all work together to make this happen. This is what teachers need to do, too...get students pumped up and ready to learn. How do we make this happen?

When I think about music, I realize that it can evoke many emotions. There is some music that I like and some music that I don't. Sometimes, I don't even give certain music a chance to affect me because I don't care for the genre. I am immediately turned off by country music. I'm not sure why...I sort of wish I could delve into that and figure out what it is that turns me off...is it the guitars, the cowboy hats, or fringe on coats...I'm just not sure. It doesn't really matter all that much...but it DOES make me think about how this can happen in a classroom, too.

Students do not like everything that teachers like. I think we need to keep this in mind when creating projects and assignments. It is good to expose kids to many different genres and varieties, to provide a well rounded experience.

Something that I might try with my class, is to have them listen to a song and then have them write down the main idea. I want to see if kids are listening to the lyrics and paying attention to what is being said. I know that I'm not always listening. I might know what the hook is and can sing along...but tune back out when listening to the next verse. I think this could be what some kids do with regard to reading comprehension. They start reading a story and then get caught up in their own personal connections or thoughts and before you know it, have been reading without actually paying attention to the words and what the story is about. I find myself doing this sometimes when I read aloud to my class. I'm more focused on how to pronounce words and use expression than I am with the content that I'm reading. (This is also a lot like music...with how our notes get louder or if they are emphasized more...drawn out words...inflection, etc.)

I think it would be interesting to also listen to songs without the words first...and ask kids to write down how they feel or what they think the song might be about. Then, listen again with the lyrics and compare and contrast how their thoughts and feelings changed or remained the same.

Because music can be so powerful on feelings and emotions, I think playing some music before teaching certain subjects might be a good way to get kids fired up to learn. I need to find a song that kids like...and play it just before I teach Science or Writing. I think using music to make a positive association with learning could be the key to success.

Eisner or Einstein?

After reading the Eisner article, I was exhausted. There were so many large words...words that are not part of my everyday vocabulary. This got me thinking about prior knowledge. Our experience is influenced by our past as it interacts with our present. (Eisner)

What experience do I have with big words? I love to spell and I enjoy reading but that is simply decoding and encoding. Did these words have any meaning to me? What was my background knowledge about the word aesthetic? I've used it before and I even know how to spell it. When I used it, I wanted it to mean that it was pleasing to the eye. But can't something be aesthetically pleasing to more than just the eye? Can't it can relate to all of our senses?

The answer: Yes. This quickly takes me back to the article. The aesthetic form of knowing, in my opinion, is to be well rounded and use all of our "tools" to make sense of things.

I liked how the article spoke about Art:

"Art is nothing but the good making of sounds, images, etc. The aim of education is therefore the creation of artists-of people efficient in the various modes of expression. (Good sounds: good speaker, good musician, good poet. Good images: good painter or sculptor. Good movements: good dancer or good laborer. Good Tools/Utensils: good craftsman."

I found it interesting that due to our high academic demands, teachers are breaking down curriculum into smaller parts and it may actually be a disservice to our students. Especially, if we never put all of the chunks back together for them to see the relationships between the pieces. Kids need to see the big picture, practice the small pieces, and then put it all back together again. Much like Humpty Dumpty. :)

Eisner or Einstein? I think BOTH!