Saturday, May 1, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Week 4 - Blog post #4 Response to Karlene Young
Karlene Young wrote:
Benjamen Zander is a true inspiration and awesome motivational writer. I wrote down two gems this week from chapters 7-9.
Page 119: Performance is not getting your act together, but about opening up to the energy of the audience and of the music, and letting it sing in your unique voice.
For our Celebration of the Arts last week, the 1st graders were darling. I tried to get them to see they just needed to get up and have fun and feel the music for their dance and accompaniment with instruments. I was out there trying to pair up students whose partner wasn’t there, and I got to dance with several students that were alone. The energy of the audience was electric, and we truly had a lot of fun.
Page 126: The Practice of Enrollment
1. Imagine that people are an invitation for enrollment.
2. Stand ready to participate, willing to be moved and inspired.
3. Offer that which lights you up.
4. Have no doubt that others are eager to catch the spark.
The arts are what truly lights me up, and I am always throwing sparks out hoping to inspire students to love the arts. Children truly are “eager to catch the spark.”
Page 119: Performance is not getting your act together, but about opening up to the energy of the audience and of the music, and letting it sing in your unique voice.
For our Celebration of the Arts last week, the 1st graders were darling. I tried to get them to see they just needed to get up and have fun and feel the music for their dance and accompaniment with instruments. I was out there trying to pair up students whose partner wasn’t there, and I got to dance with several students that were alone. The energy of the audience was electric, and we truly had a lot of fun.
Page 126: The Practice of Enrollment
1. Imagine that people are an invitation for enrollment.
2. Stand ready to participate, willing to be moved and inspired.
3. Offer that which lights you up.
4. Have no doubt that others are eager to catch the spark.
The arts are what truly lights me up, and I am always throwing sparks out hoping to inspire students to love the arts. Children truly are “eager to catch the spark.”
You are completely right Karlene. I am a K-3rd grade art teacher and I am also on a mission to give my students the opportunity to create art. I feel the spark is expressing and showing you passion for the Arts, painting, and or music and they get interested. I don't only teach my students how to paint I paint with them. They watch me very intently. They like my art and they want to be artist too when they grow up. I tell them that it is the best job in the whole world. You just have to play all day:).
The energy of little children is priceless. There are no worries, issues, or holds bar. They just create. Their artworks are more beautiful than some of the renowned artists in museums.
I am glad you are enjoying this book. I am too.
The energy of little children is priceless. There are no worries, issues, or holds bar. They just create. Their artworks are more beautiful than some of the renowned artists in museums.
I am glad you are enjoying this book. I am too.
Week 4 - Blog post #3 - Response to Amy Barnabi
Amy posted:
I responded:
Amy I appreciate you writing about your AR project because it helped me with mine:). I was worried that I wasn't measuring enough areas, because I was focusing on student behavior and engagement. I'm glad things are turning out well for you as you finish up. Can you believe we are one month away from being done!! I can't it has been a wild ride. Amy you have a heart for kids and I really like that about you. Keep it up.
Amy Barnabi_Week 3_CH 7-9_Art of Possibility
One of the things I like most about the book, "The Art of Possiblity" is that it doesn't just apply to one thing in life, but to all things in life.
I was reminded in CH 7, The Way Things Are, "Where are you on the continuum?" About a conversation I had with Dr. Deason earlier this week. Dr. Deason thought that I was measuring way too much with my THIINKFit© Project. He said to "narrow my scope." And that has really made a lot of difference in the way I've been approaching my project this weekend, focusing on just two important keys: 1. Attendance (Can the THIINKFit© Project increase attendance?), and 2. Increasing academic achievement scores in standardized testing (math and reading), through exercising five days a week, twenty minutes a day. So I ask myself, "Where am I on this continuum?" I'd like to think, as this year at Full Sail comes to a close, that I feel confident in my research and the direction my project has taken (often on its own). And much like undergraduate school, I'm confident that I'm now ready to face the world!
Another thing that Dr. Deason and I discussed, that reminded me so much of that conversation while reading this weeks reading, was not to temper my enthusiasm into falsifying any data I may collect. I have a great deal of energy and passion for this project, and sometimes, it's very hard to take that out of the equation. But I've learned that my data is backed up by current research, and as luck would have it, Michelle Obama's push to fight childhood obesity with Let's Move, and Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution," I see nothing but positive things ahead for THIINKFit©.
I responded:
Amy I appreciate you writing about your AR project because it helped me with mine:). I was worried that I wasn't measuring enough areas, because I was focusing on student behavior and engagement. I'm glad things are turning out well for you as you finish up. Can you believe we are one month away from being done!! I can't it has been a wild ride. Amy you have a heart for kids and I really like that about you. Keep it up.
Week 3 - Blog Post #5 - Response to Mark Benn
Mark Wrote:
Week 4-blog 6 Topic quickies
Topic #1: Briefly share what your dream teaching or presentation environment would be like, be specific about what such a place would include (beyond just the tech toys).
My dream assignment would be with colleagues that are interested in improving how they teach and discussing best practices. They go out and read the research on their own and then apply it to their pedagogy. Everyone would work as a team within the school to make 21st century learning a priority. Of course, we'd want the technology tools to go with all this including one to one computing. I'm tired of being basically the lone wolf when it comes to moving forward. Another important part of this environment would be administrators that shared our vision and worked hard to fulfill it. I don't care if it is K-12 or above this would be the environment I'd love to teach in.
My dream assignment would be with colleagues that are interested in improving how they teach and discussing best practices. They go out and read the research on their own and then apply it to their pedagogy. Everyone would work as a team within the school to make 21st century learning a priority. Of course, we'd want the technology tools to go with all this including one to one computing. I'm tired of being basically the lone wolf when it comes to moving forward. Another important part of this environment would be administrators that shared our vision and worked hard to fulfill it. I don't care if it is K-12 or above this would be the environment I'd love to teach in.
My response:
Wouldn't that be wonderful Mark. My favorite Art Professor in college is in the process of creating a brain based learning school. Im not sure if it will be a charter/magnet/or private school, but he wants to teach all subjects through the creative process. I told him if he comes to a point where he needs teachers let me know. He lives in Glenn Michigan so it would be a stretch to drive that distance everyday, but the thought of teaching with individuals who love teaching so much that they are willing to create their own school entices me. I fail to find that passion within most of my colleagues and if the passion is there it is for the "test scores" and moving up into administration. I need to see the kids at heart of the teachers passion. Loving kids just how they are. Letting them learn in the easiest form for them may it be through play, computers, discovery, or creativity. We adults want our students to learn in the easiest way possible for us. You sit I tell you take test. We need to be big kids and get dirty, have fun, and use the tools the students love.
Week 3 - Blog Post # 4 - Response to Andrew Barrabas
Andrew Wrote:
Week 3 Free Topic - Both sides of the coin.
One of the most fascinating things about people is how they can ignore things when they don't fit their beliefs. I think everyone does this to a certain extent. I still do. With the dawn of the Internet, it is easy now to find information that completely reinforces our own world view.
From this myopia comes the Law of Unintended Consequences, or as I like to call it, The Other Side of the Coin. No choice in life is a certain thing but some people think it is because they choose not to see the other side of the coin. For example:
No Child Left Behind. When it was written I at first liked the idea. Let's put down some standards for students to measure up to. Encourage success, and punish failure. Sounds good.
Of course there are many problems with this. Just the name itself is loaded with problems. No Child Left Behind indicates that all children will do equally well and nobody will fail (aka be left behind). The problem is when you look at the other side of the coin. If you want all children to do equally well then you have to hold back the high achievers too. Enforcing this standardization on everyone is a left over from the factory model education system. Teachers are handcuffed to Teaching to the Test.
The only skill the students will really have after they graduate is a skill of taking standardized tests.
So here is my radical idea. Disband the Department of Education entirely. Let states try 50 different approaches to education and see what happens. Let kids excel and provide guidance to help them get there. Over time the best approaches will become clear and will then be passed around to other schools. What makes this country great is American Ingenuity, not government.
Most critically, make sure from an early age young kid's native gifts are recognized and nurtured before the factory school beats it out of them. So who's with me?
From this myopia comes the Law of Unintended Consequences, or as I like to call it, The Other Side of the Coin. No choice in life is a certain thing but some people think it is because they choose not to see the other side of the coin. For example:
No Child Left Behind. When it was written I at first liked the idea. Let's put down some standards for students to measure up to. Encourage success, and punish failure. Sounds good.
Of course there are many problems with this. Just the name itself is loaded with problems. No Child Left Behind indicates that all children will do equally well and nobody will fail (aka be left behind). The problem is when you look at the other side of the coin. If you want all children to do equally well then you have to hold back the high achievers too. Enforcing this standardization on everyone is a left over from the factory model education system. Teachers are handcuffed to Teaching to the Test.
The only skill the students will really have after they graduate is a skill of taking standardized tests.
So here is my radical idea. Disband the Department of Education entirely. Let states try 50 different approaches to education and see what happens. Let kids excel and provide guidance to help them get there. Over time the best approaches will become clear and will then be passed around to other schools. What makes this country great is American Ingenuity, not government.
Most critically, make sure from an early age young kid's native gifts are recognized and nurtured before the factory school beats it out of them. So who's with me?
My response:
What a great post Andrew:). I agree that a belief system causes a person to hold strong to the side they are putting their faith in and the individuals in congress who believe in NCLB are blinded by their ambition to save public education or to save children from being left behind. There are huge problems with the bill and no one in "Charge" wants to admit that the venture is a failure and is causing schools to be an unwelcoming place for students and Teachers.
Frankly, I sometimes fell like getting out of education because of the politics. I love kids. Obviously, I am an art teacher and I want to have a fun loving atmosphere free from judgement and full of self expression. This becomes very hard when the atmosphere in the school is high stress, no fun, pass the test or the state is taking over. The fear is squelching the teachers ability to be a creative and fun learning mentor to these children.
School should be an awesome fun place that kids love to explore and discover new things like in children's museums. Unfortunately the schools I have been within are more like a pressure cooker with 9 day old pea soup with a off smell. Kids don't want to go and the teachers are tired. I have to guess that this was not the vision congress had in mind when they passed NCLB.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
