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Teacher, how art thou?
The Gates Foundation’s preliminary findings on the measures of effective teaching is out. The study is based on the premise that teachers matter, highlighting the major role of teachers in effecting learning. Herein lies my conflict with the philosophy of instructional design: no matter what blueprint you may have, it may not achieve results because you cannot be sure how a teacher implements the plan in the classroom or virtually. I’ve seen that with my own eyes, and been there myself as a teacher for years. I’ve watched great teachers…
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A Community-Based Theatre Experience
Cry for Peace: Voices from the Congo. Storch Theatre, Syracuse Stage (SS). Last night, I was fortunate to be invited by one of my committee members to watch the poignant documentary-theater, public workshop performance, community-based play (?) about the Congolese refugees now located in Syracuse. It was co-written by Ping Chong and SS dramaturg, Kyle Bass. True, I have used multiple labels in an effort to describe what it is. Still, they are inadequate at conveying what I perceived. Methinks it is a bit of CBP (Jan Cohen-Cruz’s model), with…
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Emotional Connection
Affective development, affect-sensitive learning environments, affective experiences. These are huge research areas, but specifically for now, I’m interested in emotional engagement because knowledge (and/or cognitive potential) alone is inadequate at producing change in behaviors or attitudes. In conceptualizing my dissertation, now and before, emotional engagement has always been one of the areas I am interested in exploring. I stumbled upon Chris Koch’s posting on building emotional engagement for B2B marketing. It added a layer to my thinking about my dissertation. My earlier posts had indicated that I’m conceptualizing the use…
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Funneling Down
I feel like I’m plunging deeper into the funnel, from a broad topic to an increasingly narrower focus (I think this metaphor came from Sari Biklen’s book on writing a qual research dissertation). What a blessing in disguise not doing my original topic is! I realize I’m a pretty intuitive person. I sensed from writing that 10-11 pages of my first proposal (a lot of hard work it was) that something was not going right. Abandoning it was hard. Not having support after thinking I had it was even harder.…
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Creative Problem-Solving in Reality
(Image Source: Tashi Mannox website: http://bit.ly/f8jkfN) Note: I learned about these clouds through Dr. Julia Marshall’s presentation. Beautiful and iconic — representing nature, energy, heaven. And I stumbled upon Tashi Mannox by accident. Gorgeous design! I feel like an instructional designer with a complex problem that requires a novel solution! How ironic! I am studying myself constantly, because 1. I have read up a LOT on creativity, and 2. never tire of learning about it. When someone told me he was interested in studying innovation but not creativity, I am…
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Expert Advice on Community-Based Arts
I’m having a lot of fun right now learning and conceptualizing my yes, new study! I’ve attended a talk on art-based research (See Nov 30 posting). Today, I had the honor to talk to Dr. Jan Cohen-Cruz, Director, Imagining America, author and expert on community-based performance (CBP). That is, on an unforgettable day of rain and snow, making the walk to Tolley Building a wet and slushy one. Nevertheless, still memorable.:) Marj had recommended I read her book(s). I’ve started with Local Acts. It documents the historical origins, establishes the…
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Deaf Coffee 11-26-2010
How long has it been that I haven’t seen BB, my Deaf ASL instructor? I took 2 ASL classes with her and then practiced sometimes with her at my corporate office. But we kept in touch via email and with Facebook, socializing became a cinch, a matter of clicking buttons and pressing keys. Thanksgiving break was a good time to meet up; everyone was relaxed. There were more people at Panera’s that night. BB was already there when I arrived, looking beautiful, unravaged by time. Straight blond hair, pinned up…
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We Remain Ourselves
(Image source: http://bit.ly/idu9Xa) I was definitely intrigued by the title. Art-Based Research and the Intersection between Making Art and Teaching Art. “Her primary scholarship is in curriculum development, arts integration, the uses of contemporary art in art education and the intersection between creativity and cognition.” Of course I had to make the trip to Shemin’s Auditorium at 6:30PM! Dr. Julia Marshall‘s presentation was fascinating. She spoke on her art practice and how much she learned from teaching art to younger people, like undergraduates and graduates. That if she had just…
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It’s in the blood
(Image Source: http://bit.ly/cj5NQ5) Hough agreed, saying that after he began dancing with her: ‘I knew that it was in her body, that it was in her blood.’ Some things are just genetic. I know that I’m more inclined towards the arts. It’s a part of me. But it doesn’t stop me from learning and growing beyond. However, as I’ve always been told, be an expert in an area and don’t spread myself too thin. It takes too much commitment to be good in more than an area or two.
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Lessons in Atlanta
Hurriedly I came, and hurriedly I left. To check out NAGC. It was interesting, attended by a large number of teachers, I think. It has been a long time since I’ve been in a gifted ed environment. I attended a session (amongst others) by Dr. Mark Runco, creativity research scholar, which was more a Q&A session. I must say I was surprised by his youthfulness. I seem to have this misconception that he is a distinguished elderly gentleman because of his extensive body of research. How wrong I was. ;-P…
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The things we learn from TV
Today, I had a break from writing and watched TV, yes, passive leisure in a way, but my brain needs a break, right? How I Met Your Mother. What a witty show. I like the characters, and I love Barney, Neil Patrick Harris! The actors were competing today to win some kind of competition. In the end, though, each of them learned something about what real winning is. Well, what I learned was what a “walking calculator” ad had pointed out to Barney and Ted, “CE- clear everything; -, subtract…
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Cyberbullying
It is inconceivable how invasive and disrespectful some people are to the privacy of others, especially with respect to online privacy. It is unfortunate and tragic how some have succumbed to the bullying, like Tyler Clementi, who saw no way out. I have been a victim of people who blatantly disrespect the wishes of others to be unsubscribed from their online news. Unfortunately, some people cannot be reasoned with. I used to request, failing which, command, failing which, delete entire email accounts, just so I can escape the harassment. Subsequently,…
