Saturday, December 15, 2012

Double Journal Entry - Final


As a community educator I view the field of media literacy and education somewhat differently than traditional teachers.  I see the potential for civic engagement, media literacy, and community collaboration.  Youth today are empowered to explore the world with the tap of their fingers, community educators need to provide the portals to connect those taps with relevance in both a local and globalized partnership.

The challenges facing educators, both within structured education and the community, is the availability of resources.  “State departments of education do not recognize media literacy or media education as a discrete subject area in which states award licenses to teachers or administer standardized tests to student.  Therefore, faculty are not trained to teach students to analyze and produce media, nor are such classes mandated as part of the student’s coursework.  Interested teachers must pick up the skills on their own…..” (Goodman, 2003, p. 100) Without a concentrated effort to train teachers in not only the use of media, but in media literacy there will continue to be challenges for inclusion in the community.

During my involvement, over the past year, with Project Isaac I have seen this shortcoming.  I was approached by the site coordinator of this afterschool program to “teach the teachers” in digital storytelling.  Through the development of assignments in this course I have identified the need to provide media collaboration between the community and the educational system.  One person cannot change the education system, but one person can make a difference in the media literacy of many.

As an assignment for ONLR 6305, Advanced Education Technology and Media, I developed a collaborative media project that could be used in a K-12 setting.  That project involved taking digital storytelling in the form of a Story Box to Project Isaac within the region.  It is the concept behind this collaboration that speaks to my desire to bring technology into education through the community.

The text explores the relationship between media and education and offers some interesting insight.  “Technology integration has historically occupied the instrumental wing of the media education field.  From this perspective, technology has been p promoted as a highly efficient instrument that can aid teachers in delivering information to students.” (Goodman, 2003, p. 10)  The educational system is slow to change, and realize that media is no longer an audio visual cart that gets pulled out to show a movie in the classroom, that audio visual cart is now at the fingers of the students for many hours during the day. 

As I proceed down the educational path I plan to continue to build my own critical media literacy skills so that I can provide technology support for my passion of educating the community about history.  I strongly believe that in order to bring change about in media in the classroom there will need to be more active participation from within the community.  As Goodman says, “Youth media really was, and continues to be, a movement that is nurtured and sustained by nonschool institutions.” (Goodman, 2003, p. 18)

There are many facets of my own education in the 1970s that my grandchildren will never be exposed to, such as the turquoise AV cart that would roll periodically into the classroom, instead they will be inundated with media on a daily, if not hourly basis.  I did not need to understand how the movie was created, or even how the projector worked, I only needed to absorb the content.  Today’s generation no longer waits for the AV cart, they carry it with them, and they do need to understand how it works and why it works so that they can critically absorb the content.

The following resources provide both direct and indirect support to the theory and practice of community involvement in media literacy in education.






Works Cited

Goodman, S. (2003). Teaching Youth Media: A Critical Guide to Literacy, Video Production, and Scoial Change. New York: Teachers College Press.

 

 

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Family "Stuff" - Final Version

I just wasn't happy with the music.  Taking comments to heart and left the music off.  Adjusted some transitions.  I think I'm ready to share this with my mother.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

My Family "Stuff"

Some challenges, but here it is.  Need to go back at it and make some changes I think.


Sunday, November 25, 2012

Digital Story

My storyboard is a little non-traditional.  The images are in my head as I will be taking the photos of family artifacts.  I have noted the location and the content of the photos.  I have a "date" with a cousin to take the photos on Tuesday of this week.  It will be fun to spend time with Cousin Jan, fun to share the story of our family, and fun to create a permanent connection to the boxes of stuff in my care.


Will the legacy of my ancestors become a burden to my descendants, or should I say, Do I really need to keep all this stuff?

Image: Family photos, group shots
The story of my life is a complicated one, I have traveled the world [Image: Eastern Europe] yet still I always return home to the hills of West Virginia.  My heart and soul are buried in this mountain soil [Image: WV scene].  I may not have been physically born here, but a part of me, has always been here. [Image:  John Hackers Cabin]
My family has always believed in telling the story of the land and of the people.  [Image: Chronicles of Border Warfare, Lewis County History Book, interp photo of me]  While the family gift of writing the story may be somewhat unique our penchant for “saving stuff” is not.  Families across Appalachia have buildings full of “important” family items.  Although our family stuff collection is not unique it is a responsibility that I take seriously.
My great aunt passed away a number of years ago [Image:  Aunt Reva]  She was preceeded in death by her husband, and had no children.  There was a limited number of nieces and nephews to whom her collection of lifes stuff could be passed.  She had done all the right things late in life, passing on momentos [Image:  red shoe], and disposing of the unnecessary physical things.  It’s ironic to think that a woman who lived to be 92 could have her life reduced to 12 boxes.  [Image:  boxes].  Yet it is those 12 boxes that pose the question, will the legacy of my ancestors be a burden to my descendants?
I have spent many many hours sorting through the legacy of my Great Aunt.  She was a favorite of mine and we spent many hours together when I was a small girl.  One of my earliest memories is of her home in Akron, Ohio [Image:  house] and the giant breezeway where the family gathered.  Sitting in the corner was a collection of family items, a great wheel, a yarn winder, wool cards, and a framed photograph.  To this day, I can clearly picture that room and the placement of those items.  Perhaps it is poetic that those very items have been a driving force in my life and because of their influence upon me I am challenged to make a connection between my children and grandchildren for the stuff of a woman they have never met.
The first box I opened contained love letters from my uncle to my aunt during WWII.  He wasn’t a romantic, but he was handsome.  [Image:   Uncle B in uniform] hundreds of photos of Aunt Reva [Image:   aunt reva], and baggies of valentines.  There were more than 150 valentines in all.  Most are of the school variety “will you be mine?” with a name scrawled in pencil on the back.  Some have a last name, but most carry no connection to the present.  However, there are the embossed valentines from my Great Great Grandmother to my aunts and grandmother.  There are the valentines signed with “love and affection” by a boy whom I knew as a man, but I never knew he cared so deeply for my aunt.  He was gone before I came into possession of the box so I have no way to ask him about her.  I used this box to complete a project for school.  I’ve sorted the valentines and [Image:  valentine collection] read the letters.
The second box is a treasure and it is my challenge.  It contains the story of my great grandfather, Nick P. Winemiller.  Grandpa Nick died two years before I was born.  But thanks to my aunt I have many photos of him and his family, [Image:  Nick] and his courtship with my namesake.
I must digress and tell you of the man who came into my life in 1998.  Daril Stalnaker married my mother in Oct of 1998.  Daril was a wonderful man, but he was 24 years older than my mother.  We were all very blessed to have him as a part of our life until the age of 91.  Prior to his death he spent many hours with my daughter.  He was there when she announced she was pregnant with her first child, and it was Daril who proclaimed that it would be a boy and she should call him Nicholas, after her grandpa.  Daril shared some wonderful stories of my great grandfather, whom he knew as a child and a young man. 
My grandson Nicky is now 4 years old.  He will never remember the man who named him or hear the stories of his namesake [Image:  Grandpa Nick] from someone who knew him.  Someday though, when my time has come and Nicky has the opportunity to move the great wheel that has been sitting in my living room [Image:  my living room] and then the boxes.  I hope that he will take the time to stop and look and wonder who these people were and question how they influenced him. 
I will spend my lifetime telling my children and grandchildren the stories of their ancestors and share with them the photos, the letters, the school books, and the valentines.  While I can never hope to create a first person connection to the treasures that have been entrusted to me I can strive to provide a connection to their importance to me and hopefully to provide a more permanent emotional tie.
I sometimes wonder if my grandson Nicky will someday sit and open a box and tell the story of the items it contains to his grandchildren.  I imagine the conversation would be something like this…..  “Reva dear let me tell you about a women that your Nana (that’s ME, Jane) knew and loved.  It’s a long story but we have some really old things to make the story fun.  See this book, its dated 1882.  Be careful, its very very old.  This book belonged to your 5th great grandfather, Nick P. Winemiller.  Yes, dear, that’s my name too.  Would you like to see a photograph of your other Grandpa Nick?”
I know there will be many times over the years when I will struggle with the physical stuff of my ancestors and for various reasons I will part with items [Image:   film, tattered clothing box] but I hope that through the telling of the story to my children and grandchildren I will build a love and connection for the people, places, and things of long ago.  That someday my little Nicky will think to himself, “I’m glad NaNa was crazy enough to keep all this stuff, its’ really cool.”

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Double Journal Week #12


1.      How can documentary video production help prevent the underdevelopment of urban youth minds and spirits?

 

Providing youth with a creative outlet feeds their mind and soul.  Many youth crave something more, something positive, and something different.  Young minds need to be stimulated and they need to believe that they have a way to be better, to be different.  If a soul believes they have a chance to move up, if they truly believe, than there is hope. 

 

2. What school-based literacies does documentary video production help to develop?

Students work towards achieving a variety of literacies including reading, writing, and even mathematics.  There are many life skills that are inherent to the process such as time management, analyzing situations, and the decision making process.   They are learning critical thinking skills, as well as communication in its most basic form, verbally.

 

3. What 21st century skills does documentary video production help to develop? Provide concrete examples from the chapter. Use this Wikipedia article to help you answer this questions.

 

Video Production skills encompass most, if not all aspects of the 2st Century Skills.  From the use of technology to professional development, from Life and Career Skills to Core Subjects all aspects are represented.

 

For example, one student,  Jackson questions the need and ability to analyze a question that he already believes he knows the answer to. (Goodman, pg 73, 3rd par.)  He needs to learn (and does) that the obvious answer is not always the right answer nor the best.  Additionally, be closely examining questions he believes that he already knows the answer to he is learning that there may be different points of view.   This concept is an important part of life and career skills.

 

The Information, Media, and Technology Skills component of the 21st Century Skills are very broad in their application.  It is easy to coorelate that learning the process of videoing including the details of logging, are a component.  There is more to the video process than running a camera, students in a video production class get exposure and hopefully develop the skill snecessary to support this endeaor.

 

4. Would you support a documentary video production in school or after-school program in your community? Why or Why not?

 

I believe that youth require a variety of diversionary activities to keep them out of trouble.  Providing the same basic offerings for extra curricular activities will leave students out of the loop. Students are, above all else, individuals.  They cannot all be treated the same.  In my school days there was the band geeks, the jocks, the dope heads, and the av junkies.  Today, that list of classifications has grown to include such diverse interests as the anime kids, the WOW junkies, and a variety of others.  By taping into modern video technology there is an excellent opportunity to include more youth in creative outlets and perhaps provide them skills for the 21st Century.

 

 

 

 

And THE question is?

As I embark upon the next chapter in my life I wonder if the legacy I leave behind will be as important to my descendants as the legacy I have inherited is to me.  Or more simply stated, will my life have a lasting meaning?

Fabric is full of many fibers, the weaving of those threads creates a fabric that may be rich and luxurious, or thin and sparse.  Yet each piece of material that is created is unique, when care is taken in the weaving process the finished goods will be full, long-lasting, and serve the exact purpose for which it was created.  So too, is the story of my life, in a very literal sense.

Elements of Story


Element #1 – Point of View

Consider your audience as you plan your story. Why is it important for you to tell your story to them? What do you hope your audience will understand about what you have to share? Will you be telling your story in 1st person (more personal) or will you be telling it from 3rd person (more removed or detached)?

Take a look at the two examples and see if you can identify the purpose behind each story. What is the point of view in each? Whose voice do you hear?

The point of view of a story is essential to the harmonious conclusion of a piece that has kept the audience engaged and leaves them with a piece of the teller.  Often times the same story can be told from different points of view. 

“Making Salt” is an educational piece that is sharing the process of collecting salt.  It is meant to be impersonal and educational and it does that well.  It gives enough information to invoke curiosity in the process.  The second example left me wondering, what????  Although by the conclusion I was thinking, this is a nice piece that the students can share with their parents and giggle their way through at photos of themselves and their classmates.  If this was developed as a recap of a field trip, it does that very well, but there was little to no value for a disinterested third person.

Element #2 – Dramatic Question

See if you can find a dramatic question in the examples for this section. Is the question resolved in each movie or are you left without a resolution?

“Are We Making Guam Ugly?” poses a dramatic question, but the answer is inconclusive.  Obviously the students are tossing out metal, but there is no connection to illegal dumping or that what they are doing being wrong.  Perhaps in the context of the island this visual made sense, but the images presented showed a very narrow view of the problem.  My greatest challenge was connecting the happy music with the unhappy pictures.  A portion of the song set against some photos of the natural beauty of the island which would then transition to a less happy piece with the negative images would have supported the question better.  Also, having the students putting the junk into the truck would have been more positive.

The Seward Legend was fun, but it failed to present a question, so therefore no resolution was found.

 Element #3 – Emotional Content

This section has three examples of movies that deal with emotional content. See if you can identify the emotional paradigms behind these stories

All three of these clips provided strong emotional content, although each was on a different level.  I was particularly moved by the “What is a Stranger?” A traumatic story, but a creative way to deal with a real life issue.  I hope that the piece helped in the healing process for the students.

Element #4 – Voice

What impact is present when children's voices are used as compared to having an adult narrate this story?

What do you think about having the words included as images in the movies? Is this something that you would want to do with your students? Why do you suppose the author included these images?

There is a time and a place for each voice.  The aural connection is profound and when a limited number of senses are available to examine an item it is imperative that those senses be tuned in appropriately.  A young person narrating the story of an elderly person would have less impact than if they were narrating a children’s story.  However, clips and interviews with some people, even though they are meant to be in the first person, can be detrimental to a piece.  Not all voices are created equal and the tone and dictation of people need to be considered.  We see in each of these elements that they are all connected.  A poor choice in any one area can profoundly affect the overall result.

Element #5 – Soundtrack

I did not notice the question in this component.  Perhaps I’m overwhelmed with all the information that is provided.  I find the soundtrack to be the most difficult component, not only because of copyright issues, but also because I just don’t really notice music.  I’m more of a white noise person.  I will notice if a particular selection is inappropriate or if it suits the intent, but the selection is a key problem for me.

Element #6 – Economy

Look at the examples in this section and consider the decisions the authors made about length of clips, types of transitions and sequence of events. Are you able (as a viewer) to fill in the missing pieces?

Both clips filled the need, however if the clips were viewed without the accompanying text that explains the project one would be in the dark more on the second piece than the first.  Sometimes less is more, but just as often more is too much.  It is difficult to find the right balance.  Repetition is positive in storytelling, but even that is conditional upon the audience and the point of view.

Element #7 – Pacing

Have you ever listened to a really good story and noticed how the storyteller changes the pace throughout the story?

How about this example from a "Small School" in Alaska? While it contains very few spoken words, what comments do you have on the pacing of the story?

Are there areas that you would have liked to see sped up or slowed down?

How has humor been introduced in this story without the use of spoken words?

Both these stories were interesting.  I visited Alaska about 18 months ago so I had an unusual appreciation for these two selections.  At first view the first example moved slowly and provided too much detail to keep my attention.  The initial opening was catching, but the text was heavy.  The piece did pick up again after the historical context, perhaps a third voice in that section would have helped.

The second piece, “A small school,” was creative and fun.  Part of the video sections could have exercised more economy and been clipped as there was too much wasted time which resulted in an alteration in the pace and negatively affected the humorous aspect of the piece.  Having seen a moose in downtown Anchorage in the middle of March I thoroughly enjoyed the lighthearted look at life in the tundra.  There was a great use of props to convey their point.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Week #11 Double Journal Entry


Quote:

 

“At its most basic, the students’ inquiry begins with and spirals out of the act of questioning, as all inquiry does.  But for questions to eventually lead to answers – and perhaps to new questions – inquirers must learn where and how to gather information.  Then they need to learn how to assess the reliability of the information they obtain, and finally how to interpret and integrate the new data into their existing frameworks of knowledge and experience.” (Goodman, pg 48, par 2)

 

Media literacy skills are essential life skills as we move forward in the 21st Century.  Students, of all ages, need to learn to not only question, but also to seek answers to those questions.  It is not enough to accept that something is what it is, simply because that is what it is.  (Wow, that was a mouthful.)  Many youth of a question authority, but not enough of them seek an answer to their question.

 

As I read this weeks’ reading I was impressed with the level of ownership that the students took for their project.  They strongly felt that it wasn’t enough to question why there were guns, they wanted to find a way to reduce guns in the community and they realized that they needed to discuss the issue within the community.

 

The process of inquiry for these students was challenging both mentally and physically.  The process required them to hit the streets and talk about a subject that is touchy.  The fear of reprisal must have been present, especially as they talked with their peers on a subject that is violent and has the potential to be sanctioned legally.

 

Resource:
 

Comments:

The connection between The Chronicle article and the reading is simple, students are not developing the skills to question, research, analyze, and develop hypothesis.  If these skills are not being developed sufficiently in students who pursue higher education, it is safe to presume that basic media literacy skills are not being learned sufficiently for young people to become productive adults.  In keeping with the spirit of the quote this additional resource provides some potential answers.
 

 

 

Citations:

 

Chapman, Paige. (2010). Students lack basic research skills, study finds. The Chronicle. <http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/students-lack-basic-research-skills-study-finds/28112> 6 November 2012.

 

Goodman, S. (2003). Teaching youth media. New York: Teachers College Press.

 

Hobbs, R. (2010). Digital and media literacy. a white paper on the digital and media literacy recommendations of the knight commission on the information needs of commu. Washington, DC: Aspen Institute. Retrieved from http://www.knightcomm.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Digital_and_Media_Literacy_A_Plan_of_Action.pdf
Could not resist.

I will help build this trail.

Week #11 - Community Involvement


1.. What are your concerns about teaching young people to make videos about social problems?

            My only real concern about teaching young people to make videos is that in the process of teaching them technology we are short changing them in basic skills.  I know this is a standard answer for me, but it is a real concern.  I’m beginning to think that I need to adjust my attitude and realize and accept that technology is a basic skill.

 

Then read Chapter 2 in the course text and answer the following questions:

 

1.     Name a social issue specific to the Appalachian region that you think young people in your community would or should address.

There a variety of issues facing young people today such as teenage pregnancy, alcohol & tobacco use, bullying, and more personal mental health and family issues.  A major social issue is also recycling.  In the grander scope of things recycling seems like a small issue, but a sustainable environment is important for current and future generations.

 

2.     Find an online resource you might use to scaffold community-based video production process.

Fairmont is very fortunate to have a public access channel.  Channel 19 is primarily the brain child of D.D. Meighan, a retired Methodist Minister, but the community supports it in a variety of ways.  D.D. is receptive to partnerships and collaboration.  If an individual or an organization has a need for publicity, an event that want broadcast, or a story to share, a call to D.D. is all that is needed. 

http://tv19fairmont.blogspot.com/ for schedule and visit http://vp.telvue.com/player?s=gfcc to view the offered programming.  At 3:34 each day, in the month of November viewers will enjoy a historic First Person interpretation of Susan Holt Camden.  Watch the video and one will understand why the story of Mrs. Dr. Camden is near and dear to my heart.

 

3.     Choose one of the following perspectives; teacher, parent, or community member. From your chosen perspective, would you be supportive of a school program that engaged students in community-based video production? Why or Why not?

As a community member I would embrace the opportunity to work with students in a community based video production.  Working with students at a variety of levels allows for civic engagement, community service, media skills literacy development, and mentorship. 

Currently, in conjunction with D.D. and Channel 19 we are planning a family museum as part of a Senior project for a student at East Fairmont High School.  Josh, is working on compiling and cataloging family artifacts, he will then develop an exhibit which will be featured at the Marion County Historical Society and D.D. will be filming the exhibit and providing some supporting footage as part of the student’s school presentation.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Double Journal Week #10


1.     Do you think topics that center on "frustration with official power" and "attraction for mass media fantasies would differ in rural communities from those that inner-city teenagers focus on? How? Give some examples.

I believe there is some difference to be noted in the difference between the urban and the rural, but I believe the craving for attention is the same.  While I believe the urban youth may see the need for attention in a gang setting for instance those in a rural setting may be more interested in mass media attention for a crazy stunt on a 4-wheeler.  Motivation is similar by the ways expressed is very different.

 

2.     How do traditional social institutions and mass media work to silence inner-city kids?

The two “entities” set themselves up an two like minded sources that puts the youth in the crosshairs.  Both sides exploit the good and the bad of inner-city youth.

 

3.     What is your reaction to the statistics presented under the heading "And Justice For Some?" Do you think the system in intentionally organized to disadvantage urban youth of color?

Growing up in the 1970s, where there was “white” and “black” I have been hearing these and similar statistics all my life.  I also believe that often times the research that generates these numbers may often be skewered  and even inaccurate.  I am not saying that I disbelieve the statistics, only that I’m not always prone to believe that everything I read is the truth.

 

4.     Link to an advertisement or commercial that you consider to b e influenced by hip-hop culture?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBR-DU93oxQ

 

5.     What dangers to young people do you see in the relentless marketing of "cool" ?

I have long believed that in an attempt to determine what is cool we do a disservice to today’s youth and tomorrow’s adults.  We put forth the idea and notion that to be disrespectful to adults is to “be cool” and yet this learned pattern of disrespect is often a major downfall of youth.  I have often believed that as funny as it was, “what you talkin’ bout Willis?” by Gary Coleman was the beginning of the end.

 

6.     What is your reaction to the research that shows youth violence in decline? Do you still think that is the trend in 2012? Find some statistics to support your answer?

I believe that statistics can be interpreted to tell the story that is wanted.  If I want to show that juvenile delinquency is declining I could use the numbers from the time period of 1997 to the present (according to http://www.ncjj.org/pdf/jcsreports/jcs2009.pdf) and yet if I wanted to show that juvenile delinquency is increasing utilizing the same data I would do a comparison of a longer time period, say from 1991.

 

7.     Why is it important to let youth speak for themselves and their voices to be heard?

Not only do today’s youth need to be able to speak for themselves, they need to be able to think for themselves and the two skills are dependent upon each other.

 

8.     What prevents Urban Youth from articulating their own lived experiences in ways that might be productive? Do you think this is problematic in rural areas like West Virginia? Do you think rural youth are victimized by mass media in ways that are different than Urban youth? How?

Either intentionally or unintentionally adults put a set of standards onto information provided by the younger generation.  We believe that they need to communicate and be articulate at our levels.  It is often believed that our way is the right way, and the “new” way of looking at life and the experiences of the younger generation are wrong or at the very least, not to be taken seriously.  As to the differences in victimization I would refer to my answer to the first question, different as to the content, but not different as to the intent.

 

9.     According to the author, what is the best way to address the literacy challenge?

The author believes we need to “organically” address literacy.  In other words, grass roots, from the beginning of education for all.

 

10. Why is the skill and drill approach to literacy instruction ineffective?

 

11. What should schools offer to improve literacy instruction for Urban Youth? Do you think this strategy would also benefit student of the Appalachia region whose literacy rates are similar to those of youth in the inner-city?

 

12. How is the process of reading changed by media?

      Reading can be reinforced in a variety of digital and multi-media avenues.  Sesame Street took the world by storm in the 1970’s by using media to teach reading and counting.  It was more effective than could have been predicted.  New forms of media take Sesame Street and put it on steroids for more classes and levels in society than ever before.

 

13. According to the author how might the imbalance between inner-city kids strong command of oral and visual language be used to improve print-based language? Do you think this would also work for low-literacy kids in the Appalachia region?

Brainstorming the Digital Story


1.      Please describe a positive scene from childhood in detail. What led up to this event? When and where did it happen? Who was involved? What were you thinking and feeling? Why is it an important event? What impact did it have on you?

The happy moments, hmmmm, the day my missing cat appeared at school, 2 miles from home.  Angel had been missing for 7 days.  Apparently, she hitched a ride to town.  Then there were the infrequent walks to the top of the hill where I would hide to read a book.  I could also talk about the litter of Irish Setter puppies that made me smile. 

I will share the details of a friendship that has had a major impact upon my life in a very unusual way.  When I was 12 years old a new family moved in down the street.  The purchased an old run down brick house and commenced to renovate it.  There family consisted of Mom, Dad, Chris and John.  John was gorgeous and older than I.  For a girl of twelve he was dreamy.  His sister Chris, well, she was to become a guiding force in my life.

Chris was born with spinbifida and was a quadriplegic.  She was very high functioning and was very artistic and fascinating.  Especially to a 12 year old, unpopular fat girl.  This was about 1977 and I remember Christ tell me about attending school at Kent State University, where she was a student during the riots.

Chris had two crafts that I was able to help her with.  One was copper enameling.  She had a small electric kiln and used copper and pigment powders to create elaborate designs.  I remember her telling me how difficult it was because she had to be extra careful as she had such poor sensory perception in her lower extremities that she could cause severe burns.  Because of the nature of the craft, I was relegated to the role of spectator.

Her second craft was rag rug weaving.  I remember spending hours sitting by her side at the loom, helping her create practical works of art.  For Christmas my parents purchased me a rigid heddle loom and my love affair with weaving was sealed.

2.      Please describe a negative scene from childhood in detail. What led up to this event? When and where did it happen? Who was involved? What were you thinking and feeling? Why is it an important event? What impact did it have on you?

I’ve thought on this assignment for the last week, and I would like to “take the fifth.”  There are many unhappy and even traumatic experiences from my childhood.  In general I do not reflect upon the early part of my life.  While it would be an over exaggeration to say that I have given the sum total of the happy times of my early childhood in the paragraphs above, it is not a stretch to say, that there are not many more.  For the sake of this assignment, I’m not willing to explore that chapter of my life in depth.

3.      Describe a particular event from your teen-aged years that stands out in your memory today. This can be positive or negative. What led up to the event? What happened? Where and when? Who was involved? What were you thinking and feeling? Why is it an important event? What impact did the event have on you.

February 1983. I with 3 dozen other students were gathered in the Study Hall of Perry High School for a meeting with our Speech & Theatre coach to go over the spring musical.  I was excited as this was my year, I was the Senior Student Directory and this was my time to shine.  To be a part of something strong, powerful, and memorable. 

I was no longer the unhappy, disliked, fat kid.  When my family moved my Freshman year I was given a new start, a new life and I had made the most of it.  I was not the most popular kid in school, but I ran with the “in crowd” and I had found my place in the world.  I had become involved in speech & theatre, and had become passionate about a service organization called Key Club.  That passion had led to my election as a club officer, a district officer, and finally selection as Chairman of the annual state conference.

The news of the planning meeting was not pleasant.  The date had been set for the Spring Musical, but unexpectedly the date had to be changed.  The new date was the same weekend as my Key Club State Conference.  I remember sitting there, listening to “Louie” (the teacher) explain why and all I could do was cry.  I remember his stopping his talk and asking if I was ok, I simply said, “yes”.  After the meeting was over and I explained the problem we reached a compromise.  I would continue to serve as senior student director, but I would work from an administrative role and the junior student director would be more hands on. 

This was the first, but not the only, time in my life that I was conflicted about multiple commitments and having to make choices.  Often when I am faced with major choices about multiple commitments I think back to that evening and then try to figure out a way to compromise to make both situations work.

4.      Describe a vivid or important memory from any time in your adult years. Again, this can be positive or negative. It can be about anything – family, work, whatever. The scene stands out in your mind today as being especially vivid or important. Please describe what led up to the event. Then describe the scene in detail. What happened? Where and when? Who was involved? What were you thinking and feeling? Why is it an important event? What impact has the event had on you?

“The artists should be inside.” Said Jeff Grenham, my pottery professor.  I just chuckled and stepped inside the Boggess Gallery.  It was a bit of a shock, I had never been called an “artist” before, and I wasn’t sure what he meant by it. 

I had enjoyed two semesters of pottery with Jeff and had poured my heart and soul into the clay.  Each spring, on the campus of Fairmont State there is a juried art show.  The art show is open to all students on campus, irregardless of their major and as I had been particularly creative I entered three pieces into the show.  One was a handwoven, blue tencel scarf, another was a mixed media piece that combined my love for pottery with weaving, and the third was a bowl that I had crafted in pottery.

I had experimented with a variety of glazing combinations to achieve a particular look.  I was intrigued with the combination of two glazes and the shape of the vessel.  A short time before the show I was stopped by another pottery student while up on campus.  He wanted to tell me how “cool” my bowl was.  At that point, I had no idea what he was talking about.  Yes, I knew that the kiln was supposed to be unloaded that day, but I had not had a chance to go check on the pots. 

The incredible orange/gold/black bowl that emerged from the kiln that day made me believe in “kiln gods,” because on that day they smiled on me.  That bowl will always be special to me, because of it and the “kiln gods,” that I, a non-art major, won “First Place in 3D art” at a juried art show and was called an artist by a man whose art I respect. 

5.      In looking back on your life, you may be able to identify particular “turning points” – episodes through which you experienced an important change in your life. Please choose one key turning point scene and describe it in detail. If you feel your life story contains no clear turning points, then describe a particular episode in your life that comes closer than any other to qualifying for a turning point – a scene where you changed in some way. Again, please describe what led up to the event, what happened in the event, where and when it happened, who was involved, what you were thinking and feeling, and so on. Also, please tell me how you think you changed as a result of this event and why you consider this event to be an important scene in your life story today.

June 2007.  My son had just graduated from high school.  I was talking with a longtime, elderly friend about his future.  He was planning on attending Fairmont State and I was looking for a place to live.  My daughter was getting married, my son was moving off to go to college, and I did not need to continue to live in a 2,000 square foot house.

My friend, Julia, asked what my plans were.  Through the course of the conversation I made the comment that I had always planned on going to college after my son, Charlie, graduated from high school.  So she told me, “do it.”  Long story short, because of the support and encouragement my son and I started college on the same day.  He dropped out part way through the first semester, and four years later I walked the stage and received my diploma, making a 30 year dream come true.

 

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Week #9 - Double Journal Entry


Quote: 

“The Kittridge Street Elementary School in Los Angeles killed its music program in 1996 to hire a technology coordinator; …in one Virginia school the art room was turned into a computer laboratory.” (Goodman, pg 12)

Response: 

It has long been the habit in education to “throw the baby out with the bath water.”  My personal experience seems to suggest that educators are willing to try new and different things, but they do that at the expense of what they know is working.  I’m reminded of a phrase that was often heard on TV back in the 70s, “I don’t understand “new” math.”  Over time the phrase “new math,” has come to be synonymous with change for the sake of change.  Educators have often been quick to try new things at the expense of tested methods. 

Even as studies show that not all students learn the same, many schools in the 90s were quick to jump into computers at the expense of the Arts.  It was often felt that to be on the cutting edge something had to give.  That something was often the Arts.  How sad.  Just as all students are not destined to be literary greats or math wizards, not all students will excel with technology.  Why is it so difficult to understand that education should be multi-leveled and multi-disciplined?

 

Resource:


Watching the video was inspiring and frightening at the same time.  “When are you going to demand from education what you demand from your remote control?” Is the final sentence.  Throughout the 3 ½ minute video one sees how art impacts a school community.  There is a variety of interactions between technology and art.  It is true that the two fields can exist separately, but why is that necessary?  One should not have to suffer for the other.

The practical application of bringing art into community schools at this level is daunting.  However I believe that it speaks well to the quote that the arts should not have to be sacrificed for technology and that there is a need for reform in education.

 

Citations:

Goodman, Steven.  Teaching Youth Media: A critical guide to literacy, video production, and social change. New York: Teachners College Press. 2003.

Roland, Craig. “The Role of Arts in School Reform.” The Art Teachers Guide to the Internet. 27 January 2011. http://artjunction.org/blog/?p=2809