ART: Week 6 - Read (watch) & React

Week 6: 2/23- 3/1

1.View TED videos. I realize many of you have watched Ken Robinson, but with all this new insight, you may hear something in a different way than before :) Watch and reflect on your blog. What stood out for you in these talks?

"We should be waking them up to what is inside of themselves." I often think this needs to be done with the majority of the adults I'm around. They work in one mode, and 'live' in another. Waiting for that precious time (5:00, vacation, summer, whatever) when they can be their real selves and relax or be energized. I look forward to summer because the weather is warm and we can grill outside and have extended time to go places, but not because I no longer have to work. I look forward to the challenges at work, to thinking, to engaging my senses. But I am increasingly aware that I am a minority in this aspect. I look for ways to engage my day, not make it through the day. (although, I won't lie sometimes I have rather crap days.) I think it is more of a chosen outlook or philosophy that drives life choices. It helped me choose my career path, my content area, my district, my building, etc. And if I didn't like something, I made change. I work towards making things better, not accepting the way things have always been. 

Part of what I am always discouraged about with listening to Ken Robinson, is that he gets me (and others) all charged up and inspired, but he doesn't necessarily lead us to any action or provide a solution. Granted on this go around, and after a few years of these ideas bouncing around in my head, I am seeing that he may be proposing and endorsing the use of more divergent thinking. In fact, it does seem like the CCSS are encouraging this more and more, (such as R.7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words; and R.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.) getting students to consider multiple points of view and to propose their own way of thinking (W.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism; and SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.)  I think we are starting to think differently about "human capacity" but that seems to come down to a more individual level. It also seems like this would be helped along by changing the public perception of schools, schooling, and teachers. All the hubbub about CC is one example of how misinformation about schooling and the changes taking place can dismantle the positive change that is possible. I think changing the structures of schools will be hard, but asking teachers to embrace and attempt divergent thinking in their instruction is a good step forward. More exploration into the socio-constructivist or cognitive apprenticeship model could also help us make this paradigm shift.  

2. Then, search around for a TED talk or something similar which you find inspirational and caused you pause for reflection. POST(upload) to the Lore site with a comment about its emphasis and your reflection on it. (short, under 100 words)
Some of you may wish to explore the appendix in Reflective teaching, there are many resources there which may lead you to some interesting places.

http://youtu.be/-ZKiJejNRtw

 I saw this Fish! Video as a second or third year teacher and it has stuck with me through the past decade. (Although I don't remember it being as cheesy as it seems  now…) To me, it really coalesced with my life philosophy of doing something meaningful and joyful for a career since I was going to be spending most of my life (or at lease a good chunk of it) doing it. I have never been one to scrounge up motivation to do something un-meaningful. I have to be able to see the purpose. So, after watching this when I was a traveling teacher between two middle schools (one I particularly loved, and one I particularly loathed) I decided I was in control of my attitude and that would determine how my day ultimately went. I ended my days at the school I didn’t care for, with the students who were cruel and unruly. But I decided I could choose to let them keep me down, or I could pick myself up. So I chose to have fun or at least I would fake it until I made it so, and if I was  down at the end of the day, I blared a song I couldn’t help but sing along to and “car-dance” as I drove home.