Reflection/Synthesis

My Journey: The Nature and Design of Compelling Experiences

Throughout taking the MSU course The Nature and Design of Compelling Experiences, I have been using this blog as a place to reflect and make connections between the work or art of teachers and the work of art of experts in photography, film and television, architecture and interior design, music, and fashion. Of course one of the main goals of educators is to create compelling experiences for our students. We want to create meaningful learning that moves our students and causes them to see and feel their learning. Educators want to inspire students to respond in new ways to their learning. Similarly, professionals who work in the arts, inspire, provoke, and make us think and feel. Many times because of the standards packed curriculum, educators have neglected the importance of integrating the arts and have not provided experiences that move the students to feel their learning in a different manner.

I have always been interested in photography, and felt that it was a great learning experience to create the video that illustrated both a photo that I felt wasn’t compelling and one that was. In the past I would just take photos because I enjoyed taking them. After reading, “Elements of a Great Photo,” by Gwyn Calvetti, I came to understand a number of elements including composition, lighting, and various technical aspects. For example, I had never heard of the rule of thirds before. As I took my photos I took many of these elements into consideration. Photography is everywhere in our world. It is in books, in magazines, on signs, on webpages, and on our walls just to name a few. Because so many professionals make use of this type of art, I think the teaching of photography and the forms that go in to making it a work of art cam be justified in our schools.

During the course, as I studied the art of film and television, I realized the many elements that go into the creation of a film. In “First Cut Chapter 11: Conversations With Film Editor Paul Hirsch,” he discussed the importance of creating an intellectual, emotional, and visual climate as well as how you can use film to span thirty years in one and a half hours. He illustrated that suspense can be created by presenting the audience with a threat that something so awful will happen within a given time. He discussed how reshuffling scenes can make the audience have a better connection with the film. I think that in making students aware of the forms that go into the creation of film, it can help them to think analytically about film in the classroom. If students are challenged to create a film that makes use of the elements that they have learned about, they will be challenged to use their creativity and use the forms studied. One of my favorite assignments for this course was analyzing the Super Bowl Doritos commercial. This assignment challenged me to analyze the work of art that was put into the commercial.

It was very interesting to study interior design and think about ways of connecting this art to education. In this module my favorite readings were those written by Sarah Susanka. Her book described how space, light, and order can be used to define the elusive quality of a home. Of course these elements can be utilized as teachers set up their classrooms. Students can also take part in lessons that integrate math, art, and interior design. By making connections between the art of interior design and curriculum, students can appreciate the aesthetic value of the design as well as obtain knowledge.

My most challenging module was the music module. I do not have a musical bone in my body. However as I listened to some of the interviews with Robert Kapilow, music conductor, interpreter, and composer, I began to understand some of the forms that go in to creating compelling music. I had never really noticed what it was that made me like a song. Now I seem to notice if there is a specific rhythm or if there is a compelling story within the music. As Kapilow discussed holiday music in one interview, I came to view “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” in a new way. Really the words alone are not that compelling. However when there is a catchy rhythm, a twist of momentum, a combination of a message, and the repetition of a pattern that continuously gets higher, then the song conveys a message.

The fashion module was also a favorite of mine. After watching the “What Not To Wear,” television episode, we then created a “What Not to Teach,” video. I enjoyed making this video partially because I tried a new method of creating video by creating a cartoon using ToonDoo, which I incorporated into the video. Students are very in touch with new fads and seem to have a natural interest in fashion. Therefore if teachers use this as a way to motivate student learning, then students will be engaged in their learning.

The project that I am most proud of and that I put the most work into is my Work of Art video. As I made the video I took into consideration the elements that we studies in each module that made up a work of art. The article that led me to my work of art plan was, “Learning and Teaching the Ways of Knowing,” by Elliot Eisner. He wrote, “We often recognize, in our conversations at least, that mathematics has an aesthetic dimension. What does it mean for designing curriculum and teaching? Are students aware of the aesthetic aspects of mathematics, and if not, what can we do about it?” Therefore in my video, I wanted to demonstrate the aesthetics that can be created through the understanding of mathematics with a connection to technology and art.

My experiences in this course have inspired me to teach in a new way. I am now seeing the many artistic elements that can be integrated into the classroom. I am eager to put my learning into practice!

Trends

I just read, "Messengers of Cool," by Jeremy Caplan, which is about people who seek out the next new trend or the next cool thing. I was thinking that an assignment related to this topic could be to have students work in groups to develop something that they think could be the next fad or trend. Possibly it could be something like necklaces made from twisty ties (from bread bags) or making bracelets from shoelaces. I'm sure the students would come up with much more creative ideas than mine. Students could be encouraged to create a video or advertisement promoting their new item that they think could be a fad.

It could be interesting to see if a group of kids could easily start a trend just by publishing a video to YouTube, somehow illustrating their idea or trend. Could they start a new trend based on a classroom assignment. I think kids would love to find out.

Brands and Trends

In the article, “Wearing Beliefs on Their Chests,” Ruth Ferla discusses how religion has become a brand. Religious slogans can be found on t-shirts, tote bags, bracelets, belts, and much more. The spiritual images give teenagers something to demonstrate that they belong to. This article was written in 2005, and although it was written five years ago this fashion is still here today. After reading this article, I wondered, “How could I connect fashion trends and brands to a compelling experience in the classroom?” One idea that I came up with was to have students observe various trends in brands and create a video documentary demonstrating the brands observed. For example, one fashion trend that I have noticed lately is teenagers wearing shirts displaying Sesame Street characters. It would be interesting to see a students view point of the fashion trends and brands.

Looks Matter

In “Looks Matter,” by Virginia Postrel, she says, “Good design is an important source of economic value and competitive advantage,” and that “What happens to the great cook who can’t design an attractive restaurant.” These thoughts lead me to think about the value of teaching students about design in the classroom. Because people do enjoy eating, shopping, or participating in a recreational activity in an area that is aesthetically pleasing, it is important to teach our students how to create and value good design. It is true that a good cook who owns a restaurant that looks like a dump will probably be less successful that a shabby cook who has a restaurant that is designed to give the customer a compelling feeling. I also believe that it is important to start giving students experiences in design and education at a young age, while in elementary school. While children’s minds are young they can begin to learn how to think creatively. If given experiences that cause them to use the creative part of their brain, then as they grow and develop students will be more apt to come up with original ideas and creations.

Fashion

I was thinking about how to created a compelling educational experience related to fashion. I think that upper elementary student would enjoy analyzing an episode of "What Not to Wear." However what if they took this a step further. Students could create a humorous fashion show called "What Not To Wear." Students could create interesting outfits to take turns modeling. As a writing connection, each student could write a commentary describing a classmates choice of clothing. Oral reading skills would be demonstrated by the students as well as they read the commentary while their classmate modeled the clothing. Technology could also be integrated into this assignment. Students could make a video of their fashion show with commentary using Windows Movie Maker.

Music is like a Lesson Plan

I would like to make a comparison between a teacher’s lesson plan and music. At the beginning of a good song, the composer uses something called a hook. The hook of the song is a short portion of the song that is used to catch the listener’s ear. Similarly when teacher’s plan a good lesson it is necessary to have a good introduction, which is the part of the lesson that grabs the students’ attention and compels them to want to learn or take part in the lesson. This portion of both a song and a lesson is critical. If the hook is not compelling we turn the radio off. If the introduction to a lesson is boring or not present, then students will tune out.

As a song continues and develops many times different instruments, rhythms, and patterns are added to the song to make it interesting. However there is repetition throughout to make the song flow continuously. In a lesson plan the teacher must also use different techniques to keep the students’ interest. Just as different instruments play at different moments in a song, the teacher might at times integrate a hands on activity into the lesson, a small group exercise, or a kinesthetic activity. The variation keeps the students’ interest. The repetition of material also helps the students become comfortable with the material presented in the lesson. The repetition of a rhythm in a song makes the listener comfortable with the music.

At the end of a song there is a concluding piece. Sometimes this portion of the music repeates the hook of the song. At times the song might end with the singer holding a high note. Likewise at the end of a good lesson the teacher provides a conclusion to the lesson, summarizing the information taught.

Animusic

This week I just discovered "Animusic!" More examples can be found at animusic.com or on youtube. DVDs of full creations can be purchased from animusic.com. Animusic is music that has been aligned with a completely digitally created animation. At animusic.com they describe the creations as, "Animusic is computer animated music where virtual instruments perform music on their own, precisely playing each note."The animation illustrates the composer or designer's vision of what the instruments could look like in one's imagination. I think these Animusic videos demonstrate how one can put their vision and emotions into a stimulating auditory and visual creation.

Gotta Keep Reading!

One of the best examples that I have found that makes an excellent connection between music and education is the rendition of the Black Eyed Peas song, “I’ve Got a Feeling,” to “Gotta Keep Reading.” When one listens to the rendition “Gotta Keep Reading,” it evokes a number of emotions including excitement as well as ties to our social and cultural life.
I played this video for my upper elementary students and they were entranced and of course wanted to watch it over and over. I ended up adding a link to it on my webpage so they could show their parents the video at home. I knew when I watched it that something about the song made it compelling. I could tell that the students were moved in an emotional way. But what was it that created this feeling?

First of all there is a catchy rhythm that hooks the listener and makes one want to dance. How simple yet creative it was, to incorporate a book as a prop into the video that the students danced with. Is it the words or the music that make this song compelling? In this case I believe it is a combination. I do not think the words to the song alone would be as compelling as they are to the rythm of this particular song. The creativity of writing a innovation of this song about reading makes it interesting to listen to the words. However it is the pattern and rhythm of the music that the listener enjoys. Although the words, “This book’s gonna be a good book,” are repetitive throughout the song, the notes increase going higher with the repetition, and then as the anticipation grows, then the words and rhythm change.

The social and cultural aspect of the video also draws in the students. When they view their peers performing a song of this type I think that it gives them a new respect for reading, which was the topic of the video.

Music Connections

When I listen to a song and decide that I like it, I don’t usually think about what the elements were that made me like it. Somehow I just know I like it. Was it the words, the story within the song, the sound of the music, the rhythm, or the combination of notes? After reading about the “hook” in music and listening to Robert Kapilow’s podcast interview, I realize that there is a lot more to creating a compelling piece of music than I originally thought.

I would like to think of the “hook” in music as the lead sentence in a written story. It is the “hook” that is used to catch the ear of the listener. As one reads a story the beginning is the part in which the author draws the reader in. In music the hook will determine if the listener shuts off the radio or keeps listening just as the lead in a story will determine if the reader will continue. Interestingly though in music, it is not always the words that catch the listener's ear. Robert Kapilow discusses many techniques that are used to make a song profound, and what causes a “sticky idea”. It could be a repeating rhythm that increasingly gets higher causing anticipation. It could be a variety in the musical rhythm but a repetition in words. It could be the cultural and social ties that the song has to us giving us a sense of belonging.

Teaching students to be aware of the elements that draws one into the song will allow students to think critically and make connections between their literature studies and music.

Aesthetic Elements in the Educational Setting

Now I am perplexed in thinking about in what ways can schools effectively provide experiences that evoke emotions, feelings, and cause the students to connect with the subject matter on a different level? I do believe that if a teacher is truly interested and compelled by the subject matter that they teach, then they will be able to create more lessons with aesthetic connections.
In the article “Learning and Teaching the Ways of Knowing,” it states, “Are students aware of the aesthetic aspects of mathematic, and if not, what can we do about it?” There are a number of thoughts that come to my mind about how to integrate the arts in to math at the elementary level. Photography could be used to teach students about various mathematical concepts such as shapes, lines, symmetry, congruence, and patterns. Students could either take photos of these concepts or analyze photos taken by others. Students could create films to explain their understanding about various methods in which one math problem was solved. Many times students are encouraged to draw a picture to solve a problem, but what if they went a step further and created something from their drawing such as a poster or a video?

Connecting “Learning and Teaching the Ways of Knowing” to Education

“The aesthetic becomes a casualty in American education.” This line from “Learning and Teaching the Ways of Knowing,” illustrates that American education lacks the appreciation for aesthetic learning. It is questioned, “How do we help students experience the aesthetic aspects of language?” Especially in a society in which it is required that each teacher covers numerous Grade Level Content Standards, do we neglect the arts and integration of aesthetic appreciation. The arts seem to be considered luxuries.

If educators begin to integrate lessons that evoke emotion and feeling, then students will be able to make connections and “see how each piece is a part of a larger whole.” Bringing attention to the aesthetics in school curriculum also allows students to develop sensibilities about our world. It is necessary for schools to provide students with experiences that move students to feel compelled about what they study. Passing state mandated tests does not always demonstrate a student’s understanding of a subject as well as an emotional connection to a feeling that was created through a student’s learning.

Connection to GLCEs

The following fourth Grade Level Content Expectations, taken from the Michigan Department of Education, illustrate that students are required to write an informational comparative piece, be able to connect personal knowledge, experiences, and understanding, and explain relationships by categorizing, classifying, and comparing.

W.GN.04.03 write an informational comparative piece that demonstrates
understanding of central and supporting ideas using an effective organizational
pattern (e.g., compare/contrast) and informational text features.

R.CM.04.01 connect personal knowledge, experiences, and understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in text through oral and written responses.

R.CM.04.03 explain relationships among themes, ideas, and characters within and across texts to create a deeper understanding by categorizing and classifying, comparing and contrasting, or drawing parallels across time and culture.

Students could demonstrate their understanding of these GLCEs through taking part in an assignment similar to the Module 3 assignment, “A Tale of Two Retail Spaces,” in which our class analyzed the interior design elements of two similar retail spaces. I think students would benefit from this assignment because they could relate their learning experience to a real world situation. Students could be given an option for how to present their findings either through a written report, PowerPoint, or movie.

Below is an example video I created analyzing the interior design of two craft stores:

Classroom Architect

At http://classroom.4teachers.org/ there is a free application available called “Classroom Architect. This online application allows you to create a classroom floor plan by choosing your classroom dimensions and then dragging various pieces of classroom furniture onto the floor plan.

I think that Classroom Architect could be used in the classroom as a learning tool. Students, either individually or in small groups, could each create their vision of a functional classroom. They could present their floor plans, and students could vote on which plan to put into real use. This activity could help students to investigate elements of architecture and interior design. They would need to create a space that doesn’t seem crowded and in which students can learn. By designing a room they would need to analyze the space and materials available. They would be working collaboratively to discuss what plans are functional and what elements contribute to this. They would also discuss plans that didn’t work and the interior design elements that caused the plan not to work.

Here is an example picuture of a floor plan created with Classroom Architect:

Math and Interior Design

There are a number of ways that teaching about interior design and architecture can be connected with learning experiences in the classroom. As students learn about creating illusion through the use of color and or structure, they could also use mathematical skills.
In Sarah Susanka’s book she discusses the technique of contrast and illusion. One example is creating an illusion of a raised ceiling. However the ceiling could have height variety to vary heights around the edge making the center appear higher than it actually is. Students could estimate ceiling heights and then take actual measurements as a math connection.
Another math lesson could be created by giving students photos of two rooms of equal size. However in one picture the room would be bright and well lit, with many windows. In the other picture the room would be dimly lit with fewer windows. Students would guess which room was larger and then measure the rooms to test out their estimates.
When learning about angles, students could calculate and measure various angles found in architecture or in interior design.

Interior Design and Education

After reading the introduction to Sarah Susanka’s book and listening to her NPR interview, my first thought is that I really want and need to remodel my house to make it a home. Won’t my husband be excited when I share my new plans of creating the feel of a vaulted ceiling in our living room!

But how does interior design and architecture relate to education? As I looked around the school today and thought about compelling interior design, I did not see very many compelling elements. There were sky lights in the hall, however the doors at the end of the hall were not painted a light color to draw one toward them, instead they were brown. I do think that each teacher does try to set up their classroom to the best of their ability to create a positive learning environment. For example, our autism teacher displays a lot of light blue in her classroom to convey a calming feeling, and has moved the classroom furniture out so her room appears large and open.

Each student has a unique learning style that works best for him or her. Taking this into consideration, having a student sit next to the window who likes to work in bright light could make a positive impact on their learning. Or how a teacher groups students’ seating arrangements could also make a difference. Do students learn better in a school that is architecturally designed in a compelling way or will they make the same progress in an old run down building?

Video in My Classroom

For March is Reading Month, I want to teach my students how to create movies to display either a story or poetry using Windows Movie Maker.  I have decided to have my fourth graders create informational texts about various animals.  They will use: http://www.pics4learning.com/?view=sub&cat=Animals to gather photos to place into the digital story.  Students will gather information to record behind their photos.  I am planning to have the fifth graders choose a poem to recite.  They will collect photos to place into Windows Movie Maker that go with the topic of their poem. 

 

This year our school district created an “ITV” room in each of our five elementary schools.  This room enables us to make live video connections to any of the elementary schools.  When my students finish their digital stories, I would like to use the ITV room to connect to another school so that students can present their work to peers across the district.

Video and Writing Process

While creating and editing my video for CEP 882, I realized that editing a movie is very similar to editing a paper. Just as it is important to have a good lead sentence at the beginning of a paper to draw the reader in, it is equally important to have a good lead scene in a movie to capture the interest of the viewer. All of the combined scenes in a movie are like the supporting details in a paragraph, that tell a story when combined. When reading a story or a paper, descriptive details enable the reader to picture a certain image in their heads. As a movie director and editor create a film, they also have to show through color, action, and camera angles all of the details that help the viewer to capture the feeling of the movie. At the end of a paper there is a conclusion sentence and similarly there is a concluding scene in a movie that pulls everything together. With these thoughts in mind, I believe that teaching students to write, produce, and edit video is a great way to help students work through the writing process. The element of creating a video is of course a huge motivating factor as well.

Educational Video to Convey a Message

For open house in early September, I made this video to illustrate our Swartz Creek expectations and school mission statement. This year our school theme is a space related theme, "Blast Off to Learning," so that is why I used the images of space in the background. I am thinking about making a video similar to this one for the video module project, however I want to include all of the schools from our district in the video to create a video that promotes all of Swartz Creek Community Schools.

Making Movies in the classroom

I believe that using video for educational purposes can have a huge impact on student learning and understanding. I made a video at the beginning of the school year to demonstrate playground rules. Because students from our own school created the content of the video, the students at our school feel a connection to the video as they view it.

Connecting Film and TV to Education

Just as a teacher might have a student analyze a piece of literature, I think that analyzing a film or television show could also be a compelling educational experience for a student. After reading a number of articles about analyzing and understanding film, I already today was looking at various commercials and tv shows in a different way. It caused me to think more deeply about the story that was being told or what techniques went into telling the story. The important piece for education is that understanding the design of tv and film will cause students to think more analytically and critically. Possibly looking at the world in a different way will develop more creativity as well.
I do think that creating video is a great way for students to tell and write their own stories in the elementary classroom. This year in March I am planning to have each grade focus on a different type of genre and create digital stories to publish their work. I think that the digital publishing portion also helps with motivating students who otherwise might not be interested in writing.
However, because I teach elementary school I am wondering what movie clips would work well for younger students to analyze.

Building Bridges in the Elementary Classroom

After completing the photography module assignment, I have been thinking about how to make a connection between what I have learned and how I can use or apply this in my elementary teaching position. I think that having elementary age students take photos and writing about them could be a great way to motivate students to write. I also think that students could learn about how to add descriptive details to their writing through a project similar to the one we did in our grad course. Because students would be writing about a photo that they took, I think they would take pride in their work of art and also be compelled to write about it. This type of assignment also encourages students to think critically about a subject and analyze details.

Artful Thinking

A colleague of mine recently went to a workshop called Cultures of Thinking and shared an activity idea with me, which connects with the theme of our class (The Nature and Design of Compelling Experiences.)  The educational activity encourages student to think about a subject in an artful way.  This activity could be used with any subject ranging from science to social studies to literature.  Here is an example.  After reading a book, students think of a color that stands out most in their mind that the story reminds them of.  Second they think of a symbol that could represent the story.  Third they think of an image that stands out in their mind as a result of the story.  Students illustrate their color, symbol, and image and write about each explaining their thought process.  This process is supposed to give students the feeling that their thinking is of value.  It encourages them to think about a topic in a different way and be involved in creating their own thoughts about a subject.  I inserted a sample picture of the graphic organizer below: