Scaffolding

I realized this week that I have really learned a lot in the first half of our class especially with new technologies and programs. In the first week I found out how to upload any picture and find it anywhere in my computer. Then I discovered a program called Windows Movie Maker. A program which has existed on my computer for approximately three years, but I have never bothered to learn how to use. To be honest I did not really even know it was there. I began to experiment and play with the program which is very user friendly and which I was able to learn how to use fairly quickly. Every subsequent week I have learned to add more to my module projects. Last module project I learned to overlap titles and effects. I also learned how to add appropriate music. This week I have successfully added narration to my movie. Every week I am able to use those tools that I have learned in the previous week to enhance my projects. I myself am a student building on prior knowledge and skills. It dawned on me that this is exactly what I plan for my students every day. Just like I learned how to upload pictures before creating movies with sound, educators teach in terms of building blocks. Using building blocks of knowledge to ensure lifelong understanding is also known as scaffolding. Scaffolding is a technique that educators use often, but it is perhaps not discussed as much amongst colleagues as it should. It is truly the foundation of any overall unit. Teachers must keep the primary goal in mind then create lessons that build to that final skill. In my opinion educators should have more opportunities to discuss and develop curriculum that depends on this concept of scaffolding. I see too often a disconnect between individual lessons. Even in my own teaching I have to remind myself why I am teaching each lesson and how does it connect with the other skills or knowledge I am trying to teach. Our current education system depends on this notion of scaffolding. Students begin to learn the fundamentals early on in elementary school. They start to learn social skills as well. Through the years we expect our students to build on their understanding of basic concepts and strive for them to achieve critical thinking skills. We also strive for the ultimate goal of creating independent students with the motivation for lifelong learning. So I must continue to remind myself that students need to have a solid foundation before starting a new topic. This is yet another reason for consistent assessments and good rapport with students.

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

I was really looking forward to this module study because I have always been interested in interior design, but have never had the resources to get started. Thus far all the reading material has been very enlightening and I am learning more than I expected. I am beginning to see architectural and interior designs where I have never noticed them before. For example, I was driving down the highway yesterday and I saw a cellular phone store that I pass at least a few times a week. I always notice this particular store because of the vibrant sign on top of the building and I thought that was the only reason why I was so attracted to it, but now I have more words to express why it is so compelling even from the road side. At a second glance I noticed that the exterior of the building has an addition on the roof in which the sign in hung, adding a layer to the building. The octagonal shape of the building is also interesting and adds to the functionality of the space. The store also has four full windows covering the front of the store allowing light to flood inside. The window also allowed me to see inside the store and I saw how well organized the store was. There were varied ceiling heights that separated the space well creating different areas for the various functions of the store. Even in my own home I am realizing the elements that work to make the space feel more like a home and those elements that do not work. Two things stand out for me. The crown molding and floor molding around each room give the home order and are used as a visual tool to make the space feel much bigger as most of the rooms are on the smaller side. I have also noticed that the entry way while small and not symmetrical does lead quite well into an open space. The kitchen can be seen from the front door and at the end of the kitchen is a large window drawing the eye all the way through the living room and into the kitchen. Those elements that do not work are the ceilings and the lack of symmetry throughout the house. The ceilings are all one height and do not really allow for functional spaces. I mentioned the moldings as feature that gave the home order. Other than the moldings, there are no other elements that make the house seem to have a theme. We also seem to lack some symmetry throughout the elements in the home which then also leads to the lack of order in the home. While I am noticing these design elements I cannot help but think of my own teaching in terms of self reflection. I believe that self reflection is vital to the work of teachers. Teachers are lifelong learners and should be expected to not only keep track of current practices, but also to be aware of how their teaching can and should change. Just like I have seen the ways in which the interior designs of my home can change for the better, I need to be able to look outside of my own teaching to be aware of those things that I could change to best the needs of my students. I am realizing that reflection is essential in many careers including those of teachers and interior designers.
Another part of my journey this week was realizing that you cannot judge a book by its cover. I took a trip to my local shopping center and toured a few stores to examine the exterior and interiors. Many of the stores I have never been into either because I never felt the need or I was never drawn to it by its outward appearance. When I actually took the time to enter many of these places, I found that the interior was designed much better than the outside or the architecture of the store. I also found interesting items in these stores. Now I realize that in many cases the outside does match the inside, but I realized that in other cases the outside does not match what is on the inside. I learned not to judge the inside by what I see outside. Teachers have to do the same thing with people they meet, especially students. I am reminded of my first day of my internship year. There was a standout child who seemed to talk all of the time and wanted to be in the spotlight. In other words he needed a lot of attention and I assumed he was going to be a trouble maker or at least a handful. What I later realized was that he was a nervous student that wanted to make sure he made a good impression on his new teachers. He ended up being one of the most intelligent and well mannered students I have ever taught. I was quick to judge him before I really got to know him. I am almost ashamed to tell this story, but it was a learning experience and I now know not to judge too quickly.

Pacing and Perspective

This week I had the challenge of creating a short film. One of the most difficult parts of the whole process was choosing the focus of my film. This may have been the simplest part for some, but for me if I have no guidelines I get overwhelmed with the choices I have to make. In retrospect I am thankful for this creative freedom because I was able to create something I had wanted to do for a while. About four years ago I lived and taught in South Africa with the MSU study abroad program. While there I took nearly 1000 pictures and have wanted to do something meaningful with them for some time now. Katalina Groh says that everyone has a story to tell and I decided to tell the story of some people I met in South Africa that wanted to inform me of a special message. To sum it up in two sentences…Do not feel sorry for us or pity us, instead be happy that we are making progress. Smile at our children to show them how people all over the world are connected and care about them. This notion has stuck with me for the past four years. I thought this attitude was refreshing and needed to be shared so it was the perfect idea for this project. In all honesty I had a lot of fun discovering how to master Windows Movie Maker. In the end I was actually quite proud of the product I created, but I most definitely have a new found appreciation for filmmakers and everyone involved in the process. I had the opportunity to try a variety of different jobs that are associated with the film industry. One of the most challenging aspects of this project was getting the timing to be just right. First I needed to figure out how long each snapshot should last and if they should be the same length or different lengths. Then I came across a problem when I wanted to change the order of the pictures. When I changed the order, I then needed to change the words that went with each photo as well as the timing. Then I added a music element which created more of a challenge to time out the photos, words, and music. There were two parts in particular where I wanted the picture to capture the mood of the picture. There is one photo of a little boy in which I dubbed the photo waiting/wondering. I wanted the song lyrics “homeless” to be playing as that picture emerged on screen. The other very important part was the ending of the film. I did not want the film to end abruptly so I decided to use a song that would allow for a natural ending. I liked the lyrics “proud to be an African like you” and thought that would be the perfect end to the movie. It worked out well, but was difficult to get the timing correct. I learned all about pacing in films this week and I really realized how important pacing is to the art of teaching. In recent observations I have been told that the pacing of my lessons was good. I never gave it another thought until now. It is so important for the day to run on schedule and for that to occur there must be organization and a good pace to the lesson. I have learned earlier that the teacher should not be doing all the talking therefore giving students the opportunity to talk. Pacing should take student discussion into consideration. To have a good pace should also include clear discussion points as to stay on track with the learning objectives. This week gave me the opportunity to challenge others perspectives on South Africans and I in turn challenged my own perspective on the importance of pacing in teaching. The other challenge I had associated with this project was finding the right music to go with my movie that I had already started. I knew that I wanted authentic African music, but I wanted to find some that had a solemn mood as well as meaningful lyrics. Many of the songs I found either had an upbeat tempo or no lyrics at all. When I did find two separate songs that fit the theme of my movie, I needed to figure out the technology to incorporate the songs into my movie. The whole process took much longer than expected. I am reminded of two lessons in the art of teaching. One is that effective teachers use examples that their students can relate to and sometimes it takes time and research to find the connections to the material and to the students. Sometimes like movie making, lesson planning takes more effort and time than originally planned. I also thought about how it may take students longer than expected to achieve their learning goals. As a teacher we may have expectations of how quickly our students our expected to learn, but just as it took me significantly longer to finish my movie than originally thought, I know for some students it will be longer for them to achieve their goals. I need to be aware and sensitive of their needs as well as aware of how to differentiate my teaching to accommodate those needs. Overall I enjoyed getting to learn a new program on my computer this week. I learned how to create a compelling movie with timing and a combination of motion and sound. I also learned that pacing is essential to film making as well as teaching. I was also reminded of how it may take a change of perspective to teach students in a different and more effective way.

Changing Perspectives in South Africa

I had the privilege of living in South Africa in 2006 and I learned more than anything that it was a nation that was overcoming years of struggle with a positive attitude and uplifting spirit. When I came across a village with no electricity, no running water, and no plumbing; I could not help but focus on the negative. Then the principal of the local school told me that the school supplies he had ordered were stolen and to top it all off they had spent their entire budget on an outhouse which was destroyed by a storm earlier in the month. It was difficult not to feel badly for how little this community had, but I was told not to pity them, rather smile so that the children knew how much I cared for them. I was overwhelmed with their strength and positivity. That day I changed my perspective on the way I look at people and at life. My vision for the film was to create this same sense of a positive outlook as I had while experiencing African culture. I wanted to show a variety of pictures in two different ways to try and capture this idea of changing perspectives and attitudes. I thought showing the negative more common stereotypes would allow me to end the film on a positive note which was the goal of the film. I wanted to include many stereotypes of Africa and then disprove those ideas through the use of words, colors, and music.
I started the movie by carefully choosing the pictures I would use. Walter Murch discusses the importance of the editing process in his interview with NPR. He states “the editing process is tedious work -- viewing hours of footage, then assembling a film a half-second at a time.” I essentially did the same thing going through hundreds of photos I took in South Africa, choosing only those that were perfect for the film. I took what I learned about angles, shadows, rule of thirds, color, and subjects from our work with photography in module one. With these technical aspects in mind, the perfect photo was also one that was ambiguous enough to hold a negative and positive message. It was also a photo that was intimate and would capture the emotions of my audience. I also wanted consider Murch’s discussion of underlying mathematical influences. I decided to use a repetition of ten photos because I wanted my audience to be able to remember them. I aimed for seven photos which is the typical number of items that can hold in the human brain, but I wanted to convey several stereotypes. I also lived with a very religious family in South Africa who believed that the number 10 represented human failures and God’s ability to turn failure into achievement and happiness. Therefore I hoped ten photos would be not be too overwhelming for the audience and would have some spiritual connection to the film.
After the photos were selected I chose the words to accompany each photo. This was probably the most difficult part of the whole movie making process. I took some advice from Katalina Groh who wrote the Filmmaker as a story-teller. She suggested working with spontaneity and risk taking. I really took a risk by incorporating words in a visual way rather than in an auditory way. Because I wanted the pictures of the people to fuel the emotions of my audience, I chose not to have a voiceover, rather words that represented the photos. I wanted to chose two words for each photo that would make sense for the photo but that were also opposite in meaning. I needed words that were also quite powerful and would evoke emotions. In the end I chose a set of words for each picture that would make people honestly think about their perspective on people. This is why none of my photos are solely of landscapes or items. The photos are of people and each photo focuses primarily on one individual to capture the intimate moment. I also wanted the words I chose to connect with the people in the photo. I am emphasizing and drawing on emotions because Paul Hirsch describes emotions to be more important than thought although both should be included in a great film. To summarize, I wanted to include words and pictures in a strong combination to evoke both feelings and thought.
The last step in this process was putting the photos and the words together in a way that showed motion. I decided to put the photos in a specific order. I arranged them from the broadest stereotypes about a nation to a more narrow view of individuals. Then my last photo was meant to represent both; a nation in words and the individual with the picture of a pair of shoes. Then I added the middle slide where I wanted to make people think the most and realize that the next set of pictures were meant to change their perspectives. I then repeated the photos for the second half of the film. I used what I learned from my mistakes in last week’s project as well as what I learned from Katalina Groh. I wanted to lengthen the timing of each photo to at least five seconds. In the end I finalized the length of each photo to six seconds which I felt was just long enough to look at the picture and word. I kept each photo the same length to keep them equal and extended the title and credits to eight seconds. I chose to use mainly fade transitions to give the film a soft and professional look. The only transition from each photo that was not a fade was the transition before and after the mid-section slide. I did this again to emphasize the change in perspective. In terms of color, I wanted to make the first set of photos in black and white or sepia tone to give a darker negative look. I also made the words stand out in bold and red color because I thought this would also convey the negative tone I wanted to create. Then I contrasted the dark photos with the color photos to create a lighter more positive mood. I also found the rolling words across the colored photos to be very compelling. I chose brightly colored words to fill the space to again emphasize the contrast in moods. Finally I added the music which I thought would complete the film. I used authentic African music by Ladysmith Black Mambadzo. I wanted to again show the difference and change in perspective and mood with music. Therefore I used a calm solemn song for the beginning of the film and a more upbeat vibrant song in the second half. Walter Murch describes how the absence of sound makes a powerful statement. Thus I decided to include a pause in music for the transition between the two sets of photos.
I took on all of the jobs in making a movie and I realized how much actual work and time goes into every second. I learned a lot in this process including technology that I have never used before. I kept my final product and also the sense of changing perspectives in the back of my mind. In the words of Katalina Groh; I wanted my audience to really experience something. I hope that my audience is moved both emotionally and intellectually.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FccJ4gQkUNg

Here is a link to the concluding scence of the first episode of the new series Flash Forward. I think this is a good example of the collaborative work that goes into a good piece of television. I find this series very compelling. I just wanted to share this clip with you to get your perspective and thoughts about compelling film and television.

Omission, Simplification, and Collaboration

This has been an exciting week of looking at old and new films and television clips. I have enjoyed reminiscing about my favorites in T.V. and movies, but this week I had to ask myself the question why? Why did I find these films so compelling and why even after years of seeing any one of these clips do I remember it so well? Just some of my favorites include The Goonies, A Beautiful Life, Under the Tuscan Sun, What Dreams May Come, Lost, Flash Forward, and The Amazing Race. To first analyze why many of these movies and T.V. shows are memorable and ultimately compelling, I first had to distinguish these categories from any other art form. Previously I looked at the medium of photography. After two weeks I came to appreciate the work and talent that goes into capturing a moment in a still photograph. I realized this week that film is unique because it combines motion and sound in addition with all of the other visual elements associated with photography. After reading some articles about film I began to realize more of the complexities that go into making the motion and sound so compelling. Overall I realized that editing was crucial in film and television. A photographer must think about what to include in the frame of a photo where as film editors have the daunting task of going through hours of video to figure out what to include and what not to include. In an NPR interview with film editor Walter Murch he speaks about the importance of omission in terms of video and sound. In fact the first thing he does when editing film is omits the sound so he can focus on one element at a time. I tried to do this with the very popular rehearsal dinner scene in My Best Friend’s Wedding. I came to the conclusion that sound is essential to the art of film especially in this case. Then I began to think about omission in terms of teaching. Teachers have a similar job of determining which information to include in a lesson to insure the most success. There is a lot of editing that goes into designing a lesson pan. Teachers must consider who their audience is and what is the least amount of vital information necessary for students to obtain the knowledge or skills intended. In my first few years of teaching I learned that I was long winded and needed to be able to teach with more clarity. I got a tip from my mentor teacher who said that I must sum up my lesson in one sentence and let the students know my clear objective at the beginning of the lesson. From there on out I have had more ease and success in planning and delivering lessons. While reading The Film-maker as a Story Teller by Katalina Groh I found a similar message when she explained that she must be able to tell a story in two sentences or less to be able to sell the idea to investors. Simplification is necessary to the effectiveness of teaching and of teaching. Lastly I learned this week that collaboration is necessary to making film and television a compelling experience. In Conversations with Film Editors by Gabriella Oldham, Paul Hirsch speaks about how directing and editing go hand in hand. I can’t help to agree and emphasize the fact that so many people contribute to a great piece of film and television; people like producers, actors, writers, makeup artists, properties manager, camera operator, special effects specialist, lighting technicians, etc…The same is true of teaching. Good teachers make collaboration a habit and try to teach their students that collaboration is necessary in life. Teachers often need to collaborate with students, parents, colleagues, and community members. This week I was able reconnect with some old favorites and evaluated some new film clips. I learned that a lot of individuals help to create the films I love and those films are carefully edited to emphasize emotions and to highlight things that may not be noticeable all of the time. Editors try to show audiences nuances of life that they may have never noticed before in unexpected, original, and interesting ways.

Public Libray

This is the full video I made for Module One- Creating a Compelling Photo. It shows the process from the inital idea to the final photo and I thought that it would be important to add this with respect to my thoughts about creating a compelling photograph. I hope you enjoy!

Flexibility and Relevance

To come up with my final compelling photo I took the lessons that I had learned last week and combined them with lessons that I learned from this week. I learned two very specific aspects of photography this week; photographers must be flexible and adaptable and a photo must make a connection with people. My initial idea for a compelling photo is shown at the left. I was not happy with any of these pictures so I decided to explore other subjects. I think you need to be flexible in order to get a compelling shot. When one angle or idea did not work, then I needed to be able to change that concept to allow a better shot to come along. The same is very true of teaching. Educators should be flexible not only to allow changes in the daily schedule, but be flexible in the structure of their lessons. Teachers typically have a concept of what their students know and how they are progressing, but when a child/class is progressing in a different way; then the plans will have to be adapted to accommodate the child/class. Some children may surprise me and progress quicker than expected and I need to be able to adapt my lesson plans to meet their needs. Often times students need extra practice will the skill that has been taught. I believe that good teachers keep accurate assessments and monitor their students’ progress. This idea in combination with the idea of flexibility makes student progress happen and progress is at the heart of teaching.
I came across another link or imaginary bridge between my experience with photography and teaching. The more photos I took the more I began to understand the complexity and difficulty of creating a compelling photo. It reminded my firstly that a meaningful lesson requires thought and perhaps more time. Secondly, I realized that the photos that were most compelling for me showed at least some level of intimacy. While reading Nancy Hill’s article Five Elements of a Great Photograph, I really took her advice to heart. She stated that a great photo must tell a story and say something about life. I really began to use the lens to tell a story instead of just shooting blindly. I also wanted to say something about life in my photo and as I stated on my facebook page, I felt like my final photo was the essence of a library. I was able to capture a photo of a book going into the hands of people. This photo was meaningful to me not only because it reminded me of all my fond memories of the library, but also because it represents something that I am passionate about. The feel the picture also symbolizes learning and literacy both of which I feel strongly about. I realized that when I am planning a lesson, it is crucial that I make the material meaningful to the students by making it more relevant. I may need to make the lessons more intimate, meaning that I get creative and start to form the lessons around students’ interests and strengths. My teaching will be better when I invest more time and research in the planning and am more flexible with assessments. This first module has challenged my confidence and technical savvy, but overall I have been reminded of very important lessons that educators should always keep in mind; have patience and self confidence, be flexible and adaptable, and make learning relevant for students.

Week One: Patience, Perseverance, and Confidence

This first week of the photography module has definitely got me started thinking about the NDCE. I have learned that photographers not only have an artful way of looking at the world, but they also have enormous patience and confidence in their work. I started the project by taking several photos of meaningful objects around my house. At first I was disappointed with the pictures I took. Nothing in the photos struck me as compelling. The process truly began when I began to take the advice that I read in the articles How to Make Great Photographs (Ken Rockwell), Five Elements of a Great Photograph (Nancy Hill), and Composition (Gloria Hopkins). Then I started to take the advice of Ken Rockwell and opened my eyes to my surroundings. I also began to take on the project in an artful way. I began looking at everyday things in a new way, at a new angle, and through a new lens. This new way of thinking reminded me that greatness comes with hard work and patience. I needed to persevere and take plenty of photos until I achieved a photograph that I was satisfied with. With every shot that I was not satisfied with, I reminded myself to be patient and wait for a compelling photo. In this revelation I am reminded of the patience it takes to manage a classroom on a daily basis. Educators need to have patience with students, staff, parents, and colleagues. This is something that I have always been aware of, but it often falls to the back of my mind while teaching, where it was in the forefront of my photography experience. I can say that I had a particular experience in my first year teaching when I learned the same lesson. It was with a specific defiant student who began to be violent towards other students. Obviously I wanted to keep the other students safe, but I also realize that if I keep my cool and was patient with her over several weeks then soon I would build a rapport with her and her behavior would turn around. Eventually I earned her trust and her behavior did improve. Although this may be an extreme example, I learned the value of being patient with my students and by being patient with my camera; I was reminded of this important teaching trait. I could also say that in that same teaching example, I had to have confidence in my teaching and my abilities to be able to help this student. In the same respect, I needed to have confidence in my photographing abilities to continue taking pictures. To be honest, at one point I felt defeated because the pictures were not turning out like I wanted them to, but I had to remind myself that I was beginning something unfamiliar to me and I needed to have confidence in my photos. As a teacher, I try and build my students confidence in all areas throughout the year. Well, this week I felt as if I was in my students shoes…I was frustrated and defeated by learned to muster up enough confidence to continue photographing. I believe this photography module experience could be a wonderful vehicle in relating to my future students. Overall this week has taught me two valuable lessons about perseverance, patience, and self confidence that translate to both the photography and teaching worlds.

NDCE

This blog is designed to discuss the nature and design of compelling experiences (NDCE). I have never really thought about this particular topic before and I was intrigued to see it among the list of courses available to me when I decided to start up school again. I really liked the way the course sounded particularly because I thought about designing a lesson plan as a compelling experience and felt empowered by how the designs I make affect my students. I am intrigued by the various experts that we are going to study. I know this course will be a challenge for me because my technological skills are not up to par, but I am more compelled to continue the course because of its content and learning possibilities.

First Blog Ever!

Most people probably believe that I have been living under a rock because I have never blogged before and I am ashamed to say that I was a bit apprehensive to begin the process. I like to think of myself as a 25 year old stuck in the mindset of of an 80 year old woman. My favorite thing is curling up with a blanket and a hot cup of tea...needless to say the concept of blogging is very foreign to me. In saying all of this, I am excited about learning something new and beginning to relate to my generation. Maybe, just maybe I will begin to understand all the things my sister and my friends have been talking about all this time. Thus far the new and exciting world of blogging has been simple and esy to understand. I am thankful for the people who create step -by-step processes that are user friendly for non-users like me. I look forward to writing on a regular basis and having a place to reflect on other concepts that may be new to me.