Our children are Teachers too..Listen to Them Closely and Take Note...

   I decided to continue this blog as a means to explore, analyze, and reflect on my journey to becoming a teacher. Last winter term (winter 2012) as a class requirement I had to keep a blog regularly. This class assignment proved to be a great tool.
    Anyways, this semester I am taking EXPS 410 (Multiculturalism in Schools & Society). Last week our lecture was on culture, language, and learning. During class my professor showed us a clip of a documentary about a school district in L.A.
    I cannot remember how old the movie was nor the specific district. However, a week later this piece continues to resonate with me. The majority of the district was of Hispanic or Latino descent. The teacher who made this piece gave a frightening but insightful vision of the lives of these children from grades 4-8 or so. The clip began with the teacher talking to six children. She asked kids questions like: What is the biggest misconception of your culture, and a question that broke my heart: How many of you have witnessed murder? The answer my ears received was enough to make me cry. 5/6 of the children have witnessed murder. A boy about 9 or 10 was still nursing the wound of loosing his friend when his teacher asked if he needed to go out in the hall for a minute to be alone.     
  These children and their families are among many who live in an apartment across the street from "the black market" which is also quite close to the school. This "black market" sells drugs and fake green cards for five dollars. Residents of this apartment pay $500 a month for rent in a worn out building. Several families share these rooms. Sometimes repairs are not made. The worst part is that these families who often have two adults working either odd jobs or two cannot always pay rent. The landlord doesn't offer any understanding or aid at all. Payment is expected or else.
  The teacher followed or shadowed one specific student who was 10 or 11. The girl often comes home before her mother, who works two jobs. She has lost members of her family to murder including her dad. The death of her father resulted in her and her mother and uncle being "homeless" for about a month. The family were locked out of their place and were forced to take shelter in an abandoned apartment room. During this time her teacher was obviously concerned. She grew frustrated when she couldn't get a hold of the mother. Eventually she found out the plight of the girl and her family. About a month later the family were able to move back. Perhaps the landlord had some compassion.
    This little girl had more life experience than a little girl should. What many of us would view as nightmares which in turn could ultimately defeat us, made her stronger. At some point during the movie the little girl read a saying in Spanish which has been etched upon my heart. The English translation: "Where Jesus is present, nothing is missing." Then the teacher asked, "is there anything missing?" She answered, her dad. Yet, as sad as her answer was her eyes were full of hope and joy. (Which seems to solidify the necessity of possessing hope in one's heart.)
 The following day she was at school. This girl had such a zeal for life and learning. In some way school wasn't just some place for learning but a haven.
  This movie left a huge mark. After class I made myself a personal vow that I would expect to learn a thing or two from my students. (This movie clip further solidified my belief that in order to facilitate a community of learners a teacher needs to acknowledge that their students have experiences and or insight that will enhance their lessons. These contributions in turn create and strengthen the community.
    I also found myself wondering, how can I help my future students without over stepping my boundaries. For example if I have a student in my class who is poor what resources can I offer to that student's family; providing that they are willing to be helped. It is important for teachers to make sure their students are proficient in the content areas in which they are teaching. It is important to try to involve parents and be concern for the welfare for all your students.
   I want to be a compassionate mentor and teacher to all my future students. If a student's family needs help and they have given me their consent, I want to mobilize the necessary resources for that family. Responsibilities evolve and grow, as a child grows, but first and foremost the child needs to be able to be a child. Second they must have a healthy and friendly environment in which to learn.      
  What other roles will I or can I play as a teacher? I don't want to go home after the final school bell. I do not want to just write up lesson plans and check homework/tests. I want to do more than just create a community of learners, who hopefully want to share ideas and concepts (who enjoy learning). I want to make sure my students have the resources they need.
   My future classroom isn't just over the horizon and yet it isn't miles away either. I am currently and eagerly working toward this aspiration. I am still shaping my teaching philosophy but I know it will take some time to shape a solid teaching mission statement to guide my learning community.

Presentation Reflection

It's been awhile since I thought about my fifth grade and eleventh grade teachers. Both of which have contributed to my passion for history. Though I didn't mention Mrs. Cranfield. Her role was still significant because she coupled her history lessons with poetry. Mrs. Yokie's class was the first time I was exposed to the subject that is history.

When I returned to school to pursue my education and decided I would be a history/ed major my first American history class was difficult because I had lost my dad a few months before. After each class I there was that ten year old who wanted to go tell daddy guess what I learned about Paul Revere. I also learned how intricate history was. For the first time one of my favorite school subjects became difficult to handle. My passion for history was embedded and didn't fully become uprooted because though my dad wasn't there to indulge me he had left a lasting impression, passion for history with me.

HISTORY: Stories & Pop Culture

Photo Credits:

"The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
engravings & painting(s) by Christopher Bing
http://littlelambbooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/midnight-ride-of-paul-revere.html
accessed 4-24-12

Andrea Meyer, "Collage of Images related to the Culper Spy Ring and Benedict Arnold's Treason," in The Culper Spy Ring and Benedict Arnold, Item #823, http://aphdigital.org/projects/culperspyring/items/show/823 (accessed April 24, 2012).

"Rosie the Riveter"
Ad Council: http://www.adcouncil.org/our-work/The-Classics/Women-in-War-Jobs-Rosie-the -Riveter
(accessed 4-19-12)

"Movie Posters & Books" Time Magazine Special TITANIC: The Tragedy That Shook the World: One Century Later
pp. 128-129.

A Historical Tidbit & Reflection on Stories

Today while preparing for my Renaissance class final and watching the history channel I found something curious that I had knew known before. I was watching "Decoded" this show which basically cracks codes and solves mysteries by this historical fiction novelist Brad Meltzer.

This episode was about the very first spy chain or organization in the U.S also the predecessor to the C.I.A called the Culper Ring. Apparently George Washington was the master of the ring. These "ordinary folk" were the intelligence or the spies  and there were about 20 of them. They didn't fully know who they all were which was helpful in avoiding getting caught, these people couldn't snitch to Britain no matter what cause they did not know.
The used invisible ink to write messages. They had a number codes in order to decipher messages and only four were made. Apparently this ring was paramount to discourage Benedict Arnold from selling out the Americans.

The most intriging thing I learned was that no one knew about this until the 1930s. These people's identities where hidden so well that they literally took their secrets to the grave. Meltzer's group and I both did not understand why it wasn't taught in our high school history courses. It wasn't taught in my college course either. If it was such a major piece of the Revolutionary War then why wasn't it covered?
 We literally won the war based on our collective minds verses muscle power. Why leave it out, doesn't that leave a huge chuck out of the puzzle? If history is the story of man and all stories have a beginning, middle and idealistically an ending then why is this detail missing?

Stories are intriguing they teach us lessons whether they are fact or fiction or embellished. These parables handed down to us allow us to live vicariously through those who came before. How would we have done or reacted to (insert historical event). Life is short. We learn through our experiences and shared stories or rather other history.

The story of the Culper Ring provides early innovations that we still use today. This story also teaches us the value of our minds, whether we agree with these actions or not. Also there is no such thing as defeat unless you otherwise claim it.

History after is a teacher who provides us with some great stories and poessess many storytellers.

Ponderings or Mental Ramblings

   In a sense history is the study of the relationships between events and people. How folks are influenced by said events. In my Renaissance class we covered several key figures. From Henry VIII, Leonardo Da Vinci, Isabella d'Estelle, and Christopher Columbus.
       Recently I found myself imagining what if these people were sitting in class with me. I'm not sure what prompted this. Maybe it had something to do with a forthcoming research project. Anyways, I found myself wondering if they were able to listen in on the lectures and hear their names mentioned how would they react. Would they be embarrassed? Would they feel honored that history hadn't forgotten; that several generations later humankind still recognizes them? Would they speak up and denounce any discrepancies in the historic record? Or would they stand up and unceremoniously say
"your welcome"--demonstrating an air of arrogance?
     These questions are the ones that go unanswered, probably because these questions have little significance. Maybe these questions would give us insight to the historical figures that because of many centuries are not as personable to us.

A Clue to the History Classroom

I'm excited! While I was other fun activities/assignments for my online module I stumbled upon this amazing site called The National Archive:Docs Teach. It allows social studies (history) teachers to pair their assignments/activities with primary documents. There is a print feature for the documents so teachers can use it in their classrooms as well as online.They provide templates and guidelines how to make an activity too. This appeals to me on two fronts. My history nerdy self and my future teaching self. Only I have two regrets. Where was this when I needed something for my Tech Overview and why didn't I find this sooner? Oh, well the wealth of information and the activities create so many possibilities.
This will be an amasing tool someday for my classroom. However, in the meantime I wonder if I can use it for my studying history needs. It's worth the exploration. So many interests so little time.

I wonder if Leonardo Da Vinci ever said those words? He had so many different interests how did he make time for them all? Anyways, I am currently delving into his world for a research project. That's the best part about history. Historians are almost like detectives. We look at sources primary and secondary as if they were clues. Clues into a society apart from the modern world but at times we find that the chronicles of yester-year are prefaces to how we perceive our own lives. For example what would life be like in America if we hadn't won the American Revolution? What would be our citizenship status/identity entail?

Bursting Bubble (part 2)

These are recent brainstorms I've done via bubbl.us. One was for a recent compare and contrast essay I had to write. I compared the two books which I had to read. The other was just exploring the tool more as well as brainstorming about my new interest in art journaling. I brainstormed about medums, techniques and ideas I could use in this series project I've been working on since about late February.

Example 1: Comparisons of The Return of Martin Guerre & The Cheese and the Worms.

Example 2: Art Journaling:

Example 3: American Revolution Timeline

My ideals are bubbling over (part 1)

    Earlier this week I decided to surf the net to figure out what I should do my tech overview presentation on. I am still not sure but I have some wiggle room though. This semester has been funny because I have found myself jumping ahead of myself in terms of deadlines and almost forgetting the ones that are hovering over the horizon. Anyway, I've digressed here. 
    I stumbled upon this blog from an educator who had recently attended a professional development day. The blog is called Waffle Bytes (if anyone is curious). The entry was perfectly titled: Ten Technology Tools for the Secondary Classroom (posted: September 6, 2011). Some of the things found on this list are free and you don't need an account to use them. I found both of those "bytes" of information helpful and intriguing because everything online requires you to have a membership "account". I have only tried one tool thus far and have since fallen in love with it.
      The tool is called Bubbl and it is essentially a brainstorming/graphic organizer tool. Everyone remembers the prewriting step where we were all encouraged to make a web or chart our ideas  in some other way before we plunged into the draft phrase of our prose, right? Funny how that somewhat tedious step has since been abandoned during my years of high education. However, I have rediscovered it and I found myself having a ton of fun with this tool. I mapped out ideas for my art journals. Art journaling is a combination of art and writing which I have also discovered and felt the need to explore. Anyways, I love this tool because you have the choice to join or not. I think the basic account is three dollars or something but if I don't need to pay to use something I'm going to opt out of that. If you wanted to do fancy stuff with your web or brainstorm tool, (which ever you prefer) like encrypting/embedding it for a site or save it and come back to it, then you'd want an account. You can resize your font and change the color of the individual bubbles which helps in terms of clustering. You can connect bubbles or start an entirely new category. I think this will be beneficial for English, Science, and Social Studies. For Social Studies teachers can demonstrate the connection between people and places. They can demonstrate hierarchial orders in social classes that can be found throughout our history as well as present day. Science teachers can demontrate and cluster facts together or how things work in relation to themselves.
          I titled this post part one because I felt I'm not going to be finsihed with the possibilities of this tool anytime soon and I will want to use a future entry as a sort of bulletin board of my bubbls. Stay tuned.

WORK: my new favorite four letter word

      I was one of those people affected by the recession in terms of searching for a job. After a long hunt I finally landed a job. I felt like Elmer hunting Bugs Bunny. I cannot tell you how many times it felt like I was searching for something elusive or how often I felt outwitted.
    Well, my search ended about a week ago. This past weekend I worked my first couple shifts. I am happy to be part of a team again. However, the experience of finding work has humbled me more and has reminded me how important my education really is. I saw how competitive the job market was and this was retail. I can't imagine how competitive the education field maybe.
      This search though, has reminded me that I will need an edge. My education and personal experience in general will weigh equally either in my favor or against me. Thus my philosophy is and will be shapped by my overall experiences.
     I  first recognized this when I tutored last term. My professor told us that she believes people who have had to struggle with something make great teachers. It made sense.  Sometimes remembering what it was like to be in our students shoes helps a great deal. My struggles with math solidified this understanding. Likewise, my new job has given me a great deal of insight. Sometime during the course of my first two shifts I thought to myself, work is my new favorite four letter word. Then I found myself thinking how could I use that word in my future classroom, as a set of rules and or values I'd like to instill in my students. I decided to transform the word work into an acronymn: W.O.R.K, I am still trying to figure out what the "K" would stand for. I currently have kommitment but it seems weird to spell it like that.

Will
Organization
Resolve
K/Commitment


Sometimes life provides classroom learning with the perspectives we need to either understand or to tinker with the thoughts that trickle into our consciousness to make something a new. 

PIPA/SOPA the ONLY good thing about the internet censorship issue...

      Today in synchronized fashion a protest of PIPA/SOPA burst. Wikipedia was blacked out for the day. Several of my friends on facebook shared this: End Piracy, Not Liberty-Google. And google itself  had a censorship bar across its name.   
      Tonight while listening to my classmates cover their respective topics in media skills, EDT 211 began to take on an ironic spin. Skills like Appropriation, Cognitive Intelligence, and Transmedia Navigation filled my imagination with such diluted possibilities. The fate of the internet hovers almost like a U.F.O saucer. The wealth of knowledge that can be utilized by all, and specifically teachers as it relates to this class may go bankrupt. Then what?!
      At present, the very thought of internet censorship does have one positive aspect. It has prompted all of us to pause and recognize just how important this vehicle of information, ideas, knowledge, products is to our lives. How utterly dependent we are on this connection! For years we have traveled on the information highway without any traffic regulations.
       Now we feel threatened. Our way of life. Our constitutional rights. The very mosaic of our lives--our technologically wired brains. How could we function without it?
        On my way home from class, I imagined lecturing about the Constitution. How was I supposed to explain the First Amendment:
                         "Well class in regards to the First Amendment 'freedom of speech' was an ideal the Founding Fathers proposed. However, it has been challenged. One example of this stately hypocrisy is the censorship of the internet. Thus 'freedom of speech' is an ideal which has lost all practicality in its translation."
           Until then we should just enjoy the internet. Sign the petiton and pray that Congress rethinks this whole thing.

                             

...This bookworm likes to squirm in prose and nibble on the pages of actual books...

      I'm a bookworm. I love a good book. On cold days, I can be found curled up in a blanket with a book and a mug (filled with tea, coffee or cocoa). This hobby became a habit in recent years. There is a certain comfort in the pages of a good book.
     Yesterday, in my Renaissance class I was introduced to a book by an author. The book is The Decameron (summary & more text). The author is Giovanni Boccaccio. Essentially, it's about a group of people who are trying to escape the plague in Florence Italy during the course of their journey the begin to tell stories to entertain and otherwise kill time.
      I found myself intrigued by these tales which could be considered one part fiction and one part fact. I was also intrigued by its significance as well as Boccaccio. I wanted to discover for myself why this man and the fore mentioned body of work was regarded so highly by my professor and other scholars.
   This curiosity took me on a short "treasure hunt". I found it at the Mardigan Library, about five or six copies were available at my fingertips. This find was exciting and overwhelming because I wasn't sure which one I should borrow.
     I chose an elder translation and walked down stairs to check out. I felt like such a nerd leaving the library with my book and maybe soon to be a good friend. This statement probably warrants a chuckle or two. It's a good habit to laugh at yourself because the world certainly will.
    Anyways, this newly borrowed acquisition made me ponder the future of books, especially those used in the classroom. I like holding a real book in my hand. It's hard or soft shell housing pages of a published manuscript seems to provide a more intimate bond between reader and writer. I like turning the pages too. You can get lost in the prose regardless of its form but I think we stare at too many screens during the course of the day.
    I wonder what it would be like to referring and or teaching from an e-book?! How amusing would it be if my students teased me about my ancientness if they knew I prefer physical books to e-books or readers. How interesting would it be to watch e-books/readers to completely replace books? Would I have to actually explain what books are/were someday? How long would it take me to become accustom to this device?
     As long as books don’t become the things firefighters target and burn like they do in Fahrenheit 451. I couldn’t imagine a world without books. How could I acquire new knowledge or expect my students to do they same? Though the Internet is convenient, a book is easier on the eyes than a computer screen. Our books were perhaps the first piece of technology utilized in the classroom. However, at one time there weren’t enough to go around, especially in the early years. With that said, I am a grateful bookworm because I can squirm around different flavors of literary soil.

The Decameron Project

A brief background

 There is nothing more paradoxical than the blank page for the writers,

artists, scholars and the like. On one hand the blank page is full of

possibilities. On the other hand it can be a bit intimedating and conjure up

writer's block. On that note I suppose I'll just write about a collection of my

interests.

   I am passionate about the humanities, mainly history, art literature

and collectively cultures. I'm an artist, poet, book worm and a student

historian. I read it but I also write poetry and have since I was fourteen. I

currently maintain a site unifying my interests in the arts.

     Chronologically, I suppose my first love is history, which I am majoring and

planning to teach it. I have enjoyed learning history since I was ten years old.My fifth grade

teacher and my father where the duo responsible for instilling a fascination for

history--first facts and finally the evolution of analysis of such. In a sense I

feel like a dectective in a way sifting through clues of how mankind has lived

and evolved in relation to society.

     Though, I have been cautioned in a study of history class to avoid

modernism, which is comparing yesterday with today a little too much. I suppose

it can loose something in the translation. However, I am not shamed to admit I

am smitten with the past. I feel that our past is our present's mentor. It

teaches us who we are and where we are going, among other things. I especially

enjoy prospecting for that obscure fact or other random piece of knowledge that

people may otherwise not know for some reason or another.

      My particular interests in this broad discipline can be found in the deserts

of Egypt among the valley of the kings and pyramids of Giza. From a more local

standpoint I'm fascinated by the American Revolution, as well as the natives who

inhabited North America before it became settled.