Week 4:Free article

My time is becoming free!

I am finding it hard this week to come up with an interesting topic for this extra post. I find myself very consumed with finalizing both my work for the year and this graduate degree. I have made the unfortunate decision not to attend graduation and hope that there will be some sort of webcast of the event. I found that the expense for travel would just be too great and I think I have to evaluate where my money should be spent.

Wrapping up a year of school is always kind of an emotional event for me. I reflect on all the projects that I have worked on with the students and also anticipate the students leaving and coming back the next year looking bigger and more aware of their expectations at school.

Although I will not be working in the classroom I plan on working in the studio all summer long. I am so excited to finally have some time to spend making my own artwork. Maybe even produce a short film!

Week 4: Response to Soyeonator

I am familiar with School Arts magazine and am very excited for you. I think your article is well written for this publication and your project is valid for today's art educator. I am considering putting together some type of online gallery for my students to comment on next year. I teach elementary so they are not expected to build a portfolio but I think it is important for them to reflect on their artwork even at this age.

Good luck with the publication!

Response to Soyeonator

School Arts Magazine
I decided to choose this magazine because it show the practical ways of teaching art in class and I want my AR to be viewed and used widely and practically challenge art teachers to help their students with technology.
Guidelines
• successful lessons
• areas of concern
• approaches to teaching art
Each issue of the volume year revolves around a theme that focuses on the human side of the studio art projects, i.e. story, play, meaning. The editor determines which issue/theme is the best fit for your article so don’t worry about fitting a theme. It is more important to be passionate about your lesson, idea, or concept. Go to schoolartsonline.com, for upcoming themes.
Once you pick a topic you can start writing.
Think about:
• How you would express your idea to a fellow art teacher.
• What idea, artist, trend, or issue influenced your idea.
• The main ideas you’re are trying to communicate.
• What teachers need to know to effectively teach the lesson.
• What problems a teacher might encounter.
When writing:
• Use a conversational style.

Sample Cover Design with student work by Becky Wong (12)

The article that will be proposed

How to maximize the art-making time in class with specific feedbacks to fulfill the intense requirements of AP Studio Art exam? I wonder what would happen if I give feedbacks online using web 2.0 tools.
AP studio art requirements



Advanced Placement (AP) Studio Art requires 12 art pieces of breadth section and 12 art pieces of concentration section. In total, students have to create 24 pieces of artwork by the end of April to take the exam on May. Although many students already have 9 to 10 pieces to start with from previous art classes, it is still very difficult create 12 pieces of concentration that mandates all pieces in one theme. My AP studio students call this concentration section a thesis. As students develop a thesis, it is essential to assess and critique their work in class or outside the class because a thesis must demonstrate both skill and concept in depth. To fulfill the requirement, individualized instruction with specific feedback was necessary. It is not surpring to say that critique in art makes a significant difference. (Blaikie, el. 2004) According to Dorn and Sabol, portfolios have been a valid and the most commonly used assessment in art education. Colleges and competitions currently ask more of digital portfolio than slides for their jury process, which has shifted the way art students develop portfolio. (2006)

Problems during preparing for AP Exam
Past two years of teaching AP, critique after each project took us two to three days to go over everyone in class. First year, we spent 15 days to critique before AP exam and it delayed the art-making in class. It was crucial to complete 12 pieces of thesis before AP exam and I decided to have less critiques in class. Individual feedback from teacher was the only source of critique and sometimes it made students a passive listener, not an active assessor. Moreover, slide-taking itself took me exactly 19 hours in one week to take more than 12 students’ portfolio of 24 pieces. It was a nightmare as a teacher to take of all students’ portfolio in short period of time. Even after slide-taking, looking for agent who could develop the film in short time was another big issue for students.

Even after AP exam guidelines changed their submission to digital format last year, students waited till the last minute and did not know how to take pictures and upload them in a professional way. Their photos were crooked and exposure was incorrect. I had to take and edit the photos for them, which took me another days of nightmare right before the exam.
Building a Digital Portfolio
In the beginning of this school year, I decided to train students early on to take and edit their own work as a digital portfolio. In Cycle 1, students uploaded and edited four pieces of art on Flickr. Low quality photos were asked to be resubmitted. They also started online critique using Flickr group page after an in-class critique with a glossary of art terms. During the interview after the online critique, students mentioned that they were able to have enough time to think and use proper art terms.

Students mentioned that they had more time to think and respond for the critique. They also explained that they learned how to use art terms and be more objective. After Cycle 2, students have created a set with eight to nine pieces of artwork. The essay of their thesis was included. Students exchanged feedbacks within a small group using guideline questions.

After Cycle 2, students’ critique skill dramatically improved. Students actively exchanged thoughts and suggestion and the only thing I needed to do was to confirm and praise their active interaction. It was obviously different from in-class critique, where only few out spoken students constantly participated. I noticed that online critique gave everyone a voice, even to ELL students. One of the ELL student mentioned that he/she used a dictionary to understand other’s feedback and many of them suggested that they had more time to think and write when critiquing others. Students also mentioned that they learned how to talk about art with proper and specific terms.

As a teacher, the biggest difference for me was that I was able to manage digital submission process during the AP exam without hassle. Last year, I used to be very busy, shooting, formatting, editing, and burning students’ portfolios into CDs. This year, students completed everything about photo images and I just had to assess and suggest how to organize their portfolio once they uploaded images of artwork onto AP digital submission site. This process has allowed me to be able to oversee the exam digital submission process with clearer mind. I also noticed digital portfolio as a holistic assessment. Students were able to assess and decide how to organize their portfolio during Cycle 2, which let them be more independent and productive learners. Dorn and Sabol (2006) claimed that digital portfolio is not only a useful assessment tool but also effective motivational tool for students because it encouraged them to actively engage and participate in their art making. Using digital portfolio, students took greater ownership and responsibility of their learning process.
Implications for the future
This study confirmed me that digital portfolio and online critique facilitate the individualized instruction with less restriction of time and space. I realized training students to build their portfolio from the beginning is very important to fully benefit from the online activities. In my school, all art and music teachers will implement digital portfolio for freshmen classes to document and assess student performance and progress. After first year of learning the use of digital portfolio and developing it, students will continue building their own digital portfolio throughout four years of art program. Hopefully students can practically use their portfolio when applying colleges, competitions and exams in the future with a organized body of work prepared. I am currently designing a web page to demonstrate how to build a digital portfolio using Flickr web 2.0 tool for next year students.

Teacher role in building a digital portfolio in the first year will be intense of covering how to shoot, edit, upload and organize the photos. It will also be challenging to train students to critique works of art with proper terms. I believe it is worth doing after students start creating their own portfolio because it becomes a strong assessment tool to increase their sense of ownership and inner motivation. Plus, teacher will be able to monitor students’ weakness and strength to guide them to the better direction based on individual’s need.

Conclusion
To maximize the art making time in class and to fulfill individual student’s need, digital portfolio and online critique can be a great assessment tool that promote self reflection, sense of ownership and constructive critiques among students. It also allows teachers to nurture students’ learning outside the class with a full attention to each individual with less restriction of time and space. This study implies that digital portfolio opens up new possibilities of individualized instruction in a large school setting.

Week 4: Response to Patti

I really enjoyed your association with these last chapters and the sense of religion in your life. I definitely can see the connection and agree that there are many similarities in the messages presented in the book and also through religion about a person's outlook on life and how they should act towards others.

I attended a Catholic school as a child and now teach in a public school. Sometimes I miss the mix of faith with education. There are many benefits to living a christian life and teaching through faith based approach. I admire what you do with your students.

Patti's original post:
Wk 4- Reading Comment-Possibility Ch.10-12
In a way I'm sad that I've read the last chapters. I feel Ben and Rosamund have become my friends. I've enjoyed our weekly exchanges and have gleaned their wisdom as a hungry participant invited to their delicious feast. If you haven't read it yet- "The Art of Possibility" is insightful and visionary.
The chapters on "Being the Board" "Creating Frameworks for Possibility" and "Telling the WE story", reminds me of the frame of mind that Christians should have.In , "Being the Board" it's about the framework in which we view our life and relationships. It's not about you, it's all about relationship. We create the possibility of spiraling down or building someone up. First in our relationship to Christ and his Word, then to others whom He loves ( and that is all inclusive).We are a representation of that love, possibly the only "Bible" they will ever read. It flows from Him to everyone, but it can only be received in relationship.It's like a beautifully wrapped gift, you might admire it, but unless you open it, you'll never realize the cost and beauty of the gift that is given.
People look at religion as something that divides and brings guilt and bondage. When in fact, like Rosamund said, "it is not a standard to live up to, but a framework of possibilities to live into". If we see it through the framework of other people's "impressions" , it's not truly ours. We have to own it for ourselves. The term "We" points to a relationship , not an individual, this phrase illustrates a beautiful way to frame Christianity. We cannot know the person, or release the possibilities of the relationship, until we see ourselves as part of the relationship. It cannot be experienced from the outside or alone.Then the phrase," We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not in some of us, it's in everyone. And if we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same". This is one of the reasons why I love teaching in a Christian school. I'm free to talk about God without fear of reprisal or contempt. I can look for the divine spark in each child and if they share it with me- then WE get to grow and mature into the talented creative people, WE were meant to be. It's all about relationships.
The positive insights from Ben and Rosamund were remarkably visionary and refreshing. I'll be looking for other books from them.

Week 4: Project update, Publishing-part 3

I met with a small group earlier this week to review my action research and present an article that I plan to publish. While I didn’t receive a copious amount of feedback there was no negative response. The progress of my article is good. I will need to review and rearrange some vocabulary so that it is more academic sounding and less personal. I also should add a brief statement about my publishing plan on my action research website and perhaps consider one more visual aid.

Overall I think my action research site is almost complete. I am in the process of uploading my videos through viddler so that they do not take a long time to load on the website. The only think left is to revise my cycle reports to follow the recommended format.


Here is a link to the International Journal of Education and the arts.
International Journal of Education and the Arts

Here is a link to my article:
Expectations of the Net Generation

Week 4 Reading Response: Decisions

Being the board. I often struggle with the concept that all choices are mine. Ultimately I do choose my own path but I often find myself sitting in obligatory situations. I think sometimes I use obligation as a crutch for leaving my comfort zone. Success is not achieved when there are no risks made but risk are exactly that a chance. How many chances do people get? I struggle to find the balance between risk and safety. I find myself stuck planning my life rather than just leaping into it. I like to keep things practical.

The we story: I am in the process of trying to organize an artist co-op! I think this is my biggest risk and collaboration with others.

Publishing/Leadership Project: Post 2

I am somewhat of a late bloomer with the publishing and leadership project but I think I have picked 3 potential venues.

My main focus is to be published. I think this is the best option for my professional goals.

Publishing:
#1 choice: International Journal of Education & the Arts. I have printed out the requirements and am preparing my article to submit.

#2 choice and back up plan: Educational Technology Research and Development online journal

Presenting:
I would also like to apply to present at the next Ohio Art Education Association OAEA conference which will be held next November. I am a member of this association and would like to be more involved with my state's developments in art education.

I am very optimistic about these choices!

Week 3 Publishing/Leadership

Is it ok to say that I am completely overwhelmed and feeling like I am falling behind? Well I am saying it. My project is complete and I think my website looks good but I am struggling to move forward. Some disappointments have been in the way of me finalizing this project and I just can’t seem to get past them. The number one disappointment at this point is a failure of communication. I believe it is easy to get lost in a large group of students but I have sent out a couple of critical emails that have not been returned. Response to my emails will hopefully give me the feedback I need to wrap up this project and program. I am hoping that the lack of response and feedback to my website and literature review is a sign that all is in order and needs little correction.



Keep thinking…ALL WILL WORK OUT IN THE END!!!!!!

Week 3 Reaction: Steve Mohler

I am glad to hear that I am not alone in the struggle over publishing or presenting and couldn’t agree with you more about being undecided. The results of my action research were not what I expected and therefore I am not sure that they would make a very exciting presentation. I like your ideas about finding a magazine or journal more specific to your topic for publishing. The point of this publishing project is to take the next huge leap of faith with your research and professional credibility. My opinion is that publishing might be the most successful way to go.


Link to Steve's original post
Wk3 Publishing/Leadership Project Part 1 of 3: Thoughts
I am not really sure which way to go with the project proposal. I am not sure I have enough good material to present and I am apprehensive about the writing of a paper for publication. I think that perhaps I will explore the possibility of submissions to journals such as Music Educators Journal, TIME, and The Journal of Music Research. Although I feel my action research project was not a real success in the manner I had hoped for, it may prove helpful to someone struggling with similar circumstances or thoughts of exploration.

Week 3 Reaction: Patti Duresky, artist trading cards

I have also read about artist trading cards. I actually have an activity book that gives a few examples of this project and the cards are beautiful. This lesson is valuable because it incorporates and summarizes many of the topics that I’m sure that you address throughout the year such as composition, craftsmanship, and purpose. I know that you teach older students but I wonder how successful this would be at the elementary level? It is too bad you didn’t come across this lesson when we had our gaming class. An extended idea for the trading cards is to have the student actually exchange and place value on certain cards just like a baseball card convention....just a thought.

Patti's original post

I had a particularly successful project I added to my art history curriculum. Eighth graders need hands on projects. History is only interesting ( for some) if you make efforts to make it so. In exploring online resources I came across Art Trading Cards and decided to incorporate them with my art history curriculum. They are only 2X3 inch in size and fit into the baseball trading card sleeves. Coinciding with different art period and artists that we were studying , I'd have them make two cards for each assignment, one to trade and one to keep. On one side of the card would be a picture they'd copy from the internet and on the other would be the credit line information of the artwork or biographical information on the artist or the art period. You can find information online about making and trading art cards. It's a great way to get students interested in art and art history.

Week 3 Extra: Current Events

I am very interested in the recent art theft form the museum of modern art in Paris. I wonder if social networking and modern forms of communication will help in the aid of recovering these priceless works of art?

I thought it was strange that the video that I wanted to use for this blog was, Embedding disabled by request.

But if you would like to see it look up here is the link!

Week 3: Reading Response

The most important message from the reading this week is to understand your contributions in life.

Accepting the way things are suggests that life happens. There are bumps and surprises along the way. Unpredictable things can happen and sometimes order doesn’t work. Flexibility is extremely important in life.

Giving way to passion defines the person you should strive to be. Individuals should go-all-out in respect to their passions. Success happens when you stick to your believes popular or not. The reading this week really evokes personal passion. A truly successful person makes choices, adapts to circumstances, and remains true to their convictions.

Week 2 comment post: Response to Omnichordsymphony

I also think that your AR project is valuable and speaks for itself. The website is a lot of work and trying to fit your project into a specific mold is sometimes hard to do.

There are deadlines but a project like this can have continuous change. I have been a tad behind myself and am struggling to complete the AR summary. I am finding it very hard to summarize all of the information I have gathered both through my own project and the course work over the past few months.



Link to the original post:


Media Asset Creation-Week2- Weekly Project Post

Preparing all of the portions of my action research project for review was a trying experience. I had conducted both cycles and gathered a lot of data. However, I realized that I was very far behind in terms of writing everything down and preparing my website. Consequently, I had a very stressful few days trying to put all of the pieces together and present my work.

Over the years this same dynamic has played itself out many times over. I put in all the work for a given project but when it comes to the final stages I get behind and don’t quite get everything prepared. I think that my action research project was a good one and I think my results show that mathematics can be integrated into a creative film project and the concepts transfer. I am proud of my work however I do wish that I had spent a little bit more time preparing all of the pages of my ARP website. I will of course do some revisions before the end of next month and I think in the end my work will show the validity of my ARP. However, in the future it would behoove me to not put off the finishing touches or the write up portion of my work; at the very least it will be a far less stressful process.

Week 2 comment post: Response to Patti

I can't agree more about the ideas of art teachers being their own agents of change. I have been very fortunate in working for a school district that does hold strong value in art. I have my own room, budget and freedom to mold my program to my taste. While my school does value the arts it is not a priority to upgrade and expand the scope of learning art.

It is up to the art, music, and drama teachers to develop modern curriculum include technology and utilized the internet as a tool in their classroom. Next year I am looking into a way of engaging students in a class website where they will be able to post their own art work, comment on art, and look at art reproductions.

I'd love to check out this book! Thanks for sharing.

Link to the original post:
http://pduresky.blogspot.com/2010/05/wk-2-mind-in-art-cognitive-foundations.html

Wk 2- "Mind in Art- Cognitive Foundations in Art Education" by Charles M. Dorn
Mind in Art discusses the foundational concept that thinking and making art is an intelligent behavior. To construct a curriculum in any domain we must recognize that it has it's own forms of understanding. Learning in art depends both on knowing what mental processes are needed in that discipline and how we order the tasks of what students need to know and be able to do in that discipline.
( Including linguistic knowledge and being able to discuss and critique art works and
art pedagogy) Art learning requires not only focal and procedural forms of knowledge, it requires the teacher to consider reordering the critical, historical and procedural strategy already available and apply them in a more focused way. Because our goal includes artistic conception and creation- rather than just acquisition of art knowledge- we are teaching them to synthesize information and transform it into a very personal interpretation. The book also speaks about how art teachers must become their own change agents in the curriculum reform. It contends that art is not often considered a "serious" academic subject because people do not understand the methodology, assessments and benefits of their children in learning art disciplines. We as teachers must continually advance and promote art education on a school-wide, state-wide and national level and be involved in it's evolution and progress.

Week 2 post on projects: Podcast searching

Week 2 Post: Podcast searching.

When I was searching podcasts for this week’s assignments I was introduced to a whole new spectrum of the internet. I never really invested much time in blogging or subscribing to others blogs or podcasts outside of University work. While I was looking for items to fulfill my assignment I came across a lot of really great sources.

One aspect I was really looking for was local publishing. I live in Ashtabula Oh so I realized the chance of finding something here was slim. I extended my search to Cleveland and found some really great links to artist’s blogs and websites. I am now realizing that I’ve been missing a wealth of networking and interest.

Cleveland art fans might like some of these sources

http://clevelandartproject.blogspot.com/

http://diggingpitt.blogspot.com/


http://clevelandart.wordpress.com


I also found some great art teacher gear! Here is a link to a page where you can buy a somewhat customized art t-shirt. They are the good ¾ baseball sleeve ones too! Once you follow this link just click on the t-shirt ad on the right.

http://www.incredibleart.org/



I have been so focused on schoolwork that I haven’t had much time to develop and network my community interests but looking towards the end of this journey I am optimistic of utilizing these sources.

The responsibilities with leading a classroom

Week 2 Readings

The focus of the reading this week from The Art of Possibilities evaluates the role of a successful leader. Teaching is not considered a glamorous job but the role of an educator facilitates the role of a leader in many ways. Successful leadership in education directly affects the success of the student body. The three main areas of focus for successful classroom management are contribution, leadership, and attitude.

Contribution:
It is so important for students to feel that they are a part of what they are learning. An engaged student equals a learning student. The teacher is in charge of the class and must facilitate the learning but they should avoid the role of dictator. Rules and guidelines must be established but students should feel like there work matters. Some suggestions would be to include journals, writing prompts, and evaluations to the class. I also believe that providing choices and allowing an aspect of creativity and originality into the assignment makes students feel like they are contributing instead of just participating.

Leading:
The role of a leader should not come without great humility. Leaders must have a balance of authority and respect along with flexibility and modesty. I remember when I was in high school that I never performed well on book review writing assignments. The teachers of my literature classes did not agree with my interpretation of the novels. I believe that instead of telling me I was wrong all the time they should have suggested a different way of looking at things or suggested ways that I could improve. Ten years later I still look back on those teachers with a sense of disappointment and resentment.

Teachers must realize their great impact on the way students develop their abilities. The way that I was treated in those high school classes changed the way I felt about my writing abilities for years. The way that criticism is delivered is one aspect of teacher leadership that could make a difference in a student’s life. Delivering feedback, making positive suggestions, and encouraging future development are key roles for teachers to provide a healthy and inspirational classroom environment.

Attitude
“You catch more bees with honey”
A positive atmosphere is a more successful atmosphere. The mood that a teacher conveys in their classroom is delivered to the students. Neuro behavior science tells us that mirror neurons in our brain make people subconsciously mirror the actions and attitudes of the people around them. Our mirror neurons are responsible for “social learning, mob behaviors, and copy cat” actions. (Jensen, 2008) Teachers that smile and present themselves in a pleasant attitude will influence their students to “mirror” those behaviors. Teacher that set high expectations for their students theoretically will create a sense of high expectations within the learner. The value of a positive attitude in the classroom is high.


The role of a teacher is unspeakably influential on a student’s life and the responsibility should not be taken lightly. Great teachers are great leaders!


Jensen, E. (2007). Brain-based learning the new paradigm of teaching. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Zander, S.,R, & Zander B. (2000). The art of possibilitiy. Boston, MA:Harvard Business
School Press.

Week 2 extra: interview with David Hawes

Interview with David Hawes on the topic of music sales.



Here is a link to David's Ebay store: http://stores.ebay.com/DHUK-CD-And-Vinyl <

Week 1 Comment Post: reply to Soyeon

Your student was very brave to express his opinion. I think the most important aspect of his concern is that there must be a proper blend while incorporating Web 2.0 into the curriculum. There must be a mix of both intimate contact and digital communication. Social skills are a huge part of education and I do think there should be some concern that digital tools could hinder social growth.

The fact is that today's students really do need to be fluent at both face-to-face communication and digital methods. Teaching for real life experience students need to be prepared for many modes of communication.

The reason you don't notice as much difference from your online learning to classroom learning is because at the University level I think that most students have already developed their social abilities.

reply to Soyeon




"When a chief uses a knife, it is a master's tool to cook.
When a killer uses a knife, it is a murderer's tool to kill."
-Soyeon Kim-

My action research topic is on "maximizing art-making time through online critique using digital portfolio." As I was collecting Cycle 2 data from my students, one mentioned in his response.
“...However, I sometimes do not agree with this new online system because even though it may be a great new method to help each other out, this whole online thing isolates us from reality. What does it matter if we critique online, in our future careers most of us will have to learn to talk in person most of time. The online critiques might decrease our ability to confidently speak in front of another.”
It made me think and I really appreciated his honest concern when he mentioned “online thing isolates us from reality.” I had a similar concern with this student before I took Full Sail Online Program. I sometimes saw on newspaper articles that virtual world or online games influenced people in negative ways. I saw chatting were blocked in work places because people constantly chatted online and got distracted by it. If I were the boss, I would be mad and blocked them too when my workers got distracted by personal chatting.

In contrast, I have observed many times online tools were used in promoting better communications. I have been in the United States for 16 years and I still have contacted my old friends through social networking sites. My friend update their lives and share with other people all the time. My fiancé is in Grand Rapid, Michigan and I am New York but I talk to him all the time. As soon as I go home, I start video chatting with him and spend time talking and even watching TV together. This is a good communication tool for us till we get married. Can you imagine us doing it even after we get married without seeing each other in person at all? That sounds terrible. What is the whole point of seeing each other online if we are not going to see each in person at all? I mean we see each other in person and online.

My point is that online tools cannot be the only communication tool when one really is trying to have a close personal relation with someone. It is an asset to whatever existing. However, depending on how one uses it, one can really communicate in depth for business and educational purposes.

When I compare traditional college with online college that I attended, I see rare difference on how they impacted my learning. Even though I have never physically met any of my Full Sail University faculty or classmates, I felt as close as I was with traditional college classmates and faculty. The way Full Sail faculty and classmates interacted was as valuable as the other way around. There were specific feedbacks, videos, synchronous class, project sharing, social networking and games. I have learned my thought clearly with more people through blogs and discussions. Ironically, I have gained confidence of speaking in front of people because of so many media presentation projects.

In conclusion, I realized that it is not so much about technology that decrease the ability to speak in front of others or isolation from reality. It is the way people uses technology as tools. Tools have no value until people put positive or negative value in it

Week 1 Comment Post: reply to Jaime

I know what you mean about the obsession of deadlines. Take a deep breath and relax. We are almost there!

I think it is natural to want to spend more time on your research. While I have been working I've thought of a dozen other cycles I could run that would help prove my research goals. Looking the research process in perspective; everything was researched, planned, and applied in a 12 month period. I think that is quite remarkable. Studies like yours take years to compile results.





Reply to Jaime:

I have become completely overwhelmed with deadlines and what still needs to be done. I know that my action research topic is well thought out but I wish I had more time to spend going through the data. I found still found that my complete lack of time is an issue. My position at work has required me to be flexible and have a do whatever it takes to get the best result. This flexible has equated to spend as much time as I can at my desk to complete the tasks. In the growing opportunities at work have made me reallocate time to that instead of where I should be focusing for the next few months.

I can not believe that it’s already May and really our last full month of class until graduation. I can truly say that between now and June 15th I will need to redirect my focus to school and what little personal life I have left. Why in any world would we decide to buy a house now, during the busiest time of the year. Between weddings, school, graduation requirements, and work’s busiest month I’m going to need to find the zen of calm and focus.

The action research has gone well so far, and under pressure of deadlines I always manage to get everything done. I just need to find the real focus to complete projects BEFORE it’s on a critical timeline. I have also found that I do a initial freak out about the amount of work but once I break it down and really see that I can do it. I need that epic win that Jane McGonigal boosts in the gaming world.

I can already visualize the final day and doing my final presentation... the next day I’m on a plane. Now to just get through each day with a smile and remember to breathe.

Week 1 Project Report:Social Media and Young Adults

I finally finished my literature review. I really was dragging my feet. The funniest part about it is that I kind of feel sad that its complete. I really enjoyed finding new resources! I guess I am officially a nerd because I like finding research!

Watch this video/slide presentation from the Pew Research Center. The information aligns with my research.



Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Social Media and Young Adults

View more presentations from Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.

The Journey of Research: Week 1 extra

I would like to reflect on the metaphor that academic research is a journey. I think this metaphor should be changed to academic research is an action packed adventure flick with an open ended finish. Last night I was reflecting on the stages I have gone through throughout my action research process and could not help but compare myself and my experience to the main character in one of my favorite movies Romancing the Stone.

Throughout this movie the main character Joan Wilder experiences many challenges emotionally, physically, and mentally.
I’d like to make a step-by-step comparison to the movie and research.

Comparison #1 The beginning
Research: the researcher is uncertain, naïve about the subject matter, and nervous of the hard work ahead of them.
Joan Wilder: is presented with a serious problem, she is nervous, naïve to the extremities and realized the challenges she will face.
Comparison #2 Working through the Challenges
Research: The researcher must narrow down their topic, figure out a plan of action, making critical friends to support them during their challenges and begin to work.
Joan Wilder: creates a plan of attack, finds a critical friend to help her along her journey and adapts to unforeseen
Comparison #3 Self-Discovery and a passion for learning. Research: The light at the end of the tunnel becomes visible. The researcher begins to make sense of their findings and the research changes the beliefs and ideas of the researcher.
Joan Wilder: becomes passionate about her goals, falls in love, and changes her belief systems
Comparison # 4 The conclusion
Researcher: All research is final, the researcher is relieved and proud. The researcher has grown professionally and personally and the future is open ended
Joan Wilder: Successfully ends her journey by saving her sister, she grows professionally and personally an the future is open ended….there is a squeal of this movie.

This may seem like a bunch of rubbish to some but the point is that maybe journey doesn’t emphasize the true transformation that occurs during the process. The phases of research are too dynamic to be summarized by one word. Whole films are much more appropriate to capture this adventure.


Enjoy this trailer style video of the movie: Romancing the Stone/the metaphor of my research
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Week1 Reading Response: Breaking out of your mold

The fear of failure blocks the mind and spirit from growing. There is nothing more sincere than when a student looks up at me and says, “I know I didn’t do this right” or “this is horrible.” These are the moments when a simple pleasant response, a helpful tip, or words of encouragement can change a student’s life and outlook towards trial and error. Passion, drive, and originality are fragile qualities that a person possesses.

I love the “give an A policy” One complaint I always had about art school was the subjective grading. There were always rubrics that described the requirements but none factored in the professor’s opinion or hidden expectations. It is hard to place a grade value on something like a painting or performance. While I am sure most teachers would never intentionally grade based on their opinion I think the teacher’s preference for style and technique are always reflected.

Additionally I’d like to share this quote from the book, The art of Possibilities, page 18.

“On our path to achieving a goal we inevitably encounter obstacles. Some of the more familiar ones, aside from other people, are scarcities to time, money, power, love, resources, and inner strength.”

I think this passage speak for itself… Ain’t that the truth

The following video is a close up 3-D examination of the David by Michaelangelo. The video reflect the vision and dreams of Stanford University students as well as the extraordinary talent of the original artist.



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New Class New Blog

I know that no one is following me yet but I just couldn't bear creating a new blog with no posts! Here is post 1.