Wk 4 Publishing Leadership Project

The article based on my CBR project has a strong emphasis on Art and technology throughout community service project. Therefore, I am sticking with three journals that I plan to submit too because I wanted to appeal to the Arts (on a small and large scale) as well as technology journals. The following are the Journals I plan on submitting to, a link to the copy of my research article, as well as my two “think-aloud” post if your interested.

Edutopia is a database from the George Lucas foundation that highlights educational and technological programs, topics, information and other research that is unique and breaking ground. I have been a fan for a long time and have actually been inspired by some of their blogs to focus on bringing arts and technology into community service.

NAEA - The National Art Educators of America are a well-known community that advocate for Arts Education, share research, stories, and network with individuals and organizations that do the same. They have a recognize association for their efforts and services and something I look forward to being a part of.

The National Guild for Community Arts Education supports and advances any educational and learning opportunities in the community. They foster art education as well as community focus with their service and advocacy. They host a quarterly journal that highlights related topics in the community and education.




Think Out Loud Post 1
Think Out Loud Post 2


Melissa Cooper's Publishing Leadership Project Article

Week 4 Free Post: PLP think outloud post II

PLP think out loud post

Via Flckr

I am not absent-minded. It is the presence of mind that makes me unaware of everything else.

- G. K. Chesterton


Coming into week 4 we are to come to a final decision on our Publishing learning project. I believe I am going to stick to the plan of writing an article for a journal. After researching several possibilities I have narrowed it down to a possible four; Edutopia, TechTrends, GuildNotes, and the NAEA. In the next week I will be looking further into narrowing these down into two at least. I look forward to seeing how this work and the responses some of us may get.

Week 3 Free Post: PLP think outloud post

Via Flckr

"People wish to learn to swim and at the same time to keep one foot on the ground."
- Marcel Proust

For MAC this month we have to decide on the platform we wish to use to share our CBR project that we have been working on. With the Publishing/Leaders Project (PLP), we can either present through an actual conference presentation or choose to have an article published through a scholarly journal.

I am still up in the air with which way I want to go with this whole thing but my initial feelings are leaning towards publishing via a journal. Written publications of your work have been something I always admired and for some reason thought I’d never to do, writing (grammatically speaking) being a weakness of mine. Thus, that option would be a challenge but a welcomed one.

On the other hand, presenting seems like an exciting endeavor as well. Although, as much as I actually enjoy putting together presentations, oddly enough, the shyness factor is what scares me about presenting. Barely getting through speech class, I know I have a long way to go before I can see myself effective getting a message across as a presenter at a conference. I would love it to be something that comes natural to me but fear the message would get lost in embarrassing situation.

Well…I have a few more days to decide, we’ll see.

Comments on Classmates' Blog Post Wk 3 - "The Art of Possibility":

Helen Xiong's : "Week 3 Reading:Art of Possibility"

Photo Credit: SmartBoard Notebook Gallery

"This week’s reading included the chapters of 5-8 in the Art of Possibility.

Overall, I would say this is a great book. I have been enjoying it greatly throughout each chapter and each reference it has given. It is funny because I feel that I can relate to almost every series it has given to me to reflect upon. The ups and downs in each part can easily be related to different things in my own life. I really enjoy reading Ben’s play on words and at times have a hard time following Roz’s but overall the read has been easy and amusing to follow. It has really been making me reflect upon their stories to make me realize how I can be a better teacher, wife, daughter, and person all around.

One of the stories that struck me the hardest was when Ben talked about allowing the player to conduct and allowing others to take the lead and make mistakes. I think this is a key concept because people are so afraid of making mistakes and letting others down but I feel like that is a way of life….for people to be well rounded they need to experience these types of experiences and make the mistakes they are allowed to. We need to empower our students just as Ben had his students in his symphony.

We also need to help the people around us, as well as ourselves, be willing to peel away the layers that hold back who we really are. We need to give way to passion and allow things to be the way they are. These were two concepts that also struck me strongly. Just think if we allowed these things to happen…young or old how strong our future leaders of our world would be…being wiling to take the bull by the horns and not blame others for our mistakes. For each of us to participate wholly and always give everything our best…think of how successful our world and lives would be…A world full of challenge and accomplishment.

I know that my words are strong and blunt and probably impossible…but the words and stories in this book are so empowering that it makes me feel like anything is possible. I know that we all go through roller coasters throughout our lifetime and we need to be constantly reminded about the things we can and need to do to make our world a better place….It is also empowering to hear Roz and Ben share their ideas and stories to try to make our world a better place…I cannot wait to share this read with others in my life."

MY COMMENT:

Helen,

I have had the same experience reading this too. Ben does have great wordplay, I can see how that might be why he is such a popular motivational speaker.

At this point in my life I do find a lot of the "living up to expectations" concepts easy to relate too. I think I have always tended to hold myself back on things in fear of not meeting others expectations. I agree, this book is quite empowering and a great share. You did a great job at summarizing, this would definitely make me want to read it! :)

Comments on Classmates' Blog Post Wk 3 - "The Art of Possibility":

Tiffany Tyndall - "Week3reading- LIGHTEN UP, It's not that serious!!!"

"It's true, a leader can be anywhere. I have always said as a teacher there are things that we learn from our students as well as our peers. Everyone has their strengths and everyone has their weaknesses, we as adults can learn from each other. I loved the story in our textbook about the conductor who was having problems getting the orchestra to play the song correctly and how someone visiting was able to make one or two suggestions and that fixed all their orchestral problems. Truth is, the visitor could have used a simple approach to LEAD the orchestra. Rule Number 6 is good advice, "Don't take yourself so seriously". In other words, lighten up. This is a prime example of the simple approach that the visiting conductor did. I can imagine now the normal conductor got up and corrected the students by saying something that was totally above their heads and the visiting conductor just made it plain.

Being an educator, I have noticed that a lot of stress gets put on educators to get and keep test scores up. As a result some teachers become so eager to get those test scores up that they will do anything even if that means boring their students. The students become stressed out and the teacher is even more stressed out, that's when Rule Number 6 really comes into play. By making class fun for the students it almost like you trick them into learning. They have so much fun that they forget that they are in a learning environment and ultimately you get the test scores you need."

Picture from http://www.flickr.com/photos/aeromartin/1470518841/

MY COMMENT:

Tiffany,

I like that you made the point that we can learn from our students as well. I think a lot of times they don’t realize that we are learning from them and they need to hear it. Also, that we are have our strengths and weakness. I always find myself explaining that to a student or friend when they say they are stupid and can’t do something. It can be tough to remember sometimes but we are not perfect and as the book explains we have to learn to accept things about ourselves especially to build on them. Great points!

Wk3 Reading: " The Art of Possibility" Chpts 5-8

“Where high horses are left in the stable”

I’ve always been a bit nervous about developing the “God Complex” or even coming off as if I have. I love to learn and beginning to think I’m addicted to school. At times when I talk about school though, I feel others may think I’m trying to overachieve in spite of others or pursue the credentials that would validate smart aleck, know-it-all statements. Regardless, I have always been taught that being humble comes before anything else & life has done a great job of making sure I keep that in mind. But as a middle child in a very large family I always have been the neutral peacemaker so the statement, “don’t take it so seriously”, is very much apart of my vocabulary.

The last year I have been on a mission to let go of expectations, try and take my sister’s advice to “stop caring about what I think other people think” and just get back to that person I was meant to become. My goal is confidence and my reward will be confidence!

These chapters explain how even as an authority we have to remember that mistakes happen, that we should own & acknowledge, and that we can still learn. The author describes implementing a “white sheet practice” to receive constructive criticism from his students which I personally think is intelligent. Accepting that we aren’t perfect and take criticism as a simple note to what we still have to learn, people are more willing to do the same around you and relate to you as person.

They go on to justify how balancing your “selves”, calculating & central, can help with acceptance and positive dealings with others. Your “calculating” self looks out for only you & “central” self is open to influence. With a balance you can learn to not only accept mistakes you’ve made but that you will continue to make them & deal with them easier. In doing so, you learn to look at the world not as your enemy but an adventure. Be a little more open to imperfection; let some things go, because it really is not that serious.

With these practices eventually you can get to a point where your thinking becomes more positive in many areas of your life. When you start accepting things for what they are, that vicious habit of “downward spiral” aka “negative” speaking and thinking will diminish as well. You begin to focus on what is rather than what should be leading to…

Opening your self up to follow your passion. The authors do a great job with examples of how to notice, “what you are holding back & let go” then learn to participate with your whole being. Basically not letting negative thoughts, your inhibitions, or other’s & your expectations keep you from being that person you want to be or know you can be.

Sometimes you just have to learn to go BTFI & “do you” (as my sister would say)!

"Knowledge of the self is the mother of all knowledge. So it is incumbent on me to know my self, to know it completely, to know its minutiae, its characteristics, its subtleties, and its very atoms."
~ Kahlil Gibran

Pictures Via 1,2

Wk 2 Wimba: Review of Copyrights

Media Asset Creation - August 2011 - Review of Wimba Meeting in Week 2



-Missy

Comments on Classmates' Blog Post Wk 2 - "The Art of Possibility":

Cheryl McGovern
http://cherylmcgovern.blogspot.com/2011/08/week-2-reading.html
"This picture depicts this weeks reading exactly as I interpret it. Life is what we make of it. We choose the direction. There were many things in the reading that I enjoyed. I loved how the author described success and failure as a two sided coin, but if we choose contribution instead, it is a one sided coin and therefore a win-win situation for all. I also loved the wording well heeled and down at the heel. I had never heard that before. It must be the way that other countries describe the highs and lows of life. Something else that would do us all good to remember is to "engage people in your passion for life", and "don't speak to cynicism, but to passion" (Art of Possibility). I try to envision a world where there was no cynicism, only passion for life, and it is definitely a mind blower! The thought of giving all students an A the first day of class was awesome! Can you even begin to imagine the look on a bunch of kids faces the first day you handed out all A's? Talk about a jaw dropping experience! The thought of throwing your arms up in the air and exclaiming "how fascinating" when you make a mistake is also cute. All in all, I think that this weeks reading had the intended effect on me. It got me thinking, and at just the right time. School is beginning and this was a great reminder that life is all a story, and it is all in the way we choose to tell it! Have a great day!"



Cheryl,

Those were really great moments the book, I thought too. The idea of a world where no one spoke to cynicism would be a dream. It baffles my mind to know it could all be so simple with just a change of thought. I guess we can at least hope with others learning to contribute that love that it matters to one “starfish”. ;)

Missy

Comments on Classmates' Blog Post Wk 2 - "The Art of Possibility":

Barbara Rasero:
http://reflexiverasero.blogspot.com/2011/08/week-2-reading-art-of-possibility.html

"The ideas in this book are familiar to me and I have experienced many iterations of living the life of possibility - the EMDT program is the latest in a long line of out of the box decisions I’ve made. The really ‘big one’ was 15 yrs. ago, when I quit my job as a director in an ad agency and went to seminary. There, contrary to what some might believe, I learned more about out of the box thinking. In fact, out of the box is a way of seeing and living a spiritually based life. Zanders book is really about the human spirit and how to recognize, nurture, and materialize the gifts of this life and share them in the world. He shows that we deeply need love and acceptance and are dependent upon each other to realize our gifts.

Living by the rules and the scales of measurement is a necessary part of living in a family of community, but rules become constricting if we do not reinvent them as we grow. Rules help to channel and contain chaos, but the creative process is not that orderly! Ideas need free space to form and shared, and bodies need freedom to move erratically to learn the nuances and elegant moves of a musician, artist, or athlete. As teachers, we need to manage the tensions between chaos and order and understand not just the appropriate balance for a particular age group, but also to be sensitive to the human psyche of each child’s potential and limits. This is a tall order
Starting out with and A, I think, makes the process more fluid and child based. It assumes the wholeness of the student first and allows room for both potential and limits, rules and creativity, and connotes learning as an individual process rather than static corporately established goals. An A, assumes the norm, the acceptable as a given, and as a base form which to depart, allowing the space for vision.

To see ourselves as contributors to a larger good means that we acknowledge our own needs and the needs of others, and how these inter-relate, interact, and integrate. In the classroom, role-playing can lead to greater understanding of one’s gifts and ability to use them in service to others. Contribution is ability to respond to a need or gap. First and foremost, it’s a responsibility to understand and acknowledgment of our own needs for help and growth. Next, is the acknowledgement of our gifts, how and with whom to share them. I was told by a wise professor, that our gifts follow our needs; meaning, these two are inextricably linked and how we find and can offer our authentic selves in community."
----------------------------------------------------
All images purchased form Dreamstime.com


Barbara,

Your thoughts on finding a way to create that balance for are students are very much what I got from that chapter too. I believe that tension can be very hindering to students’ creativity and limiting them from reaching their potential based on the anxiety of living up to expectations or measurements. That responsibility is one we need to be aware of as teachers and the starting of with an A is a perfect example of a positive approach.

I like that quote, “Our gifts follow our need,” a great way to summarize.

Missy

Wk2 Reading: " The Art of Possibility" Chpts 1-4

“I did the best I can, with what I had” – Thurgood Marshall (cited in this book)

In most courses in college it is rare if you ever read your textbook that is associated with a class more than you are required too, let alone ever pick it up again after the class is over. Yet, this book, “Art of Possibility” by Benjamin & Rosamund Zander, has been a refreshing change of the norm.
Beginning the first chapter it comes of as more of a self-help book but is more motivational and enlightening with its practices as you go on in a more biographical manner. The viewpoints from the two authors were an interesting perspective, as if you were just sitting in a room talking to an old married couple about life. They’re very Zen-like in their description of their philosophies, and I enjoyed the calm and playfulness of their tone.

In essence it seems to teach the reader how to utilize certain practices to look at the world with a fresh new outlook. To give people the benefit of the doubt, realizing how someone or the little things people do can contribute to yours and other’s lives positively. In a way nurturing the practice of having an open mind and showing other’s, particularly students, how to do the same. It presents a very optimistic way of thinking and interacting with your environment while trying to keep from letting the world, and it’s expectations of you, stress you out or keep you from what you know deep down you can achieve.
The paradigms have been great so far, from a Picasso conversation – that’s always classic- to student’s “future” letters. I particularly love the quote based on the consequences of an easy life:

“I’m so sorry for you, your life has been so easy. You can’t play great music unless your heart’s been broken” -Casper Cassado (B. Zander’s former teacher)

Personally I feel like that statement it impressively true. These chapters remind me of many of the lessons my own father has taught my siblings and me. Although we have been through a lot he, as his life has demonstrated, shows us that these things are tough but they have made us stronger than the average person, able to deal with things easier, and quicker to bounce back with even more positivity than before. We are not to be bitter of or to others and try our best to trust and love someone even if they have done us wrong. While that can be a challenge at times, it’s less draining than being negative and angry.

Transitioning these practices into teaching, as they describe with their own examples seems effective. I’m pleased this book has been a requirement for reading, I would’ve never picked it up otherwise, yet I plan to continue to pick up especially when the moments of disappointment tries to rear it’s ugly head and I’m in need of reflection.

Wk1 Wimba: Intro to MAC

WK 1 - WIMBA

Going in the Media Asset Creation I was nervous about what to expect especially with it being month 11 of our 12-month journey. This first week of this course we had our usual scheduled Wimba, which are virtual class meetings, to discuss what exactly we should expect. Because I could not attend at the scheduled time I did watch the archive. Prof. Bustillos basically broke down our expectations week by week and the assignments we will be completing. As he stated many students come into the course expected to literally create more media as we have been doing but it’s more of gathering what we have done and getting prepared for month 12. Honestly I am pleased it is the latter because I feel like we have learned so much and to take a month to review, revise, and prepare for the end is essential to decreasing the stress of it all. I am looking forward to getting more in depth with the Publishing/Leadership Project and anxious to see where it goes. Also the freedom to choose a publication or conference that we are interested in presenting it our Capstone’s too is rewarding in itself.
Well, we are wrapping up week 1 as discussed and now time to undertake the anticipation of a whirlwind month. Good luck everyone!

-Missy

Comments on Classmates' Blog Post Wk 1 - Copyrights:

Tiffany Tyndall’s Blog post on Wk 1 – Copyrights:

“Copyright- an creators protection (If you can create it, you can protect it)

This is one word that could get you in a lot of trouble if you are not careful. This week I learned that copyright goes beyond books, articles, and music but a dance could also be copyrighted. I remember in undergrad always trying to keep an account of everything I researched to get information for our big papers that we had in Music History. Copyright is not always a fun thing to do but at least once you really get it, you know what to do and what not to do. In writing a research paper, you must cite all of your sources so that it is very clear that some of the information you are using is not your own.

Certain citations have specific requirements. If you repeat a statement that you found in a book or article you have to cite the book and page that you got the quote from. Pretty much every quote that is not yours has to be cited with a page number and the author. This is only a certain citation system. I am a songwriter and I never thought about how important it was for an author or even a dance creator to protect their works.

I am glad that copyright allows you to protect what is yours, it is kind of like an alarm system for creators.”

Copyright Picture
http://www.flickr.com/photos/man_from_md/6008832460/


My comment:

I completely understand the fact that is quite an “alarm system” as you stated. I had no idea about the extent to which music artist had to go to protect their work and the rules that determine a valid copyright. I always got how sampling so many minutes can cause problems but the fact that you in some way have to record everything you create just to protect seems strenuous. As an artist we can have the same issues when it comes to using other’s reference pictures and copyrights but like with your music one would one their creation protected as well, so I emphasize with the value.

Comment on Classmates' Wk 1: Copyright

Edwin Moy’s Blog post on Wk 1 – Copyrights:

Via Flckr


“The concept of copyright is confusing if you don't have all the information. From watching all the information provided I still think there is an enormous amount of information regarding copyrights that I can still learn. The biggest understanding I took away from the reading was how copyright laws are still changing and almost everyone is affected by it because of the Internet. With sharing sites like creative commons out there I feel hopeful that copyrights will not totally limit the creative process.

Hearing the copyrights have gone from 14 years to 100 years for companies worries me to what the future of creative media will be if new artists worry about being sued for using copyright content to create new works of art. The video A fair(y) use tale brought a smile to my face because it uses the law to push the boundaries of copyright laws to prove a point and teach viewers about how fair use can be used as a defense in copyright law cases.

Working for a company and not being an educator creating educational media is easier to use since my target audience has more knowledge about the world and I can use photos and images within the company to prove my points. For educators the difficult is how can I get my students to understand a point without violating a potential copyright at the same time. We all understand popular culture and students would love to have that as a reference point for learning, so the challenge is on the educator to be able to relate the information in a way that does not violate any copyrights but still gets the message across.”


My comment:

I have the same opinion; all this information can be quite overwhelming especially with the Internet bringing in so many elements. The videos did a great job of simplifying the information in an entertaining way. You made a great point on having to present to adults and students as well. We’re suppose to provide them with material to build on but it can be difficult when the resources are being constantly reduced while the adults already have a lot of that prior knowledge. Fortunately, the rights do acknowledge the significance in being able to use that material to at least teach. Hopefully, with sites like creative commons the balance of what we can and what we cannot use otherwise will even out.

Wk1 reading: Copyright issues

Via flickr



Copyright basics have always made enough sense to me to understand. Especially being an artist, I can see why when you create something, you want to protect it, and get recognition from it. But the legal jargon and the extent of it have always confused me until my readings/ videos for this week in MAC/FSO. All the complexities associated with it, for example fair use, baffled me when I noticed how others used other’s works. Mayer & Bettle adorably explained it as well as the producers behind Creative Commons (which can be found in the links below).

Inspiration comes from all over and sometimes ideas need to be tweaked, copied, and remixed to get creativity flowing or to learn the necessary techniques to eventually develop your own style. All art was influenced by another idea so I can see how copyright issues and personal censorship of one’s material can hinder creativity and the progression of our culture as a whole. The videos have shined a new light on how difficult it is for certain material to be continuously publicized to newer generations if the funds are not there; which was a sad result. That’s like your parents telling you to learn from their mistakes but never telling you what their mistakes were.

Creative Commons have made this whole issue, especially in the digital age, with fair use easier for artist/creators of all types. It’s brought back a willingness to contribute freely to each other. It is something I constantly use & highly grateful for when it comes to looking for inspiration and reference photos effortlessly.

If copyright laws are too strict on top of our art & music already being written off as insignificant and disposable in our educational system, our students’ creativity is doomed. If you have the time and need a better grasp of the copyright issues and fair use, I highly suggest these links as well.

Ttyl - Missy

Readings/Video Links:
http://web.me.com/edm613/m11/wk1-reading1.html
http://web.me.com/edm613/m11/wk1-reading2.html
http://web.me.com/edm613/m11/wk1-reading3.html
Courtesy of Prof. Bustillos

Using Glogster in the Classroom

Another GLOG Lesson Plan

Primary Subject - Social Studies 


Secondary Subjects – Art/Design, English                                     Grade Level - Middle School 


Objective:

•       To explore the concept of community through images and words. Students will become familiar with definitions of community and consider their roles in a chosen community.

Students will

•       Define community

•       Brainstorm different types of community

•       Explore photography as a means of depicting a community

•       Use writing to describe their roles in a chosen community

•       Create a digital poster, GLOG, of images and words that illustrate the chosen community

Materials:

•       Classroom digital camera(s)

•       Classroom computer(s) with printer and card reader/ Lab

•       Smartboad, whiteboard, or overhead projector

•       Interesting photographs or several photography books or magazines

•       Paper

•       Pencils

Procedure - Step A

•       Work with the students to create headings which define the basic types of communities.

Possible headings proposed by Finnegan (1994) are:

1.     Locality or place

2.     Common interests, not necessarily localized

3.     Localities or groups bound by close ties, such as family or neighborliness.

•       Discuss factors, which may influence the development of a sense of community within a social group.

1.     Possible factors include kinship and marriage, language, religion, nationality, ethnicity, culture, residential persistence, availability of community organizations, etc.

2.     Emphasize not only the cohesive quality of community, but also the potential for internal conflict. Mills (2004) points out that conflicts within communities can be more embittered than conflicts among strangers due to the high degree of knowledge conflicting parties possess concerning their opponents in the dispute.

•       As a group:

1.     Brainstorm to develop a list of communities familiar to the students.

2.     Place them under the appropriate headings on the board or with an overhead projector

•       As individuals:

1.     Have the students compose their own personal definitions of "community."

2.     Using classroom dictionaries, the students can then find a published definition.

Procedure: Step B

•       Introduce students to the camera as a tool for depicting a community.


•       Distribute the following worksheet to introduce terms used in analyzing and discussing photographs (Way, 2006).





Guide sheet:

1.     Subject (Who/What is in the picture?)

2.     Setting (Where was the picture taken?)

3.     Background (What is behind the subject?)

4.     Foreground (What is in front of the subject?)

5.     Focus (Is any part of the picture clear or blurry? Was this intentional?)

6.     Vantage Point/Point of View (Where was the photographer when he or she took the picture? Below the subject? Above the subject? Very close? Far away?)

7.     Composition (Describe the lines, shapes, patterns, and colors in the image.)

8.     Lighting (Quality: Is the lighting soft and diffused or hard and contrasty?

9.     Direction: Where is the light coming from in the picture?)

10.  Mood (How does the picture make you feel?)

11.  Meaning (What does this picture say to you?)





•       Divide the class into groups. Give each group a photocopied photograph (or they can choose one from a photography book or magazine) and ask them to write down ideas about what they can learn about the people depicted by studying the photo. Have each group present their photograph and ideas and encourage the class to comment and share additional ideas.


•       Distribute a quick guide to taking good photographs such as the one found at the following link http://www.ehow.com/how_4877017_good-photograph.html. Discuss the guide with the students. 


•       Provide a quick overview of the use of the classroom digital camera(s).

•       Tour the Glogster website & do a Q&A session to familiarize the class with the platform before they officially use it.

Procedure: Step C

•       Assign the students a writing exercise.

◦       Have them write a description of the community they have chosen for their final project.

▪       What characteristics distinguish this community?

▪       What factors connect the members? Think back to the 3 types of communities and the factors discussed in Step A.

▪       What role do they play in this community?

▪       Why have they selected this community to share with the class?

▪       What does it mean to them to be a part of this community?

•       Have the students make a list of possible photographs which they would like to take which would capture important elements of this community.


•       Assign the students the task of taking pictures of their community. Set a schedule and plan with students about the required number of photographs and the due date.


•       Groups can download and view their photographs on the classroom computer, for future reference they should be uploaded to a class Flckr page. Have the students take notes and critique their photographs, commenting on how they might improve the picture if they were to take the photograph again. 


•       The following exercise can help students prepare for writing captions for their photographs. Again students should be supplied with a number of photographs to study for the purpose of the exercise (Way, 2006).  Pretend you are a curator and need to write a caption that tells the viewers the essential information about the picture.  (This will eventually become the elements of their Glogs).

Guide sheet:

◦       Write a new caption for the picture.


◦       Start by writing what you see in the image. 

I see... 


◦       Expand to what you think the photograph is saying (the theme). 

This photography is saying that... 


◦       Revise your writing to create one sentence that tells the theme of the picture.


◦       Now revise that sentence to make sure your caption is concise and uses clear and specific language.

•       When students have taken their photographs, they can pair up to critique their photos and select the ones they wish to use in their final Glog project. If editing software is available, students can be allowed to prepare their photographs for inclusion in their Glog posters.

•       Once the photographs are finalized, students can write captions and arrange the final elements on their digital poster (Glog) to complete their project.  Other elements/features (video, audio, additional text, etc.) can be required for additional assessment. Posters can be printed displayed in the classroom or both can be used to create a virtual/real-world exhibition can be scheduled complete with refreshments and an opportunity for each student to present & discuss their work.

This is a great introductory lesson plan to begin a Service Learning Curriculum Unit.

References:

Inspired by “Exploring Community through Photography” 
By - Carol McRae

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSArtBeginSchoolExploringCommunityThroughPhotography68.htm

Finnegan (1994) as referenced in Mills, Dennis. (May 2004). Defining community: A critical review of ‘community’ in Family and Community History. Community History. 7(1). 


Mills, Dennis. (May 2004). Defining community: A critical review of ‘community’ in Family and Community History. Community History. 7(1).


Way, Cynthia. Focus on photography: A curriculum guide. International Center of Photography, 2006. Retrieved from http://www.icp.org/index.php?q=school/community-programs/teacher-resources

BP8-ETC Final Project

Here is an example of how we are using Glogster in a lesson...

Relevant and Innovative Learning Scenario - Planning

  

1.              Target Audience – 5^th -12^th grade students

2.              Materials –

·      List of possible items to go into activity bag (separated by age range)

·      Computers w/printer (internet connected)

·      Smart board/Elmo projector

·      Journals (may be done online)

·      Phone books

3.              Objectives – Students will:

·      Discuss the benefits of the service-learning project.

·      Design posters to advertise, promote, & present.

·      Formulate informative speeches, business letters, & formal emails.

·      Analyze their feelings, thoughts, and actions through journaling.

4.              Procedure –

·      Informal discussion on the purpose of service-learning and giving back to their community as well as providing additional ideas, suggestions, and comments on how it or parts of the project can be improved.

·      Review mini-lessons on; how to use reference materials, writing informal paragraphs, presenting a speech, and to speak over the phone when asking for information. (Permission slip sent out to appear in media outlets & volunteer offers).

·      Students develop a finalized list for activity bags and formulate methods to acquire items within small groups. 

·      Reference phone book and local newspapers to help identify businesses and potential donors.

·      Write letters to businesses & donors.

·      Make an amateur informative “PSA” about our efforts to distribute.

·      Design posters and flyers using Glogster.*

·      Email  & distribute media assignments to TV stations & other social media outlets.

·      Organize donated items by age appropriateness, work on filling bags.

·      Distribute bags with supervision from teachers & parent volunteers.

·      Students will use Glogster and their journals to create final presentations.

5.              Web 2.0 Tool – Glogster.com will assist our students on provide us with a template and platform to promote our project.  The site will also be used to present the students’ final reflection on the project as a whole.

6.              Social Participation/Social Learning – Using Facebook, Twitter, Glogster.com, etc. students, volunteers, teacher, and parents will communicate, collaborate and promote the project.

Beginning with the initial announcement: “Middle/H.S. students (or parent of one)!!! Need your help in a community service project! Cyber and/or hands-on, as little or much time as you can offer! If you’d like to be a part of this effort, Inbox me!!!

7.              Making Connections – Through informal discussion students will be presented with the question(s); “how do they feel when you are forced to stay inside all day on rainy days? Or in bed with a cold or broken limb for days at a time? Now imagine if you had to stay there for months at a time, sometimes confined to a bed, small room and lobby at the most. Even with all this technology…would you get bored with the same old stuff? Do you think it would help knowing that others cared?”

8.              Create/Produce – As a group the students will create activity bags to be distributed.  For the classroom students will use Glogster.com to create a final poster with quotes (or the whole doc) from their journals for a final reflection on how they feel and the significance of giving back.

9.              Reflection – Students will use journaling throughout the process for reflections from the initial idea to the final product.  The journal will discuss how they feel the project is beneficial, their thoughts on soliciting donations, and how they felt during and after distribution.  Their final entry will be the foundation to create a Glogster poster on their final thoughts to be presented to the whole class.

*the video demonstrates this step in the lesson. A after school student & his mother demonstrate here & below:

"Glogster is helping us promote our cause to a higher degree; 

Students use school plus their virtual world to give back to the real world"

PE5_Glogster

A Practical Experience 5

So far...Loving Glogster!  It was not as complicated as it looks, thank goodness. :)  Even with the basic package there is still a lot of features to choose from.  I am using the basic account and I really enjoyed the variety of possibilities.  AND I am quite proud of my little poster, although it may not be as creative as I have seen many of the students come up with, I'm still pleased with what I got so far.  That reminds me...if you are not ready to publish you can save and go back; another great option.  

Overall I believe this tool will be a valuable asset to my CBR project personally because it will allow the students to custom promote involvement in the beginning, promote for donations throughout the process, and display the results of their efforts in print and media.  They could also use Glogster to present their final journal reflection and thoughts on service learning as a whole in the class.

I know you have been waiting, so here it is... :)

  

If you'd like to interact with it, just click here.  I hope you like it and look into Glogging too!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Comment, share, or follow - always appreciated!

PE4_Glogster

Practical Experience 4 

Blogging about Glogging

For the next couple blogs were going to dive a little deeper into the Web 2.0 tool, Glogster!

First…so glad I found this out ahead of time...but, I figured out that you definitely need to make sure your on the Educational Glogster website.   Seems there is another part of the site that is strictly a social network based setup using personal glogs – very “myspacey”.  So…official warning, the educational site always includes “edu.” within the url name.

Once I was on that site I decided to start working on my first glog.

This is the template they start you with…I have to admit all the controls off the bat are a little intimidating compared to what the student’s blogs are producing from just this, but we'll see how a semi-techy adult manages lol.  Wish me luck!

I’m off to continue meddling with the controls & features; I’ll be back with an update!