CEP 882 Reflection

Reflecting Upon NDCE –

As educators we are artists as we form our lessons. As Eisner describes we are forming a product that we hope “gives rise to feeling” in our students. I hope that they are interested and that their experience is compelling giving them the desire to become lifelong learners. I know that they will not appreciate and be inspired by every lesson and topic, but my hope would be that along the way something would spark their passion enticing them to want to learn more. Understanding elements that make an experience compelling helps in forming lessons that will produce “a rise of feeling”.

Sometimes it was more obvious to me when creating my blog posts on how skills/processes in a certain field could be used in the classroom to create a compelling experience. I had a few ideas that were exciting to think about implementing into my teaching. One was the idea of using movie trailers as an attention grabber prior to a lesson. I think video can be so compelling as an introduction to gain students attention and leave them wanting to learn more. One of my favorite quotes was from this same blog entry from Rabiger who states “participants describing past events or inner feelings make less impact than when we see them actually living through the experience itself.” There are so many implications that this thought has for the teaching field. Allowing students to have an experience rather than read about it in a textbook can create a much more lasting memory.

Another work of art that I really enjoyed analyzing was music. I liked the thought of the connection between forming a song that hooks the listener and how the teacher could use this as they think about how to hook the student. In music the hook is a memorable part of the song that grabs the listener’s attention and leaves them wanting to hear more. This is an important element to consider when forming a lesson. Is it memorable, rhythmic, repetitive and effective?

Also, the thought of tempo in the classroom could be beneficial to pay attention to. As a song’s tempo can affect our emotion – whether it is slow and soothing or fast and energetic it creates feeling. Is the classroom busy, are the lessons being presented quickly one after the other, or is there time to process, linger, and think about what is being taught? I have observed classrooms that are successful with both a fast tempo and slow tempo. One of my favorite fast tempo examples was a teacher who worked almost as a drill sergeant and the 3^rd grade class was very fast paced, but you never saw a student sitting bored. The room was full of energy and they were excited that they knew what the next order of the day was. They also enjoyed picking on the observer in the classroom who did not know the daily procedures. They were having an enjoyable experience. I have also observed the opposite, where the pace was fast and hectic, but the students felt lost and confused. It is important to take time and assess the tempo. What feeling is being created in the classroom environment? Do we need to slow down or pick it up? I tend to talk very fast and realize I need to slow down, take a deep breath, and pace myself.

At first I struggled to think of the elements of interior design and the connection to teaching. I think I was caught thinking solely about the act of teaching, not thinking about the creation of an educational environment. Having the ability to form compelling lessons is important, but what about creating a compelling physical environment in the classroom. There are still a few classrooms that I can vividly remember due to my teacher’s design and layout. When I reflect upon the elements that made their rooms exciting they include lighting, artwork, having designated areas such as reading nooks which were many of the elements that Susanka addressed in her writings.

Overall, as I read through and reflect on each blog post it will serve as a reminder and inspiration to be a better designer. I am excited to take these elements and use them in conference planning, student communications, possible financial literacy web tools, and more. Through creating these analogical bridges between Education and the Arts it reiterates my beliefs that we can gain valuable skills through many avenues.

Eisner, E. W. (1985). Aesthetic modes of knowing. NSSE Yearbook. University of Chicago Press: Chicago. When you read this piece, focus on Eisner's use of the terms "form" and "forming."

Rabiger, M. The preparation before the shooting. From Directing the Documentary. Chap3 (part 1).

Susanka, S. Home by Design. Introduction.

Branding Education

What is it about branding that draws us in and affects our choices? Can we use this powerful tool in education?

As I read an article written by Eric Weiner titled “Consultants Develop Notion of Branding Nations these are the questions that came to mind. He interviews Sherif Sabri who states, "I am working now on a campaign about Egypt…I am branding Egypt." This may seem a bit ridiculous to some, but think about it. Have you seen the stickers on the back of vehicles such as “OBX” which stands for the Outerbanks of North Carolina? It is hip because you might only know that brand if you have been there to visit. This is one way that we brand a region. Another are the state commercial campaigns such as “Pure Michigan” that advertise tourism in the state. The reason branding draws us in is because we connect to it and it gives us something to relate to others by.

It might be the brand clothing you have on, a sticker on your car, or a button on your bag that draws a person to come up and say “Hey, I love that brand”. It can give a sense of belonging. Often people desire to share their interests and connect with others who may share the same likings. So how do we incorporate this pride of interest into education? I have always been a strong believer in building student confidence by recognizing their strengths. Not everyone will excel in every subject, but to know that you are good at something can really motivate. Maybe branding in this case would be to connect students with these similar interests. Maybe create a Math Club or Art Club within the classroom that could be branded giving students the opportunity to be creative (keeping in mind to create a plan that prevents student’s from being left out due to peers making decisions on who belongs in what club). Use acronyms for the clubs that gives an obscure meaning to create that sense of mystery for those who have not heard, such as the OBX stickers mentioned earlier.

Elements of Fashion in Education

As I watched What Not to Wear I thought about how some of the elements of fashion could be incorporated into the classroom. One thought that came to mind is how we often think of strangeness as a way to draw attention to ourselves in fashion. This can be effective in drawing student attention, but do we think of attractiveness as a way to draw their attention as well. Silliness can be a fun addition to the classroom, but may not be appropriate for all subjects, for example when we are learning about historical events that involve the loss of people. Attractiveness could be one element to use in bringing aesthetics into the lesson. This was similar to the fashion choices of the person being evaluated by the What Not to Wear team. Although being silly and wearing crazy clothing has its place, there are times when this is not always the appropriate choice which could affect relationships and careers. In our readings the following quote reminded me of how aesthetics, whether silly or attractive could influence classroom lessons, (Wong, Henriksen 2008) “In considering ideas as fashion, we might see that learning new ideas as an aesthetic phenomenon and that educators have much to learn from those who have a highly sophisticated appreciation for the aesthetic qualities of powerful experiences.”

The other element discussed regarding fashion was the portrayal of confidence. When we feel good in what we are wearing we exhibit the feeling of confidence. As educators it is important to exhibit confidence in the classroom. Both in fashion and education this draws others in.

Wong, E. D., & Henriksen, D. (2008). If ideas were fashion. To appear in "Mirror Images: Popular Culture and Education", edited by Z. Bekerman, N. Burbules , and H. Giroux. Rowen & Littlefield Publishing Co.

Keeping it Moving - Music and Education

In music there can be songs that may start off promising, but as the song continues the listener becomes bored or annoyed and is ready change the song. One song that does this to me is "Sometime Around Midnight" - Airborne Toxic Event. The music gains my attention initially, but as the song continues it almost feels like a run-on sentence or story that just keeps on going. It lacks lyrical repetition that would continue to draw the listener in or the typical verse, chorus, verse formula that may be fine for some, but I become bored and if I hear it on the radio I tend to find myself changing the station after the first half of the song. I can’t sing along really because it is more like a story.
This is issue is something that can also happen in the classroom. The lesson may have an awesome attention grabber with no follow through. Students may be intrigued and then lose attention. Maybe we need to consider our current lesson plan format. Why not add another attention grabber in the middle of the lesson to reinstate excitement or evaluate our pedagogical strategies to ensure that the lesson doesn’t begin with the most excitement and then go down hill from there.

Even with the most exciting lessons there are still obstacles that we face as educators. Copland discusses two important characteristics of a talented listener: the first being the ability to open oneself up to musical experience and the second the ability to evaluate critically that experience. If a student is resistant and not open to the learning experience that presents a significant challenge to the educator. They may not connect and truly absorb the material being presented. As with music, if the listener is not engaged and open to an experience the music may simply be noise in the background. This emphasizes the importance of keeping the experience compelling and reflecting upon past lessons to see how this may be achieved.

Copland, A. The gifted listener. Chapter 1. In Music and Imagination (pp. 1-20). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Music in the Classroom

Music is a great work of art to bring into the classroom. The “hook” could be a include memorable information that is being taught in a lesson. It also could be used as an attention grabbing tool when introducing a new unit. The repetition and rhythm increases retention and can create interest in learning. Burns (1987) in A Typology of ‘hooks’ in popular records mentions several of these adjectives in the various definitions others have used to describe the hook in music.

One example where I have seen music successfully implemented into English lessons were songs by School House Rock. I remember Conjunction Junction clearly and sometimes, even if I wanted to, I can’t get the tune out of my head. A friend of mine who teaches high school sciences has shared with me several You Tube videos in which popular songs have adapted lyrics to teach a scientific topic through music. It is quite entertaining and a fun way to help students remember new subjects.


Burns, G. (1987). A Typology of 'Hooks' in Popular Records. Popular Music, Vol. 6, No. 1. (Jan., 1987), pp. 1-20.

Tasks of a Designer and Educator

One of the imaginative bridges that came to mind when reading coursework related to interior design is the task of the interior designer to “analyze the client's needs, goals, and life and safety requirements” (Saltzman). This could definitely fit as a main objective of an educator. It is our task to analyze the student’s needs, their goals, as well as ensure they have a safe environment both physically and emotionally. This objective for an interior designer relates to more of a physical space, however, for an educator this could apply to areas including physical, but also apply in planning upcoming lessons, ensuring that students needs are being met, particularly if they may have a learning disability, and ensuring their is respect so that students are able to have a positive experience feeling welcome to participate. Creating a compelling experience for the student encompasses each of these elements.

Interior Design and the Classroom

It may seem that interior design elements and the classroom are far from being connected. As I read Susanka’s writings about making a house a home I could see many ways that these elements could be implemented into the classroom. Three design elements that Susanka discusses are space, light, and order.

Space includes examining how a room is laid out in regards to the activities that typically take place there. One problem that many have is to consider increasing space as the only solution for a room that is not functioning well. Susanka mentions many ways to utilize small spaces to improve functionality and create a positive experience such as dividing space into “discrete but visible areas” (Susanna, p. 8). Some of the other suggestions mentioned may be difficult to alter as an educator such as varying ceiling heights, but arranging space into specific areas is definitely possible and can improve the classroom environment.

Light is another important element that can affect the classroom atmosphere. Initially this may seem like a difficult element to alter as many classrooms are equipped with harsh lighting that is already in place, but there are other ways to alter lighting such as turning off the main lights and bringing in lamps. One of my favorite courses in high school was a creative writing course. My teacher would often turn off the lights and use alternate lighting to create a calming experience while we wrote poetry or other themed writings.

Order refers to alignment or how objects within the room are arranged. One idea for creating a classroom while considering order would be to use a grid to create symmetry or a pattern.

With all these elements together I can create a more thought out classroom environment which can create a positive atmosphere for more compelling classroom experiences.

Susanka, S. A new design language. Learn to describe the sense of "home." Excerpt from "Creating the Not So Big House."

Timing

One of the elements that I found was key to creating a compelling experience through film/video was timing. This could definitely bridge over into teaching. Scenes that were long and drawn out became dull and could cause a loss of attention, yet others required the longer scene to tell the story. There is a value to examining our timing as educators. Are we moving along at a pace that will keep the student intrigued or are we drawing it out too long. It can be hard to tell when in the middle of a lesson. This is where I could see videotaping the lesson being a good reflection tool. I believe there is a lot to learn from watching ourselves in action. During the film editing process the editor is allowed time to reflect upon video clips to decide what needs to be included and what could be cut. Educators could also improve upon lessons through watching their own footage and seeing if there is an area that needs more emphasis or an area that could be cut.

Imaginative Bridges Between Film and Teaching

An important lesson that educators can learn from film makers is the involvement of multiple senses to create a compelling experience. In Chapter 3 of The Preparation Before the Shooting, Rabiger mentions “participants describing past events or inner feelings make less impact than when we see them actually living through the experience itself.” How often are we taught through auditory explanation of what occurred historically rather than viewing or having a similar experience. It may call from more creativity in lesson planning, but there are many benefits that could come from creating more compelling experiences.

Another thought that came to mind as I read and contemplated what educators could gain from the film industry is the idea of suspense and interest. Film trailers take the highlights of an upcoming film and grab the viewers attention. They have experienced a small piece of what is to come and it is intended to leave them wanting more. It lead me to question “What could I do build suspense in my classroom?” or “Are my introductions to upcoming lessons leaving them wanting to learn more?”. Could we incorporate trailers as an attention grabber?

Rabiger, M. The preparation before the shooting. From Directing the Documentary. Chap3 (part 1).

I really enjoyed this module and weekly readings. When you think about it, it is amazing how two photographers with the same equipment can create two very different images. The same goes for any art or even many fields of study.

One of the assignments mentioned that it is not the better camera that creates the better image. It takes talent and study to have the ability to compose a work of art. I also liked that in the module we looked at different formats that images are presented. For instance we looked at the difference between two business cards and flyers. I think being able to compose an artistic image is taken for granted in education and that it should be taught to more than just graphic design majors. In all employment experiences I have had from age 15 to now, I have utilized art and design training even though I still have a lot to learn about design. It could be a college job where they ask to draw the specials of the week on a board for the restaurant to designing the program for an upcoming conference. It is a skill that is valuable in many fields.

I always like to add an image to my posts, particularly wordy posts, so here are a couple of images from our project this week. The first image didn’t take much time to compose and the second is an image that took more time to align and capture. I hope to continue to build my skills in photography. My husband is a videographer and often asks me to critique his work prior to sending it to a client. This module has helped give me the proper vocabulary to do so.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog. This blog will be dedicated to reflections, thoughts, links, and other inspiration discovered through CEP 822 - The Nature and Design of Compelling Experiences. I am excited for this course as we examine different mediums outside the realm of education and think about how we can create compelling experiences in the classroom. For me, my classroom is usually in a conference room, over the phone, or via the web as I work in higher education with parents and incoming students in Enrollment Services. Join me on my adventure!