Tale of Two Retail Spaces Project

It's a little bit over the time limit but I hope you enjoy!

Cubicles and open space

After reading the use of space and interior design, I'm starting to see how it can play a part in my classroom. As I've stated before, my classroom is not terribly inviting. I have a couple of posters up and an ACT word wall, and that's about it. I have put thought into the organization of desks in my room. I understand the importance of collaboration in learning and so my desks are grouped into four and are facing different directions. After the novelty has worn off, I change it up again. In reading about Chiat I started to wonder whether my desk is set up as somewhat of a private office. He is against having anything like that, as well as cubicles, and I like the sound of it. Because most educational studies is surrounded around the idea of student-based learning, my desk should be in the mix, rather than offset to the side.

Week 6

This week's reading was all about interior design. As I've said before, I have absolutely no eye for decorating. However, that doesn't mean I can't learn. My apartment is plain and without hardly any decoration and character, but I am starting to see the potential it has. In the same way, I can see that the small details and placement of objects and ideas in the classroom are just as important to consider. For example, perhaps I never noticed before that Jerry is sitting next to Shaniqua, and they dated last year and sitting them next to one another makes the experience of my class uncomfortable. I used to think these details were just drama that I did not want to consider, and that it didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. However, it is attention to these kind of details that make all the difference and can change the entire experience.
My classroom itself could use a little sprucing as well. I'm one that likes clean lines and everything in it's place. The outcome of this is a very plain and empty room (but clean no less). It is not inviting, it gives very little character to the content I teach or to who I am (which I know the kids like to know). The arrangement of desks in my classroom could use another gander as well. I've made it a point to organize the desks in a way that surround the smart board. However, I have great windows that give a few of the Chicago skyline; perhaps the classroom should be centered around that. All in all I am starting to notice details in my classroom that I never paid any mind to before.

This is the video I made for the module. The setting for video is my niece's birthday.  The actual focus, or subject, of the video is my other niece, Kate.  When I set out to make the project, I was not sure what I wanted the final project to be. I knew I wanted both of the girls in the video, but I did not want the cliche'd birthday party scene.  Growing up, I was the youngest and I remembered how I often felt alone and left somewhere in the background in comparison to my sisters. Especially on a celebration like a birthday, the other sibling always feels left out. With that, I decided to focus the video on Kate.

Kate and Grace are very different from one another. When Grace is happy about something, everyone knows it. She is not one to suffer in silence and is, all in all, a very expressive little girl. This video takes place on her fifth birthday, which she has been counting down the days for the last two months. Like most kids, any day that is all about her is something she prepares for way in advance. Kate, on the other hand, is different. 

When Kate was born, she rarely smiled or made any noise (outside of crying).  She was a very late bloomer when it came to any kind of communication, and only recently has she started to speak up.  With her demeanor consistently changing, I find it very interesting to try and understand what is going on in her head.  When I look at her I can tell she's thinking, but it's hard to say what those thoughts may be. 

The video starts out with my trying to get Kate to smile. She makes some motion to let me know she realizes I'm talking to her, but stands her ground and does not smile.  The video continues with different pieces of the day, while always panning back to Kate (who is usually alone or seems deep in thought).  I tried to juxtapose video clips with her and Grace in an effort to show the contrast in overall demeanor. Grace is always running around, smiling, or playing with the dog, while Kate is completely enthralled with her little barbie doll. 

The video continues with Grace showing interest from one thing to another, while Kate maintains her composure and focuses on one thing at a time. After the clips came together, I started to realize the video was becoming fairly depressing. This was not my goal initially, but since that was how it was coming together, I decided to run with it. I chose clips that showed Kate in solitude while the action clips were focused on Grace. 

The dog played a unique element in the video because he is always trying to capture the attention of any human, whomever will pay him attention.  My thought was to make a kind of connection between the dog and Kate; the dog is much more clear about what he wants. He does not make anyone second guess what he wants, he just wants someone to play with him. Kate, on the other hand, is more solemn in what she wants, and therefore it is harder to provide that which she is trying to receive. 

In the end of the video, I chose to change the color scheme to black and white in an effort to reiterate the focus of the video: Kate. I wasn't sure how the end of the video would affect those watching, but to me it felt like Kate is wise beyond her years, and there is more to her than we can appears. I hope you enjoyed my video!

Week 4: Bridge between film and teaching

When I think about the possible connection between film and art, I think back to my favorite high school teachers, Mr. Christner. He the class as a 45 minute show set with commercial breaks (in which he would crack jokes here and there within the lecture). That always stuck with me, and I remind myself of this at times when I am teaching. There should be some level of entertainment within the educational system. People, by nature, what to be entertained. I don't think that necessarily takes away from the rigor or goal of education, if in fact the goal of education is to create new boundaries for our students to explore in their own minds. Sometimes I will catch myself being content if the kids are quiet and working. Seeing as how I teach at a high school on the west side of Chicago, these are precious moments. However, the other side of me knows that chances are they are just memorizing (at best) and will probably not make an impact on who they are as people.