NDCE Top Ten

Here are my top ten ideas I have learned in NDCE:

10) Music can tell a story

I really enjoyed the music module because I have always thought that music choice says something about the listener.  For example, the music choice of some of my students terrifies me. The lyrics on some of those songs are just so appalling that I wonder what a mind that can appreciate those lyrics is capable of. I see, now, that it's not all about the lyrics. In fact, some of my favorite songs have lyrics that have absolutely no significance to my life, but I love them anyway. I may not know the technical stuff of music, but I like that you don't actually have to have a reason to like a song; it's all about how it makes you feel.

9) Architecture and experience

In comparing retail spaces, I learned a lot about what makes some architecture and interior design more compelling.  I never would have thought to notice the lighting in a subway, but now I see that it's very institutional and surprisingly uninviting!

8) Fashion is more than keeping up with trends

I tend to view fashion is a luxury that I've just don't particularly appreciate.  I've been a fashion victim for as long as I remember because I always considered myself blind to what looks good. I like bright colors, so I wear them with little consideration beyond "I like bright colors." Since the fashion module, I started asking myself why I liked certain looks and how those looks could be enhanced with a little more consideration. My color choices effect my mood, and shoe choice is not necessarily about utility. I'm still a fashion victim, but I'm starting to take note of fashion choices and which choices actually project who I am.

7) Appreciating the little things

After taking the course, I feel like I've been walking through life with blinders. If something isn't completely obvious to me I tend to overlook it. Now I see that a) I've been missing out on the little things and b) those "little things" can change everything.  I was an English major in undergrad, so I understood the way in which things are worded can change the overall meaning. Beyond words, I'm out! I didn't think about the timing of words, the audience, or the acoustics created in the room can have an effect as well!

6) Mixing nature and design

In my understanding of it, nature is that which occurs naturally, and the design is how one manipulates what occurs in nature. At the beginning of each project, my knee jerk reaction is to analyze the details that occur naturally with the experience and explain their significance. Now I see that it is much more than what occurs naturally; very small changes can make a boring experience seem exhilarating (like playing music and ordering pizza to spice up house cleaning).

5)  Office Space

I mentioned in many of my blogs that my classroom is incredibly bland.  I have a MSU flag up on the wall, some red white and blue paper covering the boards, and flag banners. It's awful. My students have always complained about it, but that particular concern always goes on the back burner because of ACT prep or report card pick-up or some other event that requires preparation.  My room is still a work in progress, but I put a free-standing globe in the corner and you would have thought I installed carousel in my room. The kids love it! They spin it and put their finger on the place they're going to travel and it's great. Who knew!

4) Making a house a home

Since taking the course, I have started to take a closer look to my surroundings, namely my apartment.  My apartment has some natural charm in the architecture. The ceilings are arched and the light in my living room has a dimmer. The light fixtures are on the sides of the walls, so it creates a warmer light. All of these things were handed to me, and I have done nothing to add my own personal touch. Since this class, I have added a piece of artwork in the entrance, a coat hook, a new gray bedset and matching pillow shams, and picture frames. Now when I come home, it feels like a safe place just for me. I never thought these details mattered, but I love how the feel of my place has completely transformed with just a few touches.

3) Video creation

I consider myself to be relatively technology savvy, but I have never created a video presentation.  Not only did I learn how to do it, but why creating a video can enhance your own understanding of the project and create a more specific and creative depiction of what I have learned. My students love to do creative projects, but I've never been able to incorporate them in class because I was not experienced enough. Now I can incorporate more creative projects in the classroom!

2) It doesn't have to be all or nothing

As I've mentioned, my living spaces have always been untouched with any artistic flare. Whenever I thought about touching up my apartment, I was instantly defeated because there was too much to do and I couldn't get started. I thought to myself, "oh I should paint," but the idea of buying all the equipment and covering my floors quickly talked me out of the project. I thought, "my bed is such an eye sore," so I would look at buying new bedroom furniture and eventually back out of the whole idea when I realized how much it would cost. Then I went to Target and bought a wall hook and some tools. I screwed the wall hooks up, put some of my favorite purses on it, and now my apartment actually feels like my space.

1) Manipulating an experience to make it better

For some reason, I have always considered myself outside of the experience.  The experience is what it is, and there's nothing I can do to change it. I had no idea how wrong I was.  People don't go out to eat because they're starving. They don't go to the movies because their tv isn't working. It's all about the experience, and those details that make the experience worthwhile.  Now I go over some of the experiences I've had or created for others, and how those experiences could have been that much better if I had done this or that. I'm excited to incorporate these few manipulations to transform a mildly entertaining experience to something you can't forget.

Fashion Imaginative Bridges

After reading about and analyzing some fashion critique, I am starting to see that fashion is more than just what color or prints are "hot right now." Fashion is more of a way for an individual to express themselves. There are all kinds of different fashion ideas and perspectives, and finding one that works for you is how "fashioning" works. To connect this to education, I know that teaching and learning is not one size fits all. Some like to listen to lectures, others prefer to work individually, some really enjoy working in groups. Although these are all very different ways of teaching and learning, it is important to note that understanding the individual learning styles in the class is important to understand when creating a curriculum. I know I am never going to have a class that collectively prefers the lecture/note-taking structure; in the same token, all students want to have a positive experience in the classroom. Just like I prefer the color pink and flip-flops, but my best friend prefers earth tones and Sketchers, understanding and respecting those differences makes all the difference.