Top Ten NDCE Ideas

My Top Ten NDCE Ideas:

Number 10: The Importance of Observation
    What happens when one slows down and simply observes their surroundings? They may be surprised what they find. We live in a complex world, environment. Often enough, we do not even realize what we miss out on. If one gives themselves the opportunity to view, take in, and really look at their surroundings, they will find more appreciation and perhaps open their eyes to things that they never really observed before. Patience is a virtue.

Number 9: Concentrate on Simplifying
      I want more. I want it big. And I want it right now. Humans tend to be eager and not patient, especially when it comes to things that are important to them. When we rush, often careless mistakes take place. When we overindulge, we find ourselves feeling uncomfortable. Simplify and concentrate on things little by little. If one puts their focus into one thing at a time, or a smaller aspect, they will find less mistakes and much better results. Why not make something small spectacular versus going big and finding sloppiness?

Number 8: Choose your Environment and Surroundings Wisely
        Your surroundings will affect your mood and productivity. An environment that is open invites collaboration, and one that is closed in leads to solitariness. Find what works best for not only you, but keep those you care about in mind. How do you want them to react?

Number 7: Be Comfortable, but Don't be Afraid to Seek out New Ideas
       We are individualistic and are special in our own ways. Use that to your advantage to succeed. However, don't be afraid to try something new. Those who are able to be open to new ideas and possibilities will find new opportunities.

Number 6: Be Inspired
      Allow yourself to be inspired by others and things. This action will spark new ideas and open your eyes to situations, things, or ideas that you may have overlooked before. Those who allow themselves to learn from others will find themselves moving along positively, instead of being stuck in a rut.

Number 5: Engagement is Essential
      How do you get someone to pay attention to you and your art? Through entertainment. Whatever form that may be, you will need to have a way to engage your audience. Once you have their full attention, a new perspective and outlook can be developed.

Number 4: Express Yourself
    To be an expert, you have to be willing to express yourself fully. To share what your passionate about with others and be proud of your art. Part of expressing yourself also meanings learning and not giving up. To be able to learn from your mistakes, take advice, and not give up if it becomes difficult.

Number 3: Absorb and Carry It With You
      Experts want their audiences to enjoy their art. Not to glance, take a quick notice, or say they understand. They want them to absorb it because when they do.... they understand the meaning of it. They find it compelling. In addition, not only do they want them to understand it, but they want it to be memorable. Something they will think back on, something they will possibly share with others.

Number 2: Find and Project the Power
       Whatever your niche may be; photography, film, architecture, fashion, music, teacher, chef, etc. take the power you have developed in that role and release it fully. To be an expert in your field, means you have the knowledge, the capability, and the talent. Therefore, empower it and share with others.

Number 1: Make Compelling Experiences
        Use your knowledge, your forms, and seek out to have others come to a new perspective and see things differently than they did before. By bringing together all of the above ideas, an compelling experience will take place.

WOA-Chef

Imaginative Bridges = Fashion

Before beginning the readings this week, I attempted to make the connection between fashion and teaching. Brainstorming, I suppose you could label it as. Random thoughts ran through my mind. “Teaching being an ‘in style’ career to select.” “ Using fashion to teach and motivate students to learn.” Perhaps, not the best ideas, but once I finished the reading, specifically the article on “branding”; a more meaningful connection was made. As in fashion, there are always fads. A time frame when some brand, some product, some something is considered ‘in’. This made me think about all the ‘fads’ that have arisen in education over the years. Teaching strategies, lessons, activities, etc. that became the new and ‘hype’ thing to do in the classroom. Many were advertised as changing education for the better, a way to ensure that all students learn, ones that will surely be around for years to come, and you better get on the bandwagon if you want success in your classroom. Many, if not most, were believed and implemented. Trainings took place, money was spent to alternate, and they became a new norm in schools. If you think about it, how many do we use still today? What new fads have taken their place? What was wrong with what schools were doing before these fads? Now, I am one for new, exciting, and interesting ideas for my classroom. Learning is not only for the children, but for teachers also. But, when will I be able to just concentrate on my teaching and not worry about changing something that does work? In my opinion, fads do exist in education. It seems that there is always something that needs to be changed. I will explore them if necessary and consider it a learning experience. The same could then be said for fashion too, right? A learning experience? 

Project: The nature and design of music that moves

Imaginative Bridges = Music 2

During this week’s readings, a particular part of Copeland’s text caught my attention in regards to the listener. “… not whether he is deriving pleasure, but rather, whether he is understanding the import of the music. And if he has understood, then I must ask: what has he understood?” (p.11) Then later in the text, he replies to this last question by stating, “Were you absorbed? Was your attention held? That, then, was it; for what you heard were patterns of sounds that represent the central core of the composer’s being…” (p. 16) I believe I kept reflecting on these two parts because they, to me, correlate greatly with the art of teaching. I want more than anything for my students to truly learn. To obtain the knowledge and have it absorb right in them, so they carry it as they progress and build upon it. For this to actually happen, doesn’t it reflect greatly on how we present the material to the students? Teachers must be like a composer. Like producing music, we must put our heart and soul into it. The product will be interpreted by them, the students. And if they really understand what we produce and see its importance by being absorbed and having their attention held (engagement), then it will be successful. Perhaps, this may seem unrealistic to others, but to me, that’s exactly what I want to take place in my classroom. I want my students to get lost in the beauty of learning, just as they do when they listen to music. To be caught up in it, to want to learn more, is powerful teaching. Similar to the power of music, learning or teaching can exert such power too. 

Imaginative Bridges = Music

This module completely relates to me as an English teacher. Two of our units that I teach are poetry and persuasion. Earlier this year, while teaching the persuasion unit, I had my students look at music as persuasive or motivational. Their goal was to find out how songs are persuasive or motivational? What exactly do musicians and artists do to make their songs stand out and get a reaction from the audience? Students not only analyzed the lyrics of their favorite songs, but I also played multiple songs for them and had them respond to the sound of the music. Students were able to make the connection and elaborate on the feelings, emotions, and thoughts that they experienced with the songs. It was found that music creates experiences for people that may be similar or unique. Overall, music makes people feel and think a certain way depending on the words used in the lyrics and the melody.

 With the poetry unit, students identified and interpreted the use of figurative language and sounds devices in poems to determine meaning. Lyrics in music are poetry. The sounds in the music are the part of the sounds devices used in poetry; rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, repetition. Reading the readings this way, was great recognizing much of it from teaching poetry in my classroom.

I absolutely love incorporating music with my lessons. Music speaks to students. It’s something of high interest and implementing it in the classroom only helps to engage. It makes learning an experience for them and most likely a compelling one. At the end of the school year, I always try to ask my students about what their favorite thing was they learned this year. So many times, I have had them say it was the music and poetry lessons. Therefore, if it’s an aspect that stands out in their mind and is memorable, it was a compelling experience for them. 

A Tale of Two Italian Spaces