A Tale of Two Italian Spaces

Imaginative Bridges= Architecture & Design

Reading about two different work spaces this week made me think about my work place, the school and classroom. Where do teachers in my school do most of their work? In the classroom. This includes teaching, writing lessons, researching activities and lessons, grading papers, etc. In addition, when we complete this work, we are by ourselves. (Except when we are teaching our students.) Teachers tend to want to keep to themselves in their classroom to complete their work. So, our classrooms are like a cubicle in a way. It's our private area, that's boxed in, and very private. Now collaboration among teachers is really important, so you would think to encourage that we would meet together in an open space to bounce ideas off of one another. No, not really. In my school, we do meet once a week with teachers who teach the same content and grade to plan in one of their classrooms. After that 30 minutes is through, though, we run back to our classrooms, our cubicles. I personally love having my own private personal space to get my work completed. In fact, I need the quiet space in order to concentrate and be productive. I know in the reading it was said that with isolation, employees become bored, disenfranchised, and often work on things that have nothing to do with their job. Perhaps that can be stated for some, but other personalities need that privacy. Open spaces for me are a distraction and uncomfortable. Work spaces should vary for the individual, a little of private and open available, but by choice on if and when used. This is the same for education, students and teachers vary, they need their own space and individual work time. However, they also need time with others to share and learn from one another too.

Imaginative Bridges = Architecture & Interior Design

Let me begin be saying I'm enjoying this topic. How fun to read and analyze architecture and interior design that surrounds me.
In particular, this quote struck me right from the beginning in the reading, " it's the interrelationships between spaces, walls, and ceilings, and windows that shape our experience." I can understand this completely especially when it comes to your homes. You want a place to live in that feels like "home". It should make one feel safe and comfortable. That's exactly why I believe there's that stereo type that every person (at least every woman) wants that house with the white picket fence, wrap around porch, etc. Basically the 'picture perfect' house. So, why, oh why, are schools designed and look the way they do? By this I mean....blah and boring. White brick walls, cold white tile floors, only some classrooms with windows, square or rectangular shaped walls, ceilings, rooms. That's what I think about when I think about the typical school. How is this welcoming for students and encouraging them to come to school? More thought and effort needs to be involved in the creating of a school. I suppose it shouldn't be a home or they would get too comfortable, but there should be some welcoming aspect attributed to the school. For instance, more natural lighting. Allow that vitamin D to enter the classroom and help uplift their moods. Also, work on the 'order. A little creativeness in patterns, alignment, and rhythm would help. School design, in my opinion, needs some assistance for the better.

Compelling Video & Commentary

Director’s Commentary

How am I possibly going to be able to do this assignment? When I began the thinking process for this module, I really had no clue what I was going to focus on for the compelling aspect. Even more of an issue of concern had to do with my personality. Being a very shy individual when it comes to cameras, I knew I would have to push myself.  The first attempt resulted with feelings of embarrassment and even more anxiety. In addition, I found I wasn’t really focusing enough on the nature and even more, the design elements. After a few more failed attempts, the lightbulb finally clicked on. Why not focus on the issue I’m experiencing at this exact moment.....dread.

The design elements I attempted were zooming, angle, and lighting. In my opinion, they worked pretty adequately for the nature of the scene. First with zooming, I wanted the main focus to be on just me. In particular, my face, it needed to relay the message or idea of the story by itself. I wanted the background of the scene to be minimal in effort to keep main attention on the focal point of the story; the emotion I was trying to convey to my audience. Since I was using the web cam on the computer, I wasn’t able to focus in as much as I would have wanted, which was a negative aspect for achieving this design element. I believe if it was zoomed even more on the character, instead of the wide screen shot, it would have reduced background attention that might occur. However, the web cam was essential in adding to the story line; student working on a computer to finish assignments for class. The web cam angle gave an alternative or unique view to someone at work on the computer. An angle that one wouldn’t traditionally see unless you are the computer itself. Also, this angle helped to achieve additionally focus and attention on the character’s face. It reveals straight forward the facial expressions and reactions to what they are working on at that moment. This was my favorite aspect of the scene. The last element I attempted was the lighting. I really wanted it be darker in the room for a couple reasons. One, it dulls out the background and assists with keeping the viewer’s outlook directly on the person; less distractibility. Second, the darker lighting allowed the main lighting for the scene to come  directly from the computer screen. This creates validity for the focus and storyline of the scene. The viewer believes that the character is really using the computer, and the lighting also plays nicely on the face in the emotion revealing process. This design element could have been improved upon with darker lighting in the background. Unfortunately, the room itself made it difficult to achieve this aspect, unless shot at night. 

      Overall, even though this was an assignment that I had reservations towards, in the end it was a positive experience. Not only did I make myself come out my comfort level some, it was somewhat fun. In addition, I feel as though I was creative in my approach to make 'dread' an experience by making it personal. This is something that I have learned with NDCE. Compelling comes from looking from within but also by taking on new perspectives. 

Imaginative Bridges = Film & Television 2

Upon reading the readings for this module, my thoughts on the connection between film and television and education furthered. One particular point made in "Filmmaking and Research: An Intersection", caught my attention. " As teachers we rely too much on text and talk....We do not create rich multimedia experiences that enhance learning processes." I don't really agree with this. Yes, there are those teacher who teach the textbook and lecture, lecture, lecture. Much like an uncompelling documentary. :) This is what they are comfortable with or perhaps how they learned. It comes natural to them and sadly they might not have the knowledge or experience to go any other way. However, there is a significant amount of teachers who spend enormous of amounts of time researching and discovering new ways to enhance the learning process. I'm one of those. I want my students to be enthralled with the content and their learning. Therefore, I go beyond to create rich experiences. Now, I suppose this is what they were trying to point out, that teachers need to spend more time looking for ways to enhance the education they provide. Thus, I will agree that multimedia experiences do add greatly to the learning process. This makes sense. Students today, well people in general today, feed off of film and television. It engulfs our world, our daily lives. You cannot go really anywhere without seeing or being directly encountered by multimedia. So, why not incorporate these element into the classroom.

Imaginative Bridges = Film & Television

     Making the connection between teaching or education and film and television I automatically think of the production aspect. To me, getting in front of my students everyday is like putting on a production. I put everything into it, so that I have their full attention. Engagement is one of the number things you want from your students. Engagement leads to learning. If you have their undivided attention, then they are most likely going to listen to what you are saying, think about it, and hopefully apply it. As it is in film and television, a production takes place. And what is the number one goal of the production? To entertain or engage the viewers. Therefore, it is almost as if the teacher is the actor, the classroom is their stage, and the students are their audience/viewers.
      In addition, I suppose one could view the teacher as putting on a production in a negative way. Thus, I should make my point even more clear. Teaching isn't about pretending and/or an obligation to entertain. Teachers are not in the classroom to entertain students. They are there to provide education to students. However, as a teacher, and viewing a production in a positive way in effort to increase and ensure engagement, I enjoy 'acting' everyday. Researching new ways to teach and present my content material to my students in an entertaining way is enjoyable. This and the outcomes of that 'production' I perform everyday, is what keeps me enjoying my profession.

Imaginative Bridges = Photography

So I am a little behind on this post. It didn't exactly hit me that I needed to write on it last week. Oh well...better now than never.

Teaching itself is an art. As teachers we need to find our inspiration wherever need be as long as we use it in our classrooms to enhance our students' learning. My inspiration from the photography module came from a few key points or aspect we focused on.

First, reducing and simplifying. Why does it have to be presumed that 'more' is 'better'? I remember my first few years of teaching. I was so eager to do everything at once. I had the mind set that I must complete everything as soon as possible, and students need to be told everything as soon as possible, and I need to purchase or get my hands on everything that pertained to my subject. Reflecting now, I wasn't really happy. I was exhausted, anxious, and often overwhelmed. Slowly, I started to realize that a little at a time was much better. It enabled me to focus on the small and make them fantastic. It allowed my students to learn more at one time and build upon that to get where they needed to be. It made me realize the possibilities that were available at the time that could be great. Simplify and concentrate on one step at a time. Just like in photography, clutter and commotion take away from what is the focus at the moment. When you center in on that moment, or what you are aiming for, better results will occur.

The second point or aspect relayed in the photography module, is waiting for the right moment. In teaching, patience is definitely key. Whether this is with your students and their unique personalities, especially at the middle school level, or with the learning process. Students are individuals and are never the same. You will have those who behave regularly, those who will test you, and those who are like a roller coaster in their emotions and behavior. The teacher who waits patiently and doesn't give up, will find more success with making a connection with their students. In addition, students learn differently. They will not all grasp the content at once. Some will struggle and will need you to go beyond to help them research their goals. As seen with photography design, if you want the nature to connect with your design and for it to be compelling, you must wait for the opportunity. If you get too eager and are in a hurry, half successful results will occur. The photographer who takes the time to get to know the subject and doesn't give up on it if it needs some time, will have an compelling result.