I woke up suddenly with some anger and slightly teary. I had a dream that I was away from my classes for some long time and I just went unexpectedly. The sub had told me earlier that he had set up these posts along the room for my students to throw paper balls as an engagement strategy. I couldn’t imagine what that was like over the phone, so I didn’t think anything of it.
When I walked into my classroom, it was transformed. I first heard the sound of thudding against these rows of planks that were set up in front of some desks in rows across the room. They looked like they were carefully installed.
I was so angry with the way the room looked that I started tearing them down with my bare hands. My students seemed scared, like I had ended some game or woke them up from a good dream. What I realized was that the students were sitting along the walls of the room, and where the installments were now was just empty space.
I approached the teacher and asked him what was behind his reasoning. He told me that they were meant to be an interactive tool to get students to participate and read in class. I blew up. I told him 1) if he was the teacher, he could do whatever he wanted, 2) what kind of long-term skills or habits is he fostering by having students hurl things against a wall?
I think that’s just about when I woke up.
Archive for July, 2009
Strange dreams
Jul 19
Adobe Youth Voices Training
Jul 15
It’s been two days of Adobe Youth Voices training and I have to say it has not been this fun. I have participated in training for the past two years, the first time with Ellena Weldon at this San Francisco office, and last year with Doug Singer, who is also attending this year. But I must say this year is more focused, in-depth and geared toward the needs that our sites will be facing.
Yesterday we got a quick run-through the features of Photoshop, learning how the media can manipulate images and send messages to viewers, and we got the chance to create adbusters. There were a lot of resources introduced that we can use in our classes.
Today we got to produce or at least attempt to produce our first project in After Effects. We got a tour of the Adobe studio with its cool green corner where they shoot their educational videos. We had to write a story, design objects and backgrounds, and perform the live roles. My partner was Jeff from Balboa, and we did a story about how someone could walk streets like the Mission, and be so caught up in his/her technology that the person does not notice all the wonderful, dangerous, life-changing events happening in the moment. I really like the concept. And we put together all the elements, but we just didn’t have enough time to finish the AE project. But it made me believe this is the tool that our students would want to learn.
More on the training tomorrow.
Choosing a newspaper
Jul 12
I made the decision to read one Sunday paper this week. Based on the price and idea that local news is most important, I bought the SF Chronicle.
The only other choices at the smoke shop were the Chron, NY Times, San Jose Mercury News, and Marin Independent Journal. So I chose the Chron. in its new shrunken more attractive format.
There was a investigative story about the way how the SF 49ers and the City have gotten into the demise it is in now. On the brink of moving to Santa Clara, the team has been in the middle of a struggle between two municipalities and there has been plenty of finger-pointing. From Mayors Feinsten to Willie Brown to Gavin Newsom, the City leaders have had different styles of approach to the team. The largest scapegoat in the article is former owner Eddie Debartolo, who was busted for a bribery in Louisiana and subsequently was involved in a power struggle with his sister Denice and her husband John York. If you follow the 49ers, these names should be too familiar.
Well, I am going through the rest of the paper. It definitely has a local feel, from an article about how the recession has hurt redevelopment in Downtown Oakland to the recent no-hitter by Jonathan Sanchez of the SF Giants. It definitely seems like our City’s culture is defined by its sports.
The rest of the paper is mostly rehash and summaries of stories from other news services. Most of the stories are not heavy reading, requiring no more than 5-10 minutes to read. I suppose that is the target audience of our paper. Readers usually sift through what they find interesting, glance through most articles, look for eye-candy, and people feel like they stay informed and knowledgeable about the world.
I still don’t feel a trust and connection with the SF Chronicle. The many years of poor quality news and alienation of some communities will take even longer to reverse. But I will try to buy the paper when I get the chance.
I would like to read a paper like the NY Times, but its news is not local and the $6 Sunday price is ridiculous. I am going to try out the Mercury or Independent Journal or Contra Costa Times.
Making long-term plans
Jul 10
For the next few days, I am working on a long-term plan for my professional career that will include the plans for Burton HS Journalism, the Academy of Information Technology, and the English Language Development program.
These three programs are very important to me, but to be realistic, I cannot optimally thrive in all three without giving up something somewhere. I am looking to build the Journalism program as my main focus and hopefully enfold the AoIT program into the broadcasting aspect of the news services of our school.
I am also excited about the partnerships with the Special Ed Department and taking on some colleagues in improving the ELD program at our school. Too long I have been operating on my own with all levels of English Language-learners. I am hoping I have a curriculum binder that can be shared and modified as the year progresses.
So I’ll fill you in on how the planning goes. The summer is going fast, so I had better play hard and work hard, and not waste a minute!
Back in Chinatown
Jul 3
My wife got off from work unexpectedly early and I went to pick her up without my ritual cup of morning coffee. Still groggy from sleep I thought it would be good to have breakfast at Dol Ho the old dim sum place we used to go when we lived in Chinatown.
It’s definitely a dive but the food is decent and the service laid back so you feel at home. Best of all our breakfast was only $7. You will probably have a hard time topping $10 for 2 people.
It’s a great place to start the day. And from Chinatown you can easily go anywhere in the City.
Now I need some coffee.
Well I finally took the leap to Wordpress 2.8 and in the process eliminated all of the profound blogs that I had written in the last 3+ years.
While I will mourn the rich literary legacy, this also begins a new era for my blogging.
I will publish more often, less densely, and hopefully generate more traffic in the process.
I have to say the appearance (themes) was a heavy influence on my decision.
I hope I will continue posting, even if it’s just some random jibber-jabber.
