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Integration Presentations for April 16th
- 1. Barbara
- 2. Darlene
- 3. Sandy
- 4. Merry
- 5. Sara
- 6. Sue L.
- 7. Kathy D.
Integration Presentations for May 14th
- 1. Laura
- 2. Cory
- 3. Christine
- 4. Jennifer
- 5. Mike
- 6. Lisa
- 7. Laurie
- 8. Deb
More Quotes from Wondrous Words
- Page 214- “…a child who write every day can’t help but develop some sense of himself as a writer. If he is allowed to talk to others about his writing or their writing, he will develop more of his sense of self and also develop as a member of a responsive, literate community. If that student gets to read aloud something he has written, he comes to understand something of audience.”
- Page 242 "One thing that I often do in ways-with-words lessons which I don't usually do in structure lessons is that I use actual texts to show how a crafting technique would look if we tried it."
- Pg. 208 " 'He's messing with what I thought I knew.' Really good learning does that for us-it messes with what we think we know, creating a tension in our lives that can be uncomfortable. When we begin to feel this discomfort our only choice seems to be to quit learning and wait for the "pain" to go away, or to rethink what we know and muck around a bit in stuff that's really hard for us. I'm partial to mucking around a bit myself, and I have in fact made peace with the idea that there will always be some new hard thing for me to think about in my teaching. There will always be some part of my teaching that, when I think about it, causes me discomfort because I don't feel as sure about it."
- Page 248 “Writing conferences are the backbone of the writing workshop. Good conferences move the teaching of writing from the whole-class carpet gathering to the individual writer’s desk. And what a big move it is. Conferencing is probably the hardest part of the workshop teaching. We have all spent years learning to do it better and in more and more theoretical ways, and adding this new knowledge base about the craft of writing into teaching; has only made it more challenging.”
- "students are doing as writers, what they know about what they are doing, and what they need to know to do it even better" (p. 250)
- p.243 "You'll want your students to have drafts and dreams of drafts floating around in their consciousness all the time, and their ability to envision craft in texts is what will make writing these drafts more and more automatic for them as they write throughout their lives."
- Page 229, "Teach your students to learn to write from writers."
- Pg. 235 “Formula writing has gotten a new head of steam because of testing, as many students are forced to write again and again in an artificial formula designed to help them do well on the “The Test.”
- ..."I thought immediately of a good writing technique I could teach him because I had that technique in my repertoire." (p. 248)
Some Favorite Quotes from Wondrous Words
- Pg. 95. "Experienced writers begin moving toward writing projects not because they have great ideas, but because they have good reasons to write. With good reasons to write behind them, experienced writers know that any idea can become a good idea. It is the good reason to write that will propel the experienced writer forward through all the processes necessary to move an idea to publication."
- (p.80) that, "I'm not reading to them because it's good for them; I'm reading to them because it's good for me."
- page 103 and continues onto 104. She writes "When our students envision writers at work, then need to be able to see them doing lots more than just sitting at desks. Active development possibilities like those in the lists above need to be a big part of what our students can envision themselves doing as writers."
- page 126 "It is important to me that students are able to envision using various crafting techniques in their own writing. If they can envision them, then they can have more power as writers because they have more choices about how they will write something."
- page 106 "One of the simplest guiding questions for hypothetical inquiry is, I wonder where the author got the idea for this piece of writing?"
Integration Experimentations
- Debbie...Antiquing
- Mike...Sacraments and their history
- Jen...Dancing
- Kathy...Joshua Tree National Park
- Cory...photography and meditation
- Sue...Digital Movie
- Laura...photography
- Lisa...exploring Mother's Family Tree
- Sara...cooking...Tuscan?...Children's Book
- Merry...Ireland's Mystery
- Christine...History of Beadwork and Seed Beads
- Barb...Red Sox and the Curse of the Bambino
- Laurie...Children's Books
- Sandy...Hawaii...language
- Darlene...Gardening...movie maker
- Tomasen...Blogging
14 comments:
Reflections: Beyond the Blarney Stone
The journey leading to a final decision on a general idea for my integration experimentation project has been a somewhat convoluted, sometimes frustrating, and frequently self-doubting sojourn. In its incipient stages, it took the direction of a revisitation of hobbies I’ve put aside for far too long. At this point, I threw around the possibility of picking up my knitting needles again and finishing that afghan I started twenty years ago. Would I even be able to figure out where I was in the intricate pattern of an Irish knit piece? Another consideration was to complete the fairisle sweater which my mother, at the time of her death, had almost finished for my oldest daughter. This project seemed particularly meaningful as both my mother and daughter are no longer with me. The completion of this would symbolically be a beautiful “memorial gift” to myself from my two loved ones at this time of giving. Neither idea, however, would necessitate the kind of research required nor would allow for a written final piece. Gardening, a more recently acquired interest for me, was another area I considered. However, having just put all my beds to sleep for the year, I found I preferred to “take a break” from my seasonal obsession with all things green and growing! As others considered concentrating on a “place” of interest, I found my unquenchable interest in the soul of Ireland beginning to invade, and conquer (!), my thoughts. My interest is in those lesser known and visited venues, beliefs, and experiences which give Ireland, and those who are truly Irish, a soul which reaches far deeper and holds on more strongly than any I have encountered elsewhere. Calling to me is the poor farmer who, during the time of the potato famine, held his dying child in his arms as the ocean’s churning waves ravaged the nearby Irish shore and the ear-piercing winds surrounded their tiny stone home on a barren hillside. Challenging me is the history and lifestyle of the inhabitants on the remote Blasket Islands or the Aran Islands, places which even today embrace the language and lifestyle of times gone by. I am moved by a country which has survived centuries of division, not only by the strength of its religious beliefs, but also by the resilience of its pre-Christian beliefs. How is it that a culture which has known so much devastating sorrow is known for its indomitable humor and unequaled propensity for storytelling? My curiosity is with the “internal” rather that the “external” Ireland.
To date my research has led me to some consideration of folktales, folklore, folk legends, and Irish superstitions. Some of this has given me just the kind of little-known information I’m looking for. I suspect I’ll need to more deeply explore Irish literature, poetry, drama, and music to begin to sense the type of “soul” I’m searching for. I’ve also found several books which look at Ireland in a lighter tone, a discovery which has netted me a wealth of intriguing information. In the end, my greatest problem will most likely be whittling down all that I’m able to find to a manageable and unified piece of writing. At this point, my intention is to present this under the umbrella of an ABC book, but I can’t rule out other formats as the project begins to take shape. I wish I had months of “undemanded” time to devote to this as it begins to take on a life and passion of its own!!!
Meredith Leonard
I guess I have procrastinated enough! I think I have done everything to avoid writing this paper. So here I sit, the night before class thinking about what to write. I’m finding this assignment to be difficult in the fact that I really don’t know if I will meet your expectations. I need to know clear cut expectations and a final goal. That’s how I pace myself. I’m a logical and visual learner and need guidelines for everything I do. So your style of teaching is really hard for me to understand. As I reflect as a learner, I find I teach the way I learn by giving expectations and guidelines to my students. Maybe that’s a good thing, maybe it isn’t. At least I’m not afraid of trying new activities for the first time. Every activity you have shown us, I have implemented in my classroom. The one activity that had a great outcome was the one with a list of words put into categories. I used the picture book, Comet’s Nine Lives, and the students wrote a story using the selected words. We shared the stories, and I was amazed by the ingenuity of my students. Placing all those words in a story and having it make sense. It was truly an activity they enjoyed doing, and I promised to do it again in a couple of months.
As I reflect on my project, I find I’m being wishy-washy about what to do. (That expectation thing again.) After our consultation about the Red Sox, I decided my project would be either a power point presentation or a movie maker presentation. I want to start with my earlier life journey with the Sox, and then bring in my research of the “Curse”, and finally my obsession with the Sox. I also want to incorporate an ABC poem like the example in our text. This may or may not be my final project, but at least I’m thinking about it.
As a teacher I know my weakness is in teaching the Language Arts curriculum, so being in this class has given me the opportunity to become more self-confident in that area. Thanks.
Dear Friends,
This class has been a wonderful journey for me thus far, both personally and professionally. At first, I have to admit that I was a bit concerned about the- for lack of a better term- “looseness” of the curriculum. As a teacher of ten years, I have grown accustomed to having all my “ducks in a row.” When I give an assignment to the kids I have definite expectations for the final product, and the final product has to look the way I want it to look. Consequently, the kids’ final products all look remarkably similar. Hmm, Imagine that.:-) This fact really struck me when I was looking at my kids’ picnic table book reports hanging in the hallway this year. When I looked down the row of papers, I noticed that every cup on every paper was in exactly the same place! And then I noticed every napkin was in the same place, and so on, and so on. What I realized is that the projects had no originality. No flair. They were all exactly the same.
So, I started thinking about myself as a learner and as a teacher. I thought I was the type of person who wanted every expectation clearly stated up front. But what I’m realizing is that maybe it’s a good idea to leave some expectations a little “loose” because that seems to get the creative juices flowing. For example, I really enjoyed doing my literature bag assignment. The expectations for this assignment were kind of “loose.” Consequently, there were very different final products in our class because everyone interpreted the assignment a bit differently. It made for a wonderful array of final products and enabled us to get to know each participant’s personality.
The final project for this class has been an interesting challenge. At first, as you might imagine, I was very worried about the “open-endedness” of this project. I didn’t know where to begin. So, I jumped on the internet and started reading articles related to beads. As I read the articles, I found myself coming up with questions. These questions led to ideas for narrowing down my topic and helped me to refine my search. Before I could do any more research, I needed to have a picture of my final product in my head. I needed to know how I was going to use all this research- where it was going to end up. I’ve decided that I would like to create different posters or scrapbooks that contain the information. Either one of these products would be relevant to my needs because they are portable and I could bring them with me to craft shows. This information will help to educate the consumer about my product.
So, as I said at the beginning of this letter, this class is enabling me to grow both personally and professionally. I enjoy the exposure to different learning and teaching styles. Thank you, Tomasen. I find myself feeling rejuvenated. Feeling a bit like I did when I was working on my master’s degree, when I was really excited about teaching. I’ve appreciated the comments of my classmates and the sharing of ideas. I observed Darlene during a writing lesson, and left there with a myriad of ideas about writing and classroom management. Thank you, Darlene. I never made time to observe my coworkers before, and there is such a wealth of experience and information in this building. I look forward to the adventures that next semester will bring.
Sincerely,
Christine Morabito
December 6, 2007
Dear Friends,
Can I do it? That is the million dollar question. These words keep echoing in my head as I proceed with something I’m afraid of or something I just don’t like. You guessed it, technology - my integration experimentation. I have embarked on an adventure of developing a digital movie of my youngest son’s life, who, as many of you can imagine, is very, very technology gifted. Maybe that’s why I’m doing this project – to show him that this old geezer can do something with technology that he never would or could imagine!!
As I have been going through this process, knowing that I have to take a course to learn this technology, I have come to the realization that I am certainly a ponderer (is there such a word?) or procrastinator. It takes me days to get started, especially if what I am learning is new and therefore fearful. Once I get started, and find out that I can do it, I plug away. Mr. Miloro’s words/motto just sing in my head, “You can do it.” Scanning of photos was anxiety provoking, but thanks to Nina, her patience, step-by-step instruction, and often 1:1 instruction, I scanned 50 pictures. What a feat!! As I proceeded to dump pictures into MovieMaker, I found myself getting excited with the new vocabulary I was learning and was now beginning to use. Can I call myself a “Techie?” Man, success really does build on success.
Onto the next step; putting the pictures in order. “You can do it.” I did it. Almost all in order. I talk to myself a lot. Now I’m ready to put voice and music to the pictures. I can feel the butterflies awakening in my stomach again. Something new!!!! I see a pattern here. Newness has become fear. But why? I love to learn new things. It must be my standby excuse- age. IT MUST BE. I now have to read, re-read, and read again to understand something, especially technology. I sometimes have to write the steps out in my own words because I can’t remember a thing. Those mnemonics are a big help too. I definitely need small group instruction – thank goodness Nina also does 1:1 instruction or else I’d be “Over the edge.” I also need lots of visuals, demonstrations, lots and lots of repetition, practice, and review (that spiraling needs to happen everyday for me). I truly feel like many of my students, but at least I can identify with what they go through when learning. Frustrating experience!
But through it all, with much perseverance and stubbornness, I can do it and come up with a great end result that my son will cherish forever. For now, I’ll put the questions that always hang in the back of my mind, “Is technology a good thing?” and “Do I like it or is it Fear” to rest. I’ll let you know one of these days. It’s great working with all of you, the class is wonderful, and I wish you all a very happy holiday.
Best wishes,
Sue Lurgio
The term integration experimentation is an interesting one, in the fact that it truly has been an experiment with many different variables affecting the outcome. My initial premise, of doing somewhat of an itinerary of a trip to Hawaii, has evolved into doing a book on Hawaii that will still focus on the islands, but looks more at the language and how I can incorporate that into my travel information. At the moment I am planning on doing a book with an acrostic on each page. The word will be a Hawaiian word and the letters will be about that word, or some other aspect of the various islands or the culture. At the moment I am trying to decide how to illustrate the book. Should I use photos, drawings, watermarks etc.? As it is only December, and the project is not due until the spring, who knows how this project will end up? The process, to this point, has been very enjoyable and my hopes are that the outcome will be the same. I guess time will tell.
My interest in Hawaii has been longstanding. Thirty years ago my parents took me on a trip to Hawaii as a graduation present. It was one of the best trips I have ever had the pleasure attending. I was enthralled with both the culture and the beauty of the islands. Saying Hawaii is a “paradise” sounds so clichéd but that really does epitomize that breathtaking state. The minute you land on the island the scent envelopes you, as if you were ensconced in a flower. You immediately feel that you have arrived in a totally unique place, unlike any other that you may have been. Your attitude completely alters, as if the islands have taken over your body. From your first aloha to your last you will enjoy every minute of your stay.
Initially, I chose Hawaii because my husband I are thinking of taking our boys there next summer. I want them to make memories that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. We have had much fun in the past and explored most of the eastern seaboard with them from Nova Scotia all the way to Florida. A few years ago we took a trip out west and went white water rafting in Utah and Wyoming. The sights we saw and the things that we enjoyed were phenomenal. Those past trips will always be etched in their minds and I want one last trip before they totally fly the coop and are on their own. Considering one of my sons is in college I realize that the time is getting short and I don’t want to waste it.
The most precious gift that my parents gave me was the love of travel. When I was growing up each summer was an adventure that we could not wait to explore. As my parents have been gone for ten years now, I realize that many of my most valued memories are tied to trips that we took. To this day I can feel the cool mist from Niagara Falls or hear the crushing roar of the tide returning to the Bay of Fundy. Who could forget the redness of Prince Edward Island when there was a massive rainstorm and all the red mud covered everything in its path? The vision of my dad trying to wash the red muck off of all of our outside furniture and splashing it all over himself is as vivid today as it was then. Hearing him laugh, as he made more of a mess, is a sound I will treasure.
As I make this book it too will bring back memories. Thinking of the terms that I heard when I was there, seeing how to write the language, remembering favorite places that I visited brings those memories back to life. Nostalgia is a wonderful thing and if we took the time to look back a little more often, we might be happier as we move forward in our lives. Memories are precious and they are meant to be savored time and again, not forgotten.
Dear Fellow Students,
It is such a pleasure learning with all of you. I have gained so much insight listening to the processes you go through and your great ideas. Through my own personal discovery, this time of reflection has provided me with a deeper awareness of how students learn.
Other than educational venues, I have not ventured into an unknown subject just for my own knowledge in quite some time. My Integration Experimentation began with gardening. I excitedly jumped in with library books and magazines. I even spent a day taking pictures around town of gardens I admired. Although creative in many ways, it became clear to me that I had no vision of how to get the seeds and bulbs to flourishing arrays of flowers. (And perhaps no patience as well.) As the colder weather approached and my learning slowed, I ditched the topic. Maybe another time in my life...
I have tried to avoid and ignore technology successfully up to this point. But it is clear that I need to get into the 21st century or be exported as an unfit immigrant. So I decided to learn how to integrate my own creativity with technology using Movie Maker. I am thrilled to say that I can now use a digital camera on my own, scan pictures, and import my ideas into a movie. But it came with great humility.
I have known for many years that I am a hands on learner when it comes to learning new math concepts, especially geometry and algebra. Being cognitively aware of the processes I worked through for my Integration Experimentation, proved that I am clearly in need of hands on application for a deeper understanding of all topics. Through weekly classes with the media specialist, tutorials on line, written instructions, and immediate practice, I have become (again) more sensitive to individual learning styles and multiple intelligences.
With each new skill or concept Nina taught, I needed time to process, practice, and be re-taught before I felt comfortable moving on to the next level. This is the strongest insight I have come away with. My hope is that I continue to be sensitive to my little learners and bring this awareness back to my classroom daily through multiple mediums, discussions about our learning and an opportunity to practice and apply knowledge.
Fondly,
Darlene
Dear Thomasen,
One week ago I received a distressing phone call at school. My sister shared that my mother had been admitted to the hospital. My heart was torn in half. The map of my heart began with my mother. The thought of my mother’s heart now requiring surgery is overwhelming. I realize I have a lot to be grateful for since I still have my mother in my life at 54 years old. In early January, my mother will have her aortic value repaired. It is truly amazing how events can shape our lives.
As I spent time with Mom at the hospital this past week, I reflected on how my mother touched and influenced every aspect of my life. It is her words of wisdom that have allowed me to feel confident in my role as a mother. Her strong and guiding force is evident in all of the decisions I make each day. Her voice is ever present as I speak. It is with honor and appreciation that I have made the decision to document her life through photographs and share her conversations.
I look forward to learning the process of Movie Maker and sharing my mother’s life through video, sound, text, and image memories with my family. This document will allow my mother’s life to live on in her children and grandchildren for years to come.
There are many questions that surface as I begin this enormous task of organizing all of the information that I have collected throughout the years. Where do I begin? What do I include? I have decided to include my own family in this project as well. Family history is about stories so I am asking my own children to help with the research. During the holidays they will sit down and talk to my mother, asking open-ended questions. Questions such as, "What was school like? What games did you play? What music did you like? What kinds of clothes did you wear?” What were the holidays like when you were growing up?" "When you were my age, what kinds of presents did you receive?" "What foods did you eat when you were my age?" This interview will draw out the details about Mom’s family life that I will include in the presentation. I feel it is important for my children to have that sense of connectedness to their family history. I want them to learn to appreciate and value its importance.
I look forward to learning the process of Movie Maker and sharing my mother’s life through video, sound, text, and image memories with my family. This movie document will allow my mother’s life to live on in her children and grandchildren for years to come.
Sincerely,
Lisa Sheehan
I guess, like the students I teach, open-ended assignments/projects cause me anxiety. I was thrown by the idea of creating a project for me. I had been expecting a project that centered around my students (even though this project will help me to help them).
My struggle with this assignment has not been with the topic, but how to narrow down that topic to one project that would interest me. I have always loved food, eating it, watching it on television, reading cookbooks/magazines, and actually doing the cooking. So, at first I thought I would take a cooking class on a food type that I had never cooked before and then research the food (ie. Tuscan food). The cooking class part sounded fun, but the research part did not.
After meeting with Tomason I found myself faced with writing some type of storybook/cookbook for kids. As I look back I am not quite sure how I got steered in that direction. Ultimately the idea of a book was both exciting and terrifying.
When my children were little I used to read them the book Thunder Cake. Along with enjoying the story, which is centered on collecting ingredients for a cake, it ends with a recipe. I started my research with that book and then went to the library and asked for other children’s books that involved recipes (but not cookbooks). She found a couple and I read through them. The idea of the book whose focus was on one recipe appealed to me.
When my sons were close to turning one, a friend brought a carrot cake to work. I liked the cake and asked for the recipe. It intrigued me. Instead of grating carrots into cake, it called for bottles of Gerber baby food (Jr. carrots). The decision was made to make that for my sons first birthday. I somehow felt that because there were carrots in it, it was healthier then a traditional cake (even with all the sugar and oil in the recipe). That cake began a birthday tradition in my home.
I made the decision to center my story on the birthday carrot cake. I began to take some notes about what I wanted to include in the story. After a couple of weeks I begin to write. What a disaster! My thoughts were all jumbled up (even with the notes I had gathered) and the story was down right boring. I then began to think about the chapter I read in Wondrous Words that talked about “envisioning text possibilities”. So, I stepped out of my nice comfortable box and looked through some of the picture books I enjoy. Three thoughts came to mind. The first was how much I liked books that had sound effects in them. Second was keeping the number of words on a page short and to the point, and the last involved the text. Some of texts were written as a poem. They still told a story, but not in the conventional way. I am no poet, but after several tries at writing a story I realize that I needed to change gears. So I went about trying to write, for lack of a better word, a poem that told my story. While I am no poet, it is actually going better then the story format was. I am glad that have many months to write, rewrite, edit, rewrite, revise, edit, rewrite, revise, edit, and rewrite again! So far it has been an eye opening process.
December 12, 2007
Greetings, fellow travelers!
What a unique opportunity we have before us! When "the integration project" was first mentioned, it seemed so wide open, so vague, so limitless that I was overwhelmed by the vastness of it. Like a child let loose in a candy store, my mind flowed with a steady stream of topic possibilities. Would I choose photography? Gardening? Water-color painting? Health & nutritional therapies? Transfer my children's tapes to DVDs? Idea after idea came to me which both excited and overwhelmed me. I realized that “this” feeling must be what the children in my classroom experience when we have Book Clubs and discuss the many presentation choices. No wonder the children begin with plans way too large and complicated to be carried out successfully! They want it all, and so it seems, do I.
Initially I selected photography for my integration project, thinking that I wanted to investigate digital SLR cameras and the various models available. . With research and more knowledge, I could purchase a good one and learn how to use it...on my own....independently. Immediately I bought magazines, went on line, visited Barnes and Noble and started reading up on digital cameras, It wasn't long (perhaps a week or two) before I realized that this felt more like work than fun. Although I love to take pictures and try out special effects, working as a "Consumer Reports investigator" was not my intent! I started to think about what I wanted to gain from this experience. .What was I hoping to accomplish and learn when this was over?
(I'm such a "whole pie" girl that I wanted to know the type of pie I was creating while gathering the ingredients together!)
Suddenly, my project has transformed into something I wasn't expecting. The idea seems so simple. Meditation. Yes, I still want to transfer my children's compact cassette tapes to DVDs and create a lasting piece of personal history to accompany their collection of photo albums. This class will allow me to do that project by supplying me with a deadline of May. (I am someone who truly works best with a due date!) However, the bulk of my time lately has been spent doing nothing. That's right! I'm learning to stop and take time to be still each day through meditation. What a stretch....from photography to meditation! The pictures and images I see now are from deep within. My personal journey has just begun! I know, with certainty, that this is what I should be working on. This practice of meditation is justified because my graduate class requires an integration project, assigned by a professor who knows, instinctively, how to nudge students on to unknown paths. There is so much to learn and explore! What a unique opportunity we have before us!
Happy trails!
Cory
December 10, 2007 Roseville Pottery
The Zephyr Lily
Dear Tomasen,
Well, I feel that this decision took me a while to make. My past projects have seemed so clear to me. This time I chose to learn about antiques. I think this came about since I have been entrenched in “The Move” of my mom. My mom just recently sold her condo and moved to an apartment. The move was a perfect one and will make things so much easier for her. The subject arose when it came time to purge some of the things that mom has been hanging onto. One of those items was a vase that belonged to my grandmother. We thought it was a collector’s item so I decided to look into it further.
I knew that Christine Morabito was somewhat of an expert on antiques so I asked her for some help. Boy, did I hit “pay dirt”. She brought in several books for me to browse to see if there was anything for me to learn. I found that the book “The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Roseville Pottery” written by Sharon and Bob Huxford, was the best. I gingerly borrowed the vase from my mom. I was worried that some fate may befall the vase if I wasn’t careful! I then took many pictures of it to help with my research. I learned that pottery dated back to the ancient cultures. It was sun baked back then. Later the kiln was introduced to add more permanence. Zanesville, Ohio was one of the first areas chosen to set up a factory due to the availability of raw materials such as rich clay deposits.
In the 1800’s prominent ladies wanted pots with paintings and appreciated ceramic decorations. It was in 1891 that the Roseville Pottery Company was founded to help meet this call for decorated pottery. Roseville produced many different types of stoneware. In 1940 the Zephyr Lily was created. This was a pattern that included tall lilies, slender leaves with a swirl textured background. The patterns could be found on baskets and vases. On the bottom you can find the Roseville signature that identifies the piece. On my mom’s vase there is a number along with the artists scroll.
I then turned to the internet to find out more about my specific piece. The vase Mom has is an evergreen color with a matte glaze. I have included the pictures I found depicting the fake Roseville vases from the real vases. I particularly like the slender handles that are at the base of the vase. The cost of the vase originally is unknown since my grandmother has passed away. But the retail value of a vase in mint condition would be between $125.00 and $175.00. You will notice that the vase we have is chipped at the top. I feel this adds character to the piece and makes it even more special to our family collection.
I am thankful to have taken the time to investigate this antique. I am now more interested in studying other family heirlooms and possibly going on an antiquing trip of my own using the Antique Road Show as my mentor text. I will keep you posted as to my progress.
Sincerely,
Debbie Finch
Learning Through Teaching: Fall 2008
Kathleen M. Desfosses
December 12, 2007
When this project was first presented to us I got very excited. I immediately started thinking about what would I research??? What would I do??? And I discovered the possibilities were endless. But that was the problem, they were endless…
I thought of things that I was passionate about; art, painting, sculpture, drawing, crafts, knitting, quilting, skiing (down hill and cross country), dolls, and even Depression glass. But each one of these passions, I did not need to research. I knew plenty about everyone of these interests. So, my choice was not so easy.
I began to focus on the art of the sport of cross country skiing, since I just started this sport last year I didn’t know that much about it. And, I am still very shaky on those two skinny pieces of wood. (Yes, I know the skis are not made out of wood anymore, but the thought is a sound one.) I do not like the lack of control you have sliding down the hills, and I usually end up gracefully skidding down part of the hill on my back side. So finding out more about this topic would be good for me. Being out in the woods is simply perfect. The sounds of nature and the fresh air always heal this tired soul. It just didn’t fit; it just wasn’t the right topic for a project.
One a relaxing Sunday morning, Steve and I were enjoying coffee and watching "Good Morning, America." The show has been covering beautiful areas of the United States. I enjoy this part of the show, because I have traveled to 43 of our states, and I have visited many of the National Parks that have been highlighted. Each park is unbelievably beautiful. The park shown on that day was the Joshua Tree National Park. The reporter talked about the history of the park and the strangely shaped Joshua Trees. We watched as the photos exploded across the screen of the desert flora and fauna. Before the hour was up, we had flight reservations and a convertible rental car ready for February vacation. That was the moment that I realized what my project was going to be. I would research this treasure of the National Park system, and find out the important points of hiking and camping and surviving in a desert.
I want to keep a journal of my vacation, and eventually create some sort of written expression of this journey. An ABC book might be a natural choice. But right now, I seem to leaning towards some sort of a scrapt book which is a hybrid of different forms of writing, art, and photograghs. Time will tell. And I can’t wait to see it…
For my integration project I want to do something with digital photography. My goal is to become more familiar and comfortable with the settings on my camera, more specifically, how to choose which setting… and how to use the settings to get the best picture I can?
It’s odd, because I thought I would be able to just jump right in and figure things out on my own. Ok, so that is not working for me. I am looking for a class to take where there is someone I can ask my questions, and give me specific direction and guidance.
I love to take pictures, and with the digital camera it is easier to just keep clicking away. I can view them, then save or delete. I take pictures to preserve history, a snapshot in time of my family and friends. I also like the artistic aspects of photography and at times take photos that are more on the artistic side...a cameo capturing someone unaware, a landscape, or object.
What I would like to do for my project is to compile a book of photos I have taken showing a variety of pictures from candids to landscapes and events. I hope to learn about the options my camera has and be able to take pictures using those different options to showcase. I am thinking along the lines of a “how-to” or combination picture/information book….
Think of something I've always dreamed of doing, but haven't had time to do? Oh my, someone is actually giving me an assignment to put myself first and think about what I'd like. Such a novel idea! I'll do my best!
My mind begins to race...if I could follow my dreams, it would be to do something creative. Since my first grade Mother Goose play, I have always loved singing. Music has always been a huge part of my life. I also suspect I would enjoy acting, but auditioning, joining the cast of a play, and a weak short term memory issue would simply not be a realistic goal at this time in my time-challenged life. I love to be creative, so I finally decided on trying my hand at writing a children's book. If I could also illustrate the book, that would be my true dream, but time constraints and artistic ability could be major obstacles to this ultimate dream.
As most people who know me are aware, I love to tell funny and entertaining stories that make people laugh. My true goal in life is to create as many belly laughs as I can, and to surround myself with friends who support my goal. For this reason, I knew my purpose for writing my first children's book must be to entertain the readers in a humorous way.
One humorous story I had shared in class was about our newest house pet...a hamster. I caved to my daughter's pleas for a third pet and have regretted it ever since! I thought this would be a good topic to share with readers...how pets change the makeup of a home, who is responsible for the pet (MOM, of course!), and the chaotic situations that can arise from "Too Many Pets!" Being familiar with many children's picture books and studying books at Barnes and Noble, I settled on one particular book (Some Dog by Mary Cassanova) to use as my model. I like the way the book began with an ideal home situation and unraveled into a major challenge.
I worried about the lesson my story would carry. Truly, my message is that the decisions parents make in order to make their children "happy" are often detrimental to our mental health. Certainly, children would not apprciate this message! So, I've decided the message should be about choosing the right number of pets for your family and home. Every home has a certain "carrying capacity" for pets and it must be determined and respected. All this must come across in simplified language and concepts. I think I've got my work cut out for me!
As an extremely visual person, I have some very specific images in my mind. One in particular is the image of a mom, hair in disarray, bent over a kitty litter box scooping unmentionables into a plastic grocery bag. In the background are the three house pets in various forms of misbehavior while the girl child pleads with her mom for just one more pet. The work "PLEASE!?!" in big letters above the illustration.
My goal is to have the story organized into written pages with general ideas for illustrations. And yet,now that I think of it, more likely is some very specific ideas for illustrations, because that's just the way my brain works!
Dear Mrs. Tomasen Carey,
Looking back at the past four year, my life has gone in such a different direction than I would have expected. Although if I hadn’t be given the chance to met my husband that hot Texas afternoon, I wouldn’t be here enjoying these blissful cool New England winters with my new family. Long story short, my project has everything to do with my life and how it’s come around full circle. That seems a little premature considering I’m only in my early thirties, but it’s true.
Since I was a young girl dance has been a big part of my childhood, culture, and life. Being from a small town, taking formal dance was not an opportunity that I was given, simply because it was not available. Thank you for “allowing” me to experiment with permission, something fun and exciting again. I knew from the moment the assignment was given that I wanted to share a part of me through dance.
After spending more time reflecting on my project, learning how to ballroom dance, I realized that my project parallels me at this moment in time. My husband and our relationship are going to be part of this semesters work. We are learning more about ourselves both mentally and spiritually and just how far we can be pushed. Our marriage is going through many hurdles, much like learning how to ballroom dance. When you’re first learning to do something new everything seems so difficult, similarly to a new marriage. I’m looking forward to sharing and spending more time with my husband, we need it for “peace of mind.” I’ve decided to keep a journal along with my project work. The journal work we’ve shared in class has touched me so that I feel it will be important to keep track of each step along this journey.
Wish us luck!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Park
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