Inspired by a documentary made by the MOVE organization of Philadelphia. The only bomb ever dropped on a continental American city was ordered by the Mayor of Philadelphia, an asshole by the name of Frank Rizzo.
Watching different culture clashes in disasters,
amazed I never heard of 'em, my high school classes
served a slanted version to deal a diversion
to young minds growing who ain't valued as persons.
And it hurts me, pains me, it permanently changed me,
so now my own momentum doubles up on the daily,
and now my mind is sharper than machetes in Haiti,
Philly, Pennsylvania mid 1980s...
A bomb dropped on top a house with women and babies
Inside, tear gas and fire took hold,
a fire that was left to burn like seventy homes.
But far beyond the loss of the material things
was the loss of eleven lives, a curious thing-
considering the purpose of police is protection,
As an "educated" person, its my purpose to question.
Wheres road can't go and
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Venting..
Today, while observing in my cooperating teacher's Multicultural Film Studies Course, I was able to get a glimpse of student grades. They are posted on the wall in the classroom with student ID numbers, and they were recently updated because there are only a few weeks left of the third quarter.
I was stunned to see how many zeros appeared on that grid; it reminded me of the target I used to have as a child for my bow and arrow. It was literally filled with "holes." I thought to myself, "Wow, these students really don't take this course seriously, do they? I'm going to have my work cut out for me!" Then I began to wonder why they don't really complete the assignments. In his first film studies course of the day, I quickly found out. The class was watching Pineapple Express, the latest stoner movie to hit the heads of ever teenager in America. It was, as Mr. Lace confirmed, the movie the students selected for their "Student Choice" selection.
Here's an idea: students who haven't completed a crumb of work for the entire quarter shouldn't be able to watch this film. If this were my classroom (Ugh! If only it was!) the students with an incomplete would not have been given the privilege of voting.
In the beginning of class, he also reminded students that their screenplays would be due next week, and he had only received one rough draft so far. I asked some students if they had started theirs, and I received a unanimous "NO!" One student said, and I quote, "We are all basically here to enjoy the movies, then we realize suddenly, 'Wait! We have to do work, too?'" It got me thinking about the difference between film studies and simply movie watching. There is a difference!
My cooperating teacher continually reminds me from week to week that I should start out with something that will surely captivate the students. I plan on using "The Battle of Algiers," which I am positive will knock the socks off my students, even if there aren't continual bong hits and references to the kush weed that seems so cool to these kids. Ugh. I just had to vent. Sorry.
I was stunned to see how many zeros appeared on that grid; it reminded me of the target I used to have as a child for my bow and arrow. It was literally filled with "holes." I thought to myself, "Wow, these students really don't take this course seriously, do they? I'm going to have my work cut out for me!" Then I began to wonder why they don't really complete the assignments. In his first film studies course of the day, I quickly found out. The class was watching Pineapple Express, the latest stoner movie to hit the heads of ever teenager in America. It was, as Mr. Lace confirmed, the movie the students selected for their "Student Choice" selection.
Here's an idea: students who haven't completed a crumb of work for the entire quarter shouldn't be able to watch this film. If this were my classroom (Ugh! If only it was!) the students with an incomplete would not have been given the privilege of voting.
In the beginning of class, he also reminded students that their screenplays would be due next week, and he had only received one rough draft so far. I asked some students if they had started theirs, and I received a unanimous "NO!" One student said, and I quote, "We are all basically here to enjoy the movies, then we realize suddenly, 'Wait! We have to do work, too?'" It got me thinking about the difference between film studies and simply movie watching. There is a difference!
My cooperating teacher continually reminds me from week to week that I should start out with something that will surely captivate the students. I plan on using "The Battle of Algiers," which I am positive will knock the socks off my students, even if there aren't continual bong hits and references to the kush weed that seems so cool to these kids. Ugh. I just had to vent. Sorry.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Keep it as it is... or include everything?
While reading the Jenkins selections, I was reminded of some of the critiques I've encountered about Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. Some believed that Gardner had simply renamed various skills/abilities and made them each their own special intelligence--as if before they were simply boring bowls of ice cream and now, after being classified an intelligence, were awesome ice cream sundaes with copious amounts of syrup.
The ever expanding idea of literacy provides a similar example of this phenomenon. Why is it that we labor over classifications? If I know the "ins and outs" of jaywalking, am I considered a literate jaywalker? What about cell phone etiquette; if I use my cell phone in an appropriate manner and never talk loudly in public areas, am I a literate user of cell phones? What defines a new literacy? Does it simply require norms of usage or practice?
I am not against expanding the definition of literacy to include media skills; in fact, I am really just being a reluctant skeptic. In my film studies course, I will depend highly on the "social skills and cultural competencies" that are necessary for people to fully participate in our modern world. Also, because I will be exploring the clash of cultures (modern vs. developing world, civilized vs. uncivilized, rich vs. poor etc), our class will be well positioned to critically analyze the demands of the modern world. What are the implications of these demands? Does everyone have access to the new media literacies? If not, what will the consequences be? What does this tell us about our society?
As we consider these issues, it will be necessary for students to consider the perspectives of other people, examine the differences between conflicting perspectives, and account for these differences. Jenkins seems to agree; while writing about the importance of role-playing, it seems what Jenkins is really after is the incorporation of multiple perspectives into the classroom:
"Role play, in particular, should be seen as a fundamental skill used across multiple academic domains. So far, we have suggested its relevance to history, language arts, and cultural geography. Yet, this only scratches the surface. Whether it be children on a playground acting out and deciphering the complex universe of Pokemon, or Orville Wright pretending to be a buzzard gliding over sand dunes, or Einstein imagining himself to be a photon speeding over the earth, role playing enables us to envision and collaboratively theorize about manipulating entirely new worlds." (Jenkins, 29)
I look forward to incorporating role-playing/multiple perspectives in my classroom, especially with the Fictional Spotlight assignment. This assignment will require students to spotlight a character from a silent film and give them a voice. As a teacher, I will pay close attention to how students use contextual clues from the movie to inform their understanding of the character. Where do they live? What do they eat? What is a normal day like for this person? I'm hoping to use the multigenre format in this assignment because it will allow the students to fully explore these questions.
Source:
New Literacies Dot Com - According to David O'Brien, this website "contains the best explanation to date of just what 'new' means in new literacies." The trouble is, the website design is absolutely terrible. It would be fun to critique this site using the skills/characteristics of new literacies explained by the Jenkins article. It provides a great example of how NOT to provide information on new literacies. :)
The ever expanding idea of literacy provides a similar example of this phenomenon. Why is it that we labor over classifications? If I know the "ins and outs" of jaywalking, am I considered a literate jaywalker? What about cell phone etiquette; if I use my cell phone in an appropriate manner and never talk loudly in public areas, am I a literate user of cell phones? What defines a new literacy? Does it simply require norms of usage or practice?
I am not against expanding the definition of literacy to include media skills; in fact, I am really just being a reluctant skeptic. In my film studies course, I will depend highly on the "social skills and cultural competencies" that are necessary for people to fully participate in our modern world. Also, because I will be exploring the clash of cultures (modern vs. developing world, civilized vs. uncivilized, rich vs. poor etc), our class will be well positioned to critically analyze the demands of the modern world. What are the implications of these demands? Does everyone have access to the new media literacies? If not, what will the consequences be? What does this tell us about our society?
As we consider these issues, it will be necessary for students to consider the perspectives of other people, examine the differences between conflicting perspectives, and account for these differences. Jenkins seems to agree; while writing about the importance of role-playing, it seems what Jenkins is really after is the incorporation of multiple perspectives into the classroom:
"Role play, in particular, should be seen as a fundamental skill used across multiple academic domains. So far, we have suggested its relevance to history, language arts, and cultural geography. Yet, this only scratches the surface. Whether it be children on a playground acting out and deciphering the complex universe of Pokemon, or Orville Wright pretending to be a buzzard gliding over sand dunes, or Einstein imagining himself to be a photon speeding over the earth, role playing enables us to envision and collaboratively theorize about manipulating entirely new worlds." (Jenkins, 29)
I look forward to incorporating role-playing/multiple perspectives in my classroom, especially with the Fictional Spotlight assignment. This assignment will require students to spotlight a character from a silent film and give them a voice. As a teacher, I will pay close attention to how students use contextual clues from the movie to inform their understanding of the character. Where do they live? What do they eat? What is a normal day like for this person? I'm hoping to use the multigenre format in this assignment because it will allow the students to fully explore these questions.
Source:
New Literacies Dot Com - According to David O'Brien, this website "contains the best explanation to date of just what 'new' means in new literacies." The trouble is, the website design is absolutely terrible. It would be fun to critique this site using the skills/characteristics of new literacies explained by the Jenkins article. It provides a great example of how NOT to provide information on new literacies. :)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Breathe...
Rain drains down the sidewalk,
trains travel under the bridge.
A lost man looks for his lover
the best of his lifes been lived.
Clouds cover up all the sunshine,
leaves fall and blanket the ground.
The lost man walks down the shoreline,
where waves take the world around.
Seeds travel over the mountains,
and settle in the valley below.
The lost man turns to the ocean,
thinking of the life he's known.
One step brings him the water,
soaks in the shoes of his soul.
He breathes the release that it offers,
there's not much further to go.
Now he knows every step is a lesson,
he's tired of the lessons he's learned.
The water takes the shape of a weapon,
to finish what he never deserved.
His hearts been in pieces for years now,
his cells have no reason to grow.
His whole life appears in the mirror now,
and soon the little mirror will explode.
Plants in the prisoner's garden
never find the light they need.
He turns up to God for a pardon,
it's one that he'll never receive.
Rain drains down the sidewalk
trains travel under the bridge
a lost man looks for his lover
the best of his lifes been lived.
Clouds cover up all his sunshine
leaves fall and blanket the ground.
The lost man walks down the shoreline,
where waves take the world around,
where waves take the world around..
-A poem from November, 2007
trains travel under the bridge.
A lost man looks for his lover
the best of his lifes been lived.
Clouds cover up all the sunshine,
leaves fall and blanket the ground.
The lost man walks down the shoreline,
where waves take the world around.
Seeds travel over the mountains,
and settle in the valley below.
The lost man turns to the ocean,
thinking of the life he's known.
One step brings him the water,
soaks in the shoes of his soul.
He breathes the release that it offers,
there's not much further to go.
Now he knows every step is a lesson,
he's tired of the lessons he's learned.
The water takes the shape of a weapon,
to finish what he never deserved.
His hearts been in pieces for years now,
his cells have no reason to grow.
His whole life appears in the mirror now,
and soon the little mirror will explode.
Plants in the prisoner's garden
never find the light they need.
He turns up to God for a pardon,
it's one that he'll never receive.
Rain drains down the sidewalk
trains travel under the bridge
a lost man looks for his lover
the best of his lifes been lived.
Clouds cover up all his sunshine
leaves fall and blanket the ground.
The lost man walks down the shoreline,
where waves take the world around,
where waves take the world around..
-A poem from November, 2007
Monday, February 16, 2009
Language: Voiced and Unvoiced
Spoken and written language. The choice of voice. The shmot of thought.
When I think about how I decide to write, I am surprised at the number of ingredients that go into my decision. Here is my recipe...
...just kidding, I would never do something so corny twice. Anyways, in all honesty, my thoughts travel through an industrial factory's worth of pipes, tubes, filters and screens before finally reaching the page. I constantly reconsider the arrangement of words. It would be interesting to remove my Backspace button and, for once, "talk" with typing.
Now that I consider the challenges this would impose, I think it would serve as a good exercise to show students the difference between their spoken voice and their written voice. Writing takes time; even successful, utterly precise writers revise their work over and over again while writing. By always considering the "connotations of alternative ways of expressing the same thought," good writers will guarantee that their readers have a good chance of safely arriving at the desired destination (Adger, et. al, 114).
It is not the same with verbal communication. In this mode of communication, there are different types of real-time revisions, such as body language, intonations, space fillers, etc. The participants in this type of communication produce discourse en juntos, as a team. Meaning is negotiated, loose, and free to adapt and change depending on which way you pull its tail.
There are a few strategies or exercises that would allow my students to access this understanding. First, as I mentioned above, it would be an interesting challenge to type without the Backspace key. This would show every student how hard it is not to revise their thoughts as they write; indeed, we often revise naturally! Second, I would provide my students with a few examples of transcribed speech in order to show them what real verbal discourse looks like on a page. What are the characteristics of speech? In comparison with regular written discourse, how does it appear on the page? What words are characteristic of verbal communication and what would be characteristic of written communication? What are the differences? I hope exploring these questions would give my students the skill set to recognize the similarities and the differences between verbal and written communication.
Resource:
Splatt Poetry Game
Poetry can be fun you know. This resource will show you how!
When I think about how I decide to write, I am surprised at the number of ingredients that go into my decision. Here is my recipe...
...just kidding, I would never do something so corny twice. Anyways, in all honesty, my thoughts travel through an industrial factory's worth of pipes, tubes, filters and screens before finally reaching the page. I constantly reconsider the arrangement of words. It would be interesting to remove my Backspace button and, for once, "talk" with typing.
Now that I consider the challenges this would impose, I think it would serve as a good exercise to show students the difference between their spoken voice and their written voice. Writing takes time; even successful, utterly precise writers revise their work over and over again while writing. By always considering the "connotations of alternative ways of expressing the same thought," good writers will guarantee that their readers have a good chance of safely arriving at the desired destination (Adger, et. al, 114).
It is not the same with verbal communication. In this mode of communication, there are different types of real-time revisions, such as body language, intonations, space fillers, etc. The participants in this type of communication produce discourse en juntos, as a team. Meaning is negotiated, loose, and free to adapt and change depending on which way you pull its tail.
There are a few strategies or exercises that would allow my students to access this understanding. First, as I mentioned above, it would be an interesting challenge to type without the Backspace key. This would show every student how hard it is not to revise their thoughts as they write; indeed, we often revise naturally! Second, I would provide my students with a few examples of transcribed speech in order to show them what real verbal discourse looks like on a page. What are the characteristics of speech? In comparison with regular written discourse, how does it appear on the page? What words are characteristic of verbal communication and what would be characteristic of written communication? What are the differences? I hope exploring these questions would give my students the skill set to recognize the similarities and the differences between verbal and written communication.
Resource:
Splatt Poetry Game
Poetry can be fun you know. This resource will show you how!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Grammar Panic
I'm scared of this. I make mistakes with grammar all the time. I'll even pretend like I make mistakes on purpose, you know, just so I can turn the system on its head and... you know, free everyone from those chains and all that. But the truth is, I'm not an expert when it comes to grammar. I want to teach English because of the power of words in a good story or poem, not because I believe my students will be empowered by semi-colon usage. Isn't there some way I can opt out of this part of teaching? Maybe at some point we will all be able to fill out a checklist noting the topics and material we'd like to teach; I'd be heavy on the humanities and hope that someone else picked up the grammar.
Okay—it’s not that bad. In fact, I believe I am beginning to overcome the frequent panic attacks and chronic hot flashes associated with grammar instruction. A significant turning point was a few weeks ago, when I was able to observe in a senior IB World Literature class taught by Mr. Grant (not to be confused with Mr. Loan or Mrs. Bailout). At the beginning of the 3rd quarter, he realized his new classes needed significant help with grammar before he could begin his unit. So, here I was in a senior literature class, and they are taking a spelling test! Is that normal? Seriously… part of me drifted back to 5th grade and remembered all those spelling tests on terrible composition paper. But get this—the class was much better than any of the multicultural film studies classes I have observed. The students were fully engaged in the material, cracking witty little jokes about the content, and even asking questions about the ambiguity of certain rules. After the spelling test, they spent the entire class period plowing through sentence after sentence, finding errors as a group and agreeing upon the necessary corrections. It was amazing to be a part of, to say the least.
When I look back on that class and really examine what component made it all possible, I believe it all flowed from Mr. Grant’s energy. He moved quickly throughout the room calling spontaneously on different students and hoping to catch someone off guard (even I was fair game, but he didn’t get me). He progressed quickly down through the sentences, and the students seemed to know that if they began to daydream, he’d seek them out. However, even if students made mistakes, and many did, Mr. Grant was quick to vindicate them.
After class, when I asked him how he keeps his enthusiasm up while teaching grammar, he responded, “Well, I have to keep it interesting for me, too.” Perhaps, then, the cure to the grammar panic may resemble the following:
1 cup of preparation
3 tbs. of enthusiasm
Two or three identifiable purposes, peeled and transparent
2 tbs. of humor
1 cup of care
Instructions: combine preparation, enthusiasm, and purposes into large classroom, stir with care. When the ingredients clump together, making it impossible to stir, sprinkle in the two tablespoons of humor to loosen it up. Repeat…
Link:
Grammar Slammer!
This site reminds me of when my family first started using the Internet. We had something called Prodigy, anyone remember that? Anyways, this website is probably not on its way to receiving a Golden Web Award (they exist, but don't waste your time looking it up), but it is practical.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
A Portrait of the 5 Paragraph Writer as a Young Man
When I was in high school, I wrote a variety of different types of papers-- the five paragraph, the compare/contrast, authentic research, journal response, and even one personal narrative. I was particularly fond of writing papers because it gave me the opportunity to respond to a book, explore its "hidden meanings," and ultimately arrive at some sort of conclusion. My English teachers were all incredibly helpful and I was fortunate enough to attend a school with a tons of computer labs. Looking back at my experience, it is easy to identify a multitude of access points, which effectively made it difficult for me not to understand the ins and outs of academic writing.
But for others, I wonder if the multigenre paper would be welcomed as an alternative. To me, its most obvious advantages is that it allows students to personalize their education and the content within the class. Using the best research paper I wrote in high school, which explored whether graffiti was an art or a crime, I can imagine how a multigenre paper would have looked:
As Romano notes, a multigenre paper should start with a preface, or foreword, announcing the intentions of the author. I would explain its purpose, why I am interested in it, and what I hope to explore through the contents of my paper.
Next, I would probably have started with a poem.... something like...
Walking between some buildings on the way to a friends
the beauty of a back alley makes me pause to take in
tags from 98, many years in the past,
I put a couple down too, hopin' half of 'em last.
Then I change route, to let it cool down in the park,
'cause now a days droppin' tags ain't considered an art...
Though its cool to wear shirts with the words all written
in a style influenced by an act thats forbidden...
I can calculate the risk, weigh the pros and the cons,
perspective of both sides, like the rights and the wrongs:
To one man its damage, he laments his loss,
the other man will measure life with the tags he drops.
Next, I could add any number of conversations I've had with my parents over the years.
"Sam, I really wish you'd do something with that art of yours."
"I am doing something with it, you just don't really understand it."
"I understand it perfectly fine, but what YOU don't understand is that someone owns everything you've ever painted on."
"But I don't paint recklessly, I never paint on private property or even property where people like my parents would see!"
"In the eyes of police, that hardly matters. Am I going to see you on The People's Court someday?"
"UUuuuuughhhh, forget it."
Of course, I could really go on forever with different ideas to put into my multigenre paper, and isn't that absolutely the point?! This genre really allows the writer to thoroughly explore a topic and relate to it in a meaningful way. To be honest, the five paragraph essay fails miserably at this. I was proud of the graffiti research paper I did in high school, but I do remember that I, as an artist, had no place within the paper. Though I had knowledge and experience which were applicable to my research, I chose not to include my personal anecdotes because it didn't "fit within the neat, prescribed formula" of the thesis (Wesley, 58).
A resource: The Great Debate Over the Five-Paragraph Essay
This is a great article I found concerning the five-paragraph essay debate. The article is hosted by www.associatedcontent.com which is a Wikipedia, of sorts.
But for others, I wonder if the multigenre paper would be welcomed as an alternative. To me, its most obvious advantages is that it allows students to personalize their education and the content within the class. Using the best research paper I wrote in high school, which explored whether graffiti was an art or a crime, I can imagine how a multigenre paper would have looked:
As Romano notes, a multigenre paper should start with a preface, or foreword, announcing the intentions of the author. I would explain its purpose, why I am interested in it, and what I hope to explore through the contents of my paper.
Next, I would probably have started with a poem.... something like...
Walking between some buildings on the way to a friends
the beauty of a back alley makes me pause to take in
tags from 98, many years in the past,
I put a couple down too, hopin' half of 'em last.
Then I change route, to let it cool down in the park,
'cause now a days droppin' tags ain't considered an art...
Though its cool to wear shirts with the words all written
in a style influenced by an act thats forbidden...
I can calculate the risk, weigh the pros and the cons,
perspective of both sides, like the rights and the wrongs:
To one man its damage, he laments his loss,
the other man will measure life with the tags he drops.
Next, I could add any number of conversations I've had with my parents over the years.
"Sam, I really wish you'd do something with that art of yours."
"I am doing something with it, you just don't really understand it."
"I understand it perfectly fine, but what YOU don't understand is that someone owns everything you've ever painted on."
"But I don't paint recklessly, I never paint on private property or even property where people like my parents would see!"
"In the eyes of police, that hardly matters. Am I going to see you on The People's Court someday?"
"UUuuuuughhhh, forget it."
Of course, I could really go on forever with different ideas to put into my multigenre paper, and isn't that absolutely the point?! This genre really allows the writer to thoroughly explore a topic and relate to it in a meaningful way. To be honest, the five paragraph essay fails miserably at this. I was proud of the graffiti research paper I did in high school, but I do remember that I, as an artist, had no place within the paper. Though I had knowledge and experience which were applicable to my research, I chose not to include my personal anecdotes because it didn't "fit within the neat, prescribed formula" of the thesis (Wesley, 58).
A resource: The Great Debate Over the Five-Paragraph Essay
This is a great article I found concerning the five-paragraph essay debate. The article is hosted by www.associatedcontent.com which is a Wikipedia, of sorts.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Baptism by Fire... A resource...
Baptism by Fire
What you will encounter at that site will forever change your life.
...Then again, everything changes your life! It's a site of very cool tips, and in fact, they are referred to as essential.
What you will encounter at that site will forever change your life.
...Then again, everything changes your life! It's a site of very cool tips, and in fact, they are referred to as essential.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Really Reading Romano
Isn't this a cool text? When I began the first chapter, and encountered "Liz," the teacher that keeps a sketchbook for her notes, I thought to myself, "So that's why I'm always doodling, it's a vital component of my literacy skills!" As I continued to read, I realized that multigenre practices, such as Liz's notes, are generally discouraged in the secondary schools. Instead, teachers must focus on the five-star essay. Why? Tradition and precedent, of course. Unless students can effectively navigate through the five-paragraph formula, they won't be able to make the leap into college (where, as we all know, more tedious hoops await). Worse, they will not score adequately on the state writing proficiency tests.
While Romano is careful to note that academic essays (as well as other forms of paradigmatic thinking, such as textbooks, editorials, articles, etc.) should be an important part of every students' education, he also acknowledges other alternatives. These alternatives, which represent narrative ways of knowing, render "experience or phenomenon" through stories, poetry, drama, and even visual arts.
Looking back on my own academic career, I can recall only a handful of assignments that allowed me to utilize my narrative way of knowing. However, during the third and fourth years of my undergraduate studies, I was finally given a number of different opportunities to really write creatively. I appreciated classes that placed emphasis on my narrative knowledge and would love to provide students with that type of course. I think multigenre writing is the perfect tool for this because it allows students to place more value on their personal interaction the subject matter.
Looking back on my own academic career, I can recall only a handful of assignments that allowed me to utilize my narrative way of knowing. However, during the third and fourth years of my undergraduate studies, I was finally given a number of different opportunities to really write creatively. I appreciated classes that placed emphasis on my narrative knowledge and would love to provide students with that type of course. I think multigenre writing is the perfect tool for this because it allows students to place more value on their personal interaction the subject matter.
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