Friday, May 6, 2016
Week 15: Backup and Review
May 5: Cinco de Mayo. In Mexico, the Cinco de Mayo holiday is not a national holiday (it is celebrated mainly in the state of Puebla, in east-central Mexico), but in other countries, especially the United States, Cinco de Mayo has become an important holiday to celebrate Hispanic cultural heritage and traditions. You can read more about the holiday in this Wikipedia article, which is also the source for this great image of a children's Cinco de Mayo parade in Minnesota:
Week 15: Famous Last Words
This week I finished up my portfolio! I did some small revisions to each of my stories and made sure that the portfolio index was clear and easy to navigate.
I am so grateful that this class has introduced me to one of my new all-time favorite literary characters. I definitely plan to keep looking into the character of Amba, in all her various forms, to discover more about her portrayal across different sources.
I also finished up several of my other classes. I will never attend another flute studio class, which was a very bittersweet realization; studio has been a bit of an oasis in the dessert of music school, and my professor is a truly lovely human who can make any terrible day better. I love my colleagues in the studio and am so grateful for their friendship -- I wish I didn't have to leave them! However, I'm excited to see the direction that the studio is heading in and I know that we are only going to continue to improve.
We also had our last concert with El Sistema! As always, concerts are stressful, exhausting, hectic, but SO WORTH IT. Every single ensemble played brilliantly -- by far the best all year. We also got to feature several performances from smaller chamber ensembles and I know that those students will cherish that opportunity to display their skills on a more individual basis forever. We even had a guest STUDENT conductor on one of the pieces. Next week, we will have a recital featuring all of the works my students have been composing this semester! I can't wait for their hard work to to validated during this experience. Some of my students have found a real love for expressing themselves through original compositions and I am so excited to see them grow and develop as musicians and as people with important things to contribute to our world! I am so proud to be a part of this wonderful organization.
I am so grateful that this class has introduced me to one of my new all-time favorite literary characters. I definitely plan to keep looking into the character of Amba, in all her various forms, to discover more about her portrayal across different sources.
I also finished up several of my other classes. I will never attend another flute studio class, which was a very bittersweet realization; studio has been a bit of an oasis in the dessert of music school, and my professor is a truly lovely human who can make any terrible day better. I love my colleagues in the studio and am so grateful for their friendship -- I wish I didn't have to leave them! However, I'm excited to see the direction that the studio is heading in and I know that we are only going to continue to improve.
We also had our last concert with El Sistema! As always, concerts are stressful, exhausting, hectic, but SO WORTH IT. Every single ensemble played brilliantly -- by far the best all year. We also got to feature several performances from smaller chamber ensembles and I know that those students will cherish that opportunity to display their skills on a more individual basis forever. We even had a guest STUDENT conductor on one of the pieces. Next week, we will have a recital featuring all of the works my students have been composing this semester! I can't wait for their hard work to to validated during this experience. Some of my students have found a real love for expressing themselves through original compositions and I am so excited to see them grow and develop as musicians and as people with important things to contribute to our world! I am so proud to be a part of this wonderful organization.
Tech Tip: Blogger Privacy
This week I removed the "posted by" attribution on my blog posts. I try to remain very low-key in all of my internet doings -- I am very diligent in making sure that my online and social media presence is under my control and exactly how I want it. As a teacher, it's super important that my employers and students see only what I want when they search for me. I don't have anything to hide, but I do know that the current state of technology and social media necessitates an abundance of caution in this area.
Week 15 Learning Challenge: The power of vulnerability
This week, I have been trying to incorporate the lessons in this TED talk into my thought processes and actions. I have a lot of trouble with the topics and habits she addresses, so this has been a real eye-opener for me and something I have been working very hard to begin to internalize.
Week 15 Growth Mindset Challenge: Ready for a challenge!
I chose this meme for my growth mindset challenge this week because I have several big challenges coming up in my life. The first is finals week. Obviously. We'll see how that goes...
The second is my student teaching semester in the fall. I will be working at a school with a 98% free and reduced lunch student population. It is going to be a big challenge! But this is the path I have chosen for my life and I'm ready for my first real test as a public school educator.
Third, I have recently begun to address some health concerns with a counselor and although I'm dreading the long slog through my own unhealthy brain, I know that this is important for my own happiness for the rest of my life.
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Week 15: Readings
I most enjoyed following along with reading options that had an accompanying reading guide and many images. The online options that had a blog post with links to each story were my favorite, as those were the easiest to navigate, whether it be reading everything in one go or coming back several times throughout the week -- I could just find where I left off and jump right back into the story. I also liked that they had summaries of each story to accompany the link; if it had been several days since my last opportunity to read, the refreshers on the plot were really helpful!
I honestly found a lot of the commenting to be a bit tedious toward the end of the semester when we were connecting with 5 people per week (3 storybooks/portfolios, 2 storytelling+intros). I do think the word limits were really helpful in inspiring me to really think about what I could respond to in order to make the most productive comment possible.
I honestly found a lot of the commenting to be a bit tedious toward the end of the semester when we were connecting with 5 people per week (3 storybooks/portfolios, 2 storytelling+intros). I do think the word limits were really helpful in inspiring me to really think about what I could respond to in order to make the most productive comment possible.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Week 15: Reflections
This semester, I am most excited by what I have learned about the history and culture of India. My obsession with the Mahabharata (and one character in particular, haha) have provided me a link to the India of old and of the present that I never would have felt without this class. I feel that I have a better understanding of the values inherent in Indian culture and the amazing worth of their traditions. Through learning about the ancient characters that they hold dear, I can make connections to more modern figures who have already and continue today to shape India and its people.
As far as the blogging aspect of the class, I have had a lot of fun reconnecting with my creative writing roots and flexing a part of my brain that has been severely under-appreciated throughout my college years. I've learned a lot about what it means to blog, as well -- from the technology to the design to the content -- especially from seeing the amazing art many of my peers have made of their blogs! I have very much enjoyed gaining a glimpse into a random selection of OU students' lives and getting to know some of them on a deeper level through repeated visits to their posts and comments.
As far as the blogging aspect of the class, I have had a lot of fun reconnecting with my creative writing roots and flexing a part of my brain that has been severely under-appreciated throughout my college years. I've learned a lot about what it means to blog, as well -- from the technology to the design to the content -- especially from seeing the amazing art many of my peers have made of their blogs! I have very much enjoyed gaining a glimpse into a random selection of OU students' lives and getting to know some of them on a deeper level through repeated visits to their posts and comments.
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