CEP 818: Zoom In Module 5

Crusin around living room floor...

Back into the tank... don't drop me!

Woaaaaah! Take cover!

Better burrow under here...

Out of the tank again... Mmmm worms!

A day in the life of my pet, turtle, Turtley.

Smile!

CEP 818: What's the Big Idea? Module 4

Abstractions are everywhere. From paintings to language... dance to mathematics... science to poetry, "abstractions are so common in our society that we rarely pay attention to them." (70) When I first read this opening statement, I immediately stopped reading and thought to myself, "Do I notice all the abstractions I see?" So before I even read on, I tried to think of as many noticeable abstractions that I frequently see as I could. Of course I thought of artwork, and logos, and poems, but I quickly realized that I didn't even really know what an abstraction was. My list was pretty short. As I read through the chapter, I started to realize all the abstractions I was leaving out when I was doing my initial brainstorm. The opening statement to this chapter was true. As Sparks somewhat defines it, "Abstracting is a process beginning with reality and using some tool to pare away the excess to reveal the critical, often surprising essence." (90) From the moment I wake up, there are abstractions all around me. The stop light on my drive to work. The subject lines as I read my email. Even my teaching... as I gave the "morning debriefing" to my sewing students before they took way to the sewing machines for the whole hour, it dawned on me - I'm giving an abstract introduction of the class schedule today!

Analogizing, while similar to abstracting is when we find similarities of seemingly disparate things. One obvious example is through poetry. In reality, anytime we ask students to distill the meaning or fundamentals of an idea or thing, and to explain by way of comparison, we are asking them to use abstraction or analogy.

When learning to operate the sewing machine there are 4 processes that the students must learn before they can sew independently. Step 1 is to thread a bobbin (the small plastic spool that goes inside of the machine), step 2 is to thread the machine, and steps 3 and 4 are to "bury the bobbin" and "raise the bobbin." The students came up with the names to these steps because they were difficult to remember and during the Halloween season, they created a mental imagery of placing the bobbin in this lower casing (aka a "grave") and raising the bobbin thread (aka the "zombie within the grave") to the surface. This analogy of unlike objects/ideas helps us all to remember the steps. In addition, when a student is having trouble at their machine, I can simply say to them, "Did you bury and raise the bobbin correctly? This looks like you may have missed a step there," and they know exactly what I'm talking about.

Reading about abstracting and analogizing has really opened my eyes to all of the examples around me. It's also reminded me of what great learning tools these are. I am always asking my students to step back and ask themselves, "What does this remind you of? Can you think of anything that is even sort of like this?" For many students, this is a struggle but I've found that when we brainstorm these ideas as a group my students tend to feed off of one another. I need to remember that when presenting seemingly complicated ideas to my students, such as compound interest, taxes, etc. using abstractions or analogies might help my students with breaking down the information as well as connecting it with other ideas/concepts.

CEP 818: How Do I Love Thee? Module 4

Topic: Living Independently

Element from the topic: Financial independence (income)

Analogy: Your net income is your actual take home pay after taxes and other deductions. This is much like a fisherman who throws his net over the ship looking to catch fish. The fish (money) swim into the net and the fisherman raises the net back up to the ship. But the net has some larger holes in it so some of the fish fall through and return to the water (taxes/deductions/etc.) What the fisherman actually brings into the boat is what he has caught for the day… or in other words, what he “netted” for his actual income.

Limerick Poetry:

Cap'n Trey couldn’t wait to get paid,
A phat check he was certain he'd made.
With a net full of fish,
He had only one wish.
But his taxes he couldn’t evade.

CEP 818: Zoom In Module 4

Mirror, mirror on the wall...



Feet in the clouds and head on the ground...



Sunny skies beat the blues...




Original photo...

CEP 818: How Do I Love Thee? Module 3

Module 3: How Do I Love Thee?

Patterns: Pattern Recognition and Formation

There are many patterns that we recognize and utilize throughout my Independent Living class. For example, we study organization, time management and stress. During this unit, the students choose a small space that could use a little organizing. The goal is to organize the space so that items they need are accessible when they need them. This allows for better productivity and time management as well as reduced stress. The students take “before” and “after” pictures of the space they choose to organize. They also write a reflection paper that discusses the steps they follow from our lecture/video on effective organizing. Completing these tasks really help the students to analyze their existing situation, strategize to make it better and then attack the area by grouping similar items, tossing away garbage, etc. The existing patterns are pretty obvious in their pictures, but their reflection papers also show distinctive patterns. Many students discuss sorting their items, grouping like items together by size, color, shape, importance, etc., and then assigning them to specific areas or zones for future retrieval. In doing this, they are creating patterns in the layouts that they choose.



Another example of pattern usage when my students create “mock” college course schedules. They use a time log grid and fill in the time slots with courses, work hours, study time, etc. This gives them an idea of what their daily/weekly schedules might look like after graduating high school. I have the students highlight and color-code the various activities they have scheduled throughout the week and one pattern they quickly notice is how little free time they have in between everything.




Since reading the pattern chapters in Spark, I think there are a few different assignments that would benefit my students with pattern recognition and forming patterns. One of them could be a dorm room layout design project…

We discuss how dorm rooms are typically very tiny and crammed spaces and how important it is to maximize space. Not only would the students have to create patterns by moving furniture items but they would also need to consider traffic patterns and door/drawer clearance spaces.


Another useful lesson that references patterns would be reading a bus schedule/map. This would involve recognizing patterns in streets, bus stops, buildings, etc. in addition to time schedules. This would be useful because the students would have to consider many factors when choosing times/bus stops and ensure they allow for enough time to walk from place to place in between. This would also teach them to recognize the layout of the surrounding areas and neighborhood. They would have a clear view of the streets and notice patterns created with the grid-like features that are displayed.

CEP 818: How Do I Love Thee? Module 2

Experiencing Your Topic - Independence
"For this activity, you are asked choose a well-known or familiar image, artifact, sound, song, movement, taste, scent, or other part of your core sensory understanding of your topic, to observe that familiar thing and to re-image it in a new form."

Initial observation - Songs: Neil Diamond "Coming to America" and D.L. Jones "America"
Re-image - Visuals: Photostory imagery

CEP 818: What's the Big Idea ? Module 3

Recognizing Patterns/Forming Patterns

1. "To perceive a pattern means that we've already formed an idea of what's next" (92.) While sometimes this can be blatantly obvious, some patterns require us to really focus on letting our minds wander enough so they can be identified. This can be tricky because sometimes we look too deeply into something and the pattern goes unrecognized. When reading this chapter, I immediately thought of various images that require the viewer to view the object from different perspectives...

These illusions are enjoyable and humorous because they "...satisfy the task, but avoid predictability" (93.) Another example of this which utilizes a different format plays on what we are used to seeing (predictable) and adds twist to it so that the viewer must stop and think...

Because we are used to seeing a 3 dimensional cube presented with X, Y and Z planes, this "impossible cube" goes against the pattern that our minds have been trained to seek. (This concept is used frequently throughout the works of M.C. Escher, as stated on page 94.) Recognizing these patterns is something we learn to do and over time we come to expect certain aspects because we grow accustomed to them.
One aspect of pattern recognition that stood out to me in Sparks was that, "One could reasonably characterize medical diagnosis as pattern recognition..." (104.) For the past week, I've been waking up with itchy eyes and a minor sore throat. It's impossible for me NOT to analyze a variety of patterns because of this. At first I ask myself, "Am I getting sick? Is this a precursor to a nasty cold on the horizon?" But then I'm forced to seek out patterns from previous colds I've had. I ask myself, Did I get a cold last year at this time? How many of my students have been absent lately and returned to school with the sniffles? Have I been getting adequate sleep? etc... All of these questions are reflections of patterns that I'm seeking to better assess my condition. I thought this was particularly interesting because this is something we do but don't necessarily recognize it as "pattern recognition" in our every day lives.

1. Forming patterns can be spontaneous or planned and purposeful (116.) One of my favorite rock bands, Phish, performs what is categorized as "jamband/improvisational" rock. Phish music is both planned and spontaneous in that they play songs that have been previously written/recorded, but when performed live they are never played the exact same way twice. Here is an example of an improvisational segment of one of their "jams" titled "Ghost"... As an avid Phish phan and phollower, one of my favorite aspects of this band lies within the patterns that are created within the music and particularly the live performances.
"To understand order, it is often necessary to learn how to create it" (117.) There are so many ways in which we create patterns every day - sometimes even unknowingly. Getting dressed in the morning, setting the table for dinner, driving to work, cutting the lawn, grocery shopping, etc...

2. Reading about recognizing and forming patterns makes me think about my own creative endeavors as well as the activities I conduct with my students. On a personal level, I've been examining my own patterns beginning with routines I do every day - such as beginning and dismissing each class I teach. This year I am trying to make a point to be more consistent with the routines I begin each class with and to stick to them so that the students know what to expect each day. One simple thing I've been doing is playing music as my students enter my room and sometimes while they work as well. My goal is to change up the music each month and to provide a variety of genres for them to listen to. It's been interesting to listen to their feedback when they have noticed a new playlist this month. They became so accustomed to the former playlist that they were somewhat excited to hear something new (a deviation in the pattern.)

I currently teach a variety of lessons which require recognizing and creating patterns. For example, in my Interior Design class we are learning about the design elements and principles. To reinforce the concepts of unity and repetition, the students design and create friendship bracelet. They choose colors that go well together (unity) and design patterns. As they tie the knots to create the bracelets, they quickly learn how much repetition is involved in the actual process of creating the bracelet.
In another course I teach called "Independent Living," we study Time Management, Organization and Stress. We learn how these topics are interrelated and then the students complete various projects to reinforce what they've learned. One of the projects I created this year requires the students to organize a small space of their own by following the strategies we study. Many students choose to organize a desk drawer, closet, etc. Before lifting a finger, they must first analyze what is working (if anything) and then strategize how they will approach the space. Finally, they "attack" by following the acronym "SPACE"... Sort, Purge, Assign, Containerize, and Equalize. This assignment requires them to find patterns that currently exist in the space and to create new ones to make the space work better. An organized space is defined as an area that allows a person to find what he/she needs when he/she needs it. The students complete a worksheet and take before/after photos of their space to share with the class. We then discuss how the students plan to keep up with the functionality of the space (Equalize.) Many of the patterns they create by grouping similar items together can be seen in their photos.

3. Thinking about recognizing and creating patterns gives me a lot of new ideas for all of my classes because I've come to realize that patterns are everywhere. Not that I didn't recognize their prevalence before, but reading these two chapters has really made me think about how patterns can exist in such a variety of ways - not just things we can see, but also in things we do, say, hear, etc. I hope to incorporate more assignments where my students not only recognize patterns but also create them. One example of this could be by having them create a board game... They would have to follow the general framework for a board game (objective, rules, gameplay directions, etc.) but I would encourage them to achieve this through their own unique perspectives.