Imaginative bridges between architecture/interior designing and teaching? It sounds a bit out of context, but both these fields are very creative and unless the professionals in both these fields don’t put in their passion, they cannot succeed in the challenges involved in their work.
A teacher is also like an interior designer, who needs to consider the different aspects of aesthetic sense in his/her classroom. For example, if the room is well illuminated, provided with the adequate light in the room and proper ventilation, the lightings and the air circulation would definitely add to the learning experience of the students and teaching experience of the teacher.
I teach in Dubai, a city raised on a desert, where summers are extremely hot (I am talking about 50 centigrade) and winters are cold, so controlling the temperature in my classroom becomes a major task. In summers, due to central air-conditioners, the temperature in many of the classrooms is around 20 centigrade, at times students find it cold and want to increase the temperature, whereas some students find the temperature perfect. The famous American architect Sharah Susanka said in her NPR interview that “It is not bricks and mortar that make a home, but how we make that place intimate makes it a home”. Similarly it is not books and white boards which make a classroom. It is the experience, which we educators bring to our students that creates a learning environment.
I like the way Susanka said, “Qualities, not the quantities, of space make a difference.” It is the shaping of space, like tailor-made suits that make it more comfortable. I do design or reorganize my classroom by arranging the student’s desk in such a manner that I can have a proper view of all my students, this also gives a more personal touch to my classroom. Susanka said that “The human mind is wired to walk towards the light” and “Light transforms all the experiences of how you access the room that opens through the well-decorated hall way.” This statement is very true. In a school where I used to work, the hallway had very beautiful paintings and lightings and it would transform my experience and would recharge me and energize me mentally when I used to go from one class to another.
So don’t you agree that there are Imaginative bridges between architecture/interior designing and teaching? Which one do you find more creative?
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Super Bowl and Me
My exposure to super bowl is very limited. Frankly speaking I am very big fan of the American T.V show “How I met your mother” and in one of the episode it is all about the super bowl Sunday and how they make big plans that is the characters in the show Ted, Marsha and Barney to watch the super bowl game. The female characters in that show that Lily and Robin wants to watch it because of the super bowl advertisement were as the men wants to watch the game to support their favorite teams.
So actually speaking my exposure to super bowl is through that show. After watching this show I came to know that super bowl is so big in the US and it is worshiped like we worship cricket in India or football in Middle East.
While watching different Super bowl advertisement I came to know that there is a contest were the best advertisement is rewarded
The good thing about this when we see so many advertisement on super bowl and it helps not only the viewer to select from the top three but also open so many opportunity for normal people to break their routines and think out of the box and get in touch with their creative side. As they say sometime competition does takes out the best talents from people.
What did I learn from this module is that how we can elevate our thinking and put more passion in what we do irrespective what kind of job we do. I also learned that we can put passion in our work and be more focused there is so much inspiration one can take from the world of film, T.V and advertisement. I can refer to world famous film editor Walter Murch who does not have windows in their house so that he can have the cinema hall effect 365 days a year.
While creating my own video I had done so much research. I came across so many aspects of editing and digital movie making. I learned conversion from one video format to another. Voice recording in form through audacity. I am feeling good about it as at the end I could act, shoot a small video, edit it , record my voice and make small documentary and send my message to my audience they can be students, teachers or parents or for that matter anyone. I feel more empowered as an educator. I feel I have got one of the most powerful tools that I have learned that is art of making small documentaries.
So actually speaking my exposure to super bowl is through that show. After watching this show I came to know that super bowl is so big in the US and it is worshiped like we worship cricket in India or football in Middle East.
While watching different Super bowl advertisement I came to know that there is a contest were the best advertisement is rewarded
The good thing about this when we see so many advertisement on super bowl and it helps not only the viewer to select from the top three but also open so many opportunity for normal people to break their routines and think out of the box and get in touch with their creative side. As they say sometime competition does takes out the best talents from people.
What did I learn from this module is that how we can elevate our thinking and put more passion in what we do irrespective what kind of job we do. I also learned that we can put passion in our work and be more focused there is so much inspiration one can take from the world of film, T.V and advertisement. I can refer to world famous film editor Walter Murch who does not have windows in their house so that he can have the cinema hall effect 365 days a year.
While creating my own video I had done so much research. I came across so many aspects of editing and digital movie making. I learned conversion from one video format to another. Voice recording in form through audacity. I am feeling good about it as at the end I could act, shoot a small video, edit it , record my voice and make small documentary and send my message to my audience they can be students, teachers or parents or for that matter anyone. I feel more empowered as an educator. I feel I have got one of the most powerful tools that I have learned that is art of making small documentaries.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Imaginative bridges
Teaching is an art! If you feel that it is wired or the most ridiculous thing you have heard, then try to analyze this.
We teacher do play different characters or roles I may say. We teachers can be protagonists or heroes as many time students like us and love the way we talk or we deliver our lesson. They quote us by the way we speak or the way we deliver our favorite dialogue (anecdote) in class. On the hind side we can be considered as a villain if we lose our temper and keep shouting or yelling at students and sometime which is defiantly unlawful and I am totally against it if we use any form of physical torture or use of corporal punishment against our students that.
As our students may pursue their teachers in whatever above mentioned role, a Hero or a Villain they carry these images and reflection of their classroom memories for a long time. Hence I defiantly feel there is a lot of art is involved in teaching.
It depends on the nature of compelling experience we have or we give to our students. We teachers can also be compared to a film directory who directs an entire movie. A teacher just the same directs the class and makes a meaningful learning experience for his/her audiences; in this case who are the students. As teachers’ make lesson plan, test schedule, and try to execute it in a fashion we find it.
As the Editors takes care of the minor details like sound effect, lights and tries to edit each and every scene so as the viewers can enjoy the film totally acknowledge with the understanding the messages in the movie to ensure the experience is enjoyed thoroughly.
We teachers at times imitate the film editor; check that the lighting in the classroom is proper or control voice modulation by using a mike or an audiovisual aid and try to create the same work and editor does.
I do see a lot imaginative bridges in work of art and in my teaching job. Do you agree?
We teacher do play different characters or roles I may say. We teachers can be protagonists or heroes as many time students like us and love the way we talk or we deliver our lesson. They quote us by the way we speak or the way we deliver our favorite dialogue (anecdote) in class. On the hind side we can be considered as a villain if we lose our temper and keep shouting or yelling at students and sometime which is defiantly unlawful and I am totally against it if we use any form of physical torture or use of corporal punishment against our students that.
As our students may pursue their teachers in whatever above mentioned role, a Hero or a Villain they carry these images and reflection of their classroom memories for a long time. Hence I defiantly feel there is a lot of art is involved in teaching.
It depends on the nature of compelling experience we have or we give to our students. We teachers can also be compared to a film directory who directs an entire movie. A teacher just the same directs the class and makes a meaningful learning experience for his/her audiences; in this case who are the students. As teachers’ make lesson plan, test schedule, and try to execute it in a fashion we find it.
As the Editors takes care of the minor details like sound effect, lights and tries to edit each and every scene so as the viewers can enjoy the film totally acknowledge with the understanding the messages in the movie to ensure the experience is enjoyed thoroughly.
We teachers at times imitate the film editor; check that the lighting in the classroom is proper or control voice modulation by using a mike or an audiovisual aid and try to create the same work and editor does.
I do see a lot imaginative bridges in work of art and in my teaching job. Do you agree?
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Building bridges.....
I never thought of teaching in an angle of making a compelling experience. I studied in an Indian system were t we had rote way of learning.
We had (teaching testing teaching) every parent wants their ward to become a Doctor or an Engineer.
But when I came to Dubai I started teaching in international system like British, American and IBs were there was some scope of thinking out of the box and being little more creative.
But creating a compelling experience was never thought of in my wildest dream. I could never imagine that teaching could be so creative. Thank to this Module CEP882 that I got some idea of creating a compelling experience.
When I say compelling experience what I understand I would like to illustrate you with an example, I teach ICT for grade 7 and 8 and math for High school students. In my normal Math class of 45 minutes after around 20 minutes my students feel bored they want a break or I could feel some distraction and interest level going down. But in my ICT class the moment my students enter the IT lab the first thing they do is grab a computer and start the lesson, share project and also surf on the internet. Even when the period get over and the bell rings they don't want to leave the lab. I think giving them a creative window in terms ICT librates them from the routine school learning it is one way of creating an compelling experience.
With this photographic module I think that I would be able to cross over the bridge between rote teaching an would be able create a compelling experience. While doing CEP882 readings and especially article by Krause-Graphic design, where he defines that Visual harmony means a balance or agreement between the element both aesthetically and thematically and also tell us to find patterns which are more enjoyable impress me. I think after completing my course I would definitely be able to create more compelling experience in my class and also be an effective trainer.
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