Podcast

Podcasting is proving to be quite a fun activity because it really shows a person how he/she speaks. I've been working on my script, and I've found that the best method is to get a solid paragraph or two down, record it, listen to what I said when I recorded it, and go back and add in all the extra little words that make my speech my speech. I'm not sure if this is the best method as far a getting a "professional" podcast out, though. The original written script is formal but not uptight, but when I read it, I never fail to add in little extras like "okay, enough with that; let's get moving." I'm not sure if these little tidbits will enhance the podcast by making me more of a real human being or if they will negate the seriousness with which it is received. I'm hoping for the former. Feel free to reassure me. :)

What is less fun about podcasting is having to listen to myself. I'm finding little accents and nuances to my speech that I had no idea about and that I wish I still didn't know about. I mean, no matter how many times I try to say "okay" in a way that sounds "normal" to me (I use scare quotes so as not to imply that there is an actual right or wrong way to pronounce some things), I inevitably end up sounding like I'm from MinnesOta. And nothing against Minnesotans, but I don't like the way I sound. So, yes-- that aspect of podcasting has been somewhat problematic.

On the whole, though, I'm enjoying it. I'm hoping the podcast itself will prove useful to others. That is yet to be seen.

sunshine :)

Weather is such a funny thing. Or perhaps. more appropriately, the effect of weather on people (at least on myself) is such a funny thing. It's truly remarkable the power to which it can affect my mood and resultant actions. I'd never survive in a place like Seattle (unless of course Edward Cullen really did exist and he was enamored with me instead of Bella, but I digress...). So, today, as with the past few days, I awoke to the wonder that is sunshine. In February. Nice, warm sunshine. Naturally, I was happy and eager to do anything involving said weather. And I enjoyed myself, driving with the sunroof open, lounging outside, and just generally soaking up the warmth.

Here's what's interesting. When the weather is wonderfully warm, I cannot bring myself to stay inside. Even worse, I have so much trouble concentrating on anything that isn't as light and warming as the sun that I generally am not productive, school-wise, on days like this. Yet, on days when the weather is dreary, rainy, etc., I also can't be productive because I get so bummed about the day. I feel listless and sad, and any work I do get done on these days inevitably has to be re-worked because my listlessness comes through.

Really, it's only on the cold but not snowy days that I am a fully productive student during the daytime. In the evenings, I am fine, despite what the weather, as my current blog time will exemplify, but my daytime work ethic depends much on the sun or lack thereof. I don't know if this is something particular to me or common to most. If the former, does that say something deeper about my status as a student or perhaps about my outlook? I'm not really sure. What I am sure of is that today was a beautiful day. Just wonderful.

Online Pub-- blog :)

As will or can be noticed from this initial post, my blogs will primarily consist of my current thoughts or frustrations during each week. For the most part, I've tried to stray away from open journals such as this for the very reason that people, as I will, write according to moods or situations, which is not always an entirely accurate version of the writer. Be this as it may, one's thoughts, however swayed by situations or occurrences, are nevertheless one's thoughts, so I will do my best to be unashamed in whatever is most pressing each week. :)

This week, I've been thinking much about change. We always hear of mid-life crisis, and rightfully so-- many realizations undoubtedly occur when one realizes he or she is more than halfway through life-- but I've never heard the term "young-life crisis." This bothers me. Young people often face significant crossroads in their lives (whether or not they should marry, where to live, what profession to pursue, etc.), but they are never granted the grace that would accompany such a title as young-life crisis. If anything, this point in their lives (and in my own, naturally) is as if not more tumultuous as mid-life crisis. During a mid-life crisis, one, for the most part, has a career and has lived a relatively successful life. There are no pressing life changes on the horizon unless one chooses. Young adults, on the other hand, are bombarded with sizable decisions, and yet, society expects each person to pass through this phase with little difficulty.

So I've come to decide that young adults ought to be entitled-- nay, even mandated-- to participate in free therapy sessions. I haven't worked out the details of how/when each person would qualify/be required to go through this, but I am quite sure that this would benefit the overall well-being of future society. I even wonder if the high school or college grads who get married immediately out of school would do so if they knew there were more options, if they knew that they were entitled to want and pursue something aside from simply finding his/her other half and living happily ever after. I do not denigrate any who are happily married; I have several friends who are recently and not so recently married who legitimately could not have chosen a better path. But would things be different if we openly discussed the issues and conflicts that accompany young life changes?

So, yes... Young-life crisis. It's present, and it needs attention: spread the word. :)

Remember, if you're doing a video, we need to know what you're doing, why you're doing it, and how you're doing it.

I'm making a video presentation with Carly, Elizabeth, and Kim Armstrong (from Dr. Rice's class) about composition. We will be/have been interviewing professors from each of the four English departments, students in 1301, and C.I.'s and D.I.'s. We might also try to get other notable persons to comment. The questions we are posing are: What is the purpose of a composition class?; What makes up a good piece of composition?; What do you hope to get out of a comp. class/What do you hope your students will get out of a comp. class?; and How do you know if you are successful as a student/teacher? We would like to see what the common thread in people's opinions, despite their different leves of experience and specialty.

Blog Prompt: Using the "double entry" method, observe something and describe it (NOTE: try NOT to observe an academic experience; might be too political). Then, reflect on those observations. Communicate both in your blog--and we'll talk in class about how a reflective activity like this one might/might not be a good experience for students.

I'm describing an evening with my family (one of my brother's birthday dinner).
What I observed:
I watched him often. I smiled every time he even glanced in my direction. I tapped my foot often. I tried to get his attention anytime he was looking toward my dad. I repeatedly told him "happy birthday." This continued throughout the dinner.

SIgnificance:
I think I was trying so hard to make Michael's birthday good and happy. When my mom and dad have to coexist, it can get pretty un-fun, so I was watching him to see if he was noticing that. I was a bit preoccupied by the situation, so I think that's why I was tapping my foot. I was trying to make everything seem as natural as possible and really seem like I was having fun (because when others are having fun, it would be easier for him to have fun), but I felt like an actor, and I'm not very good at acting, so I think my foot-tapping was the result. I think my repeated "happy birthday's" were another form of distraction to try to keep him having fun...

I forgot to post last week...

I forgot to post last week, but as I read the prompt just a moment ago, I just couldn't let the topic fall by the wayside without blogging.

I think that voice that resonates does not have to compete with "academic voice" and can very well enhance it. The fact is, while it does not HAVE to compete with it, it often does. Because it's not something that can be imitated or easily manipulated, one cannot always write with resonance, which is especially true in academic writing.

It's hard to pinpoint how to write with resonance, but when it occurs, it's unmistakeable. So often I find myself reading articles that, despite being filled with complex information or theories and despite being written by someone obviously intelligent, leave no imprint in my mind (unless of course I know that talking about the article will be a necessity in class, in which case, I must force myself to truly comprehend what's being written in spite of myself). Part of why it's hard to teach writing with resonance is because it often stems from when people write about something they are passionate about. And how would one teach that?

Perhaps that's what makes Elbow so approachable in his writing. As Dr. Rickly admitted to us in class, he truly is as nice as he seems and truly cares about education not as a concept or theory but as it affects real people. Whether that can be said for every educational theorist, I'm not quite convinced.

Evolving Teaching Philosophy

I think a perfect teacher is one that challenges and encourages his/her students in a way that makes them want to learn and truly offer their best efforts. The perfect teacher mixes up the teaching style-- sometimes lecturing, other times doing a discussion-- to make sure that the students remain engaged. It is equally important to make one's expectations/requirements for assignments very clear. There is little more frustrating than receiving a bad grade (or even, for some students, a good grade) without explanation. A good teacher makes the criteria clear and helps his/her students practice meeting those aims prior to submitting assignments. I realize that this is much easier said than done, but it's possible. Even just reviewing good examples of the assignment would help some students in knowing what they should do. Despite all those things, I think what it all comes down to is having passion. I think if we all consider who our favorite teachers have been, what our best classroom experiences have been, each of the teachers we think of will have been teachers who wanted to be where they were, who loved what they were doing. It's not a question of "Do you have experience? Do you have knowledge?" (although both of those things are great qualities in teachers); the question is "Do you have passion?"