Blog Synthesis

It’s interesting to examine in great detail the nature and design of a compelling experience. I also believe it is a unique idea to explore NDCE as it relates to teaching from the perspective of other art forms. For me, finding imaginary bridges between the various art forms was an exercise in creative thinking.  And to take that thought a little further, I wish the course would have included one of my favorite arts, which is Literature. Since over the past few weeks we have looked at NDCE from the outside looking in, I want to explore the arts from the perspective of those on the inside and hope their words “teach” us something that is inspirational to educators.

Photography:

Ansel Adams is probably one of the most well known photographers of the last century. He was best known for his black and white landscape photos which had the ability to tell a compelling story without the use of any words. Sometimes as teachers we have to tell a story in the same manner. This includes showing photographs or images to enhance the learning experience.

"My childhood was spent near the sand dunes bordering the Golden Gate," Adams said. "At the age of 14, I went to Yosemite Valley, was deeply affected and infected with the grandeur of the scene, which mood has always followed me in everything that I do."

Film and Television:

The art of creating for film and TV appears to be a very intense process.  What I found most inspirational from an educator’s point of view is what influences people who choose this art as a career.  Like teachers, I presume that they want to connect with people and some filmmakers also want to teach with their art.  One of my favorite film directors/producers is J.J. Abrams. In an interview he stated what influenced him to become a filmmaker and compared it to creating games. I believe you could substitute much of what he said for what inspires many educators and also see it as similar to many of the imaginary bridges we created with the arts we studied in this course.

"I suppose everything you do, and everything that interests you—whatever you spend your time getting to know intimately and spend hours and hours doing—influences what you do. I don’t know if I can point exactly to how and what that influence is, but you can probably extrapolate a certain level of kinetic energy that the best games have to what the best movies have, which is a great sense of drama, a great sense of urgency. Not all games require this, but those that do, and those that are great, have characters you connect with and root for and [in this sense] often are like a good movie. And so I suppose whether it’s a novel or a great song, or a videogame, a well constructed story situation and character will always be impactful, and it’s inspirational for anything that you do moving forward."

Architecture and Interior Design:

This particular art is a very personal experience. We are all drawn and to some extent influenced by the spaces surrounding us. If the spaces where we live and where we work are comfortable, we feel better. The same thing goes for the spaces where we teach. These environments should be comfortable and safe for learners. As educators we know that the design of these places of these spaces can negatively or positively impact the learning and teaching experience.  Designer Preston Bailey spoke to this when he stated what influences his design style.

"Nature has been my biggest inspiration if you look at my designs you can see how I try to bring the abundance of nature indoors. I am also lucky enough to travel quite a bit for work and seeing the world really opens your eyes. It is impossible not to be inspired by all the different cultures and landscapes around the world."

Music:

Personally, I believe the NDCE process for making music is quite fascinating.  I learned that it is about a lot more than putting harmony and lyrics together. I suppose I identify with this process the most as a teacher because putting together a lesson is about a lot more than just subject matter and lesson plan. As educators we have to understand that opportunities for learning can take place anywhere and when you least expect it. Ironically when that aspect is properly identified the teaching experience can inspire students to great achievements, even to become singers and musicians.

 “… his grandfather, a plumber and music nut, had played him Vic Damone’s version of It Had To Be You when he was 12, and it awoke something in him. ‘I heard this melody wrapped around lyrics that were perfect for each other, [Buble said]." "A voice that was so beautiful, that hid behind nothing. And it spoke to me because it allowed me to be different. This was a way for me to follow my own beat and not be one of the sheep following what was supposedly edgy and cool.”

Fashion:      

The fashion module was my personal favorite and that’s probably because I keep up with the latest and greatest in fashion designs. I believe what fashion designers do is truly amazing. They create items that help people develop their own sense of style. As educators we perform a similar function through teaching subject matter that assist learners with developing valuable skills that will help them become productive members of our society. In a magazine interview, fashion designer Rebecca Turbow explained how her first education and exposure to fashion came from her parents and then from traditional schooling.

"Both my parents are artists. My mom is a photographer and my dad is a leather smith. I've been surrounded by art my whole life. My mom actually taught me to sew when I was pretty young. I would even do clothing designs on paper without realizing what I was doing. In high school, I started making my own clothes--mostly altering or adding on to other things because I never liked anything the way it was when I bought it. I also made a lot of jewelry--turquoise was the stone of choice--so when I started college, that is what I studied."

All of the above of course leads me back to the art that we did not study in this class but I wish we could have. Literature is full of compelling experiences. To write something, whether it is a letter, a script, an announcement, or even a lesson, can be a compelling experience. The one thing I enjoy about literature is that is influenced by many of the arts we studied in this class. Who hasn’t heard of a book written about photography, TV and film, architecture and interior design, music, or fashion? And as educators, books are a central part of our profession. So I will conclude this blog entry with an example of NDCE from author Sara Gruen (Water for Elephants). Enjoy!

"I stare at the screen (laugh). I pick some music...I guess I figure out what the crisis of the book is going to be and then I sit down and I get my first scene. But once I have my first scene I really just have to keep going. My method is I spend an hour and a half sort of revving up every morning and I’ll read what I wrote the day before and maybe do a little revising of it, and then just keep going. I just read that last tiny little bit until I feel like I can continue."

Module 5 (Week 2)

Fashion is a very personal thing. Well, at least it is to a large swath of the population (including me). Fashion assists us in so many ways. The way we look at any given time says a lot about us as people. Whether we accept it as truth or not, we are a very visual society. But how does fashion intertwine with the profession of teaching. On the surface, the two seem to share very little, if anything in common. Fashion is after all, influenced by a particular segment of the population right? Now with that being true, isn’t it safe to say that a particular segment of the population influences the educational process as well.

Much of what defines contemporary fashion are trends. What’s hot today in clothing and accessories may not be as valued tomorrow. It’s a fickle environment. Although it lacks the flexibility to change so fluidly, how teachers teach is also influenced by what is trendy. Take for example the fact that we live in a virtually connected world. Almost everyone is accessible via the Internet. Teachers understand this trend and as a result, many of them are now required to be connected to the net in some manner. They do this because it meets the needs of their audience – their students. The same can be said for fashion designers who try to stay on top of the latest trends to meet the needs of their intended audience.

Ironically enough, the very idea of how trends are tracked has evolved considerably. According to writer Jeremy Caplan, “"People all over are having this international conversation about what's next, what's trendy. The concept of cool hunting—tracking urban trends—dates back more than a decade, but the rules of the game are rapidly changing. Over the past three years, an explosion of blogs, podcasts, websites and newsletters has pried cool hunting from the grip of professional marketers, shifting it to the text-message-happy fingers of amateur trend trackers. Some independent sites focus on broad trends and generational shifts in consumer habits. Others home in on specific styles, foods, brands and gadgets popular among trendsetters.” Maybe it should probably come as no surprise that there are an equal number of educational websites as there are fashion ones.

Furthermore the most important feature that teaching and fashion share is an ongoing drive to meet the needs of their core audience. Schools and fashion houses are businesses and they use data to gain a greater understanding of who their consumers/students are. According to research conducted by Michigan State University in 2005, data identifies customers’ interests. “It’s a universally recognized truth that you can’t manage what you can’t measure,” said Bonnie Knutson, one of the study’s researchers and an MSU professor. “Now businesses will have the measurement tools to identify their strengths and weaknesses in order to manage their customers’ buying experience and help increase sales.”

There are seven dimensions of the consumer’s buying experience identified in the study:

·         Driving benefit. This entails the understanding of how to use a product or service and its consistency, benefit and value.

·         Accessibility. A product or service must be readily available or easy to acquire.

·         Convenience. The entire shopping process should be fast; products or services easy to locate.

·         Incentives. Offering incentives increases the chance of buying the featured product or service.

·         Utility. Practicality is important; there should be no surprises surrounding a product or service; safety is a major concern.

·         Brand trust. Satisfaction with a store or product or service is critical.

·         Sales environment. Surroundings should be entertaining, stimulating and educational.

Schools use similar sets of data to determine how to attract students to their school and to help them meet the needs of current and future students. And why shouldn’t they? Making a commitment to properly serve their students is what every teaching is all about.

References:

Caplan, J. (2005). Trendspotting: Messengers of Cool. Time Magazine.

White. R. (2005). Researchers at MSU, Publicom identify seven dimensions of consumer experience. Newsroom.MSU.edu

Module 5 (Week 1)

The Reality TV show “What Not to Wear” or WNTW has several interesting concepts. The two main components seem to be “evaluation” and “transformation.” There are various similarities to the elements found in WNTW and teaching. Let’s face it, teaching is not just about instruction. It’s also about evaluation. Teachers evaluate the process of their students in a variety of ways. They use tests, surveys, and general assessments. But like the folks of WNTW, teachers also evaluate themselves. But thankfully, most of the time it isn’t as painful or anxiety filled as the subjects in WNTW. It is however similar in the fact that it is a deeply personal experience. Like the hosts, Stacy and Clinton, teachers want the person being evaluated to ultimately be significantly and thoroughly improved.

It’s somewhat ironic that WNTW starts off with a meticulous evaluation of a problem. Stacy and Clinton’s job is to focus on fashion. On the other hand, during the evaluation process teachers need to focus on the subject matter they are teaching. Just like in WNTW, teachers must take a holistic look at what and how they teach their subject matter. Part of the process often involves asking questions like “Is the subject matter up to date” and “Is it being taught in the most appropriate format?” Just like with clothes, subject matter sometimes becomes outdated and needs to be traded in for something new. And just like Stacy and Clinton routinely do on the show, teachers often go shopping for new ideas and information to make their class more relevant. On WNTW, the person who is involved in the makeover has to try on new clothes to get a feel for what works for them and what doesn’t. Teachers do the same thing because they try out new teaching ideas in the classroom to get a feel for what works for them and what doesn’t.

All of the previously mentioned things lead up to transformation process. On WNTW it is a big reveal or a showcase of the solution(s). For teachers, there is not as much fanfare but it can evoke a high level of excitement. There is also another notable element within this segment of the process. Teachers are able to “wear” or reuse their upgraded subject matter for a considerable amount of time and like with clothes, they can accessorize by adding components that compliment what they are teaching. And just like in WNTW, these changes can be personally rewarding.

Module 4 (Week 2)

A Musical Bridge

With this module I had the opportunity to explore music from different angles and as they relate to teaching. For me, music is a deeply personal experience. The type of music I enjoy listening to speaks to me in a variety of ways. Sometimes it is the music that speaks to me the loudest and then sometimes it is the lyrics that dominate the experience. Music has a way of moving me emotionally, personally, and often times creatively. So when I really think about it, music and the experience of teaching work similarly when it comes to sparking creativity in all of us.

Another way to explain that theory is to examine music by genre or category. There are several different styles of music. They range from pop to jazz to classical and so on. Each category has its own signature features. For example, jazz and classical music are very heavy on instrumental songs, while popular or contemporary music is very lyric-driven. One thing that all the categories of music have in common is they tend to possess a hook or a rhythm.

In teaching, there are different subjects. They range from Art to Math to English and so on. Just like in music, the different subjects that are taught have certain identifiable traits. For example, in English there is a heavy reliance on writing and reading, while in Art there is a lot of hands-on and “learn by doing” activities. And just like in music, the different subjects that are taught have something in common. They all need to a platform for instruction. Consider CEP 882, the platform for instruction is online.

Something else I would like to add that bridges teaching and music is an ability that individuals in those fields share. To become highly proficient at their craft, a musician and a teacher must be good listeners. Aaron Copeland stated that listening is a talent all by itself. I agree with this rather bold assessment. I believe teachers that have fine tuned their listening skills are excellent instructors. They understand what their students need because they hear what they say works and doesn’t work. It’s important to remember that teaching should be a shared experience with two active parties participating in the process.

That sounds (no pun intended) a lot like music doesn’t it? The world’s best music would be meaningless without listeners. Likewise teaching would be meaningless without students to teach.  

Module 4

It is often said that music is the universal language. I would concur with that affirmation, however it was rather difficult for me to come up with a link “or bridge” between a musical hook and teaching right away. I kept thinking, how could the two things possibly be compared to each other? But low and behold I was able to discover something that they do have in common.  A musical hook and teaching actually are quite similar and when I stopped to think about that similarity I gained a new appreciation for one of the most complex elements of music.

On the path to gaining this new appreciation I examined what a musical hook really is. According to the article written by Gary Burns it is, “a musical or lyrical phrase that stands out and is easily remembered (1).” Another important element of musical hooks is repetition. A good example would be a song that has a phrase or words that repeat over and over again throughout a song. While repetition is an important element, Burns offers additional insight into the musical hook. According to him, “repetition is not essential in a hook, but is not ruled out either. While hooks in the form of repetition may, to an extent, be ‘the foundation of commercial songwriting’ and record-making, repetition is meaningless without its opposite, change (1).” And this is realization is where I found the essential link between the musical hook and teaching.

In teaching, repetition is also important. Teachers often use it in their lessons by allowing students to repeat certain exercises so that they can gather a deeper understanding of what they are studying. But as Gary Burns pointed out, the element of change is equally as important. Good teaching strategies require knowing when to make changes when necessary. For example, most teachers examine their lesson plans prior to the start of a new class to make sure that the information they are teaching is still accurate and up to date. As an Instructional Designer, the element of change is constant in my learning environments. I develop training for computer applications and on average our IT department makes at least three to four system enhancements a year. These changes have to be factored into new and existing training manuals in order to make sure that the trainees are learning how to properly do their jobs.

Gary Burns recognized the importance of change as it relates to the musical hook. He stated that, “Rhythm is perhaps the most basic structural element of music. It can exist and be pleasing by itself, but other structural elements cannot exist in any meaningful sense without it. Rhythm is change. Something happens one moment and does not happen the next moment. Between those two moments there has been a change (1).” This is similar to what happens in teaching. For example, something that we teach about technology today may be impacted by a change to that same technology tomorrow. To teach a technology that does not reflect what has changed about it recently would be a great disservice to our students and we would not be adequately preparing them to work with that technology. 

And now that I reflect upon the bridge between the musical hook and teaching, I realize that they share important factors that make both work effectively. Those two factors are repetition and change.

Reference:

Burns. G. (1987). A Topology of Hooks in Popular Records. Popular Music. Vol. 6, No. 1. (Jan. 1987). Pp. 1-20.

The Hook"

For this week's module we are studying the hook that is often found in music. There aren't many songs, instrumental or with lyrics that do not have a hook. The video I have added below is no exception. The odd or perhaps ironic aspect of the music in the video is that the hook changes quite often. It is not disguised but changes in tone, often going from high to low using various instruments. This is what makes the old "Big Band" sound so amazing. With so many contributors (i.e. band members), big band conductors or songwriters could play with hooks by introducing it with an extended instrumental section and then float in vocals later on. They also emphasize the hook with horn or piano solos. Either way, it generally ended up being a marvelous piece of music. So, without futher adieu, here's one of my grandfather's favorites - Mr. Duke Ellington!

Week 2 of Module 3

Seeing the "Big" Picture

I see a distinct parallel between the world of design/architecture and teaching. It actually falls in line with much of what Sarah Susanka wrote about in great detail. Take for example the fact that I work in a training environment. I have specific guidelines in place that are a list of the most effective ways to train individuals in large groups, small groups, in a face to face classroom or virtually. These guidelines are called “best practices.” They are tried and true rules for producing the best learning experience possible.

Sarah Susanka seems to have the same set of principles in place for designing a contemporary home but she also recognizes the constant struggle to keep in step with the needs of her clients. She stated, “This confirms my belief that we are all searching for a sense of home, but we haven't developed a language to help define the qualities that we seek, and so we keep building bigger in the vague hope that somehow more will be better.” I experience this tug of war on a consistent basis in my daily practice. Everyone involved in the training process wants to produce something viable and effective, but at times it is difficult to form a general consensus for many of our training projects.

This is where establishing best practices really prove to be vitally important. It’s great to have a plethora of ideas to mull over when addressing training needs, but it is also more efficient to have a universal set of guidelines to start off with. I typically work with a multitude of people from different departments when I design training programs. I routinely collaborate with trainers, client services personnel, and managers. They bring a very diverse perspective to the training environment. While I implement many of their ideas, I also reject the ones that do not fall in line with my department’s best practices.

Sarah Susanka seems to maintain this delicate balance as well. She stated, “Our profession has an enormous ability to affect what the future will look like. As an architect who questions the advisability of building bigger rather than better, I decided it was time to suggest an alternative.” I realize that Susanka understands the obsession with big houses, but I also appreciate the fact that she sees the “big picture” in her profession. This is why I think her mindset easily applies to other professions, including teaching.

Reference:

Susanka. S. (2000). Big ideas behind the not so big house. Retrieved from:

http://www.architectureweek.com/2000/0726/design_1-1.html