The compelling experience must go on and inevitably, it does just as my life-long education travels full-circle again and again. As someone who is compelled by experience itself, the Nature and Design of the Compelling Experience serves as a reminder that my eyes and mind should remain open and that we as humans must exercise this function as any other in order to keep it functional. When we are not aware of our ability to recognize beauty or when we are not able to feel compelled, we perhaps become mediocre, worse the images in our head no longer appear; we are stagnant in our development.
As an educator, I am compelled to enlighten my students. What I choose to teach my students first and foremost is ethics and appreciation for what is real and good. I usually begin with the following questions: "What makes a good teacher?" and "What makes a good learner/student?" as an activity to motivate my students' thinking in regards to their educational needs and wants. I hope that what follows is recognition. This desired recognition may not emerge instantly but over time it should manifest. I feel that this manifestation is the result of the compelling experiences we encounter consciously or subconsciously.
What Compels My Girl Students in Saudi Arabia:
Honor killings compel me. Hearing about an honor killing makes me feel like hitting someone. It's so unjust and sexist. How come they don't kill males for misbehaving? Why is this discrimination of females so widely accepted? Without females the human race wouldn't exist. People need to start thinking and they need to grow up! Sometimes I wish that I could dig a big hole and throw all those men who kill their female relatives in it and burn them alive. People who kill for honor are uneducated and in my opinon the worst people out there. So they think that they can control women like women are animals? And if she disobeys they can murder her or chop her head off? I don't think so. Someone needs to make very strict rules against it. If I was a judge, I would give these murderers the electric chair. -Samar Abu-Shamma
Reading amazing novels compels me to write. It makes me want to be a writer when I grow up. I give up after a while, but then I read another novel and I feel like writing again. This summer I'm going to work on writing a novel. Reading other authors' novels compel me to write. I hope that everything turns out fine!
lovely;
Ranya Barayan
Definition of the word by Yasmine
"Compel"If this word were to be a feeling for me, it would be negative. If a person compels me, it would make me feel discomfort. It would make me feel stressed and and angry. I would feel like I do not have time to do anything or that my time is limited. Still, I realize that compelling a person could be in a good sense or the opposite. It could be a compliment in a sense that a person could 'compel' you and say that you mean a lot to them and he or she takes up a huge space in your live. In a bad way, by saying they 'compel' you and don't like you and want to harm and cram your life into one little box.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Work of Art- In progress
Trying new things day to day with the technology. It's getting easier. I want and need more time to learn about the availability out there. Looking forward to that. Not intimidated as much as before.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
PHENOMENON- For the sake of fashion
The Locks Market- The hair-extensions industry has made it easy to get lush tresses. Answering the moral questions it raises is more complicated. By Katherine Zoepf
Recently I ran across an article that caught my attention for two reasons: my students' obsession with women and culture and the fashion module. I find the article fascinating as it tells a controversial story about religious pilgrims visiting Tirumala, a temple of the Vaishnava sect of Hinduism. Devout Hindus pay their respects to the resident deity, Lord Venkatwswara. When they are there, a ritual shaving call a tonsuring is part of the devotion. These devotees believe that if they give up their hair, the god will grant them any wish. Naturally, most of these girls have virgin hair that they have hardly trimmed, let alone cut since childhood. What's more important though is that recent boom in the hair-extension industry has enterprised (very quietly) on the ancient ritual by buying the hair at low prices and selling it for extremely high prices in the United States. Certainly the hair has always been sold and some of the profit is said to be returned to the temple and the surrounding community but recently due to the prices that the extension are fetching, many wonder just how much money is not going to the temple and rather to the industry. The moral question arises. Is this ethical or not?
Recently I ran across an article that caught my attention for two reasons: my students' obsession with women and culture and the fashion module. I find the article fascinating as it tells a controversial story about religious pilgrims visiting Tirumala, a temple of the Vaishnava sect of Hinduism. Devout Hindus pay their respects to the resident deity, Lord Venkatwswara. When they are there, a ritual shaving call a tonsuring is part of the devotion. These devotees believe that if they give up their hair, the god will grant them any wish. Naturally, most of these girls have virgin hair that they have hardly trimmed, let alone cut since childhood. What's more important though is that recent boom in the hair-extension industry has enterprised (very quietly) on the ancient ritual by buying the hair at low prices and selling it for extremely high prices in the United States. Certainly the hair has always been sold and some of the profit is said to be returned to the temple and the surrounding community but recently due to the prices that the extension are fetching, many wonder just how much money is not going to the temple and rather to the industry. The moral question arises. Is this ethical or not?
Sunday, March 29, 2009
A Poem by Dalia (grade 7) & Miss Natalie
HAIR
Mohawks
UP-DOs
French twist
Loop-ti-Loos
Highlights
Lowlights
Streaks of pink
"Did you even think?" (Mom)
Braids
Hairspray, gel, and mousse
Feathered bangs
Long bangs
Up straight
Fried out
Cut it off
Grow it out
Get angry
PULL IT OUT!
Mohawks
UP-DOs
French twist
Loop-ti-Loos
Highlights
Lowlights
Streaks of pink
"Did you even think?" (Mom)
Braids
Hairspray, gel, and mousse
Feathered bangs
Long bangs
Up straight
Fried out
Cut it off
Grow it out
Get angry
PULL IT OUT!
Friday, March 27, 2009
I'm sure that the fashion module will be my favorite. I love the idea of fashion, yet I will need some time to see how it connects with education, overall.
I think that there is a bridge between the art of making clothing or creating trends and education. We certainly see trends come and go in the profession/science/art of education and we see them resurface or fade away like things within the fashion world. I also feel that it's so much more than simply clothing, shoes, bags, and accessories. I have been shocked in and throughout each module the complexity of the art and I am sure it will be no different in this case.
I think that there is a bridge between the art of making clothing or creating trends and education. We certainly see trends come and go in the profession/science/art of education and we see them resurface or fade away like things within the fashion world. I also feel that it's so much more than simply clothing, shoes, bags, and accessories. I have been shocked in and throughout each module the complexity of the art and I am sure it will be no different in this case.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Music Module
Music and its many facets is comparable to education in that they both have endless possibilities and complexities. Often, I feel that people are under the impression that teaching is a simple act that anyone can do. Any teacher will confess, that's not always the case. There is some depth to the whole act. We would also say that there is diversity in the practice. It's rhythmic operation of sorts.
Musicians make it look so easy, don't they? Clearly we know that it's not that simple for the majority to sing, play instruments, write lyrics, compose music, and perform. This requires dedication, practice, a formal education at times, and of course, the gift.
Could it be that teachers in front of the class make it look easy? I think, yes. There is obviously a level of comfort in what we do. Teachers have a gift or have adopt strategies that allow for "sliding" through difficult moments in the classroom. In this way, we improvise as any musician would do while performing. Likewise, we teachers as musicians want to leave our audience feeling compelled or touched emotionally or mentally in some way.
It's not an easy task for most, and it requires the "gift" I speak of or a tremendous amount of practice and experience. There are days when we feel "right on" and others when the performance didn't feel effective or profound. In any case, that's the goal.
Musicians make it look so easy, don't they? Clearly we know that it's not that simple for the majority to sing, play instruments, write lyrics, compose music, and perform. This requires dedication, practice, a formal education at times, and of course, the gift.
Could it be that teachers in front of the class make it look easy? I think, yes. There is obviously a level of comfort in what we do. Teachers have a gift or have adopt strategies that allow for "sliding" through difficult moments in the classroom. In this way, we improvise as any musician would do while performing. Likewise, we teachers as musicians want to leave our audience feeling compelled or touched emotionally or mentally in some way.
It's not an easy task for most, and it requires the "gift" I speak of or a tremendous amount of practice and experience. There are days when we feel "right on" and others when the performance didn't feel effective or profound. In any case, that's the goal.
Food for Thought
What I feel is that art is like education in that you can work to learn many aspects of it, but some artists and teachers have a gift that just gets grander with practice and time.
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