Artistic Vision
Art Education. Straight Up.Archive for Random
Changing brain structure through repetition
I found an interesting article documenting a study regarding changes in actual brain structure. The source cited was a 2000 study referencing work done with taxi drivers. Apparently, “the longer a taxi driver had been driving, the larger a specific part of the brain (the part that we believe stores spatial representations of our environment).” In the words of the author, “(s)imply by doing something repetitively, or doing something differently, can affect a change – not only in your actual brain’s structure.”
I can’t say I’m shocked. Frankly, this report makes perfect sense to me. Addictions are forged in the brain through repetition; their resolution could only come similarly. Reading something like this, though, makes me question why pro-gay activists would discourage individuals who seek to undo years of addictive behavior that reinforced same-sex attraction? All addictive behavior causes chemical changes in the brain and, now, it would seem that it doesn’t just stop there.
Hopeful news for those who seek to make positive changes on many fronts!
Dinner at Beau Monde
We took a drive to Philadelphia to eat at a restaurant called Beau Monde. It’s a creperie meaning everything you order is stuffed into a crepe. It sounded interesting.
The lady at the door wasn’t kidding when she told us at 8:30 that we’d have a 30-45 minute wait. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised this being a city establishment and it being Saturday night. Needless to say, 45 minutes later we were sitting down with a menu in hand.
Struggling with motivation
I just finished grading a test for my three Studio classes. We did a simple project on Michelangelo. It had three parts: an artist-background research component, a hands-on project and an accompanying writing assignment. As a class, we spent three class periods in the library. They had ample time to accomplish this.
The artist-background research component involved writing three paragraphs covering the three sections of information I wanted them to focus upon: his life, work/mediums and the David, the featured artwork. Needless to say, I’m quite disappointed. Only six out of my 43 students in my Studio class passed. I had to speak with an administrator on how to handle the fact that the vast majority of the remaining students plagarized their papers. We worked it out, but it is very disheartening when I give them a resource and few take advantage of it.
As a final component, I gave my Studio classes a formal test on Michelangelo and the David. While one of my classes passed almost without fail, the other two classes had numerous failing scores; my third period class nearly all failed. Many of the students didn’t bother using the study guide I gave them which explicitly covered all of the answers to the test.
In both of these circumstances I had the support of my administrator and none of the parents protested once shown the resources and timetable the students had to work with. For that, I’m grateful. Unfortunately, this has capped off a difficult week or so for me but more on that later.
Feeling down
Ever since returning from Christmas break, I have found it increasingly difficult to motivate myself. Writing lesson plans, contemplating future assignments and grading papers have pushed me to a place I haven’t been for quite some time. It has become so oppressive at times that I have been struggling more recently with boredom while playing with my kids. I have to admit to feeling shame at this self-disclosure.
I know my spiritual responsibility before the Lord and I have been praying in earnest for the resolution of my depressive thoughts and feelings. I have gotten out a few of my books on cassette. Most notably, N is for Noose and C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton. They have always both entertained me and cheered me for their familiarity. My habit of re-reading (or, in this case, re-listening) to audio books, I have high hopes such “magic” will deliver me from my oppressive mood.
Chicago’s military academies raise education debate
I found the article, Chicago’s Military Academies Raise Education Debate, while on Digg and thought it extremely interesting since I presently work in an urban school and many I talk to in my own school as well as those in other urban districts think a military-like structure would be a beneficial.
Do I say this because I like to see African-American and Latino kids under stricter discipline than their Caucasian suburban counterparts? Actually, it has nothing to do with ethnicity at all. Frankly, I have been joking from last year that I think my school (and the surrounding district) should be taken over by the military. My school doesn’t deal with violence thankfully but disrespect and other discipline-related issues rank as number 1 on the list of why new teachers leave. Frankly, if a suburban school had the discipline issues my school struggles with then I’d recommend this type of solution-if you want to call it that-for those schools as well.
It makes me wonder why the discipline issues in urban schools are so different than (most) suburban schools. I know in my school we have a lot of professional development days dealing with culture and such things. Namely, the thought that whites don’t get black culture and don’t see how this divergence manifests itself in the classroom. I can appreciate that up to a point, of course. Yet, many black friends I speak with don’t get it either. They roll their eyes when I recount some of the things the professionals come in to speak with us about concerning urban culture and the differences of urban students in the classroom. Like I said, I can embrace their points somewhat but there remains a good chunk of their argument that I find untenable.
I’ll talk more about this, but I wonder if anyone else had anything to contribute to this discussion (about the issue, in general, and the article, in particular).
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