I had mixed feelings about the Motivations blog post. It was so interesting the way it was all set up, I loved all the visuals Tony used, and his points were inspirational. Yet, the number of visuals he had seemed a bit overbearing at some points and slightly distracting. It was still easy to comprehend and like I said, I really enjoyed what he was talking about. You don't see such innovative blog posts like this, its definitely nothing I've ever seen before. It made me think about something that was the subject of discussion in my home the other day.
My sister had to write a paper about how not many children retain information from school, and this blog post brought that to my mind. The conversation was basically about how students don't always take in all the information they are taught in a structured classroom and I strongly believe that is because of such small amounts of motivation students give themselves. Even though some subjects may be of no interest to most kids, they still need to find ways and reasons to motivate themselves. And they're not going to find any reasons if they are not in an environment that gives them inspiration. One thing Tony put in his post that I really loved was,
"Kids Don't learn:
-From people they don't like
-More when we test them
-From teachers who don't give them CHOICES or VOICES.
That last point really stuck with me because if there is anything I've seen so many times, it is this. I had so many teachers over the years who saw us all as kids, what we had to say didn't really matter, all that matters is that they tell us what they are required to tell us. It's sad but some teachers don't stick around to see if we understand what is being taught, or to answer our questions. We have voices that deserve to be heard, and Tony really touched on this. That is why I loved this post.
I was really fond of the style of this blog, it makes me think of new innovative ways that I could make blogs and other things in the future. Isn't that what he wanted his post to do? Even by writing a post on motivation in an interesting way, it has inspired me to think of things in a new light. So I think that Tony really succeeded with this post because it made me want to better myself through my skills. I am happy to say I'm officially motivated.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Motivation by Tony Gurr
Due to the fact that I don't blog very much, I'm very accustomed to the blogging style that our class and group blogs use. I'm fixed on the image that blogs are usually "text" posts with a occasional picture or two. When I first visited Tony's blog, I was really confused and surprised about his blogging style. Even though it was confusing at first, I realized that his blogging style was very interesting and unique.
Although I usually think using pictures are a good way to draw peoples attention to a message, at the same time it can sway the original message intended. But in Tony's case its a bit different. The images he choose to use for his posts relate to his original message and captured 'my' attention at the same time. At first I had to read his post a couple times in order to get accustomed to his style. After getting used to his style of blogging I started to understand more of his messages intended in the post. From what I have understood from his motivational post I believe his main ideas where that students learn best from the people they like and respect, from a variety of sources and environments, and if the teachers respect the students; treating students more as "friends" than strangers. I personally agree with all the points he's made. I find if I like and respect a teacher I would do much more better in that class than if I dislike the teacher.
One of Tony's pictures used:
I find this post relatable to me because I believe if a teacher works in smaller group on a daily basis I can expand my potential more than working in a larger group. Also I believe active student learning is much more effective than if you were to read about it. In my opinion, actually doing an activity helps me learn and keep my knowledge of that subject for a longer period of time, more than if I were to just read about it in a text (e.g read than forget process).
I find Tony's blog to be very unique and different than all the other blogs I have seen so far. I am also very impressed of the fact that Tony makes all his graphics on his own. I can't even imagine how much time and effort he has put into his blog! As mentioned above all the images he's chosen to use for each of his messages were relatable to his posts and myself also. I enjoyed Tony's motivational post a lot and it somewhat motivates me to attempt to put much more visual into my posts.
Although I usually think using pictures are a good way to draw peoples attention to a message, at the same time it can sway the original message intended. But in Tony's case its a bit different. The images he choose to use for his posts relate to his original message and captured 'my' attention at the same time. At first I had to read his post a couple times in order to get accustomed to his style. After getting used to his style of blogging I started to understand more of his messages intended in the post. From what I have understood from his motivational post I believe his main ideas where that students learn best from the people they like and respect, from a variety of sources and environments, and if the teachers respect the students; treating students more as "friends" than strangers. I personally agree with all the points he's made. I find if I like and respect a teacher I would do much more better in that class than if I dislike the teacher.
One of Tony's pictures used:
I find this post relatable to me because I believe if a teacher works in smaller group on a daily basis I can expand my potential more than working in a larger group. Also I believe active student learning is much more effective than if you were to read about it. In my opinion, actually doing an activity helps me learn and keep my knowledge of that subject for a longer period of time, more than if I were to just read about it in a text (e.g read than forget process).
I find Tony's blog to be very unique and different than all the other blogs I have seen so far. I am also very impressed of the fact that Tony makes all his graphics on his own. I can't even imagine how much time and effort he has put into his blog! As mentioned above all the images he's chosen to use for each of his messages were relatable to his posts and myself also. I enjoyed Tony's motivational post a lot and it somewhat motivates me to attempt to put much more visual into my posts.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Motivation by Tony Gurr
I was initially skeptical about Tony Gurr's unique blog post. I have grown accustomed to the "traditional" style of blogging that most of my classmates use: mostly text, with the occasional link or picture thrown in. However, this blog post on Motivation was extremely interesting, and captured my attention right away!
Normally, I find that too many graphics/images in a blog post comes across as crowded, messy, and actually ends up distracting the reader from the original message. This was not the case with Tony Gurr's post, though! It took a while, but after reading the post over multiple times, I felt like I had a good understanding of what he was trying to say, and the points he was trying to make. Basically, his main ideas were that kids generally learn best from people they like and respect, and they also tend to thrive in an environment where they get to learn from a variety of sources and styles. I wholeheartedly agree with these points; Personally, I find myself genuinely wanting to do well in school, not only due to self motivation, but also because I respect certain teachers. Also, I dislike doing repetitive types of schoolwork (e.g. copying notes from the board), and prefer a less rigid and more varied style of teaching. I find that I am more motivated to study harder in those types of classrooms!
Tony Gurr also mentions (via picture) that "Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are that it will burn very briefly." This, too, is something I can relate to very well. An example would be the Genius Hour Passion projects our class is doing right now. I find these projects to be a lot more engaging and intriguing when we get to create our own criteria and choose our own topics, as opposed to having the project outlined and pre-planned for us. We are motivating ourselves and keeping ourselves on track because we enjoy doing the projects, not because we have to!
I was very impressed about the fact that Tony took the time to design and create ALL of his graphics! Each of the images relate well to the message and theme of Motivation, and all of them show considerable thought and effort given into making each one. They are all very effective visuals to the point where the text seems to be supporting the pictures, instead of the other way around! I really enjoyed this blog post and feel, well, motivated, to make my own blog posts more interesting and engaging in the future!
I was very impressed about the fact that Tony took the time to design and create ALL of his graphics! Each of the images relate well to the message and theme of Motivation, and all of them show considerable thought and effort given into making each one. They are all very effective visuals to the point where the text seems to be supporting the pictures, instead of the other way around! I really enjoyed this blog post and feel, well, motivated, to make my own blog posts more interesting and engaging in the future!
Friday, June 14, 2013
Tony Gurr on Motivation
Tony Gurr is an educator from Turkey who creates unique blog posts using a wide variety of graphics, questions, and outside references. For a better idea, take a look at one of his latest posts on Motivation.
When I first read this post, I found Gurr's form of blogging quite interesting and different, however more often than not, I was a bit confused with all of the ideas thrown at me. On the other hand, after reading the post a few times over, I understood the main concept and realized that this new and ingenious way of blogging was actually quite engaging and effective. Adding graphics enhances the reader's understanding of the topic because they can make connections and they also will have a visual aid to refer back to. This way, they will be more likely to remember the facts of this post! Furthermore, the outside references add humor to the article and keep the audience eager to read on.
On a different note, Tony's actual message is very reasonable and has exceptional evidence to prove his point. Basically, two of the main ideas from this blog post were:
a) You are your biggest motivator
b) Students learn more from people they like (classroom management)
The first part of the article talks about how motivation is key to learning, but a teacher cannot just bribe their students to learn. Educators have to engage their students using practical examples and hands-on experiences. I couldn't agree with this statement anymore. To elaborate, for the past few years, all I have learned is plain facts from textbooks. However, next year I plan on taking a program that will enhance my learning by introducing me to many hands-on learning experiences. I will get to try out things for myself, instead of memorizing facts and numbers. We go to school to gain skills and experience necessary for the real world. On the contrary, they are of no use to us if we don't know how to apply them! Therefore, motivation through engagement and use of practical examples is key to students' success.
The second half of Gurr's post discusses how educators can be more effective in helping the students become successful in learning. As he says, "Kid's don't learn from people they don't like!". I agree with this idea, and it has proven to be correct in many of my personal experiences. For instance, I tend to remember information from teachers who present it in an effective matter, and who actually take the time to teach it to us. Gurr ties this back to how effective teaching can motivate students to succeed in their learning.
In closing, Gurr had some very valid points in his blog post, and it was presented in a effective manner. In reality, this blog post was a perfect example of his main concept- teaching should be interesting in order to keep the students engaged. His article was indeed very interesting, and it kept my attention until the very end. Overall, I agree with Tony Gurr's post and it helped me reflect on teaching methods at our own school.
When I first read this post, I found Gurr's form of blogging quite interesting and different, however more often than not, I was a bit confused with all of the ideas thrown at me. On the other hand, after reading the post a few times over, I understood the main concept and realized that this new and ingenious way of blogging was actually quite engaging and effective. Adding graphics enhances the reader's understanding of the topic because they can make connections and they also will have a visual aid to refer back to. This way, they will be more likely to remember the facts of this post! Furthermore, the outside references add humor to the article and keep the audience eager to read on.
On a different note, Tony's actual message is very reasonable and has exceptional evidence to prove his point. Basically, two of the main ideas from this blog post were:
a) You are your biggest motivator
b) Students learn more from people they like (classroom management)
The first part of the article talks about how motivation is key to learning, but a teacher cannot just bribe their students to learn. Educators have to engage their students using practical examples and hands-on experiences. I couldn't agree with this statement anymore. To elaborate, for the past few years, all I have learned is plain facts from textbooks. However, next year I plan on taking a program that will enhance my learning by introducing me to many hands-on learning experiences. I will get to try out things for myself, instead of memorizing facts and numbers. We go to school to gain skills and experience necessary for the real world. On the contrary, they are of no use to us if we don't know how to apply them! Therefore, motivation through engagement and use of practical examples is key to students' success.
The second half of Gurr's post discusses how educators can be more effective in helping the students become successful in learning. As he says, "Kid's don't learn from people they don't like!". I agree with this idea, and it has proven to be correct in many of my personal experiences. For instance, I tend to remember information from teachers who present it in an effective matter, and who actually take the time to teach it to us. Gurr ties this back to how effective teaching can motivate students to succeed in their learning.
In closing, Gurr had some very valid points in his blog post, and it was presented in a effective manner. In reality, this blog post was a perfect example of his main concept- teaching should be interesting in order to keep the students engaged. His article was indeed very interesting, and it kept my attention until the very end. Overall, I agree with Tony Gurr's post and it helped me reflect on teaching methods at our own school.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
I Am an Artist.
I am twisted.
Tied in a knot. My whole life, I have been this knot, the
same form and base throughout, but this knot has changed, evolved over the
years, into something more…twisted.
The edges frayed, the loops strayed and everything is
because I’ve changed. I’ve become my own twisted piece of string because that
is so much better than a perfect pink bow.
I am not the one I’m supposed to be I am not the one I’m
told to be because I am an artist.
An artist that can see more than the brightness in the world.
More than the art behind some thick velvet rope. An artist that can see that a
heart in a hand on the side of a building downtown or three stars inked upon
your wrist, is just as beautiful as anything sitting behind that retched red
rope at the Louvre.
The sick and twisted side of life I see not as something
that desperately needs to be corrected with a little light and some fake smiles…but
as art. Painting, sketch, graffiti, tattoo,
Whether its and owl, feather, crown, or simply just your
love for being loud…it is art.
As written so simply “Life is Beautiful”, it doesn’t matter
if its on a rough brick wall or a rough canvas. It is not to be compared.
True art does not discriminate because of where you are or
where you came from, who you are or what you were. Because art isn’t some test
of humanity. You don’t need it to be brilliant.
Art is art. Simple. Complicated. Clean cut. Sick and
twisted. The good the bad and the ugly of our world, our universe is a work of
art. Our lives are a work of art.
I am an artist simply because of the air in my lungs and the
same goes for the other seven billion creatures who occupy this space.
We express ourselves.
Because freedom of expression is the most beautiful thing.
It is the reason for living; it is the reason for breathing.
I am an artist because I am different from you. Because I have
lived.
Because life is art and art is beautiful. It doesn’t matter
who you are, where you’ve been, what you’ve done. You are an artist.
Because art is art like love is love, you don’t ask why, its
just because.
You are your own works of art. Not to be compared. Not to be
contrasted. Not to be psychoanalyzed.
The mistakes, the accomplishments, the happiness, pain, fear,
realism, metaphor.
Singing in the shower, screaming into your pillow, dancing
like nobody’s watching, running away, being held until you stop crying. Walking
across the stage as they call your name.
Shake hands, big smile as the cameras flash, walk away sit
down among the rest.
Blend in.
Stand out.
You are you, I am me, he is he, and she is she. We are
everything we are supposed to be.
Like someone wise once said, I can’t change even if I tried
even if I wanted to.
Because I am the one I’m supposed to be, I am the one I told
me to be. Because I am an artist.
I am a knot. Different from your knot because I am one of
one not one of two and I refuse to be compared to you. Because I am my own. I am
me.
I am an artist. My life is art. And my life is beautiful.
This is my poetry that moves. I wrote this myself and performed it in class.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Poetry that Moves
Hey everyone!
Brianna's Moving Poetry Video
Here is the link to my moving poetry video! At some points, the audio is a little off, or things may seem kind of rusty. The video I had been working on got deleted, so I had to start all over again! Therefore, the video will not be 100%, but I did what I could. Also, I filmed with my phone, so if you can see my reflection in the laptop screen, just ignore it. Other than that, I hope you enjoy! :)
Brianna's Moving Poetry Video
Here is the link to my moving poetry video! At some points, the audio is a little off, or things may seem kind of rusty. The video I had been working on got deleted, so I had to start all over again! Therefore, the video will not be 100%, but I did what I could. Also, I filmed with my phone, so if you can see my reflection in the laptop screen, just ignore it. Other than that, I hope you enjoy! :)
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Poetry That Moves- Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey
I did my "Moving Poetry" assignment using the song "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey. This song is from the "The Great Gatsby" soundtrack. The theme of the song is everlasting unconditional love. I chose this song because it uses a lot of figurative language, such as similes, repetition, and symbolism. As well, the theme was interesting and expressed quite a lot of emotion- that's what poetry is all about! I filmed my video on a whiteboard, drawing/writing out each line. Then, I edited the video on Windows Live Movie Maker, a skill I learned during my first Genius Hour Project. It was quite hard to keep my drawings in sync with the music, but I managed to complete it. Enjoy!
Click Here to watch "Poetry That Moves: Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey"
Click Here to watch "Poetry That Moves: Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey"
Moving poetry
The poem is The dream called life by Edward Fitzgerald. I used power point to animate my poetry. The power point may look a bit "weird" and some things may not work because I uploaded this onto Google drive instead of directly attaching the power point.
Hope you enjoy!
Power Point
Hope you enjoy!
Power Point
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Moving Poetry
The song I have chosen is called "Back To Black", covered by Beyonce ft. Andre 3000 from the The Great Gatsby soundtrack. This song's theme focuses on drug addictions and returning to depression. I used PowerPoint to animate the video, but I unfortunately had to use Bandicam's free trial gaming recorder to "film" the presentation and convert it to a video that could be uploaded on Blogspot. Hope you enjoy!
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