Vivianne 1 comment

Week 2 Leadership post: Where Do I Want To Share My Project:


This has been a challenge for me because from the list provided majority of conferences have passed and no longer accepting applications. I would really have loved to present at a conference where digital media designer and educators meet but I have not had much success in finding one.  From the list Dr. Bedard has provided for us I have found three conferences that I will register to present my Action Research project.
Conference 1: Georgia Educational Technology Conference
This conference focuses on merging education and the latest technologies. I can relate to the efforts that this conference is trying to showcase. In my Action Research project my efforts include an interactive syllabus along with the use a learning management systems so students can be motivated and engaged with visuals through technology. Some of the topics within this conference encourage my Action Research such as “Emerging Tech for Education” and “Technology and the Common Core”.

Conference 2: Virginia Society for Technology in Education
This conference grabbed my attention because the topics that they are interested in for presentations suits what I want to present. Some topics that are relevant to my project are “21st Century Teaching and Learning” and “Career and Technical Education”. The one concern that I have is that they are not accepting applications until August 15, 2012. It concerns me because I do not want to fall short with my deadlines for this course. 

Conference 3: Digital Media and Learning Conference
I would love the opportunity to present at this conference because there focus is to find and promote ways in which digital technology is changing the face of education. The ideas and concepts of this conference support what my Action Research entails. The only issue is that their conference has passed and they are not accepting applications at the moment. I am still including this conference as a choice because I would still like to apply for the opportunity to present in 2013.
Vivianne No comment yet

Week 2/ Response to Mavy

Mavy's post:

As I read this week’s chapter I was puzzled at early on as to how this book was going to be applied into our lives. I reread the chapter looking for the purpose of this book. This is what I got out of it.
I enjoyed reading Chapter 3 and 4 because it really touched home. As a child, I have always been taught to see the potential all human beings. I know everyone has the potential to achieve whatever they want. I am the type of teacher that when a student comes in, they are “A +” human being to me, with great potential, even if they are not showing it. Educators strive to guide them into believing they can achieve excellence.

The current educational system deviates greatly from the ideals many educators possess. Frankly, today’s learning environment strays away from encouraging learning; with that being said, it is funny (to which I mean sad) to see the system push students to compete with one another to the point where if don’t succeed, they are labeled a failure. For example, are students who cannot pass the FCAT in Florida to graduate failures? Considering grades, ability to handle high stakes testing, and overall character, the question deserves to be asked and scrutinized. Now the reading helped to better understand that when students go beyond the grade, and truly fulfill their true potential, they can amaze.

Another things I learned from chapter 4 was being a Contributor. I became a teacher not only  for what I can offer my students, but what I can gain as a learner as well. During my time teaching, I always strive to give my all for my students. I spent countless hours preparing and implementing my knowledge to my students; however, I have times when my students can contribute something new in thought or perspective about how they see art. I have afforded them freedom to contribute to the class and become an equal. I have learned that when we let students have a place where they can give more input then receive, they change their mindsets. I have revised lessons many times to improve the way I teach, as well as where students contribute, but one thing that does not change is that when I give my students the chance to feel like they are a contributor and share, all of them blossom. We work to improve each other and make a difference in lives are around us.


My response to Mavy's post:

Mavy, the reading was puzzling to me as well. As I continued to read further into the chapters I began to see somewhat of a clearer picture. You and I are seeing along the same line in regards to the book, ”Art of Possibility”. I love when you say, “Educators strive to guide them into believing they can achieve excellence.” In order for this statement to be valid, the educator must believe in himself or herself first before promoting this to their students. This may become difficult to achieve if we allow the measurements of life to dictate our vision.
This is what was exactly happening to me. The educational system at my school frustrated me very much to the point where I began to lose my vision on what my main goal was. For the past couple of days I was questioning myself; was I selling a dream to my students with all that has been happening at our school? Reading this book gave me some perspective of what is more important and a sneak peek of what the bigger picture is.  You said it best Mavy: we work to improve each other and make a difference in lives all around us.

Vivianne No comment yet

Week 2/ Response to Steve

Steve's post:
Sunset - UCSB by Vinay Shivakumar


Who Defines Your Vision of Beauty?

 As an undergraduate at the University of California, Santa Barbara, I decided to take a Botany course about the native plants of California.  My attraction to the course was that it included two extensive four-day road trips through the California Wilderness. On one of these trips, I was assigned to be part of our instructor's group.  Her name was Kelly, and she was a PhD post-doc doing botanical research at UCSB. 

During one of our long drives (each group drove in their own University owned utility vehicle) we started conversing about relationships. Professor Kelly asked one of our female group members if she had a boyfriend.  The girl said “No” and Kelly asked “Why not?”  The girl replied, “I guess I’m not pretty enough.”  At that point, Kelly slammed on the brakes and pulled over.  She turned around, looked the girl deeply into her eyes, and told her, “Never accept a definition of beauty that does not include your self.” These words have been stuck in my head for nearly 30 years now.

For me, this is exactly what “The Art of Possibility” by Roz and Ben Zander is all about.  In the first Chapter, the Zander’s write, “It’s all invented anyway, so we might as well invent a story or a framework of meaning that enhances our quality of life and the lives of those around us.” In other words, if reality is merely an invented construct of the mind, we are continuously defining our reality either sub-consciously and/or consciously. We are much better off if we acknowledge this fact and begin a conscious effort to re-invent our own story in a way that promotes our own well-being, and thereby, each other’s well-being as well.  Take control, become aware, invent your own story, and define your own vision of beauty.



My response to Steve's post:

Steve, while reading your post in regards to the book” Art of Possibilities”, I couldn’t help but feel as if you were reading pages of my life. I can relate to the young girl that felt she was not pretty enough to be in a relationship. As much as Alf yells at me about this, I tend to feel the same but I am working on changing this negative attitude. The statement Kelly made had an impact on me, and I will take it with me so it can help me with my journey.

I was beginning to lose my focus on my goals this past month due to all the issues occurring at work. I was really questioning if what we are doing here will even make a difference because of the politics that surround the world of education? But that way of thinking is beginning to change due to what I was exposed to with this book. YES! We do have to control and be aware of it.

Your explanation of Zander’s idea of “its all invented” was simple and straight forward which was a help for me in further understanding the concepts behind his words. At first I was a bit lost with the reading but then as I read more it began to make sense. People will see what they want to see regardless of your message. So why not define it to your liking, even if it does not follow the measurements of life; hence defining your own vision?

Vivianne 1 comment

Week 2/ Art of Possibility


The message in this book could not have crossed my path at a better time then, right NOW. I have been dealing and coping with some drastic changes at my place of work and not for the better. The politics of education has been affecting me, giving me a heavy heart. I was beginning to question my place in the world of education and if my passion has any worth where change can actually take place.

“Art of Possibility” reminded me that I am the director of this movie called, my life, and I have to believe that regardless how much the measurements of life challenge me, I must carry on and “enlarge the box, or create another frame around the date, and problems will vanish, while new opportunities appear.” Thinking, living, and being outside the box is what I took away from Chapter 1. I have to take my issues and refocus on how to go around it and not let the box get smaller with my problems, stress, and worries.

I related most with Chapter 3 because it described what I am going through as an educator. I have to chip away the “Michelangelo” stone in order to reveal my true self and begin to express “Vivianne” again. I must start with me so I can give my students the opportunity to do the same. In Giselle Hillyer letter to Mr. Zander, she wrote, “…trying and achieving are the same thing when you are your own master – and I am.” This statement was strong and powerful to me;  it reminded me of who I was once and who I need to be today. My thought process of dealing with life has been enlightened and my efforts will change. A positive mind can do it all.

  “Art of Possibility” is my self-help book to being a free soul again within education. I look forward to reading more.
Vivianne 2 comments

Week 1/Leadership Project Post: To Publish or To Present


So the question is, should I present or should I publish?  As a trained graphic designer my heart and soul is gearing towards presenting instead of publishing. This is an opportunity to present my AR project with colors, images, and design. I can display my passion for change in education and art.
Do not get me wrong, the world of publishing does interest me but I am not as confident as I would like to be with my writing.  I will acknowledge that my writing has improved since Month 1 but I believe that with more time it will get even better. I will stay within my comfort zone of creativity with visuals and choose to present. This does not mean that I will never publish, it only means that I am giving myself a little bit of more time to step into the world of publishing. My journey in improving education and myself will never be over!
Vivianne 1 comment

Week 1/Response to Alf

Alf's post:

I enjoy reading about intellectual property law while other artists shy away from it. By studying such a complicated subject, I would be learning to protect my own bases, bases that are often infringed upon in the art world. Furthermore, I want to know how far I can push the envelope on my creativity, where I can claim something as my own without getting sued.

Did I ever mention that I copyrighted my first piece of artwork last year? The process of obtaining a copyright is inexpensive ($35) and can be done through digital correspondence. This insures that if I ever want to pursue this particular design idea on a larger public scale, I can take the proper measures to exercise my rights as a copyright holder when my design is used inappropriately and without permission.

Trademarks are a little more expensive, may require help from a lawyer to expedite the application, and is a longer process to complete. I’ll soon be traveling this route when I’m ready to get the proper protection for character creations/very identifiable marks (i.e., Mickey Mouse). When a case of trademark infringement arises, I will be ready to initiate the necessary legal proceedings to prevent the unauthorized use of my marks/characters.

Of course if I am feeling much more generous, Creative Commons licenses allow me to share my works of art between the blurry lines of “All Rights Reserved” and “Fair Use”. This allows for others to exercise their own creativity while staying in the confines of a particular Creative Commons licensing agreement–they can do whatever they want to my artwork as long as they follow the guidelines that I specified on how it is to be used.

There are plenty of stories concerning copyrights and trademarks and where infringement occurred. Each situation may set a precedent for future similar cases. However, because intellectual property law is always a moving target with the growth of the Internet and the flourishing of new technologies, it’s only proper to judge on a case-by-case basis whilst using previous case examples as stepping stones to justify the proper verdict.


My response to Alf's post:

I found your thoughts on Copyright and Fair Use including your take on Creative Commons intriguing. Your simplified explanation was beneficial. I also liked the way you stated your feelings on Creative Commons: the idea of allowing the world to use your work on your terms. This was a very thought-provoking approach on explaining the organization.

Your further elaboration on copyright laws and Fair use was useful since I admit I was one of those that shy away due to lack of understanding of these laws. I know many artists who feel the same way but videos like these can simplify and help further understand. Brad Templeton’s 10 myths about copyright was also effective and a good resource for my students.

Being that we both are part of the graphics world, your experience with copyrighting your own work can assist and guide me in doing the same. I would like to pick your brain on trademarking as well, being that I would like to take this step as well sometime in the future. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience within the realm of copyrighting and trademarking.
Vivianne No comment yet

Week 1/Response to Mavy


Mavy said: 
Copyright laws have always been a mystery to me since I started creating media assets and I’ve always imagined that only a lawyer could understand that world. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to understand what is a copyright, how to use it, what is fair share and what is creative commons. With each video, I understood the importance of getting the owner of copyright items to participate in the future changes on how other people can use their material. For example, I think that the creative commons is a useful way to protect content on the web and let other individuals know how they can use the copyright material.
Also, the explanation on how to use copyright material using the fair use rules or checklist helped me a lot since as an Art Teacher I have to use artwork from individuals that are still alive to help me teach my students. Now I know how to use content, the amount of time, and that it will not affect the material in the market place. This list is great and having a guideline will mold how a person can use content creatively within legal limits.
There are still a lot of changes that need to take place to create a more unified system of using materials that others have created, but that will take the effort of many people to create something that will work. For now I believe that we just need videos like the ones I saw to learn what the rules are, and support programs like creative commons to elevate creative minds.

Resource pages created by Joseph Bustillos:

Copyright Issues Part 1

Copyright Issues Part 2

Copyright Issues Part 3

 

My response to Mavy's post:


Mavy, I can relate to your feelings towards the world of copyright having the notion of being an intimidating arena that only experts can decipher. For this reason, I believe that many people don’t make an effort to fully understand the ideas behind these laws. However, the videos we watched assisted in analyzing and simplifying the content and details of this law.

With the Internet being so free with information the need to control and police its’ content has required copyright laws to be more forceful. Organizations such as Creative Commons can help the common population understand and apply these laws to their own creative work, especially in the Art World. I will be introducing Creative Commons to my students during my presentation of Copyright laws and Fair Use so they can begin to comprehend the importance on practicing this law. The explanation of Fair Use in the videos was very helpful for me as well, being that we are on the same boat in regards to presenting art during teaching. 
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