Jan 17th
This week we started class by looking at some housekeeping specifically to do with WordPress. For me, it was much needed as I have been, until now, unsuccessful in creating my account. It was especially useful to see the potential WordPress can have, especially with the template provided. It is such a clean space that is very customizable and lends very well for a portfolio.
Reflecting on the Most Likely to Succeed movie, I was left with a couple interesting thoughts. I was struck by how passionate students can get about projects when there are tangible results top it, and people who are coming to see the product. That one boy was a poignant example, and maybe one that showed how passion and pressure should be managed as the student was quite distressed. It made me think about what I would have liked to engage with as an inquiry project when I was in school; it would have fluctuated. Whilst I think it is important to have as much space as possible for inquiry and passion projects, I do think a balance is key. Ideally, we can find unique and engaging ways to integrate student interest into the content areas of the curriculum we must teach, but if that is not possible, we still need to have one eye on the world we are sending students into and what they must know to get into universities, job opportunities and so forth. As we talked about in class, there is not necessarily a correlation between success in school and success in employment opportunities. However, it is a reality that things like good grades help people get their foot in the door, and after that, intentions and personality can get them further.
Prior to this class, I was under the impression that open resources were just the bland, watermarked stock images like from sites like Getty Images and the like. I was not aware of many of the statutes that allow people to access archival resources from 75+ years old or even the wealth of work that is included in the closed commons. I find myself gravitating most towards the older photos, but being able to use pictures and original art that people have given us all access to is such an exciting prospect. It is wonderful that all these resources can be compiled into useable sites. I feel as though it is an awkward thing to put into words really, so I have decided to pick a photo that I think could be useful for me in my teaching practice. I see open resources as something I will lean on heavily in my teaching practice.
From: Sport in Art – William Baillie-Grohman, 1913.
There were so many pictures that struck me on the Public Domain Image Archive. This one in particular made me think of the possibilities access to historical photos can have at many grade levels. For example, if your students are doing a unit on WWII history, they can look at the open source images under that category and engage with primary source materials, practicing critical thinking.