At this moment, I am sitting on a park bench under a canape in The Laurentians of Quebec. The birds are chirping, it’s partly cloudy and there’s a cool breeze cutting through the warm 26 degree temperature that envelopes the picturesque hills and country homes cascading throughout this region. How delightful. How refreshing. How …confusing.

OK so, today I’m more educated than I was two years ago, I’m excited by my accomplishments and anxious for the next big project to come. What’s confusing is the sudden halt of project-specific thoughts and ideas that have consumed my mind for the last two years. Ahhh… but now isn’t that the condition that pulls graduates back into the education system? “Now go do your PhD!” friends say, to which I say “Are you nuts?!” I’ll tell ya though, if it were not for the debt I’d be doing a Phd in a flash simply to benefit from the structure, support and fruitful networks that inspire creation.

I’m going to emphasize support here. Out in the big world we need support systems, and the initial contrast between being in school and the day of completion makes this need very evident. We need to have a network where our ideas can be shared, disputed and tested; but now, doesn’t this sound like a summary of my thesis/blog as a whole? We need to have people in our lives that encourage us and provide constructive criticism along the way.

The developments that arise in my world of education and documentary media will shape the next phase of this blog. For now, I’d like to share with you segments of my thesis text beginning with the abstract. If you wish to obtain a copy and/or dialogue about the project, I’d love to hear from you.

Abstract

Wired to Learn (WTL) is a documentary-media project composed of a site-specific art-installation and a blog that aims to harness the opinions and experiences of learners and educators from select public, private, and alternative high schools in Montreal (Quebec) and Toronto (Ontario). The blog follows the trajectory of my research on the subject of high school education, along with the development of the site-specific art-installation. The two documentary-media environments were produced with the objective of sharing content and engaging with audiences in alternative ways. While the blog offers greater potential for sustaining outreach and discussion, the art-installation creates an opportunity for intimate dialogue and artistic expression, and stimulates an encounter between art practice and secondary education. Each medium addresses a distinctively different form of audience engagement. WTL explores what documentary making can become in the twenty-first century, a century that has already seen significant changes in participatory, documentary media practices. WTL is an experimental transmedia documentary that deploys social media, podcasting, and site-specific installation, and embodies a narrative that evolved at the intersection of auto-ethnography, visual-art, media arts, experience design, participatory processes, and social media

 

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Front page image: Autumn in The Laurentians source

The Interviews

So many interviews had an impact on me. They all did in fact. Some however, resonated with the audience in ways that I was not expecting such as the one with my ex history teacher, Ms Lanthier, and I. Constructive criticism from two audience members following the screening revealed that the scene was counter-productive to my argument and should be cut. The project’s argument, they felt, was that educational environments should be more learner-centered; revealing my willingness to absorb blame for my educational struggles then, presented a conflicting message. My response to them was threefold: first, being faced with my high school teacher again led to a degree of regressed behaviour whereby I may have become too insecure to assert my authentic needs; second, previous to this moment, this teacher, now in her eighties, shared with me how much she had loved her career and had hoped that her efforts left a positive impact on her students. She taught in a manner that she felt was professional. I was, therefore, concerned that my answer to her question might seem like a criticism of her rather than a critique of the system of education as a whole–which was the point I was trying to make; and lastly, our face-to-face interaction was the very scenario that I would eventually mold in the editing process with other subject to produce a simulated conversation between learners and educators. As a result, it seemed like a distinct necessity to contribute such an authentic and revealing experience to the mix of voices projected:

• Ms Lanthier and I, 2010

Ms Lanthier and I, 2010

It was a genuine delight to see the positive impact that an educator can have on a learner, and how that impact can resonate with subsequent generations. Andre had a huge impact on Melissa and her interest in pursuing physics and math in her anticipated career path. Andre had the same experience with his own physics teacher which led to his professional pursuits as an engineer and physics teacher.

• Andre and Michelle, 2010

Andre and Michelle

The CICO advisory group

Despite the inappropriateness of the installation environment, this experience significantly informed critical details for the thesis project, including the visual presentation of the media and, most importantly, that the audience for this project is first and foremost teachers. While my effort is to bridge communication between learners and educators, neither the media content nor my method of dissemination was of equal interest to both parties.

Full story of the process HERE

Social Media

One of the most important realizations that I have had since my engagement with social media for WTL, has been the insight I have gained about the contemporary high school educator. I have discovered a vast network of educators through Twitter and the blogosphere who are dedicated to creating a stimulating atmosphere and innovative projects in their classroom. This pivotal discovery altered my initial point of view, which was that education and educators in general are lacking in creative and empathetic teaching methods. It seems that these passionate educators were probably much more isolated prior to social media but, now, in these spaces, they are building communities of practices where they can share their experiences and ideas and learn from their peers. As a result, my initial concerned about portraying my final project in a negative light, given my original point of departure, has since dissipated.

A Site-Specific Art-Installation

The WTL site-specific art-installation at Inglenook Community High School, however, brought the blog’s narrative to life by inviting the audience to the (symbolic) site of inquiry. Here, unlike the blog, the immediacy and detailed dialogue in this space of actuality was an experience unmatched by the virtual dialogue I acquired. Within a four-hour exhibit period over two days, I was immersed in discussions ranging from the personal to the technical including constructive criticisms of the installation design.

Was my experience an isolated incident? (See the About section)

No.

Learners from the public, private and alternative sectors that participated in this inquiry shared common opinions: a successful learning experience depended largely on a creative, empathic and passionate educator who presents course material in a challenging way and correlates the material with real-world experiences; group dialogue also figured significantly in the appeal of a course; and, the liberty to express themselves aesthetically and verbally without negative consequence was a condition that for many also had a distinctive impact.

Future documentation

Much thought has arisen regarding how media on the topic of education can evolve. Where I was once consumed with a cynical belief that public education was impenetrable to change, I have since discovered that new, creative methodologies are emerging. These are the stories that need to be shared. While there has been a wealth of value in learning where flaws and successes lie for educators and learners, a focus on new solutions to an old system will hopefully motivate further conversation and actions in the direction of positive and transformative change.

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Front page image “A Well Worn Masonic Gavel” BY

It was great to see the project manifest as it did. To track how it came to be would require reading this blog from start to finish but if you haven’t, here’s the short of it: the first iteration of the project was envisioned in a gallery space with an alternative and traditional school setting to navigate through. This was followed by the media in a site-specific, traditional school setting with short podcasts on each desk and one film projected at the front of the class, on the blackboard.

And here is what the final manifestation looked like:

Entrance at far right

At the computer & taking the math test

The set-up:

• 2 (Epson short-throw) wide screen projections on the class blackboards (projected via laptop and Edirol speakers)
• 3 class computers with this WTL website (including 3 headphone sets)
• 7th grade math tests and blank note books on most of the desks (with pencils and erasers)

This being my first art-installation, I was curious to know how the audience “read” the space. What did they feel they could touch, where would they position themselves in the room, how long would they spend in the space, and so forth. The assessment seemed to be as follows:

• Watching the large format films was the first reflex and attraction.
• Roughly a 50-50 split between those who stood and those who sat at a desk to watch the films.
• Roughly 70% expressed a fear from seeing the math test and avoided it (did I mention it was a grade 7 test?)
• Roughly 25% diligently took the test and did quite well, if not perfect.
• Roughly 5% thought that whatever was on the desk belonged the “real” class students and shouldn’t be touched.

I remained outside the classroom the whole time greeting friends, family and colleagues with an audio recorder in hand should a spontaneous interview moments present itself. I was aching for constructive criticisms and, on the whole, these were some of the common remarks:

• The installation fit seamlessly into the classroom; the space did not seem to be altered to accommodate the art–giving the experience a sense of authenticity.
• There was a nostalgic experience felt from being “back in high school” again, which greatly complimented the media work.
• The space and media conjured up reflections of the audiences own educational experience which, in turn, spurred conversation.
• There was a strong appeal for the aesthetic of the videos projected on the blackboard (and which created a “glowing” effect).

As an aside, a couple of people with young children determined after being in the school that they wanted to send their kids there when they were older (for more about Inglenook, read this post and note the Inglenook photos within the Flickr widget to the right of the screen)

As for the audio recorder I had in hand, it was a good idea but I  was pretty distracted by the flow of familiar faces to be able to turn the space into a radio show as well! Perhaps this was a leftover ambition I resisted dismissing following my critique day with the Profs a couple of weeks ago. Well… for the record, I’m glad I kept it with me. All it takes is a passionate appeal from one or two participants to make it worth while.

First up, Ms H. who recently retired from the public sector education world. In just over 6min, she whips off her views of what education is (hint:mind control) vs what it should be, how rote learning is not such a bad thing, how Canadian history class is a bust… and a lot more! You’ll notice she makes reference to Rick Salutin’s 5-part series on education in the Toronto Star.

Ms H_what is education

Next, Brianna, who, as a recent Inglenook grad, expresses the qualities of the school that drew her in:

Brianna on Inglenook High

The most distinctive problem that I noticed, about the installation, was the lack of attraction people had to the computer stations. When I asked some of them if they had been to the station they responded that they hadn’t noticed them or didn’t think that they were part of the installation. Perhaps the “seamlessness” of the space worked against some of the intentions I had as this happened with the tests and notebooks on occasion too.

There was so much learned from this experience and much to reflect on from this point forward. The relationship of the space with the audience, how the site-specificity related to the narrative of the project, how the media within a given space compliments and conflicts with one another… the list goes on. It was a bit of a leap to go down this installation road, but I’m extremely happy I did. I’ve learned a new media language, I’ve learned a new mode of participatory engagement, I’ve learned, I’ve learned, I’ve learned…

Thanks for dropping in on the Wired To Learn installation!

Please take a moment to add a comment below regarding any of the following questions:

• How did the media/interviews presented in this exhibit resonate with you?
• How do you feel education should be conducted in the 21st century?
• What was/is your educational experience in high school (i.e. Did/Do you like school? Did/Do you have a mentor?…)

All questions and comments are welcome.

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I had the pleasure of having three talented Prof’s from Ryerson U. (Kathleen, Vid and Alexandra), share their insight about how my installation might translate to an audience this past Wednesday. Aside from aesthetic recommendations, one of the most poignant remarks was:

• Less is more. Don’t over do it with media and activities for the audience. This will simply divert their attention, confuse and bombard them with material that deviates from the purpose of the installation.

When I set my sights on the classroom/installation-site for the first time, a flood of ideas came to mind. Here was a space ripe with possibilities to impose my “artistic” metaphors about education. So much so, that I was becoming obsessed with ideas and gradually convinced that my artistic impositions would add more possibilities for audience discussion and participation; it would, in short, be more entertaining. Coming from a film-making and photography background, I have much to learn about the psychology and practice of art-installations. Producing media that is not infused with an obvious narrative is new to me. An art-installation can offer so much liberty of  interpretation to an audience, perhaps more than most other forms of art… providing the artist relinquishes control over the medium. Ouch.

I came across a passage in Participation: Documents of Contemporary Art (2006) that got me thinking about the role of the audience and language of art. Editor Claire Bishop distinguishes between the active and passive audience member:

[Artists may have a] desire to create an active subject, one who will be empowered by the experience of physical or symbolic participation…The gesture of ceding some or all authoritarian control is conventionally regarded as more egalitarian and democratic than the creation of a work by a single artist, while shared production is also seen to entail the aesthetic benefits of greater risk and unpredictability… Collaborative creativity is therefore understood both to emerge from and to produce, a more positive and non-hierarchical social model. (12)

Wired To Learn is definitely a point-of-view piece which invites participation by inviting the audience to weigh in on their opinions of education via an on-site interview with me, or via the comments sections of this website. I’d say, the pull I’m feeling is coming from the desire to produce an entertaining, accessible and socially relevant experience that will produce a significant urge, by the audience, to engage with the project and the mystery of how this can be achieved in this format is intense!

This project will certainly evolve after this exhibit (as the Prof’s all pointed out), and especially once I’ve seen how the audience responds this time around. What I also need to shake is the feeling that this work is a competency test–which is a direct result of years in the educational system. How will the value of this art form be judged by the institution?

In photo school, the impact of the image, the feeling it conveys, and its technical efficiency were scrutinized. In film school, the requirements were comparable to photography but with narrative structure being particularly critical. I’ve always understood these requirements (as subjective as they can sometimes be), but an art-installation? I think I’m about to find out!

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Front page “Less is more” image by othree

I was at Inglenook yesterday to assess the space and determine media placement. So much potential. So much room to play.

Irene's Math & Science Class

It looks like I’ll have the following media material and extra space to work with:

• 3 computer stations (for video and audio interviews)
• 27″ TV
• 3 projectors for video content against the blackboard
• an overhead projector (possibly)
• 4 mp3 stations
• 2 iPad stations
• 3 projections outside the classroom
• 1 static video camera to record both days of the installation
• 1 web cam (for vox-pop moments)
• an old principals office for “on the fly” interviews/feedback from the audience

…should be dazzling.

The lucky teacher who gets to have me morph her class into a media outlet is Irene. A lovely woman who has been teaching math, science, knitting and a whole lot more over the last 20+ years. She’s a true, die-hard fan of the school who will be retiring soon. She told me that from the moment she began teaching at Inglenook she couldn’t imagine teaching anywhere else–and Irene wasn’t the first one to tell me this. I’m beginning to see that Inglenook is a home that offers education.

In a flash, once I showed her a sample of the media, she had opinions to share. The media was of a student who wished her courses offered more global perspectives, and real world experiences; the student also remarked on how her photographic memory was key to “acing” most of her classes. Irene wanted to weigh in on how “complicit” students tend to be when they initially show up at Inglenook. A little training magic, however, pulls many of the students out of their shell and has led to valuable opportunities. Keep in mind, Inglenook is an alternative school with six teachers that enrolls an average of 100 students in grade 11 and 12. Have a listen:

Irene

The festival that brings all of the graduation media together is DOC NOW.  Aside from putting the finishing touches (and then some) on our work, we’re in the throws of planning and promoting the execution of this exciting festival! The themes that fellow classmates are covering are fascinating. Some of the most intriguing projects are the ones that share personal stories. I have some very brave and insightful classmates that will be exposing light on some sensitive, beautiful and emotionally charged subjects.

I think I’m attached to documentary media-making for it’s unique depth of political, personal and existential human expression that seems limitless in it’s projected form. On that note, HERE is the Doc Now trailer that will knock your socks off, and a trailer of my own for a closer splash of what’s to come:

May 28-29 | Inglenook High | Toronto, ON

Learning is part of life’s trajectory, but how does our education system satisfy this innate need? Wired To Learn incorporates the voices of high school learners and educators who weigh in on this question, and provides a space for audience members to do the same, on-site.

How have you been marked by high school education?

The installation will be presented during the Doc Now 2011 media festival: docnow[dot]ca

Clown on the Side of the Ritz Theatre, is by: Chris Moncus

My experience at Villa was the impetus for wanting to understand how our educational system works today, how it has evolved over the years, and how it can improve. I should emphasize that Villa itself was not the problem as I likely would have struggled in another public school at the time. Instead, what lacked, was enough opportunity to exercise my natural talents in the arts and be taught subjects in a way that demonstrated their real/contemporary world implication.

Why did anything I was being forced to learn matter? “I’ll never use chemistry in my life” I’d think to myself… along with math, physics…. you get the picture. Quite frankly, these disciplines do come up in an “artsy” persons life… darn it. If only I could have learned math by say, building something! But alas, I digress.

Inglenook Community High School, in Toronto’s south-east end, is now the chosen space and it too makes a lot of sense as the site for the installation. I’ll leave it to my thesis text in progress to explain why:

…although I originally considered recreating a classroom setting in a gallery for the media installation, I quickly determined that it needed to take place in a space that directly relates to, and reflects, the issues that I have worked on. After all, this project is less about “art” and more about the process of sustaining a conversation about (primarily, high school) education through documentary media. Furthermore, the theme of this project concerns the educational environment, the physical space that envelops the learner and educator for years on end. The physical act then, of going “back” to school was therefore intended to stimulate a unique dialogue with the audience that otherwise could not be achieved virtually, nor in any other form of media dissemination. Walking into a high school and taking in the sights, smells and sounds of what so many of us have experienced in our lives [is] a significant part of the project thesis. Subsequently, upon arriving in a classroom that hosts the media where learners and educators can be heard and seen (via mp3 recordings and video projections), [is] intended to strike a core of intrigue and curiosity with the audience about the subject matter.

Inglenook was selected as the site for the installation due to the duality of its persona as both a century-plus old grey- stone building, and as a contemporary alternative high school. The building was constructed as a public school in 1887. Etched in stone above two separate entrances are “girls” and “boys”. For a project whose theme questions the old methods and environments of education, Inglenook’s exterior offered the perfect aesthetic. Upon walking in the building, something drastic appears. The walls are plastered with art: photographs, paintings, hanging sculptures. This is no longer a space of historic norms but rather one that emphasizes creativity. Wired To Learn found a home in Inglenook as the documentary media I have produced critiques and contemplates the values and conditions of education as it has been and its ideological origins.

Sounds like a good reason to me.

You?

I returned to CICO alternative school this week to seek out the opinions of the (fifteen or so) students and (three) teachers regarding some of the media I have for my installation. What did I experience from the process? A class that was profoundly bored. Wow. Soooo not my intention. I’m trying to comment on class boredom, not create it!! The situation may have been a unique one but it spoke volumes.

The scene:

I got there early to determine how I was going to place the media in the classroom. All the media consisted of interviews with teachers and students.

I was equipped with three iPhones and three iTouches, each with a short audio or video track of a teacher or student(s) speaking about their high school experiences. I also had two iPads set up side-by-side with interview footage focused on a specific theme. Lastly, I had two computers set up with a video, one on a table with earphones and the other projected onto a screen in the middle of the room with sound emanating from the computer speakers.

I decided to document this process by way of audio recording, photographs (which two of my classmates helped with) and a consumer video camera.

When the students arrived for the day I gave them very little information about what they would experience from this installation. I hoped that holding back this info would simulate how most gallery-goers would walk into such an experience. I also hoped it would produce the best feedback from this advisory group. I said something like: “I’m working on an installation about high school education. I’m here to ask you for advice about what I’ve created, and about the experience you’re going to encounter… I’ll ask you to leave the room now so that I can set up and then I’ll invite you back in about five minutes.” Once they left, I flew around the room placing the media “gadgets” on random desks in “play” mode and got the video projection rolling with the volume on low so as not to interfere with other media to be listened to.

Everything was ready.

I invited the students and teachers back in and stood to the side of the room and observed.

The  reaction? Students b-lined it back to their own desks. If there happened to be a “gadget” on their desk, they looked/listened to the content… or so I thought (I’ll reveal more about this in a moment.) Teachers engaged with the media that was not resting on a students desk.

I gave the process about twenty minutes and then collected all the iPhones and iTouches.

Problems during the mock installation:

1. A few students did not return from the five minute break until moments before I ended the experience.
2. If media was not placed on a students desk, they did not make an effort to approach a media station. They remained in their seat and waited.
3. There was very little if any sharing of the iPhones/Touches among the students.
4. No student approached the iPads (unless they were encouraged to by a teacher) or listened to the projected video, and only one listened to the second computer station with the earphones.

Bottom line: there was very little student engagement with the media.

What happened? It might seem obvious if you think about it but lets lay it out here. This was the wrong environment for a mock installation. Conducting it in the participants’ comfort zone created confusion. In this space students are typically “programmed” to:

1. take their seats when they walk into their classroom.
2. wait for information to be handed to them.
3. tune-out talking heads speaking at them.

OK. So, the “gadgets” that I thought would be cool and enticing to play with, bombed even though some students expressed excitement at seeing the iPads. This circumstance is leading me to reconsider how and why I chose the mediums I have to disseminate the media for this project. I anticipated a greater desire to engage with these formats due to the splash of novelty and fun that they are often associated with but this might not be the case. These mediums are also symbols to me of formats that classrooms should embrace (my point of view). I’ll have to think further about this and the practicality of using them to disseminate the media in my planned context.

Now, what did the students have to say about the experience? Well, the few who braved engaging in the conversation shared the following:

Listening to talking heads is boring. Nikki (who is great at airing her opinions and can be heard in a previous post), remarked that she’d prefer having a conversation, like the one we were in the midst of having, rather than listening to someone else talk and not be able to talk back. This comment reignited the question of how I will harness the public’s responses to the media during the final installation–an answer that she, nor others, could comment on.

When I asked why no one paid attention to the projected video, one student immediately stated that he could barely hear it, and others agreed. Moving physically closer to the speakers did not seem to occur, or be of interest, to anyone.

“What do you think would have captured your attention?” I asked them. The same young guy who could barely hear the video suggested more big screen content–as it’s a far more captivating format.

The teachers had a great deal more to share but held back initially to give the stage to the students.

In sum, who’s the audience for this media? Teachers first and foremost.  While my efforts with this project is to bridge communication with learners and educators, the media content nor my method of dissemination is of equal interest to both parties. If I’m truly going to simulate a Challenge for Change approach (a National Film Board initiative that inspires me) I would have to intentionally, as my foremost goal, share the media of the interviewees in the project with each one of them. While this will ideally occur, I am initially and purposefully sharing this media with a larger audience for larger, diversified feedback.

The process at CICO may not have been an ideal scenario for an advisory group but a learning experience it definitely was.

(photography by Christopher Manson)

I thought I’d share a few good quotes from some of the learners. Can you guess (in some cases) which students attend a public, private or alternative school?:

Question: If you were to design a school, what would it be like? What would you like to learn?

Answer 1: “Stuff that relates to the world”

Answer 2: “Football. I love it and would like to play it. I don’t care about the other subjects.”

Answer 3: “I like philosophy… Courses in school don’t mean much about life, that’s why philosophy is so interesting!…There needs to be adventures; learning survival techniques–considering we originate from nature!… Long division didn’t exist 10000 years ago and they survived!”

Answer 4: “I would want it to be as balanced as possible; I have friends who are at schools where rules are non-existent… I’d want to be sure that the learning environment is disciplined but relaxed.”

Answer 5: “Start later.” (Boy was this a common wish!)  “Learn English, French, math… that’s about it.”

Answer 6: “I’d be learning hip-hop… we’d have pep rallies… more urban stuff like jazz class and filming.”

Question: What is your opinion of private, public  and alternative schools?

Answer 1: “At [my old private school] nobody was open. At [the alternative school I went to] there was a homeless kid; I could relate to the students more there.”

Answer 2: “I wanted to come to all an girls school because I was intimidated by boys–like during public speaking… There’s a difference between people who have gone to private schools and public schools; maybe because of the bond that forms [at private school]”

Answer 3: “Girls at private schools are not getting a better education but the teachers are expected to do more so, they take the classes more seriously and classes are better organized… If public school teachers were paid more maybe there would be more motivation to do a better job.”

Answer 4: I use to go to a big [public] high school, like a 1000 some odd kids, and I liked it there… but I got caught up in the whole social thing and some kids get into drugs… but when I came here [to an alternative school] it’s such a tight community and the teacher invite you to come and learn.”

Question: How can a class be made exciting? Or describe an exciting class you’ve had.

Answer 1: “[You] can’t make math bland. Get hyped about the content! Take us on a trip to show how math affects us everyday. Have fun!… Teachers can’t assume that student will come to the teacher when you need help (it’s the elder that should come to the student). We need a relationship with the teacher.

Answer 2:  “[I need] a challenge. I’m not looking for something out of my capabilities but rather to take the material that you’re teaching and look at it in a new way… If it’s a basic way of teaching I’ll have a hard time with it.”

Answer 3: “Anything that incorporates media, to keep us stimulated–because we grew up with technology.”

Answer 4: “[A science teacher] used Power Point a lot or YouTube video… he’d use people and himself. He’d really get up there and show you; that way, you see it happening  in front of you and you’d make the connections and then you’d begin to see examples everywhere you go!”

Most of the students that I interviewed were reasonably proud of their high school. In a recent discussion with my academic supervisor, she asked me what themes were emerging from the the interviews I was transcribing. I mentioned that a common determining factor of a student’s happiness was when teachers, even just one, takes a keen interest in their well being and talent. Learners need someone who will believe in them and help them to discover the talents that may be aching to surface, regardless of their grade point average; grades might determine who will successfully climb the academic ladder but let’s face it, grades are far from proof of one’s talent. “Empathy” she said. Yes, empathy is in fact a distinctive theme that resonates throughout the remarks of each high school learner. They need to feel it from their environment–as we all do–and if we’re not exposed to the value of empathy when we’re young how will that effect our sense of self worth and communications skills throughout our lives?

I’d say a fun review of Jeremy Rifkin‘s Empathic Civilization by RSA Animate, is now in order:

I’m not about to give a review of the book just yet, as I’m only on page 28! I can only imagine how I’ll feel by page 106. I can tell this read will be much like John Dewey’s short book Experience and Education (1938) where I put a book mark on nearly every page. I’m keeping an eye out for those ideal quotes that can support the comments my subjects have made in the media I produced for the installation.

Andrew describes his great learning experiences

I’ve been combing through and transcribing my video footage recently and loving the similarities and contrasts that the subjects share about their educational experiences. In the clip on the left, Andrew, a math and science instructor, shared his vivid recollection of instructors who had a huge impact on him; one of them was so influential that he followed in his footsteps. Following my review of Andrew’s interview, I turned to August and Olivia–senior year high school students. A fascinating moment in their conversation with each other revealed that August’s difficulty with math had much to do with the significant lack of passion that her instructor exhibited in class. Too bad. August really appreciates math but her marks suffered as a result of her difficult class experience.

I asked each interviewee to address the camera/audience at one point in the interview to share their feelings about a component of education. In August and Olivia’s clip, they share what they feel every instructor needs to know about teaching, should they want students…to care.

Instructors, this is for you.

In the new-media workshop I’m taking, our Prof., Richard Lachman, is helping me to envision the layout of the installation. My vision of it’s organization within a classroom has been so firm for so long. Now, however, I’m loosening up as new logistical questions come to the fore. Sound, for example, needs to be so carefully designed to ensure that none of the tracks compete with one another. There has been speculation as to whether the video monologues projected on the blackboard would distract from the audio that the audience would be listening to on mp3 players. Some colleagues feel that such an ambiance would be a welcome layer to an otherwise silent room. Richard remarked that the large scale video would be more of a distraction than the sound would be.

Now, I’m beginning to consider spaces outside the classroom as well. How will an audience be directed from the front door of the school to the classroom installation? The ideas around this requirement are adding an additional layer of excitement to the project. Heck, I wonder if I could take on a whole school?