-process piece-

            As I was thinking about different processes that I could portray in this piece, my mind went to many different options. I could show myself cooking or I could show my friend tying flies, for example. There was a world of options, but then I began reflecting on the different processes I go through every day and was drawn to the ritualistic process of getting ready in the morning. Each day I wake up and immediately begin to “make myself”, manipulating the way I look based on what I’ll be doing or who I’ll be seeing. I may wear glasses or I may wear darker makeup, but regardless what I do, a chunk of my morning is dedicated to this. For the sake of this project, however, no one really wants to watch me get ready for 30 minutes, so the idea of a time lapse fell perfectly into place. I could portray my daily morning routine in a way that is accessible and significantly more interesting than it would be otherwise. Additionally, with the age we are in, there are so many tools at our fingertips – the iPhone comes with the capabilities of being able to record in the time lapse function.

            Because these tools are so accessible, why not incorporate them into the learning and assignments of our students? Push them to think creatively and to explore the depths of the resources readily available to them. Not only can this further the specific topics they are learning, but also provide skills for them that will be useful throughout their lives. These skills can be as basic as learning how to explore and research the tools around us to as specific the details of how to work a certain app or program. Who knows, maybe five years from now, I’ll have to pull together a time lapse for my work or twenty five years from now it’ll be useful for my future daughter’s wedding. And while technology may evolve, I am equipped with the knowledge to help me enter into those endeavors. As teachers, it is our responsibility to equip our students with as many tools as possible.

            However, that being said, we should not have students complete “junk projects” as Intention, chapter three discusses. The projects and sources we select should push the students, make the learning and material important to them, and delve into the “why of whimsy”. I cannot count how many projects I spent hours, days, weeks even on, only to receive a grade and immediately throw it away or stuff it in a dusty old box, never to be opened again. This is a missed opportunity to really find meaning in the process and challenge creativity. We must ever be intentional in the curriculum and the interaction we have with students.

-M