Ethnic Arts Festival

The ethnic arts festival this year was an entertaining experience, but that is about the extent of it.

I have my feelings where diversity and acceptance is concerned, but I think that this entire festival was highly unnecessary. I feel that if I were a member of any ethnicity that was singled out for this festival that I would much rather be a part of the larger community and not singled out and studied.

Acceptance does not mean that we need to single out these groups and subsequently individuals; acceptance means that we celebrate all of us as the larger conglomeration that we are.

Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison: Beethoven's Mass in C

This years spring oratorio was a production of Ludwig van Beethoven's Mass in C Major. It was put on by the members of Pike Kor, Norsemen, the Symphony Orchestra and the Nordic Choir with Dr. Craig Arnold conducting.

As a member of the Nordic Choir, this was a phenomenal experience for me both as a participant and as an observer. I was able to be a part of this amazing event and was also able to observe my fellow colleagues at their best.

The way that all four of these ensembles came together for the greater cause of this gargantuan work was absolutely humbling. I realized that performing this work was so much bigger than any of the people on the stage; it encompassed every single person in the audience and, more so the spirit of Luther College. This is one of the only places in the country, and even the world, that a performer can be a part of such a work. This experience has greatly impacted my feelings towards works of this kind and working with a large group of people for a greater good.

For the Sake of the World: Spring Convocation 2007

This years spring convocation was given by Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA. This was a wonderful event to attend for anyone who enjoys a good speaker. Rev. Hanson was an excellent speaker and had a few very good points to address.

His main theme was that the people of this world were so caught up with "things" that they had lost the calling that we, as members of the Christian faith were given; to go into all the world preaching the gospel. He said that we should model our lives more like the life of Jesus Christ; to constantly be curious of all things around us and to constantly search for ways to assist our fellow man (and women).

Rev. Hanson's message was both clear and insightful. I hope to someday incorporate his techniques into my own teaching style.

FMEA Fiesta!

On April 3, 2007 I had the privilege to attend an FMEA meeting with Professor Juan Tony Guzman. This meeting was different from many FMEA meetings I have been to; Tony had set up a Latin percussion workshop.

This was an excellent experience to learn about something relatively new from a very experienced educator/performer. Tony has more rhythm in his little finger than most people have in their entire bodies.

He began the workshop with teaching how to play the congas (and other like percussion instruments). He taught us the technique and a simple, but effective pattern. We then moved on to other percussion instruments (guiro, cowbell, claves, etc.). However, Tony did not just move on. There were several students that were struggling with the rhythms and he made sure that they were confident before moving on. By the end of the night he had taught us a traditional Cuban protest song, Guantanomera, and we were all playing (more or less) like professional Afro-Cuban percussionists.

I can only hope that someday I have as much passion and compassion for my students and my subject as Tony has. I know that if I can achieve that level of commitment, my students will have the best education that they can get.

The movie Freedom Writers is based on the true story of a first year teacher and her effect on a group of less-than-spectacular students. At a Long Beach, California, high school, an integration program was implemented to bring students of different backgrounds together, but the result is a constant struggle among the students. Enter Erin Gruwell, an idealistic first-time teacher, who is assigned to teach these "unteachables." None of the other teachers want to, or have to teach these students because they have seniority. Gruwell realizes that before her students will respect her, she must be able to respect them. She implements a system of journalistic writing; a system in which the students can feel safe to share their feelings without opposition. Once she has earned their trust, she begins to connect their lives to history by teaching about the Holocaust and relating their own personal suffering to that of the Jews. Gruwell was able to overcome the obstacle of teaching these students despite the lack of encouragement from her fellow teachers and all of her students went on to college and became successful members of society.

This film was a very inspirational film for a perspective teacher like myself. I found myself thinking that had I been put into a situation like that one, would I have reacted in the same way. Unfortunately, I feel that I would not have. I probably would have given up on the students and possibly resigned my position at the school. This film was able to offer me suggestions that I could implement into my own teaching. I recommend it to anyone going into an education-related field.

Classroom Technology for Dummies

Does the internet and technology really offer help in the classroom or is it just a nuisance? Some would say that using technology in your cirriculum will keep the students interested and create in your students an appreciation for technology. Others might say that it is just a big pain and offers more outlets for frustration than learning.

As far as I am concerned, technology is an integral part of today's society. I feel that everyone should know, and to some extent needs to know something about technology. However, I believe that the technology should be related to your cirriculum. If you are just using technology to become experienced at it, it is a waste of your, and more importantly your students time. If you can find some program that is related to your field and you would like to tech it to your students, more power to you; otherwise just leave well enough alone.

Dress Code in Schools

Picture this, you are walking through the halls of your high school, the eager young minds of tomorrow are jubilantly strolling to first period. Not a thought crosses their minds except for prioritizing their homework for optimal effectiveness/learning.

This is a pleasant fantasy, however this is not how many schools operate. The average high school student rarely has the luxury of being this care-free in any given school day.

Among the concerns that trouble the youths of today is fashion. What hot new trends to fall into, what to wear to attract that certain someone across the biology lab, what to wear so that I don't look like a total loser.

What if we could eliminate this variable in a high schoolers life. Could we possibly rear a new generation of learners free from the troubles of the trend. What kinds of minds would come out of such a system as this?

I personally believe that a dress code would be a huge asset to educators everywhere. Imagine how much more concentration students could put into their education if the issue of clothing was eliminated. And what about those students that can't afford to keep up with the trends that others can, would they finally be accepted by their peers? How much hate and discrimination could we eliminate by enacting a dress code in public schools? How much could we cut down on cliques, gangs and other inequality among students? I personally would be willing to try anything.