Write Clicking in a left brain world
As most of you know, or some of you know, or maybe at least one of you has heard a rumor that the Reich College of Education at Appalachian State University is founded in a constructivist model of education. To be honest, this was one of the draws to AppState for me. I like the fact that students, especially graduate students' education is built upon the knowledge and experience that they already have as well as learning with, and from, other students and their professors. This dispels the professor as fountain of knowledge format that is so often found in higher education. I honestly say to you that I learn from you every time we are together, and that I take great delight in watching you learn from each other.
Also, as most of you know, I enjoy exploring the avaunt guard aspects of education. I think that education should be fun when possible and smothered with creativity when possible. Furthermore I think this should be very possible in most aspects of graduate school. I want students to think, not regurgitate facts that they have been fed. So, it is with that introduction that I am introducing this new assignment. Some of you will no doubt think I have lost my mind, but hey, you are too late, I lost it long ago probably during my second superintendency or one of the rock bands I played in.
However, I digress, and as you all know by this time, I can digress with the best of them. So, with that long winded introduction let me introduce this latest academic challenge to you. I have long wanted to try this, but I have never felt that I had the right ensemble of students to work it with, I think that at this time I do. It is up to you to prove me right, and dad gum it (an old WV saying) you'd better.
In a way it is perfect in that we will be drawing from the minds and experience from three cohorts separated by geography, but joined in common spirit and sense of purpose. All three groups are also academically talented, creative, while bringing to the table different experiences and backgrounds.
This assignment could fall flat, or it could be something that catches on and is enjoyed by the vast majority of you. Only time will tell. Some of you have told me that you are not creative, and I do not accept that as being true. You may not believe you are creative, but each of us create every day.
So, just relax, and enjoy this even if you do not participate in it to a significant degree. In order to be a part of this assignment you will have to read every post and respond at least once.
What I propose we do is to write a fictitious novel about schools and school administration. Never before in the history of mankind (doesn't this sound exciting already?) has a novel had so many authors. There will be about fifty of us. Yes, it sounds to good to be true I know, and it may talking a walk on the weird side of Academic Avenue, but humor me. Remember, it is me that gives your grade.....yeah, I know, it is beginning to sound like a good idea now, huh? :)
What do I want us to gain from this? Well, to have fun, but most of all to make you think. If this goes anywhere close to how I want it to go we will introduce many concepts to be considered and many problems to be solved. This should make you think as you introduce, as well as solve problems that we create for our characters.
Here's how it works. First, we have to create an initial set of characters for our story. So, it is very important that you remember those words of wisdom that every work of fiction has posted as a disclaimer......all similarities to anyone living or dead is purely circumstantial.....sure, we will base stuff on real people and events, but please, please, please, do not use this as a means to slander anyone in anyway. For example.....our social studies teacher was a little guy with a red beard and strawberry blond curly hair who loved coffee and mountain dew and could never stand still as he taught and his name was Hal Moffit, and he was weird and made his students do things that upset them as well as the school's administrators.......OK? If you use the little red haired people of the world that have beards, at least mask it, unless of course they become the superhero loved by all. But, the fact is we learn from both good and bad examples, and they will surely make their way into this work.
Our story will have three schools (to keep it manageable and give everyone a reference point). A high school, a middle school and an elementary school. Regardless of your leaning and position you can write in regard to any of them.
Rules about posting: When you post, you have to keep it short. Usually one paragraph, or one brief segment such as a short dialogue. Then let the next person have a shot. Always build upon what it said in that last post. If you want the story line to take a particular twist you will have to pay attention and work it, but only one post at a time.
Second rule, you cannot post two consecutive posts. You have to let someone else post in response to yours.
Try to use decent grammar, but don't get tore up if you post something that is not 100 percent correct. Pay attention to the story as a whole, and interject problems into the story that others will work to solve. You can use slang that students, or people in your community use.
Work to create and solve problems presented through the characters we create. If you need, create another character. Do not worry about bringing closure to each problem before moving on, just like life. And feel free to bring problems back into being that were left unsolved, or if they were solved, they could be reintroduced with a new wrinkle or twist.
Do not be afraid to introduce sensitive issues, because we deal with sensitive issues. Issues of sexual content need not be graphic, but we deal with them in these jobs, do we not? Teachers have affairs, kids have sex, etc. It is a fact of our jobs, and not to deal with them is a form of vanilla that is just not real.
The same is true with racial content, drug content, poverty, abuse of different kinds, etc. I am not wanting this to be porn and/or gore, but I want it to be real. If you never deal with these issues then you are either lucky or just unaware. Do not sensationalize it, but be real, and sometimes it is an honest fact that truth is stranger than fiction.
So, to get us started I think we minimally need the following characters: principals, assistant principals, a bunch of teachers, some coaches, secretaries, custodians, cooks, SROs, bus drivers, students, parents, a superintendent, others from the central office, maybe a business leader or two and anybody else I have left off this list that you want to created.
As we create these characters we can also be developing the story line. After writing this I will start the story. Then it is your turn.
I have no way of knowing how this will go, but let's just see. Do not hesitate to participate, and remember that I want every one of you to post at least once, and I am hoping that you get carried away and become a regular contributor. Check in often and read what is going on in the story.
We may need to modify it, and 3 schools may be hard to keep up with. Maybe we should have two, but in my experience systems have these three kinds of schools, and each of us can identify with at least one of them.
Do not get upset if someone takes a character you created and moves him/her in a way that you had not envisioned. We all have global ownership here, but none of us have specific ownership to any aspect of the story.
Sound weird? Good. Sound goofy? Even better. Sound fun? I hope. Careful or you may even find yourself thinking.
Remember the works of Ralph Waldo Spacier, who said...."Together we all stand divided, and divided we all stand falling together".
For those of you with your mouth open going....Oh My Gosh, I can't believe I paid for this class, I will be posting more left brained kinds of blogs too. But for the time being, message that right temporal lobe and lets get started.
Ready kids?
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Further Up the Down Staircase
A novel for our time
by
Avery Juan Ofus
Chapter One: Rainy Days and Mondays always get me
It was a normal Monday morning. Well, as normal as Monday mornings go when you work at Owlberg Middle School. School secretary, Mrs. C.J. McTiny, a middle aged women pleasant in looks and careful about her appearence, and most of the time pleasant in nature looked troubled as she hung up the phone. She turned to Auther Tinsdale, one of the seventh grade language arts teachers checking his mail during the early morning hustle and bustle of the office. As she walked from behind her desk she whispered to Mr. Tinsdale "Mr. Overton is not going to like this one little bit. He had a bad week last week, and I had hoped it was all getting better, but this won't help." Mr. Tinsdale, being somewhat smug in his lack of sympathy for administrators in general, and Mr. Overton in particular replied "Why, is it something that may pry him away from the swimsuit issue of Sport's Illustrated and no model left behind?" As he laughed to himself proud of his Monday morning sarcasm Mrs. McTiny gave him a look usually reserved for eight graders who mumble 'I dunno' to any question they are asked. She was not sure why she had mentioned anything at all to 'Art the Tart' as she so often thought of Mr. Tinsdale, but had never verbalized to anyone. Pushing past him she headed for Mr. Overton's office knocking on his opened door. "Excuse me, Bob. I just received a call you need to be aware of."
Bob, looking up from the report he was working on smiled and replied "Sure, C.J., come in." The smile was to be short lived. He took another sip of his coffee that put the cup back down on the most recent issue of Sport's Illustrated that he was using for a coaster. Mrs. McTiny closed the door and sat down wondering how to tell her boss the news she had just been given.
