#GettingPoetry 1 – Moments of Insight

I think our world could do with a little more poetry. We live in polarized times where monumental decisions get made off the back of three word simplifications like “Get Brexit Done,” “Build a Wall” and “Stop the Boats.”

At the risk of offending sensibilities, can I suggest that life is more complex than these phrases imply? Pick whatever outcome you believe in, but a moment to pause, reflect and experience could go a long way to furthering communication and maybe even bridging some divides.

Great poetry is one way to prompt such a “pause, reflect and experience.” Poetry, like life, is not a riddle to be solved. Also like life, assuming that we “get” all poems or poets, like “getting” everything in life, can lead people astray.

Better to seek what’s real for you, make connections and find insights. Today let’s entertain a poet radical enough to question the importance of poetry itself – especially when compared to the power of love.

e.e. cummings, Since Feeling is First

Enjoy this as our more momentary media throws what it throws at us…

More PISA Support for “Understanding”

The recent release of results on PISA’s new assessment of Problem-Solving skills in participating countries supports a curriculum focused on deeper understanding and being able to transfer those conceptual understandings to new situations. The graph below (and the pages that follow it) illustrate the demand in three representative countries for skills in analysing and problem-solving over performing routine cognitive and manual skills.

PISA-Problem-solving Graphs

Consider referring colleagues in education to this information if they persist in the false belief that society wants students who can recall memorised information of perform basic skills.  As the executive summary of the report states, “In modern societies, all of life is problem-solving.

Slavery Footprint

Activity

  1. Take the survey individually (the last “none-question” require sensitivity).
  2. Note the number of slaves your lifestyle requires.

Headline: Opinion / Editorial

Write a headline that best captures your opinions after calculating your slavery footprint.

 

or use this prompt

Claim-Support-Question

  1. Make a claim about the topic
  2. Identify support for your claim
  3. Ask a question related to your claim

Find What’s Funny: Texting Driver

Claim-Support-Question

  1. Find things the cartoonist has done to make this funny and to get a point across.
  2. Identify support for your claim.
  3. Ask a question related to your own use of technology.

Twitter to Flutter!!!!!!!

How did Flutter evolve?

What is an advantage of Flutter over Twitter?

What is the discussion really about?

Claim-Support-Question

  1. Make a claim about the topic
  2. Identify support for your claim
  3. Ask a question related to your claim

I Love the World – Earth Day

Earth Day was invented so that people would appreciate the amazing planet we call home.  View the promotional video and use the prompt below.  You might want to either comment on the earth’s awesomeness or the effectiveness of the video.

Claim-Support-Question

  1. Make a claim about the topic
  2. Identify support for your claim
  3. Ask a question related to your claim

What a voice! Who’s to Judge?

What do you think the people watching Susan Boyle are thinking before she begins to sing?

What does this say about how we perceive and evaluate others?

Claim-Support-Question

  1. Make a claim about the topic
  2. Identify support for your claim
  3. Ask a question related to your claim

Expressionism

The Paintings

four square
Four Square
Franz Kline
American, 1910 – 1962
more info
lavendar mist
Number 1, 1950
(Lavender Mist)

Jackson Pollock
American, 1912 – 1956
more info
name II
The Name II
Barnett Newman
American, 1905 – 1970
more info

Questions

  1. What kinds of things are the subjects of these paintings?
  2. What’s the real subject of these paintings?
  3. Why would a gifted artist want to skip painting people, places, and things?
  4. Which elements of design stand out the most?
  5. How much skill would it take to create paintings like these?
  6. Would you like to read general questions for looking at art?


Internet Resources
Style & artists:

More examples:

Historical or cultural issues:

Impressionism

image
Rouen Cathedral
Claude Monet
French, 1840 – 1926
more info
image
Pont Neuf, Paris
Auguste Renoir
French, 1841 – 1919
more info
image
Plum Brandy
Edouard Manet
French, 1832 – 1883
more info

Questions

  1. What kinds of things are the subjects of these paintings?
  2. What’s the real subject of these paintings? (hint: trick question!)
  3. Why would artists want to paint fuzzy like this instead of clearly?
  4. Which elements of design stand out the most?
  5. How much skill would it take to create paintings like these?
  6. Would you like to read general questions for looking at art?

Which is the “Real” China?

This image is from Tag Galaxy (taggalaxy.com) after searching for the word “China.”

Thinking Prompts

  1. If these images were all you knew of China, what would your impression of it be?
  2. From your perspective, which images depict stereotypes? What are the values or judgments behind the stereotypes?

Version 2

Now apply the same questions to this image of China, Shanghai & Architecture):

Thinking Prompts

  1. If these images were all you knew of China, what would your impression of it be?
  2. From your perspective, which images depict stereotypes? What are the values or judgments behind the stereotypes?

Finally, you might want to explore China Today and address the same questions.

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