278/365 Storm Clouds

"Rain and Bales"

It finally feels like fall today!  The temperatures didn't make it above 70; the skies were gray; there was a breeze; and tonight, it finally rained.  To me, the weather today was just perfect.

Weber and I went to see Robert Reich's movie Inequality for All this afternoon.  It attempts to explain how this country has ended up in the economic mess in which we find ourselves.  The movie is exceptionally well done.  It looks at many factors that, over the past 30-40 years, have lead to the earning inequalities in this country.  In a nutshell, he says that for there to be economic health, we need to take care of our middle class.  

277/365 Two Become One

"A Duet"

Today's prompt is a little misleading taken out of the context of the monthly list.  It sounds romantic, but in reality, it's technical.  The task was to combine two images into one.  The two photos here are a bagpiper that I saw on the street when we were in London over the summer and a photo taken today of the newest addition to my mini figure collection.  

Creating this stretched my post-processing abilities.  I definitely learned a great deal along the way.  For a first attempt at this technique, Im fairly satisfied with the result.

276/365 Everyday

"Where I Spend My Weekdays"

MOst of my weekdays are spent at school.  Sometimes it really does feel like a home away from home. I work with wonderful people and have the privilege of teaching great students.  In both respects, I am very lucky and I try never to take that for granted.

I am grateful for today's prompt because it encouraged me to document this place where I spend so much time.  I walk this hall a hundred times a day, it seems.  And, I am fortunate to teach all my classes in the same classroom.  The smaller images show my passkey that is used many times a day, the "decor" in the wall in my room,  the CD player with a friendly reminder from our departmental assistant, my classroom door and my good ol' blackboard.

I'm not sure how we ended up here, but yesterday I had a discussion with one of my classes about how they felt about technology in the classroom, specifically smart boards and lectures that are presented primarily through Power Point-type slides.  I was surprised when they all said that they preferred traditional instructor lectures and notes and examples on the chalkboard.  Yesterday's class had students whose ages spanned from traditional college age to retirement.  I thought perhaps their response had to do with the fact that there were quite a few older students in the class.  To check this hunch, I asked another class today the same question.  This class is made up of traditional aged college freshman and sophomores.  They too said that they prefer the old-fashioned way of teaching.  Wow!

Here are some of their reasons:

• traditional lectures are more personal
• traditional lectures are more interactive
• I feel like it is OK to ask questions 
• I don't fall asleep
• There is opportunity to digress - in a good way
• We all have to think more
• I don't just copy stuff.  I have to put it in my own words.
• chalk and chalkboards don't fail like technology

I thought their reasons here were spot on. 

I wonder who decided that every classroom is better if it is a "smart" classroom?  Is this just a case of we are doing this because we can?  Did anyone ever ask the students what works best for them?  I suppose that the problem could be that we as teachers are not using technology effectively, but as I listened to my students' comments, that doesn't really seem like the root of the problem.

We also talked about the trend of "flipped classrooms" - where students are presented a lecture via video or slide presentations viewed on their computers as homework and then come to class to discuss the material and do their assignments.  This process is touted as "new."  The term "flipped classroom" is new, but the process seems to me like what I grew up with only instead of watching some kind of media presentation, we were assigned to read a chapter in the textbook.  Hmmm…..

This whole issue has been mind opening for me.  We'll see what new trends develop - or which old ones return.

275/365 Seasonal Color

"What Season Is It?

I had very little time and very little inspiration for today's photo.  The temperatures are still in the nineties and none of the trees are looking like fall yet.  In a quick thirty minute trip to the park between school and dinner and before choir rehearsal (when the light was all wrong for taking pictures), the best I could find was this still blooming rosebush surrounded by some bright orange leaves.

Looks like seasonal color to me!  The question is, what season?

274/365 Hats Off

"Hats Off"

I'm all for any prompt that affords me the opportunity to photograph Weber and his hat.  

I think that I should be tipping my hat to him for all that he puts up with in my attempts not to miss a day of photographs.  Every night involves time spent going through the day's pictures and selecting "the one."  Then there is post processing.  I try to do minimal post processing but I always have to resize in order to post to the web and it all takes time.  Then there is posting here...

The good news for him is that there are only 91 more photos to be taken this year.  The bad news, I'll probably do this again next year:-)

273/365 The End

"The End, The Beginning, The Present"

It is hard to believe that this is already the last day of September.  Time is just flying by.  I don't like it!  However, I do love this time of year.  Fall is my favorite season - watching nature slow down and get ready to rest, seeing the beautiful bare forms of the trees,  basking in all the orange of the falling leaves  and the flowers and, of course, the pumpkins, breathing in the spirit of all of the holidays and celebrations that are packed into the next few months - I find such joy in all that is autumn.

Yes, it brings with it the end of summer and shortly, the end of another year, but soon also the dawning of a new year will be right before us.  I try not to think too much about beginnings and endings, what was and what may be.  The present is much easier to comprehend.  I am where I am right now.  I make a conscious choice to live fully here and now because there will never be another now exactly like this one.  

For now, seize this day.  And tomorrow, do it again.

272/365 Puppy Dog Eyes

"Mama's Boy"

My boy is getting really gray; he will be nine in another month.  He still has quite a bit of energy for dancing for his dinner (or any other food he thinks that he might get), playing frisbee and chasing the cat every now and then.  Interestingly, he will not work too hard at keeping Harley from stealing his rawhide bone.  He is definitely a gentle giant.

Today, Adidas worked hard at keeping me from taking his picture.  He would not be still long enough to focus the camera.  I don't know why he was so adamant about not being the photo subject of the day.  I think this look is the, "Fine. Just get it done already." look.  It is funny to me that several people said he looks like he is smiling.  

I love this picture because reflected in his eye is me with my camera and Weber asleep in the chair.  This is really how Adidas likes things - an eye on everyone.  Below is a close-up of the reflection in his eye.