Skype mini lesson

(1) What topics did you present?  How did you go about making in "stick" with your audience?

My group presented on punctuation at the skype reading on Thursday. We presented four forms of punctuation, periods, commas, exclamation points, and question marks. We presented using driving as a visual for the different punctuations. I think that it stuck with the kids because they connected different aspects of driving to punctuation. The red light represented a period, stopping the sentence. The yellow light represented a comma, slowing down and pacing a sentence. The green light represented an exclamation point, something abrupt. The question mark was represented by a pot hole, swerving around it and wondering why it is there. I think overall people were receptive to the simplicity that we brought as well as being metaphorical about punctuation. 

(2) How do you feel your mini lesson went? Strengths? Weaknesses?

I think that our mini lesson went off better than we thought it would. Overall I think that it wasn't fantastic but for sure was better than we thought it would be. I think our strengths were the amount of visuals we had, and the interactive aspects we added by allowing the kids to answer the questions that we asked. I think our weakness was just being unprepared, and having to finish our visuals before the skype call instead of having them done earlier. I think we were slightly disorganized in terms of who has what role, but played it off well in the actual lesson. 

(3) What did you learn about the process of teaching and learning?

I think that I learned and understood how much prep goes into making a lesson that sticks with the listener, that makes sense to a different age group than myself, and doing so in a creative and unique way. It's hard to relate to people in different age groups than yourself, and it is difficult to think of an effective way to convey your message when you forget who you are teaching. That was a big take away point for me, learning how to relate to an audience who may have a different understanding than yourself. I remember my first presentation to a group of elementary school kids, and how rough it went because I didn't talk as though I was talking to kids 10 years younger than me, I was speaking as though they had a similar understanding that I would've had... Obviously that would not be one of my best presentations. I think this was a good take away point for me, especially having presentations to younger kids in the future, to remember your audience. 

(4) What should we do next?

I think that it would be a good idea to do a pen pal type thing where we send the kids in Thompson actual letters. As much as I love using technology as a form of quick communication, I still find it more personal to hand write letters to people. It would be fun to do a pen pal assignment where we write to them, and they write back to us. That's really the best idea I have got. 

Six word memoir #5- Love

(1) How does the image and the words fit together?

This photo is more of a literal representation of a more metaphorical concept. What I wanted to achieve with this statement is showing how powerful love is beyond just our own relm of thinking. Love is such a loosely used word and I wanted to allow my viewers to think of love outside of how they see it in our society. Love has the ability to change the world, and to radically change the so corruption our world sees. I took this photo on my family trip to Colorado last spring break, in the Garden of the Gods. I added some effects on Photoshop to make the photo seem more abstract to fit the abstract concept of love. If love can make something as big as mountains move (metaphorically) then we can get a better understanding of how powerful it really is. 

(3) How did you use punctuation to clarify your message? 

So as like many of my other six word memoirs I chose simplicity in terms of sentence structure and punctuation. In order to convey a powerful message you need to do it in a simple way. If you add too many variable suddenly you are more focused on the presentation rather than the message itself. To give rhythm to my sentence I chose the words make and shake because they rhyme and keep consistency within my memoir. With the sentence I chose I don't think that a comma or exclamation point would have been appropriate because there is no specific place that makes sense to put it. Overall I think it was a good choice to stick with a simple period rather than over complicate things with other punctuation. 

Six word memoir- #4 Hate

(1) How does the image and the words fit together?

This image that I chose I created from the ground up. I wrote out the hello my name is sticker, photographed it, and edited it to create the effect I was looking for. Right from the start I was going after a mood of darkness and shame. The one thing I hate in this world is injustice especially when it involves children. I wanted people to be exposed to a potentially shocking reality before they read my words which expresses my hate for that reality. If people don't understand there is a problem, then how would you develop a hate for it? I believe this is a dark hate and this image brings a tone of darkness to match my feeling on this issue. Overall I feel like hate is a strong emotion and if you intend on expressing it you need to do so in a way that is expressive, and creative, and not just through aner but through sadness and longing. 

(3) How did you use punctuation to clarify your message?

In this six word memoir I used two forms of punctuation, a period and a coma. Both I believe were necessary in order to convey an impactful message. I think that adding the comma allows the reader to digest the idea that "my heart breaks" those words are rather heavy and I think that it takes time to fully understand what it feels like to have a broken heart. I didn't say my heart is sad, or my heart is rattled, I said my heart breaks. By allowing a place in the sentence for the reader to comprehend the magnitude of those words it brings more impact to the back half of the sentence. Now at the end I explain why my heart breaks, it's "when innocence falls." Again this is a more complex idea, and makes you contemplate what innocence is and what it means when it falls. In the end I put a period because it is a statement, and didn't really need an exclamation point to get a strong point across. 

Six word memoir #3- Family

(The photo credit is in the bottom right corner but unfortunately it faded out a little bit too much) 

(1) How does the image and the words fit together?

When I look at this picture I think about this moment of togetherness. A few days ago these people with me were strangers. These people came from all parts of Canada and now we are like family. As important as family in terms genes is, I believe that family comes from who you spend time with, and who you grow together with through experience. I think this picture expresses diversity and shows a group of people coming together with a common mindset and working together to become family to me. I guess this photo highlights the togetherness that the word family would expreses, while highlighting the diversity that the "than just blood" part is talking about. 

(3) How did you use punctuation to clarify your message? 

In this particular case I don't believe I chose a period for a specific reason but rather that there was really no need for any other form of punctuation. A common thread throughout all my six word memoirs is simplicity, and being too the point. I think that this is yet another example of that. I would rather have a more simple sentence structure and stay true to my message than be more abstract and stray away from the true meaning of my words. I believe this picture has a lot to analyze in itself and creates no reason for me to add a complex sentence in order to explain the meaning behind it. 

Six word memoir #2- Growing up

(1) How does the image and the words fit together?

As you may have noticed, this six word memoir does not actually contain a photo. This was an intentional choice of mine so that I could create a contrast between the words and the background, as well as the literal representation of the symbolic phrase. White in this case represents purity, and newness. These words are symbolic of my religious journey growing up, and how Christ has changed me and made me a new person in him. Christianity isn't complex unless you make it complex, just like this picture isn't complex unless you make it complex. In order to make these six words effective I wanted to stay true to the simplicity of it's message. 

(4) How did you use punctuation to clarify your message?

In this particular six word memoir I chose a simple period to convey the message in my six word memoir. I feel as though my message is very to the point and adding comas and semi colons would just take away from what I am trying to say. I think that simplicity in this case is almost symbolic as I believe that Jesus washed my sins away by taking them on the cross with him. I am a messed up person, but because of Christ I have redemption. There is no question about that, there is no If's or stipulations that's it. I am saved period. Simplicity is going back to what Christianity is Jesus saved me, no strings attached, and that is what I chose for this message to convey. 

Six word memoir #1- Confession

 

1) How does the image and the words fit together?

This picture is the most memorable picture I can look back on. When choosing words it was hard to depict the feeling and emotion that this picture contained in only six short words. Ultimately I went with something very simple. This moment and these words wrap up my entire experience over seas by connecting the love I felt for the people in Kenya, the work that I did there, and ultimately my heart still being there because my work in Kenya is yet to be finished. Augustine, the girl in this photo specifically holds a special piece in my heart as she is the one that made me fall in love with serving other people. The idea of leaving your heart somewhere is about having a special connection to a certain place, it's something that will never leave you, something that changed you as a person. My life is for ever changed because of this moment, and these words are just a glance into the emotion I felt in this moment. 

2) What editing techniques did you performed on the photo? Why?

This photo didn't really require a lot of editing but I did use photoshop to enhance the colours, and make the photo more saturated. This photo in particular I placed a heavy value on keeping it as close to the original money as I could. I think that having a raw and realistic aspect to your photo is something that should be valued just as much if not more then adding numerous effects. From there I used my favourite photo editing app Studio to add the words, and the photo credit. Other than those few manipulations there is no difference from the photo to the actual moment. 

(3) How did you use punctuation to clarify your message?

In this particular sentence I chose simplicity over complexity. I think that I chose to end my sentence with a period because I wanted to keep my message clear and refrain from overthinking the meaning of my six word memoir. I wanted people to focus more on how much emotion and love was in the photo rather than dwell on the words themselves. Like famously said a picture says a thousand words, that's exactly the dynamic I am going after. Another reason I chose the simplicity of the period is to portray the childlike and innocent mood of this photo. When you are in an environment that is full of poverty and you get to experience happiness it's hard not to feel childlike, and innocent all over again. Children are simple, and innocence isn't complex if you don't over thinking it, therefore I wanted to stay true to that mood by choosing a single period.

Photo scavenger hunt

So for each collage and each photo I would like to share what it represents, and briefly why I chose the photo. 

1) Alone- this frame is of one of my favourite passages in the bible to read when I feel alone Psalm 69 

2) Love- the second frame is by far my favourite picture I took while in Kenya. This picture reminds me what love really is, and how great love should be. 

3) close-up- this another photo taken in Kenya and I just thought it was an interesting perspective of some wooden giraffes that you would see all over the country. 

4) Hate- this is a graphic I created and basically it states the one thing I hate which is injustice. 27 million is tw number of people who are currently enslaved and that is a number is despise. 

5) Metaphoto- this is a shot of my album cover from the first Love, Praise, Serve CD I made, which is a huge accomplishment and pride of mine. 

1) Friendship- these are some of my most dear friends that I met while in Kenya. I chose this for friendship because I felt that friendship should not depend on distance. 

2) Black and white- my thinking on this photo was what better photo to select than a zebra! I took this picture on safari and just fell in love with it ever since.

3) Passion- for me I think this picture is simple yet encompasses my passion, helping other less fortunate than me but doing that through love, and acts of kindness. 

4) Silhouette- This is yet another picture from my journey to Kenya. If you look closely you can see the outline of the beautiful trees in the Massai Mara, one of the most awe filled moments I've experienced. 

5) Reflection- when I saw the word reflection I thought that I would take it literally as well as symbolic me. This photo is of me looking at myself the way I ideally would like to see myself. I want myself to be the reflection of God's love on earth. 

1) Symbolism- this photo is of a wooden cross and as a Christian the cross is a symbol of many things like love, hope, sacrifice, and it reminds me of Jesus's love for me.

2) Metaphoto/Family- this is a Metaphoto of my family on my Dad's side at our annual New Years Eve party. 

3) Words- these words were written by a young Kenyan girl to motivate her self during the school day, I felt it was inspiring to see such truth in someone with so little. 

4) When I was little- this was a picture of my siblings (minus one who was not born yet). 

1) Talent- I would consider music to be a talent of mine, so I thought this photo of guitar chords would be a good depiction of music. 

2) Confession- I have a slight love for Starbucks... So much so that I am a proud owner of this gold card. 

3) Past- this is a photo from our band trip to Cuba last year. I used this as a past photo because I have grown so much since this moment. 

1) Future- I am not 100% clear on how I see my future but I know I see it as loving God and loving people, so I think these words are an accurate representation of that. 

2) Metaphoto- This photo is of my second family, my small group from church. There is no replacement for these people. 

3) Words/Silhouette- this is really a filler photo but it still has a special place in my heart. Spelling Kenya out while watching the sunrise.