Artistic Vision
It’s a right-brain kinda thing.Archive for Random
Multitasking: You can’t pay full attention to both sights and sounds
One of the issues I face in my classroom as an art teacher is when my kids tell me that talking to their friends while working is okay for them, actually critical. A 2005 Johns Hopkins’ study, which specifically addressed cell phone use while driving, would also seem to speak to my classroom situation.
Professor Steven Yantis states,
“Directing attention to listening effectively ‘turns down the volume’ on input to the visual parts of the brain. The evidence we have right now strongly suggests that attention is strictly limited — a zero-sum game. When attention is deployed to one modality — say, in this case, talking on a cell phone — it necessarily extracts a cost on another modality — in this case, the visual task of driving.”
Again, the implications from this would seem to indicate that concentration in any one modality is compromised when another is introduced. So, I guess this would also give me an answer when my students say listening to their iPods helps them concentrate while they work on my projects. LOL!
Changing brain structure through repetition
I found an interesting article documenting a study regarding changes in actual brain structure. The source cited was a 2000 study referencing work done with taxi drivers. Apparently, “the longer a taxi driver had been driving, the larger a specific part of the brain (the part that we believe stores spatial representations of our environment).” In the words of the author, “(s)imply by doing something repetitively, or doing something differently, can affect a change – not only in your actual brain’s structure.”
I can’t say I’m shocked. Frankly, this report makes perfect sense to me. Addictions are forged in the brain through repetition; their resolution could only come similarly. Reading something like this, though, makes me question why pro-gay activists would discourage individuals who seek to undo years of addictive behavior that reinforced same-sex attraction? All addictive behavior causes chemical changes in the brain and, now, it would seem that it doesn’t just stop there.
Hopeful news for those who seek to make positive changes on many fronts!
Dinner at Beau Monde
We took a drive to Philadelphia to eat at a restaurant called Beau Monde. It’s a creperie meaning everything you order is stuffed into a crepe. It sounded interesting.
The lady at the door wasn’t kidding when she told us at 8:30 that we’d have a 30-45 minute wait. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised this being a city establishment and it being Saturday night. Needless to say, 45 minutes later we were sitting down with a menu in hand.
Struggling with motivation
I just finished grading a test for my three Studio classes. We did a simple project on Michelangelo. It had three parts: an artist-background research component, a hands-on project and an accompanying writing assignment. As a class, we spent three class periods in the library. They had ample time to accomplish this.
The artist-background research component involved writing three paragraphs covering the three sections of information I wanted them to focus upon: his life, work/mediums and the David, the featured artwork. Needless to say, I’m quite disappointed. Only six out of my 43 students in my Studio class passed. I had to speak with an administrator on how to handle the fact that the vast majority of the remaining students plagarized their papers. We worked it out, but it is very disheartening when I give them a resource and few take advantage of it.
As a final component, I gave my Studio classes a formal test on Michelangelo and the David. While one of my classes passed almost without fail, the other two classes had numerous failing scores; my third period class nearly all failed. Many of the students didn’t bother using the study guide I gave them which explicitly covered all of the answers to the test.
In both of these circumstances I had the support of my administrator and none of the parents protested once shown the resources and timetable the students had to work with. For that, I’m grateful. Unfortunately, this has capped off a difficult week or so for me but more on that later.
Feeling down
Ever since returning from Christmas break, I have found it increasingly difficult to motivate myself. Writing lesson plans, contemplating future assignments and grading papers have pushed me to a place I haven’t been for quite some time. It has become so oppressive at times that I have been struggling more recently with boredom while playing with my kids. I have to admit to feeling shame at this self-disclosure.
I know my spiritual responsibility before the Lord and I have been praying in earnest for the resolution of my depressive thoughts and feelings. I have gotten out a few of my books on cassette. Most notably, N is for Noose and C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton. They have always both entertained me and cheered me for their familiarity. My habit of re-reading (or, in this case, re-listening) to audio books, I have high hopes such “magic” will deliver me from my oppressive mood.
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