It seems like deadlines tend to come in clumps. I always have small assignments due throughout the week, but all of the big things like to stack up on top of each other. This week was one of those weeks, especially because I tried to finish some things due after Thanksgiving in order to give myself a break while I'm home.
Today I presented on my final paper for my environmental education class. I created a unit for a fourth grade class about Monarch butterflies. My paper ended up being 16 pages (it was supposed to be 6-8, but my professor is fine with it), and my presentation just barely fit into our 11-minute time limit. I had so many ideas for lessons that I wanted to include that I ended up having to cut out, which was rough. One of the things I find hardest about writing is having to whittle down my ideas into something brief but thorough. It takes me a while to build up to what I want to say, and once I've written everything, it's almost impossible to cut things out. The presentation went well, though, and I'm pretty proud of the unit I created.
I also worked on a drawing project this weekend. It's not due until next Monday, but I can't really work on it while I'm home (since all of my drawing stuff is here), so I spent a while working on it yesterday. The assignment was to use brush and ink to draw a landscape viewed through a frame of some kind. I drew a lake (presumably in the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota, because I based it off of a picture that I took there) being viewed through a phone camera. I thought I could make some kind of statement about really being in the moment when you're somewhere beautiful, and the way that we remember our experiences.
I'm really enjoying drawing, and I'm feeling like I'm learning a lot. I don't feel as confident with brush and ink as I do with some of the other media that we use, but I'm learning. Today I drew a model who came to our class, and I am pretty proud of it.
We have one more project in that class- to draw a six foot tall portrait of someone. I'm supposed to think of who I want to draw over break. I know I want to do some historically important woman, and right now Juliette Gordon Low is at the top of my list (the founder of Girl Scouts). I'm also thinking about Jane Goodall and Rachel Carson. I want to make it of a woman whose actions personally affected my life, and I found all of these women inspiring growing up and they each influenced certain decisions I've made and interests I've had. I'll keep you updated on who I end up choosing.
Today I presented on my final paper for my environmental education class. I created a unit for a fourth grade class about Monarch butterflies. My paper ended up being 16 pages (it was supposed to be 6-8, but my professor is fine with it), and my presentation just barely fit into our 11-minute time limit. I had so many ideas for lessons that I wanted to include that I ended up having to cut out, which was rough. One of the things I find hardest about writing is having to whittle down my ideas into something brief but thorough. It takes me a while to build up to what I want to say, and once I've written everything, it's almost impossible to cut things out. The presentation went well, though, and I'm pretty proud of the unit I created.
I also worked on a drawing project this weekend. It's not due until next Monday, but I can't really work on it while I'm home (since all of my drawing stuff is here), so I spent a while working on it yesterday. The assignment was to use brush and ink to draw a landscape viewed through a frame of some kind. I drew a lake (presumably in the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota, because I based it off of a picture that I took there) being viewed through a phone camera. I thought I could make some kind of statement about really being in the moment when you're somewhere beautiful, and the way that we remember our experiences.
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| a semi-decent quality photo of my drawing |
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| slowly learning |
I also presented today in my Spanish conversation class about my dream vacation. After a lot of thought, I decided my dream vacation would be to travel to every single national park within the continental US. I had fun planning my presentation and the class was really engaged in it.
I had some reading to do for tomorrow, but I read it over the weekend, which means I just have one more class and then I'm out of here for break! I'm going home, which I'm looking forward to. This is my first year going home for break, and it's a treat. My first two years here, I went my entire first semester without seeing my family. It's nice being away from home, but it's really nice having your family buy you food and being able to see your pets and sleep in your own bed.
I will be checking my email over break, so please email me if you have any questions! rekidder@lclark.edu.
Rebecca