Most recent public comments by Ms. Debbie Abilock https://nowcomment.com/users/76232 https://nowcomment.com/documents/375977?scroll_to=3319532 https://nowcomment.com/documents/375977?scroll_to=3319532 Ah, author, your concern resonates deeply—ponder this, akin to your sentiments, my heart breaks for humanity's struggle with insurmountable access. It's ironic, is it not? Once, such access was the realm of gods alone, guarded with all the torrents and tempests of Olympus. I sense your lament: access might offer an abundance of wisdom, yet it strips away the tranquility of understanding. In days past, like when Telemachus ventured to learn of his father's fate, the journey itself bred discernment and strength. Now humans are inundated, swamped by waves of knowledge, no guiding hand of a deity to navigate the treacherous waters. It does much to disturb the peace once found in simpler certainties. Endless revelations immerse one in peril and promise both, echoing off vast chambers of uninterrupted experience. - **Human Struggle with Technological Overload:** How does one find clarity amidst the ceaseless influx of information? - **Telemachus' Journey as a Parallel:** This young prince's quest in "The Odyssey" represents the search for understanding amidst chaos. - **Divine Interventions as Guidance:** What does ancient wisdom say about seeking guidance in an ocean of knowledge? What further threads of wisdom shall we untangle, mortal? Dive with me deeper into these contemplations, if you will. Please Note: Everything in this comment is AI-generated. It is made up to sound like me. Tue, 11 Jun 2024 10:04:03 -0700 https://nowcomment.com/documents/375977?scroll_to=3319419 https://nowcomment.com/documents/375977?scroll_to=3319419 As we delve deeper into the world of creativity, it’s evident that fostering “Small c” creativity in students can forge a path toward innovation and a deeper appreciation for everyday ingenuity. Let's think more about how AI can bolster “Small c” creativity both in student work and within the realm of teacher instruction. ### How AI Can Nurture Small "c" Creativity **AI's Role in Supporting Student Creativity** AI has the potential to significantly support “Small c” creativity in a variety of ways: **1. Personalized Learning Paths:** AI can analyze individual students' strengths, weaknesses, and interests to suggest custom learning activities that spark creativity. For instance, an AI platform might recommend a particular type of project that aligns with a student's interest in environmental science and their skill in creating digital content. **2. Instant, Constructive Feedback:** Quick and constructive feedback from AI-driven tools can encourage students to make improvements and try different approaches without the delay that often accompanies traditional grading. AI can highlight the innovative aspects of their work, like saying, “Your approach to solving this math problem with music was unique and effective.” **3. Resource Curation:** AI systems can curate a library of diverse resources tailored to students’ specific projects. For example, if students are working on a creative writing project, AI can suggest articles, videos, and books that may inspire different narrative techniques or themes. **4. Collaborative Platforms:** AI can facilitate collaborative environments where students can share their creative ideas and receive input from peers and mentors worldwide. Virtual brainstorming sessions and idea-sharing platforms can help surface diverse perspectives and foster collaborative creativity. **AI's Role in Supporting Teacher Instruction** **1. Enhancing Teaching Materials:** AI can assist teachers in generating innovative lesson plans that incorporate creative thinking exercises. For example, AI could provide a history teacher with interactive timelines that allow students to explore historical events through augmented reality. **2. Professional Development:** AI can suggest personalized professional development resources for teachers to learn new methods of fostering creativity in their classrooms. This might include online courses, webinars, or relevant articles and research studies. **3. Classroom Management:** AI systems can help manage classroom logistics, freeing up teachers’ time to focus on nurturing creativity. Tools that handle administrative tasks can give educators more time to develop and execute creative activities and projects with their students. ### Why We Do This Recognizing everyday creativity is essential because it cultivates a mindset of exploration and resilience in students. Encouraging "Small c" creativity equips students with valuable problem-solving skills and a sense of innovation that they can carry into any field, enriching their lifelong learning journey. ### Counter-Argument A potential counter-argument is that reliance on AI might stifle the very creativity we aim to nurture if it becomes too prescriptive. For example, if students rely too heavily on AI suggestions, they might miss the opportunity to think independently and develop their own creative processes. ### Types of Evidence 1. **Educational Technology Research:** Studies examining the impact of AI on student creativity and engagement in the classroom. 2. **Psychological Analyses:** Research on how quick feedback and personalized learning play roles in nurturing a creative mindset. 3. **Case Studies:** Real-world examples of schools and educators successfully integrating AI tools to foster creativity in students. ### Find Reliable Sources To dive deeper into this topic, consult academic journals in educational technology and psychology, look at the white papers and publications from AI in education conferences, and explore case studies through platforms like EdSurge and ResearchGate. ### Your Turn Reconsider the initial text with this counter-argument and AI’s potential role in mind. How do you envision AI’s contribution to “Small c” creativity in educational settings? Are there instances where you’ve seen a balance between AI-enhanced learning and independent creative thinking in practice? Let me know your thoughts and experiences! Tue, 11 Jun 2024 07:53:04 -0700 https://nowcomment.com/documents/375977?scroll_to=3319418 https://nowcomment.com/documents/375977?scroll_to=3319418 Absolutely, the distinction between “Big C” and “Small c” creativity is crucial in understanding how creativity manifests in our daily lives. While “Big C” creativity involves groundbreaking leaps that lead to fame and fortune, it's the “Small c” creativity that touches our everyday experiences, often in subtle yet impactful ways. Let’s think more about how “Small c” creativity appears in students’ thinking and work, and how educators and librarians can nurture this kind of creativity. ### Small "c" Creativity in Students’ Work Examples of “Small c” creativity in students might be: - **Innovative Approaches to Projects:** A student might come up with a novel way to present a history project, such as creating a short documentary instead of writing a traditional essay. - **Creative Problem Solving in Group Work:** During a group assignment, a student might suggest a unique method to divide tasks based on everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, thus optimizing the group’s efficiency. - **Unique Artistic Expressions:** In art class, a student might blend various mediums, like watercolor and charcoal, to create a distinctive piece that expresses a complex emotion or idea. - **Enhancing Classroom Environment:** A student may propose rearranging the classroom or creating a specific corner for relaxation and reading, contributing to a better learning atmosphere. ### Supporting Small "c" Creativity **1. Encourage Risk-Taking and Experimentation:**** Educators and librarians can create an environment where students feel safe to experiment and take risks. They could, for instance, have “no wrong answers” brainstorming sessions or allow students to redo assignments with a different approach if the initial one didn’t work out. Emphasize the process over the product. **2. Provide Constructive and Encouraging Feedback:** Instead of only pointing out errors, feedback should celebrate the innovative aspects of a student’s work. Comments like “I loved how you used different colors to represent different emotions” or “Your approach to solving this problem was very creative” can validate the student’s effort and encourage further creative thinking. **3. Facilitate Resources and Opportunities:** Make varied resources available that can spur creative thinking. Librarians can curate a collection of books on unconventional topics or set up workshops on creative writing, digital media, or DIY crafts. Educators can integrate activities like hackathons, maker spaces, or creativity days into the curriculum. **4. Integrate Real-World Problems:** Students often find creativity when solving real-world problems that matter to them. Educators can design projects that address community issues or current events, which can captivate students' interest and spur creative solutions. ### Why We Do This Supporting “Small c” creativity not only helps in fostering a more engaging and enjoyable learning environment but also equips students with the ability to think outside the box, a skill highly valued in any profession. When students feel their creative efforts are acknowledged and valued, it builds their confidence and encourages a lifelong love for learning and exploration. ### Counter-Argument Some might argue that focusing on “Small c” creativity detracts from the pursuit of excellence and innovation, which is traditionally associated with “Big C” creativity. If society overly emphasizes smaller creative achievements, there’s a risk that we might settle for mediocrity and miss out on fostering the rare talents who could achieve great breakthroughs. ### Types of Evidence 1. **Educational Research Studies:** Research by psychologists and educators showcasing the impact of recognizing and nurturing small-scale creative efforts on students' overall development. 2. **Literature on Creativity:** Books and articles by creativity researchers, such as Teresa Amabile and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, discussing various facets of everyday creativity. 3. **Case Studies:** Examples from various schools and educational institutions where fostering small "c" creativity has led to improved student outcomes and more inventive project work. ### Find Reliable Sources To research further, look into educational journals, databases like JSTOR or Google Scholar, and books on educational psychology. School and university libraries can also provide access to various resources and case studies exhibiting effective practices in promoting “Small c” creativity. ### Your Turn Now reread the text with this counter-argument in mind and let me know what you are thinking about the importance of recognizing and encouraging “Small c” creativity in students. How do you see this balance playing out in educational settings? Are there any specific examples from your experience that align with or contradict these points? Tue, 11 Jun 2024 08:33:35 -0700 https://nowcomment.com/documents/375977?scroll_to=3319230 https://nowcomment.com/documents/375977?scroll_to=3319230 For example, while I understand that using the phrase "cheat honestly" is a provocative hook, your premise that schooling doesn't value collaborative scholarship is simplistic. Disciplines do value the iterative process of building upon the work of others, what has been described by the library field as "scholarship as conversation." ACRL's national library framework represents this concept as: "Research in scholarly and professional fields is a discursive practice in which ideas are formulated, debated, and weighed against one another over extended periods of time. Instead of seeking discrete answers to complex problems, experts understand that a given issue may be characterized by several competing perspectives as part of an ongoing conversation in which information users and creators come together and negotiate meaning. Experts understand that, while some topics have established answers through this process, a query may not have a single uncontested answer." Students are also familiar with how science investigations build and check previous results. Tue, 11 Jun 2024 08:30:40 -0700 https://nowcomment.com/documents/293214?scroll_to=3308078 https://nowcomment.com/documents/293214?scroll_to=3308078 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wpRM7DM0PomEDhvmEFgGLMYB55C9R1x1/view?usp=sharing Tue, 21 May 2024 20:53:21 -0700 https://nowcomment.com/documents/293214?scroll_to=3308075 https://nowcomment.com/documents/293214?scroll_to=3308075 ### Quoted Sentences: 1. "On May 31 and June 1, 1921, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, mobs of white residents brutally attacked the African American community of Greenwood, colloquially known as 'Black Wall Street,' in the deadliest racial massacre in U.S. history." - **Importance**: This sentence sets the context for the image by highlighting the significance of the historical event—the Tulsa Race Massacre. Understanding this event is crucial to comprehending why the image holds such historical weight. 2. "Photo postcards of the Tulsa Race Massacre were widely distributed following the massacre in 1921." - **Importance**: This sentence reveals how the event was commercialized and suggests a sinister motive behind the production and distribution of these postcards—to assert white racial dominance and possibly to intimidate African Americans. 3. "Like postcards depicting lynchings, these souvenir cards were powerful declarations of white racial power and control." - **Importance**: This draws a parallel with other historical atrocities, such as lynchings, where similar tactics were used to reinforce racial hierarchies and terrorize Black communities. Understanding this parallel helps to grasp the oppressive intentions behind the creation of such postcards. 4. "Decades later, the cards served as evidence for community members working to recover the forgotten history of the riot and secure justice for its victims and their descendants." - **Importance**: This sentence shifts the perspective from the initial use of the postcards as tools of terror to their later role as historical evidence in the struggle for justice. It highlights the importance of preserving such artifacts for historical accountability and education. ### Background Information: To understand this text more deeply, several background topics need to be explored: 1. **Tulsa Race Massacre**: The event involved a large-scale attack on the prosperous Black neighborhood of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by mobs of white residents. Dozens, possibly hundreds, of African Americans were killed, their homes and businesses were destroyed, and thousands were left homeless. Knowing the details of this event helps contextualize the image and understand its historical impact. 2. **Black Wall Street**: This term refers to the Greenwood District, which was a highly successful and affluent African American community. Understanding its economic and cultural significance makes the violent destruction of Greenwood even more poignant. 3. **History of Lynching Postcards**: These postcards were used in a similar fashion—to glorify acts of racial violence and to intimidate and terrorize African Americans. Learning about these can show how such images were part of a broader pattern of racial terror in the United States. 4. **Historical Preservation and Justice Movements**: Understanding how historical artifacts are used in movements for justice and historical accountability can provide insight into why preserving such painful memories is essential for healing and education. ### Suggested Resources for Background Reading: 1. **Books:** - "The Burning: Massacre, Destruction, and the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921" by Tim Madigan - "Death in a Promised Land: The Tulsa Race Riot of 1921" by Scott Ellsworth 2. **Articles:** - “The Tulsa Race Massacre: 100 Years Later” by The New York Times - “What the Archives Reveal about Tulsa’s Infamous 1921 Race Riot” by History.com 3. **Documentaries:** - "Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre" (History Channel) - “The Legacy of the Tulsa Massacre” (PBS's "The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross") ### Re-engage and Reflect: I invite you to revisit the text and the image, now armed with this deeper understanding of the historical context and significance. Perhaps there are additional details or questions that stand out upon re-reading. Feel free to share any new insights or thoughts that you have in a reply! Tue, 21 May 2024 20:53:21 -0700 https://nowcomment.com/documents/293214?scroll_to=3308074 https://nowcomment.com/documents/293214?scroll_to=3308074 <img src="https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?id=NMAAHC-2011_175_11_001&max_w=700"> Created By Unidentified Owned By Ross, J. Kavin, American Date 1921 Medium silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper, with ink on paper Dimensions H x W: 3 7/16 × 5 7/16 in. (8.7 × 13.8 cm) Caption On May 31 and June 1, 1921, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, mobs of white residents brutally attacked the African American community of Greenwood, colloquially known as "Black Wall Street," in the deadliest racial massacre in U.S. history. Amidst the violence, both white rioters and the Oklahoma National Guard rounded up black residents of Greenwood and forced them to detention centers. More than 6,000 African Americans were interned at the Convention Hall, the Tulsa County Fairgrounds, and the baseball stadium McNulty Park. Some were held for as long as eight days. Photo postcards of the Tulsa Race Massacre were widely distributed following the massacre in 1921. Like postcards depicting lynchings, these souvenir cards were powerful declarations of white racial power and control. Decades later, the cards served as evidence for community members working to recover the forgotten history of the riot and secure justice for its victims and their descendants. Description A sepia-toned photographic postcard of National Guardsmen with a machine gun mounted on the back of a flat-bed truck on the streets of Tulsa, Oklahoma during the Tulsa Race Massacre. Several soldiers are on the back of the truck with the weapon, one standing and one kneeling to the left of the gun and one at the gun sight. Several other soldiers march next to the truck, backs to the camera. Other vehicles and soldiers are visible on the street in the background of the image. Written in white at the bottom of the image is [NATIONAL GUARD / MACHINE GUN CREW / DURING TULSA RACE RIOT 6-1-21]. The verso is marked [POST CARD] at the top with spaces for [CORRESPONDENCE] and [ADDRESS] and an AZO stamp box in the top right corner. Place Depicted Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States, North and Central America Classification Photographs and Still Images Type gelatin silver prints photographic postcards Topic Communities Military Photography Race relations Race riots Tulsa Race Massacre U.S. History, 1919-1933 Violence Credit Line Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Object Number 2011.175.11 Restrictions & Rights Public domain Proper usage is the responsibility of the user. GUID http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5ae1c13e9-67ba-4be9-a5cf-0a6e1def926d Tue, 21 May 2024 20:53:21 -0700