Research Progress

Based upon your recommendations, I've revised my multigenre work two. I included text boxes but incorporated them into the work as a frame. Within the frame, I've included relevant data from my research. That satisfies the research result prerequisite for the project. I've also placed a text box beneath the the "painting" titled No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. That should eliminate any ambiguity.

Miami Dade School advertising rant

This is off of my research topic but Miami Dade School Board has decided to allow the privitization of their schools via corporate advertising on school grounds. The ads have limitations such as being age appropriate or not selling junk food. They are allowing this in an effort to raise millions of dollars in projected revenues for the school system which is experiencing significant fiscal shortfalls. I can't make this up. I actually thought that I had seen everything. I was mistaken; approval of a six hundred plus million stadium while simultaneously prostituting our greatest assets' minds. Where is the disconnect?

Research Progress

Here is a draft of my multigenre effort. It still needs significant work.


Left Behind

The dark silence of my self-induced cave surrounds and shrouds my broken form
on the eve of the sixth coming of a false savior with my commiserating companion Jameson and unwelcome reminders of ineptitude and cowardice.
Pensive and preoccupied with the realization that we have failed our greatest asset;
that I had neglected those in my charge.
I look upon the gleeful toothless grins of ghosts in glossy life-like texture of
Anita, Katherine, Lena, Hector, Janelle, Alexis, Miguel, Tyrone, Jorge, Ranada…
The faces and names are an endless procession of past classes,
oblivious in their inherent innocence and unconditional trust that discerning, educated and benevolent adults entrusted to educate them had their best interests in mind.
Would they be smiling if they knew what awaited them?
Would they be smiling if they knew what we had wrought?
Would they be smiling if they knew what we had conspired to do to them with our silence?
The pangs of conscience reverberate as they did the day the prophetic voice of "reason" forecast their inevitable demise promising greater accountability and education through testing without the problematic racial and socio-demographic divide.
The illuminating screech of obdurate logic and reason rebelled against this false prophet.
Reverberating in my brain and resonating in my subconscious until I couldn't focus on the blissful blind exuberance and unfulfilled promise in my students and I was -
acutely aware of the beautiful innate differences that we possess,
cognizant of the dangers of ethnocentrism,
mindful of the socio-demographic dynamic and its impact,
marked by the realization of the ramifications of failure due to underfunding.
Nonetheless, I stood mute, blind to my own betrayal and remiss in my obligations.
Years have passed and the carefree spirits haunt me daily
and starting tomorrow, my complicit silence will welcome a new class of jubilant apparitions.

Research Progress

I was speaking to a couple of my fellow students about the NCLB today. It suddenly occurred to me that they offer a unique perspective that both teachers and administrators don't possess. I believe that perspective will add to my project and resolve my immediate problem with a lack of interviews and surveys. As such, I'm going to design a survey specifically for students at St. Thomas and distribute it next week. Additionally, I'm going to interview several of my peers that have experienced the FCAT. I've also been revisiting resource periodicals for updated data as my topic is current and has received more attention now that President Obama is placing an onus upon education, even in the face of the current fiscal crisis.

Research Progress

I'm still waiting for responses to my interview requests. This may be due to the fact that FCAT day just happened. If that is the case, I certainly understand after my research. Hopefully, I'll get a response soon as these interviews are also the means to disseminate my surveys via school administration. My contingency plan is to interview and survey friends that are teachers and administrators but I'd prefer not to do that. Regardless, I dislike doing things last minute. The delay has already caused me to decrease the scope of my project.

Observation

The place I elected to observe was the courtyard area, facing the pond, in front of the library because it offered a wide variety of observable actions. I sat on a bench in the shade facing the pond because it offered the best vantage point of the area surrounding the pond. This allowed me to observe that area but also utilize my other senses simultaneously. I was an objective observer because I wanted to not play an active role in the process of observation. The resources that I brought to record my observations were a notebook and pen. I recorded notes with bulleted comments that were as specific as possible. As I sat on the bench, I immediately felt that it was colder than the outside air, had a sandpaper like texture and bleached out appearance that reminded me of Clint Eastwood's horse in Pale Rider. A light cool southwestern wind gently tugged at my clothing, creating goose bumps on my skin. Behind me, people entered the library. The vast majority of which shuffled their feet which I was distracting and is a pet peeve. Those that did not shuffle their feet or were at least the most noticeable were the click and clack of high heels as they passed by. This sound, chatter, laughter and construction in the distance detracted from the serene nature of the fountains to my front. The fountains in the pond created a peaceful atmosphere. The twin fountains created algae stained waves that radiated from their source, meeting in the middle to form a glass like serenity or spilled upon the shore with violent disregard. Directly across from me, a casually dressed man with dark unkempt hair and dark skin wearing blue jeans, a blue t shirt and white shoes lay immobile in direct sunlight with his left hand covering his eyes obviously asleep. To his right, two women were actively engaged in conversation .They were obviously passionately discussing a topic as they were both using gestures. their body language indicated that they were relaxed, open and receptive.