Hello class! It's the first day of the semester, so here we go, let's get started.
I think all of you know me, but you may not all know each other. In this wonderfully small class of only five students, two of you are in the Master's of Art Education (MAE) program and three are in the Critical Studies & Artistic Practice Ph.D. program. I look forward to the cross-pollination between programs, experiences, perspectives and ideas that will take place among us this semester!
To get things rolling, let's start with introductions. Tell us your name, your program and why you decided to take this class. You may also include anything about your background that is important to you and therefore worth sharing. For example, you could tell us where you grew up, educational and/or work experiences, or even something about your family - again, if it is important to you. Please know that you are not obligated to share beyond your personal comfort level! In this class, your ideas, opinions and views are regarded with respect, as is your privacy.
Also in these first few days we need to look at the syllabus. You will see it posted in the right column. All you need to do is click & download the document to your computer. Please look it over and if you have questions, post them on this blog. I will answer any questions or concerns that you have.
Note that in this class, reading & blog assignments are scheduled on a week-by-week basis. Discussion questions and topics based on the assigned readings are posted on Monday or Tuesday of each week. Your comments will always be due the following Sunday at midnight. If something comes up and you are unable to post by Sunday at midnight, please let me know in an email (c.erler@ttu.edu). I understand that you have lives and things occasionally happen that disrupt the flow.
Let's see... I think that is all for now, but I will post again if I think of anything. In the meantime, please do the following:
1) Introduce yourself in a post on this blog
2) Download and read the syllabus
3) Post any questions or concerns that you have about the syllabus, the textbooks, or this class
Thank you, all! I look forward to working with each one of you this semester.
carolyn
Hello everyone! My name is Jenise Wooten. I am in the MAE program.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Meadow, a small community twenty-five miles southwest of Lubbock. I have a Bachelor of Arts from Texas Tech University. I have worked as a graphic designer for a long time, over thirty years. Yes, I am a baby boomer who decided to go back for another degree.
I work on the TTU campus in the housing marketing department as a graphic designer.
I am married and have a daughter who is working on her masters at Texas State University in San Marcos; another daughter is attending Lubbock Christian University in Lubbock with a dual degree in Psychology and Physics. My grandson is four and a budding engineer. We have two cats.
I am so excited to be in this class and can’t wait to get to know all of you.
Haha! Jenise is that a caricature of you? I soooo pictured you that way!!
ReplyDeleteHello all! My name is Elizabeth 'Liz' Reyes, I'm only called Elizabeth if my mom needs to get after me. :) I am also in MAE Program, it ROCKS!!!
I teach MS Art and I LIVE FOR MY STUDENTS, they are my most prized possession. Let's see....I live a simple life. I love to laugh, run, and am an intensive practicing yogi. It has taught me to take care of my body and health so that I can be healthy to take care of all the people in my life...and I have a lot of people in my life!! When I get the question, "Do you have kids?" I say, "Yup, about 867!" Then they realize I'm a teacher.
You will find I reference my students A LOT...they are my world! Other than that, I'm just Liz. I'm eager to teach, learn and enjoy everyones contribution to this class. I look forward to sharing and hearing everyones experiences. Ohhh, and I too have two cats. Sammy is on top of my keyboard right now as I'm trying to type. Cats are funny!
Liz, you have the true heart of a teacher!
DeleteHi Liz! I am so glad you are in this class.
ReplyDeleteYes that is a caricature of me.
My big kitty (20#) is laying on my feet right now. They are so much fun.
I can't seem to add a photo... I will try again.
DeleteI teach about 100 or so students per semester, but my studio students really stay with me like my children might... but luckily they don't want me to help them with college tuition or car insurance or car payments...
But...
It is great to see them go on to 4 year colleges and finish their degrees! I saw several students of mine in a recruitment video for TTU!! that was very nice...
Hi Everyone! I am Allison Black. I have just completed 18 hours in the Ph.D. program, Critical Studies and Artistic Practice. I have my BFA and MFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing (clay minor) from TTU (94 and 97). I have been teaching since grad school, one year part time at TTU, 3 years at San Jacinto College South in Houston and I am finishing up my 10th year at South Plains College in Levelland, where I am an Associate Professor of Art. I teach Jewelry and metalsmithing, design II and Art appreciation (online) now, but I have taught Art History, painting, sculpture, clay, watercolor, drawing...
ReplyDeleteI have been teaching online for probably 6 years, but aside from taking WebCt training and Blackboard training online, I have never take an online class.... I am curious...
I have 3 kiddos, grown now, 25, 25, and 29. They are all involved in the arts- visual arts and or music. I am from New Jersey, but have lived in Texas since 1983. I was a single parent for 10 years- going through my studies, but I am married to Ippy Greer, a painter and fellow professor at SPC.
I am very interested in feminism and feminist research as I know it will pertain to my dissertation topic- which will likely deal with ornamentation or adornment of the body...
I also have 2 cats, a maine coon and a siberian, as well as many dogs- havanese, tibetan terriers and westies.
My daughter, Lauren (25) is at Boston University working on her MFA in Film. As for my sons-- Patrick (25) works at the Lubbock Co. Sheriffs dept, and Sean (29) has his MFA in Metals (Kent State) and works at the TTU Library. He is a fairly regular participant in First Friday Art Walk at Ron Simons studio.
I am looking forward to this class, the rigorous discussion it will provoke and to GrOwInG...
Hi All--
DeleteI grew up in southern New Jersey and attended Virginia Tech for 4 years, no degree, but lots of majors!
I agree with you, I also need to be provoked and GROW in my art and teaching!
DeleteAllison, Thanks for sharing about your dogs. I have four dogs - one stray & three shelter babies (now grown). One of them was born in the Brownfield Animal Shelter to unknown parentage. He seems to be a mix of Australian Cattle Dog and English Pointer. Anyway, since you have a Maine Coon, I'm wondering if you have a problem with him/her killing small animals. This has been a recurring problem with my Sugie (pronounced like Sugar). It bothers me a lot, but can I expect him to be otherwise? What do you do? Just wondering.... Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Dr Erler. My Maine Coon (Sydney, female) does not go outside but I have not seen any aggressive behavior toward any of my animals. I had another Maine Coon (Django, male) kitten that would chase my havanese male an nip his back legs, so he went to live with my son. He is a love bug now, but would probably love to be the only animal in the house. Maine Coons are terrific mousers. Nikita, my Siberian female has a wonderful gentle disposition, likely a good mouser too, but she doesn't seem to have that heightened kill instinct either.
DeleteOh, you are lucky. It bothers me so much that Sugie kills. He is so sweet otherwise, which is why I don't have heart to re-home him...or worse. I just work with him & he does the best he can.
DeleteI wish he would meet a cat that would attack him. But then again, the cat probably wouldn't stand a chance. My other dogs back off when a cat stands his/her ground, but not Sugie. I call him the "silent death" because he kills so quickly and when it's done, he walks away.
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ReplyDeleteBy the way, the link below is a Chinese Lunar New Year post card that I made for ya. Happy new year and have a wonderful year.
Deletehttp://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150517835564371&set=a.10150517835524371.398913.669839370&type=3&theater
A-Ta
Hi Everyone!! My name is Hsu, Yuan-Ta(許遠達), you can call me A-Ta. I am a Taiwanese, so, if you have any question about Chinese , you are more than welcome to ask me. This is my third years in Ph.D. Program, the same program with Allison(Hi, Allison.). My dissertation tropic will be about the nostalgia in Taiwan photography.
DeleteI have my Bachelor degree of Public Administration from National Chung-Hsing University (Now was renamed as National Taipei University) in 1996. I thought I was not a guy who can deal public policies when I was junior. So, after I graduated and finished my two years army service (All Taiwanese males are obligated to have military service for two years.), I decided to transfer my major to art. Then, I have my lovely MA degree in Institute of Art History and Art Criticism at Tainan National College of the Arts (Now was renamed as Tainan National University of the Arts) in 2004 and my major field is about Taiwan contemporary stone sculpture. Then, after two years teaching in colleges, I decided to study abroad and get my Ph.D. degree, and that’s the reason I am here. Ya, hopefully TTU will not change its name!!!
My wife is now studying in sociology department at Tech. We have no kid yet. Her tropic will be about the female migrants in Asia. We like drinking tea, hiking and sometime drinking some alcohols.
I like classes about women or queer study, these classes offer me broader and multiple views to understand the relationships among human beings and how we are influenced by social norms. Looking forward to have conversations with you.
Hi A-Ta! Your piece is wonderful!
DeleteGlad to have you in class again!
A-Ta! I tried to go on Facebook to see your New Year's picture, I copied and pasted the link into the google bar, to no avail! How can I get to see this?!
DeleteA-Ta, Thank you for sharing the beautiful image in celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year! You are a very talented artist. Also, red is my favorite color, and there is something about the quality of red in Chinese art that thrills me. It is so deep and vibrant, so pure, like no other red in the world. I have Year of the Rabbit and Year of the Mouse cards that were given to me by a former student named Yen-An, also from Taiwan. Such spectacular red! Not to mention the artistry. These were store-bought, however, not handmade like yours. Again, thank you for sharing your work with us.
ReplyDeleteWell I guess its my turn...
ReplyDeleteHi everyone, My name is Francesco, I usually go by frank unless you're a die-hard italian, in which case, "frank" just seems bland. I'm a 1st year in the PhD program. My background is in photography, visual culture and literacy as well as installation and performance-based work. I'm taking this class because I've wanted to work with Dr. Erler in the hopes of removing some of the academic stench from my writing. Plus, I've recently began to appreciate how closely connected Dorothy Smith and "standpoint" theory is to an interest of mine in the work of John Dewey and G. H. Mead.
No real need to bore you with the small details of who I am but I'll share this...
My ultimate goal is to teach studio artists in Europe or simply digging ditches in Europe... Whichever opportunity comes first. More than almost anything else, I enjoy meeting different people. You broaden yourself so much when facing something you've never perceived before. And, in my opinion, experiencing other cultures has got to be the best way to develop a well-rounded mind.
Thanks everyone! Almost everyone has introduced themselves. I did not mention at the beginning of this post that we have a sixth class member - Liz Reyes. Welcome, Liz! And we have yet to hear from Suzanne, who I'm sure will be posting her introductions soon.
DeleteI'd like to draw your attention to a new addition to the blog: our very own Picasa Image Album. Since this is the first time I've used Picasa in combination with a blog, I want to make sure that everyone can access it. I'm also curious to see if you can post images. Please try to upload an image (A-Ta, your Chinese Lunar New Year postcard would be perfect) to our class album. If the site won't let you, let me know. I may have to work with the settings a bit more.
Thanks & more later...
carolyn
I uploaded a photo and it didn't show up on your album, but I did "share" it with you. I will try some other ways to see if I can figure it out.
DeleteHi Jenise; I don't know how to access your pix, what do I do? I have a Mac. I feel blind to the pix that I cannot see! I want to see the photos!
Deletehi Frank!
DeleteI know what you mean about experiencing other cultures expanding your mind... I have lived in the north and the south, in english speaking and spanish speaking communities, in civilian and in military communities, all here in the USA... and I have lived in Belfast, Northern Ireland for a year, my mother was an exchange teacher on Fulbright. We traveled to Morocco, Italy, England, Capri, Madeira, Gibraltar...it was a life altering experience for a little American girl from south jersey, but it shaped who I was then, and who I am today, and everyday I am aware of the expansion of my personhood that the experience provided me.
Oh my gosh, that is so cool. Jenise, your photo album shows up in the right-hand column of my picasaweb page. I just click on your album and there are your beautiful kitties. I guess that's how it's done. Each person has their own album and all the albums are linked together. Or will be, as people begin uploading their own images.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering if you were able to see all my photo albums. For instance, I have a photo album for my pets, another for my artwork, and one for each class I have taught in the last year. Can you see all of them? You should be able to, as I allowed access to anyone who has the link.
Thanks for uploading some pix of your own!
Can someone direct me to the instructions on how to upload image to picasa? I can see the class album but it doesn't seem like I can interact with the album.
Deletethanks
I am glad you can see my photos. I have to admit, I am rather fond of them.
ReplyDeleteI can only see the album for this class and the profile photo album. I think it has something to do with permissions for each album.
Google has added features that have added complexity as well.
Hello, everyone! I am late posting because I was driving to pick up my mother in Quinlan, Texas so that I could bring her home to my house in Fredericksburg. She was spending the holidays with my sister and it was time to bring her home. Mom had a stroke last summer and after spending 83 years independently, she needed to live with me. She is an artist and thankfully, has been able to reconnect with her art after the stroke. I set up a studio for her and she has painted about 15 small paintings in both watercolor and oils. She has 6 pieces on display in a physical therapy studio here in FBG on Main Street. So, she continues to amaze us all with her creativity and verve! A small description: she wears a pink sparkling baseball cap with "REBEL" printed on the front, a contagious smile, and an abundant joy for people. She insists that tidiness is the only art of the uncreative!
ReplyDeleteAs for myself, I teach art and Latin in a Classical school here in Fredericksburg, which means that we use an interdisciplinary approach. When I instruct Latin class, I may be playing an opera by Handel called "Acis and Galatea", view art history slides, read the Ovid's story in Latin using dramatic interpretation, encourage the kids to create models, dress in costume, fight gladitorial battles, or build Colosseums with rolled up newspapers. We try to make the curriculum both rich and rigorous.
I am married to the love of my life, Mac, a fellow sort of like Conan the Barbarian in the cleverly disguised garb of a middle aged Texas male. He is true blue, deep hearted, and a super friend; deeply committed to encouraging my dreams. Without him, life would have no flavor, no spice.
I have two daughters, both are in Education and have their Masters. April teaches Junior English at Tivy HS in Kerrville. Martha is an Early Childhood specialist who coordinates the children's ministry at our church which includes about 150 to 200 little rug rats ages zero to five. Additionally, we have 3 grandkids: two are boys ages 1 and 2, as well as a twelve year old grand-daughter who is a voracious reader, plays the violin, and loves to draw dragons.
I am in the Texas Tech MAE program, which has really brought me face to face with myself, sometimes a difficult task, but always enlightening. I felt that after 28 years of teaching, I needed to get out of my comfort zone and grow in my life experience. Most of all, I want to explore my life as an artist and teacher, a challenge with the various roles that I am presently living out. This is the aspect of our Tech MAE program which drew me.
I really enjoyed reading your comments, I look forward to "meeting" you, each, this spring, online!
Welcome to the class, you sound like you have an interesting life! So much of my energy teaching is ensuring the students don't set fires or cut themselves with the jeweler's saw and produce some interesting work, learn about art, design, metalsmithing... and the history of such as they begin to learn about themselves, art and the world they live in... as it relates to art-- I don't think I could handle costumes, another language and a slide show as well--- hats off to you!!! :)
ReplyDeleteBless your momma and her art production. I think I want a sparkling pink baseball cap too, or a studded navy beret! Watch out, I just might do it.
glad to meet you-
it won't take photos from mac?
DeleteAllison, thank you for your response! Go for that beret! I think the problem may be operator error on getting the pix to show. I wanted to share some pix from last summer in the printmaking class...Ariadne was definitely the heroine of the Theseus and Minotaur fabula. Without her, Theseus would have been lost inside the labyrinth.
Delete