A Collection of Some Things I Found, Some Thoughts I Had This Week
Just a few things, nothing worthwhile (well, except in my mind). The first, a resource for my fellow educators. The second, a short, thoughtful piece on the costumes worn in the musical, Hamilton, and the complexities of sharing history. The third, the non-fiction book that I am currently reading and loving (I would not, in anyway, recommend to any of my regular blog readers--really, I am sure you'll be bored from reading the title).
Like with similar posts, you may not find the specific items interesting or entertaining (I definitely enjoy them), but by reading through these descriptions you will learn more about me.
And finding out more about me is the reason why you keep coming back... right?
(Stick it out to the end, and you will be rewarded with a little treat.)
(This is a side of Vincent Van Gogh I never knew existed. I love it! There are more studies he did in this vein. Read this explanation of why he drew this and similar ones.)
Long before I started blogging, I spent a lot of time reading other people's blogs. In a way, all of this is my tribute to those bloggers who inspired me to change my thinking. One in particular, whom I discovered after my school closed, has provided great insight into the changes and expectations of modern education, and the types of technologies available to shape learning. Jennifer Gonzalez created Cult of Pedagogy in order to provide resources for educators. Over the years, she has given me a lot to think about when it comes to learning, but also blogging itself. I am glad I found her website.
I have mentioned Bernadette Banner before (apparently right here). Although I do not watch every one of her videos, every once in a while, I find time to peruse her playlist to see if I can find anything relevant to me. Well, YouTube's algorithms managed to place this video in my feed today, and I am quite pleased. Unpacking the Hamilton Costumes is only twelve minutes long, and not entirely about costumes. She uses her passion for period fashion in order to discuss two important topics: how to view and discuss history, and how to analyze art (the visual arts in this instance). And she gets it right (in my opinion). At some point I would like to expand on her thoughts, since I believe a lot of current political conflicts are wrapped up in erroneous perceptions of historical events and our relationships to them. In other words, we don't know how to do or view history effectively; therefore, our current political ideas are screwed up.
In last Monday's post, A Brief Interlude (#10), I mentioned that my current reading of a non-fiction book had me analyzing my decade long reading rut. Finally, I have decided to share the title of the book. Just to be clear, I am not recommending it to any of my current readership: I doubt any of you would find it interesting. Though, you are welcome to surprise me. (At some point, I will try and summarize it in a creative way, with graphics, too). However, I think it is a shame that the information in the book is not discussed more thoroughly, especially in history classes. Too many people refer to this period of time when discussing politics, not realizing how much they misunderstand it (including me). And, it is a travesty that more history books are not available that provide the level of analysis, evidence, and insight, that this book delivers. Books like this are one of the reasons why I got drawn into the study of history, and why I am passionate about teaching it. It is called Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 by Tony Judt (and I just lost one third of my regular readers: my sister and my cousin). It is a tome: 878 pages, not including the index (and there goes another third). But I am enjoying every page of it.
Okay, if you made it this far, I have a little treat. It is a music video I found on YouTube one day. I love everything about it: the lyrics, the sound, the costumes, the body language and facial expressions (and the bass player in the background having all kinds of fun). Hopefully you will enjoy it, too.
(Well, my apologies! When I first found it, I considered it a treat...)
"Bawitdaba" (Kid Rock) 1940s Cover by Robyn Adele ft. Kristina Nieskens and Sarah Krauss
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